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, 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.
Per Council Policy 7.2.19 Boards and Commissions, appointments of board and commission members are placed on the City Council meeting agenda. When one or more Councilmembers participate via teleconference, the appointment process is conducted by 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.
For each board or commission with both full 4-year term vacancies and shorter 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 to the shorter term.
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 10 and May 11 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 6/30/2025)
Casilda de Benito - (only preference)
Dawna Eskridge (only preference) - Incumbent
Winnie Lam - (only preference)
Lucie Ramos - (only preference)
Pamela Sharma - (4th preference)
Neela Shukla - (2nd preference)
Richard Walrod - (only preference)
Roland Yambao - (only preference)
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (one Category Two term to 6/30/2022 and two Category One terms to 6/30/2025*)
Ulirch (Alex) Bonne - (Category One - 2nd preference)
Arwen Davé - (Category One - only preference) - Incumbent
Shandor Dektor - (Categories One & Two - 2nd preference)
Ronald Kundich - (Categories One & Two - 2nd preference)
Ravindranath Narayana - (Categories One & Two - 2nd preference)
Sudeshna Pabi - (Categories One & Two - 2nd preference)
Mihir Paradkar - (Category One - 2nd preference)
Kristina Pistone - (Category One - 2nd preference)
Board of Building Code Appeals (one term to 6/30/2024 and one term to 6/30/2025)
Sudeshna Pabi - (3rd preference)
Yonghong Shen - (only preference) - Incumbent
Board of Library Trustees (one term from 8/1/2021 to 6/30/2022 and one term to 6/30/2025)
Kathy Boelter - (only preference)
Barbara Brunasso - (only preference)
Timothy Morrisroe - (only preference)
Leesa Riviere - (4th preference)
Michael Serrone - (only preference)
Pamela Sharma - (3rd preference)
Linnea Shieh - (only preference)
Sharlene Wang - (only preference) - Incumbent
Heritage Preservation Commission (one term to 6/30/2025)
Ravindranath Narayana - (4th preference)
Pamela Sharma - (2nd preference)
Housing and Human Services Commission (one term to 6/30/2024 and three terms to 6/30/2025)
Jim Davis - (only preference)
Scott Duncan - (only preference)
Srikanthaiah (Ken) Hiremath - (only preference) - Incumbent
Leesa Riviere - (1st preference)
Parks and Recreation Commission (two terms to 6/30/2025)
Shandor Dektor - (1st preference)
David Kesting - (only preference)
Ronald Kundich - (1st preference)
Dona Mason - (only preference)
Sachihiko (Mike) Michitaka - (only preference) - Incumbent
Ravindranath Narayana - (1st preference)
Leesa Riviere - (2nd preference)
Pamela Sharma - (1st preference)
On May 10, 2021, Narottam Joshi withdrew their application for the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Personnel Board (Council-Nominated Seat, one term to 6/30/2025)
No applications received
Planning Commission (one term to 6/30/2025)
Shandor Dektor - (4th preference)
Mehmet (Matt) Pamukcu - (2nd preference)
Mihir Paradkar - (1st preference)
Martin Pyne - (only preference)
Leesa Riviere - (4th preference)
Neela Shukla - (1st preference)
Sustainability Commission (two terms to 6/30/2025**)
Ulirch (Alex) Bonne - (Category One - 1st preference
Shandor Dektor - (Category One - 3rd preference)
Ralph Kenton - (Category One - only preference)
Jonathan Lee - (Category One - only preference)
Avanti Nadgir - (Category One - only preference)
Ravindranath (Ravi) Narayana - (Category One - 3rd preference)
Sudeshna Pabi - (Category One - 1st preference)
Mehmet (Matt) Pamukcu - (Category One - 1st preference)
Kristina Pistone - (Category One - 1st preference)
Justin Wang - (Category One - only preference)
* Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission must have four Category One members (resident and registered voter of the City) and three Category Two members (contributing member of Parent Teacher Association, neighborhood association, principal/teacher from Sunnyvale schools); the balance of the current makeup is two Category One and two Category Two members.
** Sustainability Commission must have a minimum of three Category One members (Sunnyvale registered voter) 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.
Terms will be effective July 1, 2021. 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 2021.
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 agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety. In addition, the agenda and report are available at 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: David Carnahan, City Clerk
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager