FENNVILLE – The Fennville City Commission decided Monday, Dec. 16, who should be appointed to fill positions left open following the Nov. 17 death of Dennis Martin.
Martin, who served as mayor of Fennville from 1999 to 2002, rejoined the city commission in 2021 for a four-year term. He was also a long-time member of the Fennville District Library Board.
The committee held a moment of silence for Martin at the beginning of the meeting.
Lone candidate David Lopez Jr. – a pastor at Apostolic Christian Center – was appointed to the Fennville City Commission. He is the cousin of current mayor Carlos Lopez, who abstained.
Lopez Jr. said he wants to be more involved with Fennville and is looking forward to learning new things in the role.
More: Dennis Martin, former library commissioner, dies at 74 in Fennville
“I can bring a fresh perspective,” he wrote in his application.
Before the vote, Lopez Jr. asked to tell something about his background. He told the committee he is originally from Houston, Texas, and moved to Fennville with his wife and children about four years ago.
“It wasn’t where I expected to be, it was where I was led,” Lopez said. “This is home.”
The proposal to appoint Lopez Jr. to appoint was passed 4-0, with Carlos Lopez abstaining and Commissioner Brenda Langston absent.
The appointment will last until November 2025, after which the seat can be elected for a full four-year term.
Lopez Jr. currently serves on Fennville’s Board of Review, which handles property tax appeals. According to City Manager Katie Beemer, he will have to step down from that role in order to serve on the commission. An appointment will be made at a subsequent meeting to fill the position.
Notably, former Commissioner Jim Hayden also applied for the empty commission seat, but after seeing someone else interested in serving, Beemer said he noticed the importance of new voices in city government and withdrew.
The commission also appointed Becky Jamros, whose husband is Commissioner John Jamros, to fill Martin’s seat on the Fennville District Library Board. Jamros abstained from voting.
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Becky Jamros is a member of the Friends of the Fennville Library and has helped with millage campaigns and event organization, according to her registration.
“I support the Fennville District Library as an important part of our community’s services,” she wrote.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Fennville chooses candidates for committee, library board
