GUSTINE — The Gustine City Council filled two long‑empty seats on the city’s Airport Commission at its March 3 meeting, restoring the commission’s ability to meet for the first time in quite a while. But the council’s attempt to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission came to a halt when members unanimously declined to consider a nominee who does not live within city limits.
The contrast between the two appointments was striking. The airport item moved swiftly and enthusiastically, with council members expressing relief that the chronically understaffed commission would finally regain a quorum.
City Manager Melanie Correa told the council the city was “very excited that we have two applicants to our very vacant airport commission,” noting that four of the five seats had been empty since 2023. “Now it means we can have meetings again,” she said.
The council appointed Jacob Beach, a Fresno State graduate and private pilot, and Zachery Ramos, a Gustine Unified School District board member and former airport commissioner. Beach said he applied because he wants to help “make the Gustine airport the best it can be,” while Ramos said he hopes to “bring back the spirit our community once had for it” and explore the airport’s economic potential. Both will serve through December 2027.
The tone shifted dramatically when the council turned to the Planning Commission vacancy, open since late 2024. The only applicant was Dr. Rob Santos, a veterinarian who is opening a clinic in downtown Gustine. Santos wrote that he wanted to “be more involved in planning the progress of the city,” citing his investment in the community.
But Santos does not live in Gustine — and that fact immediately ended any momentum for his appointment.
“I think Dr. Santos would be a wonderful addition to our planning commission, however, he does not live here,” Councilwoman Sherri Marsigli said.
Correa informed the council that neither state law nor the city’s municipal code requires planning commissioners to be residents. The revelation drew a sharp reaction.
“That’s terrifying,” Marsigli said. “I think it is something we need to have in our municipal code.”
The city attorney explained that the council could adopt an ordinance requiring commissioners to be voting residents or individuals with a “substantial investment in town,” but such a change would take time and could not be enacted that night.
Council members were unmoved. “If you live here, you have to live by the decisions you make,” Councilman Rich Ford said.
Mayor Pat Nagy said he did not want to set a precedent by appointing a non‑resident. “As much as I admire Dr. Santos, if you did that you could have somebody that buys property here with the intent of doing some nefarious things,” he said.
With no council member willing to make a motion, Santos’ nomination died without a vote, leaving the Planning Commission with four members and one vacancy.
The council is expected to revisit residency requirements in the coming months.
