City of Sunnyvale  
Meeting Minutes  
Sustainability Commission  
Monday, March 17, 2025  
7:00 PM  
Online and Redwood 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 Redwood Conference  
Room (Room 140) 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 Douglas Kunz  
Commissioner Richard Parenteau  
Commissioner Kristina Pistone  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Bobbykin Makwana  
Commissioner Makwana's absence was excused by general  
consent.  
Council Liaison - Councilmember Chang (present)  
Chair Veitch announced that Commissioner Makwana resigned from the  
Sustainability Commission.  
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS  
None.  
PRESENTATION  
25-0437  
PRESENTATION - Review Study Issue Process and  
Timelines  
Christina Raby, Environmental Engineering Coordinator, presented an overview of  
the Study Issue process and timeline to the Commission and answered questions.  
CONSENT CALENDAR  
25-0436  
Approve the Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes of  
February 18, 2025  
Commissioner Parenteau moved, and Commissioner Kunz seconded, a motion to  
approve the consent calendar. The motion carried by the following vote:  
Yes: 5 - Chair Veitch  
Vice Chair Nabhan  
Commissioner Kunz  
Commissioner Parenteau  
Commissioner Pistone  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Makwana  
Abstain: 1 - Commissioner Jansen  
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS  
25-0438  
Consideration for Adding a Member to the Sustainability  
Speaker Series Subcommittee  
Chair Veitch described the intention and responsibility of the Sustainability Speaker  
Series Subcommittee. The current members are Commissioners Makwana,  
Pistone and Chair Veitch. Due to Commissioner Makwana’s resignation, his seat  
on the Sustainability Speaker Series Subcommittee is vacant. Additionally, Chair  
Veitch expressed interest in relinquishing her seat if a second Commissioner was  
interested in serving on the Sustainability Speaker Series Subcommittee.  
Chair Veitch opened the floor for nominations.  
Commissioner Jansen asked about the Sustainability Speaker Series timeline,  
scheduling of events and responsibilities of each Subcommittee member.  
Commissioners Pistone, Kunz and Chair Veitch responded with answers and  
shared their experiences serving on the Subcommittee.  
Commissioner Jansen self-nominated herself.  
Vice Chair Nabhan self-nominated himself.  
Chair Veitch confirmed Commissioner Jansen and Vice Chair Nabhan’s  
self-nominations and asked if there were any other nominations.  
There were none.  
Chair Veitch closed the floor for nominations.  
Chair Veitch opened the Public Hearing.  
There were no public comments.  
Chair Veitch closed the Public Hearing.  
MOTION: Commissioner Kunz moved, and Commissioner Pistone seconded, a  
motion to approve vacating Commissioner Makwana’s seat and appointing  
Commissioner Jansen to the Sustainability Speaker Series Subcommittee.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
Yes: 6 - Chair Veitch  
Vice Chair Nabhan  
Commissioner Jansen  
Commissioner Kunz  
Commissioner Parenteau  
Commissioner Pistone  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Makwana  
MOTION: Commissioner Jansen moved, and Commissioner Kunz seconded, a  
motion to approve Chair Veitch relinquishing her seat and appointing Vice Chair  
Nabhan to the Sustainability Speaker Series Subcommittee.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
Yes: 6 - Chair Veitch  
Vice Chair Nabhan  
Commissioner Jansen  
Commissioner Kunz  
Commissioner Parenteau  
Commissioner Pistone  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Makwana  
STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES  
None.  
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS  
-Commissioner Comments  
Commissioner Parenteau inquired about how federal funding may be impacting city  
operations as well as progress toward our climate goals.  
Madeline Khair, Environmental Programs Manager, responded that a discussion  
around this topic must be agendized first, and suggested that the Commission  
attend or listen to the City Council’s Budget Workshop in May where this topic will  
be discussed.  
Councilmember Chang provided a brief description of some of the immediate  
impacts that the federal funding freezes are having on City projects.  
Commissioner Pistone promoted the March 19 Sustainability Speaker Series event,  
encouraged Commissioners and the public to contact their representatives to  
support climate action and shared an audiobook, What If We Get It Right?: Visions  
of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.  
Chair Veitch encouraged new Commissioners to attend the upcoming Sustainability  
Speaker Series event.  
Commissioner Pistone reminded the Commission that all of the Sustainability  
Speaker Series events are recorded and can be watched on YouTube.  
Commissioner Jansen informed the Commission of SB 341: Instructional School  
Garden Program, that plans to establish gardens at schools in California.  
Commissioner Jansen promoted the April 9 California School Garden Advocacy  
Day event at the Holiday Inn in Sacramento, CA.  
Chair Veitch announced that April is Earth Month and asked staff to let the  
Commission know if their support is needed at Sunnyvale’s Earth Day Festival.  
Councilmember Chang provided highlights from the recent Council Strategic Study  
Session to the Commission.  
-Staff Comments  
Ms. Raby reported on previous and upcoming events.  
INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS  
25-0439  
Updated Annual Work Plan March 2025  
ADJOURNMENT  
The meeting was adjourned at 9:12 p.m.