San Marcos council reorganizes leadership, confirms outside‑agency and commission appointments

The San Marcos City Council on Jan. 14 completed its annual reorganization business and confirmed appointments to regional agencies and dozens of city boards and commissions.

The council confirmed representatives to regional bodies including North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority, the League of California Cities, North County Transit District (NCTD), the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the Southern California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, and the Clean Energy Alliance. Votes on these nominations were taken by voice and recorded as unanimous “ayes.”

Council also nominated and confirmed a deputy mayor for 2025. Mayor Rebecca Jones nominated Councilmember Mike Sunella for deputy mayor; council members voted in favor. The mayor said the mayor and deputy mayor will act as chair and vice chair respectively for the fire protection district and other agencies where appropriate.

Appointments to city commissions filled numerous seats. Highlights from the meeting: - Community Foundation: Council reappointed incumbents and appointed two new regular members chosen by council. The council president and the Community Foundation president described an advisory group that can include residents not appointed to the board. Appointees included Gary Grieving, Jennifer Ho, and Mike Hardesty (incumbents) and new members Erica Scar and Janice Miller (appointed by council); the advisory group will be used to involve additional interested residents. - Climate Action Plan Working Group: Council reappointed Kevin Norris and Catherine McClain and appointed Shoshana Aguilar to fill the three regular positions. - Parks and Recreation Commission: Council reappointed Danita Macas Valenzuela and Joyce Sensmeier and appointed Angelica Garcia as an alternate. - Traffic Commission: The council reappointed Neil Kovrig and promoted Jennifer Freeman from alternate to a regular seat; John Mosier was named an alternate. - Planning Commission: Council moved an alternate (Steve Kildew) to a regular seat, reappointed Diana Kavanaugh and Christopher Carroll to regular seats, and designated Marie Marcinko as an alternate.

All appointment motions showed voice votes with unanimous support and no recorded no votes. Where committee or commission bylaws impose additional procedures, staff noted those rules apply. For the Community Foundation the council also discussed the possibility of expanding membership by amending bylaws, which would require a future council action.

Why it matters: The appointments determine who represents San Marcos on regional agencies that influence transportation, public safety dispatch, energy procurement, and insurance pools. Local board and commission appointments shape planning, parks, climate and other policy recommendations that go to council.

Next steps: New appointees will begin their terms as directed by each body; staff said it will share application contact information with commission leadership so that residents who were not appointed can be included in advisory or outreach roles where appropriate.