Scott Again Choice as New Council Member

 

LOCK HAVEN — City Council Monday followed through with the public appointment of Machell Scott as its newest member.

Council was prepared a month ago to name Scott, a local realtor, as the new council member but an eleventh hour legal threat from city critic Stephen Poorman caused council members to back off and start the process anew.

A majority of council had met out of public eye, interviewed four prospective candidates and decided on Scott some weeks ago but the Poorman challenge to the closed-door process resulted in a second, this time public effort to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Lynda Carey earlier in the winter.

That process culminated at Monday’s city council meeting when Scott was selected from among three candidates on a 4-2 council vote.

She was immediately sworn in by Mayor Rick Vilello and participated in the remainder of the meeting.

The number of prospective replacements had dropped to three by Monday night as Randy Strouse had notified the city of his withdrawal prior to the meeting.

Council went ahead with a public collective interview of the three remaining candidates, Scott, Doug Byerly and Richard Morris.

After an extended questioning of all three, council member Jonathon Bravard made a motion to appoint Byerly but that effort failed for lack of a second.

Council vice-president Steve Stephenson then nominated Scott and after a second, she was selected by the 4-2 vote; Stephenson, Bill Baney, Rick Conklin and Vilello, the last to vote, after a brief pause, voting “yes.” Bravard and council member Ted Forbes voted “no,” Forbes earlier stating he supported Morris.

Vilello said the decision was one of the most difficult council has faced and several council members lauded all three candidates for volunteering to serve and for their answers in the public give-and-take Monday.