Personnel and Public Employees Committee Special Meeting - September 23, 2020
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Personnel and Public Employees Committee Special Meeting – September 23, 2020
On September 23, 2020, the Sacramento Personnel and Public Employees Committee held a special teleconference meeting to conduct interviews and make appointments to four city boards and commissions. The meeting was chaired by Larry Carr, with members Angelique Ashby and Steve Hansen present (Rick Jennings absent). After hearing from applicants and deliberating, the committee voted on nominations for three of the four bodies, deferring the fourth to a future meeting.
Discussion Items
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Item 1: Housing Code Advisory and Appeals Board – The committee interviewed three candidates: Brandon Fisher (pastor and attorney), Verne Gore (retired state employee and incumbent), and Barry Boyd (current SHRA board member). Ashby expressed concern about the lack of female representation, as two female applicants did not attend. Carr emphasized the value of District 8 representation and the candidates' qualifications. After discussion, a motion was made to appoint Fisher to Seat A, Gore to Seat B, and Boyd to Seat D. The motion passed unanimously (3-0).
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Item 2: Preservation Commission – Two incumbent applicants, Ryan Miller and Alice Valania, were present. Due to their strong attendance and service, the committee voted unanimously (3-0) to reappoint both to their respective seats (Seat A and Seat C).
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Item 3: Sacramento Heritage, Inc. Board of Directors – Three candidates were considered: Clare Flynn (historic preservation professional), Megan Repka (architect), and Jose Esparza (incumbent, not present but eligible). Staff noted that another candidate, Paul Brown, had stronger web design skills but was absent. The committee unanimously (3-0) appointed Flynn to Seat D, Repka to Seat E, and Esparza to Seat F.
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Item 4: Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission – Eight applicants were interviewed, including Emmanuel Amanforr, Pamela Hoyt, Cheri Philpott, Barbara Stanton, and Africa Williams. The committee opted to continue the discussion to the next meeting on October 27, 2020, given the large number of strong candidates and the need for further review. Staff confirmed that two candidates were residents, which was of interest to the commission.
Key Outcomes
- Appointments made by unanimous vote: Brandon Fisher (Seat A), Verne Gore (Seat B), and Barry Boyd (Seat D) to the Housing Code Advisory and Appeals Board.
- Reappointments made by unanimous vote: Ryan Miller and Alice Valania to the Preservation Commission.
- Appointments made by unanimous vote: Clare Flynn, Megan Repka, and Jose Esparza to the Sacramento Heritage, Inc. Board of Directors.
- The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission appointments were continued to October 27, 2020.
- Councilmember Ashby requested that the City Clerk evaluate board and commission processes for potential improvements and bring recommendations to the committee.
Meeting Transcript
Chair Carr, we're ready to begin when you are. I am ready. I will bang the imaginary gabble and call this meeting of the personnel and public employers committee to order on Wednesday, September the 23rd, 2020. I see we have a quorum, but for the record, could the clerk call the roll? Councilmember Ashley. Here. Councilmember Jennings. Councilmember Hansen. Chair Carr. I am here and we have a quorum. Would you do you have an announcement to read? Um we are recommending Madam Clerk. We are recommending that nominations be made for the Housing Code Advisory and Appeals Board due to quorum issues at this meeting. Okay, because they're having difficulty getting a quorum. I think that's a yes. Yes, they're having quorum issues. Okay. So we have candidates available to speak here today. Yes, we have could you call it okay. First item is interviews for the housing code advisory and appeals board. We have six candidates total, including one incumbent. Um first candidate is Seychin Billiar. Okay. So what you're gonna say is the telephone. Let me ask an administrative question before we start. Uh generally, when we're in chambers, we have photos taken. Are you taking photos on the screen for this Zoom presentation? Hello, Mr. Carr. We are going to do that. We do that through the video stream though, so no one will have to step to the side. So Marilyn is going to start to call the candidates when your name is called. Please unmute and go ahead and speak. You will have two minutes to address the commission. Well, let's begin. He's not in the Zoom. Barry Boyd. Not in the Zoom. Brandon Fisher. Good afternoon. My name is Brandon Fisher. Uh, I am the pastor of the historic Cow's Temple AME Zion Church in the Oak Park community of Sacramento. I'm also a licensed attorney, having gone to North Carolina Central University School of Law graduated in 2013. I currently serve as the operation lead manager for legislative tracking for the state net state net sector of Lexis Nexus. I am interested in this position because I know that housing disproportionately affects black and brown persons. And with Sacramento gaining so many people in the population and the housing being a serious issue, I think it is necessary and needed that there is a black voice or black voices on this board to hear the appeals and to hear the cases about substandard housing and also for the demolition of buildings pursuant uh to the code of the Sacramento City uh code. And so I'm offering myself to sit to hear uh these cases and these appeals that will affect our people and our communities and to be a voice for the black and brown and for everyone, every Sacrament and uh, so that we can have the housing that we need for the people that are here and for the people that are coming. And so I thank you for your consideration of me today. Well, thank you for coming. Have any questions from the uh members?
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