March Elections for Ocean Beach Planning Board Approacheth

Tenants Are Encouraged to Run as Candidates for Board

Every year community planning boards and committees around the city hold their annual elections – most of them – in March.

And the Ocean Beach Planning Board is no different. The annual election to the panel of OB volunteers who make recommendations about projects that come before it to the city is being held Wednesday, March 15th.  The balloting takes place inside the OB Recreation Center between the hours of 4 to 6pm.

Any tenant, resident, property owner or business owner in Ocean Beach can take part in the election.

Importantly, everyone from these categories can also be a candidate for one of the seats on the 14-member Board.

The OB Rag encourages tenants and renters, especially, to run for the Board, as tenants make up 6 of every 7 residents in OB and it’s important for renters to have a strong voice on the Board.

So, if interested, check the district map for the district of your residence or business or property. At least one seat in each of the 7 districts is up for election each year.

One of the requirements for running as a candidate is attending one of the monthly meetings over the course of the previous year. So, as long as a candidate attends the next upcoming monthly meeting being held on Wednesday, March 1st, that would satisfy the requirement.

Here is what the OB Planning Board website says about Board member eligibility and running as a candidate:

Terms are two years, with the seats in each district staggered so elections occur in alternate years. The Board may also appoint members on a discretionary basis to fill vacant seats.

All members, whether elected or appointed, must meet the same requirements to serve.

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.
Application

The official application, including signature forms, can be downloaded below. It may be used for elections or appointments. Please contact the Board to notify us that you are interested in a seat and to coordinate submission of your application.

Candidate Application (PDF, 350 KB)

Once the candidate’s application and signatures are verified by the Board, the candidate will be deemed eligible to serve and may be appointed at the next general meeting.