John Scarffe, Nederland.  Nederland Mayor Kristopher Larsen administered the Oath of Office to Karen Gerrity as Town administrator and zoning administrator during a regular meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees at 7 p.m., September 5, 2017, at the Nederland Community Center. The Board also appointed two members to the Sustainability Advisory Board during the consent agenda.

Jennifer Morse applied for an appointment to the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB), and at its August 24, 2017, meeting, Morse was endorsed by the SAB members for recommendation of appointment by the Board of Trustees, according to background. Morse will be filling a vacancy created with the term expiration of Jacob Aho, who will now become an “alternate” member.

Morse will be appointed for a three-year term expiring June 2020. Eryka Thorley also applied for appointment to SAB. She has been a spokesperson for Nederland Climate Together, which led the passage of a 100 percent renewable energy resolution for Nederland.

Thorley will be filling a current vacancy with the term expiring in June of 2018. SAB voted to recommend appointment of Thorley at its July 27, 2017 meeting. The Board approved appointments of Jennifer Morse and Eryka Thorley to serve on the SAB and to approve the appointment of Jacob Aho as an alternate member to SAB.

Larsen also announced that the Town has a new signatory on Town accounts. All trustees are co-signatures, and now Gerrity is allowed to sign. The Trustees welcomed Gerrity, and Larsen reminded her that it’s budget season.

Trustee Dallas Masters suggested the Board have a retreat with Karen moving forward. Larsen said that this month would be good, before the next Board meeting.

Nederland Resident May Jarrell, a 29-year resident of Nederland, welcomed Gerrity and said she was excited about Gerrity’s association with the arts. Dialog has been noticeably absent between the Board of Trustees, and especially the marshal, and the community. Her neighborhood was rezoned without a notice or hearing and now has a new designation.

“We all have a wish list for the new administrator,” Jarrell said. She hopes Gerrity will be investigating performance standards and conducting meaningful evaluations.

Nederland Resident and Business Owner Kathleen Chippi also welcomed Gerrity to the community and said she will be filing some complaints tomorrow that will be under her jurisdiction. She is excited to have a fresh look at public records and codes and excited to have Gerrity here to build a bridge between the community and Town staff.

(Originally published in the September 14, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)