REPORT TO CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Conduct Applicant Interviews and Appointment to the Salary Setting Commission
Report
BACKGROUND
Charter Section 702 requires the Civil Service Commission to appoint five (5) members to the Salary Setting Commission (SSC). The Salary Setting Commission should commence its term in February 2025, in order to complete its work for Mayor & Council compensation by March 15, 2025, and for City Clerk and Chief of Police by June 30, 2025. The quorum required for the SSC to take action is three (3) members.
There are currently two (2) vacancies on the SSC. The terms end on December 31, 2028. The City Clerk’s Office conducted a recruitment to fill these positions in beginning in November 2024. The City received a total of nine (9) applications and two (2) applicants have withdrawn.
DISCUSSION
There are seven (7) applicants for the Salary Setting Commission. Pursuant to the Board and Commissions Recruitment and Interview Policy adopted by the City Council, there must be one more application received than available openings in order to proceed with the interview and appointment process.
Mechanics of Voting:
The process for appointments to the SSC will be adapted from the Voting Guidelines used to appoint members to the Planning Commission and Civil Service Commission (attached). A vote will be held to select the individuals filling the four-year term seats.
Interview questions will be provided to Civil Service Commissioners at the beginning of the interview process.
Interview and voting process (adapted from City Council’s Voting Guidelines):
1) Each applicant is introduced and given three (3) minutes for an opening statement. The applicant may respond to questions from the Commission. Applicants will have one (1) minute for a closing statement.
2) Commission votes for applicants to fill the seats for a four (4)-year term:
A) Each Commissioner will have two (2) votes, and may cast one (1) vote each for their two (2) desired appointees. Only one (1) vote per applicant is allowed. A Commissioner may choose to vote for less than two (2) applicants, but will relinquish unused votes.
B) The votes are tallied by the Director of Human Resources and then the Director of Human Resources announces the two (2) applicants who received the highest number of votes, and are therefore eligible for appointment to the four (4)-year terms.
C) If there is a tie that prevents identification of the top two (2) (and only two) applicants, there will be up to three (3) rounds of re-votes for the Commission to reconsider the applicants.
i. Ties that do not interfere with the Director of Human Resources ability to designate the top two (2) candidates shall not trigger the re-vote process.
ii. The Commission has the opportunity to deliberate between each round of re-voting.
iii. If, after three (3) rounds of re-votes, there is still a tie and there is not a full Commission present, the Commission will defer the decision until a full Commission is present, and re-interview the applicants that are the subject of the tied vote.
iv. If, after three (3) rounds of re-votes, there is still a tie and there is a full Commission present, the Members will draw straws, with the person drawing the long straw abstaining from voting at the next round.
D) The applicants receiving the highest number of votes are designated and announced as the winners by the Director of Human Resources.
3) A Commissioner makes a motion to appoint the applicants that received the highest number of votes to the four-year term.
Following appointment of the two (2) Salary Setting Commissioners, each of the new Commissioners will be requested to schedule an appointment with the City Clerk’s Office for administering of the Oath of Office, and other onboarding activities before the end of the calendar year. Staff will also poll the commissioners regarding a date for the first Salary Setting Commission meeting to be held in calendar year 2025.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the City Clerk’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Civil Service Commission 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 <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Conduct applicant interviews, and
2. Take action on two (2) appointments to the Salary Setting Commission.
Staff
Reviewed by: Aracely Azevedo, Director of Human Resources
Approved by: Nadine Nader, Chief Operating Officer
ATTACHMENTS
1. Voting Guidelines
2. Conflicts Review - Salary Setting Commission Applicant Memo
3. Azizul Choudhury Application
4. Mihir Kakkad Application
5. Varnsi Krisha Gunda Application
6. Jeff Holmbeck Application
7. David M. Kertes Application
8. Ashish Mangla Application
9. Frank Mangini Application