With the public.gov slash agenda.

In person attendees, please keep your electronic devices muted to prevent audio interference.

Consistent with the First Amendment and the Brown Act individuals have the right to speak at public meetings, which includes the right to criticize or support city policies or actions.

Yeah, when we interview the final applicants.

Perfect.

Perfect.

So what we have and what we did for the interviews last year um was utilize the interview script.

And so we have the opening remarks, the interview question section, and then the conclusion section.

Um and and essentially my thought is that we just rotate and after with each interview, the next person starts.

Okay.

So I can kick us off with the first interview with the opening remarks, and then you kick us off with the first question, and then I go to second question, then it goes back to you for the third.

So we just go back and forth.

Okay.

Um, and then yeah.

And if we need to, we can ask some additional follow-up questions.

Um I think that's about it.

Pretty straightforward.

I think so.

I think so.

Okay.

All right.

So first up, we have Charlie Cho.

Um, so sir, why don't you step right on up?

Uh, this is your seat here.

And I just turned the mic on for you.

So you should be all set.

All right.

Hi, Charlie.

Hi, pleasure to be with you today.

Yeah.

Thanks for coming in.

Oh, sure, sure.

And again, I'm sorry that I was late.

I had a call I could not get off of.

Yeah.

That's a business related call.

My apologies.

So yeah, it's I think there's something in the air today.

Uh um and Monday.

And actually, before we kick off, I I apologize as well for being um uh a bit tardy running from work myself having uh a call.

Um, but before we begin, I actually just kind of wanted to take a moment to kind of recognize there's the the fire that happened today in Monterey.

Um, a lot of our residents, particularly seniors in in the complex were impacted by this.

And so just want to say that our hearts go out to all those that are are impacted.

I understand that there was um at least one casualty um at this point.

And so um for all those affected, whether directly or indirectly, um, our our hearts go out to you.

And um, I'm I'm thankful for the city's response.

Our our first responders, um, I understand working with CERT um worked long hours trying to do the best that they could to respond to the emergency and um and there's still a lot of uh work ahead because there's a lot of families um displaced by this.

So um just thank you to the entire team for for the work that's been done to to support our residents that have been impacted.

Yeah, concur.

Absolutely.

All right.

Um Charlie, we'll go ahead and jump into this.

So good afternoon and welcome.

Thanks.

Um, thank you for being here today and for your interest in serving the community through one of the city of Monterey's boards, commissions, or committees.

My name is Tyler Williamson, and I'm joined today by Vice Mayor Ed Smith.

We truly appreciate the time and thought you put into applying and your willingness to contribute to the civic life of Monterey.

This is a public meeting, and we'll be conducting brief interviews with each applicant.

Each interview will last about 15 minutes, and we have six questions we'd like to ask to help us stay on schedule and make sure we cover everything.

We'd appreciate if you could keep your responses succinct and focused.

With that, let's go ahead and get started.

So the first question we're gonna ask you, Charlie, is uh how did you first hear about the volunteer opportunity and why do you think you should be chosen for to serve on the committee?

And I understand you've appealed you have applied for the appeals board.

Right, right.

Okay.

Oh gosh, how did I first um you know there's so many, you know, it's been broadcast so many different emails.

I have no idea which one, but it would have been an email.

Okay, from one of the city subscription services.

And then um, yeah, there's certainly been a buzz from um from friends and uh in the uh Monterey Vista neighborhood association and so forth about various different positions, openings and so forth, you know, for people if you have time to kind of look at some of these.

Um why me?

Um I I think that you know, my my background and um yeah, I guess my my sort of professional background was uh was all in um in software and um internet e-commerce and um identity security and so forth.

Okay.

Um a lot of management of uh people, a lot of uh work in high profile companies that have targets on their back, um, things like PayPal and so forth.

Um things were so let's say that that um that lawyers at the companies were generally my my good friends, uh you know, they're always intellectual property issues, um, um patent issues, whatever else.

And so you had to be able to really look at the facts and um, you know, and sort of make an assessment based on um on the guardrails that are in place, the facts are in place, and um hopefully do the right thing.

Okay, great, great answer.

Thanks.

Um, second question, can you share share one volunteer experience and how it affected you?

What did you learn from it?

And how might that experience shape your approach if selected?

Uh one volunteer experience.

I um worked a lot with um with schools in my previous um um, you know, I use we moved down here about seven years ago before that we were in um in San Jose, and and my wife was um was active in the school systems and a library in there and so forth.

So I would get sucked in on a lot of stuff with that.

And no, it's it's it's it's fun and it's rewarding.

And you know, at this point, since I'm retired, um, and getting more involved in the community activities around here, you know, it's it's really just a way to kind of like be involved to uh get back to make friends.

Um it's a great community here, so it's nice to be part of it.

Okay.

All righty.

Um, so this next question is kind of a an easy one for you.

You've been here six years.

Can you share one volunteer experience and how it affected you?

The next one.

Three.

I'm sorry, three.

Um have you ever attended any of the meetings for the board commission or committee you're playing for?

Well, I've attended one of the appeals committee.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um the actually the the last the last meeting.

Um I uh I actually had an appeal size, the uh uh the appellate um for that particular one.

Okay.

No better way of getting it thrown in there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It was a good process.

Um, and you said you were an appellate.

Um so how did that go for you in terms of your observations of the process, the appeals board, the notices?

Give me a sense of what I think was fairly organized.

Um, and you know, so I certainly knew what was coming.

I knew what to prepare.

Um, not a big deal there at the meeting, the meeting format worked pretty well.

Okay.

And I was able to you know present my case and then be able to answer dialogue.

Um then um the city forester in this case, it was a tree removal thing.

Uh, you know, presented his case.

We um you know had dialogue back and forth, and I gotta say, we're still friends, so it's not yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

So okay, good.

Awesome.

All right.

Number four, each board or commission has regular meeting schedule.

Is your schedule allow you to commit to attending these meetings consistently for the appeals hearing board?

It's the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m.

Yeah, it's not a problem.

Um, we uh place that when we're retired, it's like um you can generally find me in my workshop.

So, you know, like it's easy for me to step out.

Okay.

So the next question is um these boards and commissions often bring together uh resonance with different viewpoints.

Can you share how you approach collaboration and respectful discussion when opinions differ?

And I think you kind of touched on it when you went through your process.

Like you said you you came away understanding the process with no anger.

So could you expound on a little bit of your approach in terms of how when things can be difficult and sides can be picked, how do you how do you manage that?

How do you communicate through that?

I mean, it's uh it's a matter of listening, right?

I mean, people want to feel that they're heard.

Um, you know, you have to listen, you have to, you know, same thing with um when you're managing uh a bunch of high strung engineers, right?

You need to um you need to be able to work with people and understand their viewpoints, which uh certainly in my former world, they tended to be radically different, you know, engineers would have you know very polar, you know, sort of approaches on how to how to kind of deal with the problem, you know, and you'd find the middle ground.

Could could you could you describe maybe uh an example of of like a tough experience that you've had with uh colleagues and and maybe how you helped resolve that?

Uh in work, um trying to think of something specific.

It's been a while, it's been like a couple of years.

Um I I think it's you know, it's sort of the general to be that um, you know, people come to a table and they're all right, right?

You know, everybody has a well thought out opinion about what they what they want to have happen, what the outcome should be.

Uh and they probably haven't thought about the other aspects of it.

So then the question becomes how do you get people to dialogue and and see their um you know, sometimes opponents, sometimes just colleagues, whatever, but to see that other point of view.

And if you can bridge that gap, it tends to go pretty well.

Uh sometimes it takes a while to bridge that gap, but um that's generally the key.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Follow up to the follow-up.

Sure, sure.

Yeah.

So when you're talking about trying to find ways to bridge the gap and listening, and you're talking a lot of of the things where you're you're trying to get everyone to really comprehend the same perspective on an appeal board where the challenge may be interpreting uh legislative ordinances or the statutory side and explaining to someone who might not be in agreement that wants to accept it.

Could you give an example of how you can finish out the process where you know that they just are not going to accept your possible vote, which may not be favorable to them.

But could you give me an example of how how you would navigate through the times when you're giving information to someone and they're very, very disappointed?

Um that's that's a hard one, right?

Because there are so many emotions involved, but I I think that it really, you know, to me, what I would try to do is is to make them understand if you will the greater good.

I don't know if that really mattered.

But you know, I looked at the the last two or three or I guess four years of um appeals um agendas.

