| Time | Speaker | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00:01.52 | Lisa Bennett | I mean you have to eat three juice, right? |
| 00:00:03.04 | Unknown | I'm very much. |
| 00:00:04.12 | Lisa Bennett | you |
| 00:00:06.26 | Unknown | Ready? Good evening and welcome to the special meeting of the Sausalito City Council Tuesday May 30th. Um, Lily, would you call the roll, please? |
| 00:00:18.16 | Lily (City Clerk) | Councilmember Burns? Present. Councilmember Hoffman? Present. Vice Mayor Cox? Here. Mayor Withey? |
| 00:00:18.96 | Unknown | PRESENT. |
| 00:00:24.41 | Unknown | Here, all right, Pledge of Allegiance, I'll do that. |
| 00:00:29.93 | Unknown | Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. and to the republic for which it stands |
| 00:00:38.24 | Unknown | I should stand. |
| 00:00:39.42 | Unknown | one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. |
| 00:00:39.52 | Unknown | one nation under God. |
| 00:00:41.21 | Jeff Jacobs | Bye. |
| 00:00:41.22 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 00:00:41.26 | Jeff Jacobs | Thank you. |
| 00:00:41.31 | Unknown | Thank you. divisible. and they're Thank you. |
| 00:00:49.09 | Unknown | Could we have a motion to approve the agenda, please? |
| 00:00:51.94 | Unknown | So moved. |
| 00:00:54.28 | Unknown | All in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay, so our item tonight are the continuation of the interviews for the City Council candidates. We're going to take public comment, if there is any now, and then we're going to adjourn to the conference room and call in each of the candidates in turn. So is there any member of the public who'd like to make a public statement at this time? Nope. Seeing none. |
| 00:01:29.15 | Unknown | We approve the agenda. |
| 00:01:30.28 | Unknown | Yes. |
| 00:01:31.31 | Unknown | Okay, sorry. Okay, in that case, we'll adjourn to the conference room for the interviews. Thank you. |
| 00:01:31.54 | Unknown | Okay. |
| 00:01:46.34 | Unknown | Okay, good evening. Welcome back to the council chambers. Um, Tuesday, May 30th, this is the Sausalito Special Meeting of the Sausalito City Council. Um, As you know, we've both tonight and Last week, we have interviewed... candidates for the vacant position of city council member. THE FAMILY. We had 13 applications Thank you. Thank you. 11 of which were eligible. 12 of which we are. Right. And... |
| 00:02:31.85 | Unknown | for 12 |
| 00:02:37.17 | Unknown | All I can say is I'm somewhat overwhelmed by the response, number one, and the... I'm not sure. Equality and tremendously varied experience of the folks that we have met and um In the end, we can only select one person. So assuming we, um, get that far, um, what we're going to do, let me just go through a little bit about the process here. We are going to see if we can, um, find somebody to appoint from these 11 folks on June 6. And only if we're unable to reach... agreement on a candidate. If we can't on June 6th, we will proceed with a special election in November for this position. But we have had a lot of great candidates, so I'm personally looking forward hopefully for us to be able to appoint somebody on June 6th. What we're going to do tonight is We're going to have a brief staff report, Well, for... What we're going to do is essentially... So that next week. we're going to, when we take public comment and we hear from what we imagine will be a fairly large number of folks who want to give their opinions, that we focus down to our top number of candidates. Now we have interviewed everybody. Our job tonight is to come up with a short list that the public can then weigh in on June 6. And hopefully we can reach a decision on. Is there anything that? Lily, you want to add to that before? Sure. |
| 00:04:53.33 | Unknown | Sure, Mr. Mayor, thank you. If you wanted me to cover the staff recommendation on the process for creating that short list tonight. So our recommendation in the staff report is to follow the same process that you utilize for your boards and commissions, appointments to those seats. And so the process, as outlined in the staff report, is that the mayor would announce his nominations, and we're suggesting no more than four nominations from the mayor. that the mayor would announce his nominations and we're suggesting no more than four nominations from the mayor. Then the mayor would solicit any additional nominations from the dais. Following announcement of the nominations, the mayor then would receive public comment and then proceed onto a roll call vote. |
| 00:04:59.76 | Unknown | creating that shortlist tonight. |
| 00:05:34.58 | Unknown | Of course, the council could have a discussion at that point if you would like as well. Each council member would then vote for up to four of the nominees from the pool that was announced. And to move forward in the selection process, a nominee must receive at least three votes. |
| 00:05:54.42 | Unknown | Okay. Does anybody wanna ask any questions of staff before apparently, I'm to go first, right? Yeah, but we have some other. Okay. Any questions of staff? |
| 00:06:12.16 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 00:06:12.18 | Unknown | OK. |
