To: Board of Supervisors
From: Internal Operations Committee
Report Title: RECOMMENDATION FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☒ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
REAPPOINT Ross Hillesheim to the At Large #2 seat on the County Planning Commission to a new four-year term beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Planning Commissioners receive a County-paid stipend of $50 per meeting, not to exceed $300 a month, plus mileage reimbursement.
BACKGROUND:
On December 12, 2000, the Board of Supervisors approved a policy on the process for recruiting applicants for selected advisory bodies of the Board. This policy requires open recruitment for all vacancies to At Large seats appointed by the Board. The Board also directed that the IOC personally conduct interviews of applicants for At Large seats on several boards, committees, and commissions including the Contra Costa County Planning Commission.
The term of office of the At Large #2 seat on the Planning Commission will expire on June 30, 2024 and the subsequent term will run from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2028.
The Planning Commission's powers and duties include:
• Exercise all powers and duties prescribed by law (statute, ordinance or board order), including consideration of matters referred to it by the zoning administrator except those powers and duties specifically reserved or delegated to other divisions of the planning agency;
• Initiate preparation of general plans, specific plans, regulations, programs and legislation to implement the planning power of the county;
• Be generally responsible for advising the legislative body of matters relating to planning, which, in the opinion of the commission, should be studied;
• Be the advisory agency as designated in Title 9 of this code for the purpose of passing on subdivisions;
• Hear and decide all applications or requests for proposed entitlements estimated to generate one hundred or more peak hour trips unless otherwise provided by this code or board order; and
• Hear and make recommendations regarding proposed development agreements when it is hearing the related project applications being processed concurrently with the development agreements.
At the direction of the Internal Operations Committee, staff initiated a four-week recruitment by issuing a press release on April 1st advertising the vacancy, with an application deadline of April 26th. The At Large #2 seat incumbent, Ross Hillesheim, was the only person who applied for the seat. His application is attached, for reference, along with the current Planning Commission roster.
The Internal Operations Committee considered Mr. Hillesheim’s application at its regular meeting on May 13 and recommends his reappointment.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the Board not approve the recommendation, a new recruitment would need to be conducted and the public at large would not be fully represented on the Commission until an appointment is made.