City Council and Authorities Concurrent - Special Meeting

That was loud. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the special meeting of the Santa Clara City Council. So I'd like to call this meeting to order. May we have roll call, Assistant City Clerk?

Good evening, Madam Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Shahal.

Present.

Council Member Hardy. Present. Council Member Park is not here yet. Council Member Jane.

Here.

Council Member Cox. Here. And Vice Mayor- Gonzalez here mayor Gilmore. Yeah. Thank you Thank you.

So we have several Commission appointments this evening I'm going to ask the assistant city clerk Nora if you'd like to go over some of our guidelines and yes Thank you. We're gonna do this evening. Thank you.

Thank you madam mayor so your agenda packet shows that you will be interviewing a six groups of boards and commissions. However, you're down to five groups. This is because the two applicants for Civil Service Commission withdrew as of last night and this morning. That was due to emergency and unforeseen circumstances. So you may direct me to open another recruitment, and I will do that. And then I will inform you when we're ready to come back for interviews. With that being said the first one before you this evening is a senior advisory There was in your packet you had a Rachel Irvin and she withdrew so the first candidate this evening is Claire Fidel and she is on I believe online. She is Zoom. And so we're ready to go. I'd like to note for the record that they have been apprised of what to expect this evening. Three minutes for introduction followed by the council questions. You each have the questions and you have the applicants applications before you And then it concludes with a one-minute closing remarks following that and you once you interview the full group then you will Deliberate and you may vote and then we move on to the next and so on and so forth Thank you very much.

So and just to remind the council we'll start with vice mayor Gonzales with the first question for the first applicant We'll go down the line. So I'll have to be focused and paying attention when it's your turn. We're going to start with this one appointment.

I'm sorry. This one is for two appointments. We need one partial term ending 2028 and one full term for 2030.

These are two appointments for the Senior Advisory Commission.

I'd like to note that Kieran, Kumar Shinde also applied to the Parks and Rec, and then Kumar Vishwanathan also applied to HLC and Cultural.

All right. Very good. We're going to start with our first applicant, Claire Fidel, who is joining us by Zoom. Welcome, Claire. If you would like to start by giving us your opening statement.

Yes. Can you guys hear me all right?

Yes, we can. Go ahead, please.

Hi, good evening. Thank you all for the opportunity to be here today. My name is Claire Fideli. I'm excited to be considered for the Senior Advisory Commission. I've always believed that a strong community is built by people who care about one another, especially those who have spent their lives contributing to it. Seniors have an incredible amount of knowledge, experience, and wisdom, and I believe that they deserve to feel connected, valued, and heard. Professionally, I've worked in service-oriented roles where I learned how important it is to listen carefully, solve problems, and treat every person with respect, whether I was helping customers, working as part of a team, or finding solutions to unexpected challenges. I learned that building trust starts with taking the time to understand someone's needs. Outside of work, I enjoy finding ways to learn new skills, connect with people, and give back to my community. One thing I realized is that many seniors face challenges that aren't always visible, such as loneliness, difficulty assessing resources, transportation barriers, or feeling overwhelmed by technology. These are areas where I believe we can make a meaningful difference. If selected, I want to be someone who listens first. I don't believe every answer comes from one person. I believe the best ideas come from working together, hearing different perspectives and creating solutions that truly reflect the needs of our community. I'd also love to help encourage more intergenerational programs where younger residents and older adults can learn from one another, as well as expand access to technology education and community resource events that make services easier to find. Above all, I want to serve because I genuinely care about people. I'm dependable, open-minded, eager to learn, and ready to contribute my time, energy to helping make Santa Clara an even better place for older adults. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to answering your questions.

Thank you so much, Claire. We have, I think, five questions for you. We're going to start with Vice Mayor Gonzalez. The first question.

All right. Thank you. Thank you for applying, Clara. First question is, please share your most memorable service experience in Santa Clara.

Okay, thank you. One of my most meaningful service experiences has been helping people through my work in customer service and field service. I enjoyed solving problems, listening to other people's concerns, and making sure that they felt heard and supported. I've also learned that even small acts of kindness can make a lasting impact. Those experiences have shown me how important community support is.

especially for older adults who may need additional resources or someone willing to take the time to help thank you thank you councilmember thank you mayor thanks for applying clear what is the challenge you faced when working on a team project and what did the group do to achieve your goal

Thank you. One challenge was working with people who had different opinions about the best way to complete a project. Instead of focusing on our differences, we listened to everyone's ideas, identified what we all agreed on, and divided responsibilities based on each person's strengths. By communicating openly and supporting one another, we were able to complete the project successfully. That experience taught me the importance of teamwork, patience, and respect.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Hardy.

Thank you. You've somewhat said this, but I will ask again. Please provide one or two strengths you would contribute to a work group.

Thank you. My biggest strengths are communication and problem solving. I enjoy listening to different perspectives before making decisions, and I like finding practical solutions that benefit everyone involved. I'm also dependable, organized, and willing to step in wherever help is needed.

Thank you. Thank you, Claire. The next question is, what can you do to encourage more diversity for seniors and senior activities?

I believe diversity starts by making everyone feel welcome. I would encourage activities that celebrate different cultures, languages, traditions, and life experiences while making sure programs are accessible to seniors of all backgrounds and abilities. I also like to increase outreach through community organizations, faith groups, libraries, and social media so more seniors know what opportunities are available.

Thank you for that. Council Member

Thank you, Claire, for applying. You know, this city really depends on volunteers to fill these commissions, so I really appreciate it. What are one or two projects for older adults that you believe the senior advisory commission should consider?

Thank you, I appreciate for being here and I love to help my community in any way so project one would be technology support program I do know we have one at the moment, but I think it would be. Good technology mentoring program. Where we. volunteers help seniors learn how to use smartphones, computers, telehealth services, online banking safely, and video calls to stay connected with family. The second project is intergenerational community program. I also think creating more opportunities for seniors and younger generations to interact would benefit everyone. Programs involving local schools, community groups, or colleges could include storytelling, art projects, gardening, mentoring, or shared volunteer events. These activities help reduce loneliness while allowing seniors to share their knowledge and life experiences.

Thank you, Claire. So we're now ready for your up to one minute closing statement.

Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to interview today. I would be honored to serve on the Senior Advisory Commission because I genuinely care about strengthening our community and ensuring older adults have the opportunities to stay active, connected, and heard. I bring a positive attitude, a willingness to listen, and a commitment to working collaboratively to make Santa Clara an even better place for seniors. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you so much. So if you want to continue watching after our one, two, three, we have four other interviews. We'll be making a decision right after the last interview. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

All right. Our next applicant is Adila Sadat. Is she? She is on Zoom. On Zoom. Adila? Welcome. Good evening.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can. Go ahead, please, with your opening remarks.

I was going to mention, if you can turn on your video, you are able to do that as well.

Oh, okay. You can ask Claire that. I know. That's okay. Okay.

Can you hear me?

and it's okay if you can't.

I tried turning it on. Can you see me? No. Oh, OK. Well, anyways. So my name is Adila Saadat. I am currently not in town. I'm with my mom. So that's why my video might not be working properly. We moved to Santa Clara in 1990. My kids grew up in Santa Clara. I studied in San Jose State. Santa Clara was home for us. And I have always been active in my local community. Even while working, I was very active. It was always more based towards education. Like I was the chair of the school site council in my kid's school, but I would also attend the city council meetings, the planning commission meetings. I took an active role. I ran for school board. So I always was an active participant in the city of Santa Clara. My strengths are that I am a team player. I listened well and having run for school board, I really learned how to connect with people and listen to people and try to assess what their needs are. In 2011, because of my husband's job, we moved from Santa Clara, but I still made sure we came back for a visit every year because Santa Clara was home for us and it still is. So And the kids learned that three of my kids are in Santa Clara. They're living here. One of my kids bought a home in the Old Port, and the other two are working towards that. When we moved back, I was so excited that I could finally join the senior center. I was eligible to do that. I had seen it being built, and becoming part of the senior community was phenomenal. I joined the woodshop. I used the excellent gym. I enjoyed the various events organized at the senior center, like the health fair, the Medicare learning seminars. And I made good friends. And I really appreciated all the things that were being done for the seniors. And I want to pay back. This is my way of saying, I love what's being done, but we can do more. We can bring in younger people into to participate with the seniors and the seniors. It would be mutually beneficial relationship because seniors have a lot to offer. And I would like to join the group if given the opportunity to become the eyes and the ears on the ground. so I can help seniors bring in their input.

Thank you. Thank you so much for that. Thank you. Perfect timing. We are going to start with Council Member Cox for our first question.

Thank you, Adila. Can you please share your most memorable service experience in Santa Clara?

Hello, I think I lost you. I'm sorry.

Oh, no. I'll repeat it. Yes. Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you. Thank you. Can you please share your most memorable service experience in Santa Clara?

I think my most memorable one was running for the school board because I had about 54,000 constituents that I had to reach out to. And I walked and I walked and I talked. it really raised my awareness that there is such a diverse community in santa clara and everybody they they just wanna want someone to listen to them And that was a huge learning experience for me. There's so many things that I take for granted are not always there for others. So when I go in, I keep my mouth shut and I keep my ears open because I want to listen before I talk. And when I listen to people, I really learn a lot. And that was my, I think my biggest service experience to go out as a candidate and meet the people of Santa Clara.

Thank you. Vice Mayor Gonzales.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Thank you for applying, Adila. My question is, what is a challenge you face when working on a team project, and what did the group do to achieve your goal?

There was a project where we had two major issues. One was funding, as usual, and the other was the group was focused more on the process than the end goal. So it really took, we had to, I mean, my degree is in business management, so it really took, you know, a couple of us to really break down the project into bits, keep the team focused, and tell them, you know, we focused on the end goal and how to achieve that. And along the way, also find creative ways of funding the project, whether it was marketing it to outside sources or shifting the funds around within the organization. So that was one of the challenges. One was the funding and two, to keep the group focused on the and goal and not get caught up in the nitty-gritty of the process.

Thank you. Council Member Chauhal.

Thank you, Mayor. Thanks for applying, Adila. My question is please provide one or two strengths you would contribute to a work group.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity of applying for this for this job, I consider it a job and that's how I will do it. My strengths would be that I'm a team player and I'm an organizer. So when I go in, I don't impose my will or my point of view to anybody. It's like, okay, talk to me, tell me what needs to be done and let's come up with creative ways of solving whatever the issues are. So team player and organizer.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Hardy.

Yes, thank you. Please provide, sorry, what can you do to encourage more diversity for seniors and senior activities?

I'm a first-generation immigrant myself, so I see a lot of seniors who come from similar backgrounds and who, I mean, Santa Clara is a diverse place. coming when they see me and I go and talk to them and I made lots of friends in the senior center myself, it's like we have to come together as a group. No matter where we are from, right now Santa Clara is home and Santa Clara has so many various ways of helping the community. So maybe we can go to places where the seniors already go to, it could be churches, it could be other other centers like I know there's a beautiful Indian Community Center in Milpitas and then approach those the seniors over there and tell them the facilities those seniors might have closer to home where they might not have to go so far or they can be encouraged to come out of their church groups and come to the senior center.

Thank you.

Adila, so last question. What are one or two projects for older adults that you believe the Senior Advisory Commission should consider?

Like I said, I go to the senior center a lot and the things that I hear other people talking about is they really miss the trips to other places as a group. And we are really blessed that we have access to so many museums, open spaces. So this is like what I heard other seniors say, oh, we used to go to X, Y, and Z before COVID. Or we used to do such and such thing before COVID. So I would like us to start considering that, OK, we can encourage the seniors to get together and we can take them someplace that either you know special displays in museums or open space hikes or gentle hikes or whatever. And the second thing is, I think seniors have a lot to offer the younger people and a lot of people in Santa Clara, the younger families They don't have the grandparent support. So it would be a mutual benefit for the senior people to connect with the younger ones because then the younger ones can have a beautiful relationship with the older ones, like the foster grandparent kind of thing. And the older people can really connect with the younger ones. And seniors are smart. They know a lot.

Thank you, Dylan. So now it's time for your up to one minute closing statement.

I believe in giving back to the community and I mean, I'm a senior myself, so I would really know it would be an honor to be considered as one of the people who are the ears and the eyes on the ground so I can discuss things with the seniors, being a senior myself, and then just work with the seniors to raise and highlight the issues that they might face and then maybe offer some creative solutions which they might be too close to the issue or they might be too inhibited to consider. So I would really, I thank you. If you would consider me for this opportunity, I would really, I would do my best to do a very good job.

Thank you, Adila, and thank you for taking the time to apply as well, and for your time this evening. As I said earlier, we'll be making a decision right after the next few interviews, so hang tight. Thank you. Thank you. All right, our next applicant is here in person, I believe. Michelle Schmitz, if you'd like to come forward, please. And welcome. You've heard the other two, so you know the drill now. Up to 30 minutes opening, and then we have questions for you.