| 00:06:17.10 | Unknown | And then we'll take public comment after, and we've got everybody on the table. Right. So, okay. No questions? All right. So I am going to throw just two names in and then solicit any other names in. |
| 00:06:19.53 | Unknown | or you |
| 00:06:38.57 | Unknown | to try and get up to a maximum of four if we need to. The two names I'm going to... I'm not sure. put out there are based on experience, experience overwhelmingly. And as I said, this isn't to diminish the quality of any other candidates. So I'm putting forth in alphabetical order Susan Cleveland Knowles and Bill Werner. |
| 00:07:20.69 | Unknown | So the question is, we're trying to get to a short list of four or less. So does anybody else want to add anybody else to that short list? |
| 00:07:32.99 | Unknown | I will nominate as well Kate Storr. Thank you. |
| 00:07:37.58 | Unknown | Thank you. Anybody else? |
| 00:07:40.36 | Unknown | I'll nominate in addition to those. Very well qualified candidates. Keith Stoneking. |
| 00:07:47.86 | Unknown | Okay. Joe? |
| 00:07:52.26 | Unknown | I think my colleagues have covered the waterfront. |
| 00:07:54.27 | Unknown | Okay. So... Thank you. We have then four we're suggesting we shortlist four so do we need to vote lily we've got four people so we Can we vote by consensus? Yes, we agree with those four. This is before we take public comment. I gotta take public comment. What do you want us to do if we... |
| 00:08:20.12 | Unknown | It's your process. Okay. |
| 00:08:21.52 | Unknown | Okay, so we got these four names. Is there any member of the public who would like to weigh in at this stage? Remember on the concept of the short list and names of the short list, remember we are |
| 00:08:23.92 | Unknown | OK. |
| 00:08:39.33 | Unknown | Those names are being forwarded now to the, we agree on tonight, will be forwarded to the City Council meeting on June 6, where we will be taking public comment again. Peter. |
| 00:08:52.07 | Unknown | I'll reserve my public comment for the six mostly, but simply to thank you for the process. I sat in on all your interviews. I've read the applications from the applicants and like you, Mr. Mayor, very impressed with the skill and variety of the applicants that have come forth. It's just a pleasure to see these interested citizens in Sausalito apply. I will say this, back in the day, for your first inquiry on this topic, I did advocate an election as a rather to an appointment. But my mind has been changed because of outstanding Applicants that have applied in particular one who's in the audience tonight Susan Cleveland Knowles changed my mind And now I think an appointment is an appropriate process I will just say as a comment. I don't know if you're going to add to the list at all, but I was personally very impressed with the interview of Terrence Moran and Maybe you want to reconsider adding him to the list, but that's just a thought |
| 00:09:53.42 | Unknown | Thank you. Lisa Bennett, you put the card in. |
| 00:10:00.85 | Lisa Bennett | Thank you. I'd like to second what the prior gentleman said. And two things. I wanted to also suggest Terry Moran as a possibility based on the application and based on personal knowledge a friend of mine has of him and his family. And finally, I just wanted to suggest that the ultimate seat be filled by someone who can help reach consensus, who you may not even personally agree with, but who is capable of helping the group come together on some polarizing issues. As someone who's been living in this political climate we all have, I'm fed up with things not getting done because people dig their feet in the ground. And I want something to happen. I want consensus to be achieved. |
| 00:10:55.62 | Unknown | Thank you. Jeff Jacobs? |
| 00:11:01.87 | Jeff Jacobs | Hello, Mr. Mayor and Council. I was 16 minutes late on the application, so you're not going to have to worry too much about whether underground streets, are valid for voter registration. I looked at the applicants. And I read there. PLANS FOR WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO WITH SAUSALIDO. And only one specifically talked about the anchorage in any kind of detail at all. I was a little shocked because that seems to have been the dominant topic for the last few meetings. in my mind why Herb resigned. And... It was also interesting that We went from three out of four people speaking for an election, at two Nobody's speaking for an election, and everybody's speaking for an appointment because that's what you've obviously decided. And now I hear talk of consensus and all of the votes since Herb has been gone, have been four to nothing. For a while, when Linda Pfeiffer was here, she would always be the person who would be the one on the other side. And I didn't fully appreciate her until she was gone. THE FAMILY. So, Somebody missed the Torah. He's not here right now. And I'd like to read this is the portion for this week. We're one day away. from the third festival. for the Israelite people, it's Shavuos, it's when the Torah was given, And what we read for that is the story of Ruth. And if you don't know the story of Ruth, she's not an Israelite. But when she meets Boaz. And she says to her mother-in-law, your people are my people. and your tribe is my tribe, wherever you go, I will go. And because of that, She is... the matriarch, for the person who becomes the king. That's David. And then Solomon and the Mashiach, who is the king, the prince, continues. even to this day. So, Uh, In one day, We'll be at Shavuos. in the Kabbalistic Skeleton, it's malchus malchus, which is at the bottom, which is kingdom. That we come into the kingdom on the 50th day. That's the jubilee number. I'm a Jubileist. Thank you. |
