The Sammamish City Council on Jan. 13 interviewed a slate of candidates for several advisory commissions and announced appointments to multiple commissions after private ballot tallies.

Applicants for the Planning Commission emphasized evidence-based decision making and rebuilding public trust. An unnamed planning commission applicant told council members, "I strongly believe in unbiased fact based decision making," and said listening to residents and grounding recommendations in data would guide their approach. Ajay Chakrapani highlighted long-range planning tied to Envision Sammamish 2044 and flagged traffic as a central issue the commission should address. Manisha Nigam, a Sammamish resident and licensed Washington real estate agent, said she would combine data analysis with empathy to inform walkability, sustainable housing and greenbelt preservation goals.

Council conducted ballots for two Planning Commission seats and announced the winners: Mazahir Punawali (position 6) and Ajay Chakrapani (position 7). The council indicated it will formally vote to appoint them at the next meeting.

Interviews for the Sustainability Commission centered on urban forest stewardship, residential incentives for energy-efficiency and rooftop solar tracking, neighborhood transportation solutions and waste-reduction programs. Deepali Parab and others described projects ranging from a roofscape registry to neighborhood compost stations; the council appointed Stephanie Vallea to the open sustainability seat.

Candidates for the Human Services Commission described gaps in upstream services for teens and seniors. Jisha Govan urged earlier intervention for youth mental health after citing data in a local Burke Report; council records show the appointment announced in the meeting as "G Shagovan," corresponding to the candidate who appeared earlier in the agenda.

Parks and Recreation applicants prioritized trail connectivity and the citys long-term parks, recreation and open space (PROS) plan. Several candidates pressed for completing the Williams Pipeline Trail and exploring a Metropolitan Park District to fund long-term park projects; the council re-appointed Anna Yorba and Hank Klein to their current parks positions.

Arts Commission candidates advocated for more visible, accessible art programs tying schools and young artists to public spaces and discussed options such as a percent-for-art concept for new development. The council announced appointments to arts seats and directed staff to follow up on next steps.

Throughout the interview blocks, applicants repeatedly emphasized transparency, community engagement and balancing state and regional requirements with local priorities as Sammamish implements the Envision Sammamish 2044 comprehensive plan.

Next steps: the council said it will return at the following regular meeting to formally adopt appointments and continue work on implementing commission recommendations.