ATTACHMENT A
PCapptccmtg12-16-24(klk)
CITY OF SIMI VALLEY
MEMORANDUM
December 16, 2024
TO: City Council
FROM: Department of Environmental Services
SUBJECT: INTERVIEW AND APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING COMMISSIONERS
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council interview and approve, and the Mayor appoin t Mayor Thomas’, Council Member Cavanaugh’s, and Council Member Litster’s nominees to the Planning Commission for terms to become effective immediately.
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
Planning Commissioners serve a term on the Commission concurrent with the nominating Council Member's term on the City Council. The Mayor and each member of the City Council are responsible for nominating one Planning Commissioner. Upon the approval of a majority vote of the City Council, the Mayor shall appoint the nominated individual(s).
The process for selecting a nominee is left to the individual City Council Member.
FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES
Chapter 3, Article 4 of the Simi Valley Municipal Code (SVMC) (Attachment A, page 3) authorizes the nomination, for appointment or reappointment, of Planning Commissioners to scheduled vacancies. In the November 202 4 general election, Mayor Fred Thomas , City Council Member Dee Dee Cavanaugh, and City Council Member Elaine Litster were re-elected to their positions and must , therefore, nominate for appointment or re - appointment an individual to the Planning Commission to serve concurrent with their City Council terms of office. Additionally, the SVMC provides that the Council shall interview Planning Commission nominees at a duly-noticed public meeting and shall be appointed by the Mayor upon the approval of a majority vote of all the members of the City Council.
Mayor Thomas, City Council Member Cavanaugh, and Council Member Litster have indicated to the City Manager that they intend to re-nominate their current Planning Commissioners for reappointment as follows:
Mayor Fred Thomas - Lee Kennedy;
Council Member Dee Dee Cavanaugh - Allan C. Mann; and
Council Member Elaine Litster - John Tolson
It is appropriate for the Council to interview the nominees at this meeting.
AGENDA ITEM NO.
3(B)3
PCapptccmtg12-16-24(klk)
It is recommended that the City Council receive the nominations for the Planning Commission from Mayor Thomas , Council Member Cavanaugh, and Council Member Litster, interview the nominees, and approve the nominations.
The following alternatives are available to the City Council:
1. Receive the nominations for the Planning Commission, interview and approve the nominees, and the Mayor reappoint the Commissioners with the term to become effective immediately.
2. Receive the nominations for Planning Commission, interview the nominees , and not approve the nominees.
3. Continue the item to another City Council meeting.
4. Provide staff with other direction.
Staff recommends Alternative No. 1.
SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION
I move to approve, and the Mayor appoint, Lee Kennedy, Allan C. Mann, and John Tolson to the Planning Commission for a term to become effective immediately.
SUMMARY
Commissioners serve a term on the Planning Commission concurrent with the nominating Council Member's term on the City Council. The Mayor and each member of the City Council are responsible for nominating one Planning Commissioner. Elected during the November 2024 general election, Mayor Fred Thomas, City Council Member Dee Dee Cavanaugh, and City Council Member Elaine Litster are authorized to nominate an individual to the Planning Commission to serve concurrent with each Council M embers’ term of office. It is recommended the City Council receive the nominations for Planning Commissioner from Mayor Thomas, Council Member Cavanaugh, and Council Member Litster, interview the nominees, approve the nominations and the Mayor appo int the Commissioners.
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Stratis Perros
Environmental Services Director
Prepared by: Stratis Perros, Environmental Services Director INDEX Page
Attachment A – Municipal Code ....................................................... 3 2 ATTACHMENT A
PCapptccmtg12-16-24(klk)
Article 4. - Planning Commission
• 2-3.401 - Created: Membership.
There is created a Planning Commission for the City which shall consist of five (5) members who shall not be officials or employees of the City, but who shall be residents of the City. (§ 6, Ord. 468, eff. April 15, 1981)
• 2-3.402 - Members: Appointment: Terms of office.
(a) Appointment.
(1) Each member of the Council, upon the commencement of that member's term of office, shall nominate for appointment or reappointment a member of the Planning Commission whose term of office concurrently expires with that of the nominating Councilmember. The nominee shall be interviewed by the Council at a duly -noticed public meeting and shall be appointed by the Mayor upon the approval of a majority vote of all the members of the Council.
(2) Each member of the Council shall have an opportunity to nominate one appointee to become a member of the Planning Commission. If the Mayor fails to appoint such nominee due to the failure of a majority of all the members of the Council to approve the appointment, the member of the Council whose nominee was rejected may nominate such other persons as necessary until the majority of the Council votes to approve such nominee for appointment and the Mayor appoints such nominee to the Planning Commission. Th e Mayor shall not refuse to appoint any nominee otherwise qualified to serve on the Planning Commission once the majority of all the members of the Council have voted the approval of such nomination.
(3) Failure to nominate a person for a seat on the Planning Commission for six (6) consecutive regular or adjourned Council meetings shall entitle the Mayor to appoint the Mayor's or any other Council -member's nominee to the seat upon the approval of the majority of all the members of the Council without the nomination of that member of the Council otherwise entitled to nominate.
(4) Planning Commission members whose terms expire may continue to serve until a replacement is appointed in the manner set forth in this subsection. (5) Vacancies on the Planning Commission occurring during an unexpired term shall be selected in the same manner provided for in this subsection. (b) Terms of office.
(1) General. The terms of office for members of the Planning Commission shall expire concurrently with those of each Councilmember responsible for that Commission member's nomination for the seat on the Planning Commission. Vacancies on the Council occurring during a term of office of a Councilmember shall not affect the term of office for the members of the Planning Commission.
(2) Transition. Those seats on the Planning Commission having terms of office which expire on June 30, 1981, shall be filled with appointees of the Council nominated by those members of the Council whose terms expire on the third Tuesday of April 1984. Those seats on the Planning Commission having terms of office which would otherwise expire on June 30, 1983, shall be deemed vacated, and the terms expired as of the third Tuesday of April 1982, and shall be filled with appointees of the Mayor upon the approval of the majority of all the members of the Council and nominated by those members of the Council whose terms begin on the third Tuesday of April 1982.
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(§ 6, Ord. 468, eff. April 15, 1981, as amended by § 1, Ord. 478, eff. June 17, 1981, § 3, Ord. 498, eff. April 14, 1982, and § 1, Ord. 674, eff. December 9, 1987) • 2-3.403 - Members: Removal from office.
A member of the Planning Commission may be removed by a four-fifths ( 4/5 ) vote of all of the members of the Council.
(§ 6, Ord. 468, eff. April 15, 1981)
• 2-3.404 - Compensation and expenses.
(§ 6, Ord. 468, eff. April 15, 1981, repealed by § 1, Ord. 1087, eff. February 24, 2006) • 2-3.405 - Powers, duties, and functions.
The powers, duties, and functions of the Planning Commission shall be all those powers, duties, and functions of a Planning Commission, Planning Agency, Appeal Board, Board of Zoning Adjustment, and Advisory Agency for divisions of real property which requ ire the preparation of a tentative tract map and a final map pursuant to the Government Code of the State. (§ 6, Ord. 468, eff. April 15, 1981, as amended by § 2, Urgency Ord. 511, eff. September 13, 1982
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