REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Appoint Applicant to the Personnel Board
Report
DISCUSSION
The City Charter provides for the appointment of a five-member Personnel Board to act in an advisory capacity to the City Council and the City Manager on personnel administration, to hear and make findings on personnel appeals, conduct public hearings and make recommendation to Council relating to civil service rules and regulations, and to fulfill other duties relating to personnel administration.
A vacancy exists on the Personnel Board in the employee-nominated category. City Charter Section 1007 requires 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 provides 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 a member directly to fill the vacancy. Written notice of the vacancy was provided to the employees in the Classified Service on May 1, 2018. The six-month period for receiving nominations from employees for this vacancy expired November 1, 2018. No nominations were received by the deadline.
The vacancy has existed for several months, and it is important to fill it because appeals are pending. Council conducted interviews of board and commission applicants, including one individual who applied for the Personnel Board on October 2, as follows:
PERSONNEL BOARD - Employee-nominated seat (1 vacancy: term expires 6/30/2022)
Deepali Lugani
Per Council Policy 7.2.19, Boards and Commissions appointments of board and commission members are placed on the City Council meeting agenda.
If a member is appointed at this time, the term will become effective immediately.
If the candidate does not receive at least four affirmative votes, the vacancy will remain.
Following the appointment, the staff liaison for the Personnel Board will provide a board-specific orientation. The new member will be 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.
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 individual candidate votes or paper 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 a member of the Personnel Board for the employee-nominated position for a term effective immediately and expiring June 30, 2022.
2. Do not make an appointment and provide other direction to staff on how to proceed.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff makes no recommendation.
Staff
Prepared by: Kathleen Franco Simmons, City Clerk
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager