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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-01-09 City Council Summary MinutesCITY COUNCIL SUMMARY MINUTES Page 1 of 21 Special Meeting January 9, 2023 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers and by virtual teleconference at 6:00P.M. Present In Person: Burt, Kou, Lauing, Lythcott-Haims, Stone, Tanaka, Veenker Present Remotely: None Absent: None OATH OF OFFICE City Clerk Lesley Milton provided the Oath of Office to new Council Members Lauing, Lythcott-Haims and Veenker. 1. Nomination of Mayor Council Member Stone nominated Vice Mayor Kou for Mayor. Vice Mayor Kou’s breadth of experience, passion for this work and empathy for those we serve will suit her well as Mayor and our city will be a better place for it. She is an active emergency services volunteer. Last week during the major storms, she was helping fill sandbags. She visited flooded streets and monitored creeks. She knocked on the doors of residents whose houses had flooded to check in on them and offer a sympathetic ear. She volunteers serving food to seniors at La Comida. She has an incredible heart but she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and tell it like it is. It is a rare combination for a leader to be kind but also strong and determined. Council Member Tanaka nominated Vice Mayor Kou for Mayor and agreed with Council Member Stone’s comments. Vice Mayor Kou’s preparation for meetings and her dedication to the community is impressive. Her careful deliberation on decisions is admirable. She is considerate. As a body, it is important to work together and move things forward for the community. She did not hesitate when she was asked to help organize a Stop Asian Hate Rally in Palo Alto. As the presiding officer of this meeting, it is important to run the meeting efficiently and that different perspectives are heard, which she has demonstrated. DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 2 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 Vice Mayor Kou thanked Council Members Stone and Tanaka for their nominations, which she humbly accepts. She thanked the City of Palo Alto employees for coming to work and placing high priority on keeping residents’ lives and property safe. She feels blessed and proud to live in this community where many people helped others in times of need. We will continue to work on community resiliency to address what we have learned from this series of atmospheric river storms and continue our discussion on key priorities that benefit residents, small businesses and economic recovery. Council Member Lythcott-Haims supported Vice Mayor Kou for Mayor. The role of Vice Mayor is critical preparation for the role of Mayor. Council Member Veenker supported Vice Mayor Kou for Mayor. Her seven years on Council, her service as Vice Mayor this year and her community service equip her well for the position. It has been five years since we had a woman Mayor and 11 years since we had a person of color as Mayor and that was way too long. Council Member Lauing gave his full support to Vice Mayor Kou for Mayor. She has passion for residents, a work ethic that will not quit, a huge heart, she is a fighter and she is ready to lead. Mayor Burt echoed the previous comments. He enthusiastically supported Vice Mayor Kou’s nomination for Mayor. He has known Vice Mayor Kou for more than a dozen years. She has an incessant commitment to the community and the people who live and work here. He does not know of anyone with greater passion and compassion for our community, who is more committed to a job, who prepares more thoroughly and feels greater devotion to our community than Vice Mayor Kou. He very much looks forward to serving with her. She has been an able and very strong Vice Mayor and he appreciated the support she has given him. Public Comment #1 Mayor Nomination 1. Andie Reed lives in Old Palo Alto. Vice Mayor Kou digs down into the Staff reports, listens to all parties and acts in the best interests of the greater community. We are very fortunate to have someone who has lived outside of the States. As Mayor, she will represent all sides and interests with thoughtful, caring and fair leadership. 2. County Supervisor Joe Simitian congratulated new Council Members Lauing, Lythcott-Haims and Veenker. Stepping up for public service is worthy of special note and he thanked all those who ran. He thanked outgoing Council Members DuBois, Filseth and Cormack for DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 3 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 their good service to the community. He congratulated Mayor-to-be Kou. It was a pleasure working with her, including having him read to children on Zoom. He and his office are always available to work with the Mayor in partnership to help our common constituents. 3. Russ Melton serves on the Sunnyvale City Council. His hometown is Palo Alto and he graduated from Gunn High School. He thanked the three outgoing council members for their hard work on the dais and within the community. Their effort was appreciated. He congratulated new Council Members Lauing, Lythcott-Haims and Veenker. He wished the City of Palo Alto and the City Council all the best for a great year ahead. Sunnyvale and Palo Alto have similar regional issues, such as housing, transportation, homelessness, Caltrain Grade Separation, electrification and high-speed rail. The City of Sunnyvale is always happy to chat at any time. 4. Angie Evans lives in Crescent Park. She is a mom and has lived in Palo Alto for nine years. She highlighted some of the things she loves about Palo Alto, including our teachers, neighbors she did not know until last week who sandbagged her house because they were out of town, and date night walks with her husband. As a renter, she cares a lot about tenants’ rights. A huge percentage of our city is rent-burdened, which is a travesty in a place with incredible resources. The third largest number of homeless in Santa Clara County comes from Palo Alto. She hopes Council will collaborate to address this issue. 5. Aram James congratulated Council Member Burt on his tenure as Mayor for his extraordinary job. He thanked the outgoing council members and a special thanks to Council Member DuBois who he spoke to about the Safe Parking Program. He wrote a note to Vice Mayor Kou, which he read. He is in favor of Vice Mayor Kou for Mayor and looks forward to supporting her in that role in 2023. She has worked hard and tirelessly for Palo Alto residents. He welcomed the new council members. He thanked everybody who came out tonight to support our City Council in these critical times. 