Okay, right, let's start.

So I'm Felix Gardner, co-chair of this gardener.

This is co-chair Stephen Shaw.

We have in attendance tonight.

We have Representative Pavier on the call.

We have Representative Camarelli on the call, Representative Hill on the call, and Representative Hire on the call in person.

We have Representative Weinberg, Representative Weathers, myself, and Representative Shaw.

Tonight we have a total of 10 appointments.

However, one has been withdrawn, and uh one, there is Mr.

Mackay, we're not gonna interview.

So we will only have eight interview candidates tonight.

How this is all going to work is uh we are going to go through.

Oh, representative Bradford has joined the call at the record show.

Um how this is going to work is we're going to go down the list from top to bottom.

We're going to interview the candidates one by one.

Usually take about 10 minutes or so per candidate.

Uh, and I believe one of them one of the candidates may be late, so we have to shuffle the order around.

It doesn't really matter.

Um, all the representatives will be invited to ask questions, as well as ex official members as well.

Can ask the candidates questions.

Uh the candidates are free to leave at any point after interview is done.

You don't have to stay around until the end, it's no big deal, it's not going to influence anything.

Um, you just feel free to go, whatever.

Come on in.

Hello.

Come on in and have a seat.

Um, and so that that's how it's going to work.

And then at the end of the process, after all the interviews are complete, and we've interviewed all eight people, then we will go through a voting process and we'll vote on the candidates whether they should be approved for their positions or not.

And that are the result of our vote, we'll then go to the main board uh next Monday, and then there'll be a main board vote, and then after that you'll be fully approved, and you can join your positions.

It's the end of this very long road.

I appreciate everyone.

It's been a long journey to get here, and we appreciate your time and your effort very very much.

I mean, it's quite arduous, so uh with the last step, don't worry.

Um I would ask all of the uh committee members to uh ask the chair if you want to speak, just raise your hand on the zoom call or raise your hand here in person.

I'll put you on the list.

If we could try and do one question at a time through the chair and not do multi-part questions just so we can keep uh give everyone an opportunity to ask questions.

And yeah, let's just try and keep everything on topic and ask direct pointed questions at the candidates and uh you know keep everything focused on relevant questions to their position.

That would be fantastic.

And I think with all that being said, it is time for our first candidate, and that is item number one, Alpha 32.029 for the Board of Ethics, Ira Stetcher.

So Steckle, I apologize.

Steph, it's a reappointment with a term expiring December 1st, 2028.

Welcome, Mr.

Stecker.

How are you?

So, uh the Board of Ethics, you are uh a very uh established and a very seasoned member of the legal profession.

Uh what's unique skill will you bring to the board of ethics?

Um well I've been practicing law for um uh this year will be 55 years um in uh in practice and uh uh throughout that period.

I've uh worked under the um uh legal profession, uh legal professional canon of ethics and um those um resemble uh to a large extent I think the um uh Stanford um uh canons of ethics and uh so I um um I I feel that um I'm uh familiar enough with the uh territory to um be able to um uh derive answers to um questions that uh that come up um and put my um uh put my experience to practice.

Um I've enjoyed my time on the uh on the board, it's intellectually challenging and um I've um I think performed uh as I as I should have.

I have a uh I think impeccable record of attendance, except for the last two months when I was disabled and uh um you know in a hospital bit but um I'm now on the road to recover as you can see and uh I would uh very much appreciate a brief reappointment.

Fantastic.

Thank you for me, yeah.

I'll make that really appreciate it.

We really appreciate your service to the city as well.

Okay, thanks.

Um I um um I try to uh give back to the community.

I've been a uh resident of uh Stanford for 16 years, I've been very happy here.

Um I'm also on the um board of directors of the North Stanford Association, which has a membership of several hundred families, um and I'm uh I'm committed to that uh as well.

I think uh that also performs a uh a great job of uh preserving the North Stanford community.

Um so I've served in that capacity for probably the last uh three years or so, two and a half years.

Excellent.

So I'm sure.

Do you find any connection between those two positions in the intersection between Board of Ethics and uh being on the board of the North Stanford Association?

Yeah, and now they're they're taking ready like apples and oranges.

Um there's no conflict, there's no conjunction.

Without without giving any particulars away, was there anything that I was kind of curious sitting on the board of ethics, you know, what comes before you?

That prompted some debate within the board.

Well um the um the members of the board have noticed that um there are some um uh defined terms within the um uh within the candidates of ethics that um uh require some further uh explication, and we've been working on that to try to define those terms further.

Um for example, we had uh before us a uh an issue involving a not-for-profit, and um the the relationship of a member, the not-for-profit, uh, to that, since he had a position within the uh Stanford administration, and um the key issue is whether there was an economic interest in the not-for-profit.

And uh the majority voted against me and thought there was an economic interest, and I uh just could not see how there could be an economic interest in a not-for-profit by definition, it's not-for-profit.

There's no there's no profit motive.

Um but as I said, I was outvoted, and uh when that comes up for clarification, um and amendment of the uh uh candidates of ethics, that's uh something I want to uh uh I want to be involved in.

So you think that was due to some sort of an ambiguity uh within the candidate.

Exactly.

Yeah, so that's been uh and and there are others uh like that's as one example, there are other ambiguities too that I think has to be uh uh uh clarified.

Is that a living document?

I mean, can it be amended?

I'm sorry.

Is it a living document?

Can it can it be amended?

It could be amended, yeah.

It's amended a number of years ago.

Uh the most recent amendment was in 2021.

It was largely rewritten.

Representative Weinberg, I see Representative Page.

Off to Representative Weinberg.

Um Representative Shore answered my question.

Thank you.

What's it?

Um I I so uh I want you to ask you to reflect on you know on your experience, and it's up close to two years on close to two years now on the board.

Um so we sometimes hear concerns about that the um when people request someone requests an advisory opinion from the board of ethics, or when there's um an actual case to adjudicate um one of the one of the concerns that we hear somewhat consistently is it just takes it is from the perspective of the of the person involved, that it that from their perspective it takes a long time to get an answer from the board of ethics.

I and so help me help us understand sort of the you know the time commitment that goes into giving proper attention to a situation that's brought before the board and you know and do and then reflect do you have any suggestions on how we can either uh how how the board can either better manage expectations on the one hand or uh address those concerns on the other or a combination of well um i i'd say two things in response to that uh number one uh i personally don't believe the process is particularly protracted um the the uh request for advisory opinions uh come before the board in fairly uh prompt a way um uh uh and and um uh second thing i would say is that uh during the uh 20 2025 year uh we expert we experienced an actual dearth of uh advisory opinion requests there were a number of ethics boards meetings that were canceled because there was uh nothing before the board so um so i don't think it uh process is particularly delayed in my experience at least uh so what however i i uh i would uh just point out uh that the uh process is commenced by a uh form that uh has to be meticulously filled out and if it's not uh filled out properly it's going to be rejected so that may account for a uh for a delay um uh the the board occasionally gets uh requests for opinions that for which the the board simply doesn't have jurisdiction um i i i myself wrote an advisory opinion rejecting a uh uh petition last year um they the the um uh the request was improperly filled out and it showed on its face that this was just not a subject for the for the board uh the the wife of a um municipal employee had um uh put in her petition and she wanted to see her uh her husband censured because he was abusive and an alcoholic and that's not something for which we're going to go fine uh obviously so I uh I wrote a two-page opinion advisory opinion just rejecting the petition so uh I I'd say on all those uh fronts um I I think the the board is fairly responsive well so what could the board do to because I have heard this concern come up recently uh no but over the the three years that I've been on with this board um what could the board do what could the board do to better manage expectations because it may be just a gap between expectation expectations and the reality of you you guys doing a creditable yeah I I I think it's perception we we've had um uh fishers come in uh to the meetings uh to to advocate their cases um and um I I really haven't um uh perceived that there's any particularly uh um expansive delay in uh in dealing with these um we we have a um uh a monitor from uh HR who um uh handles the uh the meetings she um creates the agendas and um in my opinion she she she does a terrific journal.

So I I haven't uh myself uh heard any complaints about the uh timing of the hearings.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Any further questions uh Mrs.

Steckle?

Fantastic okay and that concludes our interview.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thanks for coming in.

I know I appreciate it.

Thank you for the thank you for the time.

Uh I recall uh last time around, I uh uh I think I ultimately got an email that my appointment has been approved.

So is that the procedure?

Yes, you'll get an email from Angelina who's on the call here um after Monday, which is our board of reps large meeting.

Once that's all done, you'll get an email from that.

