20260428-cc-annual-advisory-appts — Menlo Park City Council, April 28, 2026

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov City Council

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
Date: 4/28/2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Zoom.us/join – ID# 832 1285 7140
City Council Chambers
751 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025

EARLY STAFF REPORT RELEASE NOTICE
The following staff report is being released 20 days in advance of the City Council meeting:

Consider applicants and make appointments to fill vacancies on various advisory bodies (Staff Report #26-050-CC)
This notice is posted in accordance with Government Code §§54954.2(a) or 54956. Members of the public can view electronic agendas and staff reports by accessing the city website at www.menlopark.gov/agendas and can receive notifications of agenda postings by subscribing at www.menlopark.gov/subscribe. Agendas and staff reports may also be obtained by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at 650-330-6620. (Posted 4/6/2026)
City Manager's Office
City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov

STAFF REPORT
City Council
Meeting Date: 4/28/2026
Staff Report Number: 26-050-CC
Advisory Body Vacancies: Consider applicants and make appointments to fill vacancies on various advisory bodies
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council consider applicants for appointment to vacant or expired term seats on the following advisory bodies:
• Complete Streets Commission (CSC)
• Two (2) vacancies
• Environmental Quality Commission (EQC)
• Two (2) vacancies
• Housing Commission (HC)
• One (1) vacancy
• Library Commission (LC)
• Two (2) vacancies
• Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC)
• One (1) vacancy
• Planning Commission (PC)
• Two (2) vacancies
The Finance and Audit Commission (FAC) does not have any vacancies.

Policy Issues
City Council Policy CC-24-004 (Attachment A) establishes the policies, procedures, roles and responsibilities for the City’s appointed advisory bodies, including the manner in which members are selected.

Policy CC-24-004 also allows the City Council to schedule or waiver interviews of applicants. Aligning with current practice, the Planning Commission applicants will have an opportunity to address and respond to City Council questions at the April 14 City Council meeting.

Background
Annually, staff conducts a recruitment to fill advisory body vacancies that exist due to expiring terms, members terming out or unexpected vacancies (e.g., resignations). This recruitment involved an eight-week period of advertisements and announcements from Feb. 6 – April 3. Incumbent members who were expiring but not terming out were informed of their ability to apply for reappointment. One EQC and one PC Commissioner did not reapply to continue serving, all remaining incumbents did reapply for an additional term on their current commission. There were no incumbent members who termed out this year. Residents who expressed interest in serving or were not appointed in a previous recruitment were also invited to Staff Report #: 26-050-CC

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov reapply. Additionally, recruitment efforts included print and digital advertisements in English and Spanish, announcements at public meetings and Weekly Digest articles, culminating in 56 applications received.

Following City Council’s appointments, the city clerk’s office provides onboarding and orientation for the new members. This includes the oath of office, commissioner handbook, introduction of advisory body liaison staff, Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests filing (if applicable) and a copy of the Brown Act.

For appointments made annually in April, the city clerk’s office coordinates annual training in May or June.

Training includes ethics, Brown Act and Public Records Act requests.

The city clerk’s office regularly reviews all agendas and minutes, tracks attendance (Attachment B) and serves as the principal staff contact for all advisory body members. The City has designated staff to act as a subject matter expert and serve as a liaison between the advisory body and the City Council Analysis
Pursuant to City Council Policy CC-24-004, members must be residents of the City of Menlo Park and serve designated terms of four years or through the completion of an unexpired term or as otherwise designated.

Residency for all applicants has been verified by the city clerk’s office. In addition, CC-24-004 states the selection/appointment process by the City Council shall be conducted open to the public. Nominations will be made and a vote will be called for each nomination in the order received. Applicants receiving the highest number of affirmative votes from a majority of the City Council present shall be appointed. The number of votes for each City Councilmember is limited to the number of vacancies.

The city clerk’s office has compiled all applications received and attached them to this staff report as Attachment C, with the applicants’ personal contact information redacted. The redacted applications are also available for public viewing at City Hall during regular business hours or by request. Additionally, unredacted versions of the applications were made available to the City Council for reference, as applicants were encouraged to contact the City Council to discuss their interest in serving on an advisory body ahead of the April 28 City Council meeting. Attachment D lists all applicants including their residency District and Attachment E lists currently seated members and their residency District. These appointments can be made by the City Council at this meeting.

The City received the following applications, presented by advisory body and listed in alphabetical order by last name, also listed in Attachment F, which includes the indicated preferences of applicants who applied to multiple commissions. Please note: the “D” references the applicant’s residency District.

Complete Streets Commission
Two vacancies:
• Two regular terms expiring April 30, 2030
Ten applicants:

1. Jessica Beeli-D4 (currently serving on HC, term expires 2028)

2. Leonard Chang-D5 (also applied to HC, CSC preferred)

3. Sally Cole-D5 (incumbent)

4. Federico De Giuli-D4 (also applied to EQC and HC, HC preferred)

5. Ethan Ebinger-D3

6. Athena Ierokomos-D4 (incumbent)

7. Tim Rochte-D2

8. Holly Ubellacker-D3 (also applied for EQC, CSC preferred)

9. Thomas Wandless-D4 (also applied to PRC, CSC preferred) Staff Report #: 26-050-CC

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov

10. Patrick Ye-D3 (also applied to EQC and HC, HC preferred) Environmental Quality Commission
Two vacancies:
• Two regular terms expiring April 30, 2030
Eleven applicants:

1. Radhika Anne-D4 (also applied to HC, PRC and PC, EQC preferred)

2. Federico De Giuli-D4 (also applied to CSC and HC, HC preferred)

3. Lesley Feldman-D2

4. Brittany B. Goodwin-D1 (also applied to HC and PRC, EQC preferred)

5. Sumi Hachmann-D2 (also applied to PRC, no preference indicated)

6. Eduardo Lopez Hernandez-D1 (incumbent)

7. Dorene Martinez-D2

8. Nabil Saad-D4

9. Paul Studemeister-D5

10. Holly Ubellacker-D3 (also applied to CSC, CSC preferred)

11. Patrick Ye-D3 (also applied to CSC and HC, HC preferred) Housing Commission
One vacancy:
• One regular term expiring April 30, 2030
Fourteen applicants:

1. Radhika Anne-D4 (also applied to EQC, PRC and PC, EQC preferred)

2. Jeffrey Berkes-D4 (also applied to PC, PC preferred)

3. Leonard Chang-D5 (also applied to CSC, CSC preferred)

4. Federico De Giuli-D4 (also applied to CSC and EQC, HC preferred)

5. Jared Duke-D4

6. Brittany B. Goodwin-D1 (also applied to EQC and PRC, EQC preferred)

7. Gina Grega-D1

8. Robert Hubbell-D2 (also applied to PRC, PRC preferred)

9. Josh Leslie-D5 (also applied to PC, HC preferred)

10. Steven Switzer-D3 (incumbent)

11. Maryam Veisi-D5 (also applied to PRC, PRC preferred)

12. Lusann Yang-D2

13. Chelsea Ye-D4

14. Patrick Ye-D3 (also applied to CSC and EQC, HC preferred) Library Commission
Two vacancies:
• Two regular terms expiring April 30, 2030
Five applicants:

1. Kim Crockett-D5 (incumbent)

2. Ann Dawson-D5

3. Kaveri Gupta-D2 (also applied to PRC, LC preferred)

4. James Rohr-D1

5. Brian Westcott-D5 (incumbent)
Parks and Recreation Commission
One vacancy:
• One regular term expiring April 30, 2030
Staff Report #: 26-050-CC

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov Nine applicants:

1. Radhika Anne-D4 (also applied to EQC, HC and PC, EQC preferred)

2. Brittany B. Goodwin-D1 (also applied to EQC and HC, EQC preferred)

3. Kaveri Gupta-D2 (also applied to LC, LC preferred)

4. Sumi Hachmann-D2 (also applied to EQC, no preference indicated)

5. Robert Hubbell-D2 (also applied to HC, PRC preferred)

6. Justin Van Buren-D4 (incumbent)

7. Maryam Veisi-D5 (also applied to HC, PRC preferred)

8. Thomas Wandless-D4 (also applied to CSC, CSC preferred)

9. Djuna Woods-D4
Planning Commission
Two vacancies:
• Two regular terms expiring April 30, 2030
Seven applicants:

1. Radhika Anne-D4 (also applied to EQC, HC and PRC, EQC preferred)

2. Jeffrey Berkes-D4 (also applied to HC, PC preferred)

3. Nancy Larocca Hedley-D4

4. Josh Leslie-D5 (also applied to HC, HC preferred)

5. Ronald Renwick-D3

6. Meredith Rohr-D1

7. Jennifer Schindler-D5 (incumbent)
Jessica Beeli is currently serving a term on the HC expiring April 30, 2028, and has applied to serve on the CSC. Appointment to the CSC would result in an additional HC vacancy. For this reason, staff recommends that the City Council conduct PC appointments first, then proceeding in alphabetical order.

Lastly, the City Council also has the option to direct staff to reopen advisory body recruitment at their discretion.

Impact on City Resources
Staff support for advisory bodies and funds for recruitment advertising are provided in the annual budget.

Public Notice
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with the agenda items being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.

Attachments
A. City Council Policy CC-24-004
B. March 2025 – February 2026 Advisory body attendance
C. Applications
D. Applicants by District
E. Current advisory body members by District
F. Applicants by commission preference
Report prepared by:

Sarah Sandoval, Deputy City Clerk
Staff Report #: 26-050-CC

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov Report reviewed by:

Judi A. Herren, Assistant to the City Manager/ City Clerk

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND

PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
City Council Policy #CC-24-004
Adopted Feb. 13, 2024
Resolution No. 6890
Purpose
To define policies and procedures and roles and responsibilities for Menlo Park appointed commissions and committees.

Authority
Upon its original adoption, this policy replaced the document known as “Organization of Advisory Commissions of the City of Menlo Park.”
Background
The City of Menlo Park currently has seven active Commissions. The active advisory bodies are: Complete Streets Commission, Environmental Quality Commission, Finance and Audit Commission, Housing Commission, Library Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Planning Commission. Those not specified in the City Code are established by City Council ordinance or resolution. Most of these advisory bodies are established in accordance with Resolution No. 2801 and its amendments. Within specific areas of responsibility, each advisory body has a primary role of advising the City Council on policy matters or reviewing specific issues and carrying out assignments as directed by the City Council or prescribed by law.

Six of the seven commissions listed above are advisory in nature. The Planning Commission is both advisory and regulatory and organized according to the City Code (Ch. 2.12) and State statute (Government Code §65100 et seq., §65300-65401).

The City has an adopted Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy (CC-21-0022), and a Travel, Meal, and Lodging Policy (CC-19-002), which are also applicable to all advisory bodies.

Policies and Procedures
Relationship to City Council, staff and media
 Upon referral by the City Council, the commission/committee shall study referred matters and return their recommendations and advise to the City Council. With each such referral, the City Council may authorize the City staff to provide certain designated services to aid in the study.  Upon its own initiative, the commission/committee shall identify and raise issues to the City Council’s attention and from time to time explore pertinent matters and make recommendations to the City Council.  At a request of a member of the public, the commission/committee may consider appeals from City actions or inactions in pertinent areas and, if deemed appropriate, report and make recommendations to the City Council.  Each commission/committee is required to develop an annual work plan which will be the foundation for the work performed by the advisory body in support of City Council annual work plan. The plan, once finalized by a majority of the commission/committee, will be formally presented to the City Council for direction and approval no later than September 30 of each year and then reported out on by a representative of the advisory body at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting at least annually, but recommended twice a year. The proposed work plan must align with the City Council’s adopted work plan. When modified, the work plan must be taken to the City Council for approval. The Planning Commission is exempt from this requirement as its functions are governed by the Menlo Park municipal code (Chapter 2.12) and State law (Government Code §65100 et seq, §65300-65401).  Commissions and committees shall not become involved in the administrative or operational matters of City departments. Members may not direct staff to initiate major programs, conduct large studies or establish department policy. City staff assigned to furnish staff services shall be available to provide general staff assistance, such as preparation of agenda/notice materials and minutes, general review of department programs and activities, and to perform limited studies, program reviews, and other services of a general staff nature.

