HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/17/2018 - STAFF REPORTS - ITEM 2 Terri Milton
From: Anthony Mejia
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2018 9:15 AM
To: Cindy Berardi; Terri Milton
Subject: FW: The current planning commission
Attachments: Current Planning Commission.docx
Please email and have for the Yellow Folder for today.
Anthony J. Mejia, MMC
Palm Springs City Clerk
-----Original Message-----
From: Kathleen Weremiuk [mailto:kathy.weremiuk@icloud.com]
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2018 8:27 AM
To: David Ready<David.Ready@palmspringsca.gov>;Anthony Mejia<Anthony.Mejia@palmspringsca.gov>
Cc: Flinn Fagg<faggflinn@yahoo.com>
Subject:The current planning commission
David and Anthony,
Our Planning Commission City Council Liaison, Lisa Middleton, asked me as the outgoing chair to provide the City Council
members with a write up of the skill sets of the current planning commissioners and departing members for todays
Planning Commission Interviews, as well as the skill sets that would enhance the commission on an ongoing basis.
Please distribute this to the members of the city council in advance of todays meeting.
Respectfully,
Kathy Weremiuk,Chair, Palm Springs Planning Commission
***This email originated outside of City of Palm Springs. Please use caution when opening attachments, clicking links or
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Current Planning Commission
This is my sense of what skills current planning commissioners are bring to the
commission, and what skills and attributes we are losing and will be missing.
Current Members
Newer Members
Dennis Woods. Dennis brings a long history of working as a planner and land
use consultant in some very cutting edge cities. He brings a strong technical
background, an understanding of both CEQA and an excellent understanding
of planning processes. He is very respectful of the public. I anticipate he will
be the new chairman.
Peter Moruzzi. Peter brings a strong background in historic preservation and
an understanding of how CEQA applies to historic preservation. He is also an
architectural historian. He serves on the Board of the Palm Springs Modern
Committee.
Members with Longer Tenure
Doug Hudson. Doug is architect with extensive experience in both
commercial and residential architecture. This is his third term on the
Planning Commission and has served as Chair of the Commission. He brings
very strong architectural skills combined with an excellent understanding of
process. He also serves on the Library Foundation, is a member of the
Preservation Foundation, and has previously served on the AAC and was
Chair of the Museums Architecture & Design Commission.
Michael Hirschbein is an architect who is on his second term on the Planning
Commission. Michael's brings a strong background in retail design. Michael
would have been the choice of the current commissioners to serve as the
next chair, but has indicated he will decline for personal reasons. Michael is a
passionate advocate, always takes into account nearby resident concerns
regardless of status, and is willing to take minority positions to further
debate. Michael also serves on the board of the Friends of the Palm Springs
Library and previously served on the AAC.
Doug Donnenfeld is applying for a 41h term on the commission. He has served
2 terms as the Chair of the Commission. His has 34 years of experience
practicing state/local government and administrative law, and brings those
skills to the commission. Doug's opinions are always well reasoned and fair.
Doug serves on the Board of the Old Las Palmas Neighborhood organization,
on One PS, and on the Board of Digicom.
Departing Members
Lyn Calerdine brought extensive experience as an environmental consultant
in Orange, San Francisco and Riverside. Counties. Lyn served one term as
chair of the commission.
Kathy Weremiuk brought experience as an attorney, her training in real
estate development, experience as an affordable housing developer,
commercial lender and planning commissioner in Santa Monica, long history
of civic engagement, and her local experience as a board member of the
Escena HOA, as a board member of the Escena Neighborhood Organization
and as co-chair of the CVRA Citizens Advisory Committee. She has served as
Chair for the last 1.5 years.
Strengths of the Current Commission
The current Commission members work well together, and are respectful of
each other and the public.
What the Planning Commission is missing
The Commission is not diverse. Except for strong LBGTQ participation,the
current commission is not diverse. It has no one who is young, no one who
grew up in Palm Springs, and no one who represents the 36% of Palm
Springs that is Latino,Afro-American,Asian or Native American, no one who
is a parent, no one who has a day job, and unless a new woman is appointed,
no women.
Missing Skills: experience in the law, a finance or lending background,
experience in the real estate development and a knowledge of landscape
architecture.
] Always Helpful Skills: Local involvement, the ability to read staff reports and
listen to pubic testimony for salient issues,the ability to reason, a clear voice,
respect toward the public, each other and staff.
Respectfully, Kathy Weremiuk