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The Atherton City Council is set to discuss removing a member of the Environmental Programs Committee after she failed to show up to meetings and did not respond to emails, according to city staff.
The City Council appointed Atherton resident Sophia Tang, to the environmental committee in July 2025. She was the only applicant for one of three open seats on the volunteer body at the time. With two vacancies and one member about to resign, the five-member committee would have lacked a quorum and been unable to meet until another member was appointed.
While Tang originally applied for the Atherton Tree Committee (which is not one of the town’s official advisory bodies), she said she wanted to join the environmental committee to “give back to this beloved town in a meaningful way.”
The Environmental Programs Committee meets every other month and provides suggestions for outreach on environmental issues as part of the town’s Climate Action Plan. Committee members are unpaid. Its signature event is the town’s Earth Day Festival, which is scheduled on April 26 this year.
“I believe in Atherton’s Climate Action goals and would be honored to help shape programs that make sustainability accessible, visible and vibrant,” Tang wrote in her application. “It’s my hope to not only serve the present community but to be an example of civic engagement that my children will one day be proud to follow.”
According to city staff, while Tang attended the first meeting after her appointment, she missed the following three consecutive meetings, most recently on Jan. 22.
After each absence, city staffers said they emailed Tang but she did not respond.
Atherton town policy states that if a committee member misses two consecutive meetings without informing staff beforehand, the town will automatically vacate them from their position. However, the City Council can overrule that decision.
Since the environmental committee currently has five members, Tang’s removal will not impact its ability to hold meetings.
The City Council is scheduled to discuss Tang’s removal at its meeting on Feb. 18. If Tang is removed, the city will start recruitment efforts to fill her vacant seat.
