Morgan Hill
’s City Council interviewed a number of residents ready to step
up to the plate in an effort to get more involved in city affairs
and planning the community’s future Wednesday night.
Morgan Hill’s City Council interviewed a number of residents ready to step up to the plate in an effort to get more involved in city affairs and planning the community’s future Wednesday night.
The Planning Commission has three vacancies as terms of Commissioners Geno Acevedo, Robert Benich and Charles Weston are expiring. Acevedo, owner of El Toro Brewing Company, and Benich, who did not list his profession in the application and could not be contacted for more information, are seeking reappointment. Other applicants are Kyle Baker, vice president of marketing with California Micro Devices in Milpitas; Mike Davenport, manager of Corporate Compliance with Cisco Systems, Inc.; Mike Miramontes, a technician with the City of San Jose; and Lee Schmidt, a real estate investor. Schmidt was not present for the interview.
The Mobile Home Rent Commission is seeking to fill two vacancies, a position for citizen at-large and a position for mobile home park owner/representative. Eric Gould, who is retired, is an incumbent city at-large member seeking reappointment. Gloria Subocz, a medical transcriptionist and former Mobile Home Rent Commissioner, and Swanee Edwards, a retired construction administrator, are vying for the at-large position also. Robert Koehler, assistant manager with Haven Management, was the lone candidate for the mobile home park owner/representative post.
The Library, Culture and Arts Commission has two vacancies, one created by the resignation of Bert Benson. His resignation was accepted by the council Wednesday. Sylvia Cook, a candidate for one of the vacancies, was interviewed by the council during the meeting. Cook is a design associate with Brotin Designs in Morgan Hill. She is co-founder of the Arts and Cultural Alliance, a program of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation.
There are four vacancies in the Architectural and Site Review Board (ARB). The terms of architect Jim Fruit, landscape artist Jerry Pyle and general contractor Rod Martin were up. All three members have agreed to serve the city for another two years. They were not present for the interviews.
Lori Cain, another board member, resigned in April. No one applied to fill Cain’s post.
Each candidate stepped to the podium and gave an opening statement. Mayor Dennis Kennedy, Councilmen Steve Tate, Larry Carr and Greg Sellers each asked a candidate a question. Councilman Mark Grzan was not present.
Questions by council members focused on their vision for the city, what they perceive their role should be in the post they are seeking, how they would resolve problems specific to the post. Planning Commission candidates were also asked whether or not they viewed the city’s general plan for development as a living document, how they viewed the city’s development plan, and what they would change.
After candidates for the specific commission or board were interviewed, council members then submitted their written recommendations to the mayor. Based on the recommendations of council members, the mayor will make his recommendations at the next council meeting, which is slated for July 27.
The council suggested revising the requirements for the Architectural and Site Review Board to make them more general because no one applied for the posts other than incumbents.
The council will discuss the idea at a future meeting.
The city code requires that members of the ARB represent the following professions – one registered architect or design professional in a related field ; one landscape architect (or horticulturalist); a licensed general contractor, or an individual representing the construction industry, and two other persons with experience in city planning, graphic design or a broad knowledge of plant material, building design, or other physical design professions associated with the development process.