6. Erwin Morton is delighted to support Vice Mayor Kou for Mayor and he looks forward to working with her in the future. When he brought topics to her attention, she provided her support on issues such as teen vaping and the recent sandbagging in his neighborhood. He thanked the outgoing council members and welcomed the incoming council members. DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 4 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 NOMINATION: Council Members Stone and Tanaka nominated Council Member Kou for Mayor for 2023. NOMINATION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER KOU AS MAYOR FOR 2023 PASSED: 7-0 2. Nomination of Vice Mayor Mayor Kou acknowledged the following dignitaries present: County Supervisor Joe Simitian, Los Altos Council Member Lynette Lee Eng, from Cupertino Council Member Kitty Moore, former Cupertino Mayor Steven Scharf, former Palo Alto Mayor Larry Klein, former Palo Alto Mayor Karen Holman, former Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss, former East Palo Alto Mayor Larry Moody, Sunnyvale Council Member Russ Melton, Mountain View Council Member Margaret Abe-Koga, former Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto, Megan Swezey Fogarty from Stanford, Cupertino Council Member Liang Chao and Mountain View Mayor Lucas Ramirez. Council Member Veenker nominated Council Member Stone for Vice Mayor. Council Member Stone is an experienced City leader, having served as Chair of the Policy and Services Committee, Chair of the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission and Vice Chair of the Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission. Council Member Stone’s public service has included promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. He is the only apartment dweller on Council in a city where approximately 43% are renters. He has been a leading voice on affordable housing and worked with our State Legislators to procure more funding in future State budgets. He was not afraid to be the sole dissenting voice on police radio encryption. After losing that vote and convinced that encryption was a violation of transparency and counter to our City’s policy goals, he continued the fight, working with Senator Becker’s office to receive clarification from the State Department of Justice. His initiative and commitment to the integrity of our policing and criminal justice practices are admirable. His commitment to reducing faction, compatibility with Mayor Kou, bringing a younger viewpoint and that of a renter into leadership, having the strength to vote his conscience but also being judicious about when to join with colleagues are some of the reasons she will be casting her vote for Council Member Stone for Vice Mayor. Council Member Lauing nominated Council Member Stone for Vice Mayor. He is experienced in City and County government. He is extremely well prepared and a very active participant on all the issues. He takes a proactive approach, digging into things with Staff and colleagues in Council meetings. He is insightful and sometimes persistent in his questions. He is efficient in his comments, which is appreciated. He is highly respectful in all his DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 5 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 interactions with council members, staff and commissioners. He truly wants to hear multiple points of view. That approach and reputation are invaluable for helping our Mayor lead the Council and getting things done. Council Member Lythcott-Haims nominated Council Member Tanaka for Vice Mayor for six reasons. First, his extraordinary length of experience. Council Member Tanaka began his seventh year on City Council. He has served and chaired on the Finance Committee and Planning and Transportation Committee. He was President of the College Terrace Residents Association. Second, he was the voters’ choice. In 2016, he came in second behind Mayor Liz Kniss. In 2020, he came in third behind Mayor Burt and Mayor Kou. Third reason is his deep passion for Palo Alto residents. He listens to constituents. He holds office hours weekly and puts them on YouTube. Fourth reason is his manner of being at Council meetings. He does his homework. He has smart and often brilliant analysis. He dives into the issues and helps us understand it by using charts and graphs. He is efficient and dedicated. Fifth, he is Asian American in a city that is becoming majority Asian American. Sixth, he is entering his final two years on our City Council. This is our last chance to elect him as Vice Mayor if he is to become Mayor. The pertinent question is not why Council Member Tanaka for Vice Mayor but why not. Council Member Stone thanked Council Members Veenker and Lauing for their nomination. He stated it is humbling and a privilege to be nominated. He reflected on how fortunate he was to be here. His parents instilled in him an importance of public service and giving back. He has been serving this community since he was 23 years old, about 10 years of service at the City and County levels. He has had the privilege of chairing various commissions. Being a renter, he understands the struggles that about 47% of this community experience monthly, at times the uncertainty if you are able to afford the rent. During his two years on Council, he has worked hard to build strong relationships and push forward critical policies on rent protection and affordable housing. He thanked those who continue to serve on the dais, former council members who were leaving, as well as those who were his mentors helping him through this process. He feels well prepared to step into the role of Vice Mayor. He gladly accepts the nomination and hopes to serve as Vice Mayor. Council Member Tanaka thanked Council Member Lythcott-Haims for her nomination. Three generations of his family went into camps during World War II. His grandfather died in the camps. He grew up incredibly poor. He is in his seventh year on Council. He feels honored to be nominated and believes he has the experience, skills and trust of the community for the role Vice Mayor. He has a 16-year history of service to this community. He DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 6 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 served in many leadership roles, including four terms as President of the College Terrace Residents Association and six years on the Planning and Transportation Commission including as Chair. He previously served on the Blue Ribbon Commission. He developed skills to run efficient meetings and ensure all perspectives were heard through his years of experience as CEO of a venture-backed company. It is important to structure agendas to allow for Council deliberations and public comment at reasonable times because he believes it is inappropriate to be here at midnight for important items. The dominant demographic in Palo Alto is working parents with school-aged kids, which he is the only council member to bring this perspective. He is deeply committed to represent the needs and concerns of all members of our community, which is why he has held open office hours weekly since being elected to Council. In his initial election and reelection, he received more votes than other nominees, which reflects the community’s trust and support. He looks forward to working with Council in making Palo Alto a better place to live, work and raise a family. Council Member Burt echoed the comments of Council Members Veenker and Lauing. He enthusiastically supports Council Member Stone for Vice Mayor. He has an understanding and compassion for social justice and economic equality. Nearly half of our community is renters, who represent careers that are vital to a sound and diverse community. Council Member Stone is committed to local government because of the good it can do to serve our community and to make it a fair and more just place to live. He is a clear thinker with high integrity. He has progressive values aligned with our community. He communicates clearly and well. He listens to the public and his colleagues. He works to build consensus, which is how the Council makes its decisions and moves things forward. He has been a strong supporter of our actions on climate protection because of its criticality for future generations. He has been a champion of the youth of our community. Mayor Kou opined that Council Member Stone has maturity beyond his years and is ready for Vice Mayor leadership. He has become a valuable member of Council as he thoroughly reviews Staff reports, has helpful questions and comments. He has an acute understanding of social justice. He fought hard to end police radio encryption for transparency and accountability, for expanding the scope of police auditor oversight and supported a series of police reforms. He is cognizant of our community health necessitating social service workers to work together with our police officers on calls. With a law background, he is technical and able to delve into intricate matters, keeping in mind to hear and act on behalf of residents and stakeholders. As a teacher, he provides valuable insight on the struggle and needs of youth. He champions renter protection, genuine affordable housing, historical preservation, and advocacy to protect women’s rights, natural environment, DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 7 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 quiet skies for residents and much more. He has chaired committees as a commissioner in Palo Alto and at the County. Public Comment #2 Vice Mayor Nomination 1. Jill O’Nan served three terms from 2010 to 2019 on the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission (HRC). Council Member Stone joined the HRC as a young law student. The Commission invested time in mentoring him, advising him and showing him the ropes of how the City works. That investment has paid dividends beyond anything they could ever have imagined. He has matured and evolved into a true leader for our City and County. He is a consensus builder. He is firm in his convictions but open to compromise and collaboration with anyone who is interested in crafting a pragmatic solution to the City’s problems. His legal training has given him an acuity of mind and insight that will help us negotiate difficult regulations with the State, problems with Stanford and other legal issues that come before us. He is in the vanguard of the next generation of young leadership and it is time to hand the reins over to these younger leaders. 2. Winter Dellenbach is enthusiastic about Council Member Stone being Vice Mayor. He served on the County Justice Committee. His interesting combination of governance and compassion is very much a value-add for City Council and Palo Alto. He grasps the nuance of issues and gets the big picture, which is very important. He supported the Safe Parking Program for RV dwellers. He has been a primary supporter of the City’s new 88-unit transitional housing development. He has been a consistent and strong voice for increasing rental housing protections. He has supported sensible police reform and more accountability. 3. Nicole Chiu-Wang looks forward to working with Council in her roles as a community activist and on the boards of multiple Palo Alto nonprofits. She strongly endorses Council Member Tanaka for Vice Mayor. She believes that representation matters as well as experience. He is a leader in the Asian American community. He organized the Palo Alto Stop Asian Hate Rally and supported nearly 20 other Bay Area rallies. As the only council member representing working parents with school-aged children, he brings that valuable perspective to the table. If we want working families to feel welcome, they should see themselves in our leadership. He has a wealth of experience in public service, including Chair of the Planning and Transportation Commission, President of the College Terrace Residents Association, and understanding of the budget as Chair of the Finance Committee. DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 8 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 He has demonstrated a desire to hear all perspectives and act as a bridge builder. He holds weekly virtual open office hours. He reaches out to inform the community and solicit feedback through social media. This should be the norm for City Council because it is important to listen to the community. One way the community voices their support is through their votes. He has received more votes than any other potential nominee in his initial election and reelection. This is his penultimate year on Council and he should have the opportunity to serve as Vice Mayor. 4. Jennifer DiBrienza congratulated Mayor Kou and the new council members. She thanked the outgoing council members for their work. She has worked closely with Council Member Tanaka over the six years they served together in public office. He is an independent thinker. His knowledge of the budget is very impressive. This is the last chance to nominate him as Vice Mayor. Before casting your votes, she hoped the Council gives thought to not letting this opportunity go by, that the second highest vote-getter will never have a chance to be Mayor. 5. Fred Balin met Council Member Stone six years ago when he was running for City Council. In their extended conversation, he was gracious, knowledgeable, articulate and listened with sincere interest. Council Member Stone is a PAUSD product, was raised in Palo Alto and knows his town intimately. He served on the City’s Human Relations Commission, educating the public and advising the Council on housing, homelessness, domestic violence, policing, implicit bias and much more. He was appointed to a similar post at the County level and then to its Human Rights Commission where members could educate and advocate to the Supervisors. In 2020, he ran and was elected to Council. His character, courtesy, collaboration, collegiality, preparation and clarity have been evident for all Council watchers to appreciate but just as important is his willingness to question when needed and not just go along when something is not right. In his 2020 campaign, he spoke in opposition to the unanimous City Council vote limiting the scope of the independent police auditor. As a member of the City Council, he was the only one to object to the encryption of police radio transmissions. Both policies have been overturned during his time on Council. In the role of Vice Mayor, he will be an outstanding support and, if needed, fill in for Mayor Kou. 6. Karen Holman congratulated Mayor Kou. She expressed appreciation for outgoing council members and especially former Council Member DuBois’ keen sense of humor. Former Mayor Burt’s dedication and DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 9 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 action last year was appreciated. She agrees with the nomination of Council Member Stone for Vice Mayor, whom she has known since he first applied for the HRC when he was 23. He is a man of high integrity and a keen sense of fairness. His dedication to service starting at such an early age is exemplary. His intelligent analysis of issues demonstrates his legal mind at work. His colleague memos, leadership positions, and stance on police decryption speak highly of his maturity, intelligence and willingness to step out there even if he is by himself. 7. Jennifer L has been a Palo Alto resident for 23 years. She strongly supports Council Member Tanaka for Vice Mayor. Five years ago, she had some issues with the City. She reached out to a few council members and he was the first to respond. They had a long meeting to discuss the issues in depth and he listened attentively. He is very passionate about his job as council member and he deeply cares about residents. He puts high priority to issues that concern most Palo Alto residents, such as crime rate, housing and the budget. He has a wealth of experience in public service. He is a great leader as Chair of the Finance Committee. He has played a role in the Planning and Transportation Commission and as President of the College Terrace Residents Association. He is a very successful entrepreneur and his entrepreneurial spirit is needed in Palo Alto. 8. Aram James commented that Council Member Tanaka rode his bicycle last night in the dark to talk with him. Council Member Stone has another opportunity but Council Member Tanaka does not. Council Member Tanaka spent 16 years serving the city. He was the voters’ choice. He is an environmentalist. He is accountable, accessible and accomplished. He has held Sunday meetings regarding Tasers, police canines and the hiring of the police chief. He is a quiet but fierce man, an extraordinary human being and should be our Vice Mayor. Mr. James requested Council Member Stone to let Council Member Tanaka be Vice Mayor and next year Council Member Stone can be Vice Mayor. 9. Paul Fong congratulated Mayor Kou. Mr. Fong lives in Sunnyvale, is a labor leader, Asian American community leader in Santa Clara County, an elected Trustee and former President of the Executive Board of the South Bay Labor Council, and former Assembly Member to the 22nd and 28th Assembly Districts. The 22nd Assembly District ends in Mountain View and neighboring Palo Alto has many similar issues. Mr. Fong served the City of Palo Alto as a trustee to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. Mr. Fong is co-founder of the Asian Pacific American Leader Institute (APALI) and many other social justice Asian American Pacific Islander organizations. The Asian American Pacific DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 10 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 Islander community is looking for leadership to address the issues of Asian hate and crimes against Asian Americans. Council Member Tanaka and Mayor Kou provided that leadership in the Palo Alto City Council as well as 20 other cities. As Vice Mayor, Council Member Tanaka would expand his leadership of Asian hate issues with a larger platform. 