HCDC recommends shrinking membership to seven, approves staggered terms and asks council to remove absent commissioner

The Housing & Community Development Commission voted to recommend that City Council amend its bylaws to reduce the commission from nine members to seven and to adopt a staggered 2‑2‑3 term schedule for appointments beginning February 2025. At the same meeting the commission voted to recommend that the council discharge Commissioner Datta Balde for prolonged, unexplained absences and open the seat for appointment.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the change aims to reduce long-standing vacancy problems that have made reaching quorum difficult, shorten the appointment cycle and ease scheduling. Members said a smaller panel and staggered terms would make it easier to fill seats and maintain continuity in committee work.

The commission’s discussion began when staff introduced a memo proposing how to move from nine to seven members. Commissioners debated several transition options and ultimately supported a 2‑2‑3 stagger (two seats expiring in one year, two the next, three the following year) so that not all terms end at once. Staff noted one complicating factor: a council appointee already holds a term running through 2028, which affects how…