DEPARTMENT: Office of the City Clerk
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Leticia M. Vacek (OCC)
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Mayoral
SUBJECT:
Appointments to the San Antonio Housing Commission (9 Slots)
SUMMARY:
An ordinance appointing the Chief Executive Officers or Executive Directors of the San Antonio Housing Authority, San Antonio Housing Trust, San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, and VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority, or their designees; and Robert J. Abraham, Jessica O. Guerrero, Marianne Kestenbaum, Lourdes M. Castro Ramirez, and Dr. Theodore Paul Furukawa to the San Antonio Housing Commission for an initial term of office to expire May 31, 2019.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City Council passed Ordinance 2018-11-15-0919 reconstituting the San Antonio Housing Commission on November 15th, 2018. Per the Ordinance, the nine member Board automatically consists of the CEOs/Executive Directors of the following entities:
1. San Antonio Housing Authority
2. San Antonio Housing Trust
3. San Antonio Economic Development Foundation
4. VIA Metropolitan Transit
Since the CEOs or Executive Directors of the above four entities are automatically appointed to the Commission per Ordinance 2018-11-15-0919, no individual appointments are required to be made. However, this ordinance will allow the CEOs or Executive Directors to designate other appropriate personnel from their respective entities to attend meetings of the Commission to ensure consistent representation by these entities at Commission meetings.
The remaining five initial members are to be filled at large by mayoral nomination in consultation with the City Council and approved by the full City Council. Thereafter, subsequent appointments to the Commission are to be made by the Mayor without further action by the City Council.
Applications for the five at large member appointments were submitted to the Office of the City Clerk who forwarded the applications to the Office of the Mayor, the Neighborhood & Housing Services Department and the City Attorney’s Office for review. After approval by pertinent City Departments, a memorandum designating each nominee was submitted by the Mayor’s office to the Office of the City Clerk for preparation to present the nominations to the City Council for approval.
ISSUE:
Initial Board appointments require full City Council approval. Subsequent appointments may be made solely by the Mayor without further City Council action.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Office of the City Clerk will continue to advertise vacancies.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact.
RECOMMENDATION:
In order to proceed with the direction of the City Council, the Office of the City Clerk recommends approval of the Board Appointments.