Um, a lot of them were um compliance issues, you know, you know, too much garbage, and um, you know, a thousand, you know, excess tires sitting on a lot, things like this.

And I'm sure that they had a point that they that in terms of why that was there.

Uh I don't know what it was.

I mean, that wasn't in the agenda and so forth, but I didn't go farther.

But you know, I'm sure that you know that they would say if you took something like the tire case, you know, they did they have to see that well, these are a fire hazard, and they probably had some reason why they were still sitting there, probably financial.

Um, but it's the business, and I don't know how you kind of get past that.

Maybe there's some help or whatever else, but you got to go figure out some way to in that case, like get the tires off the property.

That answer your question, yeah.

Yeah, it does.

All right, yeah, it does.

Thank you.

Sure.

Um, all right.

The last question is what unique perspective skills or experiences do you think you would bring to this committee?

What would you hope to accomplish during your term if appointed?

Um, well, I'm very analytical.

I'm a good researcher.

Um, so with any of the um the agenda items, obviously they're published well in advance.

So I would uh review and do all the background, all the relevant ordinances and so forth.

Uh I know my way around a contract or around an ordinance on this sort of stuff, but again, you know, um, you read enough uh intellectual property um contracts and so forth, you kind of get the idea.

Um and I think that I uh have a good sense of how to evaluate um you know an issue from multiple sides and make a decision.

So I I think I heard you say that you you were able to apply a lot of the skill set that you've learned through your career and and you analyze, you like to read, you like to study, and you plan on coming prepared.

Yeah, I'm a pretty good researcher.

Yeah.

How are you at uh giving up a Saturday Sunday to research when we get, you know, uh the published published agendas might not be till Thursday late.

Um you might have appointments on Friday, you really can't get to till Saturday.

Any problem with using some of your weekends to maybe do a site visit, uh doing the reading on the weekends.

You know, um one, I'd probably just integrate it into like a site visit.

Well, that sounds like a run or bike ride to me.

Yeah.

Um, you know, and and the other thing is, you know, retired is like, you know, weekends, week, I mean weekends are kind of like when we sort of stay in, we don't go out, right?

Because we leave that to the tourists and you know, and and so it's that's not a problem.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Sounds like you're still kind of engaged and don't want to just sit on the couch and watch TV.

You still want to be involved.

Uh my wife criticizes I never ever stop moving.

Uh I do a lot of these days, it's not well, there's a lot of technical stuff too, but it's also cabinet making and furniture and everything else and stuff.

So yeah, and that's when you can kind of lose yourself with just about tools and design and oh, yeah, it's all just with your hands.

It's really cool stuff.

Yeah, yeah, it's good.

Yeah.

Good.

Um, I don't have any other I'm good too.

Yeah, yeah, I think it's to you for the conclusion.

So I think it's just a conclusion.

It's time for you to kind of wrap it up.

And you know, we want to say thank you very much for giving us your time.

Sure.

Um, we really appreciate your willingness to want to do this and the application process.

You've got an excellent resume.

And it's great to see such well-qualified folks.

Um, the process is going to be interviews today, and then uh later this week we have additional interviews.

Um so staff will follow up after we complete our interviews.

Uh, the plan is for us to be able to announce something uh by the 17th at the city council meeting.

And then what'll happen is we'll take our interviews from today and Wednesday, figure out after we're done interviewing everybody, and then do some kind of rank and then make a recommendation to the full city council.

And then so the two of us would make a recommendation to the council, and on the 17th, we we should be able to make a selection for the various vacancies.

Okay, well, I got some cabinets that had lots of.

I was just gonna say I have a drawer or two in the kitchen.

Yeah, we'll put you to work.

Thank you for thank you so much, Gerald.

Appreciate it.

I believe we have Michael next.

Is that my Michael?

Yeah, why don't you come on up?

Yes.

Yep.

Yep.

Nope.

Yeah, yeah.

Thank you.

Gentlemen, uh Michael, hi Mary Bulletson.

Hi, it's a pleasure.

Nice to meet you.

Good to see you.

Thank you.

Thanks for having me in today.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

This is uh I'm on the big screen of that.

This is the moment.

This is the moment and tape recorded in all.

Well, thank you, Michael, for being here.

And we have you down as showing interest in the appeals hearing board.

Um, the measure P and S Oversight Committee.

Um, the neighborhood and community improvement program committee as the um I think that maybe was not.

I I indicated it, but it wasn't available right now or something.

But um, I am interested if it's if it comes up.

Okay, perfect.

Um report should do the updated.

Okay.

I'm sorry, and I'm just spacing it off of I should I probably should use my phone.

Yep.

Okay, yep.

So we have you down for appeals hearing board, measure P and Measure S.

Um, and so I will pass it to Council Mr.

Smith to kick us off here.

Okay, great.

Thank you very much.

Um so this first question.

Um is how did you first hear about the volunteer opportunity?

And why do you think you should be chosen to serve on any one of these committees that you put in for?

Yeah.

So I heard about it through the Monterey Matters email that comes out.

Um I do subscribe to that and um various other periodic emails through the city, just so I can stay up to date on city business and uh kind of feel like I'm I'm aware of what's going on.

Okay.

So that's how I initially found out about the vacancies.

And I've been a Monterey resident now for about eight years, and I've kind of just been looking for ways to serve the community.

And these seemed like uh interesting and you know, fairly I don't want to say straightforward, but um they they were available and open.

So I thought I would uh see if I could be of service in that way.

Yeah, they always look straightforward when you start, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

See the first that's why I hesitated to use the word straightforward.

It is like I can I can say well, it's just it'll it'll lean forward.

You can take okay go forward a little bit.

Yeah, there we go.

Hopefully that's better.

Yeah.

Um, so I wanted to follow up a little bit on um you've been here about eight years.

And where did you live prior?

Where did you move to?

Um, I grew up just outside of Chicago.

Okay in northwest Indiana.

So that's where I grew up.

I'm a Midwesterner.

Okay.

And uh my wife and I moved out here about eight years ago.

Okay.

So it's enough time where I, you know, I feel like I'm a part of the community and it's it's definitely home now.

Yeah.

You shedding your uh your cold weather gear and you realize you don't have snow here.

Yes, yeah.

And I love it.

We all do, don't we?

Yeah, thank you.

Absolutely.

Um out of the two, do you have a preference?

And if so, why?

Uh from for the measure P S and those.

Yep.

Um, I suppose if I had a preference, it would probably be the measure P and Measure S oversights.

Um I feel like that's more immediate kind of boots on the ground, so to speak, um, fixing potfalls as as the as the phrase goes, you know, um, just being a part of that process and making sure as a citizen that those uh funds are being spent in a responsible manner.

So uh yeah, I think if I had to choose one, that would be my preference.

Okay.

Um I will jump uh do you have a follow-up to that?

Yeah, I we haven't got to it yet, but what what sort of trades were you involved in?

Because you mentioned you you want to get your hands in something, measure P and Measure S oversight.

What skill set do you have that would apply to that?

Because some of it is uh the oversight of the spending, reading Excel spreadsheets, getting involved in the status of project.

So give us a sense of what you've been doing with your life in terms of how those skills might align with what you're interested in.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

So my background is in education.

Okay.

Um, so I was originally a public school teacher uh back when I lived in Indiana.

So uh taught middle school and high school, and then since moving here to California, uh I teach college now.

So I'm an adjunct instructor of psychology over at Hartnell College.

And so um, you know, I just think having those experiences of working with colleagues, uh, because you know, some people don't realize as educators, you it's not like you get to choose everything.

I mean, you work with your department, you work with your division to um create curricula and come up with you know the best course of action for teaching.

So I feel like I have experience working with colleagues and working with other people, some of whom may not agree with my viewpoints.

And uh so I just think I have that experience of uh collaborating in a collegial way with uh with my colleagues to come to a consensus.

And so I feel like I don't know, though those sort of soft skills are are applicable broadly to serving on many committees like these.

Okay, good.

I think you have uh number two.

Um it's free-flowing.

So let's freeze.

We just want to get to the real you.

Michael, we appreciate it.

Um, can you share one volunteer experience and how it affected you?

And what did you learn from it and how might that experience shape your approach if selected for one of these committees?

Um, well, one very recent volunteer experience actually was just a few days ago.

I served as a volunteer judge for the Monterey County uh science fairer.

Oh, okay.

So I got to serve in that capacity where I was with uh I think about 10 or 11 or 12 other judges.