Okay, the approval be complete.

Well, thank you very much.

Thank you so much for being here.

Appreciate your time and courtesy.

No, thank you.

Nice meeting you guys.

Thank you.

Feel better.

Yeah, feel better.

Actually, I hope you know, but this is a very canard.

Okay, yeah, probably, but she's not really uh Angie, if you're there, could you check?

Did we receive any emails from Mr.

Canard based uh regarding his attendance or uh is he virtual?

I can't see him.

I mean, look at these get there, but yeah, directly.

Okay, well, we won't we won't waste any time on uh item number two, Mr.

Canard.

Maybe you'll come late and we'll do we'll interview him then, but we can skip past uh item number two, which is alpha 32.033, um, and then regarding item number three, which is alpha 32.035, that's the planning board, Drew Mackay.

Drew, we interviewed Mr.

Mackay in March, so he made the collective decision to not re-interview him.

He wasn't alternate on the planning board, but a full seat became available.

We interviewed him literally a couple months ago.

So we're gonna not, I think we're gonna waive the interview there.

We'll just vote at the end on Mr.

Mackay.

So then moving on to item number four, Alpha 32.038 for the environmental protection board alternate, Stefania Payares Alteaga.

Can you take a seat there, please?

Thank you so much.

And that's a reappointment with a term expiring December 1st of 2028 by Caroline Simmons.

Fantastic, thank you.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you so much for your services in already on the environmental protection board.

Um we we get a good number of uh alternate candidates who come through here, and I always like to ask the ultimate candidates.

Um do you stay engaged with the regular environmental protection board activities?

Do you have you how do you find the energy to stay involved with the board and uh keep on top of things if you need it?

Uh yeah, so I've been pretty consistent.

Um since this started until maybe a couple meetings in the past few months because of more commitments.

But I think you know, they sent out emails.

I have access to the email uh information regarding applications that come through for permits and any like conferences that are also going on.

I think uh that was the case for the one last year, and also any um like certifications uh we need to get updated or anything.

Um we get all my information from Mr.

Closy.

And yeah, I think, you know, uh we get up, we get the application packages a week ahead of the meeting.

Um, I get time to review it during the week, weekends, and then I'm able to you know I'm sending participate.

Fantastic fairly recorded.

Excellent.

I thought I'm looking towards uh representative campaign.

I know it's probably the most well-versed when it comes to the activities of the environmental protection board.

I know it's uh her speciality.

I'm so excited to have her here.

Thanks.

My question would be um, what do you think is the most pressing issue for the environmental protection board here in Stanford and why why should the city know about it?

I think in terms of the environmental protection board, we are mainly like flooded with applications for inland wetlands and water courses, which leaves us like little room to explore any of the other issues that stand for me uh presenting, like conservation type issues or um flood type issues that are not within like wetland areas, um maybe invasive species and all that that the board does not have the chance or time or resources to be able to um address.

So these are these uh residents who are asking for variants to construct on a wetland or do something to a wetland which is on that property or so is that right yeah for the inland wetlands inland wetlands um yeah these are the regulated activities that um they need to get permits for it's usually you know families are looking to remodel or build new houses and properties and stuff like that installed sept tanks or near um public water um yeah okay so I think yeah in that's your question the main issue is you know not having the time and resources to address conservation issues and things like that because it's just not got it what do you think the ultimate solution is to that that problem so I think it's been raised a couple times that we might need to make room for another board that can have access to those issues and be able to collaborate.

I think one application came through about recently I um the director of the board you know presented it to us asked us what we thought of it and you know we all voted um on what we thought of it and gave up our support I think I heard this okay fantastic any any further questions well represent one of the uh yeah actually we have before the board the board of reps currently is a proposal to uh create a conservation commission yeah and uh one of the reasons one of the one of the principal reasons uh behind the advocacy for doing that is exactly the problem that you're describing which is the inland water issues that the EPP deals with just crabs out anything else that it could be doing on behalf of the the residents of this city so yeah but what what you're saying just sort of um underscores what we're hearing elsewhere so it's very helpful yeah really just an adjunct to landing and zoning sounds like to me uh with what your work basically has yeah uh basically because it's the I think the main one that is um kind of mandated by the state for municipalities to have that agency so that's why it's focused mainly on that if if you had the authority to broad the purview and expand your remit where would you go with that?

To expand the your authority the authority of the board and and and to expand you know your remit the uh material that you that you study to deal with well I think definitely like issues as we mentioned in conservation um maybe with invasive species too I don't I don't a lot of us has have faced uh their issue with the land replies um that is something that we could proactively take action on and to educate people on um that is you know if we had like more time to think and like to collaborate we could work on that and help to educate people and make decisions on what could be contributing to those problems arise.

I also think that right now we're basically being more reactive to environmental issues than proactive um so yeah it'd be nice to have more um like another board or expand on what's currently there.

If you if you notice um I know this is an issue in New York City that uh the the uh intensity that almost the ferocity of some of the downpours that we're having I thought last week I drove through a downpour that would have seemed unnatural a few years ago.

Um with storm runoff in terms of how it affects inland water, are you seeing any impacts there?

And does that impact is that affect how you review projects now?

That is a really good question um I have I would guess yes, because you know the current climate change is affecting the weather in ways that it's making climate extreme.

So you it's not that it's gonna be like hot all the time but it could also be like extremely cold or extremely rainy all the time.

Um so to answer your question I do think that it is something that is gonna be impacting um the projects and how we go about permits however I do not have the sufficient information to answer your question because I've only been on the board for a couple months so any like prior to like before the changes that we're seeing I I'm not aware of but I I think some of our board members um like Lee and Laura could be able to maybe answer your question a bit more.

Thank you.

Okay.

Any further questions represent camp I'm shocked but you're just the perfect candidate and no questions at all I I mean I could state some of the things that that she's saying which is that um they don't we don't need to expand their powers we just need to add more people so that they can um they they would have the bandwidth to work with the powers they have to be proactive for development so it's not really a question but excellent any further questions in the room thank you for serving yeah thank you.

Thank you very much that's that completes your issue thank you so much for you thank you.

Okay next candidate just for the record item number five L32.039 for environmental protection board pass Patrick Glesinger was removed.

Or withdrawal I should say with I imagine that his request so we'll move on to item number six Alpha 32.040 Urban Redevelopment Commission Joe Miller uh with time expiring December 1st 2028 is Mr.

Joe Miller here what's happened this is the first time we've ever had somebody out appeared and we've got two no shows two no shows.

They both responded yes I actually talked to Joe a few times with Rachel today so I'm not quite sure uh what's going on so they did say they were they will be attending though would you want to ask anything to try to reach out to them.

Yeah and if if you can reach them I'll give them a call that'd be great um same for Mr.

Canard I I will I'll do that now.

Okay.

We're here.

Yeah but we'll keep going and we'll go in which case we will uh move past item number six we'll go to item number seven which is alpha 32.041 the school building committee Mr.

Anton Stark yes hello Mr.

Stark thank you Mrs.

Dark's uh term expires December 1st 2028 that's the problem if people don't show it really ruins our scheduling then we uh it would probably be the disaster but thank you so much no problem oh the am I right in thinking that have having a school board a school building committee is quite a unique thing which Stanford has not that many other cities have such a committee um yeah I mean I've I've I'm an architect and I've worked on all kinds of different projects um I know Bridgeport has one some of the bigger cities do but yeah it's statutorily required no is it yeah okay and I see you're a uh like a a seasoned architect and designer yeah and uh how what would you think of the direction the school board is going in terms of its construction projects um are you happy with the results and uh yeah my uh my sons went to Westover elementary school.

My youngest son was there when the old issue had one yeah yeah so he spent a couple of they spent a year at the the picnic post building and stuff so um I know the challenges of the of this of the school district obviously um we've had I haven't only worked on schools, but I in my past I and currently I'm working on schools, and I know obviously the budgets are always tight and maintenance is an issue and stuff.

So yeah, I I think um you know regressing it as we can, you know, any failings in the existing building stock, and um my firm chased several of the new buildings that were that were uh gonna be happening and stuff, but yeah, um uh not every school can be brand new.

But I my son went to my sons went to Dolan and Stanford High School.

I've never had any issues with the buildings themselves in any way.

I think it's all dependent on the parents and how they interact with the kids and how the education works, so it's uh if it's any comfort to you.

I went first, second, third grade at the Mark Law School, which is the historical society.

We were overcrowded, they were building riverbank school, but they weren't ready yet.

So I ended up going to I forget what the name of the parochial school is down near the train station, but I did fourth grade there.

