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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRR24062 Mobley Email File1 From:Scott, Rick Sent:Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:37 AM To:PD_All Subject:Council Meeting - Disruption - Zoombombing Expires:Tuesday, May 7, 2024 12:00 AM All, Last night at the City Council meeting, several individuals used the anonymity of Zoom to make racist and discriminatory statements during the virtual public comment period of the meeting. The Mayor called for a brief recess and then restarted the meeting, moving the remainder of the public comment to the very end of the meeting. Unfortunately, the individuals remaining on Zoom continued to violate our civility guidelines throughout the meeting and were cut off each time. The hateful comments were not directed at any one person but were extremely racist and antisemitic in nature. This tactic known as Zoombombing has occurred at many other cities across the country with the common form of allowing public comment, via Zoom, post Pandemic. While even hateful speech is protected, it is certainly not in keeping with our community values. This is not a law enforcement issue to resolve, but I feel it is important for you the be aware of significant activities that have or can impact our community and the feeling of safety and security. The negative comments in the Council video of the meeting posted to the City’s YouTube channel will be removed to ensure that we are complying with YouTube’s community guidelines and to avoid spreading hate and malice. Below is a statement from the City and as always, please let me know if you have any questions. “The City of San Luis Obispo denounces racism and discrimination in all forms as contrary to our vision of a community that is welcoming, inclusive and safe for all. We value public input as an essential part of democracy and encourage all community members to share their voices at public meetings in a respectful, constructive way. We will continue to support a diverse community, embrace equity, and practice inclusion and we are also considering ways to prevent this type of disruption in the future.” Thank you, Rick Scott Police Chief Police Department 1042 Walnut Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-2729 E rscott@slocity.org T 805.781.7256 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications    2 This e-mail, and any files transmitted with it, are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential, protected, and/or privileged material. Any review, re- transmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. 1 From:Bas W <angelbw17@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, February 8, 2024 12:45 PM To:Veloz-Passalacqua, Nestor Subject:Re: DEI Committee and Current Events in SLO Dear Mr. Veloz-Passalacqua, Thank you for your support and the opportunity to work with you in this grandiose movement. This week my partner and I are pretty booked. I am thinking Monday, Wednesday, or Friday of next week would work better. On another note, I have another example for you of the stuff we have to deal with on a regular basis. The City Council meeting we went to was reported on by the SLO Tribune. Apparently an editor there decided to publish an incredibly deceitful and misleading article making it look like we were a bunch of racist anti-Semites. We are constantly fighting these lies and slander. I wish we could get these people in trouble somehow. In any case, it goes to show that we have issues here in SLO to deal with. Thank you again for your support and will be in touch with you soon on setting up a meeting for next week. Let me leave you with the beginning of the article. Regards, Bassem Wehhab SLO City Council meeting interrupted by people making racist, antisemitic comments BY KAYTLYN LESLIE KLESLIE@THETRIBUNENEWS.COM 4 hours ago The San Luis Obispo City Council meeting was interrupted Tuesday night by a group of anonymous people spewing racist and antisemitic comments — a move that has the city considering how best to handle similar disruptions in the future. In a statement to The Tribune on Wednesday, Deputy City Manager Greg Hermann said during public comment that “several individuals used the anonymity of Zoom to make racist and discriminatory statements.” “The City Council immediately called for a recess, moved the remainder of the public comment period to the end of the meeting, where possible, and reminded participants, virtual and in-person, of our civility guidelines for public comment,” Hermann said. “When public comment resumed, we advised that no one in the room was obligated to listen to the comments and offered an opportunity for all of those present to leave the room.” On Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 06:05:15 PM PST, Veloz-Passalacqua, Nestor <nveloz@slocity.org> wrote: Dear Mr. Wehhab, Thank you for the additional information and for your patience in my response. Would you please let me know your and your guest available time in the upcoming two weeks? I will accommodate my schedule accordingly to meet with you. 2 Best, Nestor Veloz-Passalacqua Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Manager To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.City of San Luis Obispo City Administration E NVeloz@slocity.org T 805.781.7073 slocity.org To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Of… To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Of… To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Of… Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications From: Bas W <angelbw17@yahoo.com> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2024 2:47 PM To: Veloz-Passalacqua, Nestor <NVeloz@slocity.org> Subject: Re: DEI Committee and Current Events in SLO Mr. Veloz-Passalacqua, Thank you for getting back to me. I would be more than interested in talking with you in person. Any day in the afternoon works for me, I will make room in my schedule if I have couple days notice. If it's ok, I would like to invite 1 other co-organizer of mine. I feel like I should update you on a few things. I did eventually touch base with the people who left me out of the event and we are trying to work things out. In the meanwhile, I formed the Central Coast Ceasefire Coalition which is a large group of social activists trying to bring this genocide to an end amongst other things. This coalition consists of individuals and representatives from a multitude of groups in the Central Coast. As leader of the group, I made sure in establishing the group that I stuck to the principles of inclusivity, equity, and democracy. Everyone has a chance to participate, voice their opinion, and have an equal vote in affairs. We have been working diligently to communicate and collaborate with various city officials and politicians. To be honest it has been quite difficult to touch base with everyone as I see that us Pro- Palestinians are not at the same level as everyone else. Undoubtedly there is a lack of equity and inclusivity in this city. Hopefully we can respectfully discuss these issues and come up with some resolutions. Best Regards, Bassem Wehhab On Monday, January 22, 2024 at 09:31:37 AM PST, Veloz-Passalacqua, Nestor <nveloz@slocity.org> wrote: Hello Bassem, 3 Thank you for your patience and I apologize for my late response. I'd love to touch base with you. What dates and times work for you in the next couples of week. I can either meet in person or over coffee/tea if you'd like. Best, Nestor Veloz-Passalacqua Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Manager To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.City of San Luis Obispo City Administration E NVeloz@slocity.org T 805.781.7073 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications From: Bas W <angelbw17@yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 3:23 PM To: Veloz-Passalacqua, Nestor <NVeloz@slocity.org> Subject: DEI Committee and Current Events in SLO This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Dear Nestor Veloz-Passalacqua, My name is Bassem Wehhab, I am a long time resident of SLO and social activist and a member of various diversity groups in the area. I am actually working on creating another group, a sort of hybrid of other groups and coalitions. The emphasis of this group is inclusivity, equity, justice, and democracy. Sounds like simple principles but not always put in practice the right way. The inspiration of the creation of this group came about when I was seemingly deliberately left out and excluded out of a cultural event of my own ethnicity ! Ridiculous, right! I was beyond infuriated. The words diversity, inclusivity, and equity are easily spoken but not really well understood and put into practice properly. The new group we are creating emphasizes inclusivity and equity. How do we do that ? By having open public meetings, giving everyone a seat on the table, an equal voice and an equal vote. That's putting the principles of inclusivity and equity in practice ! The opposite of that are private meetings, covert operations, and secretive communications. I would like to talk to you in person or have a meeting with you discussing our mutual endeavors. Please contact me at your earliest convenience by phone or email. Sincerely, Bassem Wehhab E-mail: angelbw17@yahoo.com 4 Phone(business): (805)234-5548 1 From:Chelsea Ruiz <Undocusupport@cfsloco.org> Sent:Thursday, February 15, 2024 1:08 PM To:Erica Ruvalcaba-Heredia; Mayra Valencia; Adrienne Garcia-Specht; Angel Lopez- Rangel; Erica Ruvalcaba-Heredia; Fernanda Lucas; Gina Whitaker; Jane Lehr; Joyce Tseng; Lisa Fraser; Mariana Gutierrez; Mayra Valencia; Rita Casaverde; Vicki Tamoush; Wendy Wendt Cc:Francisco Ramirez; Joyce Tseng; ABBY LASSEN; Nora Vásquez; Jean Davidson; Ryan Lau; Erik Gomez; Biz Steinberg; Victor Oneschuck; Leo Ontiveros; Brenda Romero; Alondra Ortiz; Mayela Arya Subject:Fw: DEI Strategic Plan at SLO City Council Attachments:A - Draft DEI Strategic Plan.pdf Importance:High This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Hello, UndocuSupport Executive Committee Members and allies, Next week on Tue, Feb. 20 in the evening, the SLO City Council will vote to adopt the first Strategic DEI Plan for the City of SLO. (See attached.) As you may be aware, at the last City Council Meeting, the City Council experienced racist comments and verbal attacks via zoom, many of which were directed at the City Council members, themselves. These aggressive commenters may be in attendance at this Tuesday's meeting again. Your support is imperative as SLO City adopts this Plan. The Plan is Agenda Item 7a which could begin as early as 7:30 PM but perhaps later. Please consider providing public comment prior to or at the meeting. Instructions on how to do so are included