DATE:
February 18, 2025
TO:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Heather Glaser, City Clerk
TITLE: Environmental Planning Commission Applicant
Interviews
PURPOSE
Interview applicants for the Environmental Planning Commission vacancy and make a recommendation for adoption at the February 25, 2025 City Council meeting.
DISCUSSION
Councilmember Chris Clark, former member of the Environmental Planning Commission (EPC), took his oath of office to serve on the City Council on January 14, 2025, creating an unscheduled vacancy on the EPC. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54974, the Notice of Unscheduled Vacancy for the seat was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website on December 26, 2024 .
The Council may now consider applicants for this vacancy.
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
William Cranston December 31, 2026
Hank Dempsey December 31, 2028
Paul Donahue December 31, 2027
José Gutiérrez December 31, 2026
Alejandro Nuñez December 31, 2027
Joyce Yin December 31, 2025
Vacancy December 31, 2025
Environmental Planning Commission Applicant Interviews
February 18, 2025
Summary of Applicants
Two applicants previously considered by the City Council on October 15, 2024 , and one new applicant will be available for interview:
• Tina Pham
• IdaRose Sylvester
• Douglas Woolverton
The Mountain View City Charter outlines membership requirements, and City staff ha s determined all applicants are qualified to serve on this body . Pursuant to City Council Policy No. K-2, a person appointed to serve on a board, commission , or committee may only serve on one body at a time.
Interview Process and Questions
Pursuant to City Council Policy No. K -2, interviews are to be conducted in a panel format . 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 was 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 15, 2024, Council selected the following time allocation and questions to ask each EPC applicant:
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 minutes: What are your thoughts on the City’s existing plans like the General Plan and Precise Plans, specifically the Downtown Precise Plan?
1.5 minutes: How would you evaluate proposals to amend the General Plan?
1.5 minutes: How does good land use improve our City, and what is good land use?
Voting Process
At the conclusion of interviews, Council may discuss the applicants before voting . Pursuant to City Council Policy No. K-2, each member of the City Council shall vote for as many candidates as there are open seats (e.g., if three seats are available, vote for no more than three; if three seats Environmental Planning Commission Applicant Interviews
February 18, 2025
plus one alternate seat are available, vote for no more than four). In the case that a variety of terms are open, the candidate(s) with the highest number of votes shall be granted the longest term(s). In the event there is a tie vote, each member of Council shall revote for the candidate(s) of their choice , and the candidate with the highest number of votes wins. City Council Policy No. K-2 also states that Council may choose another voting method by majority vote.
NEXT STEPS
The City Council should determine the questions that will be asked of each applicant and the amount of time that will be allocated to each question to be asked and confirm the process it will follow for the interviews and voting. Following the interviews, Council should vote on its appointment recommendation for final appointment at the February 25, 2025 City Council meeting.
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
HG/WW/1/CAM
429-02-18-25SS
204947
Attachments: 1. Board/Commission/Committee Member Selection Guidelines
2. EPC Applications