Uh by fifth grade, River Bay School was ready, but by sixth grade it was overcrowded, and so then I was at Temple uh Beth uh uh by a new field.

Um double Beth L, right?

It wouldn't have been that was on Roxbury Ray.

All right, which is uh, do you mean temple Sinai?

Temple Sinai, uh for sixth grade, so bounce around a little bit myself.

Um, you know, we had a lot of discussion uh over the course of the last couple of months about uh the way forward with the construction of uh Roxbury.

And uh so now we have uh one school uh being built under uh project labor agreement and another one that isn't.

Uh are you seeing any?

Are you at a point where you can see a uh way to compare the two approaches or uh no no?

I'm just being up to see on that at this point.

Yeah, question.

How did it go?

Um, as an elementary school teacher for 30 years, this is all me.

Um do you or the members of your community committee actually interview the teachers themselves and ask for their input?

I've never been on this is my first time to the committee, so I'm not exactly sure exactly how it operates, but um I don't believe that's part of our view.

Okay, um that is something that I would be looking for because the teachers are the ones that are actually in the classroom, so for them to be able to have input.

Um like if you're brought on board and you um are with the other members, you might want to consider issuing a survey to the teachers because they're the ones that's in the space with the children and asking them what do they want with the covey area, how much shelving in closet space do they need and so on and so forth because they are the the soldiers in the trenches, so perhaps giving the teachers a survey and input on the construction or remodeling of the building itself.

Yeah, I mean I have from my experience it doesn't the firm that is doing the design of the building is should be.

I think every architect would love to sit down and talk to teachers and get their input before they start designing things.

Um experiences is we're not always they're usually selective with who we do discuss with um based on time or budget or whatever it is, but it's I wouldn't have an issue talking to teachers and stuff, but I think that involvement needs to happen earlier with the design team and I don't I'm not sure how much control we have over that.

Um, but perhaps like maybe they could be emailed something.

Yeah, no, yeah.

For something and have them submit their survey um and give some feedback and some input, is what I'm trying to say.

Um do you guys ever go to the school and just like observe the day-to-day um interactions or how the flow of the day is going to the channel, like how we're gonna remodel this or what we're gonna do in our next plans.

I mean, architects are known to do that, but as the school building committee, I don't I don't I don't have the experience of what my understanding the school building committee is like one of the last steps in the process.

Okay, so we review the budget and the final plans that get involved in the earlier basis.

Okay, yeah, you're if if I may if I um yeah, the role of this of the school building committee is not it doesn't really play a role on the design where those activities absolutely should take place is in preparation for the for the for the design, so that as you put it, people in the trenches, the teachers have been put into the actual design of the the design of the facility.

Um the school building committee's responsibility, um particularly the citizen, the two citizen representatives of the committee uh on that committee, their responsibility is more to um to have to have citizen eyes and ears to confirm that the plan that that the project is a staying on budget, that the project is fulfilling the you know the design criteria that were established during the during the design phase.

So they're you know, she put it there they're later in the in in the in the process, they're later in the value chain of of the work.

What you're describing, Candace is absolutely what should be happening, should have been happening, and to a certain extent, did it's always arguable whether it was sufficient.

Okay, but that's the kind that those are the kinds of things that should have been happening three years from three years ago, okay.

You know, when the heavy design work was done, okay.

I think the one area where the school building committee can play a role in in what you're describing is any time there's a construction project in the midst of a an ongoing educational program, while the school is actually in session uh somewhat for the new schools, but especially for the parts of the long-term facility plan that are you know renovations to existing to existing buildings, is to ensure that the work that's being done is at a minimum isn't interrupting the educational process.

Okay, at a maximum, it would be wonderful if it's enhancing um the educational process.

But I think that's where the in terms of the interaction with the educators, that's where the where the uh the school building committee can start can can play a role.

Um thank you for the clarification.

But they're dealing with you the the building committee is because I'm just going by the title, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, and the title says school, yeah.

No, yeah, yeah.

Building committee, and these are you know, and these and I'm seeing everything here is architecture and engineering and design.

So if I'm seeing all of these words describing here, I'm thinking that you play a role in that.

Okay, but now I see no that's not actually what the committee is doing.

But the role that you described is absolutely essential, and I think the and I think you know the potential for in you know for interrupting the educational the delivery of education uh when a project is taking place while the education is taking place, is the potential for that's very high.

That kind of interruption.

So I think that is a significant opportunity for the building committee to ensure that that doesn't happen.

Okay, next up is we have the question from Representative Campbell.

Is first and also the direct show uh Mr.

Miller.

We see you, you're up next, you'll next into you.

Hang on, give us a few minutes.

Representative Pavia had his hand up first.

Oh, did he?

Okay.

I apologize.

That's okay um representative camparelli you can go first.

Ladies first.

All right.

Thank you.

Um first I just want to thank you for uh wanting to serve um I had the same problem when I moved to Stanford there was mold in the Davenport Ridge school and it was funny because I moved here because I thought oh I'd be able to put my kids in public school and I ended up sending them to private school because of the mold.

So I guess my question to you is two twofold what are we doing in in building the new school um that prevents something like that from happening are there things to to make sure that those things don't happen um within the building materials or whatever I mean this the West Hill I think was built in 1969 um it didn't last very long so my second question is do we build things to last anymore uh um that's something I can certainly evaluate and looking at some of the drawings and stuff um there's certainly certain materials and stuff that should be used um more uh I'm also a heavy big advocate for sustainability so some of the issues that we run into um especially with mold is condensate happening on equipment because of the change of temperature between the interior and the exterior causing condensate and it just sits there for a while and due to lack of maintenance or as you said poor material choices um you know it it builds up in and Rossway materials and stuff so yeah there's definitely certain materials that are good better and worse uh in those situations and ensuring that the envelope and um of the building is tight and then we have better systems that have less maintenance required and so forth but again I'm not sure how much the school building committee gets involved in those specific selections but it would be something I would be looking at and plans and stuff to see how efficient the building is how um well insulated it is and and the impact of the durability of the project longevity and and how long do schools last when they're built nowadays.

Yeah I mean I'm still working on buildings that have been like 80 to 100 years old and then sometimes we have stuff from the 80s that just didn't stand up that we're refacing but the the bones are the structural bones are there but sometimes we just have to reface the exterior new windows and stuff.

And why do you want to do this?

I've I've had it partially to improve my career and and make more connections but also I've always had a long standing desire to give back um I was my son's Cub Scout uh Cubmaster for eight years for both of my sons and then um I also took each of them to uh Senegal and Malawi on this program with uh Stanford company uh build on and we helped um build we made significant donation and helped start to build the school uh for two rural communities uh in both Malawi and Senegal so that the kids didn't have so that you know first second and third grade could happen inside a village instead of having those kids travel you know several miles to get to another village with the school stuff so I've always wanted to give back and I I think it's just something to help with my knowledge it's somewhere I can definitely help.

Well thank you for for wanting to start uh I yield thank you Representative Representative Pavia thank you Mr.

Chair um uh thank you for being here, Mr.

Stark.

Um, besides the definition that Representative Weinberg um uh laid out for us about what the school building committee does.

What's your interpretation of what this job does?

Uh at the taking the final drawings and the final cost estimate and budget and reviewing it uh to make sure that uh it's a well-designed building that it meets the needs of the school district and the and the school um to ensure that there's not some glaring red flag that because as architects and designers we're always like really focused on solving one little problem, and sometimes uh we don't step back far enough to see the entire project and see how it may impact different things.

So it's um we're not here to redesign the building in in any way, but we're here to make sure that there's not any gaps in the scope in that.

So, um when the representative camparelli brought up the mold, uh, because I worked at West Hill, I'm educator, and I worked in West Hill, and there was a lot of mold there.

Um from your perspective as being sort of like an editor, we'll say, like of the projects that you see.

Correct me if I'm wrong in that in that classification.

Um there uh is my understanding that you said that you don't build you don't build or look at things that create longevity or ways to prevent mold or any kind of things like that from happening.

No, I think we would be looking at the at the at the drawings to I mean, we would be looking at the I think my role is to look at the drawings and see that critical aspects of the details or the building are there to prevent things like that.

Um we're not doing in-depth analysis, but we will be looking at the drawings.

It's supposed to be complete building done by professionals, licensed professionals.

Um I think many of those issues have happened over a period of years with uh, you know, unfortunate lack of maintenance, uh on the systems and stuff.

So um there are we will be looking to make sure that things are properly insulated, that we're using good efficient equipment that doesn't cause those problems as frequently.

