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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/06/2016 04Ci Minutes 08-29-2016 Council Nominating Committee with Appointment Recommendations ,.„ . s. n. BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDASTATEMENT Item No. C.i. For Meeting of: September 6, 2016 ITEM TITLE: Acceptance of Council Nominating Committee minutes and recommendation of appointments to the Yakima Housing Authority, Board of Appeals, Hotel /Motel -- Tourist Promotion Area and Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, as well as discuss application deadline for exploratory Committees SUBMITTED BY: Sonya Clear Tee, City Clerk SUMMARY EXPLANATION: Council Member Bill Lover, Chair of the Council Nominating Committee, recommends appointment of Luz Bazan Gutierrez to the Yakima Housing Authority. Council Member Cousens recommends appointment of Nick Marquez to the Yakima Housing Authority. Additionally, the Committee recommends the following appointments: Mike Heit, Board of Appeals Sarah Davila, Hotel /Motel -- Tourist Promotion Area Charlie Robin, Lodging Tax Advisory Committee The Committee also recommends Council discussion on setting an application deadline for the Community Integration and Ethics and Equal Rights Exploratory Committees. ITEM BUDGETED: STRATEGIC PRIORITY: APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: 1 C Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: BOARD /COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type D nominating comm minutes 830/2016 Cover Memo YHA 8/252016 Cover Memo YHA 8-11 8/25/2016 Cover Memo NOMINATING COMMITTEE MINUTES August 29, 2016 Meeting convened at 3:01 p.m. Council present: Bill Lover and Holly Cousens Absent: Avina Gutierrez Staff present: Sonya Claar Tee, City Clerk Others: Lowel Krueger and Linda Orozco, Yakima Housing Authority (YHA) 1) Discuss interview process/questions Council Member Lover stated he understood Council Member A. Gutierrez would not be attending the meeting. Council Members Lover and Cousens discussed the interview process, noting it is the Committee's discretion on whether to accept public questions or comments during the interview process. He stated the Committee will not be taking questions or comments. 2) Interview Yakima Housing Authority applicants Council Members Lover and Cousens interviewed Billy Fetzer, Nick Marquez and Luz Bazan Guti&rez for the YHA board. They asked each candidate the following questions: A. YHA Commissioners shall not have any direct or indirect interest in any YHA pr ject or prOperty, this also includes contracts or services. If so this Commissioner shall disclose such interest in writing and not participate in any action by the YHA affecting such property. Do you have any contracts or interests that would apply to what I just said? Each candidate stated they have no conflicts. B. What interested you in serving and why did you apply? C. Please share with us some of your prior experiences, job tiUeo. responsibilities and how you believe they will be valuable if you were appointed commissioner? O. Do you have experience working with low and moderate income families or individuals? At 3:59 p.m., Lover moved and Cousens seconded to adjourn to Executive Session for 10 minutes to review the qualifications of the candidates. Executive Session was held and adjourned at 4:07 p.m. Council Member Lover stated they are all great candidates; hovvever, he is recommending appointment of Luz Bazan Gutierrez based on the following: interviews; education level; superviaion, nnonagennent, and executive experience; employment history and professional experience. Council Member Cousens stated she is recommending Nick Marquez due to his diverse talents in his variety of positions: real estate; data experience; actively engaged in volunteerism in Yakima and he seems to be able to get on the same page with people of low, modest or medium incomes. 3) Review vacancies on other boards & committees a. It was Committee consensus to schedule interviavva, with those previously ee|eoted, in approximately two weeks for the Parks & Recreation Committee and Community Review Board. If someone confirms and then cannot make the intarvievv, it will not be rescheduled, b. Board of Appeals (two vacancies for engineehng, mechanical contractor or developer) — it was Committee consensus to appoint Mike Heit (engineer), the lone app|icant, to the engineering vacancy. c, Hotel/Motel — Tourist Promotion Area Commission — it was Committee consensus to appoint Sarah Davila with the Oxford Suites to the vacancy as nominated by the Yakima Valley Lodging Association. (Members must be operators of lodging businesses within the TPA or employed by the operator of such a lodging business and must be nominated by the Yakima Valley Lodging Association). d. It was Committee consensus to appoint Charlie Robin, of the Capitol Theatre, to replace Mike Latimer, of the Capitol Theatre, on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee e. It was Committee consensus to schedule interviews on two separate days, for ten minutes each, for the Bike/Ped applicants. f. It was Committee consensus to discuss, with the full Council, establishing an application