at the bottom of this email. I will be in attendance at the meeting to provide in-person comment. If you'd like me to text you the night of to keep you updated on the agenda and when the item will be up, please text me your cell. I hope you can support SLO City in the adoption of their Strategic DEI Plan! Even a brief email is very helpful and will be included in the documented support of the Plan. Thank you! Chelsea C: ( Here is a brief summary which is found on page 14 of the Plan: 2 The Plan activities are outlined on pp. 14 - 23 of the attached document. How can I express my opinion on an upcoming Council agenda item? During the meeting: Council Meetings are held in-person, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, unless otherwise posted on the agenda. In-Person Participation: Speakers are encouraged to complete a Speaker Card (available in paper or digital form) and provide it to the Clerk before the meeting starts. The Mayor will call speakers in the order received and you will have up to 3-minutes to address the Council. Note: Municipal Advocates must disclose themselves as such and identify the party(ies) represented per SLOMC Sec. 2.64.070. Prior to the meeting: Written Communication (received 3 hours prior to the meeting): All interested persons are invited submit written communications to the City Council (emailcouncil@slocity.org) to express their opinions for or against the agenda item. Citizens are encouraged to present written comments (including email) no later than 3 hours prior to the meeting. This provides the Council with a greater opportunity to review and consider issues and/or concerns expressed prior to the meeting. All emails and letters will be archived in the public record for the meeting and distributed to councilmembers, however, submissions received less than 3 hours prior to the meeting may not be archived/distributed until the following day. Emails and letters will not be read aloud during the meeting. From: Beya Makekau < Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2024 10:21 AM To: ; ; Victoire Prothro < ; victoria condor- williams < ; Leann Standish < ; Emma Saperstein < ; Rowan Waters < ; Erica Ellis < < ; Rachel Whalen < ; Karen H. Tillman < Borla < ; Stephen Heraldo < < ; aapi slocounty < ; Quinn Brady < ; Sandra Sarrouf < ; Yessenia Echevarria < ; Michelle Barrera < ; Araceli Espinoza-Wade < ; Chelsea Ruiz < ; Eric Veium < ; Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti < ; Megan Rivoire < ; Diana Ortiz Giron < ; Denise A. Isom < ; Sarah Dunbrook Macdonald < ; Kelly Ann Bennion < Subject: DEI Strategic Plan at SLO City Council Hello Community Partners, I am reaching out to share that on Tuesday Feb 20th the DEI Strategic Plan is business item 7a. on the SLO City Council meeting agenda. This is the first DEI strategic plan for the City of San Luis Obispo and is integral to our efforts to be a community that fosters equity and belonging for all our residents and visitors. Community support is essential in ensuring Council approves the 5 year plan. Please if you are able submit Public comment in person during City council meeting or submit in writing via instructions found here at the bottom of the page: https://www.slocity.org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendas-and-minutes Draft Plan: https://pub-slocity.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12115 Thank you for your support and please forward to any other community partners who you feel would like to support the passing of the DEI strategic plan for the City of SLO. Dr. Beya Makekau Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Assistant Vice President of DEI Strategic Planning & Networks Office of University Diversity and Inclusion Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0200 _________________________________________________________________ Direct: 805-756-7791 Office: 805-756-2250 Cal Poly's Pathway to Becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution diversity.calpoly.edu/hsi 4 This email has been scanned for spam and viruses by Proofpoint Essentials. Click here to report this email as spam. 1 From:Kaytlyn Leslie <kleslie@thetribunenews.com> Sent:Wednesday, February 7, 2024 2:36 PM To:Hermann, Greg Subject:Re: Public comment comments last night No worries! Wanted to make sure people were informed but we also don't give a huge platform for hate speech. Keep me updated on if the city decides to pursue any changes to how it does meetings in light of this! Best, Kaytlyn To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Kaytlyn Leslie She/her/hers Night Editor/Reporter P 805-781-7928 E kleslie@thetribunenews.com W sanluisobispo.com On Wed, Feb 7, 2024 at 2:01 PM Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org> wrote: Hi Kaytlyn, Thanks for the question and I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to your before publishing. I think you covered it well and the information you included on this in the story is pretty much where we are at right now. Thanks again for your work on this. Greg From: Kaytlyn Leslie <kleslie@thetribunenews.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 12:43 PM To: Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org> 2 Cc: Szentesi, Whit <wszentes@slocity.org> Subject: Re: Public comment comments last night Thanks Greg! One quick follow up question: Would the city consider moving away from allowing phone/zoom calls for public comment in light of this issue? Thanks again, Kaytlyn Kaytlyn Leslie She/her/hers Night Editor/Reporter P 805-781-7928 E kleslie@thetribunenews.com W sanluisobispo.com On Wed, Feb 7, 2024 at 11:58 AM Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org> wrote: Hi Kaytlyn, Thanks for reaching out. Please see the City’s statement below and appreciate your thoughtfulness in the reporting on this. Greg 3 At the Feb. 6, 2024, City Council meeting, several individuals used the anonymity of Zoom to make racist and discriminatory statements during the virtual public comment period of the meeting. The City Council immediately called for a recess, moved the remainder of the public comment period to the end of the meeting, where possible, and reminded participants, virtual and in-person, of our civility guidelines for public comment. When public comment resumed, we advised that no one in the room was obligated to listen to the comments and offered an opportunity for all of those present to leave the room. The City Council and staff continued conducting the community’s business. Unfortunately, the individuals on Zoom also continued to violate our civility guidelines throughout the meeting and were cut off each time. The City of San Luis Obispo denounces racism and discrimination in all forms as contrary to our vision of a community that is welcoming, inclusive and safe for all. We value public input as an essential part of democracy and encourage all community members to share their voices at public meetings in a respectful, constructive way. We will continue to support a diverse community, embrace equity, and practice inclusion and we are also considering ways to prevent this type of disruption in the future. From: Szentesi, Whit <wszentes@slocity.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:19 AM To: Kaytlyn Leslie <kleslie@thetribunenews.com>; Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org> Subject: RE: Public comment comments last night Hi Katylyn, Thanks for reaching out. We’ll provide comment soon. Thanks, Whit Whitney Szentesi pronouns she/her/hers Public Communications Manager E wszentes@slocity.org C 805.440.5446 Stay informed by signing up for e-notifications 4 Do you need communications support? Whether you need help with strategic communications planning, content development or production, or something else, please submit a KBOX ticket and fill out the form to get your request in the queue or visit the City Communications Program Sharepoint page. From: Kaytlyn Leslie <kleslie@thetribunenews.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:14 AM To: Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org>; Szentesi, Whit <wszentes@slocity.org> Subject: Fwd: Public comment comments last night This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Hey Greg! Hearing you're acting city manager, so figured I'd loop you in on this as well. Kaytlyn Leslie She/her/hers Night Editor/Reporter P 805-781-7928 E kleslie@thetribunenews.com W sanluisobispo.com ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Kaytlyn Leslie <kleslie@thetribunenews.com> Date: Wed, Feb 7, 2024 at 10:12 AM Subject: Public comment comments last night To: Johnson, Derek <djohnson@slocity.org>, Szentesi, Whitney <wszentes@slocity.org> Hey! I'm hearing last night there was a group of people who started saying some racist, inflammatory things during the meeting last night. Wanted to reach out and see if the city had any comment on that. 5 Best, Kaytlyn Kaytlyn Leslie She/her/hers Night Editor/Reporter P 805-781-7928 E kleslie@thetribunenews.com W sanluisobispo.com 1 From:Christian, Kevin Sent:Wednesday, February 7, 2024 1:13 PM To:Hermann, Greg Cc:Purrington, Teresa Subject:RE: Council Meeting and Hate Speech Greg, We’ve only received two comments to emailcouncil concerning last night’s meeting. Both make recommendations concerning the use of Zoom and our official statement doesn’t address that. I suggest the following preamble and postscript (both in red) be added to the statement for my response to these first two. Let me know your thoughts. Kevin From: Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 9:58 AM To: Christian, Kevin <kchristi@slocity.org> Cc: Purrington, Teresa <TPurring@slocity.org> Subject: RE: Council Meeting and Hate Speech We are finalizing a statement which can be shared for folks that write in. Will send to you when complete. Greg From: Christian, Kevin <kchristi@slocity.