Council candidate Ramos appointed to Costa Mesa Senior Commission
For the second time in as many meetings, Costa Mesa City Council members appointed a candidate in this year’s council election to fill a vacant seat on a city commission.
With no discussion, council members voted 4-0 on Tuesday, with Councilwoman Katrina Foley absent, to appoint Lee Ramos to the Senior Commission.
The seven-member body advises the council on issues related to the Costa Mesa Senior Center.
Council members chose Ramos out of a field of seven applicants. He previously served on the city’s Charter and Fairview Park Citizens Advisory committees and is currently a member of the Pension Oversight Committee.
Ramos will serve the remainder of a term that expires in February 2019. Senior commissioners receive a $100-per-meeting stipend.
Ramos announced in January that he planned to mount a bid for a City Council seat this fall.
In the 2014 election, he placed fourth among eight candidates for two available seats, earning 5,305 votes, or 15% of the total.
Earlier this month, the council voted 3-2 to appoint Julie Mercurio — another council candidate — to the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
Others who have declared their intent to run for City Council in November are Jay Humphrey, John Stephens and Al Melone.
Allan Mansoor, a former state assemblyman and Costa Mesa mayor, also has filed paperwork indicating that he plans to run.
The seats occupied by Mayor Steve Mensinger, Councilwoman Sandy Genis and Councilman Gary Monahan are up for election this year. Monahan is termed out.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Mensinger floated the idea of increasing the number of senior commissioners from seven to nine.
“I do know, having attended some of the senior meetings, that not everyone can make it every single time; it’s a big-time commitment,” Mensinger said. “Having a few more members, I think, would be productive for the group.”
The council is expected to discuss the idea at a future meeting.
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Luke Money, lucas.money@latimes.com
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
