HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2406-3139CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, August 12, 2024
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
1.Appointment of Candidates for Vacancies on the Historic Resources Board. CEQA Status –
Not a project. Presentation
City Council
Staff Report
Report Type: SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: August 12, 2024
Report #:2406-3139
TITLE
Appointment of Candidates for Vacancies on the Historic Resources Board. CEQA Status – Not a
project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council vote to appoint candidates for two vacancies on the Historic
Resources Board with terms ending March 31, 2027.
*A majority vote (4 yes’s) is required to appoint a candidate.
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 appointments for the open
positions.
INTERVIEWS
At the June 17, 2024 City Council meeting, the Council elected to interview 4 candidates for the
Historic Resources Board. The interviews were held on August 5, 2024. Video recording of the
interviews are available on our City of Palo Alto YouTube Channel1. All applications for the
Historic Resources Board2 can be accessed online.
1 City of Palo Alto YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto
2 Historic Resources Board Applications:
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=51a30bf0-a5a1-4027-9119-87c6e282a23a
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Each Board or Commission has different requirements for appointment such as mandatory
residency, specialized training, or professional service in a specified area. Additionally,
appointed members cannot be council members, officers, or employees of the City of Palo Alto.
Historic Resources Board
•Members shall have demonstrated interest in and knowledge of history, architecture, or
historic preservation (PAMC 2.27.010).
•Two members shall be professionals in the disciplines of architecture, architectural
history, planning, landscape architecture, or related disciplines, or pre-historic and
historic archeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation, or conservation (PAMC
2.27.010). This requirement is currently fulfilled by Alisa Eagleston-Cieslewicz (term
expires 2026), Margaret Wimmer (term expires 2024), Caroline Willis (term expires
2024), Gogo Heinrich (term expires 2024), and Michael Makinen (term expires 2024).
•At least one member shall possess academic education or practical experience in history
or a related field such as American studies, American civilization, or cultural geography
(PAMC 2.27.010). This requirement is currently fulfilled by Samantha Rohman (term
expires 2026) and Michael Makinen (term expires 2024).
PUBLIC OUTREACH
The 2024 Annual Boards and Commissions recruitment invited applications from January 1,
2024 through March 17, 2024 through the new online application process. The recruitment
period was extended to June 2, 2024 for Historic Resources Board applications. 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 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”.
This recruitment was advertised through various methods including paid print and digital
advisements in The Palo Alto Weekly and the Daily Post; 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 through established distribution lists to community based organizations,
individuals and City subscription based notification lists.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
APPROVED BY:
Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
Historic Resources Board Appointments
Presenters:
Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
August 12, 2024 www.cityofpaloalto.org
TITLE 40 FONT BOLD
Subtitle 32 font
August 12, 2024 www.cityofpaloalto.org
•Barry Katz: Kou, Lythcott-Haims, Tanaka
•Zachary Pozner: Burt, Tanaka
•Geddes Ulinskas: Lauing, Lythcott-Haims, Stone, Veenker
•Caroline Willis: Burt, Kou, Lauing, Stone, Veenker
Historic Resources Board: 2 positions