Uh and again, getting back to the working collaboratively, uh, I needed to communicate with these other judges and try to rank, you know, the various uh projects that were being shown.

And there was, you know, disagreement, sometimes very strong disagreement about you know which middle school project was uh was first place, second place, and third place.

And so uh yeah, I I think just having those sorts of volunteer experiences where I'm I'm visible to the local community and in a manner where I can uh interact with colleagues and try to come up with some semblance of a consensus is again kind of broadly applicable to serving on any sort of committee or board where I'm working.

Okay.

Okay.

Uh and was your choice the one that was the ultimate winner?

Of course.

Of course, yeah.

And you feel good.

I wouldn't I wouldn't let the other judges make the mistake of not going with my uh no, I'm getting I'm kidding.

And these are uh junior high school uh entrances in uh the science fair?

Yeah, mostly junior high, um, but uh a few high schoolers also okay.

Good.

Uh I've been to those many times, having a couple of kids raised here and the science fairs are a big deal, and the competition is it's grueling.

It can get intense for sure.

You see you see a lot of emotional investment in the willing.

I mean, they everybody wants to win, right?

Yeah.

Um so let me follow up on that in your setting with being a volunteer with us on any board or commission.

How do you navigate the your idea is the right one?

We all think we have the best idea, but how do you transcend the purposefulness of what we want to a group um to come to a consensus of disparate opinions?

How does that work for you?

I think just trying to find as much common ground as possible.

And when disagreements do arise as they inevitably do, um, getting back to the shared goal.

So in the case of measure sp, for example, right?

And shared goal is ensuring a fiscally responsible use of those funds.

And so I think any disagreement or any uh difference of opinion that does come up can either be resolved or at least minimized through focusing back on that shared goal, right?

What are we here to do?

Let's do that.

And if we have to disagree about it, let's disagree about it, but let's not lose sight of what the ultimate shared goal is.

Okay.

So yeah, just find finding commonalities, finding getting back to whatever the shared goal is.

Okay, great.

Thanks.

What did you teach in grade school?

I was a band director.

Nice.

So I I taught band in middle school and high school.

So what instruments do you play?

All of them.

Wow.

Okay.

Yeah, I play Saxphone in the Monterey Peninsula College band.

Awesome.

And uh it doesn't seem to be a thing anymore, but the Monterey community band I used to play in uh a few years ago.

Okay.

I'm sure Monterey Pops would take you as well.

So I haven't looked into that, but I that would be interesting.

Yeah, for sure.

They do the Memorial Day event in Colton Alan, which is always uh a fan favorite.

Um so pass that your way.

Okay, and we should connect later.

I I was in band um in grade school, and um it always excites me to find another musician.

So he could have you play and he could judge 100%.

Take it.

I love the feedback.

So I don't have to worry about not as harsh as the uh science fair, right?

No, I'll go easy on you.

Um all right, question three have you ever attended any of the meetings for the board commission or committee you're applying for?

No.

Okay.

What aspects of the committee's work interests you most?

Um can you can you be more can you be more specific when you say aspects?

Yeah, I think you were um particularly around measure p measure s, you were um talking about kind of bringing it back to the goal.

Um, and so I feel like you may have already answered the question with that response, but it is is there if there's anything more that you want to speak to in regards to like what the work is that they're doing and and what draws you to those specifically versus maybe some of the other boards commissions or committees.

Okay, yeah.

So maybe just to expand on kind of earlier, I said it's uh it seems very practical to me.

Like, you know, most people, most residents of the city, I think kind of intuitively understand what measure S and Measure P are trying to do, right?

There, you know, it it seems like a fairly easy to understand situation for the average Monterey resident, right?

These are um street repairs, right?

That's like I said earlier, it's kind of the classic, you know, when you're a citizen, what do you want?

Do you want your potholes fixed?

So it's a very practical kind of boots on the ground thing, and that's what I'm kind of drawn toward, something that is uh broadly appealing to most people.

I mean, most people like to have paved streets and and and things fixed.

So uh I think that's what draws me to it.

It's the practical usefulness.

Awesome.

Hopefully that answers the question.

It does thank you for it.

Pass it to you in.

Yes.

So um each board or commission has a regular scheduled meeting.

Uh, does your schedule allow you to commit to attending uh these meetings consistently?

So you've applied for the appeals hearing board, and that's the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m.

And if we did have an opening and we selected you for measure P or Measure S, uh, that's an as needed and scheduled uh variety of times.

Um those are the only two that you applied for.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

Yeah.

Okay.

So any problems with time management attending the meetings that might fall on those dates.

So for measure SP, that if I understand correctly, you mentioned it's just as needed.

Yeah, they they schedule, I think it's typically quarterly.

Um and then I think what they do is they they find a common date that works, publish it, and then do that here.

It's a public meeting.

Okay, yeah.

Well, that I shouldn't see any issue with that.

Yeah.

Uh and then the other is it's a third Thursday.

Yeah, third Thursday um at 10 a.m.

in the morning.

I'm on an academic schedule working as an adjunct professor at Hartnell.

So my my schedule changes every semester.

Yeah.

Uh but currently I don't see that being an issue.

Uh and just clarify it is in person, correct?

Yes, yes.

In person.

Okay.

There is some remote options, but uh not as a normal every time.

Yeah.

Nor normally in person.

Yeah.

And I don't know exactly how that works because that's correct.

Normally normally you would need to be in person in those those exceptions or more for when something comes up.

Like um a sickness or um travel on official business, that kind of thing.

The just cause kind of thing.

Okay.

Yeah.

So let me let me uh to be fully transparent.

Yeah, my current work schedule at Hartnell right now requires me to teach at 1120 on Thursdays.

Uh so it would be difficult uh to do a 10 o'clock here and then drive the half hour uh over to Hartnell uh in time.

It would basically be impossible.

But that's this semester.

And so on an academic schedule, my my schedule changes semester to semester, and I would largely be free, I believe over the summer.

Anyway, this this is a rambling way of saying that my schedule does change semester to semester.

So it's it is difficult for me to give a hard yes or no that I would be free, but unfortunately that's that's the best answer I can give you right now.

Is it's a little bit difficult to say.

Yeah.

Um I apologize, I can't be more specific.

No, that's okay.

Um, I'll go to the next one.

Um, if I these boards and commissions often bring together residents with different viewpoints.

Can you share how you approach collaboration and respectful discussion when opinions differ?

Yeah.

So I think just to build off of my my previous answer is you know, whenever disagreements happen, uh just try to fall back on the shared goal or whatever that is, like whenever when I'm teaching and talk, you know, talking with my colleagues, the shared goal is how do we most effectively teach these kids?

Or in the case of college, you know, how do we most effectively structure this curriculum such that students are gonna leave here with the skills they need?

And so whenever disagreements happen or whenever clashes of viewpoints happen, coming back to that shared goal of this is what we're here to do is usually really helpful.

So, you know, as you're well aware, there's no magic bullet to uh getting disparate viewpoints to to agree with each other, but I just think that the closest thing to a magic bullet is uh really striving for that shared goal, uh what we're here to do and focus on that.

And that should hopefully smooth out any potential disagreements or changes of viewpoint.

So thank you for it.

So just a little follow-up um on a shared goal, and I think that is absolutely a good cornerstone.

Um when you would be, or if you were selected for appeals board, there might be times when you're um overseeing um a challenging choice where there might be the statute to or the ordinance to enforce it gives you very little wiggle room.

Um, and the business decision of the process may be that you have to deny the request by a citizen that might be standing at that microphone and you're sitting here with your counterparts on the board and having to say no.

Um how do you approach when you are not able to accommodate and you cannot find common ground?

And you are serving in a position where uh you're making a business business decision, but it is counter counter to what the interest is is of the other person.

How do you do that?

I think what I would do in that situation is very clearly and very transparently explain my reasoning.

And I think that if you're engaging with the person who you're giving bad news to or who disagrees with you, if you clearly explain why you're making the decision that you're making, it can sometimes help the situation in that at least they understand where you're coming from.

They uh the person understands your reasoning.

I think it only makes the situation worse if you state your decision, and it might not be what the person or entity wants, and then you don't clearly articulate the reasons why you made that decision.

So I think that that's probably the best thing that I could think that I would do if I had to deliver uh bad news or an unfavorable outcome.

Uh be forthright, be tactful, and state the reasoning behind the decisions.

Okay, good.

Um I think we just had this last question.