Commissions/Committees may not establish department work programs or determine department program priorities. The responsibility for setting policy and allocating scarce City resources rests with the City’s duly elected representatives, the City Council.
 Additional or other staff support may be provided upon a formal request to the City Council.  The staff liaison shall act as the commission/committee’s lead representative to the media concerning matters before the commission/committee. Commission/Committee members should refer all media inquiries to their respective liaisons for response. Personal opinions and comments may be expressed so long as the commission/committee member clarifies that their statements do not represent the position of the City Council.  Commission/Committee members will have mandatory training every two years regarding the Brown Act and

ATTACHMENT A

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES City Council Policy #CC-24-004 2
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Resolution No. 6890

parliamentary procedures, anti-harassment training, ethics training, and other training required by the City Council or State Law. The commission/committee members may have the opportunity for additional training, such as training for chair and vice chair. Failure to comply with the mandatory training will be reported to the City Council and may result in replacement of the member by the City Council.  Requests from commission/committee member(s) determined by the staff liaison to take one hour or more of staff time to complete, must be directed by the City Council.

Role of City Council commission/committee liaison
City Councilmembers are assigned to serve in a liaison capacity with one or more city commission/committee. The purpose of the liaison assignment is to facilitate communication between the City Council and the advisory body.

The liaison also helps to increase the City Council's familiarity with the membership, programs and issues of the advisory body. In fulfilling their liaison assignment, City Councilmembers may elect to attend commission/committee meetings periodically to observe the activities of the advisory body or simply maintain communication with the commission/committee chair on a regular basis.

City Councilmembers should be sensitive to the fact that they are not participating members of the commission/committee, but are there rather to create a linkage between the City Council and commission/committee. In interacting with commissions/committee, City Councilmembers are to reflect the views of the City Council as a body. Being a commission/committee liaison bestows no special right with respect to commission/committee business.

Typically, assignments to commission/committee liaison positons are made at the beginning of a City Council term in December. The Mayor will ask City Councilmembers which liaison assignments they desire and will submit recommendations to the full City Council regarding the various committees, boards, and commissions which City Councilmembers will represent as a liaison. In the rare instance where more than one City Councilmember wishes to be the appointed liaison to a particular commission, a vote of the City Council will be taken to confirm appointments.

City Staff Liaison
The City has designated staff to act as a liaison between the commission/committee and the City Council. The City shall provide staff services to the commission/committee which will include:
 Developing a rapport with the Chair and commission/committee members  Providing a schedule of meetings to the city clerk’s office and commission/committee members, arranging meeting locations, maintaining the minutes and other public records of the meeting, and preparing and distributing appropriate information related to the meeting agenda.  Advising the commission/committee on directions and priorities of the City Council.  Informing the commission/committee of events, activities, policies, programs, etc. occurring within the scope of the commission/committee’s function.
 Ensuring the city clerk is informed of all vacancies, expired terms, changes in offices, or any other changes to the commission/committee.
 Providing information to the appropriate appointed official including reports, actions, and recommendations of the committee/commission and notifying them of noncompliance by the commission/committee or chair with City policies.
 Ensuring that agenda items approved by the commission/committee are brought forth in a timely manner taking into consideration staff capacity, City Council priorities, the commission/committee work plan, and other practical matters such as the expense to conduct research or prepare studies, provided appropriate public notification, and otherwise properly prepare the item for commission/committee consideration.  Take action minutes; upon agreement of the commission, this task may be performed by one of the members (staff is still responsible for the accuracy and formatting of the minutes)  Maintain a minute book with signed minutes
Recommendations, requests and reports
As needed, near the beginning of City Council meetings, there will be an item called “Advisory Body Reports.” At this time, commissions/committees may present recommendations or status reports and may request direction and support from the City Council. Such requests shall be communicated to the staff liaison in advance, including any written materials, so that they may be listed on the agenda and distributed with the agenda packet. The materials being

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES City Council Policy #CC-24-004 3
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Resolution No. 6890

provided to the City Council must be approved by a majority of the commission/committee at a commission/committee meeting before submittal to the City Council. The City Council will receive such reports and recommendations and, after suitable study and discussion, respond or give direction.

City Council referrals
The city clerk shall transmit to the designated staff liaison all referrals and requests from the City Council for advice and recommendations. The commissions/committees shall expeditiously consider and act on all referrals and requests made by the City Council and shall submit reports and recommendations to the City Council on these assignments.

Public appearance of commission/committee members
When a commission/committee member appears in a non-official, non-representative capacity before the public, for example, at a City Council meeting, the member shall indicate that they are speaking only as an individual. This also applies when interacting with the media and on social media. If the commission/committee member appears as the representative of an applicant or a member of the public, the Political Reform Act may govern this appearance. In addition, in certain circumstances, due process considerations might apply to make a commission/committee member’s appearance inappropriate. Conversely, when a member who is present at a City Council meeting is asked to address the City Council on a matter, the member should represent the viewpoint of the particular commission/committee as a whole (not a personal opinion).

Disbanding of advisory body
Upon recommendation by the Chair or appropriate staff, any standing or special advisory body, established by the City Council and whose members were appointed by the City Council, may be declared disbanded due to lack of business, by majority vote of the City Council.

Stipends
Per Government Code §36506, the City is authorized to pay appointed Planning Commissioners by resolution. The City Council has adopted a resolution with an amount not to exceed $200 per month per Planning Commissioner. Per the IRS (Internal Revenue Services), “public officer” also includes appointed members of advisory boards and committees and commissions. The Planning Commission stipend is taxable income and each member will receive a W-2.

Meetings and officers

1. Agendas/notices/minutes
 All meetings shall be open and public and shall conduct business through published agendas, public notices and minutes and follow all of the Brown Act provisions governing public meetings. Special, canceled and adjourned meetings may be called when needed, subject to the Brown Act provisions.  Support staff for each commission/committee shall be responsible for properly noticing and posting all regular, special, canceled and adjourned meetings. Copies of all meeting agendas, notices and minutes shall be provided to the City Council, city manager, city attorney, city clerk and other appropriate staff, as requested.  Original agendas and minutes shall be filed and maintained by support staff in accordance with the City’s adopted records retention schedule.
 The official record of the commissions/committees will be preserved by preparation of action minutes.

2. Conduct and parliamentary procedures
 Unless otherwise specified by State law or City regulations, conduct of all meetings shall generally follow Robert’s Rules of Order.
 A majority of commission/committee members shall constitute a quorum and a quorum must be seated before official action is taken.
 The chair of each commission/committee shall preside at all meetings and the vice chair shall assume the duties of the chair when the chair is absent.
 The role of the commission/committee chair (according to Roberts Rules of Order): To open the session at the time at which the assembly is to meet, by taking the chair and calling the members to order; to announce the business before the assembly in the order in which it is to be acted upon; to recognize members entitled to the floor; to state and put to vote all questions which are regularly moved, or necessarily arise in the course of the proceedings, and to announce the result of the vote; to protect the assembly from annoyance from evidently frivolous or dilatory motions by refusing to recognize them; to assist in the expediting of business in every compatible with the rights of the members, as by allowing brief remarks when undebatable motions are pending, if they think it advisable; to restrain the members when engaged in debate, within the rules of order, to enforce on all occasions the observance of order and decorum among the members, deciding all questions

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES City Council Policy #CC-24-004 4
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Resolution No. 6890

of order (subject to an appeal to the assembly by any two members) unless when in doubt he prefers to submit the question for the decision of the assembly; to inform the assembly when necessary, or when referred to for the purpose, on a point of order to practice pertinent to pending business; to authenticate by their signature, when necessary, all the acts, orders, and proceedings of the assembly declaring it will and in all things obeying its commands.

3. Lack of a quorum
 When a lack of a quorum exists at the start time of a meeting, those present will wait 15 minutes for additional members to arrive. If after 15 minutes a quorum is still not present, the meeting will be adjourned by the staff liaison due to lack of a quorum. Once the meeting is adjourned it cannot be reconvened.  The public is not allowed to address those commissioners present during the 15 minutes the commission/committee is waiting for additional members to arrive.  Staff can make announcements to the members during this time but must follow up with an email to all members of the body conveying the same information.
 All other items shall not be discussed with the members present as it is best to make the report when there is a quorum present.

4. Meeting locations and dates
 Meetings shall be held in designated City facilities, as noticed.  All commissions/committees with the exception of the Planning Commission, and Finance and Audit Commission shall conduct regular meetings once a month. Special meetings may also be scheduled as required by the commission/committee. The Planning Commission shall hold regular meetings twice a month and the Finance and Audit Commission shall hold quarterly meetings.  Monthly regular meetings shall have a fixed date and time established by the commission/committee. Changes to the established regular dates and times are subject to the approval of the City Council. An exception to this rule would include any changes necessitated to fill a temporary need in order for the commission/committee to conduct its meeting in a most efficient and effective way as long as proper and adequate notification is provided to the City Council and made available to the public.

The schedule of Commission meetings is as follows:
 Complete Streets Commission – Every second Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.  Environmental Quality Commission – Every third Wednesday at 6 p.m.  Finance and Audit Commission – Third Thursday of every quarter at 5:30 p.m.,  Housing Commission – Every first Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.  Library Commission – Every third Monday at 6:30 p.m.
 Parks and Recreation Commission – Every fourth Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.  Planning Commission – Twice a month on a Monday at 7 p.m.

Each commission/committee may establish other operational policies subject to the approval of the City Council.

Any changes to the established policies and procedures shall be subject to the approval of the City Council.

5. Off-premises meeting participation
While technology allows commission/committee members to participate in meetings from a location other than the meeting location (referred to as “off-premises”), off-premises participation is discouraged given the logistics required to ensure compliance with the Brown Act and experience with technological failures disrupting the meeting. In the event that a commission/committee member believes that their participation is essential to a meeting, the following shall apply:
 Any commission/committee member intending to participate from an off-premise location shall inform the staff liaison at least two weeks in advance of the meeting.
 The off-premise location must be identified in the notice and agenda of the meeting.  Agendas must be posted at the off-premise location.
 The off-premise location must be accessible to the public and be ADA compliant.  The commission/committee member participating at a duly noticed off-premises location does not count toward the quorum necessary to convene a meeting of the commission/committee.  For any one meeting, no more than one commission/committee member may participate from an off-premise location.
 All votes must be by roll call.

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES City Council Policy #CC-24-004 5
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Resolution No. 6890

6. Selection of chair and vice chair
 The chair and vice chair shall be selected in May of each year by a majority of the members and shall serve for one year or until their successors are selected.
 Each commission/committee shall annually rotate its chair and vice chair.

G. Memberships
Appointments/Oaths
 The City Council is the appointing body for all commissions/committees. All members serve at the pleasure of the City Council for designated terms.
 All appointments and reappointments shall be made at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting, and require an affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the City Council present.  Before taking office, all members must complete an Oath of Allegiance required by Article XX, §3, of the Constitution of the State of California. All oaths are administered by the city clerk or their designee.  Appointments made during the middle of the term are for the unexpired portion of that term.

