Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Noelia Corzo, District 2
Subject: Appointment to the Community Action Agency Board
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for the appointment of Paul Nagengast, City of Half Moon Bay Councilmember, to the San Mateo County Community Action Agency Board, as Public Sector representative for an initial two-year term ending in January of 2027, and to inform the Board of Supervisors of his intent to select as his representative, Julissa Acosta, a City of Half Moon Bay Management Analyst - Community Services.
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BACKGROUND:
The San Mateo County Community Action Agency Board (SMC-CAAB) oversees the Community Action Agency, the role of which is to provide oversight and direction regarding the use of Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding. The San Mateo County Human Services Agency administers the CSBG grants and contracts in consultation with the SMC-CAAB.
The SMC-CAAB by-laws state that one third of the Board Members shall be elected public officials or their representatives, in one or more of the following categories to represent the public sector perspective on the Board:
• Member(s) of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors;
• Member(s) of the Town or City Council of any town or city located in San Mateo County.
The SMC-CAAB by-laws also state that the Board of Supervisors is responsible for selecting and appointing the public sector representatives. The by-laws further provide that Public officials who are designated for representation on the SMC-CAAB may choose representatives to serve in their place or in their absence.
The Board currently has a vacancy for a public sector appointee.
The by-laws also specify that the Annual Meeting of the SMC-CAAB is to be held in January of each year and that all appointments that occur after the Annual meeting will end after the second Annual Meeting following appointment. Members of the SMC-CAAB may continue to serve until their successors are elected or appointed.
DISCUSSION:
Supervisor Noelia Corzo, who serves as the Board of Supervisors’ representative to the SMC-CAAB, recommends the appointment of City of Half Moon Bay Councilmember, Paul Nagengast. Councilmember Nagengast has indicated his intent, if appointed, to select Julissa Acosta, Management Analyst - Community Services, as his representative on the SMC-CAAB.
Julissa Acosta was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico and moved to Half Moon Bay in 2000. From an early age, she saw the value of hard work with both of her parents being farmworkers. Due in large part to sacrifices by those who paved the way, and coupled with her own drive, Julissa went on to be the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning degrees in early childhood education, interior design, holistic nutrition, business administration, and most recently - a master’s in management and leadership.
Julissa has a true passion for service, and her career spans the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. She currently works as a management analyst for the City of Half Moon Bay where she administers the City’s nonprofit grantmaking program, and has regular interaction with local nonprofits, homeless outreach teams and the faith-based community to address social issues through community services and resource linkage. She played an instrumental role in the severe winter weather storms of 2023 by setting up a temporary evacuation point for displaced coastsiders and worked on the front lines for two years following the shooting that took place on January 23, 2023, providing resources and securing temporary housing funds for displaced farmworkers.
Julissa is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. She serves on San Mateo County’s Commission for the Status of Women and has focused her efforts in supporting childcare access and economic health within the County. In her spare time, you can find her teaching capoeira, trying new foods, and traveling with her husband and two children.
EQUITY IMPACT:
The Community Action Agency seeks to provide services and resources that promote and encourage self-sufficiency for the most vulnerable members of our community. By recommending the appointment of a member of the City Council of Half Moon Bay, we aim to strengthen representation from the Coast, a community that has faced barriers in accessing resources and decision-making spaces.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.