August 4, 2021 Special Meeting of Mountain View City Council

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Transcript

[00:00:10] (archive recording) Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the city council special meeting of August 4th, 2021 for closed session. I'm going to read the usual announcement as required. This meeting will be conducted in accordance with state of California, executive order, N dash 29 dash 20, dated March 17, 2020, and the state of California, executive order, N dash 08 dash 21, dated June 11, 2021. All members of the city council are participating in this meeting by video conference with no physical meeting location. Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting live may do so on YouTube at Mountain View dot GOV slash YouTube. As noted on the meeting agenda, members of the public may provide oral public comments during the public comment period by visiting mountain view.gov slash cc underscore speakers. To enter the Zoom meeting or by phone by dialing 669-9009128 and entering webinar ID N 962. 524-30020. Any emails received by 4 p.m. today. We're received directly by the city council. And so we'll move on to item 2, which is roll call. The city clerk will take attendance by roll call.

[00:00:44] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Hicks.

[00:00:45] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Here.

[00:00:46] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member reliever.

[00:00:47] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Sure.

[00:00:48] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Counselor. Councilman Michelle Walter. Vice mayor Ramirez. Mayor, can I?

[00:00:56] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Here.

[00:00:57] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Thank you.

[00:00:58] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. So we'll move on to item three, which is our closed session announcement. City attorney Chopra will make remarks, and then the city council welcomes public comment on the item listed for closed session. City Attorney Chopra.

[00:01:14] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Thank you mayor. The city council will be meeting in closed session to discuss recently filed litigation against the city. Closed session meetings are authorized by the Brown Act and section 2.one of the city charter and are held for the city council and city attorney to discuss legally privileged and confidential matters related to lawsuits. The city attorney will make an additional public report at the conclusion of the closed session later tonight. I will now read the Brown Act closed session announcement. The city council will meet in closed session for item 4.one on the agenda as follows. Conference with legal counsel, formally initiated litigation, government code, section 54956.9 D1, name of case, Salarina, Navarro, Janet Stevens, Armando, Covarubius, Evelyn Estrada, Gabriel, Rangel, Jamie, Alma, Aldasso, and all others similarly situated. versus city of Mountain View, United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division, case number five, 21 dash CB dash 05381 dash NC. The Spanish interpreter will now translate this announcement in Spanish, and after that, the mayor can ask for public comment on the item.

[00:02:48] Nora: When I started, voy a trado sirlo que cabada de sir el abogado Christian, al Español, y des puede eso, la Caldeza, ba pedir commentarios publicos. El consequo de la Ciudad, tendra una junta en una sessiónse rada, para discutir, la reciente, litigación, la demanda écha encontre de la Ciudad. La sessióncer los juntas de la sessióncer radas, sono todisadas, por el lacto brown, y por la seción, dos punto uno, de la Ciudad charted, y sonja bados a Cabo, por el consejo de la Ciudad, y la bogado de la Ciudad, para, this could tier. Um, Privilegeado, legales, y confidence, y, materias confidentiales, relationadas, a la de manda. Legal. El abocado de la ciudad, ara un, Reporte decional publico, al concluir, la ceción serrada mastarde esta noche. Aora el... E la nuncio de la sessión serrada, bajo el acto brown. El consejo de la Sudan. Se juntera, en una sesión serrada, para punto cuatro punto uno en la genda como siege. Una, conferencia, con consejo, legal, una litigación, initiada, una de manda legal, initiada, Formal mente, bajuel codigo de Gobierno, cinco, cuatro, nueve, cinco, se, punto, nueve, de uno, en nombre, los nombres en el caso, son, selerina Nevarro. Janet Stevens. Armando Cobarubias, Eveline Estrada. Gabriel Renjel, Jaime Alma Aldaco. Y otro similes, mente situados, elas pajolas ciudada monte view, el los estados unidos, el la corte del distrito. Then, del Norte de California, el la diviciondes, San Jose, el caso numeros, cinco, ventuno, se ube, cero, cinco, treso, centayuno, en este. Gracias.