Application and selection process
 The application process begins when a vacancy occurs due to term expiration, resignation, removal or death of a member.
 The application period will normally run for a period of four weeks from the date the vacancy occurs. If there is more than one concurrent vacancy in a Commission, the application period may be extended. Applications are available from the city clerk’s office and on the City’s website.  The city clerk shall notify members whose terms are about to expire whether or not they would be eligible for reappointment. If reappointment is sought, an updated application will be required.  Applicants are required to complete and return the application form for each commission/committee they desire to serve on, along with any additional information they would like to transmit, by the established deadline.

Applications sent by email are accepted.
 After the deadline of receipt of applications, the city clerk shall schedule the matter at the next available regular City Council meeting. All applications received will be submitted and made a part of the City Council agenda packet for their review and consideration. If there are no applications received by the deadline, the city clerk will extend the application period for an indefinite period of time until sufficient applications are received.  Upon review of the applications received, the City Council reserves the right to schedule or waive interviews, or to extend the application process in the event insufficient applications are received. In either case, the city clerk will provide notification to the applicants of the decision of the City Council.  If an interview is requested, the date and time will be designated by the City Council. Interviews are open to the public.
 The selection/appointment process by the City Council shall be conducted at a City Council meeting. The city clerk will ask each City Councilmember for their nominations; the number of nominations is limited to the number of vacancies. The candidate that receives a majority of nominations will be appointed. If there is a tie, multiple rounds of voting will occur.
 Following a City Council appointment, the city clerk shall notify successful and unsuccessful applicants accordingly, in writing. Appointees will receive copies of the City’s Non-Discrimination and Sexual Harassment policies, and disclosure statements for those members who are required to file under State law as designated in the City’s Conflict of Interest Code. Copies of the notification will also be distributed to support staff and the commission/committee chair.
 An orientation will be scheduled by the city clerk following an appointment (but before taking office) and a copy of this policy document will be provided at that time.

Attendance
 A compilation of attendance will be submitted to the City Council at least annually listing absences for all commissions/committee members.
 Absences, which result in attendance at less than two-thirds of their meetings during the calendar year, will be reported to the City Council and may result in replacement of the member by the City Council.  Any member who feels that unique circumstances have led to numerous absences can appeal directly to the City Council for a waiver of this policy or to obtain a leave of absence.  While it is expected that members be present at all meetings, the chair and staff liaison should be notified if a member knows in advance that they will be absent.

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Resolution No. 6890

 When reviewing commissioners for reappointment, overall attendance at full commission meetings will be given significant consideration.

Compensation
 Members shall serve without compensation (unless specifically provided) for their services, provided, however, members shall receive reimbursement for necessary travel expenses and other expenses incurred on official duty when such expenditures have been authorized by the City Council (See Policy CC-19-002).

Conflict of interest and disclosure requirements
 A Conflict of Interest Code has been updated and adopted by the City pursuant to Government Code §87300 et seq. Copies of the conflict of interest code are filed with the city clerk. Pursuant to the adopted Conflict of Interest Code, members serving on the Complete Streets Commission, Housing Commission, and Planning Commission are required to file a Statement of Economic Interest with the city clerk to disclose personal interest in investments, real property and income. This is done within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter. A statement is also required within 30 days after leaving office.  If a public official has a conflict of interest, the Political Reform Act may require the official to disqualify themselves from making or participating in a governmental decision, or using their official position to influence a governmental decision. Questions in this regard may be directed to the city attorney.

Qualifications, compositions, number
 In most cases, members shall be residents of the City of Menlo Park and at least 18 years of age.  Current members of any other City commission/committee are disqualified for membership, unless the regulations for that advisory body permit concurrent membership. Commission/Committee members are strongly advised to serve out the entirety of the term of their current appointment before seeking appointment on another commission/committee.
 Commission/Committee members shall be permitted to retain membership while seeking any elective office.

However, members shall not use the meetings, functions or activities of such bodies for purposes of campaigning for elective office.
 There shall be seven (7) members on each commission/committee.

Reappointments, resignations, removals
 Incumbents seeking a reappointment are required to complete and file an application with the city clerk by the application deadline. No person shall be reappointed to a commission/committee who has served on that same body for two consecutive terms; unless a period of one year has lapsed since the returning member last served on that commission/committee (the one-year period is flexible subject to City Council’s discretion).  Resignations must be submitted in writing to the city clerk, who will distribute copies to City Council and appropriate staff.
 The City Council may remove a member by a majority vote of the City Council without cause, notice or hearing.

Term of office
 Unless specified otherwise, the term of office for all commission/committees shall be four (4) years unless a resignation or a removal has taken place.
 If a person is appointed to fill an unexpired term and serves less than two years, that time will not be considered a full term. However, if a person is appointed to fill an unexpired term and serves two years or more, that time will be considered a full term.
 Terms are staggered to be overlapping four-year terms, so that all terms do not expire in any one year.  If a member resigns before the end of their term, a replacement serves out the remainder of that term.

Vacancies
 Vacancies are created due to term expirations, resignations, removals or death.  Vacancies are posted by the city clerk in the City Council Chambers bulletin board and on the city website.  Whenever an unscheduled vacancy occurs in any commission/committee, a special vacancy notice shall be posted within 20 days after the vacancy occurs. Appointment shall not be made for at least 10 working days after posting of the notice (Government Code §54974).
 On or before December 31 of each year, an appointment list of all regular advisory commissions/committees of the City Council shall be prepared by the city clerk and posted in the City Council Chambers bulletin board and

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES City Council Policy #CC-24-004 7
Adopted Feb. 13, 2024
Resolution No. 6890

on the City’s website. This list is also available to the public (Government Code §54972, Maddy Act).

Roles and Responsibilities
Complete Streets Commission
The Complete Streets Commission is charged primarily with advising the City Council on realizing the City's adopted goals for complete streets, vision zero, climate action plan, and provide input on major land use and development projects as it relates to transportation. The Complete Streets Commission's responsibilities include:
 To advance the goals of the city’s newly adopted climate action plan by making alternatives to driving safer and more attractive
 Advise City Council on the implementation of the transportation master plan.  Continue to advocate for and advise the City Council on planning and installing pedestrian and bicycle rail crossing and safe cycling/pedestrian infrastructure.
 Continue to support City Council in ongoing initiatives to improve access to Downtown and support downtown businesses.
 Continue to support the implementation of the Safe Routes to School strategy and advocate for community engagement, program continuity and engineering implementation.  Continue to support City Council’s role as a stakeholder with regard to regional multi-modal and transportation demand management programs projects to increase
Environmental Quality Commission
The Environmental Quality Commission is committed to helping the City of Menlo Park to be a leading sustainable city that inspires institutions and individuals and that is well positioned to manage present and future environmental impacts, including the grave threat of climate change. The Environmental Quality Commission is charged primarily with advising the City Council on matters involving climate change, environmental protection, and sustainability.. Specific focus areas include:
 Climate Action Plan - Advise and recommend on the implementation of the climate action plan.  Climate Resilience and Adaptation - Ensure that our most vulnerable communities have a voice in policies and programs to protect their communities from environmental impacts.  Urban Canopy - Leverage best practices to advise/recommend on the preservation of heritage trees, city trees and expansion of the urban canopy; and make determinations on appeals of heritage tree removal permits.  Green and Sustainable Initiatives – Support sustainability initiatives, as needs arise, which may include city-led events, habitat protection, healthy ecology, environmental health protection, healthy air, surface water runoff quality, water conservation and waste reduction.

Finance and Audit Commission
The Finance and Audit Commission is charged primarily to support delivery of timely, clear and comprehensive reporting of the City’s fiscal status to the community at large. Specific focus areas include:
 Review the process for periodic financial reporting to the City Council and the public, as needed  Review financial audit and annual financial report with the City’s external auditors  Review of the resolution of prior year audit findings  Review of the auditor selection process and scope, as needed Housing Commission
The Housing Commission is charged primarily with advising the City Council on housing matters including housing supply and housing related problems. Specific focus areas include:
 Community attitudes about housing (range, distribution, racial, social-economic problems)  Programs for evaluating, maintaining, and upgrading the distribution and quality of housing stock in the City  Planning, implementing and evaluating City programs under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
 Review and recommend to the City Council regarding the Below Market Rate (BMR) program  Initiate, review and recommend on housing policies and programs for the City  Review and recommend on housing related impacts for environmental impact reports  Review and recommend on State and regional housing issues  Review and recommend on the Housing Element of the General Plan

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES City Council Policy #CC-24-004 8
Adopted Feb. 13, 2024
Resolution No. 6890

Library Commission
The Library Commission is charged primarily with advising the City Council on matters related to the maintenance and operation of the City’s libraries and library systems. Specific focus areas include:
 The scope and degree of library activities
 Maintenance and protection of City libraries
 Evaluation and improvement of library service
 Acquisition of library materials
 Coordination with other library systems and long range planning  Literacy and ESL programs
Parks and Recreation Commission
The Parks and Recreation Commission is charged primarily with advising the City Council on matters related to City programs and facilities dedicated to recreation. Specific focus areas include:
 Those programs and facilities established primarily for the participation of and/or use by residents of the City, including adequacy and maintenance of such facilities as parks and playgrounds, recreation buildings, facilities and equipment
 Adequacy, operation and staffing of recreation programs  Modification of existing programs and facilities to meet developing community needs  Long range planning and regional coordination concerning park and recreational facilities Planning Commission
The Planning Commission is organized according to State Statute.  The Planning Commission reviews development proposals on public and private lands for compliance with the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
 The Commission reviews all development proposals requiring a use permit, architectural control, variance, minor subdivision and environmental review associated with these projects. The Commission is the final decision-making body for these applications, unless appealed to the City Council.  The Commission serves as a recommending body to the City Council for major subdivisions, rezoning’s, conditional development permits, Zoning Ordinance amendments, General Plan amendments and the environmental reviews and Below Market Rate (BMR) Housing Agreements associated with those projects.  The Commission works on special projects as assigned by the City Council.

Special Advisory Bodies
The City Council has the authority to create standing committees, task forces or subcommittees for the City, and from time to time, the City Council may appoint members to these groups. The number of persons and the individual appointee serving on each group may be changed at any time by the City Council. There are no designated terms for members of these groups; members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the City Council.

Any requests of city commissions or committees to create such ad hoc advisory bodies shall be submitted in writing to the city clerk for City Council consideration and approval.

