WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT APPLICANTS FOR THE TWO COMMISSIONSAs most readers probably know, Costa Mesa has a City Council composed of five elected Councilmembers and two commissions each composed of five members who are appointed by and who serve at the pleasure of the City Council.
The most important commission is the Planning Commission. Its members receive about $ 400 per month for their service and they are often the first public body that gets a whack at shaping much of the physical aspects you see around you in Costa Mesa.
The other commission is the Parks and Recreation Commission. Its members receive about $ 100 per month for their service. This Commission deals with things such as tree removal requests, use of parks and similar things.
Neither commission requires that its members come to it with much technical knowledge.
It is far more important to our city at this time, when so many citizens are saying they want Costa Mesa to be nicer and more crime free and a great place to raise our families, that those who serve on these commissions are on the same page as the majority on the City Council so that body doesn't have to keep appealing bad decisions by these commissions.
In # 50 we published a list of applicants for these two commissions. Here's a few words about each of them that we've gleaned from their application papers, and/or from our personal observations of the local scene. What follows are clearly our personal opinions.
A few candidates have applied for both commissions and are noted with an asterisk.
Planning Commission Applicants (in alphabetical order):
Paul Bunney--Long time improvement activist. Has lived in Costa Mesa all of his 55 plus years. Lives on the Westside. Was on CRAC and WROC and a member of the Westside Improvement Association. Would be a good addition to the Planning Commission to keep Costa Mesa moving forward.
Chris Bunyan *--Came in last in the recent City Council election. Fairly new to the City.
Sam Clark--Ran for City Council a couple of years ago. Has lived in Costa Mesa for more than 20 years. Has become increasingly active in improvement issues.
James Fisler--Improvement activist. Presently on the Planning Commission. Ran for City Council several years ago. Will probably be reappointed. Watch for him to run for City Council in two years.
Jeffrey Harlan *--Attorney. Recently moved to Costa Mesa.
Robert Norling--Came to Costa Mesa in 1964. Moved away. Came back in 1997.
Jonathan Zich *--Has lived in Costa Mesa since 1980. Is on the 3R Committee.
Parks and Recreation Commission Applicants (in alphabetical order):
Mike Brumbaugh--Has lived in Costa Mesa for about 4 years. President of Halecrest HOA.
Chris Bunyan--See above
Kurt Galitski--Real estate agent.
Jeffrey Harlan--See above
Terry Shaw--Long time resident and activist .
David Stiller--Presently on Parks and Recreation. He opposed Mesa North residents when they wanted to have their small community park made safe for its intended passive uses. Supported Bruce Garlich and Mike Scheafer in the just past election
Jonathan Zich--see above
* Denotes the first choice of candidates who applied for both Commissions.
The process for Commission interviews and appointments will be discussed at the January 16, 2007 City Council meeting.
IMPORTANT: Some present members of the two commissions didn't have to apply because their terms are not up. This doesn't mean that the City Council can't ask for resignation letters from all of them, and then reappoint them if they wish--and this is something that the CM PRESS believes the Council should do. Sweep the commissions clean and then start fresh and bring in your own team.
Some Improvers are telling the CM PRESS, that they believe the following lineup on the Planning Commission might be good for improvement: Donn Hall,** Jim Fisler,** Paul Bunney, Sam Clark, Jonathan Zich.
And, on the Parks and Recreation Commission, they think the following might be best to move our city forward: Mark Harris,** Bob Graham,** Terry Shaw, Mike Brumbaugh, Kurt Galitski
**Already on the commission with a term that is not up.
Note that it's often difficult to know how applicants are going to vote once they're on these commissions, and some who get on the commissions often vote against improvement. Note also, that some of the choices above aren't that well known, but might be worth a try.
Never fear, dear readers, the CM PRESS will keep an eye on them. We'll watch the votes of whoever finally ends up on these commissions and we'll let you know whether they're for an improved Costa Mesa or not. And, if they're not, you'll be reading even more about them in the CM PRESS.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them. If you want to know more about the applicants, check with the City Manager's office. The application materials are public documents and you have a right to see them.