Good evening, mayor and council members. I'm honored to be considered for the Senior Advisory Commission. I'm a lifelong Santa Clara resident, and one of the reasons this opportunity is meaningful to me is that I've experienced this city through many stages of life. I grew up participating in Santa Clara programs, raised my family here, worked for Santa Clara Unified School District, volunteered in the community, and continue to use and appreciate city programs and facilities today. I also understand the needs of older adults and their families in a very personal way as part of the sandwich generation, caring for our aging family members. Professionally, my work has centered on service, communication, organization, and helping people navigate systems. In my administrative and educational roles, I've supported students, families, staffs, and leaders with care and professionalism. I've also worked with boards, public meetings, logistics, records, programs, and community stakeholders, which has taught me the importance of listening carefully, preparing well, and helping groups move towards practical solutions. So what draws me to the Senior Advisory Commission is the chance to give back to the city, the city that has given me so much. Santa Clara's current civic message, where the mission meets the moment, really resonates with me. For this commission, I see that mission in a very human way, helping older adults feel not only served, but seen, welcomed, valued, and connected. Santa Clara is beautifully diverse and our senior community reflects many cultures, life experiences, languages, and pathways to this city. Some residents have been here for generations and others may have arrived more recently. I believe that everyone should feel that they belong. If appointed, I would bring a connector's mindset. I would listen carefully, ask whose voice we may not yet be hearing, support outreach that makes services easier to understand and access, and look for ways to strengthen intergenerational connection. I'm especially interested in helping seniors stay active and informed and engaged through better awareness of our existing services. I would be grateful for the opportunity to serve Santa Clara's older adults and contribute to a commission that supports health, connection, recreation, transportation, housing, and quality of life for residences age 50 and older. Thanks for your consideration.

Thank you, Michelle. For that, we'll have our first question. Council Member Park.

Thank you very much for applying, and I really liked your intro. Please share your most memorable service experience in Santa Clara.

Oh yeah, one of my most memorable service experiences was volunteering every year for the Showtime shows and that was the Showtime benefiting the senior services. I was involved for many years pulling the curtain or running the lights and what stayed with me was the way those productions brought people together of different ages, backgrounds, and roles in the community around a shared purpose. And recently, last week, I recognized someone from the melodramas. It was the villain. And I was at the senior center in the pool, and so was he. And we had a wonderful laugh remembering that time. And it reminded me that service is not only about the event itself. It also is about connections that continue for years afterwards. That experience reflects what I value, community, memory, belonging, and intergenerational connection. Thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Jane.

Thank you for applying, Michelle. What is a challenge you faced when working on a team project? And what did the group do to achieve your goal?

Well, my experience working with the California Schools Association chapter for Santa Clara Unified, we were trying to bring in a new provider, a new vendor, and it was a little difficult to get the school district's agreement on it. And we collaborated and it was a challenge and we had many people agree on the goal but not agree immediately on the path to get there. And so I've learned that slowing down, getting specific, bringing the right voices into the conversation, and returning to the mission of the group. And what helped the team move forward on that was communication, education, and refinement. We listened, we clarified the concern, brought in additional information, and adjusted our approach. while keeping the larger goal in mind. And that experience taught me that progress often comes from persistence, respectful dialogue, and a willingness to reevaluate without losing sight of the purpose. I think that matters on a commission because advisory work requires collaboration. You may not always start with the same perspective, but if you listen carefully and stay focused on the people you serve, the group can reach better recommendations. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Cox.

Thank you, Michelle. Can you please provide one or two strengths you would contribute to a working group?

A strength I would bring is the ability to help people feel heard. In my professional roles, I've supported administrators, staff, students, families, and community members, often in fast-paced situations where clear communication and calm follow-through matter. I'm comfortable helping organize information, track details, and create conditions where people can work together effectively. A second strength is perspective. I've seen Santa Clara as a child growing up here, as a parent, as a public school employee, as a volunteer, as someone working in education, and now as a caregiver for older family members. That allows me to think about both the practical side of services and the human side. of what older adults and families experience. I'm very good at listening for what matters, noticing what may be missing, and helping move things forward.

Thank you. Vice Mayor Gonzales.

Thank you, and thank you, Michelle, for applying. What can you do to encourage more diversity for seniors and senior activities?

Yeah, I would start by listening and by asking who is not yet represented or reached. Santa Clara's senior community includes people from many cultures, languages, neighborhoods, and life experiences. So diversity should be reflected not only in programming, but also in outreach, storytelling, and welcoming. One idea I would support is creating more opportunities for seniors to share their stories, how they came to Santa Clara, what traditions matter to them, and what they want younger generations to understand. That could happen through deeper partnerships with the library, schools, community groups, or intergenerational programs where older adults and young people learn from one another. I also think we need to make participation feel welcoming for both longtime residents and newer residents. My view is that Santa Clara is not a place where belonging should depend on how long you've lived here. Whether someone was born here or arrived recently, they should feel invited into the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Chau.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Michelle. Thanks for applying. My question is, what are one or two projects for older adults that you believe the Senior Advisory Commission should consider?

I'd be interested in exploring our senior welcoming project, expanding that into an ambassador program. The idea would be to have trained senior ambassadors help welcome residents not only to the senior center, but to community events, library programs, or other city activities. Ambassadors could help people feel less intimidated about attending something new, answer their basic questions, and create a warmer first point of connection. I especially like the possibility of pairing senior ambassadors with high school or college volunteers for intergenerational connection. That would allow younger residents to learn from older adults while also supporting seniors who may feel isolated or unsure how to access programs. A second project could be a Santa Clara Senior Stories campaign, shared in multiple forms, including social media, displays, murals, banners, short profiles, and community events. It would celebrate the lives, culture, and contributions of older adults in the city. This could be a natural way to bring the idea of where the mission meets the moment into everyday community life, honoring Santa Clara's history and the people who shaped it while inviting seniors and younger generations to connect in the present. The project could also pair personal stories with practical information about programs, transportation, recreation, wellness, and ways to get involved.

Thank you. Thank you. So now is the time if you would like to give us your closing statement up to a minute.

Thank you again for the opportunity to speak with you this evening. I would be honored to serve on the Senior Advisory Commission Because this work feels both personal and civic to me, I've benefited from Santa Clara's programs throughout my life, and I've seen how meaningful connection, access, and belonging can be for the residents of every age. As Santa Clara is stepping in this exciting moment as a city, congratulations, everyone. You welcome the King of Jordan, oh my gosh. I would be grateful to help ensure that our older adults are part of that story too, seen, welcomed, and valued. I would bring practical experience, strong communication skills, and a lifelong commitment to service. Most importantly, I would bring a listening heart and a desire to help older adults feel connected in the city we share.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Michelle. Thank you for applying as well. If you hang tight, we're going to be making a decision very quickly. Thank you.

Madam Mayor, I'd like to note for the record that the next applicant has withdrawn. We were just informed, so we will move.

Say that again. I can't understand.

The next applicant, his name is Kiran Kumar Shindy, has withdrawn from the process. We were just informed a few minutes ago.

Okay.

So you will proceed with Kumar, and he's online.

Online. Okay. Kumar, are you with us online? Kumar? Oh, he's moved over, okay.

There he is. Hello. Hello, Kumar. Can you hear me? Welcome.

Welcome. When you're ready, you can start with your opening statement.

Okay. Yeah. Good evening, Commissars, and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Kumar Viswanathan, and I've been proud to call Santa Clara my home for many years. Professionally, I've spent my time for more than 25 years across various global organizations, building business transformation and leading large technology initiatives. But beyond my career, what I've always prided about is the fact that the greatest impact we can have is in terms of serving the communities that we are part of. I've been part of the Silicon Valley leadership group wherein I provided strong voice on technology and business topics that impact California and local community. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with people from different cultures, different backgrounds, across generations. These experiences have taught me that the strongest communities are built when there's a sense of connectedness, a feeling of being respected, and a sense of inclusion. These are values I hope to bring with me if I'm given the opportunity to serve Santa Clara. you know, what excites me most about serving this commission is the opportunity to contribute, you know, at the local level where decisions matter and, you know, which creates a lasting impact on the lives of, you know, every Santa Clara, you know, resident. you know, whether discussing about the senior population or taking care of the rich cultural, you know, diversity of a city or preserving the historical and, you know, backgrounds which define Santa Clara, you know, I think that's very important in terms of identifying that there's a common thread which, you know, runs across these things. This is in terms of, you know, the ability to strengthen the community, a sense of oneness as well as, you know, improving the quality of life. if selected you know the three qualities which i would expose are you know one is you know a sense of collaboration you know it's you know when i say collaboration basically starts with active listening and then you know hearing different voices and then encouraging those viewpoints the different different perspectives and being then you know ability to build consensus from thereafter Second is, you know, the strategic thinking, you know, focus on long-term measures, sustainable measures, which will drive value. Those are very important, you know, in terms of ensuring that whatever we do benefits the broader community from a, you know, a long-term perspective. That's something which is something which I value about. And finally, you know, a passion to community service. very important because communities exist because they represent the core interest of the residents. And I would like to approach this with all humility and responsibility. Basically, I see this as a sense of learning and then giving back. So this is what I look forward to as I proceed in this journey. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Now we have a list of questions for you, Kumar. We're gonna start with Council Member Hardy.

Yes, thank you. Please share your most memorable service experience in Santa Clara.

Yeah, see, my most memorable service experience has been volunteering with the local community as part of a large apartment complex and seeing firsthand how meaningful small acts of services can be. For example, one that stands out in community outreach events where I had the opportunity to spend time with older adults, listen to their stories, their challenges, face-to-face, primarily some of those related to the social isolations, access to services, or simply wanting more opportunities to stay connected. I think what stuck me most was that what they weren't asking were nothing out of the ordinary. They wanted opportunities to remain active, to contribute, to have a sense of feeling valued within the community. I think these, you know, experiences reinforce my belief that a strong city is built by ensuring every generation feels included. Because let's not forget the fact that today, you know, with the ravages of time, what we see as older generations, it's not going to be much far away when, you know, each one of us are going to step into that phase. So I think that sort of humility will serve us well as we pursue this in terms of understanding the challenges and being there face to face and being able to support and address those in a very small and meaningful way.

Thank you, Kumar. What is the challenge you faced when working on a team project and what did the group do to achieve your goal?

See, I think that the challenge we face when you work as part of a large, you know, transformation initiative, you know, it's what I have been part of global initiatives, is that multiple teams work with different priorities, their timelines and their perspectives. So they come with their, you know, cultural backgrounds, you know, they come with various, you know, experiences and they have their own perspectives. So initially the challenge I faced was progress was slow because everyone was focused on achieving his or her individual goal rather than contributing to the overall outcome. So what we did quickly was pulling all the key stakeholders together, You know, openly discussing concerns and agreeing on, you know, a common shared vision, which we'd all work towards to, as well as having, you know, measurable goals, which each of us could track and ensure, you know, it's consistently measured and, you know, it's adhered to. So we established regular communications, clearly defined responsibilities, and encouraged collaborative problem-solving abilities, you know, instead of getting into the blame game. I think what is important is, you know, getting into the solution mode rather than, you know, understanding the blame, you know, trying to assign the blame. That's where I see the difference. The project, you know, was ultimately delivered successfully because we built a very, you know, a trusted relationship based on transparency and kept everyone aligned around it. a common purpose a single goal that experience taught me that successful teamwork isn't about you know having everyone agree immediately it's about listening you know getting those various inputs aligning different perspective to a shared common vision which you could all adhere to and then once we have that goal Working towards that in terms of you know measurable aspects and then ensuring that you know sure That once we reach the goal that there is you know something for all of us in this journey So the the journey is also important as well as releasing the shared goal.

Thank you Thank You councilmember Park.

Yes. Thank you very much Kumar. Thank you very for applying What are some strengths that you would bring to a team? I?

See, two areas I would like to call upon. One is the collaborative leadership and the other one is strategic problem solving. Throughout my career, I've worked with diverse teams, different global teams, bringing together people with different cultural backgrounds, educational backgrounds. different you know age groups you know working across them to solve you know some some complex problems now basically what has served me well is you know listening you know first listening understand different viewpoints perspectives and then you know bubbling them up so that you know you are helping the groups to reach a kind of a practical decision you know this is very important because what I've seen is foisting your thought or your vision is not going to be helpful. It is going to be counterintuitive. So basically ensuring that each of us align, once we listen to different thoughts and perspectives, align and then bring to work towards a shared mission is very important. So I think being that sort of catalyst which will shape the journey is what I believed in. And that's where the collaborative leadership side helps. You know, the second thing is turning ideas into action. You know, I value innovation a lot. And I also value, you know, moving from the thought process into implementation is very important. You know, it's very important to have the innovation thinking, but follow it up with action. so i like establishing clear priorities you know i'm very outcome focused you know once we align on a particular goal then putting the benchmarks the the the matrices to track them achieving them identifying you know achievable targets measuring progress you know, when working on community initiatives, you know, where, you know, it's not governed by an organizational constant and thought, where, you know, it is more through consensus and trust and transparency and relationship building. I think that it is all the more important that we build this ecosystem of, you know, respectfulness, connectedness, inclusivity, transparency, so that everybody sees that we are working to a shared vision. And, you know, if we do that with a sense of responsibility and humility, I think, you

People will you know will follow that journey and you know will work towards a shared goal Thank You councilmember Jane Thank You Kumar for applying I really appreciate it what can you do to encourage more diversity for seniors and senior activities

Yeah. So Santa Clara is essentially very, you know, a diverse place. And our seniors, you know, program should also reflect that diversity. I think, you know, there's no two ways about that. I think what we can do is actively engaging with different cultural organizations, you know, neighborhood groups, you know, faith communities to better understand what activities are meaningful to different populations is very important. Again, you know, instead of doing top-down, you know, rather than expecting everyone to come to us, I think it makes sense if, you know, we go and meet people, understand, you know, meet people where they are, understand what is it that could, you know, make a sense of difference to them. That's something is what I would encourage. I would also encourage more, you know, intergenerational programs like bringing together seniors, students, young professionals, you know. I think this will reduce the social isolation. We're also allowing, you know, younger generation to learn from you know from the seniors there's a rich experience which is waiting to be tapped that's something we can do and then you know improving awareness uh you know some seniors don't know you know what resources are available expanding outreach through community organizations library you know, healthcare providers, multilingual communication, and then, you know, this is, you know, the bedrock of technology. So, you know, ensuring that you're creating those digital capabilities and creating awareness of those capabilities, like in terms of, you know, healthcare providers, you know, services, you know, financial management, you know, safety, security, all those things, you can, you know, today it is available through your smartphone at the click of a button. you know, creating the sort of awareness and spreading that awareness, you know, through the senior community will be very helpful. I think that would be very valuable.

