COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS
REVIEW COMMITTEE
MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2024
PLAZA CONFERENCE ROOM
5:30 P.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER
The Special Meeting was called to order at 5:35 p.m. with Chair Showalter presiding.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: Committee members Hicks, Matichak, and Chair Showalter.
Absent: None.
3. MINUTES APPROVAL
Motion—M/S Hicks/Showalter—Carried 3-0—To approve the meeting minutes of November 2, 2023.
4. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC—None.
5. NEW BUSINESS
5.1 BOARD, COMMISSION, AND COMMITTEE OPENINGS
Deputy City Clerk Wanda Wong announced that Li Zhang withdrew from being interviewed for the opening on the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Council Appointments Review Committee Minutes
November 22, 2024
The Committee selected the following time allocation and questions to ask each applicant:
Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee:
The Committee interviewed Terence Barton, John Basalla, Ton Kalker, James Kuszmaul, Kristian Lyngbaek, Siamak M irnezami, and Silja Paymer and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds : Why do you want to serve (or continue to serve) on the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee?
2. Two minutes: What are the most important issues facing the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and how would you resolve them?
3. One minute : What are the most realistic things we can do to improve the pedestrian experience?
Downtown Committee:
The Committee informed Pamela Bair d and Jamil Shaikh they did not need to be interviewed since they had been interviewed previously. The Committee interviewed Dan Kim, Elise Lester, Stephanie Lin, Katherine Silva, and Daniela Vyas and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve on the Downtown Committee?
2. Two minutes: What do you think of downtown Mountain View? How would you improve it? How would you balance the interests of businesses with those of the community?
3. One minute: What do you think would be likely areas of particular focus for you on the Committee?
Human Relations Commission:
Joan MacDonald was inaudible, and the Committee stated that she had been interviewed previously. The Committee interviewed Elise Lester, Nirvana Nwokidu, and Molly Smith and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve (or continue to serve) on the Human Relations Commission?
Council Appointments Review Committee Minutes
November 22, 2024
2. Two minutes: What are the most pressing human relations needs in our community today?
3. 1 minute: What do you think the job of the Human Relations Commission should be?
Board of Library Trustees:
The Committee interviewed Desiree Caballero, Hema Daryani, Sara Hannigan, Barbara Weesen-Baer, and Russell Wood and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve on the Board of Library Trustees?
2. One minute: What do you think would be likely areas of particular focus for you on the Board?
3. Two minutes: What changes would you like to see at the Library?
Parks and Recreation Commission:
The Committee interviewed Sarah Dondysh and Sandra Sommer and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve (or continue to serve) on the Parks and Recreation Commission?
2. One minute: What do you think would be likely areas of particular focus for you on the Commission?
3. Two minutes: What do you think should be the priorities for the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan?
Performing Arts Committee:
The Committee interviewed Hema Daryani and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve on the Performing Arts Committee?
2. Two minutes: Describe your vision of the cultural scene and artistic desires of Mountain View and the surrounding communities.
Council Appointments Review Committee Minutes
November 22, 2024
3. One minute: What do you think should be the priorities of the Committee in the coming few years?
Public Safety Advisory Board:
The Committee interviewed Alvin Cura, Kelsey Quigley, and Rong Zhu and asked the following questions:
1. One minute: What is the role of the Public Safety Advisory Board?
2. One minute: What do you think is working well on public safety?
3. One minute: What do you think is working well on the Public Safety Advisory Board in our community?
Senior Advisory Committee:
The Committee interviewed Nirvana Nwokidu and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve on the Senior Advisory Committee?
2. One minute: What do you think would be likely areas of particular focus for you on the Committee?
3. Two minutes: What would you like to see the Senior Advisory Committee do?
Visual Arts Committee:
The Committee interviewed Joe Medwid, Susi Merhar, and Stephanie Spaid and asked the following questions:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve (or continue to serve) on the Visual Arts Committee?
2. One minute: What is the role of the Visual Arts Committee?
3. Two minutes: What is important in the coming few years and/or the public art strategy?
Motion—M/S Hicks/Matichak—Carried 3-0—To reappoint Terence Barton and James Kuszmaul and appoint Serge Bonte to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Council Appointments Review Committee Minutes
November 22, 2024
Committee for four-year terms beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028 ; to reappoint Pamela Baird and appoint Stephanie Lin to the Downtown Committee (Business-at-Large) for three-year terms beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027; to confirm the appointment of Jamil Shaikh to the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association’s representative to the Downtown Committee (Neighborhood) for a one-year term beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025, if reelected to the neighborhood liaison position o n the Old Mounta in View Neighborhood Association; reappoint Joan MacDonald and Molly Smith and appoint Elise Lester to the Human Relations Commission for four- year terms beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028; appoint Barbara Weesen-Baer to the Board of Library Trustees for a four-year term beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028; reappoint Sandra Sommer to the Parks and Recreation Commissio n for a four -year term beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028; appoint Alvin Cura and Kelsey Quigley to the Public Safety Advisory Board for unexpired terms ending April 12, 2027; appoint Nirvana Nwokidu to the Senior Advisory Committee for an unexpired term ending December 31, 2027; and reappoint Susi Merhar and Regina Sakols and appoint Joe Medwid and Stephanie Spaid to the Visual Arts Committee for four- year terms beginning January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028.
6. COMMITTEE/STAFF COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, COMMITTEE REPORTS
The Committee discussed adding two additional seats for pedestrians to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee and re ducing the Senior Advisory Committee membership from seven to five.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Hicks adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m.
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