Council minds temper, appoints planning commissioner

‏After a lengthy discussion about naming a new member of the Sonoma Planning Commission, including disagreements over the interview and selection process, the selection of retired fireman Mike Coleman was eventually ratified by a 3-2 vote.

Councilmembers Gary Edwards and Rachel Hundley were the dissenting votes.

‏Traditionally, interviews have been conducted by the Mayor and one other council member, and agreement is reached about the candidate to be ratified. The council would then approve that choice.

Edwards indicated that such agreement had not been reached, and that the Mayor had made his selection unilaterally.

Mayor Cook did not dispute Edwards’ account, but defended his selection in the same terms he had used at the previous meeting, albeit with less agitation. The two had a heated, sometime yelling match at the April 6 meeting, at which no vote was taken.

Monday’s meeting did not deteriorate to that level, but did reveal distinct differences of opinion about the current selection process.

Edwards said that a highly-qualified alternate already appointed to the commission had not been selected for the permanent seat, despite his regular past attendance at Planning Commission meetings. Mr. McDonald, the alternate in question, addressed the council, and provided an extensive list of his qualifications.

At the previous meeting, it was noted that Coleman had never attended a meeting of the Planning Commission.

‏Resident Kelso Barnett read from the Municipal Code, and highlighted the list of qualifications required for members of commissions “inferior” to the Planning Commission. He indicated that it made no sense that a commission of such power and importance as the Planning Commission would have lower qualifications.

‏During discussion, the council agreed that the selection process overall needed clarification and review. They were confused about the role of “alternate” members of commissions and their appointment.

‏Alternates were first proposed and put in place by a previous council over a decade ago, with the idea being that having an alternate would provide the opportunity to avoid vacancies and fill positions with experienced people who have participated in Commission matters but not voted unless another member was absent.

However, subsequent council member Joanne Sanders later objected to the automatic appointment of an alternate to a voting seat (at the time Bill Willers, who is now the commission’s chair); since then the appointment of alternates to a voting seat has been inconsistent.

The present members of the council seemed unaware of the basis for having alternates on the commission, and city staff offered no help in sorting it out.

‏No tempers were lost, except for that of long-time resident Rosemary Pedronzini, who was reminded by the Mayor that cursing at council meetings was inappropriate. She apologized.

Meanwhile, after the matter was concluded, a visibly disappointed McDonald was heard saying he was going to resign his alternate position on the commission and hurriedly left the meeting.

If this proves to be the case, it appears another appointment is in the offing.