Planning Commission Picks Caught in Fight Over Interview Process

A vacancy on the Beverly Hills Planning Commission may remain open longer after a dispute over how candidates were interviewed overtook two proposed appointments at the City Council's Sept. 22, 2026 meeting.

The council had been asked to appoint Jason Grant to the seat vacated when Myra Demeter's term ended June 30 and Joshua Greer to a separate seat that will not open until July 2027, when Gary Ross' term ends. The interview panel's report says it received five eligible applications and interviewed four people at an open meeting Sept. 10. The panel recommended both men; the formal appointment report would have seated Grant immediately and scheduled Greer's term for next year.

Residents objected that the shift to public interviews had not been made clear enough to potential observers. That is a dispute about notice and confidence in the selection, not an established violation of open-meeting law. The city clerk's report says the interviews were publicly noticed and complied with the Brown Act. Councilmembers also disagreed about whether asking applicants to interview again would be fair to them.

Vice Mayor Mary Wells suggested reopening applications for both positions and conducting another round of interviews.

"I would propose we reinterview both in four weeks and open up the application process."

Councilmember Rebecca Pynoos drew a distinction between the two seats: the original notice, she said, had sought applicants for one vacancy, while the panel's recommendations ultimately covered a second, future vacancy. Other members warned that another recruitment would keep the current seat empty for at least two months and possibly three. The revised motion discussed at the meeting would retain the applications already received and allow additional applicants to enter the pool.

The available caption transcript records the revised motion, a second and a roll call, but omits the votes. An official vote record was not available in the materials reviewed, so the final disposition of that motion should be confirmed with the City Clerk. What is clear from the discussion is the choice before council: fill an existing land-use oversight seat promptly, or run another recruitment so the appointment process has wider public acceptance.