DATE: August 4, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Sofia Mangalam, Community Development Director
Nori Jabba, Housing Coordinator
Priscilla Schaus, Communications Director/City Clerk
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
City Clerk
SUBJECT: APPROVING AN AMENDED POLICY STATEMENT FOR THE
CITIZENS SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a Resolution (Attachment 1) amending the policy statement for the Citizens Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC) and find the request exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15061(B)(3).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Citizens Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC) serves in an advisory capacity at the pleasure of the City Council and advises the City Council on sustainability issues facing Foster City regarding Environmental, Economic, or Social sustainability. CSAC comprises 10 members, including:
Five (5) Foster City Resident voting member seats;
Two (2) Foster City Resident youth voting member seats; Two (2) In-town Business voting member seats, comprised of One (1) business voting member should be from one of the City’s major employers; and
One (1) business voting member should be from one of the City’s small businesses; and
One (1) in-town Non-Profit voting member seat.
The current policy statement for CSAC includes that the five (5) resident members and two (2) youth members shall be selected through an application and the City Council selection process. The three (3) business and one (1) non-profit members will be selected by City Staff with advice and feedback from the Sustainability Subcommittee Council liaisons, and final approval of City Council.
On March 3, 2025, the City Council via Minute Order No. 2015, directed staff to disband the City Council Standing Subcommittees, including Land Use, Infrastructure/Facilities, Communications & Public Engagement, Transportation, and Economic Development/Sustainability.
As noted above, the current policy statement requires that “the three (3) business and one (1) non-profit seat be selected by City staff with advice and feedback from Sustainability Subcommittee Council liaisons, and final approval of City Council.” However, as noted above, the Sustainability Subcommittee has been disbanded. Therefore, staff recommends amending the CSAC policy statement to require all applicants to apply through the City’s standard application process. This change will simplify the process and broaden the opportunity for multiple businesses and non-profit entities to apply for vacant seats on the Committee. Additionally, staff recommends making minor revisions to the current policy statement to align the Committee’s purpose with its current work.
Staff recommends amending the current policy statement for the Committee to: a) align the Committee’s purpose with the current work and focus of the Committee; b) streamline recruitment procedures to align with Minute Order No. 2015, improve efficiency, and expand opportunities for members of the public to apply; and c) modify various clauses for improved clarity.
These changes, if approved, will be implemented for the current recruitment of five (5) vacancies, which closed on July 31, 2025. All candidates will be interviewed and considered for an appointment by the City Council at the August 18, 2025, City Council meeting.
BACKGROUND
On June 18, 2018, the City Council approved a limited-term CSAC in an advisory capacity to advise the City Council on: (1) sustainability issues facing Foster City regarding Environmental, Economic, and Social sustainability, and (2) research, review and provide comments on proposed programs and initiatives to be included in the two-year Sustainable Foster City Plan. At the time, CSAC was established as a five (5) member committee with a limited duration of one (1) year. After completing its limited-term purpose of assisting staff in creating a draft of the Sustainable Foster City Plan, CSAC was disbanded.
In 2021, the City entered into a contract with Integrated Design 360 LLC (ID360) to assess the City’s climate action performance since the adoption of the Climate Action Plan in 2016. ID360 made a series of recommendations to aid staff in developing an update to the City’s Climate Action Plan. One of their recommendations, “Conduct Stakeholder Engagement,” included two (2) components – reinstate CSAC and develop a public outreach and stakeholder engagement plan.
Subsequently, on May 2, 2022, the City Council reinstated the CSAC to support the City Council, City staff, and outside consultants in the climate action planning process and implementation of sustainability programs and initiatives. City Council Resolution No. 2022-46 included a policy statement for CSAC Committee management and operations.
On August 15, 2022, the City Council via City Resolution No. 2022-98 approved an amended policy statement for CSAC, changing the membership from one (1) youth member to two (2) youth members and updating the initial terms (Attachment 2).
Committee members are appointed for a term of three (3) years. Five (5) seats in the Committee are expiring on August 31, 2025 (list in the link). The recruitments for these vacancies closed on July 31, 2025. All candidates are scheduled to be interviewed and considered for appointment by the City Council at the August 18, 2025, City Council meeting.
ANALYSIS
Staff recommends making the following changes to the policy statement for the CSAC Committee.
1. Statement of Purpose
The policy statement attached to City Resolution No. 2022-46 states the purpose of the CSAC, which includes advising the City Council on sustainability issues.
However, since City adopted the Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2024, one of the Committee’s goals, as approved by City Council, is to help implement the CAP.