Again, I'm I'm not a mechanical engineer, so I can't I know what we're currently.

I can use references for what we're currently designing in other projects.

So I have that information, and I know if something is older technology, newer technology, untested, stuff like that.

Oh, could you give us an example of that?

Uh I mean, so um, again, the West uh Westover, we're having constant debates with a lot of school projects that we have right now that they don't want to use air source heat pumps because they're more expensive than your typical gas fire boiler and um you know separate air conditioning system.

The uh heat pump systems are much more energy efficient, a lot less um equipment to maintain because you're not having two separate systems creating the heating and the cooling, you have it's coming from one system.

Um so while it's a little more expensive, I think it's maintenance-wise, it's a it's a lot less of an issue down the road.

Um, much more energy efficient, which would reduce energy bills in the future for the school district, and then allow that money to be spent elsewhere.

Um, so uh, that and just you know the types of insulation and how much if meeting the code is a minimum standard of safety, you know, exceeding that is always good.

So, like more, slightly more insulation, you know, slightly stronger buildings and stuff is always good too to make sure that things have longevity.

Thank you, Mr.

Stark.

Um, Mr.

Chair, through you may ask Mr.

Weinberg a question.

Go ahead.

Uh hey Carl.

Um, Bobby.

I know I think this is a good thing that Candace brought up before, and if you're saying then I I do trust your encyclopedic knowledge of everything, um that's on your iPad there, right?

What um what I mean?

I think she brings up a good point to get teacher feedback.

Now, this committee uh or commission is not the place to do it.

Um is there a place where that can be done?

Well, it should have been done through the you know, early and and throughout the design phase.

I uh my understanding is you know, some people think that that was done to an accept to a satisfactory level, others believe that it you know that it wasn't.

And I don't have I don't have a point of view one way or the other on that.

Um I just you know I've heard I've heard I've heard that one both ways.

Uh I think that, you know, going forward, um the you know, the well your school is your school is gonna have some you know, has some project, but they're not big, they're not big projects uh that are in the that are in the long-term facilities plans.

But there are other schools that will have uh, you know, where uh where this the existing school is going to continue, but there are going to be meaningful upgrades renovations to those to that to those schools during this multi-year long-term facilities plan.

Um any of us who have been through a home renovated or live through a home renovation, like you know, with you know, with our kids, we you know, with living, you know, us moving our bed down to the living room because our bedroom was the staging area for the contractors, knows that when you're living through a construction project, uh the potential for interrupting, you know, your what normally place in that facility is the potential for that is very high.

So that so I would imagine that the potential for affecting you know, for negatively affecting the um the educational product, the delivery of the delivery of education is the potential for it is significant.

Um I would hope that I would hope that that teachers in those in those buildings and those facilities are you know are get are having you know significant opportunities to get involved in the planning for how those renovations are going to take place uh to minimize the chances that the that that those activities will negatively affect uh the educational process, and I think I suspect that's a role that you know that this committee can play.

Does that answer your question?

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Um Carl does.

It's just design is the design work is I mean, there I look, I'm not so far.

This thing from an architect, so I'm sure there's always ongoing design work that takes place, but by and large, the designs are the designs are done.

Um, right, it's really how those, you know, the implementation of those designs, yeah, and ensuring involving teachers to ensure that the implementation of those designs does not negatively affect the quality, the educational quality.

Yeah, yeah.

All right, thank you, Carl.

Thank you, Candace.

Thank you, Mr.

Stark.

Thank you for your willingness to serve.

Good luck.

Um I yield the floor.

Thank you.

So thank you, Representative Bradford.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Stark, a couple quick things.

So schools are famous for deferred maintenance, and I know that most things we build, the maintenance is the biggest cost over the long haul.

The actual construction usually is, you know, X and the maintenance over 50 years is 1.5 times X and things like that.

Um, knowing that schools have a lot of deferred maintenance, very common.

Is there any design principles that are taken into account to try to, you know, make sure that the total maintenance costs doesn't go even higher?

So you have to level the whole building or something like that, uh because of a lack of or because of deferred maintenance.

Yeah, I mean we're always selecting the most durable systems and materials, you know.

Uh based on the budget that we're given to work with.

Um I mean it's always a balance, but I mean typically as designers and stuff we do, especially with public schools, we always know there's gonna be issues with deferred maintenance.

So we're always trying to I think anyone anybody's trying to work with that in mind that it's gonna be.

So that's that's expressed to school the the board that actually built has a school designed so that hey, the make maintenance of those buildings be more expensive than the total cost over 50 years, so we we should really make sure the deferred maintenance is at a certain level or you know below a certain threshold, so that's expressed explicitly or is that just assumed?

Uh I mean, yeah, I was I can't speak for every designer, but I I think most designers know that that's the case.

Um on this committee, it's something with my experts my past experiences.

I can look at it and I will know whether or not it's a newer type system or older system, whether there's a lot of maintenance or not associated with it in in comparison.

Here's a kind of off the wall question.

And this has to do with a little bit of other laws that I think are a little nutty, but um are there features built into the the designs for protect teachers and students particularly from school shootings and things like that?

And what is the cost percentage wise if there is I can't speak to an exact cost percentage, but there's definitely um we usually review different types of ballistic glazing at certain entry points and all the schools I've been designing lately, we typically include a um intruder deterrent glazing on the anywhere that's accessible from grade and then all the class there's a whole new level of uh not level but ever since Sandy Hook there's been a whole different type of classroom hardware and we have security I not in this role, but in my experience as a designer, we've had meetings with different security professionals to ensure that the layout of the classrooms and the security office and entry of people all uh keeps everyone safe.

Yeah, of course they the highest cost would be any damage to students or or teachers, but on the other hand, there is a real cost to protecting them.

I'd be curious to over the long haul to know that.

I realize you don't have that data, but that'd be interesting.

Thank you.

I yield.

Thank you, Representative Professor.

Thank you.

Um so I I have a question which may be a little sensitive.

Okay.

So I s I I saw from your application that you learned about this uh this role from Catherine Lobalba, yes, you know, who is the person who has overall responsibility for the long-term facilities.

Without getting into detail, how can you know Catherine?

Uh she used to work out for a G spent with me.

Okay, okay, so you're former college.

Yes.

Okay.

Um, you know, to a certain extent, um, this commit the the school building committee um is sort of you know eyes and ears over the over the construction, sure, which she's in charge of.

And it's not designed to be adversarial.

You should be hopefully it's collaborative.

Um but how do you in this role on the committee, how do you how will you ensure that you'll be able to stay, you know, in terms of this, these activities stay arm's length and be able to be critical when you need to be critical.

Yeah, I mean, I it's uh valid concern, I think.

Um Catherine and I were colleagues, we weren't like best friends or anything like that.

She's actually worked a lot in schools.

We never actually worked on projects together.

Um we were in the office together for five or six years, I think, and obviously we're social and stuff, but um I don't have super strong ties.

Um I'm thankful for her recommendation for this position.

Um, but I think uh my personal integrity, I've it's one of the key components that we teach boys and Cup Scouts and Scouts.

So I mean it's it's a big thing for me.

I don't think it's I'm always I have debates with people in the office oftentimes about what is the right thing to put into a building as opposed to the easiest thing to put into a building.

I'm a big advocate in our office for sustainability, and it's always, especially in this environment, it's been rather difficult to pursue that, knowing that is the best thing for the occupants, not only the planet, the occupants, the healthier buildings for all the students and teachers, um, you know, better for the environment, better for everybody.

I'm always advocating that even though it costs more, sometimes people perceive it to cost more when it doesn't.

Um I stand by my decisions for what is the correct path forward to not.

I I think I'd listen to all input and make the decision what's the best for the documents.

Well, it it sounds like and I think this is the most important thing.

Um it sounds like you're sensitive to the you know to the to the issue.

Um, and I think we all you know, relying on someone's personal integrity is usually is usually a good idea because most people have it.

And you certainly seem to be someone who does.

Thank you.

Thank you for your candor.

I really appreciate it.

Yep.

Just a little quick question.

Um, and this is uh to representative camparelli's uh question of few minutes ago.

Was there something about the choice of materials used in construction 50 years ago that had an impact on the durability?

I mean, Stanford High is a hundred-year-old building, yeah.

West Hill's a 50-year-old building is falling apart.

Apparently the firehouse is having the same issue, you know, again built around the same time period.

What was it about that period in the late 60s, early 70s that that produced buildings that and I can think of any number of sports stadiums too, you know, that failed over time.