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 9:49 AM To: Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org> 2 Cc: Purrington, Teresa <TPurring@slocity.org> Subject: FW: Council Meeting and Hate Speech Greg, Your thoughts on a response? Kevin From: Jackie Parker < > Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 7:47 AM To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org> Subject: Council Meeting and Hate Speech This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Dear Mayor and Council Members, We were appalled and heartsick at the hate speech spewed by individuals on Zoom during the Broad Street public comment period last night. These individuals hide behind their screens and likely use fake names in their cowardice. I urge you to discontinue Zoom participation. It was useful during the COVID crisis, but it is devolving into an easy way for the meetings to be infected by hate. Haters may show up in person and they do have a constitutional right to speak, but they would have to face you and community members and be identified, and perhaps shamed. I believe the harm they are doing by Zoom - creating emotional pain, making it unlikely school kids could safely attend, spreading hate - outweighs the benefits and convenience of Zoom participation. I especially want to thank Mayor Erica Stewart for her calm and measured response to these horrible attacks. She led by example. Sincerely, Jackie Parker 1 From:Purrington, Teresa Sent:Tuesday, February 6, 2024 7:24 PM To:Stewart, Erica A Subject:RE: will jan raise zoom hand if she has questions? I think so. But she should also have her camera on. From Greg Hermann FYI that we have another person in comment queue for mid-year that may be a Zoom bomb. If that happens I recommend we again cut the person off and pause the meeting. We would then restart and have the Mayor state the comment violated our Code of Civility and that invite comments compliant with the code. We would go to the next person in line for virtual comment. I connected with Christine and she is good with this approach. From: Stewart, Erica A <estewart@slocity.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 7:22 PM To: Purrington, Teresa <TPurring@slocity.org> Subject: will jan raise zoom hand if she has questions? Erica A. Stewart pronouns she/her/hers Mayor Office of the City Council 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 E estewart@slocity.org T 805.783.7838 C 805.540.1154 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications 1 From:Purrington, Teresa Sent:Tuesday, March 19, 2024 11:46 AM To:Shoresman, Michelle Subject:RE: Tonight We have the civility guidelines laminated and on the dais. Yes I can show you the equipment at 4:00 PM Teresa From: Shoresman, Michelle <mshoresm@slocity.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 11:43 AM To: Purrington, Teresa <TPurring@slocity.org> Subject: Tonight Hi Teresa, Was just thinking…in case we get anyone unruly tonight at public comment, do you have the civility guidelines document? Maybe you could please print a copy so I can keep it handy? Hoping we won’t need it, but want to be prepared. Also, if I come at 4, can you show me how the equipment works from the Mayor’s role? I’m guessing I will have to open mics and all the things Erica normally does…or were you planning something different tonight? Thanks! Just started thinking about logistics! Michelle 1 From:Erica A Stewart <ericaslocitycouncil@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, March 5, 2024 10:50 PM To:CityClerk Subject:Fwd: New protocol for SLO City Council meetings This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Erica A Stewart <ericaslocitycouncil@gmail.com> Date: Tue, Mar 5, 2024 at 10:46 PM Subject: Re: New protocol for SLO City Council meetings To: Ali Jansen < Cool! Thank you ┭┮┯┰ On Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 10:19 AM Ali Jansen < wrote: Thank you for the youtube reminder! I will switch over to that platform to watch the meetings. Thank you! Ali March 2, 2024 7:59 AM, "Erica A Stewart" <ericaslocitycouncil@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Ali, I appreciate your email. It’s great to hear from you. I hope all is well with you and your family সহ঺঻ The hate speech was the worst we’ve had in a long time. So disappointing, disgusting and offensive! It’s nice to know that you were watching via zoom some times. Please know you can attend via YouTube, http://youtube.slo.city/, in the same way you attended via zoom without the ability to provide public comment. I didn’t like making this decision when it comes to access. We did have people attend on zoom and a few people told me that they appreciated the zoom access due to their family life or transportation issues. This change to public comment was a difficult, and hopefully temporary, decision to make. Besides the obvious hate speech comments on 2/6, there were 7 comments in the 14 months we were on zoom (beyond the stay at home Covid period). These 7 comments are important and we do have 6 other ways to submit a comment. So we felt the good of these 6 different comment options outweighed the large offensive and discriminatory impact on the community and staff from the hate speech. We will continue to work with other cities and their clerks offices to find other ways to work with zoom or other options to increase access. I think there’s a way to do this similar to attending a webinar with q&a, but we don’t know the inner workings yet. Thanks for reaching out! Wishing you all the best. Erica On Fri, Mar 1, 2024 at 10:21 AM Ali Jansen < wrote: Hi Erica! I enjoy getting these updates each month. 2 I was horrified to hear of the hate speech that was heard at last month's council meeting. Horrible. I also wish there was a way to continue to offer the meeting on zoom, even without public comment. I find that attending the meeting on zoom is convenient and more accessible for myself with a busy family evening life. I often listen from my phone. Ali February 29, 2024 5:10 PM, "Erica A Stewart" <EricaSLOCityCouncil@send.mailchimpapp.com> wrote: Plus the city adopts its first-ever DEI Strategic Plan! View this email in your browser To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. In this month’s issue of Engage with Erica, we adopted a DEI strategic plan, awarded funds for housing and homelessness reduction, and reviewed the city’s user fees. To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Gif that reads Black history is not a month it's a lifetime As Black History Month comes to an end, I’m honored to reflect on the many ways our community leaders have created a space for Black people to thrive in SLO. Black history, as we know, is more than one month each year. We will continue to celebrate those w ho are making a difference locally and throughout the world each and every day. This year is also a Leap Year, which means we get another day to recognize the creators, originators, and innovators of Black history (and by extension, American history). Next month is Women’s 3 History Month, and I’m looking forward to sharing more trailblazers on social media throughout the month, so I hope you’ll follow along! Civility in Council Meetings Our city stands firm against hatred of any kind, but it doesn’t make us immune to it. On February 6, the SLO City Council meeting’s public comment was interrupted by racist and antisemitic hate speech from a handful of anonymous individuals. Let’s face it: the language they used was dehumanizing, disgusting, and cowardly. No one deserves to listen to such horrendous statements, and while we understand and recognize people’s freedom of speech, we have a commitment to preserving the dignity of those in attend ance and do not condone threatening or offensive language that violates our civility guidelines for public comment. Though these actions have been taking place nationwide, we have a responsibility to ensure our city’s staff and community members feel safe. We have prided ourselves on continuing to offer Zoom as an accessible option for people to join council meetings, but we have reconsidered in light of recent events. While we’ll retain the ability to offer online meetings if needed, moving forward, publ ic comment is still available through six different modes of communication: phone, text, email, video via email, U.S. mail, or in person attendance. And as always, if you ever experience a hate incident or crime, you can report it (anonymously if preferred) through this Hate Crime/Hate Incident Reporting Form. We'll Miss You, Derek! 4 To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Derek Johnson, a white man with light eyes and hair, smiles at the camera wearing a dark suit and blue patterned tie After 12 years of service to the City of SLO, Derek Johnson’s last day as city manager will be at the end of April. He has accepted a new role as the Chief Executive Officer for the County of Marin. While he will be missed greatly, I look forward to all he can accomplish in his new role (and will plan to visit Marin in the coming months!). I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say about his contributions to the city when we bid him farewell at an upcoming council meeting, but I’ll share the following for now: Thank you, Derek, for the incredible impact you’ve made on the City of SLO, and thank you for being such a strong partner for me during my time on the council and as mayor. I am grateful for you and wish you the best of luck in your new role! SLO for All: Adopting First-Ever City DEI Strategic Plan Progress is often a gradual process, but eventually we can begin to see results. Results that are made possible by the incredible work of dedicated city employees with a commitment to implementing San Luis Obispo’s first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusi on (DEI) Strategic Plan. The plan will serve as a map for creating a more welcoming, safe, and inclusive city over the next five years. The DEI Strategic Plan details goals and tactics for the city to implement DEI principles in nearly every facet of city operations—from community outreach, to employee recruitment and retention, to day-to-day interactions. It’s a true honor to serve as mayor as we usher in a new, inclusive era for the city of SLO. To learn more about the City’s DEI initiatives, visit www.slocity.org/DEI. 5 Back to the Drawing Board: We’re Reviewing the City’s User Fees Every few years, it is the city’s responsibility to review its user fees, which are the fees not covered by taxes that people and businesses are charged for various city services like filing, permitting, and processing applications, licenses, and/or other forms; this includes fees for special events, business licensure, planning and development projects, recreational activities, and more. At the February 20 council meeting, there was a study session about the current fees, with a discussion about restructuring or combining existing fees, introducing new fees, and removing unneeded fees. City staff received instruction to conduct necessary outreach regarding any proposed fee changes and report back with final recommendations by early 2025. Grant Funding for Housing & Homelessness To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.CAPSLO logo Each year, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) provides the council with funding allocation recommendations for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which are awarded by the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development. The 2024-25 CDBG recommendations were adopted with one amendment: in an effort to do all the city can to 6 provide support and resources for homeless services, $10,000 was awarded to 5Cities Homeless Coalition and $58,220 went toward Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) and the 40 Prado Homeless Service Center, which CAPSLO oversees. The Community Goods  February was declared Black History Month and a proclamation was presented to Tobin Johnson, president of the SLO County NAACP.  I had the honor of presenting the proclamation for “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month” to Lumina Alliance. You can find more information about teen dating violence, as well as resources, on their website. In Case You Missed It: February Meeting Recaps  City council voted 3-2 to lower the local campaign contribution limits from $300 to $250 per person. Recent updates to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPCC) state that contributions of $251 or more to county and city campaigns would constitute a conflict of interest, and would bar an official from voting on particular issues. This amendment helps the council avoid any conflict of interest on projects or programs associated with donors to campaigns. It also continues to lessen access to funds during campaign time.  Ever wonder what the status of a particular project is while driving around town? Timmi Tway, Community Development Director for the City of SLO, gave a presentation on the status of more than 65 upcoming, pending, or entitled projects at the February 20 meeting. You can view the presentation here and find more information on the City of SLO’s community development website. On the Horizon 7  March 5 | Housing needs and opportunities study session  March 5 | Review SLO Transit conduct policies  March 5 | SLOCOG Self Help Overview presentation  March 19 | Welcome LeBren Harris, Downtown SLO’s new CEO  March 19 | Annual Advisory Body appointments announced Stay Engaged View City Council agendas, minutes and action items Sign up for citywide e-notifications We recognize that the unceded land that in which we live, learn, and work carries the heritage and culture of yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region. They are the ancestral homeland people who have had a documented presence in this region for over 10,000 years. This land was taken from them without consideration, agreement, or compensation resulting in pain and devastation for their families. We honor their Indigenous connection to these territories and respect this land. This acknowledgment is a small gesture on its own and is intended for education and awareness. As we continue to grow and develop this land, we must keep in mind the effects of colonization. Sign Up or Share Monthly Newsletter Copyright © 2024 Erica A. Stewart, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Erica A. Stewart PO Box 13416 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp Ali Jansen San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.SLOART.com Ali Jansen San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.SLOART.com 1 From:Jan Marx < Sent:Monday, March 11, 2024 3:15 PM To:Christian, Kevin Subject:Fwd: New protocol for SLO City Council meetings This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. This is the only personal email I have received regarding the subject matter of the public record request re February 6,2024. Jan ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Erica A Stewart <EricaSLOCityCouncil@send.mailchimpapp.com> Date: Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 5:10 PM Subject: New protocol for SLO City Council meetings To: <janmarx@stanfordalumni.org> View this email in your browser To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. In this month’s issue of Engage with Erica, we adopted a DEI strategic plan, awarded funds for housing and homelessness reduction, and reviewed the city’s user fees. 2 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Gif that reads Black history is not a month it's a lifetime As Black History Month comes to an end, I’m honored to reflect on the many ways our community leaders have created a space for Black people to thrive in SLO. Black history, as we know, is more than one month each year. We will continue to celebrate those who are making a difference locally and throughout the world each and every day. This year is also a Leap Year, which means we get another day to recognize the creators, originators, and innovators of Black history (and by extension, American history). Next month is Women’s History Month, and I’m looking forward to sharing more trailblazers on social media throughout the month, so I hope you’ll follow along! Civility in Council Meetings Our city stands firm against hatred of any kind, but it doesn’t make us immune to it. On February 6, the SLO City Council meeting’s public comment was interrupted by racist and antisemitic hate speech from a handful of anonymous individuals. Let’s face it: the language they used was dehumanizing, disgusting, and cowardly. No one deserves to listen to such horrendous statements, and while we understand and recognize people’s freedom of speech, we have a commitment to preserving the dignity of those in attendance and do not condone threatening or offensive language that violates our civility guidelines for public comment. Though these actions have been taking place nationwide, we have a responsibility to ensure 3 our city’s staff and community members feel safe. We have prided ourselves on continuing to offer Zoom as an accessible option for people to join council meetings, but we have reconsidered in light of recent events. While we’ll retain the ability to offer online meetings if needed, moving forward, public comment is still available through six different modes of communication: phone, text, email, video via email, U.S. mail, or in person attendance. And as always, if you ever experience a hate incident or crime, you can report it (anonymously if preferred) through this Hate Crime/Hate Incident Reporting Form. We'll Miss You, Derek! To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Derek Johnson, a white man with light eyes and hair, smiles at the camera wearing a dark suit and blue patterned tie After 12 years of service to the City of SLO, Derek Johnson’s last day as city manager will be at the end of April. He has accepted a new role as the Chief Executive Officer for the County of Marin. While he will be missed greatly, I look forward to all he can accomplish in his new role (and will plan to visit Marin in the coming months!). I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say about his contributions to the city when we bid him farewell at an upcoming council meeting, but I’ll share the following for now: Thank you, Derek, for the incredible impact you’ve made on the City of SLO, and thank you for being such a strong partner for me during my time on the council and as mayor. I am grateful for you and wish you the best of luck in your new role! 4 SLO for All: Adopting First-Ever City DEI Strategic Plan Progress is often a gradual process, but eventually we can begin to see results. Results that are made possible by the incredible work of dedicated city employees with a commitment to implementing San Luis Obispo’s first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan. The plan will serve as a map for creating a more welcoming, safe, and inclusive city over the next five years. The DEI Strategic Plan details goals and tactics for the city to implement DEI principles in nearly every facet of city operations—from community outreach, to employee recruitment and retention, to day-to-day interactions. It’s a true honor to serve as mayor as we usher in a new, inclusive era for the city of SLO. To learn more about the City’s DEI initiatives, visit www.slocity.org/DEI. Back to the Drawing Board: We’re Reviewing the City’s User Fees Every few years, it is the city’s responsibility to review its user fees, which are the fees not covered by taxes that people and businesses are charged for various city services like filing, permitting, and processing applications, licenses, and/or other forms; this includes fees for special events, business licensure, planning and development projects, recreational activities, and more. At the February 20 council meeting, there was a study session about the current fees, with a discussion about restructuring or combining existing fees, introducing new fees, and removing unneeded fees. City staff received instruction to conduct necessary outreach regarding any proposed fee changes and report back with final recommendations by early 2025. Grant Funding for Housing & Homelessness 5 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.CAPSLO logo Each year, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) provides the council with funding allocation recommendations for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which are awarded by the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development. The 2024-25 CDBG recommendations were adopted with one amendment: in an effort to do all the city can to provide support and resources for homeless services, $10,000 was awarded to 5Cities Homeless Coalition and $58,220 went toward Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) and the 40 Prado Homeless Service Center, which CAPSLO oversees. The Community Goods  February was declared Black History Month and a proclamation was presented to Tobin Johnson, president of the SLO County NAACP.  I had the honor of presenting the proclamation for “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month” to Lumina Alliance. You can find more information about teen dating violence, as well as resources, on their website. In Case You Missed It: February Meeting Recaps 6  City council voted 3-2 to lower the local campaign contribution limits from $300 to $250 per person. Recent updates to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPCC) state that contributions of $251 or more to county and city campaigns would constitute a conflict of interest, and would bar an official from voting on particular issues. This amendment helps the council avoid any conflict of interest on projects or programs associated with donors to campaigns. It also continues to lessen access to funds during campaign time.  Ever wonder what the status of a particular project is while driving around town? Timmi Tway, Community Development Director for the City of SLO, gave a presentation on the status of more than 65 upcoming, pending, or entitled projects at the February 20 meeting. You can view the presentation here and find more information on the City of SLO’s community development website. On the Horizon  March 5 | Housing needs and opportunities study session  March 5 | Review SLO Transit conduct policies  March 5 | SLOCOG Self Help Overview presentation  March 19 | Welcome LeBren Harris, Downtown SLO’s new CEO  March 19 | Annual Advisory Body appointments announced Stay Engaged View City Council agendas, minutes and action items Sign up for citywide e-notifications We recognize that the unceded land that in which we live, learn, and work carries the heritage and culture of yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region. They are the ancestral homeland people who have had a documented presence 7 in this region for over 10,000 years. This land was taken from them without consideration, agreement, or compensation resulting in pain and devastation for their families. We honor their Indigenous connection to these territories and respect this land. This acknowledgment is a small gesture on its own and is intended for education and awareness. As we continue to grow and develop this land, we must keep in mind the effects of colonization. Sign Up or Share Monthly Newsletter Copyright © 2024 Erica A. Stewart, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Erica A. Stewart PO Box 13416 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp 1 From:City of San Luis Obispo <webmaster@slocity.org> Sent:Wednesday, February 7, 2024 7:16 PM To:Crisp, Matthew Subject:Council Meeting Recap (Feb. 6, 2024) This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Council Meeting Recap (Feb. 6, 2024) The City Council held its regular public meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, to consider topics related to Black History Month, the budget, and other issues important to the community. Post Date: 02/07/2024 6:55 PM The City Council held its regular public meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 at City Hall and discussed important topics that impact and benefit the community. Below is a brief recap of the meeting. Presentations and Proclamations The meeting started with Mayor Erica A. Stewart proclaiming February 2024 as National Black History Month in San Luis Obispo (Item 3a). She presented the proclamation to the Tobin Johnson, the President of NAACP of San Luis Obispo County. Black History Month, which has been officially recognized in the United States since 1976, serves as a time to celebrate the rich heritage and culture of African Americans, while acknowledging their significant impact on shaping the nation's history and society. The community is encouraged to participate in events and activities planned throughout the month and to reflect on the significance of this annual observance. The City Council was also presented with the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art's Annual Report for the 2023 calendar year (Item 3b). 2023-24 Mid-Year Budget Reviewed, Amended (Item 6a) The City Council discussed the 2023-24 Budget after staff provided a mid-year review. The Council approved amendments to the budget, including allocating about $800,000 to support the development of plans to improve safety of the South Broad Street corridor as outlined in the City’s Active Transportation Plan. Staff will return with revisions to the Capital Improvement Plan to fund that infrastructure project at a later date. The Mid-Year Budget Report provided an update on the City’s $239.8 million budget halfway through the year and staff provided revised projections for all major funds. In summary, some revenues are exceeding projections, while some have been adjusted upward accordingly, and expenditures are where they should be at this point in the year. Staff is working on a more comprehensive revision to the five-year forecast, which will be presented with the 2024-25 Supplemental Budget in June. Council Member Emily Francis recused herself from the South Broad Street corridor discussion and decision because she lives within the area and had a potential conflict. Campaign Contribution Limit Lowered to $250 (Item 6b) The City Council discussed lowering campaign contribution limits from $300 to $250 per person, adding campaign contribution disclosure forms to planning applications, and modifying public comment cards with disclosure statements. The purpose of these changes is to ensure that the City’s elected officials are acting in accordance with the Political Reform Act. Effective January 1, 2023, Senate Bill 1439 broadened the scope of the Political Reform Act to prohibit local elected officials from taking part in licensing, permitting, and other use entitlement proceedings involving a party or participant who has contributed more than $250 to the official within the 12 months prior to the proceeding. The council decided to amend the Municipal Code to lower the maximum per-person contribution limit from $300 to $250. Council will hold the second reading and adoption of the ordinance on March 5. 2 Consent Agenda As part of the consent agenda, the City Council approved several items with one vote. Those included adopting an ordinance to expand safety enhancement zones to reduce disruptive behaviors and increase public safety during St Patrick’s Day and Halloween weekends. (Item 5c); a grant agreement of $100,000 with Friends of La Loma Adobe to support the reestablishment and community awareness of historic landscapes in San Luis Obispo (Item 5d); authorizing an agreement with SLO Martin Properties to begin constructing and maintaining an outdoor dining area at City-owned property on Santa Barbara Street (Item 5e); and approving an agreement with Smart Share Housing Solutions to build the planned Waterman Village project, which will include 20 new affordable homes on Dana Street in downtown SLO (Item 5f). As was recently reported in local news, several individuals used the anonymity of Zoom to make racist and discriminatory statements during the virtual public comment period of this meeting. The City Council immediately called for a recess, moved the remainder of the public comment period to the end of the meeting, where possible and reminded participants, virtual and in-person, of our civility guidelines for public comment. When public comment resumed, the City advised that no one in the room was obligated to listen to the comments and offered an opportunity for all of those present to leave the chambers. Unfortunately, the individuals on Zoom continued to violate our civility guidelines throughout the meeting and were cut off each time. The City of San Luis Obispo denounces racism and discrimination in all forms as contrary to our vision of a community that is welcoming, inclusive and safe for all. We value public input as an essential part of democracy and encourage all community members to share their voices at public meetings in a respectful, constructive way. We will continue to support a diverse community, embrace equity, and practice inclusion and we are also considering ways to prevent this type of disruption in the future. Despite the disruption, the City Council and staff continued conducting the community’s business on Tuesday. Review the meeting video recording on YouTube. The next regular City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street. For ways to provide input, download the meeting agenda when it’s posted at www.slocity.org/agendas. To receive updates from the City, please register for City News e-notifications on the City’s website at www.slocity.org/subscribe or follow the City of San Luis Obispo on social media. Media Contact: Whitney Szentesi Public Communications Manager (805) 783-7716 wszentes@slocity.org Click here for more information SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe All | Help This email was sent to mcrisp@slocity.org using govDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: San Luis Obispo, California · 990 Palm Street · San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.GovDelivery logo 1 From:Jennifer Liu <jennifer.liu@DixonResourcesUnlimited.com> Sent:Wednesday, February 14, 2024 10:34 AM To:Rice, Jennifer Cc:SLO Dixon Team Subject:Re: SLO Community Meeting Presentation Slides Attachments:02142024_SLO Parking Community Meeting Slides.pdf Hi Jennifer, Here's the PDF version with the Code of Civility updated! Jennifer Liu Dixon Resources Unlimited jennifer.liu@dixonresourcesunlimited.com From: Rice, Jennifer <jrice@slocity.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2024 9:56 AM To: Jennifer Liu <jennifer.liu@DixonResourcesUnlimited.com> Cc: SLO Dixon Team <sloteam@DixonResourcesUnlimited.com> Subject: RE: SLO Community Meeting Presentation Slides Thanks – for some reason the file won’t open for me. Can you resend as a PDF? Also, can you please prepare an additional slide for the beginning with the City’s Code of Civility? I will go over this in my introduction. Specifically: Listen First We will make an honest effort to understand views and reasoning of others by listening to understand, not listening to find fault, allowing thoughtful discussion to lead to the best possible outcomes. Respect Different Opinions We will invite and consider different perspectives, allowing space for ideas to be expressed, opposed and clarified in a constructive manner. Be Courteous We will treat all colleagues, staff and members of the public in a professional and courteous manner whether in person, online, or in written communication, especially when we disagree. Disagree Constructively 2 We strive to advance solutions to community issues; when faced with disagreement, we do more than simply share our concerns with differing positions, we work to propose a course of action of mutual benefit. Debate the Policy Not the Person We will focus on the issues, and not personalize debate or use other tactics that divert attention from the issue. Jennifer Rice, PTP, AICP pronouns she/her/hers Deputy Director of Mobility Services Public Works Mobility Services 1260 Chorro, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3218 E jrice@slocity.org T 805.781.7058 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications From: Jennifer Liu <jennifer.liu@DixonResourcesUnlimited.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2024 9:53 AM To: Rice, Jennifer <jrice@slocity.org> Cc: SLO Dixon Team <sloteam@DixonResourcesUnlimited.com> Subject: SLO Community Meeting Presentation Slides This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Hi Jennifer, It looks like my email yesterday sharing a copy of the community meeting slides did not go through, so please find them attached for your reference/records. Thanks! Jennifer Liu Dixon Resources Unlimited jennifer.liu@dixonresourcesunlimited.com 1 From:Szentesi, Whit Sent:Thursday, February 8, 2024 4:19 PM To:Stewart, Erica A Cc:Veloz-Passalacqua, Nestor; Hermann, Greg; Johnson, Derek Subject:Response to Tuesday Attachments:CouncilTalking Points re 2-6-24 Meeting.docx Expires:Wednesday, May 8, 2024 12:00 AM Hi Mayor Stewart, Thanks for speaking with me this afternoon. I understand that you will be putting out a video on your Instagram account to help clarify what happened at Tuesday’s meeting. It’s my understanding that people read The Tribune headline but not our full statement because of the paywall, which is a shame. As a result there seems to be some confusion and questions about what really happened at the meeting. Attached is a document that contains: 1. The City’s Official Statement, which we shared with The Tribune on Wednesday and included in this week’s Council Meeting Recap (it’s near the bottom). In this statement, we: a. Acknowledged what happened. b. Shared what we did. c. Showed we understand the severity of what happened. d. Denounced racism and discrimination. e. Highlighted our values as a community. 