Ceres residents who want a say in how the city is planned and weigh in on zoning issues are invited to apply for a seat on the Ceres Planning Commission.

Two positions will be appointed by the Ceres City Council after sifting through and considering applicants who return a completed form to the City Clerk by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22. Applications are available at Ceres City Hall, 2720 Second Street or on line at www.ci.ceres.ca.us. 

To be eligible for this position, one must be a resident within the city limits.

The vacancies are occurring with the retiring of Laurie Smith at year’s end as well as the one that will be created when Daniel Martinez resigns his seat next month to become a member of the Ceres City Council. Martinez was elected last week to fill the District 4 council seat occupied by Mike Kline.

Smith has spent 16 years on the commission and has decided not to run again.

Mayor Javier Lopez and Vice Mayor Bret Silveira will interview the applicants on Nov. 28. The appointments will be made in early December.

The Planning Commission is a permanent advisory committee of citizens appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation by the City Council. Meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6 p.m. to consider land use matters such as zone changes, conditional use permits, variances, subdivisions and general plan amendments.

For more information, call City Clerk Fallon Martin at (209) 538-5731 or Planning Division Administrative Secretary Ann Montgomery at (209) 538-5774.