City of Santa Clara
Meeting Minutes
Governance and Ethics Committee
Draft
10:00 AM City Hall – Council Chambers
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
05/01/2025
Special Meeting
The City of Santa Clara is conducting Governance and Ethics Committee meetings in-person and continues to have methods for the public to participate remotely or in-person.
• Via Zoom: https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/98559951444
• Webinar ID: 985 5995 1444
• By phone: +1 669 444 9171
To submit written public comment before meeting:
Send email to [email protected] by 10 a.m. one day before the date of the meeting. Emails will be forwarded to Committee members and will be uploaded as supplemental meeting material.
Note: Emails received as public comment will not be read aloud during the meeting.
Member Suds Jain, and Member Kevin ParkPresent 2 -
Chair Raj ChahalExcused 1 -
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chair Jain called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m.
A motion was made by Committee Member Park and seconded my Chair Jain to excuse Committee Member Chahal for an excused absence due to traveling back from the NCPA Conference for City business.
Aye: Member Jain, and Member Park2 -
Excused: Chair Chahal1 -
CONSENT CALENDAR
05/01/2025Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
1.A. 25-523 Approval of the March 3, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
Recommendation: Approve the minutes of the March 3, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting
A motion was made by Committee Member Park and seconded my Chair Jain to approve the minutes of the Governance and Ethics Committee meeting from March 3, 2025.
Aye: Member Jain, and Member Park2 -
Excused: Chair Chahal1 -
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
None.
GENERAL BUSINESS
2. 25-468 Discussion and Request for Direction on a Comprehensive City Charter Update Process for Presentation to the City Council (DEFERRED FROM MARCH 3, 2025)
Recommendation: Review, discuss and provide direction on the proposed process for a Comprehensive City Charter Update for presentation to the City Council.
City Attorney Glen Googins provided a presentation to the Committee on a comprehensive City Charter amendment process. City Attorney Googins presented the City Charter history, reasons to consider a comprehensive charter update process and examples of provisions for possible modification. The Committee discussed the need for the process and the composition of the Charter Review Committee.
A motion was made by Committee Member Park and seconded by Chair Jain to recommend to the City Council to initiate a Charter review process, including potentially having a workshop as part of the recruitment process for the Charter Review Committee, and present options on the composition of the Charter Review Committee.
Aye: Member Jain, and Member Park2 -
Excused: Chair Chahal1 -
05/01/2025Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
3. 25-469 Discuss and Provide direction to Staff on a potential Council Policy that provides Guidance on the scheduled start times for City Council meetings (DEFERRED FROM MARCH 3, 2025)
Recommendation: Discuss and Provide direction to Staff on a potential Council Policy that Provides Guidance on the scheduled Start times for City Council meetings, if any, for consideration by the City Council.
City Manager Jovan Grogan presented an item for discussion and Committee direction for a potential Council Policy that provides guidance on the scheduled start times for City Council meetings. The policy would potentially include flexibility for start times of meetings, efforts to poll for meetings, and when meetings are scheduled. Committee members discussed the potential start times, number of meetings, availability, and the scheduling process. The Committee confirmed staff should proceed with developing a policy with options to consider to bring back to the Committee.
4. 25-470 Review and Action on the 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Workplan (DEFERRED FROM MARCH 3, 2025)
Recommendation: Approve the 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Workplan with any additional amendments.
City Manager Grogan presented on the preliminary workplan items for the Committee. The City Manager noted some items are scheduled to return to the Committee including the review and finalization of Ethics documents, the development of the Ethics Commission work efforts, updating City Council policies and developing a comprehensive Council Policy manual.
Committee members discussed the workplan items. Committee members recognized the need for a comprehensive Council Policy manual, text message retention policy, and also reviewing sufficient budget for City Commissioner trainings.
A motion was made by Chair Jain and seconded by Committee Member Park to approve the workplan.
Aye: Member Jain, and Member Park2 -
Excused: Chair Chahal1 -
STAFF REPORT
COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS / FUTURE REFERRALS FOR CONSIDERATION
05/01/2025Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Jain adjourned the meeting at 12:20 p.m.
MEETING DISCLOSURES
05/01/2025Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.
If a member of the public submits a speaker card for any agenda items, their name will appear in the Minutes. If no speaker card is submitted, the Minutes will reflect "Public Speaker."
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the City of Santa Clara will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities, and will ensure that all existing facilities will be made accessible to the maximum extent feasible. The City of Santa Clara will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities including those with speech, hearing, or vision impairments so they can participate equally in the City’s programs, services, and activities. The City of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.
Agendas and other written materials distributed during a public meeting that are public record will be made available by the City in an appropriate alternative format.
Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 1 408-615-2220 with your request for an alternative format copy of the agenda or other written materials.
Individuals who require an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or any other disability-related modification of policies or procedures, or other accommodation, in order to participate in a program, service, or activity of the City of Santa Clara, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 408-615-3000 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.