Thank you, Council Member Cox.

Thank you. What are one or two projects for older adults that you believe the Senior Advisory Commission should consider?

So just taking on from the last point, I would expand on that. First, I would like to see a kind of a digital conference for senior initiatives wherein technology is being leveraged, primarily showcasing all through the smartphone, all these capabilities exist. Many know, some do not. So I think we should make them more aware in terms of the health care, accessing health care features, banking. transportation, staying connected with families and other friends and relatives, and then offering ongoing workshops on smartphones, online safety, telehealth, artificial intelligence could help many seniors remain independent and confident. That was the first point. The second point is, you know, one is the digital persona I talked about. Second is coming to the physical and the social persona. I would encourage expanding programs that address social connections and wellness. You know, this could include, you know, neighborhood groups, community events. volunteer mentoring opportunities, lifelong learning classes, intergenerational activities with local schools and the Santa Clara University. I think many seniors have tremendous experience and knowledge that would benefit the entire community. The key is not to create this isolated group of seniors, but, you know, bring them all together, you know, the students, the professionals, you know, see how we can, you know, learn from each other, mix and match and, you know, do that. Second is, you know, in terms of taking use of the local schools, the university, Santa Clara University, and see how these could be brought into the mix. I think all these things will go a long way in addressing some of these things.

Thank you. Kumar, you have now up to one minute to make a closing statement.

Yeah, so, you know, once again, let me reiterate, you know, to thank you all for your time and the thoughtful questions, you know, today evening. I think we are very fortunate to have dedicated set of volunteers, you know, city staff and, you know, public who invest their time to strengthen Santa Clara and make the city a truly beautiful place. You know, I'd be really honored to contribute alongside if given the opportunity. You know, if selected, I'll bring along a very collaborative mindset, which I talked about. thoughtful decision making, respect for, you know, very diverse perspectives, and a genuine commitment to serving our community. I believe effective communities, you know, basically are fostered through listening, active listening, open-mindedness, and always focus on what's best for the residents of Santa Clara. And whether supporting our seniors, celebrating our cultural diversity, or preserving our city's rich heritage would be the same to make Santa Clara a very stronger, connected, and welcoming community for this and the future generations. Thank you.

Thank you so much, and thank you for applying. And that's the end of our interview period for the Senior Advisory Commission. So we have... Two positions. One is a partial ending June 28, but then would be eligible for two full positions. So that's the longer position. And then one full position ending 6-30, which would be also, that's June of 2030, also would be eligible for another four years as well. So we are going to be selecting two members. Is that correct, City Clerk? Each council member would select two members.

If the council desires, you may select your top two. And we can take it from there.

Of course. So it would make sense to do that. And then we'll see. Oh, we'll also be putting possibly maybe the third person on the eligibility list for the next six months. And that means that if any member of the senior commission would leave or resign for whatever reason, there's a position that becomes vacant. Within the next six months. That member would automatically, without having to re-interview. Is that correct, City Clerk?

If you establish it with one person and in your motion you say you appoint that person should a vacancy occur within six months, then it would be an automatic appointment. Of course, we would check to see at that time if that person is still interested.

And if they're interested.

Correct. If you were to establish an eligibility list with two, then we would bring those two back for an interview. That's just the two options you have.

Okay, thank you. So Council Member Hardy?

Yes, I had a quick question because it just depends on what order we take these in. We have one applicant who has applied both to the Senior, the Cultural, and the Historic and Landmarks Commission. And we have two openings on the HLC only two applicants so I'm I guess I'm I want to make certain I understand if this person who applied for three was appointed to one it would take them off all of the other listing correct correct I mean we

The practice has been be appointed to one. Should you appoint this person to the senior advisory and we only had the one applicant for HLC where we require two appointments, you may direct me to just open another recruitment. Thank you.

Okay. All right. So how do we do this, City Clerk?

You will cast your votes. I will go down the line and you'll give me your two top.

Okay? All right. Are we ready for that, Council? Anybody not ready?

Okay. I'll start with Vice Mayor Gonzales on this round.

Michelle Schmidt and then Adila Sadat.

Thank you. Council Member Chauhan.

Adila Sadat and Michelle Schmidt.

Councilmember Park. Oh, sorry. Councilmember Hardy. Adela and Michelle. And Councilmember Park.

Going to be Adela Sadat and Michelle Schmitz.

Councilmember Jane.

Claire and Michelle.

And Councilmember Cox. Michelle Schmitz and Adela Sadat.

Okay, so it looks like.

Do I get to vote? Oh, I'm sorry.

I was wondering, I'm like, wait a second.

Mayor Gilmore. Michelle and Claire. I could say there was one that had all seven. Yes.

So Michelle received seven votes. So she is the highest vote getter. And then Adela received five votes. So she will be the second. And then Claire received two votes.

So may I have a motion for Michelle Schmidt for the partial term, which would be the longest term. It sounds like the shortest term, but it's the longest term. Ending 628. for Adila Sadat, the full term ending 6-30, and Claire Fidel for the eligibility list.

So moved.

Second. So we have a motion by Vice Mayor Gonzalez, second by Council Member Hardy.

I'll just finish typing this in. So the motion on the floor is to appoint Michelle Schmidt to fill the partial term ending June 30th, 2028 and Adila Saadat to fill the full term ending June 30th, 2030 and establish an eligibility list for six months should a vacancy occur with Claire Fideli.

Yeah, since the candidates have withdrawn from the Civil Service Commission We're skipping that as the assistant city clerk mentioned I will make a motion that we recommend that is opened up again. Do we do that now?

We're not there yet Let me finish this.

Oh, I'm so sorry. Okay. Gotcha.

And then I was gonna mention mayor When the vote goes up you do have folks in the audience that are here if you want to ask for public comment

I never asked for public comment on this.

This is a public meeting and we don't normally have.

For the first time ever, I'm now going to ask for public comment. Does anybody have a comment that would like to make on this item? Anyone online, a comment?

No.

Okay. There's a first for everything. Okay. Please register your vote. And that passes unanimously. So thank you everyone for applying and congratulations to those appointed. And the city clerk will be sending, can you say what they do next?

Yes, so next steps is my staff will reach out to those that have been appointed to come into the office and have oath of office administered and a little orientation before their first meeting.

Thank you and congratulations. Okay. All right. Moving on. Council Member Cox now. So anxious to move on.

Yeah. I'd like to make a motion to reopen the application pool for the Civil Service Commission in light of both applicants withdrawing, please.

Motion second to reopen. Is there any public comment on that? see if anyone's online no okay please register your vote and that passes unanimously thank you thank you all right next Next, we have action to conduct applicant interviews and appoint one applicant to the Cultural Commission to serve one full term ending June 30, 2030. And I see that we have four applicants. City Clerk, are they all in process? I mean, no one has pulled out, correct?

As far as I know.

As far as we know starting right now.

So I'd like to just note for the record for the Cultural Commission you are interviewing to select one applicant to serve a full term ending June 30, 2030. Okay. The first applicant, Sandeep Bhattacharya, was online. I don't ‑‑ he's now not there. I'll have staff reach out. Perhaps Let's see, our next candidate's not here yet.

Oh, yes, she is.

Anna is here, so we can move forward with her. And then we'll let you know what happens with Sandeep.

Welcome.

Is this on?

Hello? Yes, it's on. So we're ready for your opening statement.

All right.

And then we'll have questions for you.

Excellent. Well, good evening everyone. I'm Ana Vargas Smith. I'm honored to be considered for a possible cultural commission position. You know, growing up in Santa Clara, It's pretty much the most diverse place I've ever grown up in, and being Portuguese, I think that was most of my neighbors. They were either Asian, Italian, there was just so much multiculturalism going on. I know the mayor can vouch for that, and some of you who've been here a long time. One of the things that really attracted me to this position is a sense of helping others feel like they belong here in Santa Clara as well. And that was the sensation I had growing up in Santa Clara. It's like, despite being ethnically Portuguese, I always felt like I was one of many, like a mosaic in Santa Clara. So I didn't feel very different. I just felt like part of the fabric of the community. So I think that's what the Cultural Commission does for Santa Clara, is to make everyone feel like they have a place here. And this is a great place to live. One of the, sorry, I had to run to get here. So beyond my own background, I think just having such diversity around me all the time made me feel like that was my norm. That's just what Santa Clara is. Having moved away from California for a short stint, I realized that's not quite the norm. So we are very fortunate living here in this area. The connection that we have through the Cultural Commission is events. We bring the music, we bring the arts, we bring the multiculturalism, everything that our residents crave, and we bring it into a public space so that they can all enjoy what Santa Clara is all about. It's sort of like demonstrating our DNA in real time. We've been very successful at doing that. We've had nonprofits that are almost a century old, over 50 years, such as the Santa Clara Sister Cities, such as Santa Clara Parade of Champions, many nonprofits that are historic home tour that are focused on keeping us connected and reminding us of who we are at Santa Clarence. I feel that as a cultural commission, I will bring a lot of that connection from different diverse groups into the mix and support the mission of the cultural commission, which is to make sure we maintain that status quo of the diversity that we love so much about Santa Clara. Also being a history geek. I think I connect the dots as far as what Santa Clara has been to presently what it is today and And it has been the entire time very culturally diverse So I think that I bring that to the table also if you choose me as Commissioner We have a tremendous legacy in our city with having these wonderful commissions and people being able to participate So I would like to support that legacy going forward. So I hope that you consider me for this position. I

Questions? Thank you, Anna. So we're going to start with Vice Mayor Gonzales.

Thank you for applying. And the first question is, what is your favorite activity sponsored by the Cultural Commission? And why is it your favorite?

Well, there's so many that are great, but I do like the street dance in downtown. I feel like it's our oldest place in Santa Clara. It's where everything started. It's where our oldest festivals have occurred. The Cherry Festival, you name it, that's where people gathered. And I think that having the street dance every year reminds us that that's where it all started. So keeping that legacy alive about our downtown and revitalizing it, it also helps our merchants. They love it. It really is something that they they want more of and I think keeping this street dance alive is is doing that It's very similar to what the night markets are doing Thank You councilmember Chihal Thank you for playing Anna Many cities have walking tools for tourists.

Do you have thoughts about adding some for Santa Clara? I

Yes. I think it's a genius idea, actually. I think our historic home tour is fantastic. And we do a great job of doing that for over 40 years. But there's opportunity, because we're such a diverse culture and history in the city. I've had people ask, why don't you do something about Silicon Valley? Why don't you do something about the different diversity here in the city? Are there iconic figures that we should know about on these walking tours? Many of the conferences I attended as a HLC member talked about this because it's really an economic boon for the city to have such tours. But I think there's a missed opportunity not to expand on that and also to bring technology into it. One of the things that was a real hot item for many of these communities that are doing these successful heritage tours is adding a QR code to the sites and even adding an AI voice to the QR code. So if you have a disability and you can't read or it's a different language, you have an opportunity to learn about Santa Clara. So I think a walking tour or some kind of heritage tourism is genius.

Thank you.

Yes. What are your thoughts about the state of public art in Santa Clara?

Well, I think we do need more of it. I think we're on the right track because we're thinking about it. I know with the Economic and Development Marketing Committee that we had, that was a hot topic. You know, how do we tell our story in art? in public spaces so that it raises curiosity about what is Santa Clara all about, or even adding a QR code with a story attached to the art so that these places will be landmarked. And long after we're gone from planet Earth, they should still be there. and to continue to tell our story. So I think public art is a tremendous investment in keeping our history alive, keeping our DNA going, and just really making sure Santa Clara is not forgotten. I think it's poised for greatness, but we need to tell our story a little better, and I think art is one way to do it.

Thank you. Other cities have celebrations like Diwali, cherry blossom, Chinese New Year. What are your thoughts about what Santa Clara is doing in this regard? This is kind of an old question, but what are your thoughts about that?

