Council Abolishes City Planning Panel

Following two months of debate, the Oxnard City Council abolished the city’s Planning Commission on Tuesday in favor of a committee composed of four residents and a planning expert.

Council members voted 4 to 1 to approve an ordinance dissolving the commission despite complaints they were putting developers’ interests ahead of public input.

Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez was the only council member to oppose the plan, arguing that the council had not even defined the powers of the new panel.

“I think that what we are doing is moving very quickly without thinking,” said Lopez, as the council meeting dissolved into bickering.

“All of it is self-serving and it becomes a way of filibustering what we are trying to do,” responded Councilman Andreas Herrera, who supported the plan.

Under the new system, many planning decisions that are clearly governed by existing city ordinances will be handled solely by a hearing officer, who will be a professional city employee. For the remaining issues, the hearing officer will be joined by four community representatives, and everyone will have an equal vote.

The system was criticized by a number of former city officials, who said public input on city planning affairs was being compromised to make things easier on developers.

“This is a major change in our city government,” said Jane Tolmach, former mayor of Oxnard. “It does help developers and speed development. Speedy growth is not usually good for a community. Problems develop faster than you can find cures.”

Abolishing the commission was in many ways decided even before Tuesday’s meeting. After a three-hour debate last week, the council members made up their minds to do away with the planning panel, but lacked the necessary legal language to do it.

Supporters argue that the original commission, composed of amateurs, was slowing progress without cause.