Monterey County supervisors nominate three candidates for California Coastal Commission seat

Monterey County supervisors voted unanimously March 25 to forward three nominees to the speaker of the California Assembly for appointment to the California Coastal Commission.

The board directed staff to submit the names Justin Cummings (current Coastal Commissioner), Supervisor Chris Lopez and Tyler Williams as nominees for the Central Coast region seat, responding to a March 4 solicitation from Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and the requirements of the public resource code cited in the staff report.

Karina Bakanovich of the County Administrative Office briefed the board on the request, citing public resource code section 30,301.2 (as provided in the speaker’s letter) and the 45‑day nomination deadline. She explained that the speaker is to appoint a representative for the Central Coast region and asked the board to provide names for consideration. Members of the public and local interest groups offered comments during the public comment period, with several callers and callers-in‑person urging retention of Justin Cummings, praising his responsiveness and technical background. Other callers and the Monterey County Association of Realtors urged nomination of a county supervisor to increase direct local accountability.

Supervisor Luis Alejo moved that the board submit Justin Cummings and Supervisor Chris Lopez as its nominations and to add Supervisor Lopez’s suggested additional name to the list. Supervisor Glenn Church seconded the motion; the board voted unanimously to carry the motion and submit the three names to the speaker’s office. County counsel confirmed the board’s action complies with the statute and the speaker’s solicitation.

The board’s motion reflects both public comments that emphasized continued Coastal Commission experience and requests from local groups for direct county representation. Staff said the county must submit nominations within 45 days of the speaker’s letter; the letter set an April 18 deadline for the Monterey County board.

The item was handled during the county’s regular meeting; there was no final appointment by the board — the speaker will make the appointment from the names provided. The board also noted the City Selection Committee is scheduled to submit its list of city nominees on April 4, as required under the process outlined in the speaker’s letter.

What happens next: the speaker will consider the nominations submitted by Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties in the Central Coast region and select an appointee. The board did not place conditions on its nominations and confirmed it will provide any additional documentation the speaker requests.