2. Council Member Talking Points, which are more in line with what you would like to include in your video. 3. Code of Civility, which is what you read at the meeting. I do not recommend focusing on this in your video, but the information is there if you need it. If you do put a video out on Instagram, I would recommend keep it brief and end by encouraging individuals to continue the conversation by joining the next City Council meeting as the Council considers adopting the City’s first-ever DEI Strategic Plan. A few other recommendations to consider: 1. Greg and I also recommend opening the next City Council meeting with the official statement and the code of civility, reiterating again our values and denouncing hate. 2. If you would like to also bring community groups together to create a Stop Hate campaign or something like that, Nestor and I would like to offer our support. A community-driven effort would require more than a video and we would be happy to have a seat at the table to see how we can support. 3. We will be creating a “Responding to Hate Toolkit” in collaboration of community groups and experts after the DEI Strategic Plan is complete. I’m CCing the team, so please let us know if you need anything else or have any questions. Thanks, Whit Whit Szentesi pronouns she/her/hers Public Communications Manager 2 City Administration 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 E wszentes@slocity.org T 805.783.7716 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications 1 From:Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, March 7, 2024 12:26 PM To:Francis, Emily Subject:Re: Inquiry Emily, Can you clarify what you mean by “targeted” language? Does the city explicitly define what that is, or even “violent” language? Could simply “misgendering” a person be considered “violent” to the Thought Police? Could saying there are two genders be deemed “violent”? Free speech should be protected at all costs - and that includes speech you may not like or agree with. I hope you understand what a slippery slope this is and what a complete infringement it is on our consƟtuƟonal rights. Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 5, 2024, at 1:44 PM, Francis, Emily <EFrancis@slocity.org> wrote: > > Amanda, > You are welcome to make comment on any of the items you menƟoned as long as it doesn't veer into the violent, targeted language used on February 6th. > Take care, > Emily > > -----Original Message----- > From: Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> > Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 9:57 AM > To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org> > Subject: Inquiry > > > > This message is from an External Source. Use cauƟon when deciding to open aƩachments, click links, or respond. > > ________________________________ > > Regrading the city’s “civility guidelines,” how does the city plan to address diversity of thought, especially if one’s opinion does not align with your personal opinion or city narraƟve? > > How do you ensure free speech is protected, including speech you may disagree with and not like? For example, public comment on groomers, pedophiles, genders, Israel, Gaza, “black lives maƩer,” Biden, Trump, genocide, etc? > > I encourage the city to protect ALL speech and not just the speech you all prefer or face liability. > > Sent from my iPhone > 1 From:Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, March 11, 2024 2:27 PM To:Stewart, Erica A Subject:Re: Inquiry Erica, Did you just violate your own civility guidelines by treating me without courtesy? Your statement “if you pay attention” seems very rude and condescending - see how this policing speech thing can backfire, especially when it’s subjective and based on perception? Anyone in favor of Thought Police sounds like a Dictator, no? Sent from my iPhone On Mar 5, 2024, at 1:47 PM, Stewart, Erica A <estewart@slocity.org> wrote: Hi Amanda, If you pay attention to public comment via email, voicemail, letter or in person comments, you will see that many people share their differing opinions and views on issues. We take those into account when making decisions at the city council as well. Sincerely, Erica Erica A. Stewart pronouns she/her/hers Mayor To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.City of San Luis Obispo Office of the City Council 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 Eestewart@slocity.org C805.540.1154 slocity.org To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Facebook To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Instagram To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Twitter Stay connected with the City by signing up fore-notifications From: Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 9:57:23 AM To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org> Subject: Inquiry 2 This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. ________________________________ Regrading the city’s “civility guidelines,” how does the city plan to address diversity of thought, especially if one’s opinion does not align with your personal opinion or city narrative? How do you ensure free speech is protected, including speech you may disagree with and not like? For example, public comment on groomers, pedophiles, genders, Israel, Gaza, “black lives matter,” Biden, Trump, genocide, etc? I encourage the city to protect ALL speech and not just the speech you all prefer or face liability. Sent from my iPhone 1 From:Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, March 5, 2024 9:57 AM To:E-mail Council Website Subject:Inquiry This message is from an External Source. Use cauƟon when deciding to open aƩachments, click links, or respond. ________________________________ Regrading the city’s “civility guidelines,” how does the city plan to address diversity of thought, especially if one’s opini on does not align with your personal opinion or city narraƟve? How do you ensure free speech is protected, including speech you may disagree with and not like? For example, public comment on groomers, pedophiles, genders, Israel, Gaza, “black lives maƩer,” Biden, Trump, genocide, etc? I encourage the city to protect ALL speech and not just the speech you all prefer or face liability. Sent from my iPhone 1 From:Pringle, Brendan Sent:Wednesday, February 7, 2024 1:23 PM To:brendan.pringle Subject:Fwd: Follow-up from Council Meeting Get Outlook for Android From: Johnson, Derek <djohnson@slocity.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:59:50 AM To: Johnson, Derek <djohnson@slocity.org> Subject: Follow-up from Council Meeting Fellow employees, As you may have heard, last night we saw an attempt by a small number of individuals to remotely derail the public process at our City Council meeting. I want to acknowledge how difficult it was for those in the room to hear those hateful and disgusting words, but I want to also recognize the poise and professionalism of our City Council and staff in carrying forward to conduct the community’s business. Unfortunately, we have seen this occur at other cities and public agencies across the country and had a plan in place. The City Council immediately called for a recess; moved the remainder of the public comment period to the end of the meeting, where possible, to limit the number of individuals that needed to endure the commentary; and reminded participants, virtual and in-person, of our civility guidelines for public comment. As the meeting was noticed with an option for virtual public comment, we were leg ally required to continue to allow that option, but commenters that violated our civility guidelines were cut off each time. I want to be clear - the City of San Luis Obispo denounces racism and discrimination in all forms as contrary to our vision of a community that is welcoming, inclusive and safe for all. We value public input as an essential part of democracy and encourage all community members to share their voices at public meetings in a respectful, constructive way, but will also continue to take action to ensure our employees can perform their work in an environment in which they feel safe and respected. To that end, we are also considering ways to prevent this type of disruption in the future as we are not required to provide a virtual option for comment at public meetings. We know this incident was upsetting for those in attendance. Emotional well-being support services and a stress resource center are available to you and members of your household 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). To access these services, call 1-800-342-8111, TTY: 711, or visit www.resourcesforliving.com and enter the username “SLO” and password “eap”. If you request “placement”, Aetna will find a specific provider on your behalf, ensuring they are accepting new patients. You will receive a provider name and phone number within three days so you may schedule an appointment. In addition to in-person counseling services, text therapy and TeleVideo appointments are available, offering convenient alternatives for those with busy schedules. I again want to thank our staff, especially our City Clerk and those presenting last night, for their composure and resolve in seeing our work through under these difficult and unfortunate circumstances. It is an incredible testament to our collective commitment to public service and this community. BCC: All City Employees Derek 2 Derek Johnson pronouns he/him/his City Manager City Administration 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3218 E djohnson@slocity.org T 805.781.7114 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications 1 From:Szentesi, Whit Sent:Thursday, February 8, 2024 3:27 PM To:Stewart, Erica A Subject:FW: City Statement on February 6 Council Meeting Attachments:CouncilTalking Points re 2-6-24 Meeting.docx Importance:High Expires:Tuesday, May 7, 2024 12:00 AM Thanks, Whit Whitney Szentesi pronouns she/her/hers Public Communications Manager E wszentes@slocity.org C 805.440.5446 Stay informed by signing up for e-notifications Do you need communications support? Whether you need help with strategic communications planning, content development or production, or something else, please submit a KBOX ticket and fill out the form to get your request in the queue or visit the City CommunicaƟons Program Sharepoint page. From: Hermann, Greg <GHermann@slocity.