Boards and Commissions:
Establishment of Annual
Appointment Subcommittees
and Vacancy Process
Martin McTaggart
City Clerk
Purpose of This Discussion
Establish the 2026 Appointment Subcommittees and provide direction on upcoming term expirations and the recruitment process.
Question 1. Does the Council wish to authorize automatic reappointment for any eligible incumbents, or
require all interested incumbents to reapply and
participate in the interview process?
Question 2. Does the Council wish to confirm the default Appointment Subcommittees, or modify
assignments and/or expand participation?
Question 3. Does the Council have additional direction regarding outreach strategies, recruitment methods, or performance metrics for the 2026 recruitment cycle?
Upcoming Term Expirations and Vacancies
Community Relations:
2 Expiring Terms
Library Board:
1 Expiring Term
2 Youth Expiring Terms
Park and Recreation:
1 Expiring Term
1 Expiring Youth Term
Personnel Board:
1 Expiring Term
Planning:
1 Expiring Term
Senior Advisory:
1 Expiring Term
2 Expiring Youth Terms
S&I:
1 Expiring Term
2 Expiring Youth
Measure S:
2 Expiring Terms
Civic Arts Commission:
5 new seats
2 Youth Seats
Mosquito & Vector
Control
1 Expiring Term
Commissioner Commission Duration of Service in
Current Commission
Interest in
Continued Service
Sheri Boles Community Relations 4 years and 10 months Yes Jennifer Kim Community Relations 1 year and 11 months Yes Alison Joly Library Board 11 months Yes
Erin Finn Library Board (Youth) 1 year No
Oliver Baker Library Board (Youth) 1 year Yes
Peter Wicher Park and Recreation 2 years and 7 months Yes Dahlia Anapolsky Park and Recreation (Youth) 1 year Yes Tolifili Fa Mosquito & Vector Control District 2 years Yes Seema Patel Planning 5 years Yes
Susan Rowinksi Senior Advisory 1 year No
Pranav Sathish Senior Advisory (Youth) 1 year Yes
Sigalle Michael Sustainability & Infrastructure 3 years and 10 months Yes Zachary Scott Sustainability & Infrastructure
(Youth)
1 year Yes
Advika Singh Sustainability & Infrastructure
(Youth)
1 year Yes
Karen Moen Measure S Oversight Committee 3 years and 2 months No William Yang Measure S Oversight Committee 3 years and 2 months Yes Reappointment Process – Policy Considerations
Default Process (Rules & Procedures)
• Incumbent commissioners participate in an interview for reappointment. • Council may approve automatic reappointment by majority vote based on outstanding performance or continuity considerations.
• In 2025, Council required all interested incumbents to reapply and interview.
Context for 2026
• 2025 spring recruitment saw a 78% increase in applications, expanding community awareness and competition.
• Feedback received from some incumbents (including partial-term appointees) regarding reapplying within a short timeframe of appointment. • Attendance for incumbents referenced above has been consistent with Council expectations.
Board, Commission,
Committee 2022 2023 2024 2025
Sustainability &
Infrastructure 8 - 6 13
Library Board - 8 10 17
Community Relations 5 - 9 14
Park and Recreation - 4 15 10
Planning - - 12 13
Senior Advisory 0 3 7 7
Personnel Board - 2 - 5
Measure S Oversight - 5 - 8
Mosquito & Vector - - 1 -
Youth Commissioner - - - 20
Total 13 22 60 107
Council Question #1
Does the Council wish to authorize automatic reappointment for any eligible incumbents, or require all interested incumbents to reapply and participate in the interview process?
Policy Considerations:
• Expanding community participation
• Continuity and institutional knowledge
• Impact on partial-term appointees
• Performance and attendance
Appointment Subcommittee Establishment
• Appointment Subcommittees:
• Serve on interview panels
• Review applicants
• Provide appointment recommendations to the full Council • Address scheduled and unscheduled vacancies throughout the year Rules & Procedures Requirements:
• Each Appointment Subcommittee shall include:
• The Mayor (or Mayor’s designee)
• The Council liaison to the respective commission
• Subcommittees may include up to five Council Members
Appointment Subcommittee Establishment
2025 Practice
• A majority (3+ Council Members) participated on all Appointment Subcommittees
• When a majority serves:
• Interviews constitute a Special City Council Meeting
• Additional noticing and staff coordination are required Historical Practice
• Smaller subcommittees were intended to:
• Provide scheduling flexibility
• Avoid convening additional full Council meetings solely for interviews Council Question #2
Does the Council wish to confirm the default Appointment Subcommittees as identified in Table 2, or modify assignments and/or expand participation? Board, Commission, or Committee Default Appointment Subcommittee Civic Arts Commission Mayor Loraine and Council Member Diaz Nash Community Relations Commission Mayor Loraine and Deputy Mayor Fernandez Library Board Mayor Loraine and Council Member Diaz Nash Park and Recreation Commission Mayor Loraine and Council Member Newsom Personnel Board Mayor Loraine and Council Member Cwirko-Godycki Planning Commission Mayor Loraine and Deputy Mayor Fernandez Senior Advisory Commission Mayor Loraine and Deputy Mayor Fernandez Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission Mayor Loraine and Council Member Cwirko-Godycki Measure S Oversight Committee Mayor Loraine and Council Member Cwirko-Godycki Mosquito & Vector Control District Mayor Loraine and Deputy Mayor Fernandez Boards & Commissions Recruitment Overview
Expanded Outreach Strategy
In response to Council direction, staff:
• Conducted research into best practices among city clerk offices statewide
• Aligned recruitment efforts with the City’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Framework
• Refined and expanded outreach methods
• Next demography study scheduled for 2027
The 2026 Outreach & Recruitment Success Plan:
• Incorporate Council feedback
• Continue digital recruitment advertisements
• Include measurable performance metrics
Applicant Survey
Feedback Analysis:
1. Engaged and Diverse Applicants
2. Suggestions for Improvements
3. Strong Civic Motivation
4. Effective Outreach via Direct
Communication
Council Question #3
Does the Council have additional direction regarding outreach strategies, recruitment methods, or performance metrics for the 2026 recruitment cycle? Recruitment Considerations:
• Targeted Outreach
• Application/Interview Process
• Post-Interview Considerations
Recruitment Timeline
March 2
Recruitment
Direction
March 22
Application
Period
Opens
April 24
Application
Period
Closes
May 5 -27
Interviews
Conducted
June 1
Applicants Sworn
In
Council Direction
Establish the 2026 Appointment Subcommittees and provide direction on upcoming term expirations and the recruitment process.
Question 1. Does the Council wish to authorize automatic reappointment for any eligible incumbents, or
require all interested incumbents to reapply and
participate in the interview process?
Question 2. Does the Council wish to confirm the default Appointment Subcommittees, or modify
assignments and/or expand participation?
Question 3. Does the Council have additional direction regarding outreach strategies, recruitment methods, or performance metrics for the 2026 recruitment cycle?
Thank You
Martin McTaggart
City Clerk
[email protected]