Board repeals deputy-clerk ordinance and tables appointing acting deputy clerk

At the May 27 meeting the University Park Board voted to repeal an ordinance establishing a deputy clerk position and later voted to table an ordinance that would appoint an acting deputy clerk to sign documents within 48 hours.

Trustees debating the repeal said the deputy role had not provided reliable coverage when the clerk was absent; Trustee Karen Lewis said she had served as acting clerk multiple times in 2026 and said the change was intended to increase efficiency. Other trustees urged delaying an appointment until the clerk was present to participate in discussion.

An initial motion to table the repeal failed but a subsequent roll-call vote approved repeal of the deputy-clerk ordinance. Trustees then moved to table the appointment of an acting deputy clerk, and that motion passed when the clerk had not yet arrived to participate in the vote.

Trustees framed the repeal as an operational fix rather than a personnel penalty. Board members said they want continuity in signatory authority and to avoid repeated delays when the clerk is absent. The item will be revisited when the clerk can attend and the board can consider appointment details.