Procedure history
Action Date Notes
Procedure adoption 1991 Resolution No. 3261
Procedure adoption 2001
Procedure adoption 2011
Procedure adoption 2013 Resolution No. 6169
Procedure adoption 2017 Resolution No. 6377
Procedure adoption 6/8/2021 Resolution No. 6631

COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES City Council Policy #CC-24-004 9
Adopted Feb. 13, 2024
Resolution No. 6890

Procedure adoption 3/1/2022 Resolution No. 6706
Procedure adoption 3/8/2022 Resolution No. 6718
Procedure adoption 9/20/2022 Resolution No. 6776
Procedure adoption 1/10/2023 Resolution No. 6803
Procedure adoption 6/27/2023 Resolution No. 6840
Procedure adoption 2/13/20024 Resolution No. 6890
COMPLETE STREETS Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Second Wednesday of the month
at 6:30 p.m. Re-appointed
Term expired/
Termed out/
Resigned
Total no.
of meetings
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 2026 Altman, Brian* 5/25/2021 4/30/2025 2 1 50% 0 1 * * * * * * * * * Bergin Bailey, Meredith 4/16/2024 11 10 91% 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Cebrian, Jacquie 4/16/2019 4/25/2023 11 11 100% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Cole, Sally 5/25/2021 4/26/2022 11 9 82% 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 Herscher, Scott 4/29/2025 9 8 89% * * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 Ierokomos, Athena 4/16/2024 11 10 91% 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 King, Lizbeth* 5/25/2021 4/30/2025 2 1 50% 1 0 * * * * * * * * * Rascoff, Matthew 4/16/2024 11 6 55% 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 Rennie, Kevin 4/29/2025 9 8 89% * * 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
* not on commission
attendance less than two-thirds (67%)
3/12/2025-regular meeting Altman excused absence
3/12/2025-regular meeting Rascoff excused absence
4/9/2025-regular meeting Bailey excused absence
4/9/2025-regular meeting King excused absence
4/9/2025-regular meeting Rascoff excused absence
4/30/2025-Altman term expired
4/30/2025-King term expired
5/14/2025-regular meeting Rascoff excused absence
6/11/2025-regular meeting Rascoff excused absence
7/9/2025-regular meeting cancelled
8/13/2025-regular meeting Ierokomos excused absence
10/8/2025-regular meeting Cole excused absence
11/12/2025-regular meeting Rennie excused absence
1/14/2026-regular meeting Herscher excused absense
2/11/2026-regular meeting Cole excused absence
2/11/2026-regular meeting Rascoff excused absence
Appointed
Total
meetings
attended
Percentage
attended

ATTACHMENT B
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Third Wednesday of the month at
6 p.m. Re-appointed
Term expired/
Termed out/
Resigned
Total no.
of
meetings
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 22026 Angiel, Nicole 4/29/2025 9 8 89% * * 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Hedley, Nancy LaRocca 4/26/2022 11 10 91% 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 Hernandez, Eduardo Lopez 2/25/2025 11 10 91% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 Hill, Susannah 4/16/2024 4/19/2025 11 9 82% 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 Kissel, Brian 4/25/2023 11 8 73% 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
McKenna, John 11/1/2022 4/16/2024 11 11 100% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Meyer, Zachary 4/16/2024 11 10 91% 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 Pelegri-Llopart, Eduardo* 4/25/2023 4/17/2025 2 2 100% 1 1 * * * * * * * * * * not on commission
attendance less than two-thirds (67%)
3/19/2025-regular meeting Hill remote, arrive at 6:08 p.m., exited at 7:26 p.m. 4/16/2025-regular meeting Kissel excused absence
4/17/2025-Pelegri-Llopart resigned
5/21/2025-regular meeting Hill excused absence
5/21/2025-regular meeting Kissel excused absence
6/18/2025-regular meeting Angiel excused absence
7/16/2025-regular meeting Meyer excused absence
8/20/2025-regular meeting Hedley excused absence
8/20/2025-regular meeting Kissel remote
10/15/2025-regular meeting Hernandez excused absence
10/15/2025-regular meeting Kissel excused absence
11/19/2025-regular meeting cancelled
12/17/2025-regular meeting Kissel remote
1/21/2026-regular meeting Kissel arrived at 6:01 p.m.
2/26/2025-special meeting Hill excused absence
Appointed
Total
meetings
attended
Percentage
attended
FINANCE AND AUDIT Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Third Thursday of every quarter
at 5:30 p.m. Re-appointed
Term expired/
Termed out/
Resigned
Total no.
of
meetings
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 22026 Albright, Colin 4/16/2024 5 4 80% 1 0 1 1 1
Altman, Brian 4/29/2025 4 4 100% * 1 1 1 1
Bramlett, Lynne* 5/23/2023 4/30/2025 1 1 100% 1 * * * * Dey, Jayanta 5/23/2023 4/29/2025 5 4 80% 1 1 1 0 1
Emery, David 4/29/2025 4 4 100% * 1 1 1 1
Garton, Jackson 4/16/2024 5 1 20% 0 0 0 0 1
Leroux, Jeff* 4/25/2023 4/30/2025 1 0 0% 0 * * * *
Melahn, Laura 4/29/2025 4 3 75% * 1 1 1 0
Normington, Matt* 5/25/2021 4/25/2023 4/30/2025 1 0 0% 0 * * * * Wong, Carol* 5/25/2021 4/25/2023 4/30/2025 1 1 100% 1 * * * * Velagapudi, Vamsi 4/29/2025 4 4 100% * 1 1 1 1
* not on commission
attendance less than two-thirds (67%)
4/17/2025-regular meeting Garton excused absence
4/17/2025-regular meeting Leroux excused absence
4/17/2025-regular meeting Normington excused absence
4/30/2025-Bramlett term expired
4/30/2025-Leroux term expired
4/30/2025-Normington termed out
4/30/2025-Wong termed out
7/17/2025-regular meeting Albright excused absence
7/17/2025-regular meeting Garton excused absence
9/11/2025-special meeting Garton excused absence
10/16/2025-regular meeting Dey excused absence
10/16/2025-regular meeting Garton excused absence
1/15/2026-regular meeting Melahn excused absence
Appointed
Total
meetings
attended
Percentage
attended
HOUSING Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb First Wednesday of the month at
6:30 p.m. Re-appointed
Term expired/
Termed out/
Resigned
Total no.
of
meetings
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 2026 Beeli, Jessica 4/16/2024 10 6 60% 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1
Chapa, Charles 8/12/2025 5 5 100% * * * * * 1 1 1 1 1
Dumont, Katherine 4/29/2025 9 8 89% * 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Kranen, Kevin 4/29/2025 9 9 100% * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Leitch, Heather* 5/25/2021 4/30/2025 1 1 100% 1 * * * * * * * * * Merriman, Nevada* 5/16/2017 5/25/2021 4/30/2025 1 0 0% 0 * * * * * * * * * Oursler, William 4/29/2025 9 9 100% * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Portillo, Virginia* 4/25/2023 6/2/2025 2 2 100% 1 1 * * * * * * * * Switzer, Steven 10/8/2024 10 10 100% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Trempont, Hadrien* 8/13/2024 4/30/2025 1 0 0% 0 * * * * * * * * * Wong Carol 4/29/2025 9 6 67% * 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
* not on commission
attendance less than two-thirds (67%)
3/25/2025-regular meeting Merriman excused absence
3/25/2025-regular meeting Trempont excused absence
4/2/2025-meeting cancelled
4/30/2025-Leitch term expired
4/30/2025-Merriman termed out
4/30/2025-Trempont term expired
5/27/2025-regular meeting Dumont excused absense
6/2/2025-Portillo resigned
7/2/2025-regular meeting cancelled
7/10/2025-special meeting Beeli excused absence
7/10/2025-special meeting Wong excused absence
8/6/2025-regular meeting Wong excused absence
9/3/2025-regular meeting Beeli excused absence
10/1/2025-regular meeting Beeli excused absence
10/1/2025-regular meeting Wong remote
12/3/2025-special meeting Krane arrived at 6:50 p.m.
12/3/2025-regular meeting Beeli excused absence
1/17/2026-regular meeting Wong excused absence
2/4/2025-regular meeting cancelled
Appointed
Total
meetings
attended
Percentage
attended
LIBRARY Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Third Monday of the month
at 6:30 p.m. Re-appointed
Term expired/
Termed out/
Resigned
Total no.
of
meetings
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 2026 Abdulla, Leith 10/21/2025 3 3 100% * * * * * * * 1 1 1
Crockett, Kim 8/13/2024 10 10 100% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Herrick, Michael* 2/13/2024 9/16/2025 6 5 83% 1 1 1 1 0 1 * * * * Orton, Carol 4/25/2023 10 10 100% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Pollack, David* 2/13/2024 4/30/2025 2 2 100% 1 1 * * * * * * * * Sisbot, Sarah 2/25/2025 10 10 100% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Shafer, Scott 4/16/2024 10 6 60% 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
Westcott, Brian 4/16/2024 10 10 100% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Yule, Daniel 4/29/2025 8 8 100% * * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
* not on commission
attendance less than two-thirds (67%)
3/17/2025-regular meeting Shafer excused absence
5/19/2025-regular meeting cancelled
4/30/2025-Pollack term expired
5/28/2025-special joint meeting with Shafer excused absence 6/16/2025-regular meeting Sisbot remote
7/21/2025-regular meeting Herrick excused absence
9/16/2025-Herrick resigned
9/15/2025-regular meeting cancelled
11/7/2025-regular meeting Shafer excused absence
12/15/2025-special meeting cancelled, lack of quorum
1/19/2025-regular meeting cancelled
1/26/2026-special meeting
2/16/2026-regular meeting cancelled
2/26/2026-special meeting Shafer excused absence
Appointed
Total
meetings
attended
Percentage
attended
PARKS AND RECREATION Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30
p.m. Re-appointed
Term expired/
Termed out/
Resigned
Total no.
of
meetings
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 2026 Chunyu, Yongdan 4/29/2025 9 6 67% * * 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 Dawkins, Kevin 8/13/2024 11 8 73% 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 Emms, Dawn* 8/13/2024 4/30/2025 2 0 0% 0 0 * * * * * * * * * Grass, Joseph 4/16/2024 11 9 82% 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Joshua, Peter* 5/25/2021 4/30/2025 2 1 50% 0 1 * * * * * * * * * Lee, Wonman 4/25/2023 11 10 91% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1
Patel, Shilpa 4/29/2025 9 6 67% * * 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0
Sherman, Michele 4/16/2024 11 7 64% 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 Van Buren, Justin 8/13/2024 11 10 91% 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 * not on commission
attendance less than two-thirds (67%)
3/26/2025-regular meeting Emms excused absence
3/26/2025-regular meeting Joshua excused absence
4/23/2025-regular meeting Emms excused absence
4/23/2025-regular meeting Sherman excused absence
4/30/2025-Emms term expired
4/30/2025-Joshua term expired
5/28/2025-special joint meeting with Dawkins excused absence 6/25/2025-regular meeting Sherman excused absence
7/23/2025-regular meeting Dawkins excused absence
8/27/2025-regular meeting Chunyu excused absence
8/27/2025-regular meeting Grass excused absence
8/27/2025-regular meeting Patel excused absence
9/24/2025-regular meeting Patel excused absence
9/24/2025-regular meeting Van Buren excused absence
10/22/2025-regular meeting Grass excused absence
10/22/2025-regular meeting Sherman excused absence
11/19/2025-special meeting Chunyu excused absence
11/26/2025-regular meeting cancelled
12/15/2025-special meeting cancelled
12/24/2025-special meeting cancelled
1/28/2026-regular meeting Lee excused absence
1/28/2026-regular meeting Sherman excused absence
2/25/2026-regular meeting Chunyu excused absence
2/25/2026-regular meeting Dawkins excused absence
2/25/2026-regular meeting Patel excused absence
Appointed
Total
meetings
attended
Percentage
attended
PLANNING Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Twice a month on Mondays (varies) at
7 p.m. Re-appointed
Term expired/
Termed out/
Resigned
Total no.
of
meetings
2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 2026 Behroozi, Katie 4/16/2024 20 17 85% 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 0 2 1 1 Do, Linh Dan 4/26/2022 20 16 80% 1 2 1 2 0 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 Ehrich, Andrew 4/25/2023 20 18 90% 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 Ferrick, Katie 4/25/2023 20 16 80% 2 2 1 1 0 2 2 1 2 2 0 1 Schindler, Jennifer 11/1/2022 20 20 100% 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 Silin, Misha 4/16/2024 20 19 95% 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 0 Silverstein, Ross 1/23/2024 4/29/2025 20 17 85% 2 1 2 2 0 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 * not on commission
attendance less than two-thirds (67%)
3/10/2025-regular meeting Do excused absence
4/14/2025-regular meeting Ehrich exited at 7:30 p.m.
4/14/2025-regular meeting Do remote
4/28/2025-regular meeting Ehrich excused absence
4/28/2025-regular meeting Silverstein excused absence
5/5/2025-regular meeting Behroozi excused absence
5/19/2025-regular meeting Do excused absence
5/19/2025-regular meeting Ferrick excused absence
6/23/2025-regular meeting Ferrick excused absence
7/14/2025-regular meeting Do excused absence
7/14/2025-regular meeting Ferrick excused absence
7/14/2025-regular meeting Silverstein excused absence
7/28/2025-regular meeting cancelled
8/11/2025-regular meeting Silverstein excused absence
8/25/2025-regular meeting Behroozi remote
9/8/2025-regular meeting Do exited at 8:30 p.m.
10/6/2025-regular meeting cancelled
11/3/2025-regular meeting Behroozi excused absence
11/3/2025-regular meeting Ehrich excused absence
11/17/2025-regular meeting Behroozi excused absence
12/15/2025-regular meeting Do excused absence
1/12/2026-regular meeting Ferrick excused absence
1/26/2026-regular meeting cancelled
2/9/2026-regular meeting cancelled
2/23/2026-regular meeting Silin excused absence
Appointed
Total
meetings
attended
Percentage
attended
Advisory body application
Submitted on 31 March 2026, 4:06PM
Receipt number 209
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Jessica Beeli
Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Advisory body preference Complete Streets Commission
Education San Diego State University-California State University - Bachelor's in political science
Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
Menlo Park Housing commission, vice chair
Founder & Co-Chair, Women in Product, San Jose
Women at Adobe San Jose | Social Chair
Club Facilitator - Girls Who Code
Co-Founder and President of SISSTER (Sororities Invested in Survivor Support and Ending Rape)
Alpha Gamma Delta - Risk Management Chair
Manhattan Beach Mayor's Youth Council
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities Complete Streets policy is fundamentally about designing public infrastructure that serves all users — pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers — rather than optimizing exclusively for car throughput. As a commissioner, I understand this means evaluating projects and policies through a multimodal lens, making recommendations that balance competing needs for street space, and helping the City translate its climate and mobility goals into concrete infrastructure decisions.

