Two Commissioners' terms expired in June that year, Harry Sach and Phil O'Loane. Both of them reapplied. There were two other applicants, Jeanne Benedetti and John Mills.
Sachs was reappointed unanimously. The votes for O'Loane were split. Carol Rowley and Dave Hudson voted to reappoint Phil O'Loane. Abram Wilson and Scott Perkins voted for Benedetti. Jim Livingstone voted for John Mills.
On the second ballot Livingstone changed his vote to Benedetti and she was appointed to replace Phil O'Loane on the Planning Commission that year. John Mills was later appointed to an opening on the Parks and Community Services Commission.
O'Loane ran for City Council in 2011, partly as a result of being bumped from the Planning Commission. Now Phil is in a position to vote on Commission appoinments and it is Mills turn to reapply for the Parks and Community Services Commission along with Carol Lopez, Kathy Berner, and David Ernest.
The Council is holding a special meeting on June 11th at 5:30 pm to interview the applicants for the Parks and Community Services Commission and vote on the appointments. This is a public meeting for anyone who wants to attend. I plan to be there.
The next day, June 12th at 5 pm, the Council will interview applicants for the Planning Commission. I emailed City Clerk, Pat Edwards, for a list of applicants for both Commissions. She emailed me the interview schedule.
PARKS & COMMUNITY SERVICES - INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
Monday – June 11, 2012
Four Vacancies
5:30 pm Will Doerlich
5:45 pm Kathy Berner
6:00 pm Jeffrey Wirjo
6:15 pm Carol Lopez – phone interview
6:30 pm David Ernest
6:45 pm John Mills
Jeffrey Wirjo is a Dougherty Valley High School student and member of the Symphonic Band. The Parks and Community Services Commission has a Student Commissioner. Saundarya Mehra is the Student Commissioner until June 30, 2012. The Council interviewed applicants for her replacement at a special meeting on May 22, 2012 and appointed Maekhila Koppikar for 2012-13. So Jeffrey Wirjo appears to be applying for a regular Commissioner's slot.
Will Doerlich has been on the Arts Advisory Committee for many years. He was Chairman at least twice. The Arts Advisory Committee is a subcommittee of Parks and Community Services. I'd like to see Will appointed to the Parks Commission, but that would mean replacing one of the existing members.
Carol Lopez and David Ernest have been on the Commission for a very long time. Kathy Berner was appointed in 2006. I applied that year too. She gave a better interview and was a much better choice than I was.
Kathy and John Mills interviewed me for reappointment to the Arts Advisory Committee. I gave a terrible interview, saying I wasn't sure if I even wanted to stay on the Committee. Mills and Berner wisely recommended me as an Alternate, and I am very happy about that.
PLANNING COMMISSION - INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
Tuesday – June 12, 2012
Three Vacancies
5:15 pm Dennis Viers
5:30 pm Jeffrey Wirjo
5:45 pm Eric Wallis
6:00 pm Greg Schniegenberg
6:15 pm Donna Kerger
Jeffery Wirjo applied for the Planning Commission as well as the Parks and Community Services Commission. There's no Student Commissioner on the Planning Commission. Appointees to this commission need experience with zoning and permits and government land use policies.
Greg Schniegenberg has the right experience. According to his LinkedIn page he's Operations Manager for Northern California atHelix Electric, which is a major electric subcontracting company for large construction projects.
Schniegenberg was appointed to the Transportation Advisory Committee in May 2011 with a term through January 31, 2013. The TAC is a subcommittee of the Planning Commission.
I'm always impressed with the Planning Commission. Even when the membership changes, they do a good job of working together and listening to speakers with differing points of view.
This isn't an easy job, and many residents do not understand that Planning Commissioners must balance the rights of property owners with State laws, City zoning codes, and residents' preferences. I hope all three Commissioners are reappointed.
