Planning commission, STOR committee applicant period reopened

Several boards and commissions lacking applicants

[  By Katherine Nettles  ]

Gunnison County commissioners have decided to reopen the application process for several board and commissions to drum up more interest in them after a less than enthusiastic response came in the first time around. Initial applications were due in January and commissioners held interviews last month for those who had applied. Several boards and commissions with openings had no applicants or fewer than the number of vacancies, and commissioners also hoped for a larger group of candidates than they received for both the STOR (Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation) committee and the Gunnison County Planning Commission, both of which they work closely with on a policy level. 

“We’d like to see a deeper pool of applicants,” said county commissioner chair Jonathan Houck during the February 1 meeting. 

Houck speculated that between holidays, COVID setbacks and some tight deadlines there were more people interested who had either applied after the deadline had passed or who may have lost track of the timing involved. 

The board of adjustments, environmental health board, historic preservation commission, 7th Judicial board of community corrections, Region 10, medical health officer, the Gunnison Watershed weed commission and Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority, most of which received no applicants prior to the January application deadline, have all been reopened to additional applicants until February 16. The STOR committee, which has five community at large openings, and the planning commission, which has two regular and two alternate positions open, has also been reopened for two weeks.  Anyone who has already applied is still in the running, and final appointments are expected by early March. Application details can be found at gunnisoncounty.org/boardapp

The Gunnison County Library board of directors was the only board with more applicants than openings, and commissioners made those two appointments on February 1. Micah Russell was newly appointed and Kim Sherman was reappointed after extensive discussion on the four candidates whom commissioners felt were all well qualified. 

Camille Bessy was reappointed to the Gunnison Cemetery district board as well, and Polly Oberosler was appointed to the Gunnison Sage Grouse strategic committee, and one remaining opening on that board will be re-advertised.