[00:05:17] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Thank you very much. The mayor can now ask for public comment on the item.

[00:05:23] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you both. So, um, would any member of the public on the line like to provide comment on the closed session item listed on tonight's agenda? If so, please click the raise hand button in Zoom or press star 9 on your phone, and we will display a 3 minute timer on the screen. Just wait until we have the timer up before I call on any one.

[00:05:56] Nora: Voya, traduci, lo que cavede de sil alcaldeza. Vamos entrera, a commentarios publicos, Las personas bana, tenertres, mi nutos, para cerso commentario, y si the same participar, pueden le venter sumano en zoom, 0 siestan el teléfono, Mercando, el esterisco, nueve en su teléfono.

[00:06:20] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you, Nora. So the 1st person is Tim Mackenzie.

[00:06:28] Tim Mackenzie: I know, um, I just, I hope that we could, when this lawsuit is pending till we figure out what's going on, not spend a $1000000 putting up metal signs on nearly every block in the city. Um, I know Pacifica just had a similar type thing where, uh, there was a city ordinance that was passed, but I had to, uh, change enforcement things. I hope that we could cause enforcement and roll out of the signs while everything gets sorted out. Thank you.

[00:07:01] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Next is Joan Rodovsky.

[00:07:12] Joan Rodovsky: Thank you for listening. Um, I'm obviously worried about the people who are living in RVs and have not much option if they are chased off the streets. So I would ask the council to do the simplest thing it can conceive of. Uh, within the possibilities to allow the residents to stay on the streets until you can find a good solution like housing for them. Uh, maybe it's negotiating with the ACLU and it's, uh, uh, uh, co uh, co litigants. Uh, Or it might be to just make no move to defend the ordinance if you think the ban is unconstitutional, which it may be. So, um, my advice, my hope is that uh, you'll do as little as possible. Thank you.

[00:08:08] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Next is Claire Brayu.

[00:08:18] Clara Bray: Hi, thank you. My name is Clara Bray. I live in Mountain View and I work at Stanford University. And I'm working with the Mountain View RV community with support from the Stanford School of Medicine CCC and AOP program, as well as the Stanford Latinex Postdoc Association, and other the Stanford University. And we've built a website at Rvneighbors.org with a response to this threatened eviction. And we'd like to urge the council to direct, um, to direct the city attorney not to defend the narrow streets ordinance because this ordinance would ban RV dwellers who have nowhere to go. And while this ordinance is supposedly about traffic safety, I haven't spoken to anyone who's for or against it who really believes this. And personally as a bicyclist and a pedestrian and a driver in Mountain View, I can't even imagine having a safety issue with RVs. So this ordinance is clearly meant to outlaw houselessness, which we all know has already been deemed illegal by the courts. But this ban is about safety. It's about the safety of the RV dwellers, and it's an issue of racial and economic justice. It targets a community of color who don't have the means to move elsewhere. And without providing them a place to go. These are families who work low age jobs here to support their city, but they can't afford the monstrous housing prices here. And more than that, this ban has incited vitriolic language against this already vulnerable community and force them to endure really dehumanizing attacks. There's constant ignorant accusations that they're dirty and dangerous, and those attacks are hurtful. And if you fight this lawsuit, you will perpetuate these attacks. So we urge you to negotiate with the plaintiff's attorneys, because it's going to save the city time, effort, and money. And now I'd like to read the full statement from the uh, RV dwellers on rvneighbors.org. We are your neighbors. We live in Mountain View. We worked as a porter community. We are families with kids in school here. We're RV dwellers. We aren't living in RVs because we want to, but because we can't afford anything else. Some of us rent our RVs and some of us own them. We are proud of our homes, and our RVs, we have showers, stoves, tables, bedrooms, and bathrooms. We pay a company to provide us with clean water and to collect the soiled water. We aren't dirty. We aren't criminals. We are your neighbors. We are peaceful and respectful. We hear stories about people complaining that we're allowed or a nuisance, but the people complaining haven't visited us. We live next to train tracks and a park and one apartment complex and our apartment neighbors have no complaints. The city of mountain view hasn't provided any long-term solutions to help us live somewhere else. Temporary safe parking lots are full, and a plan to houses in a hotel for 3 or 4 months is not a solution. Like everyone else, we want stability, we contribute to our community, and we want permanent solutions, and looks like I'm ran on time. Thank you.

