Oceanside council to examine appointment process Councilman wants mayor's committee choices put on agenda By Marga Kellogg North County Times February 18, 2008 OCEANSIDE ---- Councilman Jerry Kern says he wants to know who are the mayor's choices for appointments to city boards and commissions 72 hours before a vote is taken. "We get these big stacks of stuff, there might be 30 to 40 applications," Kern said Friday. "If the appointments are agendized I can go back and read the background on the guy before we sit down at the council meeting." Kern said putting the appointment choices in the agenda will also open the process to the public. "Right now, the public doesn't have much of a say," Kern said. "I think it's more open government." Kern put the issue on Wednesday's Oceanside City Council agenda after it was raised at last week's meeting by Councilman Jack Feller. Feller and Mayor Jim Wood have said they will seek the mayor's seat in November. Wood said Friday that putting the names in the agenda 72 hours in advance is easy enough to do, but it won't change the way the council votes. "If they're not going to vote for them, they're not going to vote for them, which is what they seem to be doing lately," he said. Wood described Kern's comments as "rhetoric" in an election year, and said Kern should take the time to read through the applications like he does. "I'm sorry he just wants to read through one," Wood said. "Then he'd be missing out on all the other applicants' information. This is just not a valid issue." The bigger problem is getting enough people to apply for the positions, Wood said. Also Wednesday, the council will consider a one-year extension of a contract with Camp Pendleton that allows up to 3.6 million gallons of wastewater per day to pass through Oceanside's ocean outfall line from five Camp Pendleton wastewater treatment plants. The extension would be the final one-year extension allowed for the contract, which was first agreed to in 1999. Camp Pendleton built 2.2 miles of effluent pipline in that connects with the city's ocean outfall pipeline. The Marine base began discharging through the outfall in September 2003, according to a city staff report. Camp Pendleton pays the city for the use of the pipe based on a percentage of the total outfall flow, according to the report. The base also paid the city $325,000 for the five-year lease and will pay $65,000 per year for the three additional years, with the money going into the city's sewer fund. During a closed session before Wednesday's meeting, the council will hear discussion of price and terms of the sale of the Marina Towers property at 1200 N. Harbor Drive. The council also discussed the issue in closed session at it Feb. 13 meeting. City attorney John Mullen reported that no action was taken. The council will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 300 N. Coast Highway. Contact staff writer Marga Kellogg at (760) 901-4067 or mkellogg@nctimes.com Copyright 1999-2008, California Coastal Coalition Phone: (760) 944-3564