Yucaipa council appoints dozens to city committees; vector control panel left vacant

The Yucaipa City Council at its January meeting appointed residents and volunteers to a slate of city commissions and committees, left the Vector Control Committee without new members after receiving no applications, and asked staff to return with alternate meeting times and recruitment options.

The council approved appointments to advisory bodies including the Healthy Yucaipa Committee, the Public Finance Authority Board, the Trails and Open Space Committee, the Park and Recreation Commission and the Planning Commission. Council members nominated and voted for individual candidates in public session rather than using staff-only appointments.

The appointments filled dozens of seats across the city’s advisory bodies. Public speakers urged the council to prioritize diversity of background and geographic representation in selections. Holly Warner, a Yucaipa resident who works on environmental reports and applied for the Planning Commission, said, “I hope that every district has a voice on the final planning commission.” Heather Leon, who teaches government and economics at a Yucaipa high school and applied to the Public Finance Board, said she has brought students to board meetings to demonstrate civic participation.

Healthy Yucaipa Committee. Council members nominated and confirmed seven voting members and two nonvoting council members for the Healthy Yucaipa Committee. Nominations recorded during the meeting included Dr. Hansen Wong, Robin Jensen, Ross McGinnis, Heather O’Bear, Dr. Matthew Underwood and Rebecca Hayes; Mayor Pro Tem Venable and Mayor Thorpe were seated as the committee’s two nonvoting council members.

Planning and other commissions. The council also confirmed appointments to the Planning Commission and Park and Recreation Commission and filled at‑large and council-appointed seats for the Trails and Open Space Committee and the Public Finance Authority Board. Applicants who spoke during the public-comment portion included David Higginson, a practicing architect seeking reappointment to the Planning Commission, and several residents who said they volunteer on local trails and recreation programs.

Vector Control Committee left open. The city reported it received no applications for the Vector Control Committee. Council members discussed reasons for the lack of interest, with several pointing to the committee’s earlier meeting time (4 p.m.) and recommending outreach or a later meeting time to attract residents who work outside Yucaipa. Mayor Pro Tem Venable cited scheduling as a barrier and asked staff to test alternate meeting times; staff suggested bringing back options to either reopen recruitment, convert the function to an ad hoc committee, or reassign vector issues to an existing commission such as the Planning Commission if ongoing oversight is not required. Council directed staff to return with alternate times and recruitment results and, if needed, proposed reassignment language for council consideration.

Mayoral recusal and closed session report. Before the public meeting, Mayor Thorpe recused himself from closed-session Item A, saying his property is within 500 feet of the project under discussion and citing “Title 2, section 18,702.2 of the California Code of Regulations.” The mayor said he had sought an attorney opinion and had requested an opinion from the FPPC. In the meeting’s report out of closed session, the city attorney said, “No reportable action on item A; by a vote of 4 to 1, the city council gave settlement direction. On item B, by a vote of 5 to 0, the city council gave settlement direction on item C.”

What’s next. Staff will return to the council with follow-up items requested during the meeting, including a revised recruitment plan and alternate meeting times for the Vector Control Committee; any changes to committee structure or meeting schedules would return as agendized items for council action. The council concluded by thanking applicants and noting the unusually high turnout of volunteers seeking committee service.