Report Prepared by: John Tresidder, Assistant City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office
Title
SUBJECT: Discussion Regarding Options to Fill Vacancies on the City of Merced Planning Commission and Potential Appointment of Individuals to Fill the Vacancies (2 Vacancies)
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers options for appointing individuals to the City of Merced Planning Commission.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Appointing individuals to one, or both of the vacant seats from the list of the qualified applicants either by Council District or At-Large at Council discretion; or,
B. Directing staff to schedule a Special Meeting to conduct interviews of Planning Commission applicants.
Body
AUTHORITY
City of Merced Charter Section 200, Section 702 and Section 707.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
N/A
DISCUSSION
There are currently two vacancies on the Planning Commission one of which expires in 2021 and the other expires in 2023. Planning Commissioner Jeremy Martinez resigned from his seat in May of this year after moving out of the City limits. At the Planning Commission meeting of September 18, Planning Commission Chair Scott Drexel announced his resignation as he will be moving from the area.
With the Planning Commission being the decision making body for important planning matters, it is imperative that a quorum of members be present at each meeting. The possibility of meetings being cancelled due to a lack of quorum is more prevalent with the two vacant seats.
A map of the current district location for the five current members is attached for Council reference to assist in the event that appointments are to be considered by Council District. Council may also choose to appoint in an at-large capacity as it sees fit.
Alternatively, the Council may wish to schedule interviews of the applicants at a Special Meeting of the entire Council, as has been the practice for the past few years, or appoint a City Council subcommittee to interview the applicants and make recommendations to the entire Council at the next regular meeting. Individual Council Members may wish to interview applicants within their district before making nominations to the full Council.
The City Clerk’s Office has been actively recruiting to fill positions on the Commission through newspaper ads and social media posts. The City Clerk’s Office has received nine applications for the Planning Commission vacancies.
The applicants are:
Virginia Vega - District 2
Lynn White - District 3
Renato Domingo - District 3
Nicholas Koenig - District 4
Casey Steed - District 4
Brian Pena - District 5
Charles Reyburn - District 5
Jessie Espinosa - District 6
Jose Delgadillo - District 6
The current roster for the Commission is attached. The matter of appointment to this Commission is now before the Council.
History and Past Actions
The Planning Commission, created by City Charter, studies land subdivision, planning, and zoning matters. The Commission recommends to the City Council the adoption, amendment, or repeal of the City’s Master Plan for the physical development of the City. The Commission consists of seven members who are qualified electors of the City of Merced. Meetings are generally held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
No impact on City resources.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Current Roster
2. Planning Commission Applications
3. Map of Planning Commissioners by District