After nearly two decades without a local official filling a seat at the powerful California Coastal Commission, Ventura County was shown a little love by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.
Brian Brennan, a three-term councilman and former mayor for the city of Ventura, was announced as Brown’s selection to represent Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties on the state regulatory agency’s 12-voting-member board.
Brennan currently holds a seat on a number of regional boards, including the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board and the Beach Erosion Authority. He’s chairman-elect of the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance and chairman of the Ventura Regional Sanitation District.
He’s also been a restaurateur, working as general manager for Chart House Restaurants for more than 20 years before being elected to the city council. A longtime member of the city’s chamber of commerce, he was also a founding member of the Surfrider Foundation’s Ventura County chapter.
Evan Westrup, spokesman for Gov. Brown, told the Sun Brennan was selected for his past representation of business and environmental communities, as well as his experience in public service.
“To speak to his background, Brian represents a phenomenal mix of both business and government experience, and we’re confident he will do a fantastic job on the commission,” Westrup said. “And I can add that his appointment will give the commission a good deal of regional balance that has somewhat lacked since 1995.”
Brennan told the Sun the Coastal Act was one of the first pieces of legislation to compel him to get involved in public policy, and he recalled walking door to door during a signature-gathering effort to get the initiative on the ballot in 1972.
“It’s going to be an awful lot of paperwork and homework,” Brennan said, joking about his appointment to a Sun reporter. “But really, it’s the opportunity to be a steward and advance conservation of public lands and walk that line between private property rights and public access to the coast.”
The regional seat became vacant after newly elected Brown notified Pismo Beach Councilwoman Mary Ann Reiss in January that her services on the commission were no longer needed. Reiss—a Republican—had been appointed by former Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the last days of his administration.
Sources contacted by the Sun regarding the seat vacancy predicted Brown was looking for a candidate who could balance the economic interests of property owners and developers with the conservation-minded regulations and spirit of the Coastal Act.
Santa Barbara County 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf was also under consideration for the seat. Other candidates included Reiss, San Luis Obispo County 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson, San Luis Obispo Mayor Jan Marx, Arroyo Grande City Councilman Joe Costello, and Port Hueneme City Councilman Jonathon Sharkey.
Though each commissioner is appointed one alternate, Westrup said the governor has yet to announce who that will be, and that he didn’t know when the announcement would be made.
This article appears in Apr 21-28, 2011.