The City Council meeting has begun, starting with interviewing Sunita de Tourreil for Human Relations Commission (HRC).
Join Virtually #pamtg
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Live tweet thread to follow
Join Virtually #pamtg
zoom.us/j/362027238
Live tweet thread to follow
Kniss: How will your diverse background help you better serve on the HRC?
de Tourreill: Listening, understanding, recognizing different viewpoints and values.
Background in scientific research also demonstrates ability to parse and analyze data.
de Tourreill: Listening, understanding, recognizing different viewpoints and values.
Background in scientific research also demonstrates ability to parse and analyze data.
Cormack: Two words to describe you and your work style?
de Tourreill: big-hearted (once got in trouble for spending too much time with patients @ UCSf) and dedicated
de Tourreill: big-hearted (once got in trouble for spending too much time with patients @ UCSf) and dedicated
DuBois: What do you think the City should do about people living in vehicles?
de Toureill: I haven't thought about it enough, but I feel like it's something quite complex and there's probably way for different sides (neighborhood residents and the unhoused) to be addressed
de Toureill: I haven't thought about it enough, but I feel like it's something quite complex and there's probably way for different sides (neighborhood residents and the unhoused) to be addressed
Tanaka: I love your entrepreneur background. As former small business owner (Chocolate Garage) how should we handle the devastation of retailers in our community?
de Tourreill: Small businesses in Palo Alto are already mostly gone, COVID only exacerbated an existing problem.
de Tourreill: Small businesses in Palo Alto are already mostly gone, COVID only exacerbated an existing problem.
Rugg: I can bring people together to reach mutual goals.
Police reform, racism, and homelessness need addressing.
Police reform, racism, and homelessness need addressing.
DuBois: How to address people living in vehicles?
Rugg: I live near churches with parking lots, I highly support homeless people in RVs to park there.
Rugg: I live near churches with parking lots, I highly support homeless people in RVs to park there.
Cormack: 2 words to describe you and your work style?
Rugg: pensive & creative
Rugg: pensive & creative
Fine: In your perfect world, what would the City spend more money on in terms of human relations?
Rugg: Senior services, "interracial relations" & police reform & "understanding other cultures".
Rugg: Senior services, "interracial relations" & police reform & "understanding other cultures".
DuBois: How would you deal with people living in vehicles?
Fojas: It's increasingly unaffordable for average person to live in Bay Area. Need to stop treating it as a temporary problem, and build our processes for that. Must decriminalize poverty.
Fojas: It's increasingly unaffordable for average person to live in Bay Area. Need to stop treating it as a temporary problem, and build our processes for that. Must decriminalize poverty.
Cormack: Two words?
connector.
strategic thinker
connector.
strategic thinker
Tanaka: How do you think about police reform?
Fojas: Must think about what outcomes we want, and use that to guide how we build a different way of thinking, about how police and all of our city services are used. The whole system bears some review.
Fojas: Must think about what outcomes we want, and use that to guide how we build a different way of thinking, about how police and all of our city services are used. The whole system bears some review.
Filseth: How does healthcare literacy fit in?
Chollampat: This pandemic showed how important telehealth is. Need to fund healthcare.
Chollampat: This pandemic showed how important telehealth is. Need to fund healthcare.
DuBois: People living in vehicles?
Chollampat: In Hawaii doctors "prescribed" shelter to unhoused people, showed really big impact on their health and well-being.
Chollampat: In Hawaii doctors "prescribed" shelter to unhoused people, showed really big impact on their health and well-being.
Cormack: Two words to describe you?
collaboration & listening
collaboration & listening
Fine: Who do you think gets listened to the most, and the least, in Palo Alto?
Chollampat: People who have power & wealth & pay the most in property taxes get listened to the most, and people living in vehicles or the street the least.
Chollampat: People who have power & wealth & pay the most in property taxes get listened to the most, and people living in vehicles or the street the least.
Chollampat: What do you look for in a commissioner?
