Three applicants for a vacancy on the Visalia Planning Commission will be on the hot seat Monday afternoon, as they endure public interviews by the Visalia City Council.

Lindsay Bailey, Troy Pennington and Roland Soltesz are the finalists for appointment to the commission, which plays a prominent role in Visalia's grwoth and development. The commission has authority over land-use planning and zoning in the city, deciding such issues as subdivision plans and land-use permits and offering recommendations to the City Council on changes to Visalia’s planning and zoning policies.

Sam Logan is leaving the commission when his term expires at the end of June. He was first appointed to the commission by the City Council in 2002 to fill an unexpired term and was reppointed for a full four-year term in 2004.

Bailey, a 19-year Visalia resident, is an administrative analyst for Self-Help Enterprises and currently chairs the city’s Bicycle, Pedestrian and Waterway Trails Committee. She is also a member of the Visalia Parks and Recreation Foundation board of directors.

Pennington, a former Marine, is an architect PMSM Architects. He moved to Visalia with his family about two years ago, relocating because his wife’s family has five generations of roots in the community.

Soltesz is a deputy public defender for Tulare County who has lived in Visalia for the past 10 years. He is also a licensed real-estate broker. Soltesz ran unsuccessfully for the Visalia City Council in the November 2007 election.

The council interviews will begin at 4 p.m. Monday at the Visalia Convention Center. The council members could make the appointment and select an alternate immediately after the interviews or a choice could come at their regular May 19 meeting.