SANTA PAULA : Council to Review How It Fills Posts
A large field of applicants for one vacant seat on the Santa Paula Planning Commission is prompting City Council members to consider changing the way they appoint citizens to the panel.
Currently, a subcommittee of two City Council members selects a Planning Commission nominee from a list of applicants and recommends that person to the other three council members.
But the dozen applicants for the vacancy on the commission has renewed concern over the fairness of the appointment process. Some City Council members--both past and present--say the method gives too much authority to two council members.
“It’s too much power for them,” said former Santa Paula Mayor Kay Wilson-Bolton, who served on a nomination committee in 1989. “Two out of five actually make the decision.”
Another elected official, City Councilwoman Margaret Ely, agrees that the practice should be changed to mirror that of other City Councils that give each member the authority to appoint one person to the Planning Commission. The remaining two seats would be filled by residents appointed by the full council.
The seven-member Planning Commission advises the City Council on land use and development issues. The commissioners have the final say in granting business permits and certain city licenses.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
