City makes appointments to Planning Commission

PALMDALE — The City Council, on Wednesday, made new appointments and reappointments to the Planning Commission, to represent the new format created during the Council’s redistricting efforts, earlier this year.

In April, the Council approved a redistricting plan that created five districts from which Council members are elected, instead of four districts with the mayor elected by voters citywide. The mayor’s position will rotate among the Council members in this new format.

This change affects the Planning Commission, in that the city’s Municipal Code stipulates that commissioners are nominated by each Council member from applicants in their district, with the mayor nominating the fifth commissioner from the city at large.

Three commissioners’ terms ended, on June 30, and new appointments must be made, even though Council members have not yet been elected from the new five districts.

Additionally, under the new district boundaries, four of the five commissioners reside in districts other than those for which they were appointed, and four of the five now reside in the same districts, according to the staff report.

This leaves two of the new districts without representatives on the commission.

The terms for those Commissioners who now live in another district automatically end, as per the Municipal Code, Interim City Attorney Scott Porter said.

The city has already solicited and received applications for commissioners from which the council could choose.

The Council had the option to appoint (or reappoint) commissioners only until after the new Council is seated, following the November election.

For District 1, Councilmember Austin Bishop nominated Cristina Fraga-Saenz for temporary reappointment under this provision, although she no longer resides in the new district. Once a new Council is seated under the new district, the District 1 Council member would make a new appointment.

“I wanted to keep the Planning Commission the same in my district, until the election

changes things around, for consistency and continuity,” he said.

Bishop’s nomination was approved on a 4-0 vote, with Mayor Steve Hofbauer absent.

Mayor Pro Tem Richard Loa nominated Dean Henderson for reappointment to the District 2 seat, which was approved on a 4-0 vote.

District 3 Councilmember Laura Bettencourt nominated Marcos Alvarez to the Commission, from applications received.

The seat had been held by Nemeth.

Alvarez’s appointment was approved on a 4-0 vote.

Councilmember Juan Carrillo nominated Getro Elise to represent District 4 on the Commission, also from three applications submitted for his district.

“I really want to respect the process, as you (Bettencourt) did,” he said. “There were applications submitted, and people took the time.” Elise was also approved on a 4-0 vote.

Bettencourt also nominated Stacia Nemeth for reappointment to the District 5 seat, which has no Council representative.

“Since she is our chair, I want to keep her on our Planning Commission,” Bettencourt said.

However, Bettencourt worried that the temporary reappointment would mean cutting short her term, which was to expire, in 2023.

Porter said the appointment is to come from the council member of the District, which would mean leaving the decision to whoever is elected to represent the new District 5. This could mean reappointment of Nemeth, he said.

Nemeth’s reappointment was approved on a 4-0 vote.

The new and reappointed Commissioners were seated just before Thursday’s Commission meeting. Nemeth was selected to continue as chair, and Henderson was selected as vice-chair.