After a three month tussle over whether their appointments could be vetoed by the city’s mayor, two new commissioners have finally been sworn in at the Port of San Diego. Rafael Castellanos and Marshall Merrifield took the oath of office Mon., April 15, 2013 at the port’s Administration Building.
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner had vetoed the City Council’s appointments of the two on Jan. 8; he had objected to the process used to make the selections, and said a city policy on the waterfront should be adopted first.
But earlier this month, City Attorney Jan Goldsmith ruled the veto invalid, which allowed for Castellanos and Merrifield to be sworn in.
The Port of San Diego is governed by a seven-member board, three of whom are appointed by the City of San Diego, and one each is appointed by the cities of Coronado, Chula Vista, National City and Imperial Beach. Castellanos and Merrifield both represent San Diego.
“They will provide valuable expertise and perspective as we continue to pursue integrated planning for public access, commerce, development and other activities taking place along our waterfront,” POSD Board Chair Ann Moore, who represents Chula Vista, said.
Merrifield is the President/CEO and majority shareholder for Bluewave Security, which manufactures high-tech equipment for video and door-access surveillance. He previously was President/CEO and majority shareholder for the security company General Lock and Clark Security Products, the largest privately held security hardware business in the U.S., until 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Princeton University.
Castellanos is a partner with the San Diego law firm Solomon Minton Cardinal Doyle & Smith LLP, where he specializes in commercial real estate and business transactional law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Arizona State University, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School as a Cornerstone Scholar.
Castellanos and Merrifield replace former commissioners Scott Peters, who was elected to Congress in November 2012, and Lee Burdick, who resigned to become Filner’s director of special projects and legal affairs.
