Because I anticipate a limited speaking time for Tuesdays meeting, Im submitting my full comments in writing in advance.
Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council Members, and honorable staff,
I’m Jenny Michel, a native living in D3, a recovering homeless teacher, public transit enthusiast, commercial property manager by trade, and disabled mom of a disabled 5th grader.
Personal comments:
I support the RFQ process and our housing program. As a member of the business community who represents business interests, I cannot approve of the etiquette and approach my colleagues have used on this issue. We have been disgusting. Yuck.
The unmitigated disaster is already upon us in the form of the housing crisis, rendering our workforce and elderly housing unstable. The second disaster is climate change, worsening daily. In 2024 we breached the 1.5 degree threshold and thousands of southern California residents are now climate migrants. Burst your bubble and get acclimated to how reality already bites for most of us.
If you are looking to make a case for acting in good faith:
* Demonstrate commitment to the certified housing element and the housing program by encouraging RFQ for another parking lot.
* If parking lot #2 is the only one updated and full 100% of the time, how about lot #6? It’s larger and disburses the housing to both sides of Santa Cruz.
* Show the city that you see the benefits of the housing program, like your $22/hr. Assistant manager will be applying to live in the new housing.
* Maintain professionalism and don’t yell at the council or our treasured staff.
* Don’t threaten lawsuits and waste taxpayer money.
* Don’t subject us to defaulting on our housing element exposing us to further consequences.
* If you do, you’ll be the face for why we’ll have more 39 story buildings or how unprofessional Menlo business owners are, careful.
Lastly, as a best practice, professionally, I keep track of the agenda items for each municipality I have business interests in. It can be tedious, but companies are responsible for new obligations to various cities all the time: hello vision zero or TDM. Those new obligations are not communicated in the same fashion as say from the Landlord in notice form. It’s your/our responsibility to be self educated and civically involved. I advise my clients on the impacts to them and their business plan sometimes weekly. Sorry you missed our 6th housing element input cycle or haven’t hired advisers like me. Maybe instruct your attorney to find a way for all parties to win. AB 1886 states we cannot self certify, so amending the housing program and milestones is off the table.
Your participation is encouraged now, but under no circumstances, would I recommend that you derail the progress Menlo Park has made to get our housing element certified. That is acting in bad faith.
Thank you! Jenny from the Coleman Place block
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Jenny Michel
DRE #01900228