Fine: understand what role the city can play
Filseth: understand that there's way more to spend money on than available
Fine: understand what role the city can play
Filseth: understand that there's way more to spend money on than available
Kinsky: It's time to act. Now is Now
Kniss: What have you learned in other countries that you can bring to the HRC?
Kinsky: Avoid hierarchy. We have to be inclusive, we have to listen to everyone’s ideas.
Kinsky: Avoid hierarchy. We have to be inclusive, we have to listen to everyone’s ideas.
Cormack: Your 2 words?
Kinsky:
non-hierarchical of course
& decisive, almost to a fault
Kinsky:
non-hierarchical of course
& decisive, almost to a fault
Filseth: How would you approach conflicts in the HRC?
Kinsky: Try and take everyone's views into account and make a decisive action accordingly. To re-engender public trust, actually take actions and try to make change, while adapting.
Kinsky: Try and take everyone's views into account and make a decisive action accordingly. To re-engender public trust, actually take actions and try to make change, while adapting.
Tanaka: How would you measure the performance of our police department?
Kinsky: Quite clear the KPIs have changed. Instead of convictions & arrests, it's about community engagement. Would be interested to work with experts to define metrics for social engagement.
Kinsky: Quite clear the KPIs have changed. Instead of convictions & arrests, it's about community engagement. Would be interested to work with experts to define metrics for social engagement.
Trainor:
Moved here this year to enroll my son in 7th grade here.
Grandparents lived in Addison.
Learned from my parents that it's my obligation to always be doing that to always engage with other people who are different than me.
Moved here this year to enroll my son in 7th grade here.
Grandparents lived in Addison.
Learned from my parents that it's my obligation to always be doing that to always engage with other people who are different than me.
Kniss: How did you get involved with gun violence?
Trainor: Living in Newton, CT, could not believe what was happening, strategized with others, ended up on board of Connecticans Against Gun Violence, held panels and fundraisers to push for gun legislation in the state.
Trainor: Living in Newton, CT, could not believe what was happening, strategized with others, ended up on board of Connecticans Against Gun Violence, held panels and fundraisers to push for gun legislation in the state.
DuBois: People living in vehicles?
Trainor: SJ doing something about tiny houses, seems interesting. Google has so much money, couldn't they build some? Or hold some sort of competition? So much disparity.
Trainor: SJ doing something about tiny houses, seems interesting. Google has so much money, couldn't they build some? Or hold some sort of competition? So much disparity.
Moving on to Public Arts Commission interviews.
First up is Marilyn Gottlieb-Roberts.
Application:
drive.google.com/file/d/10tKuX9…
First up is Marilyn Gottlieb-Roberts.
Application:
drive.google.com/file/d/10tKuX9…
Gottlieb-Roberts: I'm a working artist, I'm not sure that they have other artists on the panel. I am also a professor of art. The library has only two books about art and neither is available now, I'd like to see those lists expanded.
Kniss: Our applicant, great background in art, you've been in art for a long time. What's your favorite art piece in Palo Alto and one you're not quite as fond of?
GR: I enjoy the foraging islands because it was built as a collaboration...Our whole idea of public art, at least in this culture, starts with the Greeks. One thing all Greeks wanted for their citizens was for them to think beautiful thoughts and to do that you need to see beauty
Gottlieb-Roberts: I'm not crazy about the Bruce Beasley piece, it's a good idea but the sighting of it...
Cormack: What kind of art do you do?
GR: Classically trained painter
Cormack: What kind of art do you do?
GR: Classically trained painter
Cormack: Do you have thoughts on temporary art? Should there be more throughout the city?
GR: There are some things that are transient like a sandcastle. So yes. You can't always make things out of marble.
GR: There are some things that are transient like a sandcastle. So yes. You can't always make things out of marble.
Tanaka: What did you think of the BLM mural in front of City Hall?
GR: The good is that they did it. The controversy was around this character, it wasn't coming from the police. It was important that it happened. I thought about it a lot, what would I have done differently?
