Council duties

Members of the Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening officially received their assignments representing the city on boards and committees.

The assignments are made each January. They were last updated June 4. The council devoted a study session Jan. 14 to talk about the assignments.

Mayor Eric Onisko will represent the council on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. The mayor is required to be a member of that group. He has been representing the city on the Mason Transit Authority Board, but at the council’s Jan. 14 study session, traded that role with council member Tom Gilmore and instead will be on the MACECOM Legislative and Governing Board.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Schirman will be on the Mason County Criminal Justice Working Team. Council member Melissa Stearns will be the Law Enforcement Officers & Fire Fighters Board and the Opioid Stakeholders Meeting.

Council member George Blush will attend meetings of the Peninsula Regional Transportation Planning Organization. Council member Lyndsey Sapp is on the Mason County Housing and Behavioral Health Advisory Board. Council member Miguel Gutierrez is on the Shelton Memorial Park Board.

Blush, Gutierrez and Schirman are on the Council Sub-Committee on Homeless Response. Gutierrez, Onisko and Schirman are on the Council Sub-Committee on Finance/Budget.

All seven council members are on the Shelton Metropolitan Park District Board, which meets quarterly just prior to City Council meetings.

The district was established in 2010 after being approved by Shelton voters. The SMPD governs the management of Shelton’s community parks and community recreation programs and amenities. The park district provides dedicated revenue for increasing recreational needs as Shelton grows and demographics change, according to the city’s website. Gutierrez is the current president and Stearns the clerk.

In his report to the council, City Manager Mark Ziegler wrote that “councilmembers serve on external boards and committees to represent the city and the city’s interests as well as sub-committees of the council to work on specific matters for future council consideration. Participation may be required via organizational bylaws, law or as established by the council itself.”

The council’s regular meetings are at 6 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Shelton Civic Center, 525 W. Cota St. The council conducts study sessions at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, where council members and staff discuss one or two subjects in detail to help shape future actions. At its Jan. 14 study session, the council canceled a study session that was scheduled for Jan. 28.

Public comments are accepted at the business meetings, either in person, written or remotely. The deadline to sign up for remote public comment is 4 p.m. the day of the meeting. Directions to how to participate remotely will be sent to your email by 5 p.m., an hour before the meeting. To sign up, go to the city’s website and click on “Remote Public Comment Sign-Up” under the “Government” tab.