My background sits at an intersection I believe is increasingly relevant to this work. As a Senior Product Manager at Adobe building conversational AI systems, I've spent years thinking about how to design experiences that serve diverse users with different needs and contexts — which maps more directly to Complete Streets thinking than it might first appear. Good street design and good product design share the same core discipline:
understanding who your users actually are, what they need, and what happens when the system fails them.

I also bring over 2 years of experience on Menlo Park's Housing Commission, where I developed fluency in the policy process, community engagement, and the way land use and transportation decisions interact. I understand how city commissions operate and how to make recommendations that are both principled and implementable.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I want to join the Complete Streets Commission because this work is personal to me. I live on El Camino Real and I am an avid walker. Safe streets directly protect me, my neighbors, and my family every day — crossing El Camino is part of my daily life, and I see firsthand where our street design has not been intentional and the very real danger that creates.

That experience gives me a grounded, pedestrian-first perspective that I Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 4

ATTACHMENT C
would bring to every recommendation this commission makes.

At the same time, I believe we are at an inflection point in how cities think about public space, and I want to help Menlo Park navigate it thoughtfully.

As a Senior Product Manager working in AI, I've developed fluency in how emerging technology reshapes systems — and I see that dynamic playing out in transportation right now. The way we design streets today will determine how well our city adapts as mobility continues to change. I want to help ensure those decisions are made with intention, centering the needs of people who walk, bike, and use transit rather than treating those users as an afterthought.

I hope to bring a perspective that connects lived experience on these streets with an understanding of where transportation technology is heading — advocating for designs that treat public space as a shared civic resource and that make Menlo Park safer and more accessible for everyone who calls it home.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

5. What is your familiarity with the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan and what are your ideas about how the implementation can be a success? Please include an explanation of what you define as success.

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 3
Current City Council district District 4
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Other: commissioner If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

My connection to both is personal and practical. As a Menlo Park resident and new parent, I'm an active user of the city's parks, an everyday pedestrian, and occasional cyclist.

Professionally, my background in data science and managing data science teams gives me a useful lens for both commissions. Transportation planning and parks programming can both benefit from data-driven analysis; I'm wellpositioned to help evaluate whether the analysis behind a recommendation actually supports the conclusion. I also have experience working with diverse stakeholders and advocating for what I believe is right.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
My preferred body is the Complete Streets Commission. Having recently moved to Menlo Park, it's an opportunity to contribute to my new community while working on something I care about directly: making the city safer and more accessible for everyone.

As someone who walks and runs around Menlo Park daily, there are a few times I've already felt a bit unsafe - for example, areas without sidewalks or intersections where drivers aren't expecting pedestrians. I would love to contribute to improving this and want Menlo Park to be a place where all modes of transit feel like genuinely good options.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
Planning Commission questionnaire
1 of 3
DISTRICT 5

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 1
Current City Council district District 5
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) City website Instagram
If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
I have served on the Complete Streets Commission for 5 years: 2 years as Chair, (2022-23 and 2024-25) and 3 years as Vice Chair (2021-22, 2023- 24, and 2025-2026). During my time on the Commission, I have also volunteered for, or been asked by Staff to join, additional city and county initiatives to improve street safety in Menlo Park. These are: the Vision Zero Task Force (which performed the analysis behind the recommendation to City Council to adopt a Vision Zero Action Plan in Menlo Park); the San Mateo County Safe Routes to School Working Group (which tested quick build projects to improve school zone safety in 6 municipalities, including Menlo Park); and, the Santa Cruz Avenue Task Force (which performed onsite observation and community outreach, and developed recommendations for safety improvements on this high crash corridor). Prior to joining the Complete Streets Commission, I served on the Menlo Park Heritage Tree Task Force. Outside of all that, I try every day to be a good neighbor and recently was a mentor to students presenting at the Oak Knoll Science Fair (highly recommend)!
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities The Complete Streets Commission reviews the city's proposed transitrelated projects before they are presented to the City Council for approval.

Our job is to assess the approach the city is proposing, propose changes if needed, and make our recommendation to Council. We take a lot of things into consideration such as the observations and experiences of people in the neighborhood, data (such as speed data and collision data), road usage and conditions, criticality vs other city projects, and the ability of the city to make equal investments in other locations across the city that face similar concerns. In this decision-making process, Commissioners play a really important role by providing the residents' point of view and the perspective of being who bike, walk and drive our streets every day. In my five years on the Complete Streets Commission, I have participated in reviewing over 50 transit projects across the city (from the Shuttle program, to Willow Road, to El Camino Real intersections... and much more!) and making recommendations to Council. I would be very excited to continue to serve on the Commission and continue this work. It's incredibly meaningful to be part of a committed group of residents trying to make our City streets more safe, accessible, and easier to navigate for all users. But we've got a lot more work to do. I think that the depth and breadth of my experience is beneficial Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 5
to the Commission and to moving this good work forward for Menlo Park.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
Both professionally and personally, I've always been dedicated to improving the communities I'm part of. I love that work. It seems to me that we are at our best as a community when we work together to find solutions to thorny problems, even when we start from very different points of view. And that's exactly what we do every month at Complete Streets Meetings! I appreciate that the City of Menlo Park affords residents the opportunity to contribute to the process. If re-appointed, there are a few things I would like to accomplish. I appreciated that the City Council, in reviewing the City's proposed Slow Streets Program, asked that we give weight in the ranking to the equitable distribution of improvement projects across the city. That's valid and it needs to happen. I will work to bring that lens and that priority into the Commission's 2026-2027 workplan and to have it inform our meeting agendas as well. Second, I have learned from being on the Commission that public outreach is hard. The city will make a sincere effort to advertise an opportunity to give feedback through numerous channels, but people will say that they didn't hear about it. I think we have to dive deeper into this and understand it better. Perhaps establish a set of consistent practices for public outreach that becomes our city's standard, and also ask neighboring cities what's working for them. Given that my career was in communications, I would like to contribute to this effort, if that's helpful to the City. As we go forward with the work to improve safety on our main traffic corridors that a lot of people use, this will be crucial. Lastly, I thought that the Vision Zero Action Plan made such a good point about schools -- that safety concerns and issues are very often similar across school zones, and it's a great opportunity for Menlo Park to look across all our schools (not look at them as individual projects) and identify systemic solutions that could be implemented in terms of bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and enhancing crosswalks and intersections. I think this would move us forward and would love to contribute to this effort.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 14
Current City Council district District 5
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Local newspaper Other: Originally, in the local paper and from friends who served on City Commissions
If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Cellphone: Yes
Business phone: No
Home phone: No
Email: Yes
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
No
I agree
Signature
Link to signature
Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 6 August 2025, 11:40PM
Receipt number 188
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Federico De Giuli Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Environmental Quality Commission
Housing Commission
Advisory body preference Housing Commission
Education B.S.E. Comp. Sci. and Engineering, U.C Davis
Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
Member of Menlo Together
Volunteer at Canopy
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these
responsibilities
Housing commission:
- Advise city council on housing policy, including zoning considerations. I live in a house, as do most of the people I know. I pay a significant amount of my (not insignificant) income for the privilege. I have also lived in houses in other places, both better and worse. In all cases, the quality of the experience was a direct result of zoning laws.

Complete streets commision:
- Advise council on how to improve the safety of city streets, as well as promote uses other than just driving a car on them. It may come as a surprise, but I _also_ use the streets. My main mode of transportation is a bicycle--this means I've had more than my fair share of doorings, accidents and close calls, so I have fairly extensive experience with what makes a safe street to cycle on.

Environmental Quality Commision:
- Advise, blah blah, you get it. I volunteer for Canopy, an organization dedicated to planting trees in neighborhoods with lower tree cover. I am passionate about environmental protection and enviromental justice, and believe that meaningful change must start at the local level.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I believe that the widespread use of single-family zoning has had a devastating effect on both society and the environment, and I hope to encourage Menlo Park to move toward a more sustainable way to use land.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
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DISTRICT 4

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning
Commissions relationship with the City Council and the
Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning
Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

5. What is your familiarity with the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan and what are your ideas about how the
implementation can be a success? Please include an
explanation of what you define as success.

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 5
Current City Council district District 4
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Local newspaper If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following Cellphone: No Contact and residency information
2 of 3
information on the city website (please select at least one): Business phone: No Home phone: No
Email: Yes
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
I agree
Signature
Link to signature
Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 2 April 2026, 12:13AM
Receipt number 213
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Ethan Ebinger
Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Advisory body preference Complete Streets Commission
Education BS, Geological Sciences, Brown University
Master of City Planning, UC Berkeley
Master of Science in Transportation Engineering, UC Berkeley Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
NA
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities The Complete Streets Commission advises City Council on transportation policy and project implementation. This includes reviewing Transportation Master Plan updates, providing input on major development projects, supporting initiatives such as Safe Routes to School, and weighing in on corridor and intersection improvements.

My professional experience in transportation engineering and multimodal planning directly relates to these responsibilities. For work I routinely evaluate pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle interactions to help clients design safer and more accessible urban spaces. I assess tradeoffs between modes and as a consultant have developed strong skills in collaborate and problem framing. I am interested in leveraging this knowledge and skillset to help Menlo Park translate policy objectives into implementable designs and strategies.