Yeah, um, I mean we it's just our understanding of building science over the last 50, 60 years is just phenomenally increased, and um there was a lot of changes, and like you said, in the way systems were built, like everything was brick and block, and uh that stuff doesn't let air through, it doesn't let water through, and then we went to studs and sheathing and and insulation and stuff.

Um the water barriers that we used were not great, so water was getting into the wall cavity and rot out the wood and the insulation and stuff.

So that is still the cheapest way to build things today, but we have much better water barriers, we have an understanding of how the air interacts and stuff with the moves through the building and through the envelope and stuff, so um, and some people are still used to building the old way, which is not efficient and not uh healthy, so uh there's always a battle with that people trying to do stuff the way they did 20 years ago when it wasn't the best way, and there's building science is advanced, and we know better how to put buildings together now.

Thank you.

I someone in a nutshell, if you could just say like in one minute, summarize what this committee is and what it does, what would you go out?

In language, and kindergarten yeah, no, it's it's reviewing the cost and the final product to make sure that there's not any large gaps and what should be there to protect, keep healthy, educate uh the students.

That's my understanding of the rule.

So basically you go on site while the construction is taking place.

No, my my understanding that it's just reviewing the documents and uh the budget at the end.

Not the before at the end of design when all the drawings are done.

We look at the final drawings and the budget to make sure that it's in line with everything we need, and then it gets approved for finance or whatever, the construction starts.

But there is staff, if I might.

There is staff that is on site every single day.

Um, both from a general contractor standpoint all the way down to the question.

Yes.

So that's taking place.

It's just making it on my office.

Any further questions for Mr.

Stark?

Okay, thank you so much for thank you so much.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You just need to officer.

I know you uh Chris Smith.

You're Chris Smith.

Oh, okay.

Understood.

Okay, in which case we will go to uh Mr.

Miller, who is on the call, I believe.

Can we find you, Mr.

Miller?

Oh, yes, you are hello.

Hello.

Okay, so let's we uh we're going back a little bit.

We're going back to item number six.

That's Alpha 32.040 for the Urban Redevelopment Commission, Mr.

Joe Miller.

Uh, the term expiring December 1st, 2028.

Okay, Mr.

Miller.

Um I read your CD and uh you're a you're a very uh you know an investor real estate specialist, a um I can I guess uh sort of uh you know seasoned professional in the world of real estate investing.

Why are you dedicating your time to uh uh lowly position here on the Stanford uh urban redevelopment commission?

Sure, you've got nothing to do.

Uh thank you for first.

Uh I'd just like to say hello.

Um, very sorry, I planned to be there in person.

I was under the impression I went on at actually at 7 30.

So um but but I think you guys are moving quicker.

So I'm sorry about that.

Uh no one told me this was a lowly position.

I thought it was a very important position.

Very important.

Um, no, so you know, I think um, you know, this came up.

I originally had raised my hand for the planning commission.

Um I think that was full.

Uh this was identified, um, and I thought it sounded great.

Um, and so I left uh full-time position building a fairly large company last year.

Uh I've basically had a year in transition um and decided that I wanted to really uh have a more diverse uh group of activities that I was involved in, and what one of the things I've always been interested in is city government, how it works, and um, and so for me this is you know uh for me it's an education, it's it's something I've been interested in, and I wanted to do something where I thought my skill set and experience would uh would benefit uh the you know the city where I live and and hopefully you know be helpful.

There's a lot of things this commission's doing and trying to do that uh you know I've done a lot of in my professional experience, so I'm hoping I can bring some of that to the to the city to help.

Go on, so okay.

I noticed that you uh you worked with uh Rock Rose.

Yes, yes.

And uh my one of my first apartments in New York was a rock rose building, uh Turtle Bay Towers.

Ah, yes, one of the originals.

Well, right, and and and my memory of that was that I'm probably dead wrong because this guy going back a few years, but it was something called J51.

It was it it involved the the restoration of I believe that was an old print shop or something like that, that building, right?

Yeah, and I think that this was the law movement was well underway in lower Manhattan, but you know, for a large mid-town building to be redeveloped into a residential structure.

Uh that was a relatively new concept.

And I I don't know, was that right about J 51?

Is that does that make any sense?

Or my thing?

Uh well, I um that was so that building got done before my time.

Um I was getting there kind of at the end of uh really six or seven different office building conversions in the financial district.

They had done a number of other print buildings in the far west village and uh and in meat packing, Turtle Bay Towers.

I I want to say was one of the original ones.

Um I think of J 51 as uh is a financing program, but but I think it involves to your point, you know, restoration of commercial buildings for for residential.

So I think that's right.

There's a bit of a movement going on in Stanford, as I'm sure you know, which is to do these conversions uh of uh office buildings in the housing of uh is and I I may be I'm new to the board, so I'm really just learning ins and outs of city government myself.

Um but with that with that aspect of taking you know existing structures, converting them into residences, would that fall under the purview of urban redevelopment?

Um that's I heard no.

Um, I uh as far as it's been explained to me, um uh, and I've met with uh Ms.

Leah Kagan and talked a little bit about what the current activities are.

Um it doesn't sound like uh, you know, I'll get the opportunity if if given the chance to to be on this committee to work on renovation of uh old.

I think in Stanford it's you read about it, it's more um I guess office buildings, which which was a lot of what what we did, but I I don't think that's the current um short-term plan, but you know, certainly within the greater context of what I've read, uh, you know, the redevelopment of of the central business district, you could see maybe um it could be tangential to that.

Thank you.

Go ahead, Representative.

Hi, good evening.

Thank you for coming.

Good evening.

Thank you.

Um when you look at the city of Stanford, what do you see?

Um and uh happy to just free free flow, but is there something specific?

Uh you know, is it really to real estate or from your perspective and your expertise, like wow, I would really love to see that.

Oh, um, well, uh I'll just put it out there.

I I don't really think that's what I'm gonna get to do in this position, but uh but um look, I think Stanford's a great city.

I think it's growing.

Um there's obviously a lot of issues, uh, but but I think Stanford is is having a moment again.

Um for me, I I really like the idea of um continuing to activate uh the waterfront.

I think that's a real asset of Stanford's, and I think it's you know, there's so many of these mid-scale city, you know, in my work uh at my last business, I was in you know almost all the states and probably was involved in 500 uh plus or minus cities where I would go and have buildings and so it allowed me to see a lot of places, um, and I think a lot of the um you know mid-sized cities like Stanford, you know, kind of compete on similar things.

I think we have a real opportunity with our waterfront, um, as well as just kind of vibrancy and the proximity of New York City that um you know had does and has the opportunity to continue to kind of differentiate and you know make the city even better than it is.

Any further questions for Mr.

Miller?

Anybody on the coal can just check on Representative Campbell, go ahead.

Thank you.

Thank you for your willingness to serve, Mr.

Miller.

Um how did you hear about this?

Um I heard about it from the mayor's office.

So I had um, you know, again, rate raised my hand for the planning.

That wasn't going to be available.

They looked at my resume and said, geez, um, you know, it would be wonderful to have uh, you know, professional background like yours uh within this committee.

And I also told them I had some time uh you know to to come to meetings and actually work on some things.

So that I think that was all appealing.

Um, and then you had mentioned uh that the committee was doing some things that were really interesting to you, um, which made you want to do this.

So I was just wondering what those things were.

Oh, so I I think there's a good amount of overlap on what I've done.

Um that the agencies working on.

So I think they're they have excess bacon parcels or different parcels in and around Stanford.

Um I think uh they would like to see, you know, to further accelerate the sale of some of those parcels.

Um and so in my last business, we did a lot of buying of bulk groups of property and then kind of reselling them individually, making sure that we're marketing them properly, getting the best price for them, um, and kind of building a good process around that.

So I think I can, you know, help from a transactional perspective.

Obviously, I don't um have experience doing that within Stanford.

Uh I know there's um some land that uh could serve, you know, that's owned by the commission that could serve as affordable housing.

Um, you know, I've gone through.

Well the land is that um I don't know the address, but I think there's a parcel across from the mall that um is about an acre uh that um may be out to bid right now, or not uh be out uh for an RFP right now.

I'm not exactly sure on that, but um but I know that um one of the goals uh maybe I'm speaking out of turn here, is for that to um you know be some form of housing uh that would you know bring an affordability.

Uh and then I think there's certain um pieces that are um around the mall and um in other places and key locations in downtown that might um might be anchors or might be uh leverage points to see um you know positive development um in and around the the central business district.

So I've done a lot of negotiating with neighbors and kind of doing different things to help uh facilitate you know smart development.

