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San Antonio committee reviews outreach after council request to diversify Planning Commission applicants
Summary
The Planning Community Development Committee heard a briefing on a Council consideration request to increase geographic diversity among Planning Commission applicants, reviewed outreach that produced 28 applications and 5 vacancies, and asked staff for documentation of outreach and applicant breakdowns for southern districts.
The Planning Community Development Committee on Jan. 23 heard a briefing on a council consideration request directing the City Clerk’s Office to expand outreach and application screening to increase geographic diversity on the city's Planning Commission.
The request, submitted by Councilwoman Villagran on June 18, 2024, asked staff to increase community engagement and add application questions designed to surface candidates familiar with different areas of San Antonio. Aurora Perkins, deputy city clerk, told the committee the call for applications ran Dec. 3–Dec. 31 and produced 28 applications for five vacancies; those applications are being vetted by the city attorney’s office.
The briefing matters because the Planning Commission advises the city on land-use and development decisions that can vary greatly across neighborhoods. Council members expressed particular concern about underrepresentation from the southern sector and rural portions of the city.
“My area of town, the rural part of San Antonio, is very different than any other part of the city,” Councilwoman Villagran said, arguing the commission needs members who understand those differences.
Perkins described outreach steps taken: five new application questions focused on applicants’ knowledge of growth in the north, south, east and west sides; asking applicants whether they had lived in other council districts; social media postings (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), TV slides, PDF flyers, a citywide text notification (a first for this recruitment), and distribution of flyers by Development Services Department (DSD) to registered neighborhood associations, community organizations, senior centers, libraries and council district offices. She said 13 people who had prior applications were invited to reapply and two did.
The mayor has appointed an ad hoc shortlisting panel that will include Councilmember Camaya Haverde and Councilmember Courage; that ad hoc panel will shortlist up to 12 applicants. Perkins said interviews for the shortlist are scheduled before the Governance Committee on Feb. 19, with names expected to be forwarded to full City Council the first week of March — the first available meeting after Governance.
Committee members pressed for more detail on where applicants live and how outreach was conducted. Councilwoman Villagran asked staff to provide the outreach documentation and a breakdown showing how many applicants came from the southern sector; she said some neighborhood associations in her district reported not receiving notice. Councilmember Castillo and another member suggested targeted social media ads to specific ZIP codes to boost applications from underrepresented areas.
No formal vote was taken. Committee members directed staff to provide the outreach materials, applicant geographic breakdowns, and application records to the council offices that requested them; they also discussed whether the ad hoc shortlisting committee’s composition should be adjusted to avoid quorum problems and to ensure southern-district representation.
The committee will move the shortlisted candidates through the Governance Committee interview process on Feb. 19; any appointments will be made by City Council after that meeting.
