CEDAR CITY — A councilwoman expressed concern and disappointment after last week’s announcement of a planning commission member’s likely ouster, sparking a discussion concerning the number of women in Cedar City’s local leadership.
Cedar City Mayor Garth Green announced that he chose individuals to appoint to multiple city boards on June 21, including the Airport Advisory Board and the Historical Preservation Committee.
Most or all of the board members who wished to remain were reappointed, save the Planning Commission’s Jennie Hendricks, who was not reappointed after serving an eight-year term, pending approval from the City Council, Councilmember Terri Hartley said.
“(Hendricks served) very admirably and well, and she will be released, and the new person on that committee will be Tom Jett,” Green said.
Because she plans to vote against Jett’s appointment, Hartley asked that the item be placed on the action agenda, which requires an individual vote, as opposed to the consent agenda, where the council approves multiple items at once.
She said she spoke to Green privately several times about the change, as Hendricks has “served admirably for the past eight years.”
Hendricks told Cedar City News that she worked for about a year on the city’s new general plan and is knowledgeable about various policies and ordinances.
“I’m very disappointed to lose a very bright lady, who is a businesswoman, citizen, very invested in our community, and she has been told that she will not stay on and she very much wants to,” Hartley said.
Hartley said she’s also spoken to Jett and that her stance does not reflect her opinion on his potential service. However, she is “an advocate for women in leadership in our community.”
“It’s very hard to get women to step forward, and I see that declining over the last couple of years in our government leadership,” she said. “And that’s very disappointing to me.”
Hartley told Cedar City News that “there is a right and a wrong and this is wrong,” adding that while Hendricks is a close friend, her primary concern is the principles involved.
“We all know our city population — we’re over half women,” she said. “And it’s concerning that female leadership continues to dwindle.”
Hendricks concurred, stating that the community isn’t properly being represented unless the makeup of both the City Council and the Planning Commission contain the same percentages of women as the general population.
Green told Cedar City News that the change did not reflect Hendricks’s service, describing her as a “very smart lady” who is “very articulate and is definitely qualified and has learned to do the job well.”
Members of the planning commission, including Hendricks, were reportedly unaware that their meeting last week would be her last. Hartley said she did not receive a farewell or thanks for her time serving.
While Green said he believes that two terms on the commission are “sufficient,” Hartley said other members of various committees have served many years longer than Hendricks. She questioned why Hendricks is being released and is concerned an undisclosed personal matter is involved.
“If it’s truly based on a two-term service, then the mayor needs to not renew anyone’s term of service who has served as long or longer than Jennie Hendricks,” Hartley said.
Historically, commission members have only been released upon request, save for one instance where a person was asked to resign following legal issues, Hendricks said, adding that this case is particularly unique due to her willingness to continue serving.
Hendricks said that while she isn’t taking the dismissal personally, she’s concerned that her removal will impact other women.
“It’s not the right direction from a policy point of view,” she said. “I don’t take anything personally. It’s an appointed position; the mayor can appoint or not appoint whoever he wishes to. … To be removed without even an explanation — it sets a bad precedent. It makes other women look at the potential for what happens. It has a chilling effect on the efforts to recruit and promote more women to leadership and elected positions.”
Both women are involved with the Iron County Republican Women, which encourages local women to participate in the political process and seek leadership roles, Hartley said, adding that she’s also involved with The Urgency of Women in Leadership in St. George.
Utah Women Run also supports and trains women who are interested in taking on leadership roles, Hartley said.
“Women really need to be tapped on the shoulder and asked to run,” Hendricks added, as they often feel hesitant to, even when they would otherwise be ready.
A new member?
“Tom Jett is also very familiar with city policies and ordinances,” Green said. “I think he’s attended almost every City Council meeting for over 20 years and is obviously very well qualified.”
Jett is currently listed as a board member on the Cedar Area Transportation Advisory Board on the city’s website. And he was asked to serve on another committee by former Mayor Maile Wilson-Edwards — an unsuccessful appointment, Green said, adding that he couldn’t explain why.
“I thought that was a good appointment by her when she appointed him,” he said. “It didn’t work out … but I thought he was very well qualified at the time. He brings a perspective to planning and zoning (as) a businessman, rather than a realtor or a developer.”
Green described himself as “colorblind” and said he did not choose to nominate Jett because he’s a man.
“I’ve had some really, really powerful emails telling me what a horrible chauvinist pig I am,” he added.
His last two appointments to the commission were Jennifer Davis and Carter Wilkey. Two additional members have terms ending next year, and he plans to appoint new members at that time, he said.
Choosing appointees is “very, very difficult,” as “people serve for no money on the city board, where you’re gonna get criticized,” Green said, adding that he does his best to choose the “best people for the job.”
The council members will vote on Jett’s and others’ appointments Wednesday, June 28, during the Cedar City Council meeting, starting at 5:30 p.m. Those interested in attending can do so in person at the Cedar City Offices on 10 North Main Street or the council’s YouTube page.
Should the council not approve Jett’s appointment, Green said he will pick another person from his list of volunteers, which currently only includes men. If anyone is interested in serving on a city board, they should contact the mayor via email, text or phone call at 435-691-5030.
“If you want to complain about what I’m doing — do it in an email,” he said. “If you want to volunteer to serve — call me, I’ll answer.”
Women interested in public service can contact the Iron County Republic Women or Nina Barnes with Utah Women Run.
Patti M Cook, the director of communication and community at The Urgency of Women in Leadership, can be contacted at 801-706-8743. Additionally, Hartley said the Women’s Leadership Institute is a “great resource.”
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