National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis nominated three representatives to the Community and Police Relations committee at the March 15 City Council meeting, followed by a council vote for several positions on the Planning Commission and Housing Advisory Committee.
Eight people applied for three open seats on the Community and Police Relations Committee: Incumbents Daniel Orth and Zachary Francisco-Gomez, Paul Wapnowski, Janice Luna Reynoso, Javier Vargas, Alexander Fernandez, Williams Phillips and non-resident Robert Moreno,.
Sotelo-Solis nominated Gomez to the Community and Police Relations committee seat that will expire in March 2023, and Orth and Phillips for the seat that will expire in March 2025. Those nominations passed unanimously.
Following Sotelo-Solis’ appointments, the council addressed open seats on the Planning Commission and Housing Advisory Committee, which had some overlap with several candidates applying for slots that answer to both planning and housing.
Incumbent Maria De La Paz, Damian Roman, incumbent Lorna Delos Santos, Randi Marie Castle, Mayra Valdez and Robert Moreno all applied for the Housing Advisory Committee.
De La Paz, Roman, and Castle also applied for the planning commission, along with Richard Martin Miller and Javier Vargas.
City Council Member Ron Morrison said he wanted to ask each candidate what they bring or will continue to bring to the table. Councilwoman Mona Rios proposed asking each candidate how they learned about the opening to begin with.
De La Paz said she is interested in continuing to participate on the housing committee as “the most impactful way to serve” in a community where she lives, works, plays and worships. Originally, she said, her family suggested she consider the commission and she has now been with the planning group since 2002.
De La Paz followed up her brief speech by suggesting, if the question on how one found out about the commission was to determine better ways to involve the community, then perhaps teaching Sweetwater High School students about government would be wise.
Roman said he moved to National City within the past year yet has already served on the committee.
“My background is in architecture, city design and planning, the idea of how we can design better cities,” Roman said, and believes his education helps him with decisions on the committee.
Castle said she applied for both the Civil Service and Housing Authority commissions, is part of a multi-generational National City Navy family and is involved with veterans advocacy.
“I think my number one strength is problem solving. I have a plethora of people I know who are knowledgeable about different things and I’m able to piece that together,” Castle said.
Miller said he retired from Chula Vista’s urban planning department then worked with the State department as a contractor in Iraq, then Afghanistan where he shared planning concepts with local governments. He believes his vast experience in planning and project review would be invaluable on the committee.
Valdez interviewed solely for the housing commission and said she has worked in social services for the past eight years, working for homeless families and transitional aged foster youth. Her passion, she said, is working with the homeless community.
Moreno was not available for an interview but Sotelo-Solis said she had spoken with him in the past and confirmed his interest.
De La Paz, Castle and Miller tied on an initial City Council majority vote for the planning commission and a second vote produced a majority vote for Castle but another tie for De La Paz and Miller. A third vote did not fulfill the vote requirement but De La Paz withdrew from the housing advisory-only position.
Castle and Miller will serve on the Planning Commission through March 2026.
That left Roman, De Los Santos, Moreno and Valdez available for the Housing Committee seat that will term out in March 2023; Moreno was not eligible for the seat that will term out in March 2026 as it includes a residency requirement which he does not meet.
The council voted for Roman for the March 2023 seat and Valdez for the 2026 seat.
The two remaining Housing Committee seats will be occupied by Castle and Miller in conjunction with serving on the Planning Commission.
