REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Appointed Members to the Climate Action Plan (CAP 2.0) Advisory Committee (Information Only)
Report
BACKGROUND
As a part of the Council Priority, Accelerating Climate Action, the City is embarking on the CAP 2.0 Initiative - a planning and community engagement effort to update the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) to address bolder, longer-term goals.
In June 2017, City Council approved the creation of a CAP 2.0 Advisory Committee (RTC 17-0592), a community advisory committee that represents the broad interests of the Sunnyvale community to guide the development of CAP 2.0. The CAC will facilitate more in-depth education, dialogue, and deliberations on relevant policy issues and will ultimately provide a more open and transparent public review process. The CAC will have 11 primary members (including 4 representatives from Commissions) and 3 alternate members.
In June, the Mayor appointed a Council Ad Hoc Subcommittee (Vice Mayor Larsson, and Councilmembers Klein and Smith) to review applications and select members to serve on the CAC. Staff met with the Subcommittee in July to review and discuss the CAC recruitment process, including the draft application form, anticipated schedule, and outreach strategy for recruitment.
Staff began the CAC recruitment process in mid-July. The recruitment was advertised widely across the City to ensure that the applicant pool was demographically and geographically broad and had representatives of key organizations and interest groups (e.g., residents, businesses, volunteer/non-profit groups). Advertising included announcements on the City website, in the Sunnyvale Sun, through the City’s social media outlets, and via fliers on City bulletin boards and at local businesses. Email announcements were also sent to: neighborhood associations, registered users of Open City Hall, the City’s business and real estate contact lists, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Association, Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, and volunteer and non-profit groups (e.g., Sunnyvale Cool, Livable Sunnyvale, Acterra). Applicants could apply online via Open City Hall, via email, or using a hard copy application (available at the Library, City Hall, or Community Center).
EXISTING POLICY
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
Policy 7.2.1: Community Engagement-Goals and Policies
Policy 7.4.13: Council Subcommittees and Council or Mayor-Created Advisory Task Forces
DISCUSSION
Fifty (50) applications were received for this recruitment. The Subcommittee held a meeting in August to discuss the criteria and selection process. On September 18, 2017, the Subcommittee held a meeting to deliberate the applicants and appoint members to the CAC. The Subcommittee discussed the top ranked candidates and strived to assemble a Committee that represented diverse perspectives, academic and professional backgrounds, and categories (e.g., small and large businesses), recognizing that some candidates satisfied more than one category. The Subcommittee expressed appreciation for the high caliber of applicants.
The Subcommittee appointed the following primary members to the CAC. This list also includes representatives from three Commissions (Sustainability, Planning, and Bicycle and Pedestrian) who were nominated at their August meetings and confirmed by the Subcommittee in September.
In addition, the Subcommittee selected and ranked three alternates to fill a position in any of the non-Commission categories, should a member resign from the CAC, in the following order:
1. Andrew Ma
2. Jasneet Sharma
3. Douglas Kunz
Staff have notified and confirmed the participation of primary and alternate members as of September 22, 2017.
The first CAC meeting will be held September 28, 2017 and will focus on the City’s participation in the 2017 Bloomberg Mayors Challenge, which is complementary to CAP 2.0. (The Bloomberg Mayors Challenge is a $5 million grant funding opportunity by Bloomberg Philanthropies to help cities address their most pressing problems. Applications are due October 20, 2017). CAC meetings are open to the public and the agenda packet for the first meeting was posted on the City’s website on Monday, September 25, 2017.
Regular CAC meetings will begin in October after the CAP 2.0 consultant is on board.
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.
Staff
Prepared by: Nupur Hiremath, Sustainability Coordinator
Reviewed by: Melody Tovar, Interim Director, Environmental Services
Approved by: Kent Steffens, Interim City Manager