The Oakley Planning Commission is on the agenda for discussion during the forthcoming Tuesday night City Council meeting. During the initial Planning Commissioner interviews, the City Council selected Edward Cire as the top vote-getter. He has stepped down, leaving a vacancy. Some council members on the dais believe that Conan Moats should be appointed because he was in sixth place in votes obtained during the council interview process. The council was selecting the top vote-getters for a commission position. I beg to differ.
The best solution, in my perception, is for the City of Oakley to advertise the position open, accept new applications, and interview the applicants to determine who will sit on the commission. The City Council proclaimed that it would follow a procedure of selecting commissioners by interview and a background investigation as to their eligibility. The council needs to honor that commitment to the community. Doing otherwise would “push the envelope” and be a “rush to judgment” to fill the position for some obscure thought of “charge ahead” to find a new member. Such a procedure allows all people in the community the opportunity to serve on the commission, and I believe we would see many applicants who have pondered whether they wanted to serve on the commission and decided to apply.
Mr. Moats could apply to the interview process if he is inclined to still serve on the Planning Commission. I have attached his original application to this post. I have also attached a campaign flyer where Moats stated he should have been elected to the City Council in November 2020 to raise taxes and spend, along with Councilmember Williams. Now would be the time to contact Oakley City Council members about your thoughts on filling the Planning Commission vacancy.
https://fullerforoakley.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Moatsplanningcommissionapplication.pdf
https://fullerforoakley.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Enholm-door-hanger.pdf
George Fuller, MPA, MA
City Councilmember, City of Oakley, CA
