CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
December 11, 2024
WE PROVIDE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES THAT ARE
ESSENTIAL TO THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN SAN RAMON
Mark Armstrong, Mayor
Robert Jweinat, Councilmember • Marisol Rubio, Councilmember • Sridhar Verose, Councilmember Council Chamber
7000 Bollinger Canyon Road
SPECIAL MEETING – 5:00 PM
Agenda Questions: Please contact the City Clerk (925) 973-2539 or [email protected] Please refer to the end of the agenda to review options for participation in the meeting.
Unless stated otherwise on the agenda, every item on the agenda is exempt from CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c), 15061(b)(3), 15273, 15378, 15301, 15323 and/or Public Resources Code Section 21065.
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
2. COUNCIL BUSINESS
2.1 Consideration of, and Direction to Staff Regarding Options, to Fill a Vacancy on the City Council
3. ADJOURNMENT
I hereby certify the agenda was posted 72 hours before the noted meeting. This agenda is posted in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2(a).
Dated: December 6, 2024
2 City Council Meeting – December 11, 2024
HOW TO VIEW OR PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING:
The public is invited to participate in the meeting using any of the following methods:
IN-PERSON
Members of the public can provide in-person comments at the meeting. To make a request for disability-related accommodation to participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION BY EMAIL
Public comments may be submitted via e-mail to [email protected]. Any public comments received up until two (2) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the meeting will be distributed to the City Council via e-mail, provided at the meeting in the red binder, and posted online at https://www.sanramon.ca.gov/public_comment.
Written comments received after the cut-off time will be provided to the City Council the day following the meeting.
Please include “Public Comment” in the subject line. In the body of the email please include your name and the item you wish to comment on. Written public comment will not be read aloud during the meeting.
TO VIEW OR LISTEN ONLY
As a courtesy and technology permitting, the public will have the opportunity to view the meeting via one-way feed by the options below. However, the City cannot guarantee that the public’s remote access to any meeting will be uninterrupted, and technical difficulties may occur from time to time. In those instances, so long as the public may still attend the meeting in person, the meeting will continue. Members of the public desiring to provide comments as a part of the meeting are encouraged to either submit written comments prior to the meeting or to attend the meeting in person.
a. Zoom: https://cityofsanramon.zoom.us/j/91405442396
Webinar ID: 914 0544 2396
b. Zoom Phone Numbers: +1 (669) 900-6833
c. The City’s YouTube Channel: www.sanramon.ca.gov/YouTube
ATTENDEE CONDUCT
There will be zero tolerance for any person addressing the Council making profane, offensive and disruptive remarks, or engaging in loud, boisterous, or other disorderly conduct, that disrupts the orderly conduct of the public meeting.
Specifically, it is important for all speakers to adhere to the following guidelines for participation in this meeting:
a. No profanity or obscenity.
b. Refrain from personal threats or attacks.
c. Refrain from hateful epithets and demeaning language based on any person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or disability.
d. Respect all people that are present or watching.
At the discretion of the Mayor, a speaker may forfeit speaking time for any of the following reasons:
a. Exceeding the allotted time to speak;
b. Yelling, screaming, or other behavior that renders this Council unable to continue the meeting; c. Excessive profanity or slander;
d. Specific threats or “fighting words” that incite violence; or e. Speech that is outside the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council or the specific agenda item in which you are speaking.
While the City of San Ramon ensures the First Amendment rights of its citizens, we do not accept nor endorse any offensive or hateful comments made during our meetings. The City of San Ramon celebrates the diversity of our community, and we strive to be a welcoming and open community for all.
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: December 11, 2024
TO: City Council/City Manager
FROM: Steven Spedowfski, City Manager
By: Christina Franco, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Consideration of, and Direction to Staff Regarding Options, to Fill a Vacancy on the City Council
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Staff recommends that the City Council fill the current City Council vacancy by one of the two processes outlined in the municipal code as follows:
1. Appoint a new councilmember, and if so decided, direct staff to commence an appointment process determined by the City Council; or
2. Call a special election for the vacant seat and direct staff to bring a resolution before the City Council requesting and consenting to a special election and setting specifications of the election.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Mark Armstrong was elected as City Councilmember, District 2 at the November 8, 2022 general election with a four-year term expiring December 2026. Councilmember Armstrong ran for Mayor in the municipal election on November 5, 2024 and was elected and sworn in on December 10, 2024, resulting in a vacancy of his councilmember, district 2 seat.
The San Ramon Municipal Code Section A4-3(d) provides:
If a vacancy occurs in the city council, the council shall, within thirty days from the commencement of the vacancy, either fill the vacancy by appointment or call a special election to fill the vacancy. The special election shall be held on the next regularly established election date not less than one hundred fourteen days from the call of the special election. A person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy holds office for the unexpired term of the former incumbent.
The vacancy occurred on December 10, 2024, and the Council will need to act as the 30-day time period has commenced.
