Committee approves staff appointments; budget office to publish performance oversight schedule with in-person/hybrid clarification

The Committee of the Whole unanimously approved a resolution naming its committee staff on Jan. 21, 2025, and discussed publication details for the upcoming performance oversight hearings schedule.

Chair Phil Mendelson moved the resolution to appoint committee staff, listing Evan Cash as Committee and Legislative Director; Hannah Kozick and Aliyah McNealy as legislative policy advisors; Destiny Riley as constituent services specialist; Blaine Stum as deputy committee director; and Bijan Veil as legislative policy advisor. The committee approved the appointments by voice vote.

Budget office staff briefed members on dates for performance hearings and a separate high-level schedule for budget oversight hearings. The budget office official (referred to in the transcript as the Budget Director) said the schedule will be published in the Council register and online and asked members to inform the office which of their hearings will be in person, hybrid, or virtual so the schedule can reflect that.

Council member Hammond said he had printed the schedule and asked how the public will know whether a hearing marked "via virtual meeting platform" will actually be held in person. "How will we know if a hearing is actually going to be held in person?" Hammond asked. The Budget Director responded that staff will work with members to indicate in the next version of the schedule which hearings will be in person, hybrid, or virtual.

Before the staff appointments and schedule discussion, the committee approved routine motions to waive reading of the secretary's report and the secretary's log of introductions and referrals. The chair said the performance oversight schedule will be published in the register and that changes will be posted as updates.