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UPDATED: Board of Supes to Discuss Additional Coastal Commisison Nominations

UPDATE: The Board of Supervisors nominated three city officials to the California Coastal Commission. They selected Monterey City Councilwoman Libby Downey, Seaside Mayor Felix Bachofner and Santa Cruz City Councilwoman Lynn Robinson. Assembly Speaker John Pérez will make an appointment after considering nominations from city and county officials in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday nominated two of its own for a vacant seat on the California Coastal Commission, but Assembly Speaker John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, wrote a letter the next day asking them for an additional nomination.

In the letter, addressed to Board Chair Dave Potter, Pérez quotes state law: "The Board of Supervisors…shall nominate one or more supervisors and one or more city council members."

"As the nominating list that you provided to me does not meet this requirement, I want to confirm if you plan on submitting additional names by the Oct. 28 deadline?" Pérez wrote.

The board nominated supervisors Simon Salinas and Jane Parker to Santa Cruz County Supervisor Mark Stone's Coastal Commission seat. A three-county region, comprising Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, gets one representative on the 12-member Coastal Commission.

Nominations are due barely more than a week before the election could change the slate of eligible candidates for the Coastal Commission. Pérez then has until Dec. 3 to make an appointment; Stone's resignation takes effect Dec. 1. (Stone is expected to win the District 29 Assembly seat, and is not seeking re-election as a supervisor.)

Parker was also nominated by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors and Monterey County cities. Seaside Mayor Felix Bachofner was the city representative nominated by collective Monterey County cities.

The board meets at 10am on Friday to discuss an additional nomination, and is accepting letters of interest from city council members up until the meeting. Letters can be sent to COB@co.monterey.ca.us.