City of Sunnyvale  
Meeting Minutes  
Sustainability Commission  
Monday, November 18, 2024  
7:00 PM  
Online and Bay Conference Room,  
City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave.,  
Sunnyvale, CA 94086  
CALL TO ORDER  
Chair Veitch called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. in the Bay Conference Room  
(Room 145) at City Hall.  
SALUTE TO THE FLAG  
Chair Veitch led the salute to the flag.  
ROLL CALL  
Present: 6 -  
Chair Tonya Veitch  
Vice Chair Jeffery Nabhan  
Commissioner Cortney Jansen  
Commissioner Bobbykin Makwana  
Commissioner Richard Parenteau  
Commissioner Kristina Pistone  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Douglas Kunz  
Commissioner Kunz's absence was excused by general consent.  
Council Liaison – Councilmember Melingher (absent)  
Council Liaison – Councilmember Sell (present)  
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS  
Joe inquired about Sunnyvale’s Public Library construction project and requested  
that a green roof be considered in the design plans.  
CONSENT CALENDAR  
1
24-1163  
Approve the Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes of  
October 28, 2024  
Commissioner Parenteau moved, and Commissioner Jansen seconded, a motion to  
approve the consent calendar. The motion carried by the following vote:  
Yes: 6 -  
Chair Veitch  
Vice Chair Nabhan  
Commissioner Jansen  
Commissioner Makwana  
Commissioner Parenteau  
Commissioner Pistone  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Kunz  
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS  
2
24-1164  
Recommendation to the Council Subcommittee on Board and  
Commission Effectiveness  
The Commission provided comments, questions and recommendations for the Chair  
and Vice Chair to bring to the Council Subcommittee on November 19, 2024, to  
improve on Board and Commission Effectiveness.  
The following recommendations were drafted for the Chair and Vice Chair:  
- Potential for community news channel for more effective communication between  
members of the public and Commissions. Leverage Neighborhood Association  
newsletters and/or Horizon newsletter for the City to push out information on what  
the Commissions do, and what discussion topics are agendized.  
- Clarification for the public on why Commissioners cannot respond directly.  
Response could also include general guidance on the purview of the Sustainability  
Commission.  
- Additional information in meeting minutes. Potential opportunity for staff liaisons to  
utilize Zoom transcription tool to develop a summary of meeting minutes.  
- More Joint Study Session meetings for Commissioners to meet on topics that  
intersect between two or more Commissions.  
- Commissioners should attend annual Chair and Vice Chair training.  
- Add highlights on Commission webpage to announce annual key achievements.  
- Appreciative of oral communications being first item on agenda and would like it  
publicized on the City’s website.  
- Additional opportunities not on weekday evenings that would happen infrequently  
for members of the public to provide oral communications.  
3
24-1165  
Approve 2025 Draft Annual Work Plan  
The Commission discussed finalizing the Draft 2025 Annual Work Plan. The Draft  
Work Plan was prepared by staff in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair and  
reflects topics prioritized by the Commission.  
Chair Veitch opened the public hearing at 8:04 p.m.  
No public comments were made.  
Chair Veitch closed the public hearing at 8:05 p.m.  
Vice Chair Nabhan moved, and Commissioner Parenteau seconded, a motion to  
approve the 2025 Draft Master Work Plan.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
Yes: 6 -  
Chair Veitch  
Vice Chair Nabhan  
Commissioner Jansen  
Commissioner Makwana  
Commissioner Parenteau  
Commissioner Pistone  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Kunz  
STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES  
None.  
NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS  
-Commissioner Comments  
Commissioner Parenteau inquired about additional staff listening in to the meeting.  
Christina Raby, Interim Environmental Programs Manager, responded that the City  
Clerk was training staff how to host public meetings in the Bay Conference Room.  
Commissioner Jansen shared a KQED episode called ‘Power Metal’ Examines the  
Cost of Our Battery-Powered Lives, for the Commission to listen to.  
Commissioner Parenteau asked when WayMo will be in Sunnyvale.  
Councilmember Sell responded that in the City Manager’s Update Sunnyvale  
newsletter, there is an article on when WayMo will be in Sunnyvale.  
-Staff Comments  
Ms. Raby reported on past and upcoming events.  
INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS  
24-1166  
Annual Work Plan November 2024  
ADJOURNMENT  
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.