New Members Appointed to City Advisory Committees

The City Council has appointed three new people to the advisory committees that help shape policy and programs for city government. 

Out of 14 people who applied, three residents were chosen to serve on three committees that had openings. However, the council deferred appointing anyone on the Personnel Board, which has struggled to maintain a quorum and keep members engaged. 

For that advisory committee, the council is looking to possibly make some changes to keep it active, as well as address similar issues on the city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. 

The three new commissioners appointed were:

• Brandon Lau, Citizens Crime Prevention Committee
• Pamela Gamble, Culture and Arts Commission
• Claudi Calogne, Parks and Recreation Commission youth representative 

The new appointed commissioners will serve four-year terms. 

For both the Personnel Board and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, holding regularly scheduled meetings has become difficult over the years, primarily because few people have stayed committed to their roles. 

According to a city staff report, the five-member Personnel Board has been dealing with an ongoing vacancy, leaving only four members to do the work. Its primary role has been to review all of the city's job descriptions, and now that that work has been completed, the members feel there isn't a need to meet on a monthly basis anymore. 

"It was tedious work," said Councilwoman Irene O'Connell, who serves as the council's liaison to the board. "And they did an excellent job and stuck to it." 

As a result of the board's lack of business to tend to and the vacant position, the members recommended that the board be reduced to a three-member committee that meets on a quarterly and as-needed basis. 

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is a seven-member board, with four at-large members and three members who serve as liaisons from other commissions. 

But with some of the members from other committees retiring or stepping down from their positions, the committee has struggled to maintain a quorum as well. 

That committee is proposing to make all of the members on the board at-large. 

"I think it can be maintained on its own with people who are more interested in bicycle issues," Councilman Ken Ibarra said. 

The council will be reviewing the changes to the two committees at its Nov. 22 meeting.