Personnel and Public Employees Committee Meeting - February 14, 2017
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Personnel and Public Employees Committee Meeting - February 14, 2017
The Personnel and Public Employees Committee of the Sacramento City Council met on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, at 1:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. Chair Larry Carr presided, with members Angelique Ashby (District 1), Allen Warren (District 2), and Steve Hansen (District 4) present. Steve Hansen arrived at 1:35 p.m., after the consent calendar item was approved. The committee approved minutes, selected a vice chair, interviewed and nominated candidates for several city commissions, and adjourned at 2:02 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (Item 1): The committee unanimously approved the meeting minutes from November 10, 2016, and January 10, 2017. The motion was made by Angelique Ashby and seconded by Allen Warren, with all present members voting yes.
Discussion Items
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Nomination and Selection of Vice Chair (Item 2): The committee selected Steve Hansen as Vice Chair for 2017. The motion was made by Angelique Ashby and seconded by Allen Warren, with all present members voting yes.
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Interviews for the Preservation Commission (Item 3): The committee interviewed two candidates for two seats:
- Alice Valania for Seat A (licensed historical architect). Valania, a licensed architect with over 15 years of experience in preservation architecture, served on the City of Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zone Board for four years, overseeing 4,000 properties. She met the Secretary of the Interior's professional qualification standards for architecture and historic architecture. She resides in North Highlands, outside city limits.
- Caru Bowns for Seat E (landscape architect, designer, or historian). Bowns, a current commissioner seeking a second term, holds graduate degrees in landscape architecture, urban planning, and cultural geography, and is a certified planner. She emphasized her experience in participatory planning and her vision for Sacramento's growth.
- During Bowns's interview, committee members discussed broader issues such as homelessness and the relationship between the Preservation Commission and the Planning and Design Commission. Bowns referenced examples from Seattle, Portland, and Denver for addressing homelessness and noted Sacramento's expected growth of 165,000 new residents in the next 10-15 years.
- Following the interviews, the committee unanimously nominated both candidates for appointment (motion by Ashby, seconded by Warren; all members voted yes).
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Nominations to the Ann Land Bertha Henschel Memorial Funds Commission (Item 4): The committee reviewed applications and interviews for Seat D (general public). Staff recommended Barbara Steinberg, citing her experience with local nonprofits. However, members considered both candidates excellent, with Ashby preferring Alison Leary for her legal background and out-of-city experience. The committee ultimately nominated Alison Leary (motion by Ashby, seconded by Hansen; all members voted yes).
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Nominations to the Sacramento Disabilities Advisory Commission (Item 5): For Seat F (disability group representative), staff presented James Pilotti and Heather Williams as top candidates. Pilotti had experience with mental illness and cognitive disabilities, while Williams had experience on a similar state commission. Members discussed the importance of mental health representation and homelessness, and encouraged other applicants (Alex and Will) to continue applying. The committee unanimously nominated Heather Williams (motion by Ashby, seconded by Hansen; all members voted yes).
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Nominations to the Utilities Rate Advisory Commission (Item 6): For Seat E, two candidates were interviewed: Mr. Pluckybom (full name not given) and P. Anthony Thomas. Staff noted the commission currently lacked solid waste experience, which Pluckybom possessed, but Thomas was also qualified. Members debated, with some favoring Thomas to bring a new perspective to the commission. The committee unanimously nominated P. Anthony Thomas (motion by Ashby, seconded by Hansen; all members voted yes).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes for November 10, 2016, and January 10, 2017.
- Selected Steve Hansen as Vice Chair for 2017.
- Nominated Alice Valania (Seat A) and Caru Bowns (Seat E) to the Preservation Commission.
- Nominated Alison Leary to the Ann Land Bertha Henschel Memorial Funds Commission (Seat D).
- Nominated Heather Williams to the Sacramento Disabilities Advisory Commission (Seat F).
- Nominated P. Anthony Thomas to the Utilities Rate Advisory Commission (Seat E).
- All nominations were forwarded to the Mayor for appointment.
Meeting Transcript
We call this meeting of the personnel and public employees committee to order. Would the clerk please call the role? Member Ashby? Member Warren? Member Hansen? Chair Carr. Here. We have a quorum. If you're here today to speak to the commission and you're not an applicant or candidate, please fill out a speaker slip in the back and turn into the assistant clerk. Also you can see the assistant clerk for any assisted listening or speaking devices. And now would be the time to please turn your cell phones and their devices to silent. Any other announcements? No other announcements. Before we start, I'd like to wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day. Hope everyone got flowers or at least some Whitman sampler. Candy. Angelique and I got the red Valentine's Day memo. Okay. We'll start with the consent calendar, which is the approval of the committee meeting minutes from November the 10th and January the 10th. I'll move. Then move Mr. Warren, second by Miss Asby. No comments. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed, no abstentions. The motion carries unanimously. We foot move to the first item on the discussion calendar, which is a nomination and selection of a vice chair. Mr. Hanson has been nominated. Any other nominations? Seeing none, we'll close the nominations. All in favor of Mr. Hanson being the vice chair say aye. Aye. Those opposed, no. Abstentions? Mr. Hanson is the new vice chair, congratulations. He didn't even have to put out any yard signs or anything. Our next item is to conduct interviews for the preservation commission. So we have two vacancies at seat A and um seat E. And for um neither the for seat A, which is the licensed architect, um, the incumbents term ended but did not reapply. And for C E, which is a landscape architect, among others, um, the term did end and as is reapplying and we have two people applying for those positions. And the first what we're gonna do is call I'm sorry, call your name, and we'll have you come down to the podium and you're gonna answer these two questions that I'm about to put up on the screen here. And then when you're completed with your answering your questions, if you're gonna step to your right and see Phoebe and she'll take a photograph. So if I could have Alison Velania I'm Alice Vallania, uh, and I'm a licensed architect. Uh I'm interested in serving on the preservation commission because it is an important time in Sacramento for both development and historic preservation. There are significant projects of all sizes shaping how our city is growing, and uh through this board's decisions, the precedence will be set for future projects making today's decisions critical. Beyond just the rail yards, each district has its own challenges and its own unique identity to be celebrated through preservation and new construction.
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