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:12 AM To: Department Heads <DepartmentHeads@slocity.org> Cc: Szentesi, Whit <wszentes@slocity.org>; Veloz-Passalacqua, Nestor <NVeloz@slocity.org>; Purrington, Teresa <TPurring@slocity.org> Subject: City Statement on February 6 Council Meeting Importance: High Mayor and Council Members, Please see the statement from the City here regarding the racist and hateful virtual comments at last night’s meeting. We have also included talking points for Council Members to consider in conversations with community members on this topic. We have received an inquiry from the Tribune and anticipate that we will hear from other outlets as well throughout the day. Our approach in responding will be to provide the statement as we get inquiries to clearly denounce what occurred and be responsive to our community members impacted by this, but we will not provide additional comment as that would likely only serve to further give these individuals the attention they are seeking. This approach is similar to the one taken with other recent hate incidents and based on best practice guidance. We will also include the statement in the Council meeting recap email which will be sent out later today and Derek will be sending a similar statement to all City employees. 2 I’d like to thank everyone for the composure and resolve exhibited last night under truly awful circumstances to continue to conduct the important business of our community. Thank you and please feel free to reach out with any questions. Greg BCC: City Council Greg Hermann pronouns he/him/his Deputy City Manager City Administration 919 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3218 E ghermann@slocity.org T 805.781.7194 C 805.440.1330 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications 1 From:Erica A Stewart <ericaslocitycouncil@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, March 5, 2024 10:50 PM To:CityClerk Subject:Fwd: New protocol for SLO City Council meetings This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. For the PRA ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> Date: Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 7:55 AM Subject: Re: New protocol for SLO City Council meetings To: <EricaSLOCityCouncil@gmail.com> Erica, Are you suggesting the city and yourself are the keepers of “safe” dialogue and are willing to circumvent the first amendment under the guise of “civility” *guidelines*? Perhaps you should read up on the constitution and the powers of local government. Sent from my iPhone On Feb 29, 2024, at 6:10 PM, Erica A Stewart <EricaSLOCityCouncil@send.mailchimpapp.com> wrote: View this email in your browser To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. In this month’s issue of Engage with Erica, we adopted a DEI strategic plan, awarded funds for housing and homelessness reduction, and reviewed the city’s user fees. 2 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Gif that reads Black history is not a month it's a lifetime As Black History Month comes to an end, I’m honored to reflect on the many ways our community leaders have created a space for Black people to thrive in SLO. Black history, as we know, is more than one month each year. We will continue to celebrate those who are making a difference locally and throughout the world each and every day. This year is also a Leap Year, which means we get another day to recognize the creators, originators, and innovators of Black history (and by extension, American history). Next month is Women’s History Month, and I’m looking forward to sharing more trailblazers on social media throughout the month, so I hope you’ll follow along! Civility in Council Meetings Our city stands firm against hatred of any kind, but it doesn’t make us immune to it. On February 6, the SLO City Council meeting’s public comment was interrupted by racist and antisemitic hate speech from a handful of anonymous individuals. Let’s face it: the language they used was dehumanizing, disgusting, and cowardly. No one deserves to listen to such horrendous statements, and while we understand and recognize people’s freedom of speech, we have a commitment to preserving the dignity of those in attendance and do not condone threatening or offensive language that violates our civility guidelines for public comment. Though these actions have been taking place nationwide, we have a responsibility to ensure 3 our city’s staff and community members feel safe. We have prided ourselves on continuing to offer Zoom as an accessible option for people to join council meetings, but we have reconsidered in light of recent events. While we’ll retain the ability to offer online meetings if needed, moving forward, public comment is still available through six different modes of communication: phone, text, email, video via email, U.S. mail, or in person attendance. And as always, if you ever experience a hate incident or crime, you can report it (anonymously if preferred) through this Hate Crime/Hate Incident Reporting Form. We'll Miss You, Derek! To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Derek Johnson, a white man with light eyes and hair, smiles at the camera wearing a dark suit and blue patterned tie After 12 years of service to the City of SLO, Derek Johnson’s last day as city manager will be at the end of April. He has accepted a new role as the Chief Executive Officer for the County of Marin. While he will be missed greatly, I look forward to all he can accomplish in his new role (and will plan to visit Marin in the coming months!). I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say about his contributions to the city when we bid him farewell at an upcoming council meeting, but I’ll share the following for now: Thank you, Derek, for the incredible impact you’ve made on the City of SLO, and thank you for being such a strong partner for me during my time on the council and as mayor. I am grateful for you and wish you the best of luck in your new role! 4 SLO for All: Adopting First-Ever City DEI Strategic Plan Progress is often a gradual process, but eventually we can begin to see results. Results that are made possible by the incredible work of dedicated city employees with a commitment to implementing San Luis Obispo’s first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan. The plan will serve as a map for creating a more welcoming, safe, and inclusive city over the next five years. The DEI Strategic Plan details goals and tactics for the city to implement DEI principles in nearly every facet of city operations—from community outreach, to employee recruitment and retention, to day-to-day interactions. It’s a true honor to serve as mayor as we usher in a new, inclusive era for the city of SLO. To learn more about the City’s DEI initiatives, visit www.slocity.org/DEI. Back to the Drawing Board: We’re Reviewing the City’s User Fees Every few years, it is the city’s responsibility to review its user fees, which are the fees not covered by taxes that people and businesses are charged for various city services like filing, permitting, and processing applications, licenses, and/or other forms; this includes fees for special events, business licensure, planning and development projects, recreational activities, and more. At the February 20 council meeting, there was a study session about the current fees, with a discussion about restructuring or combining existing fees, introducing new fees, and removing unneeded fees. City staff received instruction to conduct necessary outreach regarding any proposed fee changes and report back with final recommendations by early 2025. Grant Funding for Housing & Homelessness 5 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.CAPSLO logo Each year, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) provides the council with funding allocation recommendations for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which are awarded by the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development. The 2024-25 CDBG recommendations were adopted with one amendment: in an effort to do all the city can to provide support and resources for homeless services, $10,000 was awarded to 5Cities Homeless Coalition and $58,220 went toward Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) and the 40 Prado Homeless Service Center, which CAPSLO oversees. The Community Goods  February was declared Black History Month and a proclamation was presented to Tobin Johnson, president of the SLO County NAACP.  I had the honor of presenting the proclamation for “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month” to Lumina Alliance. You can find more information about teen dating violence, as well as resources, on their website. In Case You Missed It: February Meeting Recaps 6  City council voted 3-2 to lower the local campaign contribution limits from $300 to $250 per person. Recent updates to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPCC) state that contributions of $251 or more to county and city campaigns would constitute a conflict of interest, and would bar an official from voting on particular issues. This amendment helps the council avoid any conflict of interest on projects or programs associated with donors to campaigns. It also continues to lessen access to funds during campaign time.  