Wilson Should Appoint Brennan

Among the decisions vying for Gov. Pete Wilson’s attention, one of particular local interest is his choice of who will represent Ventura County on the California Coastal Commission.

Ventura County has nominated three public officials for the seat, which it shares with Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Of them, one is so clearly the right choice that he has been nominated by Santa Barbara County as well.

Gov. Wilson should appoint Brian Brennan, whose unique qualifications fit the job description like a wetsuit.

The Coastal Commission is a 12-member panel responsible for overseeing one of the state’s most precious resources: its 1,100-mile coastline. As it fights for coastal access, enforces blueprints for shoreline growth and considers beachfront building permits, the commission is often in the middle of heated development issues, taking flak from conservatives and environmentalists alike.

Brennan’s equally strong credibility in business and environmental circles helped him win a seat on the Ventura City Council last year. A longtime surfer and past chairman of the Ventura chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, he has also served on the boards of the Greater Ventura Chamber of Commerce and the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Significantly, Brennan has been a passionate advocate for the ocean for 25 years. While a college student in San Diego, he spent a month collecting signatures for the ballot initiative that, in 1972, created the Coastal Commission. In recent years his work on a regional beach-erosion task force led to his two-county nomination for the Coastal Commission.

Ventura County’s other nominees are strong public advocates in their own ways but lack Brennan’s unique aptitude for this particular post.

Port Hueneme City Councilwoman Toni Young started her career by fighting a proposed ocean-side RV park. A real estate agent, she believes the coastline is an important ecological resource but has more roles to play than that alone. “We should preserve it,” she told The Times. “But some people think every piece is pristine natural habitat, and that’s not true either.”

The third nominee, Supervisor Judy Mikels, is the least beloved by environmentalists and most likely to tip the Coastal Commission in a more developer-friendly direction. A former Simi Valley council member who represents a landlocked supervisorial district, Mikels is involved in numerous regional efforts. Her credentials as a conservative Republican might well move her to the top of Gov. Wilson’s list, but this is one time other factors should prevail.

Brian Brennan has spent a lifetime preparing to be an outstanding Coastal Commissioner. Gov. Wilson should give him that chance.