• Planning Commission Meeting April 2026 or Don't OC My Wildomar

This is how local government is supposed to work. It's of the people, by the people, and for the people. With apologies to the community for the wheels coming off the tracks in the first place. 

Left to right: Community Development Director Robert Flores, Assistant City Attorney Joaquin Vazquez, Commission Vice Chair Charles Golden, Commission Chair Nolan King, Commissioners Rene Cambero, Eric Filar, and John Hume. 

After a full day in Sacramento, I queued up the Planning Commission meeting on YouTube and stayed up past midnight, taking it all in. 

Know this, the city would rather I not blog about such things in the first place, and if they're being honest, that would extend down to my colleagues, too. 

Thing is, I got to the City Council by way of telling it like it is with this blog in the first place, and when I stop that'll be the day to replace me.

First: Kudos to the Commissioners

If staff chooses to read this, please wear a fireproof suit or don't complain about singes later. 

I've spoken with many of the commissioners over time. I always encourage them to remember the pecking order. 

The residents, especially the ones who vote, are the ones who have the ultimate say in the direction the city goes in. 

Not so much that City Council appointments are how they got there, but that the City Council is chosen by the voters... the residents of Wildomar. 

The residents, the people who call Wildomar 'home' are the ones with the ultimate power.

If you ever suspect that any of us has forgotten that basic fact, do not hesitate to remind us. The best place would be at a city council meeting, though I do understand the allure of social media (it's much easier to post things from the comfort of one's home or car). 

There were many public speakers at the planning commission meeting, and it was good to see such passion. Sadly, an uncommon feature in Wildomar for many years now. 

The idea for this came from Christine Salcedo and Anna Whitlock. Sorry, Will, I know you hate AI images, but I was in a hurry. 😅

•

If I can also be so bold as to suggest that [some of] you need to know what you're talking about when you are on the march with torches and pitchforks. 

Seriously, there is so much laughably off-the-mark nonsense that I see on Facebook, I often wonder if some people (you know who they are) are just trolling for laughs, or trying to upset the more trusting members of the community.

Please take a moment to gather the facts before accusing the city council, planning commission, or city staff of malfeasance. We're here because we love Wildomar and have put ourselves in the firing line as we work for the common good. 

Just ask any of us for clarification before torching us online. If, after we've given you more information on a matter, and you're still ready to storm the castle, ok, at least now you're better prepared for the task at hand. 

•

Back to what I remind all the commissioners: You're not there to be a rubber stamp, especially when there are controversial items on the agenda. 

You are in charge of the planning commission, and if you don't like what you're presented, absolutely pepper staff with questions. Plus, just as a matter of fact, most of staff do not live or pay property tax in Wildomar, but you do, and you are the gatekeepers.

If you don't like what you're hearing, even after explanations, DO NOT BE APOLOGETIC about being against the item. 

Do so in a collegial manner, be courteous to staff and the other commissioners, but if you've done your homework ahead of the meeting, and you think the item should be voted down — then vote it down, and be specific during your comments why you've voted that way. 

As you saw with this item, the residents appreciate that you're there, protecting the community's best interests.

There was no grand plan to remove large animals from Wildomar 

I have a high level of confidence in Wildomar's staff. They are very professional and well-trained in their specialties. That doesn't preclude them from "getting out too far over their skis" from time to time.

No one is perfect, and other than learning that the community is still engaged and ready to respond, no damage was done. 

Below is a transcription of the Wildomar Community Development Director's opening comment:

"Good evening, everybody. My name is Robert Flores, Community Development Director here with the City of Wildomar. 

Before we get into the staff report for item 2.1, I want to inform everybody that the modifications to the animal keeping section of the development code that were originally part of this ordinance are no longer part, and thereby not being considered under agenda item 2.1.

Briefly, I want to explain that the changes to the animal keeping section were driven by my staff due to recent code enforcement cases relating to animal quantities and also keeping violations.

However, we heard you, we heard the community, and determined that it was best to pull those changes out of the proposed ordinance to obtain community feedback and evaluate it, and then determine what the best next steps are and the best way to move forward."

Using a tennis reference, this agenda item was basically an unforced error, which I guarantee that staff would like to have back.

They don't call government "sausage making" for nothing, and there are going to be errors during the process, there just are. 

There are several layers to the process. The very first line is the planning commission, which is comprised of five local residents appointed by the City Council. Each member selects one... and you, the voters, elect the members. 

Also in the mix are the residents. Most are busy living their lives, and trust that the elected city council will be making the right decisions. 

There are some (though I'd like to see dozens more) who do go over the agendas and attend meetings. They are also there to point out matters of concern when they spot something.

Be assured, this was dealt with at the soonest possible point once the troublesome item made it to the agenda. 

Wildomar Rap opinion time

Trying to stay within the small box afforded by the very restrictive Brown Act, I can speak for myself and say that we just had an exhaustive couple of years putting together an updated General Plan. 

I understand that there are regular updates to our codes that the State mandates we adopt, so that part of the process is basically a 'rubber stamp' at the business end of a proverbial gun pointed at us by Sacramento.

However, as long as I'm a member of the city council, for discretionary things, it's going to take a 'pitch for the angels' to get me to agree to any, if not all, of the suggested changes that currently go before the planning commission or city council. 

I understand the desire to streamline a process, but we're not going to streamline things to such a point that local oversight, also known as "local control," is forfeited.

That's how I read many of the proposed changes, and it's a nonstarter for me.

Below is a link to the complete video.

Last, and definitely least... 

This is what I saw when I arrived at city hall at 10pm (to drop off the city vehicle), and later had it confirmed that they were up during the meeting.

I'm going to go with a simple, poorly-timed comedy of errors that had nothing to do with the planning commission meeting.

There is NO WAY that staff intentionally prevented parking at the council chambers on a night that a large crowd was expected.