You'd basically be working on the whatever the package was, like um selling off the land for a certain amount and what tax dollar breaks does the developer get and what they build and give back to the city, that kind of thing.

Yeah, and what I've been told, and again, I'm I'm not there yet, but what I've been told is that's a coordination with a lot of different you know departments and constituencies.

Um but that would be the idea, and I I think you know, I would kind of do as directed, but I have a lot of experience seeing different cities do it in different ways.

So I I feel like I'll be able to be a sounding board on you know things that seem to have worked and not worked.

Um, and then I understand there's also a uh a fund as well that um portable housing.

Uh there I I think the commission has four million dollars that um that uh can be put back into enhancing you know Stanford.

So trying to think of productive and smart ways to do that.

I know there's already some work on that.

Well, do a good job for us.

Thank you, Karen.

I will do my best.

All right, thank you.

I yield.

Thank you, Resident Evil.

Any further questions, Ms.

Miller?

Okay, I think you're done, Ms.

Miller.

Thank you so much for time.

We really appreciate it coming in.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, everybody.

Great, great to see you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, so that moves us on to item number eight, uh Alpha 32.042 for the school building committee.

It is Jackie Hefman, who I believe is on the call.

Let's see.

Oh, sorry.

Oh, she was here.

Oh dear.

I'll be a car.

I think yes.

Mrs.

Hepman is a quite a well-known.

Yes, she's we have her number.

Thank you, but to your list.

I'm getting your voicemail.

Okay.

I think we should move on.

Yeah, we should move on to item number.

Yeah.

Item nine.

Uh Board of Ethics.

This is Alpha 32.043 Board of Ethics.

Ellen Bromley for term expiring December 1st, 2027.

I've seen that.

Thank you to waiting.

Apologies.

That's very interesting.

Excellent.

Glad you haven't talked.

Go ahead.

Anyone with a question?

Oh god.

Thank you so much for uh throwing your head uh throwing your hat everything to uh to do this.

Uh what are your expectations going in?

Um just all hear the cases, I'll hear the request for opinions.

I'm a lawyer, yeah.

Um I've worked for the city, I've been on the board of reps.

I mean, I'm coming at this from a lot a lot of different angles.

I think in 93, I was on the board that wrote the first ethics code, but I'm trying to remember we we wrote the first purchasing ordinance in response to a scandal, and I think the ethics code may have been sort of um in that same response.

And it was it was a bit encouraging scandal, but the code has become much um lengthier and more complex, I believe, since then.

Yeah, you were I I mean it's an impressive resume just in terms of the not just the age, the length of your service, but the breadth of your service.

Thank you.

The Board of Ethics is very interesting because we had we've had uh quite a few cameras we put through recently, um, including sort of Mr.

Steckle, who's a who's a tax lawyer.

I just want to say one thing.

I got hearing aids when I worked here, and I've never needed them since I stopped working here.

There's something about this room.

No, it's it's my soft my soft accent.

So thank you.

Yeah, so yeah, Mr.

Steckle is a tax lawyer.

You are you're a real estate lawyer.

Is that right?

Well, this I was a real estate lawyer.

What's most relevant to this?

I heard cases if the state human rights uh commission on human rights and opportunities, which sort of is a similar role to this.

It's taking that and just citing the equities and applying them all up.

Uh huh, okay.

Excellent.

And then we've also had um Mr.

Martino.

Can you remember he was a um sort of a psychologist of sorts of a specialist in child love and child psychology?

Some really interesting characters we have on the.

Well what's really interesting when I when I said, you know, I'd be interested in this, I didn't realize what a great word you had.

Then I went back and I listened to um some of their meetings and I read some of their opinions, and I was like, these people don't need me, but here I am.

I do.

We absolutely do.

We absolutely do.

Fantastic.

Yeah.

You have a massive CV.

I think I think you're extremely qualified for the role.

But um, is there anything about your human rights experience you think that's the most unique uh addition you bring to the Board of Ethics?

I don't know if it's the most unique thing, but every every case is every question is different.

Every every inquiry kind of has a new twist to it.

And the nice thing about a code like this is that you know you you're supposed to apply the law to the facts, not just go to the same old um answer.

On the other hand, you do need to go back and look at the precedent.

So I don't know if that's responsible or if I just like I always do, but thank you.

I think we all know ethics is not a black and white um, no, it's really not.

I mean, I see, you know, it's actually, but what I wanted to say, and I'm looking around, it's funny to have been around for this long, and I know we're similar ages.

Um Stanford used to be a small town, so part of what we were doing in these earlier versions was kind of protecting people from relatives or people they'd gone to school, the people they knew for 100 years.

That's changed.

We have much more much different um approach.

But I want to tell an anecdote, nobody has any questions because I think this is really interesting ethics-wise, and I'll say this.

There's a wire in town in German Pino, you may know him.

He was he was on the board of finance many years ago.

He did an addition to his house, and he told me he wouldn't hire a Stanford contractor, and it's because of this, because there was just too much of a chance of some other interaction.

Um drawing attention to his employment of a standard contractor.

So we had people commuting from a right downline.

I think it was Joe, pretty sure, to build his house.

That was one thing.

At the same time, somebody else, I can't I do remember, but hired somebody to do like a heating and cooling system in their house.

It was somebody they had known since childhood, and basically that got called out a little bit.

You know, people are saying, well, you know this person.

Look at the price.

Was it a fair price?

Anyway, and the other person, the contractor was involved in government.

So it's a balancing act.

I mean, but that's a small town example.

Who are you gonna call?

You know, the person you've known forever.

Right.

So anyway, so and it'll be interesting to look at those kinds of issues in the context of 2020, whenever you're already.

Mr.

Chairman, this is Representative Hill.

May I be recognized?

Yes, sir, go ahead.

Yeah, I just want to uh make a comment that uh Ellen Bromley not only has served for many many years in the city of Stanford, but she's always served with excellence, and um I've had the privilege of serving with her on some boards and committees, and she has always been of extreme value uh to the process.

I just wanted to weigh in.

Thank you.

I I uh I I'm through, thank you.

Thank you, Reverend Friend.

Thank you, Representative Phil.

That was a glowing recognition.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Any further questions?

Okay, come back.

Thank you, okay.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you.

Good night.

Thank you, Ms.

Robbie.

Okay, and that brings us on to our last item, item number 10, Alpha 32.0.

Oh no, sorry, I apologize.

It's uh it's Ms.

Jackie.

It's Jackie, Jackie's back.

I apologize.

It's item number eight, Alpha 32.042 for the school building committee.

Uh Jackie Hefner of the time expired, December 1st, 2026.

Are you able to join us, Stephanie?

Uh you I think Jackie, you need to unmute.

I hope you're not driving.

I don't think you are.

I'm leaving the right hand drive car.

Yeah.

Okay, can you hear me now?

Yes.

Good.

Please please forgive my informal attire.

I was at my son's grandson's baseball game.

That's all good.

Thank you for joining us, Ms.

Ephraim.

Um, yes, I was I was even I even got a text from uh from majority leader Eric Morrison who said, tell me when uh Jackie Heffman is coming for an interview.

I must give her a glowing recommendation.

So you have a strong recognition.

Um I feel like we lost every question under the sun to uh Mr.

Stark.

So does anybody have any further questions for this uh?

Well, I I I have a question.

Um I'm sure you followed with uh some interest the uh uh the method by which the two schools are being built, one under a project labor agreement, one not.

And I'm wondering if you have any perspective on those two uh side by side as they are.

Um well I think that uh you know the city um does what it thinks thinks it's in the best interests of of the projects, and so if that was the determination that was made by the city, um I as a lay person uh would be loath to argue one way or the other fair enough thank you go ahead uh well i i have two questions jackie uh first question is who won i'm sorry say again first question is what's the game yeah i can't hear you what is your first question okay we'll skip the first question um the um so you've been on the you've been on the uh on the school building committee for about a year what what would you say is is is it's been the the has been the the value add of this committee to the uh to the construction process uh value added is that what you said yeah what yeah yeah well first of all it's uh it's by connecticut law so it's uh it's not like the city has a choice um my my position on the committee as the representative for the community um gives me a little bit of a chance to have a different perspective since I'm since I'm not an engineer um and and I don't have to be knowledgeable about the intricacies of how the project is being built my main concern is how it affects the community and how the community's tax dollars are being uh used and uh to make sure that we're getting the best value we can and because of my work on the board of education for so many years I'm very concerned in how the projects that are occurring in the schools affect the students there so my questions always go to um how are the children being protected how are they being separated from the construction um yeah those those are my concerns and how is the community interfacing with uh with the projects as they move along okay thank you very much very helpful hey mr chair yes go ahead can you see my hand up uh in there I can now I apologize I have misses hefman uh pinned on the screen go ahead oh okay yeah I didn't know if it was like a peering that's all um thank you for recognizing me how are you miss hefman I'm very well missed you how are you very well thank you it's good to see you again and it's uh and likewise uh you're not driving right now are you no my husband is um and you're not in England so that makes sense um miss hepman uh since we last uh uh you last came before this committee what would you say uh has been the biggest challenge and the um biggest um achievement uh um personally if you're since being on this board well being on the committee is very uh it's a very satisfying committee to be on because it's the last step in a very very long process um after this committee finishes it its work it goes directly to the state and so we come at the end after everybody's done their thing and um and it's always a um a major accomplishment to get a project especially projects of these sizes um through all of the hurdles that they have to go through to get it to uh so I think you froze Ms.

