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Sammamish council names new members to planning, sustainability, human services, parks and arts panels
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Summary
After interviews, the Sammamish City Council voted by ballot Jan. 13 to fill multiple advisory commission seats, appointing Mazahir Punawali and Ajay Chakrapani to the Planning Commission and naming winners for sustainability, human services, parks and arts panels; official appointments will be confirmed at a future meeting.
The Sammamish City Council on Jan. 13 completed interviews and closed ballots to fill a series of advisory commission openings, announcing winners for planning, sustainability, human services, parks and arts panels.
At a study session held at City Hall, council members interviewed in-person, online and read written responses from applicants for multiple commissions. Mayor Josh Amato explained the process at the start of the meeting and said each in-person applicant had five minutes to respond to council questions.
Following the interviews, the council held secret-ballot votes for two Planning Commission seats. The mayor announced the two winners as Mazahir Punawali and Ajay Chakrapani; the mayor said the council will vote at its next regular meeting to finalize those appointments. The council also announced the winners for the single-seat Sustainability Commission opening and seats on the Human Services, Parks & Recreation and Arts commissions:
- Planning Commission (two seats): Mazahir Punawali; Ajay Chakrapani (appointments to be ratified at the next regular council meeting). - Sustainability Commission (position 4): Stephanie Vallea (appointed during the study session process and to be placed formally on the roster). - Human Services Commission (position 7): Jisha Govan. - Parks & Recreation Commission (positions 4 and 5): Anna Yorba and Hank Klein (incumbents retained). - Arts Commission (two seats): Heather Pfister and an applicant announced as John (the council posted results and the mayor later said he would place the named John into position 3 and Heather into position 4).
Several applicants emphasized specific priorities during their five-minute interviews. Planning applicants stressed managing growth, transportation and preserving neighborhood character while complying with state planning mandates; sustainability candidates highlighted urban-forest management, rooftop/solar registries, waste reduction and emergency-preparedness planning; human-services applicants urged proactive teen-mental-health supports and more accessible, low-barrier community spaces; parks applicants pushed for trail connectivity, improved passive-use parks and consideration of a metropolitan park district to fund projects; arts applicants focused on outreach, artist support and a percent-for-art funding approach.
Mayor Amato noted that applicants who were not selected will remain in the applicant pool for additional openings unless they ask to be removed. The council’s announced winners will be formally added to their respective commissions after the council completes the administrative appointment vote at a subsequent meeting, as required by city procedure.
The appointment process included a period for written responses from applicants who could not attend in person; the mayor reminded applicants that position 3 for the Sustainability Commission would be opened and advertised with a Feb. 2, 5 p.m. application deadline and interviews for that seat were scheduled for the Feb. 10 study session.
Provenance: Topic introduced with the first Planning Commission interview (SEG 152) and continued through the appointment and on-screen tally results (SEG 732–776).
