STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of December 9, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Eibleis Melendez, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Commission and Committee Appointments
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Consider making appointments to the Hercules Commissions, Regional Boards and Committees to fill vacancies and expired terms.
Following Council appointments, direct Staff to prepare and publish the local appointments list pursuant to Government Code 54972 DISCUSSION:
The City’s Commissions (listed below) have seats with a term expiration of December 31, 2025. The City maintains an open recruitment for applicants to fill the seats. The application deadline for Planning Commission, Finance Commission, Community Library Services Commission and the Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control was October 31, 2025. The vacancies were advertised on the City’s website, the Parks and Recreation Activity guide, the local newspaper and pushed through social media platforms.
The City Council held a Special Meeting to conduct interviews on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Incumbent commissioners and committee members who reapply for their positions are not required to provide interviews.
Local Commissions
Planning Commission – Two (2) terms ending December 2025.
The Planning Commission meets the first and third Mondays of every month at 7 p.m. The Commission is advisory to the Council and has statutory duties imposed by State law. Five (5) applications were received. The two Commissioners with expiring terms are: Hector Rubio and Robert Schaufenbil.
Applicants that interviewed for the Planning Commission are: Romanch Mistry, Dennis Esselsagoe, Nicole Torres.
Finance Commission – Two (2) term ending December 2025.
The Finance Commission meets bi-monthly on the third Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Commission is advisory to the Council. Four (4) applications were received. The two Commissioner with expiring terms are: Dennis Esselsagoe and Rupinder Sandhu.
Applicants that interviewed for Finance Commission are: Sandra Casteneda and Neeru Giri.
Community & Library Services Commission – One (1) term ending December 2025 and, One (1) Student Commissioner term ending December 2025.
The Community and Library Services Commission meets on the second Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. The Commission is advisory to the Council. Five (5) applications were received. The Commissioners with expiring terms are: Evangelia Ward-Jackson and Student Commissioner Monique Hernandez.
Applicants that interviewed for Student Commissioner are: Rachit Paudel and Sofia Seiden.
Applicants that interviewed for Community & Library Services Commission are: Wylendia Eastman and Bhaskar Dawadi.
Regional Boards and Committees:
Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control Board Vacant The Board meets in Concord on the second Monday at 7 p.m. every other month. Trustees also serve on various subcommittees, which require attendance at additional meetings. One (1) application was received. The Board Member with the expiring term is Damian Wong.
One application was submitted by Mariati Messinger. No other applications were received for this committee. Staff is recommending that Mariati Messinger be appointed to the board.
General Plan Advisory Committee:
When interviews were conducted, the Council asked applicants if they would be interested in being considered for the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) if they were not selected for a Commission. Several applicants showed interest. Staff will return to the City Council before the start of the General Plan process in spring 2026 to seek Council appointments to the GPAC.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Pursuant to Ordinance 519, each member of the Planning Commission receives a salary of fifty dollars ($50.00) for attendance at a regular scheduled meeting of the Planning Commission. No compensation will be provided for non-attendance at a regular scheduled meeting, attendance at special meetings, or when a regular scheduled meeting has been canceled.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.