Who did Public Safety Commission elect as chair, vice-chair?

Suspense hovered above the opening of the Public Safety Commission’s Tuesday night meeting, the memory of last month’s deeply uncomfortable election of a new chairperson and vice-chairperson still fresh on the commissioners’ minds.

“I wish my first item wasn’t this one and that I wasn’t meeting all of you under these circumstances,” said newly appointed City Clerk Melissa Crowder, “but here we are.”

In July, the unexpected nomination of Commissioner Hallman for chairperson by then-Chairperson Amanda Laflen threw a wrench into what is normally a very polite and routine process. The commission’s unwritten seniority policy dictated that Commissioner Tory Berger was next in line, and the snub revealed hidden divisions among the commissioners. Hallman himself was taken aback by the nomination, and did not vote for himself. In the end, Commissioner Kerri Balbone nominated Berger as chairperson, and he was elected chairperson by a split vote.

The following week, the City Clerk informed the commission that the election had been ruled invalid — rules that call for taking all nominations before holding a vote were not heeded, and the results were therefore deemed invalid. A new election would have to be held, she said. The commissioners prepared themselves for another awkward encounter.

But no conflict came to pass.

Instead, a shared sense of cooperation cleared the air, and the Commissioners found themselves in almost total agreement.

Berger was again nominated for chairperson by Balbone, while Commissioner Alana Roshay nominated Tod Hallman in a symbolic show of support. 

She and other Commissioners including Laflin cast their votes for Berger. Commissioner Robert B. Oliver cast the lone vote for Hallman, while Commissioner Danny Roman abstained.

But before the votes were tallied, Oliver had a change of heart.

“I think it’s important for the commission to support the new chair unanimously, so I’d like to change my vote to Commissioner Berger,” he told the City Clerk.

“I’m new to this so, I don’t know them so well so I’d prefer to just stay to abstain from voting,” Roman said.

Then came the election of Vice Chairperson.

Roshay was again nominated for the position, and she in turn nominated Balbone.

The Commission roundly voted for Roshay as they did in July. Roman abstained, and Roshay herself cast a symbolic vote for Balbone.

“I’ll make a quick comment to Commissioner Oliver’s point,” Roshay said after her election. “I completely understand his point. I just wanted for the record to understand my support for these two individuals as well.”

Tory Berger and Alana Roshay are now the Public Safety Commission’s official chairperson and vice-chairperson for the current term.