Volunteers Pledge Time to Murrieta City Commissions

A diverse group of Murrieta residents have been appointed to fill various commission seats within the city.

The appointments were made during Tuesday's city council meeting. Twelve commissioners out of 25 applicants were sworn in to serve volunteer terms on committees tasked with making recommendations to city council and department heads.

"We (city council) have all worked all the commissions," said Mayor Pro Tem Doug McAllister.

"Everyone who applied, it already sets you apart from those who have stayed home and done nothing. I also encourage you while you are on the commission to mentor those to future commissions. This is important for the ongoing success of our community."

Planning Commission

Ruthanne Taylor Berger will serve a three-year term on the Planning Commission; Raymond Seda will serve a one-year term; and Gregory Goodman was reappointed and will serve a three-year term on top of his recently completed two-year term.

Taylor Berger and Seda, along with a third candidate, Steven DeGrave, were chosen as final candidates after an inteview process with a subcommittee comprised of Councilmen Alan Long and Rick Gibbs.

The finalists then fielded questions from city council prior to a council vote Tuesday. Council voted 4-0 to approve the appointments, with Long absent.

Mayor Randon Lane wanted to know whether the candidates had attended any city council or planning commission meetings within the last two years.

Taylor Berger, a resident of Murrieta for 20 years, admitted she had but only on business.

She serves as the deputy executive director of Western Riverside Council of Governments, a legislative advocate for cities in Western Riverside County. Taylor Berger is credited with creating the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF), a program that "ensures that new development pays its fair share for the increased traffic that it creates."

"I know how government works, I know how to use those powers for good," Taylor Berger said. "I understand some of the things developers are frustrated with, and I can help them with that."

Seda is a retiree who has lived in Murrieta six years. Before that he lived in Temecula for 20 years. Prior to moving to the Temecula Valley, Seda served on the Planning Commission for Westminster in Orange County. At the time he served, he said Westminster had a population of 100,000 and was nearly built out, similar to the current make-up of Murrieta.

Seda has also served on the Homeowners' Association board for Spring Knolls, a retirement community in Murrieta.

He will serve out the remainder of Chair Thomas Butler's term, who resigned with a year left on his term.

"It would be nice to get back into the city and the planning commission, and put my time and effort into that," Seda said, adding that in preparing for the appointment, he read all planning commission agendas posted since January.

With the Planning Commission playing an important role in what there is left of Murrieta to develop, Seda said he'd like to see Historic Downtown Murrieta take on a different character than that of its neighbor, Old Town Temecula.

"...It would be a homey-type feeling, because of the homes that are there, (we should) try to maintain the homes and develop around them," Seda said.

Goodman will be the senior planning commissioner now, and vowed to learn more about zoning, citing that as his only weakness during his previous term.

"That is one of the critical aspects of the city, as we are running out of room," Goodman said.

"If I had a regret, it would be a better understanding of zoning" of proposed development projects.

Joining the trio on the Planning Commission will be Jeff Kirshberg and Anthony Casadonte. Kirshberg's term expires in June 2013 and Casadonte's expires in June 2012.

Library Advisory Commission

A member of the Friends of the Murrieta Library, Nancy Dixon, was appointed to her first term on the Library Advisory Commission. Christina Bell, a former PTA mom at Tovashal Elementay, was appointed in February to serve out the remainder of Shannon Raymond's term. She was selected to full term Tuesday. Their terms expire in June 2014.

The appointees join current commissioners Luanne Ferrer and Edward Lee Heinz, whose terms expire in 2012, and Phyllis Osborne, whose term expire in 2013.

Community Services Commission

Incumbent Catherine Bearse was appointed to serve a second, three-year term on the Community Services Commission. Joining Bearse in their first terms are Gregory Burks and Salvador Rangel. Rangel will serve as the commission's senior citizen representative. A youth representative will be selected at the start of the school year.

Bearse said she enjoys her role on the commission. She held the role twice beginning in 1998, took the mandatory term off, and came back to serve.

These commissioners join Arrin Banks and Adriana Bradley, whose terms expire in 2013.

Traffic Commission

Alan Maretsky was appointed to a second, three-year term on the Traffic Commission, while Rodney Strate was appointed to his first term. The duo joins current commissioners Robert Morin, Kenneth Nordstrom and Keith Osborn. Morin and Osborn's terms expire in 2013, while Nordstrom's expires in 2012.

Councilman Rick Gibbs said the Traffic Commission was the hardest to decide on.

"We had a number of law enforcement apply and every one of these candidates who was applying you could easily see on the Traffic Commission," Gibbs said. "Wow, are we fortunate indeed."

Historic Preservation Advisory Commission

Two new commissioners were appointed to serve on the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission. They are Jackie Ashby and Joan Padberg, who replace outgoing commissioners Christopher Campbell and Francisco Hernandez.

Padberg, a self-employed publisher, and Ashby, a cleaning company owner, join current commissioners John Hunneman, Nathan Mackin and Richard Whittington. Hunneman and Mackin's terms expire in 2012, while Whittington's expires in 2013.

Getting Right to Work

The newly seated Planning Commission is expected to waste no time getting started, as they are set to attend a workshop with city council and city planners at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

"Our Planning Commission in time served is now the youngest commission," Mayor Lane said.

"Goodman you are now becoming the senior leader after serving two years."

Lane urged planning staff to work closely with the new commissioners to bring them up to speed.

"I believe it also falls on you as you work with this Planning Commission to make sure they are well-informed," he said.