June 10, 2025
Agenda Item No. 14
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
Leilani I. Brown, City Clerk - 949-644-3005, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Jennifer Farris, Assistant City Clerk - 949-644-3006, [email protected] TITLE:
Confirmation of Appointments to the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee ABSTRACT:
In June 2024, Richard McNeil resigned from the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee. The City Clerk’s Office received no applications to fill the unscheduled vacancy. His term is set to expire on June 30, 2025. Additionally, three seats are scheduled for vacancy on June 30, 2025. The City Council has the opportunity to appoint individuals to serve until June 30, 2029, pursuant to the City Charter, City Council Policy A-2 (Boards, Commissions and Committees), and the Maddy Act.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and b) Appoint Peter Belden, Curtis Black, Charles Fancher, and Sharon Ray to fill the unscheduled and scheduled vacancies on the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee for terms ending June 30, 2029.
DISCUSSION:
The purpose of the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee is to advise and make recommendations to the City Council on policies, projects and programs that support and strengthen existing regulations to protect water quality and habitat in the bay and ocean.
The Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee is comprised of seven members appointed by the City Council and two non-voting Councilmembers appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the City Council. The seven members appointed by the City Council serve a four-year term with a limit of two consecutive terms. The two non-voting Councilmembers serve a one-year term. The committee is subject to the open meeting laws of the Ralph M. Brown Act. Four seats on the committee are scheduled for vacancy on June 30, 2025.
In June 2024, Richard McNeil resigned from the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee. His term was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2025. The City Clerk’s Office received no applications for the unscheduled vacancy.
On Wednesday April 16, 2025, the City Clerk posted the Notice of Vacancies in the City Clerk’s Office, at the Central Library, and on the City Hall bulletin board, placed the Notice of Vacancies on the City’s webpage, and on Saturday, April 19, 2025, the Notice of Vacancies was published in the Daily Pilot. The deadline to submit applications was Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Pursuant to City Council Policy A-2 (Boards, Commissions and Committees), Mayor Joe Stapleton established a Council Ad Hoc Appointments Committee comprised of himself, Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Kleiman, and Councilmember Michelle Barto who were charged with reviewing the applications and making recommendations to the full City Council. Upon closure of the application period, only four applicants were interested in the vacant seats. Upon review of the applications, and following interviews on May 21, 2025, the Council Ad Hoc Appointments Committee is recommending that Peter Belden, Curtis Black, Charles Fancher and Sharon Ray be appointed to the seats on the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee. All terms will be effective July 1, 2025, and have an expiration date of June 30, 2029.
Copies of the applications are attached hereto as Attachment A.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A – Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee Applications 14-3
14-1
Confirmation of Appointments to the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee June 10, 2025
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