TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Special Meeting of the Town Council
Monday, March 18, 2024
SPECIAL MEETING 9:00 AM
CLOSED SESSION 3:00 PM
Sarah Wernikoff, Mayor
Judith Hasko, Vice Mayor
Jeff Aalfs, Councilmember
Mary Hufty, Councilmember
Craig Taylor, Councilmember
PRIORITY SETTING AGENDA and CLOSED SESSION
SPECIAL HYBRID (AUDIO) MEETING
THE SEQUOIAS PORTOLA VALLEY - 501 Portola Rd, Portola Valley, CA 94028, Parlor 3 Remote Public Comments: Meeting participants are encouraged to submit public comments in writing in advance of the meeting. Please submit your comments using this online form by 1:00 PM on Friday, March 15, 2024. Time permitting, your correspondence will be uploaded to the website. All received questions will be forwarded to Council, Commission, or Committee members for consideration during the meeting and included in the public record. Additionally, technology permitting, the public body will take questions using the Raise Hand button for those who attend the meeting via the audio Zoom feature. Due to the special meeting location, Zoom will only be used in the audio format for the public comments during the public comment sections of the agenda. Phone callers may provide comments by pressing *9 on their phone to "raise your hand" and *6 to mute/unmute themselves. The meeting Chair will call on people to speak by the phone number calling in. Remote participation is provided as a supplemental way to provide public comment, but this method does not always work.
The public is encouraged to attend in person to ensure full participation.
Assistance for People with Disabilities: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Town Clerk at (650) 851- 1700 or by email at [email protected]. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
1. CALL TO ORDER- SPECIAL SESSION
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
Persons wishing to address the Town Council on the agenda may do so now. Comments submitted online by 1 PM on March 15 can be read into the record. Each speaker’s time is limited to three minutes.
3. PRIORITY SETTING AGENDA
a. Hold a Town Council priority and goal setting workshop to provide direction and work
AUDIO PARTICIPATION VIA ZOOM
To access the meeting by computer:
Webinar ID: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81070959795?pwd=oe1t3HbaNj0KwqDMNENc-JZhxTFgw.e3WbKvFWggf6XOIQ Meeting ID: 810 7095 9795
Passcode: 884360
To access the meeting by phone:
1-669-900-6833 or 1-888-788-0099 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – Press *6 / Raise Hand – Press *9
There will be no recording of this meeting. Zoom platform will only be used to provide an audio format for the public comment section of the agenda.
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Town of Portola Valley – Priority Setting Council Agenda March 18, 2024
toward creating priorities through fiscal year 24/25
4. CALL TO ORDER – CLOSED SESSION
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
Persons wishing to address the Town Council on the agenda may do so now. Comments submitted online by 1 PM on March 15 can be read into the record. Each speaker’s time is limited to three minutes.
6. CLOSED SESSION
a. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (Govt. Code section 54957) Town Manager Sharif Etman
7. ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular Town Council meeting will be held on March 27, 2024, at 7:00 PM ***************************************************************************************************************** Land Acknowledgement:
The Town of Portola Valley acknowledges the colonial history of this land we dwell upon the unceded territory of the Ramaytush (rah-my-toosh) Ohlone, Tamien Nation, and Muwekma (mahWEK-mah) Ohlone, who endured a human and cultural genocide that included removal from their lands and their sacred relationship to the land. Portola Valley recognizes that we profit from the commodification of land seized from indigenous peoples and now bear the ecological consequences. We seek to understand the impact of these legacies on all beings and to find ways to make repair.
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______________________________________________________________________________________ TO: Mayor and Members of the Town Council
FROM: Corie Stocker, Assistant Town Manager
Sharif Etman, Town Manager
DATE: March 14, 2024
RE: Town Council Priority Setting Workshop
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Town Council hold a priority and goal setting workshop to provide direction and work toward creating priorities through fiscal year 24/25.
BACKGROUND
The Town Council typically discusses priorities at a Council meeting in March. Given the transition of staff and new Town Manager, it was recommended to host a workshop to develop potential priority topics and strengthen teamwork. The Town has engaged a professional facilitator to assist with the process, develop the framework for successful discussions and facilitate the priority setting.
DISCUSSION
The workshop objectives are to establish Town Council priorities, create consensus on principles of governance, and strengthen teamwork.
Workshop Agenda:
1. Welcome by the Mayor
2. Public Comment
3. Comments from the Town Manager
4. Icebreaker
5. Why are we Town Councilmembers
6. Discuss roles, norms, and protocols
7. Reset-Refocus-Restructure update
Lunch break
8. Discuss and establish Council priorities
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
STAFF REPORT
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
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Town Council Priority Setting Workshop
9. Wrap-up and next steps
After this workshop, Town Council will vote on the priorities on a future agenda.
ATTACHMENT
1. Town Council Priority Setting Agenda
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Client Name
September 29, 2022
Portola Valley
Town Council Priority Setting Workshop
Handout Agenda
March 18, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: The Sequoias at Portola Valley
501 Portola Rd, Portola Valley, CA 94028
Workshop Objectives
• Learn more about each other’s interests and concerns
as Town Councilmembers
• Review best practices in governance
• Receive update on Reset-Refocus-Restructure effort
• Establish top priorities for Fiscal Year 2024-25
• Strengthen teamwork
1. Welcome by the Mayor
2. Public Comments
3. Comments from the Town Manager
4. Agenda Review
5. Icebreaker
6. Why are we Town Councilmembers?
7. Discuss roles, norms, and protocols
8. Reset-Refocus-Restructure update
Lunch break
9. Discuss and establish Council priorities
10. Wrap-up and next steps
Facilitators: Steve Mermell and Michelle New
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