GILROY
– Questions of residency, resignations, successful election bids
and even a death have created 17 holes on various city commissions
and boards that play an advisory role to City Council.
GILROY – Questions of residency, resignations, successful election bids and even a death have created 17 holes on various city commissions and boards that play an advisory role to City Council.
If a sufficient amount of applications are not filed by the Dec. 4 deadline, at least some of the city advisory panels will have to begin next year’s business short-handed.
For the Planning Commission, arguably the most influential of the city’s advisory groups, a shortage could cancel the January meeting. It takes four out of seven commissioners to hold an official meeting, but after Russ Valiquette and Paul Correa won their City Council election bids, four seats opened on the panel.
“We’ll just fill the positions with what (applications) we’ve got and keep trying to recruit people,” City Clerk Rhonda Pellin said. “These groups all need a quorum to meet, so there may be some cases where they’ll have to cancel meetings.”
There are nine city advisory panels and eight of them have openings. Those panels are:
• Arts and Culture Commission (1 vacancy)
• Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Board ( 4 vacancies)
• Building Board of Appeals (1 vacancy)
• Library Commission (2 vacancies)
• Parks and Recreation Commission (3 vacancies)
• Physically Challenged Board of Appeals (1 vacancy)
• Planning Commission (4 vacancies)
• Public Art Committee (1 vacancy)
Advisory panel positions often serve as a training ground for future City Council and mayoral candidates. Positions are appointed by the sitting Council after an interview.
Applicants must be registered Gilroy voters residing in Gilroy city limits. For certain boards, additional prerequisites apply. Citizens must file financial interest statements to get on the Planning Commission and Building Board of Appeals.
For a panel such as the Physically Challenged Board of Appeals, Council seeks people with disabilities or relatives of the disabled. For the Building Board, Council seeks people with a professional building background.
Those interested in an advisory panel position must contact the City Clerk, Pellin, at 846-0204 or at City Hall, 7351 Rosanna St.
