HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/16/2025 Item 7b, Walker (2)
kathie walker <kathiewalkerslo@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday,
To:Marx, Jan; Stewart, Erica A; Francis, Emily; Boswell, Mike; Shoresman, Michelle; E-mail
Council Website
Subject:Clarification re: Kienow correspondence for 7.b.
Courtney Kienow the Director of Community Relations and Economic Development for President
Armstrong's Office at Cal Poly sent you some correspondence for tonight's Council meeting. She admits
that Cal Poly erased the addresses where Cal Poly's fraternities were holding fraternity events, which are
mostly at illegal fraternity houses in residential neighborhoods. She claims this was done for (1) Privacy
of students and (2) to be in alignment with many other CSUs.
1. Providing addresses where Cal Poly's fraternities are operating by holding fraternity-related events is
not considered a violation of privacy under the law. In fact, there are many cases where addresses are
released for more concerning reasons, yet they were ordered to be released under the California Public
Records Act. Cal Poly is using "privacy" as an excuse that is not supported by the law.
Further, Cal Poly only removed the addresses after they learned that it is illegal for fraternities to hold
events in R-1 and R-2 residential neighborhoods. They removed the addresses to hide them from the city
and the residents.
2. If all 23 CSUs, only five did not publish the addresses of fraternity events. Further, Cal Poly has the
largest number of Greek Life members of any other CSU in California. And BY FAR the most impact on the
community relative to the population of the city where they are located. I will provide the documentation
later, when you have a chance to review it since this email is so close to the meeting time this evening.
Just know that no other CSU in California has illegal fraternity operations overtaking the neighborhoods
on such a scale as Cal Poly, SLO. This is a highly unique situation that has been allowed to get out of
control to the point where residents are having to leave their homes and move away. That is not
acceptable.
The "outcomes" cited by Ms. Kienow are
1. There is now coordination with City officials to speak with students on the subject. e.g. Code
Enforcement making a presentation to Greek Life. As you know, four days after that presentation,
fraternities held events illegally in the residential neighborhoods, so it did not make a difference.
2. Call Poly is preparing fraternity members in the City's re-review of their Conditional Use Permits or how
to get a Conditional Use Permit (CUP).
3. Cal Poly now has copies of the CUPs. There are 19 fraternities at Cal Poly and only 4 have CUPs. One
of those 4 was revoked and is under appeal and another is up for re-review.
4. The City sends noise violations to Cal Poly (which is has always done) and those at fraternity houses
are sent to the IFC for "peer accountability".
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5. Cal Poly has offered to consult with the City's Community Development Dept on the wording of the
City-issued CUPs... This sounds like a terrible idea. Please do not allow Cal Poly to be involved in this
process.
Thank you for allowing me to clarify these comments.
-Kathie Walker
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