deadline for the Community Integration and Ethics and Equal Rights Exploratory Committees. The meeting adjourned at 4:37 p.m. brii • ver.Ch8|[ / Naggr lir YAKIMA HOUSING AUTHORITY "Committed to Safe and Affordable Housing" To: City of Yakima Nominating Committee: Council Members Bill Lover, Holly Cousens, and Avina Gutierrez From: Bob Ponti, Chair Yakima housing Aut Cc: City of Yakima Mayor, Kathy Coffey Date: August 18, 2016 Re: Yakima Housing Authority Board of Commissioner Vacancy and Selection Process As you know, Yakima Housing Authority (YHA) and the City's Nominating Committee have been working diligently to fill an open position on the YHA's Board of Commissioners. This current vacancy has exposed what we feel are some deficiencies in the processes used for advertising, screening, interviewing and evaluating candidates. For example, the City uses a general application for a wide variety of Boards, rather than specific applications that are tailored to particular Board's needs. Additionally, the Nominating Committee does not always conduct candidate interviews and was initially prepared to make a recommendation for YHA's current vacancy based solely off of resume submissions. While these processes and procedures may have served us well in the past, (and may still serve the myriad of other boards and commissions over which the City has appointment authority or responsibility), we do not feel they are specific enough for our current needs. YHA's operations have become extremely sophisticated over time. YHA has a ten million dollar operation and administers programs governed by ever-increasing complex laws and regulations. We feel that the current practices overlook the unique and specialized needs YHA has for its BOC composition and the important role it serves to carry out YHA's mission. We wish to collaborate with the Committee on how to strengthen the appointment process and set priority criteria for the current vacancy and for those that may occur in the future. For future vacancies, YHA would like to work directly with the Committee to revise the application that is currently in use so it is more specific to YHA's particularized needs. YHA could also join efforts for advertising vacancies and recruiting qualified applicants. For both current and future vacancies, we would like to join in developing evaluation criteria and interview questions that are specific to our unique needs and the skill sets that best fit our mission. P.O. BOX 1447 Yakima WA 98907 A wv, ynkititellotNe cj eicj 810 N. 6th Ave, Yakima WA 98902 PH 509. 453. 3106 FX 500 45"i. il 1 1 TDD I 800 545 1833 ext 560 I have already made a recommendation regarding the candidate that seems to be the best fit for our current program needs. We would, however, be happy to provide you with (or even better work together on) a set of questions that could be utilized for the current vacancy if necessary, as well those that may arise in the future. We plan on attending the next Nominating Committee meeting where the current applicants will be interviewed, and we hope you will allow us to participate in your process. YHA recognizes the separate rolls and functions of the City and realizes that the City has the statutory duty of appointment when BOC vacancies occur. We are certainly not trying to usurp those duties or unduly interfere with the functions of the City's Nominating Committee. Engaging in a collaborative process from this point forward will benefit all of us and will help insure that our procedures and processes are 1) fair to applicants, 2) meet YHA's unique needs and requirements for its BOC members, and 3) allow the City to make sound and supported appointments. YHA looks forward to working with the City and its Nominating Committee and looks forward to your prompt reply. I NIIN . YAKIMA HOUSING AUTHORITY "Committed to Safe and Affordable Housing" August 11, 2016 To: Yakima City Council Board Nominating Committee From: Bob Ponti, Chairman, Yakima Housing Authority Board of Commissioners ' Subject: Board of Commissioners membership selection I am offering this written statement to the Nominating Committee for its consideration regarding its upcoming review of applicants and recommendation decision to the Yakima City Council, which will make the appointment to fill and serve the open position on the YHA Board of Commissioners (BOO,. I have several purposes in doing so. First, it is important that the Nominating Committee understand the role of the BOC and its governance of YHA, the BOC's current composition, and the skill sets necessary for carrying out the business of the BOC. Second, I wish to offer my evaluation of the candidates and make my recommendation as to the candidate that I believe would best fill the open position. Last, I feel it is important to express and address some concerns about recent issues that have arisen due to what appears to be a lack of procedural process for advertising, screening, interviewing and selecting candidates when BOC positions become available. On this last point, it is my aim to begin addressing these issues so that the BOC has more direct involvement and a greater voice in these processes because YHA is a distinct entity having no real functional ties to