Ever wonder what the status of a particular project is while driving around town? Timmi Tway, Community Development Director for the City of SLO, gave a presentation on the status of more than 65 upcoming, pending, or entitled projects at the February 20 meeting. You can view the presentation here and find more information on the City of SLO’s community development website. On the Horizon  March 5 | Housing needs and opportunities study session  March 5 | Review SLO Transit conduct policies  March 5 | SLOCOG Self Help Overview presentation  March 19 | Welcome LeBren Harris, Downtown SLO’s new CEO  March 19 | Annual Advisory Body appointments announced Stay Engaged View City Council agendas, minutes and action items Sign up for citywide e-notifications We recognize that the unceded land that in which we live, learn, and work carries the heritage and culture of yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region. They are the ancestral homeland people who have had a documented presence 7 in this region for over 10,000 years. This land was taken from them without consideration, agreement, or compensation resulting in pain and devastation for their families. We honor their Indigenous connection to these territories and respect this land. This acknowledgment is a small gesture on its own and is intended for education and awareness. As we continue to grow and develop this land, we must keep in mind the effects of colonization. Sign Up or Share Monthly Newsletter Copyright © 2024 Erica A. Stewart, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Erica A. Stewart PO Box 13416 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp 1 From:Johnson, Derek Sent:Wednesday, February 7, 2024 12:00 PM To:Johnson, Derek Subject:Follow-up from Council Meeting Fellow employees, As you may have heard, last night we saw an attempt by a small number of individuals to remotely derail the public process at our City Council meeting. I want to acknowledge how difficult it was for those in the room to hear those hateful and disgusting words, but I want to also recognize the poise and professionalism of our City Council and staff in carrying forward to conduct the community’s business. Unfortunately, we have seen this occur at other cities and public agencies across the country and had a plan in place. The City Council immediately called for a recess; moved the remainder of the public comment period to the end of the meeting, where possible, to limit the number of individuals that needed to endure the commentary; and reminded participants, virtual and in-person, of our civility guidelines for public comment. As the meeting was noticed with an option for virtual public comment, we were leg ally required to continue to allow that option, but commenters that violated our civility guidelines were cut off each time. I want to be clear - the City of San Luis Obispo denounces racism and discrimination in all forms as contrary to our vision of a community that is welcoming, inclusive and safe for all. We value public input as an essential part of democracy and encourage all community members to share their voices at public meetings in a respectful, constructive way, but will also continue to take action to ensure our employees can perform their work in an environment in which they feel safe and respected. To that end, we are also considering ways to prevent this type of disruption in the future as we are not required to provide a virtual option for comment at public meetings. We know this incident was upsetting for those in attendance. Emotional well-being support services and a stress resource center are available to you and members of your household 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). To access these services, call 1-800-342-8111, TTY: 711, or visit www.resourcesforliving.com and enter the username “SLO” and password “eap”. If you request “placement”, Aetna will find a specific provider on your behalf, ensuring they are accepting new patients. You will receive a provider name and phone number within three days so you may schedule an appointment. In addition to in-person counseling services, text therapy and TeleVideo appointments are available, offering convenient alternatives for those with busy schedules. I again want to thank our staff, especially our City Clerk and those presenting last night, for their composure and resolve in seeing our work through under these difficult and unfortunate circumstances. It is an incredible testament to our collective commitment to public service and this community. BCC: All City Employees Derek Derek Johnson pronouns he/him/his City Manager City Administration 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3218 E djohnson@slocity.org 2 T 805.781.7114 slocity.org Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications 1 From:Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, March 11, 2024 1:41 PM To:Christian, Kevin Cc:E-mail Council Website Subject:Re: Revised Request: Records Request Response: PRR24062 Mobley - Council Communications Re. 2/6/24 Council Meeting I see a lot of words but how will this be enforced by the Thought Police? Just to clarify, how would the following subjects be addressed? Who is the keeper of “Speak Truthfully”? Would one be silenced if they claim covid shots stop transmission? Would one be silenced for questioning shot efficacy that started out at 100% (remember that, or “rare rebound” cases)? Would one be silenced for claiming there are only two genders based on science, xx and xy chromosomes? Would one be silenced for alleging lgbtq+ includes pedophilia? Make no mistake, free speech is a part of civil discourse - to impede on anybody’s free speech, even if it’s speech you don’t like or that “violates your policy” (which is not lawful), is the most UnAmerican thing you can do. Not only does it violate your oath to uphold the constitution and should be immediate grounds for being censured, it is a disservice to our youth that will have adverse effects. This comes straight from the ACLU. Perhaps you and your counsel should review asap, to protect democracy, of course. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects speech no matter how offensive its content. Restrictions on speech by public colleges and universities amount to government censorship, in violation of the Constitution. Such restrictions deprive students of their right to invite speech they wish to hear, debate speech with which they disagree, and protest speech they find bigoted or offensive. An open society depends on liberal education, and the whole enterprise of liberal education is founded on the principle of free speech. How much we value the right of free speech is put to its severest test when the speaker is someone we disagree with most. Speech that deeply offends our morality or is hostile to our way of life warrants the same constitutional protection as other speech because the right of free speech is indivisible: When we grant the government the power to suppress controversial ideas, we are all subject to censorship by the state. Since its founding in 1920, the ACLU has fought for the free expression of all ideas, popular or unpopular. Where racist, misogynist, homophobic, and transphobic speech is concerned, the ACLU believes that more speech — not less — is the answer most consistent with our constitutional values. 2 But the right to free speech is not just about the law; it’s also a vital part of our civic education. As Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson wrote in 1943 about the role of schools in our society: “That they are educating the young for citizenship is reason for scrupulous protection of Constitutional freedoms of the individual, if we are not to strangle the free mind at its source and teach youth to discount important principles of our government as mere platitudes.” Remarkably, Justice Jackson was referring to grade school students. Inculcating constitutional values — in particular, the value of free expression — should be nothing less than a core mission of any college or university. Sent from my iPhone On Mar 11, 2024, at 12:55 PM, Christian, Kevin <kchristi@slocity.org> wrote: Amanda, We are in receipt of your revised request as of March 11, 2024, and will begin searching for responsive records related to the February 6, 2024 City Council meeting. Regarding the “creation of the civility guidelines” I am supplying the below linked and listed documents from 2018 as responsive to this portion of the request. 1. 06-05-2018 Council Agenda Report Item 18 Re-Adopt Resolution Pledging to Follow Best Practices of Civility and Civil Discourse (slocity.org) 2. R-10905 Resolution amending the existing pledge to follow best practices of civility and civil discourse in all of its meetings (slocity.org) We believe that our interpretation of your needs for this portion of the request is accurate and comprehensive. However, if you believe that our interpretation of your needs is inaccurate and can further clarify your needs, please notify us, and we will be happy to provide the document(s) to you unless, of course, it is exempt from disclosure pursuant to California Government Code §7921.000 et seq. Kevin Christian Deputy City Clerk City Administration City Clerk's Office 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3218 E kchristi@slocity.org T 805.781.7104 slocity.org <image002.png> <image003.png> 3 <image004.png> <image005.png> <image006.png> Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications From: Amanda Mobley <amobley18@yahoo.com> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2024 8:51 AM To: Christian, Kevin <kchristi@slocity.org> Cc: CityClerk <CityClerk@slocity.org>; City_Attorney <City_Attorney@slocity.org> Subject: Re: Records Request Response: PRR24062 Mobley - Council Communications Re. 2/6/24 Council Meeting This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Kevin, In addition to the attachment, I am requesting any and all internal or external documents from city staff and council as they relate to the “outburst” and the creation of the “civility guidelines.” Thanks! Sent from my iPhone On Mar 5, 2024, at 12:03 PM, Christian, Kevin <kchristi@slocity.org> wrote: Amanda Mobley, Thank you for the clarification (attached) on your records request where you state, “I’m specifically interested in what the mayor alleged as racist and antisemitic hate speech.” The Mayor’s statement was made in response to remarks given during various public comment times at the February 6, 2024 City Council meeting by members of the public attending the meeting via teleconferencing mode (Zoom). Therefore , we interpret that the record responsive to your clarified request is the unredacted audio/video recording of the February 6, 2024 City Council meeting, linked below. <image007.png> PRR24062 Mobley - Feb. 6, 2024, Council Meeting 4 With this production we will consider your request closed. Should you determine there are other records needed, please let us know. Please be advised that every effort has been made to search for all records which may fall within the scope of your records request, and, as such, we believe our search is quite thorough. However, if you have knowledge of a specific document which has not been provided in response to your request, please notify us, and we will be happy to provide the document(s) to you unless, of course, it is exempt from disclosure pursuant to California Government Code §7921.000 et seq. Kevin Christian Deputy City Clerk <image001.png> City Administration City Clerk's Office 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3218 E kchristi@slocity.org T 805.781.7104 slocity.org <image002.png> <image003.png> <image004.png> <image005.png> <image006.png> Stay connected with the City by signing up for e-notifications <PRR24062 Mobley - Council Communications Re. 2_6_24 Council Meeting.pdf> <mime-attachment> <PRR24062 Mobley - Council Communications Re. 2_6_24 Council Meeting.pdf>