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Anaheim City Council members Tuesday conducted a massive overhaul of city commissions, appointing commissioners to boards expanded to match the number of seats on the city council.
In a split 4-3 vote in February, the council voted to dismiss all its previous commissioners and appoint or reappoint members to expanded boards that correspond with the seven city council district seats. Mayor Tom Tait argued it would provide for more equal representation on boards, under the city’s new district-based electoral system.
Councilmembers Steve Faessel, Kris Murray and Lucille Kring voted against the plan.
The new rules allow the four district-elected members, Denise Barnes, Jose Moreno, Kring and Faessel, to appoint a commissioner, with priority going to residents of their districts and people already serving on a commission. The remaining at-large seats were selected by a vote of the full council.
Some former commissioners were reappointed, but all had to reapply.
Many of the appointees suggested by members of the city council minority – Murray, Kring and Faessel – for at-large seats were voted down by their colleagues, prompting Murray to comment: “Is there a point in proceeding? Do you guys just want to appoint your members and leave the minority out of the process entirely?”
Tait proposed the change last month as a nod to the new council districts formed as part of the city’s settlement of a Voting Rights Act lawsuit. November’s election was the first under the new system.
The council also voted to approve a plan by Murray to provide audio recordings of commission meetings and expand the information about city commissions and committees provided online.
According to a city staff report, there will be a one-time cost of $9,000 to implement the changes.
A full list of the new commission appointees is below. The name of the council member making the appointment is in parentheses.
Budget, Investment and Technology Commission
District 1 (Barnes): John Showalter
District 3 (Moreno): Jaqueline Godinez
District 4 (Kring): John Noteboom
District 5 (Faessel): Avelino Valencia
At large appointments: Mark Lopez (Tait), Susan Thill (Vanderbilt), Ed Lopez (Moreno)
Community Services Board
District 1 (Barnes): none
District 3 (Moreno): Kandee Beas
District 4 (Kring): Lori Farrow
District 5 (Faessel): Laurie Leonard
At large appointments: Donna Acevedo-Nelson (Vanderbilt), Earl Kelso (Kring), Arturo Ferreras (Tait)
Cultural and Heritage Commission
District 1 (Barnes): Mark Daniels
District 3 (Moreno): Juan Alvarez
District 4 (Kring): Julie Brunette
District 5 (Faessel): Rida Hamida
At large appointments: Patricia Adelekan (Tait), Claire Pettibone (Tait), Brian Chuchua (Tait)
Housing and Community Development Commission
District 1 (Barnes): Susan Anderson
District 3 (Moreno): Ada Tamayo
District 4 (Kring): Norma Kurtz
District 5 (Faessel): Tim Houchen
At large appointments: Ojaala Ahmad (Moreno), Chris Emami (Tait), Orlando Perez (Barnes), John Gatti (Tait), Linda Adair (Moreno)
Parks and Recreation Commission
District 1 (Barnes): Ryan Balius
District 3 (Moreno): Nichole Rupp
District 4 (Kring): Craig Farrow
District 5 (Faessel): Lynn Cudd
At large appointments: James Cook (Tait), Samantha Navarro (Vanderbilt), Alfonso Rodriguez (Moreno)
Planning Commission
District 1 (Barnes): John Armstrong
District 3 (Moreno): Steve White
District 4 (Kring): Michelle Lieberman
District 5 (Faessel): Kim Keys
At large appointments: John Gillespie (Tait), Jess Carbajal (Tait), Bill Dalati (Vanderbilt)
Public Utilities Board
District 1 (Barnes): Julie Showalter
District 3 (Moreno): Vincent Baroldi
District 4 (Kring): Abdulmageed Abdulrahman
District 5 (Faessel): Ernesto Medrano
At large appointments: Robert Nelson (Tait), John Seymour (Murray), Victoria Ramirez (Moreno)
Library Board
At-large appointments: Stan Oftelie (Tait), David Laviguer (Moreno), Rose Chen (Barnes), Claudia Perez-Figueroa (Moreno), John Leos (Moreno)
Contact Thy Vo at tvo@voiceofoc.org or follow her on Twitter @thyanhvo.