MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
CITY OF MONTEREY
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
4:00 PM
COUNCIL CHAMBER, 580 PACIFIC ST.
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
Councilmembers
Present: Barber, Garcia, Smith, Williamson (arrived at 4:12 p.m.)
Absent: Haffa
City Staff
Present:
City Manager, City Attorney, Library & Museums Director, Public Works Director, City Clerk
TELECONFERENCE NOTICE
CALL TO ORDER
Vice Mayor Barber called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. City Clerk Klein called the roll with Mayor Williamson and Councilmember Haffa absent.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Smith led the Pledge.
STUDY SESSION
1. Receive a Report and Presentation on Expanded Path of History and Anthropological Research on Dutra Street (Not a project under CEQA, per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Received report and presentation
Library & Museums Director Edwards gave the staff presentation, which included outlining the history of the City's Path of History; proposed additions to the current path; other ways the City's rich history was shared; and the history of the Dutra Street area and its past Rumsen inhabitants, including the City's acquisition of properties to clear space for public safety buildings. He answered Councilmembers' questions. During the presentation, Mayor Williamson arrived at 4:12 p.m.
The Council made suggestions for expanding the public's awareness of Monterey's history, including the indigenous people's history. The suggestions included potentially offering a virtual, interactive experience; promoting Monterey's history with other school districts throughout the state and developing more educational opportunities which could tie in with the aquarium; printing a book; partnering with See Monterey or the Chamber of Commerce to jointly build fiscal and human resources. The Council praised Library & Museums Director Edwards for his knowledge and for bringing his expertise and passion to the City. Library & Museums Director Edwards thanked his staff who he said had helped him with research.
Public comment was received from: Bob Evans, of the Museums and Cultural Arts Commission, who noted the resources required to do all of the wonderful things discussed, and asked that historical outreach be included in budget discussions each year and be highlighted and kept up- City Council Minutes October 23, 2024
2 to-date on the City's website and neighborhood associations' websites; Rudy Rosales, of the Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation, who shared a photograph of Dutra Street and spoke to his family's history at their house there, and asked for more consideration to the local Indigenous people, including holding a celebration and believing Indians instead of archaeologists; Karen Brown, who urged the City to recognize past wrongs and asked what the Council would do and say to amplify the experience of indigenous people who had been displaced at Dutra Street; Mike Sovereign, of the Museums and Cultural Arts Commission, who spoke to the wonderful but limited staff resources available for museums and history and asked for more staffing; Nancy Soule, who suggested that an unfinished Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program (NCIP) memory garden at the corner of Madison and Pacific Street could be repurposed to include indigenous people in the honoring of lost people, and said that the California State Parks already had information on historic locations which could be linked to expand the City's outreach; Philip Laverty, who noted that in his experience amplifying social justice topics increased visitorship to historical sites, and explained that understanding what happened with the 18 unratified treaties of 1851 was a critical aspect of local native history; and Nina Beety, who said that the Monterey history that was celebrated tended to be very Spanishcentric, said it was important to identify sites where atrocities had regularly taken place, and echoed calls for events and gatherings that would honor the native peoples' presence on the land.
The Council thanked the participants for their public comment. It was stated that the Council was learning more about Monterey's history and about things that everyone should know about.
Appreciation was expressed to Vice Mayor Barber for helping to bring forward Karen Brown's research. The public was encouraged to stand by for more information. The Council expressed that they looked forward to moving forward together with the community on this subject, stressing that there was a need to integrate social justice within the City's history. It was noted that the wrongs would not be solved overnight and that one act would not be able to address all the atrocities that had happened in the history of the region. It was noted that the Old Town neighborhood had a nice Path of History feature on their website and other neighborhood associations were encouraged to do the same. It was stated that Monterey was something special to treasure, provide for, and pass along to the next generation. Thanks were expressed to all of those who had taken this topic on as a personal mission to help others become more educated as they make decisions in the future.
ADJOURNMENT
The Council adjourned at 5:52 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted, Approved,
Clementine Bonner Klein Tyller Williamson
City Clerk Mayor