REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Appointments to City Committees and Outside Agency Committees for the 2026 Calendar Year
Report
BACKGROUND
On an annual basis, the City compiles a list of appointments of City Councilmembers to serve on City Committees and other regional outside agency Committees for review and consideration by the City Council. The Mayor routinely proposes recommendations for the appointments of City Councilmembers to serve as members or alternate members on the various City Committees and outside agency Committees.
The recommendations for appointments are reviewed and approved by the City Council. The final proposed recommendations for outside agencies will be provided to agency and staff liaisons for those committees to be implemented in accordance with their appointment processes.
DISCUSSION
Staff is presenting Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s proposed recommendations for appointments to the 2026 City Committees and Outside Agency Committees for City Council review (Attachment 1).
For 2026, Mayor Lisa Gillmor has proposed maintaining the same City Committee and Outside Agency appointments as in 2025, with the exception of the recommended changes identified in bold below:
City Committees
• American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Chair
o Appoint as Councilmember Kevin Park as Alternate
• Audit Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Chair
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Alternate
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Chair
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Alternate
• Economic Development & Marketing Committee (Ad Hoc)
o Appoint Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as Chair
o Appoint Councilmember Kelly G. Cox as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Alternate
• Governance and Ethics Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Chair
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kelly G. Cox as Alternate
• Stadium Neighborhood Relations Ad Hoc Subcommittee
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Chair*
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Alternate
*Councilmember Albert Gonzalez was elected as Chair at the December 15, 2025, Stadium Neighborhood Relations Ad Hoc Subcommittee Meeting.
Outside Agency Committees
• Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) (General Assembly)
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Alternate
• Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA)
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member (Continues 4-year term ending June 30, 2027)
• Caltrain Modernization Local Policymaker Group (CalMod)
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Alternate
• Cities Association of Santa Clara County Board of Directors
o Appoint Councilmember Kelly G. Cox as Member
o Appoint Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as Alternate
• Cities Association of Santa Clara County City Selection Committee
o Appoint Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as Member
• Cities Association of Santa Clara County Legislative Action Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Kelly G. Cox as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Alternate
• City / Mission College Liaison Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Chair
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Alternate
• City / Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) School Liaison Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Chair
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Member
o Appoint Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Alternate
• Grand Boulevard Initiative Task Force / El Camino Real
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Alternate
• Human Trafficking Commission
o Appoint Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Alternate
• Joint Recycled Water Policy Advisory Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Alternate
• League of California Cities - Peninsula Division
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Alternate
• Neighborhood University Relations Committee (NURC):
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Chair
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Alternate
• Northern California Power Agency (NCPA)
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Alternate
• Police Activities League (PAL)
o Appoint Councilmember Kelly G. Cox as Member
o Appoint Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as Alternate
• Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission of Santa Clara County (RWRC)
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzalez as Member (Note: Central County
appointee alternates with Santa Clara and Milpitas)
• San Francisco Bay Area Regional Water System Financing Authority
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
• San Jose/Santa Clara Clean Water Financing Authority
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Alternate
• San Jose/Santa Clara Treatment Plant Advisory Committee (TPAC)
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Albert Gonzales as Member
o Appoint Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor as Alternate
• Santa Clara County Expressway Plan 2040 Policy Advisory Board (PAB)
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Alternate
• Santa Clara Sister Cities Association
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Alternate
• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) Board of Directors
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Member
• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) Policy Advisory Committee (PAC)
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Alternate
• Santa Clara Valley Water Commission (SCVW)
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Suds Jain as Alternate
• Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA)
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Kelly G. Cox as Alternate
• Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority (SVRIA) Board of Directors
o Appoint Councilmember Karen Hardy as Member (Note: Santa Clara alternates primary
o member position with Sunnyvale and Milpitas)
• Stevens Creek Corridor Steering Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Kelly G. Cox as Member
• Triton Museum of Art Liaison Committee
o Appoint Councilmember Kevin Park as Member
o Appoint Councilmember Raj Chahal as Alternate
As part of the recommendations for appointments, Mayor Lisa Gillmor requested to include a summary of the total appointments proposed for each member of City Council based on the 2026 recommendations. Below is a summary of the total assignments for each City Councilmember:
• Mayor Lisa Gillmor:
7 total Committee assignments
(includes a Cities Association Selection Committee and Human Trafficking Commission that mandates that the member shall be the Mayor)
3 total Alternate Committee assignments
• Councilmember Albert Gonzalez:
10 total Committee assignments
3 total Alternate Committee assignments
• Councilmember Raj Chahal:
12 total Committee assignments
4 total Alternate Committee assignments
• Councilmember Karen Hardy:
14 total Committee assignments
3 total Alternate Committee assignments
• Councilmember Kevin Park:
13 total Committee assignments
5 total Alternate Committee assignments
• Councilmember Suds Jain:
13 total Committee assignments
7 total Alternate assignments
• Councilmember Kelly G. Cox:
6 total Committee assignments
2 Alternate Committee assignments
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a "project" within the meaning of a California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City other than staff time.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated by the City Manager’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the Recommendations for Appointments to the 2026 City Committees and Outside Agency Committees as presented, subject to any amendments Council may propose and approve.
Staff
Reviewed by: Aimee Escobar, Management Analyst, City Manager’s Office
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed 2026 City Committees and Outside Agency Committee List