MASON CITY – City Council member Don Nelson has asked Mayor Eric Bookmeyer to end the Human Rights controversy and appoint the three candidates that have been submitted.
The Human rights Commission recently met and and approved three applicants for the Commission. Only two of the three applicants were ok’d by the Mayor, however. Under current city code, the Mayor selects from applicants for the commission and brings his choices to the commission for their approval before they ultimately face City Council approval before joining the Human rights Commission.
In a letter dated March 8th, Nelson tells the Bookmeyer “I am requesting that you appoint Jacqueline Huesman, Dean Genth, and Sandra Servantez to the Human Rights Commission (no need for you to appoint Mr. McNamara).”
Brian McNamara “graciously volunteered to become an active friend of the Commission” according to an email from Commission Chairperson Kathy Loeckle to Bookmeyer.
The commission says it chose Servantez over McNamara due to her experience in serving for the past two years as a friend of the commission.
Nelson went on to say in the letter “Let’s end this controversy, it is splitting our community, and needs to end, the sooner the better. We have more important issues to address in our community.”