Approved May 15, 2025
City Council Special Meeting Minutes
March 9, 2025
Town of Los Altos Hills
City Council Special Meeting Minutes
Sunday, March 9, 2025, at 12:30 P.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 and City Clerk Arika Birdsong-Miller CALL TO ORDER (12:30 P.M.)
Mayor Tankha called the meeting to order at 12:32 P.M.
1. ROLL CALL
Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, and Council Member Tyson were present.
2. 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, emphasized the importance of transparency, independence, and public deliberation in Town decision-making. He stated that the Town Council, Planning Commission, and staff should remain neutral when evaluating differing perspectives from residents, and that decisions should be made openly rather than behind closed doors. He expressed concern about so-called “poison pill” provisions—terms that discourage residents from exercising legal rights—and stated that if such provisions are introduced, discussions should stop immediately. He also stressed the need for consistent enforcement of Town laws and opposed any agreement that grants special or long-term exemptions. Mr. O’Connell concluded by urging that ongoing discussions regarding potential amendments to the Housing Element—currently occurring within an ad hoc committee—be brought before the full Council for public deliberation.
2. Ronit Avoni, a resident of Los Altos Hills, expressed concern about a proposed development near Twin Oaks, citing a lack of fairness and transparency in the process.
He noted that the burden of the project appears to fall disproportionately on one neighborhood and even a single homeowner, and urged the Council to reconsider the development’s scale and placement. Mr. Avoni invited Council Members to visit the surrounding properties to observe the potential impact firsthand and emphasized the need for a balanced approach that considers environmental, legal, and community impacts.
City Council Special Meeting Minutes
March 9, 2025
3. Michael Grady, a resident of Los Altos Hills, expressed concern that the Brown Act is being misused through special meetings held under the pretext of anticipated litigation, without disclosing the required facts and circumstances as outlined in Government Code Section 54956.9(e). He referenced a letter he sent to the Town Attorney on February 4th regarding similar concerns with meetings held in advance of the KTA. Mr. Grady stated that he had hoped such practices would not continue and indicated that he believes the current special meeting may also violate the Brown Act.
3. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING:
A. CLOSED SESSION: Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation (Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2)
Significant Exposure to Litigation – One Case
4. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Tankha adjourned the Special Meeting to Closed Session at 12:47 P.M.
5. REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
There was no reportable action from the Closed Session.
6. ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Arika Birdsong-Miller
City Clerk