Um, what unique perspective skills or experiences do you think you would bring to this committee?

What would you hope to accomplish during the term if appointed?

I think you kind of answered a lot of this already.

Um, but I just give that back to you to see if you have any last thoughts there.

Yeah, well, again, my background is in education.

So I think I would bring a perspective kind of from the education world, right?

How do we uh not only how do we work together in a collegial way in with whatever uh board I I I may end up serving on, but how can we educate the public about what we're doing?

And uh to get uh back to the previous question, even educating people who are giving bad news to, right?

If I have to give an unfavorable uh uh news or an unfavorable decision to a person or an entity, I think falling back on my education background will be helpful because again, the more that I can explain the reasoning and educate the person, here's here's why this decision was made.

I think uh that will make the process much more smooth.

So yeah, just having that that unique education background, I think might add something to uh to the board.

Awesome.

Um so just kind of a conclusion of what we're doing here in the process.

You you might have been here, so you might have heard this already, but um we really appreciate you coming in and spending your time and your efforts.

Um then also the process, we have a couple more interviews this afternoon, uh a few more on Wednesday, then uh the mayor and I will be looking at all of the applicants and weighing and then making our recommendations to the full council that's scheduled to go March 17th.

So if you have nothing to do on March 17th, it'll be on the agenda and we'd welcome you to come come to the council meeting.

Okay.

Well, thank you very much.

Thanks for taking the time to move.

All right, thank you, Michael.

Good to meet you.

Thank you.

We'll have to talk about band later on.

Absolutely.

I'm ready for it.

I'm ready.

What was your instrument?

Um, so my dad um taught me to play percussion.

So we had like I had a training pad and we would go up in the tree house and he would just teach me rhythms.

And then um when I got into high school, my uh band director got me on Susaphone, surprisingly, which is just really weird.

I was like a squawry little kid playing Susaphone.

Um and then went to French Horn.

I play a little bit of SACS.

I I I dabble.

I can play piano.

So um, yeah, I'm mainly a sax player.

Okay, okay.

It's been a while since I played SACS, but um, I just I enjoy music and and I sing too.

So yeah, yeah.

So we can start a band.

If nothing works out better for either of us, we can get Michael good to meet you.

So your next applicant would be Catherine Egerton or Egerson.

Edgerson.

Hi, Catherine.

Welcome.

Okay.

You go by Kate.

Yes, thanks.

Hi.

I see.

Okay.

Thank you.

No, I appreciate you for it.

Okay.

You want to kick us off on this one?

I will.

Sure.

Catherine, thank you very much for coming.

Glad to be here.

Um, so we um we are here in the process to make the selections.

Um, I'm Vice Mayor Ed Smith.

This is Mayor Tyler Williamson.

Thanks to see you both.

And so we have today and then Wednesday, we're doing uh additional interviews.

Uh the meeting is a public meeting.

Um, so it is on camera.

So the public at home can watch this if they want.

Members of the public have attended and taken the time to see uh the process today as well.

Um, so while we do the conducting of the interview, it'd be about 15 minutes long.

We'll take some notes.

We're listening to you if our heads down taking notes because what we have to do is do an evaluation and make some recommendations.

Um, so if you would uh appreciate, or we would appreciate if you'd um keep your responses succinct and focused.

And um, I think you're gonna start off with the first one, right?

I am gonna start us off with the first one.

And before we kick it off, I will um just share that um you are in district two, council district two, and you are applying for TMC by competit committee.

Yes.

Um with that, I will start.

How did you first hear about this volunteer opportunity and why do you think you should be chosen to serve on this committee?

Um I found out about this through the Monterey Weekly, um, which I've discovered is an excellent um path to some different organizations and opportunities to get involved with the community and and do different kinds of service.

And I looked at that opening and said, goodness, I am a pedestrian commuter and a recreational cyclist.

I'm uh have been working full-time at the Naval Postgraduate School, but I'm working part-time this year and looking to perhaps extend that part-time work or or moving into retirement.

And so I have more opportunities to do community service and volunteer work and this like a good fit for my skills.

Well, congrats for being in this phase.

I'm a contractor, which means that I'm one of the only people over there who can walk a part-time path right now, and I'll take it.

And I'm glad to have made it on time today.

I had class until thank you for being here.

I'll pass it to you up for two.

Yeah, um, I just curious what you do as a contractor.

Um so it says it and says advanced writing instructors.

So what does that really mean?

I teach a writing class for new students.

Um, I have taught largely students in the social science departments at NPS.

Right now I'm teaching for the defense analysis department.

So I'm the hi, welcome to grad school, meet the librarian.

Do you know what a literature review is?

We're gonna need to work on some stuff so you can write athesis eventually.

And um, I have experience teaching policy writing, I have experience teaching legal writing, I have experience with academic research.

Um, all of which makes me pretty conversant with public policy, legal codes, how does the sausage get made?

Kind of interest.

And I'm interested in how communities can support all kinds of movement, people on foot, people on bikes, people in cars, people on transit.

Um, and this seemed like an opportunity to get involved at the county level, but also serve the city of Monterey since I understand this is a Monterey representative to a county committee.

Yes.

Um, and I thought that would be a good learning interface.

I'm interested in the subject.

Well, okay, Grace has a quick follow-up.

Um, as a fellow cyclist, I can um appreciate the needs to focus on various modes of transportation and how they all integrate with each other.

Could you just give us your maybe theory, your thoughts around um uh some of the transportation woes of of Monterey County, but maybe even more specifically the city of Monterey and maybe where there might be some opportunities.

Well, Monterey is an amazing place to cycle.

Um, I am a big fan of the rec trail.

My regular, I live between on Castro Road between the Del Monte Golf Course and Agua Guido Road.

And my regular ride takes me down to the Rec Trail, um, all the way to Lovers Point and then all the way to a Sulomar.

Um, that's my my standard.

And as a recreational cyclist, it's amazing.

Coming into town on a bike in Monterey is a different situation.

100%.

Um, but I think counties like Monterey that have a lot of people in a lot of different areas need to think about how all these modes of transport fit together.

And where I live, it's not easy to walk out the front door and get on a bus.

I'm gonna have to walk to transit.

I'm gonna have to cycle to transit to, you know, all of those things have to connect together.

And people in the south part of the county and people in Prunedale and people in Salinas are all going to have different needs, but we all would like to not die on the way to work.

That's a good start.

I'd say that's the number one priority.

I recently stopped riding in Pebble Beach after the last accident on 17 mile drive.

I decided that was not a that had been part of my occasional routine.

And there's part of 17 mile drive I'm still willing to do, but I'm like, shh, yeah, no.

But I'm glad I don't work over there.

I don't ride my bike to NPS in part because I live close enough to walk.

And uh we've the current base commander has taken away our access to our cycling gate as a force protection measure.

And riding a bicycle through the car gate is also not a particularly safe and pleasant thing to do.

And I'm happier on foot.

But I think people need to understand that their preferred mode of transit is one mode of transit and other people are gonna have other perspectives.

And I'm thrilled that the transit agency for the county has a bike and pedestrian committee and is gathering input from all the municipalities and interest groups and you know, the safe access to schools and those other programs.

And it seemed like an opportunity to learn a lot and also contribute.

Um, and I'm looking for opportunities to be able to do that.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Did you do the first one?

I did.

Yes.

Um, can you share one volunteer experience and how it affected you?

And there's more.

And what did you learn from it and how might that experience shape your approach if you were selected for the bike committee for Kamsey?

Um, I am doing two other volunteer jobs at that I've both started fairly recently that I really appreciate.

One is with the League of Women Voters.

I am helping to um prepare the vote 411 material for Monterey County elections.

Okay.

And this allows me to build on the work I've done through the Monterey County Elections Department.

I'm a longtime poll worker.

I'm a precinct inspector.

Uh our precinct is up in Moss Landing.

So I've been administering a polling place for the last several elections.

Um, I find that work very important and very valuable.

And it teaches me a lot about the importance of ongoing relationships with the community that you're serving.

I work with a group of volunteers who staff a polling place through Team Up with for Democracy.

And they asked us to staff this polling place in Moss Landing.

And our first year, people were like, Who are you people?

You none of you live up here.

What's going on?

And we worked hard to provide continuity.

We've worked at that polling place for several years now.

And now voters come in and they're like, oh, hi.

And they recognize us.

And when we have new technology from the elections department, and we're saying the way this is happening is different.

We it's been very smooth because they know us now.

