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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-01-06 City Council Summary Minutes 01/06/03 1 Regular Meeting January 6, 2003 1. Election of Mayor and Vice Mayor ....................................................2 2. Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Commending the Outstanding Public Service of Victor Ojakian as Mayor........................6 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS.......................................................................8 ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned to a Special Meeting at 8:27 p.m. of the Palo Alto Redevelopment Agency. ..............................................9 01/06/03 2 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in Council Chambers at 7:10 p.m. PRESENT: Beecham, Burch, Freeman, Kishimoto, Kleinberg, Lytle, Morton, Mossar, Ojakian SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY 1. Election of Mayor and Vice Mayor Mayor Ojakian outlined the procedure and gave instructions for the election of Mayor and Vice Mayor. MOTION: Council Member Kleinberg moved, seconded by Burch, to nominate Vice Mayor Mossar for Mayor. SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Council Member Morton moved, seconded by Kleinberg, that the Council elect Vice Mayor Mossar for Mayor by affirmation. Council Member Kleinberg said she was honored to nominate Vice Mayor Mossar as Mayor, and the Council was fortunate to have Vice Mayor Mossar as a candidate. Vice Mayor Mossar’s public service record included being elected to City Council in 1997, re-elected in 1999, and elected Vice Mayor in 2002. Her accomplishments included being a member of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee. Her public service had been exemplary, and she had made numerous noteworthy local and regional contributions in the areas of environment, open space, housing, and transportation. In the areas of environment and open space, she had been involved with the Arastra Fund Advisory Committee, the purchase of the Bressler property, the Santa Clara Cities Association Pollution Prevention Advisory Committee, and a Board Member of the Silicon Valley Pollution Prevention Center. In the area of housing, she had been involved with the Santa Clara County Housing Trust Fund Steering Committee, the Palo Alto Housing Corporation, and a member of the Housing Action Coalition Education and Outreach Committee. She had been an outstanding leader in the area of transportation and was a founder of the City’s shuttle system and special event shuttle program that existed from 1996 to 1999. She was a founder of the Palo Alto Try-Transit Campaign from 1996 to 1999, a member of the Downtown Parking Committee and co-chair of the Research Park Transportation Task Force. Vice Mayor Mossar would be an asset as Mayor because of her involvement in regional issues. Her leadership had been outstanding in every area in which she had served. At that time she was a member of the National League of Cities Energy and Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Committee, a member of the League of California Cities Community Services Policy Committee, of which she was a Vice-Chair and Chair, a delegate of the 01/06/03 3 Bay Conservation and Development Commission, a director of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for which she served as Vice Chair of their Legislative Committee. She was involved with Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the Dumbarton Corridor Task Force, the Caltrain Policy Advisory Board, the California Urban Water Conservation Council, Vice-Chair of the Santa Clara County Pollution Prevention Committee, the Steering Committee of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and a founding member of the Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition, involved with the Valley Transportation Authority Board Policy Advisory Committee. Regional governmental leaders knew Vice Mayor Mossar possessed the qualities and dedication that indicated strong leadership capabilities. She was concerned about the issues the City faced, such as affordable housing, environmental protection, open space, sustainability, regional government, and intergovernmental cooperation and issues that affected Stanford. Council Member Burch said each Council Member felt the same as Council Member Kleinberg and there were no other nominations. He believed it was appropriate for Vice Mayor Mossar to be elected as Mayor. Council Member Lytle reinforced Council Member Kleinberg’s list of Vice Mayor Mossar’s accomplishments. She emphasized the work she had done on the San Francisquito Creek Watershed before the formation of the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) through the coordinated regional area management process since its inception. Palo Alto needed a Mayor in 2003 whose ethical actions spoke louder than words. She supported Vice Mayor Mossar in her bid for Vice Mayor the previous year and several Council Members stated at that time that her promotion to Mayor would not be automatic. There was a need for her to balance those positive contributions with some critical input so that Council could proceed into 2003 with an understanding of the challenges it would face. Two incidences made her hesitant in supporting Vice Mayor Mossar’s nomination. The first was her participation in a Colleagues’ Memo dated April 1, 2002, to remove a mayoral appointment from a Standing Committee without just cause. The second was her outspoken support and public praise of a November Colleagues’ Memo, which accused three elected Council Members of crimes that were not committed. Those actions indicated a need for additional training in ethics, management, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and team building. However, she was very pleased to read recent quotes from Vice Mayor Mossar regarding the need to end whispering campaigns and she hoped the personal appeal and commitment would be expanded to include an end to political reprisals. Palo Altans wanted to voice different opinions without fear of reprisal and wanted a Mayor who had the courage to say “no” to the politics of personality and “yes” to the politics of addressing the critical issues before the City. Palo Altans wanted and deserved trustworthy leadership. Vice Mayor Mossar had many strengths including boldness, 01/06/03 4 courage, tenacity, intelligence, articulation, and she was a hard worker. She had made many local and regional contributions; yet, her past performance and experience lacked characteristics that were expected of a Mayor. She asked for the support of the Council Appointed Officers (CAOs) and the Vice- Mayor to help make 2003 a successful term for Vice Mayor Mossar. Council Member Freeman said she appreciated the efforts made by Vice Mayor Mossar and was impressed with her accomplishments. She asked Mayor Ojakian if she could ask the mayoral candidate two questions and make a comment. Mayor Ojakian replied he did not know whether that request had been made in previous years but believed there was nothing that prohibited her request. Council Member Freeman asked Vice Mayor Mossar what was the most important role for the Mayor in 2003. Vice Mayor Mossar replied there were four priorities she would set for herself if elected Mayor. Council Member Freeman asked Vice Mayor Mossar what would be her most important priority. Vice Mayor Mossar replied she would like the opportunity to make all her comments at one time. Council Member Freeman said she hoped to see the following five leadership qualities in a Mayor; 1) tolerance and encouragement of respectful differences; 2) respect for majority and minority opinions; 3) respectful treatment towards all community members; 4) insurance of Council’s responsiveness to the public and CAOs responsiveness to the Council policy as outlined in the City organization chart; and 5) emulation of behaviors worth modeling. She asked Vice Mayor Mossar if those were leadership qualities to which she could agree or aspire to or had already attained. Vice Mayor Mossar replied her public service record demonstrated those were leadership qualities she had exhibited and would continue to aspire to and encourage her colleagues to do the same. Council Member Freeman said she appreciated Vice Mayor Mossar’s comments. The mayoral election process taught her that she must weigh her personal and individual observations against what was best for the City in 2003. She wished Vice Mayor Mossar success if elected Mayor. SUBSTITUTE MOTION PASSED 9-0. 01/06/03 5 Mayor Mossar entertained nominations for Vice Mayor. MOTION: Council Member Burch moved, seconded by Freeman, to elect Council Member Beecham as Vice Mayor. SUBSTITUTE MOTION: Council Member Morton moved, seconded by Kleinberg, to elect Council Member Beecham for Vice Mayor by affirmation. Council Member Burch said Dena Mossar and Bern Beecham were the only names considered for Mayor and Vice Mayor because of their exemplary public service records. He was honored to nominate Council Member Beecham for Vice Mayor. Council Member Lytle said Council Member Beecham made some outstanding personal and team contributions to the public. He had also made a few decisions during the previous year that contributed to the public’s perception of a so-called personal and political schism on the Council. He possessed years of municipal training, experience, knowledge of protocols, and he had an understanding of the City Charter. His strengths included integrity, fairness, and high ethical standards. Those qualities gave him the ability to display a higher standard of leadership. Council Member Beecham did not speak in support or against a November 2002 Colleagues’ Memo. It was not enough for elected leaders to keep their own hands clean. Palo Altans expected elected and appointed leaders to defend the innocent and ensure the City’s institutions. Council Member Beecham demonstrated great courage and conviction during 2002 by confronting the tough ethical situations the Council faced. She hoped to see more of that from him during 2003. Mayor Mossar and Council Member Beecham possessed complementary personal skills. If CAOs would support and train Council Members in the areas where they needed support and training, then the present Council could focus on the issues rather than continue the previous years’ focus on individual and group conduct. Her greatest hope for 2003 was that the Council would come of age. Council Member Kishimoto spoke in support of Council Member Beecham. She believed he would make an excellent Vice Mayor and would be an asset to Mayor Mossar. He had a very respectful working relationship with each Council Member and she had respect for his mastery of process design and procedures acquired from his years on the Planning Commission. She believed he would work with Mayor Mossar to guide the Council through the complex decisions to be made in 2003. He had also demonstrated that he was a rational and reasonable individual. SUBSTITUTE MOTION PASSED 9-0. 01/06/03 6 Mayor Mossar recognized the dignitaries in the audience 2. Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Commending the Outstanding Public Service of Victor Ojakian as Mayor Mayor Mossar read the Resolution into the record and presented former Mayor Ojakian with a plaque. MOTION: Council Member Morton moved, seconded by Kishimoto, to adopt the resolution. Resolution 8260 entitled “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Commending the Outstanding Public Service of Victor Ojakian as Mayor” MOTION PASSED 8-0-1, Ojakian “abstaining.” Council Member Ojakian expressed his gratitude to his colleagues for allowing him the opportunity to serve as Mayor and for their hard work and dedication over the previous year. He thanked elected officials, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Senator Byron Sher, Assemblyman Joe Simitian, and Supervisor Liz Kniss for their representation of Palo Alto in the larger political arena. There were a number of things they did which directly benefited Palo Alto. Assemblyman Joe Simitian encouraged Caltrans to show flexibility in what could be planted in the medians along El Camino Real. There had been a three-year effort to beautify El Camino Real. A group had been formed to raise money to improve El Camino Real. He hoped the beautification project would become a reality because the City of Menlo Park and Redwood Cities had already dedicated funds to that effort and there was public support for that project. He thanked local officials and representatives from Stanford University. He was pleased to meet with the Boards and Commissions over the previous year because when he was a Planning Commissioner, it had been important for him to meet with the Council. He had the privilege of working with a plethora of City groups. Canopy was one of the groups that held several tree-planting events during the previous year. He had presented them with a key to the City in 2002 because he wanted everyone to know about the work they did for the City. He thanked Paul Goldstein for organizing the effort to recognize former Vice Mayor Ellen Fletcher for the work she did for bicycling and alternative transportation in Palo Alto by naming the Bryant Street bicycle lane the Ellen Fletcher Bike Boulevard. He was pleased the City continued its infrastructure program and renovated six City parks. He thanked CAOs and various City departments for the work they did over the pervious year. He 01/06/03 7 expressed his thanks to his wife, Mary, and his family for there support and understanding for his busy schedule during his term as Mayor. Vice Mayor Beecham said he respected the vote of his colleagues as an expression of trust and expectations for the coming year. He pledged he would do his best in the coming year to satisfy their expectations as well as the expectations of the community. He expressed gratitude to his wife and said no one could serve in public office without the strong support of his or her spouse. Mayor Mossar said the Palo Alto community was a great place to serve. Former mayors and council members had dedicated their energy building the community and providing a foundation from which to move forward. Elected officials could not have done their job without the cooperation of people from the community. She was pleased her colleagues elected Bern Beecham as Vice Mayor. He was an outstanding friend and colleague and had served the Council, the City, and community well and she would rely on his judgment and advice. The evening was a celebration to thank outgoing Mayor Ojakian for his hard work and leadership. She acknowledged her family for their support and encouragement. She had several personal priorities for 2003; the first being was Council adoption of strategies to deal with the numerous financial challenges the City would face in the next decade. Her second priority was the City would have to review current expenditures, programs, and services because 2003 would be the year the City would have to decide on workable cost reduction. She would ask the City to work with Council to help make some very difficult choices. She wanted to make significant progress on flooding problems on San Francisquito Creek. She would dedicate energy to raising regional and national awareness about the City’s risk and needs. The City would have to join forces with the City of Menlo Park and the City of East Palo Alto to develop a long-range commitment and support for flood control solutions. Solutions were needed to protect property, life, and preserve a natural resource. Her third priority was to complete the Council protocol discussion and adopt Council protocols. She would appoint a new Policy and Services Committee (P&S) for 2003 and ask the members of the 2002 P&S Committee to continue their service as a special ad hoc committee until the draft Council protocols were completed and ready for full Council discussion. She would ask Council Member Kleinberg to continue to chair that effort which she had done to date. She would ask City Attorney Ariel Calonne to bring updated ex-parté and email communication rules to the Council for public discussion and adoption. Those matters may have seemed like technicalities but the open and public discussion about policies and procedures would establish a clear basis for making good government discussion that would benefit the entire community. She believed Council was looking for a robust public discussion and she expected everyone would work together with the public’s input to 01/06/03 8 support strong ethical and open government. She was committed to doing everything possible to make the City of Palo Alto a place that welcomed open discussion. The democratic process derived its strength from the frank exchange of ideas by seeing issues from different sides. She encouraged everyone to welcome open and public discussion, keep an open mind, and accept different ideas as relevant and important to the public process. She discouraged the use of misinformation, rumor, and innuendoes to defeat or defame a person or group. She asked everyone to help make the City’s government an open and public forum that rested on fairness, trust, and factual information. She challenged everyone to check information they received and make certain the information was accurate and from a reliable and trustworthy source. She was excited about the potential for the coming year and delighted to work with colleagues and staff to develop working priorities for the year. That would be done in the context of a two-year budget for the first time. It was a great opportunity and with goodwill and the help of the public, Council would be able to make real progress on the issues facing the City. She expressed her appreciation for the honor of serving the City and asked for the support of colleagues, staff, and the public. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Diane Sekimura, 2082 Sandalwood Court, spoke regarding the Edgewood Redevelopment. Sylvia Smitham, 2514 Birch Street, noted her thanks and stated a concern for safety. Bunny Good, P.O. Box 824, Menlo Park, spoke regarding Steve Staiger - Taliban Amongst Us. Mayor Mossar clarified the only action Council would take that evening, as the Redevelopment Agency would be to continue the Redevelopment Agency meeting to a date uncertain. Jinny Henke, 774 Wildwood Lane, spoke regarding the Redevelopment Agency. Steven Aronson, 1914 Channing Avenue, spoke regarding the Redevelopment Agency Angelica Volterra, P.O. Box 1324, spoke regarding the Redevelopment Agency meeting. 01/06/03 9 Anne Houghteling, Tennessee Lane, spoke regarding Redevelopment Agency. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned to a Special Meeting at 8:27 p.m. of the Palo Alto Redevelopment Agency. ATTEST: APPROVED: City Clerk Mayor NOTE: Sense minutes (synopsis) are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code Sections 2.04.180(a) and (b). The City Council and Standing Committee meeting tapes are made solely for the purpose of facilitating the preparation of the minutes of the meetings. City Council and Standing Committee meeting tapes are recycled 90 days from the date of the meeting. The tapes are available for members of the public to listen to during regular office hours.