Bruno will resign as planning chair, commission down to five members
Job offer in Newport Beach is just 'too good to pass up'
Lyon to become chairman
By Nathan R. Huff
Chairman Paul Bruno announced his resignation from the Los Gatos Planning Commission, effective Dec. 31, in a letter to the town council dated Nov. 20. The already short-handed commission will now be reduced to five members.
Bruno is leaving Los Gatos for Newport Beach, where he will begin a new job as vice president general counsel for the Fluor Corporation, a worldwide engineering and construction company with 45,000 employees.
"The offer came a little over two weeks ago, but it was very difficult to decide," Bruno, who has served as the commission chairman since May, said. "When an opportunity like this comes by, which is very rarely, you've got to take it."
After three years on the commission, Bruno said he has gained a special understanding of Los Gatos' unique character. "The very character of this town is what I'm going to have a hell of a time leaving," he said.
Bruno's departure will leave two empty seats on the planning commission. Former Chairwoman Laura Nachison took a temporary leave of absence in May for health reasons. She submitted her formal resignation on Nov. 6, saying her medication regimen would not allow her to dedicate the time needed to continue serving on the commission.
"The time constraints are just too much," Nachison said. "I miss everybody, but I'm not doing that."
Nachison's temporary resignation came just months after recently elected town Councilwoman Sandy Decker left the planning commission to run for council. After the council briefly debated the idea of reducing the commission to five members, it appointed Peggy Marcucci as the sixth commissioner in August. Counting Bruno's impending departure, there have been three resignations in the last year--a year characterized by contentious issues and packed agendas, resulting in a number of additional meetings.
"We've had one of the most difficult calendars--longest and toughest--and the commission has rose to it," Bruno said. Bruno added that the heightened role the planning commission has played in the past year will hopefully help attract a large pool of qualified applicants to fill the two vacancies.
Nachison, however, questioned whether the increased workload would encourage or discourage applicants. "It's going to be hard to get people to apply with such time requirements," she said.
Bruno's last meeting will be Dec. 6, after which commission Vice Chairman Jim Lyon will take over the leadership role. The application deadline to apply for a seat on the planning commission is Jan. 5. Interviews are scheduled for Jan. 15.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
