VENTURA : Architect Named to City Planning Panel

The Ventura City Council has appointed architect William Moniot to the city’s Planning Commission instead of reappointing an incumbent commissioner to the four-year term.

Council members voted unanimously to replace outgoing commissioner Michael Jones with Moniot because the selection committee felt he would do the best job. Moniot’s office is in Santa Paula, but he lives in Ventura.

Jones said he learned late last week that the selection committee--made up of Tuttle and two other council members--was rejecting his bid for another term.

“I’m strongly disappointed that I wasn’t reappointed,” Jones said. “The reason I was given was that they wanted someone new.”

An architect practicing in Ventura, Jones said he was disappointed that several key projects were never brought to the commission.

“I was concerned that projects weren’t being presented to us that were developed by the city, and that is not a very good way to have an advisory board,” he said.

He cited the $3.6-million downtown renovation and the long-planned pier restaurant as examples.

Moniot, 60, said he wants to do the best job he can reviewing projects for the city.

“I moved to Ventura 10 years ago and thought it was time to serve my new community,” he said.