Andrew Osborne is Midway’s newest City Council member.
Osborne was appointed on Tuesday. The vote took place after the Midway City Council and Mayor Craig Simons interviewed seven applicants for the vacancy, which opened when Simons stepped down from his role as a city councilor to take up his mayoral seat. There were two years left in Simons’ term.
Simons and city councilors Kevin Payne, Lisa Orme, Andy Garland and JC Simonsen voted among the seven applicants. Stephanie Wilcox, Genene Probst-Miles and Osborne each received one vote, while Thomas Wardle received two votes. A coin toss was used to eliminate candidates who received one vote. Probst-Miles, Osborne and Wilcox picked heads or tails until only Osborne remained. The City Council then voted again, with Osborne and Wardle as the two finalists. The final vote was 3:2 in favor of Osborne.
The term began immediately for Osborne, who took his oath of office directly after the vote.
Osborne, a custom home builder and project manager who has been on the Midway Planning Commission for four years, said he wanted to serve on the City Council because he hopes to represent the community from a “different side” of local government.
“I would hope, by transitioning from the Planning Commission to the City Council, to be able to make decisions that can be not just recommendations, but be involved in making decisions for this community, and that’s something I definitely look forward to,” Osborne said.
Along with the other applicants — Wardle, Probst-Miles, Wilcox, Bix DiMeo, Nancy O’Toole and Sheila Siggard — Osborne answered questions from the City Council about parking, open space and affordable housing.
On parking, Osborne said the Planning Commission recently discussed a solution he favors: underground parking.
“Which I know is difficult in Midway, but as far as aesthetic and maintaining and keeping a rural feel and trying to align not having big parking garages or even just a sea of cars — I thought it was an absolutely fantastic step that we were able to take with that action,” Osborne said.
Osborne said he hopes to preserve Main Street with Midway’s “rural nature.” He added that he believes paid parking is inevitable.
Preservation, Osborne said, is something he has been vocal about even on the Planning Commission. Maintaining maximum setbacks, listening to community members about the impacts of larger developments, maintaining trail access and open space are all priorities, Osborne said.
There is work to be done, Osborne said, related to the transient rental overlay district, or TROD. The TROD covers how short-term and nightly rentals are allowed to run and be built in Midway.
Focusing on Midway’s growth boundary is also essential, he said, adding that he has been “very open” about his opinion to expand Midway’s growth boundary to meet growth as it comes.
“What makes Midway unique is not affordable housing. … What makes it unique is that it is rural. And our emphasis, I think as a commission and as city councilors, is an emphasis on quality and not quantity,” Osborne said.
He said that philosophy applies even to affordable housing.
Osborne cast his first votes as a city councilor Tuesday evening, weighing in on items he had recommended as a member of the Planning Commission.