HomeMy WebLinkAbout41 - NB-1 - Public Comments - 7/20/2021From: GREEN, BRENDA
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2021 8:00 AM
To: BENNETT, STACY
Subject: FW: New Business 1: Planning Commission Residency Requirement
Brenda Green
City Clerk
City of Costa Mesa
714/754-5221
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From: DEARAKAL, BYRON
Sent: Sunday, July 18, 20216:06 PM
To: STEPHENS, JOHN <JOHN.STEPHENS@costamesaca.gov>; MARR, ANDREA <ANDREA.MARR@costamesaca.gov>;
REYNOLDS, ARLIS <ARLIS.REYNOLDS@costa mesaca.gov>; CHAVEZ, MANUEL <MAN U EL.CHAVEZ@costamesaca.gov>;
HARLAN, JEFFREY <JEFFREY.HARLAN@costamesaca.gov>; GAMEROS, LOREN <LGAMEROS@costamesaca.gov>; HARPER,
DON <DON.HARPER@costamesaca.gov>
Cc: FARRELL HARRISON, LORI ANN <LoriAnn@costamesaca.gov>; LE, JENNIFER <JENNIFER.LE@costamesaca.gov>;
BARLOW, KIMBERLY HALL <KIMBERLY.BARLOW@costamesaca.gov>; GREEN, BRENDA
<brenda.green@costamesaca.gov>
Subject: New Business 1: Planning Commission Residency Requirement
Mayor Stephens, Mayor Pro Tern Marr and Honorable City Council Members,
I am writing to express my support of staffs recommendation that City Council adopt Ordinance 2021-xx amending
Section 13-10, Article 3 of Chapter 1, Title 13 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code;
adopt revised Council Policy 000-2, and repeal Council Policy 000-2.5.
Since its adoption in April 2019, Ordinance No. 19-05 has mandated that the Costa Mesa Planning Commission be
comprised of seven commissioners. Six of the seven commissioners are to be selected from each of the city's six
electoral districts, while one commissioner is to be selected as an at -large member.
As noted in your staff report, the district -residency requirement for Planning Commissioners has contributed, in large
part, to a unusual episode of Planning Commissioners having to vacate their positions on the commission prior to the
expiration of their terms "due to moving or desiring to move to a different district within the City."
This unique circumstance has created some degree of instability on the Planning Commission at a crucial time
when stability is vital. Important new land use policies (Measure X and Measure Q) as well as the update
of the City's Housing Element (and follow-on updates of other General Plan elements, Zoning Codes and
Development Standards associated with the Housing Element), in my view demand a Planning Commission that
is stable, experienced and well -versed in the many technical aspects of this important work.
In general, I have never been an advocate of district -appointed Planning Commissioners. The bulk of the Planning
Commission's work is related to land -use applications which, by their very nature, are quasi-judicial proceedings
that demand careful consideration of evidence and the making of findings based on that evidence which underpin the
Planning Commission's decisions. In this regard, whatever district a commissioner resides in is irrelevant to the
proceedings. Indeed, land -use decisions based on the parochial interest of any one district are, in my opinion,
antithetical to the quasi-judicial role of the Planning Commission and make for bad planning.
Costa Mesa is best served, as are the Mayor and City Council, if prospective Planning Commissioners are drawn from an
at -large pool of candidates, with each council member and the mayor selecting a commissioner from that at -large pool.
Thank you for your consideration.
Byron de Arakal
BYRON DE ARAKAL
Chairman
Costa Mesa Planning Commission
714.756.5165
Mobile: 714.227.4620
From: Peggy Partnoff <peggypartnoff@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2021 8:44 PM
To: CITY CLERK
Subject: Status Change for the Planning commission
I am communicating my strong objection and shock at the request/proposal submitted by John Stephens to remove the
residence requirement for our planning commission members. This policy change is unacceptable and would be
detrimental to the local control that should define each and every city. It is an audacious agenda to overstep the citizens
of our community. I am a life long citizen of Orange County and believe this would be a travesty to our community
democracy and will be viewed very negatively by the voting public. The voters in Costa Mesa and in neighboring
communities should be aware of such a threat to their rights of local representation. I urge each of you to reject this
proposal by Mr Stephans. At least until the voters of Costa Mesa can be given their rightful opportunity to elect our city
mayor by majority vote, we need an individual who will represent the citizens of Costa Mesa. Respectfully, Peggy
Partnoff
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