Summit County Councilmember Canice Harte called it “an embarrassment of riches” on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” last week.
“In the best of ways,” he explained. “We had so many good candidates that, really, we felt like any one of them could do the job.”
There were 13 applicants for two open spots. Three Summit County councilmembers would round out the five-member board.
But now, Harte said the council may appoint four people, making it a seven-member board. The council is scheduled to make appointments at its meeting Wednesday.
Harte compared the housing authority to High Valley Transit and the North Summit Fire District, independent agencies that the council maintains some control over by appointing its own members to their boards.
“We try to put council members on there to support the organization and help it get off the ground. And also to put some guardrails on there, but the bylaws for the housing authority really kind of give us comfort that the council can [maintain guardrails] anyways in the way we will approve things,” Harte said.
Draft bylaws for the board are also scheduled for discussion and possible approval at the Wednesday meeting.
The housing authority’s new executive director, former Summit County planner Madlyn McDonough, is scheduled to lead the discussion.
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