A new record for the shortest meeting ever held by the San
Benito County Planning Commission was set Wednesday.
A new record for the shortest meeting ever held by the San Benito County Planning Commission was set Wednesday. The meeting, whose consent agenda contained a lot line adjustment, was adjourned in six minutes.
The only regular business before the commission was a request by a Ridgemark homeowner for a swimming pool.
Commissioner Pat Loe moved to approve the consent agenda, which was approved 5-0, as was the pool request.
Chairman Jack Kent closed the meeting and Deputy County Counsel Shirley Murphy noted that the commissioners broke the record.
“Now, that’s the story,” said Executive Planning Director Rob Mendiola.
Two years ago the planning commission often conducted business late into the evening – past midnight on a few occasions. That’s changed in the last year, with most meetings taking less than an hour.
It was for that reason that Commissioner Joe Tonascia introduced an idea last month to change the time the public meetings are held. But after some discussion, the commission left the calendar for 2003 as it was.
The shorts meeting prior to Wednesday’s was less than eight minutes. Because the average meeting lasted 30 minutes, Tonascia suggested consolidating the bi-monthly meeting schedule to monthly and changing the time from 7 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Mendiola said the ordinance requires only one meeting per month. Commissioner Murrill Conley said he and Kent have seen meetings go on well past 10 p.m. and Conley didn’t think that was fair to applicants who have waited a long time to appear before the commission.
“I like it the way it is,” he said.
Kent added that a 10:30 p.m. deadline to hear new business was set for long meetings.
Kent said commissioners are performing a public service and that it’s a “privilege” to do what the public likes wants.
Conley moved to approve the commission’s calendar for 2003 at last month’s meeting. With a second by Commissioner Anthony Freitas, the vote passed 4-0. Commissioner Pat Loe was absent.
