Re: Planning Commission appointment process.
This Tuesday, Aug. 26, during their regularly scheduled meeting, the Santa Clarita City Council ratified Mayor Pro Tem Laurene Weste’s nomination of Daniel Faina to the Santa Clarita Planning Commission to replace Denise Lite, who was previously expelled by the council. I do not know Mr. Faina, but I congratulate him and wish him well.
But imagine my surprise, as an applicant for that open seat on the commission, when I heard Councilwoman Weste declare during the meeting that she “had the distinct pleasure to interview all the applicants.” That statement is simply untrue. Ms. Weste never contacted me — not by phone, email, or any other means. If she interviewed anyone, I wasn’t among them. I’d be interested to know whether she bothered to speak with any of the other applicants. Her claim is particularly ironic, considering her publicly stated reason for removing Denise Lite from the commission was a supposed “lack of communication.”
A day after I submitted my application, I was told by a well-connected acquaintance not to expect a call — Weste had already made up her mind.
The public deserves transparency, not political theater. This year alone, Weste has pushed a controversial development in our downtown area through a concerted series of behind-the-scenes dealings and lacking in a common-sense measure of openness and transparency, and — along with her allies Bill Miranda and Patsy Ayala — forced out Denise Lite from the Planning Commission. Why? Because Lite dared to innocently question that very project, with questions designed to educate Lite and ascertain the merits of the project, all with the best interests of the community at the forefront. Notably, that is exactly what she was appointed to do. Lite merely asked some reasonable and appropriate questions, questions that are an inherent duty and apply to all elected and appointed officials by virtue of their oath of office. As a result, Lite was unceremoniously and shamefully removed. Why? According to Weste it was a lack of communication. Poppycock.
When Weste was backed into a corner with the conflict-of-interest issues, Weste finally recused herself but not because she recognized the conflict at the outset but because she was backed into a corner. The trigger for that was the simple questions asked by Lite. Sadly, by that time Weste’s plan was running well down that railroad track. It is time for this nonsense to stop.
This process undermines public trust. Appointments to the Planning Commission should be based on merit and community input — not political loyalty.
Steve Hopp
Valencia
