Sonoma City Council seats new Planning Commission

A mix of veterans and rookies appointed to influential city board|

New Planning Commission

The new make-up of the city's Planning Commission, as appointed and confirmed by the City Council on Monday, Nov. 20.

Kelso Barnett (nominated by Amy Harrington)

James Bohar (Rachel Hundley)

James Cribb (Gary Edwards)

Bob Felder (Madolyn Agrimonti)

Ron Wellander (David Cook)

At large seats:

Robert McDonald

Carol Jansen

Alternate:

Linda Corrado

To put it in planning terms – the Sonoma Planning Commission has just been “rezoned.”

That’s essentially what the Sonoma City Council did at its Monday meeting when it officially removed all current members of the planning commission in order to refresh its appointments to the influential seven-member board that oversees city development proposals.

The Council approved its new commission appointment policy in September. The new paradigm allows each individual council member to select a commission appointee out of a pool of applicants. Each commission appointee serves throughout the term of the council member who appointed them. On boards with more than five members, the council as a whole selects additional – or “at large” – commissioners.

The new system replaces the city’s previous process which gave the sitting mayor the task of nominating potential new commissioners, with the full council weighing in for approval. A pair of challenges to mayoral planning commission nominations in recent years caused the Council to seek an alternative process, with the idea of council members making personal appointments winning unanimous approval by the council in September.

The individual City Council member appointments to the Planning Commission are as follows:

Councilmember Amy Harrington appointed Kelso Barnett. Barnett runs Quartus Investments, a new real estate development company and he has also served on the Sonoma Design Review and Historical Preservation Commission since 2010. He cites the update of the Genera Plan among his priorities for the coming year and says, “If good stewardship of Sonoma is to continue, our city must carefully approach, evaluate and make the right decisions.”

Councilmember Gary Edwards appointed James Cribb to the commission. Cribb operates a dog camp and has served on the recently dissolved Planning Commission. He says he wants “to continue the important projects before us and contribute to the next General Plan update.”

Mayor Rachel Hundley appointed James Bohar. Bohar is a real-estate broker and was appointed to the recently dissolved Planning Commission by Hundley earlier this year. He says among his goals as a commissioner is to find a “balance between the interests of the residents and those of the tourism industry.”

Councilmember Madolyn Agrimonti appointed Bob Felder to the commission. Felder is a retired research engineer from Lockheed Martin. He last year termed out as a member of the Sonoma Planning Commission. He says his background in engineering and active community involvement would be put to use in “improving the quality of life in Sonoma.”

Councilmember David Cook appointed Ron Wellander. Wellander is a landscape architect who has previously served on the Planning Commission, as well as the city’s Design Review an Historic Preservation Commission and the Tree Committee. He says he is “grateful to have been able to raise (his) family in Sonoma and sees this as an opportunity to give back.”

For the “at large” Planning Commission seats, the council members pooled their votes and selected Robert McDonald and Carol Jansen. McDonald is a landscape designer and has served on the Planning Commission as well as the Design Review and Historic Preservation Commission. He says among his goals is to “protect the architectural, cultural and historic integrity of Sonoma.”

Jansen was selected by the council as its one-allowed Valley resident who resides outside the city limits. Jansen is retired, and says she has 35 years of experience in public sector planning.

The commission features on “alternate” seat, which doesn’t cast a vote, but can step in in the event a commissioner can no longer serve. The Council appointed Lynda Corrado as the alternate.

The new Planning Commission will hold its inaugural public meeting Dec. 14 in the Community Meeting Room, 177 First St. W.

Email Jason at jason.walsh@sonomanews.com.

New Planning Commission

The new make-up of the city's Planning Commission, as appointed and confirmed by the City Council on Monday, Nov. 20.

Kelso Barnett (nominated by Amy Harrington)

James Bohar (Rachel Hundley)

James Cribb (Gary Edwards)

Bob Felder (Madolyn Agrimonti)

Ron Wellander (David Cook)

At large seats:

Robert McDonald

Carol Jansen

Alternate:

Linda Corrado

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