REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Introduction of an Ordinance to Implement Amended City Charter Section 604(e) by Adding Chapter 2.30 to Title 2 (Administration and Personnel) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code Relating to the Appointment Process for Filling City Council Vacancies and Related Amendments to City Council Policy 7.3.15 (Appointment of Interim Council Members)
Report
BACKGROUND
On November 6, 2018, Sunnyvale voters approved amendments to City Charter section 604 (City Council Vacancies) (Attachment 1). One of the significant changes to Charter section 604 was to provide broader authority to the Council to appoint when a vacancy on the Council occurs. Section 604(e) requires that the Council adopt an ordinance establishing a public process for appointment, and this ordinance implements that requirement.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale Charter Section 604(e) requires that the Council adopt an ordinance establishing a public process for appointments to fill a vacancy on the City Council.
City Council Policy 7.3.15 (Attachment 2) contains a process for appointment of interim council members. It was adopted in 2010 with the purpose of promoting transparency by providing a clear process for the City Council to appoint an interim Councilmember to serve on a temporary basis when (1) a Councilmember is called to active military service, or (2) in the event a vacancy is created by the death or involuntary removal of a member from office within the last 180 days of their term, which was the only circumstance where appointment was allowed under the former provisions of Charter section 604.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a "project" with 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.
DISCUSSION
1. Charter Review Commission R...
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