10. Randy Popp is a Palo Alto resident. He thanked the outgoing council members for their time and commitment. He greatly appreciated their willingness to lead and represent our community. He looks forward to the coming year with renewed hope based on the appointment of the new council members. He enthusiastically supported Council Member Tanaka for Vice Mayor. Council Member Tanaka has a history of capably understanding nuanced issues, advocating for logical and thoughtful solutions and outcomes, and provides an exceptional example to others through his outreach and willingness to interact. Mr. Popp believes Council Member Tanaka will be an exceptional Vice Mayor based on observations of his participation on City Council and the Planning and Transportation Commission. He will bring the care and skill developed over his many years of public service to his role as Vice Mayor. NOMINATION: Council Members Veenker and Lauing nominated Council Member Stone for Vice Mayor for 2023. NOMINATION: Council Member Lythcott-Haims nominated Council Member Tanaka for Vice Mayor for 2023. First Round of voting for the position of Vice Mayor with term ending December 31, 2023. Voting For: Greer Stone Greg Tanaka Kou, Stone, Burt, Lauing, Veenker Tanaka, Lythcott-Haims NOMINATION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER STONE AS VICE MAYOR FOR 2023 PASSED: 5-2 3. Resolution Expressing Appreciation for Outstanding Public Service to Alison Cormack as Council Member Council Member Lythcott-Haims read the resolution. DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 11 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 Council Member Cormack stated she hopes this Council is able to build trust that can sustain them through whatever tough times are coming. When in doubt, she wants the Council to remember they are leaders, not micromanagers. She hopes all council members will take a few minutes each week to prepare themselves for the texts that come with tragic news, the angry emails and the disrespectful comments that are part of the job. She also hopes they will take some time to celebrate and treasure the good news, grateful emails and thoughtful comments when they come. She is grateful for the people who served before her, the people who encouraged her to run, the people who worked on her campaign, the people who elected her, the people who served with her, her family, and the people who do the work of our City all day, all night and all year, our talented and dedicated staff. Council Member Tanaka will miss Ms. Cormack. It was admirable that she was prepared, read everything in the packet and knew the page numbers to locate items. He was impressed with her memory and dedication. She is incredibly smart. The City is going to lose a great asset. It was a privilege serving with her. Vice Mayor Stone will deeply miss Ms. Cormack. He congratulated her on four wonderful years. Mayor Kou thanked Ms. Cormack for serving the last four years. She was amazed by her thoughtfulness to staff and for visiting them with fresh-baked cookies. Council Member Veenker was impressed by Ms. Cormack’s advocacy on many issues, including housing and climate. Council Member Veenker thanked Ms. Cormack for her preparation and persistence, for speaking her mind and giving her all, for supporting and mentoring women. The advice given during the campaign was appreciated. Council Member Burt thanked Ms. Cormack for her service on the Council and to the community through the wonderful library bond and the community benefits we all derive from it. She is a model on dedication to the office, the degree to which she immersed herself on all the issues and the hundreds of pages of Council packets every meeting. She took great pride in modeling decorum. The commitment she made on the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan over the last two years is an enduring contribution made to the City. Public Comment #3 Council Member Cormack DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 12 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 1. Cari Templeton is a Palo Alto resident and serves on the Planning Commission. Ms. Cormack mentored her. Ms. Templeton is speaking on behalf of Senator Becker and Assembly Member Berman, who provided a resolution. The closing part of the resolution reads: As a result of her tireless work and unwavering commitment, Alison Cormack has compiled an impressive record of personal and civic achievements, a record that has earned her the admiration and respect of those persons who have had the privilege of associating with her. Congratulations on a term well served. 2. Jennifer Landesman thanked former Mayor Burt for his leadership this year. She congratulated the new council members. She thanked former Council Members Filseth, DuBois and Cormack. As an activist, Ms. Landesman gave a special thanks to Ms. Cormack for making outreach positive. Ms. Cormack’s office hours at the café were seamless. During meetings, Ms. Cormack would pause and say, “For the public listening in, I am on this page.” Ms. Landesman put in a lot of effort to write emails and it was nice for her to hear that Ms. Cormack read them. Ms. Cormack will be missed. 3. Aram James wished Ms. Cormack well in her future endeavors. He commended her for the extraordinary work she did as a criminal defense lawyer. He was extraordinarily impressed by her attention to detail. 4. Mountain View Mayor Lucas Ramirez congratulated Mayor Kou, Vice Mayor Stone and the new council members. He spoke in appreciation of Ms. Cormack’s work, for stepping up to serve her community, for serving in a very difficult time and for being a good friend. MOTION: Council Member Burt, seconded by Mayor Kou to adopt the resolution recognizing Council Member Cormack for her outstanding public service as Council Member. MOTION PASSES: 7-0 4. Resolution Expressing Appreciation for Outstanding Public Service to Tom DuBois as Council Member Vice Mayor Stone read the resolution. All outgoing council members were provided a thank you plaque as well as a commendation from Supervisor Simitian’s office. DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 13 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 Mr. Dubois expressed his gratitude. He stated it was an honor and privilege to work for the citizens of Palo Alto for the last eight years. He thanked the voters for entrusting him with the responsibility in representing their interests, which was very fulfilling. He looks back on his time on Council with pride and appreciation for the opportunity to serve. He extended a heartfelt thank you to his fellow council members. He valued the respectful and collaborative working relationship they shared. He thanked Staff for their hard work. He congratulated the newly elected council members and wished them the best during their term. He hopes they all take seriously the threat to City’s local agency powers under the California Constitution. The State government cannot know what is happening in every town and city, which is why it is so important we protect that power regardless of the issue. He will continue to be a dedicated and active member of the community. Council Member Tanaka thanked Mr. Dubois for his service. Council Member Burt commented it was a pleasure working with Mr. DuBois, seeing his growth and greater understanding of the community and commitment throughout his eight years of service. Of note was Mr. DuBois’ leadership on renter protections, infrastructure investments, affordable housing, water recycling, climate action plan and his broad commitment to the residents of our community. Council Member Burt will miss Mr. DuBois’ dry humor. Council Member Veenker thanked Mr. DuBois for his service, vision, knowledge, practicality and big-picture approach to governing. Council Member Veenker stated it was a pleasure to work with Mr. DuBois on conceiving and launching the Sibling Cities partnership with Bloomington, Indiana. Vice Mayor Stone said he would miss Mr. DuBois. It was a pleasure to sit alongside him the past two years and he had been a wonderful mentor. Mayor Kou remarked that Mr. DuBois’ actions showed his love for Palo Alto. He championed fairness, openness, transparency and respect. He has a long-vision focus on what is good for Palo Alto for the next 10, 20, 30 years. He was troubled with the innovative startups competing with big companies and not being able to find space, so he supported a petition initiative by residents to limit the development of office space. This also allowed us to focus on addressing our office-housing imbalance. He was troubled that renters were being pushed out due to disappearing affordable housing options and he coauthored a colleague’s memo with recommendations to explore areas that had not been addressed to produce affordability with the extremely low, very low, and low-income limits. He coauthored a colleague’s DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 14 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 memo to strengthen renter protection for Palo Alto residents. He was troubled about the growing number of people living in vehicles and he coauthored a colleague’s memo stating the City of Palo Alto must address this matter from a health and safety standpoint. He coauthored a colleague’s memo on the impacts of short-term rentals. He was interested in recycling water and negotiated with Valley Water in order to do so. In 2014 during his campaign, he addressed fiber to the home and we now have an implementation plan. He is an ultimate thinker, strategist, and action- oriented representative. Mayor Kou will miss Mr. DuBois on Council and she thanked him for his service. Public Comment #5 Council Member DuBois 1. Alex Kobayashi spoke on behalf of Senator Josh Becker and Assembly Member Marc Berman to thank Mr. DuBois from the State of California and congratulate him on his past eight years of service. Most notable was his service as Mayor during incredibly trying times, starting with the State of the City done online and ending with helping the City transition to reopening. The City would not have been able to do that as smoothly without his thoughtfulness and leadership. 2. Winter Dellenbach enjoyed Mr. DuBois’ sense of humor. His leadership made all the difference in November 2021 when Council agreed to a package of 15 equity police policy and accountability reforms in one meeting, which was a landmark occasion and fulfilled the commitment the City made in June 2021. Without Mr. DuBois, that promise would not have been fulfilled and he can feel good about that forever. He was determined that Staff’s work, which started in 2018, to update our tree ordinance would be completed while he was on Council and it was. He led the Council through the choppy waters of policymaking and did it with finesse and unruffled feathers. 3. Terry Holzemer congratulated the new council members, Mayor and Vice Mayor and wished them the best. Mr. DuBois served as Mayor during COVID. Thanks to his guidance and leadership, we were able to push forward through one of the most difficult times in our country. Mr. DuBois was thanked for the Public Safety building as well as his great work on the restoration efforts on the Roth Building, which was an important project for the future of Palo Alto because it will tell the history of our city to future generations. Mr. Filseth was thanked for being the Chair of the Finance Committee, always watching out for our City finances, particularly our pension DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 15 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 funds. Limiting non-residential development was important for our City’s future. Mr. DuBois and Mr. Filseth are very humble. Mr. Holzemer wished all of our leaders were as polite, trustworthy, kind and gentle. 4. Aram James commented that Mr. DuBois was a very down to earth man and was the first person to say hi whenever they were out in the streets. 5. Mora thanked Mr. DuBois for his years of service on the City Council and particularly for his hard work as Mayor during 2021. Mr. DuBois brought his positive attitude and organized a number of community events in a way that was safe and welcoming to bring Palo Alto residents together during that tough year. He has been a remarkable advocate for youth and supported important programs for their mental health and wellness. Mora thanked Mr. DuBois for his mentorship and leadership. MOTION: Council Member Lauing, seconded by Council Member Burt to adopt the resolution recognizing Council Member DuBois for his outstanding public service as Council Member. MOTION PASSES: 7-0 5. Resolution Expressing Appreciation for Outstanding Public Service to Eric Filseth as Council Member Council Member Cormack read the resolution. Council Member Filseth thanked current and former Council colleagues and will miss working with them. He is grateful for the work they did together. He thanked all the people who supported him as a candidate and in his job as an elected official. He thanked our City Staff who work hard every day and many nights on behalf of our community. He thanked his wife and sons for their patience, support and tolerance. He thanked everybody present in person and virtually. He especially thanked all who contribute their time in service to our community. Council Member Veenker thanked Mr. Filseth for his attention to the non- glamorous things. DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 16 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 Council Member Burt echoed the value Mr. Filseth brought