Planner named despite protests

SPANISH FORK — The City Council on Tuesday appointed former councilman Sherman Huff to the city planning commission over the objections of two council members.

Councilman Chris Wadsworth objected to the appointment by Mayor Dale Barney, asserting it would help Huff's bid for mayor in November. Wadsworth believes Huff may run to replace Barney, but Barney says he hasn't yet decided if he will retire. Huff hasn't publicly declared he will run for the office.

"I'm not going to (say). I have until next spring to declare," Huff said. "I won't malign someone's character like Chris Wadsworth did to me."

Wadsworth wasn't at the Tuesday City Council meeting where Huff and developer Dave Lewis were appointed to the commission, so he hand delivered a letter to Barney outlining his objections. However, Councilman Matt Barber voted against the planning commission appointment at Tuesday's meeting.

Huff was voted out of office in November and should move on to something else, Barber said, while he admitted that objecting to the mayor's list of appointments isn't normally done.

Other appointees approved Tuesday included Russell Olson to the utility board and Susan Barber to the recreation committee.