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Encinitas council fills commission seats — appointments to Mobility, Parks & Recreation and Public Health & Safety
Summary
Council appointed new members to several city commissions: Paul Templin and Ron Medak to the Mobility & Traffic Safety Commission, Bridget Kimball to the Parks & Recreation Commission, and Harriet Selden to the Public Health & Safety Commission. Appointments were made by mayoral nomination and council vote.
The Encinitas City Council on Feb. 20 made multiple commission appointments after hearing from applicants and public comment.
Mobility & Traffic Safety Commission The council appointed Paul Templin and Ron Medak to the Mobility & Traffic Safety Commission. The Mobility commission handles pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle circulation matters and advises council on safety and infrastructure decisions; the two appointments include a regular three‑year term (ending March 2028) and followed the council’s evaluation of applicants’ backgrounds in engineering, traffic planning and community engagement. The roll call for each appointment was recorded in public proceedings; the motion to confirm Ron Medak carried with one dissenting vote (Deputy Mayor Lyons). The subsequent motion to appoint Paul Templin carried.
Parks & Recreation Commission Bridget Kimball was appointed to the Parks & Recreation Commission to fill an unscheduled vacancy with a term running to March 2027. Council members praised all applicants and said the commission requires members who can navigate large, multi‑stakeholder projects while prioritizing parks programming and community use of public open space.
Public Health & Safety Commission The council appointed Harriet Selden to the Public Health & Safety Commission to fill an unscheduled vacancy (term ending March 2026). Members said they sought commissioners who could help the new commission develop a focused work plan that addresses local emergency preparedness, public‑health coordination with county agencies and public‑safety outreach.
How appointments were decided By city practice the mayor nominates candidates to advisory bodies and the council votes on appointments. Council members emphasized diversity of experience across the new appointees — technical and project management expertise for mobility, nonprofit and outreach experience for parks, and health‑sector and public‑service experience for public health and safety. Several applicants who were not appointed were encouraged to remain engaged; the mayor noted additional vacancies arise on a typical cycle and urged qualified applicants to reapply.
What this means The newly seated commissioners will participate in ongoing work plans, advise city staff, and make recommendations to the council on items within their purview. Several commission terms are staggered and next year some additional seats will be open for appointment.
Speakers quoted in this article are from the meeting record and include only people who spoke on the appointments: Mayor Bruce Ehlers, Deputy Mayor Lyndsay Lyons and selected applicants who addressed the council during the process.
