Oak Hills Public Works Advisory Roster Lists Three East-Side Members, One West-Side Member Despite Two-Each Rule

OAK HILLS, Monterey County — October 30, 2026. An official Monterey County public-works advisory committee is designed to give residents on both sides of Cathedral Oaks Drive a voice in local service issues. But a review of the county’s public membership list reveals a discrepancy: the charter description calls for two representatives east of Cathedral Oaks Drive, two west, and one at-large resident, while the same website labels three current listed members as representing the east side, only one as representing the west side, and one as at-large.

The mismatch is an issue of public record clarity; it is not proof that the Board of Supervisors made an unlawful appointment, that a seat is vacant, or that a member lives on the wrong side of the road. An administrative title may be outdated, a member may be serving pending the appointment of a successor, or another county record may clarify the allocation. The publicly posted documents do not settle the discrepancy without an explanation from the Clerk of the Board.

Who does the county list?

The official committee profile for the County Service Area No. 45 Public Works Advisory Committee (Oak Hills) currently provides the following five names and geographic descriptions:

Alex Rouch — Oak Hills Subdivision east of Cathedral Oaks Drive; listed term end January 1, 2027.
Louise Iredell — east side; listed term end January 1, 2029.
Lynn Riddle — east side; listed term end January 1, 2027.
Jackie Lonero — Oak Hills Subdivision west of Cathedral Oaks Drive; listed term end January 1, 2028.
Ben Longoria — at-large resident of CSA 45; listed term end January 1, 2029.

The source records give appointment dates as well as term dates, but neither a name nor an old appointment date proves the current voting status at a given meeting. The roster describes five people, exactly as the committee’s stated size, while the geographic labels are what differ from the charter allocation.

What does the committee’s founding rule say?

The county links the committee to Resolution 80-293, adopted May 13, 1980. Its duties cover advice to the Board of Supervisors on issues related to CSA 45, including public utilities, sanitation planning and facilities, fire protection, transportation, state highways and traffic. It has five Board-appointed members, with two from the subdivision east of Cathedral Oaks Drive, two from the west, and one living anywhere in CSA 45 as the at-large representative.

The county page also says members serve three-year terms and until a successor is appointed and qualified, and that the committee should meet at least twice each calendar year at regular times and places. Meetings are to be open to the public. Those are the general rules, not confirmation that a particular meeting has been scheduled or that every position has a current appointment letter.

A second county page makes the question more urgent

The county’s boards and commissions vacancy register includes an entry for a west-of-Cathedral-Oaks-Drive seat with a listed vacancy start date of April 8, 2025 and a term window ending January 1, 2026. That older listing may reflect a historical notice, not an open position today. It should be compared with actual subsequent appointment records rather than treated as proof that the seat is still unfilled.

Indeed, county April 22, 2025 Board minutes record an appointment of Jackie Lonero to represent the west side through January 1, 2028, and appointment of Ben Longoria as an at-large member. Later January 27, 2026 Board agenda records listed reappointment of Louise Iredell for the east side with a term ending in 2029. Because these public records describe different actions and time periods, only the Clerk or committee staff can definitively explain whether the current roster needs an updated title or a seat is actually awaiting an appointment.

Why does the difference matter?

Oak Hills has separate county service-area accounting for its streetlights, drainage infrastructure and open-space maintenance. The county already faces questions about sufficient funding for those services; California58 covered the CSA 45 assessment review in a separate story. Representation matters because residents on opposite sides of a major neighborhood street may prioritize different lights, drainage problems, access routes or maintenance needs. That does not mean this advisory body directly sets a new assessment rate or approves construction contracts; its stated mandate is to advise the Board of Supervisors.

For residents who want to raise a concern, the county committee page names Mitch Vernon, Project Manager II, as a staff contact at (831) 759-6728 and vernonm@countyofmonterey.gov. Ask for the current membership roster, the latest signed appointment letters, meeting minutes and any open vacancy notice. The official application and vacancy system can also show how to express interest if an eligible seat is open; it is not necessary to assume a recruitment is underway before the county confirms one.

Sources and open questions

County primary sources: CSA 45 Public Works Advisory Committee — official charter, member roster and contact; County appointment list; County vacancy notices; Board minutes, April 22, 2025. California58 has not verified a 2026 roll-call or received a definitive explanation from county staff; the discrepancy reported here is between published official records, not a finding of wrongdoing.

To submit documented corrections, email California58 Newsroom.

Featured photograph: illustrative residential landscape by Kellen Riggin / Unsplash. Not a photograph of Cathedral Oaks Drive, an Oak Hills meeting, or the Monterey County subdivision.

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