The
City Council has established a number of commissions and committees to review City programs, projects, and community issues. Members of the community are appointed to serve on these boards to provide greater community participation and public input in the determination of City policies.
Any citizen interested in volunteering to serve on one of these advisory bodies is invited to complete a Commissioner Application Form and submit it to the Office of the City Clerk.
Download a Commissioner Application Form here.
Download a Commission & Committee Guide here.
Select the commission/committee below for meeting times and a detailed description.
All meetings are held in the Council Chambers, 6650 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park.
BEAUTIFICATION-ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
The Beautification-Environmental Commission shall consist of seven members who are either residents of the City, employed or engaged in business within the City, having an interest in the coordination of all beautification and environmental activities within the City.
Commission Members
Utanah Brown
Juan Contreras
Lori Lollis
Theodore Makros
Kenneth McKinney
Imran Qureshi
Staff Liaison
Public Works Department
The Commission prepares an agenda prior to each Commission meeting. The agenda contains a brief description of each item to be considered. Agendas are available at the Commission secretary's office at City Hall 72 hours before each meeting.
Meetings
Regular meetings are held quarterly on the 4th Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Other meetings may be scheduled as needed.
General Purpose and Duties
1. To promote civic beautification and environmental awareness, and to educate the citizenry as to the need for community beautification and environmental awareness.
2. To study and investigate means by which the City can conserve and enhance its natural environment and formulate policies for recommendation to the City Council for that purpose.
3. To advise the City Council on public relations matters related to beautification of private property and publicly owned property.
4. To review and make recommendations concerning landscaping and beautification of City-owned property.
5. To consider, study and investigate such matters as may be referred to it by the City Council and make such recommendations as may be requested by the City Council.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
Organization
Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be selected in January of each year by a majority of the commissioners and shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected.
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee shall consist of seven members who are residents of the City and represent the various demographic characteristics of the areas to be served by the Community Development Block Grant program as required by Federal HUD regulations.
Committee Members
Eddie Cowan
Patricia Daza-Valdez
Selwyn Gibson
Harriet Moses
Chris Talley
Dijon Turner
Altaf Wahid
Staff
Economic Development Division
Meetings
Meetings are held as needed. Because the processing of Community Block Grant funds must be done in a timely manner each year, meetings will be periodic, but all members are expected to cooperate by attending all meetings. It will be the policy of the committee that any member who is absent from more than two consecutive meetings will be terminated.
General Purpose and Duties
1. Assist in ongoing planning, programming, and budgeting of Community Development Block Grant funds.
2. Assist in adopting community development programs, evaluating progress on approved and/or completed community development projects and responding to new issues by preparing recommendations to the City Council.
3. The committee is advisory in nature and has no authority to expend funds.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
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FINE ARTS COMMISSION
The Fine Arts Commission shall consist of a minimum of nine and a maximum of fifteen members, a majority of whom shall be residents of the City, having an interest in the artistic and cultural environment of the City.
Commission Members
Zulema Banados
Kimberly Christy
Josephine Cranston
Dave Labok
Rebecca McGuire
Patricia Mulligan
Kathleen Pitts
Wanda Reynolds
Marge Rollins
Ruth Walp
Staff Liaison
Recreation, Parks and Community Services Department
Meetings
Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
General Purpose and Duties
1. Promote, encourage, and endorse cultural activities in the City, such as but not limited to, art festivals, summer band concerts, bus caravans for cultural trips and programs, lecture/artist series, children’s art shows, civic theater, children’s theater, and concerts.
2. Establish a cultural identity for the City in a cultural environment suitable for its citizens.
3. Coordinate various arts and cultural activities within the City with a view toward proper calendaring and scheduling of such events and making such events known to the public.
4. One member shall be appointed to attend the Orange County Arts Alliance meetings and report to the commission.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
Organization
Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be selected in June of each year by a majority of the commissioners and shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected.
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PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION
The Park and Recreation Commission shall consist of seven members who are residents of the City, having an interest in the development of park facilities and recreation activities and programs within the City.
Commission Members
Rick Gomez
Gail Kato
Seung (Peter) Lim
William Nolan
Rose Pearson
John Siebert
Mike Weinstock
Staff Liaison
Recreation, Parks and Community Services Department
Meetings
Regular meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.
General Purpose and Duties
1. Act in an advisory capacity to the City Council in all matters pertaining to parks and recreational programming and to cooperate with other governmental agencies and civic groups in the advancement of sound park and recreation planning.
2. To coordinate the park and recreation activities of the City and provide for establishment of sound recreational programs.
