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APPROVE APPOINTMENTS TO THE CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve the appointment of four (4) persons to the Cultural Heritage Board for the terms outlined in the proposed resolution.
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Summary
Stockton Municipal Code (SMC) section 16.220.040 establishes a Cultural Heritage Board (CHB) consisting of nine (9) members. There are currently four (4) positions available on the Cultural Heritage Board due to resignations, relocations, and a death.
In response to a recruitment effort, six (6) applications were received to fill the vacancies, one was later withdrawn. On June 24, 2021, the Planning Commission considered the applications. Following an interview and ranking process, the Planning Commission voted to appoint the following persons to the Cultural Heritage Board: Tejpaul Bainiwal, Bryan Baldeon, Mary Jo Gohlke, and Matt Holmes. Council is now asked to approve these appointments, consistent with the requirement in SMC 16.220.040.A.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Cultural Heritage Board is a nine-member citizen advisory body charged with the preservation and promotion of the City’s historical, architectural, and cultural resources. Per the CHB Bylaws, the Board’s purpose is to work in an advisory capacity to the Planning Commission in matters of aesthetic, cultural, architectural, and historical significance for the City of Stockton.
It is the responsibility of the Cultural Heritage Board to evaluate and make recommendations on matters pertaining to historic landmarks, historic sites, historic districts, award of excellence, and certificates of appropriateness for proposed alterations to landmarks and properties in historic districts. In the past, the Cultural Heritage Board presented an annual Captain Charles M. Weber Award, a Glenn Allen Award, overseen the activities of the Magnolia Historic District Advisory Committee, and advised City officials and the public on matters pertaining to the preservation of cultural and historical resources.
The Cultural Heritage Board meets at 5:30pm on the first Wednesday of every month in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
In accordance with SMC section 16.220.040, members of the Cultural Heritage Board, who must be residents of the City, are interviewed, selected, and appointed by the Planning Commission subject to City Council approval. Cultural Heritage Board members serve staggered four-year terms of office, terms expire on October 31st of the fourth year. Vacant positions are filled when the members’ terms expire or when a board member resigns before the end of a term.
Present Situation
The Cultural Heritage Board is a nine-member body. There are currently four (4) positions available on the Cultural Heritage Board due to resignations, relocations, and a death.
The existing vacancies have created the need for a 100% attendance rate for the remaining members in order to have a quorum to hold a meeting. A quorum of the CHB has not been reached since December 2020. The City has been soliciting applications for appointment since the initial vacancy in 2020. In response to the City’s recruitment for the open positions, six (6) individuals submitted applications for appointment, one application was later withdrawn.
SMC section 16.220.040.A provides that the nine (9) members of the Cultural Heritage Board be selected and appointed by the Planning Commission, with the approval of the City Council.
SMC Section 16.220.040.A.1 provides that, to the maximum extent possible, the Board shall have at least one (1) member from each of the following categories:
• A member with extensive real estate experience in the City
• A member with extensive experience in the construction industry
• An architect licensed by the State
• A historian
• A professional archaeologist
• A resident of the City for over forty years
The current membership and appointments by the Planning Commission have fulfilled all experience recommendations except for real estate, construction, and archaeology categories.
Planning Commission Action
Six (6) valid applications were received to fill four (4) positions, one (1) application was withdrawn. And four (4) applicants were present for interviews by the Planning Commission at its regularly scheduled meeting of June 24, 2021 (Attachment A - Annotated Minutes). The selection process did not require being present for the interview to be ranked and appointed. Following the interview and ranking process, the Planning Commission appointed the following members subject to Council approval: Tejpaul Bainiwal, Bryan Baldeon, Mary Jo Gohlke, and Matt Holmes (Attachment B - Redacted Applications).
SMC section 16.220.040.A.2 [Term of Office] states that vacancies occurring during a term shall be filled for the unexpired period of the term in the same manner as the original appointment and that terms shall be staggered to ensure continuity.
The four current vacancies have the following term expiration dates:
|
No. of Vacancies |
Vacancy Due To |
Term Expires |
|
1 |
Relocation |
October 31, 2021 |
|
2 |
Resignation |
October 31, 2022 |
|
1 |
Death |
October 31, 2022 |
Given that one of the vacant terms is set to expire on October 31, 2021, and the remaining three are set to expire on October 31, 2022, staff recommends the following:
• One (1) appointment becomes effective on November 1, 2021, with a four-year term (expires on October 31, 2025).
• Three (3) appointments become effective immediately filling the unexpired term periods (expirations on October 31, 2022).
Accordingly, Staff randomly selected Candidates for the following terms:
|
Name |
Appointment Effective |
Term Expires |
|
Tejpaul Bainiwal |
July 27, 2021 |
October 31, 2022 |
|
Bryan Baldeon |
July 27, 2021 |
October 31, 2022 |
|
Mary Jo Gohlke |
July 27, 2021 |
October 31, 2022 |
|
Matt Holmes |
November 1, 2021 |
October 31, 2025 |
The City Council may choose to approve the terms differently.
It is important to note that additional vacancies are forthcoming as three (3) terms are set to expire on October 31st of this year. Citizen service recruitment efforts will be initiated for said vacancies in accordance with Council Policy 2.04. Per SMC 16.220.040.A.2, those Board members may continue to serve on the Board until new appointments have been made.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Planning Commission appointments to the Cultural Heritage Board with the term expirations identified in the attached resolution.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Members of the Cultural Heritage Board receive no compensation, so there is no financial impact to the City for this action with the exception of staff resources needed to staff the board.
Attachment A - Annotated Minutes
Attachment B - Redacted Applications