DATE:
October 21, 2025
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 appointment at the December 9, 2025 City Council meeting.
DISCUSSION
The City Clerk’s Office conducted a recruitment to fill two openings on the Environmental Planning Commission ( EPC) ( beginning January 1, 202 6 through December 31, 202 9). Five applications were received for the EPC openings during the recruitment per iod that concluded on October 8, 2025.
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
Tina Pham December 31, 2025 (incumbent)
Joyce Yin December 31, 2025
The Mountain View City Charter and City Council Policy K -2, Boards, Commissions, and Committees outlines membership requirements, and City staff has determined that all applicants are qualified to serve on this body.
Environmental Planning Commission Applicant Interviews
October 21, 2025
Tina Pham, one of the applicants for the upcoming term, was appointed on February 25, 2025 and has attended all five regular meetings through October 15, 2025. Joyce Yin will have served two terms by December 31, 2025, and therefore is not eligible to apply for the upcoming term.
Interview Process and Questions
Pursuant to City Council Policy K -2, interviews are to be conducted in a panel format. E ach 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 February 18, 2025, the Council posed the following questions to EPC applicants in the denoted time limit for each category:
1 minute: 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 implement the Housing Element components?
2 minutes: How does good land use improve our City, and what is good land use?
1 minute: What is the role of a Planning Commissioner?
The Council can use the questions above for the interviews at this meeting or can make changes as desired.
Voting Process
At the conclusion of interviews, the Council will have an opportunity to deliberate 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 that the Council may choose another voting method by majority vote.
Each Councilmember will vote for the candidate(s) of their choice by ballot. Ballots will be collected, and the City Clerk will publicly announce each Councilmember’s vote.
Environmental Planning Commission Applicant Interviews
October 21, 2025
NEXT STEPS
The Council should determine the questions to be asked of each applicant, the amount of time allocated to each question , and confirm the process it will follow for interview s and voting.
Following the interviews, the Council should vote on appointment recommendation s for appointment at the December 9, 2025 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.
LEVINE ACT
California Government Code Section 84308 (also known as the Levine Act) prohibits city officials from participating in any proceeding involving a “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” if the official has received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant within the last 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website:
www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-
play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
Please see below for information about whether the recommended action for this agenda item is subject to or exempt from the Levine Act.
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
☒ General policy and legislative actions
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Wanda Wong
Deputy City Clerk
Heather Glaser
City Clerk
Attachments: 1. Board/Commission/Committee Member Selection Guidelines
2. EPC Applications