San Clemente council reshapes advisory bodies; arts and culture to remain separate, beaches/parks and coastal panels combined

The San Clemente City Council on March 18 moved forward with a multi-part restructuring of city advisory bodies, voting to keep the Arts and Culture committee separate while combining several other advisory roles under a retooled Beaches, Parks & Recreation (BPR) commission.

Council members and staff described the package as an effort to reduce staff time spent preparing and attending many separate advisory meetings while preserving important expertise for topics such as coastal management, public safety, parks operations and social services.

The council first voted unanimously to separate the Arts and Culture committee from the ordinance staff had proposed to fold into BPR; the panel will remain a standalone advisory body and is scheduled to meet quarterly. Councilmembers praised the arts committee’s community outreach and volunteer expertise and said a standalone structure would help maintain visibility for arts programs.

On the larger reorganization, staff presented an ordinance draft that would: fold the Coastal Advisory Committee and Human Affairs Committee’s duties into a consolidated Beaches, Parks & Recreation commission; retain the existing Golf Advisory Committee (for now); and adjust meeting frequency and membership to reflect the broader scope of the combined commission. Community Development Director Adam Atamian and Beaches, Parks & Recreation Director Samantha Wiley briefed the council on staffing implications and recommended cadence for meetings.

After debate about member counts, coastal expertise and meeting cadence, the council approved a direction for staff to return a revised ordinance for first reading that would establish BPR as a nine‑member commission, require at least two members with coastal expertise, and set the commission to meet bimonthly (every other month). The council also asked staff to return the drafted ordinance to the council by the second meeting in April so vacancies can be advertised under the city’s timelines.

Councilmembers emphasized flexibility: commissioners can create small subcommittees to handle specialized programs (for example public art, concert series or coastal technical work) so the full body meets only as often as necessary. The council left the golf committee and design‑review processes unchanged for now, but asked staff to return analysis if the council wants design‑review duties reconsidered.

What the votes mean: The decisions direct staff to prepare formal code amendments that reflect the council’s instructions: arts and culture will remain a freestanding committee that meets quarterly; BPR will be expanded in membership and scope, with minimum coastal expertise and a bimonthly meeting schedule; the city clerk will advertise vacancies per the Municipal Rules so appointments can proceed.

Key quote: “If there’s a way to better manage it or do something to save staff time, do that, but arts and culture is an outward‑facing, community committee that should not be hidden in a larger bureaucracy,” Sherman Fowler, chair of the Arts and Culture committee, told the council during public comment.

Next steps: Staff will prepare an updated ordinance and post openings for the revised commissions in time for interviews under the Maddy Act timing noted by the city clerk. Councilmembers discussed but did not adopt citywide term limits for commissioners; members asked staff to return a report on whether to advance term limits at a later meeting.