City Council meeting has started! Live tweet thread to follow.
See OpenPaloAlto.org/Next for more info on what tonight's meeting is about, how to listen in, and how to make public comments.
See OpenPaloAlto.org/Next for more info on what tonight's meeting is about, how to listen in, and how to make public comments.
They just finished taking public comment on the Closed Session topic (Miriam Green v. City of Palo Alto), and have now stopped broadcasting for the duration of the Closed Session. We'll post again when they re-emerge.
The closed session is scheduled for 30 minutes, but it's common for these (and other agenda items) to run well overtime. We'll try to update our schedule estimates for the remaining agenda items as we go.
Today's schedule at the moment:
Sorry for the delay -- the Council has returned from closed session, and started their discussion on how to run virtual council meetings better.
Livestream on YouTube:
Livestream on YouTube:
Councilmember Greg Tanaka appreciates the "more diverse" callers since meetings went virtual, suggests methods for allowing public to show their video, and asks that City staff members try to also show their video when speaking.
Councilmember Tanaka also calls for broader and more fluid usage of screenshare for better communication, and
suggests stopping livestream on YouTube between sessions / during breaks to create "chapters" on YouTube that would be more navigable by the public.
suggests stopping livestream on YouTube between sessions / during breaks to create "chapters" on YouTube that would be more navigable by the public.
Vice Mayor Tom DuBois wishes there were not a 5-minute speaking limit for council members.
Mayor Adrian Fine and Councilmember Tanaka think it helps keep the discussion flowing, and multiple rounds are allowed.
Mayor Adrian Fine and Councilmember Tanaka think it helps keep the discussion flowing, and multiple rounds are allowed.
Public comment:
- It is a great idea to maximize video for councilmembers and staff, in the spirit of transparency
- Having video optional is a great way to invite participation from the community
- Zoombombing risk is overstated
- It is a great idea to maximize video for councilmembers and staff, in the spirit of transparency
- Having video optional is a great way to invite participation from the community
- Zoombombing risk is overstated
Public comment:
- Online access should continue even when meetings are no longer fully virtual
- Online access should continue even when meetings are no longer fully virtual
Oral Communications has started 20 minutes AHEAD of schedule.
This is now the time to call in with comments on anything NOT on the agenda.
Calling instructions at:
openpaloalto.org/next
This is now the time to call in with comments on anything NOT on the agenda.
Calling instructions at:
openpaloalto.org/next
Public Comment:
- Can City get input from Palo Altans on what public safety legislations to lobby for at the state level?
- City should support the passage of the Crisis Act, AB 2054
- Can City get input from Palo Altans on what public safety legislations to lobby for at the state level?
- City should support the passage of the Crisis Act, AB 2054
City Manager Shikada: We will address this and other topics at the meeting on the 24th.
Council taking Public Comment on the Consent Calendar.
Public Comment:
- Decision to reduce size of Human Relations Commission from 7 to 5 members didn't save any money, and was based on a report before the societal reckoning of past several months. It should be reconsidered.
- Decision to reduce size of Human Relations Commission from 7 to 5 members didn't save any money, and was based on a report before the societal reckoning of past several months. It should be reconsidered.
Public Comment:
- Youth vaping is a problem, but cultural tradition of hookah should be preserved in Palo Alto.
- Time of social movement and unrest is a bad time to reduce size of HRC. HRC commissioners are volunteers and already overburdened.
- Youth vaping is a problem, but cultural tradition of hookah should be preserved in Palo Alto.
- Time of social movement and unrest is a bad time to reduce size of HRC. HRC commissioners are volunteers and already overburdened.
Public Comment:
- Consent Calendar is supposed to be for routine approvals, why is there a Quasi-Judicial decision on it?
- Public Art Commission should not be reduced in size. It represents Palo Alto's diversity, and doesn't cost money.
Add your voice: OpenPaloAlto.org/Next
- Consent Calendar is supposed to be for routine approvals, why is there a Quasi-Judicial decision on it?
- Public Art Commission should not be reduced in size. It represents Palo Alto's diversity, and doesn't cost money.
Add your voice: OpenPaloAlto.org/Next
Public Comment:
- City should fully align public health policies with the County. Leaving any flavored tobacco on the market will harm children.
- Hookah is not cultural here, it is harmful and disproportionately harms youth of color.
- City should fully align public health policies with the County. Leaving any flavored tobacco on the market will harm children.
- Hookah is not cultural here, it is harmful and disproportionately harms youth of color.
