San Gabriel council appoints four to Community Services Commission; one chosen for one-year seat

The City of San Gabriel City Council on May 8 appointed four residents to the Community Services Commission after a series of three-minute interviews and a council ballot. The council selected Nancy Duong, Davis Barrantes and Cheryl Cabot for two-year terms and appointed Mary Wang to a one-year term; both motions passed on unanimous 5-0 votes.

The appointments followed a public, timed interview process in which the mayor, vice mayor and three councilmembers each questioned applicants for up to three minutes. Council members said they used individual ballots to select four finalists; the council then allocated the single one-year seat among those selected. Council Mayor Denise Menchaca announced the interview format at the start of the hearing.

Why it matters: the Community Services Commission advises the council on parks, recreation, community events and related programming that affect San Gabriel residents, including seniors, youth and multilingual communities. Several applicants emphasized outreach and programming priorities that could shape the commission’s work in the coming year.

What the council decided: City staff reported a consensus ballot result leading into the formal votes: 5 votes for Nancy Duong, 5 votes for Davis Barrantes, 4 votes for Cheryl Cabot and 3 votes for Mary Wang. Councilmember Herrera Avila moved to assign the single one-year term to the candidate with the lowest ballot total (Mary Wang); that motion carried 5-0. The council then moved to appoint Nancy Duong, Davis Barrantes and Cheryl Cabot to full (two-year) terms; that motion carried 5-0.

During interviews, applicants repeatedly described priorities for the commission. Incumbent Nancy Duong said she wanted to continue serving after two years on the commission, noting efforts to expand inclusiveness and use digital tools for outreach: "I would love to continue to serve my community in this capacity." Davis Barrantes, also an incumbent, emphasized programming for families and youth and described his interest in activities for children on the autism spectrum. Former commissioner Cheryl Cabot said she had enjoyed the role and praised city staff, adding, "They are second to none and they made us look good on the commission." Other applicants suggested ideas ranging from multilingual outreach and elder services to arts programming and expanded youth opportunities.

Process notes: council members used a two-step approach: first to choose four appointees by ballot, then to allocate a one-year seat among them. The council asked the city attorney and manager about the procedure before taking the motions; the council proceeded after determining the allocation approach need not be separately agendized. The formal roll-call votes on the appointments were recorded as 5-0 in favor on both motions. Councilmembers voting yes were Mayor Denise Menchaca, Vice Mayor Chan, Councilmember Ding, Councilmember Herrera Avila and Councilmember Wu.

No new ordinances, statutes or budget decisions were taken during the meeting; the item concerned only appointments. City staff said the council will memorialize the commission appointments in the council minute order and notify applicants of the results. The council noted the next regular meeting will be on May 20, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

The interviews and appointments filled three expiring seats and one existing vacancy on the Community Services Commission. Applicants discussed topics the commission commonly advises on — event programming, parks and pool facilities, youth ambassadors, multilingual outreach and ways to increase participation from underrepresented parts of the city — but the council took no policy action beyond the appointments.