02 Staff Report.Minutes - Interviews
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 12/19/2023 ITEM NO: 2
DRAFT
Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting – Commissioner Interviews
December 6, 2023
The Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a special meeting in-person and utilizing
teleconferencing means on Tuesday, December 6, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. to interview applicants
and make appointments to Town Boards, Commissions, and Committees.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Maria Ristow, Vice Mayor Mary Badame, Council Member Matthew Hudes,
Council Member Rob Moore, Council Member Rob Rennie.
Absent: None
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
No one spoke.
OTHER BUSINESS
1. Interview applicants and make appointments for the following Boards and Commissions:
Arts and Culture Commission; Community Heath and Senior Services; Complete Streets and
Transportation Commission; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission; Historic
Preservation Committee; Library Board; Parks and Sustainability Commission; Personnel
Board; and Planning Commission.
Wendy Wood, Town Clerk, presented the staff report.
Council interviewed the following applicants for the vacant positions on Town Boards,
Commissions, and Committees.
• Arts and Culture Commission
o Cristiano Colantoni
o Dornaz Mermarzia
• Community Health and Senior Services Commission
o Gregory Gentile
o Richard Konrad
o Martha Sterne
PAGE 2 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of December 6, 2023 – Commissioner Interviews DATE: December 6, 2023
Board/Commission/Committee Appointments – continued
• Complete Streets and Transportation Committee
o William (Bill) Ehlers
o Erik Miller
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
o Tony Alarcon (Faith Leader, Los Gatos Business Owner and Resident, Resident;
Planning Commission)
o Steven Bakota (Resident)
o Dominic Broadhead (Business Owner or Employee)
o Karen Delaney (Resident)
o Jamie Donofrio (Business Employee, Non-Profit Employee)
o Diane Fisher (Faith Leader)
o Varily Isaacs (Resident)
o Carmen Lo (Resident)
o Dornaz Memarzia (Resident; interviewed once with the Arts and Culture
Commission candidates)
o Folake Phillips (Resident, Non-Profit Employee)
o Johanes Swenberg (Resident)
o Gordon Yamate (Resident)
• Historic Preservation Committee
o Gregory Gentile (interviewed once with the Community Health and Senior
Services Commission candidates)
o Lee Quintana
• Library Board
o Richard Capatosto
o Sabiha Chunawala
o Megan Grasser
• Parks and Sustainability Commission
o Craig Gleason
• Personnel Board
o David Sabes
PAGE 3 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of December 6, 2023 – Commissioner Interviews DATE: December 6, 2023
Board/Commission/Committee Appointments – continued
• Planning Commission
o Tony Alarcon (interviewed once with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Commission candidates)
o Adam Mayer
o Emily Thomas
The Council completed written ballots and provided them to the Town Clerk. Town Clerk Wood
read the appointments and votes as follows:
• Arts and Culture Commission
o Cristiano Colantoni was appointed unanimously.
o Dornaz Mermarzia was appointed unanimously.
• Community Health and Senior Services Commission
o Gregory Gentile received one (1) vote and was not appointed (Badame).
o Richard Konrad was appointed unanimously.
o Martha Sterne was appointed by four (4) votes (Ristow, Hudes, Rennie, and
Moore).
• Complete Streets and Transportation Committee
o William (Bill) Ehlers was appointed by four (4) votes (Ristow, Badame, Rennie,
and Moore).
o Erik Miller was appointed unanimously.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
o Tony Alarcon (Faith Leader, Los Gatos Business Owner and Resident, Resident)
received one (1) vote and was not appointed (Rennie).
o Steven Bakota (Resident) was not appointed.
o Dominic Broadhead (Los Gatos Business Employee) was appointed by three (3)
votes (Ristow, Rennie, and Moore).
o Karen Delaney (Resident) was not appointed.
o Jamie Donofrio (Los Gatos Business Employee, Non-Profit Employee) received
two (2) votes for the Los Gatos business employee seat (Badame and Hudes)
and two (2) votes for the non-profit seat (Ristow and Moore) and was not
appointed.
o Diane Fisher (Faith Leader) was appointed unanimously.
o Varily Isaacs (Resident) was appointed by four (4) votes (Ristow, Badame,
Hudes, and Rennie).
PAGE 4 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of December 6, 2023 – Commissioner Interviews DATE: December 6, 2023
Board/Commission/Committee Appointments – continued
o Carmen Lo (Resident) was appointed by four (4) votes (Badame, Hudes, Rennie
and Moore).
o Dornaz Memarzia (Resident) was not appointed.
o Folake Phillips (Resident, Non-Profit Employee) received two (2) votes for
resident seat (Ristow and Moore) and three (3) votes for non-profit employee
seat (Badame, Hudes, and Rennie) and was appointed to the non-profit
employee seat.
o Johanes Swenberg (Resident) received two (2) votes and was not appointed.
(Badame and Hudes).
o Gordon Yamate (Resident) was appointed by three (3) votes (Ristow, Rennie,
and Moore).
• Historic Preservation Committee
o Gregory Gentile received two (2) votes and was not appointed (Hudes and
Rennie).
o Lee Quintana was appointed by three (3) votes (Ristow, Badame, and Moore).
• Library Board
o Richard Capatosto was appointed unanimously.
o Sabiha Chunawala was appointed by four (4) votes (Ristow, Hudes, Rennie, and
Moore).
o Megan Grasser received one (1) vote and was not appointed (Badame).
• Parks and Sustainability Commission
o Craig Gleason was appointed unanimously.
• Personnel Board
o David Sabes was appointed unanimously.
• Planning Commission
o Tony Alarcon received two (2) votes and was not appointed (Badame and
Hudes).
o Adam Mayer was appointed unanimously.
o Emily Thomas was appointed by three (3) votes (Ristow, Rennie, and Moore).
PAGE 5 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of December 6, 2023 – Commissioner Interviews DATE: December 6, 2023
MOTION: Motion by Mayor Ristow to conduct the recruitment for the current openings
before the Youth Commission recruitment as soon as practical; and decouple
Finance Commission recruitment from the general recruitment, leaving it open
until filled. Seconded by Council Member Rennie.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
MOTION: Motion by Vice Mayor Badame to the Council Policy Committee to review the
interview and appointment process for Boards, Commissions, and Committees
(Council Policy 2-11). Seconded by Council Member Moore.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 11:04 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted:
_____________________________________
Jenna De Long, Deputy Town Clerk