Have you ever thought about serving on the oldest democratically-elected community planning committee in the history of San Diego? That would be the Ocean Beach Planning Board.
Yes, it’s true – when the OB Planning Board was first sworn in back in 1976, it was the very first, locally-elected urban planning committee for a community in the city’s history. And it was created by a multi-year effort by OBceans during the first half of the 1970s to have one approved by the city and then elected by thousands of OB tenants, residents, property owners and business-owners.
The Board has been staffed by volunteer members of the community ever since. Each year in March, there are elections to the 15-member board – and you should know, there are open seats in each of the 7 planning districts in Ocean Beach.
Here, below, are the details about the upcoming March 4 election. And importantly, in order to be eligible as a board candidate, you must have attended at least one of the Board meetings over the last year. The next Board meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 5.
From the OB Planning Board website:
2020 Election Information
The Ocean Beach Planning Board will hold its 2020 General Election on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. Polls will be open 4-7 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center at 4726 Santa Monica Avenue. Mail in voting is also available (see below).
Eight board member seats will be up for election this year (2020), 1 from each of the seven districts in the OB Community Plan Area and 1 at-large seat. If elected, members will serve a two-year term. Board members are voluntary and receive no compensation.
Candidate Eligibility & Instructions
All persons who meet the eligibility criteria below may 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 for more than 30 days:
- Resident: Residing and maintaining a physical address in the OB Community Area for 30 days or more;
- Property Owner: Owning property;
- Business Owner/Licensee: Owning/operating a business with a physical address/location.
In addition, eligible candidates must:
- Gather at least 20 signatures from the district in which they are seeking a seat (District 1-7). Candidates seeking an At-Large seat may solicit 20 signatures from ANY of the 7 districts. 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.
- Note: Any current member who has been appointed to a seat within the year but are running for re-election do not need to obtain new signatures. Previously obtained signatures will be counted toward the election requirement.
Candidates: please go here for further information and Download Candidate Application and Signature Sheet
Voter Eligibility & Instructions
All members of the community who reside, own property or own/operate a business within the OB Community Plan Area are eligible to vote in the election.
Community members will only vote for the candidate who represents the district in which the community member resides.
All voters must submit a voter information & registration form. Voter registration and information may be completed on election day or by including your form with your mail-in ballot. It is not necessary to be a state or county registered voter.
Mail in ballots must include the voter information & registration form and be received by the Election Committee by Thursday, February 20, 2020. Mail ballots to 4876 Santa Monica Ave., #133, San Diego, CA 92017
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Dear readers: we did an experiment a few days ago and flipped the sidebars to the left hand side on the home page. The feedback we have received on this flip has been negative, so we are flipping it all back to where it was. It may take a few days, however, so bear with us. (Didn’t know where else to place this comment.)
Ha! And Yay! Move it back, thx!. I don’t normally advocate for anything on the “right”, but the sidebar is an exception. Perhaps its b/c we read English from left to right, so with the sidebar on the left, its a bit like having to start in the middle of the page… :-)
Okay, editordude pushed the buttons but it does take sometimes a day or so, as it’s all part of the cache, says Patty.
Dear Frank, and Patty, you are both heroic icons of the free press, mucho mucho respect, do not worry if you fuck it up sometimes with emotion and passion for what you believe in, a person’s right to express their beliefs…wish you the best possible future in the free world to “cultivate our gardens in the best of all possible worlds”-Voltaire
Voltaire: a French enlightenment philosopher, challenged the Sun King, Louis 14 too corrupt, too rich, (thanks to his parents and suck up staff/nobles:nowadays billionaires) who built Versailles, and destroyed his county, but after WW2 America rebuilt the ancient falling down palace as a tourist destination, …your call on interpretations of history…developers good? or thieves and exploiters? or both? America: capitalist exploiters or tourist/immigrant destinations? damn if I can tell.. but one thing is for sure, fuck up our environment and open space for critters with millionaire houses with the endorsement of some firefighters? yo, volunteers do the same job as firefighters in their spare time…
what are we doing today? that is the question…
rich retired white people have mucho clout, hope to get to that plateau someday, but ignore us, we are history, respect the youth, and newborns, they are the future…even if they can’t write, or vote…
ps, I would love to serve on your OB planning group and the PB planning group, my hometown, but am currently serving on the global front, if Europe falls, America falls..support your parents one and all!!!!! we are all in this together…