Pleasant Hill council approves expanding Civic Action Commission from nine to 11 members

The Pleasant Hill City Council voted Feb. 23 to amend the Civic Action Commission's composition, expanding the roster from nine to 11 members.

Staff provided a brief history: the commission began with seven members in 1978 and was increased to nine in 2012. Staff said commissioners are seeking additional members because event programming and service needs (concerts, family-fun zones, information booths and other logistics) have grown and the body feels stretched.

Vice chair Anthony Garcia attended the meeting to answer council questions. He described the commission's recruiting priorities as "curiosity and a passion for the community" rather than narrowly defined technical skills, and said the group is seeking volunteers able to help support events and increase partnerships with other commissions and community organizations.

Council members asked whether the expansion aimed to add particular expertise or merely more volunteers for event logistics; Garcia and staff said the commission wants both additional capacity and opportunities for collaboration. One council member expressed concern about adding seats while existing commissions are understaffed and urged the commission to prioritize core activities before expanding.

A motion to expand the commission was made and seconded. Roll call votes recorded in the transcript show: Law yes; Noak yes; Oalinski yes; Sock yes; Chefs no. The motion carried.

Council did not amend the proposed roster size and did not add requirements beyond those described by the commission; staff will proceed with the ordinance to effect the change.