DATE: August 18, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
FROM: Priscilla Schaus, Communications Director/City Clerk DEPARTMENT: Communications/City Clerk
SUBJECT: APPOINTMENTS TO THE CITIZENS SUSTAINABILITY
ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CSAC)
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council interview and by Minute Order, appoint two (2) Resident members to full terms expiring on August 31, 2028, and a Small Business Member to a full term expiring on August 31, 2028 to the Citizens Sustainability Advisory Committee.
The City Council may also choose to either fill the Large Business and Nonprofit Member positions with other applicants, as allowed by the amended policy statement approved on August 4, 2025, direct staff to open a new recruitment for these positions, or decrease the membership size to seven members consisting of five resident members, one business member and one youth member.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of the Citizens Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC) is to advise the City Council on sustainability issues facing Foster City regarding Environmental, Economic, or Social sustainability and research, review, and provide comments on proposed programs and initiatives, including the updated Climate Action Plan.
The Citizens Sustainability Advisory Committee was established by City
Resolution No. 2022-46 at the May 2, 2022 City Council Regular Meeting. Committee terms for five seats: two (2) Resident Members, one (1) Small Business Member, one (1) Large Business Member, and one (1) Nonprofit Member are expiring on August 31, 2025. A notice for recruitment was advertised for five weeks on the City's website, social media, and newsletter starting June 25, 2025.
Staff received four Resident Member applications and one Small Business Member application. No applications for the Large Business and Nonprofit Member positions were received.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
CSAC was originally established by City Resolution No. 2018-56 at the June 18, 2018 City Council Regular Meeting. At the time, staff recommended that the City Council form a limited term, five (5) members CSAC to support the development and implementation of a two-year Sustainable Foster City Plan that incorporates Economic, Environmental, and Social goals and programs for the future. The limited term was from August 2018 to June 30, 2019. In February 2019, the City Council approved the creation of a Youth Advisory Member-at-Large to the Committee. In May 2019, then City Council also approved the first extension with the Committee until December 31, 2019. On December 16, 2019, the Council approved an extension of CSAC to June 30, 2020. CSAC was officially disbanded on June 30, 2020. On May 2, 2022, CSAC was reinstated and expanded to include ten (10) members to support the climate action planning process and implementation of sustainability programs and initiatives. The Climate Action Plan was adopted by the Council on November 18, 2024, which marked the culmination of their core efforts. Since the completion, the committee members are now assisting the implementation of the plan’s key initiatives.
CSAC consists of 10 committee members per the Policy Statement:
Five (5) Foster City Resident member seats (age 18 or over); and Two (2) Foster City Resident youth member seats (high school student under age 18 at the time of appointment); and
Two (2) In-town Business member seats, comprised of:
• One (1) of the City’s major employers;
• One (1) business member representing one of the City’s small businesses; and
One (1) in-town Non-Profit member seat (501c3, 501c4, 501c6 or Public Benefit Corporation) with a Foster City location
The following residents (listed in alphabetical order) have submitted applications for the two Resident Member seats:
1. Katherine Beglinger
2. John Estalilla
3. Ronald Haupt
4. Jonathan Sam
One application was received for the Small Business Member seat from Shilpi Goel.
All applicants were invited to the August 18 City Council meeting.
Staff did not receive applications for the Large Business Member or Nonprofit Member positions. Outreach was done directly to the Chamber of Commerce, Foster City Rotary and Lions Clubs in addition to regular recruitment efforts.
At the August 18 meeting, the City Council may also decide whether to appoint resident members to fill the vacant Large Business and Nonprofit member positions, or direct staff to open a new recruitment for these positions as open until filled. The amended policy statement approved on August 4 states that “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.” Additionally, staff received a resignation from a youth member of CSAC on July 28, which will be effective on August 31, so staff will recruit for a new youth member in the coming months. If it is Council’s direction, staff can add the Large Business and Nonprofit member positions to that recruitment.
The recruitment would be open until filled, with staff bringing applications to the City Council for consideration as they are received.
Alternatively, the City Council may choose to provide policy direction to decrease the membership size of CSAC to seven (7) members, which would bring the membership size more in line with the other committees. The Parks and Recreation Committee has a membership of 7, Audit Committee has a membership of 5, and Traffic Review has a membership of 7 (one resident member). If this option is Council’s direction, staff would recommend changing the small business member position to either a general business member or a resident member position, as it has been difficult to recruit for business members on the committee. Staff would bring back the policy statement for Council approval at a future meeting with the new membership of 7 which would still consist of 5 resident members, 1 business member, and one youth member.
California Environmental Quality Act
Not Applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this appointment.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
City Council Operations and Improved Community Engagement ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Press Release
Attachment 2 – Resident Member Applications
Attachment 3 – Small Business Member Application