MOORPARK : 5 Reappointed to Planning Panel

The Moorpark City Council has reappointed the city’s five Planning Commission members for another two years over the objections of a new councilman who said the move discourages public participation in government.

With Councilmen Patrick Hunter and Scott Montgomery dissenting, the council voted 3 to 2 Wednesday to retain Commissioners Mike Wesner, Steve Brodsky, John Torres, Bart Miller and Christina May.

Hunter, elected to the council in November after campaigning on a promise to make city government more inclusive, said Thursday that the rejection of 15 new applicants to the commission sends a clear exclusionary message to the city’s 26,000 residents.

“It’s very hard for people who want to become involved in the community to become involved and I think last night was an example of that,” Hunter said.

A bid by Montgomery to appoint former Councilman Roy Talley to the commission was not supported by the majority of the council.

Talley, a former planning commissioner, lost his council seat in November.

Moorpark Mayor Paul Lawrason, who makes all commission appointments before they are voted on by the full council, said the city needs experienced commissioners.

“A lot of really important work is going to come before that body in the next two years and I wanted to see some experience,” Lawrason said.

“We had to have the continuity.”