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“I love Lemon Grove, and I always like to think the glass is half full, not half empty.” - David Eckler, newly appointed Lemon Grove planning commissioner.
Photo by Armando Rasing II: The Lemon Grove City Council introducing the new planning commission candidates one-by-one on Tuesday night
By Armando Rasing II
February 23, 2026 (Lemon Grove) - David Eckler and Jennifer Morrisey were chosen by the Lemon Grove City Council on Tuesday to fill the two vacancies in the city’s Planning Commission.
Eckler and Morrisey were unanimously both voted into the commission. Eckler was voted into the longer first term role, with his term beginning on Tuesday and ending June 30, 2027. Morrisey was voted into the shorter first term role, with her term also beginning on Tuesday and ending on June 30, 2026.
There were eight total candidates, with seven of them being in attendance to make their case in front of the council on why they should be a part of the commission.
Each candidate was given three minutes to make an opening statement, along with answering a question from each of the five council members and then they also had the option to make a closing statement.
“I’m looking forward to what the city has in mind as far as current developments, future developments [and] short-term developments [that] can have a big impact immediately on our city,” Eckler said in his opening statement.
Eckler is a long-term resident of Lemon Grove and the owner of a painting business. He has also participated in several community clean-ups throughout the years, worked in the underground infrastructure department for the Helix Water District for six years and worked in construction.
“I really like David Eckler because I know how he comes to just about everything with a very open mind,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Jessyka Heredia. “David doesn’t always agree with everybody that he’s around, and he is able to say that freely without worry of backlash from them.”
Photo, left, by Armando Rasing II: Mayor Pro-Tem Jessyka Heredia at the latest city council meeting
Morrisey is currently the executive director for the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation and stated that she had raised almost $10 million for them. She has also worked for nonprofits in San Diego County for approximately 30 years.
“I feel very in-tune with what’s happening at the state level that can bring funding to Lemon Grove,” Morrisey said in her opening statement. “And I work every single day with folks from the City of San Diego and other municipalities. And really help advance the park and make quality of life out for San Diego County residents, including residents of Lemon Grove.”
Mayor Alysson Snow emphasized that she wanted the new members of the commission to have “technical expertise in construction, building and planning” because she felt like those were the “missing links” on the planning commission.
Photo, left, by Armando Rasing II: Mayor Alysson Snow at the latest city council meeting
“I love Lemon Grove, and I always like to think the glass is half full, not half empty,” Eckler said. “And I know everybody here has worked very hard, and having differences of opinions on things can be healthy - not [always] unhealthy.”
The next Lemon Grove City Council meeting will take place next Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Community Center.
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