REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Appoint Applicants to the Arts Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Board of Library Trustees, Heritage Preservation Commission, Human Relations Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Personnel Board, 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.
Pursuant to 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 by 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 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 terms and shorter-term 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. Council will identify which of the candidates who received the sufficient affirmative votes will be selected to serve the shorter term(s). The Council decision will be made by motion.
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 8 and May 9 Council meeting packets and upon request from the Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@sunnyvale.ca.gov or 408-730-7483. Applications not included in the May 8 and May 9 Council meeting packets are included as Attachment 1 to this report:
Arts Commission (one term to 6/30/2027)
Agnes Veith (only preference) - Incumbent
Albina Chebykina (only preference)
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission* (one term to 6/30/2027 could be Category One or Category Two)
Dan Hafeman (Category One - only preference) - Incumbent
Jonathan Wilson (Category One - 2nd preference)
Kathie Lee (Category One - only preference)
Ravi Narayana (Category One - 2nd preference)
Tony Cheng (Category One - only preference)
Board of Library Trustees (one term to 6/30/2027)
Carter Hu (2nd preference)
Prashant Gattani (3rd preference)
Heritage Preservation Commission (two terms to 6/30/2027)
Ravi Narayana (4th preference)
Housing and Human Services Commission (one term to 6/30/2027)
No applications received.
Human Relations Commission (five terms**)
Aaron Safoer (Category One - 2nd preference)
Cecil Dobbs (Category One - only preference)
Claudia Camacho (Category One - only preference)
Delia Ayala (Category One - only preference)
Elva De La Torre (Category One - only preference)
Gabriela Sanchez (Category One - only preference)
Jose Leon (Category One - only preference)
Luz Ayala (Category One - only preference)
Maria Ayala (Category One - only preference)
Maria Paulina Zapata (Category One - only preference)
Nambi Sankaran (Category One - only preference)
Narendra Pathak (Category One - only preference)
Nenuca Syquia (Category One - only preference)
Ofilia Mota (Category One - only preference)
Rafael Ibarra (Category One - only preference)
Reyna Ayala (Category One - only preference)
Venkata Siva Ramisetty (Category One - only preference)
Victoria Armigo (Category One - only preference)
Yecenia Morales Alvarez (Category One - only preference)
Parks and Recreation Commission (two terms to 6/30/2027)
Prashant Gattani (1st preference)
Prakash Giri (only preference) - Incumbent
Ravi Narayana (1st preference)
Personnel Board (two Council-nominated terms to 6/30/2027)
Marc Ketzel (only preference) - Incumbent
Planning Commission (two terms to 6/30/2026)
Aaron Safoer (1st preference)
Carter Hu (1st preference)
David Kesting (only preference)
Galen Davis (only preference)
Nathan Iglesias (only preference)
Sustainability Commission*** (One term to 6/30/2025 and one term to 6/30/2027)
Aaron Safoer (Category One - 3rd preference)
Bobbykin Makwana (Category One - only preference)
Kathryn Besser (Category One - only preference) - Incumbent
Jonathan Wilson (Category One - 1st preference)
Tomasz Jasionowski (Category One - only preference)
Ravi Narayana (Category One - 3rd preference)
* Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Category One Members represent bicyclists and pedestrians who live in Sunnyvale. Up-to-two Members may be Category Two Members, who live outside Sunnyvale and represent parent groups, school administrators, teachers, commute coordinators for major employers in the city the balance of the current makeup is six Category One members.
** Initial Human Relations Commission terms will be staggered as following to maintain institutional knowledge in the future. All subsequent appointments to the Human Relations Commission will be for full 4-year terms.
• One term to 6/30/2024
• One term to 6/30/2025
• One term to 6/30/2026
• Two terms to 6/30/2027
*** Sustainability Commission must have a minimum of three Category One members (Sunnyvale resident) 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.
Full 4-year terms will be effective July 1, 2023; shorter vacancies that exist due to a resignation will be effective May 17, 2023. 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 2023.
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 meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the NOVA Workforce Services reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), 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
ATTACHMENTS
1. Additional Board and Commission Applications (pages without responses have been removed)