the City excepting the few laws governing appointment and removal of BOC commissioners. The BOC governs YHA and provides leadership and direction to YHA's Executive Director. Understand that YHA is a complex, multi-faceted organization that develops, operates, and maintains multiple ousing projects within its areas of operation. YHA also has onerous responsibilities for administering * � and meeting the requirements of federal/state/local funding programs that make the projects and rental assistance programs possible. These projects and assistance programs are sophisticated to say the least. They require the utmost attention and dedication of BOC members who, working with YHA Executive Director, have to make critical decisions about them to carry out YHA's basic mission to provide safe, decent, and sanitary housing for the people YHA serves. In my experience, serving on the BOC is a rewarding, though very challenging role, and not to be taken on lightly. The present composition of the BOC is diverse with two men and two women presently serving. In my experience, BOC members have traditionally been selected to complement each other's skills to be able to meet the important roles I just outlined above. At present, the skill sets across the group includes, among others, governmental program management for low income individuals, contract management, mortgage banking for first time homebuyers, low-income consumer and homeless advocacy and volunteerism, and executive directorship of educational programs for children. P.O. BOX 1 Yakima WA 98907 ° w°w.yohimohov,ingu,g 810 N. 6th Ave. Yakima WA 98982 ° PH 509. 453. 3106 FX 509. 453. 3l l l * TDD l. 800. 545. 1833 ext 560 ■ With the above in mind, and from my own evaluation of the applications that the City forwarded to YHA, I am recommending and encouraging the Nominating Committee to select Nick Marquez as its recommendation to the City Council for appointment as the new BOC member. Understand that this is my own evaluation and recommendation, and not that of YHA, because the Open Public Meetings Act does not allow me to meet or solicit input or consensus from my fellow BOC members without holding a public meeting, which has not occurred due to the process issues I will address further below. I am recommending Mr. Marquez because YHA is embarking on an innovative veteran's housing and education project in conjunction with Perry Technical Institute to provide stable housing and a consolidation of veteran's services in Yakima. YHA has the backing of Federal, State and Local government and is in process of procuring the site which is the former Armory on S. 16th Avenue. As a military veteran, Mr. Marquez brings expertise from his logistical training and employment and credibility that will be necessary and beneficial for working with our veteran based service providers. Veterans' issues, needs, and services are very much at the forefront of people's minds and transcend politics. In my opinion, Mr. Marquez's veteran status would provide crucial credibility with the veterans that YHA is going to assist. He is also of Hispanic origin which is another demonstrated element of Board diversity. Though another male candidate has an extensive financial lending and mortgage industry background with desirable skills, that skill set is currently represented with one of the existing BOC members at present. Finally I do not recommend the other female candidate because I see clear issues presenting conflicts of interest, whether real or potential. First, she is the mother of the Yakima Mayor. It is my understanding that the current law provides that the Mayor is vested with the authority to remove a commissioner for inefficiency or neglect of duty or misconduct in office. It would seem to me that the City would avoid any potential situation where that could become an issue. Second, she is also a landlord, which in my experience has been a disqualifying factor in the past. Even if deemed a legal appointment, the conflicts, however interpreted by City leaders, will exist in practice whether real or potential. Just the perception of the conflict should be enough that the Nominating Committee would disqualify this candidate. Though this candidate has extensive program experience and low income advocacy, that particular skill set is already present with other BOC members in my opinion. The issues I raise regarding the other two applicants stem from what are larger, procedural problems with what I perceive as a lack of a more formalized process that directly involves YHA and its BOC when advertising, screening, interviewing and selecting candidates for appointment. The BOC has usually had an active role in the selection of Board members when vacancies become available. The BOC's recommendations are then forwarded to the Nominating Committee, which has usually resulted in its support and subsequent City Council approval. That did not occur with respect to the current vacancy. YHA and its BOC was practically left out of all phases of the Nominating Committee's process (or lack thereof) this time and had to utilize its legal counsel at the last City Council meeting to postpone their appointment of the Nominating Committee's selected candidate. I do