DATE:
October 15, 2024
TO:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Wanda Wong, Deputy City Clerk
Heather Glaser, City Clerk
TITLE: Environmental Planning Commission Applicant
Interviews
PURPOSE
Interview applicants for the Environmental Planning Commission and make a recommendation for adoption at the December 17, 2024 City Council meeting.
DISCUSSION
The City Clerk’s Office conducted a recruitment to fill one opening on the Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) (beginning January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028). Three applications were received for the EPC openings during the recruitment period that concluded on October 4, 2024.
Environmental Planning Commission
The EPC consists of seven members. The names and term expiration dates for the current EPC members are as follows:
Name Term Expires
Chris Clark December 31, 2025
William Cranston December 31, 2026
Hank Dempsey December 31, 2024 (incumbent)
Paul Donahue December 31, 2027
José Gutiérrez December 31, 2026
Alejandro Nuñez December 31, 2027
Joyce Yin, Chair December 31, 2025
The Mountain View Charter outlines membership requirements, and City staff has determined that all applicants are qualified to serve on this body.
Environmental Planning Commission Applicant Interviews
October 15, 2024
Interview Process and Questions
Pursuant to City Council Policy K-2, interviews are to be conducted in a panel format. Applicants will be interviewed in groups by body, each applicant will receive the same amount of time to answer each question, and the questions selected by the City Council will be asked in randomized round-robin order. Council may ask a limited number of clarifying questions in the event an applicant’s answer is unclear or otherwise not understood. Clarifying questions should not be used to allow an applicant an additional opportunity to expand on the original response.
On October 17, 202 3, Council posed the following questions to EPC applicants in the denoted time limit for each category:
1. 1 minute: What have you personally done to make a contribution to the Environmental Planning Commission, or, if you are not currently serving, what would you bring to the Environmental Planning Commission that is unique?
2. 2 minutes: What are your thoughts on the City’s existing plans like the General Plan and Precise Plans, specifically, the Moffett and Downtown Precise Plans?
3. 1.5 minutes: How does good land use improve our City, and what is good land use?
4. 1.5 minutes: How would you evaluate proposals to amend the General Plan?
Voting Process
At the conclusion of interviews, Council may discuss the applicants before voting. Pursuant to City Council Policy K -2, each member of Council shall vote for as many candidates as there are open seats (e.g., if two seats are available, vote for no more than two). In the event there is a tie vote, each member of the City Council shall revote for the candidate(s) of their choice , and the candidate with the highest number of votes wins. City Council Policy K-2 also states Council may choose another voting method by majority vote.
At the October 17, 2023 interview session conducted by the City Council, each Councilmember voted for the candidate(s) of their choice by ballot. Ballots were collected , and the City Clerk publicly announced each Councilmember’s vote.
NEXT STEPS
The City Council should determine the questions that will be asked of each body of applicants , the amount of time that will be allocated to each question to be asked, and confirm the process it will follow for interviews and voting. At the conclusion of the interviews of the EPC applicants, Council should vote on appointment recommendations for adoption at the December 17, 2024 Environmental Planning Commission Applicant Interviews
October 15, 2024
City Council meeting. Pursuant to City Council Policy K-2, a person appointed to serve on a board, commission, or committee may only serve on one body at a time.
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Wanda Wong
Deputy City Clerk
Heather Glaser
City Clerk
WW-HG/1/CAM
429-10-15-24SS
204627
Attachments: 1. Board/Commission/Committee Member Selection Guidelines
2. Summary of Applicants
3. Attendance Report
4. EPC Applications