REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Appoint Applicants to the Arts Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Board of Building Code Appeals, Board of Library Trustees, Heritage Preservation Commission, Housing and Human Services Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Personnel Board, Planning Commission and Sustainability Commission
Report
DISCUSSION
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/June to fill seats with expiring terms to serve terms effective July 1, and fills vacancies as necessary quarterly throughout the year. 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. The term lengths of the current openings vary, as some openings are to fill unexpired terms due to resignations or vacancies that remained following the previous recruitment process. Applicant information is available upon request from the Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@sunnyvale.ca.gov or (408) 730-7483.
Per 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 according to 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 votes and at least four affirmative votes will be appointed.
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.
Arts Commission (2 terms to 6/30/2021)
Dawna Eskridge (only preference)
Darien Laird (only preference)
Amanda Richey (2nd preference)
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (Category One, 2 terms to 6/30/2021)
Catherine Barry (Category One or Category Two - only preference)
Bettina Baumgartner (only preference)
Susan Bremond (Category One or Category Two - only preference)
Justin Brown (2nd preference)
Richard Condon (only preference)
Sridharan Srinivasan (Category One - 1st preference)
Scott Swail (only preference)
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (Category Two, 1 term to 6/30/2020)
Catherine Barry (Category One or Category Two - only preference)
Susan Bremond (Category One or Category Two - only preference)
Board of Building Code Appeals (1 term to 6/30/2021 - may serve concurrently on one additional board or commission)
Daryoush Nafar (1st preference)
Yonghong Shen (only preference)
Board of Library Trustees (1 term to 6/30/2021)
Sekari Vaidyanathan (only preference)
Heritage Preservation Commission (1 term to 6/30/2021)
Dixie Larsen (only preference)
Housing and Human Services Commission (3 terms to 6/30/2021)
Rhonda Bekkedahl (only preference)
Mason Fong (2nd preference)
Diana Gilbert (only preference)
Ken Hiremath (only preference)
Minjung Kwok (only preference)
Malahat Owrang (2nd preference)
Amanda Richey (1st preference)
Parks and Recreation Commission (2 terms to 6/30/2021)
Ralph Kenton (only preference)
Daniel McCune (only preference)
Howard Woo (1st preference)
Personnel Board (Employee-Nominated Seat, 1 term to 6/30/2020*, Council Nominated Seat, 1 term to 6/30/2021)
Justin Brown (1st preference)
Sridharan Srinivasan (2nd preference)
Planning Commission (1 term to 6/30/2021)
Scott Brizzolara (only preference)
Sartaj Chancal (only preference)
Mason Fong (1st preference)
Daryoush Nafar (2nd preference)
Ken Olevson (only preference)
Neela Shukla (only preference)
Murali Srinivasan (only preference)
Sustainability Commission (2 terms to 6/30/2021 - a minimum of one seat must be in Category Two)
Laura Alvarez-Santos (Category One - only preference)
Mason Fong (Category One - 3rd preference)
Adriana Imbre (Category Two - only preference)
Stephen Joesten (Category Two - only preference)
Malahat Owrang (Category One - 1st preference)
Bruce Paton (Category One - only preference)
Sheldon Tounzen (Category One - only preference)
Howard Woo (Category One - 2nd preference)
*Regarding the vacancy on the Personnel Board in the employee-nominated category, City Charter Section 1007 states that two of the members of the Personnel Board shall be appointed by the City Council from a list of five persons nominated by election of the employees in the Classified Service. The Charter states that if the employees in the Classified Service do not nominate one or more persons to fill a vacancy within six months of written notification, the City Council may appoint the person directly to fill the vacancy. The six-month period for receiving nominations from employees has expired, and no nominations were received.
Terms will be effective July 1, 2017. 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.
EXISTING POLICY
On April 21, 2015, Council adopted revisions to Council Policy 7.2.19 Boards and Commissions regarding the appointment of board and commission members to allow for paper votes or individual candidate votes, at the discretion of the Mayor.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, 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: Lisa Natusch, Deputy City Clerk
Reviewed by: Walter C. Rossmann, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager