Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of January 10, 2023
Title
PLANNING COMMISSION-VACANCY
FOR THE UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING JUNE 30, 2023
(City Clerk Myra Maravilla)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council:
1. Direct staff to immediately advertise and request applications from interested parties for one Planning Commission Member for the unexpired term ending June 30, 2023; and
2. Schedule the presentation of applicants and applicant interviews for Tuesday, February 28, 2023 with the option to make an appointment at the regular City Council meeting on the same date.
Body
Executive Summary:
Upon election to City Council during the November 8, 2022 General Municipal Election, incumbent Planning Commission Member and newly seated Councilmember, Rob Saemann, vacated his unexpired Planning Commission term. Staff requests Council direction to begin the application process to fill the position for the remainder of the term ending June 30, 2023.
Background:
In accordance with Hermosa Beach Municipal Code Chapter 2.32, the Planning Commission shall consist of five members appointed by the City Council. Members of the Planning Commission shall be qualified electors of the City, and a vacancy outside of the expiration date should be filled by the City Council for the unexpired portion of the term, June 30, 2023.
Key duties of the Planning Commission are to maintain and enhance the environment of the community, which entails advance or long-range planning (updating of the General Plan and specific elements), current planning (short-range projects), and land use controls (administering to the code and review of all subdivisions and zoning petitions). The Commission serves as an advisory board to the City Council on all matters pertaining to zoning, conditional use permit process, and more.
The Public Works Commission meets regularly in the Council Chambers at 6:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.
At its special meeting of December 12, 2022, Councilmember Saemann was sworn into his City Council seat, thereby vacating his previous seat on the Planning Commission.
Past Council Actions
|
Meeting Date |
Description |
|
December 12, 2022 |
Councilmember Saemann was sworn into his City Council seat, thereby vacating his previous seat on the Planning Commission. |
Discussion:
Following established procedures, staff requests City Council direction to advertise for one Planning Commission member position set to expire on June 30, 2023. If so directed, the City Clerk would prepare a notice for physical posting and publication in the Easy Reader on January 19, 2023.
Based on the advertising date, staff would set an application filing deadline of 6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 10, 2023. Applications from interested parties would be presented for Council to conduct interviews at 4:00 p.m., before the regular meeting of Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Appointments can be made by the City Council at the same February 28, 2023 meeting. A new appointment to the Planning Commission would be for the remainder of the unexpired term ending June 30, 2023.
Although the City Clerk has not yet advertised for the vacancy on the Planning Commission, one application was received from Jonathan Wicks (Attachment 1).
General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendation have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Governance Element
Goal 1. A high degree of transparency and integrity in the decision-making process.
Policies:
• 1.1 Open meetings. Maintain the community’s trust by holding meetings in which decisions are being made, that are open and available for all community members to attend, participate, or view remotely.
• 1.4 Consensus oriented. Strive to utilize a consensus-oriented decision-making process.
• 1.7 Diversity of representation. Strive to reflect a comprehensive cross-section of the community in appointments to Commission and Advisory Committees.
Goal 2. The community is active and engaged in decision-making process.
Policies:
• 2.3 Public participation guidelines. Establish parameters and guidelines to ensure public participation is promoted through diverse methods.
• 2.6 Responsive to community needs. Continue to be responsive to community inquiries, providing public information and recording feedback from community interactions.
Fiscal Impact:
The estimated cost of one publication in the Easy Reader would be $200. Funds are available in the City Clerk’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget.
Attachments:
1. Jonathan Wicks Application
2. Link to December 12, 2022 City Council Agenda
Respectfully Submitted by: Myra Maravilla, City Clerk
Concur: Corrie Kates, Interim Community Development Director
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager