HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-16 Human Relations Commission Action MinutesADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
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HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Matadero Room
Mitchell Park Community Center
3700 Middlefield Road
9:00 AM
SPECIAL MEETING
ROLL CALL:
Commissioners Present: Kralik, Lee, O’Nan, Smith, Stinger, Xue
Absent: Brahmbhatt
Council Liaison: Council Member Wolbach
Staff: Minka van der Zwaag, Mary Constantino
I. ROLL CALL
Ms. Minka van de Zwaag Human Services Manager: There are no TV cameras but other abilities
so we’ll start. We have a couple official things like roll call to do so Mary will start with that.
Ms. Mary Constantino: Commissioner Brahmbhatt? Commissioner Kralik?
Commissioner Kralik: Present.
Ms. Constantino: Commissioner Lee?
Commissioner Lee: Present.
Ms. Constantino: Vice Chair O’Nan? Commissioner Smith?
Commissioner Smith: Present.
Ms. Constantino: Chair Stinger?
Chair Stinger: Present.
Ms. Constantino: Commissioner Xue.
Commissioner Xue: Here. Thank you.
II. AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
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Chair Stinger: Any agenda changes, requests, deletions? We have a full agenda, thank you,
Nancy.
III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Chair Stinger: No oral communications cards.
IV. BUSINESS
1. Welcome/Team Building Exercises
Chair Stinger: We’ll right into our plan of business…
Ms. Nancy Ragey: Fantastic right?
Chair Stinger: … which is also the plan of fun and development.
Ms. Ragey: Wonderful. Well good morning everyone, I’m delighted to be here with you this
morning. I’ve been learning about the work that you’re doing which is really exciting and
important. I know that there are new members and returning members and you’re just beginning
to form your team and that’s part of what we’re going to work on today. I did want to ask Valerie
if you want to say anything as we begin today in terms of what you’re hoping for or framing;
anything about the year ahead.
Chair Stinger: I do have some goals that I’d like to share. To start it off I have some social goals,
I hopefully get to know each other and build some strong bonds and some friendships and
working relationships. Structurally I hope we come out the other side of this at 3:01 clear on our
mission, clear on our priorities for the next year with some ideas of a work plan on how we’re
going to work together in the next year. I’m completely motivated; I just hope we come out with
a lot of energy and the opportunity… excited by the opportunity to accomplish something that
means something to us personally, that means something to us collectively and high energy.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, thank you. As I was working with Minka and Valerie on the agenda these
were the things that I was told you’d like to do which I think Valerie sort of articulated. So, we
want to help you all get to know each other a little bit better. Make sure you have clarity about
both your purpose and the major projects that you’re going to be work on. I want to have some
discussion about how you want to work with constituents, how you want to be perceived by your
constituents, what kind of experience you’re hoping they will have so we’re going to work on
that and then importunately we wanted to talk about a process. My understanding of your work is
that you have a set agenda of things that you intend to work on and members of the public who
will come before the Commission and have something that they are personally interested in
working on. We wanted to work today a little bit on how do you consider opportunities that
come up that weren’t part of your original agenda so we’re going to do a little bit of work on that
as it goes along today. That’s what we’re going to work on. What I’d love to do to get us started
is actually go around because I don’t know you, if you could introduce yourself, what you do
when you’re not serving on the Commission, maybe how long you’ve been on the Commission
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting.
Page 3 of 112
would be and the fourth thing that I’m really curious about is why you choose to serve. Why this
Commission? What drew you to this particular work? So Kaloma… say it for me?
Commissioner Smith: Kaloma.
Ms. Ragey: Kaloma, thank you. Can we start with you?
Commissioner Smith: yes.
Ms. Ragey: Ok.
Commissioner Smith: My name is Kaloma Smith. I pastor a Church that’s about a block and a
half away from here. The first question, that’s what I do. Why did I do HRC? I worked with the
HRC on two projects before and I felt that the work they were doing to at least promote
discussions in our community, tackle harder issues, do it in a constructive and complementary
way for the entire community was very attractive to me. I feel like the days of us sitting back and
sort of letting everything happen are over. So, this was a way for me to get civic engagement in
areas that I’m deeply drawn too.
Ms. Ragey: You are new, is that right?
Commissioner Smith: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: To the Commission itself?
Commissioner Smith: This is meeting number two.
Ms. Ragey: Alright, fantastic, thank you so much. I’d ask you to say your name again.
Commissioner Xue: My name? Qifeng Xue.
Ms. Ragey: Qifeng.
Commissioner Xue: For me, I’m working with this small biotech company in development. The
reason that I joined the HRC actually I saw some discussion (inaudible) in Palo Alto. Actually, I
have some specific goals for myself; my kids went to Gunn so a lot of mental stress. I don’t want
to specifically describe my kids and what they went through. I felt that it was very, very
challenging. If we communicate within this community, we share some ideas, if I can provide
some input so… that’s my main goal. As far as my experience this is the first public service for
me. I have never done this before. Also, I grew up in China and the cultural wise over there is
very different. You know we don’t have too much encouragement of people to participate in
these types of settings so I want to learn to provide my unique work and hopefully we can get
something out.
Ms. Ragey: That’s great, thank you so much.
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
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Ms. van de Zwaag: If could interrupt for just a second since it is a very small recorder if we
could just remember to speak up and to project so that we can record the minutes appropriately.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, great, thank you. Gabe.
Commissioner Kralik: My name is Gabe Kralik and I’m a former Commissioner with the Santa
Clara Human Relations Commission. When I saw the opening for this Commission I really
wanted to pursue it because I wanted to pursue local causes that would affect my children who
are growing up in this community. I wanted to participate in civic engagement and to give them
an example. I think my mindset about participation is kind of basic understanding of encounter,
to encounter individuals and people. I saw the Commission as an opportunity to become aware of
people, encounter their needs and concerns. Also, the opportunity to work together with folks in
Palo Alto to get to be more knowledgeable about what’s going on in the community and to work
together in a positive away with others.
Ms. Ragey: Are you new to the Commission?
Commissioner Kralik: Yes, I am just in…
Ms. Ragey: Is this meeting number two?
Commissioner Kralik: …for the second meeting.
Ms. Ragey: Alright, fantastic.
Commissioner Kralik: Meeting number two.
Ms. Ragey: What do you do when you’re not doing this?
Commissioner Kralik: I’m a Superior Court Hearing Officer. I hear on a part-time basis cases
related to mental health so I will go into hospitals, to the county jail and when folks are what
they call 52/50 they have a request by the hospital to keep them in care for 14-days. I hear both
sides of that dispute and I make a decision on that for the court. It’s a stepping stone I hope for
more quasi-judicial work as I move on my career from a previous career in which I was a patent
attorney in General Counsel.
Ms. Ragey: Great, thank you so much. Valerie.
Chair Stinger: This is the first year of my second term so old and new. Why I serve, certainly to
give something back. Prior to this I did a lot of international work in developing countries and
value the opportunity to do something locally in my community. I’m certainly the beneficiary of
a social safety net, education scholarships, and access to community services. I’d like to see that
extended in our community and protected in our community so that we can… support is not the
verb I want or encourage or grow people of… we just grow our citizens and have a diverse
responsive community. I guess that’s why I serve.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic.
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
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Chair Stinger: Diversity would be… I was writing down keywords that people have said and for
me, the keyword would be to provide diversity.
Ms. Ragey: Thank you. Steven.
Commissioner Lee: This is the second year of my first term on the Commission. I’m relatively
new to Palo Alto. I’ve lived here for about 2 ½-years but I grew up down in west San Jose. I’ve
served on six other Commissions since I turned 18. This is my third Human Relations
Commission. I’ve served on Social Services Commissions and Housing Community
Development Commissions for the county so very much a continuation of the service that I’ve
been doing. I kind of came of age in the post 9/11 world. I remember being in 8th grade US
History class when 9/11 happened so learning about American history and the Constitution with
what was going on post 9/11 with Muslim Americans in our country really framed my way of
thinking. As a minority who past historically faced a lot of discrimination but perhaps now
enjoys a bit more privileges I’ve tried to go out of my way to put myself in the shoes of folks in
our community and in our country, who may face that sort of discrimination today and just really
be an advocate for them. I’m someone who is relatively younger human relations work was
something that I could more easily access without having too much experience. If you had the
perspective and the passion and the understanding it’s something you can throw yourself into
without having to study planning or anything like that.
Chair Stinger: You don’t need Zoning Code.
Commissioner Lee: I don’t need to know all the Zoning Codes and so when I decided to put
down roots in Palo Alto for the long term I decided that I wanted to continue my service here and
work on these issues. I think it intersects with a lot of the public decision making and a lot of the
ways interact with each in so many different ways but often times it doesn’t get the priority it
needs; such as transportation or housing issues. I think it’s equally as important and affects those
decision makings and our interactions in subtle but important ways.
Ms. Ragey: Thank you.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Hi. I was just texting Jill and there she is. She came so now I can relax. I’m
Minka with the Office of Human Services and with the city for 20-years with most of that in
Recreation working a lot of the programs that you know about and managing our community
centers. I’ve been in Human services for, I don’t know, 7-8-years and it’s a great way to marry
my passion and commitment for social justice not only in my personal life so I get to do
everything that I wish I could do in my free time during my work time so that’s really great. As a
single parent, I find I don’t have that much time when I get home so this allows me to feel like
I’m still doing what I feel like I’m called to do in the world.
Ms. Ragey: That’s fantastic, thank you. Good morning, Jill. How are you?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Hey Nancy, how are you?
Ms. Ragey: I’m well, thank you. Mary.
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
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Page 6 of 112
Ms. Constantino: I work with the City and actually in November it will be 32-years. I don’t
know how that happened but 32-years. I started actually in Planning, I worked there for 2-years,
I was a half-time employee because my children were little and then I moved over to Lucie Stern
Center and actually was there for 26-years and did a lot of the events that I enjoyed very much
but it was a lot of work. There was a lot going on there and so then in 2014, I came over to
Human Services. I went back to school because I’d never gotten my Bachelors and it was it was
a business degree in Human Services and to Notre Dame in Belmont. So, it fit perfectly because
this position became open and so I had worked with Minka at Lucie Stern Center so we knew
one another. That made it easy to transition over to Cubberley so I’ve been there since 2014 and
helped with assisting the HRC since then.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, Jill, we’re just introducing ourselves and saying what called you to this
work, why do you choose to serve on the Commission so I’ll let you settle and then maybe you
could share that with us.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Sure, so I’m Jill and I have arthritis and move very slowly in the morning
that’s why I tend to run late.
Ms. Ragey: Oh, poor thing.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I have always been a passionate advocate for humanities and I have kind of
looked around in my life for ways to support those efforts, whether that’s racial diversity, gender
diversity, and multi-national diversity. So, a few years ago I met a current Commission names
Ray Bacchetti and we worked on a friends City Council campaign. Unfortunately, our friend was
not elected but Ray and I became good friends and I said to him when the campaign ended if you
ever see a community service position that you think I might be good for please let me know. A
few months later I got an email from Ray saying that there were some spots open on the HRC,
you’d be great for this, please apply. So, with Ray’s mentoring I joined and I’m always very
grateful to him for that. He’s since passed on but sort of my mentor in the sky now. I do think as
I’ve heard other people share that you know sometimes we have kind of a vocation or an
avocation. We’re not sure how to embed that in our day to day, have to make a living kind of life
and so volunteering on this Commission allows me to fulfill that part of myself.
Ms. Ragey: Interesting and how long have you been on the Commission?
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, I think I am the senior member at this point. I think I joined in 2010 so 8-
years.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic and what do you do when you are not doing this?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I’ve been a long-time writer and editor and a few years ago I began teaching
technical communication at Stanford.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, great. Lots of diversity, lots of different reason you’re here to serve but
there’s also a common thread of giving back and wanting to help your community become a
better place so that’s great. We’re going to learn a little bit more about motivations and what you
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting.
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bring and all that sort of thing as it goes along. I just wanted to just quickly walk through the
agenda today so we’re on the welcome and warm up. We’re going to spend about an hour talking
about team development and getting to know each other in a different sort of way. We’ll take a
break and then we’ll come back and spend some time setting the context about the year ahead
both what you need to know, the mission and what you can and cannot do just from a legal
perspective and then some of the projects that are underway and some new opportunities. We’ll
have lunch and then we’ll come back and we’ll talk about norms and expectations both in our
work together as well as how you work with others. Then we’ll talk about the goals and
aspirations for the year ahead, get you to sign up for things, I know everybody’s excited for that,
and to really understand what else you’d like to do as it goes along. Then we’ll wrap up and we
will adjourn by 3 o’clock today so that is our plan. I will say that this is your meeting, not my
meeting so if at any point you feel like you want to spend more time or less time or there’s
something that comes up, feel free to raise your hand and we as a group can sort of agree that
we’ll change course or whatever. The other thing is for the Type As in the room that are very
worried about time please don’t, that’s my job so if you feel like we’re running over or under
don’t worry about it. I promise we will be done by 3 o’clock and we will get through this agenda
so I just all of that. Alright so that is our plan and so the last thing that I want to do under the
welcome and warm up is to set some meeting norms or invite you to set some meeting norms.
One of the ways that I would like to do this is to start by asking you you’ve seen our agenda,
you’ve given… you’re getting 6-hours today and I would love to hear just some ideas about what
is the best outcome that you hope for when you walk out the door at 3:01? What would success
look like for you?
Chair Stinger: I’ll throw that out. I’d like to see some good energy. I’m hoping that maybe we
enter into an argument or a discussion and come out the other end with closure and agreement.
Ms. Ragey: Great. What else? Some of the rest of you, what’s the best outcome?
Commissioner Lee: I think…
Ms. Ragey: Yes.
Commissioner Lee: …for me I’d like to see a loose framework or schedule for what we plan on
doing over the next year so that we make continuous progress towards those goals. You know
sometimes it’s very easy with our day jobs to go from meeting to meeting and realize oh, another
month has gone by and haven’t really looked into that thing that I wanted to work on.
Ms. Ragey: That I said I was going to do.
Commissioner Lee: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, for sure, great.
Commissioner Lee: So, finding ways to support each other and keeping those goals together.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, great, thanks.
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
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Page 8 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Having have two or three things that want to focus on because there’s so
many big issues that we can go in another direction.
Commissioner Xue: Since we have so many things to work on that we need to work on our part
and pick out some of the priorities from this list and from there we can divide them to different
subcommittee to get something is done in the coming year.
Ms. Ragey: So, prioritizing the work and get clarity around that, right?
Commissioner Xue: Yep.
Commissioner Kralik: Just more of a practical understanding today of how the Commission
works because…
Ms. Ragey: Great.
Commissioner Kralik: …being new, you know what is the way in which others perceive this
Commission as being successful and understanding that so that we can accomplish what’s
expected of us.
Ms. Ragey: So, defining success both how perhaps you all will think about success as well as
how others perceive your success.
Commissioner Kralik: Right. I’m impressed that there was a Council Member at the first
meeting. That really impressed me so obviously somebody cares about the work that you do and
they expectations about what we give to them and how we accomplish what… I guess what they
aspect of us.
Chair Stinger: I’m glad you said two things that I want make sure we capture. One was the word
practical and standard operating procedures and then lastly you mentioned something that’s very
important to me is the impression that the Council has of us. I think it’s a good impression and I
want to work to increase and maintain that faith in our work.
Commissioner Kralik: Yes, I’ll be really frank about one of the things that we struggled with at
the county was we didn’t have a lot of feedback. It was like a missed opportunity in a sense that
when you set up a Commission to hear the public since we have these listening sessions, there
wasn’t a lot of feedback that went up with an understanding as to what was expected in terms of
deliveries. What is it that they want and getting on the scoreboard and accomplishing what is
expected is important.
Vice Chair O’Nan: For me, I’d like to see us have a more integrated approach. I think in the past
we’ve had a lot of ideas but that were kind of splintered and then people went off in a different
direction. Then with a lack of momentum and focus weren’t always able to achieve their good
ideas so if we had a more integrated approach I think (inaudible) we could achieve things.
Commissioner Smith: Can you go a little deeper at the integration? You said we do separate
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting.
Page 9 of 112
projects and how do they come together, right, you said that?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well, a good thing for us to do here is one, to do all this work that we’ve
been talking about. Focus on certain things and establish our priorities and then everyone on the
Commission really needs to get behind that. Whether you actively work on the project or you
attend the event or you make a couple phone calls to help out or you just give feedback on the
report when it’s written but we have at times gotten so splintered that it was just one or two
people kinds of holding up the sky. Other people out here not even really aware of what
colleagues were doing and then not only not being able to be supportive but not even really being
present. I think the whole HRC needs to have a whole holistic approach like we as a team really
support these projects. Not everybody has to be deeply embedded in every project at all times but
it would be good for all of us to be on that same page together and to help each other out in
whatever ways we can.
Commissioner Smith: Thank you for the clarification.
Chair Stinger: Yes, I think that’s well stated Jill and the other piece of that I’d like to react too is
when I first joined the Commission I felt it was this sort of soul of the community but there were
a lot of individual portfolios. I think we can integrate our activities in each year around a
particular need that we want to address or a particular goal. Not to say that everything has to be
aligned but I think we can get more harmony.
Ms. Ragey: Move towards less of individual contributors and more of a team and shared
understanding.
Chair Stinger: Team mission. Strategy.
Ms. Ragey: Anything else?
Commissioner Smith: Staff hasn’t spoken.
Ms. Ragey: Staff?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Oh, I would say all of the above. I really would like to see some focus on a
couple things again, in that everybody works as a team to make sure that it happens.
Ms. Ragey: Mary?
Ms. Constantino: I agree with what Minka had said that the teamwork and that all
Commissioners have a stake in something.
Ms. Ragey: That’s a great word, stake. So that there’s share the stake in the ground.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right to meet the common mission, not the individual mission. I think I
would say because you can make your individual mission the common mission because people
have passion and fire around an issue and that’s what’s going to happen at the end. At a certain
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting.
Page 10 of 112
point, it has to become the common mission because if someones a couple people, I’m just going
to work on this and then two or three people are like holding up the sky then that makes it hard
for us as Staff.
Commissioner Lee: Related to that common mission and mistake, I’d love it if we could find
ways to have the community feel like they are… they have a stake in it and that they share our
mission and our goals.
Ms. van de Zwaag: That’s good.
Ms. Ragey: Great.
Commissioner Kralik: I have an additional one. I think… I was filling out our form in the back
and I thought about what would make me feel good about participating and that’s really
becoming aware of the community. One of the things that happened at the first meeting was that
there was a guest who talked about the work that he did and separate in part from projects that
we may work on I think it's important to know that the work that others do in human relations in
our community. So, getting to know that, having that awareness, putting that on our agenda by
perhaps inviting them as speakers or opening dialog with the public I think is great.
Ms. Ragey: Great. These are things that as we walk away today you’re hoping will be
accomplished so that’s great. I want to ask you now a flip-sided question which is, well it’s 3
o’clock and this has been the most dreadful meeting you’ve ever been a part of. Not going to
happen but just too sort of throw that out there, what does that look like? What would… yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: One thing I dread is that we come up with extremely unrealistic goals that are
outside the scope of this Commission and are not achievable. Then we spend a year not really
doing anything productive.
Commissioner Smith: A room without compromise.
Ms. Ragey: Say more about that.
Commissioner Smith: Everybody has an agenda but in order for us to work as a team we have to
give a little bit on everything. Is it with their mindset that we all have our own goals which we’re
in a room full of Type As but how do we all give a little so that it’s better for the whole?
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic. What else would be 3 o’clock, we’re going home, and you need to take a
shower.
Commissioner Kralik: For me it’s unhappiness. I mean when my children engage in activities it’s
not important that they become Olympic stars or they do things that will make them a concert
violinist. What’s important is that they have happiness when they work together and so, I mean,
really kind of listening to one another and understanding what would make one another happy
and fulfilled about participating as a team.
Commissioner Xue: So, one thing what would make me feel bad is when we have in my
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting.
Page 11 of 112
company sometimes we have goals that we talk about then when we discuss them then oh, ok,
let’s postpone this to not make any decisions. Then for the next meeting, we can talk more so I
want to see that we can seriously take up two or three many thoughts.
Ms. Ragey: So, for you, if we kicked all the goals down the road, we made no decisions today,
we just walked away saying well that was an interesting 6-hours but we haven’t made any… that
would not work for you. Fantastic. What else? Anybody else? Things? Valerie, Steven?
Chair Stinger: I would echo Kaloma and Qifeng. I would like to have a good discussion and if
we come out the other end without closure that would be a failure for me.
Commissioner Lee: I think just piggybacking on some of what’s been said. If we left the meeting
without a clear sense of what we need to do between now and the next meeting or now and two
meetings from now or three meetings from now, I think that would be a bad meeting.
Ms. Ragey: Minka or Mary?
Ms. Constantino: The only thing I thought about was the actual work the people want to do. I
was thinking since there are new people on the Commission, and we don’t know everybody and
there could be really bad personality conflicts and there’s arguing going on or something like
that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: How dare you say that?
Ms. Ragey: Well and there may be different personalities, we hope for that, that’s important but
if we can’t figure out a way to work through those and everybody just ends up walking away
going oh no. Great, fantastic. Anything else what the worst outcomes would be? Ok so here’s
now what we’re going to do. In order to achieve the best and avoid the worst, I would love to
know what ideas you have for ground rules or meeting norms today that will allow you all to
achieve the best and avoid the worst. So, what do you need from one another? What do you need
in order to achieve the best and avoid the worst?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I would say and this is largely based on past experience, we do need to
establish our scope which is the Human Relations Commission is an advisory body to the Palo
Alto City Council. We can’t take on huge national issues, we can’t take on huge state and county
issues, the things that we decide we want to focus on have to be Palo Alto related and we have
had some problems in the past with people scaling out too far. Then we end up with something
that’s very amorphous and hard to address. I think especially for new members who sometimes
come in very idealistic and wanting to change the culture of the United States or fight Trump,
you know I’m with you but for this Commission, we’ve really got to establish our ground with is
Palo Alto.
Ms. Ragey: The rule may be that as we go through the various things we’re going to do today
that we keep a very local focus; a very Palo Alto-based.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We really have to because we’re… our feet will be held to the fire in terms of
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Page 12 of 112
City Council wanting recommendations and referrals that they can act on. Larger national issues
are not things that can be handled here locally.
Commissioner Smith: Within the right context.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Right. I mean we can tie into those things but we have to translate it into
something for Palo Alto.
Commissioner Kralik: What has been your experience? Get more specifically about that. Can
you give us an example to guide us?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well, for example you know we’ve had members… Steve, I hope you won’t
mind me mentioning… for example, my colleague Steven Lee has been very concerned about
Black Lives Matter Movement which I think we all should be but the reality is here in Palo Alto
we haven’t had police shootings. We haven’t had exactly that kind of experience that some other
communities have had. So, we could do a Black Lives Matter awareness type event here but it
would have to be translated for this culture because people right now have other concerns about
the police. So, we also have to meet the community where it is today so Palo Alto is interested in
these things but we’re not versed in them and we’re not a big metropolitan area. Frankly, we
don’t have a large African American population so there’s different…
Commissioner Smith: No.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Exactly, I’m sure Pastor said…
Commissioner Smith: Believe me, trust me, I know.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, there are just things that you know… but we do have other intercultural
issues. For example, there have been some issues with the Asian American community feeling
left out or not reached out too. We’re a different… we just have to meet this town where it is and
we are who we are but how do we address these needs here.
Ms. Ragey: You have to have a local context or keep mendable…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, exactly.
Commissioner Kralik: Does the City Council give us any indication of things that matter to them
in their interactions with us in some way?
Vice Chair O’Nan: They do sometimes specifically and the most, I think, important bed stone for
us right now is that about a year and a half ago Council sent a referral to the HRC in response to
the national election and they proposed a travel ban on Muslims. Palo Alto passes Resolution
that we are a safe and welcoming community and when the HRC got the charge to come with
policies, programs, and recommendations to the City Council on how to live that Resolution. Not
just make it words but can we really do so the things that we’ve been looking at have tried to
respond to that referral. I think we’re under a little bit…I’ll let maybe… maybe I shouldn’t speak
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Page 13 of 112
to it.
Chair Stinger: Yes, I’m going to speak to that…
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think we were under a little bit of…
Chair Stinger: … when we talk about our agenda.
Vice Chair O’Nan: There’s a little bit of pressure I think at this point where I’ve heard from
Council Members that they are a bit disappointed that we’re not responding more and giving
more concrete suggestions to them. So, they really want a response to that and I think that should
be something again that we should focus when we’re coming up with projects and programs for
this year.
Chair Stinger: I think there’s a way.
Commissioner Smith: Can you frame… I don’t remember the specific language on the
immigration and probably
Ms. van de Zwaag: I think we’re going to get to that a little bit later outside of the just the
meeting norms discussion.
Commissioner Smith: As I was saying it I was realizing we’re about to just…
Ms. Ragey: Yes so, we’ll get to that…
Chair Stinger: I just would respond to Gabe’s question…
Ms. Ragey: … real briefly so we can…
Chair Stinger: Yes, that direction from the City Council… we may be some anecdotally. We
also… they also have a retreat where they set their priorities for the year and we can… so we
know that and that’s a direction to us and to other Commissions as well.
Ms. van de Zwaag: But mostly they don’t.
Commissioner Smith: Are we still on meeting norms?
Ms. Ragey: We are still on meeting norms, yes, please.
Commissioner Smith: Model civil discourse that the Commission is supposed to have for the
community. That’s real… if we want to talk about human relation issues we have to start
modeling what civil discourse looks like here if we’re going to talk to the community about
actually having human relations.
Ms. Ragey: So, I’m going to ask you to unpack that for me.
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Page 14 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Oh, I can.
Ms. Ragey: So, can you say like what does that actually look like? What do people need to do to
achieve this?
Commissioner Smith: Active listening.
Ms. Ragey: Ok.
Commissioner Smith: Receptive posture, thinking through responses so it’s not just my gut
response based on the rederick that I bring, being issue focused, and using… I would use factual
not antidotal data to drive the discussion because sometimes I think… particularly we work in
these environments. We do a lot of antidotal stuff but since we’re dealing with the City, to your
point, you said the black population in Palo Alto I think is like 1.8 percent or some number in
that range. So that drives part of our discussion of how do we address that? The Asian population
is 40 percent so we can start using those factual data points to drive the discussion. I could give
you anecdots about black people all day but does that change the percentage?
Chair Stinger: This might not be the right time to react to that. In other settings, I think the
numbers drive and, in some cases, they’ll drive our agenda. I also want to look at the… I don’t
want to be just driven by the population or communities in a non-quantitative… not antidotal but
non-quantitative issues that may drive a need…
Commissioner Smith: Quantitative issues?
Chair Stinger: Qualitative issues that may drive a decision we want to make.
Ms. Ragey: I think that’s a question for the group. Do you want to be driven primarily or
exclusively by quantitative data or is it this balance between qualitative and quantitative?
Commissioner Kralik: I looked at the mission statement in my consideration of that and I don’t
think it makes a difference personally to me if it’s 1 percent or if it’s 40 percent. It’s the question
of who’s vulnerable and are they able to participate. So, I think should be sensitive to
vulnerability and that’s kind of what drives me.
Ms. Ragey: Kaloma, this is… how does that feel for you?
Commissioner Smith: It feels… I’m taking my own advice before I speak.
Ms. Ragey: Absolutely.
Commissioner Smith: I think sometimes we miss larger issues because we’re dealing with people
that are truly marginalized. When I started really thinking about things in Palo Alto, we have this
weird dynamic where we have a large Asian population that can’t vote. They pay the majority of
taxes but are silenced and then they are vilified but we don’t… and that’s been driving my
mental thought so, I wanted to deal with these other issues but to your point, there’s some local
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Page 15 of 112
contextual stuff that I’m hearing and seeing that did not fit my natural conflict which is Black
Live Matters and I have a multi-freedom church and I work with Jim Wallace. That’s all very
important but from my eyes and what marginalized looks like you can’t have the people that pay
the majority of your taxes being pushed to the side because they are not citizens; they can’t vote.
Ms. Ragey: So, it sounds like…
Commissioner Smith: I think you need both.
Ms. Ragey: … it’s an and/both. Yes, I think that’s it, that’s kind of what I’m hearing that it’s an
and/both and the other thing I’ll say is that as you go through and create priorities I think that’s
where this conversation happens to say so everybody matters. No questionable ability matters but
we also… there are only so many hours in the day and so much that we can accomplish. So that’s
when you begin to think about local context and what’s the size of the problem and the people
affected.
Chair Stinger: Maybe one other…
Ms. Ragey: Yes?
Chair Stinger: … tool would be to be constructive or positive. There may be a point in the
discussion when it's easy to say I don’t like that. I think it would be more helpful to say can we
consider making a positive suggestion to take the dialog further.
Ms. Ragey: Sometimes I think about that as avoiding pocket demons and what I mean by that is
just saying no. Sitting in the space of no rather than thinking about ok, I disagree and here’s sort
of the guess/and or I disagree but here’s what I think we can do.
Commissioner Smith: The other thing is understanding that 51 percent is a winning vote…
Chair Stinger: Thank you.
Commissioner Smith: … and you’re not… we’re not going to win every vote that we go for but
understand. After we leave this room we are on the same Commission so whatever the vote is in
the Commission, 51 percent, and nobody is going to win every vote. They know it but
understanding that this is a team and its long process. We lessen the impact of our team if we go
and destroy the team to the public.
Ms. Ragey: That’s a ground rule for the meeting and then as you leave once a decision has been
made, we support it. If it’s 51 percent then that’s what the team has decided and I may not be raw
raw about it but I am for my team going to be very supportive of that because we have decided.
Vice Chair O’Nan: One final issue that I have is that I said…I spoke earlier about we need to
stay focused on Palo Alto but within Palo Alto, we also have to stay focused on the City. What I
mean by that is the school district is technically not part of our purview and we sometimes have
folks who come along and are very concerned about their children or youth in general here
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Page 16 of 112
because we have had a suicide cluster and a lot of problems with youth. We may be able to
formally liaison with the school district or work in partnership with some aspects of the school
board or the school district but we do not have any authority over the school district. We can’t
sort of try to take over that role and then tend to a tendentious relationship with them so
traditionally we focus on the City but not the school district so I just want to leave that there’s
that open, that bridge that we could build but that would be a larger task. We just have to be
aware of that.
Commissioner Lee: Can I respond to that in a hopefully constructive way. I mean not that it’s
constructive…
Vice Chair O’Nan: No because you’ve… yes, you’ve got some inside.
Commissioner Lee: I think… I fully agree with you, we are advisory to the City Council on City
issues. I think there’s a perception in the community though or at least the community doesn’t
appreciate that nuance to the extent that we do. So, there’s an expectation that this Commissioner
works on human relation issues that affect the larger community. I would hesitate to say that we
should advocate that role completely but I do agree with you that we should find ways to
collaborate with the other jurisdictions or stakeholders in our community to address them. I
definitely think there’s a role for us to play but I wouldn’t want us to say oh, they’re not in our
jurisdiction; we’re not going to focus on that at all but finding ways to partner with other people.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well by jurisdiction I mean we are… we are an advisory body so we have
had Commissioners in the past who really wanted to go to the school district and dictate to them
changes that they want to see. That is never going to happen and it’s going to put us in a really
awkward position vis-a-vis these other community partners. So, we have to understand the limits
of what we can do. Now, as I said, we can build bridges, we can build relationships, we can
make suggestions but all of this… we have to respect other people’s territory and this has to be
done is kind of diplomatic way. So, in the past, I don’t think we have always been as successful
at that.
Commissioner Smith: I would anybody want to make an advisory role a dictatorship? It’s like…
Chair Stinger: That’s what I head. I…
Commissioner Smith: It’s like almost an oxymoron. You can’t be an advisor and a dictator.
Chair Stinger: Yes, I heard two operative words in your sentence; dictate and school board. Verb
and Noun.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I just want to comment as staff to something Steven said, what the
community perceives. Well, the community might have a perception and understanding which I
can understand but the HRC still is a body of the City of Palo Alto under the auspices and of the
City Council. So, the community might have an expectation or a misunderstanding of our role
but that doesn’t mean that the HRC has to base their actions to meet that misunderstanding. So, I
would say that in most instances almost anything we wanted to do… you wanted to do with the
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Page 17 of 112
school district, there’s a way within there you all could make it work. You all are not going to be
giving… speaking at the school board and saying x, y, z. If the school board has a community
committee, can the HRC be a member on that community Committee? That’s something I would
think so. We could check with the City Attorney if we have any questions when we have a
specific context but I just want to say you can’t just say because the community expects you to
do something. It still has to fit within your jurisdiction and authority and the HRC has to be well
versed in that. So, if someone comes to you, you can say that’s really interesting, let me check
with my Staff… city staff members. Maybe there’s a Committee that you don’t know about at
the school district that is working on that and you could bring that issue to them. I’m just
thinking about doing a time check as well.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, nope… but I’m… yes.
Ms. van de Zwaag: You’re the time
Commissioner Kralik: I like the practical element that you’ve put into that. I think when we
discuss projects or ideas and we look at the authority that we have, what I would ask as a rule of
engagement type of thing is to figure out how we score on that sheet of HRC authority. Are we
able to recommend something, to facilitate something, to foster something? Those are verbs that
are asking us to take certain actions and when we perceive a project I’d like to have a score sheet
that says how are we fostering public awareness of these issues? How are facilitating all these…
Ms. Ragey: Which is great because…
Ms. van de Zwaag: (crosstalk)(inaudible)
Ms. Ragey: …we’re going to do that in… a little later on. We’re actually going to create that
score sheet so that’s great.
Commissioner Kralik: Right, right. I am going to kind of try… I am going to move you on if I
can so I’m going to read through what you’ve said and see if these sound like, at least for today,
norms that you can live with. So, to have a Palo Alto focus and lens as you make considerations
today, to drive to concrete ideas and not up in the air, lack of clarity, act… practice active
listening, receptive posture, be issue focused, use a balance of factual and anecdotal evidence
and data, and think before you speak. If you need to take a second to step back and think before
you jump in that’s great. Make constructive suggestions and remember that 51 percent is a
winning vote and once a decision is made you will all go out and support that idea publicly and
that you will focus on what you’re charged to do and not wander into the work of others. Great.
Anything else? I have a question and not to call anybody out but I’m just wondering about rules
around cell phones, computers, all of that kind of thing. I mean it’s fine, different groups have
different norms around this but it’s such a prevalent thing in our world today. People can be on
their cell phones, they can’t, you prefer not, if they need to take a text or a call they step out;
what kind of norm would you like around that?
Commissioner Kralik: I didn’t bring my cell phone.
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Page 18 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well I think we should take Pastor Smith’s active listening to heart and
maybe try to minimize cell phones during the meeting. Wait till the lunch break if we need to get
in touch unless somebody’s got an ill family member or a pregnant wife or something. I think
that’s probably what we should do.
Ms. Ragey: Does that sound reasonable to everyone?
Commissioner Smith: Perfectly fine.
Ms. Ragey: What I will say is if that’s the case and life happens and so often if groups decide
they don’t want folks on cells during a meeting if you get an important text or whatever if you
can step out to take the text. I find that works really well because it is distracting if you get one
and you answer it; it just suddenly feels like wait, you’re not engaged in what’s going on. So,
call, text, whatever if you want to step out and then also we’ll have breaks when you can do that
as well. Does that sound ok to everybody?
Chair Stinger: Me too.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, great. We are… can I get a thumb up depending on where you are? So, if
you agree these ground rules is a thumb up if you have concerns or you don’t like what you see.
Ok, we’re all good? Excellent. The thing about ground rules is that part of my job is to hold you
to these but also what makes teams most effective is if you hold each other to these. So, if
somebody is stepping outside of the bounds, if everybody feels comfortable saying wow, we
agree to this and I feel like we’re not using that rule that would be really helpful. Great, thank
you all for that. I think because you are a new team taking this time to really think about ground
rules and how you’ll work together will help you as we move along. The next thing that we’re
going to think about is building the team and this is really getting to know each other better.
How teams develop, there’s a quick exercise we’re going to do around style. Then the learning
about one another so we gave you a worksheet ahead of time, hopefully, you had a little bit of
time to fill that out and we’ll get to that. So, I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this. I sent
you a two-page quick read on how teams develop so this is the forming, storming, norming,
performing, adjourning. You have in your Packets this handout and so the idea here is I… what I
like to do when new groups are forming is to acknowledge that there’s a process that all teams go
through. Sometimes you can move through the stages quickly, sometimes you can’t and part of
what we want to do today is to give you some tools and some experience so that hopefully you
can move a little bit more quickly. So, forming, we all come together, we all decided we wanted
to be on the Commission, we got appointed which is awesome and so you’ve had one meeting
where you’ve begun to form a new team. Even though three of you are returning and three of
you are new so you are in fact forming a new team. So, what happens next is storming so this is
the checking out and then I don’t know about that and figuring out where your place is, where
other people are coming from and there can be some tension in this, all healthy. Yes?
Commissioner Kralik: Are there only six members of the Commission?
Ms. van de Zwaag: There is one person who’s missed the last meeting and this one.
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Page 19 of 112
Chair Stinger: So, we are seven.
Commissioner Kralik: Ok.
Ms. Ragey: So as…
Commissioner Kralik: A returning member?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Chair Stinger: Returning… first year…
Ms. van de Zwaag: She’s been on one year.
Commissioner Kralik: One year, ok. Thank you.
Chair Stinger: We will try to debrief her.
Ms. Ragey: So, she’s aware of ground rules and what comes out of today. So, there’s this
storming that happens and it can be uncomfortable. It can be sometimes difficult because you
just don’t know each other very well and you’re trying to figure out where do I fit, where do my
colleagues fit, what’s going on? There can be disagreements and that kind of thing in storming
but eventually what happens is you work through and what happens is you begin to focus on the
work rather than on getting to know each other. Figuring out how we’re going to work together
as you get to move towards clarity of what you’re going to do together and how you’re going to
work together. You get to the norming stage so we begin to understand our priorities, we begin
to understand our ground rules, we begin to understand how we best work with one another as it
goes along, and once we get to the norming stage we get to performing and this is nirvana. This
is where we are a high performing team, we are able to have disagreements with each other and
work through those. We have clarity of purpose, we understand what each person is bringing to
the table, we’re able to take advantage of everybody’s strengths, and we are able to really get
work done in a really positive, effective way. It feels really great. High performing teams are
such a happy place to be. I will say it is hard to get to performing. A lot of groups because they
don’t want to go through the forming, storming, and norming, they just want to get to
performing. Unless you go through this process and get clarity about goals and how you want to
work together and all that, you’ll never get to performing. Performing is awesome, it goes on for
however long it goes on and then eventually as all good things much come to an end we adjourn.
That is when people are moving off, they’ve finished their term, whatever it is and then we have
to start all over again. This is how teams develop so if you feel uncomfortable or you’re not sure
of all of that I like to share this with groups just to normalize that to say yep, that happens. There
are things that we can do to help you get through these stages so you can get to performance.
Any questions about this? No, we’re good? Alright. We’re moving on so one of the things that
we want to do this morning is do a little work on personal communications style. These are broad
but they’re sort of pulling apart the different kinds, different ways that people communicate. I’m
going to read these to you and as I do that I want you to figure out what is your prominent
communication style. Everybody is a blend of all these things, to be honest, but what’s the one
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Page 20 of 112
that you’re… that’s more prominent in you? Which of these is most who you are. If you’re north
this is how you want to get stuff done. Let’s do it, just get on with it and stop talking because
times a wasting. Urgent to make decisions, just want to get on with it and make a decision and
go. If you’re south you might be the caring one. We really need to have everyone on board. I’m
not comfortable until we are sure that everyone is ok with this so more of a consensus builder
and really listening to others and making sure that everybody is on board. If you’re east you’re
theoretical, hypothetical, a conceptualizer often has trouble getting started because there’s
always another idea or possibility to get explored. This is somebody who is… might be a very
data-driven person who really wants to think through things in that kind of a way. Then west is
who, what, when, where, how, needs to know this before they are able to move forward, very
detailed oriented. So, this is often the doer but the doer needs a lot of detail in order to feel
comfortable moving forward. Whatever you’re most…what you lead with. Yes?
Commissioner Lee: I think I most resonated with north and I think Minka and I were looking at
each other because we agree more of the north.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, he’s a north.
Commissioner Lee: One of the great things that I have experienced in the last year was when me
and Valerie were working on CEDAW we realized that we had different communication styles
and maybe you are more of a south. I think the fact that we had different styles kind of
complemented each other very well. She brings me in somethings and I bring her in on
somethings. I think Jill is very detail oriented, very stats and I think to the extent that we can find
ways to make our styles complementary to each other so that…
Ms. Ragey: That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to talk about that. That’s exactly right so
great teams in my mind have all of these things.
Chair Stinger: That’s what I was thinking
Ms. Ragey: Each person has all of these things.
Commissioner Kralik: I’m south.
Ms. Ragey: Ok so south, alright. What I want you to do in your Packets, just so you know you
have these descriptions, you may just want to pull that out because right now I’m going to ask
you to pick the one that you are. Then I’m going to ask you to join with whoever else is that
same thing, if anyone, and I’m going to ask you to answer these six questions together. If you’re
by yourself then you don’t have to agree with anyone, you just decide for yourself. Ok so for
adjectives that describes the strengths of your direction. What are you bringing to the party?
Second is adjective which the limitations of your direction are. Again, these are words, like four
words, not sentences. If you think about the directions which one do you think you have the most
difficulty working with? What just gets your goat? What is the one thing that you want the other
directions to know about your direction? So, to be effective with me here’s what you need to
understand about my direction. In what kind of working situation does your direction tend to
thrive and adversely, where do you tend… what situation do you perform least well in? You
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Page 21 of 112
have in your packets a worksheet with this. I want you to move through this pretty quick. I’m
going to give you about 10-minutes to get through the six questions. If you’re a north, could you
raise your hand? Awesome so Norths if you could just get together, great.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Can I ask a question because the south, the caring one, I feel like I am…
Vice Chair O’Nan: You are the caring.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … in situations I’m more pulled by the human part of it then the numbers.
I’m totally not… I don’t care if there are 5,000 of them, I care about that one child but I’m also,
in decision making, at a certain point you’ve got to make a decision. I’m not that in decision
making. Being a north makes you seem like you just want to get things done and you’re not
thinking of the human aspect of it.
Ms. Ragey: Right and so here’s one thing that’s really important. There is no judgment about any
of these; all of these are awesome; every single one. You need all of these kinds of people and
again this is sort of your… what is your predominant?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Ok.
Ms. Ragey: Right, that doesn’t mean that you’re uncaring. Right like I can’t imagine that… it’s
not a judgment, it’s just how you work; you’re ready to go, you want to make decisions. I want
you to let go of anything you may be feeling about oh that makes me less than or not a good
person or whatever because that’s not it. All of these are super valuable on a team.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Ok.
Ms. Ragey: Who’s a south? Alright…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Oh yes.
Ms. Ragey: … three souths, see each other? Ok. Awesome. Who’s an east?
Chair Stinger: I kind of am too.
Ms. Ragey: So, do you want to be south or do you want to be east?
Chair Stinger: Just for the numbers maybe I’ll be east so we’ll have two and two.
Ms. Ragey: Ok. So, then you must be west. Two wests? Ok. Awesome. I want you to get with
your direction alright and you can go here or here…
Chair Stinger: I’ll switch.
Ms. Ragey: … or wherever and I’m going to give you about 10-minutes to fill in the worksheet.
Then I’m going to ask you to come back and share what you came up with. Alright?
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Page 22 of 112
[The Commission did a 10-minute team building exercise]
Ms. Ragey: Stay with your partner for now and what I’d like to do is I want to take the first two
question first. I’m going to invite you not to tell a story but just to share the words. Let us start
with… well, let’s work backward, I want to start with west so who’s our west group? Are you
the west?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh, we’re the west, I’m sorry. I’m always so mad at the north people.
Ms. Ragey: Here’s the point of this exercise so this is really so you can begin to understand your
colleague’s communication style and also reflect on your own what works for you, what doesn’t,
and it would just help if you're aware. That’s half the battle to be able to work together well so
with that I would love to know the four adjectives that describe your strengths.
Vice Chair O’Nan: How about I’ll read these and do you want to read the next one?
Commissioner Xue: Yes, sure.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok so our strengths are clarity, purposefulness, effectiveness and practical.
Ms. Ragey: Say it one more time.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Clarity, purposeful, effective, practical.
Ms. Ragey: So, your colleagues can count on you to be clear, purposeful, effective, and practical.
Excellent. What are your limitations?
Commissioner Xue: Slower, time intensive…
Ms. Ragey: Time intensive.
Commissioner Xue: …labor intensive and the last one is unresponsive.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We’re going to caveat that by seeming unresponsive.
Ms. Ragey: Seem unresponsive. I’m going to go ahead and get through all the groups and then
we’ll go back and we’ll have a little conversation. So east, who are my easterns?
Commissioner Smith: Right here.
Ms. Ragey: Great so your strengths?
Commissioner Smith: New direction, innovation, deeper conceptual development, and dramatic
jump in progress.
Ms. Ragey: Can you say the last two again?
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Page 23 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Dramatic jump in progress and deeper conceptual development. We didn’t
follow instructions.
Ms. Ragey: Thinking outside the lines.
Commissioner Smith: You see, this is conceptual.
Ms. Ragey: Great, what about limitations?
Commissioner Smith: We appear to have a slow start, our investigation could be mistaken as a
lack of focus, we are not detailed oriented, and sometimes we can talk too much.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, I noticed that you gravitated from words to sentences.
Ms. Ragey: Demonstrating their communication style. Awesome, thank you.
Commissioner Smith: I was right on point.
Ms. Ragey: The South.
Commissioner Kralik: We don’t care what we do necessarily as all as we all feel about it in a
certain way and understand those feelings.
Ms. Ragey: So, what’s the adjective?
Commissioner Kralik: Adjectives are inclusive,
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh, that’s a good one.
Commissioner Kralik: Respectful.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Another good one.
Commissioner Kralik: Valuing, non-judgmental.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I feel warm already.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I like you guys, not you guys.
Ms. Ragey: It’s not a popularity contest.
Commissioner Kralik: We like to hug people.
Ms. Ragey: Your limitations?
Commissioner Kralik: We’re inefficient, we’re impractical, we can be discomforted, and we’re
revealing. Just a context of discomforting, by being inclusive sometimes folks that may not want
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Page 24 of 112
to say things would be challenged by us to be open about their feelings and that can be
discomforting and revealing.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic. North.
Commissioner Lee: So, the strengths are action oriented. I’m not sure these are all adjectives
because…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Because you didn’t think about it because you just jumped right in.
Commissioner Lee: Yes put some words together. Passionate, decisive, and then this is a
sentence but I will try to summarize it. A clearer sense of the outcome or our values and so I
would summarize that by saying principled.
Ms. Ragey: Principled.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, that’s a good word.
Commissioner Lee: Principled, yes.
Commissioner Smith: That’s a great one.
Vice Chair O’Nan: That’s a great word.
Commissioner Lee: We know our true north to at least the compass.
Ms. Ragey: That’s fantastic and then your limitation adjectives?
Commissioner Lee: Sometimes we are stubborn, we can be perceived as non-diplomatic,
impatient…
Ms. Ragey: Say it again, I’m sorry.
Commissioner Lee: Impatient.
Ms. Ragey: I’m sorry one more time.
Commissioner Lee: Impatient.
Ms. Ragey: Impatient.
Commissioner Lee: Then it may appear like we’re not listening.
Ms. Ragey: Alright real quickly does anybody have any questions for another group like what
does that mean actually? So, for… I’ll read these unless you can’t so our north is action-oriented,
passionate, decisive, principle, clarity, purposefulness, effective, practical, new direction,
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Page 25 of 112
innovation, dramatic jumps, deep concept, conceptual, inclusive, respectful, valuing, non-
judging. Limitation stubborn, non-diplomatic, appear impatient, not appear to be listening,
slower, time intensive, labor intensive, seem unresponsive, slow start, lack of focus, not detailed,
talk too much, inefficient, impractical, discomforting, and revealing. Does anybody have any
questions about any of that? Ok, moving on. North, who do you have most difficulty working
with?
Commissioner Lee: I think we listed all but we caveat but we put east, west.
Commissioner Kralik: It’s only us.
Commissioner Smith: All, all of the above.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Well, that’s right.
Ms. Ragey: Ok.
Ms. van de Zwaag: No, we had a different answer that’s why I said east and he said west and
south and I’m staff so I'm not supposed to be part of these discussions.
Ms. Ragey: So basically… alright, fair enough. You have challenges with all the other three
directions.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes ma’am.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Glad we established that officially.
Ms. Ragey: South, who are you?
Ms. Constantino: That’s us over here.
Ms. Ragey: Oh, South.
Ms. Constantino: We have to say north just because we might not understand everything once
the project is going because they are off and running and we’re…
Ms. Ragey: And you’re like hey…
Ms. Constantino: Hey.
Ms. Ragey: …what’s that accomplishing? Fair enough. East.
Chair Stinger: West and north.
Ms. Ragey: West?
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Page 26 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: We have a problem with north because we’re people who are detailed
oriented who like to prepare and plan and they don’t do those things. I also have some issues
with east because I find them to be to a femoral to in their heads are not practical enough.
Commissioner Lee: It seems like north wins this category because we are just…
Vice Chair O’Nan: You’re just impossible.
Commissioner Smith: Undisputed.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Nothing would happen if it wasn’t for us.
Ms. Ragey: I mean part of this is also communication so it’s for north to be clear that you may
need to slow down a little bit and bring their colleagues along so they hear. Others of you may
need to be direct with north and be like whoa, stop, can we have a conversation or that’s not
feeling really great to me so it’ just to be aware of the differences. South, what is the one thing
that people should know about working with you?
Vice Chair O’Nan: We’re we suppose to answer that?
Ms. Constantino: That it’s important to respect our way of working because we may be a little
slower at the start but we want to make sure that everybody is on the same page and understand
everything.
Commissioner Kralik: Well, I think our style comes from respect in the sense that when we view
one another we want each of us to feel that respect. That their views count and that’s why it’s a
little bit slower and it comes from the deep respect of individuals and ours. It may not be the
perfect style to get things done but that’s where it comes from.
Ms. Ragey: East.
Commissioner Smith: We can about the long term, deeper impacts so we understand what needs
to be done today but we’re asking the question if we do this today, what’s the impact of it
tomorrow. Where do we go from there? So, we’ll talk about that for ours.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic. West.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We thought that people need to be patient with our approach because we
really want to do things correctly and avoid having to start over again or avoid some sort of
disaster because things weren’t thought through before we took action.
Ms. Ragey: Great and North?
Ms. van de Zwaag: It’s your handwriting, I’m not talking.
Commissioner Lee: I would say the one thing that we would say is that the urgency is driven by
our passion for the issues and for the people and wanting to see progress actually be made in part
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Page 27 of 112
because some of these issues have been sort of long time coming.
Ms. Ragey: Times up.
Commissioner Lee: Yes, times up, Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Great so East what working situation did you… where do you thrive?
