Council discusses slate and size for Charter Review Committee; asks members to submit additional nominees

Erin Flores, deputy director of administrative services and city secretary, briefed council on Aug. 6 about the Charter Review Committee process and the staff‑recommended slate of appointees for a charter election tentatively scheduled for May 2027.

The matter matters because the committee will review the city charter and recommend changes that could appear on a citywide ballot. Flores said council previously directed that a charter election be held in May 2027 and that staff had collected appointee names; she explained the committee must be formed with at least 13 members but that the charter does not impose an upper limit.

Staff proposed holding an orientation for prospective committee members before adopting the formal slate so the committee could select its own chair and then return the nominated chair to council with the final slate. Council members discussed membership size and alternates: several members asked to add extra nominees per council district to allow for attrition and to avoid relying on alternate pools that might not participate actively. Council discussion favored an initial slate of up to 18 members so that attrition would not immediately reduce membership below the charter minimum.

Councilwoman Villafranca and others asked staff to consider excluding residents who had served on the most recent charter review cycles to broaden participation; council also discussed keeping membership balanced by district and said staff should prioritize candidates who have not recently served. Flores said staff will return preparedness materials and a slate for council approval at the Aug. 19 meeting if additional appointee names are received promptly. She also said the committee would likely meet monthly (rather than twice monthly) and that city legal staff would coordinate availability for attorney attendance.

There was no formal vote. Council asked colleagues to submit at least one additional nominee within about a week to allow staff to publish the agenda and present the slate on Aug. 19; staff confirmed they will hold an orientation and that the committee may choose its chair during that orientation before the formal slate is adopted.

Key clarifying points from the presentation: the charter requires formation with at least 13 members; staff suggested roughly three appointees per councilmember to reach an initial target of up to 18 members to allow for attrition; orientation prior to formal appointment was proposed to allow the committee to select a chair.