SOLANA BEACH — From a field of 21 applicants, council members appointed 15 residents to two-year terms on the city’s five citizen commissions during the Jan. 25 meeting.
Most applicants sought a position on only one committee and all 11 current members who applied to their respective groups were reappointed.
Applicants must live in Solana Beach and be at least 18 years old. Members of the View Assessment and Budget and Finance commissions must also own property within the city. Each group has seven members, except Budget and Finance, which has five, and all meet once a month.
Vacancies on Public Arts Advisory and Parks and Recreation are filled by nominations from all five council members, while the remaining three commissions are filled by recommendations from three or four specific council members. All nominations were approved unanimously.
Budget and Finance had seven applicants for two vacancies. Jeff Anderman and Craig Nelson were once again reappointed to those positions by Councilmen Mike Nichols and Tom Campbell, respectively.
There are three new faces on Parks and Recreation because the commissioners whose terms expired in December were not among the seven applicants for three openings on this committee. Susan McEachern, Joy Brinker and Lynne Truong were approved unanimously as a slate nominated by Councilman Dave Roberts.
“I’m glad to see she’s becoming official,” Councilwoman Lesa Heebner said about Truong’s appointment. “(She) has worked so hard on this commission already.”
Mike Swanson, Nicolle Selby-Thomas, Alli Dixon and Tara Gordon were all reappointed to the Public Arts Advisory Commission, which had seven applicants this year.
“My viewpoint is that public arts is vital to the community and character of Solana Beach,” Selby-Thomas said.
“This is probably the most exciting time for public art in our city,” said Dixon, who sought to have entry monuments installed throughout the city when she first applied to the commission six years ago.
“Little did I know that everything in the city takes a really long time but we’re finally getting our entry monuments,” she said.
One piece has already been installed at the southeast entry to the city and two more are planned, Dixon said.
Kristi Day, one of three applicants for the Public Safety Commission, was renamed to her position. With Steven Goetsch not reapplying, David Reis was appointed in his place.
From a field of six applicants, Paul Bishop, Pat Coad, John Scales and David Zito were all reappointed to View Assessment.