[00:11:20] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. That's a telephone number, beginning with 650, last 3 digits are 052. Think it's star 9 on your phone?

[00:11:43] Mayor Ellen Kamei: The last 3 digits are 052. If you're calling from a 650 number?

[00:12:05] Nora: Aluna persona que de sea, que elevantado son hombre, Sumano que de sea participar es suturno.

[00:12:21] Ellen Gibson: Hi there, it's Ellen Gibson. Can hear me?

[00:12:23] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes, we hear you now.

[00:12:24] Ellen Gibson: Thank you. Okay, sorry about that. Hi, my name's Ellen Gibson and I'm a homeowner and a lifelong resident of Mountain View in Los Altos area. Uh, for the last 18 years, I've lived here in the condo that my dad, Ron Gibson, left me, and over this time, there have been countless accidents at the corner of Latham and Rang Store, which is an indicator to me, that people are speeding, and it's really traumatic for me and the other homeowners, as there's just always, an accident, and you know, uh, police and fire coming. You know, usually late at night. Anyway, it's very stressful to hear it see it happening over and over again because clearly there's a problem with the lights and the feeding. In the last few years, there has been a club of young hot rod car owners in my neighborhood and most of them live in the complex across from me. They've been racing around and speeding for years, clearly in groups as a recreational activity, usually late at night, but all hours of day at night. They put illegal devices on their cars. They're taking their musclers off, enhance the sound with ceramic boosters, and they rub their cars to make it as loud as possible. They set off all the car alarms, wake me out of dead sleeps, and then terrify my cat, and my friend's kids. It happens all day and night and seems to be unchecked by the authorities. It has literally ruined my life, my nerves, and my investment. I no longer have the enjoyment of my porch and $1000000 home during the summer months. This behavior also puts everyone in my neighborhood at risk, which brings me to my next point, which is a very few weeks ago, a very bad accident happened when I dropped 17 year old and one of these hot rods hitting on one or 2 but 4 different vehicles on Latham, after which he rolled his car, and it was a miracle that he or someone else was not killed, as it was 11 PM on a Friday night and the car he hit was a family of four. You know, hardworking people with 2 kids, and it's just, it's come to a head. Obviously, I'm I'm officially asking on behalf of the whole neighborhood that these racing hot rod owners be held accountable. I would like to see speed bumps put in an enforcement by the police on speeding and the incredibly loud cars with their mufflers taken off, sound enhanced and revving which increases the volume. It literally sets up all the alarms on the street and does it all day pretty much day and night nonstop. It has become untenable for me and I feel I'm gonna have to move out of mountain view if if the city and the police department. Don't do something to address the issue pretty much immediately. So, I I really fear for my neighbors and myself and I don't want someone to have to die. You know like happened a few years ago for something to change. Thank you.

[00:15:09] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Lenny Siegel?

