Form Name:
Unique ID:
Boards and Commissions Applicat ion
144 1560993
Applicant Information
Name
Are you a Sunnyvale resident?
How long have you lived in
Sunnyvale?
Chaitra li Amrutkar
Yes
-5 years
Chaitrali Amrutkar
---"" 3/17/26
oy. __ M_H _
Description Area Residence Notice:Unless otherwise noted , your principal place of residence must be in Sunnyvale . You must live in Sunnyvale at the time of appo intment and at all times during serv ice on a board or comm ission.
Current Main Residence
Email
Phone
Description Area Employment NoticeCity of Sunnyvale emp loyees may not serve on a board or comm ission.
I am a current City of Sunnyvale No
employee.
Have you ever served on a City of No
Sunnyvale board or commission?
Have you attended a meeting of No
the City Council, or a board or
commission?
Have you attended meetings of No
the board(s) or commission(s) for
which you are applying?
Board or Commission Selection
First Choice
Apply for another board or
commission?!
Second Choice
Applicant Qualifications
Board of Library Trustees (R)
Yes
Parks and Recreat ion Comm ission (R)
What motivated you to apply for
this board or commission?
My family spends a great deal of time enjoying Sunnyvale's parks and public library. Watching my children benefit so much from these spaces has inspired me to volunteer. I would love the opportunity to contribute my time and energy toward making these vital community resources even better.
What skills or attributes can you
bring to this board or
commission?
In my professional role as an Engineering Director at Google, I specialize in strategic planning, cross-functional leadership, and resource management. I excel at taking complex, high-level visions and translating them into actionable, data-driven roadmaps. I am eager to bring this analytical, user-centric approach to the board to help evaluate community needs, optimize city budgets, and thoughtfully modernize our services. I would welcome the opportunity to leverage my experience in scaling systems and building consensus to ensure Sunnyvale's public spaces continue to thrive for all residents.
The primary role of a board or
commission member is to provide
advice to City Council on policy
issues that are within the scope
of the board or commission. What
steps would you take to
effectively exercise this specific
board or commission role?
To effectively advise the City Council, I would approach policy issues through a structured, four-step process:
1. Community Listening and Research: Policy must be grounded in user needs. I would actively seek input from Sunnyvale residents, library patrons, and park visitors to understand the real-world impact of the issue at hand.
2. Data Analysis and Feasibility: Anecdotes are important, but data drives sound policy. I would partner with city staff to review relevant metrics such as usage data, budget constraints, and case studies from neighboring municipalities, to ground our discussions in reality.
3. Collaborative Debate: I would work closely with my fellow board members to debate the issue from multiple angles, ensuring we surface potential blind spots and build consensus around the best path forward.
4. Executive Synthesis: Finally, when advising the City Council, I would ensure our recommendations are clear, concise, and actionable. My goal would be to present the Council with a well-reasoned policy proposal that highlights the tradeoffs, the financial impact, and the direct benefit to the Sunnyvale community.
Education – List college degrees,
majors and any relevant training
or experience that demonstrates
your ability to effectively serve
on this board or commission.
- PhD, Computer Science with a minor in Entrepreneurship - Masters in Computer Science
- Bachelors of computer engineering
Chaitrali Amrutkar
Describe your involvement in
community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations.
I am an active volunteer at my daughter's non-profit school and a dedicated advocate for local families. Over the past few years, I have also focused on informal community building, actively creating support networks for mothers of young children to foster a collaborative and welcoming environment. Because so much of this local connection happens at our city parks and the library, my grassroots involvement with other parents has directly inspired my desire to serve on this board and ensure these spaces continue to serve families effectively.
Description Area The City has a Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected and Appointed Officials and an Attendance Policy (7.2.19), 2 G (II) that appointed members are required to follow.
Do you have any concerns related
to the above code and policy?
No
Are you willing to accept a
temporary appointment for the
remainder of an unexpired term?
Yes
Board or Commission-Specific Questions
Board of Library Trustees
Community demographics and
technology are constantly
changing. What do you think are
the principal issues the
Sunnyvale Public Library may be
addressing over the next few
years?
