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City Selection Committee appoints Lindy Peters to Sonoma Clean Power, names Tess Alden Smith alternate; aviation seat left vacant
Summary
The Mendocino County City Selection Committee on Feb. 26 appointed Lindy Peters of Fort Bragg to the Sonoma Clean Power Authority board for 2025 and named Tess Alden Smith as the alternate. The committee heard a discussion about quorum problems on the Airport Land Use Commission but took no appointment for the aviation expert seat.
The Mendocino County City Selection Committee on Feb. 26 appointed Lindy Peters of Fort Bragg as the committee's representative to the Sonoma Clean Power Authority Board of Directors for calendar year 2025 and approved Tess Alden Smith as the board alternate. Committee members did not appoint anyone to the Airport Land Use Commission's aviation-expertise seat for the term ending Feb. 1, 2027.
The decisions were made during a roll-call vote taken after public comment periods produced no speakers in the chambers or online. The committee recorded unanimous votes for the Sonoma Clean Power appointments: Mayor Dobbins, Mayor Stransky, Mayor Crane and Mayor Godecke all voted yes. "Motion carries unanimously," Mayor Godecke said after the roll call on the first item.
The Sonoma Clean Power Authority is the regional electricity provider for parts of Sonoma and Mendocino counties; the committee's appointed representative and alternate will serve as the county's delegate and backup to the Authority's Board of Directors for calendar year 2025. The committee received one nomination for the primary seat (Lindy Peters) and one nomination for the alternate seat (Tess Alden Smith). The prior alternate for the Sonoma Clean Power seat was Jim Coogel of Point Arena; the meeting record indicates no application or statement from him seeking reappointment.
On the Airport Land Use Commission (ALAC) item, the committee reported it had received no applications for the aviation-expertise seat, which the meeting record indicates previously was held by Leonard Swithinbank. A committee member raised concerns that a past change by the county Board of Supervisors — reducing the county planning commission from seven members to five — has made it harder for the ALAC to reach quorum because some ALAC seats are tied to planning commission members. The committee member warned that if the ALAC cannot achieve quorum, matters that would normally be reviewed by the commission could proceed without that review, potentially allowing noncompatible development near airports to move forward without the intended oversight.
A staff member said they would note the concern and raise it with county counsel. With no nominations for the aviation seat, the committee took no appointment action and moved on.
The committee also approved the Oct. 1, 2024 meeting minutes by roll-call vote, recorded unanimously. The meeting adjourned at about 1:45 p.m.
