Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves Fish & Game appointment, blocks Community Action Board nominee after disputes over conduct
Summary
The board unanimously appointed David Worland Jr. to the Fish & Game Advisory Commission. A separate nomination to the Community Action Board’s low‑income seat sparked objections from multiple supervisors over the candidate’s past conduct at public meetings; the board rejected the appointment in a 3–2 vote.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 28 approved two personnel items that fell out of the consent calendar after discussion and public comment.
Fish and Game: The board approved the appointment of David Worland Jr. to the Fish and Game Advisory Commission (District 5). The board noted ordinance language allows supervisors to nominate residents who may live outside the district for this commission. The motion passed unanimously.
Community Action Board (CAB) low‑income seat: Discussion over the appointment of Elias Salinas to the CAB became contentious. Supervisor Velasquez said the candidate had a record of “knowingly, misrepresenting information to the public and [being] really divisive,” and other supervisors cited repeated disruptions during public hearings. Supervisor Sotelo, whose district the seat would represent, argued the county needs representation for the low‑income category and supported the nomination, saying the candidate ‘‘truly absolutely cares’’ and urged the board to approve and allow the appointee to prove herself.
A vote to approve the appointment failed on a 3–2 roll call and a subsequent motion to deny passed 3–2 (Kozmicki, Zenger and Velasquez in favor of denial; Sotelo and Currow opposed). The board then requested stronger county support for recruiting volunteers to fill commission and committee vacancies.
Why it matters: CAB positions are intended to provide representation for low‑income residents in county anti‑poverty and human‑services discussions. The vote highlights tensions supervisors face balancing open civic participation with standards for conduct on advisory bodies.
Next steps: The board asked clerks and county staff to increase outreach and recruitment to fill remaining vacancies across boards and commissions.