Additionally, I bring my experience as a muiltimodal traveler. I frequently walk to accomplish errands, I cycle to Caltrain to get to work, I take transit to meet with friends, and I own and use a car. So, not only am passionate about transportation professionally but am an end user of all the infrastructure and policies that shape mobility in my city.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I want to serve on the Complete Streets Commission because I want to help Menlo Park make thoughtful and resilient transportation decisions. The Commission plays a key role in shaping how adopted policies are translated into real projects on the ground. I am particularly interested in contributing technical perspective to improve transportation safety, accessibility, and sustainability.

As a member, I want to help the Commission on implementation and follow‑through, ensuring that adopted plans and recommendations translate into measurable progress on the ground. Goals adopted in as part of complete streets, vision zero, and climate action plan are extremely important to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities. I will be a father in May and want to play a part in shaping the future of this city to be even better for my daughter.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
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DISTRICT 3
Additionally, I think that from my professional work as a planner/engineer I can provide support in communicating technical analyses and assumptions to decision-makers and the public. I see this role as an opportunity to help strengthen collaboration on transportation issues that are often complex and highly visible. I want to use my experience to ensure the City receives evidence-based input and thus has all the tools available to continue making informed decisions. My goal would be to help the Commission serve as a trusted partner to City Council while advocating for safety, accessibility, and sustainability considerations that align with adopted goals and policies.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 2
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Current City Council district District 3
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Other: Banner on Santa Cruz Ave If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities The Complete Streets Commission advisory body is responsible for advising City Council on creating safer and more accessible streets for multiple modes of transportation, including cycling, public transit and walking. This is done in part by promoting the goals laid out in the transportation master plan, safe routes to school strategy, and other frameworks. As an advisory board member, I attend monthly meetings where the board discusses proposals and project updates; between meetings I keep myself updated on the goals of the commission and collect information on projects to discuss at the monthly meetings. In my two years on the commission so far, I have been involved in several subcommittees, each contributing to a different aspect of making Menlo Park’s streets safer and more accessible to alternative modes of transit.

As a professional scientist, a significant part of my job involves reading and interpreting technical literature and using this to develop next steps, and I bring this skill to this advisory board position. I am also trained to analyze and complicated data and communicate it in an accessible way, expertise which is useful in determining the success of the implementation of complete streets initiatives and goals such as reducing vehicle miles traveled and preventing collisions. As a direct example, I am involved in a joint subcommittee with Environmental Quality Commission members which is looking to evaluate new metrics to more precisely describe vehicle miles traveled and the city’s progress towards those goals.

As an engaged community member I have frequently attended city council meetings on topics of housing and transportation and am passionate about improving sustainability; the issue of multimodal transportation is personally of great interest to me as a frequent bike commuter and city shuttle user, as detailed in my response to the following question. I hope that my combination of enthusiasm for multimodal transit and skills in communicating data will continue to be of use on the CSC.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 4
Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I believe I bring a useful perspective to the commission in this position as a member of the community that utilizes the full range of mobility options available in Menlo Park. I am most regularly a bike user on Menlo Park’s streets. As a bike commuter, I have seen firsthand the benefits of infrastructure such as the buffered bike lanes on Willow Road and the joy of seeing other cyclists of all ages using it on my way to work. However, I have also experienced the difficulties involved when these bike lanes end abruptly in high traffic areas, or discovered other infrastructure which is lacking, and I would like to see improvements to promote safety and convenience. For example, with pilot programs including the Coleman Avenue bike lane and Middle Avenue parking coming before the Commission, I have been involved in key projects to improve the safe routes to school and promote biking in the next generation. As part of my contributions on the bike rack subcommittee, we identified locations where the lack of bike racks are an impediment to people biking and proposed using bike racks already in inventory to help relieve this problem.

In addition to my commute I will often bike, walk, or ride the bus to downtown Menlo Park and surrounding areas in order to visit the library or catch the Caltrain to San Francisco, and thus have personal experience with many aspects of many Menlo Park streets. For example, the accessibility provided by the city shuttle allows me more flexibility to reduce car dependence. I hope my current work on our El Camino Real bike lane subcommittee will further increase bike accessibility to downtown and surrounding areas, and connections to nearby cities. I have witnessed many changes to Menlo Park streets which have made biking safer and more convenient, and am passionate about helping Menlo Park continue on the path towards making the streets safer and more accessible to all modes of transit.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 3
Current City Council district District 4
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Email If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Cellphone: No
Business phone: No
Home phone: No
Email: Yes
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
I agree
Signature
Link to signature
Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 3 April 2026, 2:24PM
Receipt number 222
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Tim Rochte
Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Advisory body preference Complete Streets Commission
Education BA in Economics from the University of California at Davis MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia
Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
I am admittedly new to this kind of service. I am interested in this role BECAUSE it is an opportunity to work on a part of our community that matters to me. The closest I can offer is that I have volunteered as a mechanic at Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities Having long enjoyed the unique environment of our city, I am eager to participate more directly in its future. I believe the overall (sub)urban experience—defined by the safe and effective use of public spaces—is what makes our community a fantastic place to live, and I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to that mission as a member of the Complete Streets Commission
It is my understanding that the commission tries to look holistically at various elements of the Transportation Master Plan, Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, and development plans to achieve these goals Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
My perspective is shaped by a long-standing commitment to improving how we move through our environment. While my past involvement has focused on neighborhood-level impacts and exploring modern perspectives on holistic city design, I am now focused on the following broader priorities:

Enhanced Active Transport: Prioritizing safer, more intuitive road designs that encourage walking and cycling while reducing the perceived necessity of personal car transportation.

Comprehensive Traffic Design: Promoting efficient traffic flow while ensuring neighborhood safety and environmental standards are maintained.

Transit Connectivity: Improving the integration of public transportation to create a more seamless experience for all residents.

Safety and Sustainability: Ensuring our infrastructure aligns with the principles necessary for Vision Zero and our broader climate and development goals.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 2

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Cellphone: No
Business phone: No
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Home phone: No
Email: Yes
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
No
I agree
Signature
Uploaded signature image: Tim Rochte Signature.jpg
Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 24 March 2026, 10:16AM
Receipt number 204
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Holly Ubellacker Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Environmental Quality Commission
Advisory body preference Complete Streets Commission
Education University of California, Berkeley BS (Engineering) Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
None at this time, but have lived in Menlo Park for five years and want to give back to improve the city.

Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities Complete Streets: responsible for improving non auto transportation access including improving bikeways and pedestrian walkways, community transportation for bus routes.

Personal experience: I bike to work in south bay three days a week, and limit car usage as much as possible. The most dangerous part of my commute is getting out of Menlo Park to make it to the Bay Trail - particularly Middlefield road.

Environmental Quality: Responsible for achieving / promoting Menlo Parks climate goals and increasing human/nature balance through tree canopy. Not as clear on what other power this committee would have over non-municipal climate goals (solar incentives, water/trash reduction incentives, etc) but spent three years at my job focusing on achieving corporate carbon neutrality goals by 2030. I am impressed by the work done already on the solar panels on the library, Burgess park water saving methods, and would like to be part of continuing these goals
Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I am motivated to serve on an advisory body because I believe that residents have a responsibility to actively contribute to the well-being of their community. I want to ensure that Menlo Park continues to be a place where environmental stewardship and quality of life are prioritized, and where thoughtful planning supports both current and future residents. My values are focused on sustainability, accessibility, and designing public spaces that prioritize people over cars, closely align with the work of both of these commissions.

I hope to contribute to improving safe and accessible transportation options throughout the city. This includes strengthening bike infrastructure, developing well-connected and protected bicycle and pedestrian pathways, and improving “last-mile” connections to public transit so that it is a practical and reliable option for more residents. I am especially interested in supporting expanded transportation services for seniors and other residents who depend on consistent transit access, as I have seen many older Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 3
residents waiting in the street for a half hour or more to make sure they don't miss the Vet / senior shuttle for their health needs.

For the Environmental Quality peace, I hope to expand my own personal values and support the preservation and enhancement of Menlo Park’s natural environment, particularly its tree canopy. When comparing Menlo Park to other cities like Sunnyvale, one of the biggest "nice" factor of Menlo Park is the tree canopy and the balance of green space between developments. I believe it is important to maintain this balance by prioritizing long-term environmental health alongside responsible city growth, and want to work with a group that shares that value.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 5
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Current City Council district District 3
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Other: Banner in downtown Menlo Park If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Cellphone: No
Business phone: Yes
Home phone: No
Email: No
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
I agree
Signature
Link to signature
Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 12 January 2026, 11:09AM
Receipt number 192
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Thomas J. Wandless Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Parks and Recreation Commission
Advisory body preference Complete Streets Commission
Education B.S., Biochemistry 1988, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX Ph.D., Chemistry 1993, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
My wife and I bought our home in Menlo Park in 1998 and raised our two children (now 22 and 20) through the Menlo Park City School District. My principal involvement in the community has been as a coach for my childrens' soccer teams through the AYSO organization. We are members of St. Denis church, and I served as a member of the parish council from 2018 through 2022. I have served on the scientific advisory boards of several biotechnology companies, but I have not advised any city- or county-related commissions or committees.

My wife and I are both members of the Stanford faculty, and I have commuted to work by bicycle or walking for the past 20 years. I will retire from Stanford as on 31 Jan 2026.

Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities My primary interest is to join the Complete Streets Commission, although I would also be happy to be a member of the Parks & Recreation Commission.

From the outside, it appears to me that the Complete Streets Commissions (CSC) advises the City Council on all matters relating to transportation in Menlo Park. The CSC recognizes that the transportation infrastructure exists not only for cars, trucks, and buses but also for pedestrian, bicyclists and other means of "alternative" transport on our streets. The CSC approaches these issues keeping in mind both the City's transportation master plan and the climate action plan. Significant development projects always include impacts to transportation issues, so the CSC would likely be involved in making recommendations in these situations.

My professional experience as a biomedical scientist does not directly inform the subject matter of either of these commissions. However, my training as a data-driven researcher would help me understand the studies and datasets that are used as the basis for decisions in these committees.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
My wife and I bought our home in Menlo Park in 1998 and we treasure our local community. As a long-time bicycle commuter and parent of two children who used their bicycles to commute to/from school each day I am acutely aware of the strengths and occasional weaknesses of our transportation infrastructure. I am hoping to contribute my time and expertise to ensure that the strategic decisions that Menlo Park makes about Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 4
transportation issues benefit the entire community, especially as these decisions affect safety and our stewardship of the environment.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

At Duke University, I lead a team to build a vehicular bridge in Bolivia over two summers with Engineers Without Borders.

Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities I am most excited to serve on the housing commission, which I see as an opportunity to help keep the city on track with its housing goals, such as the total number of new units or the income breakdown of such housing units. I hope to learn about potential housing developments and should the city be off track, alert the city council and propose policy changes with the help, guidance, and expertise of city staff. Housing is particularly motivating for me because as a current renter who has lived in Palo Alto / Menlo Park for the past 16 years, I have personally experienced the financial burden of rent increases, especially now that I have two young kids. When I think about buying a house and wanting to stay in the area, I struggle to understand how homeownership in this area is feasible for young families establishing their careers and juggling child care expenses.

I would also be excited to serve on the Environmental Quality Commission.

With two young kids, I worry about the state of the planet that we are leaving to future generations. Menlo Park is quite progressive with respect to environmental initiatives, but more progress needs to be made, such as meeting the city's carbon neutral goal by 2030. As an environmentallyaware renter who does not have control over my apartment's infrastructure, I hope to motivate the commission and the city to more effectively ensure compliance from apartment owners and encourage them to make electrification upgrades.