I think we are winning this year. I think the Lunar New Year was spectacular. Even our Parade of Champions is a kickoff at the end of the year to just light that fire, catalyze it, was a great idea with the Sports Zone. We have so many cultural diversity here, and I think those people, our people, want to showcase it more, want to celebrate with everyone who doesn't know about it, you know, welcome them into the event and making it an all-inclusive event. And I think we saw that with the Lunar New Year. I think we saw it with the night markets were fantastic. And I think that's just something we're all craving in this community to show off our diversity and how cool Santa Clara is. And, you know, this is the place to live and live well. Thank you. Council Member Park.

Thank you very much Ana for applying. I see you everywhere. What other community events would you like to see in Santa Clara? Or do you think that Santa Clara has enough community events?

I think the night markets, if we make that a regular thing, and it can be, each one can be multicultural. It could have a theme attached to the night market. It just doesn't have to be called night market. But based on the feedback that I've gotten, and I've attended all of them, and also being on the Economic and Development Marketing Committee, I mean, that's all we're talking about is how this is going to catalyze the nightlife and visitors to Santa Clara. But yeah, adding a different theme to the night markets every month would be very inclusive to everyone's here. I'm sure they all lined up to showcase what their culture is celebrating that particular month. It's a great idea.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Anna. So now we're ready for your up to one minute closing statement.

Thank you for this great opportunity. As I mentioned, I'm very proud of Santa Clara. I did move away at one point, but I did come back. I did miss everyone who knows everyone here, that kind of small town vibe and the diversity. I'm very enthusiastic of what we're doing in Santa Clara right now, and I think we have tremendous opportunity, especially after the World Cup. People have seen Santa Clara. They're liking Santa Clara. They're even liking America. USA and so I think we can really capitalize on being Silicon Valley and people want to know more about us and this is this is our opportunity to shine and I want to be very supportive of that and really get our brand out there and let people know that we're not that place that has a stadium you know that we're Santa Clara and this is a place you want to visit. We have so many great assets here. We've got the oldest university in California. I mean, there is so much that's not discussed that we have, and I think the Cultural Commission can do a great job of getting it out there, and I want to help.

Thank you, Anna. Thank you for applying. All right, next we have Kumar. Is Kumar online?

Yes, he is, and I'd like to update the council that Sandeep has withdrawn from the process.

Okay, we have Sandeep. Kumar, are you online?

Yeah, I'm there.

Okay, when you're ready, if you'd like to give us your opening statement for the Cultural Commission.

Yeah, sure. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Go ahead, please. Yeah, so, you know, Like I said earlier, I wanted to thank you for this opportunity to come and speak with you all today. Kumar Viswanathan being part of this lovely city for many years. I talked about the fact that I've got nearly 30 years of professional experience working with global organizations in terms of driving technology and business transformation. And I believe I could bring some of those experiences to bear here. And my, you know, as part of the committee event, I would also like to recall the work which I did with the Silicon Valley leadership group in providing a strong voice on business topics that would impact the local community and, you know, broader California. So I also talked about the fact that, you know, I've had the privilege of working with people from, you know, different cultures, heritages, you know, different backgrounds, you know, I think those have all enriched me, you know, those experiences have taught me, you know, the fact that how to build strong communities, you know, to create the sense of connectedness, you know, sense of respect and inclusivity, those are values that Cherish and I wish to bring to the, you know, to Santa Clara, you know, as part of this commission. uh you know what excites me about serving on the commission is the you know to contribute at the local level uh you know where we can create a direct and lasting impact on everyday lives of you know ordinary citizens or ordinary people you know of the city uh you know i would like to also talk about some key facets which which i you know thrive on one is the collaboration active listening and you know working you know with the broader groups to to achieve you know common mission shared objective that's something which is you know very close to my heart second is you know that the ability to you know to bring in strategic thinking and problem solving You know, always ask the question, am I part of the solution or am I part of the problem? Very important to be part of the solution and come up with long-term solutions which impact, you know, which go beyond the current needs and, you know, kind of leaves a lasting impression on the society. That's something that you'd like to talk about. And finally, you know, the passion to commitment and commitment to public service. Very important ability to give back, you know, because we have all, you know, uh got a lot from the community of which we are a part of and in in in a small way in our own humble way how best we can give back to the society is very important and this you know through these opportunities like the council commission you know strengthening the bonds between the society and the community is going to be very important and it pride myself on this so you know i i think you know this is what i would like to bring to bear and i think that you know these are the values which i would like to expose you know given an opportunity thank you

Thank you. So we're going to start our questioning with Council Member Jane.

Thank you, Kumar. What is your favorite activity sponsored by the Cultural Commission and why is it your favorite?

sure so i think that the the one which i would call the most you know is which resonates most with me is the concerts in the park you know like music events summer evenings you know things which i think you know families come together families with their parents kids you know sit together listen music and even provides a vibrant atmosphere it brings in a sense of community a sense of connectedness it brings together local artists musicians you know It creates a welcoming community event. I think this is something which I valued a lot. It's more than just a festival. It creates opportunities for local artists to showcase their talent, supports community organizations. and give residents from different backgrounds a taste of the local flavor and a chance to connect with each other. Primarily, it shows Santa Clara's diversity in full flow while creating a sense of community pride. So as someone who values lifelong learning and community engagement, I enjoy events, you know, that encourage people to experience, to live and experience different culture because I believe, you know, we have a lot to learn from each other and we are better off, you know, in terms of this plurality of ideas and diversity. It also enables discovering local talent, spending time together. You know, I think this is a classic case of how you can, you know, arts and culture can strengthen our community and our society.

Thank you. Council Member Cox.

Thank you. Many cities have walking tours for tourists. Do you have thoughts about adding some for Santa Clara?

yeah yeah i definitely believe walking tours would be an excellent you know addition to santa clara because uh there are aspects which can focus on one is on the historical the historical aspects of the city the fact that it was set up you know by the spanish for you know friars in 1777 the eighth of the trinidad you know missions which are set up we can talk about that you know the uh you know a walking tour could highlight the santa clara's mission you know that that's something which is there the second thing is you know you could talk you could provide a walk to tour about the historic neighbor neighborhoods the public arts the universities you know and also the city's role you know in evolution of the silicon valley there is no part of the world which does not you know connect with the silicon valley the power of technology, the power of AI, and all the good things which have emanated in the technology sphere, this city has cradled it. It's been the birthplace of most of these innovative technology events. So I think the key is marrying the old with the new, the historical aspects, the innovation, providing this sort of overarching view for people through working tools would be very welcome. That's something. Secondly, I think we could induce technology to enhance experience through mobile apps, QR codes, with historical photos, audio narrations. When you go through a place, you just click that code and then you'll get the audio narration. You get, you know, a narration based on the, you know, the languages that people are, you know, so that you can, you know, better understand the people, the culture, you know, and what shape of communities. That's something which is very important, you know. This will make the tools accessible to residents, to students, to visitors, all alike, you know. So I think there's a lot to offer. And then, you know, walking tours are predominantly low cost, you know, provides long term educational value, provides tourism benefits while encouraging people to explore and, you know, appreciate the richness and the cultural diversity of, you know, Santa Clara in many ways. So the key essence is straddling the old with the new, the historical aspects, the newer, you know, the birthplace of the new aspects of technology, so on and so forth. And, you know, leveraging technology to provide this a very, you know, enhancing experience.

Thank you. Vice Mayor Gonzales. It's question number three.

Yeah. What are your thoughts about the state of public art in Santa Clara?

See, Santa Clara has made very good progress in terms of public art, but as always, there's an opportunity to make it much more visible and integrated into everyday community life. So one is the aspect of beautifying public places, but also I think more importantly in terms of telling the story of a city's rich and cultural history, its diversity, innovation, and the values. I think to kind of bring this all together would be extremely powerful. I'd also like to see more, you know, rotating exhibits, sculptures, murals, and, you know, interactive installation parks. This is the era of, you know, the new tech where you could make interactive installations in parks, libraries, transit areas, commercial districts, etc. So one, it imbues the viewer with a sense of history, with a sense of, you know, what is happening, the richness of the city, and also serves, you know, commercial purposes. These are things which can do that. And I think partnering with local artists, with schools, with universities, Santa Clara University, community organization could kind of, you know, increase a larger participation and help, you know, emerging artists contribute to the city's cultural identity. I think it's a win-win for us. You know, I think public art creates places where people gather, learn, feel connected. So we are investing in something which benefits both the residents and their visitors. It's a win-win. And I think we should stay engaged in this.

Thank you. Council Member Chauhal.

Thank you, Mayor. My question is, other cities celebrate Diwali, cherry blossom, Chinese New Year, and Santa Clara does some of these. So what are your thoughts about Santa Clara doing something like this and what do you think we should be doing?

So first, it's a stated fact that Santa Claus is one of the most diverse communities in California. And I think our cultural programs reflect that legacy. However, as always, is there something more we can do? Yeah. I think we are already doing a lot in terms of multicultural events and I think there are opportunities to expand partnerships with local cultural organizations, schools, faith communities and businesses to celebrate traditions like Lunar New Year, cherry blossom festivals or Diwali or say maybe do something more like this. There are things that are already happening. There are things which are being done in some small way. There are things which we can embark in terms of newer areas. Highlighting some of the things which you do, the Juneteenth or the Hispanic Heritage Month, expanding upon those. I think what this does is it feels everyone feels valued, connected, respected. It gives a sense of community, a sense of connectedness. Very important to do that in a very polarizing era. you know, these events will kind of bring this, you know, sense of shared value, shared beliefs, you know, that's something that you want to do. And they are valuable because they encourage cultural understanding, respect for each other's cultures, beliefs, practices, heritages, you know, and allow residents to experience traditions that may not otherwise encounter. You know, that's something that's very important because now it is part of the local community and you have the ability to live and experience those, you know. and then it also like you said sense of feeling getting making everybody feel welcome part of the society connected you know i think so continue to build upon what we already have and expand and do more something more so that you know we are drawing everybody into this uh you know uh this mix so that there is a sense of a strong sense of community a sense of oneness a respect and awareness of each other's cultural values beliefs and you know traditions that's something i you know i would always switch for

Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Hardy.

Thank you. Santa Clara loves to gather. Do you think we have enough community events or give an example of another community event you would like to see?

Yeah, I think, you know, we are already doing a lot of things. I talked about, you know, the concert in the park, you know, things like that. You know, there's always room to create additional opportunities, you know, that increase participation across all age groups and neighborhoods. One idea which I had was about the, you know, the... as part of the Santa Clara culture, we could focus something to do with the local artists, student performance, food, music, film storytelling, and also the technology aspect. This is something which is part of the Gen Z. It resonates well with them. So I always... believe in in marrying the old with the new so get the historical aspects show that you know show them a what is the journey of the city from 1777 you know the census was established as a mission what about you know the journey the evolution talk about the history the history the rich cultural heritage and all this. And then also we win the newer aspects, you know, like see any Yankee who comes in, he wants to see what does he or she want to do. Apart from the usual, you know, places they want to see, I want to go and visit the Apple office. You know, I want to see the Google. I want to see Meta. You know, so those are things which are there. So as part of the cultural week, you know, do some of the things which you normally do, you know, activities featuring local artists, performance and all, and, you know, create storytelling about the historical aspects, as well as the new innovative things which you are known for, which resonates very well with the Gen Z crowd, you know? So I think this would, you know, involve, we could involve libraries, parks, community centers, schools, businesses, you know, over several days. This would create awareness, this would create a sense of respect and pride both for the resident and for the visitor. It also creates cultural opportunities. So I believe, you know, more intergenerational events where seniors, families, young people participate through art, music, history and volunteer activities are welcome. You know, I think this will strengthen community bonds, celebrate the rich diversity, you know, and ultimately Successful community events aren't just about the number of people, the football. It is also about the sense of connectedness and the camaraderie and the community shape which one feels. I think this is going to play a big role if we try to do all these things. Thank you.

Thank you, Kumar. You have up to one minute of closing statement.

Yeah, you know, again, you know, I would like to thank you all for the, you know, the questions and for the opportunity to come and present, you know, to this August group, you know, to share my thoughts. And thank you for that. You know, we are very fortunate, you know, to have this set of volunteers who are investing their time to strengthen the city. And I'd be honored to contribute alongside them. you know i like i like to reiterate the values which i hold dear the sense of collaboration you know strategic thinking and passion for community service service these are things i would uphold so you know i think whether it is you know celebrating cultural diversity heritage values innovation you know i think all these things play a big role in terms of you know Stitching to the larger theme of sense of community and connectedness. This is what we want to do and build upon and the plurality and the diversity of this great city. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Next, our last applicant for the Cultural Commission is Sean Williams, and I believe Sean's here in person. Welcome, Sean, and I know you know the drill. You have up to three minutes for your opening statement. Welcome.

