
By Sara Beth Williams–
Prior to appointing two new members to the Planning Commission, Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa made a request to “get rid” of the Construction Board of Appeals during the first Citrus Heights City Council meeting of the new year.
Along with appointing four members to the Planning Commission on Jan. 8, the City Council was expected to appoint members to the Construction Board of Appeals, but Karpinski-Costa instead requested that the rarely-utilized board be disbanded, saying the board hasn’t ever convened.
City Manager Ash Feeney agreed and added that other cities often create temporary ad hoc committees to address construction-related issues in lieu of using a Construction Board of Appeals.
The request was seconded by Vice Mayor MariJane Lopez-Taff. Appointments to the Construction Board of Appeals were postponed until a future decision is made regarding the fate of the board.
According to the city, 17 applicants applied to the Planning Commission. Two of those applicants also applied to be on the Construction Board of Appeals.
Recent City Council candidates Amie Burgundy Brown and Andrew Saunders, who lost to newly elected councilmember Kelsey Nelson in the November 2024 election, were among the applicants for vacant Planning Commission seats, following the path of many former Planning Commissioners and City Council members.
Councilmembers Tim Schaefer, Porsche Middleton, and most recently, Nelson, all served on the Planning Commission prior to the City Council. Nelson only served on the Planning Commission from August until December 9, 2024.
New appointees to join the current three commissioners include Al Hakam Al Rami, nominated by Nelson, and Scott Kinderwater, appointed at large by a majority vote from the council. Oleg Shishko and Thomas Scheeler were also reappointed to serve a second term.
Middleton was the only councilmember to nominate Saunders, and Middleton and Schaefer both nominated Brown in the first round of voting for at-large appointments. Middleton and Karpinski-Costa nominated Brown in the second round of voting, but Kinderwater and Scheeler received the majority of nominations. Nelson did not appoint or nominate either of her past District 3 running mates.
Under council rules, each member nominates one resident to serve on the Planning Commission, concurrent with the council member’s four-year term and subject to ratification by the full council. Two additional residents are chosen by the council as a whole and serve two-year terms.
The Planning Commission convenes to twice a month and is tasked with making decisions on land-use-related proposals, as well as holding public hearings and reviewing proposed ordinances. The commission also makes recommendations to the City Council on major development projects. For more information, residents can visit the Planning Commission’s page on the city’s website.
Prior to the council appointing two new members to the Planning Commission, Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa made a request to "get rid" of the...
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