Therefore, staff recommends adding ‘assisting the City with the implementation of the CAP’ to the Committee’s Statement of Purpose and expanding it to other sustainability-related City programs. The proposed revised Statement of Purpose is as follows (additions are in red and original text is in blue):
Proposed Statement of Purpose:
The Citizens Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC) serves in an advisory capacity at the pleasure of the City Council. The Citizens Sustainability Advisory Committee shall (1) advise the City Council on sustainability issues facing Foster City regarding Environmental, Economic, or Social Sustainability; (2) research, review, and provide comments on proposed relevant city sustainable programs and initiatives; and (3) assist the City in implementing the Climate Action Plan and other sustainability-related City programs.
2. Membership
Staff recommends adding definitions for each type of seat to help provide clarity for applicants and clarifying that business and non-profit applicants do not need to be Foster City residents, but the organization they represent must have a Foster City location and only one (1) representative of the organization may represent the organization for the term of the seat on the Committee. Additionally, staff recommends the inclusion of a provision allowing the City Council discretionary authority to appoint a qualified applicant from a different membership category in the event that no eligible applicants are available for a designated seat. The proposed changes are as follows (additions are in red and the original text is in blue):
Membership:
10 voting committee members
Five (5) Foster City Resident voting member seats (aged 18 or older); and
Two (2) Foster City Resident youth voting member seats (current high school student under age 18 at the time of appointment); and Two (2) In-town Business member seats, comprised of
oone (1) business voting member should be from
representing one of the City’s major employers; and
oone (1) business voting member should be from
representing one of the City’s small businesses; and
One (1) in-town Non-Profit voting member seat (501c3, 501c4, 501c6 or Public Benefit Corporation) with a Foster City location.
Note: In the event that no qualified applicant is available for a designated category, the City Council reserves the discretion to appoint a qualified applicant from another category to fill the vacancy, in order to ensure the continued functioning of CSAC.
The current policy statement requires that “the three business and non-profit seats be selected by City staff with advice and feedback from Sustainability Subcommittee Council liaisons, and final approval of City Council.” However, there is no longer a Sustainability Subcommittee. Therefore, staff recommends the following amendments to align with this change. Staff also recommends clarifying residency requirements for business and nonprofit applicants (additions are in red and the original text is in blue).
CSAC members will be recruited with a combination of advertisement and invitation to apply. The five (5) resident members and the two (2) youth members shall be selected through an application and City Council selection process. The three business and non-profit seats will be selected by City Staff with advice and feedback from Sustainability Subcommittee Council liaisons, and final approval of City Council.
Business and nonprofit applicants do not need to be Foster City residents, but the entity’s business must operate in Foster City, and the entity must appoint one person to serve the term.
3. Selection and Terms
Staff recommends adding a section header titled, “Selection and Terms” and amending the policy statement to require all applicants to apply through the City’s standard application process. This change will simplify the process and broaden the opportunity for multiple business and non-profit entities to apply for vacant seats on the Committee. The proposed changes are as follows (additions are in red and the original text is in blue):
Applicants shall be selected through an application and City Council selection process. Each member shall serve a term of three (3) years, beginning on the date of the member's appointment by the City Council.
No member may serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. To stagger the terms of the Committee members, the City Council will select five members appointed to the Committee to serve initial two (2)- year terms and the remaining members for three (3)-year terms. All subsequent appointments should be for three (3) year terms. Members whose terms have expired may continue to serve on the Committee until a successor has been appointed. The committee utilizes a staggered term structure with five (5) members being appointed on odd years.
4. City Council and Staff Liaisons
No changes recommended.
City Council and Staff Liaisons
The City Council shall appoint a City Council liaison to the committee.
The City Manager shall appoint a staff liaison to the committee.
6. Committee Organization and Procedures
Staff is recommending adding a reference to Chapter 2.36 of the Municipal Code for clarity.
Committee Organization and Procedures
The committee shall select a chair and vice-chair. The duties of the chair and vice-chair shall be as stated in the City Municipal Code for Advisory Committees. Committee procedures shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order and Chapter 2.36 of the City Municipal Code for Advisory Committees, including Ordinance 689, approved by the City Council on March 3, 2025.
7. Meetings
Staff recommends amending the Meetings section of the policy statement to clarify that meetings are held monthly, rather than “as needed.” Proposed changes are as follows (additions are in red and the original text is in blue):
Meetings
Meetings shall be held, as needed, monthly on the second Wednesday of the month, at the Council Chambers Conference Room, 610 Foster City Blvd., Foster City, CA, 94404 at 6:30 PM.
California Environmental Quality Act
CEQA General Rule Exempt per Guideline, Section 15061(b)(3)
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed revisions have no fiscal impact.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
City Council Operations and Improved Community Engagement ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 - Resolution
Exhibit A - Amended CSAC Policy Statement
Attachment 2 – City Resolution No. 2022-98 and Current Policy Statement