Council adds seats to Economic Development Advisory Committee
February 15, 2012
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula City Council
The City Council brought the number of representatives to the committee that advises Santa Paula on a variety of economic growth issues to an even dozen at the February 6 meeting, after the number of applicants for the body outnumbered available positions.
The council had asked at a previous meeting that the number of seats on the Economic Development Advisory Committee be added after they interviewed three applicants for only two seats on the then 10-member body. Established in April 2003, the committee acts in an advisory capacity to the council and staff on “matters affecting the city’s economic health and vitality,” noted City Manager Jaime Fontes’ written report.
In January the council asked that a resolution be prepared to enlarge the nine-member committee, which also includes a council representative in ex-officio capacity. “The request,” noted Fontes’ report, “was made with an eye toward allowing greater citizen participation in our city’s economic growth.”
Each representative is appointed to a four-year term. When the council approved the move to enlarge the advisory group, Fontes noted, “We now have three vacancies” that could be filled by the three applicants who applied for service.
In the following item of business, the council made the appointments naming Maria Sust Bombara, John Freeman and Susan Kulwiec to the Economic Development Advisory Committee.