City of Sunnyvale  
Meeting Minutes  
Sustainability Commission  
Tuesday, February 20, 2024  
7:00 PM  
Online and Bay Conference Room, City  
Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA  
94086  
CALL TO ORDER  
Chair Kunz called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Bay Conference Room  
(Room 145) at City Hall.  
SALUTE TO THE FLAG  
Chair Kunz led the salute to the flag.  
ROLL CALL  
Present: 6 - Chair Douglas Kunz  
Vice Chair Tonya Veitch  
Commissioner Kathryn Besser  
Commissioner Bobbykin Makwana  
Commissioner Jeffery Nabhan  
Commissioner Kristina Pistone  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Kristel Wickham  
Commissioner Wickham's absence was excused by general  
consent.  
Council Liaison - Councilmember Din (absent)  
PRESENTATION  
24-0370  
PRESENTATION - SVCE Programs Update  
Nupur Hiremath, Manager of Decarbonization Programs and Policy and Zoe  
Elizabeth, Deputy Director of Decarbonization Programs and Policy, from Silicon  
Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) provided an overview of SVCE’s policy updates,  
community programs, incentive and rebate programs, and pathways for  
electrification. The Commission asked clarifying questions, and SVCE staff  
provided answers.  
STUDY SESSION  
24-0371  
Single Use Plastics Policy/Programs Update  
Shikha Gupta, Solid Waste Programs Division Manager, and Bailey Hall,  
Environmental Programs Specialist II, provided an update on the recently launched  
Reusable Foodware Pilot Project with Sunnyvale businesses. Commissioners  
asked clarifying questions, and staff provided answers.  
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS  
Residents Andrea Wald and Kristel Wickham thanked the Sustainability  
Commission for their efforts to highly rank Study Issue ESD 24-01, “Evaluate the  
Use of Artificial Turf versus Living Groundcover.” Both residents mentioned the  
Study Issue was ranked highly at the Council Strategic Study Session on February  
15, 2024.  
CONSENT CALENDAR  
Chair Kunz noted the January 16, 2024 meeting minutes contained an incomplete  
motion statement under the consent calendar.  
Commissioner Nabhan moved, and Commissioner Pistone seconded, a motion to  
approve the consent calendar items.  
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Vice Chair Veitch introduced a friendly amendment to  
vote separately on the two consent calendar items.  
Commissioner Nabhan accepted the friendly amendment.  
1.A  
24-0372  
Approve the Joint Study Session Minutes of November 30,  
2023, with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory, Planning and  
Sustainability Commissions.  
Commissioner Nabhan moved, and Commissioner Pistone seconded, a motion to  
approve itme 1.A in the consent calendar. The motion carried by the following vote:  
Yes: 6 - Chair Kunz  
Vice Chair Veitch  
Commissioner Besser  
Commissioner Makwana  
Commissioner Nabhan  
Commissioner Pistone  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Wickham  
1.B  
24-0373  
Approve the Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes of  
January 16, 2024  
Commissioner Nabhan moved, and Commissioner Pistone seconded, a motion to  
approve item 1.B in the consent calendar reflecting the correct motion statement for  
the January 16 consent calendar item. The motion carried by the following vote:  
Yes: 5 - Chair Kunz  
Commissioner Besser  
Commissioner Makwana  
Commissioner Nabhan  
Commissioner Pistone  
No: 0  
Absent: 1 - Commissioner Wickham  
Abstain: 1 - Vice Chair Veitch  
STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES  
None.  
NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS  
-Commissioner Comments  
Vice Chair Veitch and Commissioner Pistone thanked attendees and  
Commissioners for attending and promoting the two recent Sustainability Speaker  
Series events and provided information on where to watch the recorded webinars.  
The theme for fiscal year 2023/24 is “Water in a Changing Climate.”  
Chair Kunz thanked SVCE staff for their presentation and noted he has taken  
advantage of a few of the residential electrification programs offered. Chair Kunz  
encouraged Commissioners to watch the Active Transportation Update that was  
provided at the January 25 Council Strategic Workshop by Department of Public  
Works staff. Chair Kunz reported to the Commission that he provided public  
comment at two of the recent City Council meetings discussing potential Study  
Issues to advocate for the ESD Study Issues the Sustainability Commission ranked  
in January.  
-Staff Comments  
Christina Raby, Environmental Engineering Coordinator, reported on previous and  
upcoming events and reminder Commissioners to save the date for the upcoming  
Study Session with the City Council on Game Plan 2028 happening on March 19,  
2024.  
INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS  
24-0374  
Updated Annual Work Plan February 2024  
ADJOURNMENT  
The meeting was adjourned at 10:17 p.m.