not understand the urgency of this appointment by either the Nominating Committee or the City Council. First, the BOC currently has a quorum of members, so I really question the necessity for the accelerated process being undertaken by the Nominating Committee and City Council at this time when the BOC is fully capable of governing YHA's business. An even greater concern that I have is that the accelerated process to fill this vacancy seems to negate meaningful advertising for the position and the fair, essential, and thoughtful processes required for candidate screening, interviewing, and deliberation. This appointment process has fallen short of those aims, which is a genuine problem in my opinion because the BOC serves such a critical role in the success of YHA as an organization. The accelerated time frame has not allowed the BOC as a whole to consider the applicants through a formal meeting, as I addressed above. Quite simply, there must be more consideration given to the needs of the BOC going forward and greater opportunity for meaningful input from the BOC, which should be given great weight and due deference when BOC positions open. Whether the Nominating Committee and City chooses to keep the appointment of BOC members as its own function, or looks to the BOC to take on some of those functions to streamline the process for the Nominating Committee, I expect and look forward to a more thoughtful procedures by City officials at all levels for future BOC member appointments. To that end, I hope that we could develop a more workable process and formalized procedures for all parties in the future that serves the City's responsibilities, YHA's requirements, needs and aims, and our shared responsibility to applicants, who are deserving of a more full, fair, and standardized approach for selection to serve in a challenging and rewarding role that advances the honorable mission of YHA. Distributed at the Meeting r1 i;i q -69 ► _S YAKIMA HOUSING AUTHORITY "Committed to Safe and Affordable Housing" September 2, 2016 Kathy Coffey, Mayor City of Yakima 129 North Second Street Yakima, WA 98901 RE. Housing Authority of the City of Yakima Board of Commissioners' Recommendation for Vacancy Appointment Dear Mayor Coffey The Board of Commissioners (BOC) for the Housing Authority of the City of Yakima supports Council Member Holly Cousen's recommendation of the appointment of Nick Marquez to the vacant position on the BOC The BOC recommends Mr Marquez over the other two candidates because he possesses a unique set of qualifications, including veteran expenence, that would be the most complimentary to the BOC's present composition. Our executive director, Lowel Krueger, and Commissioner Linda Orozco, attended the Nominating Committee's meeting on August 29, 2016, and observed the interviews of all three candidates to our Board. There was a split m the Committee's recommendation with Bill Lover recommending the appointment of Luz Gutierrez, and Holly Cousens recommending the appointment of Nick Marquez. Our Board then met on September 1, 2016, to review the three applications as well as to review the Nominating Committee's process. While we all agree that the three candidates have exceptional skills and abilities, the appointment of Nick Marquez would fill a void on our Board and feel that he would be a tremendous asset to us as we work to expand services to veterans in our area. The BOC is diverse and currently benefits from the members' complimentary skill sets, which include, among others, government program funding and management for low income individuals, contract management, mortgage banking for first time homebuyers, low- income consumer and homeless advocacy and volunteerism, and executive directorship of educational programs for children. Mr Marquez's military service, experience, and veteran status would fill a void on the BOC that is not otherwise represented by the current BOC members. The agenda and supporting documents for the upcoming September 6, 2016, Council meeting contains two prior communications from Bob Ponti, the Chair of the BOC to the Nominating Committee. Those are attached for ease of reference. As you can see, YHA made several attempts to work with the Nominating Committee regarding our current vacancy and the overall PO. BOX 1 447 Yakima WA 98907 +F www yakimahousiny.ory 810 N 6th Ave. Yakima WA 98902 • PH 509 453 3106 • FX 509 453 31 1 1 D TDD 1 800 545 1833 ext 560 selection process and procedure in general. The BOC had hoped for greater collaboratively work on a process and procedure that would be fair, meet YHA's unique needs, and assist the City in reaching a decision when vacancies occur on the BOC, which would be of great benefit to the community and the population we serve. Thank you for your consideration. We trust that you will find the BOC's recommendation and input helpful in your decision making and that you will support our recommendation of Mr Marquez. Sincerely, Christine Goodwin Vice Chair Board of Commissioners, Housing Authority of the City of Yakima Cc Council Member Dulce Gutierrez Council Member Avina Gutierrez Council Member Carmen Mendez Council Member Bill Lover Council Member Maureen Adkison Council Member Holly Cousens