So it shows us the power of those kind of relationships and being able to work through the League of Women Voters and make you know good, unbiased directly from the candidate information available to voters across the community through a central resource like vote 411 is great.

And I'm getting to work with some really interesting people and learn more about GIS.

And I'm happy to do the work.

So it's it's been really enjoyable.

Good.

Well, and thank you for that work.

That's uh really important work.

And and um I I don't think poll workers get enough praise and thank you.

It's essential.

It's a it's the foundational part.

And there's there's a lot of we we live in a contested environment right now, but poll workers who understand the law and poll workers who understand how the Secretary of State and Law of California governs elections are what is going to make elections continue to work.

100%.

And um, I will be there until I keel over.

I love it.

I love it.

A committed poll worker and working with the leagues allowed me to do other election supporting democracy supporting work in between actually administering elections.

I love it.

Well, thank you for it.

But um, our elections department in Salinas and for Monterey County, those are exceptional people and they do good work.

And I am happy to be there.

Okay, when things get really busy, I show up again.

So I'm glad to do that.

And I would just point out um for folks that haven't had an opportunity to review your application.

You also um have volunteer experience with Monterey County Food Bank.

So also really important work.

In involved with the food bank, and I've also just completed training as a sanctuary steward for Save Our Shores, based out of Santa Cruz.

We're doing beach cleanups, advocacy work, uh confronting the possibility of oil leasing offshore.

Um, and I've been really glad to make connections there as well.

Awesome.

I could go on and on about each of these, but for sake of time, um, I'll jump to the next question.

Have you ever attended any of the meetings for the board commissioner committee you're in applying for?

No, but I did read the minutes of the last few.

So I have a sense of how they use consent agendas, what kind of materials they were they're referring to, but I haven't had the opportunity to attend.

Okay, and then what aspects of the committee's work interests you most?

And you kind of spoke to this already, but if you had anything else to add, um, just how they're working with the um the transit planners, the street planners.

My child is a senior studying urban planning at San Francisco State.

So in the last few years, I've gotten a uh secondary education in urban planning issues, and all of a sudden it's like, oh, yeah, okay, this is rubber meets the road for that kind of stuff.

And it looks like they're being asked um to review some really interesting projects, and that there's a lot of good forward thinking.

Let's get everyone where they're going safely and attend to the environment and attend to um all those issues that municipalities have to do.

Yeah.

Okay.

Can I ask a sidebar?

Because we looked at your resume and we see what you do, but you didn't mention how long you've been here.

Where was your last uh station in life?

Sure.

Where'd you come from?

In Monterey since 2016.

Okay.

Um my parents, my my parents met and got married when my dad was a student at the postgraduate school in the 60s, and then was in the Navy and we lived all over the place.

Okay.

I'm a graduate of Monterey High School because my dad was the director of programs at NPS when I was in high school and we lived on campus back when senior staff families were able to live on campus before it was a closed facility.

Okay.

I have opinions about that.

Um I have before I came back to Monterey, I was a professor of English at Berea College in Kentucky.

And I moved back here because my um my father passed away quite suddenly, and my mom needed help, and my husband and I looked at each other and said, We're going back to Monterey.

Um, and I landed uh a job very much in my skill set at NPS, which is an institution that is important to my family and have been working there for the last 10 years.

So I came here from eastern Kentucky and came back here for family reasons.

And this, you know, the the Navy is home, and Monterey is where we got choose to be because the Navy took I love it.

Okay, good.

But I I live on Castro Road and I'm not going anywhere.

I have solved the housing problem by moving in with my mother, and there I shall stay.

So we have a couple more questions.

This next one is these boards and commissions often bring together residents with different viewpoints.

And can you share how you approach collaboration and respectful discussion when opinions may differ?

Well, everybody in this kind of setting these boards and commissions, committees exist to bring differing viewpoints together.

Committees need to have some working understandings of what kind of both how many are people from different communities being invited in to both listen and contribute.

Are there access issues?

Are there language issues?

Are there scheduling issues that the committee can take some steps to help ameliorate?

And making sure that people understand that you have on the one hand the you know the statutes and laws and regulations, what kind of money can be spent, all of those things, and evidence that if somebody is speaking to an issue in their community, the committee has an obligation to help them understand what kind of evidence would be relevant, right?

What kind of information does somebody with an opinion or an experience need to be able to bring to other people?

And there should be some assistance on that committee's part to helping people who want to speak to these issues understand how to participate effectively.

But otherwise, you know, listening and good records and civility and making and you know, holding to agendas and publishing notices appropriately and saying this is how things are going to work.

Um is part of how things get done.

So people don't assume that decisions are being made um out of public view or in a corrupt manner or anything else.

And but there's a lot of responsibility of people serving on these organizations to invite in those disparate opinions and help people understand how to represent themselves effectively.

I'm a writing teacher.

I teach people how to deal with evidence and argument all the time.

This is in fact my day job.

My normal students are special operations officers.

The community will be a lovely change base.

The soft guys are amazing.

They're delightful.

I love them.

Um, but they they come in with a certain set of experiences and a certain mindset.

Totally.

The community is uh more diverse, and that's a good thing.

Absolutely.

Um maybe in me, but I think I rolled over four.

Yeah, I'll how about I do four, then you'll we'll go back to you for six.

Yeah, that's fine.

Um, each board of commission has regular meetings scheduled.

Does your schedule allow you to commit to attending these meetings consistently?

And the Tam C bike and peg committee meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.

Yeah, that won't be a that won't be a problem.

Six six on Wednesdays is fine on the first Wednesday, and it's easy to schedule in ahead of time.

Beautiful.

And six is um, it's uh what unique perspective, and I think you've kind of spoken what unique perspective skills or experiences do you think you would bring to this committee?

What would you hope to accomplish during your term if appointed?

Um, I think the fact that I am again a pedestrian commuter and a recreational cyclist gives me some insight into how do people get around in in different modes.

Um, you know, I draw I I was planning to bike over here, but they moved my interview up.

So I can do that.

Um and I mostly want to be able to represent the city, which I understand means communicating with elected representatives and and what kind of input the city wants to send to the county agency and be a communicator who can work back and forth.

Um communication is what I do and what I teach people how to do.

And I I think that's something that I can contribute.

Awesome.

Well, thank you very much for your time and your interest in serving the city of Monterey.

I appreciate it.

We truly appreciate you and the effort you've made to be here and your willingness to contribute to our community.

Um, city staff will be following up after uh with you after uh we complete the interviews.

Our plan is to announce the appointments and selections at the March 17th City Council meeting.

So thanks again, and we'll be in touch.

Thank you very much.

I've thank you.

Good to see you both.

Likewise from my nose.

So we're doing this.

We're gonna do that.

Thank you very much.

The extra layer of protection.

We'll take um now we're looking at Susie Bryan, also for Tansi.

Hi, Susie.

Hi.

Hi, it's a pleasure.

Yeah.

Yes.

Thank you.

And I'll remember who started last fine.

You can start.

Okay.

So good afternoon.

Um welcome.

Thank you for being here today and your interest in serving the community through the city of Monterey's boards, commissions, and committees.

I'm Tyler Williamson.

I'm joined today by our vice mayor Ed Smith.

We truly appreciate the time and thought.

Pardon me.

If we could maybe just take the conversation outside just to avoid um so we appreciate uh the time and thoughts you put into applying and your willingness to contribute to the civic life of Monterey.

This is a public meeting, and we'll be conducting brief interviews with each applicant.

Each interview will last 15 minutes, and we ask that uh we'll ask six questions um that we'd like you to answer to help us stay on schedule and make sure we cover each uh topic.

We'd appreciate if you also keep your responses succinct and focused.

So with that, let's go ahead and get started.

You know, I'm looking for the cover sheet, but I'm missing something.

I don't know what you've applied for.

Um yeah, so I don't have a cover sheet that shows in.

Give me one second.

And uh I can pedestrian, okay.

Um it is okay.

I didn't speak up for you all.

And and I would point out you also live in district council district two.

Yeah, let me catch up my paperwork here, Susie.

And so yeah, my however, I managed to make a copy.

I don't have a cover sheet.

Or Susan, do you have a cover sheet that shows the you were just that's the first page?

Is it no, but it doesn't show what she's applied for.

So this is the application only for the transfer for transportation.

It's a different it's a different one, but it just looked a little bit different.

Yeah, okay.

So you said it TAMSY bicycle.

Yes, yeah, I appreciate it.

And some of the forms are slightly a little bit different, not your fault at all.