I would also be excited to serve on the Complete Streets commission. I bike almost every day to work through 3 districts of Menlo Park, and my biking Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 3
experience could help inform decisions on improving and expanding bike infrastructure with safety in mind, such as the proposed Middle Avenue bike / pedestrian undercrossing. Gathering community input and opinions about transportation upgrades, and voicing them in committee, is also an important responsibility of serving on the commission.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I am most interested in serving on the housing commission. The accumulated shortage of housing on the Peninsula over decades has resulted in an unaffordable housing market for a growing share of even our relatively welloff neighbors. My colleagues, who are highly educated young professionals, including residents and graduate students who aspire to be the next generation of doctors and researchers, struggle to afford to live in Menlo Park, let alone the teachers, police, and other essential service workers whose work makes the city function. Since having two young kids, I realized that I want my kids to grow up in a city that is more socioeconomically diverse, and housing is one way to encourage such diversity in our city.

I hope to add oversight on the city's housing progress as an informed resident, making sure that we are in compliance with the state's requirements and ensuring that the city is honest about whether we are on track to meeting our stated housing goals. If the city is falling short, I hope to speak with key stakeholders such as fellow commissioners, city council members, developers, and community members to brainstorm ways to unblock and accelerate housing development. Finally, I would be excited to give early feedback on housing development proposals to help make Menlo Park a more welcoming, sustainable, and vibrant place to live.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 3
Current City Council district District 3
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Other: friends and neighbors If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Cellphone: No
Business phone: No
Home phone: No
Email: Yes
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
I agree
Signature
Uploaded signature image: Screenshot 2026-04-03 at 12.02.12 AM.png Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 3 April 2026, 3:59AM
Receipt number 218
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Radhika Anne
Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Environmental Quality Commission Finance and Audit Commission
Housing Commission
Parks and Recreation Commission
Planning Commission
Advisory body preference Environmental Quality Commission Education Masters in Engineering
Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
I was a Girl Scout mom and ran the science fair in our Menlo Park elementary School
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities I have been a resident of Menlo Park for over 20 years raising as family with my husband. I work in tech and related to data centers. Due to seeing the impact of tech on environment I would like to do my part towards sustainable environment.

I am here to give back to Menlo Park and would be interested in being on board for one or more memberships available
Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I am to give back yo Menlo Park.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

Planning committee reviews the impact of proposed plans with respect to Menlo Park city development

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?
I don’t have any
However collaboration is the key

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?
I don’t know but I can put in as many hours as needed
Planning Commission questionnaire
1 of 3
DISTRICT 4

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?
Road congestion planning, housing and I personally would be interred in a safe space for children to gather and play

City thriving will be success of any plan that is implemented Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 25
Current City Council district District 4
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Nextdoor If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Cellphone: No
Business phone: No
Home phone: No
Email: No
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
Contact and residency information
I agree
Signature
Application acknowledgement and submittal
2 of 3
Link to signature
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 6 August 2025, 11:40PM
Receipt number 188
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Federico De Giuli Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Environmental Quality Commission
Housing Commission
Advisory body preference Housing Commission
Education B.S.E. Comp. Sci. and Engineering, U.C Davis
Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
Member of Menlo Together
Volunteer at Canopy
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these
responsibilities
Housing commission:
- Advise city council on housing policy, including zoning considerations. I live in a house, as do most of the people I know. I pay a significant amount of my (not insignificant) income for the privilege. I have also lived in houses in other places, both better and worse. In all cases, the quality of the experience was a direct result of zoning laws.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 4

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning
Commissions relationship with the City Council and the
Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning
Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

5. What is your familiarity with the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan and what are your ideas about how the
implementation can be a success? Please include an
explanation of what you define as success.

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 5
Current City Council district District 4
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Local newspaper If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following Cellphone: No Contact and residency information
2 of 3
information on the city website (please select at least one): Business phone: No Home phone: No
Email: Yes
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
I agree
Signature
Link to signature
Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 20 February 2026, 12:32PM
Receipt number 193
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Lesley Feldman
Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Environmental Quality Commission Advisory body preference
Education Haverford College, BA History and Economics 2007 Harvard Kennedy School, MPP 2012
Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
Volunteer in various capacities at Laurel Elementary School Prior service on Community Engagement and Outreach Committee (2021) Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities The Environmental Quality Commission works on issues related to environmental protection, climate change, and sustainability. This is complementary to the work I have devoted myself to in my career. I have worked for non-profits focused on addressing climate change for the past 15 years. This work has been focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through state, national, and international policy focused on the environmental impact of energy use and specifically methane emissions.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I am eager to apply my understanding of the impacts of and solutions to climate change at a more local level, by working to make Menlo Park a more sustainable community that does what it can to minimize our climate impact.

My goal on this commission will be to focus on our biggest impacts and on the parts of our community are most directly impacted. Environmental impact touches on so many other things, including quality of life, public health, and housing and transportation policy, and it is important to understand environmental impact in this broader context.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?
Planning Commission questionnaire
1 of 3
DISTRICT 2

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 7
Current City Council district District 2
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Email If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

The Housing Commission
As an applicant, I understand the Housing Commission’s role as a vital advisory body that ensures our city's housing policies are both legislatively compliant and fiscally sound. My focus will be on the effective stewardship of the Below Market Rate (BMR) program and evaluating housing quality to protect our existing residential assets. I am committed to advising the City Council on how to navigate regional housing mandates and environmental issues efficiently, ensuring our local policies remain high-quality, sustainable, and aligned with our community’s long-term interests.

Parks and Recreation Commission
As an applicant, I understand this role to be a strategic advisory position focused on shaping the long-term vision of our city’s community spaces. My focus is on partnering with the City Council to ensure recreation programs evolve alongside our residents' needs through diligent long-range planning and regional coordination. My background volunteering with Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) has given me a deep appreciation for the role Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 3
DISTRICT 1
parks play in building equitable climate resilience—from managing urban heat to creating sustainable, nature-based solutions. I view this commission as the primary vehicle for maintaining our parks and playgrounds as vibrant, accessible, and resilient hubs that foster genuine connection for every neighbor.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
Driven by my passion for the environment, I want to join the Environmental Quality Commission to ensure Menlo Park’s climate goals are as equitable as they are ambitious. Drawing on my experience as a Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) volunteer, I plan to help the City Council bridge the gap between technical policy and real-world community impact. My goal is to advocate for low-cost, high-impact climate adaptation strategies—such as nature-based infrastructure—that protect public health and foster ecological stability for all residents without requiring excessive municipal spending.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident
Current City Council district District 1
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Other: Community Meeting If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Cellphone: No
Business phone: No
Home phone: No
Email: Yes
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
I agree
Signature
Uploaded signature image: Screenshot 2026-03-25 at 2.01.01 PM.png Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 10 March 2026, 10:57AM
Receipt number 201
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Sumi Hachmann
Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Environmental Quality Commission Parks and Recreation Commission
Advisory body preference
Education I hold an MBA and Masters in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, as well as a BS in Social Studies from Harvard University.

Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
I currently serve on the Site Design Committee at Laurel Elementary School, guiding decisions around the design of the new campus. I’m involved as a home room parent for my child’s class, which I’ve done in previous years as well. I have also served as a parent coach for my children’s AYSO soccer and school basketball teams.

Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities The Parks & Recreation commission is responsible for advising the City Council on issues related to programs and facilities for recreation. This includes operations, maintenance, staffing, programming, and long-term planning. The Environmental Quality commission is responsible for advising the City Council on issues related to sustainability and environmental impact.

This includes programs such as: the Climate Action Plan, the Climate Resilience and Adaption plan, the Urban Canopy, and other sustainability initiatives.

Serving on both of these commissions requires the ability to:
- Evaluate complex tradeoffs, such as balancing short- and long-term priorities, budget and resource constraints, program impacts on resident wellbeing, and environmental considerations.
- Understand and analyze resident needs through data such as surveys, usage patterns, and community engagement.
- Communicate and collaborate effectively with fellow commissioners, City Council members, staff, and the public.

My professional experience has prepared me well for these responsibilities.

I’ve spent the last 10+ years leading product management teams at startups and most recently at Google. This involves end-to-end execution of large scale initiatives including initial product concept design, understanding customer needs, analyzing data, developing a spec with consideration for numerous tradeoffs, securing resources, aligning stakeholders amidst organizational complexity, executing projects on time, experimenting and adapting to changing circumstances, and evaluating outcomes.

I also have experience leading long-term strategic planning initiatives that consider organizational goals, customer needs, and resource availability.

Much of my work focuses on leading clear decision-making in environments Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 4
DISTRICT 2
characterized by tradeoffs and diverse stakeholder perspectives.

Earlier in my career, I worked in user research, where I gained direct experience in survey design, data analysis, and methods for understanding user needs. I began my career at McKinsey & Company, where I developed a strong foundation in strategy, analysis, and communication.

My personal experience has also given me insight and a deep care and appreciation for the matters pertinent to these commissions.

Parks and Recreation: My family are very active users of programming and facilities in Menlo Park, including:

I and my husband are regular swimmers with the Menlo Masters swim team My children take swim lessons and attend swim camp through Menlo Swim and Sport
Our children have also participated in the gymnastics program We use both the Burgess and Belle Haven pools regularly throughout the year for our entire family
We frequently visit parks throughout the city with our family, and participate in City festivities like the Tree Lighting ceremony
Our children’s sports teams use Menlo Park city parks, through Stanford Strikers and the youth basketball league
Environmental Quality: I am also personally committed to sustainability and climate action. Our household recently completed a full electrification project, including installing solar panels and transitioning to electric systems such as a heat pump and electric water heating. I deeply value the city’s urban tree canopy and recognize the important role city policies and programs play in preserving Menlo Park’s natural beauty. I have also volunteered in local cleanup efforts, including trash collection along San Francisquito Creek.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
My preferred advisory body is the Parks and Recreation Commission. As mentioned, I love our city’s recreational facilities and programs and experience their direct impact on our family and community’s quality of life on a daily basis. I want to help ensure the success of these facilities and programs. If appointed, I would hope to contribute by:
- Helping guide productive and sustainable partnerships with program providers, especially the operations of our city pools. - Supporting thoughtful decisions about programming and facility use that balance resident needs, financial sustainability, and long-term planning. - Bringing a data-driven and collaborative approach to evaluating programs and identifying opportunities to improve access and impact.

More broadly, I am interested in becoming more involved in public service as I enter the next phase of my career. Serving on a commission would give me valuable firsthand experience with how the City operates and allow me to contribute meaningfully to the community where my family lives.

As a resident who benefits daily from Menlo Park’s parks and recreation programs, I care deeply about their continued success. I would bring a thoughtful, data-driven, and collaborative approach to the work of the commission, with the goal of helping ensure that the city’s recreational facilities and programs remain vibrant, accessible, and sustainable for years to come. I would be honored for the opportunity to contribute my experience and perspective in service of the community through the City of Menlo Park.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?
Planning Commission questionnaire
2 of 4

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 16
Current City Council district District 2
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Email Local newspaper
If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Although the current administration has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, cities like ours can still participate and drive meaningful change. Local action has the potential to create a significant global impact, and I am committed to ensuring our city contributes to this collective effort.

It is essential that all districts within the city have equal representation. I live in District One, which is predominantly made up of people of color and currently does not have a member on the Environmental Quality Commission. As a resident of District One, I feel it is my responsibility to advocate for the needs of my district and ensure our community has a voice in shaping the city’s environmental policies.