toward assuring us to focus on our fiscal sustainability because all the services we provide to the community are dependent on our finances. Council Member Tanaka appreciated Mr. Filseth’s focus and work on the pension. Council Member Tanaka thanked Mr. Filseth for his service and loved his analysis. Vice Mayor Stone will miss Mr. Filseth, his wonkiness, ability to analyze and dig deep into detail. Mr. Filseth was not afraid to use charts and graphs. Vice Mayor Stone stated it was a great privilege serving with Mr. Filseth. Mayor Kou will miss the interactive Excel spreadsheets and graphs, which were very valuable and appreciated. Mr. Filseth colleague’s memo regarding funding for affordable housing and examining the City’s impact fees was helpful. Mayor Kou thanked Mr. Filseth for his service. Public Comment #4 Council Member Filseth 1. Alex Kobayashi spoke on behalf of Senator Becker and Assembly Member Berman. Mr. Kobayashi thanked Mr. Filseth for being the best advocate for the residents of Palo Alto over the past eight years. 2. Winter Dellenbach thanked Mr. Filseth for his use of flip charts that make things easy to understand and did not waste her time. Mr. Filseth was thanked for the business tax and for his service. MOTION: Vice Mayor Stone, seconded by Council Member Lauing to adopt the resolution recognizing Council Member Filseth for his outstanding public service as Council Member. MOTION PASSES: 7-0 6. Resolution Expressing Appreciation for Outstanding Public Service to Pat Burt as 2022 Mayor Vice Mayor Stone read the resolution. Council Member Burt remarked that Council had a great path of accomplishments last year and is looking forward to the year ahead. They restored the disruptions from COVID, got back on sounder financial footing DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 17 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 going forward and had accomplishments in housing and climate change. He thanked his former and current colleagues. Vice Mayor Stone thanked former Mayor Burt for his incredible service and ongoing mentorship, which he greatly appreciated. Mayor Kou commented it had been a pleasure working with former Mayor Burt as Vice Mayor last year. She thanked him for his guidance while working alongside him, which was invaluable. Public Comment #6 Mayor Burt 1. Winter Dellenbach thought former Mayor Burt did a good job and was a living public benefit. 2. Mora Oommen congratulated Mayor Kou and Vice Mayor Stone. She thanked the outgoing council members for their service and welcomed the new council members. Ms. Oommen is eExecutive Director of Youth Community Service (YCS) and spoke on behalf of the organization to express their deep gratitude and appreciation to former Mayor Burt. He has consistently shown up for our youth to help guide and engage them in a diverse number of issues, including climate change, the art of civic engagement and youth mental health and wellness. They are thankful for his support of various community events, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Day of Service and she hopes many will come to that event as well as the National Day of Service in September. She thanked him for his guidance and mentorship. 3. Katie Reuff thanked former Mayor Burt for everything he has done to help their Student Coalition be what it is today. He has been relentlessly supportive. He helped mentor many of these individuals. Through his actions, he has demonstrated how they can be leaders in our municipality through different events. MOTION: Vice Mayor Stone, seconded by Council Member Veenker to adopt the resolution recognizing Council Member Burt for his outstanding public service as Mayor in 2022. MOTION PASSES: 7-0 AA1. Discussion of the City’s Response to Recent Storms DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 18 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 City Manager Ed Shikada presented slides. He recognized the role of the community. Staff immediately activated our Emergency Operation Center, which has continued through today. Staff established coordination with the San Francisquito Creek Agencies, including our Multi-Agency Coordination Group, with support from the National Weather Service, Valley Water, the Cities of Menlo Park and East Palo Alto, Counties of San Mateo and Santa Clara as well as the Joint Power Authority. Staff monitored and responded to issues throughout Palo Alto but the most significant flooding issues related to San Francisquito Creek. There were 50 tree-related emergency calls responded to over the last several days, eight of which included power line impacts and removal of roughly 150 tons of wood and tree debris throughout the city. CityofPaloAlto.org/FloodAlert will have daily updates, informational flyers, important phone numbers to report issues, online monitoring of creek levels, videos on flood stages, and answers to questions about flood risk as well as links for storm forecasts, power outages and other resources. Council Member Burt noted that the Reach 1 projects significantly reduced flooding potential as a result of downstream measures. Reach 2 needs to be completed to give us full protection. He thanked the Staff for their hard work over the last week and a half. Public Comment #AA1 Storm Update 1. Leland Francois is from East Palo Alto and is a volunteer in South San Mateo County. He is a ham radio operator, KI6AWN. The University Avenue Bridge at San Francisquito Creek was put together in 1925. He asked why dredging has not taken place further upstream if everything was financed downstream below 101. If overgrowth was removed, he does not believe there would be any flooding despite what happened downstream at 101. He thinks Palo Alto, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto along with the Joint Power Authority should have agreed to take preventative measures to get rid of the overgrowth and wanted to know why that has not happened. 