The outcome of a joint appointment process for the Pikes Peak Library District board now rests with El Paso County and Colorado Springs, but accounts differ on the vote needed to confirm nominees. Of 32 people who applied for three open seats, officials recommended board president Aaron Salt for another term and newcomer Cindy Schaefer for a partial term. The meeting also exposed disagreements over candidates connected to critics of the district’s Rockrimmon branch closure.
The Gazette reported that Salt was recommended for a second five-year term and Schaefer for a partial one-year term. The paper said both recommendations require approval by a majority vote of the El Paso County Commissioners and Colorado Springs City Council. The city’s Joint Appointment Committee page describes a different process: a two-thirds majority of the legislative bodies, or automatic ratification if no action is taken within 60 days. The discrepancy remains unresolved.
The city and county officials met Thursday, November 5, at Centennial Hall to consider the applications, the Gazette reported. The Joint Appointment Committee includes County Commissioners Carrie Geitner and Lauren Nelson and City Councilmembers Nancy Henjum and Ken Casey. It evaluates candidates and recommends appointments to the county and city governing bodies.
Candidates Linked to Rockrimmon Critics Were Rejected
The Gazette reported that county officials rejected other nominees suggested by Henjum and Casey, citing in particular their connections to “activist” groups that criticized the library district’s decision to close the Rockrimmon branch. The Pikes Peak Library District says it decided not to renew the lease for the Rockrimmon Library space, according to the district…