Commissioner Smith: Maybe free will, free will in a work environment where we can iterate and
we can collaborate and the plan isn’t set. We sort of know where we’re going but each day we
can add more too it and pull out a process; structure is not our strong suit.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We still love you though.
Commissioner Smith: Thank you.
Chair Stinger: Thank you.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Not these guys.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I’m glad I have a good self-esteem.
Chair Stinger: That’s the next section.
Ms. Ragey: Let’s see so that was east right? West.
Commissioner Xue: West?
Ms. Ragey: Yes.
Commissioner Xue: Our situation would be not urgent, give us time for input and planning to do
something properly.
Vice Chair O’Nan: That’s our best situation.
Commissioner Xue: Yes, that’s the best situation.
Ms. Ragey: Great. North?
Commissioner Lee: So, I said action oriented and just to piggyback on what West said, I think as
long as we have a sense of what the steps are, what the process is, we may be more comfortable
working in that environment. So that’s an area where we can sort of combine our styles as long
as we can see progress being made, we’re ok with the detail.
Ms. Ragey: Great and South?
Commissioner Kralik: Well in part we’re kind of in collaboration with the east. I mean I think we
felt that the working situation of the Commission where we are able to consider all points of
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Page 28 of 112
views is a situation where the direction tends to thrive. I think when you draw in a Commission, I
mean some of this is out of our hands as an individual member but someone helped us to form
this group. Picking and choosing from different aspects of our community and so we consider
that to be a situation that we thrive in because we value and respect the individual viewpoint of
the Commission which is represented of the Committee.
Ms. Ragey: Let’s see, South, what situations don’t work for you?
Commissioner Kralik: Time sensitive situations but I mean in a sense our respect is also respect
for people who are time sensitive so I want to caveat that a little bit. I think Commissioner Lee
has said there are people out there who feel it’s time to have something done and that’s an aspect
of respect and listening too. So, we do consider that point of view as important.
Ms. Ragey: North, what about you?
Commissioner Kralik: I’m trying not to be up on north, I’m doing my best.
Commissioner Lee: You said indecisive when there’s too much time trying to… we spend too
much time trying to balance things or avoid controversy.
Ms. van de Zwaag: We felt it was better to act quickly if beforehand you had done the
groundwork to really understand the consequences. It’s ok to poke a needle sometimes if you
know and are aware and are ok with what might happen as a result of doing that. You’re doing
that with the full knowledge not out of naivete.
Commissioner Lee: Informed decisiveness.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Informed decisiveness.
Commissioner Lee: Informed principled.
Ms. Ragey: Thank you and West, right?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Our worst situation is where it’s an urgent crisis situation, there’s no time to
plan and we have to get way outside of our comfort zone and take action when we’re not
comfortable doing so.
Chair Stinger: That’s interesting.
Ms. Ragey: East?
Chair Stinger: I can proficient this by saying neither of us are lawyers. We’re trained in law and
out most uncomfortable working experience are in a regulatory constrained environment and
things are present and there’s no room for creativity or change.
Commissioner Smith: Overly processed, overly structured.
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Page 29 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: We like rules, we’re good.
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Commissioner Smith: That’s why we need you on the team. Now you’re back in.
Commissioner Lee: I’m a lawyer so I always find ways around the rules.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, he’s good.
Chair Stinger: You know the rules.
Ms. Ragey: Great so one thing that I do want to say about today is I’ll type up all these notes and
I’m actually going to ask if I can collect the worksheet that you just did…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh sure.
Ms. Ragey: … so I can make sure that I get it right. I just quickly want to ask what you are
taking away from this. What does this tell you about how you might need to work together?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well I’m having a light bulb moment because I will admit I was born with a
horrible Irish temper and sometimes get easily frustrated with people who don’t think with the
way that I think. Also, I’m a teacher at Stanford so I tend to think the way I think is the right way
to think but as I’m listening to everybody else style, I’m realizing that oh, I think I’ve been
frustrated for radicicolous reasons. I mean it’s really ok for people to have different styles and
I’m seeing now the weaknesses in my own style. I’m glad that there are people who will jump in
in a crisis situation where I might feel uncomfortable. I’m glad that there are people who are
maybe more creative than I am because I will stick within the lines may be too much and I’m
glad that there are people who care about inclusion and respectfulness because I’m sometimes
willing to run rough shot over people to get to what I perceive as a valid end. So, I’m seeing the
strengths and weaknesses but in a way that feels like this is a good thing. It’s good that we’re all
different and not a frustrating thing.
Ms. Ragey: Yes.
Chair Stinger: I was going to say when you used the word weakness of your style I was thinking
about I’d still like each of us to be true to our style because it’s the combination of styles. I don’t
want you to except me to compromise and become something different. I think by being the east
and by being west, south, north, we bring that strength and it’s better to have all those
represented than to dilute it.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I was going to say I see this exercise only making this Commission stronger.
Having this experience, it makes me even sadder that we don’t have one Commissioner here
because I think you all are going to leave having this sense of team that we haven’t done
something like this in my years with the HRC.
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Page 30 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, we haven’t.
Ms. van de Zwaag: We are just getting started today and I’m already so positive about this
experience so thank you, Nancy. I think it’s going to be a different HRC this year and then it’s
hard to integrate someone who…
Commissioner Smith: Missed it.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … wasn’t engaged in this process all along so those are my dichotomy of
feels.
Ms. Ragey: Challenges, Yes, for sure.
Commissioner Kralik: You know I liked the way we’re sitting together, it’s kind of interesting.
When we came to the first meeting, I couldn’t see everybody. I don’t know if you had that
impression but today even if we sat as directions of a compass again, it would be nice because I
already kind of in this exercise automatically understand where everybody is coming from in
their styles. You know when you’re in a row you’re not sure.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right. We’re not dictated, I think the west portion just even thinking about
future Commission meetings. There’s nothing that says that we all have to sit in a row. We could
sit on the end.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Is it for the cameras?
Ms. Constantino: It was for the old cameras but now that they have cameras around the room I
think we could…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh, so we could move the configuration? Oh great.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes so, we’ll check on that.
Commissioner Kralik: Yes you know just the way that you can appreciate someone’s point of
view on getting things done or having a process or being impactful. You know I look to the
impacts of members of the Commission or to the process which are the people that actually have
to get things done. That’s a good thought process to have, already we have it. I just would love to
reserve that…
Ms. Ragey: Sure.
Commissioner Lee: For me… go ahead.
Ms. Ragey: I think Kaloma was next.
Commissioner Smith: I think this makes all of our discussions a lot easier because if I understand
somebody’s position on the compass, I can understand the underlying driving motivations. I
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Page 31 of 112
might want to discuss an issue about Commissioner Lee like we can take these five steps and it’s
going to allow me to say ok, you know what? Can we discuss a little and do two of the steps
instead of the five of steps and come to some middle ground because we understand each other a
little better as we start processing through the…
Ms. Ragey: And what your drivers are.
Commissioner Smith: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, for sure.
Commissioner Lee: For me, it really reinforced the need for us to work in committees or at least
work with one other person on the Commission. Especially if they have a different style because
that will help us go from go and do it perspective to help us make sure that the Commission is on
board with doing it in a more timely manner if we consider some of the other styles or the other
ways that people are thinking about it. So, like what me and Valerie did earlier in the year that I
thought really helped me understand some of the other styles and other considerations that the
Commission would be raising when the issue came to the Commission. So, having those
discussions early on and having someone to work with helps us do what I want to do quicker.
Ms. Ragey: Well and probably working with a different style is really important because you’ll
get that different perspective. What’s helpful about this is now you know the different styles so
you can say oh, well if we’re going to work on this thing, maybe I need to go get me a South or a
North or sort of whatever right? Maybe I need to work with that person because they’re going to
bring that perspective that’s sort of helpful.
Commissioner Lee: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Any other reflections on this? What I will let you know is when you get your notes
back it will come in chart form and names will be named and so you could actually keep that in
front of you. Oh, there’s that east thing going on so it can just be super helpful to just remind
yourselves so that’s great. We’re going to take a break because we’ve been at this for a little
while so let’s go ahead and take a 10-minute break. We are going to do the other worksheet
really quickly when you come back so this is the one where we asked you what you bring to the
party, what you need from your colleagues and how you like to celebrate. If you haven’t yet
done that if you could just jot down some ideas, that worksheet is in your packets. We’re going
to come back when the big hand is on the 11.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Thank you, mom.
[The Commission took a 10-minute break.]
Ms. Ragey: Now that you all had time get to know each other. I think it’s always super helpful as
well as knowing what your communication style is and the things that push you. It’s also really
helpful to know what you bring to the Commission in the work and then what you need from
your fellow Commissioners. Then I always like to know how people like to be recognized and
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Page 32 of 112
people have such a hard time with this. Actually, it’s super helpful for me if I know how
somebody wants to be recognized, I can do that and they’ll feel better and I won’t be guessing.
That’s the reason for these three questions. Would somebody like to begin by sharing skills,
strengths, what you want or need and recognize? Somebody want to start? Thank you, Gabe.
Commissioner Kralik: I think skill strength, I would say two main ones which is awareness of
issues through encounters with others and second is sort of mediation of points of view. Would
you like me to continue the needs and wants…
Ms. Ragey: Yes, please.
Commissioner Kralik: … from the team?
Ms. Ragey: Yes.
Commissioner Kralik: I’d like to see that it’s sort of an interaction that I might have too that
there is excitement in team members about their roles. Secondly that those team members feel
that they can openly communicate about what’s important to them. Ways of recognition, I just
would like to be known as someone that people can talk to openly about their concerns. I would
like to feel that I’ve developed a knowledge and awareness of what’s going on.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, thank you. Who’d like to go next?
Commissioner Kralik: Sorry I only did two for each one.
Ms. Ragey: It’s fine, two is good. If you did I’d have a problem but you did fantastic.
Vice Chair O’Nan: The north guys it trying to bud in.
Chair Stinger: Get this done Commissioner.
Commissioner Xue: From my backgrounds, I will also feel the detail from the strengths. I will
always dig into the details before moving on to make a decision.
Chair Stinger: Good we have a job for you.
Commissioner Xue: Thank you so because I’ve been working with these startups, I’m stressed
always…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Wow.
Commissioner Xue: …so I can take a lot of stress.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Interesting.
Commissioner Xue: I will share with you guys a little bit more. My work is hours are sometimes
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Page 33 of 112
from 5 to 7 so typical average 60-70-hours and I can tolerate those kinds of stuff. Another thing
that I want to share with you guys is I’m quite flexible.
Ms. Ragey: You’re what, flexible?
Commissioner Xue: Flexible, flexibility so don’t feel I’ve very stubborn, actually I’m not.
Commissioner Lee: That was my word, I’m stubborn.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, you’re stubborn.
Ms. O’Nan: That’s one of my strengths, right?
Commissioner Xue: I’m present, you know proof that rationally I will analyze, jump on board,
and work together as a team so no problem. Keep going?
Ms. Ragey: Yes, what do you need?
Commissioner Xue: Oh sorry, what I need, actually I’m new, also from a different cultural
background so I need guidance from the team and also timely. So, whatever I don’t do at all or I
don’t understand please speak out. I’m not offended so I’m not that type of person. The second
one is timely feedback so how I perform. If you guys give me feedback and how I can do; back
and forth so that’s one thing and then of course support.
Ms. Ragey: So, you need guidance and timely feedback.
Commissioner Xue: Also support.
Ms. Ragey: And support, fantastic.
Commissioner Xue: The third part of how I like to be recognized, actually encouragement and
motivation from our team. Not like he did a wonderful job and that kind of stuff. Encouragement
to keep going so that’s one thing I feel is very, very important for me and being included on
some of the projects, that kind of recognition too. That’s the most important for me too.
Ms. Ragey: That’s great, thank you. Fantastic. Who’d like to go next? Yes, Steven.
Commissioner Lee: I think for my skills and strengths I have clarity of thought that is valued
clarity, decisive and responsive. I think what I need assistance from… ok.
Ms. Ragey: I’m not spelling that right. I’ll get it right, ok.
Commissioner Lee: And responsive.
Ms. Ragey: So responsive, clarity of values and decisive. Great.
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Page 34 of 112
Commissioner Lee: What I need help with is a better sense of the committee’s history and what
has worked, what has been done. I’m very bad with names so understanding who the key players
are, the stakeholders would be helpful. That helps me be more strategic and help me set priorities
if I have a better understanding of the particulars of the community that we live in. Also, just an
understanding of my unique time constraints since someone who’s still in my career, I’m very
busy during the day but I make time in the night and on the weekends.
Ms. Ragey: Great.
Commissioner Lee: Then I think the ways that I would like to be recognized is I appreciate
constructive feedback but in a way that isn’t condescending or talking down to me. I feel like
sometimes being… I’m the youngest and people often assume that I’m kind of green in
experience which to some extent is true but I feel like I have a lot to add. I have a lot of
experience working on this type of body so constructive feedback but in a way, that’s not
condescending or at least can seem condescending. It may not be intentionally condescending.
Ms. Ragey: Steven, are you comfortable if you feel a sense of if someone is condescending to
you to say something about that?
Commissioner Lee: Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t but I try not to take things personally. I
try to assume that they are well intention so even if I feel a sense of that I try to move past it. If it
comes up…
Ms. Ragey: It might be useful if we’re going to be open with one another saying, here’s … this is
what I’m feeling. I’m sure this is not what you mean but this is what I’m feeling because
otherwise, people may not realize they are doing it.
Commissioner Lee: Sure, Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Other ways you like to be recognized? Just that one?
Commissioner Lee: Oh, I think just that one.
Commissioner Lee: Oh, I like… Yes, I love food. Preferably non-carbohydrate type foods.
Vice Chair O’Nan: He’s a CrossFit guy.
Ms. Ragey: not carbs.
Commissioner Lee: No carbs.
Commissioner Lee: Yes, Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Great, thank you. Who would like to go next?
[Many people started talking at once]
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Page 35 of 112
Chair Stinger: I wrote down a port in the storm. These were actually feedbacks that I got back
from somebody else and I thought it was good. I think I’m creative in data collection and in
finding solutions. I’m willing to take a chance and strategic, long-term are the strengths that I
wrote down or skills.
Ms. Ragey: What do you need?
Chair Stinger: I need people to help me recognize the limits because sometimes my optimism
gets ahead of me.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Chair Stinger: I think sometimes I’m so positive and I need somebody to really point out the…
I’ll say the negative or realistic side of the activity that we’re pursuing.
Ms. Ragey: And do you have a third?
Chair Stinger: I left it at two.
Ms. Ragey: Those two and how do you like to be recognized?
Chair Stinger: I wasn’t sure what you meant by this question and I like to be included, I like
being asked. Sometimes I find that I’m over my time limit, I can’t stretch any further and
somebody will ask me to do something and it’s oh, I’d love too and then I ask what was I
thinking? I just like to be included.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic. Who’d like to go next? Jill?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh goodness, yes. I think the skills and strengths I offer I think at this point
the longest servicing Commissioner so I have extensive experience with the Commission. I’ve
served in leadership a number of times so I think I bring those leadership skills as well. Finally,
because of that experience I have some pretty good community connections now that I think I
can help with in terms of connecting people. Especially new Commissioners with who they need
to work without in the community.
Commissioner Lee: That’s probably one of my weaknesses, drawing lines in the sand.
Vice Chair O’Nan: See we’re a team.
Ms. Ragey: You will want to work together and what do you need from the team?
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, what I need from the team is commitment. We have had a problem, and I
hope we will have a less of a problem, people either don’t show up or they want to be the idea
people but not roll up your sleeves and do the work people. We need people who will do the
work because we have Minka and Mary but we need to use them very wisely and judiciously and
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Page 36 of 112
not try to load them up and get them to try to execute our ideas. We have to execute our ideas.
Follow through so you have a great idea, wonderful but you’ve got to follow up on that, you
can’t just let things sit. Finally, we do need fresh ideas so I’m excited to have these new
members coming on board from different perspectives and styles to share what else we can do
out in the community. As far as being recognized, I too struggled a little bit with this question
and what I’d like to do is answer it maybe a little bit differently.
Ms. Ragey: Sure.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I feel like it’s especially important to do so now because for the first time
since I’ve been on the Commission we have a male majority. I think up till now we’ve had more
women than men and now for the first time, we’re going to have more men than women. I
personally have experienced a problem with women doing a lot of the work. Then men kind of
taking the public credit for that work and speaking to Council as if they kind of drive that project
or they were behind that report that I actually wrote and that they then presented. I don’t need
individual recognition but I think in the HRC need to share whatever accomplishments and
achievements we have. I do not want to see particular individuals on this… I apologize my
stereotyping my male colleagues but I don’t want men to step on the backs of women in the
Commission. Then try to use this as a platform for their own self-aggrandizement. Whether they
have personal or political ambitions or whatever it is and I think we need to all be clear on that.
Ms. Ragey: So, the notion of shared recognition with the team here, right? So, it’s not one team
member did more than anybody else. Fantastic, thank you. Who’d like to go next?
Ms. van de Zwaag: I’ll go.
Ms. Ragey: Thanks.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I put strengths, knowledge of process and history, contacts to the city and
community, and just organizational strengths.
Ms. Ragey: And that you’re good at organizing?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Right, what do you need?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Participation, preparation, and collegiality.
Ms. Ragey: Great and how do you like to be recognized?
Ms. van de Zwaag: I put personally just a simple thank you. Then I thought about it in the greater
context, like for Mary and I, there’s been some… like Pastor Smith in his interview and then I
think some other Commissioners when they talk to Council have recognized the work that Mary
and I do.
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Page 37 of 112
Ms. Ragey: Great, thank you for saying that.
Commissioner Smith: That’s actually what I recommended.
Ms. Ragey: That’s super helpful. Who’d like to go next?
Commissioner Smith: I think I’m a little
Ms. Constantino: Oh no, you go ahead….
Commissioner Smith: Ladies first.
Ms. Constantino: …I realized you hadn’t gone yet.
Commissioner Smith: Ladies first.
Ms. Constantino: Oh, thank you. Organizational skills and I’m a hard worker and I like to come
up with ideas.
Ms. van de Zwaag: She is great with making any event that we do…
Vice Chair O’Nan: So beautiful.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Stylish, organized…
Ms Constantino: Yes, thank you.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … warm.
Commissioner Smith: I agree with that.
Ms. Ragey: Alright, thanks and what do you need?
Ms. Constantino: I need follow through from the rest and then also presence, that we’re here and
just courtesy.
Ms. Ragey: How do you like to be recognized?
Ms. Constantino: Just one on one, real personal or as a team.
Ms. Ragey: Lastly… oh, did I get everything? Kaloma is last.
Commissioner Smith: Skills and strength I think public communication skills, I’m a collation
builder, and perspective. What I need from the team is a different experience because I’m only
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Page 38 of 112
been in Palo Alto for 5-years so there’s a ton of historic and gender and ethnic perspectives that I
don’t understand. So, getting that information is so, so critical, and passionate to work. Nothing
feels like a bigger waste of time than working with people that are not passionate. Even if I don’t
agree with you, if you’re passionate I can work with you because at least I know you care about
something. Particularly for me, I think outside of the Commission, outside of the public, my
consistency in the Church understanding and I’m effectively engaging in the issues for I’m the
representative in this community because my primary job in this community is to be the Pastor of
that Church. One of the things that I preach and teach and talk about is being effectively
engaging in the community. So, the young people there need to understand that this is not just
another check mark for the resume but this is real work.
Ms. Ragey: I missed one of your strengths. I heard public communication, community building
and…
Commissioner Smith: Just perspective because I spend so much time talking to so many different
bodies and people that I hear a lot of different things.
Ms. Ragey: So, thank you all for doing this. Quickly, take away? What are you taking away from
this?
Commissioner Smith: Nobody wants their time wasted.
Ms. Ragey: Absolutely. What else?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think all of us want a commitment from our team members that we’re all
going to really work together.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Chair Stinger: This is a micro point compared to the two points on the table. I think we need to
think about recognition with individual recognition and group recognition. Sometimes we will
take something forward with one person’s name on it and other times it will be under the
Commission’s name.
Ms. Ragey: To just be thoughtful about that, I think to Jill’s point.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think I haven’t been aware of the need for courtes y. I mean I hope I’ve
mostly been courteous to my colleagues and the staff but the thanks you and the showing of
appreciation are really important. You know giving credit to staff is very important and publicly
as well.
Ms. Ragey: Yes and to each other. It’s one of the reasons why I always ask this as teams are
forming, it’s just super important and in the busyness of doing work we forget that. It really does
matter; it makes the work feel better because we’re all human. Anything else anybody takes
away? If not, so again I’m going to type this up so you’re going to have two charts in front of
you when you go to Commission meetings. You’re going to have the here’s what I can bring and
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Page 39 of 112
need and be recognized and here’s my communication style so you’ll just have a better sense of
who’s sitting around the table. I’m just kidding; you don’t have to have it in front of you.
Chair Stinger: No, I think we should.
Ms. Constantino: Laminated and everything.
Ms. Ragey: I’ve worked with teams where they’ve actually done that and they’ve actually found
it super helpful, like oh, Yes ok. Also, there’s a chart that says recognition, you tend to remember
and go oh, yes, and we needed to do that so fantastic.
2. Accomplishments and Review of Past Year and Developing Criteria for Future
Projects.
Ms. Ragey: We are going to move on and we’re going to talk about setting the context for the
year ahead so there’s sort of three buckets that we’re going to do. Reflections from last year, the
priority setting building blocks so works already was done and Valerie and me are going to talk
about that. Then we’re going to talk about current projects; what’s currently on the deck. On the
last year reflections, I’m going to give you a couple minutes. You have stickies in front of you
and what I want you to do is write down one per sticky, to be clear, two or three successes you
feel the Commission had last year. Then so a success on each sticky, don’t write two ideas on
one, and then one thing that could have gone better.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, what should the new Commissioners do?
Ms. Ragey: If you’re a new Commissioner I’m just interested in your observations. So, having
observed the Commission because I think I heard all of you have done that or worked on a
project, so just interested in… maybe just have one but one thing you think about the
Commission. What you know of it, what you think they did really well in the last year or/and one
thing you think could be done better. I’m going to have you write those on the stickies and we’ll
put them up.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, one per sticky?
Ms. Ragey: One per sticky.
Commissioner Smith: I have a question one,
Chair Stinger. Didn’t the HRC make a recommendation on body cams last year?
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: This year.
Ms. van de Zwaag: They gave feedback.
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Page 40 of 112
Commissioner Smith: They gave feedback.
Vice Chair O’Nan: This year I think it was.
[Many people started talking at once]
Ms. Ragey: We are talking about July to June, right?
Commissioner Smith: Yes, that was February.
Chair Stinger: It was March and then we reviewed again in April.
Commissioner Smith: I just didn’t see it on here but I like the…
Chair Stinger: I actually have so many papers in front of me, was that in…
Ms. van de Zwaag: In her head, Mary put it on here.
Commissioner Smith: Ok, ok, so I was looking for that. Thank you.
Chair Stinger: That’s in…
Ms. van de Zwaag: This is this.
Chair Stinger: Thank you for doing this.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Are we supposed to do the do better things too?
Ms. Ragey: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok, sorry.
Ms. Ragey: One thing that could have gone better, you could have done better and then two or
three successes.
Chair Stinger: Thank you for doing this.
Ms. Ragey: If you’re looking for that it’s in this Packet of stuff.
Ms. van de Zwaag: It’s under guest speakers.
Commissioner Smith: Ok.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I guess because it wasn’t
Vice Chair O’Nan: Are these things that never got accomplished?
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Page 41 of 112
Ms. Ragey: Sure.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok.
Ms. Ragey: if you can be specific that’s helpful. I really wish we would have gotten this thing
done.
Commissioner Kralik: I’m not going to be a critic so early.
Ms. Ragey: We’re a team here. Can’t get better if people are not…
Ms..Ragey: I wish you guys would have chocolate fountains at City Hall.
Commissioner Lee: Oh, I have like five agendas then.
Commissioner Kralik: You know…
Ms. Constantino: I know, we’re all…
Commissioner Kralik: I never perceived men and women because… at this meeting, there are
just as many women as men so I just… I never had that…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes but we’re staff so we’re kind of…
Commissioner Kralik: But I recognize…
Ms. van de Zwaag: We’re adjunct.
Commissioner Kralik: I recognize your value and your importance enough to feel that it’s
balanced. I’m trying to…
Vice Chair O’Nan: It’s actually kind of…
Commissioner Kralik: It’s interesting.
Vice Chair O’Nan: …Yes, it’s nice to have a more balanced Commission…
Commissioner Kralik: Yes, we’re four and four.
Vice Chair O’Nan: … and have more men participating.
Commissioner Kralik: We’re actually even.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, which is great.
Ms. Ragey: Today, two are staff so yes.
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Page 42 of 112
Commissioner Kralik: Yes, no, I just…
Ms. Ragey: Which is from a different perspective.
Commissioner Kralik: The staff is really an unusual thing, like at the county..
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, we’re so lucky to have Minka..
Chair Stinger: Thank you for doing that.
Ms. Ragey: Does everybody have a couple of things? Two or three successes and the thing that
could have gone better? Does anybody need more time?
Chair Stinger: Give me just a second.
Ms. Ragey: If you are done just raise your hand. I’m seeing writing still going on. Are we there?
I’d like one person to volunteer to share one success. Please, Jill.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We did a very successful LGBTQ Listening Forum and a follow-up survey
where we got great input from LGBTQ individuals, their families, their friends, and people who
are allies of that community. This was, I think, one of the first outreach attempts and it was
coordinated with the county which was also a great thing because this local HRC can really
amplify and leverage its efforts if we coordinate with larger entities like the county. I have to
give a lot of credit to our Chair Stinger who arranged that with the county office of LGBTQ
affairs.
Ms. Ragey: Great so can you hand me that sticky and did anybody else have that?
Ms. van de Zwaag: I did.
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Alright so I just need the one that has that one then.
Chair Stinger: Well, actually I broke it down into three.
Ms. Ragey: Ok.
Chair Stinger: It was the LGBTQ, the partnership with the county and with Mountain View.
They did their presentation a couple weeks ago and gave us a nod. We talked about going
forward together because there’s some initiatives that can be more economically viable if we
share them.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, great. Somebody else wants to share a success?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Minka does.
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Page 43 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: I will for two reasons, one is the event that Steven just did. The whole
Chinese Exclusion movie just because we didn’t talk about it forever, there’s my north, we did it,
it was simple, it was impactful, and it just happened. So, I think what I liked about it that not
there’s things that need thought and discussion and planning but there’s things that are impactful
in the community that we can just say hey, there’s an idea. Is everyone on board, that’s really
important to me, let’s do it. It got 180 people or something there and got the community thinking
on a really important issue so I thought it was important for several different reasons; within 3-
weeks.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I want to add too that was I think our first partnership with AACI which
Asian Americans for Community Involvement and Steven is really lead that so that was really
important.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic.
Commissioner Lee: Well I appreciate the Commission and staff’s responsiveness to that request
and just glad that we were able to put it together.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, it was a great experience.
Chair Stinger: Good job.
Ms. Ragey: Did anybody else have that one?
Ms. Constantino: Just ask people.
Ms. Ragey: Ok, great. Another one?
Ms. Constantino: I have one.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, please.
Ms. Constantino: This year we had two HSRAP RFP’s, which is our grant process, twice
because somebody pulled out so it was a pretty big process and that was something I think was a
success.
Ms. Ragey: Great, somebody else.
Commissioner Kralik: I had that one.
Ms. Ragey: You had that one, awesome.
Commissioner Kralik: I’ll tell you why because you know at the county level we do not have any
kind of funding mechanism. If someone comes with a great idea, we have to pass it up and it gets
lost at that point and there’s no real way to do that. So, this direct funding of groups that provide
community services is a huge strength.
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Page 44 of 112
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic. Somebody else?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I have our On The Table event. It was actually a national event that then was
localized to Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Again, through the auspices of Chair Stinger
Palo Alto got involved and we hosted two events. One during the day at a local Hobee’s and one
that Commissioner Lee did for basically vehicle dwellers and homeless people which was one of
the first times we’ve done that kind of direct outreach to that population. It was really exciting to
be able to participate in that.
Ms. Ragey: Great, next? What else?
Commissioner Lee: One thing that I think we did well was working on CEDAW. I felt like the
folks who were working on that I felt that they had another advocate within the City who was
listening to their needs and was being responsive to them. I think sometimes when the City gets
busy with higher priority items you feel like well no one is paying attention to what they care
about. So, I’ve gotten feedback from them that they really appreciated what the Commission has
provided with that.
Commissioner Smith: What group was that?
Commissioner Lee: This was the United Nations Associations and Cities for CEDAW.
Commissioner Smith: Ok, with CEDAW.
Vice Chair O’Nan: CEDAW is a… oh, I’m sorry you go ahead. I’ll let him explain.
Commissioner Lee: It’s a UN treaty for the mention on the Elimination of all Discrimination
Against Women.
Ms. van de Zwaag: All forms…
Commissioner Lee: All forms, I keep forgetting that. Yes, all forms of discrimination against
women.
Commissioner Smith: Oh, and that’s the one that won’t get to the City Council until August,
right?
Commissioner Lee: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Great, what else?
Commissioner Smith: Thank you for the clarification.
Commissioner Lee: Yep.
Ms. Ragey: Anything else?
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Page 45 of 112
Commissioner Lee: I really liked that we were able to provide an emerging needs funding to
CASSY in response to the unfortunate suicide at the beginning of the year. I think that was an
area where we were able to respond in a very timely manner to a current and unexpected need in
the community. We heard from CASSY that they really appreciated that additional support and
even though it was something happening in the schools, it was an appropriate way for the City to
be… to collaborate and be partners with these larger issues going on.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic.
Vice Chair O’Nan: If I could add just some historical perception on that.
Ms. Ragey: Sure.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We didn’t use to have an emerging needs fund. This was something that staff
and the Commission worked together to educate Council around saying we have this 2-year
cycle. If something happens mid-cycle we can’t respond to our local non-profit partners,
including emergencies like this. Thanks to staff’s due diligent and with the support of the HRC,
Council set aside the money for this so now when someone like CASSY comes to us and says
hey, there was suicide, we need some extra money for counselors. We are able to respond to that
need.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, very nice. Fantastic. What else? Yes.
Commissioner Smith: Even though it was just airing or just a visit, actually being engaged in the
field-based video policy and just having that discussion and dialog is very critical. I think it’s
something that has national impact and as these policies are being defined, having the ability to
say hey, look at this; we can’t dictate to them but at least we can help them really think from
different perspectives and I think that’s really, in an advisory role of the Board, a very powerful
thing. I can’t think of many cities where that police department decision goes to HRC and they
have feedback on that decisions.
Commissioner Lee: Well that’s a testament to our Chair’s strong relationship with the Police
Department.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Chair Stinger: Yes, I think that’s something that we had built in the past and that credit goes to
Commissioners who are no longer on the Commission and who have termed out but we’re going
to come back to that later this afternoon. It’s an energy that I’d like to continue.
Vice Chair O’Nan: It’s an important relationship.
Ms. Ragey: Great. Anything else? Successes?
Commissioner Kralik: Again, this is a general observation that I think the Commission, based on
what I’ve heard, communications well with the City Council. Whether if it’s by outcomes or at
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Page 46 of 112
least statues of work even if it’s not their liking. I think that communication is open and it’s very
perceptible and it’s direct. Again, just have the City Council Member report at a meeting like that
is huge. That’s an amazing thing. That really kind of gives you the sense that it’s something that
we’re doing that’s important and they want to know about it. So that’s an unusual thing, it’s
structured right.
Ms. Ragey: Great. Anything else? Successes?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Did you have something Pastor Smith? I thought your hand was up.
Commissioner Smith: About the question of perceptions with City Council I get the sense that
there is great communication but you mentioned something earlier where you said there is some
underlying pressure to get some stuff done. What is the perception? I don’t know but what is the
perception of this Commission on City Council based on those… you three that have been here. I
don’t like staff to make a comment.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well a really quick version is that in the past the HRC did not enjoy the best
reputation. We were seen as a Commission that was well-intentioned but didn’t do a whole lot
except oversee programs like HSRAP and CDBG funding; recommend applications for those
fundings. So, in the past few years, we became much more energized and engaged and Council
really responded positively to that. Thus, they gave us the referral but then for various reasons,
and this does not reflect on the Chair or anyone individually, we were… just weren’t able to do
as much as maybe Council would have expected. I’m not sure their expectations were entirely
realistic but sometimes what is what’s perceived. We are responsible to them; we are their
advisory body so we just need to make sure that we keep their needs and wants in mind.
Commissioner Smith: What are their expectations?
Chair Stinger: Can we hold that discussion…
Commissioner Smith: Ok.
Chair Stinger: … because I’d like to have more than a few minutes.
Commissioner Smith: No, no.
Ms. Ragey: Hang on to that.
Chair Stinger: Yes, I think it’s really important for our planning for the next year.
Ms. Ragey: Steven.
Commissioner Lee: I think one additional success here is Commission (inaudible) and I think
that’s a testament to the Chair. I think we may have sewed it out on some issues, kind of having
different opinions. I think work one on one or through the meeting we were able to find an
approach that the entire Commission could sign up too, in particular to CEDAW but other things
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Page 47 of 112
as well. That was a unanimous decision and so I think when we do that and come together it’s a
stronger statement and so I’m glad that the Chair has really put in the time to try to bring us
together.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, to build consensus.
Chair Stinger: I appreciate you.
Ms. Ragey: What could have gone better? Anybody?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well at our last study session with Council we floated an idea to do a
community dinner and this was in response to the White House refusing for the first time in 20-
years to participate in a Ramadan dinner. The Council loved that idea and then we just weren’t
able to carry that forward. I had hoped that a colleague, who’s no longer with us, was working on
that and I had indications periodically that he was but then it turned into something different and
not an HRC event so I’d really like us to reconsider that. Council, as I said, was very responsive
and I think it would be a great statement, especially if we could build among the faith-based
communities that we all respect each other and we stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters in
the face of what’s going on nationally.
Ms. Ragey: Interesting. Thank you. What else?
Chair Stinger: I feel that it could be tighter meetings.
Ms. Ragey: In terms of?
Chair Stinger: I think the Chair could do a better in controlling the time.
Ms. Ragey: Ok.
Commissioner Lee: You just don’t like the Chair, do you?
Chair Stinger: I don’t.
Ms. Ragey: It takes more than one person to make a meeting not go long.
Commissioner Smith: How long is our average meeting?
Vice Chair O’Nan: You haven’t been there yet but Yes.
Chair Stinger: I would say 2 ½ hours; 7:30-9:00.
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, we were getting along to 10:00.
Chair Stinger: Not… we’ll that’s 2 ½-hours. I just didn’t…
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Page 48 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: Well I would say 2.
Vice Chair O’Nan: 3.
Commissioner Smith: I got it.
Ms. Constantino: Depends if it’s HSRAP or something like that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Great.
Commissioner Xue: So, one thing, you for me, to apply for this position was to reach out to
recruit for this application was a little awkward. So, I’m not criticizing the process but
Commissioner Chen. We ran into a Church activity I mean and she said oh, there’s an opening.
Are you willing to join the (inaudible).
Ms. van de Zwaag: The Clerk’s Office does that.
Commissioner Xue: Right so basically, I didn’t hear of the opening until that time and learned
also at that time that one of my friends was speaking at Council. So but anyhow, somehow…
how can we reach out and re-invite from (inaudible). We have this kind of situation, for example,
this year we have three new members coming to do a job. So that’s (inaudible)… I mean because
I’m new I cannot come on the (inaudible).
Vice Chair O’Nan: That’s a really good point. I think some it’s driven by the City but maybe we
can amplify the City’s efforts better.
Commissioner Xue: I also heard in this community we have a 30 to 40 percent Asian population
so how many Asian people apply for this position? So clearly Steve is here, I’m
here…(inaudible) so that’s (inaudible).
Vice Chair O’Nan: It was Theresa.
Ms. Ragey: Other things that could have gone better? Thank you for that.
Ms. van de Zwaag: As far as staff and it’s always a little awkward to say as staff but the HRC is
riding on a high reputation. I would say as you develop your work plan for the year, I just said be
thoughtful and mindful of what you put on your work plan. To be mindful of stirring up a
hornet’s nest when you need to but not when you don’t need to and try to work in collaboration
with staff and the Council. Also, be mindful and respectful of the Council’s opinion and staff’s
opinion on things. I think sometimes the HRC has tended to follow the direction of individuals
and that’s why I’m really excited about the…
Ms. Ragey: Decision screen.
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Page 49 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: … decision screen because I feel like we need to go through with one voice
on certain projects and if it doesn’t get that voice, that it goes off. That’s my feeling and if
something doesn’t go through, that it’s just let go and you work on something else. We want the
HRC to be that voice in the wilderness for certain issues but we also don’t want them to say, oh
my god there they are again. They are always putting a needle in our side. Sometimes you need
to do that because that’s, I believe, in your jurisdiction is to speak for the people who can’t…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Speak.
Ms. van de Zwaag: …always have a voice. I also believe that intentionally antagonistic is not
helpful.
Ms. Ragey: Other things that could have gone better. Got them all?
Commissioner Lee: I think one piece of feedback that I got was that certain members of the
Council were hoping for a quicker response to… was is it 9653 and forwarding our
recommendations as they became ready as opposed to trying to wait until perfecting them or
lump them together. So that was some feedback I heard and I think it’s sort of a delicate balance
in that we want to make sure that what we recommend is well informed, well researched but also
being timely to the Council.
Ms. van de Zwaag: What’s also hard for a Commission is that there are nine Council Members…
Commissioner Lee: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Just like I said we don’t go forward with the opinion of one on the
Commission. Just because one Council Member wants something to happen unless it’s voted on
by all his or her colleagues because we had a study session and they hold the HRC I want you to
work on this, this, this, and this. They voted on nothing so they kind of left everybody… and
then some Commissioners said let’s work on that and then there was pushback. Then they say
five of you mentioned that we should be concerned with this issue and I’ll say it’s the vehicle
dweller issue. I’ll be totally honest with that which is a big issue of Commissioner Lee but the
problem is they never voted on it. So, Commissioner Lee went forward because of a personal
passion and interest and a good heart but you know they said but unless they vote on it, they
really didn’t mean it…
Ms. Ragey: You shouldn’t take it as direction.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … and it came up at a… right, it was just their opinion.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Commissioner Smith has a question.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, please.
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Page 50 of 112
Commissioner Smith: What recommendations did we have for 9653 for those of us that don’t…
Chair Stinger: Can we just… let’s… is that next?
Ms. Ragey: That’s next.
Commissioner Smith: Oh, thank you.
Ms. Ragey: Alright, fantastic.
Commissioner Smith: That will save all my questions.
Chair Stinger: Well and I’m glad you have questions because I really want to spend time on that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I wanted to just riff on more thing. I just have an objection to Chair Stinger
feeling like meetings weren’t run as well as they could have been because I think she’s done a
really good job running the meetings. I will say though that I’ve noticed that our agendas, the
time allotted for certain issues has just not been realistic. So, we’ll have 5 or 10 or 15-minutes
and it’s a 45 to 1 hour of discussion. I think expectations then it feels like we’re running late. I’m
not sure we’re really running late because I think the issue probably needed that much time but
because the planning didn’t match the reality and they say that Chair Stinger, that she’s not
moving things along. So perhaps if we, again using the west approach, plan and anticipate that
we need this much time we’ll feel like we are on track and the meetings will feel like their
running better.
Commissioner Kralik: The south approach basically too that you want to value the personal input
of the members and so that does take time.
Ms. Ragey: Thank you for that so that sort of says where you’ve been and so I’m now going to
turn it over to Valerie and Minka to talk about mission, jurisdiction, and authority.
Chair Stinger: Maybe I’ll start with the mission statement. You can see it here and can you see it
on every agenda.
Ms. Ragey: If you need to get up to stand in front of it, please feel free.
Chair Stinger: Or it’s on our handouts that Mary and Minka left us. It’s on every agenda. I’ll just
point out the elements of it, what activity is promoted. It’s the just and fair treatment of all
citizens, promote awareness and enable conversation. Who’s the target of our mission statement?
All people in Palo Alto, particularly our most vulnerable. The so what of the mission statement is
civility, respect, and responsible actions are the norm in our community.
Ms. van de Zwaag: You know I would just say for the jurisdiction and authority I’ll leave those
for people to read. I think we’ve already touched on it a couple times previously when we had
the conversation regarding the school district. Jurisdiction is pretty clear. I think the authority is,
in some ways, narrower than some people expect but, in many ways, broader and I encourage
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Page 51 of 112
you, before we set our priorities, at the lunch break just go over there and read it a minute. We’ve
tended to stay in the educational phase but here is that recommending of local legislation,
recommending that the Council endorse something locally or something that’s considered state-
wide. That’s all within your authority to do so I’m just going to leave it at that as well.
Chair Stinger: Maybe as a summary of the three pieces, the operative words for me is that we
are advisory to City Council and that goes back to your point earlier, we are Palo Alto-centric.
We do have some responsibilities to the Council but we are also independent in our
programming. Any programming that’s within our jurisdiction we are authorized to proceed
independently. I just wanted to note that the City Attorney Molly Stump was invited and her
timing is such that she’s accepted the invitation for our July meeting. We’re at one point we were
considering asking her to lay groundwork for our authority and jurisdiction. I think having her
come in July is going to be richer because we can specifically give her the examples that we have
chosen for our priorities and provide any specific questions to her so that she can be prepared to
guide us.
Commissioner Lee: Can I ask could the City Attorney maybe consider maybe elaborating on
Section F?
Chair Stinger: Of the?
Ms. van de Zwaag: I can ask her.
Chair Stinger: Thank you and there may be other questions that come up today and/or in the next
month as we're thinking of things and the more specific we can be in our direction to her. She
does this for other Commissions, she’s prepared but we can tailor it.
Commissioner Smith: So just as an example for that, I know the state is doing a lot of legislation
around housing. The city hasn’t taken a stance on that housing legislation can we make a
recommendation based on F?
Ms. van de Zwaag: You can make a recommendation based on the HRC or you make a
recommendation to the Council that you suggest that they like to vote yes on Proposition X. So,
you can do it either for yourself or recommend that the Council do so.
Commissioner Lee: It seems like while most of the authority is very City-centric, that F may give
us a little bit more latitude with the appropriate…
Commissioner Smith: Context.
Commissioner Lee: … consideration and not doing every issue out there…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right.
Commissioner Lee: … but when appropriate. It seems like F is where the clarification would be.
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Page 52 of 112
Chair Stinger: To me those are intersecting circles. If they are looking at protecting animals in
the jungle or something like that, we may agree with that but if they are talking about animals in
the Baylands.
Commissioner Kralik: I wonder if I could just ask for some help interrupting the jurisdiction
statement. Especially Number Two of A2 and just what is that meant to connote?
Ms. van de Zwaag: In what…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Under jurisdiction?
Commissioner Kralik: Is that meant to connote…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right, it’s kind of … it’s the…
Commissioner Kralik: … like the independence of being concerned as individual members about
these groups? Is that the idea? In other words that some of it comes from us not necessarily from
above.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Commissioner Kralik: Ok.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes. The majority of what happens on this Commission is through your own
individual responding to Number Two.
Commissioner Kralik: Our perceptions.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Your perceptions of it, very little of it comes from up on high.
Commissioner Kralik: Good, ok.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think it’s really important to remember it’s like a two-way channel. Things
do come down from Council to us but things also come up from the community and sometimes
our Council Members are a little bit removed from what’s going on in segments of the
community because the Council Members are extremely busy and they are trying to handle all
kinds of issues and going to many, many meetings. So, if something is bubbling up and we hear
about it or we’re concerned about it, part of our responsibility is to let our leaders know that this
is what’s going on and this needs to get on your radar.
Ms. van de Zwaag: It doesn’t always have to be such a big deal like sending them some
Resolution or policy. As some points on this Commission, this is for later, I don’t really want it
discussed now… is on a quarterly basis you could just turn in an informational report and say
this is what we’ve been thinking about and talking about. They don’t discuss it; it just goes in
their Packet. You could also once a quarter have the Chair just during 3-minute oral
communication at the Council meeting, just wanted to let you know what the HRC is up. Don’t
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Page 53 of 112
need to make any decisions; these are some issues that we see in the community hoping that one
then takes up the cause of something but those are ways of… it doesn’t always have to be this
huge Resolution. There are other ways of getting to the Council without doing so.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I wanted to mention too that although right now we’re discussing our
jurisdiction and authority in a more formal role. We have a more informal but very impactful
role as a community influencer and Council influencer. By that I mean our name carries some
weight and if we endorse an event or sponsor an event that carries some weight. We can
collaborate with community partners sometimes in a more informal role as well. Simply go out
for coffee with somebody whether they are on Council or as part of a community agency, let
them know what’s going on and what we’re thinking; what are you thinking. Then that really
builds those invisible connections that become a very powerful network for us so we need to be
cognizant of that role as well.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right but in that role, the Commissioners have to be cognizant when they are
talking members of the community and listening to people that they are talking to them…
Vice Chair O’Nan: As an individual.
Ms. van de Zwaag: …as an individual that unless you’ve been sanctioned to go to an event and
say the HRC will, that’s you’ve been sanctioned by the HRC to do so. So, if you’re talking to
someone and you’re responding back oh, Yes, I think that should happen. Be very clear that you
as an individual and not as a representative of the Commission. So that’s kind of underways of
beings as well.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So Minka made a really good point there but you can also convert that
experience into an official role. For example, Steven just did that, he met with the Asian
Americans for Community Involvement around hosting a screening of the Chinese Exclusion
Act Documentary, brought it to the Commission and said hey let’s get on board, let’s endorse
this event, let’s be part of it. Then we voted on it and officially did take part in it so it went from
an influencer into a more formal role. It was extremely successful so that kind of thing can
happen so just be aware that you have these different tools in the toolkit.
Commissioner Lee: When I meet with folks I made it clear that these are just for me to get ideas
and get to know people but I may guess that the Commission may be interested but I always
caveat and say I’d have to take the temperature of the Commission and see if this is something
that the Commission would like to do. Do we have a (inaudible) and then…
Chair Stinger: It’s exploratory.
Commissioner Smith: So, you pose it as just being informational, I’m just guessing.
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Commissioner Lee: Or just bouncing ideas off each other and just get the pulse of what’s going
on.
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Chair Stinger: I think that’s the way I approached it.
Commissioner Smith: Yes, that’s basically…
Vice Chair O’Nan: The other this is you can attend an event and support it as an individual and
then bring it back and give your Commission at report at a meeting. Sometimes that can become
a groundswell for a larger role for us as a team so there’s all kinds of ways to educate and inform
and start shaping the direction of the Commission.
Commissioner Lee: I think CEDAW happened that way. We got invited to go to their event last
summer; you and I.
Chair Stinger: They had approached us before.
Commissioner Lee: Before and so we kind of went individually and then we talked about it with
the Commission.
Chair Stinger: That reinforces what both you are saying. I’m just being out in the community,
people want to have the Commission behind them or everybody is looking for sharing work;
collaboration; partnerships. So, the more we can be involved in the community we can find ideas
that make sense to further the goals that we’re going to put down for the year.
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to move you to talk about current projects and Valerie, I think you wanted
to talk about this.
Chair Stinger: I’ll do that.
Ms. Ragey: Great.
Chair Stinger: I think the documents that are in the Packet.
Ms. Ragey: Is it… Is it this right?
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Its sort of cut off.
Chair Stinger: If you want a hard copy…
Ms. Ragey: It’s also in your Packet.
Chair Stinger: …to take notes on it…
Vice Chair O’Nan: It’s in the Packet here.
Chair Stinger: Ok, good. Others I will also refer you again to the sheet of our accomplishment
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for the fiscal year that’s just ending which Mary thoughtfully prepared for us and you can glance
at that at your convenience. I wanted to look at the work plan that we had for our Commission
this year and this is drill down a bit. It was a bit more ambiguous as we started the year and we
drilled it down to three areas. One was responding to the Council referral, one of a goal of
fostering community conversation and then we always have our core responsibilities. I’m going
to try to manage my time with help to give you an overview but be brief so I’m going to look to
you to say ok, I’ve had enough of that or I don’t understand where you came from. I’m also
going to ask you to look at this when we close today to look at what we individually want to sign
up for in the coming year. There should be a worksheet for 2019. The Council referral, we’ve
talked about that, in December 16 the then City Council passed a Resolution that Palo Alto
should be a diverse, supportive, inclusive, protective climate. The feedback from the community
at that point and the feedback from the members of the Council was good value statement but
where's the teeth? The Mayor then was Pat Berg who threw it to the Commission to say give us
some teeth. We did have some delays of getting started. There was (inaudible) in the City
Manager’s Office to get us going, we worked with an intern last summer to do a situation
analysis and come up with recommendations. Some recommendations where for the Council,
some were for the Commission, some were for staff. The recommendations that pertain just to
the Commission are these areas, immigration… let me… I’m sorry. One of our activities last
year was to put that package together and take it to the Council and that was to bring forth our
first round of programs and policy recommendations. We were ready to do that at the end of
December. We had briefed the Council in our study session in 1st quarter on what we were going
to do, they liked it, were prepared to go forward and through a roundabout circumstance, we
have not gotten to Council to present that. So, it looks like we’ve been inactive and the lesson for
me is to reflect on what you just said. We should have just gone with the 3-minute oral
communication to update them and say you know we’re moving forward when we saw that we
weren’t going to get on a Council agenda we said that’s ok, we’ll just do an informational report
to them. So, we had that all prepared and they said no, you’re on the agenda so we pulled that
report and so we just spun our wheels. In that spinning, we should have just set the brakes and
took control of the communication. That report has been done and it’s sitting in an office we will
be presenting in August. Some of the…
Commissioner Smith: Are we presenting twice in August?
Chair Stinger: No, that won’t…
Commissioner Smith: Because you had the CEBAD…
Vice Chair O’Nan: CEDAW.
Ms. van de Zwaag: That’s part of it, that’s one of the five recommendations that…
Commissioner Smith: Can you catch us up on what the five recommendations are briefly?
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
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Chair Stinger: Yes. Immigration, there were two elements in our recommendation on the
immigrant community. One was to leverage the country training and media. The library is doing
that so as a Commission we didn’t do it but our recommendation is considered to complete.
Two…
Ms. van de Zwaag: The recommendation to the Council...
Chair Stinger: To the Council…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Chair Stinger: … is two Resolutions were passed at the California State level. One that…
basically, its sanctuary City and our recommendation to Council is that they acknowledge that
we support that recommendation. Even in light of legal challenges at the national level.
Commissioner Smith: This is back 89653 just so that I make sure…
Ms. van de Zwaag: This is all nested under 9653.
Chair Stinger: The other State Bill that was passed by both bodies was not to have a religious
database. That you can’t ask people to register by religion and we’ve asked that the City Council
acknowledge that they will do that.
Commissioner Smith: Will the police also do that?
Ms. van de Zwaag: The Council sent a thank you to the state for their work in ensuring that that
happens. It doesn’t…
Chair Stinger: Well the other part of it was to ask the City Attorney…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Chair Stinger: … to make sure that we are in compliance with those.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Correct.
Chair Stinger: That’s a little redundant because… at the time we did it, it was a statement. Now
it’s a little redundant since the law was passed a year ago the City Attorney is obligated to make
sure that the City Ordinance are compliant with the state.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right. Two of them were sending thank you notes and then the third
recommendation is to make sure the City is compliant with those two laws. So, there are three
recommendations out of the five rights there.
Chair Stinger: I guess it was… in immigration, it was to be in compliance and to acknowledge
and confirm our support of that and then the religious database to make sure that our laws are
compliant with that and confirmation to the state that we support that. We’ll stand with the state
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Page 57 of 112
on Sanctuary City and no religious database.
Commissioner Smith: There is no educational component?
Ms. van de Zwaag: We want to hear what the Council says but that doesn’t mean that in the
future that couldn’t be a future project of the HRC. There’s nothing in the Resolution to Council,
these are just HRC’s role to Council is the Council the policy-making body. These are policies or
decisions that the HRC is requesting that the Council isn’t an educational body so if the HRC
feels like there’s something related to those areas that might lend it to some kind of educational.
That’s something for the coming year.
Chair Stinger: Just skipping down we do have here what we call here inclusive public
engagement. Two areas that we are implementing are exploring a Welcoming America and
leadership training for immigrants. That is approaching the community involvement and the
education element. The Welcoming American program is something that we identified in our
survey work last summer that the Y does the third week in September and wanted to increase its
presence in the community. I approached their Diversity Committee in April with a proposal
which they accepted and we will work jointly with them and the libraries and maybe the School
Board, I’ll talk to that later, to make that third week in September a chance for us to recognize
the American values that we’ve learned from the immigrant experience. So, just to try to say it in
one sentence I’ll elaborate further offline. We want to look at experiences, Japanese internment it
might be one Fred Yamamoto experience that we can illustrate in a story and honor that
experience and say what we’ve learned from that. That would be the objective of the Welcoming
American program. There’s a Planning Committee that will be a 1st quarter activity in 2019 so on
the second worksheet you will see that carried forward. The other idea that we had last year was
to do leadership training for new immigrants. I think some of you are aware of Leadership Palo
Alto. A program that the Chamber of Commerce…
Commissioner Kralik: I did it.
Chair Stinger: Did you do it?
Commissioner Smith: What is that?
Chair Stinger: It’s a…
Commissioner Kralik: It’s a yearlong orientation session to the community. Essentially going
through different aspects from education to public safety, non-profits, and it’s once a month.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think it’s sponsored by the Common Wealth Club.
Chair Stinger: No, it’s the Chamber.
Commissioner Kralik: The Chamber of Commerce. So, it does have a Chamber of Commerce
bend to it but you essentially are creating a grouping of people that learn together about the city
and that allows you to have kind of collaborative sense of your actions. The people, they are
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Page 58 of 112
drawn from real estate, business, we did have public safety members, and so you get to
appreciate their experience and treat Palo Alto (inaudible). I don’t know that we had a Pastor of a
church but there were…
Commissioner Smith: (inaudible)
Commissioner Kralik: You know I mean that would probably a really beautiful way of getting to
know a cohort of persons who are involved in the city.
Chair Stinger: We…
Commissioner Smith: You know one thing would be faith in action, we went out kind of like
some of the other folks that do around DACA and that kind of stuff. I’m coming from an
immigrant family, there is a lot of myth and misconception and a lot of perspective of laws and
rights that these communities it keeps them in fair or even keeps people up at night. I don’t know
if you’ve ever heard of this but the federal government had this thing called Operation Janice.
That was the reversing the naturalization of citizens that got in (inaudible). There are these things
that are out there that people don’t know about and I think as a community there should be at
some level for immigrant communities whether they are Latino, Asian, Caribbean, wherever they
are from, feeling that there’s that baseline education that these are your legal rights, this is what
is there to protect you, that’s what Sanctuary City moves, all of those things because we can say
that from up here but when people go home they don’t have a very great… there’s no source for
a lot of great clarity. Even in Department of Homeland Security site or the immigration sight is
not very clear.
Chair Stinger: Well let’s hold that idea. I think it’s something that we want to consider because
we might want to fold that into what we’re doing going forward. The idea that we had for this
leadership training came from an example that they did in Mountain View that may include some
of those elements. They did a program in Spanish for the Spanish community and it was
presented at a peninsula association or I guess a nine bay area county meeting and we thought
this is a model. We can use this except we will use it with the Mandarin community but first two
big good reasons that idea didn’t have legs. One reason is that a lot of the benefit that comes out
of Leadership Palo Alto is the networking and we want that networking to be across ethnicities.
So, having a specific Mandarin program was like well maybe this is counterproductive so I
wanted to rethink it. The translation into Mandarin into a 10-month program it just became…
what did I say? I need help with limits. That was one of the limitations we addressed. This has
evolved now into the idea that we take forward is that one weekend we might be part of
Welcoming America. We have a program for all new citizens in Palo Alto focusing on new
immigrants but open to everyone.
Vice Chair O’Nan: But in all just citizens.
Commissioner Smith: Yes, can we add that language?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Not just… you said all new citizens.
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Page 59 of 112
Chair Stinger: I’m sorry, I meant all new residents. I’m sorry, I meant residents. I appreciate that
catch. All new residents, introducing them to the City in an afternoon of lectures, giving the
Chamber a chance to pitch Leadership Palo Alto to attract more people and one element might be
some of what you talked about, immigrant education, inclusive public engagement as a goal and
with two implementation projects. That’s something that we have started in the 3rd and 4th
Quarters of this year and we’ll continue in the 1st Quarter of next year. The gender issues we’ve
talked about and we’ll just reinforce that the CEDAW resolution, the convention for the
Elimination of All Forms of…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Discrimination Against Women.
Chair Stinger: Discrimination Against Women is part of the recommendation that… of the five
recommendations that will go to Council in August. How we carry that out will be a major
program next year. If the Council votes it up then we will have work on deciding what strategy
we want to take for implementation. If the Council votes it down, says it something that
structurally they don’t want, we still have gender goals in the City and so we will want to spend
time deciding how we will spend our resources. That is something that I want to carry forward.
Commissioner Smith: Just so I’m clear gender is dealing with…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Gender equity.
Commissioner Smith: Gender equity with (inaudible). Gender identity is a totally different.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes, correct.
Vice Chair O’Nan: That’s more under the LGBTQ plus group work I think.
Commissioner Smith: I just want to make sure that they were two separate things.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, exactly.
Chair Stinger: We have used them as two separate categories for our planning.
Commissioner Smith: So, here goes a random question.
Chair Stinger: Yes, I like it. You’re engaged.
Commissioner Smith: So, we talk about gender fluidity or gender identity and then we go to the
City Council with a binary request for gender.
Ms. van de Zwaag: We have recognized that as a Commission because the language that you get
from the organizers from CEDAW doesn’t take that into consideration but at least I know I’ve
had it with Valerie to say that we need to be aware of that. We need to…
Commissioner Smith: Yes that’s a strange dichotomy I think.
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Page 60 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right.
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Ms. van de Zwaag: We’re aware of that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: CEDAW was an existing framework so sometimes you have to, again, start
with where people are and then evolve it.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Chair Stinger: We need to be clear on how we are going and what our labels mean. Then moving
to gender identity, the work for the Council last year or for the Commission last year was to
assess the needs of the LGBTQ plus community; youth; seniors; working population. We will
bring that to a close this summer with some recommendations that will bring us some projects
next year that could be in the areas of sensitivity training, community spaces, mentoring, oral
histories, some senior services, seed grants, looking at what Mountain View has recommended
and what we might want to do with them or individually or with the county. There will be some
projects that will carry over to next year. Fostering community conversation, this was an area
where we had three topics and we’ve hit on them briefly already so I’ll just mention them. Well,
we did the On The Table with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the community dinner
which was a good idea spun it's wheeled a little bit, and the online cyberbullying is something
that the Commissioner who is absent today feels that she has looked into. There’s more resources
in the community than she had realized and she feels that we have no added value and is closing
the chapter on that. So, it’s an area that we won’t take forward to next year. I just want to talk
about these two areas on the work plan for ’19. You’ll see them already there. The Council
referral is actually something that is the work of the Commission.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We’re ’19?
Chair Stinger: It should be Page 2 or in my…
Commissioner Smith: It looks just like this.
Ms. Constantino: I think it’s in this one.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think I may still be in… got it.
Chair Stinger: Supporting an inclusive community is the work of the Commission and it’s the
focus of the Council Referral so that’s one area that we’d like to take forward into the new year
and fostering communication is another area. We have three ongoing topic areas. I just want to
talk a second… Yes…
Ms. van de Zwaag: I think we’re… go ahead.
Commissioner Smith: No, I was going to say thanks. I’m sorry.
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Page 61 of 112
Chair Stinger: Core responsibilities I just want to talk about them for a second. These are our
must-dos, HSRAP and CDBG are the granting programs; HSRAP City services money; CDBG
the HUD, Housing of Urban Development, grant money. We do an intensive review of proposals
every 2-years and this is the year. We may be doing some response to audit data this year so
there will be two areas where we’ll need everybody on board; probably 1st and 2nd Quarters
through January, maybe 3rd Quarter when you’re thinking of workloads. Then we have some fun
liaison roles or I call them fun because I think they are growth opportunities; meeting people in
the community. Healthy Cities is one and Healthy Cities is an initiative of the Council heavily
supported by Mayor Kniss and Councilmen Holman. It meets monthly? Every 6-weeks, every 4-
weeks. Membership of City people, Councilmen Holman and Kniss typically attend, staff
typically attends, School Board, health providers, Adolescent Counseling Services and looks at
programs. I think our role has been mostly contributory. There’s no real work assignment that
comes out of it. We did spend some work looking at the City survey and was able to contribute
that. People, please step in if there’s a Committee that you’re serving on that I underestimate.
The Senior and Dimension Friendly City is an intuitive of the county actually to be recognized
by the WHO, World Health Organization, as a senior-friendly city. We’ve accomplished that and
now have a list of programs and Human Services Staff, Minka, has nicely orchestrated one
program on sensitivity training for City staff and we will carry that forward. We’ve were
involved an activity in surveying and the focus groups that lead to the priority recognition. In the
past, we’ve liaised with Palo Alto Police Department very successfully and it was under Chief
Burns. We’ve just started a relationship with the new Police Chief Johnson and that, to me, is a
really important relationship. It’s a chance to meet with the liaison every 6-weeks, every 8-
weeks. What’s going well, what are you concerns, its informational exchange and it opens the
door for him and he typically has come to the Commission or the office and we want the new
person also to feel comfortable coming to us quarterly just as an update. New initiatives in the
community.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I wanted to mention that this is a really important relationship and often
we’ve dedicated at least two people to that.
Chair Stinger: That’s a good point. Avenidas would be sitting on their Board meetings, liaison to
Project Safety Net…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Maybe you could introduce Avenidas a little bit just in case people don’t
know.
Chair Stinger: Ok, I’m sorry. Avenidas is the senior service provider now broken off from the
City but initially triggered by the City…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Years ago, in the ‘70’s.
Chair Stinger: … I thought that was just yesterday.
Ms. van de Zwaag: It’s not sitting on their Board, no.
Chair Stinger: Oh, I’m sorry; I’m getting confused with another one.
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Page 62 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: It’s just meeting with them on a semi-annual basis to…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Just a quick history, some cities directly provide senior services. Palo Alto
does not, they outsource all senior services to Avenidas but they do donate space and a
substantial amount of money to Avenidas. So, also, Avenidas use to be under our opuses as a
part of HSRAP but because they are so large and have their own unique needs they broke off
from HSRAP. So, having a liaison relationship kind of helps us stay in touch with this
organization that’s really vital to Palo Alto because we have a large and growing senior
population. We need to stay in touch with that.
Chair Stinger: That becomes really important, particularly as we take the senior and dementia
friend city initiatives forward. Project Safety Net I think you all are familiar with that.
Commissioner Smith: Can you go that one more time again?
Chair Stinger: It… 5-years… Project Safety Net?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Are you actively listening Pastor?
Commissioner Smith: No, I am.
Chair Stinger: It’s a… I'd get… 5…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Suicide Prevention and Youth Well-Being Task Force.
Chair Stinger: It’s been in place for 5-years?
Ms. van de Zwaag: At least 5-years.
Chair Stinger: At least 5-years. There is it’s a membership on the advisory…
Ms. van de Zwaag: No, no, no, it’s just attending the meetings.
Chair Stinger: …or attending the meetings.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Attending the community meetings.
Commissioner Smith: How often are the community meetings?
Ms. van de Zwaag: They have kind of morphed a little bit but it’s my understanding that’s still
on a monthly basis. It’s like a 3 to 5 on a Wednesday once a month.
Chair Stinger: Then…
Ms. van de Zwaag: They have speakers and it’s also giving advice on how to implement these
strategies in the community.
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Page 63 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: If there would be another crisis, like another suicide cluster, then the
workload could dramatically increase because you might be called upon to really respond to that.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Well they’ve morphed into they have an Executive Leadership Team, then
they have more of a working team and then they have a community information session. So,
what we’re asking is really depending on the time and how Project Safety Net morphs. You can
just go to those community information sessions or if you want to get a little more involved and
want to be one of their action teams so it really depends on the person.
Chair Stinger: We get a lot of benefit from the association's liaison assignments. Putting our
agenda forward and bringing their information about their activities back. It’s what I think you
had mentioned being involved in the community and knowing what’s going on. It really makes
our work richer because we are more targeted. Last thing I want to say is that we will each have
a Council buddy.
Vice Chair O’Nan: You forgot PAMP.
Chair Stinger: I did, I’m so sorry. Palo Alto Mediation Program and we have a liaison to that
and that relationship has been quiet this year and I think it needs some attention.
Commissioner Kralik: I’m a member of PAMP.
Chair Stinger: I know that’s why I was…
Commissioner Kralik: So, I don’t know how proper that is.
Ms. van de Zwaag: No there’s no leadership or anything. It’s just being interested in what they
do so you can kill two birds with one stone if that’s what you’re interested in because you’re at
the meeting anyway.
Commissioner Kralik: I do go to those.
Ms. van de Zwaag: There you go.
Commissioner Smith: There we go.
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I wanted to just…
Commissioner Smith: That’s one off the board.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I just wanted to say Palo Alto Mediation Program is a city-funded program
that’s free to all people who live or work in Palo Alto. They are mandated to come to us to get
approval for their new mediators and there’s also a City Ordinance that’s called the Mandatory
Response Ordinance where a tenant has the right to require the landlord to at least show up to
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Page 64 of 112
mediation. A landlord doesn’t have to stay but they have to show up and that’s called mandatory
response so they come and have to give us report on that. So, we do have an oversight role there
and so this is something where we did not have a close relationship last year and I think PAMP is
hurting a little bit and would like to have a better relationship with us.
Commissioner Smith: Can we give feedback?
Chair Stinger: Please.
Commissioner Smith: I think we’ve got a lot of great things coming in but I’m surprised at two
things. That immigration is not its own whole category and that there is nothing around housing
being its own entire category. Those seem to be two very dominate issues that deeply affect our
city.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I think housing has been on the agenda for a long time. The real question is
within the jurisdiction of the HRC, where could the HRC add value to that discussion? Two
years ago they spent a whole year listening about housing issues from a variety perspective from
unhoused individuals and so forth. The Planning Director Regional Leaders came to speak to
them and just looking at the difference between the Planning and the Transportation Commission
or other Commissions, what the role of the HRC. They really didn’t feel like that was the one
with the time that the HRC has that there would be a real value added not that it’s not an
important issue to the community but from where the HRC is coming from. They had made
some progress on immigration but that’s why these are projects that are just going forward. You
know you talk about ideas for the next year that you could talk about it but that’s why next we’re
going to be working on this decision screen on how we make decisions. There are probably 75
issues that the HRC can work on but we only have so much time and skill. Where I feel like one
of the criteria is what unique perspective can the HRC within the auspices of the role it’s been
given by the city add value. In the past, there’s been great interest but looking at the scope of
authority of adding value in that area as far as housing policy the HRC has not gone there. You
may disagree with that, we can come up with that later but it’s not as…
Commissioner Smith: Oh, I don’t disagree with it, I’m just listening.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes. That’s what it has done. It’s literally spent a whole year listening…
actually like a year and a half, every month listening to different speakers about housing. Really
feeling where it could actively lean in to be active supporters of issues related to the unhoused
with its HSRAP dollars.
Commissioner Smith: Ok.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I wanted to mention too that a real brick wall that I feel that we hit was that
the community is very polarized around housing in this town. Now Council reflects that
polarization so we as an advisory body to Council I think we have to be a little bit careful about
not picking sides and seeming polarized in terms of our being on an advisory body. Now as
individuals we might have strong feels and want to align ourselves with different organizations
but the Commission I think got into kind of an uncomfortable sphere where it was a real political
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Page 65 of 112
battle was going on. We’re not Elected Officials and that’s not really what we do so it may not
feel comfortable to everybody and some members did pick sides and on their own time advocate.
Others of us chose to remain more neutral at least in terms of our Commissioners roles so you
have to just be aware of that.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I would just add one thing that the Commission thought they could do at that
time which could fall perfectly under inclusive public engagement. So, after the whole Maybell,
that was a senior housing complex, there was some sadness about how that whole conversation
happened in the community. The HRC felt like it could have added value on how we as a
community talk about difficult issues. That could be homelessness or that could be housing so I
want to put that in for your things to listen to when we start talking about what we can do. That’s
one area that I think the HRC in its perfect role as bringing the community together on important
issues is how do we talk about important issues that are sometimes difficult and feel like the
other is heard.
Commissioner Kralik: Can I just ask a question? Commissioner Smith, you raised two issues
broadly, what did you perceive was the vulnerability in housing and immigration that you
thought the Commission would put on its agenda? What were the vulnerabilities?
Commissioner Smith: I believe the housing conversation in Palo Alto is very stilted in the sense
that the entire community is not in the conversation. I believe there’s a significant immigrant
population that own residences that have opinions but because they are not franchised in our
current system they don’t have a voice in the conversation. I feel like there’s that whole part of
our community that actually pays the majority of our taxes that is not being represented in the
discourse or the discussion. The other side that I feel is there is an inordinate amount of the
greasy wheel gets the attention. So as for housing my question becomes how do we get the silo
community of Palo Alto to hear more of the housing owners in the community on what they
want, how they see it and where they see development going? Instead of those that make the
most noise so that’s really my whole thing. I think it also goes into immigration of how do we
start pulling people out of their silos and pockets that own houses and say how do you become
part of this public discourse and make it a healthy public discourse?
Vice Chair O’Nan: See my counterpoint to that, Commissioner Smith, would be most people in
Palo Alto don’t own. Most people in Palo Alto are renters so how do we deal with that then?
Ms. van de Zwaag: I think this is a conversation
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes this is a larger difficult conversation.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … in a little bit.
Commissioner Kralik: Are those issues addressed already in the way you have…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Not that’s…
Chair Stinger: No.
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Page 66 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: No, these are all things that come up…
Commissioner Kralik: They are new?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … when we talk about…
Commissioner Kralik: It sounded like a new wrinkle.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: This is the kind of conversation we need to have.
Ms. van de Zwaag: These are the type of awesome conversations that we should grapple with
when we talk about what we’d like the Commission… what you’d like the Commission to do
next year.
Vice Chair O’Nan: These complex topics, they are difficult.
Chair Stinger: There are two things that I want to say. One is it’s not exactly new but they are
not on the agenda for the year that just passed. We are going to have this discussion this
afternoon and it’s not unlike a discussion we have had before. What is the issue and how do we
address it? So, there were two things that I wanted to say and that was one. The second one was
thank you for coming to join us.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, thank you, Corey.
Council Member Wolbach: Sorry I’m late.
Chair Stinger: We’ve ready had comment and you saving an email to say that…
Vice Chair O’Nan: You’re in time for lunch.
Chair Stinger: …we really appreciate when we have your ear and your brain. Thank you.
Council Member Wolbach: I was in the neighborhood and figured I would drop by.
Chair Stinger: That’s…
Ms. van de Zwaag: You were out there drumming.
Council Member Wolbach: No but I was appreciating it. They are still going.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes, I hear them.
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Page 67 of 112
Chair Stinger: So that’s what we did last year and that’s what carries forward into next year. We
should give some thought to how much we want to take on and then fill the… start to work
toward that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: You know what I interrupted you with going back to PAMP and then we had
a little side discussion and you never really, I think went over Council buddies.
Chair Stinger: Just to mention that we each have a Council buddy. We ask that you meet with
your Council buddy causally and informally, to get an ear and find out what communication style
they like. Let them be attuned to what our thinking is and get guidance from them on questions
we might have about the best way to precede. If you’re lucky and you have Council Wolbach as
your buddy…
Vice Chair O’Nan: He’s very responsive.
Chair Stinger: He’s responsive.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think Qifeng…
Commissioner Xue: Quick question…
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Commissioner Xue: … how can we pair with a Council buddy?
Chair Stinger: At the end of today I’m going to ask you…
Vice Chair O’Nan: You’re going to have a sheet where you’d put who you’d like to be paired
with although I think traditionally the Chair is paired with the Mayor and the Vice Chair is
paired with the Vice Mayor. So those two might not…
Commissioner Xue: I see.
Vice Chair O’Nan: … is that… are we still doing that?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, anybody else on the Council.
Commissioner Xue: I see.
Chair Stinger: What we’ll do at the end of… I’m sorry, did you…
Council Member Wolbach: I was going to ask if you rotate on an annual basis.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We vote.
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Page 68 of 112
Council Member Wolbach: Do you switch who your Council buddy is each year so you get a
chance over the course of your term to get to know more Council Members.
Vice Chair O’Nan: To have three Council buddies.
Chair Stinger: Yes, thank you, good point. Just as… just to comment on the form that we will
ask at the end of the day what Committee assignments, what liaison assignments, what Council
buddy do you want and then leadership will take that back and try to match everybody up with
their choice. Also, to cover every obligation that we have to the community and to our fellow
Commissioners, we’ll do our best to match interests and preferences and we’re also going to try
to match new and 10-yeared people so we have people so we have experience. Now I can look at
north, south, east, west communication styles to factor that in too…
Ms. Ragey: There you go, alright, excellent.
Chair Stinger: …and I can stumble over that a long time as I think of the best way to match
people.
Ms. Ragey: What I’d like to do is we’re going to break at 12:30 so in the next 4-minutes I’m
going to explain the decision screen to you and our thinking behind having the Commission
come up with one of these. When we come back from lunch we’ll do some work on it and then
we’ll move into a discussion about your priorities for the new year. So I’ll start by saying that I
think we’ve said this a couple of times today which is the Commission is interested in having a
sort of systematic system for considering new ideas. There’s a lot that comes at you and absents
some criteria it becomes very difficult to figure out which things you want to do. Last year, just
so you know, there was a subcommittee of the HRC who looked at new projects and this was the
screen through which they thought about these things. I’m just going to share this with you. This
was never formally adopted by the entire HRC. It was just this subgroup and this is what they
thought about which was did it focus on a vulnerable population in the city, initiating activities
which make a difference in individual lives and commit the city to values of diversity, inclusion,
support, and protection? To what extent did it build on initial efforts in a continued phased
approach and to what degree did it seek partners? So, these were things that last year a subgroup
thought about. Moving on so this is about decision screens and this is just an example. This is
one that I did for another organization. It is not related to the HRC. The idea here is that you
have some criteria and most organizations may have up to 10 criteria that they think about. Then
you can use it in a couple different ways if you have five choices or two choices in front of you,
you can think about the criteria and say which one of these more highly fills this criterion
between the two or three choices you have. That’s one way of doing this. The second is you
maybe have one choice but you use this and you use a rating scale that says one is zero to three,
zero is doesn’t match this criterion at all and then all the way up to three of it’s such a perfect
match. Then, in the end, you can total and you can actually have a conversation about in order to
even consider this it needs to have a score of x. So, it is a mathematical thing but it is a way of
having a very disciplined way that you think about things. In this situation, this was an advisory
group and the things that they thought about was is it consistent with our mission and values or
to what extent is it consistent with our mission and values? To what extent does it take advantage
of our formalities like what do we do really well? I think it’s the value-add a question in many
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Page 69 of 112
ways. To what extent does it build or reinforce on our current competitive advantage? In other
words what this organization is thinking about here is what we’re known for. So, is this going to
add to our completive advantage? Make us more attractive; increase our brand if I could be so
brass. Will it likely yield in a result that is sustainable and not a flash in a pan? That was really
important to this group. They didn’t want to be doing things that they do and then it got away
and nobody cared. They didn’t have that kind of time. Will it break even in terms of income and
expense so it’s a budget question and that may or may not be relevant to this body. Important for
this is will it put us in competition with some non-profits and will not put us in competition with
a certain non-profit because of our collaborative relationship. So, they didn’t want to get into
space where they were competing with the very people they were trying to work with. Do we
have the current capacity to undertake the work? Not just programmatically but administratively.
So programmatically we might have the Staff to do this or the volunteers but administratively it
might well cause a strain or do we have financial resources that will allow us to add capacity if
necessary? The last thing that they thought about was will reinforce the community or
governments view of us. So reputationally is this a good thing for us? This is just an example so
what we’re going to do after lunch, is come back and ask for you all to think about some criteria.
We’re going to brainstorm for a little bit and then we’re going to narrow it down to maybe 10
things that you’ll think about and that then will become your decision strengths so that’s where
we’re headed too. If over lunch as you’re enjoying one another company if you want to be
thinking about what criteria might the Commission be thinking about? I’ll sort of go back over
these things, you’re not wedded to these but that was a place where it started. All of this is in
your handouts so if you want to be thinking about it. As I said when we come back what we’re
going to do is we’re going to brainstorm and then we’re going to narrow. It is 12:30; we are
going to take 30-minutes for lunch.
