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May 23, 1990 <br />2 4 3830 <br />To: Mark Bernhardson and Orono City Council Members <br />Re: Park Commission appointment o-f Hay 14, 1990 <br />As citizens o-f this community, we are distraught and <br />disappointed at the recent actions of the City Council in <br />its -filling of the Park Commission opening. We appeal to <br />your personal sense of integrity and the duty of <br />accountability you owe all the citizens of Orono. We, <br />respectfully, ask you to include the Park Commission <br />appointment as an agenda item at the next City Council <br />meeting, Tuesday, May 29. The process by which the <br />appointment was made is counter to that publicized by the <br />City of Orono and, thus, deserves citizenry comment. <br />City administration posted March 30, 1990 as the final day <br />citizens could make application for the Park Commission <br />opening. Applications were to have been received by 4:00pm <br />on that evening. The .notice of this vacancy was published in <br />the Pioneer. <br />Subsequent to the application process, candidates were <br />notified in writing by John Gerhardson that they were to be <br />interviewed by the City Council. Two applicants were present <br />for City Council interviewing; Susan Wilson was not among <br />them. Following the interviews, the candidates (two persons) <br />were informed that an appointment would be made at the May <br />14 meeting of tlie City Council. <br />The rest, of course, is history. Neither of the two <br />applicants who fairly and conscientious followed the process <br />were appointed. Rather, a new candidate surfaced who neither <br />applied by the deadline nor was part of formal interviews. <br />We are quite confused and concerned about the Council's <br />total disregard for process and lack of accountabi1ity to <br />its constituents. How can you appoint someone to the Park <br />Commission whose application came in si;: weeks after the <br />deadline? Does the City Council believe that there are no <br />rules it must follow? <br />Deadlines and process mean something to the citizens of this <br />community. By placing the Park Commission opening on the <br />next agenda, an open dialogue about the nomination process <br />can ensue and, hopefully, mutual understanding can be <br />fostered. <br />f / I) hs h^.f