ITEM TITLE:
Appointment to Parks and Recreation Commission to Serve a Three-year Term. Reconsideration Requested by Council Member Lally
SUBMITTED BY: Elise Sorum-Birk, Deputy City Clerk
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: n/a
Unencumbered Balance: n/a
Funding Source: n/a
RECOMMENDATION:
Reconsider three-year term appointment made to align with ballots cast.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The City Clerk’s Office advertised the three upcoming vacancies for the Parks and Recreation Commission, and four applications were received and reviewed by Council at their regular meeting on October 7, 2025. Applicants were:
• Jessica Tran
• Benjamin Rush
• Jillian Reiss
• Sarah Jorgenson-Owen
Council cast ballots and each selected one applicant to serve a two-year term ending October 31, 2027, and two applicants to serve to serve a three-year term ending October 31, 2028.
After the tally of ballots, a motion to appoint Jessica Tran to a two-year term and Sarah Jorgenson-Owen and Jillian Reiss each to a three-year term was made and passed after the vote of Council (6 yays, 1 absent)
City Clerk Sheri Pierce reviewed the ballots after the meeting and noted that an error had been made in the tally of votes. The tally has been recounted, and the votes follow:
Two-year term:
• Jessica Tran - 4 votes
• Benjamin Rush - 2 votes
Three-year term:
• Sarah Jorgenson Owen - 5 votes
• Benjamin Rush - 4 votes
• Jillian Reiss - 3 votes
Due to the error, the City Clerk’s Office has requested that Council Member Lally request reconsideration of the action taken on October 7th to appoint Jillian Reiss to a three-year term on the Parks and Recreation Commission.
To correct the error and align with the ballots cast by Council on October 7th, a motion should be made to appoint Benjamin Rush to the three-year term.