HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14581
City of Palo Alto (ID # 14581)
Office of the City Clerk
City Council CAO Report
Meeting Date: 9/12/2022 Report Type: Special Orders of the Day
Title: Appointment of Candidates for the Human Relations Commission
From: Lesley Milton, City Clerk
Recommendation Staff recommends City Council vote to appoint one candidate to the following position on the Human Relations Commission: • One (1) position with a term ending on March 31, 2023. **A majority vote (4 yes’s) is required to appoint an applicant. Background Boards and Commissions are established as advisory bodies to the City
Council, made up of community volunteers that provide essential feedback on matters of importance to the community. The City Clerk’s office advertises and recruits for vacancies, the Council considers the applications, interviews desired candidates, and makes recommendations for appointment for the open positions. Commissioner Patti Regehr resigned from the Human Relations Commission on May 31, 2022. As such, the current vacancy staff is requesting to be
filled is: • One (1) position on the Human Relations Commission, with term expiring March 31, 2023 A total of 6 applications have been submitted during the recruitment period. Interviews
At the August 8, 2022 City Council meeting, the Council elected to interview all 6 applicants (August 8 HRC Recruitment Report). Interviews were conducted on August 22, 2022 at approximately 5:00 PM as a special City Council meeting. Video recordings of the interviews are available on our City of Palo Alto YouTube Channel. Applicants Katie Causey and Sunita de
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Tourreil withdrew prior to the interview.
All applications received for this position can be accessed online (All HRC Applications). City Council will incorporate all interviews into the final selection. Membership Requirements Per PAMC 2.22.010, The Human Relations Commission requires each member of the commission to have Palo Alto residency. Human Relations Commission: One position Term ending March 31, 2023 • Palo Alto Residency
• APPLICANTS:
1. Donald Barr
2. Katie Causey (withdrew)
3. Sunita de Tourreil (withdrew)
4. Tracy Alejandra Navichoque
5. Chitra Sharma
6. Kat Synder
Public Outreach
Palo Alto Municipal Code 2.16.060 requires public notification regarding vacancies of the Commissions as follows, “The City Clerk shall exercise their discretion in choosing the method of advertisement that will most effectively reach potential candidates.” Based on the September 14, 2021 Policy & Services Committee meeting report (available here) regarding Board and Commission Member demographics and community representation the City Clerk’s office expanded recruitment efforts through
additional means to “most effectively reach potential candidates”. The Human Relations Commission special recruitment invited applications from June 10, 2022 through July 27, 2022 through the new online application process. The vacancy was advertised through various methods in partnership with the Communications team. This included paid and digital print advertisements in the Daily Post and Palo Alto Weekly; via the City’s website and social media channels; in physical locations of the Palo Alto
Libraries and Community Centers; and distributed by e-mail and through the City subscription-based notification lists.