The City Advertising and Promotion Commission convened for a special meeting Tuesday to decide whom to nominate to fill the seat left vacant when commissioner Damon Henke’s term expires. Commissioners already voted to re-nominate Henke, but city council voted 3-2-1 to deny reseating him.
Chair Ken Ketelsen stated there were three people applying to fill the vacancy: Henke, Brandon Cox and former commissioner Bobbie Foster. He also stated whoever they nominate must be approved by city council. Ketelsen also mentioned his research indicated a person voted down by council must wait a year before reconsideration, but there were murmurs of dissent among commissioners about this point of law.
Commissioner Terry McClung said he talked to Mayor Butch Berry and had encouraged him to veto council’s vote to deny Henke the seat, but Berry said advice from the Municipal League was he could not do so.
Commissioner James DeVito said Henke’s vote could be brought up again by an alderman who had voted either against him or had abstained. Commissioner Charles Ragsdell added that commissioners could simply re-nominate Henke and look for another vote at council.
MeClung commented council was ill-informed before its vote, and no one had a chance to speak to Henke’s performance as a commissioner at CAPC meetings.
Ketelsen said no one would argue the vote at council was irregular, but it was time to put emotion aside and move forward, and McClung then nominated Henke to fill the position.
DeVito mentioned procedure would be to have a secret ballot.
At that point, Ketelsen mentioned a letter from the Municipal League, and Ragsdell and Harman both said they had not seen the letter and insisted all commissioners should it read before voting. Quickly there was consensus commissioners wanted more to time to read the letter and any other related materials before voting, so they adjourned the meeting.
The next CAPC meeting will be Wednesday, Sep. 14, at 6 p.m.