City Council Special Meeting Minutes
January 29, 2025
Town of Los Altos Hills
City Council Special Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 9:00 A.M.
Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California
Present: Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, Council Member George Tyson
Absent: None
Staff: City Manager Peter Pirnejad, Deputy City Manager Cody Einfalt, and City Clerk Arika Birdsong-Miller
1. CALL TO ORDER (9:00 A.M.)
Mayor Tankha called the meeting to order at 9 A.M.
2. ROLL CALL – All City Council Members were present.
3. PUBLIC COMMENT (Public Comment is Limited to Items which are the subject of the Special Meeting)
1. John O’Connell, a resident of Los Altos Hills, referenced an article from the Harvard Business Review that focused on governance concerns and emphasized the need for the board to prioritize the voices of the town’s residents. He drew parallels between corporate board failures and local government, arguing that disasters often result not from board negligence but from the undue influence of autocratic, manipulative CEOs. Mr.
O’Connell criticized the practice of overwhelming board members with excessive information shortly before meetings, a tactic that undermines good governance and can allow the CEO to control board decisions—even when such manipulation occurs outside of formal meetings. He underscored the board’s duty to listen to the community, noting that his outreach efforts have connected him with over 100 residents and that a petition grew from 517 to 764 signatures. Mr. O’Connell expressed concern that the upcoming priority session lacked sufficient public feedback and called on the board to assess whether they were truly leading or simply following the CEO’s agenda, urging systemic changes to ensure better representation of residents’ interests.
4. COUNCIL WORKSHOP- CONCEPTS FOR EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT
The Effective Local Government Workshop included a discussion on the roles of Council Members and their working relationships. Staff provided a first-year update on the 2024-25 Work Plan, reviewing key accomplishments to date at a high level. Staff then presented recommendations for amendments, considering items within staff capacity, committeerequested items, and potential removals. Council Members had the chance to advocate for specific items, including those pre-populated in the recommendations or new items introduced during the meeting.
Approved February 20, 2025
City Council Special Meeting Minutes
January 29, 2025
5. ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Arika Birdsong-Miller