Over the next few years, the Sunnyvale Public Library must navigate the intersection of a rapidly diversifying population and the accelerating pace of digital innovation. With nearly half of our residents born outside the U.S., a primary challenge will be expanding multicultural services and ensuring the new Lakewood Branch successfully serves as a dedicated learning hub for the historically underserved North Sunnyvale community.
Simultaneously, the library must champion digital equity by evolving beyond basic internet access to provide critical AI literacy, 1:1 technical tutoring for seniors, and robust hardware lending programs. By bridging these gaps, the library will remain a vital engine for social mobility and a primary resource for residents navigating an increasingly complex technological landscape.
Chaitrali Amrutkar
Our main library's infrastructure
is aging, with ongoing
maintenance issues. The 2024
library bond measure, intended
to solve those issues, failed.
What solutions do you suggest?
Following the narrow failure of the 2024 bond measure, the library must pivot toward phased renovations that prioritize critical life-safety and maintenance issues over a full-scale replacement.
Seeking state-level grants, such as the California Building Forward program, can provide essential funding for urgent HVAC and structural repairs without requiring a two-thirds voter majority.
The city should also explore public-private partnerships or joint-use agreements to share infrastructure costs, similar to the model used for the new Lakewood Branch. While the physical plant is stabilized, shifting high-demand services to the Lakewood facility can temporarily alleviate the strain on the aging Main Library. Finally, building a coalition for a more modest future ballot measure or a parcel tax could secure the long-term capital needed for a modernized civic space.
Park and Recreation Commission
Community demographics are
constantly changing. What do
you think are the principal issues
the commission may be
addressing over the next two
years?
Over the next two years, the Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation Commission will focus on balancing traditional park uses with high-demand trends, specifically prioritizing the development of pickleball and cricket facilities. A key initiative is completing the Lakewood Park Renovation to ensure equitable access to quality amenities in North Sunnyvale. With nearly 30% of the population expected to be seniors by 2030, the commission will prioritize ADA-accessible infrastructure and passive recreation spaces.
Furthermore, the city plans to enhance user experience by implementing a consolidated mobile platform for facility bookings and program registration. These strategic investments aim to maintain a high standard of living amidst rapid demographic shifts.
How could we improve our parks
and recreation infrastructure and
programming to better serve our
diverse community?
To better serve Sunnyvale's diverse community, we must
prioritize multigenerational infrastructure that balances the needs of our growing senior population with the high energy of our local youth. On any given weekend, our parks are filled with young children on playgrounds alongside seniors using walking trails, yet many of our facilities weren't originally designed for this simultaneous use. By expanding the joint-use model seen at the new Lakewood Branch, we can create integrated hubs that offer shade and accessible seating for grandparents while their grandkids play. Ultimately, investing in "Safe Routes to Parks" ensures that every generation, from toddlers in strollers to seniors with mobility aids, can safely enjoy our shared outdoor spaces.
Chaitrali Amrutkar
Voter Registration Requirement
Description Area If you are a applying for the Board of Library Trustee, Heritage Preservation Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Personnel Board or the Planning Commission, you must be a registered voter in Sunnyvale.
Are you currently a registered
voter in Sunnyvale?
Yes
When was the last time you
voted? Month/Year
11/2025
Your Agreement
Description Area IMPORTANT NOTICE – READ BEFORE SIGNING:By selecting both “Yes” and “Submit Form” below I am adding my digital signature to this application. I am also agreeing with the following statements:All statements I have made on this application are true and correct.I authorize the City of Sunnyvale (City) to investigate the accuracy of this information.I release the City from all claims and liabilities arising from such investigation.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application will be grounds for the City to deny my appointment. A false statement discovered later, will be grounds to dismiss me from my appointment at any time.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application could lead to criminal charges. Charges could fall under California Penal Code, Section 115 or other applicable law.
I agree Yes
Your full name Chaitrali Amrutkar
Date Mar 13, 2026
Chaitrali Amrutkar