From: Amy Likover
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2023 10:06 AM
To: Lindsay Lara <[email protected]>
Cc: Mayor Kate <[email protected]>; Maribeth Bushey <[email protected]>; Eli Hill <[email protected]>; Rachel Kertz <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; Rob Epstein <[email protected]>; Jim Schutz <[email protected]>; Cristine Alilovich <[email protected]>
Subject: Tonight's consent calendar, item #4.a
Hi Lindsay,
Cc to Mayor Colin, City Council members, City Attorney, City Manager, Assistant City Manager
Tonight I will ask the Council to pull agenda item #4.a. Meeting minutes for 2/2 from the Consent Calendar for discussion and will publicly comment on the minutes at the City Council meeting.
Thanks,
Amy
*****
I have asked you to pull agenda item #4.a. Meeting minutes for 2/2 from the Consent Calendar.
The minutes before you read:
City Council Discussion on Work Styles and Team Approach Ali Giudice, Community Development Director, commented on key projects for 2023 to kickoff the discussion on work styles and team approach of the City Council.
Here's how the Feb 2 Special meeting agenda item reads:
I feel called upon to correct the minutes since I was the only member of the public present, and my concerns may be your concerns as well as the public’s. At the Feb 2 retreat, all of the Council members, the Mayor, the City Manager, the Assistant City Manager and the City Attorney were in attendance.
The minutes should read,
"Ali Giudice, Community Development Director, was asked to comment on key projects for 2023. She began by describing the new streamlined configuration at the 3rd Floor City Hall Building and Planning Departments. She mentioned how staffing has changed. Director Giudici commented in depth on about 6 major projects, reading from a prepared statement. The Mayor then asked for comments from all Council members. There was considerable give and take about the Northgate project. Council members Kertz and Bushy asked Giudici to communicate regularly about the project with the public. Giudici took notes and all present agreed this was a good idea. The Aegis project also elicited comments from Council members and the Mayor. No minutes were taken, and this meeting was not recorded, nor was Zoom available. This agenda item was not noticed."
It is perplexing not that Giudice gave her report, you all engaged in a discussion and made recommendations, but that the item was unnoticed on the agenda and is not recorded electronically or in writing. It is disturbing that not one of you stopped this process, not even the City Attorney. Feb 2 was a public meeting and you are specialists in the Brown Act requirements: California Government Code beginning at Section 54950. This includes special meetings. In a nutshell, it requires local government business to be properly noticed and conducted at open and public meetings, except in certain limited situations.
At the very least, public recognition of this event should take place and an accurate reconstruction of Giudice’s report and Council’s recommendations should be adopted.