Council appoints Daniel Contreras to Buellton Planning Commission

The Buellton City Council unanimously appointed Daniel Contreras to the Planning Commission at its September meeting, filling a seat that had been vacant after the city’s District 4 council seat change.

Planning Director Andrea Kiefer told the council staff had advertised the open Planning Commission seat in the local newspaper, on the city website and via social media; the city received one application from Daniel Contreras. Kiefer said the term would run through December 2026 and that the council could reopen recruitment if it chose not to appoint at this meeting.

Contreras thanked the council and described previous interim service on the commission and his county employment. “I really enjoyed being a public servant,” he said, and said he wanted to balance economic vitality with preserving the community’s character.

Councilmember Carla Mead nominated Contreras; another councilmember seconded the nomination. The council voted unanimously to appoint him. Contreras will serve through December 2026.

The appointment followed the special election that created the District 4 vacancy earlier in the calendar and the staff recruitment process; no contested nomination process occurred because the city received a single application.

Evidence of the nomination, the applicant’s remarks and the roll-call approval are recorded in the meeting transcript.