Public Comment:
- There is clear relationship between tobacco vaping/smoking of any kind and COVID risk. Teens are getting tobacco from vape shops and not getting age checked. All flavors must be banned.
- There is clear relationship between tobacco vaping/smoking of any kind and COVID risk. Teens are getting tobacco from vape shops and not getting age checked. All flavors must be banned.
Public Comment:
- "Art is a salve particularly during trying times."
- Reducing Public Arts Commission and Human Relations Commission size reduce their diversity.
- "Art is a salve particularly during trying times."
- Reducing Public Arts Commission and Human Relations Commission size reduce their diversity.
Public Comment:
- We should protect old businesses like Mac's Smoke Shop. Vape products should be banned, but flavored tobacco should not.
- Banning all flavored tobacco products would put Palo Alto business owners at severe disadvantage.
- We should protect old businesses like Mac's Smoke Shop. Vape products should be banned, but flavored tobacco should not.
- Banning all flavored tobacco products would put Palo Alto business owners at severe disadvantage.
Public Comment:
- There's no teen hookah epidemic. Hookahs are 3 feet tall, require 20-40 minutes to set up, and expensive. It only comes in flavors, so banning flavored tobacco products would inadvertently ban hookah.
- There's no teen hookah epidemic. Hookahs are 3 feet tall, require 20-40 minutes to set up, and expensive. It only comes in flavors, so banning flavored tobacco products would inadvertently ban hookah.
Public Comment:
- Re: smoke ban: Good intentions aren't enough. Leaving things in the hands of the business community hasn't been enough. Council must step in.
- Smoke shop owner: we check IDs. Are we going to ban flavored beer too?
- Re: smoke ban: Good intentions aren't enough. Leaving things in the hands of the business community hasn't been enough. Council must step in.
- Smoke shop owner: we check IDs. Are we going to ban flavored beer too?
Public Comment:
- Reducing PAC size threatens quality of public art in Palo Alto.
End of public comment.
- Reducing PAC size threatens quality of public art in Palo Alto.
End of public comment.
Council passes Consent Calendar, including reduction of Human Relations Commission and Public Arts Commission
sizes (Tanaka and Lydia dissenting) and flavored tobacco ban (Dubois and Kniss dissenting). Dissenters agree with arguments in public comments.
sizes (Tanaka and Lydia dissenting) and flavored tobacco ban (Dubois and Kniss dissenting). Dissenters agree with arguments in public comments.
Council is now on break, will return at 7:05pm with City Manager Comments.
Foothills Park discussion not expected to start now until at least 7:15pm.
Foothills Park discussion not expected to start now until at least 7:15pm.
Council is back from break!
City Manager Updates:
- Pop-up COVID testing site coming soon. cityofpaloalto.org/testing
- Small Business Grant program needs donations:
cityofpaloalto.org/businessgrant
- Outdoor dining: soliciting feedback online: cityofpaloalto.org/summerstreets
City Manager Updates:
- Pop-up COVID testing site coming soon. cityofpaloalto.org/testing
- Small Business Grant program needs donations:
cityofpaloalto.org/businessgrant
- Outdoor dining: soliciting feedback online: cityofpaloalto.org/summerstreets
City Manager Updates cont'd:
- Online community briefings on Police available on YouTube
- Human Relations Commission recommendations on police practices to be discussed on 8/24 Council meeting
- Call for public input: courb.co/calaveartplan
- Online community briefings on Police available on YouTube
- Human Relations Commission recommendations on police practices to be discussed on 8/24 Council meeting
- Call for public input: courb.co/calaveartplan
Community Check-in on Summer Streets program is open to the public, but "we'll take no news as good news", says City Manager Shikada.
Community check-in is tomorrow on Zoom, 5:30pm:
Webinar ID: 99536028186
Community check-in is tomorrow on Zoom, 5:30pm:
Webinar ID: 99536028186
Interesting facts from staff presentation:
- Residency requirement violation citation has only been issued once in the past 20 years.
Proposed Pilot Program:
- $6 fee, over online reservation system
- max 50 non-resident permits per day
- residents would be prioritized
- Residency requirement violation citation has only been issued once in the past 20 years.
Proposed Pilot Program:
- $6 fee, over online reservation system
- max 50 non-resident permits per day
- residents would be prioritized
(Sorry this is a Parks & Recreation Commission presentation, not from staff.)
Also noted that the commission unanimously signed letter calling for full repeal of residency requirement in Foothills Park.
Also noted that the commission unanimously signed letter calling for full repeal of residency requirement in Foothills Park.
