TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Liza Tamura, City Clerk
Patricia Matson, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Declaring Parking and Public Improvements Commission Member-At-Large Seat No. 1 (Kirschenbaum) Vacant and Appoint from the List of Interested Applicants from the Recent Annual Boards and Commissions Interview and Appointment Process (City Clerk Tamura).
(Estimated Time: 10 Min.)
A) DECLARE VACANCY
B) APPOINT
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
a) Declare Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) Seat No. 1 (Kirschenbaum) vacant; and
b) Appoint an individual from the list of interested applicants from the recent annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
On May 7, 2024, the City Clerk’s Office was notified that Commissioner Kirschenbaum had been absent from four PPIC meetings. Per the Boards and Commissions handbook, three absences are permitted within a year (June 1 - May 31). After the third absence, a member who exceeds the absence allowance will automatically forfeit their Board or Commission seat and must submit a resignation letter. If no letter is submitted to the City Clerk’s Office within 14 days, the seat will be deemed vacant.
DISCUSSION:
Considerable outreach for the 2024 annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process was conducted. To solicit interest, the City Clerk’s office placed advertisements in the Beach Reporter every month since January 2024, with the final advertisement being published on April 4, 2024. The City included an additional ad on March 28, 2024, to include an additional PPIC Member-At-Large seat that had become vacant. Additional outreach included: posting on City bulletin boards; e-notifications; social media posts; and outreach to MBUSD, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Business and Professionals Association.
Due to the fact that the annual interviews and appointments were recently conducted, staff is recommending that the City Council appoint an individual that expressed interest as part of that process.
On April 23, 2024, 12 individuals were interviewed for the two available PPIC Member-At-Large seats. At the May 7, 2024, City Council meeting, two individuals were appointed to the PPIC, Rosemarie Balla and Bob DaGiau (reappointed), and two other interested individuals were appointed to other commissions.
The City Clerk’s Office contacted the remaining 8 individuals to determine if they were still interested in serving. Below are the remaining applicants that have indicated an interest in the seat:
Interested Applicants:
Steven Berardino
Jacquelyn Chou
Scott Griest
Heather Kim
Daniel Kurz
Paul Mazurek
Jill Schecter
Jim Yang
The term for PPIC Seat No. 1 is due to expire on May 31, 2026. Whomever is appointed to this seat will fulfill the remainder of the term left vacant by Commissioner Kirschenbaum and could then seek reappointment via the City’s regular procedures for the next three-year term (per Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Section 2.44.070).
ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION:
The City Council can direct the City Clerk to conduct public outreach and advertise the vacant seat in the Beach Reporter, Easy Reader, City Hall, Manhattan Heights Community Center and Joslyn Community Center bulletin boards, the City’s website, the City’s social media channels and e-notification to website subscribers. Staff will then schedule interviews and agendize the appointment to this seat at a future City Council meeting.
PROS:
Provides an additional opportunity for the community to apply for the open seat.
CONS:
• Staff resources will be dedicated towards advertising the vacancy, gathering applications, and scheduling the interviews.
• Conducting the interview process may be duplicative for the City Council as there are several interested applicants from the most recent list established through the interview and appointment process.
• Additional funds will need to be utilized to advertise for the one vacancy.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council declare PPIC Seat No. 1 vacant and appoint an individual from the list of interested applicants from the recent annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Staff reached out to those individuals that recently applied for the PPIC through the City’s annual Boards and Commissions interview and appointment process to reconfirm their interest in serving on the commission.
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.