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Planning commissioners elect Jeff Harland chair; Commissioner Zick named vice chair
Summary
At its Jan. 27 meeting the Costa Mesa Planning Commission elected Jeff Harland as chair and Commissioner Zick as vice chair. The commission also approved the consent minutes with two abstentions.
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission on Monday elected Jeff Harland chair and Commissioner Zick vice chair after nominations and brief commissioner remarks.
The nominations followed public comment urging selection of officers with parliamentary experience. Commissioner David Martinez nominated "former mayor pro tem and former vice chair Jeff Harland to be chair," and the motion was seconded. After commissioner discussion the motion passed; the clerk recorded the result as "That motion carries 6-1 with Commissioner Zick voting no." Vice chair nominations later produced a unanimous 7-0 vote to name Commissioner Zick vice chair.
Why it matters: leadership sets meeting pace and procedure. Several public speakers asked for officers experienced at keeping meetings efficient; commissioners repeatedly said parliamentary skill and institutional knowledge were priorities in their votes.
Details of the votes and process
- Chair: Commissioner David Martinez nominated Jeff Harland; the motion received a second and passed 6-1 (Commissioner Zick voted no). The clerk announced the tally as "6-1." No roll-call of each member’s vote was read into the record.
- Vice chair: Nominated and seconded for Commissioner Zick; the clerk announced the motion carried 7-0.
- Consent calendar (minutes from the Dec. 9, 2024 meeting): Approved in a separate motion; the clerk recorded the vote as "that motion carries five-two with Chair Harland and Commissioner Dixon abstaining," which the minutes record as five yes, zero no, two abstentions.
Commissioners and public remarks
Multiple public commenters said the commission needs officers who can move meetings efficiently and get agendas in the hands of commissioners earlier. Commissioner Martinez and others praised Harland’s prior council and commission experience; several commissioners said they supported Zick for vice chair because of his institutional memory.
The new chair, Harland, said he would "promise to run things as smoothly as I can" and emphasized keeping meetings reasonably timed while working closely with staff.
Ending
The commission recessed briefly to change seats and then continued with the remainder of the evening’s agenda, including a presentation on the city’s new permitting platform and a public hearing on proposed updates to the city’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) code.
