SamTrans plans to fill two board seats that represent Coastside

With the recent resignation of two of its board members, the San Mateo County Transit District is looking to bring on a few new public members from different San Mateo County regions.

After resigning in early November to pursue a career in the state Legislature, board member Mike Nevin left a public member seat available on the nine-member board, transit district spokesman Jonah Weinberg said Monday.

Applicants for Nevin’s old position must reside in central or southern San Mateo County in cities such as Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Burlingame and Half Moon Bay, the transit district reported.

As well, the applicant must not have held any elected public office position within the last 12 months, and they must submit their official application for the position by Dec. 30 at 5 p.m., according the transit district.

The second public seat on the board was made available with the resignation of board member John Barbour, according to Weinberg.

A person that resides in the coastal region of the county must fill that seat, and the application for that position must be submitted by Jan. 20 at 5 p.m., according to the transit district.

According to Weinberg, the only requirement to apply for either board seat is that the applicants reside in the aforementioned area attached to the board seat.

Both of these public members will be appointed by six members of the SamTrans board, three of whom have been appointed by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and another three of whom were appointed by the Cities Selection Committee, according to the transit district.

Once elected the new board members will assist in the making of decisions regarding the SamTrans bus service, which stretches from San Mateo County into parts of San Francisco and Palo Alto.

As well, the transit district manages the Caltrain rail service, which is governed by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, and it partners with Bay Area Rapid Transit, which travels to the Caltrain Millbrae Station, according to the transit district’s Web site.

They are going to act as the equivalent of a city council and determine "what needs to be done and how to do it," Weinberg said.

Thus far the transit district has only received three applications looking to fill Nevin’s former seat, according to Weinberg.

"We want the residents of San Mateo County to be active participants in the future of transportation in this county," Weinberg said.

Interested parties can retrieve an application for the board positions on the transit district’s Web site, http://www.samtrans.com