Englewood budget committee elevates Palmer, leaves alternate seat vacant

The Englewood Budget Advisory Committee voted July 23 to elevate alternate member Nick Palmer to a full voting seat after Jane Knight resigned, leaving the committee without an alternate.

The motion passed by voice vote with multiple ayes and no recorded dissent, but the meeting recording does not provide a numeric tally. The chair said quorum was present with three of five members, describing it as “minimal quorum.”

The vacancy does not by itself prevent the committee from meeting or voting when enough regular members are present. Englewood’s board and commission handbook says alternates may vote and count toward quorum when serving for an absent regular member, leaving the committee with less backup if a regular member cannot attend.

The handbook says a committee may notify the city clerk that it will elevate an alternate to fill the remainder of a vacant regular term. It also says City Council may fill a midterm vacancy when it occurs or during the next regularly scheduled appointment period, using applications less than a year old rather than soliciting new ones. The city’s published guidance does not set a deadline for filling the alternate seat. Staff said they would check with the clerk’s office about the procedure and whether the recent interview pool could still be used.

The committee’s immediate work includes its annual report, scheduled for presentation to City Council on Aug. 3. The July 23 committee packet also lists an Aug. 6 meeting to plan the 2026-27 schedule and hear from city departments. No official Englewood record reviewed through July 26 showed that the alternate seat had been filled.