Hello Council,
I have concerns about the private Oversight and Outreach group for the Parks & Recreation Facilities Master Plan update. While I
realize the process has been underway for a while, I raised my concerns in an email to the Community Services Director but I never
got a response. Perhaps my email was missed. I have concerns about 1) private meetings and 2) the makeup of the group.
This isn't the only MP Department that either currently has or has had such a group. When Susan Holmer was the Library Director, I
heard from a highly reliable source that Holmer has a private advisory committee to give her private strategic direction. I think
private advisory groups should be banned in MP for many reasons. 1) They bypass residents serving on our advisory committees and
weaken their roles. One has to ask about the purpose of our commissions if the real advising comes from a private group at a
private meeting. 2) The private meetings also give the private advisors undue influence while limiting the public's ability to
provide input into the project. 3) The public also does not see the deliberations of the private group at its private meetings,
which reasonably could raise questions as to if the decisions serve the public good. 4) Private advisory committees, with skewed
representation, can also lead to overconfidence in their recommendations and later lead to a public relations fiasco such as what
we have recently seen in the matter of the plan to build a new Main Library. They are also contrary to the democratic process,
which takes more time but it leads to better outcomes and more public support for decisions.
Today, I was unable to find the Facilities Master Plan web section with all the materials related to the P&R Facilities Master
Plan Update. I don't know if that web page has been removed (with its link to documents) or I just could not find it. However, I
found online copies of some relevant materials. I do not know if the private group has met recently. I believe they have had at
least two meetings already.
According to the Feb 6, 2018 Staff Report
[https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/16611/K2---Community-Outreach-Plan?bidId=], the proposed Oversight and Outreach
committee composition may include:• Derek Schweigart, Interim Community Services Director• Azalea Mitch, Public Works City
Engineer• Parks and Recreation Commission (2 representatives)• City Council liaison to Parks and Recreation Commission•
Environmental Quality Control Commission (1 representative)• Youth/Teens (2 representatives)• School Districts (2 representatives)
• City Pool Operator – Team Sheeper• Sports Field User Group (2 representatives)• Business Community (1 representative)• Arts and
Culture (1 representative)• Environmental Group (1 representative)
According to the meeting summary prepared by BluePoint Planning (March 29, 2018)
[https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/17813/March-21-2018-Committee-Notes-?bidId=]the private Oversight and Advisory
Committee included: * Jennifer Johnson is a resident and on the Parks and Rec commission.
* Sarah Staley Shenk is on the Parks and Rec commission.
* Ahmad Basin works in the Menlo school district with the art/music programs.
* Amirta Bhasin is a student resident and wants to help with change in Menlo
* Stella Kaval is a student resident and wants her voice to be heard. -
* Tim Goode is a recreation user and oversees a non-profit for a sports league.
* Glen Rojas is part of the chamber of commerce, a rotary member, former city manager.
* Steve Young is a pool operator and believes the community should be served by parks and rec.
* Steve Foster is a resident and soccer league president.
Along with my concerns about the private Outreach and Oversight group, I don't see representation from Belle Haven which seems a
glaring ommission, especially when one considers that need to update the Onetta Harris facility and the current plans to build a
new Belle Haven Branch Library.
Also missing are those representing aging adults in our community. While Ahmad Basin has a link to the schools, is he the best
person to represent schools as his stated work for them pertains to art and music programs? A better choice might be an Athletic
Director. I have read that the P&R Commission formally choose two people to serve. However, how were the others selected? I also
wonder about the presence of Tim Goode, Steve Young and Steve Foster as residents have raised concerns about the private companies
(even if they are non-profits) using our sports fields and faciliites. Their presence seems like a conflict of interest to me.
Glen Rojas is also on the board of our local Chamber of Commerce [http://menloparkchamber.com/about/staff-board-members/]and our
former City Manager, so his presence on this important MP committee could be construed as giving him too much influence in MP. A
better choice might have been a few members from actual businesses in town that sell equipment or clothing related to recreaction.
Who's on the private advisory committee, along with who is not on the Committee (but should be) concerns me.
I hope that at a suitable point, Council will consider discussing an actual policy related to public participation. The Making
Public Particpiation Legal [https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/making-public-participation-legal/], document includes a draft
municipal public participation ordinance. More background resources are available fromPublic Agenda
[https://www.publicagenda.org/pages/strengthening-and-sustaining-public-engagement-guide]. I also really like theResource Guide on
Public Engagment. [http://www.ncdd.org/files/NCDD2010_Resource_Guide.pdf]The Institute for Local Government also has a robust set
of materials for inclusive public engagement. [https://www.ca-ilg.org/inclusive-public-engagement]Finally, the paper Sustaining
Public Engagement [https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Sustaining-Public-Engagement.pdf]gives even
more context and suggestions. MP has an opportunity to modernize its traditional methods of public engagement. What seems to be
our default method of mostly posting a meeting notice and then giving the public three minutes at the microphone for public
comment is out-of-date, compared with what we could be doing.
Lynne Bramlett
