Personnel and Public Employees Committee Meeting – June 16, 2020

On June 16, 2020, the Sacramento Personnel and Public Employees Committee (PPEC) held a teleconference meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting convened at 3:03 p.m. and adjourned at 3:13 p.m. All four members were present: Chair Larry Carr (District 8), Vice Chair Rick Jennings (District 7), Angelique Ashby (District 1), and Steve Hansen (District 4). The committee approved the previous meeting minutes and forwarded nominations for three seats on the Sacramento Ethics Commission to the City Council.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Meeting Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the January 21, 2020, Personnel and Public Employees Committee meeting. The motion was made by Member Jennings, seconded by Member Hansen, and passed 4–0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the meeting, either on agenda items or matters not on the agenda.

Discussion Items

• Item 2 – Nominations for the Sacramento Ethics Commission: The committee considered candidates for Seats A, C, and E on the Ethics Commission.
  • For Seat C (one open seat, member representing the general public with a background in law, ethics, local government, or similar experience), Member Ashby nominated Emelyn Rodriguez, who was a candidate for renewal. Member Hansen seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
  • For Seat E (one open seat, member representing the general public), Member Ashby nominated Susan Underwood, also a candidate for renewal. The motion was seconded by Member Jennings and passed unanimously.
  • For Seat A (one open seat, member of the general public with a background in law, ethics, local government, or similar experience), two candidates were considered: Liz Gomez (nominated by Member Ashby) and Derek Cressman (nominated by Member Hansen).
    • Member Ashby expressed support for Gomez, highlighting her role as chief of staff to the county health team and her work opening COVID‑19 testing sites, describing her as “vested in the health and well-being of our city” and bringing a “different perspective.”
    • Member Hansen expressed support for Cressman, noting his long history of advocacy for ethics and good government at multiple levels of government, and stated that he “deserves a chance” after applying many times. However, Hansen acknowledged that either candidate would be a good choice.
    • Chair Carr, while noting some personal frustration with Gomez regarding the placement of a COVID‑19 testing site in Meadowview, praised her resume and indicated he would vote for her.
    • Member Jennings described the decision as “very tough” and encouraged both candidates to continue seeking city service opportunities.
  • Member Ashby’s motion to nominate Liz Gomez for Seat A was seconded and passed unanimously (4–0).

Key Outcomes

• Approved: January 21, 2020, PPEC meeting minutes.
• Nominees forwarded to the City Council for appointment:
  • Liz Gomez for Seat A (member of the general public with a background in law, ethics, local government, or similar experience).
  • Emelyn Rodriguez for Seat C (member of the general public with a background in law, ethics, local government, or similar experience).
  • Susan Underwood for Seat E (member representing the general public).
• All votes were unanimous (4–0).
• The committee thanked the City Clerk’s staff for their work in managing meetings and commissions during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
• The meeting was adjourned at 3:13 p.m.