Epman.

I think you froze Ms.

Hefman.

Ms.

Huffman, we can't hear your your job.

Ms.

Hapman.

I'm sorry, you can't hear me.

No, we couldn't hear you on that.

Sorry.

Cut out.

Can you hear us now?

Should we call?

I think we'll uh we'll probably if that was okay with your question for now, Representative.

We'll probably just uh allow our next candidate to go ahead.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

Let's do that.

Okay.

Thank you, Representative Pavy, and thank you in case you've watched this back.

Let's move on.

Let's move on.

Okay, so next candidate, it is item number 10.

It's user.

It is uh item 10 Alpha 32.044 for the parks and recreation commission.

It's Christopher Smith with a term expiring December 1st, 2028.

I I actually true story did come from Lily practice as well.

I will thank you for thank you for being here.

Thank you so much.

This is it's your first time, it's your first time on the parks and work here.

Yeah, it is.

Uh and in any in any sort of uh city or municipality.

Um thank you for stepping up, we really appreciate it.

Well, where was the little league game?

Was it in a good park?

It was in good condition.

Uh, my park, my local park.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, on the big field or the little one.

Oh, the big field.

On the big field, okay.

Yeah.

Fantastic.

It's uh kind of the epicenter for Little League.

Yeah, I was there last night playing some pickable art.

Lovely new courts, enjoying it.

Yes, they look fantastic.

Mrs.

Hefman, we we uh uh we uh we moved on to and we agreed that uh your interview is concluded and we thank you very much.

Um sorry this is not say that again.

Mrs.

Hefman, we uh we we agreed that your interview is over.

We thank you very much for your service and uh you're all good for this evening.

Okay, I'm really sorry.

The dead zones are the parkway.

Don't make it easy to have a zoom call.

No, don't worry about it at all.

You're all good and uh we will vote later on this evening and uh we'll let you know.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Um yes, um well why why the parks might reach.

Well, uh largely not largely but initially it was uh Mayor Simmons uh asked.

Uh uh you know, I've I've known Caroline for a number of years.

I've talked to her about all sorts of ideas.

Um I think she realized that there's probably a common thread to many of those that relate to the parks.

Um, when she introduced this to me, I you know I I wanted to do something.

Uh and I think this is actually a perfect kind of way to start.

Um and and actually having thought about it more, I I think it's it's it's ideal.

I I I'm a user of the parks.

Uh I've got three kids.

Uh all play all sorts of sports.

We're all over the place.

Uh so uh and I I live close to Cummings and and West Beach, so using those parks.

Uh and um you know, it's uh and we've enjoyed the the programming, if you will, uh the recreation side if you uh uh of parks and rack and and so I I think it's I think it's interesting.

I I um I think there's interesting opportunities.

I I believe the mayor is passionate about the parks, which is always a good place to be if you want to be involved and in some capacity.

So you know, I think this is a good place to kind of start exploring how to be part of the civic process and the governmental process.

Don't know where that takes me.

Um it's a great way to offer some of my time to the city and um which I feel is important for everyone to do, and to the extent I can help in whatever needs, you know.

I mean, I certainly have use, but but you know, whatever is sort of the the master plan and the mission for for parks and right if I can help drive that uh that'd be fantastic.

Yeah.

I think Representative Campbell does test.

Go ahead, Representative Kelly.

Oh, thank you, Chair.

Um, thank you for your willingness to serve, sir.

Um I was just wondering what what role do you believe parks and recreation uh and open space uh and environmental concerns play in the city?

Let me make sure I understand the question.

What role does the parks and recognition?

How do you think the city should balance um active recreation, open space preservation, environmental concerns, and community needs?

So that's it's a great great question.

I um, and you're right, it is a balance.

Uh, you know, I probably you know just personally utilize the parks uh for activities, uh more so than looking at it as green space.

Um that's just for my personal experiences, but you know, I know that there is there is a rich history of working to balance that.

Um, you know, I grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey.

I have lived in cities.

I um can't stand concrete jungles, so I I firmly believe there does need to be uh the right balance.

There is absolutely a need in a city like Stanford for passive space um and and for passive activity use, if you will, be it just walking or sitting at a bench or um you know bird watching.

Uh I also believe that there is uh there are a lot of needs of the community to utilize park space.

Um, one of the things I'm really passionate about is um I have found uh youth sports to be an amazing vehicle for community.

And uh it's not certainly not the only vehicle, it's just one that I've been able to enjoy by virtue of my three kids.

And I think that's absolutely critical for a city of this size to have different vehicles for community, and if we can use the parks as that sort of surface um as a common as an area for meeting for organizing, um we should uh I don't know if I'm answering the question, but I do agree that there does need to be a balance.

Um there are numerous different uses and needs from the park, from the park land uh that need to be satisfied and met.

Thank you.

Um what do you think about plastic grass?

That's a great question.

I um I certainly understand the practicalities uh of it.

Uh the um I mean, there's a I believe there's a material reduction in the the maintenance and management of artificial turf fields.

Um I also understand that there are health concerns.

Uh it's it's probably not good for the kind of the immediate climate in terms of temperatures and whatnot.

Generally, my view is um I don't have a strong position one way or the other.

And if that is a if turf fields are a an issue that divides the community, divides the city, then it probably needs to be something that's continually you know deliberated and debated.

Thank you, I yield.

Thank you, Representative.

Coach?

Uh I'm just kind of curious.

You mentioned earlier that you see some opportunity in in the parks, and so I'm curious what what you see when you see that opportunity.

Well, I think there's two sides to it.

I think there's parks and recreation, if you will.

Uh maybe to answer the maybe to recreation first.

I think there is always opportunity to obviously within constraints of budgets and resources, but there's there's certainly no shortage of changing uh interests and appetites for for different sorts of programming, be it youth, not youth, uh, seniors, uh, and I think it's frankly beautiful to be creative and explore new things.

Uh, that's kind of programming writ large parks.

Um I think is uh there's always a need to kind of improve the parks.

I think that's kind of universal, that's constant, it's ongoing.

I believe that you know, there's there's a lot of puts and takes to a city of to a city like this, right?

Uh, that draws families to it, that draws companies to it, that defers people and drives them to other towns, frankly.

Um, I think if I had to put it on the list, I'd say our parks are absolutely should be and and are on the pro side, uh, and should be there in permanence.

I think there's you know, one area that I I find really interesting is um I think there is more that can be done to I can't say fully self-fund the parks, I'm gonna let her get there, but we can do a better job of driving revenues uh to better quote self-fund the parks, the maintenance, uh capex, but but maintenance and the operations, be it through um better utilization of the parks partnership, which I think is still an underutilized vehicle for for for attracting private capital.

I know we're just kind of getting started with it, but um, I do think there's possibly some revenue opportunities within the confines of the parks, even as simple as you know doing a better job with concessions and and and a coffee shop, nothing nothing exotic.

You know, I know there's a lot of sensitivity to concerts and those sorts of things, festivals as there should be, correct me.

But mayor Simmons is I've talked to her about you know better activating the parks.

What that means, I think can mean different things to different people.

Um for me, I think it's getting more folks to the parks and spending more time at the parks, and if that means having a coffee shop to, you know, at Salzi, so that they can come for a coffee and go for a walk one time more a week, that's a victory, and if that's revenue that can be funneled back into the city, that's a good little things like that.

I mean, again, you can go more exotic, but uh that's kind of where we are right now, just you know, I feel like the mayor is open to it.

I mean, I know that when the mayor presented the budget this year, and almost any time I see the mayor list priorities, schools, parks.

I don't I don't remember what you list there, but so it's schools, parks.

