Happy New Year! Sorry for the delay – I’ve been wrestling with fixing my Twitter/FB integration.
We start the evening with no study or closed sessions. Instead, we start by certifying the results of the November election. We then say goodbye to the departing councilmembers and swear in the newly-elected councilmembers.
First item of business (“item 2”) is selecting a new mayor for a two-year term. The usual rules apply – any councilmember may nominate one person not themselves. Voting is held in nomination order, with each councilmember casting a vote for only one candidate.
Item 3 is selecting a vice mayor for a one-year term. Voting is held as with the Mayoral selection.
We then get to business. The consent calendar only has two items. The first item sets our calendar of regular meetings for the year. The second involves a loan guaranty to support Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority. SVCEA needs start-up capital to fund initial operating costs until it begins selling energy to customers. So Mountain View and Sunnyvale have agreed to be be the loan guarantors for this. Originally, we were going to be supported by Gilroy and Santa Clara County – the four of us are the only of the 12 agencies that aren’t General Law cities, and state law prevents General Law cities from acting as loan guarantors like this. But for some reason, Gilroy and Santa Clara County are hedging on being the guarantors, so Mountain View and Sunnyvale are left to cover the risk (which is pretty small).
Item 4 is our annual public hearing on study and budget issues. We won’t be taking any action on any of the proposed issues, other than possibly co-sponsoring additional new issues. This is primarily the public’s opportunity to speak on issues they want to support or oppose.
Item 5 is our annual review of priority and legislative advocacy issues. This is a list of issues that we identify as pressing city concerns that we want to advocate for with larger bodies, like the state. With a legislative advocacy position in place, staff and the Mayor can act to lobby for that issue without explicit Council approval, which is necessary, given how quickly issues come and go.
Item 6 is our appointment of councilmembers to intergovernmental relations committees. This will probably take some time, as the change in council has caused most assignments to become vacant.
And our final item is deciding where everyone sits for the next year. I’ve still got seniority, so after the Mayor and Vice Mayor, I get my pick…
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