Burlington’s city council offered a hearty farewell this week to two long-time advisory board members who are leaving their posts after bumping up against the city’s term limits for members of appointed boards and commissions.
During a city council meeting on Tuesday, mayor Jim Butler presented Julia Brown with a certificate of appreciation for her nine years of service on the city’s tree and appearance commission. Also on hand to see Brown “make like a tree” were Alan Idol, the city’s superintendent of cemeteries and grounds, as well as his predecessor Jeff Parsons.
Meanwhile, planning director Jamie Lawson bid adieu to John Black, the outgoing chairman of Burlington’s planning and zoning commission. Originally appointed to the commission in 2005, Black had remained on this board longer than the usual nine year maximum since a reconfiguration of its membership about 10 years ago effectively reset the clock on his tenure. It wasn’t until a year ago, however, that the long-serving appointee was elevated to the commission’s chairmanship by his colleagues.
