City Clerk’s Office
DATE: October 27, 2025
TO: Council Appointments Review Committee
FROM: Wanda Wong, Deputy City Clerk
Heather Glaser, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Board, Commission, and Committee Openings
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Council Appointments Review Committee set interview questions for the Board of Library Trustees, Parks and Recreation Commission, Downtown Committee, Performing Arts Committee, and Senior Advisory Committee, interview applicants pursuant to City Council Policy K-2, and make recommendations for appointment to be considered by the City Council on December 16, 2025.
BACKGROUND
The City Clerk’s Office conducted a recruitment to fill openings on the Board of Library Trustees, Parks and Recreation Commission , Downtown Committee, Performing Arts Committee, and Senior Advisory Committee. A summary of applicants for each body is included as Attachment 2 to this report.
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. Staff has provided questions asked in previous interviews to help guide the Committee’s setting of interview questions for the Board of Library Trustees, Parks and Recreation Commission, Downtown Committee, Performing Arts Committee, and Senior Advisory Committee.
Board, Commission, and Committee Openings
October 27, 2025
Board of Library Trustees (BOLT)
The BOLT consists of five members. One member’s term ends on December 31, 202 5. Two applications were received to fill the seat. The names and term expiration dates for the current BOLT members are as follows:
Name Term Expires
Kuldip Ambastha December 31, 2027
Kristin Higaki December 31, 2026
Eric Nehrlich December 31, 2026
Sharon Su December 31, 2025
Barbara Weesen-Baer December 31, 2028
City staff has determined that all applicants are qualified to serve on this body.
In previous interviews, the Committee posed the following questions to BOLT applicants in the denoted time limit for each category:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want to serve (or continue 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 (PRC)
The PRC consists of five members. There are two members whose terms end on December 31, 2025. Three applications were received to fill the seats. The names and term expiration dates for the current PRC members are as follows:
Name Term Expires
Ronit Bryant December 31, 2026
Jonathan Davis December 31, 2025
Steve Filios December 31, 2025
Joe Mitchner December 31, 2027
Sandy Sommer December 31, 2028
City staff has determined that all applicants are qualified to serve on this body.
Board, Commission, and Committee Openings
October 27, 2025
In previous interviews, the Council posed the following questions to PRC applicants in the denoted time limit for each category:
1. 30 seconds: Why do you want 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 of the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan?
Downtown Committee (DTC)
The DTC consists of 11 member s, with the composition consisting of the following four categories:
• Property Owners and/or Representatives of a Business in downtown Mountain View, with one (1) representative from the Downtown Business Association Advisory Board to the Chamber of Commerce (“Downtown Business Association”) (5) • Business-at-Large, with one representative from the Chamber of Commerce (3) • Community-at-Large, residents of Mountain View who do not run or own a business in downtown (2)
• Neighborhood, President of the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association (or other representative selected by the Association) (1)
The Downtown Property Owner and/or Representative of a Business in the Downtown category has three members whose terms end on December 31, 2025. In addition, the member representing the Downtown Business Association seat has their term ending December 31, 2025.
One application was received for the Downtown Business Association seat only.
The Business-at-Large category has two members whose terms end on December 31, 2025, one of which is the Chamber of Commerce seat. Three applications were received for this category.
The Community-at-Large category has one member whose term ends on December 31, 2025.
Four applications were received for this category.
There is only one member of the Neighborhood category, and the term ends on December 31, 2025. One application was received for this category. The names and term expiration dates for the current DTC members are as follows:
Board, Commission, and Committee Openings
October 27, 2025
Name Term Expires
Downtown Property Owner and/or Representative of a Business in the Downtown Sean Forman December 31, 2027
Marina Keith December 31, 2025
David Lin December 31, 2025
Marisol Melara, Downtown December 31, 2025
Business Association
Business-at-Large
Pamela Baird December 31, 2027
Mike Kasperzak December 31, 2025
Peter Katz, December 31, 2025
Chamber of Commerce
Community-at-Large
Anne Cavanaugh December 31, 2025
Stephanie Lin December 31, 2027
Neighborhood
Jamil Shaikh December 31, 2025
City staff has determined that all applicants are qualified to serve on this body. Mike Kasperzak will have served two terms by December 31, 2025. Per Council Policy K-2, appointed members to all bodies shall be limited to two consecutive terms prior to reappointment on a given body unless otherwise specified in the establishing resolution, ordinance, or Charter section; however, where the City Council expressly determines it to be in the best interest of the community or in the event an insufficient number of new applications are received, the C ity Council may reappoint beyond this limit”.
In previous interviews , the Committee posed the following questions to DTC applicants in the denoted time limit for each category:
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: The City has an Economic Vitality Strategy. How can the City assist downtown businesses?
Board, Commission, and Committee Openings
October 27, 2025
Performing Arts Committee (PAC)
The PAC consists of five members. There is one vacancy for an unexpired term ending December 31, 2026. One application was received to fill that vacancy. The names and term expiration dates for the current PAC members are as follows:
Name Term Expires
Antara Bhardwaj December 31, 2028
Carol Donahue December 31, 2026
Valerie Fenwick December 31, 2028
Da vid Garcia December 31, 2026
City staff has determined that the applicant is qualified to serve on this body.
In previous interviews , the Committee posed the following questions to P AC applicants in the denoted time limit for each category:
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.
3. One minute: What do you think should be the priorities of the committee in the coming few years?
Senior Advisory Committee (SAC)
The SAC consists of five members. There are two members whose terms end on December 31, 2025. Four applications were received to fill those seats. The names and term expiration dates for the current SAC members are as follows:
Name Term Expires
Donna Castillo December 31, 2027
Deanna Hui December 31, 2025
Cassandra Magana December 31, 2025
Nirvana Nwokidu December 31, 2027
Brian Ogonowsky December 31, 2027
City staff has determined that all applicants are qualified to serve on this body.
Board, Commission, and Committee Openings
October 27, 2025
In previous interviews, the Committee posed the following questions to SAC applicants in the denoted time limit for each category:
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?
Voting Process
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. At the conclusion of interviews, the Committee may discuss the applicants before making a recommendation to be considered by the City Council on December 16, 2025.
Attachments: 1. Board/Commission/Committee Member Selection Guidelines
2. Summary of Applicants
3. Attendance Report
3. Interview Schedule
4. Applications