City of Sunnyvale - File #: 25-0039

• File #: 25-0039
• Type: Report to Council
• Status: Public Hearing/General Business
• Meeting Body: City Council
• On agenda: 5/20/2025
• Title: Appoint Applicants to the Arts Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Board of Library Trustees, Heritage Preservation Commission, Housing and Human Services Commission, Human Relations Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Personnel Board, Planning Commission and Sustainability Commission

REPORT TO COUNCIL

SUBJECT

Title

Appoint Applicants to the Arts Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Board of Library Trustees, Heritage Preservation Commission, Housing and Human Services Commission, Human Relations Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Personnel Board, Planning Commission and Sustainability Commission

Report

DISCUSSION

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.

Pursuant to Council Policy 7.2.19, Boards and Commissions appointments of board and commission members are placed on the City Council meeting agenda. The appointment process is conducted by one of the following two methods, at the discretion of the Mayor:

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.

Paper Votes: The Mayor will announce each board or commission in an order predetermined by the City Clerk to facilitate a speedy process and to accommodate applicants who specify multiple preferences. The City Clerk will distribute individual voting sheets to be completed by each Councilmember. 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.

For each board or commission with both full 4-year terms and shorter-term vacancies that exist due to a resignation, the Mayor will ask Council for a motion to identify which applicant from among those with the most affirmative votes and at least four affirmative votes will be appointed. Council will identify which of the candidates who received the sufficient affirmative votes will be selected to serve the shorter term(s). The Council decision will be made by motion.

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 as attachments to the May 12 and May 13 Council meeting packets and upon request from the Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@sunnyvale.ca.gov or 408-730-7483.

Arts Commission (two terms to 6/30/2029)

Manisha Anarkat (3^rd preference)

Amber Frederickson (3^rd preference)

Anubha Gupta (5^th preference)

Alejandra Gutierrez (2^nd preference)

Harini Jambunathan (3^rd preference)

Sharon Morkatz (only preference)

Rao Shen (2^nd preference)

Mariia Tkachenko (only preference)

Christina Wright (only preference)

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission^* (two terms to 6/30/2029 could be Category One or Category Two)

Alex Bonne (Category One - only preference) - Incumbent

Yency Guio (Category One - only preference)

Anubha Gupta (Category One - 4^th preference)

Harini Jambunathan (Category One - 2^nd preference)

Aaron Terry (Category One - 4^th preference)

Diyi Zhu (Category One - 2^nd preference)

Board of Library Trustees (one term to 6/30/2029)

Kerstyn Clover (only preference)

Amber Frederickson (4^th preference)

Alejandra Gutierrez (1^st preference)

Nili Helman - Caspi (2^nd preference)

Cara Kuhn (only preference)

Winnie Lam (1^st preference)

Indira Patil (only preference)

Heritage Preservation Commission (one term to 6/30/2029)

Amber Frederickson (1^st preference)

Pamela Sharma (only preference) - Incumbent

Aaron Terry (3^rd preference)

Housing and Human Services Commission (two terms to 6/30/2029)

Manisha Anarkat (1^st preference)

Colin Ford (2^nd preference)

Amber Frederickson (2^nd preference)

Marlene Hernandez (1^st preference)

Harini Jambunathan (1^st preference)

Leesa Riviere (only preference) - Incumbent

Rao Shen (1^st preference)

Aaron Terry (6^th preference)

Human Relations Commission (one term to 6/30/2026 and two terms to 6/30/2029)^**

Juan Alvarez (Category One - only preference)

Claudia Camacho (Category One - only preference) - Incumbent

Madeline Chang (Category One - 1^st preference)

Nili Helman-Caspi (Category One - 1^st preference)

Marlene Hernandez (Category One - 2^nd preference)

Betsy Gissell Ortega Florez (Category One - 1^st preference)

Aaron Terry (Category One - 1^st preference)

Yuriana Valencia (Category One - only preference)

Pedro Valencia Landa (Category One - only preference)

Parks and Recreation Commission (one term to 6/30/2029)

Manisha Anarkat (5^th preference)

Anubha Gupta (1^st preference)

Alejandra Gutierrez (3^rd preference)

David Kesting (only preference) - Incumbent

Aaron Terry (5^th preference)

Personnel Board (one Council-nominated term to 6/30/2029)

Manisha Anarkat (4^th preference)

Richard Lesher (only preference) - Incumbent

Planning Commission (one term to 6/30/2029)

Manisha Anarkat (2^nd preference)

Subas Bastola (only preference)

Kurt Erikson (only preference)

Anubha Gupta (2^nd preference)

Martin Pyne (only preference) - Incumbent

Daniel Wong (only preference)

Sustainability Commission*** (two terms to 6/30/2029 could be Category One or Category Two)

Vahidreza Bitarafhaghighi (Category Two - only preference)

Madeline Chang (Category One - 2^nd preference)

Colin Ford (Category One - 1^st preference)

Anubha Gupta (Category One - 3^rd preference)

Harini Jambunathan (Category One - 4^th preference)

Winnie Lam (Category One - 2^nd preference)

Vincent Lui (Category One - only preference)

Betsy Gisell Ortega Florez (Category One - 2^nd preference)

Kristina Pistone (Category One - only preference) - Incumbent

Ting Fung So (Category One - only preference)

Aaron Terry (Category One - 2^nd preference)

Johnathan Valencia (Category One - only preference)

Diyi Zhu (Category One - 1^st preference)

Adam Zuro (Category One - only preference)

* Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Category One Members represent bicyclists and pedestrians who live in Sunnyvale. Up-to-two Members may be Category Two Members, who live outside Sunnyvale and represent parent groups, school administrators, teachers, commute coordinators for major employers in the city. The balance of the current makeup is five Category One members.

** Human Relations Commission Category One Members live in Sunnyvale. Up-to-two Members may be Category Two Members, who live outside Sunnyvale and are representative(s) of nonprofit service agencies that serve Sunnyvale residents. The balance of the current makeup is five Category One members. The Human Relations Commission is expecting to seven members effective July 1, 2025. The balance of the current makeup is three Category One members and one Category Two member.

*** Sustainability Commission must have a minimum of three Category One members (Sunnyvale resident) 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 Members and one Category Two Member.

Full 4-year terms will be effective July 1, 2025; shorter vacancies that exist due to a resignation will be effective May 21, 2025. 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 the recruitment process in August 2025.

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 meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), 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.

Levine Act

LEVINE ACT

The Levine Act (Gov. Code Section 84308) prohibits city officials from participating in certain decisions regarding licenses, permits, and other entitlements for use if the official has received a campaign contribution of more than $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant in the previous 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html

An “X” in the checklist below indicates that the action being considered falls under a Levine Act category or exemption:

SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT

___ Land development entitlements

___ Other permit, license, or entitlement for use

___ Contract or franchise

EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT

___ Competitively bid contract*

___ Labor or personal employment contract

___ Contract under $50,000 or non-fiscal

___ Contract between public agencies

_X_ General policy and legislative actions

* "Competitively bid" means a contract that must be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

Staff

Prepared by: David Carnahan, City Clerk

Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager

Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager

 ATTACHMENT

1. Links to Applicant Interview Recordings