School board, planning group choose 2016 leaders
Two of Ramona’s elected public groups have selected their leaders for 2016.
Kim Lasley will serve as president of the Ramona Unified School District Board, and Jim Piva will serve as chair of the Ramona Community Planning Group.
This is Lasley’s first time with the school board gavel. It is Piva’s sixth turn as planning group chair.
Since only three of Ramona Municipal Water District Board’s five directors attended the board meeting last Tuesday, they agreed to postpone election of officers until the Feb. 9 meeting.
In thanking everyone for his appointment, Piva announced this will be his last year on the planning group since he does not plan to seek re-election in November.
“It’s been an honor serving with everybody,”Piva said. “I look forward to serving the last year as chair, but I will tell you that my intention is not to run again. Eight years has been enough.”
He noted that during those years, the planning group has gained more credibility with the county.
“That to me comes from the quality of people we have on this board,” he said.
When nominations for officers opened, Joe Minervini, as a public speaker, thanked Piva for serving as chair but said it was time for new blood and asked the planning group to elect a new chairperson.
Planner Jim Cooper nominated Piva and was the only one to nominate someone for the position. Cooper said that after serving on the group for three years he’s been “impressed by the single individual and the position he holds.”
For vice chair, two candidates were nominated: Dan Scherer by current vice chair Scotty Ensign, and Torry Brean by Frank Lucio. Scherer won the spot in the 8-5 vote.
There was no contest for the position of secretary, which will continue to be held by Kristi Mansolf.
Piva noted that eight seats on the planning group will be up for election in November. Planners whose terms are also ending this year are Brean, Cooper, Donna Myers, Paul Stykel, Richard Tomlinson, Eb Hogervorst and Barbara Jensen. Hogervorst and Tomlinson said they would not be seeking re-election.
During the school board’s annual organizational meeting, Dawn Perfect nominated Lasley to serve as board president and Rodger Dohm seconded the nomination. With trustee John Rajcic absent, Lasley was elected in a 4-0 vote. She replaces Perfect, who served as board president the past two years.
Rajcic, who due to a family matter was unable to attend the meeting, had asked Dohm to let the board know he was interested in serving as board clerk/vice president, a post Lasley held for the past two years. Dohm nominated Rajcic and Lasley seconded the motion. In a 2-2 vote, with Perfect and Bob Stoody opposed, the motion failed. Stoody nominated Perfect clerk/vice president, and Dohm seconded the nomination. A 3-1 vote, with Lasley opposed, elected Perfect clerk/vice president.
As part of its organizational meeting, the board sets the time and dates of monthly meetings. Meetings will be on Jan. 21, Feb. 25, March 10, April 21, May 26, June 16, July 7, Aug. 25, Sept. 22, Oct. 27, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15. All are Thursdays, and the public portion of the meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the district office board room, 720 Ninth St. The board schedules a one-hour closed session before each public meeting.