San Luis council fills seats on regional boards and names Eric Jones to city economic development commission

The San Luis City Council on Jan. 22 approved multiple appointments to regional boards and commissions and filled a two-year vacancy on the San Luis Economic Development Commission.

Appointments approved during the meeting included reappointing Council member Matias Rosales to represent the city on the Greater Yuma Port Authority and as the city’s elected representative to the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation board. The council also appointed a representative to the Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (name recorded in the meeting as Lizette) and named Council member Javier Vargas to serve on the Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG) Executive Board of Directors.

Separately, the Economic Development Department recommended appointment to fill a two-year vacancy on the San Luis Economic Development Commission created by the recent resignation of Audra Morris Sandoval. The city received five applications and invited applicants to speak at the meeting. Eric Jones told the council his family has been in the Salinas area since 1951 and described his business experience in fueling, property management and warehousing; the council voted to appoint Jones to complete the vacant two-year term.

Why it matters: The regional boards advise or make decisions on transportation, port, economic-development and regional planning matters; the appointments determine San Luis’s local representation on those bodies. The Economic Development Commission appointment restores a local resident voice for business and development matters in city planning.

Next steps: Appointees will begin representing San Luis on their respective boards. The acting city manager was named as the city’s ex officio representative to the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation.