Planning Commissioner John Berard Appointed to City Council

John Berard

At its Tuesday, November 12 meeting, the Aurora City Council voted unanimously to appoint Planning Commissioner John Berard to the position 2 seat vacated when Brian Asher became mayor.

Berard has been a resident of Aurora since 2014. He was appointed to the city’s Historic Review Board in June 2015 and served on that body until January 2017, when he was appointed to the Planning Commission.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Berard has done public relations work in New York, Connecticut, Washington D.C. and San Francisco throughout his career. He currently consults business executives throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

“My approach to communications is rooted in the idea that products, services, ideas, companies, institutions and individuals earn endorsements on the strength of who they are, what they deliver and how they affect the way people work and live,” Berard said.

Berard was a communications advisor to the San Francisco Food Bank and also served as a board member for that organization, as well as the Market Street Railway. That is a private support organization for the historic street cars in San Francisco.

While he was living in Washington D.C., Berard advised a crisis counseling service hotline in that city.

“One essential aspect of my approach is this: It is important to be a participant in the communities of which you are a part,” Berard said.

Since moving to Aurora, Berard has been a volunteer and contributor to the Colony Museum and managed the Colony Days parade for three years.

“These and other local experiences have given me a sharp sense of the views held by my fellow Aurorans and an appreciation of the challenges and opportunities the city faces,” Berard said. “I have a grasp of how the city’s resources can be deployed against its many tasks and of the continued need for volunteers to help complete the rest.”

Because of Berard’s appointment to the council, the position he held on the Planning Commission is now vacant. Applicants are being sought to fill out the remainder of Berard’s term on that body, which expires in January 2021.

Requirements are that a candidate must be a registered voter who has resided within city limits for at least six months. Responsibilities of the position include a willingness to serve on any committee that the commissioner is appointed to by the chair, having a vote on all questions before the commission, carrying out the body’s rules as they are outlined in the Aurora Municipal Code and a commitment to attending at least one meeting per month, which usually lasts about two and a half hours.

Any interested applicants must submit a letter of interest along with a resume to City Hall no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, December 16 and should attend the Planning Commission meeting that is scheduled for Tuesday, January 7 at 7 p.m. at city hall. The Commission council will make its recommendation to the City Council, which will appoint a new commissioner at its January 14 meeting.  

Letters of interest and resumes can also be emailed to City Recorder W. Scott Jorgensen at recorder@ci.aurora.or.us by the due date listed above.