The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Boards and Commissions perform a valuable service to the City by providing means by which the City Council can obtain advice, opinions, and recommendations of City residents and other members of the community. Terms of office for board and commission members are 4 years, except for the Harrison Memorial Library Board of Trustees who serve 3-year terms. To ensure continuity, terms are staggered, with no more than 2 members per board/commission having terms expiring within the same year.
Every December, the City posts a list of all board and commissions terms scheduled to expire the following year in accordance with State Law. In February and March 2024, in accordance with the City’s policies, the City advertised open positions for several boards and commissions:
- Community Activities & Cultural Commission – 3 seats
- Harrison Memorial Library Board of Trustees - 1 seat
- Planning Commission - 1 seat
- Historic Resources Board - 1 seat
- Forest and Beach Commission – 2 seats
The application period ran from February 29th to March 29th. Current members with terms expiring in May were invited to re-apply by March 29th. The City received numerous qualified applications, and residency requirements were verified using the GIS assessment database.
Recommendation
An ad hoc committee, consisting of Mayor Potter and Mayor Pro Tem Richards, conducted interviews on April 5 and April 10, 2024 of all new applicants. Applicants interviewed within the past year or currently serving on a board or commission were considered without the need to re-interview. All applicants demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the community.
After careful consideration, the following individuals are recommended for appointment:
- Harrison Memorial Library Board of Trustees: Marie-Clare Gorham (term ending May 30, 2027)
- Planning Commission: Stephanie Locke (term ending May 30, 2028)
- Historic Resources Board: Kathryn Gualtieri (term ending May 30, 2028)
- Forest and Beach Commission: Sarah Berling and Hans Buder (both terms ending May 30, 2028)
- Community Activities Commission: No applications were received aside from Hans Buder.
Next Steps
The Council needs to ratify appointments through a Resolution. The Resolution (Attachment 1) to appoint the above individuals requires a majority vote for approval. Commissioners/Board members not re-appointed will continue to serve until their terms expire on May 30th, with newly appointed commissioners will begin their terms on May 31st.