TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Liza Tamura, City Clerk
Martha Alvarez, Assistant City Clerk
Breana Contreras, Deputy City Clerk
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resignation from Cultural Arts Commissioner Dohner, Declaration of a Vacancy for Cultural Arts Commission Member-At-Large Seat No. 5 (Dohner), and Direction to the City Clerk to Either Return with a List of Interested Applicants, Conduct Public Outreach, or Defer Appointment Until the Annual Boards and Commissions Interview and Appointment Process (City Clerk Tamura).
(Estimated Time: 15 Mins.)
A) ACCEPT RESIGNATION
B) DECLARE VACANCY
C) DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council: a) accept the resignation from Cultural Arts Commissioner, Jen Dohner; b) declare vacant Cultural Arts Commission Member-At-Large Seat No. 5 (Dohner); and c) direct the City Clerk to return with a list of interested applicants who participated in the April 2024 annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process or defer appointment until the annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
The Cultural Arts Commission consists of six members- one representative with art experience, four at-large members, and one student representative. The Commission meets on the third Monday of each month and is responsible for developing a Cultural Arts Master Plan for the City, encouraging and supporting art education programs in the community and schools, participating in the Arts in Public Places selection process, and assisting in the Art in Civic Spaces Program.
On November 18, 2024, the City Clerk’s Office received Commissioner Dohner’s letter of resignation; effectively leaving the Cultural Arts Commission, Seat No. 5, Member-At-Large seat, vacant.
DISCUSSION:
The term for Cultural Arts Commission Seat No. 5 is due to expire on May 31, 2026. The Manhattan Beach Municipal Code (MBMC) Section 2.44.070 states, “If a vacant seat has 18 months or less remaining in its term, the new member will complete the original term and automatically be reappointed to a three-year term without further ceremony.”
The City Clerk’s office historically declares vacancies and conducts public outreach for interested candidates to immediately fill unscheduled vacancies. Manhattan Beach Municipal Code (MBMC) Section 2.44.040 states, “Whenever an unscheduled vacancy occurs on a Commission, Board or Committee, a special notice is to be posted in the City Clerk's Office, and in other places as directed by the City Council within twenty (20) days after the City receives notice of the vacancy.”
As part of the 2024 annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process, staff advertised for several Board and Commission vacancies in the Beach Reporter from January to April. Additional outreach included: posting on City bulletin boards, posting on the City’s website, social media posts, eNotifications, and information in the “City MB News” monthly e-newsletter. Given the significant advertising efforts that were made from January 2024-April 2024, staff is recommending that the City Council appoint from the list of candidates that participated in the 2024 annual interview and appointment process.
On April 23, 2024, four individuals were interviewed for one available Cultural Arts Commission adult seat. One individual was appointed (Marie Colmey), and one individual was appointed to the Library Commission (Samuel Braitman), leaving 2 individuals for the City Clerk to contact and determine if interest still exists. Below are the remaining applicants who indicated an interest in the seat:
Confirmed:
Heather Kim
Philip Nielsen
If the City Council chooses to appoint from the list of interested applicants, the two individuals have expressed their interest in being considered for the appointment.
Alternatively, the City Council may elect from the following options:
ALTERNATIVE 1: Upon City Council’s approval to declare this seat vacant, the City Council can direct the City Clerk to conduct public outreach and advertise the vacant seat. Staff will then accept applications, schedule interviews, and agendize the appointment to this seat at a future City Council meeting. This approach provides an opportunity for interested members of the public to apply for the vacancy, fostering community involvement and ensuring a transparent selection process. Conversely, it should be noted that staff resources will be dedicated to advertising the one vacancy, gathering applications, and scheduling the interviews.
ALTERNATIVE 2: The City Council can choose to take no action and wait until the annual Boards and Commissions application process in April 2025. The disadvantage of this approach is that there will be a six-month vacancy until the appointed Commissioners start in June 2025.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the resignation of Cultural Arts Commissioner Jen Dohner, declare vacant Cultural Arts Commission Seat No. 5, and direct the City Clerk to return with a list of interested applicants who participated in the April 2024 annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process. Two individuals from the 2024 interviews have been contacted and have expressed interest in being appointed.
Alternatively, the City Council may choose to defer the appointment until the annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process in April 2025.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, no public outreach was required for this item. However, if the City Council directs staff to conduct public outreach, a notice will be published via the Beach Reporter, on City Hall bulletin boards, on the City’s website, the City’s social media channels, and eNotifications to website subscribers.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Resignation Letter - Commissioner Dohner