Costa Mesa plans to appoint 17 new commissioners
The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday is expected to appoint 17 local residents to fill seats on three city commissions.
Council members will interview 15 applicants vying for spots on the Planning Commission and then select five to fill the open seats. Applicants for the Senior and Parks and Recreation commissions have already completed the interview process.
All three commissions are devoid of members after the council voted Jan. 3 to vacate all existing appointments on the panels and launch a new search for members.
Between then and the close of the application period Jan. 18, the city received 36 applications for the five seats on the Planning Commission -- 28 for the five spots on the Parks and Recreation Commission and 15 for the seven-member Senior Commission.
After finishing up the remaining interviews, council members will rank their selected applicants.
The city clerk will add up each applicant’s score and then announce the top vote-getters, who will then be appointed, according to a city staff report.
The following residents will interview for the Planning Commission: Stephan H. Andranian, Byron de Arakal, Sarah Bortz, Robert L. Dickson Jr., Teresa Callo Drain, Susan Gonzales, Jeffrey Harlan, Daniel Hoffmann, Jay Humphrey, Isabell Mayer Kerins, Jeff R. Mathews, Jenna Tourje, Dan Worthington, Jonathan Zich and Mark Buchanan.
Buchanan also interviewed for the Parks and Recreation Commission. Other applicants for the commission include Kristina Bogner, Shannon Crossen, Leah Ersoylu, Liz McNabb, Barbara Morihiro, Gary Parkin, Kim Pederson, Steve Smith, Arlis Reynolds and Carla Navarro Woods.
Parkin also is up for the Senior Commission. The other hopefuls for that body are Charlene Ashendorf, Randy Briggs, Lucia S. Holt, Joeliza Jones, Alexa Merchant, Darrell Neft, Lee Ramos, Olga Reynolds and Barbara Steck.
Three of the commission applicants are former Daily Pilot columnists: de Arakal, Harlan and Smith.
The Planning Commission reviews issues related to local land use and development and has authority to take final action on certain applications, though in many cases those decisions can be appealed to the City Council.
Both the senior and parks commissions discuss issues on those topics and advise the council.
Planning commissioners receive a stipend of $400 a month for twice-monthly meetings. Senior and parks commissioners get a $100-per-month stipend and typically meet once a month.
Interviews will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Conference Room 1A on the first floor of City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.
After the interviews, the City Council will reconvene the meeting at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the council chambers to appoint the selections.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