Vice Chair O’Nan: You got us on time, that’s awesome.
Ms. Ragey: Well actually we’re behind but that’s ok because we’re going to catch up. Anyway,
so lunch is out, I would informally welcome feedback on how this is going so far for you all. If
you wanted to think of that during lunch so when we come back we can continue to make
progress.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, come back at 1?
Ms. Ragey: Back at 1. Mary or Minka, about lunch anybody needs to know?
Ms. Constantino: No, we’ll just meet over there and we’ll give out the stuff.
[The Commission took a 30-minute lunch break.]
3. Work Plan Development
Ms. Ragey: This is always the herding of cat’s moment in the agenda.
Council Member Wolbach: I’m going to sneak out because I want to let you guys do your work
but nice to see you.
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Page 70 of 112
[Many people talking at once]
Vice Chair O’Nan: I talk too much so I’m going to keep eating.
Ms. Ragey: No problem. No please if you haven’t finished your lunch please feel free. That’s
alright, no worries. Before we went into lunch we began to talk about decision screens and what
we want to do and hopefully we can move through this somewhat rapidly although we want to be
thoughtful about it. Is to figure out what criterion you all want to use as new things come before
you either from the Commissioners or from the Council or from citizens. So, the idea here is…
and you have in your Packet this sample of this decision screen as well in case you want to refer
to it. I wanted to just brainstorm what are some of the ideas, what are some of the things that you
think the Commission ought to think about when it’s considering its work and what it’s going to
do next. I started with the four that were used and again we’re just going to brainstorm now and
then we’ll go back and we’ll narrow down some with that.
Commissioner Smith: I think you asked… no constituency within the City because there could
be a national thing but there is no constituency in the City then that automatically might take it
off of our plate.
Chair Stinger: Can you read the first four?
Ms. Ragey: Sure, so these are in your Packets but it was focused on vulnerable populations in the
city, initiating activities which make a difference in individual lives and commit to the City
values of DEI. These were the ones that the team…
Chair Stinger: Oh ok.
Ms. Ragey: …used last year. Building on initial efforts in a continuing phased approach and
seeking partners so again these were the things that came out last year. You also, if it’s useful,
you can refer to the sample that I showed you. You have your authority in all of that. So, the
ideas I… without explanation if we can just popcorn some ideas that you have that would be
fantastic.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I would say that a key criterion for me would be is it within our scope as a
Commission that is an advisory body to City Council?
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Chair Stinger: A key one for me is do we have added value that is not redundant in the
community.
Commissioner Kralik: I like that one because I kind of perceive that as more along the lines of
the Hippocratic Oath and we’re busy doing things. If we can help people to have a better go of it,
I think that’s very important. We can perceive their experience…
Ms. Ragey: So, I’m going to stop you there so in a brainstorm we’ll go back and discuss later but
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Page 71 of 112
I just want to generate as many ideas as we can right now.
Commissioner Kralik: So, added value to the vulnerable population is what I would say.
Ms. Ragey: What else? This is important for you all to think about.
Chair Stinger: Do you have something sustainable?
Ms. Ragey: Not necessarily, no. Sustainable value…
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: … or impact?
Chair Stinger: Impact, outcome, Yes.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I would say to reflect our two-way function. That is responding to the needs
of the community and also to the needs of Council.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Commissioner Smith: Proactively looking for situations when we should be like the canary in the
mine like bringing up things that Council or the city hasn’t even to yet.
Ms. Ragey: So proactively calls out issues, maybe? Is that what you had in mind?
Commissioner Smith: Yes.
Commissioner Kralik: I had the word impactful and there’s a couple things I want to say about
that word. Not necessarily that is doesn’t add value to individual groups etc. but when you’re
talking about consistency or consistency within the city, I think of impactful as the city
impacting folks that come into its ambit. It can be students, it can be visitors, it can be a lot of
different people that doesn’t necessarily mean residents. Workers are an example who comes in
through transportation means. What is it that we can do to do something good for those that
come into connection with the city?
Ms. van de Zwaag: I would say that there’s significant or sufficient number of Commissioners
willing to work on the project or it has a champion and/or a sufficient number of people willing
to take it on.
Commissioner Smith: Momentum.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Pardon on?
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Page 72 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Momentum.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: So, I heard two different things and a champion, right?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right.
Chair Stinger: Maybe that we have the resources, something that requires study but we don’t
have a database or funding or…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, I was going to say actionable which I think is kind of the same thing as
what Valerie is saying. We don’t really have a budget, we don’t have much budget, we only have
seven people, and we only have 24-hours in a day so things that we choose to work on have to
really be actionable for us.
Chair Stinger: We don’t have expertise in some areas.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Right.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Commissioner Smith: I think a clear definition of what phase of our responsibilities because
there’s a research phase, a study phase, there is the event phase, there’s the recommendation
phase. So, if we’re tackling something, what phase is this thing in so that we don’t start bleeding
over into other phases on that part of the work?
Commissioner Kralik: This may reveal a little bit of the north in me and I apologize in advance
but somethings that timely, innovative, and cool. In other words, we’re out front of this issue,
we’re innovative, we’re addressing something that others don’t and we’ve been impactful
quickly.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Chair Stinger: This might be an amendment to yours Kaloma but this year we have three
projects that we want to carry over and we’d like three new ones. So, we have a balance between
new and old. Maybe this is a capacity question, I mean if everything was Quarter 1, a
recommendation to do something that happened in the first three months of the year we couldn’t
do it but if we could spread things out differently. So, it’s the calendarization that…
Vice Chair O’Nan: I wanted to go back to Chair Stinger’s suggested criteria on sustainable. I’m a
little bit uncomfortable because I think at times we do things that may, at first glance, at any rate,
seem like a one-off. Like this great screening of the Chinese Exclusion Act, there’s not
necessarily going to be follow up, it’s kind of a onetime thing, it definitely had an impact on the
people who attended but it’s not an ongoing sustainable project. I would not want us to preclude
having more of that sort of one time…
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Page 73 of 112
Ms. Ragey: Right so I’d say two things, one is the reason you may have a list of ten things and
not everything necessarily is going to respond to all ten, doesn’t mean that you don’t do it but it
does mean that you think about it. So, it’s a total score, it’s not like one thing throws something
out.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok.
Chair Stinger: Can I then…
Ms. Ragey: The other thing is if we can just keep building just more ideas and then we’ll go back
and discuss. So other ideas?
Chair Stinger: I would like to respond to that in the way of trying to be productive on the list.
The example you wrote or you gave us was will likely yield the result of sustainable, not a flash
in the pan.
Ms. Ragey: So sustainable results or impact.
Ms. van de Zwaag: We have that, it’s in there. Third from the bottom…
Chair Stinger: I would like to qualify that…
Ms. van de Zwaag: On the other sheet. Fourth from the bottom on the other sheet.
Ms. Ragey: Right
Chair Stinger: Not a flash in the pan and that’s because I think you made a really strong point
and that was not what I meant. Using that as an example, preclude that type of support but I just
wouldn’t want a lot because that addresses the bigger issue of the immigrant community and
community conversation. I don’t want to be reactive. If somebody comes, I just don’t want to be
reactive.
Commissioner Smith: I’m going to hold it.
Ms. Ragey: Ok.
Vice Chair O’Nan: In addition to being pro-active, I think we do also have to be responsive
because people from the community may come to us with an issue or Council may come to us
with an issue or we may be all reading about some important issue. We need to be able to
formulate a response.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Ms. van de Zwaag: I put action informed by best practices or informed practices or when the
HRC thinks about doing something like what else has been done? What can we do to maybe…
Yes.
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Page 74 of 112
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I want to add and this may fall in under adequate resources but we talked
about having sufficient Commissioners. I mean we have to ensure that we’re not overloading
Staff so in other words, staff has time to take this on and partner with us such that we’re not just
giving them ideas or direction and expecting them to everything. So, we really need to make sure
that we understand what our Staff resources are and whether they can have the ability to take on
this.
Commissioner Smith: The resource allocation for staff and ourselves, right?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes so, I think originally, we were sort of focusing on ourselves but I really
think staff is a crucial component.
Ms. Ragey: It’s probably both, right? I don’t know if I would lump together because I think it
can be two different things. What else?
Commissioner Lee: I think it’s important that we identify what our function is? Are we
convening groups or are we sparking a conversation or are we trying to be educators because the
number of resources or whether it’s sustainable will depend on what type of function we’re
trying play?
Chair Stinger: So, the clarity?
Commissioner Lee: Yes, if we’re just trying to convene folks or spark a discussion within the
community that may be something that requires less resources or something that we don’t
necessarily need to sustain. Whereas if something else may be more of a long-term effort.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, agreed.
Ms. Ragey: Agree
Commissioner Lee: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Commissioner Smith: Finding partners.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes partnerships.
Commissioner Smith: Or finding… are there…
Ms. Ragey: So, I have seeking partners.
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Page 75 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Oh ok.
Ms. Ragey: Is that good? Ok. What else?
Chair Stinger: Maybe extending our expertise. I’m thinking if we’ve done something and we’ve
gotten our sea legs but we haven’t quit…
Ms. Ragey: So, it is building on initial efforts in a phased approach? Is that what… or is it
different?
Chair Stinger: I was reading that as content driven and my recommendation was a process that
we’re building our skill sets.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Chair Stinger: I just put it down.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I’d like to add closing the loop by which I mean we have at times convened
forums or events and kind of riled people up and got ideas going but then we didn’t really close
the loop and always have a measurable outcome from that. So, I think that there’s some value in
being a community conversation facilitator but I don’t want to us to just do that. I really want to
then have some follow up where something comes out of that facilitation.
Chair Stinger: Make a difference, have a closure…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, have a… either closure or close the loop, something like that.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Commissioner Smith: Evaluating the impotence for the initiative. Sometimes I think we can get
pulled by emotionalism or charisma to go in a direction so that’s something that I think we really
have to look at what is the catalyst for it. Is there really a deep root in the community? Is it
something or is it somebody’s pet issue?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think we also might want to consider projects in like do they respond to the
Council referral in some way that helps us feel like we are fulfilling that charge that was given to
us.
Ms. Ragey: What else?
Commissioner Smith: Is this better met by a number of city organizations like as we were talking
about housing, we could talk about the Planning Commission and this and that. Somethings are
meant for other bodies that are better equipped for it.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I would say we should consider what is the best vehicle? This might be a
good project but should it be an event? Should it be a report? Should it be a resolution? Should it
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Page 76 of 112
be a recommendation? We need to pick the right vehicle.
Chair Stinger: Even if we don’t use… I guess we weren’t supposed to comment but I will
comment.
Ms. Ragey: So…
Chair Stinger: Even if we don’t use it as a decision screen
Ms. Ragey: … if you think about it from a decision screen it might be that we have clarity about
the vehicle and that it’s appropriate. What else?
Commissioner Kralik: I think a way of measuring success within the event is important. If it’s an
event or an effort and that’s probably revealing some of the… it is the east in me? The idea
ahead time that we know this is something that we can figure out whether we were effective.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, successful, Yes. Great, what else? Anything else?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think as a Commission that needs to consider its reputation, both with
Council and with the community, I think we should say does this enhance our reputation or
brand or whatever you want to call it locally? We’ve been successful in raising money and
bringing awareness but only because of having that kind of high reputation and we do need to
maintain it.
Ms. Ragey: Yes.
Commissioner Kralik: I think if the activity we engage in fosters more partnership and this might
be the point that Commissioner Smith was identifying but slightly different that the outcome is a
stronger partnership with the community and that community can be a broad definition of other
organizations, etc.
Commissioner Smith: Is this fight worth having I think sometimes is the question. Is the fight
worth having? I’ve sat on boards where I know the fight needs to happen but then I say am I
willing to sit around for 5-years and have the fight so there’s some things that are good to do but
is it really worth our effort to have that fight? I think that’s part of wisdom.
Ms. Ragey: Anything else?
Commissioner Kralik: I think fulfillment of the individual members of the group here, our group,
in terms of their own goals of participation.
Ms. Ragey: Anything else? Awesome list. What I’m going to do now is I’m going to read these
backs and if as I’m reading them back something is not clear, we should get clarity on it or if we
feel like its assumed or part of something else we can also collapse it a little bit. Alright?
Chair Stinger: Great.
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Page 77 of 112
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to walk you through what you’ve said and then go to the questions that
I’m looking for. As I’m saying these you should be thinking because what you’re going to do
next is you’re going to get 10 votes. So over everything that’s up here you’re going to pick the
10 you think would be most important for the Commission to think about when considering
projects. Alright so focus on vulnerable populations in the city, initiating activities which make a
difference in individual lives and commit to the City’s values of diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Building on initial efforts in a continuing phased approach so we’ve started this thing, it’s
continuing the work we’ve been up too. Seeking partners, it’s serving a constituency within the
City.
Commissioner Smith: Can we fold that into focus on vulnerable population?
Ms. Ragey: We can. Is everybody good with that? Ok.
Chair Stinger: If I can think ahead, one was mentioned by Gabe further down, a broad
constituency or constituency broadly defined.
Commissioner Kralik: Yes, I like that. That’s good.
Ms. Ragey: City consistently broadly defined?
Commissioner Kralik: Yes, it’s the City touching upon other people. It could be non-resident.
Commissioner Smith: It’s just people that have any kind of touch in Palo Alto;
employees…Commissioner Lee: Oh, I see.
Commissioner Smith: … workers…
Vice Chair O’Nan: There are a lot of visitors too.
Commissioner Smith: … commuters.
Commissioner Kralik: I think it dovetails also with your thought that some people don’t have a
voice in a vote but yet they are definitely part of the City because they…
Commissioner Smith: Significant contributors.
Commissioner Kralik: Right.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Ok, it’s within our scope, that the HRC will add value.
Commissioner Smith: Can we match that within our scope?
Ms. Ragey: I think it is two different things actually.
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Page 78 of 112
Commissioner Kralik: Well add value is also making a difference, its number two, right?
Initiating activities which make a difference?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well I think what Valerie meant was sometimes another group has ownership
of an issue. We could weigh in but does that add any value? Does that just continue to stir
somebodies else pot? I think that is what Valerie was getting at.
Commissioner Smith: Is it a fight we’re willing to fight.
Chair Stinger: And is it redundant.
Commissioner Smith: Yes.
Commissioner Smith: So I was trying to say not be redundant.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Right.
Ms. Ragey: It has a sustainable impact or outcome. It’s not a flash in the pan. It reflects the two-
way function of the HRC responding to community and Council.
Commissioner Smith: Could that go under scope?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I meant our scope more in a geographic and purview sense. That we’re doing
something for the City of Palo Alto that’s focused on our community here and if it’s originating
from somewhere outside we’re translating it for here. We’re localizing it and it’s not somebody
else’s responsibility that we’re trying to horn in on, it’s really our scope.
Ms. Ragey: So, I think I’m hearing that we’ll leave them separate for now. We’ll do the vote and
then we may end up collapsing when we get there as well.
Commissioner Smith: Yes because I think part of scope is understanding that there is a burden on
us to have a two-way function. To recommend and also receive so that helps me define our
scope.
Ms. Ragey: It proactively calls out an issue, something that no one is paying attention too, and
then we’re going to do that. It’s impactful… oh, I think we combined this, already right? It’s
impactful to people who come into the city so this is…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Commissioner Kralik: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: Then we come over here; it’s a catalyst for an idea or community issue.
Commissioner Lee: Sorry, what do we mean by that?
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Page 79 of 112
Ms. Ragey: So, I’m reading from here, it’s a catalyst for an idea or community issue.
Commissioner Lee: Like what is a catalyst for the idea?
Commissioner Smith: No, HRC.
Ms. van de Zwaag: The project.
Commissioner Smith: No, like the project.
Ms. Ragey: The HRC serves as a catalyst.
Commissioner Smith: Like we’re shining a light on something…
Commissioner Lee: Oh, I see.
Commissioner Smith: … that nobody is paying attention too.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think that proactively calls out issues, I think that’s similar.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, it’s sort of the same thing.
Commissioner Kralik: It’s also the cool thing too. The idea that it’s new, it’s a value so that…
Vice Chair O’Nan: So maybe we can change that proactively calls out to emerging issues
maybe?
Commissioner Kralik: Yes. Emerging innovative issues or cutting-edge issues, something like
that. Then you can…
Ms. Ragey: So, I’ll push back a little bit and say I think there’s a difference between calling out
an emergency… an emerging issue and innovation and all of that. It could be an existing issue
but you’re going to take an innovative approach.
Commissioner Kralik: Innovative approach, nice, ok.
Ms. Ragey: I think those are two different things in my mind so I’m going to encourage you to
sort of leave those separate.
Commissioner Lee: I have a clarification question.
Ms. Ragey: It responds to a Council’s referral…
Commissioner Lee: I have a clarification question.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I think that’s Number Two.
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Page 80 of 112
Ms. Ragey: The imitating activities which make a difference.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Chair Stinger: It’s there and also..
Ms. Ragey: So, you want me to just take it off? I can just take it off.
Commissioner Smith: Yes because I think it’s better said and reflective to in function of the
community..
Commissioner Kralik: We had a comment here on this side.
Commissioner Lee: I have a question.
Ms. Ragey: I’m sorry.
Commissioner Lee: Does proactively call out emerging issues? How does that interact with the
responding to the community? Is there a situation where we could proactively call out an issue
that maybe isn’t a large issue within the community this year but we anticipate it might be?
Ms. Ragey: Yes, I think that’s the idea.
Commissioner Smith: We’re predictively calling out.
Commissioner Lee: Ok so there’s some overlap, right?
Ms. Ragey: There’s a little bit of overlap but they are still somewhat different.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think there are also different types of community residents. Some are very
vocal, very educated, and very affluent and they may be storming the troops to raise cane about
this or that happening. Some people are working, don’t speak English, are afraid, whatever and
they have issues but have now voice to bring them to our leader. So that’s where they are even
more vulnerable. That’s not to say that the other side doesn’t also need our support, it’s just that
some people can speak for themselves and some really can’t.
Commissioner Lee: So, it’s not necessarily we’re just responding to things we see on Palo Alto
Online but there may be issues that people just…
Ms. Ragey: That you discover in some other ways and you’re like what?
Commissioner Smith: Or maybe in our liaison role or some other community forum.
Commissioner Lee: Ok.
Ms. Ragey: That you are clear on the vehicle and its importance so whatever the way in which…
so whether you’re going to convene or you’re going to research or whatever. Is that you have
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Page 81 of 112
clarity about what it is you’re actually going to do and that it’s an important thing to do.
Commissioner Smith: There was another one that we wrote about letting the vehicle to find our
scope.
Ms. Ragey: Let’s hang on to that and when we get there we can move it. We can measure
success… so you’re right, I know it’s there; I’m just not sure where it is right now. It enhances
our reputation locally, the outcome is stronger partnerships within the community, and it’s a fight
worth fighting.
Chair Stinger: Can we say, I’m sorry I can’t think, the work is shared with partners and we can
leverage partners to do that work and the outcome…
Ms. van de Zwaag: But they are seeking partners, Number Four there.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, we’ve already got partners.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Seeking leveraging partners.
Chair Stinger: Then could those two be combined into one?
Commissioner Kralik: I like that idea of combining because I think it’s really the intent, right?
You seek the partners, you leverage the partners and we…
Chair Stinger: Continue to build that relationship…
Commissioner Kralik: Right.
Chair Stinger: …you’ve started.
Ms. Ragey: I’m just going to put relationships so you can be in a partnership for the thing that
you’re doing and then you can stop the partnership but the relationship continues. Is it a fight
worth fighting?
Commissioner Lee: Is that related in some ways to the vehicle depending on what vehicle we
thing is appropriate? Is the fight worth fighting given the resources that we want to dedicate
towards it or the function?
Commissioner Smith: I think the fight worth fighting is also the public reputation. We have all
these social currencies in the community so you want to make sure that you spend your chips
where it needs… where it really needs to be. If we light the alarm for everything then when
something really needs to be focused, people don’t care enough.
Commissioner Lee: Also, there’s different ways that we can sound the alarm like didn’t vehicles.
Commissioner Smith: Yes that is true.
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Page 82 of 112
Commissioner Lee: Ok.
Ms. Ragey: Then it’s a fulfillment of individual Commissioner’s goals and…
Commissioner Kralik: There’s two others that really combine with that. One is sufficient
Commissioners to work on. It’s sort of an implied interest and then the champion on the
Commission. That might be slightly different because it’s more implementational but you could
think of it in the same way but if…
Ms. Ragey: It will show up in that way.
Commissioner Kralik: … if someone’s a champion then you know that it’s done that.
Ms. Ragey: I think that we can get…
Commissioner Kralik: It’s implied.
Ms. Ragey: … eliminate that and we’ll leave those two? We have adequate resources so financial
resources.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Nancy, I think…
Ms. Ragey: Actionable and we can do something I feel like maybe those two are the same thing.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think the sufficient Commissioners and champion can be combined. There’s
a sufficient Commissioners plus a champion to work on it.
Commissioner Kralik: And fulfillment.
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to put these…
Chair Stinger: I’m not sure, I think they’re different.
Ms. Ragey: I’m sorry.
Chair Stinger: These are different.
Ms. Ragey: They are? Ok.
Chair Stinger: We have adequate financial and informational resources is different than…
Ms. Ragey: Being actionable, ok. Yes so, we’ll keep them separate.
Chair Stinger: I think one is input and one is output.
Ms. Ragey: We have a clear definition of the deliverable, what we’re actually going to do.
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Page 83 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Is phase… I think that helps… that was the one I was looking for earlier
because we’re clearly defined on what our deliverables are based on our jurisdiction and our
authority. So, whether it’s an event, whether it’s a recommendation, whether it’s a report and I
think when we take an issue and say this phase, this thing, this is what we’re trying to do for this
time. I think it will stop us from us meandering around if we can do that very early in the
process.
Commissioner Kralik: I think the measure of success there too… sorry, Jill.
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, I was just going to say that but that I think is the similar or the same to
the vehicle one that we have.
Ms. Ragey: Yes what I’ve done is to take off… let’s see which one…
Commissioner Smith: You crossed that this vehicle.
Commissioner Kralik: Clear on the vehicle.
Ms. Ragey: Yes, I took the vehicle… oh and I crossed that one out because I think it’s the clear
definition of the deliverables. It’s all…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok, I’m sorry, go ahead.
Commissioner Kralik: I was going to say you can say we can measure success if you have a clear
definition of the deliverable. It’s also a clear definition of a successful deliverable.
Ms. Ragey: So, I should take this one off?
Commissioner Kralik: Yes, sure, Yes or say measure.
Commissioner Lee: Well and I wonder whether there will be cased where it’s hard to define the
measure of success. I mean especially in the human rights context it’s not as clear-cut as other
industries so we should be open to the possibility that you may be making a positive influence
but we can’t quantify it. I don’t know.
Ms. Ragey: It may be that by clearly…
Commissioner Lee: I wouldn’t want us to restrict ourselves.
Ms. Ragey: … defining what you’re doing, that’s how you measure… I mean that clarity will
help.
Commissioner Smith: You know sometimes there are events at the church were there won’t be
big attendance but if we get 20 people in a room to discuss something, that’s a success for me.
Commissioner Lee: I see, ok.
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Page 84 of 112
Commissioner Smith: It’s not quantitative, it’s qualitative. We have quality discussion around
the issue so maybe we should say success can be defined quantitatively or qualitatively.
Sometimes you don’t need a lot of people; you just need the right people to attend.
Commissioner Kralik: I mean in your business sometimes perceiving success can happen after it
actually happens. You know I mean in a sense you don’t have to define success in a particular
way up front. It could happen by things that you don’t expect.
Commissioner Smith: I think to…sorry, I forgot your name.
Ms. Ragey: Nancy.
Commissioner Smith: To Nancy’s point if we put the deliverable as one of our 10 criteria’s, we
don’t always have to do it but at least we’ll have the discussion of what it looks like to say what
that could be but at least it’s part of our discussion.
Ms. Ragey: Ok, timely, innovative, cool, quick impact, creates a balance in the new/old work
that you’re doing and that it’s manageable on a calendar, responsible or its responsive to a
community and/or Council.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think that’s redundant.
Ms. Ragey: Is that redundant?
Commissioner Smith: Yes that rolls into the two-way function.
Ms. Ragey: Action informed by best practices so you can take an action and there’s a best
practice out there. The staff can take it on, that you can partner with staff and you’re not going to
crush them. There’s a clarity of function, I think this is actually redundant this way.
Commissioner Kralik: Is the previous one, staff can take it on, part of adequate resources?
Ms. Ragey: I think it’s a separate question.
Commissioner Kralik: It’s a separate issue.
Ms. Ragey: I think you really have to be thoughtful about your staff.
Commissioner Kralik: It’s a separate…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Although I think it should be moved. It should be sufficient Commissioners
and a Champion and then staff resources and then adequate resources maybe.
Commissioner Smith: Yes.
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Page 85 of 112
Ms. Ragey: So, there’s three parts to that, there’s Commission resources, there’s staff resources
and then there’s other resource.
Commissioner Smith: Ok yes, I was going to say four because we talk about partners as
resources. So, we can say as we have the resource discussion we can check each box and say…
Commissioner Kralik: Can you broaden it out to say just resource… well, recourse?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I’m afraid things will be too lost in that broader category.
Ms. Ragey: If you make them to broad then they sort of loose meaning so I think it’s better to
separate them out.
Commissioner Smith: I think if we…
Ms. Ragey: Build on our skill sets or build our skill sets so we’re going to learn something, we’re
going to get better at something, that kind of thing. Then there’s a closing of a loop.
Commissioner Smith: Can you put that under deliverables?
