There are currently 5 vacancies on the Ocean Beach Planning Board, a Board made up of 14 members, two each from OB’s 7 planning districts. The recent annual election in early March only seated one new board member, and at the same time, 3 members left the board. Two were termed out and 1 is moving out of OB.
Which means that there are vacancies in District 1, District 2, District 3, District 5 and District 7.
It is anticipated that the 2 termed out members will be applying to be appointed to vacant seats in the near future. In fact, one has already collected his signatures, and expects to be appointed at the May board meeting.
Often in situations like this, the Board makes appointments of eligible members to the vacant seats, even though those appointed do not live or own property or a business in the districts they are appointed to. And nearly just as often, those appointed to districts other their own, end up running for a seat in their own district during the next election cycle. This allows seats to be filled and for new members to gain valuable experience. Normally there are 2 year terms for each seat of the volunteer board.
Those individuals eligible for appointments still must collect the required signatures of folks living or owning businesses or property in the district for which they are applying.
Serving on the Planning Board for OB is an invaluable lesson and experience in grassroots democracy dealing with the nitty-gritty of urban planning and in the goings-on of the development world. Over the course of the last 40 years, hundreds of OBceans have served on the board, making recommendations to the City and monitoring the state of the community’s infrastructure. Plus OB has one of the longest-serving planning boards in the city.
According to the OB Planning Board website:
Candidate Eligibility Requirements
All persons who meet the eligibility criteria below are allowed to apply for a seat on the Board. It is not necessary to be a registered voter with the state or county government.
Candidates must first demonstrate that they are 18 years of age and meet one of the following conditions within the OB Community Plan Area (map) for more than 30 days:
- Resident: Residing and maintaining a physical address.
- Property Owner: Owning property.
- Business Owner/Licensee: Owning/operating a business with a physical address/location.
(Proof of the above may be established with a copy of a driver’s license [or other government ID] in addition to a copy of a utility bill, business license, or tax bill that demonstrates the qualifying address of the candidate.)
In addition, eligible candidates must:
- Gather at least 35 signatures from the district in which they are seeking a seat (signatures must be from district residents, property owners, or business owners/licensees).
- Have documented attendance at one of the Board’s last 12 meetings prior to the election.
{ 0 comments… add one now }