Shall the City establish a seven-member Historic Preservation Commission and give it authority over historic preservation-related decisions in the City?

The City already has a Historic Preservation committee but the existing committee has no teeth. The current committee has nine members and are selected by the mayor. The proposed committee are still selected by the mayor but must have a majority vote by the Board of Supervisors.

The Historic Preservation Commission will be given the power to approve permits or certifications to allow demolition of our historic buildings and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisor. The decisions of the Commission cannot be appealed. The budget and staff of the commission will be drawn from the Planning Commission. So it is like a branch of the Planning Commission.

Anyhow, I am voting yes on Proposition J. Smaller committee creates less bureaucracy and quicker decisions. The previous committee had no power and thus was just a waste of resources.