Not at all.

Um so we're ready to start with question one.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Um, how did you first hear about this volunteer opportunity?

And why do you think you should be chosen to serve on the committee for um bicycle and pedestrian serving the city council with the TAMC?

Yeah, I um I heard about this on the website on the city council or the city government website.

Yeah, which I've been uh kind of stalking for a while because uh since moving here four years ago, this has been on my radar.

Um I've wanted to find some way to get involved in bike investment infrastructure specifically.

Okay.

Um that was one of the main selling points for moving here.

It's walkable, bikeable in California on the coast.

Oh my gosh, incredible.

Um, so I think one of the things I could uh provide to this committee is like one enthusiasm.

I'm pretty jazzed about bike and pedestrian infrastructure and uh just very excited to be living in a city that prioritizes it.

Um I think that's one of the the value drivers of the city of Monterey.

Yeah.

That is incredible.

And uh I it is so evident, just based on the infrastructure that exists already, how it's maintained, access to it, and I want to uh contribute to that in some way.

Um I also think I could offer a slightly different perspective to the committee.

Um I am like I think anyone who's applying to be part of this free heavy user of this infrastructure already.

Um, but I've also lived in places uh that have good infrastructure car-free.

Um, and I've seen what it's like to live and work without a car and still be mobile and still have full life.

Um and I've also worked briefly for a uh bike tourism company.

So they led tours all over Europe um for bikes and hiking through cities, um, with you know, some of the cities in the world that we know of that are are best suited for biking and pedestrians, and just seeing that kind of infrastructure, different policy approaches to building that kind of infrastructure and how people can live and work in those settings is fantastic.

It was also, I think, really useful to see uh how people who don't live and work in those conditions approach that infrastructure, right?

I was leading these tours with visitors who are seeing this for the first time and navigating it for the first time.

I think that was a really uh eye-opening experience to have to understand that our infrastructure is being used by a lot of different kinds of people for a lot of different kinds of reasons.

So access and um different perspectives on how that infrastructure is being used, I think are important.

I think that's something I could provide to the committee.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Um could you describe um kind of your theory, thoughts on like bike ped as it relates to the county, but more specifically the city of Monterey and where there might be opportunities?

Um yeah, what are your thoughts?

Just kind of just kind of big picture.

What do you see how you could like what you can bring forward to the table there?

I think so.

I think like the previous interviewer mentioned, the rec trail is such a massive gem here.

It's really fantastic and so heavily used.

Um, but we need more access to and from the rec trail uh within the city.

And then I'm also really looking forward to uh the SERF project and seeing how people from County can be getting into the city.

Uh that I think could be a real game changer.

I've been looking for looking for more opportunities like that.

That I think is going to be fantastic.

So thank you for that.

Oh, that's me.

Yeah, sorry.

Share one volume too.

Can you share one volunteer experience and how it affected you?

What did you learn from it?

And how might that experience shape your approach if selected?

Yes.

Um, I volunteered for a few years with the suicide prevention hotline for San Francisco.

And uh at the time I was also learning, I was getting an educational related field and um learning more about this, went through a pretty rigorous training, and uh uh quickly learned on the lines that the what I thought I was providing to the community was very different from the community's needs.

So I I had gotten this training and you know, high risk, high, you know, de-escalation techniques, high risk scenarios, finding resources, getting the deploying people.

There was so little of that involved, and so much more of using the lines as the mental health services, maintenance, naval health services, or connecting, referring people to different services that exist in the city.

And I quickly had to switch from using my voice to using my ears, really listening to the needs of the community and trying to figure out ways to meet those needs.

I think that's something that I would be bringing this to this community as well.

I have a lot of different users of this infrastructure who have different needs, and uh, you know, it's it's great to have the perspective of someone who's been here for a long time and knows uh this infrastructure really well.

There are we also have a lot of visitors here, or you know, there are a lot of recreational cyclists or people using the rec trail recreationally.

We also have people commuting or bringing their kids to school.

So I think uh that sort of diversity of uh ideas and and um uses of this infrastructure is important.

Hope to keep my ears open.

Thank you for that.

Well, thanks for your work with suicide prevention.

Absolutely very, very valuable.

Uh this next question is have you ever attended any of the meetings for the board commission or committee that you're applying for, which is the TAMSY board or the pedestrian uh bicycle subcommittee?

Not in on last week's meeting.

Otherwise, no.

Okay.

And the last week meeting was the pedestrian bicycle meeting that you've sat in.

Okay.

Any observations?

Um a good I appreciated the somewhat looser nature of being able to uh comment on the presentation as it was ongoing.

I know um there's a format, and it seemed like there was some openness to breaking that for productive discussion, which I think was great and healthy.

And yeah.

All right.

So was there um a little bit of a structure about the the nuances of the Brown Act and what you could deviate from the Brown Act?

Yeah, yeah.

Whether it's not agenda, can we talk about this versus what's on the agenda?

Yeah, we have that all the time.

Okay, thank you.

Um each border commission has a regular scheduled uh meeting.

Does your schedule allow you to commit to attending these meetings and for the bike and pad committee?

It's first Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.

Yes, yeah, not a problem.

Okay, back to you then.

Uh these boards and commissions often bring together resonance with different viewpoints.

Uh can you share how you approach collaboration and respectful discussion when you pin when opinions may differ?

Now, your collaborative effort on bicycle pedestrian meeting is advisory to TMC advisory to this council.

You kind of talked a little bit about your philosophy of communicating and listening deeply and getting all parts of your soul activated.

So now I want you to go in a different direction.

Tell us more.

Yeah.

What would what would you be able to communicate back to this council if you were selected for pedestrian bicycle?

How would you how would you reach out to us and make sure that we're engaged with what you're doing?

Then the question being uh, how would I approach disagreements?

Well, it's it's two parts.

So, how would you approach disagreements?

And maybe there's divergent opinions in the role of the community or uh the role of the commission that you're you're serving on, but then how would you be able to communicate back to this council and let us let us kind of know what's going on?

And if it helps too, it's question five there in front of you.

I should have pointed that out to our previous uh applicants.

Um yeah, I think so, in terms of different viewpoints, uh disagreement is the heart of progress, right?

That's what we that is what these committees are for.

And uh I I think in the past I've taken an approach of actively listening and being as respectful as possible and as curious as possible.

I think it's really helpful in this context at least.

Keep in mind that presumably everyone who is involved with this committee, or anyone who is presenting to this committee, or anyone who is presenting from the public, we all have the same goal, right?

We all we all want Monterey to be an active place.

We all want um these mobility options to exist uh and for them to be maintained and grow.

And um I think keeping in mind that we have the same goal is really helpful.

But there's disagreement, it's just a uh maybe a disagreement about exactly how to get there, but in my mind, that is that is uh doable.

Um I think your second question was how would that be then communicated?

How can I go about communicating?

Yeah, so you you'll be doing your activities, you have your agenda, you do the the committee work, then what?

Yeah, I think then communicating that back to the city in the most accurate way possible.

That is not a place for me to interpret.

Um that's a place to just be as accurate as possible um and reflect those opinions and activities as well as I can.

Okay, good.

Thank you.

What unique perspective, skills or experiences do you think you would bring to this committee?

What would you hope to accomplish during your term if appointed?

Uh yeah, I think I've touched on this a bit.

For sure.

Um, but yeah, I think so.

Having having used this infrastructure in various ways, um provides a unique perspective.

I think I can also keep those ears open to the community and their needs.

Uh and I really do think that that experience uh working for that cycling company was so helpful or could be so helpful in this um in this context because we do have a lot of visitors here, as I've said, uh, but also because I got to see a lot of different approaches to inf existing infrastructure and also talk with people about different policy approaches.

And I I think that diversity would help me be a useful member of this committee.

And so what I would hope to accomplish during my term if appointed.

Um hopefully reflecting the needs of the community as accurately as I possibly can and um being uh uh a respectful and um open-minded committee member, um, reflecting back the needs of the city of Monterey as much as possible.

Uh and I am honestly just very excited to see what is possible in Monterey uh and see some projects hopefully going to the ground.

Yeah, this was a very exciting opportunity.

I I think you mentioned the surf project.

Um have you ridden your bicycle out that way and seen the construction sites?

Yeah, yeah.

And I also hear there are going to be campgrounds there.

That's right.

Yeah, another project the state the state's putting in campgrounds.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So there's a lot going on out there.

There's a lot.

Yeah.

