County supervisors select nominees for a California Coastal Commission seat.

Three weeks after California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas released a letter requesting nominations, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors decided on three names to nominate for an open seat on one of the most powerful land-use agencies in the country: the California Coastal Commission.

The supervisors unanimously nominated District 3 County Supervisor Chris Lopez, Santa Cruz County Supervisor (and current chair of the Coastal Commission) Justin Cummings and Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson to represent the Central Coast region, which includes San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

The last opportunity to vie for this seat was roughly two years ago, in 2023, when Lopez nominated himself but lost the post to Cummings who was chosen by then-Speaker Anthony Rendon to finish the last two years of the current term. Cummings’ term is set to expire in May.

Despite a few comments to the board on March 25 arguing the representative should be located on the coast, Lopez’s reasoning remains the same today as two years ago – that representation of inland communities is crucial in the development and regulation of the coastline.

“The public comment that was made saying that only people from the coast should have a seat at the table is the very reason I put my name,” Lopez says. “I disagree with that assumption and I think that is harmful to California where we share resources, we share the coast.”

Twelve voting members make up the Coastal Commission: six public members and six elected officials, who work in collaboration with coastal cities and counties to oversee and regulate the use of land and water along the state’s 1,100-mile coastline. Four commissioners are appointed each by the governor, the Senate Rules Committee and the Speaker of the Assembly.

The last time Monterey County had a seat on the Commission was in 2009, when former Carmel Mayor Dave Potter lost his seat after 12 years.

Since becoming speaker in June 2023, this is the first time Rivas has had the opportunity to appoint a commissioner from his home region.

“The speaker could have just appointed someone, but he wanted to get other options,” County Supervisor Luis Alejo says. “You don’t have to be an elected official in a coastal district to serve on the Coastal Commission.”

He adds that the first-ever Latina to serve on the Coastal Commission was Lily Cervantes, an attorney from Salinas: “There is precedent.”