Santa Clara council appoints Kaushal Varshney to Historical and Landmarks Commission

The Santa Clara City Council appointed Kaushal Varshney to the Historical and Landmarks Commission for a full term ending June 30, 2029. The motion passed 4–1 during a special meeting devoted to commission interviews and appointments.

Varshney, who told the council he has lived in Santa Clara for 25 years, described volunteer work organizing cultural exhibitions and presentations about Diwali and local history. “I have been resident of Santa Clara for 25 years,” Varshney said during his opening remarks, and said he would like to “keep the historical significance of Santa Clara” by preserving and publicizing specific historic sites.

The appointment came after city staff told the council four people had applied for the vacancy but three had since withdrawn, leaving Varshney as the sole candidate present for interview. Mayor Gilmore said she supported the appointment, calling Varshney “quite qualified” and noting his prior community work. Council member Hardy dissented, saying she was “just a little uncomfortable” appointing a sole remaining applicant and asked that recruitment be reopened to allow more comparison among candidates.

Council practice discussed during the meeting holds that applicants are typically appointed to one commission at a time; the city clerk advised the council that past practice has been to avoid appointing the same person to multiple commissions. Varshney told the council he would withdraw his other application for Parks and Recreation if appointed to the Historical and Landmarks Commission.

The council passed the motion to appoint Varshney by a 4–1 vote. The council’s record lists the outcome as approved with a 4 yes, 1 no tally; individual yes/no votes were not recorded by name in the transcript.

The appointee’s term runs through June 30, 2029, and the council did not adopt any additional direction to staff as part of the appointment.