3. To recommend a program of park and playground acquisition, development, and maintenance.
4. Formulate policies on recreation services and recommend same to the City Council; make periodic inventories of recreation services that exist or may be needed and interpret needs of the public to the City Council.
5. Study present and future needs of the City with respect to recreation and park facilities and events and make recommendations to City Council.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
Organization
Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be selected in January of each year by a majority of the commissioners and shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected.
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PERSONNEL BOARD
The Personnel Board shall consist of five regular members and one alternate who are either residents of the City, employed, or engaged in business within the City, having an interest in and some familiarity with personnel practices in order to consider matters pertaining to City employees.
Board Members
Joyce Capelle
Deborah Diep
Evan Martin
Barbara Michel (Alternative)
Bob Niccum
Lynn Weddington
Staff Liaison
Human Resources Division
Meetings
Called by the Chairman as needed.
General Purpose and Duties
1. To hold hearings regarding personnel rules and subsequent revisions and/or amendments; recommend such rules to the City Manager for submission to the City Council.
2. To receive and hear appeals submitted by any employee in the competitive service relative to any dismissal, demotion, reduction in pay or alleged violation of the personnel rules or the classification and salary resolution and to certify its findings and recommendations as provided in the personnel rules.
3. When requested by the City Council or the City Manager, the Personnel Board shall hold hearings and make recommendations on any matter of personnel administration within the limits of the request of the Council.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
Organization
Annually, on or before January 15th, the Mayor shall designate the Chairman of the Personnel Board.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
The Planning Commission shall consist of seven members who are residents of the City having an interest in the development of the City.
Commission Members
Larry Barstow
Joyce Capelle
Jae Joon Chung
Deborah Diep
Paul Gonzales
Richard McGuire
Jim Schoales
Staff Liaison
Community Development Department
Meetings
Meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 7 p.m., or as otherwise adopted by the Planning Commission.
General Purpose and Duties
1. Consider and provide policy on planning matters.
2. Develop and formulate the General Plan with the help of staff for the orderly development of the City.
3. Initiate zone changes, amendments to the General Plan and the Zoning Ordinance.
4. Recommend to City Council amendments of the Zoning Ordinance, zone changes, amendments to the General Plan, and such other matters as may be referred by the City Council.
5. Approve or deny variances, conditional use permits, site plans, tentative parcel maps, tentative tract maps, and conditions, covenants and restrictions.
6. Conduct necessary research in conjunction with submitted plans.
7. Perform such tasks as shall be necessary to carry out provisions of the City Code and State Planning laws.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
Organization
Chairman and Vice-Chairman are selected at the first meeting in January of each year and serve for one year.
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SENIOR CITIZENS COMMISSION
The Senior Citizens Commission shall consist of seven members who are residents of the City, preferably age 55 or older, having an interest in the needs and activities of the senior citizens within the community.
Commission Members
Herb Brant
Joseph Melanson
Leota Moore
Robert Peterson
Ginny Richardson
Raymond Rodusky
Patricia Turriff
Staff Liaison
Recreation, Parks and Community Services Department
Meetings
Meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month at 9 a.m.
General Purpose and Duties
1. Advise City Council as to the needs of senior citizens and projects and activities within the community which would benefit the senior citizen population.
2. The commission shall act on those matters which are referred to it by the City Council for action, advice, or recommendations to the City Council.
3. Recommend disbursement of funds raised by the Senior Fund Raising Committee for specific use within the Senior Center.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
Organization
Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be selected in January of each year by a majority of the commissioners and shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected.
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TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
The Traffic and Transportation Commission shall consist of five members who are residents of the City, having an interest in matters relating to transportation and traffic, and having good working knowledge through either employment or personal interest in local and regional transportation and traffic concepts and issues.
Commission Members
Marisela Iniguez
Felix Lopez
Evan Martin
Robert Mote
Tom Woodward
Staff Liaison
Public Works Department
Meetings
Meetings are held quarterly on the first Thursday of February, May, August and November at 6:30 p.m.
General Purpose and Duties
1. To act in an advisory capacity to the City Council in the review and development of systems, facilities, plans, policies and programs concerning rail, bus, truck and automobile transportation within the City and/or affecting the City.
2. To assist all agencies in providing input into the planning and implementation process of transportation systems within the City and/or affecting the City.
3. To receive complaints having to do with traffic matters and to recommend solutions.
4. To recommend ways and means for improving traffic conditions and the administration and enforcement of traffic laws, codes and regulations.
Terms of Office
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council for a term of three years.
Organization
Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be selected in January of each year by a majority of the commissioners and shall serve for one year.
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