The Columbus City Council filled three open spots on the City Planning Commission Tuesday, but it may revisit one appointment in the near future.
Columbus Municipal Court Public Defender Latisha Nicole Clinkscale was named to the planning commission along with Wayne West and MacArthur Inge, who were both reappointed. However, several city officials have stated Clinkscale may withdraw her request to sit on the planning commission in order to replace late City Judge Curtis Austin, who passed away this morning at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center.
Clinkscale, who was close to Austin, reportedly canceled all of her appointments Tuesday and was unavailable for comment.
West and Inge were reappointed unanimously, but the board split 4-2 on Clinkscale”s appointment. Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box initially moved to appoint attorney P. Nelson Smith Jr., but only Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin voted with Box and the motion failed. Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens then moved to appoint Clinkscale and Ward 1 Councilman Gene Taylor, Ward 4 Councilman Fred Stewart and Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem voted for Clinkscale.
The board”s vote split along racial lines, with the black council members voting for the black candidate and the white members voting for the white candidate, but each councilman reached for a statement said race was not a factor in their decisions.
Box and Karriem both said they voted for the candidate who asked for their support.
“I committed myself to Nelson early on. He had asked for my vote and I was 100 percent for him,” said Box. “He”s a very aggressive young lawyer and we needed a lawyer (to replace resigning attorney Tyson Graham, who sat on the planning commission for 30 years).”
“I knew (Clinkscale) and she asked me for support. No one else did,” said Karriem. “If Mr. Smith had introduced himself to me and asked for my vote I would have considered it and weighed the options and saw what they brought to the board.”
Taylor said he voted for Clinkscale primarily because she lives in the city limits and Smith does not. Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong said there are not requirements for city commission members to live within city limits, nor are there restrictions as to how many city commissions on which an individual may serve.
The second point was questioned during the board meeting by Box, who pointed out Clinkscale had recently been named to the Lowndes Public Library board.
The Board of Adjustment and Appeals of Development Codes also received a recent appointment with the addition of electrical contractor Ralph McLain. That board is now one member short, lacking a registered design professional with architectural or structural experience. But a quorum exists with five of the six board positions filled.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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