| 00:14:03.48 | Unknown | you Thank you. |
| 00:14:04.95 | Jeff Jacobs | Thank you. |
| 00:14:04.96 | Unknown | Jeff. Is there anybody else from the public who'd like to say something? Hi, Vicki. |
| 00:14:14.19 | Vicki Nichols | Good evening Mayor Withey and Council. Vicki Nichols, I'm not going to speak to any of the nominees. I did sit in on all the interviews and I think you've made a good selection and I don't envy you your choice. But I will say I was an advocate for an election earlier. And having sat through the interviews, I think you've done a fine job. I think you had some. candidates that were worthy of being considered and you've done your nomination. I think that the process that you've used has been far reaching and also will save some money, but in a good way that you've got some candidates that maybe can sit up there and help you out. Thanks. |
| 00:14:58.32 | Unknown | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 00:15:00.04 | Grover Deer | Thank you. |
| 00:15:00.08 | Unknown | THE END OF THE END OF THE |
| 00:15:00.23 | Grover Deer | Thank you. |
| 00:15:00.31 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 00:15:00.33 | Grover Deer | Thank you. |
| 00:15:04.31 | Grover Deer | My name is Grover Deer, mayor with the councilman. I just want to say my brief exposure to what I've seen tonight is very, very favorable. I am always for an election, but I totally understand the complexity of what's happening, and I completely support and endorse how you're going about this. My only concern now is we've got a very large number of qualified people out there. What a problem to have. I only hope that in some way we can encourage them, those that are not the one that's selected, to still be involved. Otherwise, let's have a city council of 11 people, but I don't think that's a solution. Anyway, good job. You've got a tough job ahead. |
| 00:15:51.49 | Unknown | Thank you very much. Okay, seeing no other comment, we'll close public comment, bring it up here. Does anybody else want to change, add, do anything? We have four names on the table. Do we want to add any others? for our short list. |
| 00:16:13.09 | Unknown | So I too was impressed by Terry Moran's interview, but based on the criteria that we sort of enunciated and agreed upon in terms of someone who can hit the ground running, who's well familiar with a lot of the issues that we are facing and how, and some of the historical provenance of some of those issues, I think that the four candidates that have already been nominated are the most impressive for that purpose. |
| 00:16:39.62 | Grover Deer | All right. |
| 00:16:40.09 | Unknown | I agree and rest assured we'll find a place for Terry. |
| 00:16:44.70 | Unknown | we're gonna make sure we find a place for everyone that came in, so. |
| 00:16:46.13 | Unknown | play Shrek. |
| 00:16:48.78 | Unknown | Mayor, I also wanted to say that originally I had even expressed out loud that should we bring the interviews down, you know, just looking at the applications. And I thank the mayor and vice mayor for scheduling all those for us and going through that process. There's a couple names that I would have put on. I could have done six. I'm glad we're at four. That's a good number and I'm good with these. Terry, Melissa, some of those others really stood out as being prepared and knowing. But really, not only the depth and the ability of these people, but how ironically they all had different abilities. And the breadth of abilities is really remarkable. Thank you. I'm from digital to the waters, to the infrastructure, to municipalities, finance. a ton of talent that is going to be our challenge past June 6th in bringing to use and employing. And it's exciting. So thank you for keeping us on that. And I'm good with the four as well. Thanks. |
| 00:17:57.03 | Unknown | Okay, so we've got four names. Are we all in agreement? Say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Say none. Okay, we're set up for June 6th. And thank you for the members of the public who've participated in this process so far. Thank you. |
| 00:18:05.55 | Unknown | Bye. |
Lisa Bennett — Neutral: Seconded the suggestion to add Terrence Moran and emphasized selecting a candidate who can help reach consensus on polarizing issues. ▶ 📄
Jeff Jacobs — Neutral: Noted only one applicant discussed the anchorage in detail, observed a shift from election to appointment support, and shared a philosophical story about community and leadership. ▶ 📄
Vicki Nichols — In Favor: Initially advocated for an election but after viewing interviews, supported the appointment process and the Council's candidate selection. ▶ 📄
Grover Deer — In Favor: Endorsed the process, acknowledged the complexity, and hoped non-selected candidates would remain involved in city matters. ▶ 📄