[Going to be reducing our rate of tweets and start summarizing more aggressively to make them more useful. Please let us know how we're doing via Twitter or openpaloalto.org/contact !]
Public Comment hi-lites:
- Why not send issue to ballot after the Pilot?
- $6 fee "smacks" of poll tax of Jim Crow South
- "I pay my taxes to keep it in this condition"
So far on opening Foothills Park to non-residents:
For - 4
Against - 2
A Song - 1
- Why not send issue to ballot after the Pilot?
- $6 fee "smacks" of poll tax of Jim Crow South
- "I pay my taxes to keep it in this condition"
So far on opening Foothills Park to non-residents:
For - 4
Against - 2
A Song - 1
Highlights from the song:
"This park is MY park, it is not YOUR park
From lake Boronda to the Page Mill roadway
From Montebello to Arastradero
This park was meant for only me.."
Unclear if this is satire or not.
"This park is MY park, it is not YOUR park
From lake Boronda to the Page Mill roadway
From Montebello to Arastradero
This park was meant for only me.."
Unclear if this is satire or not.
It is satire
Running tally of stances of public commenters on opening Foothills Park to non-residents:
For - 22
Against - 5
"It is virtually impossible to be working class and live in Palo Alto."
For - 22
Against - 5
"It is virtually impossible to be working class and live in Palo Alto."
Final tally of public comments on broadening access to Foothills Park to non-residents:
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 26 - For
🟦🟦🟦 6 - Against
Council returns to discuss and vote on the Pilot in a minute.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 26 - For
🟦🟦🟦 6 - Against
Council returns to discuss and vote on the Pilot in a minute.
On enforcing park policies on infractions like unleashed dogs:
Councilmember Tom DuBois: What if they just never come back to pay the fine?
City Attorney Molly Stump: We have to look into that. But frankly that concern applies to Palo Alto residents as well.
Councilmember Tom DuBois: What if they just never come back to pay the fine?
City Attorney Molly Stump: We have to look into that. But frankly that concern applies to Palo Alto residents as well.
Open Space Manager Daren Anderson: The number of people that would be allowed in the Park under the Pilot would not be an appreciable change. And the cap would be adjustable in light of observed impacts.
Councilmember Lydia Kou: Won't this increase the carbon footprint?
Open Space Manager: Hard to say.
City Manager: Having more people being able to enjoy the environment would also result in more people appreciating the environment.
Open Space Manager: Hard to say.
City Manager: Having more people being able to enjoy the environment would also result in more people appreciating the environment.
Councilmember Cormack motions to greenlight the Pilot, seconded by Mayor Fine.
Councilmember Kou proposes a substitute motion
put this item to vote by Palo Altans, possibly on the 2022 ballot. Seconded by Councilmember Tanaka. Both cited fiscal concerns and their own surveys.
Councilmember Kou proposes a substitute motion
put this item to vote by Palo Altans, possibly on the 2022 ballot. Seconded by Councilmember Tanaka. Both cited fiscal concerns and their own surveys.
Councilmember Kniss asks if Kou and Tanaka would accept trying the Pilot now for a year, to collect data ahead of a ballot measure.
Kou adds stipulation to assess costs.
Tanaka adds stipulation that pilot remains revenue-neutral.
Kniss assents.
Kou adds stipulation to assess costs.
Tanaka adds stipulation that pilot remains revenue-neutral.
Kniss assents.
Councilmember Cormack say that the pilot cannot be revenue-neutral, and the cost of adding a ballot measure. She does not support the substitute motion.
Mayor Fine: "You don't put civil rights to a vote."
Mayor Fine: "You don't put civil rights to a vote."
The substitute motion passes, with Fine and Cormack dissenting.
This defeats the original motion move forward with the Pilot.
City Attorney clarifies that the motion will need to be refined and come back to Council for another discussion and vote.
This defeats the original motion move forward with the Pilot.
City Attorney clarifies that the motion will need to be refined and come back to Council for another discussion and vote.
Public Comment:
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 26 - Open access to Park
🟦 6 - Keep Park residents-only
City Council:
🟩🟩 2 - Do the Pilot
🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦 5 - Do the Pilot "revenue-neutral" and put issue on 2022 ballot
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 26 - Open access to Park
🟦 6 - Keep Park residents-only
City Council:
🟩🟩 2 - Do the Pilot
🟦🟦🟦🟦🟦 5 - Do the Pilot "revenue-neutral" and put issue on 2022 ballot