Um, so you're you're a dad, you're kidding, you know, my kids are growing up now.

Your kids are right in the heart of the sport, right?

You're going pillar to post every weekend.

Uh do you see a lot of pressure on the fields right now?

Is that an issue?

Do you feel like everybody gets what they need at the end of the at the end of the week like in terms of the actual fields yeah just access oh access i i think no there are certain there are certain youth leagues that are busting at the scenes in terms of their participation which is which is great which is fantastic right uh I think it's a post-COVID thing I think it's it's the result of uh just natural population growth uh I think there's a number of leagues that are just good and they're successful at attracting kids to play uh I'm involved in the Little League program and I also and I know that soft the softball program they have probably more participants than they have field space for uh the maintenance of the fields is a constant struggle because they're outdoor fields and you've got all sorts of elements to deal with um so yeah I think there's in the current state we're in there's certainly a need for more I don't think anyone's begging for more in the sense of like this is absolute we need it now because four years ago we were probably at a place well it's not fair it's kind of COVID but we we were at a place five ten years ago where you know there wasn't as much demand and so I think folks realize that to try to go and and ask the city to build a you know to invest in a big huge soccer complex or is a little a little too much but I I mean the demand is there and one thing I'll say is you know there's so my kids are 12 11 and nine i mean we're right right in the thick of it uh my eldest is uh finishing sixth grade uh it's now the next two years where uh families start to look around for site schools and they they're trying to figure out it's and and a lot we'll we'll almost certainly go to we slot it at Stanford High but there are a lot of families that don't and I can tell you with first hand experience there are a number of families that stick around because of their youth sports communities sounds silly but it's real no I they build they build friendships they build relationships and so there is power to that uh and value to that right if you can get a family to stay three four more years as opposed to jumping ship or you know to a neighboring community it's it's a good thing.

And finally just uh you did mention some somewhere maybe maybe in your uh application that you felt that there were some underutilized uh areas in the park so it's kind of curious what what you've identified yeah I mean there's you know I I look at comics and I know there's a master planning process that it was a master plan you know but it's it's there's a lot of space that you know it's not even used for for putting a picnic blanket down on I mean it's just it's kind of wasteland uh that parking lot uh that was you know where the Coast Guard station is uh I've had conversations with with Kevin Murray and others about you know uses for that it's it's an ISOR uh so you know that's an example I think there's um I don't remember the name of it on the west side of the border of Greenwich but it's it's got a really beautiful wooded area Hartman Park uh I I've gone walking back there into the woods it's incredible there's no trails there's no way there's no wayfinders there's there's no markers and there should be you know so you know and that's not much so there's those sorts of those sorts of things uh we could talk a while about it.

No, I mean I know I've taken my dog walking there that we we used to live in Westport, and there was a little park in Southport.

Almost the exact same size, almost the exact same sort of vibe, you know it's sort of defined by a hill.

Yeah, they do.

There are a couple of trails, and it's just it's the perfect dog walking loop.

Yeah, it was I yeah.

I was mesmerized by it because you you're on the interstate, but you're you know, so it's otherwise not never gonna be used, it's protected in that regard.

Yeah, but you're in kind of the woods.

There's like this really cool rock formation.

And it's just kind of kind of there.

Yeah.

I healed it.

Any more questions, Ms.

Smith from the call?

Okay, thank you so much for time.

Thank you so much, thanks for coming.

Yes, thank you for all the old.

You got another one yet?

I'll see you as well.

Yes, sir.

See you there.

Good night, guys.

Thank you.

Okay, so that concludes our interviews 8:15 p.m.

So we're just gonna go through our voting portion of the evening.

Uh so I propose a motion to approve item number one, Alpha 32.029, Board of Ethics, IRS, Steckle, sorry, Steckle with a term expiring December 1st, 2028.

Do I have a second?

Oh, sorry, so move.

And then we have a second.

Uh any discussion?

Okay, let's go ahead with a voice vote.

Uh, all in favor of approving Ira Steckel, say aye.

Aye.

Okay, all opposed.

And any abstentions?

Okay, the motion passes.

I believe it's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine zero zero.

Okay, moving on.

Uh, we are moving past item number two, Jason Canard.

He did not appear.

Um, item number three, alpha 32.035 for the planning board, Drew Mackay, who did not appear for an interview.

He we interviewed him very recently.

Do I I propose a motion to approve Mr.

Mackay?

So and a second, second.

All in favor of approving Mr.

Mackay for the planning board say aye.

Aye.

Any guests?

Any abstentions?

Okay, the motion passes.

900.

Item number four, Alpha 32.038, environmental protection board alternate.

Stephanie Stephanie Stefania Payares Arteaga.

Uh I propose a motion to approve Ms.

Ateaga.

So, and a second.

Second.

Any discussion?

Okay, all in favor of approving this.

Ms.

Atiaga say aye.

Uh.

Any against?

Any abstentions?

The motion passes 900.

Uh item of five, Alpha 32.039 for the environmental protection board.

Patrick Blessinger was withdrawn.

Okay, so we can skip that.

Item number six, Alpha 32.040 for the urban redevelopment commission.

Joe Miller, I propose a motion to approve Mr.

Miller for the Urban Redevelopment Commission.

And a second.

Second.

Any discussion?

Okay, all in favor of approving Mr.

Miller say aye.

Aye.

Any against?

Any abstentions?

The motion passes 900.

Next item number seven, Alpha 32.041 for the school building committee.

Anthony Stark, I propose to approve Mr.

Stark.

I still move to approve Mr.

Stark.

Is the motion moved?

Some move.

Is there a second?

Any discussion?

Yeah.

Mr.

Chairman.

Okay, go ahead.

Representative.

I just wanted to uh ask Carl if uh his opinion on something.

Uh if that's okay, Carl.

Carl, you asked him about um his contact and how we found out about this job, and they were colleagues.

Do you see that um as a problem?

Uh I'm glad you I'm glad you asked Bobby.

I um it it could be it is if putting aside with Mr.

Stark, the the short answer is no.

Um that could be an advantage or it could be a disadvantage.

Uh and that's why I wanted to hear um sort of his candor, his humility, uh, his recognition that there's potential, you know, for holding back.

Um, you know, the examples he gave about you know about how at work, you know, when he disagrees, you know, they have you know, there's conflicts with people at work over over work issues, and you know, and they talk to them through.

Um, I thought was a you know was a really good answer.

So it really depends on the quality of the answers and sort of the sincerity that I'm and this that I'm that I'm hearing, and I was impressed.

Um but I think it's you know, I think it's um you know I think we're when we see that's that sort of situation, um, then we have you know I I don't think we need to be adversarial, but we need to do due diligence, and that that's that was what I was trying to know.

Great.

Thank you for your opinion, Carl.

That's all I have for discussion.

Thank you, Professor Fabio.

Um, in light of Representative Pavier's question, does anybody plan to not vote in favor of Mr.

Stark?

Okay, in which case uh all in favor of Mr.

Stark say aye.

Any against?

Any abstentions?

Okay, the motion passes nine zero zero.

Okay, moving on.

Uh item number eight on the agenda.

Alpha 32.042 for the school building committee.

Uh Jackie Hefner with a term expiring December 1st, 2026.

Um I propose a motion to approve Mrs.

I approve.

I move that she be approved.

Representative Hill.

Thank you, sir.

And a second?

Second.

Any discussion on uh Miss Hefman's approval?

Seeing none, okay.

All in favor of approving uh Miss Heffman, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any against?

Any abstentions?

Motion passes 900.

Uh item number nine, Alpha 32.043 for the board of ethics.

It's Ellen Bromley with a term expiring December 1st, 2022.

I move to approve Ms.

Bromley.

Uh his motion moved.

I moved.

And a second?

Any discussion?

Okay, seeing none, all those in favor of approving Ms.

Bromley, say aye.

Any against any abstentions?

Okay, the motion passes 900.

And finally, item number 10, Alpha 32.044, Parks and Recreation Commission, Christopher Smith, return expiring December 1st, 2028.

Uh, I propose a motion to approve Mr.

Smith.

So, and a second.

Second.

Any discussion on Mr.

Smith?

Seeing none.

All those in favor of approving Mr.

Smith say aye.

Any against?

Any abstentions?

The motion passes 900.

That concludes our voting, and I propose a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8 22 pm.

So moved.

And a second.

Thank you very much.

We're done.

Thanks, everyone tonight.

Nicely done, everybody.

Thanks, Ellen.

Is the recording on?

I don't tend to do the I think the recording is done by uh