I'm excited about that.

I uh routinely ride my bike up to Aptos to visit family up there.

So it's you are like two app talks.

I bless you for that.

There's some seconds in there.

Yeah, I know for sure.

Yeah.

I know I know Santa Cruz has got some challenges and they're trying to make some improvements as well.

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

Thank you.

I think we were back to the close.

Uh, you you read uh six, didn't you?

Yes, sir.

So in conclusion, um, thank you very much for your contributions and coming today and with your desire to serve the city of Monterey.

Um we appreciate it all because it takes time and effort and thoughtfulness.

So what's going to happen now is we're finishing up our interviews today.

We have another interview on Wednesday, several applicants.

So we have the challenge to try and go through what we hear and make a recommendation to the full city council, and that's scheduled for the 17th.

So if you don't have anything else to do, we'd welcome you to come to the city council meeting.

And if you can't be here in person, you could dial in on Zoom as well.

So the recommendation that Tyler and I make will go to the whole city council, and then the city council will consider the recommendations and they'll look at the material, they'll look at the resumes, and then the council make a decision.

Okay.

Lots.

Oh, both.

I'm so glad.

Millions.

So many.

There are several, but um, we're also doing interviews for other other board positions as well.

Yeah.

Such a pleasure.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Let me say a nurse in here, so I gotta be careful, right?

I am.

Yes, you are.

Hi, neighbor.

Well, hello.

Good to see you.

We'll pass.

I'm in the middle of the fight this cold.

Um, well, I'll just get us going here.

Um, just for sake of time, and I apologize.

We're running a little bit behind here.

It's all right.

Um, but so good afternoon and welcome.

Thank you for being here today and your interest in serving the community through the city of Monterey's boards, commissions, or committees.

I'm Mayor Tyler Williamson.

I'm joined today by Vice Mayor Ed Smith.

We truly appreciate the time and thought you put into applying and your willingness to contribute to the civic life of Monterey.

This is a public meeting, and we'll be conducting brief interviews of each applicant.

Each interview will last about 15 minutes.

We have six questions we'd like to ask to help us stay um on schedule and make sure we cover everything.

We'd appreciate it if you could keep your responses succinct and focused.

With that, let's go ahead and start.

Um I have Ed do the first question, but before he goes, I'll share that um you are in District One and you're applying for also for the TMC bike and ped committee.

Um, and just so that you know the questions are here for you as we go through them.

So I'll pass it to Ed for one.

Okay, great.

Uh so how do you how did you first hear about this position uh to volunteer?

And why do you think you should be chosen to serve on this committee or committees?

Uh yeah, so I believe I first read about it in our neighborhood newsletter.

Um, and then I saw another ad for it either in the pine cone or maybe in the weekly uh group.

And it was just one of those things that I I felt like the universe was telling me something if I noticed it like three times.

And so the reason it seemed to apply to me was um I used to be a very avid cyclist.

I've ridden all over San Francisco.

Um for my 50th birthday, I decided I was gonna ride from Monterey down to LA, and that's when I just started riding all over the place here.

Um, so I've seen a lot of the county and neighboring counties and and far away counties um on my bike.

But then my latest focus has been backpacking.

And so now if you imagine all the miles that I used to just be out on my bike, now typically I'm out on foot, whether it's on a trail or I just might walk to the night market on Friday where I saw Tyler.

So I basically walk wherever I can if it's uh a reasonable thing to do.

So I I feel like I've I've seen a lot of our our county either on foot or on bicycle.

Okay, great.

All right, can you share one volunteer experience and how it affected you?

What did you learn from it and how might that experience shape your approach if selected?

Sure.

So um probably the volunteer activity that really um required much of my time compared to others was when I was on the school board for Bayview Academy, and it was the first time I was ever on a board.

So I had to learn just how to be on a board, but also all about the Brown Act, all that stuff.

And what I learned from that was a lot of times, um, people have very good ideas and they're very enthusiastic, and it's so easy to get off focus.

And um, next thing you know, you're talking about something that hasn't been on the agenda.

And um, I think I noted my umpire background, I would seem to be the one who would always say, now wait a second, you know, we have to put that on a future agenda.

Um, so I feel like um I've used that even in another volunteer opportunity where I was working with an outdoor collective that had a mission statement that was bringing youth into the outdoors and training teachers how to do that safely.

And that was so great.

But then we'd be in meetings where um people would go off on tangents and say, at the gear library, I'm gonna be doing the lighting.

How about we teach some kids how I'm you know doing the lighting?

Because that's cool.

That's a great skill.

And I had to take the director aside and say, you know, if I could teach my kid how to wire, you know, lighting in a storage locker, that'd be so cool.

But as nothing to do with your mission statement.

And as a nonprofit, if you're taking funds to promote a very specific cause, if you go off on tangents, then you're essentially spending other people's donation funds in a way that might be great, but it's not the way that they um they thought it would be allocated.

So um, so yeah, I learned that through being on the school board.

Um, and you were on the school board for how many years?

Many.

Um at least two.

Could have been three.

Um, I don't recall.

Okay.

Okay.

Um I kind of wanted to circle back to the the question that I asked the other um applicants for the bike and ped.

Kind of what is your theory around bike and ped as it relates to the county, but maybe even more specifically to the city of Monterey.

Where do you think those opportunities are?

Um, like what would what could you bring to the table with the bike and ped committee?

Okay.

So personally, I would go to the mission statement if if there is one regarding that committee and also going back to if there is a master plan as far as the stance that the city is taking and or the county is taking.

So as opposed to my personal, you know uh take on it, I would look at really what the job is.

Um my gut reaction is um a lot of what's going on as far as maybe conflict that happens between pedestrians versus cyclists versus automobile drivers is um is really an outreach communication thing because everyone has a different perspective of where they're coming from.

And typically, you know, I've been on my bike doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing legally on my bike, and a motorist would get really upset because they think I'm where I'm not supposed to be if I'm taking a left turn and I'm in front of their car.

Um so that mostly is coming from, you know, that they don't know.

And so it it's an outreach, it's a communication thing.

It's not a getting into an argument right there and dealing with road page.

Um, so I think that's what it takes, is just somehow bridging the gap between the different communities and um trying to understand the different perspectives and and to educate subtly when appropriate.

Okay, I think to you, Edford.

Thank you for question three.

Um have you ever attended any of the meetings of the board commission or committee you're applying for?

And that would be the TAMSY bicycle pad.

Uh, have you ever zoom zoomed in or attended the meeting?

All right, and you've instructed me to to be succinct.

So I will say no.

But also um, but I would add that if any of the applicants have been showing up to all the meetings and you know, are really going in from a this is what I've been wanting to do for a long time, then more power to them.

Um because no, this was more of a like, oh um, I see this and um I think it would be fun to put my patent to the ring, and I think I'd do a good job, but no.

Yeah, okay.

I appreciate that.

And the feedback is there are multiple applicants.

We haven't made a decision, but there's always future uh interviews for the same kind of decision because multiple people have to be selected, and sometimes we select somebody and all of a sudden they take a new job and they're gone, and we have to select again.

So I hear if you're not selected, don't give up.

Keep keep watching and be participating.

So I appreciate that.

You're here.

Um each board or commission has a regular meeting schedule.

Does your schedule allow you to commit to attending these meetings consistently and bike and ped committee meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.?

So yeah, I would have to give up the trivia night at the one.

But uh I think my team it's of choice right there.

I love it.

All right, back to you for private.

Um these boards and commissions often bring together resonance with different viewpoints.

Can you share how you approach collaboration and respectful discussion when opinions differ?

And I think you kind of touched on this before when you kind of have an experience of being focused and want to look back at what's the mission, what's the goals?

What are we trying to do?

So if you can add to that anything else that you bring to uh a collaborative effort where you might have 10 board members and there's one that's just not in synced, how how do you handle that?

Sure.

So um I'm in a creative field where opinions have run rampant.

And um and a lot of times what I encounter professionally is um sometimes opinions are very different according to um the different generations that I'm working with.

And I call cross-generational collaboration my favorite thing because it's how I learn.

And so if I'm paired up with someone who got into our industry um decades after I, and I'm watching how he or she might do something, and it might be completely different from how I approach it.

Um that's how I learn, and maybe I learn that what I've been doing for 30 years has been okay, but there's a new way to do it better.

So um I think a lot of it has to do with really being open that if you have a pretty solid standpoint on about something, you always have to keep an open mind and see if there is anything that you can consider that would inform that.

