Mike Anglin, who up until now has served as the park and recreation board member for Counciman David Neumann‘s District 3, has been appointed as the district’s new plan commissioner, and Ellen Taft has been appointed to take Anglin’s place on the park board.

Neumann made the appointments at last week’s city council meeting, and announced the news in his most recent email newsletter. Each councilman makes appointments to represent his district on 15 or so city boards and commissions, but these two positions are seen as the most elite spots — for many former park board members and plan commissioners, it has been a launching pad to a city council seat. (The most recent example in our neighborhood is new District 1 Councilwoman Delia Jasso, who was former councilwoman Elba Garcia’s park board appointee.)

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Oak Cliff resident Anglin, an attorney and partner in the law firm Fulbright & Jaworski, would replace Clarence Gary, who has been District 3’s plan commissioner since 2003. As far as I know, it’s not typical for a councilman to appoint a new person in this position at the beginning of his second term, but I have calls into Neumann, Anglin and Gary to find out more. I have no idea whether this has anything to do with the recent city plan commission kerfuffle over the Bishop/Davis study, and the fact that both Neumann and Garcia didn’t seem happy about how their plan commissioners handled the situation.

It appears that Mountain Creek resident Ellen Taft is one of Audubon Dallas’ directors, which would be appropriate for a park and recreation board member. I’m trying to reach her, too, and will post more on Back Talk Oak Cliff when I hear from each of these people.