HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 5/19/2020 - Memorandum From Martina Wilkinson And Theresa Connor Re: Follow Up On Boxelder Basin Regional Stormwater Authority (Boxelder Stormwater Authority) Board Of Directors AppointmentsTraffic Operations
626 Linden
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.221.6630
970.221.6282 - fax
www.fcgov.com/traffic
Planning, Development & Transportation
MEMORANDUM
Date: May 11, 2020
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, PDT Director
From: Martina Wilkinson, Assistant City Traffic Engineer
Theresa Connor, Interim Executive Director, Utilities
Re: Follow Up on Boxelder Basin Regional Stormwater Authority (Boxelder
Stormwater Authority) Board of Director’s Appointments
Bottom line
A process has been established to select the next City/County jointly appointed unaffiliated
Director for the Boxelder Stormwater Authority Board.
Because the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) had already voted on this appointment,
although the City Council did not, work is underway to determine what steps must be taken by the
County to have Martina Wilkinson continue to serve in that role until a successor is selected and
approved by both governing bodies. No further action by City Council is necessary in the interim.
Background
The Boxelder Basin Regional Stormwater Authority is an agency created via Intergovernmental
Agreement among Fort Collins, Larimer County and the Town of Wellington to manage
stormwater projects in the Boxelder Basin. The Authority is managed by a five-person Board of
Directors:
1 Director appointed by Wellington: currently Tim Singewald (former Town Mayor)
1 Director appointed by Larimer County: currently Eric Tracy (County staff)
1 Director appointed by Fort Collins: formerly Gerry Horak (former City Council member),
currently Theresa Connor (City staff)
1 Director jointly appointed by Wellington / Larimer County: currently Richard Seaworth
(citizen)
DocuSign Envelope ID: DFCBBF3C-DC20-4EE0-8C49-03955164F3C4
1 Director jointly appointed by Fort Collins / Larimer County: Martina Wilkinson (former
County staff and current City staff). This is the term that is expired and up for re-
appointment
Each entity determines its own method for making appointments, and that process has varied over
the years.
The Director appointed solely by the City of Fort Collins had historically been a city staff person
(engineer) appointed by the City Manager. About five years ago, based on specific challenges
within the Authority, it was determined that a City elected official would be beneficial on the
Board. At the request of Council and because appointment of a City Council person to an outside
board is reserved to Council, the City process was adjusted to have Council appoint the last City
appointed Director (Gerry Horak). Last week Council appointed City staff Theresa Connor to that
position.
The Director appointed jointly by the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County was originally done
through an open application process. Early Directors (10+ years ago) included citizens not
affiliated with the City. As the Authority work plan included increasing technical, fiduciary,
political, and legal challenges the skills needed by Directors evolved. In recognition of the
importance that both the City and County’s interests are appropriately represented on the Board,
recent joint appointees have been strategically made through shared mutual agreement between
City and County leadership. Last week, Council asked that an open selection process be used to
select the next joint City/County Director to fill the position whose term has expired.
The proposed process will include the following:
Both the City and County will begin the process of a Boards and Commissions recruitment
to find candidates,
Each organization will select no more than three candidates to be interviewed,
Interviews will be conducted by a joint panel made up of two representatives from each
organization. Three or more will need to agree to select a preferred candidate, and
The preferred candidate will be considered for appointment by both elected bodies.
In the meantime, the City and County are determining the needed steps to have Martina
Wilkinson continue to serve in the joint Director role. For the County this may mean
reappointment on a short-term basis or continuation until a successor is appointed since a new
candidate for the jointly appointed unaffiliated Director was already voted on. For the City, this
does not require action since the Council has not acted on the appointment of the jointly
appointed unaffiliated Director and the Authority IGA allows a Director whose term has expired to
continue until a successor is appointed. Both entities recognize the strategic importance and
benefit of having a full-seated Board.
The goal of the above process is to have a candidate acceptable to both entities in place on the
Authority Board within the next two to three months.
DocuSign Envelope ID: DFCBBF3C-DC20-4EE0-8C49-03955164F3C4