And you have to be confident enough to do a complete about face when you see or hear something that you recognize as making a lot of sense.

So I rarely dig in and you know, stand my ground as much as I I try to be very open.

And um I am also very honest and direct.

Um so if I'm dealing with someone who has a very different um opinion or a board member who um is not agreeing with everyone, my approach would be completely listen and listen with um with ears that are considering what they're saying and um and be direct.

Um, and there's nothing wrong with saying I hear what you're saying and I disagree.

Um, so that's what I would do, be open, but also be direct.

Okay, okay, good.

Um, you mentioned before, and I think it's in your resume that you did some umpiring.

Yes, I did.

So any any challenges there?

I yeah, it would be all a challenge.

Good lord.

Um I strike at the wrong time and a ball that's you know, not choice.

My strike zone was always consistent, so that was never an issue.

Um, I did not intend to be an umpire.

I went to umpire school wanting because I play ball a lot, and I thought I should know how they think.

Yeah, and but there's an assumption when you go to umpire school that you want to be an umpire.

So next thing you know, my class fees were part of my dues for the umpire club and all this.

And so next thing you know, I was running around San Francisco dressed like a security guard.

And um, I call it my year of living dangerously.

It was the hardest 20 bucks an hour you will ever make in your life.

Um but what you learn is um you learn to be consistent, you learn to um one of the things that they taught me since I'm not tall when I was calling strikes, I was supposed to rise up and like look tall, you know, like if you see a bear or something, um that kind of thing.

So there, you know, there are ways that you assert your authority and um what else?

You gotta hustle to get the right angles on the place.

So if you're doing the bases, um a lot of what an umpire is is um is processing is you're making calls, but you have to get yourself into the right angle to really see whether that foot got there before the ball, whatever.

Um so it's about being in the right position.

And um, when in doubt, you sell that call.

The closer the call is, the more you don't know that you got it 100%.

Some inside baseball right here.

If you ever see them, like if they call it a sell out or a sell safe, but the the moves are completely different from you know something that you got.

So the more dramatic it is you now know, the less the ump is not well, in order for the manager to take the effort to come off of the bench.

If they see something soft, they're gonna take advantage of you.

And I know what you're talking about.

Yeah, um, it's interesting.

Side note in preseason, they're experimenting with the assistance of the technology and the cameras, so the the catcher or the batter can appeal whether it's a striker a ball, and they're they're given like three or four in each game.

And so what they're finding out is it's about an 85% accuracy rate for the umpires.

So it's interesting that they're doing that in preseason.

I don't know if we'll ever get there for the regular major games, but it's really slowing it down.

And it looks like it's frustrating for the umpires.

So you might tune in on a giant's pre-season game that's playing right now just to watch that physical experience of the players that are involved or the managers that are involved.

You know, it's it's interesting that baseball though is trying different things.

Um and they're they've really been experimenting the last few years.

And so, you know, good for them national pastime, old timey game, but be open to what you can do to you know, move it along.

Yeah, and I think you made a comment.

So, like you like to learn and you you want to study and you appreciate the fact that there's opportunities for people to teach you things too.

Absolutely.

Yeah, great.

Um, so I think that was our our last question that we had, right?

Um I think one more actually six, you probably touched on it, but we're gonna give it to you anyway.

Yeah, what you need perspective skills or experiences do you think you would bring to the committee?

What would you hope to accomplish during the term if you're pointed?

Okay, I'll go back with backwards on that.

Um, what I would hope to accomplish is again um whatever my role is as far as the mission statement for my position.

Um probably on a personal level, just having a little bit more understanding of what's going on out there as far as um you know, traffic dynamics and all that, like in the police academy thing that Tyler and I went to that presentation.

Um, I think it was Megan, was that her name?

Oh my god, with all the traffic dynamics and all that, like I love that stuff.

So yes, I oh Marissa.

Was it Larissa?

Marissa from the Marissa, yes, I knew it was an M.

Okay.

Yeah, that kind of stuff, I just think is so interesting.

Like, you know, traffic engineering stuff.

So to have a broader sense of really how the county functions with all of those moving parts would be cool.

Um, the unique skills, um, I guess just the fact that I ride a lot, I walk a lot, um, I listen a lot, I talk a lot.

Um so yeah, um, I don't know, I'm a creative person.

I typically have a little creativity in everything that I do.

Okay.

And have you had the occasion to ride by Cassiverti and Del Mani intersection on the Red Trail?

Actually, I have something to say about that.

Okay.

So I was walking back from the night market and I got up to that intersection with my friend.

Now it's night time, and I'm walking along, and we get to like the point where the path used to go into the street, oddly, a few yards you know, before the intersection.

And um, and we were chit-chatting, and I stopped and was like, wait a second, this is now different.

Let's take a look at this.

And then I started laughing because I said, if I was on my bike and well, right now the path that was still there, but there's a huge curve instead of a ramp.

And I just said, I would at least put up lampters or something because right, and then I was driving by today and I was watching all the people who are like jogging were still getting to the old part, and some of them would go around.

So I would think at least temporarily, maybe a shrub.

Because now I mean you expect a ramp and you will just be like going off a curb.

And if you do that at night, um that's a little jarring.

So yes, I love that something is happening there.

And um, if it was up to me that there would be a little bit more of a clear um barrier to what was the old bath that path.

Because I think yeah, I've have you seen it lately.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Okay, so you know that there's no yeah, yes, yeah.

ramp and you will just be like going off a curb and if you do that at night um that's a little jarring so yes i love that something is happening there and um if it was up to me that there would be a little bit more of a clear um barrier to what was the old bath uh path because i think yeah yeah i have you seen it lately do you know what i'm talking about through it a couple of times okay so you know that there's no yeah yes yeah an umpire there it just even if you know that it's there and that and that the thing has moved some people are still like habitually yeah they try to sell this here so definitely I mean it is wide open yeah it's still a gravel path yeah so well and Marissa's right upstairs too so um she might be hearing us through through the the floor here um yeah but I think what's interesting is you you point on something that's really important to observe whether you're building roads or bridges or um play parks for children or bicycles uh bicycle trails if they can go there they will go there and if they do it's the it's putting them in harm's way or it's dangerous so wherever they possibly can go there has to be barriers restrictions redirections signs physical changes to route people to the safest and those those principles apply whether you're building a road or whether you're building a ramp at an airport just people will find a way you would think oh there's no no chance anybody would select to go that way if it can't if it can happen it will happen.

That's right.

I believe you 100% yes that's for sure um so you want to read the okay I'll give the conclusions of the interview thank you very much for your time um what I think is the most fun part about doing these interviews is that we get to meet more people we get to hear new ideas and we get to come away and say I never thought about that so thank you for adding some new ideas that I'd not thought about um so the process we're interviewing um I think today we're concluded but we're gonna interview again on Wednesday some additional folks um Tyler and I are going to get together and try and figure out after we've done all the interviews and then make a recommendations to the full council we'll ask the council to um read the resumes and then we'll make a recommendation to several different positions for different boards and commissions uh and there are several people that have have applied for the pet and bicycle uh subcommittee for the TAMSI uh there's a couple other applicants as well so we'll put together recommendations to the full council on the 17th so if you don't have anything to do we welcome you to come to the city council meeting on the 17th and at that point we'll have we'll have a vote a discussion and then you'll find out who who is uh being selected for all the positions on the 17th I watch two other candidates and I think you guys are good you've got um more than enough qualified applicants so yeah but I'm glad you did this oh yeah yeah it's important yeah and and you you have a lot to offer and there's no decision made yet the game is still going on and there's been no strike yet on so you're still in it you can keep going actually because I'm still in it is so my father it's not even funny my father you know doesn't a fist bump or that and so yeah thank you very much for coming and thank you so much all right thank you I just don't want to give it to everybody thank you Diane um did we have more for Wednesday there are two interviews on Wednesday and then you'll do del deliberations on all of it afterwards.

Okay what are the what are the two on Wednesday apply for um they applied but you couldn't do the deliberation right now because it wasn't agendized okay they applied for um tam C as well as appeals hearing board building and housing appeals board and measure PNS committee okay perfect um well at this time we'll open up our public comments I was trying to capture them before they left um any public comments on today's item all right seeing none I think that was a good session uh and look forward to the last two interviews on Wednesday with the deliberations so uh what time let's say it's at four o'clock at four o'clock on the perfect awesome all right ladies we'll go ahead and adjourn thank you everybody