Yes, thank you very much for having me. My name is Sean Williams. I have a small business in San Jose. We are a rehearsal studio, a venue, a drum school, and a tattoo shop. I'm also a longtime Santa Clara resident. I'm a former planning commissioner. I've helped out with the EDMC, the Economic Development Team. I'm currently on the Global Relations Subcommittee, helping out with projects like Where the Mission Meets the Moment, and currently working on the Faces of Santa Clara project. Been to many meetings about the celebration of Santa Clara, the Lunar New Year event and all that. And I love art and I love how culturally diverse our city is. I live in an apartment complex with everybody from everywhere. And as a person that's deeply embedded in the underground music scene, I see a lot of art in San Jose. with the way that we had the Super Bowl and FIFA in town, San Jose got a lot of the attention and I wanted to steal that back. So I want to show off Santa Clara's cultural diversity just as anybody else has stated. I think that we are so culturally diverse that we have so many avenues that we can explore in order to have eyes on us that we're doing great but we're missing a lot of opportunities as well and uh so bring on the questions okay i think i start what's your favorite activity sponsored by the cultural commission and why well favorite surprise it's live music i i have seen so many different facets of music in Santa Clara. I was driving down El Camino one night and there was a huge drum off at one of the Indian restaurants. It was this giant, it was so rad. There was so many drums and everybody was dancing and there was lights and it was amazing. But that's just one culture. I live in Little Korea, a part of Santa Clara. I don't ever see anything for that. I was part of the Lunar New Year event, which had many facets of Asian community, Filipino. My stepdad was Filipino. I was raised in that culture. And that was awesome. It was really cool to see. I want to see more art by those people, but the live music is definitely my thing. At the parks, they do a lot of live music, but I feel like it's a lot of Americana rock and roll bands. I want to see some people in there playing instruments that we've never heard. I want to see some things that... that are going to open the eyes of a young person, like a toddler or even an adolescent, go, wow, what was that? Really inspire them. And that's, I think, with music, every culture has music. And there's so many different versions of music. You got rock and roll and all that kind of stuff. But everything that we don't know about Koreans and Chinese and Filipino and Japanese Chinese all that they all have beautiful music and I think that music is actually the international language So that would be why as well Thank You councilmember Park Thank you very much for applying yeah, thank you very much for your previous service as well I see you a lot of places.

Yes, sir many many cities have walk-in tours for tourists and What are your ideas for adding walking tours to Santa Clara?

Well, we have to create some walking tour events or places to go to. Right now, I don't see a whole lot. We do have the historical walking tour of homes. My oldest son's grandparents, their home has been featured on the cover of that for a long time, so I've been to that a few times, and it's great. But given how art... and music and the young culture starting, I mean, they're the ones coming up, right? We need something that appeals to them. In downtown San Jose, I see whole walls that have, I wanna say like record size little murals. The whole wall is one mural in and of itself, but each artist gets a little spot where they can highlight something. I think something like that would be incredible. There's so many different historical spots around Santa Clara that you could create a walking tour with but some of them are over here you take a 10-minute drive you're at the next one and if you want a walking tour it's got to be kind of inclusive in a little area so i mean i don't have the answer right now but i think that given time we could probably create something if we listen to the right people and take in what they have to say but i think art is the key to that and and history thank you very much sir thank you councilmember jane yeah thank

Thank you, Sean. What are your thoughts about the state of public art in Santa Clara?

Well, I think we need more of it. I think right now all the art is kind of stuck here at the Triton Museum and here on the grounds of City Hall. I don't really see a whole lot of art. I think we're missing opportunities. When you go into downtown San Jose, they've got that overpass. It's all blue with all these little white circles. That's incredible. It's a gateway, right? We have the Santa Clara Gateway over by Lawrence. but there's it just says santa clara there's so much that we can do with that so i'd like to see more public art i'd like to see us utilize local artists unknown artists graffiti artists and you know graffiti's become kind of mainstream nowadays i would love to see that and it would bring a lot more attention to our our buildings and whatnot thank you councilmember cox

Thanks, Sean. I feel like we're asking questions you've already answered, but other cities have celebrations for Diwali, Cherry Blossom, Chinese New Year. What are your thoughts about what Santa Clara is doing in this regard?

Well, I actually hosted and emceed the Lunar New Year event, as well as the Celebrate Santa Clara event at the Levi's Stadium. I think they were great. I missed out on being able to go to the night markets due to work, but I heard nothing but great things about those. I think those are incredible events. There are so many different celebrations throughout the year. I mean, Flag Day. You know, we could do so much with so... There's just potential all over the place. So... uh cherry blossom is a great one there's uh i don't know that there's a huge japanese culture here in santa clara we got a lot of koreans i live in little korea so maybe i'm just kind of biased to that but i don't see much of their art you know what i mean there's there's not a whole lot of expression with that kind of stuff so i think that we could do more but what we have done what we started with this past year has been great i want to see more of it uh thank you vice mayor gonzalez

All right, thank you for applying. You're welcome. And do you think we have enough community events? Give an example of other community events you would like to see. I'm sorry, can you repeat the question? Do you think we have enough community events

Right now, you know, I think we're getting there. I think that being part of the EDMC has opened my eyes to the openness of the city to have more community events and the success of those events surely you know everybody has seen them i know you guys were all there you saw it was great and i think it really brings a lot of our community together so yes uh i would love to see more community events i'd like to see more diverse community events uh there was a it was maybe like 10 years ago now uh one of the christmas tree lightings i went and they had some seek individuals there with a little booth and they were making turbines for people and I got a turbine and it was rad. It was awesome. I loved it and I want to see more of that where we embrace who's here and so we seem more welcoming. I mean, we're the tech capital of the world and tech is all inclusive. It's everybody from everywhere. So I think more community events would be a smart thing to do in order to help them feel welcome and as a part of our community.

Thank you. That's it with the questions. If you'd like to give us an up to one minute closing statement.

Up to one minute. Let's see how it goes. First off, thank you for the opportunity to apply for the Cultural Commission. I love my city. I love art. I love culture. I feel very blessed to have been raised by a Filipino man. It taught me to embrace differences. And I come from Virginia, which is kind of a closed-minded state, if you will. And so I know that end of it, but I love this end of it, where we have people from India, people from China, people from the Philippines, everybody. I've actually learned how to say hello in many languages. And I've noticed that when you greet someone with a hello from their language, Man, like the Sikhs in particular, their greeting is . When I say that, they all turn around and they see that it's a short, fat, white guy and they go . It's great, it's awesome. And I think that being on the cultural commission would give me an opportunity to help our city grow more in that aspect of welcoming people.

Thank you for applying as well. Thank you. All right. So that's it for our applicants. We have unfortunately just one term for the Cultural Commission, and this term would end June 30th. But before we do anything, I'm going to the public. Is there any member of the public that would like to make a comment? Anyone online? All right. We have one. City Clerk?

Yes, Madam Mayor. As you stated, this is to fill one term for a full term expiring June 30th, 2030. You have three applicants. If you'd like to, it's at your discretion how you would like to proceed. If you plan to establish a list, you may want to do the top two again.

So what if we had one vote and one for the eligibility list? Sure. And you have a hand up.

Council Member Park.

I was going to state that we should have a vote for each of the positions open and an additional vote for eligibility list. On the previous vote, we were dangerously close of not having an eligibility list. I think we should always do a number of positions plus one.

So two then, right? Two votes. Okay, sounds good. What is that? We'll separate the position to eligibility.

Oh, okay. Actually, do we want to do that, or do we want to just vote and then the highest vote getter is there? And then if we don't, and if there's a tie, I don't know if there will be a tie, if there is a tie.

There is no tie with seven people. So just casting one vote?

No, two votes.

Oh, two votes, okay. No, just one vote. I'm confused. We only have three people. Yeah. One vote, and then the second person would get the eligibility. So if somebody won with the highest number of votes, they would get the position, and then the second person, whoever that is, would get the eligibility list. Okay. Okay? Sure. We only have three people. Okay.

Let me know when you're ready. Councillor Park, your light is still on.

We don't want to make a big deal out of this, honestly. That's true, but you did, so I'm going to repeat what I said, which is we should have two votes, one vote for the position and additional votes so that we guarantee that there are at least two people that are being voted for. And we absolutely can have a tie. People can vote for, three people can vote for one, three people can vote for another, and then we may have other people that are- No, this is completely confusing.

We are going to- No, I'm just saying, so two votes- Listen, excuse me for a minute, please. Two votes. We are voting for one person to be the member now. This is what we're voting for right now. Okay, clear. One person for the member. Okay. When you're ready, Assistant City Clerk.

We'll begin with Council Member Shahal.

Anna.

Who was that?

Anna Vargas.

Okay, thank you. Council Member Hardy.

Anna Vargas-Smith.

Council Member Park.

Sean, just to move things up a bit.

Okay. Council Member Jane.

Anna.

Council Member Cox. Sean, you make me scared, but yes. Sean, please. Mayor Gilmore.

Sean. Oh, sorry. Vice Mayor.

Okay, so I would recommend then Anna Vargas-Smith be the appointee. and that Sean be on the eligibility list.

So moved.

Second. What that means is that if there is a vacancy, then in the next six months, then Sean, you would be automatically appointed to the vacancy. All right. So we have a motion for that and a second. Please register your vote. And that passes unanimously. Congratulations, Anna. Thank you, Sean, and for the eligibility list and the other gentleman, Kumar, that applied.

Okay, next we're going to the... Before we continue, can I get a point of order on the mover and the second for that motion? I mean, the thing that I saw on my screen, I just wanted for the record, I just wanted to know who it was.

So for the record, the maker of the motion was Mayor Gilmore.

It was Council Member Hardy.

Oh, okay, I missed that. Thank you, Council Member.

I'm just saying for the minutes, I think that it should be correct.

Yes, of course, and we do go back and listen to these things, but I will make a note of that.

Thank you. Okay, so next we have the Board of Library Trustees. We have one applicant. Are we prepared to move ahead with one position and one applicant? I don't want to interview the person if we're not going to be prepared to do that. Are we all prepared to move ahead?

I can make a motion to appoint. Let me see.

Well, no, we want to hear from the person. Oh, okay. At least let's hear from the person. She is online. Okay That's very good, okay, I just wanted I didn't want her to interview if we were gonna then say no we don't okay Marilyn hello We're moving her over. Oh Hello Marilyn are you there?

I am here. I was just promoted to be a panelist, so it took a minute of something going on in the background to get me on screen and on audio.

Nice to see you. We just saw about 10 of you, but it's so nice to see you.

I hope you all are seeing one of me now.

We are now. Thank you and welcome. When you're ready, Marilyn, if you'd like to give us your opening statement.

Okay, thank you for the opportunity. I've lived in Santa Clara since 1987. I was an English professor at Santa Clara University from 1987 to 2023 when I retired. I've had a lifelong love of books and libraries starting in early childhood where the library was my favorite place to visit, maybe tied with the park. And now I've got more time since I retired And I feel like I'd like to give back to the community. And one of the areas where I feel like I have some expertise and a lot of interest is libraries. I am particularly concerned about the maintenance of academic freedom at libraries and the financial sustenance of libraries and increasing, perhaps, the use of volunteers at the library and working on expanding the collections. I have had a lot of interactions with the staff at particularly Central Library, which is the one I go to at least once or twice a week. I frequent the bookstore too. I'm well aware of the move toward a lot of digital materials and support that. Although I do think, and maybe this is my English professor training and background, I feel like the core of a library still should always be books, although nowadays book come in all different media, including digital books, e-books, Hoopla, Libby, et cetera. So I'd like to provide some new ideas, perhaps, to the board of library trustees. I know there are a lot of sort of standard tasks that library trustees have, both in Santa Clara and around the country. I'm familiar with and often follow things from the American Library Association. I've been involved in a lot of academic organizations like the Modern Languages Association for decades. I feel like Santa Clara is a really vibrant, multicultural, multi-ethnic community, and I'm happy that the library has really taken all of that to heart and has changed a lot since I first moved here in 1987. So there are lots of ways in which I think the library board is functioning well, but any organization can be open to new ideas and perhaps find new avenues to continue developing in a positive direction. The library facility was open some years ago, and it's a beautiful library. So I really support the central role of libraries in communities and want to make access and availability and stability the goals for my participation on the Board of Trustees.

Thank you for that. We just have a few questions for you. Council Member Chauhan.

Thank you. Thank you for applying, Marilyn. How do you think libraries need to adopt and change to be more relevant to residents?

Well, I think it's important that library boards and volunteer organizations like the Foundation and Friends have a diverse representation, but I also think the Santa Clara libraries have already done a lot of adapting and changing, having much more digital material available, having e-books, audio books, e-audio books, having computers in the library. staffed by extremely helpful staff members, having lots of community services that we already have, and some are relatively new. I mean, it's a wonderful thing that a library can offer tools for borrowing, state parks passes, lots of access to scanning and computers for anybody to use with help from the tech support staff. you know, continuing to expand our holdings of books and DVDs and music CDs and other things like that. And so I think the main thing is just to, you know, have our librarians who are professional keep up with trends in the field. And we can learn from some of the other area libraries. I think the Sunneva Library has a lot of excellent programming, some of which we don't have in Santa Clara. So that would be one way. to keep an eye out for what other libraries in the Bay Area and, of course, around the country are doing to see if there are new ideas or better ways we could do what we are doing, as well as new things we might do in the future.

Thank you. Council Member Hart? I mean, Hardy.

Thank you. I will say... You almost have answered this already, but I'll ask the question. When I read your application, you absolutely understood a lot of this. How do you see your role and responsibility as a library trustee?

