MINUTES OF JULY 1, 2025
SPECIAL MEETING
FOR INTERVIEWS OF ADVISORY BODY APPLICANTS
Meeting video available at: https://youtu.be/yBioDwGqtGs?si=4FdkfLY1xXKKaiJu To access a guide on how to activate transcripts for the Town’s video recordings, visit https://www.cortemadera.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10133/How-to-Activate-and-Use-the-Transcript-Feature-onYouTube PUBLIC ATTENDANCE OPTIONS FOR THIS MEETING:
Members of the public had the option to attend the meeting in person, or view and participate in the meeting remotely through the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84104397707 Attendees could also call in using: 1 (408) 638-0968 (Zoom webinar ID: 841 0439 7707) Or iPhone one-tap: +14086380968,,84104397707#
Options for Submitting Public Comment for this meeting:
1. Emailing [email protected] prior to 5:00 PM on the day of the meeting,
2. Attending the meeting in-person at the Town Council Chambers, 300 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera
3. Selecting the “Raise Hand” icon in the Zoom meeting or dialing *9 if calling in to the meeting.
To download the complete agenda packet for this meeting, visit our archive center:
https://www.cortemadera.gov/archive.aspx
1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Mayor Ravasio called the Meeting of the Town Council to order at the Town Council Chambers, 300 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera, CA on July 1, 2025 at 4:30PM.
Councilmembers Present: Mayor Ravasio, Vice Mayor Thomas, Councilmembers Andrews, Beckman and Casissa
Councilmembers Absent: None
Staff Present: Town Manager Adam Wolff
Town Attorney Amy Ackerman
Finance Director Chris Petlock
Town Clerk/Assistant to the Town Manager Lorena Barrera
2. PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM 3 ONLY
Mayor Ravasio opened up the item for public comment.
No public comment was received via email or from in-person or online attendees.
Mayor Ravasio closed public comment.
3. INTERVIEWS OF ADVISORY BODY APPLICANTS
Mayor Ravasio introduced the item and explained the process conducted in this year’s annual recruitment.
Mayor Ravasio thanked staff and explained to the applicants that the questions for the interviews would be read out and that they were the same questions that had been emailed to applicants the Friday before the meeting. Each question had an assigned time limit and would be read out for each applicant to respond to.
The Town Council interviewed applicants for consideration for appointment to serve a term on the body that was applied for. Upon the conclusion of the interviews for each advisory body, Council deliberated and took a vote on the appointments made.
A. SALES TAX CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE
(Discussion begins at 2:36 / 1:11:14 https://youtu.be/yBioDwGqtGs?si=6sOWqdyUUYrVTVCz&t=156) Town Clerk/Assistant to the Town Manager Lorena Barrera announced that Nikita Khanderia contacted staff earlier in the day and decided to withdraw her application from consideration on both the Sales Tax Citizens’ Oversight Committee and the Finance Advisory Committee.
Barrera also announced that the incumbent Christopher McBride contacted staff a day before and stated it was likely he could not participate in his interview as he was very ill. However, he July 1, 2025 Corte Madera Town Council Special Meeting Minutes 2 would be checking the website to see if vacancies remained after this meeting as he remained interested in serving on the Committee and was willing to interview at a later date if possible.
Council interviewed the following individual:
• Karen Lang
The interview questions used for each Sales Tax Citizens’ Oversight Committee applicant included:
a. Opening Statement - one minute
This is your opportunity to share a little about yourself, your family, your involvement with any other organizations in town, etc.,
b. Three questions - two minutes each
1. What motivated you to apply for the Sales Tax Citizens’ Oversight Committee and what specific skills, knowledge, and experience do you bring that are relevant to oversight?
2. What is your understanding of the responsibilities and role of this oversight committee within our organization/government context?
3. What do you hope to accomplish by your participation? c. Closing Statement (Optional) - one minute
Councilmember Eli Beckman asked staff whether it was okay for Council to include incumbent Chris McBride as an appointee to the committee since it has been Council’s practice to appoint incumbents without interviewing before the Council, if their seat is not being challenged. As Nikita Khanderia withdrew her application. Staff confirmed that is an option.
Mayor Ravasio called for a motion.
MOTION: It was M/S/C (Beckman/Casissa) to appoint Karen Lang and re-appoint Christopher McBride (should he accept) to a two-year term commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring June 30, 2027.
ROLL CALL VOTE: 5-0 in favor of the motion.
B. FINANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
(Discussion begins at 15:12 / 1:11:14 https://youtu.be/yBioDwGqtGs?si=v4iaIdF6IfmWwhx9&t=912) Town Clerk/Assistant to the Town Manager Lorena Barrera explained the appointment process for this committee as all appointees are new and there are more applicants than available seats.
Barrera also reminded Council that Nikita Khanderia withdrew her application and therefore, some changes in the order of the interviews will have to be made as applicants were provided with a timeslot for their interview and due to being early in the process, there is a chance that some applicants might not present at the current time as they might be arriving closer to the time of their interview.
Mayor Ravasio thanked staff for the update and proceeded with the interviews.
Council interviewed the following individuals:
• Henry Faust
• Karl Spurzem
• Glen Roth (virtual interview)
• Larry Reed
• Karen Lang and Bibhav Chapagain
The interview questions used for each Finance Advisory Committee applicant included:
a. Four questions - two minutes each
1. Please share a little about yourself including your education and explain what motivated you to apply for the Finance Advisory Committee and what you hope to accomplish by your participation.
July 1, 2025 Corte Madera Town Council Special Meeting Minutes 3
2. What experience/expertise would you bring to the Committee? (please include details of your general experience working with financial documents and your specific experience, if any, working with municipal finance, pension fund accounting, and investments)
3. This Committee was created with the purpose of advising the Town Council and its Subsidiary District, Marin Sanitary District No. 2 (“SD2”) Board on fiscal policy, investment and financing strategies, and other matters related to the long-term fiscal health of the Town and SD2.
What is your familiarity with the Town and SD2 financials? How do you envision the Committee working to fulfill its purpose and what do you think some of the core responsibilities of the Committee should be?
4. What financial challenges, if any, do you see the Town/SD2 facing in the next several years and how do you envision proactively addressing them? b. Closing Statement (Optional) - one minute
Council deliberated on the interviews conducted for the Finance Advisory Committee. Mayor Ravasio called for a motion.
MOTION: It was M/S/C (Casissa/Thomas) to appoint Karl Spurzem, Larry Reed, Karen Lang, Bibhav Chapagain, and Glen Roth to the Finance Advisory Committee.
ROLL CALL VOTE: 5-0 in favor of the motion.
Town Clerk/ Assistant to the Town Manager Lorena Barrera explained that for the assignment by lot, Council would conduct a random draw ("lot") among the members. Barrera wrote each appointed member's name on a slip of paper and put them in a basket. Mayor Ravasio pulled two names from the basket. The two drawn members, Glen Roth and Karl Spurzem will serve initial one-year terms from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 and the remaining members, Karen Lang, Larry Reed and Bibhav Chapagain, will serve full two-year terms from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
4. DELIBERATIONS AND APPOINTMENT OF APPLICANTS TO SERVE TERMS FOR THE
DESIGNATED BODY
Upon the conclusion of the interviews for each advisory body, Council deliberated and took the votes recorded above.
5. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Ravasio adjourned the meeting at 5:45PM to the regular Town Council meeting on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 6:30PM.