1 Sean Charpentier
Work Experience
C/CAG- City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County Executive Director 08/21-Present
Program Director 03/20-07/21
Served as Executive Director of C/CAG, which is the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) and the County Transportation Agency (CTA) for San Mateo County, the countywide coordinator for the Regional Stormwater Permit, and the Airport Land Use Commission. Responsible for leadership and administration for 12 positions and an annual $55.4 million budget. Supported Board of Directors with 23 members, including 21 elected officials appointed by local jurisdictions. Served as one member of the two-member Executive Council responsible for the leadership and joint staffing of the Highway 101 Express Lanes, with an annual operating budget of $40.3 million.
Executive Leadership
• Completed C/CAG’s first structured Strategic Planning process. • Prepared C/CAG’s first Equity Assessment and Action Plan with 36 implementation actions. Created and implemented community engagement strategies.
• Designed and implemented the Highway 101 Community Benefits Program, which was the first express lane equity program in the Bay Area.
• Improved C/CAG’s operational efficiency and finances, including reducing the OPEB liability.
Created a collaborative and transparent organizational structure that encouraged professional development, mentoring, retention, and succession.
• Utilized strong working relationships with local, Federal, State, and Regional Representatives and organizations to advocate for C/CAG priorities.
Funding, Projects and Planning
• Allocated approximately $34 million each year in transportation funding. Managed or co-sponsored $1 billion in projects including Highway 101 Express Lanes; interchange improvements at 92/101; an expansion of the Managed Lanes North of I-380; and Countywide-Smart Corridor ITS projects. • Major planning efforts included the Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, Countywide TDM Policy, the first Countywide Vision Zero Policy/Local Roads and Safety Plan, Biennial Congestion Management Plan, Shared Micromobility Feasibility Plan, and VMT/GHG Mitigation Program. • Supported Countywide Safe Routes to School program and Commute.org efforts, and C/CAG programs including shuttle programs, and expansion of BayWheels to Daly City.
Climate Resiliency and Sustainability
• Stormwater activities included supporting all 21 jurisdictions in the County with compliance with Regional Stormwater Permit; managing annual property tax assessment; applying for $80 million for funding for regional multi benefit stormwater, remediation, flood reduction, and groundwater recharge projects; and supporting Countywide Rain Barrel Project that delivers about 300 Rain Barrels per year. Secured $3.3 million EPA grant to advance regional trash diversion and $850,000 in Congressional Member directed funding to design green infrastructure projects. • Supported 21-Elements program and leveraged $1.5 million in MTC funding to aid cities with Housing Element preparation.
• Supported the County’s Energy Watch Program and RICAPS program that assists all 21 local jurisdictions with Climate Action Plan implementation.
2 City of East Palo Alto
Interim City Manager 08/18-05/19
Assistant City Manager 04/15-10/19
Responsible for City Administration with 107 staff, including 7 direct reports; an annual operating budget of $40 million; and a $20 million biennial capital budget. • Prepared 2019/2020 Annual Operating Budget ($40 million). • Designed and managed City Council’s 2019/2020 Strategic Priorities setting process. Aligned resources to deliver the City Council Strategic Priorities. • Secured $41 million in grant funding, including a $17 million CALOES/FEMA grant for a levee that would remove most of the City from the FEMA floodplain; a $4 million Economic Development Administration grant for the Bay Road Project; and a $20 million AHSC grant for affordable housing, green infrastructure, and new regional bus route in East Palo Alto. • Fostered a collaborative and transparent organizational structure, and designed retention and succession strategies. Served as Acting City Manager during City Manager’s absences. • Assisted with labor negotiations. Designed and implemented community engagement strategies and proactive and crisis media communication strategies for project groundbreakings, flooding alerts, and other crises. Advocated for the City and wrote speeches and speaking points for elected officials. • Managed controversial issues including a water meter moratorium; public protests about code enforcement activities regarding unpermitted secondary units; a Citation from the Regional Water Quality Board; and RV parking and camping issues.
Economic Vitality
• Managed recruitment and opening of 50,000 sqft Target store. • Development Projects included a 25,000 sqft performing art center, 500-student private elementary school that would be free for East Palo Alto children, and 1.6 million sqft of office. • Managed permitting and construction of 200,000 sqft new office building, with up to 1,300 new jobs and $550,000 increase in property tax.
• Negotiated with developers for $4.5 million (90%) of the $5 million payment for water transfer with Mountain View; a $250,000 contribution for park programs for local youth; major offsite infrastructure and park improvements; a $90,000 annual PILOT payment to the General Fund; and the creation of the East Palo Alto Career Development Center to assist East Palo Alto residents with finding employment. Negotiated settlement with Facebook for more than $13 million in community benefits.
Land Use/Planning
• Led the first update of the City’s General Plan; update of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan; adoption of a Pre-Application Ordinance and Public Outreach Policy; and the approval of the City’s first original Development Code.
• Managed adoption of the City’s first comprehensive impact fees for $225 million in public infrastructure.
Affordable Housing
• Designed and implemented strategy to address RV camping that combined a prohibition on overnight parking of oversize vehicles with the RV Safe Parking Program. • Prepared General Plan update that prioritized affordable housing production and preservation and included policies to prevent displacement. Led adoption of the Affordable Housing Strategy that allocated $30 million in City resources.
• Adopted affordable housing commercial linkage fee of $10 per square foot for office projects. 3 • Prioritized the entitlements and financing for the 90-unit Light Tree affordable housing project, which was awarded $20 million AHSC grant. Oversaw the developer selection process for 120-unit affordable project on City-owned land.
Infrastructure
• Designed and successfully implemented a comprehensive strategy for resolving East Palo Alto’s water supply crisis. Increased domestic water supply by 75%. and negotiated a 1 million gallons per day (mgd) water transfer from the City of Mountain View and a 0.5 mgd water transfer from the City of Palo Alto. Negotiated with developers for $5 million for the Mountain View water transfer. • Flood protection projects included storm drain improvements that significantly reduced local ponding throughout the City; temporary flood walls to protect neighborhoods during the El Nino year; and the regional San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority project that protected a vulnerable neighborhood.
• Managed adoption of Water Capital Surcharge raising $500,000 per year for critical water supply projects; Water Capacity Fees for $77 million in projects. • Bicycle Pedestrian and open space projects include the Clark Ave/101 Pedestrian Overpass that reconnects neighborhoods historically divided by Highway 101; Safe Routes to School project; the Bay Road streetscape and infrastructure project; the upgrade of Cooley Landing, a 9-acre regional park; and improvements to several playgrounds.
Other Work Experience
Project Manager, Port of Oakland, Oakland International Airport (OAK) 2013-2015 Economic Development Project Coordinator II, City of East Palo Alto 2006-2013 Assoc. Dir. of Community Dev., Working Partnerships USA, San Jose 2005-2006 Senior Project Manager, Mission Housing Dev. Corp., San Francisco 2004-2005 Ast. Director of Govt. Affairs & Housing, Emergency Housing Consortium, San Jose 2002-2004 Professional Affiliations
ICMA -International City/County Management Association
San Mateo County City Manager’s Association, C/CAG Representative CCMF California City Management Foundation
BACTA-Bay Area Transportation Agencies Executive Roundtable Education
Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley Graduate Certificate in Public Relations, Golden Gate University Baccalaureate degree in International Development and Social Change, Clark University California Academy for Regional Leaders (CARL), California Association of Councils of Governments Leadership Corps Program, Leadership Council San Mateo County