SUBJECT
Title
Appoint Applicants to the Housing and Human Services Commission and the Sustainability Commission
Report
Appointments
The City has ten Council-appointed boards and commissions to recommend and advise City Council on specific policy-related issues for possible Council study and action, and to provide a forum and opportunity for broad community participation in the identification and prioritization of those issues. The term length for boards and commissions is four years, with staggered terms expiring June 30 of each year. Council makes appointments annually in May or June to fill seats with expiring terms to serve with an effective date of July 1. In addition, the Council fills vacancies as necessary quarterly throughout the year.
Per Council Policy 7.2.19 Boards and Commissions, appointments of board and commission members are placed on the City Council meeting agenda. When one or more Councilmembers participate via teleconference, the appointment process is conducted by Individual Candidate Votes: The Mayor will announce by board or commission each vacancy including its term, and then will read each applicant’s name. Council will vote on each applicant. The candidate receiving the most affirmative votes and at least four affirmative votes, will be appointed. The process is repeated for each board or commission.
Resolving ties: Should a tie between the candidates receiving the most affirmative votes occur, the affected applicants will be voted on again. If a tie still remains, and the affected applicants each have received at least four affirmative votes, the Mayor would ask the City Attorney to draw the name of the person to be appointed.
Should no candidate receive at least four affirmative votes, the vacancy will remain.
Below is the list of current applicants, the applicants’ preferences as indicated on their application (when the applicant has applied for more than one board or commission), and terms of appointments. Applicant information is available upon request from the Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@sunnyvale.ca.gov or 408-730-7483:
Board of Building Code Appeals (one term to 6/30/2024)
No applications received
Housing and Human Services Commission (one term to 6/30/2024)
Omar Din (only preference)
Benjamin Hylak (1st preference)
Franklin Lowe (only preference)
Sustainability Commission (one term to 6/30/2024*)
Gweneth Buckley (Category One - only preference)
Michael Lerman (Category Two - only preference)
Tonya Veitch (Category One - only preference)
Agnes Veith (Category One - only preference)**
On Aug. 17, 2020, Abir Mukherjee and Jennifer Shannon withdrew their applications for the Sustainability Commission.
*Sustainability Commission must have a minimum of three Category One members (Sunnyvale registered voter) and a minimum of one Category Two member(s) (member of the Sunnyvale business community); the balance of the current makeup is four Category One and two Category Two members.
**Per Council Policy 7.2.19 Boards and Commissions, Section 2(B)(II), Arts Commissioner Agnes Veith would be required to resign from the Arts Commission if she is appointed to the Sustainability Commission.
Terms will be effective August 25, 2020. Following appointments, the staff liaison for each board or commission will provide a board/commission-specific orientation and each new member is required to take the Oath of Office, sign the Model of Excellence and attend the board and commission orientation hosted by the Office of the City Clerk. A ceremonial oath will be offered to all incoming members. Continuing vacancies will be scheduled for a future recruitment.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 7.2.19 Boards and Commissions
Administrative Policy, Chapter 1, General Management, Article 15 Boards and Commissions
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental, organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety. In addition, the agenda and report are available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Appoint commissioners from the applicants listed in this report.
2. Provide other direction to staff on how to proceed.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff makes no recommendation.
Staff
Prepared by: David Carnahan, City Clerk