California Coastal Commission chair and Malibu resident Sara Wan will not be reappointed to the commission when her term ends, according to Sacramento newspaper Capitol Weekly, also owned by The Malibu Times publisher Arnold York.
Wan has served on the commission since 1996, and was voted chair by her fellow commissioners in December. The vote, however, set off ?bruising political fight,? according to the report. Former state Senate Leader John Burton sent Wan a strongly worded letter accusing her of double-crossing Commissioner Mary Shallenberger for the chairmanship.
Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg announced the new Coastal Commission appointments made by the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday. Dayna A. Bocho, an entertainment industry executive, was appointed to the commission as a member-at-large. She replaces Wan on the commission.
Wan and her husband, Larry, have lived in Malibu for 25 years. Larry Wan was voted a member of the inaugural Malibu City Council in 1990.
Wan has a reputation as a staunch environmentalist and advocate for public access to beaches along the California coast. It’s a position that sometimes has caused friction with local officials over coastal preservation in Malibu, not the least of which was a run-in with local authorities seven years ago.
The Sheriff’s Department was called during a 2003 incident when Wan refused to leave a section of Broad Beach those homeowners there had claimed to be private beach land. Authorities were summoned after Wan ignored a private security guard on an ATV, who had ordered Wan to move.
Also, she sits on a commission that has made controversial decisions regarding land use in Malibu, including its recent approval of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy parks plan that includes overnight camping in Malibu that is hotly contested by residents and the city.
The following are the appointments that were made by the Senate Rules Committee:
Dayna A. Bochco, a Democrat from Santa Monica, has been appointed as a member-at-large to the California Coastal Commission. Bochco is an entertainment industry executive, a co-chair of the leadership council and member of the action fund for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a board member of Heal the Bay and a member of the California State Bar. Her term on the commission will end May 20, 2015. Bochco replaces Wan.
Stephen H. Kinsey, a Democrat from Forest Knolls, has been appointed as a local government representative from the north central coast region to the California Coastal Commission. Kinsey is a Marin County Supervisor, a board member of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, a former alternate member on the California Coastal Commission, and a former board member of the Marin Conservation League and For the Sake of Salmon. His term on the commission will end May 20, 2015.
Sarah G. Gurney, a Democrat from Sebastopol, has been reappointed as an alternate local government representative from the north central coast region to the California Coastal Commission. Gurney is a Sebastopol City Council member, a family law attorney, and a member of Coastwalk California, the Surfrider Foundation and the Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire. Her term on the commission will end May 20, 2015.
The Coastal Commission is designated as the state coastal zone planning and management agency for any and all purposes; has primary responsibility for implementing provisions of the Coastal Act; and exercises powers set forth in the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and any other federal act relating to planning and management of the coastal zone.
Dean K. Saito, a Democrat from Phillips Ranch, has been reappointed as a member with environmental and air quality expertise to the Smog Check Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee. Saito is manager of mobile sources strategies for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a former manager for the Air Resources Board, a former supervisor of the Bureau of Automotive Repair and a former member of the American Chemical Society. His term on the committee will end May 16, 2015.
The committee analyzes the effect of the inspection and maintenance program regarding motor vehicle emissions and air quality; gathers and evaluates such information; and issues advisory reports to the Governor and the Legislature.