Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Senior Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Clara council appoints four to Senior Advisory Commission after interviews
Summary
At a special March meeting, the Santa Clara City Council interviewed applicants and appointed four residents — Alma Soto, Rick Andrews, Chris Kapadia and Rebecca Seldin — to partial terms on the Senior Advisory Commission.
The Santa Clara City Council on Thursday interviewed candidates and appointed four residents to partial terms on the Senior Advisory Commission.
The council appointed Alma Soto to a partial term ending June 30, 2028; Rick Andrews to a partial term ending June 30, 2027; and Chris Kapadia and Rebecca Seldin to partial terms ending June 30, 2026. The motion to appoint the four passed unanimously by those present.
The interviews were conducted in a hybrid session; Assistant City Clerk Nora Pimentel explained the process and said applicants had three minutes for opening remarks, time for council questions and one minute for closing remarks. Several applicants described local volunteer work and reasons for seeking the advisory role. Rick Andrews, a returning member who said he had recovered from a stroke, told the council, “I’ve lived here in Santa Clara for 30 plus years” and emphasized prior service on the commission. Rebecca Seldin said she applied to “share the word” about services she had sought while helping her parents, and highlighted outreach as a priority.
Applicants and council members discussed possible work-plan items including the Health and Wellness Fair, senior housing and transportation. Candidates urged renewed commission involvement with city events and programs that connect older adults to services; Kapadia and Soto emphasized community outreach to reach under-served seniors.
The council noted there had been six original applications for the five partial terms advertised; one withdrew before interviews and one later declined to participate, leaving four interviewed candidates this evening. After public interviews and a vote, the council directed staff to contact the appointees to arrange oath-of-office and orientation sessions.
The appointments were presented as advisory positions: the Senior Advisory Commission researches and recommends programs for older residents, but does not itself make binding policy or appropriate funds.
Council members present at the vote were Councilmember Gonzales, Councilmember Shahald, Councilmember Hardy, Councilmember Park, Vice Mayor Cox and Mayor Gilmore. Councilmember Jane was recorded as absent earlier in the meeting.
