City of Sunnyvale  
Meeting Minutes  
Charter Review Committee  
Thursday, August 7, 2025  
5:00 PM  
Online and Redwood Conference Room,  
City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale,  
CA 94086  
CALL TO ORDER  
Chair Larsson called the meeting to order at 5:01 p.m.  
SALUTE TO THE FLAG  
Chair Larsson led the salute to the United States flag.  
ROLL CALL  
Present: 8 -  
Chair Gustav Larsson  
Vice Chair Kristel Wickham  
Member Kathryn Filley  
Member David Newswanger  
Member Timothy Oey  
Member Ken Olevson  
Member Martin Pyne  
Member Gail Rubino  
Absent: 2 -  
Member Galen Kim Davis  
Member Barry Vickrey  
Members Davis and Vickrey’s absences are excused.  
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS  
Steve Scandalis presented historical information related to Sunnyvale mayors and  
councilmembers between 1913 and 2025.  
CONSENT CALENDAR  
Public Comment opened at 5:10 p.m.  
No speakers.  
Public Comment closed at 5:10 p.m.  
MOTION: Committee Member Olevson moved and Committee Member  
Newswanger seconded the motion to approve agenda item 1.A as submitted.  
The motion carried with the following vote:  
Yes: 7 -  
Chair Larsson  
Vice Chair Wickham  
Member Filley  
Member Newswanger  
Member Olevson  
Member Pyne  
Member Rubino  
No: 0  
Absent: 2 -  
Member Davis  
Member Vickrey  
Abstain: 1 - Member Oey  
1.A  
25-0777  
Approve the Charter Review Committee Meeting Minutes of  
June 30, 2025  
Approve the Charter Review Committee Meeting Minutes of June 30, 2025 as  
submitted.  
PUBLIC HEARING/GENERAL BUSINESS  
2
25-0778  
Approval of Subcommittee #1 Recommendation Regarding  
Charter Section 611 (Regular Meetings)  
Committee Member Pyne provided the Subcommittee report on Charter Section 611  
(Regular Meetings). The Subcommittee recommends that no revisions be made to  
the language in Charter Section 611.  
Public Hearing opened at 5:15 p.m.  
Steve Scandalis shared support for the Subcommittee recommendation.  
Public Hearing closed at 5:17 p.m.  
MOTION: Committee Member Pyne moved and Committee Member Olevson  
seconded the motion to approve the Subcommittee recommendation: do not revise  
the current language of Charter Section 611.  
The motion carried with the following vote:  
Yes: 8 -  
Chair Larsson  
Vice Chair Wickham  
Member Filley  
Member Newswanger  
Member Oey  
Member Olevson  
Member Pyne  
Member Rubino  
No: 0  
Absent: 2 -  
Member Davis  
Member Vickrey  
3
25-0796  
Discussion of Possible Charter Amendments: Compensation  
(Section 605), Vacancies (Section 606), City Manager  
Authority to Settle Claims Over $50,000 (Article 8), and  
Alternative Project Delivery Methods for Public Works  
Contracts (Section 1309) Including Possible Direction  
Regarding Community Engagement  
Deputy City Manager Connie Verceles provided the staff report.  
Committee Members Pyne, Olevson and Newswanger provided the Subcommittee  
report on Charter Section 606 (Vacancies).  
Committee Members provided comments or questions:  
- Question related to statewide special elections and possible impacts on city  
elections.  
- Comment related to revising the Charter language to include “next statewide  
general municipal election”.  
Staff provided comments and answers:  
- Comment that further information is needed to determine the possible impact on  
city elections.  
Public Hearing opened at 5:50 p.m.  
Steve Scandalis requested that the Committee consider council vacancy history  
when revising the Charter language and communicated support for revising Section  
606 for there to be no more than one appointee allowed and appointments to be 10  
months or less.  
Public Hearing closed at 5:53 p.m.  
Committee Member Oey provided the Subcommittee report on Charter Section 605  
(Compensation).  
Committee Members provided comments or questions:  
- Comment in support of utilizing a current index and the Subcommittee’s  
recommendation of using the area median income to determine a percentage for  
compensation.  
- Comment related to pegging the compensation to a percentage or level of the  
median area income. For example, there are established income levels for  
affordable housing .  
- Comment in support of utilizing an index for compensation and phasing in an  
increase if the change is substantial.  
Public Hearing reopened at 6:10 p.m.  
Zachary Kaufman requested that the Committee consider implementing an index of  
council compensation of neighboring cities to determine Sunnyvale’s compensation.  
Steve Scandalis shared support of utilizing an index and commented that the roles  
should not be considered a livelihood or career role.  
Mei-Ling communicated support for disclosing the cost of benefits when presenting  
a compensation amendment to voters.  
Public Hearing closed at 6:17 p.m.  
Charter Issues: Article 8 (City Manager) and Section 1309 (Contracts on Public  
Works)  
Public Hearing reopened at 6:24 p.m.  
Steve Scandalis shared support for increasing the City Manager’s threshold for  
approving claims and settlements and amending Charter Section 1309.  
Public Hearing closed at 6:27 p.m.  
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS  
-Committee Member Comments  
Chair Larsson polled members on their availability for a Charter Review Committee  
(CRC) meeting on August 28 and September 4. The next CRC meeting is scheduled  
for 5 p.m. on September 4.  
-Staff Comments  
None.  
ADJOURNMENT  
Chair Larsson adjourned the meeting at 6:31 p.m.