Planning Commission now two members short with resignation of member
January 18, 2017
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The City Council now has two openings on the Planning Commission to fill after the departure of John Demers, who is leaving the area prompted by a career move.
Demers, the chief operations officer for the Port of Hueneme since 2013, has resigned to take a job as the executive officer at the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.
In 2014 Demers failed in his first bid to be elected to the City Council.
Another Santa Paula Planning Commissioner, Fred Wacker, passed away last year.
Now, the five-member panel that oversees land use and code compliance is two commissioners short of a full panel, a situation emerging just weeks before a January 24 hearing where two special event facilities will be considered.
After Wacker passed away the City Council held interviews for candidates at a September special meeting with applicants Edd Bond, Maxine McKaig and Jack Pitluk.
Then-Councilman Jim Tovias was not present at the meeting and the council delayed making a selection until he could interview the candidates. Tovias opted not to run for a possible third term on the City Council.
The council has discussed filling the one spot at recent meetings noting they would probably restart the application process. Now they have two openings on the commission.
Remaining on the Commission are Chairman Ike Ikerd, Vice Chairman Fred Robinson and Commissioner Mike Sommer.
Vice Mayor Ginger Gherardi said Monday the City Council would likely discuss the Planning Commission openings at the January 17 meeting and proceed with a reopened application process.
At the January 24 Planning Commission meeting commissioners will consider two special event facility applications. One is by Adan Sandoval, whose permit to open a banquet type operation just east of his La Terraza Restaurant at the corner of 10th and Main streets was approved by the commission, but the permit has since expired. Photographer Jose Melgar, who hopes to open a special events center in the former Salvation Army building on Main Street, just east of 8th Street, is also seeking a Conditional Use Permit.
