The Springfield City Council interviewed two applicants Tuesday for two open planning commission seats and signaled consensus support for appointing Walter Depew to the planning commission and recommending Wendy Werner to the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC).

Sandy Belson, comprehensive planning manager, said there are two open positions—one to fill Councilor Buck's three-year seat and another four-year term—and staff sought council guidance on assigning term lengths if both applicants were recommended. The applicants were Wendy Werner and Walter Depew; both also applied for CDAC.

Wendy Werner, a long-time Springfield resident, said she is "interested in the development of Springfield" and suggested activating underused public land and retail opportunities along pathways; she said she would serve on CDAC if asked. Walter Depew described a long-term commitment to the city and a pragmatic approach to balancing developer and public costs, saying he applied "because I genuinely enjoy understanding how a community functions and grows."

Councilors largely recommended Walter for the planning commission seat and Wendy for CDAC. Councilor Blackwell, Councilor Rodley, Councilor Weber and others explicitly named Walter as their pick, while several councilors said Wendy would be an excellent fit for CDAC. Councilors did not record a formal, final appointment vote in the work session portion of the meeting; the discussion provided clear direction to staff on how to proceed with appointments and term assignments.

Next steps: staff to follow the council's guidance regarding appointments and return with placement and term details for formal action as needed.