Council Policy Committee

TOWN OF LOS GATOS MEETING DATE: 05/25/2021 TOWN COUNCIL POLICY COMMITTEE ITEM NO: 1 Minutes of the Town Council Policy Committee Regular Meeting April 27, 2021 The Town Council Policy Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a regular meeting via Teleconference via COVID-19 Shelter in Place Guidelines on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 5:00 P.M. ROLL CALL Members Present: Maria Ristow, Marico Sayoc. Staff Present: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager; Robert Schultz, Town Attorney; Shelley Neis, Town Clerk; Joel Paulson, Community Development Department Director; Monica Renn, Economic Vitality Manager; Holly Zappala, Management Analyst. CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) 1. Approve the Draft Minutes of the March 23, 2021 Policy Committee Meeting. Approved. VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS None. OTHER BUSINESS 2. Review and Provide Direction on Proposed Modifications to the Commission Appointment Policy. Shelley Neis, Town Clerk, presented the staff report. After discussion, the Committee unanimously agreed to forward a recommendation to the Town Council to approve the proposed modifications to the Commission Appointment Policy. The Committee also asked staff to provide additional input from the Youth Commission regarding: 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: Minutes of the Regular Council Policy Committee Meeting of April 27, 2021 DATE: May 25, 2021  Youth Commission term limits as they apply to the overall Commission Appointment Policy and  The number of Commissioner positions available on the Youth Commission per the Enabling Resolution and  How the Commission liaison appointments are working out. 3. Review and Discuss the Agenda Format and Rules Policy and Determine if Any Modifications are Needed. Shelley Neis, Town Clerk, presented the staff report. Amy Nishide - Commented that she strongly encourages the Town to continue to allow the public to participate remotely in meetings post-COVID. Also commented that there is confusion regarding what it means to “pull” an item from the consent calendar and is in favor of public comments allowed for all consent items together prior to the Council’s vote on the consent calendar. She also believes that if a member of the public speaks on the wrong item, that time should be deducted from their overall public comment time allowance. After discussion, the Committee unanimously agreed to forward a recommendation to the Town Council to amend the Agenda Format and Rules Policy as follows:  Town Council Members and Commissioners participating remotely in public meetings shall have their cameras turned on for the duration of the meeting;  Public remote participation in public meetings should continue to be allowed post- pandemic;  The Committee will defer to staff for guidelines on remote participation for Council Members and Commissioners during the transition period from pandemic to post- pandemic;  Remote participation in public meetings by Town Council Members and Commissioners should be allowed on a limited basis to mirror the existing attendance requirements and with no more than two remote participations in a row (with the understanding that staff will further examine the legal ramifications for Council and ensure compliance with State laws as they evolve);  Council agendas should add public comment on the consent calendar as a whole, and only Council Members would be allowed to remove items from the consent calendar for discussion;  Clearer language should be used to describe “pulling” consent items (e.g., “remove items from the consent calendar for discussion”); and  If a member of the public speaks on the wrong item, the time used would be deducted from the speaker’s overall public comment time allowance on the correct item. PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: Minutes of the Regular Council Policy Committee Meeting of April 27, 2021 DATE: May 25, 2021 4. Commercial Cannabis Business Use Policy Framework Discussion. Robert Schultz, Town Attorney, presented the staff report. Amy Nishide - Commented that the Town should look at this issue from a financial standpoint and not an emotional one. Suggested that the Town put together a quick reference sheet of pros and cons for public distribution. Also commented that people can buy cannabis in San Jose or Santa Cruz, so the Town is giving away that revenue. Phill Barry - Commented that the cannabis dispensary business is like the gold rush and full of either business people who don’t know about cannabis or cannabis people who don’t know about business. Also commented that allowing dispensaries is a great way to make revenue and many other cities are now starting to allow them. Stated that the Town should choose operators who are experienced and will build nice looking dispensaries. Also commented that the public needs to be educated on the issue. After discussion, the Committee asked staff to continue to examine this issue, including looking at best practices in other municipalities and gathering public input (via surveys, community workshops, etc.), create a dedicated webpage and email address for public information and engagement, return to the Committee in the fall after initial outreach, and report to the Town Council later this year. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:37 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the April 27, 2021 meeting as approved by the Town Council Policy Committee. /s/ Holly Zappala, Management Analyst