Yes, I read the description of what the roles and responsibilities were, and I've looked at, again, what they are in some other boards of trustees around the country, not, you know, Obviously there are hundreds of thousands of them, but I think it's to keep the library on a solid footing financially to perhaps publicize some of what we do that's so great. more widely in the community and maybe in more media. I mean, for instance, I know everybody's trying to save paper, but a lot of the information about events could be on paper and people would pick it up when they're at the library and be more likely to be aware of it than having to figure out where on the library's website, you know, there might be like information on the book clubs, for instance. So I think it would be, you know, to work with the other members of the board of trustees to work with the you know, the main librarian, but also some of the, a lot of the other people who work in the library, and to continue coordinating with the committees, other committees in the city, for instance, the Cultural Advisory Commission and the library probably could coordinate maybe more than they do, although I think they already do a fair amount of that.

Thank you.

Marilyn, are you aware that our libraries lend out more than just books and movies? This is an old question, but yeah, sorry about that.

Yes, I'm very well aware. Like I mentioned, you know, like the tool, you know, you can borrow tools. You know, I borrowed the state parks pass a couple of times. I don't know if I borrowed tools. They have, I don't know if we still do. I borrowed Chromebooks before when my computer was down. um there's a lot of i get a lot of things through link plus and i think that's a wonderful resource and i think the idea of um you know lending things that are helpful in the community um is great and perhaps we could do more with i don't know we'd need to find you know wealthy tech donors you know, have more laptops to borrow or tablets to borrow and Chromebooks and other kinds of digital tools. And the idea that we can get, you know, movies in different formats. I mean, you can stream some movies through Canopy and Hoopla. I think we have Hoopla, but not Canopy. I use Canopy through the Sundervere Library, which is a way to watch movies online. So you don't have to physically borrow a DVD. You know, that's a, kind of a dying technology these days. At any rate, I'm aware of some of the things, but I'm sure there are more I would learn about.

Thank you. Council Member Park.

Actually, it turns out that libraries are one of the first places that unhoused people go because it's a public place that everyone knows about. How should libraries better serve our unhoused residents in Santa Clara, unhoused population?

Yes, well, that's a very important question. I've been thinking a lot about that since I got the list of questions a couple of weeks ago. I mean, one thing I think has sometimes been a problem is people, unhoused people living right out front in the library. I think the library can serve its public best, including the unhoused, by being a sort of a clearinghouse for information and services. So having perhaps a support person from county welfare agencies come once a month to meet with homeless people. I mean, not that they're always going to know when that schedule is. We already, I certainly see unhoused people using the bathrooms and using the computers and sometimes reading in the library. So I think it's important to maintain that as long as everybody is acting properly, not disturbing other patrons, for instance, and you see unhoused people park their belongings out front of the library and come in to use the facilities. I mean, whatever the facilities, whether it's the chairs to read a book or the computers or the bathrooms. And I think that's perfectly fine. How we could serve them better, as I said, I think there could be more of a clearinghouse for information about services and housing alternatives and employment and mental health counseling and rehab. Perhaps there could be, you know, posters up about that or flyers that unhoused people could see readily when they come into the library thank you very much uh thank you for that so we're going to ask you for your up to one minute closing statement marilyn okay thank you um yes i appreciate having the opportunity to serve the city i live in and love and i feel like i have a lot of background in um academics in particular, but in literacy issues and reading and writing and services to be inclusive through my work at the university for so many years. I'm happy to provide some of my insights and ideas and work with the other people on the board of library trustees if I'm chosen to be a member.

Thank you so much, and I know you are our only applicant for this position And after reading your resume We could tell that we automatically wanted to appoint you but I think thank you for taking the time with us to give us your thoughts and answer the questions because It also gives the community a chance to get to know you and to see you as well. So Council we have One applicant, one position. May I have a motion to, let's see.

I'll make a motion to appoint Marilyn Edelston for library trustee.

Second. So we have a motion and a second to appoint Marilyn. And oh, yes. Do we have any member of the public that would like to speak on this? Or anyone online? All right. A city clerk, when you're ready.

We have two hands from council members.

Council member Hardy, your hand.

I will just say that I wish all our applicants were as qualified. I'm thrilled that you did this. Thank you.

And Edward Strine just raised his hand. Did you want to take that?

Yes. Edward, go ahead, please, if it's on this library trustee position. Go ahead, Edward.

Oh, yes. Can you hear me?

Yes.

Yeah, I definitely would. I'd love to have her appointed 100% with her. She's very qualified, extremely qualified. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Edward. Thank you for that vote of confidence for our applicant.

Thank you.

All right. We're still voting, though. Just wait. Hold on. It's a white-knuckle moment.

It's coming.

Please register your vote. And that passes unanimously. Congratulations, Marilyn. And welcome to the Board of Library Trustees.

Thank you very much. And I'm going to ask someone from City Council will follow up with the information. that I'll need to have before the next meeting.

The City Clerk, would you like to tell her?

Yes, thank you. Congratulations, Marilyn. One of my staff members will contact you and schedule your oath of office so you'll be coming into the City Clerk's office and you will also have a little mini orientation and this will all take place before your first meeting.

Okay, great. Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you.

Mayor, I had my hand up.

Council Member Jain, your hand is up.

Yeah, Marilyn, I really appreciate what you wrote in your application. She's gone. Anyway, I just wanted to say I appreciate what she wrote in her application about having access to multiple forms of information, different views. We have a banned books display every year at the library. And since she goes there once or twice a week, she has clearly seen that. And I appreciate that she will be protecting the rights of our residents to have access to that kinds of materials. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to ask that we take a five minute comfort break. Thank you. City Clerk, are we ready? Okay, thank you. So, let's see. Our next appointment is the Historical and Landmarks Commission. And we have two applicants and two positions. Are both applicants available?

We have both Ruhina and Kumar online.

Okay. Very good. And I'm going to ask if the applicants can keep their answers, you know, concise when we ask these questions. That would be very helpful. Thank you. So our first applicant is Ruhina. Ruhina online? Hello, Ruhina.

Hello. Hello, everyone.

Hello. Welcome, Rohina. Thank you for applying to the Historical and Landmarks Commission. Nice to see you. When you're ready for your opening comments, we're ready for your opening statements.

Okay.

Thank you, everyone, for having me here today, and thank you for this role, the Historic Preservation Commissioner. I'm a licensed landscape architect and I've always had an interest in historic preservation. When I started my career in the US, my first role was as a historic preservation intern in Columbus, Ohio. At the time I was a student at the Ohio State University and I created landscape guidelines for historic districts and also GIS database. It improved searchability of historic properties. Towards the end, I conducted a survey of historic preservation commissioners so that the process could be improved, and I published an article which was presented at the city. I believe that Santa Clara has a unique opportunity. I moved here 12 years ago and I've been impressed with its central location as well as its unique and interesting buildings. Some of them are very modern, some are very historic. I think historic preservation could make it more of a tourist attraction, especially after the main street is redeveloped. So one of the areas that I believe is important is the historic main street and downtown and the many historic registered buildings. I also believe that where practical, a database or the historic building inventory should be updated. and it should be completed so that future development can be undertaken keeping these structures in mind. My goal as a landscape architect would also be to look at broader aspects of site planning and how the changes being made by developers and by renovators impact historic buildings. Where practical, I would want to keep the historic pedestrian nature of the streets adjacent to the buildings and to protect the character and vernacular of the neighborhoods. I know the city and county are complementary and where buildings fall within the city limits, it would be under the purview of the historic preservation commissioners. And I think there would be a lot of coordination between the two, the city and the county.

Thank you. Thank you so much for that. We have four questions to ask you. The first would be by Council Member Jane.

Thank you, Rohina. What is your favorite story or anecdote about Santa Clara history?

I think as a landscape architect, I have to defer to my love of nature and love of trees. And when I first moved here, I noticed that there are quite a few redwood trees in Santa Clara. And I noticed that a lot of the older ones are doing well. Whereas a lot of the younger ones are kind of dying out, not doing so well. And somebody told me that it's because their roots don't go too deep. And so when there's a drought, those trees don't survive the drought. And I think this brings to my mind the importance of climate change and how it's impacting our environment. So that's an anecdote that I would remember.

Thank you. Council Member Cox.

Thank you. Many of our homes and properties in Santa Clara are over 50 years old. How will you distinguish between what is considered historical and what is just plain old?

Yes. So that's a question that I've had when I work on projects in other cities as well, because I've worked on projects in San Francisco, in Hillsboro, San Mateo County, and some of them are close to 75 years old. So the question then becomes, how are you going to Keep it historic in a way that doesn't seem like nostalgia, but it's true to the vernacular of the building. So you're not using clashing materials or completely different colors. And you're also trying to update the building if some of the aspects, maybe the plaster is outdated. So you update the building, but you don't completely change it altogether.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Gonzalez.

Thank you, and thank you for applying. Do you have any zoning code updates you would like to see to better preserve historic properties?

I think in terms of zoning, I would say that my concern with traffic has been that some of the neighborhoods are directly affected to go on to lateral feeder roads. And so the zoning should take into account how traffic needs to be slowed down before entering a neighborhood. And that has been for me a concern in the last two or three years when the traffic has increased quite a bit. And so keeping the street structure, making sure that pedestrians still feel safe with respect to zoning.

Thank you. Council Member Chauhal.

Thank you for applying, Rohina. Part of my question is historic. I think we changed that. So I'll ask you the relevant question, basically. What buildings or structures do you feel have a historical significance in Santa Clara?

I really like the Franklin Street. It has kind of like a more pedestrian orientation when you walk through the street. I like the fact that wherever the streets are, you know, tree lined and they have more of a pedestrian connection with squares as well as walkability that improve walkability, that's a nice feature. I also like historic buildings like the Mission Church that's part of Santa Clara University. That already receives a lot of attention, but I think those kind of buildings are worth protecting for the community.

Thank you.

Thank you. Rehina, it's now time for your up to one minute closing statement.

Thank you. Yes, my interest in historic preservation stemmed from my internship, and I feel like I've come full circle where I want to get more involved in Santa Clara because I've been here 12 years and I feel like I should have played more of a role in looking at the city as a whole. And I think I would bring to the table my design as well as my landscape architecture background. I've worked with several cities around the Bay Area. I've worked on over 140 projects. And I worked on the Great America Park as well, six restaurants within the park. And one of them was Maggie Brown. So I remember wanting to preserve the structure as they were tearing down parts of it and building a completely new structure. So thank you.

Thank you. And thank you so much for applying. Just hold on a few minutes. You might have a good chance with this committee. Just hold on. Hold on. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next, we have Kumar. Is he still online, Kumar? Kumar, are you there? Can you hear me? Yes, we can. So you know the drill. Go ahead, please. You have time for your opening comments.

Sure. Once again, good evening, Chair, Commissioners, members of the interview panel. Thank you for having me today. So I'm honored to be part of this, you know, interview process. And I would like to state that, you know, I've been, you know, while my professional career has been focused on innovation, I've got 24 patents across digital technologies, AI, analytics, so on and so forth. But one lesson which has, which, you know, which I've learned and which has remained constant with me is, you know, understanding where we came from. you know, is essential to making thoughtful decisions. And, you know, it also decides where we want to go. You know, I think that that's the key. So that's underpinning of what you do. So this is one of the reasons I'm interested in serving on this commission. And, you know, Santa Clara has a very, you know, rich and extraordinary story from the forming of Mission Santa Clara de Assis in 1777 through its rich cultural heritage to its evolution into the heart of the Silicon Valley. Our city has continuously adapted while retaining a strong sense of identity. I think preserving the history is not simply about protecting old buildings and things like that. It is about preserving the stories, the people, the traditions, and values that define our community. As someone who enjoys learning about local history, I appreciate how landmarks help connect the generations. They provide residents, students, visitors with a deep sense of understanding of how Santa Clara has evolved into the rich and diverse innovative city that it is today. So that's something that's very important. I believe history and innovation are very fluid ideas. They complement each other. By preserving Santa Clara's heritage while embracing thoughtful growth, I think we will strengthen our community and maintain this unique character that makes our city special. Once again, thank you for your time and consideration. I hope that by listening and learning from each other, we can contribute a lot in terms of preserving our country's rich and historical heritage. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Council Member Hardy?

Yes, thank you. What is your favorite story or antidote about Santa Clara's history?

Yeah, see, I would again go back to, you know, how the city evolved from the site of Mission Santa Clara de Assis, you know. It was founded in 1777. It was the eighth of the 21 missions established in California. You know, initially started off as, you know, to spread the faith and, you know, extend the Spanish conquest. And then, you know, the other thing to note here, it is one of the missions to be named after, you know, the a woman patron saint, you know, Saint Clara of Assisi. So I think that that's very important to know here. And the fact that, you know, the kind of transformation which has happened from 1777 till today is something to be seen to believe, you know, from agricultural orchards to the Silicon Valley, you know, to capturing the the adaptability of our community. We have come a long way and today it's something which everyone relates to as being the pinnacle of technology innovation. So I think that's something which you all should be proud about our city. What I find, you know, especially meaningful is that, you know, it has taken both the old and new. It has embraced innovation, and it has also, you know, retained important connections, you know, to its past through missions, through places like the Mission Church, the Santa Clara University. You know, the fact, the work which you guys have been doing a lot in terms of, you know, preserving the historic neighborhoods and landmarks, I think they all go a long way in, you know, in not only preserving the buildings, the artifacts, but the human stories, the emotions, the values, and the experiences that define those. I think we are all the better for this, thank you.

