The City Council met briefly last Friday to cement 13 appointments and reappointments to city boards and commissions.
Jeri Wright, Howard Brody and Kevin Cheng will serve as regular members of the Planning Commission, while James Okazaki will serve as an alternate, all through May 31, 2024. Wright and Okazaki have been members of that commission, while Brody returns to the panel after switching to the Design Review Committee for a term; Cheng also is transferring over from that committee. Mayor Gretchen Shepherd Romey and Councilman Steven Huang interviewed six applicants for the Planning Commission.
Joyce Gatsoulis Batnij will stay with the Design Review Committee and is joined by Raymond Cheng and Sharon Mequet as regular members and Tony Chou as an alternate through June 30, 2022. Cheng, who has been serving on the Planning Commission, has previously worked on the Design Review panel. Shepherd Romey and Councilman Steve Talt interviewed seven applicants for the Design Review Committee.
Steve Domier and Genevieve Chien will stay with the Library Board of Trustees through May 31, 2023; Domier was upgraded from alternate to regular member, while Chien remains an alternate. Shepherd Romey and Councilwoman Susan Jakubowski interviewed four applicants for this board.
Al Boegh and Victoria Firestone will be regular members of the Public Safety Commission, alongside Zillah Tobiano as an alternate, through June 30, 2024. Boegh is a returning representative to this panel and has been a member since its formation. Shepherd Romey and Talt interviewed six applicants for this commission.
Though the Recreation Commission, which is undergoing a revamp, is completely vacant, only two applied for its seven seats; Talt and Vice Mayor Ken Ude did not interview the candidates for this commission yet.
In addition to these appointments, the City Council met in closed session for discussions that included the hiring process for the city’s community services director, a position that has been temporarily staffed by retiree Josette Espinosa. No candidate has been identified for the full-time position, according to City Manager Marcella Marlowe.
New Names, New Faces Appointed to City Boards, Commissions
