REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Interviews and Appointments of Representatives to the Neighborhood University Relations Committee.
Report
BACKGROUND
On April 8, 2025 the City Council took action to restructure the Neighborhood University Relations Committee. The Committee is now comprised of seven members: two City Councilmembers; two members of Santa Clara University staff; one Santa Clara University student; one Old Quad resident; and one property owner/landlord representative. This restructuring was done with the goal of achieving a more inclusive Committee reflecting the diverse interests and promoting collaboration within the various interest groups and stakeholders in the community.
The Committee Member positions of Old Quad resident and property owner/landlord representative are subject to a recruitment process. The City Clerk’s Office (“CCO”) facilitated the recruitment for these two Committee representative and accepted applications for both positions. Advertising of the Committee Member roles was done via the City’s website and social media outlets. The CCO also emailed vacancy notification to all parties listed on the email vacancy interest list.
The CCO accepted applications for four weeks. All applications were due by July 25, 2025 at 5:00pm. The application due date was extended for several additional weeks because no applications for the Owner/Landlord role were received by the July 25th due date. Ultimately five applications were submitted for Owner/Landlord Committee representative, and eleven applications were submitted for the Old Quad resident Committee representative by the extended August 25, 2025 due date.
DISCUSSION
At the October 7, 2025 City Council meeting, the Council will interview and appoint the Old Quad resident and the Owner/Landlord Committee representative positions, as well as appoint the designated representatives from Santa Clara University.
The Old Quad resident committee member position is to represent the perspectives of residents who live adjacent to Santa Clara University. To be eligible, the Old Quad resident must reside within the boundaries of the Old Quad neighborhood. Nine applicants were eligible to proceed to consideration for the Old Quad resident Committee Member position. One eligible applicant has withdrawn from the process. Therefore, the Council will consider the following applicants:
• Nicole Beauvais
• Chris Castle
• Eugene Garza
• Glenna Hall
• Grace Chiarelia Jensen
• Mark Kelsey
• Hari Ojha
• Shanfang Zheng
The Owner/Landlord Committee representative will represent the perspective of landlords who own rental property in the Old Quad. To be eligible, applicants must own or represent rental property within the Old Quad neighborhood. Three applicants were determined to be eligible to proceed to the selection process. The Council will consider the following applicants:
• Collin Forgey
• Berina Sejdic
• Rebecca J Selden
Following past practice, the City Council may choose to establish an eligibility list comprised of the non-selected applicant(s) for six months should a vacancy arise after appointments have been made.
Santa Clara University has three Committee Member positions: two staff members; and one student. Santa Clara University has designated Sean Collins, Assistant Vice President for University Operations and Steve Ross, Assistant Dean of Students - Dean of Students Office as the two staff representatives and Shea Mulqueeney, Senior, Community Development Vice President - Associated Student Government as the student representative. Included with this item is an action for the Council to officially appoint these representatives to serve on the Committee. The appointment for all three positions is for a four-year term. We point out, it is unlikely any student representative appointed at this time will fill the Committee Member position for a full four-year term. Any future vacancies for the Santa Clara University positions would be filled with new Santa Clara University designees, who would then be considered for appointment by the City Council.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional cost to the City other than administrative staff time and expense.
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
1. Conduct Interviews and Appoint one Applicant to the Committee Member position of Old Quad Resident representative to the Neighborhood University Relations Committee to serve a four-year term beginning October 7, 2025 and ending October 7, 2029;
2. Conduct Interviews and Appoint one Applicant to the Committee Member position of Property Owner/Landlord representative to the Neighborhood University Relations Committee to serve a four-year term beginning October 7, 2025 and ending October 7, 2029;
3. Establish two Eligibility Lists for six months should a vacancy occur in the Committee Member position of the Old Quad Resident representative or Owner/Landlord representative Committee Member positions; and
4. Appoint Sean Collins and Steve Ross as Santa Clara University staff representatives and Shea Mulqueeney as a Santa Clara University student representative to serve as Committee Members on the Neighborhood University Relations Committee - each to serve a four-year term beginning October 7, 2025 and ending October 7, 2029.
Staff
Reviewed by: Nora Pimentel, Assistant City Clerk
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Voting Guidelines
2. Old Quad Resident Applications
3. Property Owner/Landlord Applications
4. Old Quad Map