Museum honors student’s painting

The Marin City Community Services District this week swore in a board favorite for its open seat, rejecting the county’s appointee.

Marin City CSD Director Damian Morgan, who led Thursday’s swearingin ceremony, said directors picked resident Lynette Engenlauf because they want a younger, more progressive person from the community sitting on the board.

Last month, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to appoint Homer Hall, a member of the Marin Housing Authority board nominated by retiring Southern Marin Supervisor Kate Sears. Morgan said there was concern that Hall, who is also a Marin City resident, would have pushing the county’s public housing redevelopment plan at Golden Gate Village.

“I’m taking a leap of faith and doing what I think is right for the community,” Morgan said. “I want them to give the authority to us. Hand it over. Every jurisdiction should have the ability to appoint its own board member. Give us the authority to appoint our community member to our board.”

Henry Mims, 42, who was also sworn in Thursday, ran unopposed in the Nov. 3 race for two open seats on the board. Engenlauf, 31, and Hall, 72, applied to fill the second seat. Hall submitted his application after the county extended the deadline.

Hall was appointed despite objections from district directors, who wanted a say in the appointment process. Supervisors denied the request, citing time constraints mandated by state law.

Sears did not respond to a request for comment. During the November meeting, she said it was unusual for the county to appoint a candidate to the Marin City board, saying it was something she had not done in her tenure as a county supervisor.

Director Royce McLemore said the district board’s decision sends a message to the county that the community wants autonomy in deciding who will be the next generation of leaders.

“At some point we have to draw a line in the sand, so let it be now,” McLemore said. “I am not scared.”

What happens next is not clear. Supervisor Katie Rice, president of the Board of Supervisors, said she was not aware of the decision, adding that she planned to speak with other board members and legal counsel to figure out next steps.

Rice, who has been involved at the county level for 16 years, said the situation was unprecedented. She said she believed people could be involved in local politics without holding a seat on a board.

“The good news is there are multiple people interested in serving on that agency,” Rice

said. “I hope things work out so all voices are heard, whether it be an official appointee or a community member participating in discussion on any issues that the CSD is involved in.”

Marin County Counsel Brian Washington said state Election Code 10515 provides for the Board of Supervisors to fill a special district seat that is an elective office if nobody runs.

“I know of no legal basis to seat anyone other than the duly- appointed designee,” he said. “But I am not going to speculate on how we would respond to such an action. … We will be following up with MCCSD staff to understand their position on what occurred.”

At the meeting Thursday, Hall sat in silence with his arms crossed in the back of the room as a dozen people from the community celebrated Mims and Engenlauf.

“Thank you for the opportunity and for seating me on this board,” Engenlauf said. “I'm excited to get to work.”

“The board did what it wanted to do,” Hall said as he departed. He declined further comment.

Most residents who attended the meeting were supportive of the board's decision.

“I understand that the process is a little bit chaotic because of what the county supervisors did,” said Paul Austin, a community activist. “But, you know, this is the way that it needed to go. It's about time we get some young people on the board to move things forward.”

Director Terrie HarrisGreen said she would mentor any young person in Marin City who wanted to run for office, adding her term is up in two years.

“I have a political background. That's what I went to for school and graduated college for,” she said to the meeting's younger attendees. “So, I can definitely share a lot of information with you all.”