GR: The good is that they did it. The controversy was around this character, it wasn't coming from the police. It was important that it happened. I thought about it a lot, what would I have done differently?
GR: I would have made it less like an artwork and more like a thought experiment, a community thought experiment, a shared community thought experiment. This was almost like a lecture. A nice lecture.... I'm glad they did it but I'd have done it another way.
Stern: I applied 9 years ago and since then Palo Alto has come a long way regarding public art. In this weird physical environment, public art should be serving our community...
Stern: ...socially distant temporary events, for cohesion, a positive economic interest for businesses by generating foot traffic. Replacing high school spirit week with a mural competition...Roving photo stand for pet portraits
DuBois: You have a very interesting bkrnd. Creating art with neighboring communities, how would that happen?
Stern: We should reach out to EPA and work on a mural with them. I think it would build trust. We can also do a piece with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.
Stern: We should reach out to EPA and work on a mural with them. I think it would build trust. We can also do a piece with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.
Taylor: Current commissioner. For 6.5 years. Born and raised in PA. The city of PA has come a long way. There is a lot that has happened. We’ve won some wonderful awards. We are now in our "quick run" phase. Lots we want to accomplish in the next couple years.
DuBois: How would your fellow commissioners say you've added value?
Taylor: Private development spaces need to be more accessible. A lot of private developments don't want people to come onto their land but there's so much great artwork on those spaces.
Taylor: Private development spaces need to be more accessible. A lot of private developments don't want people to come onto their land but there's so much great artwork on those spaces.
Taylor: I'm really proud of the BLM mural. I was asked to help lead the project. Considering that we do have a group of African Americans in our community whose voices aren't heard. We did get a lot of really good dialogue. Some that surprised me - good and bad dialogue.
EF: This will be kind of a touchy feely question. If you go back on the commission, how can we help you with the kinds of people we put on the commission?
Taylor: I'm an artist but an informal artist. I'm also an activist. We just need people who are open minded and thinking creatively. We have a fantastic group of commissioners. This is one of our best yet. I'm the youngest.
Taylor: There's a lot of diversity - super important. You don't have to be a scholar in public art, just think differently and have fun with it. Public art matters. I just wrote an article about how the arts are essential. They really do help people in tough times and good times.
Shen: I've had the privilege of serving on the PAC. It's been an honor to represent and promote the BLM mural. In Palo Alto we have the luxury of public art which speaks for us and sometimes on behalf of us.
Shen: We need to continue to be dynamic. So proud of Nia and the team for bringing together African American artists. We need to be ready and willing to promote conversations.
DuBois: What would your fellow art commissioners say about the value you’ve added, and what do you think about term limits for the commissioners?
Shen: Spoke to preserve the number of commissioners for this commission....In the event that we lose seats I think it would be productive to have term limits. I'm a trained lawyer. I'm more of a governance person, to help build the process and maintain it through its life cycle.
Tanaka: You’ve seen what happened with the BLM mural?
Shen: It was important to have the conversation. It's worse when the conversation never comes to the fore.
Shen: It was important to have the conversation. It's worse when the conversation never comes to the fore.
Oral Communications:
🗣 2 weeks ago Council spent 4 hours discussing the status of an oak tree. Why did that even make it to the Council, and wasn't dealt with at a lower level?....Let's try to reinvigorate the arborist position and planning so this won't happen anymore.
🗣 2 weeks ago Council spent 4 hours discussing the status of an oak tree. Why did that even make it to the Council, and wasn't dealt with at a lower level?....Let's try to reinvigorate the arborist position and planning so this won't happen anymore.
🗣 {distorted sound} 50 people do something about it [..] trashed [..] landscaping [..] situation [..] plastic fence [..] ask Council to help with removing the trash and graffiti and
Fine: you may want to send us an email.
Fine: you may want to send us an email.
Fine: Thank you all for the shortest meeting in many many months.
Meeting adjourned.
Meeting adjourned.
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