2. Hamilton thanked the three outgoing council members for their service. He congratulated the newly elected council members, Mayor and Vice Mayor. He thanked Staff and Council for their efforts on flood mitigation and storm response. The construction of Newell Bridge was originally scheduled to begin in 2021 and is a prerequisite for replacing the Pope-Chaucer Bridge. The replacement of the two bridges along with channel improvements can reduce the probability of flooding by threefold. Because Newell Bridge and Pope-Chaucer Bridge have concrete abutments that DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 19 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 extend into the creek, they artificially reduce the creek’s natural flow and significantly increase the probability of flooding. The replacement bridges will restore the creek’s natural flow and significantly increase capacity. Joint research by the City of San Francisco and Berkeley Lab found the effect of climate change on future storms would be significant, leading to storms that are more powerful. Next winter’s El Niño, as in 1998, will be strong according to the former lead meteorologist of the National Weather Service. Caltrans designated Newell Bridge as functionally obsolete. It is a substandard, narrow bridge with no traffic lights, sidewalk or bike path. A new bridge will provide safe sidewalk for pedestrians, safe bike paths and improve car safety. Mr. Hamilton believes the City should expedite permitting, put the construction project out for bid and start construction this year. The City can fund any shortfall by raising external funding. Measure K was passed with one of the goals to improve public safety. If the project is delayed to raise more funds, construction costs will go up higher. He encouraged City Council to make climate adaptation and mitigation with the Newell Project Bridge action items and priorities in 2023. 3. Jennifer Landesman was thankful for the City’s response and their work around the clock to address emergency issues. She was a benefactor of the Reach 1 project because her block was a river during the 1998 flood but was not flooded with the recent storms. She suggested periodic updates on the work to complete the new bridge and to consider updates on City projects that affect property, health and safety. The February 9, 2021 City Auditor’s Report built a detailed risk assessment grid and building of the bridge is listed as Risk ID #15. An auditor’s perspective is suitable for identifying future audit areas but what is missing is a practice in policy to document and publish annual or quarterly executive status and explanatory reports on a project’s timeline, milestones, obstacles or next steps. This can help affected neighbors stay informed and support the City and current and future Councils to move things forward on issues that are hazards. She requested a meeting be scheduled this year regarding building the bridge. 4. Cari Templeton sits on the Planning and Transportation Commission but is speaking on her own capacity and not representing the Commission in her comments. She appreciated Mr. Shikada’s presentation that included the photos of dangers and hazards on El Camino Real. El Camino Real has been deteriorating faster with the heavy rains. Potholes are very dangerous. It is dangerous for bicyclists to ride across nine lanes (two parking lanes, three lanes in DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 20 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 each direction and a center lane). Caltrans will repave part of El Camino Real in the near future. Mountain View has a plan for how they are going to repave it and improve bike, pedestrian, and flooding safety. She encouraged Council to come up with a plan and direct Staff to work on improving safety and implement that plan when it is repaved. Council Member Lythcott-Haims expressed gratitude to Staff for stepping up to serve our City. The public was asking questions on Palo Alto Online, Nextdoor and across other social media channels. The City does not have staff present in those online forums. She would be delighted to have more funding for staff to spend their time online responding to misinformation, panic and worry in addition to pushing out information through the website and emails. Public Comment 1. Bob Moss congratulated Mayor Kou and Vice Mayor Stone. He welcomed new Council Members Veenker, Lauing and Lythcott- Haims. He thought it was unfortunate to have two very qualified council members termed out because of term limits. It takes time for somebody serving on City Council to understand the issues and the community as well as how to work effectively. He believes term limits should be extended or eliminated. 2. Erwin Morton thanked the current and outgoing council members. He congratulated the new Mayor and Vice Mayor. He spoke on behalf of the Palo Alto PTA Council to extend an invitation. The PTA Council has been working for several years on the epidemic of teen vaping. Three years ago in conjunction with Palo Alto Medical Foundation, they held a leaders’ breakfast to inform community leaders about this problem. It is time for another leaders’ breakfast to provide an update on the progress made and the challenges remaining. The event will be Thursday, January 26, 8:30 to 11:00 a.m., at the Mitchell Park Community Center. He thanked the City of Palo Alto and the County Board of Supervisors for supporting this event. He hopes many of the council members are able to attend. Speakers include Gordon Sloss, Chief of the Tobacco Control Branch of the California Department of Public Health; former Senator Jerry Hill, who authored the bill the voters confirmed through Prop 31; County Supervisor Joe Simitian; experts from Santa Clara County, Stanford, and UCLA; as well as several high school students. An DRAFT SUMMARY MINUTES Page 21 of 21 (Sp.) City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 1/9/2023 email will be sent with the details. He thanked Council for adopting a strong ordinance in 2020 to make vaping materials less readily accessible to our community’s children. This will come back this year for further strengthening to bring it into alignment with the newly revised County Ordinance. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9 P.M. ATTEST: APPROVED: ____________________ ____________________ City Clerk Mayor NOTE: Action minutes are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) 2.04.160(a) and (b). Summary minutes (sense) are prepared in accordance with PAMC Section 2.04.160(c). Beginning in January 2018, in accordance with Ordinance No. 5423, the City Council found action minutes and the video/audio recordings of Council proceedings to be the official records of both Council and committee proceedings. These recordings are available on the City’s website.