City of Sunnyvale  
Meeting Minutes  
Charter Review Committee  
Thursday, February 6, 2025  
6:00 PM  
Online and Redwood Conference Room,  
City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale,  
CA 94086  
OATH OF OFFICE FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS  
City Clerk David Carnahan administered the Oath of Office to appointed Committee  
Members.  
CALL TO ORDER  
Deputy City Manager Connie Verceles called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.  
SALUTE TO THE FLAG  
Deputy City Manager Verceles led the salute to the United States flag.  
ROLL CALL  
Present: 10 -  
Member Galen Kim Davis  
Member Kathryn Filley  
Member Gustav Larsson  
Member Timothy Oey  
Member Ken Olevson  
Member Martin Pyne  
Member Gail Rubino  
Member Paulette Saldanha  
Member Barry Vickrey  
Member Kristel Wickham  
Absent: 1 - Member David Newswanger  
Member Newswanger's absence is excused.  
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS  
Zachary Kaufman commented on the results of the November 2024 Charter  
Amendment ballot measure and requested the percentage of no votes be included  
when presenting the results of the ballot measure.  
PUBLIC HEARING/GENERAL BUSINESS  
1
25-0015  
Committee Member and Staff Introductions; Questions Related  
to Procedures and Training  
Deputy City Manager Connie Verceles provided the staff report.  
Staff and Committee Members provided introductions and details of their current  
and past public service.  
Committee Members asked questions and staff responded regarding the differences  
between General Law and Charter cities.  
Public Hearing opened at 6:16 p.m.  
No speakers.  
Public Hearing closed at 6:16 p.m.  
2
25-0014  
Selection of Chair and Vice Chair  
Public Hearing opened at 6:20 p.m.  
Steve Scandalis voiced support for Gustav Larsson as Chair and provided  
suggestions relating qualifications of a Vice Chair. They shared support for Tim Oey  
and Ken Olevson as potential Vice Chairs.  
Public Hearing closed at 6:22 p.m.  
Deputy City Manager Verceles opened nominations for the office of Chair.  
Committee Member Oey nominated Committee Member Larsson. Committee  
Member Larsson accepted the nomination.  
With no further nominations, Deputy City Manager Verceles closed nominations for  
the office of Chair. Committee Member Larsson will serve as Chair.  
Deputy City Manager Verceles opened nominations for the office of Vice Chair.  
Committee Member Oey nominated Committee Member Wickham. Committee  
Member Wickham accepted the nomination.  
Committee Member Wickham nominated Committee Member Oey. Committee  
Member Oey declined the nomination.  
With no further nominations, Deputy City Manager Verceles closed nominations for  
the office of Vice Chair. Member Wickham will serve as Vice Chair.  
3
25-0016  
Discussion and Possible Action to Approve Meeting Schedule  
and Length  
Deputy City Manager Verceles provided the staff report.  
Public Hearing opened at 6:34 p.m.  
Steve Scandalis shared support for scheduling Charter Review Committee meetings  
on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. They also commented on a  
meeting start time of 6 p.m. with a duration of two hours.  
Public Hearing closed at 6:36 p.m.  
Committee Members shared their preferences related to the meeting schedule and  
the length of meetings.  
MOTION: Committee Member Oey moved and Committee Member Filley seconded  
the motion to meet from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month and  
meet from 6 to 8 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month.  
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Committee Member Pyne offered a friendly amendment  
to meet from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. Committee Members  
Oey and Filley accepted the friendly amendment.  
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Chair Larsson offered a friendly amendment to remove  
the meeting dates of March 27, July 24, and September 25. Committee Members  
Oey and Filley accepted the friendly amendment.  
MOTION AS AMENDED RESTATED: Committee Member Oey moved and  
Committee Member Filley seconded the motion to meet from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on the  
first Thursday of the month and meet from 6 to 8 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of  
every other month. The Committee will meet on:  
February 27 (tentative meeting)  
March 6  
April 3  
April 24 (tentative meeting)  
May 1  
June 5  
June 26 (tentative meeting)  
July 3  
August 7  
August 28 (tentative meeting)  
September 4  
October 2  
October 23 (tentative meeting)  
November 6  
December 4  
The motion as amended carried with the following vote:  
Yes: 10 -  
Member Davis  
Member Filley  
Member Larsson  
Member Oey  
Member Olevson  
Member Pyne  
Member Rubino  
Member Saldanha  
Member Vickrey  
Member Wickham  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Member Newswanger  
MOTION: Committee Member Filley moved and Committee Member Davis  
seconded the motion for the Committee to meet on February 27.  
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Committee Member Wickham offered a friendly  
amendment to meet from 5 to 7 p.m. Committee Members Filley and Davis accepted  
the friendly amendment.  
The motion as amended carried with the following vote:  
Yes: 10 -  
Member Davis  
Member Filley  
Member Larsson  
Member Oey  
Member Olevson  
Member Pyne  
Member Rubino  
Member Saldanha  
Member Vickrey  
Member Wickham  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Member Newswanger  
4
25-0035  
Review of Scope for Charter Review Committee and  
Discussion of Work Plan  
Senior Assistant City Attorney Melissa Tronquet provided the staff report.  
Public Hearing opened at 7:24 p.m.  
Zachary Kaufman shared support for the Committee’s scope to include a discussion  
related to Sunnyvale residency for City-elected positions specifically how long a  
candidate must reside in the city (mayor) or the district (councilmember). They  
suggested a five-year residency for the office of mayor and between two and  
five-years for councilmembers.  
Steve Scandalis shared support for discussions related to Sunnyvale residency  
requirements and potential regulations relating to mobile home acreage.  
Public Hearing closed at 7:29 p.m.  
Deputy City Manager Verceles shared with the Committee, on behalf of Committee  
Member David Newswanger, that the Committee consider the residency  
requirement for mayor and councilmembers.  
The Committee discussed or suggested recommendations related to the  
Committee’s scope and work plan:  
- Comments in support of reviewing the Charter thoroughly (page by page).  
- Comment in support of assigning “reading/home work”.  
- Suggestion that the Committee review the Charter page by page simultaneously  
and that the Committee allocate three meetings to complete this task.  
- Comments in support of allocating three meetings to review the Charter.  
The Committee took a recess at 7:46 p.m. and reconvened at 7:51 p.m. with all  
Members present.  
- Comments in support of forming ad-hoc committees.  
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS  
-Committee Member Comments  
None.  
-Staff Comments  
None.  
ADJOURNMENT  
Deputy City Manager Verceles adjourned the meeting at 8:14 p.m.