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Yreka council votes to put Planning Commission on hiatus for up to one year
Summary
After extended debate and public comment, the Yreka City Council voted to place the Planning Commission on a hiatus not to exceed one year while staff pursues outreach, code cleanups and commissioner training; the decision followed strong public objections to recruitment and transparency practices.
The Yreka City Council voted Oct. 7 to place the city's Planning Commission on a hiatus for a period not to exceed one year and directed staff to conduct outreach, review ordinance language and prepare commissioner onboarding and training.
Alia Roca Lezra, planning manager, told the council staff had prepared three options: (1) dissolve the commission, (2) retain it with code changes, or (3) suspend it for up to a year while staff retools the application, onboarding and outreach process. "We have broken it down into four quarters," Roca Lezra said, describing a timeline for recruitment, ordinance amendments and training beginning in January 2026.
City Attorney Andrew Jarrett emphasized the legal context and recommended stop‑gap language if the council wanted the body to act in the short term. "State law requires every city to have a planning commission... state law says that it's the city council unless it creates a planning commission," Jarrett told the council, and he recommended an urgency ordinance so the council could act as the planning commission when there is no quorum.
Public comment was strongly opposed to the hiatus. Lorenzo Love said the commission had atrophied because the city failed to advertise vacancies. "The city has refused to advertise vacancies on the commission... You let the planning commission wither away," Love said. Other speakers described missed notices, unclear appointment procedures and concerns about Brown Act compliance.
Council members expressed differing views on the best approach, with some urging expedited reconstitution and others saying a deliberate retooling was necessary to ensure a sustainable body. Council member Middleton moved to place the commission on hiatus for up to one year; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call. Staff will return with code amendments and a recruitment plan and said they would start recruitment in October and can adjust timelines if candidates materialize sooner.
What happens next: staff will prepare code language (including stop‑gap language to clarify council authority if needed), proceed with outreach and onboarding and bring recommended ordinance updates back to council for approval.
