The Port Orchard City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Marcus Lane to the Planning Commission.
Lane replaces longtime commission member Gil Michael, who died in December.
He submitted a letter to Mayor Tim Matthes on Jan. 14 about the commission’s vacancy.
Lane, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, said he returned to Port Orchard about two years ago.
“I realized that public service is something I wanted to stay with,” he told the council.
Lane said that he sent time with Michael and that the late Planning Commission member became a mentor to him.
“Over the past two years, I’ve been spending a lot of time at council meetings wanting to get involved,” Lane said. “I wanted to be able to effect the change that will effect our community and my children’s lifestyle and even my grandchildren.”
Mayor Pro Tem Bek Ashby, filling in for Matthes, asked Lane to explain his participation in political action groups.
“Within the past year I got involved with local Kitsap groups and the Republican Party,” he said.
Councilman Jerry Childs said the council “normally tries” to get members who have a background in building or architecture design.
Lane said he didn’t have a background in building or architecture design, but while in the Air Force he had five years of experience in community planning.
“I have a lot of experience when it comes to comprehensive plans for community,” he noted.
Lane said during the past two years he has served as chief of staff of an organization which was responsible for several programs — both technical and strategic.
Councilman Jeff Cartwright said he was concerned about the process of appointing a new member to the Planning Commission.
He asked city staff how many people expressed interested in the vacancy.
“I was under the understanding when we approved Mr. (Nick) Whittleton that it was the last of the applications,” Cartwright said. “I though we had a discussion that we wanted a ‘wider net casting’ for the next time we need to fill a position.”
Cartwright asked city staff if an ad was placed in the newspaper of city website.
City Clerk Brandy Rinearson said there was one remaining application from Whittleton’s appointment and that Lane put his application in shorty after Michael’s death.
“It is my understanding that the mayor did not seek additional applications, per se, or put an ad in the paper,” Rinerson.
Councilmembers John Clauson and Robert Putaansuu also were absent at the March 10 meeting.
Also, council:
• Voted 5-0 to approve an interlocal agreement with Kitsap County for the Urban County Community Development funds.
• Voted 5-0 to approve an interlocal agreement with Kitsap County for allocation of surcharge funds to very low-income housing projects.
• Voted 3-2 on a resolution approving a contract with Socialmentum LLC for the “Mindmaster” platform.
• Voted 5-0 to table action on approving an interlocal agreement with Kitsap Regional Coodinating Council for developing county-wide Planning Policy under the Growth Management Act.