The San Ramon Municipal Code Section A3-21(D) also provides, in pertinent part, as follows:
2.1 Packet Pg. 4
A vacancy in a Councilmember office elected by-district shall be filled according to law by a person qualified to hold the office, who lives in the district.
Councilmember Armstrong’s successor, whether appointed or elected, must therefore reside in District 2.
Appointment
If the City Council chooses to appoint a new Councilmember, it must be done within 30 days.
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, registered voter of District 2, and reside in District 2. The City Clerk will verify voter registration status of each application upon submission of the complete application. The successful applicant would serve from time of appointment until the results of the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election are certified by the City Council.
Recommended Appointment Process Schedule
Wednesday,
December 11, 2024
At a special meeting, the City Council votes on appointing a new councilmember and directs staff of the following process.
Thursday,
December 12, 2024
The City Clerk posts a Notice of Vacancy and invites eligible residents to apply for the vacant council seat.
Friday,
January 3, 2025
City Council applications are due to the City Clerk’s Office by 11:00am.
Late applications will not be accepted.
City Clerk notifies applicants as to whether their application is complete and whether they meet the minimum qualifications to hold office in the City of San Ramon. Applicants who submit incomplete applications, or who, when the application is submitted, do not meet the minimum qualifications to hold office in the City of San Ramon will not be eligible to be considered by the City Council.
Monday
January 6, 2025
At a special meeting after public comment on the item, the City Council considers those applicants who have submitted complete applications and meet the minimum qualifications, and each councilmember recommends up to two (2) applicants for a total of up to eight (8) applicants to be interviewed by the City Council.
Friday,
January 10, 2025
At a special meeting, the City Council interviews up to eight (8) applicants and selects a new City Councilmember, District 2.
Tuesday
January 14, 2025
At its regular meeting, the City Council adopts a resolution confirming the appointment of the new City Councilmember, and the City Clerk administers the Oath of Office.
2.1 Packet Pg. 5
Once the City Council has decided to appoint a new councilmember rather than a special election, the Council may choose any selection process at their disposal. Below, staff has recommended a fair and transparent process for consideration. The City Council may accept this process in its entirety, modify the process as it chooses, or elect to choose a different process altogether.
Application:
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, registered voter of District 2, and reside in District 2. The City Clerk will verify voter registration status upon the submission of the complete application.
Applicants will be asked to submit a candidate statement with their application consisting of no more than 400 words for the City Council to review.
Applications will only be accepted online at http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sanramon/.
Call for applications will be posted on all the city’s social media platform and website.
All submitted applications will be kept confidential until January 3, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. In accordance with the Public Records Act, applications and attachments submitted are considered public records and will be disclosed upon receipt of a public records request.
Recommended Applicants Selected for Interview Process:
The City Council will consider those applicants who submitted qualifying applications, and each councilmember may recommend up to two qualified applicants for a total of up to 8 applicants to be interviewed by the City Council.
Recommended Interview Process
The City Council will interview each applicant individually. Each candidate will be asked the same series of eight questions. Each interview will be 45 minutes to allow for opening and closing comments.
An alternative to the recommended interview process, is one similar to how it was conducted in 2020/2021. As a result of the global pandemic and in the interests of safety, the interview process was adjusted to an online candidate forum instead of in-person interviews. After randomizing the order, each candidate will be given three minutes for opening statements. At the conclusion of the opening statements, candidates will be asked a total of eight questions in succession and in rotating sequence. The candidates will be allowed up to a three-minute closing statement to conclude the forum.
Recommended Scoring Process
The City Council will score candidates using a forced ranking method. Each councilmember will rank the candidates highest to lowest after each interview. After the final interview, each candidate will be assigned a score associated with their final ranking. Candidates scores will then be tabulated from each councilmember’s ranking sheet. The Council may direct that the highest
2.1 Packet Pg. 6
scoring applicant receives the appointment or continue further deliberations between the top two scores or any variation thereof.
Special Election
If the City Council calls for a special election, the City Council would have to call the special election by adoption of a resolution at the next meeting on January 14, 2025 to meet statutory deadlines.
There is a considerable cost involved with a special election. There are 14,485 registered voters in the City of San Ramon District 2. A special election for District 2 will cost approximately $11.00 - $14.50 per registered voter; therefore, is an estimated cost of approximately $159,335 - $210,033.
If the City Council calls for a special election, the next established election date is May 6, 2025; therefore, the seat would remain vacant until the election results are certified, a minimum of at least six months.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no cost involved if the City Council decides to appoint a candidate to fill the vacant seat.
If the City Council decides to call a special election, the estimated cost is approximately $159,335 - $210,033.
NEXT STEPS
The City Clerk shall immediately post a notice of vacancy and invite eligible residents to apply for the vacant council seat by the deadline of Friday, January 3, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. The City Council will hold two special meetings to make the selection and fill the vacancy. or
Staff will come back to the City Council with a resolution requesting and consenting to a special election and setting specifications of the election.
2.1 Packet Pg. 7