Thank you, Kumar. Many of our homes and properties in Santa Clara are over 50 years old. How will you distinguish between what is considered historical and what is just plain old?

Okay. So, you know, I don't believe age alone does a good job in, you know, in defining historicity. A building may be 50 years old or more than that, but I think historical significance could be evaluated based on certain factors. You know, first, does it represent an important period of, you know, in Santa Clara's history? That's something we should always ask, you know, when we talk about the building or the, you know, the monument. Second, is it associated with some, you know, significant events, people, architecture, emotions, you know, values, you know, that resonate with the city. I think that's something also which adds a different facet to it. Third, does it contribute to the character of an historic neighborhood or, you know, or tell part of a community story? So I think all these, you know, apart from just the age, you know, will go a long way in adding meaning to that, you know, to that. I think it's very, you know, I think that's what I would like to do. I would like to recognize the importance of balancing preservation with you know at the same time considering the overall you know setup in which it is you know adding value to the uh city's historic past in terms of you know association with the people events you know things like that so this is how i would look into it in its entirety thank you councilman park thank you very much for applying and thank you very much for being so patient this evening

Do you have any zoning code updates you would like to see to better preserve historic properties?

Yeah, see, I think the way to do it is, you know, to make preservation easier and also make it beneficial for property owners, you know, rather than make it too regulatory and cumbersome, you know. That's what we need. We need to strike a balance, you know. So, you know, we could incentivize, like, streamlined permitting, you know, financial programs, you know, which will encourage the restoration, you know, while maintaining the historic character of the old monuments, the buildings, you know, things like that. Preservation will work best when property owners are feeling incentivized to do it as part of a partnership rather than if it is thrust upon them as a burden. I think it has to be a win-win strategy. When we are designing guidelines, we need to be striking for a balance, ensuring that we are providing predictability for homeowners. while ensuring innovation remains compatible with the historical character of neighborhoods. So these are things we need to keep in mind. We should always continue to evaluate zoning policies to ensure they strike a balance in terms of historical preservations, as well as with current needs of housing, sustainability, and supporting a reasonable growth. Very important to support responsible growth. The balance, the sense of balance is very important. And if you do that, it will be a win-win in terms of what you want to do.

Thank you. Council Member Jain.

Thank you, Kumar. What do you think about some of the older motels on El Camino? And then are there other buildings of significance that you feel are on El Camino?

I walked through, like, you know, initial days, you know, to kind of, as I explored the city, so I can, you know, it resonates with me. Many indeed have historical significance, particularly, you know, we want to check, you know, how they reflect the post-World War II era, the automobile era, the early tourism, you know, on Santa Clara's growth, you know, thinking about those, you know, as well as the expansion of California's highway system, you know. I think when we look at property, we should evaluate it individually based on historicity, architectural character, and contribution to the community. So looking at Telkomneria, you know, I think we can look at, you know, its contribution to the post-World War II industrialization phase, the automobile era, the booming in the highways, you know, things like that. So beyond these models, I think there are also other places which catch, you know, my attention. You know, the famous ones are the Santa Clara University, the Mission Church, you know. um historic homes and neighborhoods you know all these things you know are equally to be looked at so when we when we look at the city you know what what forms the soul of the society and what is worth preserving in terms of you know the historicity the the uniqueness the buildings and monuments go a long way in terms of telling the human stories, the emotions and the values. I think very important to preserve this for future generations so that they understand, you know, while today's Zenji may know a lot about the Silicon Valley, but there is a lot of, you know, historicity which precedes that and the city has evolved beautifully you know from 1777 so it's very important to preserve this rich and continuous you know evolving history thank you uh thank you kamar that leads us to uh your closing statement you have up to one minute to make a closing statement Yeah, so again, once again, thank you chair and commissioner for your time and thoughtful questions today. So it's been a privilege to share my interest in serving the city of Santa Clara. So I believe preserving our history is ultimately about preserving our community's identity Every landmark, neighborhood, historic site tells a story about the people and events that shaped the city we enjoy today. As the city continues to grow, we have a very important responsibility to ensure that progress and preservation go hand in hand. If given the opportunity to serve, I will bring thoughtful judgment, collaboration, respect for diverse perspectives, and a genuine commitment to public service. I will approach each decision with an open mind, relying on historical evidence, community input, and what in the long term, you know, builds interest of Santa Clara. Thanks once again, and it will be an opportunity and honor to serve with this August group. Thank you.

Okay, thank you so much and thank you for applying. So with that, I'm going to go to the public. Is there any member of the public that would like to comment on the applicants for the Historical and Landmarks Commission? No one's here in the chambers. Do we have anyone online? All right. Council Member Chauhal.

Madam Mayor, I'm ready to make a motion that we appoint Rohina Surendran and Kumar Vishwanathan to HLC Commission.

I'd like to second that, and I appreciate Rohina's experience in understanding Kumar's intellect and attention to detail and obvious enthusiasm.

We won't have anyone for the eligibility list, but that comes later. All right. So we have a motion and a second for our two applicants for two full terms. Ending June 2030. Please register your vote. And that passes unanimously. Congratulations to Rahina and Kumar on their appointments. And the city clerk's office will be contacting you for further information. Congratulations.

Thank you.

Okay next we have action to conduct applicant interviews and appoint one applicant to the Parks and Recreation Commission to serve one full term ending June 30th, 2030. So I see City Clerk we have five applicants or do we still have five applicants?

We have four applicants, Madam, oh, let me see, one, two, three, four applicants, yes. Kiran Kumar Shinde has, as I stated earlier, withdrawn from the process.

Okay. Wait.

Say that one more time. We have four.

Kiran Kumar Shinde is not.

Sukrit, Satish, Tyrell, and Shahid.

We have four? Yes. Okay, four applicants for one position. All right, we'll start with Sukrit, Ganesh, Ganesh.

Hello.

Hello, welcome. Oh, hey. Nice to see you. Nice to see you guys too. Welcome, and whenever you're ready, you can give us your opening statements.

Okay, perfect, let's get started. So my name is Akrit Ganesh, 24 years old, and I've been a lifelong resident of Santa Clara ever since I was born. It's a wonderful city, by the way. I'd first of all like to thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to interview for this position. Just a little bit about myself. I graduated with a master's in computer science. I've been working as a software engineer. But more relevant to this position is that I've been involved with Santa Clara City quite a bit. So I briefly served on the youth commission several years ago. And I also work for a nonprofit organization several years back where I actually conducted events, including scratch hackathons and other classes at the community center. I served four years on the bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee from 2021 to 2025. And I also served a year on the station area task force. So why am I so interested in recreation, right? Well, We all work. We all work hard. We live busy lives, and I think that making our cities fun and enjoyable for everyone, whether we're young or old, is something we should all strive towards on the bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee. I've worked on pushing forward new bike lanes, reviewing new developments and overall trying to increase opportunities for physical recreation in the city. Same thing on a stationary task force. I really tried to push hard for increasing park space and designing amenities for all residents to use. I've been involved in many city events for several years. I've attended I've attended the Art and Wine Festival. I've attended July 4th festivals. I have Like I mentioned, I've volunteered with the city. I've actually taught classes at the community center. And overall, I would love to join the Parks and Recreation to just make our city more fun, to increase opportunities for recreation, and overall, improve the condition and quality of opportunities for everyone, whether you're a senior citizen or a youth.

Thank you so much. We have a list of five questions. We're going to go down the line. Council Member Cox, you can start us off.

Thank you, Secretary. Have you attended or helped out at any of the citywide events that were held before shelter-in-place orders? Which one and what did you do?

So several of them actually. So I think first of all, like I mentioned several years ago, I did actually teach classes at the community center in programming, mathematics, computer science. I even actually hosted a couple of small hackathons for youths. I've attended many events like the Art and Wine Festival. I participated in ice skating. I even served a short while on the City Youth Commission that was, I think, back in 2016 or 2017. I've also participated in many neighborhood events like Easter egg hunts, Halloween trick-or-treats, although those are mostly at the neighborhood level, not at the city level. And yeah, I guess in that regard, I have tried to like keep an active role in the city even when I was still in school. And I guess after the shelter in place orders came into effect and some city events were shut down, that's when I actually joined BPAC and tried to make my impact in the city in another way.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Gonzalez.

Thank you for applying and my question is what parks and recreation programs have you participated in and in what capacity and which program would you like to expand?

Yeah, so programs I'd like to expand, I'm going to start about that. Community centers, I think that in terms of a dollar for impact ratio, community centers, there's nothing that comes even close, right? Like I mentioned, whether you're a youth or a senior citizen or a family, the events that our community centers have, right, whether they are after school activities, whether they're story nights, their classes, or even summer camps, I think that they're some of the most exciting and wonderful opportunities we have to give people an opportunity to sword fight, to pick up extra skills. I guess when I was younger, I did help out at the community center. I volunteered with the city. I've taught classes, all of that. And what I would love to do in terms of what should be expanded I'd love to partner with locals, residents of a city, as well as nonprofits to just expand more community events, activities, classes, so on and so forth. Could be anything from hackathons, crash courses on gardening, medieval sword fighting crash course, just anything, right? Anything interesting and fun. reach out to the wonderful people in our city market those events well and create a lot of opportunities for people after school in the summer even during the school year right there's no reason why these things have to be limited to summer alone it's a chance for all of us to socialize with each other to give senior citizens fun thing to do to get people in our city to know each other to interact with city officials as well i'd love to really expand these community events uh thank you councilmember chahal

Thank you for applying, Sukrit. Do you have any suggestions for how to increase the number of community gardens in the city?

Yeah, so I looked into this a lot, and I think that utilizing surplus city land, whether it's attached to the library, to community centers, other municipal-owned land, adding community gardens there could be a pretty quick and easy way to scale up the number of plots we have. I think right now we're at the capacity on our waiting list. We only have, I think, a few dozen plots. that's one thing i utilizing city-owned land and partnering with local residents to basically be stewards of these plots right secondly i think that partnering with uh private landowners who uh want to voluntarily set up these community gardens we could even look into funding these obviously this is more of a stretch but i really think that we should look into scaling up community gardens by partnering with partnering with residents themselves to host these on their properties they can sign up with the city to i guess uh allocate these beds and all of that we could look into whether this is done voluntarily or even even funded in a way but i think that uh creating like these smaller smaller scale um community gardens that either is utilized from city-owned land or even that private residents themselves manage residents or even businesses would be a good way to uh increase the number of beds and give more people the opportunity to garden if they don't necessarily have a backyard.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Hardy.

Thank you for your help on the BPAC, by the way. I have not forgotten. Do you believe Santa Clara needs more parks and open space overall, and how well do you think Santa Clara does at implementing parks?

Implementing parks, I'd give them an A grade. Compared to even other cities in the Bay Area, love the quality of parks over here. We do also seem to be building new... spaces, especially with the new developments going on in the north of the city. I do think we have to expand physical recreation space. But the easiest way is through closed streets and even super blocks. So some cities around the world have basically reduced through traffic through neighborhoods. The idea is by reducing through traffic through residential streets, it makes it easier for kids to play on the streets, whether it's hockey, playing basketball, whatever. I mean, I've biked all around the city. Kids play on the street all the time. A super block program would be really cheap, easy to implement. secondly i do think we should partner with the developers of these office park redevelopments towards the north of the city as well in the as in the station area task force to create a bunch of small scale parks right like pocket parks could be community gardens basketball courts just small recreational spaces don't have to be too expensive you could partner with developers themselves to add these recreational facilities with new developments We should also look into expanding athletics facilities, right? Squash and pickleball courts, badminton, volleyball, maybe even using some of the fields to create cricket, which is a growing sport. We should take a look into what athletic activities have become popular in our city and try to expand opportunities for those. And this would be kind of a stretch, but it would be great if our city gets a splash pad. We do have heat waves more often these days, and trying to put a splash pad somewhere would be excellent.

Speaking of water, do you have any comments about the status of the International Swim Center and our pools in general?

Yeah, so I've actually been following this for a few years, and I always think that we should prioritize maintenance over new construction, right? Any time that we have existing facilities that are beginning to deteriorate that we need to spruce up a bit, funding should first be prioritized towards maintaining those in advance, not as they break down, but beforehand. With the swim center itself, I think that with the number of new developments that are going to break ground around the city towards the north, we should look into building another swimming facility. Our population is going to grow rapidly, and these new developments are going to bring a lot of tax revenue as well. And it would be great if we could build another community center, which includes a swimming pool, which includes some other athletic facilities as well. It's going to be expensive, but I would love to push for that as part of the Parks and Rec Commission.

Thank you so much, Sukrit. We're ready for your up to one minute closing statement.

