Committees & Commissions

Citizen Advisory Bodies

The voluntary participation of Atherton's citizens in the operation of the Town government is critical to the City Council's and the Town staff's success in serving the community. The City Council has established several citizen advisory bodies composed mainly of volunteers. Volunteers to specific bodies are appointed by the City Council and charged with the responsibilities of gathering, synthesizing, and analyzing the information relevant to their areas of responsibility and providing the City Council and Town staff with advice and recommendations. The Council and staff rely on this advice for the development and execution of Town policies.

Have Meeting Agendas Emailed to You:

Find Upcoming and Past Meeting Agendas by visiting the Town's Archives Center.

The following table will give you information on all the elected and appointed meeting bodies, what they do, and how to get in touch with them. Below you will also find information on how to apply for an office.We invite you to attend meetings of our public bodies and get involved by submitting applications to sit on our committees and commission.

Committee Name	Meeting Day	Staff Contact
Audit/Finance	Tuesday, every other month at 2:00 PM	Robert Barron, Finance Director
Environmental Programs	Third Thursday, every month, 1:30 PM	Rachael Londer, Management Analyst II
Park & Recreation	First Wednesday, every month, 6:30 PM	Tony Enochson, Maintenance Manager
Planning Commission	Fourth Wednesday, every month, 6:00 PM	Radha Hayagreev, Planner
Rail	First Tuesday, every other month, 6:00 PM	Robert Ovadia, Public Works Director
Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety	Second Tuesday, every other month, 6:00 PM	Steve McCulley, Police Chief
Tree (independent from the Town)	Third Thursday, every month, 4:00 PM	Sally Bentz, Town Arborist

Government Code Section 54972 ‑ Maddy Local Appointive List Act

2023 List and Information

The following is a list of scheduled Committee and Commission vacancies for the calendar year 2023. For a complete listing and description of current local committees and commissions whose members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the City Council please contact the City Clerk’s Department at 650-752-0529.

List of all Regular and Ongoing Local Committees/Commissions

All Town Committees and Commissions have expiring terms in 2023

For questions please contact the City Clerk’s Office at asuber@ci.atherton.ca.us or 650-752-0529.

Qualifications & Appointment to Office

Interested citizens who live within the Town of Atherton are encouraged to submit applications for positions on committees and commissions. The application form is available from the town staff and includes space for the applicant to state the qualifications, experience, and skills that he or she can bring to the service of the town. Applications may be submitted at any time. Completed forms are kept on file at Town Hall and may be considered by the City Council when vacancies occur.

You may fill out an online application for Town Committee or Commissions. You may also download the application (PDF) and drop it off at Town Hall. To fill out an application you can click on the application link, email Francesca Reyes at freyes@ci.atherton.ca.us, or call 650-752-0500.

Terms

Term expiration dates end on June 30th of each year. However certain committees may be set up for specific purposes with no expiration dates. Appointed committee/commission members shall serve no more than two full consecutive terms on the committee or commission to which they are appointed. A member may be reappointed to the committee or commission following a minimum two (2) year hiatus. However, if a seat is vacant and no one applies, the City Council may grant an exemption.

Specific Information

Serving on a commission or committee may require occasional attendance at night meetings. You may also be asked to serve on additional subcommittees. Members are expected to attend all meetings.

Information about the Appointment Process

Notice of openings and requests for applications for committees and commissions are posted and published in the Almanac, town website, through email blasts, and, if timely, in The Athertonian newsletter. The application process may take from six weeks to two months. Vacancies are advertised for approximately 30 days with a specific filing deadline. Deadlines may be extended. Please return your application, along with any attachments, to the City Clerk. All appointments will be made by nomination and vote of the City Council at a Council meeting.

The members of committees and commission are appointed by a simple majority vote of the City Council.

The council seeks a diversely representative body of membership for the planning commission and each committee so that there will be a broad balance of views. For all of the town’s citizen advisory bodies, the City Council may decide to refrain from appointing candidate(s) if, in its judgment, the qualifications and/or experience of the candidate(s) are insufficient. When this occurs, the City Clerk will again advertise the vacant position(s) involved and the appointment process will be included on a subsequent City Council agenda.

The town is grateful for the service of members of a committee or commission, recognizing that the service to the community is voluntary. Even so, it is important to understand the legal requirements that apply to the role because failure to comply may result in stiff penalties. The City Clerk, City Attorney, or City Manager is available to assist with any questions. Their job is to ensure that representatives are able to do the job freely and without apprehension.

City Council Liaisons

Each of the town’s advisory committees is assigned a city council member to serve as a liaison between the council and the committee (excluding the Planning Commission). The mayor makes these appointments in January of each new calendar year. The Council Liaisons do not have voting powers.