Climate change is real, and while its effects are already being felt, I believe we still have an opportunity to mitigate its impacts. This requires collective action, and I am dedicated to fostering community participation to ensure that everyone in the city contributes to solutions. Access to technologies that reduce CO2 emissions should be equitable and inclusive, as sustainable progress depends on engaging every resident.

I am eager to bring my knowledge, passion, and collaborative spirit to the Environmental Quality Commission, working alongside others to create a more sustainable and resilient community.

Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
N/A
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal The responsibilities of the Environmental Quality Commission are to advise the City Council on matters related to environmental sustainability Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 4
DISTRICT 1
community or professional experience relate to these
responsibilities
and the implementation of the city’s action plan. This includes recommending policies and initiatives that address climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable practices, and enhance the city’s overall environmental quality. The commission also plays an important role in ensuring that the city remains proactive in responding to environmental challenges and promoting equitable access to sustainable solutions.

In addition to my Associate’s degree in Biology, I hold a Master’s degree in Social Work, which has equipped me with the skills to engage with diverse communities, advocate for equity, and facilitate collaboration. My background allows me to understand the intersection between social and environmental justice, recognizing that sustainability efforts must include all community members, particularly those in underserved areas. Through my education and experience, I am well-prepared to contribute to the Environmental Quality Commission by offering insights into inclusive community engagement and advocating for policies that balance environmental goals with the needs of residents. I am committed to supporting the implementation of the city’s action plan and ensuring that the benefits of sustainability are accessible to everyone in our community.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I want to serve on the Environmental Quality Commission as a way of giving back to my community and ensuring that voices of my district are heard. District One is home to many people of color, and I am committed to making sure that my community is not left behind in the city’s environmental initiatives. As a member of the commission, I hope to advocate for equitable access to resources and programs that reduce CO2 emissions and improve sustainability. It is important that all residents, regardless of their background or neighborhood, have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the city’s environmental action plan.

I also hope to engage residents of my district in the city’s action plan by promoting community involvement and ensuring their unique perspectives and needs are considered. By empowering residents of my district to actively participate in environmental initiatives, I believe we can create a more inclusive and impactful approach to addressing climate change. Additionally, I aim to promote community education about sustainability, ensuring that every resident feels empowered to contribute to our shared environmental goals. By working collaboratively with my fellow commissioners, I hope to help create policies and initiatives that make Menlo Park a leader in combating climate change while addressing the unique needs of all its districts.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning
Commissions relationship with the City Council and the
Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

5. What is your familiarity with the El Camino Real/Downtown Planning Commission questionnaire
2 of 4
Specific Plan and what are your ideas about how the
implementation can be a success? Please include an
explanation of what you define as success.

Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address N/A
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 24+
Current City Council district District 1
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) City website If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

HARVARD UNIVERSITY (2002 – 2004)
Master in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government Harry S. Truman Scholar. Public Policy & International Affairs Program Fellow.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (1994 – 1999)
B.A., Honors Social Science. College Honors, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa.

Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
I. BNP Paribas (2014 - Present)
Americas Co-lead for Sustainable Finance (2020 - Present) II. Bankers Association for Finance and Trade - BAFT (2021 - Present) Working Group on Sustainability
III. Women in Sustainable Finance (2023 - Present)
Member
V. Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Program (2014 - 2019) - Co-Founder, National Alumni Advisory Council (2014 - 2016) - Board Member (2016 - 2019)
VI. German Corporation for International Cooperation - GIZ (2014) Business Development Advisor
Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these
responsibilities
My understanding of the responsibilities of the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) is to advise the City Council on how best to enable Menlo Park to mitigate, manage and adapt to climate change, and to become a model of excellence for other cities as it relates to issues of sustainability. Tangibly, I understand this to specifically include advising the Council on programs and policies related to the protection of natural areas, recycling and solid waste reduction, air and water pollution prevention, water and energy conservation, the preservation and Applicant interest, experience and qualifications
1 of 4
DISTRICT 2
management of heritage trees, the expansion of the urban canopy as well as on ways to achieve Menlo Park’s 2030 Climate Action Plan goals. Additionally, it entails regularly engaging members of the community, particularly the most vulnerable, in the development of policies and programs with environmental impact.

My professional experience aligns well with these responsibilities. In my professional life, I am a sustainability focal point and expert for BNP Paribas, the leading global bank for sustainable finance. As a member of two internal, bank-wide, expert groups on sustainability – BNP’s Network of Experts in Sustainable Transitions (NEST) and its ESG Operational Committee, I work to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into our banking practices to promote a more sustainable economy and oversee sustainable trade finance in the Americas. Part of my role is to encourage companies to align financing towards their own sustainability initiatives and to facilitate their visibility over their end suppliers’ emissions. Towards that end, I work with C-suite executives of multi-billion dollar corporations, third party ESG Ratings and Sustainability Assessment Providers, third party vendors, as well as with senior experts on sustainability, legal, credit, risk, communications and marketing.

My knowledge of sustainable finance and business is complemented by my previous work providing community outreach and legal services to low-income Bay Area families and my background in public policy, all of which helped me to gain an in-depth appreciation of the importance of partnerships between communities, government and the private sector in achieving shared objectives. In addition, I have been trained by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership of the University of Cambridge, UK and sit on the ESG Working Group for an international trade organization (the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade, or BAFT) where we are pioneering industry standards on supporting, measuring and increasing sustainable trade finance.

I would like to apply what I have learned working with private enterprises, business executives, government and community members to our work at the EQC and in Menlo Park, particularly as it relates to engaging, educating, and learning from the various stakeholders in our community to achieve measurable ESG goals together.

Having worked and lived in several countries across three continents and developed extensive access to academic, business and public policy networks and resources (e.g. UN, World Bank, State Department, Harvard Kennedy School, selected local governments), I am confident I am able to provide valuable advice to the Council in its mission to advance Menlo Park’s sustainability initiatives.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I cannot think of a more urgent, imperative and valuable goal than helping communities to pursue a more sustainable way of life that protects our resources, environment and communities for future generations. I therefore seek to support the City Council in helping residents and businesses identify and implement practical, evidence- based sustainability measures by leveraging innovative ideas and best practices, advancing communication and engagement with the community and fostering public-private sector cooperation.

I hope to regularly inject fresh, new ideas to the EQC. For example, I aim to tap into my global network to help the Council remain informed about global best practices and sustainability trends and ensure that global insights benefit our discussions at the local level. For instance, one way of fostering innovative thinking could be to organize an international digital “sustainability knowledge share” conference with cities from around the world who are leaders or aspiring leaders.

I also seek to assist the Council in making sustainability more accessible and attractive to the community. To achieve this, I aim to enhance 2 of 4
communication and outreach efforts, especially to those who may be uninformed or skeptical about the importance of sustainability for the future of Menlo Park. As such, I also aim to leverage my access to marketing and communications specialists to help craft narratives and messages that educate as well as spur community engagement.

Capitalizing on my business background, another ambition is to ensure the Council maximizes public/private cooperation to advance the achievement of local sustainability projects and goals. I truly believe that executing on Menlo Park’s Climate Action Plan depends on effective collaboration between institutions, businesses, and the community.

The journey to being a leading city in sustainability will be multi-faceted and will necessitate creativity, new types of partnerships, continuous learning, adaptability and the balancing o immediate actions and longterm goals.

As a Bay Area native with international experience, an ESG practitioner with a business and policy background, a parent with a child in the Menlo Park City School District, an outdoors enthusiast and committed environmentalist, I am personally invested in seeing Menlo Park become a leading model for sustainability at the local level and hope to be given the opportunity to serve its community as an adviser on the EQC.

Towards that end, I will strive to bring creativity and fresh perspective, leverage my personal and professional networks and resources, share my technical and finance expertise in sustainability, apply global insights to local realities, promote collaboration among public and private stakeholders, and help educate and engage the community.

Thank you for considering my application.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning
Commissions relationship with the City Council and the
Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning
Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

5. What is your familiarity with the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan and what are your ideas about how the
implementation can be a success? Please include an
explanation of what you define as success.

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Contact and residency information
3 of 4
Home phone N/A
Business phone N/A
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address 475 Sansome, SF, CA
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident <1
Current City Council district District 2
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) City website If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
I have served previously on the last City of Menlo Park's Independent Redistricting Commission. My tenure was fueled with a lot of passion to accomplish the objectives of the IRC along with my fellow commissioners that led to a very successful outcome.

Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities The current commission priorities as stated are:
1- Implementation of the climate action plan.
2- Climate Resilience and Adaptation.
3- Preservation and expansion of the urban canopy
4- Support sustainability initiatives city-wide.

My expertise as an environmental scientist and as an air quality specialist and environmental advocate centers around the above 4 tenets of the commission's missions and objectives. I have the passion, the strong belief, and the scientific foundation to contribute profoundly to the City's EQC priorities.

Describe why you want to serve on your preferred advisory body and what you hope to accomplish as a member
I am an environmental scientist with an expertise in environmental policy, regulations, and monitoring with a focus on Ambient Air Quality. I'd like to lean into my expertise to the benefit of the City of Menlo Park in order to advance the city's environmental Quality agenda and make Menlo Park as the pioneer and leader in the Bay Area and California in general in meeting the environmental challenges that our State and nation faces. As member, I hope to be a scientific and policy resource for the commission and for the city in advancing the city policies to improve the residents' quality of life in gerneral, minimizing our human impact on the environment, and raising public awareness about the good practices for a better a better Menlo Park.

Applicant interest, experience and qualifications

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

Planning Commission questionnaire
1 of 3
DISTRICT 4

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 23 years
Current City Council district District 4
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Email If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 25 plus
Current City Council district District 5
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Email If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of each advisory body you are applying to and how your personal community or professional experience relate to these responsibilities Complete Streets: responsible for improving non auto transportation access including improving bikeways and pedestrian walkways, community transportation for bus routes.

1. Describe your understanding of the responsibilities of the Planning Commission and how your personal, community or professional experience relates to these responsibilities.

2. Please tell us about your views of the Planning Commissions relationship with the City Council and the Commission’s relationship with City staff?

3. What is your understanding of the time commitment that is necessary in order to be well prepared for Planning Commission meetings?

4. What major issues do you foresee the Planning Commission dealing with and what would the Commission’s role be in dealing with these issues?

Planning Commission questionnaire
Email
Cell phone
Home phone
Business phone
Address 1
Address 2
City Menlo Park
State CA
Zip code 94025
Business address
Number of years as a Menlo Park resident 5
Contact and residency information
2 of 3
Current City Council district District 3
How did you hear about this opportunity (check all that apply) Other: Banner in downtown Menlo Park If I am appointed, the City is authorized to post the following information on the city website (please select at least one):

Cellphone: No
Business phone: Yes
Home phone: No
Email: No
The City Council often makes appointments to various bodies during the same meeting. Are you willing to be appointed to a body other than the ones you have chosen?
Yes
I agree
Signature
Link to signature
Application acknowledgement and submittal
3 of 3
Advisory body application
Submitted on 3 April 2026, 12:06AM
Receipt number 217
Related form version 16
Applicant's full name (first and last) Patrick Ye
Desired advisory body (check all that apply) Complete Streets Commission Environmental Quality Commission
Housing Commission
Advisory body preference Housing Commission
Education PhD, bioengineering, Stanford University
MS, bioengineering, Stanford University
MS, medicine, Stanford University
BS, biomedical engineering, Duke University
Civic affiliations and community activities, including service on other advisory bodies, commissions or committees
I volunteered as a Spanish and Mandarin medical interpreter at the Pacific Free Clinic as a graduate student at Stanford.