Okay, thank you so much. It's like I've mentioned, right? Been a lifelong resident of the city. I've been involved in the city in many ways. And overall, I just wanna make our city a fun place for all residents, right? We work hard, we study hard. So why don't we have great parks that are easily accessible, great activities that anybody can go to on the weekends or even the weekdays, even just great streets that are not just places to drive or walk through, but places that are part of the community. I've been to Netherlands, I've been to Poland, I've been all over the world. I've seen how important streets are towards recreation. And overall, I do think that expanding access to outdoor recreation should be one of the central goals of our city does not have to be expensive. I will do whatever I can to expand opportunities to recreation without breaking the bank.

Thank you so much. We appreciate your energy. Thank you. Thank you for applying. Thank you so much. Okay. Next we have Satish Chandra.

Satish? We're moving him over. Oh.

Satish? Hello, Satish? Unmute yourself, Satish. I can't see, so.

Satish, you're muted. There we go.

Yeah. Can you hear me now? Yeah? We can barely hear you.

Hello? Yeah, can you go back? I'm sorry. I've been, I've brought my parents here. Oh, Satish.

Satish, you're really low. You're really low. We cannot hear you.

Oh, okay. I'm so sorry about that. Can you hear me, Mayor?

It's still very low. Maybe others can hear. Maybe I can't hear as well.

Yeah. Sorry, Mayor. I think because I am in one of the busy places, I brought my parents outside. And probably I don't have a place to take. I apologize probably because of the noise nearby. maybe I'll drop down as part of this particular, you know, my commitment. I'll think about it later because for me, parents come first. I bought parents for some of the activities. I apologize for the, you know, for the missing of the council time. Sorry, Nora, because I'm outside. Sorry about that. I'll drop off.

Okay, I think I, okay, so I understood that he's dropping out.

Okay.

Yeah, he was apologizing that he ended up being not able to attend here.

Okay. Okay, all right. Okay, well, we'll move on and we'll see if he's here at the end, if he comes back.

I couldn't understand him.

All right. Tyrell, do we have Tyrell on the line? Tyrell? Hello? Oh, is he coming?

Hi, this is Terrell. Oh, Terrell.

Oh, I'm sorry, Terrell. I'm sorry. Hi, Terrell. So nice to see you. Whenever you're ready, we're ready for your opening statement.

Sounds good. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Terrell Nelson, and I am a nine-year Santa Clara resident applying to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission. So I'm interested in the role because I care about community access and the public spaces that help people like me feel connected to where they live. For me, Parks and Recreation is not just facilities or programs. They're a part of what makes a city feel like a community. I've experienced that personally here in Santa Clara. I've attended the Arts and Wine Festival and Cheery Lighting Ceremony during Christmas, during every year. I've always appreciated how it brings people together in Central Park, families, neighbors, artisans, vendors, And it's just fantastic. And closer to home, I'm very happy to see progress and focusing and renovation happening at the Henry Smith Park, which is just down the road from me. Knowing that those improvements are in progress and focusing on improving the play area for kids, shade, facility, and overall community access. Those kinds of investments really matter because they make neighborhood parks more welcoming and usable for families. and residents. I want to be transparent that I don't have fire civic or commission experience. Part of why I'm applying is because I want to become a more engaged citizen and find a meaningful way to contribute to Santa Clara. I'm not coming into this assuming I know everything, but I would come in prepared to listen, learn, ask thoughtful questions and better understand the needs of residents city staff and the commission professionally i'm a molecular biologist i've spent much of my career in service leadership operations training program development i've led teams built programs improved processes at companies and corporations and worked across different groups to help people access and support the resources they need. Although that experience comes from technical, scientific, and professional environments, the skills to me are very transferable, like listening carefully, communicating clearly, solving practical problems, bringing structure to complex work, and helping make services more consistent and accessible. If appointed, I would hope to support parks and recreation resources that are welcoming, safe, inclusive, and accessible to residents of all ages and ability. I would be honored to contribute my time and experience in a way that really supports and helps the Santa Clara community.

Thank you, Terrell. Appreciate that. We have a few questions for you. We're going to start with Councilmember Park.

Thank you very much for applying. I really like your background as well. A lot of scientists, a lot of engineers on this council as well. Which citywide events have you attended or helped out in that were held before shelter-in-place orders?

Um, before the shelter in place orders, I've done the in central park. I've attended the Santa Clara arts and wine festival. Um, the holiday tree lighting hadn't been to all of them, but quite a few room before and after. Um, I participated as a resident and an attendee, but not a volunteer, but it's one of the events that has helped me really appreciate how important parks and recreation is to the community. And kind of what stands out to me is how naturally it brings people together. You see family, I see my neighbors, local artists, vendors, all kinds of groups of residents all coming together to share that experience all in Central Park. I've made so many great friends and met so many great people through that. It's an example of how parks support more than recreation. They support connection, pride, and stronger sense of community. Even though I haven't formally helped to organize or volunteer at the citywide event yet, and I want to be honest about that, but that's part of why I'm interested in this opportunity. I'd like to become more involved and contribute more actively to Santa Clara.

Thank you. I felt very much like you.

Council Member Jain.

Thank you, Terrell. You already talked about some of the programs you've participated in, but I'll read the question. What parks and rec programs have you participated in and in what capacity? Which program would you like to expand?

Yeah, so my participation has been as a resident, as you know, and I've attended the Arts and Wine Festival, as I chatted about, but also I also spend a lot of time at the Willistack Natural Area on Lake Mill, and I often walk to Central Park. It's not too far from where I live. The Ulustec is meaningful to me because it gives residents a chance to experience nature, walk, observe wildlife, and just have a very good and peaceful open space within the city. I also appreciate seeing the renovations at the Henry Schmidt Park just down the road because the improvements to the play equipment, having more shade, which is hugely important, improving facilities and access, I think is going to make a real difference for all of my neighbors and me. If I were looking for programs or areas to expand, I'd be interested in programs that make it easier for residents to connect with parks and just everyday ways. That could be wellness walks, nature education, which I'm a huge fan of, volunteer cleanup or planting days, other things that I absolutely love. senior youth activities, community events that help people just feel more connected to outdoor spaces like the wool stack and neighborhood parks like Schmidt, which I love. So I would be interested in programs that are low barrier and accessible things that don't require expensive equipment, advanced skills, or any major equipment commitment for residents to, to participate.

Thank you. Council member Cox.

Thank you. Do you have any suggestions for how to increase the number of community gardens in the city?

Yeah, so I am an avid gardener myself. So in this area, I feel personally connected to. I know how rewarding it is to grow your own vegetables and flowers. And I would love to see gardening become more accessible in Santa Clara residents who may not have that space or tools or opportunity to garden at home. I think community gardens are a great example of parks and recreation supporting wellness, sustainability, and education. Before making a specific recommendation, I'm very data-driven. I'd want to better understand the current demand, the wait lists, available space, water access, maintenance need, costs, staffing requirements. So a lot of those variables would drive into that kind of decision-making as to how how many, where, and how. But that said, I would be interested in looking both larger and smaller scale options. Not every opportunity has to start at a large garden site. The city could possibly consider small pilot garden areas, demonstration beds, partnerships with schools and community groups, or shared garden spaces in areas where access is limited. I also think places like Ulisteg show that residents value opportunity. There's always lots of people there. It gives them an opportunity to connect with nature inside the city, whether that is a trail along the Guadalupe or in a community garden. The same idea is giving people a hands-on way to learn, grow food, you know, or flowers, spend time outdoors and build relationships with neighbors. So to me, the key would be expand thoughtfully. So gardens are sustainable, fairly access and well supported over time.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Gonzalez.

Do you believe that Santa Clara needs more parks and open space? Overall, how well do you think Santa Clara does in implementing parks?

I think Santa Clara has parks and recreation resources to be pretty proud of. Central Park with the events, wine festival, Christmas lighting, other events that go on there. The trails, the natural area facilities like the International Swim Center all show important public spaces are to the city and the quality of life. At the same time, as the city grows and changes, parks and open spaces are going to become even more important. So yes, I absolutely do think continued investment in park, open space, and existing facilities matter. I would be interested in looking at access across neighborhoods. walkability, shade, safety, ADA, accessibility, maintenance is a huge one, and whether residents or different ages and abilities feel that nearby parks meet their needs, getting their voice. I think Henry Schmidt is a good example of this, and why reinvestment matters. Seeing improvements to play equipment, shade facilities, and access can show how a neighborhood park can continue to evolve and better serve the community. ULSTAC is another example. It's not a large regional hiking park, but it gives residents access to nature, birds, walking, native plants, and quiet space in the city. I would approach the issue in a balanced way, supporting opportunities where possible while also taking good care of the parks, trails, pools, facility, and all the open spaces that we already have.

Thank you, Council Member Chauhal.

Thank you for applying. Do you have any comments about the status of international swim center and our pools in general in the city?

Yeah, I often walk to Central Park, so I have seen both the deterioration and now the renovation of the international swim center. I'm generally happy to see that this is going to be coming back and that the renovation is happening. The swim center has been a keystone for this place in Santa Clara. I enjoy swimming, and even though I haven't personally swum at that swim center, it's not just for competitive athletes, but also for residents, family, more importantly, swim lessons, recreation, water safety, fitness, wellness, and Santa Clara has a really strong swimming history, kind I moved out here from the East Coast, living in the Bay, and loved swimming and knew that there were gold medalists coming out of the, you know, medalists coming out of the Santa Clara Swim Center. So that's really, really exciting. What I appreciate the most is that renovation is not just about bringing back a pool. It's about restoring a place that has served residents and athletes for generations. My friends and neighbors grew up swimming in that pool and learning how to swim in that pool. And I think supporting a practical and transparent approach keeps residents informed. will prioritize safety and helps ensure facilities can continue serving the community and future athletes for years to come. And one of the things that I appreciate about Parks and Recreation is the different resources serve different needs. Central Park, the Wine Festival, Owl Trek, all give people access to nature, quiet, open spaces. Parks, in particular Schmidt, supports neighborhood recreation and family. Pools support safety, wellness, fitness, athletics. I think the commission has an important role in helping look at that full picture.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Terrell. Now it's time to give us your up to one minute closing statement.

Okay. So thank you for considering my application. What excites me most about the opportunity is it's a very direct way to contribute to the community I live in. Parks and recreations touch people's lives every day, whether it's families using a neighborhood park, residents gathering at a festival, people walking through Oldestack, or young athletes returning to the swim center. These spaces help make Santa Clara feel connected, welcoming, and accessible. I know I'm new to civic service, but I would bring a sincere commitment to learn, listen, and serve along with professional experience in communication, collaboration, service, and follow through. If appointed, I would approach the role with humidity on humidity. Humility and maybe some humidity. We could use that sometimes preparation and absolute respect for the opportunity I'm given. It would be an absolute honor to support the commission's work and contribute to parks and recreations to serve the community.

Thank you so much for that. And we appreciate your application and we're going to be making our decision very shortly. So stay tuned. City Clerk, do we have the last applicant? Shahid?

Yes, Shahid is online. Oh, online. I had it in person.

Okay. He changed. Shahid? Shahid?

Shahid, you're muted.

There we go. Ah, there you go. Hello. Hello, welcome. Thank you. When you're ready, we're ready for your opening comments.

Awesome. My apologies for not being in person. I actually intended to be in person, but I guess the time changed and I was not aware of that. So my name is Shahid Shaikh. I've lived in Santa Clara for 20 years and I work as a sales operations senior manager. I'm here today because I really like to bring my perspective and operational expertise to the Park and Recreation Commission. I live close to Central Park, across the street actually, and it's generally part of my regular routine. I played tennis there, or I have played tennis there. I've used the ice rink when they have the ice rink in the wintertime. I've played pickup basketball. I played pickup football games. I've even hosted family barbecues over at Central Park as well. And many days you can find me just kind of walking through Central Park on a, you know, just kind of relaxing and just kind of enjoying the scenery. Just kind of decompressing from the day. And I do attend a lot of the events at Central Park specifically just because it's so convenient. I've done the 4th of July celebrations when it used to be at Central Park. And I've also attended the Arts and Wine Festival as well. And I believe that those events are very useful because they have so many local vendors that you can kind of meet and kind of understand and learn about as well as just kind of meeting new people. I do want to call out that prior to COVID, I actually did run a nonprofit organization for about seven years. And this nonprofit arranged basically a camp for a weekend for, you know, 70 or 80 families. And this required a lot of logistics where I was kind of dealing with vendors, dealing with the city of San Jose to kind of rent the campsite itself. dealing with food. But the biggest thing I did for that program or for that nonprofit was to actually take it to the digital age when it comes to the registration and the administrative process. Before it was all email and paper checks, but I basically had the website created, created end to end the full payment process. And that helped me kind of understand a lot more about the kind of digitizing things and kind of make operationalizing things and kind of making things more efficient. And it also helped me learn how about budgeting, coordinating with vendors, communicating with the participants, and as well as looking for ways to continuously improve the overall process of things. And if appointed, that's what I'd like to bring into this Parks and Rec Commission is a regular user's perspective and some real experience on how to kind of run programming and from the ground up. And I do have a genuine willingness to put in the work, and I really welcome the opportunity to serve on this commission.

Thank you so much, Shahid.

I'm going to develop community gardens. And we could also look at maybe some school sites, so maybe areas that are near schools to kind of give kids the ability