HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 23
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Town of Los Altos Hills
Community Relations Committee
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Parks and Recreation Building
1. Roll Call; Committee Membership
The meeting was called to order at 7:32 PM by chairman Lew Jamison. Present: Members, Roger Burnell,
Lana Einschlag, Karen Emerzian, Lew Jamison, Nena Price. Associate members, Ron Knapp, Mansour
Moussavian, Roy Woolsey. Council Liaison: Courtenay Corrigan.
2. Introduction of Members of the Public; Public Comment
None.
3. Report on September Committee Presentation to Council
Roy Woolsey summarized Council input in response to the Committee’s report at the September Council
meeting: Council encouraged reactivation of the Neighborhood Network program, encouraged the Committee
to propose additional events that it might organize, and voted to address the Committee’s quorum problem by
reducing the size of the Committee to five members.
4. Review of Prior City Council Meetings
Courtenay Corrigan said that there may be a change in Council liaison to the Committee after the Council
reorganization at its December Council meeting.
Courtenay then discussed the Parks and Recreation Committee’s annual report to Council. Courtenay
noted that the Parks and Recreation Committee described itself as the “party committee,” outlining all of the
events the Committee organizes each year. Courtenay noted that the Community Relations Committee has
thought of itself as the party committee, even though it welcomes newcomers, organizes special events,
contributes newsletter articles, helps fill vacancies on other committees, and performs other non-party duties.
Courtenay thought it might be useful for the Parks and Recreation Committee and the Community Relations
Committee to combine into one committee or meet together to share their various ideas, and then perhaps have
separate subcommittees that might take the lead on different events. This topic should be put on the agenda for
the next Committee meeting for discussion. In brief comments on this suggestion, it was noted that when some
members of Council a few years ago proposed “sunsetting” the Community Relations Committee, the Parks and
Recreation Committee was strongly opposed to this proposal.
5. Review and Approval of Prior Committee Meeting Minutes
Roy Woolsey stated that the minutes of the last meeting report that the Committee agreed by consensus
rather than a formal vote on the names of members who would be full and associate members, given the
reduction in full members to five. The Committee agreed that the statement as drafted in the minutes on this
topic was correct. The minutes of the June 26, 2018 meeting were then approved as drafted.
6. Discussion of Reactivation of Neighborhood Network Program
Since Dennis Duffy was not present at the meeting, this item was continued to the next Committee meeting.
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7. Welcoming of Town Newcomers
Roy Woolsey reported that since the last meeting, mailing labels were prepared and sent to Town Hall as
follows: 9 newcomers for September for the first letter from Council, and 11 newcomers for July for the second
welcoming letter from the Committee.
Mansour Moussavian led a discussion of a possible newcomer welcoming reception that was just discussed
in a 7 PM subcommittee meeting consisting of him, Lana Enschlag, Nina Price and Council Liaison Courtenay
Corrigan. Roger Burnell spoke about events of this type that the Committee had organized many years ago,
before the Committee began organizing the annual Town Picnics. It was tentatively agreed by the Committee
to host a newcomer welcoming reception on Sunday afternoon, March 31, 2019 from 1 PM to 3 PM at Town
Hall. Courtenay could propose a budget of $3,000 for this event at the December City Council meeting. Roy
Woolsey will produce a list of mailing labels for newcomers to Town in the last two to three years; they will be
used to mail nice invitations rather than just letters of invitation to the newcomers. Mansour proposed that the
reception subcommittee meet again at 7 PM on November 27, just before the 7:30 PM regular Committee
meeting.
8. Los Altos Hills Town Picnic
There was brief discussion of entertainment and other long lead items for next year. At the next Committee
meeting, Roger Burnell will present a list of candidates for entertainment for the 2019 Town Picnic.
9. Nominations for Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards
No suggestions for nominations were made in the meeting. Members will consider whether to nominate
someone before the October 26, 2018 deadline.
10. Articles for December “Our Town” Issue.
Roy Woolsey discussed the draft article on issues in Town facing the new City Council next year that he
prepared with input from Courtenay Corrigan and then submitted to the Newsletter editor with copies to the
City Clerk and Courtenay. Courtenay reported that in consultation with the City Clerk it was agreed that the
article might run afoul of campaign regulations, so it was decided not to include the article in the next edition
of the Newsletter.
11. Additional Items or Contributions from Committee Members
None.
12. Date for Next Meeting, Adjournment
The Committee will next meet on November 27, 2018, its regular fourth Tuesday of the month meeting
date in October. The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 PM.
Minutes prepared by Roy Woolsey, November 4, 2018