Ms. Ragey: This one? So just take it off?
Commissioner Smith: Yes because I think that should be a question we ask when we deliver.
What’s the close loop look like when we set a goal?
Vice Chair O’Nan: That’s a good point. The build our skill sets, was that to build it or was that to
make sure we’re within our skill set? In other words, we don’t try to do things we’re not good at.
Ms. Ragey: What I heard was it would actually build our skill sets, like stretch our muscles to do
something.
Chair Stinger: Using something like Being Different Together. We made a first pass at it, there
was some room… we learned some things, we could build on that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok, I see what you’re saying.
Ms. Ragey: We’ve combined a number of things. I’m just going to sort of circle so you’re clear.
Commissioner Lee: Enhances our reputation locally, can I get some clarification on that?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well that was my suggestion around we have to maintain a reputation for
being a reliable supportive community partner for Council and for the community at large. If we
do a lot of under the radar stuff we’ll drop from consciousness. So, we may sometimes choose to
do more public engagement type of events partly to make sure there’s advertising and marketing
around that. So that people remember that oh yes, there’s a Human Relations Commission and
they are active in the community. We have to not just be active but be perceived as active.
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Page 86 of 112
Commissioner Lee: Is there a particular type of action that is consistent with that reputation. We
could be active in a bad way so I’m wondering…
Vice Chair O’Nan: I don’t think we were active in a bad way. I think what happens sometimes
we’ve been so behind the scenes that even Council is not aware. Sometimes we’ve had years
where they haven’t had time to even have a study session with us. Time and time goes by and if
we just do HSRAP stuff and CDBG the public at large has no idea what we’re doing, Council
doesn’t always check in with us and know what we’re doing and then eventually we show up at a
study session and nobody at Council knows who we are or what we do. Then we have to
introduce ourselves all over again so we kind of I don’t think to want to fall off the radar that
badly. If we do public events and invite Council to attend and they may not but at least they are
aware that we were holding an event and they could have attended. It really raises our image
with them and then offline Council Members say oh, you know I wish I could have come to that
event but it’s just awesome that you guys did that. That, in turn, makes them feel like we have an
engaged and active HRC and there’s a certain benefit to being perceived that way.
Commissioner Smith: As a sidebar and we could pick this up at another time but if we give out
so much money, get give out half a million dollars.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We recommend it.
Ms. van de Zwaag: You recommend to the Finance Committee…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Council does it.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … that your suggestions are both accepted which they are 99 percent of the
time.
Commissioner Smith: Is there any way we can say at the recommendation of the Human
Relations Committee on our social media channels? These things where these grants were given
out, these grants were approved; these are making our city better.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Usually when it gets to what our agencies do they bump it up to the Council
because thanks to the City of Palo Alto. They usually don’t go thanks to the City of Palo Alto
Human Relations Commission.
Chair Stinger: To that point, if we had an HRC website and we had links to HSRAP grantees we
wouldn’t have to talk about the funding.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Correct.
Chair Stinger: We could have improved our visibility.
Commissioner Smith: I think there is something on social media that we could twist the language
to our favor. I don’t know how yet but we will.
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Page 87 of 112
Ms. Ragey: So, I’m going to capture that in the bin and while I’m doing that, here’s what I’m not
going to ask you all to do. So, you get ten dots, they are the ones that have the little drawing in
the middle so I know one is using extra dots.
Chair Stinger: Oh my gosh you are so creative.
Vice Chair O’Nan: That’s was my strategy, damn it.
Commissioner Lee: Going back to the reputation question, I mean is there a particular…
Commissioner Smith: Now that’s funny.
Commissioner Lee: …reputation that we want to uphold? Are we more of a neutral facilitator of
things or are we more advocates in terms of philosophically? I mean we’ll be active in terms of
how we’re perceived.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well I think at times… oh, I’m sorry Valerie, you go ahead.
Chair Stinger: When you proposed that my thought was engaged, important, a value of utility,
worthwhile.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Just to share some history, a few years ago a member of City Council being
frustrated with the HRC and publicly announced that he didn’t know why we even had an HRC.
We have been publicly chastised and reprimanded at times which doesn’t feel good and which
calls into question our mission and our projects. I do think that’s why my marketing hat
sometimes comes on a little bit and I think we do have to market ourselves. Not in an in your
face horrible Silicon Valley kind of way.
Commissioner Smith: You have got to tell your story.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, just tell our story and make sure people know we do things. We just
don’t sit around behind the scenes just writing reports and passing resolutions that go nowhere.
We have to be seen as an active by just…
Commissioner Lee: But in terms of what kind of value? Is that to be by each Commissioner?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think it’s two-fold because as I said earlier, this is a very polarized
community at times. There’s a lack of consensus around a lot of issues so in those cases we
might want to be a facilitator and at least bring people together to have a conversation. At other
times we may want to advocate strongly, especially for a vulnerable population that doesn’t have
much of a voice. We have to pivot in our role and be able to figure out what do we want to do
with this issue.
Commissioner Lee: Ok so we can be both.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We can be both.
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Page 88 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Or they can (inaudible) Palo Alto Online
Ms. van de Zwaag: It is honestly depending on whether Council Members individually think
about our issues. We may be responding to the community and you could be bringing all these
issues to Council and they could think you’re nothing but a pain in the butt because you’re
needling them in the side about all these issues. So that’s where this combination of responding
to the community, trying to make them aware of things that you’re aware about but timing is this
the right time to bring this to Council? Should we just act on ourselves before we don’t want
them to think there’s so…
Commissioner Smith: Is this a fight worth having?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Chair Stinger: Yes that’s true. I looked at your suggestion as if I’m looking at a proposal and I
might say this one is risky. Is it worth taking at this time? Yes, it’s a fight worth having and our
position is strong on the other 90 percent of our work so I’m willing to take the risk.
Commissioner Lee: Are we doing the fight or are we just facilitating?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well the other thing is Council has had a triquetrous relationship with some
Commissions. So, for example, they got very fed up with the Planning and Transportation
Commission a while back and basically replaced a whole bunch of the Commissioners. So, if we
get to deep into a political fray, we could all take some consequences for that. Now there may be
times where we want to fight that fight and say fine, you don’t reappoint me, I walk away proud
that I said my piece. If we want to stay active and stay on the Commission, we sometimes have
to walk a bit of a wire between these polarized groups in the community and kind of try to stay…
I try to stay above it. It’s not that I don’t care and that I’m not involved and you know in my
personal life I have strong opinions about certain things. As a Commissioner I sometimes just try
to walk that wire, I stay above it so any group that reaches out to us, any group that wants us to
have a conversation or to intervenes, we’re available to them. We haven’t clearly chosen a team
such at the other side feels like ugh, the HRC has just solidity pro-housing and I feel like the city
is already too crowded and there’s to much traffic. I hate them; they are clearly aligned with this
group on the Council and not with the other group and then that other type of…
Chair Stinger: People don’t do that in Palo Alto.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We wish.
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to try to move us along a little bit because I know you’re hoping to set
priorities for the year as well. So, here’s what I’m going to ask you to do, there are 21 choices up
here, you have ten choices and you should only put one dot each on your ten choices.
Commissioner Smith: Merge these two because they equally become the same thing. When we
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Page 89 of 112
were talking about picking a fight and what…
Ms. Ragey: No, I’m going to leave them actually separate.
[The Commission did a short activity]
Ms. van de Zwaag: Should we write them on a separate one?
Ms. Ragey: Actually, I can just circle them out so we can make it work. I believe that sort of
going to the count of five if you will which is a little bit more than half so where you ended up
are the focus on vulnerable populations, initiating activities that make a difference, seeking
partners, leveraging partners, all that is within our scope, proactively calls out an emerging issue,
that it is actionable, that it has sufficient Commissioners to work on it and there’s a champion on
the Commission, its actionable, it’s timely, innovative, cool so on and so forth, that staff can take
it on…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Thank you all.
Ms. Ragey: … and that it’s a fight worth fighting.
Commissioner Lee: Are we looking at the blue numbers?
Ms. Ragey: I’m sorry?
Commissioner Lee: Are we looking at the blue numbers?
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, she just tallied them up for us.
Commissioner Lee: Ok so those are how many votes?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: It’s a little hard to see, I’ll try to do better. I’ll type this up for you but you ended up
with nine criteria that you would think about.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I would like to argue for including our reputation because half of us voted for
it and some people may not have seen that third sheet in time to cast that vote and it would make
a nice even ten. That would be my suggestion and just to include is at the end.
Commissioner Smith: I’ll second that motion.
Ms. Ragey: So, this one reputation added to make it your ten? How do we all feel about that?
Chair Stinger: It’s got three votes? I just want to…
Ms. Ragey: It has three.
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Page 90 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Anything else have three votes?
Commissioner Kralik: We have one that says four.
Ms. Ragey: There is a couple that has four actually.
Commissioner Kralik: So maybe what we could do is if we consider one more just consider the
other ones too. That would make it…
Vice Chair O’Nan: An even ten would be nice.
Ms. Ragey: I mean there’s nothing magical about ten, I just don’t want you to have like 50
because it takes way to long.
Chair Stinger: What were the ones that got four?
Ms. Ragey: So, it would be this one and then it builds our skill sets and that’s it.
Chair Stinger: That’s fine.
Ms. Ragey: Feel good? Feel ok with everybody? Yes?
Commissioner Kralik: Say enhances and builds our reputation and you’re all set. Just combine
them somehow.
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to clean that up.
Chair Stinger: It looks great.
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to go ahead and move us on so… I should stop this. So just stepping back,
what you’ve agreed to in principle and what I would say to you is when you get these back, you
might want to somehow figure out on your agenda just stepping back and looking at these one
more time and making sure that they still feel right. The other thing is sort of the proof is in the
pudding. If you use them and they actually drive you to decisions you feel good about, then
you’ve got the right screen and if in using it not so much then you should adjust it right? That’s
what will happen next but I think it does give you more of a system for thinking about what
you’re going to take on. We are going to move on to the member plans and aspirations so in your
Packet, if you go towards the back part I think it’s the very last page actually, statement of
interest. Does that make sense? Everybody see where I am? I want to do a couple things so one
thing we do want you to do is to think about
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh Mary? This thing fell over.
Ms. Ragey: … what is it that you want to take on and sign up for. I want you to be really clear
that in signing up there’s an expectation that you will be engaged in it and it will time. Just be
thoughtful about how much time you have and don’t do this yet because the other thing that I
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Page 91 of 112
want to have you do is to write down on or two additional projects or topics that you think the
Commission ought to tackle. Not you personally but you think the Commission ought to tackle.
So, you had some of that conversation as Valerie was walking through the current work and I
actually am going to invite you to get in a pair and have conversation between a couple of you;
both to fill this out and to say here’s what I’m thinking just to break us up a little bit. Alright? So,
two things I’m asking you to do, one is to share with your partner what you think you want to do
next year and then the other is to write down one or two additional projects or topics that you’d
like to see the commission take on. Clear what I am asking you to do?
Commissioner Lee: Could that also be additional liaisons we want to do but not necessarily the
Commission do?
Ms. Ragey: Sure, Yes.
Chair Stinger: Ask the question again.
Commissioner Lee: Just as an example I wouldn’t want us to take on a school district project but
it might be useful to have a liaison just so as one community we are kind of somewhat
coordinated if that makes sense. If it makes sense to have a liaison but not necessarily do a
project on that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, I wanted to share that Commissioner Lee told me recently that the
School Board is considering forming an HRC like Committee…
Commissioner Lee: On Tuesday.
Vice Chair O’Nan: … because they are concerned about lack of diversity…
Commissioner Smith: On this Tuesday? What time?
Vice Chair O’Nan: …and they might like the HRC to participate in their version of the HRC. It
would be really great of us to have a liaison. I think definitely that’s something that we should
consider.
Ms. Ragey: Ok, great. What I want to do actually is put partner veterans with new just in case
new have questions. I’m going to let you guys pick your own partners, right? So, these are
veterans, these are new. No, you can’t partner with somebody that’s new; you’ve got to pick a
veteran.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok.
Ms. Ragey: Hopefully it’s not somebody that is your north, south, east, or west.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Come here, my West friend.
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to give you about 10 to 15 minutes for this and then we’ll come back as a
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Page 92 of 112
large group and we’ll talk about most importantly your new ideas.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Could we also just mention that for subcommittees I think we’re limited to
having three people serve on a subcommittee because more than that violates the Brown Act.
Chair Stinger: But in terms of today, everybody fills in what you want. We will manage them
later.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Just so you know why you may not all be on one subcommittee together
because there’s some resource limitations.
[The Commission did a short activity]
Ms. Ragey: Did you have a topic in mind or a…
Commissioner Lee: We didn’t discuss this but one possible thing is for instance on CEDAW if
we wanted to engage with the tech industry or the law firms in town to leverage them as
resources or expertise or best practices or translate best practices from the City to tech and
business. I don’t know, it’s very general at this point in time but finding a way to engage with
business.
Ms. Ragey: It’s seek CEDAW is that…
Commissioner Lee: CEDAW, Yes, the gender equality…
Vice Chair O’Nan: That’s the gender equity framework…
Ms. Ragey: C-E-D…
Vice Chair O’Nan: … that we recommended to Council. C-E-D-A-W.
Ms. Ragey: C-E-D-A-W.
Commissioner Kralik: When I was General Counsel of a Silicon Valley company, one of the
things that we were asked to do many times is to sign onto city policies. So as an example, when
you are dealing with gender identity or gender equity, these kinds of things have come up inside
of the corporation. When you make a proposal to the City Council one way of partnering with
tech industry in the community is to see if we can reach out to have them sign onto the proposals
that we transmit. The second thing, this is very similar in terms of innovation but we were
discussing this idea of polling and voting and the concept that as a Commission we really are in
charge of human relations of folks that not are just residents but that may work here or that may
own property here or companies. That may be students that don’t have votes and my own idea
was why not give them the vote? What we might call this is something a polling approach to
accounting for public input that’s not considered in the vote and it’s a complex issue because you
want integrity in this kind of input. As a Commission, you want to promote the integrity of this
extra input if you will of let’s say students which might be pretty easy to do because it’s an
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Page 93 of 112
identifiable group. You want the input of folks who work here, also an identifiable group through
human resource departments. The sense is that we hear Council Members saying things like I’m
not so sure that it’s just not the squeaky wheel that is getting the grease. These are people that
show up and speak the loudest and so a more innovative approach, sort of reaching us for public
comment doesn’t have to be a vote on Council Members but it could be key issues. Coming up
with an approach that says listen, if you’re a Council Member you really as a matter of policy
should consider these populations who are affected by these issues that you are deciding. You
should come up with an approach to reach out and to effectively in an integral way obtain their
input so that they are not left out. They are not homeowners who are 40 percent of our
population and don’t have any issues. You know just a quick example would be my daughter
who dances shows up at a community center for Chinese New Year and there’s a wonderful
group of people there who care for one another, who have their own library, they do inside of
Cubberley and yet they are not integrated into our City. The reason is because a lot of them are
grandparents that don’t have citizenship. They are here 4 or 5 months out of the year. So, there’s
a sense that the decisions that are made are not reflective of the people that they touch and there
ought to be in our society an innovative approach to polling if you will.
Commissioner Smith: Public opinion kind of survey.
Commissioner Lee: Or just trying to make sure that we understand that all stakeholders in the
community have some input or that we have a better sense of the pulse of the community.
Commissioner Kralik: When you say public opinion, the thing that is a little bit different is it’s
not so much those people that have somehow woken up and hit the button etc. or that they are the
loudest. It is a real honest approach that says my decision is touching on the students that the
student population in Palo Alto, I want to know what each of them has to say. I’m going to
identify that student population and I’m going to give them input and actually going out and
doing it.
Ms. Ragey: So, everybody is clear on the idea? Did you have other?
Commissioner Lee: I think my other one was just engaging with the growing Chinese American
community.
Ms. Ragey: Say again, I’m sorry.
Commissioner Lee: Chinese immigrant population or just any group who is relatively new.
Commissioner Smith: Chinese, Indian, Russian.
Commissioner Lee: Immigrant population.
Commissioner Smith: Israelis.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I’m not sure the Israeli’s need advocates but that’s ok.
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Page 94 of 112
Commissioner Smith: Yes because since most Israelis are secular, they don’t plug into the very
American system of a Synagogue and those groups. They are on their own whole different
planet.
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, I’m just laughing because I have some very good friends who are Israelis
and not speaking out is not a problem for…
Commissioner Smith: Oh, they’ll talk…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh, they’ll talk, Yes.
Commissioner Smith: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I’ll let you know.
Ms. Ragey: Great, alright, somebody? Yes?
Vice Chair O’Nan: We talked and each came up with a project.
Ms. Ragey: Great.
Vice Chair O’Nan: My proposed project would be we have often talked about the lack of gender
and racial diversity in Silicon Valley as a whole. Now that’s technically outside of our scope but
I had talked with Commissioner Lee earlier about the fact that I became aware of a Stanford
colleague who has been addressing the lack of gender and racial diversity in the workplace. She
is a local expert and since Palo Alto is sort of the capital of Silicon Valley, I thought we might
reach out to her and see if she would do a community engagement event for us or maybe
distilling down some of her thoughts. She’s a woman who teaches computer science at Stanford,
she is herself Asian American and she’s a member of a Mormon Church so she’s aware of that
experience on a personal level.
Commissioner Smith: Cynthia Lee?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Cynthia Lee, Yes.
Commissioner Smith: Yes, I’m actually helping her design a course.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Ok and so I have yet to reach out to her. I hope I can contact her over the
summer to see if the Commission wishes to go forward with that to see. Another thing is I don’t
think we leveraged the resources of the University enough. We have some wonderful teachers
and experts there that I think we could bring into the Palo Alto community more widely. I’d love
to at least make outreach to her and see if we can pull an event together. Then we would talk
locally about gender and rational diversity but she can extrapolate out into Silicon Valley as a
whole which is were many of our sons, daughters, friends, we are ourselves are working so it
does impact us in Palo Alto.
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Page 95 of 112
Commissioner Lee: Can I build upon that and say just generally leveraging underutilized
resources in our community to address community issues so like whether it’s tech or educators at
Stanford. I feel like we do have a job of reaching out to the agencies that we partner with but
there are so many other resources somewhere else.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes there’s some real experts that sometimes are very happy to come and
basically, donate their time because we don’t have much budget. I’m sorry Pastor Smith, did you
have something to add?
Commissioner Smith: The head of diversity for PayPal goes to my Church and she’s an African
American woman so she could be a resource.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, I mean we may be able to expand beyond Cynthia and have a whole
panel of women. I would like it to be women actually to talk about tech and women of color
talking would be awesome because that’s one of the most unrepresented groups of all.
Commissioner Smith: The new Associate Director for Diversity for the Engineering School goes
to my Church also.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh, Lourdes?
Commissioner Smith: No, her associate.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh, ok.
Commissioner Smith: Marley, she’ll start next week.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, we may be able to pull a really nice event together if we do that. Then I’d
like to just set up my colleague Qifeng’s event. We were talking and Qifeng mentioned that an
issue facing the Chinese or the Asian American community is people are under so much stress
that some of them are dying young and leaving behind widow spouses and children and he asked
about grief services. In fact, in HSRAP we just took on a new agency called KARA that does
grief support. I shared with him that they’d been successful in launching Spanish language
services but they hadn’t very little success reaching out to the Chinese Community. So, with that
said I’ll let Qifeng tell you what he would like to propose.
Commissioner Xue: Well further down the line I was thinking probably if there’s a chance to be
available I will do that. Higher on my part a proposed project is bridging the generation gap.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Oh, I’m sorry I was setting up KARA and then… Yes, I forgot the other one.
Commissioner Xue: Why do I propose this project? We grew up from different cultures, a
different area so when we communicate with the kids there’s always a big gap. So, when we
come back home they will say oh, ok, so when we come home we talk to you guys and we speak
a different language. Sometimes we follow different disciplinary stuff; however, we are at the
school we have to fit into the student body.
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Page 96 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: American style.
Commissioner Xue: American style so makes us seem very, very confused. How can we do that
so I was thinking of an educational program for the parents may be very helpful.
Commissioner Smith: I agree with that. What most people don’t realize with immigrant parents
when they are seeing the first college application, trip, all of the stuff they are actually learning at
the same time as their kids. That can be one of the most disconcerting uncomfortable experiences
and I don’t think schools ever acknowledge that too.
Vice Chair O’Nan: No.
Ms. Ragey: Great, thank you.
Commissioner Lee: In certain ways, there’s sort of that new/old thing that we mentioned that’s
how we do adapt existing services or existing products that we do to account for the changing
demographics of our community.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes definitely and many countries do things very differently from the US just
from an administrative standpoint. There are countries where you simply take an exam and you
are automatically funneled into some University. Here in the US, you have these diverse
opportunities and you have to fill out one thing for UCs and one thing for USC and one thing for
out of state and one thing for the public and one thing for private and then financial aid forms.
It’s overwhelming.
Chair Stinger: What about KARA, the idea there?
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, the KARA… I’m sorry and I completely fudged that transition but…
Chair Stinger: I don’t want to lose it.
Vice Chair O’Nan: … because we just took KARA on as HSRAP agency and because they really
do want to do outreach to the Asian American community I would like to suggest that Qifeng
explore that. It may not turn into an HRC deliverable but what he may be able to do is help
KARA, one of our agencies, expand into a community we’re trying to reach. Then that would be
I don’t know a liaison relationship where KARA then maybe can come back to us and let us
know what’s going on. Then we can, in turn, report that to City Council, that that’s another way
that we’ve made an inroad into the community; kind of indirectly through an agency.
Ms. van de Zwaag: So, kind of proving that it doesn’t always have to be…
Vice Chair O’Nan: An event.
Ms. van de Zwaag: It has to be I think something that all the HRC wants an individual member
to take on but not everything has to be a three-member Committee.
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Page 97 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: Exactly and so Qifeng…
Chair Stinger: It can be an exploratory project that may lead into something.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Correct, even if we vote on it, it may not come to everything. You may go to
Step One to Five, report back and you actually do Project B instead of A because that’s where
the information takes you.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Exactly or in this case, it may be a warm handoff to KARA saying here’s
some connections, here’s some ways and Commissioner Lee and I both met with the CEO of
KARA recently. One or both of us could help facilitate Qifeng connecting with Jim Santucci
who’s that guy and then we give a warm handoff to Qifeng who then works with Jim for some
time and then gives the warm hand off too. Then hopefully we’ll be able to close the circle at
some point and find out how effective that was but who knows, I mean it could really be helpful
to the agency.
Ms. Ragey: Great, thank you.
Chair Stinger: I wanted to begin with a comment responding too or underscoring utilizing the
resources in the tech community. Some time ago I did a project looking at opportunities for
companies to be more involved in the communities in which they are resident and looking for
community volunteers. It might be as part of not only are we looking at engaging their energy on
resolutions or content but we might be able to identify programs that they want to do for a
corporate day that they’d like to be part of and maybe they would help us put on a function.
Commissioner Lee: Or they may have best practices that we could adopt here. I know at the
Tuesday meeting a lot of people where like oh, why don’t you just copy what Google and
Facebook do writing (inaudible) thing? So, we don’t always have to reinvent the wheel.
Commissioner Smith: They are investing a lot in diversity now. There should be a ton of good
practices coming out.
Vice Chair O’Nan: (crosstalk) Google and Facebook do not have a good track record.
Commissioner Smith: Oh no, they are investing in it because they are a tremendous amount of…
I’m not saying that they are executing, I just said they did a lot of research.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Got it.
Chair Stinger: The project we looked at, we were interested in immigration, housing, and
community conversation. One of our ideas is to explore whether the emergency kits and
information that our emergency responders use is available in multiple languages.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I’m already working on that.
Chair Stinger: Ok, done.
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Page 98 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: No, it’s not happening but it's on my work plan already to do.
Chair Stinger: So, can we do what we did last year and say maybe take some credit for being
involved in that?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Because we know Minka and we’ll just take credit.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I already had two conversations about that but I agree with you that it’s
important.
Commissioner Smith: Oh, it’s super important.
Chair Stinger: Great.
Commissioner Kralik: What does an emergency kit look like? Food and water?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Well I didn’t go for the emergency kit. What I was working on is that
emergency notices that come from those automatic notices that we get from the city are not just
in English. I’m working on actual emergency kits for older adults that have some information
that’s not just in English.
Commissioner Smith: Also, I think if we can ask our first responders to actually be able to at
least have some conversational hello, I’m the fire department or whatever, in one or two other
languages would be helpful. I’ll give you an example, I was flying my drone the first day I got it,
crashed it into a tree at the Church so I go get the fired department and it’s an older Chinese lady
and she’s looking at why are there six firemen here ready to climb this tree? Her daughter
eventually came out and we had a good conversation but should have seen how wide her eyes
got when she saw all of these men sitting there and none of us could communicate with her or
even give her a hello, where here for this.
Vice Chair O’Nan: She was scared.
Ms. van de Zwaag: They are… a year ago I had a conversation with someone in the fire
department and they are also aware just police that firefighters are conceived differently in other
countries. I’m not sure what country it is but they found out that one country that to be able to
get into someone’s house from that ethnic background they needed to take off their fight jackets
and just come in the pants and the shirts. There was something about their uniform that they
wouldn’t let them inside because there was some cultural flashback memory. They are thinking
in context on how they best serve different communities but the language capacity of firefighters
that that’s a specific conversation I’m not having with anybody.
Chair Stinger: We might need to do an exploratory project just to look at the different ways of…
Ms. van de Zwaag: Correct.
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Page 99 of 112
Chair Stinger: …phone calls, personal contacts, packets that are available.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Yes, how they handle that.