[00:15:17] Lenny Siegel: Could the city clerk please queue up my slides? So, uh, the thrust of my testimony tonight is that when the council passed the so-called narrow streets ordinance and the voters supported it, they didn't know what streets it would apply to. I've spent some time poring over the narrow streets resolution from December 8th, 2020 and the accompanying map. And there are a handful of streets, uh, that are not subject to biclane, the biclane ordinance, the narrow streets ordinance or the no overnight parking. Uh signs. That includes El Camino and old Middlefield. You know about those, but there are a number of residential streets that are impacted. Next slide. The city's resolution says that all of vegan is a narrow street, but the map says south of Puesta, it's not. I measured it. It's just over 40 feet. Uh, people, uh, if people are forced from Cresanto and Wentworth and other uh, and Sabato. This is one place where they may end up. Will that be any safer? Then where they are now. Um, I don't think so. Next slide. Camille Court, another wide so-called wide street, residential in character. The proponents, uh, in their ballot argument for measure C, said that, uh, it would get that would throw people off of narrow neighborhood streets or keep them out of narrow neighborhood streets. Um, this is one place where they might end up legally. Next slide. If the, this is Clark, another so-called wide street, uh, if the courts rule similarly to what they've done in Pacific or the city is going to have to provide a map of where people can park, will the city say it's okay to park on Clark or next slide, please? Ernestine, Ernestine. lots of curb cuts, lots of driveways. But it's just over 40 feet wide. Will people end up bringing their vehicles there? Will that be safer than Croissanto or Wentworth? Next slide. Mountain View Avenue, south of Ernestine, not all of Mountain View Avenue, just the part adjacent to Los Altos. There's a little bit that I think is wide, just El Camino. Um, looks very peaceful now. Is this where you want people to park or do you want them to park along Croissanto, where there are no driveways and no intersections? Next slide. Ortega, Ortega's got apartments, townhouses, uh, it's a long stretch. That's where I I think a lot of people might move if they're given a force to move off the existing streets. Is that what voters wanted when they voted for? Uh, measure C next slide. And Villa is right around the corner from Cresanto. And I've heard from people who live there. They weren't, they didn't intend to vote to have the people move from Croissanto onto their couple of blocks. Uh, again. People didn't know what they were voting for. These are residential streets that may end up with motor homes because these streets are slightly wider than 40 feet. Cresanto is just barely under 40 feet. Last slide, please. If our goal is to address traffic safety, then we should do what we did when I was on...

[00:18:32] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Two times up.

[00:18:33] Lenny Siegel: Thank you. So that's how we do it. We put up signs and read.

[00:18:42] Mayor Ellen Kamei: That concludes public comment. So we can bring it back to council.

[00:18:51] Mayor Ellen Kamei: So we will move to item four, which is the closed session. The council will now recess, closed session, and we'll return to this meeting when finished for the closed session report and adjournment. We'll see everyone in closed session.

[00:21:01] (archive recording) Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. Welcome back to the public portion of the meeting. The council has concluded its closed session discussions and will now proceed with the remaining items on the agenda. We'll move on to item 5, which is our closed session report. City Attorney Chopra, do we have a closed session report?

[03:17:39] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, we do, Mayor, and I want to confirm that the Spanish language interpreter is available. On the Zoom.

[03:17:49] Nora: Hola, bueno noches. E vamosa in es el reporte, is a ba, baber, traducción la funciandete, precessión esterra disponivele, para las persones, que decen escucharre laudon Español. Cuando paresca, eli cono, de la Vander Española, lo puedempresional, para escuchar el audio de la resolution en Español.

[03:18:16] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: So I'm just waiting for Roger to turn on the interpretation channel.

[03:18:22] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Let's maybe just give it one moment for the interpretation icon to appear on the bottom of the zoom. And it's...

[03:18:39] Nora: Yes, that is punibula canal, y pueden, pressiona español, Spanish.

[03:18:58] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Is it okay to go ahead?

[03:18:59] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Uh, okay. The following is the closed session announcement. The city council met in closed session for the city attorney to brief the council on the case Navarro at all versus city of Mountain View. There was no reportable action under the Brown Act. As required by the city charter, the city attorney will continue defending the city in the lawsuit. This concludes the closed session report.

[03:19:29] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you, city attorney Chopra. We'll move on to item six, which is our adjournment. Thank you so much for joining us, everyone. Our next regular city council meeting will be held on August 24th, 2021. And that will be virtual. Until then, stay healthy and the meeting is adjourned at 8.23 PM. Thank you. Have a good night.

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