CITY OF SIMI VALLEY MEMORANDUM

Transcription

1 CITY OF SIMI VALLEY MEMORANDUM ATTACHMENT A AGENDA ITEM NO. 3 (1) March 11, 2019 TO: FROM: City Council Department of Environmental Services SUBJECT: INTERVIEW AND APPOINTMENT OF JOHN TOLSON AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council interview and nominate, and the Mayor appoint, Council Member Elaine Litster s nominee, John Tolson, to the Planning Commission for a term to become effective immediately. CITY MANAGER S RECOMMENDATION Council Member Litster has forwarded her nomination of John Tolson to the Planning Commission. 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 nominated individual(s) shall be appointed by the Mayor. The process for selecting a nominee is left to the City Council Member. Section (a)(1) of the Simi Valley Municipal Code (SVMC) (Attachment A, page 3) authorizes the nomination, for appointment or reappointment, of Planning Commissioners to scheduled vacancies. Council Member Litster recently joined the City Council and she is authorized to nominate an individual to fill the current vacancy on the Planning Commission. The current makeup of the Planning Commission is as follows: Planning Commissioner Appointed by Initial Appointment Date Tim Hodge Keith L. Mashburn December 10, 2012 John Casselberry, Jr. Ruth Luevanos December 17, 2018 Allan Mann Dee Dee Cavanaugh December 12, 2016 Ken Rice Michael Judge December 6, 2010 Council Member Litster indicated she wishes to nominate John Tolson to serve on the Planning Commission. Mr. Tolson is a resident of Simi Valley and spent 18 years running his own business.

2 2 Mr. Tolson is presently serving as the Director of Marketing and Membership for the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce and is currently employed as an insurance agent. Mr. Tolson has also been involved with numerous non-profit organizations serving in many different capacities (Attachment B, page 5). It is recommended that appointment of John Tolson to the Planning Commission become effective immediately. Staff will schedule an orientation session prior to the first Planning Commission meeting for which he will be seated. The next scheduled meeting is on March 13, FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES The following alternatives are available to the City Council: 1. Interview and nominate for appointment by the Mayor, John Tolson, to a seat on the Planning Commission at tonight's meeting with the term to become effective immediately; 2. Interview and nominate for appointment by the Mayor, John Tolson, to a seat on the Planning Commission at tonight's meeting with the term to become effective on dates determined by the City Council; 3. Provide staff with other direction. Staff recommends Alternative No. 1. SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION I move to approve the nominated individual, John Tolson, for appointment by the Mayor to the Planning Commission with the term to become effective immediately. SUMMARY 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. The Government Code and the Simi Valley Municipal Code authorize the City Council to interview and nominate, and the Mayor to appoint, Planning Commissioners to scheduled vacancies. All approved appointments to the Planning Commission will become effective immediately unless the City Council directs otherwise. Prepared by: Stratis Perros, Deputy Director/City Planner Ted Drago Interim Environmental Services Director INDEX Page Attachment A Municipal Code... 3 Attachment B Biography of John Tolson... 5

3 3 ATTACHMENT A Article 4. - Planning Commission 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) 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. The 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 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.

4 4 ( 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) 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) Compensation and expenses. ( 6, Ord. 468, eff. April 15, 1981, repealed by 1, Ord. 1087, eff. February 24, 2006) 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 require 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)

5 5 ATTACHMENT B Biography John Tolson John Tolson is a resident of Simi Valley, originally moving here with his family in Mr. Tolson previously ran his own business for 18 years. Since 2010, he has served as Director of Marketing and Membership for the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce in which he works with business owners to help their businesses grow and thrive. Mr. Tolson has also been heavily involved with several non-profit organizations. He is currently serving as Treasurer at the Rotary Club for the Simi Valley Cajun and Blues Festival. He is also currently serving as Treasurer and Board Member for Soaring Spirits International, and serves as Director of Public Affairs for the LDS Church, Simi Valley Stake. Mr. Tolson attended Royal High School. His wife and three children also attended Royal High School.