Chair Stinger: That was one idea. Another idea is we wanted to foster community conversation
that addresses ethnic diversity. One implementation that we proposed, was Kaloma’s idea, was to
look at a book that was published in the last decade, The Warmth of Other Suns, talking about
racial immigration patterns. Having that discussion but bringing it forward and making it an
engaged conversation on current migration activities with some of the lessons that come out of
that book applying that having the discussion tables and apply that to migration patterns in our
city.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Kind of like the Stanford professor that talked about the different
immigration patterns of the other.
Chair Stinger: That was one of the conversations that we had so we see it as a little bit of a
lecture series but then also a place for some give and take. One of the things that we’ve learned
in the last couple years is that people like to talk and we don’t…
Commissioner Smith: In Palo Alto, so much.
Chair Stinger: We know that about Palo Alto but even in our groups we need to …
Vice Chair O’Nan: Do stuff.
Chair Stinger: Yes, have it come up not just down. Two other ideas for housing, it might be a
facilitating a community conversation to understand where they overlap and where they have
common goals. Just enabling that conversation, that’s all I want to say about that. Another
housing project might be to look at some of the fair housing protocols to make sure that all
vulnerable populations are protected. That came from one of the CDBG proposal hearings when
Project Sentinel was present and they talked about the lack of protection for the immigrant
community when landlords raise rent. I wouldn’t want to go into rent control but I might suggest
that again, as an exploratory project we look at the fair housing protocols, we interview agencies
to see that all communities are protected. Then one responsive idea, we’ve talked a little bit
about the School Board perhaps doing an HRC event.
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, as a standing Committee, is that right Steven?
Commissioner Lee: I’m sorry?
Vice Chair O’Nan: The School Board adopting a standing HRC type Committee?
Commissioner Lee: Yes, they are discussing that on Tuesday.
Chair Stinger: The proposal I heard was slightly different.
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Page 100 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: I don’t know, I got it from Steven.
Chair Stinger: There might be a way to honor the history of the Japanese in this community and
I’d like to consider that without being reacting to the naming incident. I can elaborate on that but
I don’t think time allows. Maybe we’ll work on it separately.
Commissioner Lee: Well that was part of what I mentioned in terms of engaging the Chinese
American community using that specific incident to address sort of larger lingering issues that
brought up but are there anything specific that we want to do in response to that specific incident
other than the larger issues.
Commissioner Smith: I have a question for you because I don’t know this answer. As we address
this issue there’s obviously underlying prejudicial issues against Asians on driving that whole
(inaudible) happening at the School Board. Should we be careful in not just making it a Japanese
American issue because then that could say it’s not Chinese American or Indian immigrants?
You understand what I’m saying? So, as we approach it, do we want to make sure that it stays
broad-based or do we want to funnel in just on that one part of it because there’s two very
different immigrant experiences from Japanese Americans dealing with the (inaudible) to the
current Chinese American experience. I just want to say how… do you have a preference on how
we approach it?
Commissioner Lee: I think at this point I don’t have a preference. I mean I would probably be
inclined to do a broader approach. I mean I don’t think we can lump all Chinese immigrants into
one pool.
Vice Chair O’Nan: No, the Taiwanese community is very different from the mainland
community.
Commissioner Lee: Or even like….
Vice Chair O’Nan: Cantonese is very different from Mandarin.
Commissioner Smith: I’m very aware that they are very different but I know those that would
have bigoted attitudes would treat them all the same.
Vice Chair O’Nan: True.
Chair Stinger: It’s the outside…
Commissioner Kralik: I have too. I have a Cantonese speaker and two Mandarin speakers in my
house.
Commissioner Smith: They are different so I want us to be very careful that somebody doesn’t
parse the issue down and say oh it’s just this one group and like divide and concur. Instead of
making it this is not fair to this whole entire segment of our community.
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Page 101 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: I was wondering if I could go back to mine because I missed something on
my first time around. There’s a project that I’m personally passionate about because as I
mentioned I’m somewhat disabled now and I feel strongly having experienced Palo Alto as a
disabled person that my access to the city was much poorer than I had ever anticipated. While the
city does meet all of the normal American’s with Disabilities Act requirements, with our
growing population of seniors and other people who have all kinds of disabilities, I think we
need to do more than just what the ADA mandates. I’d like to do some research working with
Kristen O’Kane who Minka had suggested I work with to find out if the City is aware of this, if
so what are they doing currently and perhaps bringing back some recommendations to the HRC
to consider. If we agree, then possibly forwarding some recommendations on behalf of disabled
people to the City Council.
Commissioner Smith: So, you’d want us to see if there’s an ADA plus standard that we can
reference the city too?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes because I found that even with a handicap placard I couldn’t park, I
couldn’t access City resources. Though… I cannot walk or cross those cobblestones are Lucie
Stern.
Ms. van de Zwaag: They’re gone; they are being replaced as we speak.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, yes! So, I think the city needs to be aware and I think everyone on the
Council that I know is able bodied at this point and sometimes abled bodied people just doesn’t
understand what the world feels like when it’s hard to get around.
Commissioner Kralik: You know what let me just say this because it’s interesting because I
broke my leg when I was 10 and now have osteoarthritis which is fairly serious. Just trying to
come into the interview, I didn’t really have familiarity with City Hall so I had to walk up those
steps and I was actually really hurting when I came in for that interview. It comes and goes but I
understand what you’re saying because after a while you scout it out and you say oh, in order to
not walk up steps, you go right in on Hamilton and it’s a lot easier. There is a sense that our
aging population is going to have these issues…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes and in space.
Commissioner Kralik: … and it’s a big change in your mindset because you feel like hey, I can’t
park by the library, then I have to walk four blocks.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes so people just don’t participate anymore is what happens. They just stay
home and they don’t participate.
Commissioner Kralik: Yes you come up with a different approach so Yes, I hear what you’re
saying.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We need to be aware so I would like to add that. My second input is that I
would like us to have whatever events we agree on, to ensure that we do something every quarter
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Page 102 of 112
that we can report out on. My reasoning is I think Council likes to see some sort of sustained
steady participation in the community. I think if we do that we can one, keep our momentum
going, keep Council’s attention in a positive way on us, and start to build word of mouth in the
community. I think if we go quiet for months at a time and then try to pack several events in, it’s
hard on us, it’s hard on staff, very hard on staff and then I think things don’t get done as well as
they could be done. So, for example, the Mountain View Human Relations Commission
basically every quarter holds a public roundtable with community leaders, Joe Simitian often
participates or moderates, they get the press, they get the community there and so every quarter
they just have this regular thing that they do. I wish we had something comparable in our own
calendaring. I think it would help us stay organized and whoever is on the hook for that quarter
would know ok, this is my quarter where I’m delivering something…
Ms. Ragey: Just so I’m clear, are you suggesting that as another project?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well, I’m suggesting having this framework to wrap all this into.
Ms. Ragey: As a framework, yep.
Commissioner Smith: So, questions for you can you describe the event? Is it like a catered
event? How many people? What would the undertaking each quarter look like?
Vice Chair O’Nan: It’s a civility roundtable and it was the brainchild of Ken Rose… Is it
Rosenberg? Who is now on the Mountain View City Council? He was concerned about the lack
of civility and public discourse so they will pose a contentious issue like “Could Ferguson
Happen Here?” “What are the limits of free speech in the era of hate speech?” I mean these are
issues that people feel strongly about on both sides. The idea is that people who disagree with
each other should sit down at this round table and have a civilized discussion about something
they don’t agree on and what comes out of that. The audience can participate, the panelist
participates, and they have live polling at the time. They will post a question to the audience and
let us weigh in. I’ve seen probably 80 people at these events and they are regular and that’s the
nice thing. Every quarter two people from the Commission tag team, ones the lead, ones the sub-
lead and some don’t go as well as others, some run smoother depending on the organizational
skills of the people involved. Everybody on the Commission takes a turn and they do have light
refreshments, fruits, sandwiches, cookies, they do a great job with it and I think it really makes
the community in Mountain View see their HRC out in public doing stuff. It’s a regular thing
that’s now been woven into the fabric of that culture. I think we are still either above or behind
the scenes or below the radar. We’re not embedded in the consciousness and in the culture of
Palo Alto in a way I’d like to see us become embedded.
Commissioner Kralik: You know there’s… oh, I’m so sorry.
Commissioner Lee: The only thing I have a problem with that is one thing that I’ve learned about
in community conversations to speak to is what does it mean to be an inclusive, civil, respective,
and responsible community? What does that mean in this day and age and how does that
intersect with taking on issues which may be “PC or controversial?” How do you loop in
different people’s background and how they were educated and their values? How do you listen
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Page 103 of 112
and understand them but at the same time advocate for certain things? How does that interplay
into not being PC kind of world? Those are issues that I’ve been struggling within which you see
thrown around a lot. Having an understanding of what that is and what is racism today or what is
whateverism today? I think that would be an interesting community conversation and also just as
we are doing all of these, thinking of ways like are other opportunities for us to make
recommendations on policy or things that the City itself is doing in light of what we learn at all
of these different events or different initiatives.
Commissioner Kralik: I was thinking about the opportunities for partnerships along those lines.
As an example, Joe Simitian had this three-part series on…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Islam.
Chair Stinger: Islam.
Commissioner Kralik: …Islam and it was a timely kind of thing that he did with the Human
Relations Commission of Mountain View I believe right? So…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well he did it here first.
Ms. van de Zwaag: It was done here.
Commissioner Kralik: Some here first?
Ms. van de Zwaag: He did in Palo Alto.
Commissioner Kralik: So when you’re talking about some of these issues, Stanford is an ideal
place to get some partnership that you could… I think someone mentioned human rights, that
may have been you, as being an issue. There could be things that exist that we could partner
with, that we could show up too.
Chair Stinger: Could we…
Ms. Ragey: I need to do a time check of all you. We have 13-minutes left and I’m committed to
getting you out of here at 3 o’clock.
Commissioner Smith: Thank you.
Ms. Ragey: So, I don’t want to cut off the conversation. I will also observe that I don’t think
you’re ready to make decisions about these. I don’t feel like you’ve had adequate time, I’m
checking. Does that sound right?
Vice Chair O’Nan: No not yet.
Chair Stinger: And I have two more I want to add.
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Page 104 of 112
Ms. Ragey: Ok so…
Vice Chair O’Nan: We can reconsider this at our next meeting.
Ms. Ragey: Right so I want to offer a couple of things and then we’ll add the ideas. What I’d like
to suggest is that you’ll get notes back, it will have these and then each of you takes
responsibility to take each of these ideas and put them through the screen. So that when you
come to the next meeting, you’ve actually thought about it through the screen that you’ve
developed rather than how we’re just feeling at the moment. Then you can have a conversation
about what’s rising to the top, what do each one of you see and then sort of figure out what
makes sense. The other question I have is how many activities you can take on? I’m not clear on
that, maybe you all are but I don’t have a sense of are you trying to get to two priorities? Are you
trying to get to three priorities?
Ms. van de Zwaag: It depends. If the project is something that one person could take on and they
still have the ability to work on something group related, we might get to more than two more
than what we already have stated here. It could be just someone says I’m just going to investigate
this till the third quarter or something like that. For me, that would be my feedback.
Commissioner Smith: Question, what have we historically been able to do?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Depending on the year.
Commissioner Smith: Last year.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I would think our best year was year before last and we had like six events.
Vice Chair O’Nan: We had really committed people who did
Ms. van de Zwaag: That was the year that we had the three that you were a part of and two or
three others, it was four.
Commissioner Smith: We did a lot of meetings because I remember that.
Vice Chair O’Nan: That was on…
Chair Stinger: I think maybe the way we might do that is by taking a project one at a time and
putting it on the calendar and just keep adding project until we’ve maxed out.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think we also have to do a triage with our projects. Some may be
community-focused events that are very public so they have to be planned very well, long
timelines, long lead times, other partners brought in and so forth. Others may be one or two
Commissioners researching and investigating something and then bringing some
recommendations back for us to vote on and then possibly pass on to Council. That might be
more concentrated on one or two people and then only come to the full Commission toward the
end of that project or a community event may require everybody to pitch in at some level or at
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Page 105 of 112
least attend the event. So, we kind of have to be able to scale up and down. I’m sorry Minka,
what did you…
Ms. van de Zwaag: I wouldn’t want them to spend their efforts on that unless it’s been voted on
by the Commission and that’s what you want them to spend their time on.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Exactly. Yes, because we have had people go rogue and then things haven’t
always come to fruition.
Ms. Ragey: Right so hang on just a second. So, it sounds like what you want to do is perhaps
prioritize these things. Perhaps there’s something that everybody says Yes, we’re just not going
to do that this year and then map the time commitment. Does that sound right?
Chair Stinger: Yes.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes.
Ms. Ragey: So, go ahead.
Commissioner Smith: Do we want to have a balance between recommendations, study, and
events? Sometimes I see organizations will have like three pillars of things to do but the events
will drive it because it’s the public facing stuff and then the recommendations and the study stuff
doesn’t get done because it’s not as glamorous as the events. Is there any level of balance that we
want to have in that?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I strongly recommend that we do at least a couple of events a year because I
just think we’ve got to stay on the radar.
Commissioner Smith: Oh, I don’t disagree with that. I’m just trying to figure out what’s the right
balance because we could just become an event Board. We could be the cruise directors for
every issue in the City.
Chair Stinger: That was where I came in was when I thought there were events that were
balanced by recommendations and study sessions. I don’t know how we build that in or I mean I
know how we can build it in but I don’t know what’s best for us. I think we need to at least
consider that as we do our work plan.
Ms. Ragey: I want to invite Valerie to put her two ideas up and then I’m actually going to move
us to closure because I’m committed to getting you out of here.
Chair Stinger: Thank you. I wanted to spin off your idea because I think it’s really good and I
was going to frame it by saying do we want to develop a floor mat for community conversation?
Oh, there’s so many presentations in the community that I don’t want to get to the point of oh
there they are again. I’ve done it before and I don’t need to do it. I think we can develop
something that might be a little different given the experiences that we all have. Then as part of
developing the structure, we could pick out two or three topics from the things we’ve already put
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Page 106 of 112
on the board to do this year.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I would say in preparing all these, once you get to what you’re either going
to study or an event, to be conscious in doing so that you’re not doing it to attract only the
English language-based audience or an educated language audience or events that are not just all
these people who want to hear Stanford professors. As interesting as they are that seems like a
barrier to people who feel like they’re going to go there and not understand…
Vice Chair O’Nan: What’s going on?
Ms. van de Zwaag: … The conversation is going to… at a level and they’ll be made to feel like
they’re not part of it.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, definitely.
Commissioner Smith: I agree with that.
Ms. Ragey: Right and the other idea?
Chair Stinger: I wanted to follow up, I think we’ve talked about Yamamoto, we’ve talked about
the School Board HRC enough, you’ve done some work, I’ve done some work, I think it needs
to be on the board to flush it out and consider it.
Ms. Ragey: I have a liaison with the School Board HRC. Is that…
Chair Stinger: Well…
Commissioner Smith: That’s a different issue.
Ms. Ragey: That’s different.
Commissioner Smith: I would say that Yamamoto issue is (inaudible). What’s the response?
Chair Stinger: That’s the question.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I’d also like to propose that we follow up on the community dinner idea.
Council really like that idea and I think if we pull together… we have a year to plan it because
we would probably do it next spring or next summer.
Commissioner Smith: Which holiday would you base it on? Ramadan?
Ms. van de Zwaag: Well that’s what the thought was…
Vice Chair O’Nan: That would be something we’d have to think…
Ms. van de Zwaag: …when we had the issue with the city in the past, it was not so much an
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Page 107 of 112
Islam issue. It was more of just focusing on one so it came to it from understanding someone’s
cultures through their religion and ethnic background. Well, why then just Islam then looking at
different ways of framing if in a program so it didn’t seem isolated like we’re just going to do
that. Maybe we have an understanding others community dinner series and we only do one a
year but this year might be an Iftar dinner. Next year it might be…
Vice Chair O’Nan: Might be a Passover dinner.
Commissioner Smith: So why don’t we do it sometime between March and April and you’ll say
recognizing Passover Easter and Ramadan because some point in that time of year everybody’s
holy dates; well those groups.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Well or but then the dinner would be focused on understanding how religion
and culture play an important part in our resident’s life. So, by doing each we weren't playing
favoritism because of the separation of church and state has to be maintained but if it’s done in
the context of something else. It could be something like that but we just wanted to say well
maybe there are some more secular ceremonies that are really important to a culture but it gives
you a lens into a culture. So, we’re working on an issue when we don’t need to work on an issue
but it is the point of…
Commissioner Smith: Why not do Thanksgiving?
[Many people started talking at once.]
Vice Chair O’Nan: There’s a lot of ways…
Ms. Ragey: We’re not going to solve this now.
Commissioner Smith: Oh, I’m sorry.
Vice Chair O’Nan: There’s a lot of ways we can do it.
Ms. Ragey: I’ve got it and if it’s something you decide to do then you go deep and figure out
what you want to do about it. I got all the ideas out Yes?
Chair Stinger: We sure did.
Ms. Ragey: Ok awesome so again I want to clear about what your next steps are going to be.
These are going to come back to you in notes, along with the decision screen and I will provide
you instructions about how I think you should use the decision screen. You can try it and see if it
works. When you come to the next meeting you should have screened these ideas for yourself
and that then will create conversation among all of you. Does that make sense? Awesome, thank
you. I want to invite everybody to stand up. First, I want to thank you all, I know it’s been a hard
day, I think you’ve done a great job so thank you for hanging in there. I want to invite you to
make sure you’re solid on your feet and then to close your eyes. I want to invite you to take a big
breath in and let it out. Take another deep breath in and let it out. Then still with your eyes closed
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Page 108 of 112
I want you think back through the day, what we’ve done together today, we learned about
communication styles, we’ve learned about the work, we’ve learned about what we need and
what we can offer, thrown out a lot of ideas about what we might do as we move forward with
the work this year, got a way that we’re going to think about those ideas, and I’m going to give
you about 20 seconds and I want you to think about a very brief sentence you can say to your
colleagues about what your walking out of the door with. What you’re thinking about walking
out of the door. What take away in like 10 words or less so just think about what you want to say
and when you are ready you can open your eyes. When you’re ready you can open your eyes.
Everybody ready? We’re just going to quickly go around. When you’re ready you can share what
you’re walking away with and then you can just sit down that why I know everybody’s talked.
Who would like to start?
Commissioner Lee: I think what I’m going to take away is the different directional styles and
using different styles complimentary so that we can move together as a Commission to get things
done. So that’s curtaining what I’m taking away.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, thank you, Steven.
Commissioner Kralik: It uses a positive and health collaboration today, thank you.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic.
Chair Stinger: Thank you.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I think it’s the beginning of a promising year with a cohesive team.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, thank you.
Ms. Constantino: Saying the same thing, I’m looking forward to this coming year since I feel
better working team.
Commissioner Smith: I’ll third that. I mean just way more hopefully about our direction than
when I came in.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, thank you.
Commissioner Xue: I’m very proud to be here, to learn so much from you guys, hopefully, we
can work together and get lots done.
Ms. Ragey: Thank you.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I’m delighted that we’ve agreed on a framework for our work together
because having established that framework will give us a platform to build on. I think together
we can build some great things.
Chair Stinger: I’m thrilled to be a colleague with each of you and I think July will be proof of
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access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
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the pudding in our celebration.
Ms. Ragey: Fantastic, thank you. Thank you all for sharing those reflections for, as I said, really
hanging in here today. Notes will come back to you and I want to turn now to Minka and Valerie
for the final word.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Anything Valerie?
Chair Stinger: Huge thank you’s, Minka and Mary for setting this up.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, thank you.
Chair Stinger: Nancy for digging in and putting up with us and giving us the groundwork and
then just masterfully taking us through it today. Thank you very much.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Thank you for keeping us on track.
Chair Stinger: And on time and to each one of you for stepping up to the bar to do that work. I
think we’re just going to have a wonderful ride.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Thank you to our new colleagues for barring with us and joining us and
helping us in our work.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Thank you. I echo all the thanks you. I think we have some great work ahead
of us. I will end on just a slight practical note.
Vice Chair O’Nan: As Minka always does.
Ms. van de Zwaag: I know, I’m practical. We have lots of great things to work on at our July
meeting. I just want to make sure that people are there at the July meeting because we have
invited the City Attorney. So, if we don’t have…
Commissioner Smith: What’s the date?
Ms. van de Zwaag: It’s the 12th, always the second Thursday.
Commissioner Smith: I forget that every month.
Ms. van de Zwaag: If everybody will be here then we’ll go ahead with the City Attorney at that
time but if we’re only half there then we can spend the time listening to her and then have a
really fruitful conversation on this.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Do we want to have a quick temperature read? Does anybody have vacation
plans or travel plans that would interfere with July 12th? No, I’ll be here.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Ok we’re good.
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
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Page 110 of 112
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think we’re good then.
Ms. Ragey: Awesome.
Commissioner Lee: Can I ask a clarification question? Would the July meeting, is it going to be
more of a working meeting so we can kind of solidify what we’ve done here or I’m wondering
what your thoughts are?
Chair Stinger: It will be by default but we also have to be conscious that it will be a televised
public meeting, not a retreat format.
Vice Chair O’Nan: But we’ll have Nancy’s materials before then to prepare and to look through
the notes from today.
Commissioner Smith: We’ve got some pretty good filters before we get here right?
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes because I think we’ll be able to review what… is that correct Nancy?
Ms. Ragey: Yes, correct.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, we’ll have Nancy’s list of decision.
Ms. van de Zwaag: You’ll get that ahead of time.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think at the same comment it's upon all of us to really prepare for that
meeting because some of this work needs to be done individually offline. So that when we show
up we can use that time productively and it will be in a public forum.
Chair Stinger: That’s the point that I most want to make in that the preparation certainly counts
and envisaged that it will be a public forum. We don’t want to dismiss anything out of hand, it
will be positive.
Commissioner Lee: When the materials get out to me just make sure that it’s very clear, sort of
specifically what each Commission should have done or bring with them to the meeting and how
the meeting will run. Just so that we stay on track, I don’t know.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I don’t know that we’re doing anything yet. I think we need to review these
lists and start to centralize exactly what we want to sign up for and what our bandwidth really is.
We’ve got a pretty ambitious list and I don’t think everything is going to work and we may like a
colleague’s idea but not see it as actionable or we may…
Ms. van de Zwaag: But what we didn’t do with our decision screen is if we decided to do a one
to three. At this point, we just have given… you just have the ability to give it a check mark. If
we… there’s two things…
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, should we do than people?
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access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
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Page 111 of 112
Ms. van de Zwaag: … one is people have to decide if they know what they know about people’s
project to give it either an x or a one to three because then you could come and if you did that
ahead of time staff could say actually you can talk about the top eight. This talking about twelve
other projects...
Vice Chair O’Nan: Is too much.
Ms. van de Zwaag: … is too much.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think that’s something we should do offline, then right?
Chair Stinger: If we could do that if everybody would agree that would be great. I actually was
assuming we would use the zero to three and have a point system. So that’s one question, is it
zero to three or is it check? Then the second question is if everybody can submit it a week ahead
of time, we can go ahead and present the top eight.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Yes, let’s cull it down.
Ms. van de Zwaag: It has to be some kind of thing because a check won’t help because
everything might get 90 percent of the checks.
Ms. Ragey: I’m going to suggest to you that it’s a zero to threes or not at all and I’ll send the
scale to you when I send that information.
Vice Chair O’Nan: So, if you really don’t see it as actionable, make it a zero and then let some
things may drop off then which is ok.
Commissioner Kralik: Is that something that we’re allowed to do by the…
Ms. van de Zwaag: As long as you don’t talk to each other about it. Four of you can’t gather to
talk about how you’re going to vote on something. You can do it by yourself at home.
Commissioner Smith: It can’t have any collusion of more than three people discussing.
Vice Chair O’Nan: I would say really doing it individually because you don’t want to be
influenced by somebody else. Just go with your gut, like what do you think is the higher
priorities?
Chair Stinger: To finish up on Commissioner Lee’s or Steven’s question, we will have the list of
eight and I think we can start going through each one with just the discussion of a possible work
plan or the ideas for implementation and start to…
Commissioner Lee: Should we fill out a screening for each one of these ideas? Each one of
should do it (inaudible)?
Vice Chair O’Nan: I think Nancy is going to provide that to us.
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with
government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting.
Page 112 of 112
[Many people started talking at once.]
Commissioner Smith: We can do the screen and we can decide whether it’s a zero or three for us
then based on the counts that whoever we decide to correlate it too.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Whatever rises to the top will be what we want to considerate the meeting.
So, some things may drop off before the meeting occurs. There’s this first cut kind of.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Right. The one thing just that I’m concerned about is some of these things are
like individual person things and some of these are group things. I really think it’s a little bit
different because I wonder if somehow when we’re doing this we can blend
Ms. Ragey: I can separate them.
Ms. van de Zwaag: …it to self…
Ms. Ragey: I can… so I’ll separate. I’ll say these sounds like individual activities, these sound
like group activities…
Commissioner Lee: Like what the vehicle is.
Ms. Ragey: … please rate them separately just so you have clarity and then all of that can come
back and you can make some choices.
Ms. van de Zwaag: Perfect. We can talk about timing.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Just bear in mind, whatever we vote on, I mean we the Commission are
standing behind this activity so even though it’s someone’s personal passion project, we all have
to agree that it’s worth doing and putting the HRC stamp on it.
Commissioner Smith: Yes, the majority has to agree.
Vice Chair O’Nan: Well we hope… we usually hope to get a consensus but if not, then you are
right, the majority.
Ms. Ragey: Alright.
[Many people started talking at once.]
Ms. van de Zwaag: Folks we have lots of food here and we have mechanisms for you talk it
home.
V. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.