Council Actions
February 7, 2023 Council Meeting - Holiday and Recognition Work Plan
At the January 7, 2023 Council Meeting, the Town Council unanimously approved the Library's Holiday and Recognition Work Plan. The goal of thoughtful acknowledgement of holidays and recognition months is to foster an inclusive community. The Library's core purpose is to connect people with stories that broaden understanding.
The staff report containing the Work Plan and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
January 30, 2023 Special Town Council Meeting - Initial Adoption of the Housing Element
At the January 30, 2023 Special Town Council meeting, the Council adopted the 2023 - 2031 Housing Element with modifications to the Sites Inventory, finding that it was in substantial compliance with State law. The Housing Element is a strategic plan for housing the Town's present and future residents.
The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
The 2023-2031 Housing Element was made available to the public for a seven-day review period prior to HCD re-submittal. The seven-day public review period was from February 3, 2023, to February 10, 2023. The seven-day public review period is complete but public comments are still encouraged throughout the process to HEUpdate@losgatosca.gov. On February 13, 2023, the Town resubmitted the adopted 2023-2031 Housing Element to HCD for review and comment.
For more information on the Housing Element Update, please visit the Town's Housing Element webpage.
September 6, 2022 Council Meeting - Direct Development of a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Plan
At the September 6, 2022 Council meeting, the Town Council received the American Leadership Forum Insights (ALFI) Discovery Report Regarding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) and unanimously voted to direct the Town Manager to work with ALFI on the development of a JEDI Plan. The Plan will have specific short and long term goals, action items with timelines, and metrics. The Plan will also include the definitions of "inclusivity," "belonging," and other terms to develop a common understanding of these concepts. The JEDI Plan will identify gaps and overlaps with the equity work being done by other organizations in Los Gatos.
The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
Work on the JEDI Plan is currently underway with ALFI leading the effort. ALFI and Town staff are working with the community on identifying definitions and principles to include in the Plan. A community workshop will be held in Spring 2023 to garner additional public input. All Town Boards, Committees, and Commissions will be offering feedback on the JEDI Plan and examining how their work intersects with equity and inclusion in Los Gatos. Town staff will be reflecting on the organization internally in terms of how the Town can foster a more diverse workforce, strengthen procedures to protect staff from uncivil behavior, and be more welcoming for all.
As of February 2023, the Town provided updates on the recommendations from the Discovery Report as well as other related items the Town is working on.
June 7, 2022 Council Meeting - Direction Regarding a Land Acknowledgement Regarding Aboriginal Homeland
At the June 7, 2022 Council meeting, the Council unanimously voted to proceed with drafting a Land Acknowledgement in conjunction with the involved Indigenous Tribes to be used at the start of significant Council events/meetings, on the Town website, and/or written materials (to be determined once language is finalized), and to return to Council for consideration with the draft language.
A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of the land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. Land Acknowledgments exist in a present tense, as opposed to a past or historical context.
The staff report, desk item, and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
Civility Guidelines
In late 2021, the Town Council adopted civility guidelines for all Council and Commission meetings, being clear that:
- The Town embraces diversity and strongly condemns hate speech and offensive, hateful language or racial intolerance of any kind at Town meetings.
- Town Council and staff are well aware of the public's right to disagree with their professional opinion on various Town issues. However, anti-social behavior, slander, hatred, and bigotry statements are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form at Town meetings.
- All public comments at the Town Council meeting must pertain to items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Town and shall not contain slanderous statements, hared, and bigotry against non-public officials.
October 19, 2021 Council Meeting - Transportation Services of Juvenile Patients Placed on an Involuntary Mental Health Evaluation Hold
The Council unanimously voted to authorize the Town Manager to execute a service agreement with Silicon Valley Ambulance, Inc. as a one-year pilot program for transportation services of juvenile patients placed on an involuntary mental health evaluation hold. The ambulance company will provide dedicated service for the transportation of juveniles placed on involuntary mental health holds (under 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) to psychiatric treatment facilities instead of an Officer transporting the juvenile in crisis in a marked patrol vehicle.
The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
September 7, 2021 - Gender Neutralization of the Town Code
The Council unanimously voted to adopt an Ordinance amending the Los Gatos Town Code to include gender-neutral pronouns by eliminating any gender preference language within the Los Gatos Town Code and amending sections regarding grammatical interpretation to indicate that whenever a gender-neutral personal pronoun is used, it shall be deemed to include the feminine and masculine also. The older language within the Code contained increasingly obsolete gender-specific terms such as “she”, “he”, “chairman”, “policeman” and other gender-specific terminology that is not inclusive. The newer language uses the pronoun "they" to be more inclusive.
The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
August 17, 2021 Council Meeting - Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Consultant Services
The Council unanimously voted to authorize the Town Manager to enter into agreements for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Services with two firms: American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley Insights (ALF) and ReadySet.
ALF will handle the Town’s external JEDI goals through Town partnerships with local organizations and the broader community. ALF specializes in external engagement and dialogue, leveraging community partnerships, and developing gap/overlap analysis. ALF will work on engaging with both Town leaders and community partners (including the Chamber of Commerce, faith-based organizations, service organizations, Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation, local schools, etc.) to assess the level of understanding the current JEDI efforts and identify barriers and opportunities. Based on the recommendations gleaned from that process, ALF will set up metrics and objectives for the on-going process of engagement and dialogue with the community. They will also provide an assessment of gaps and overlaps in order to identify clear overarching goals for the Town’s efforts. Additionally, ALF can serve in an advisory role to assist with community workshop/meeting design and other work.
ReadySet will examine the Town’s JEDI context internally. ReadySet’s strength lies in internal organizational assessment and roadmap development. ReadySet will collaboratively design an internal JEDI survey, review existing Town processes and procedures, conduct interviews and focus groups with staff, review and analyze the findings, and develop a robust assessment of the organization. Based on the results of the assessment, ReadySet will facilitate planning sessions and support staff with the development of an internal roadmap. The roadmap will encompass a holistic, integrated strategy to support and further strengthen the Town’s long-term internal organizational development around JEDI, including timelines and metrics to measure success and accountability.
The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
The final ALF Discovery Report is now available and was presented at the September 6, 2022 Town Council meeting.
August 3, 2021 Council Meeting - Police Department Report and Mental Health Options
The Council received the Police Services Report for January - June 2021. In order to increase transparency and trust with the community, the Police Department announced the launch of a new Police Transparency and Data Page, with information regarding stop data, mental health response, use of force, crime data, California Public Records Act (CPRA’s) requests, and training requirements for Police Department staff.
The Council also discussed further implementation of mental health options within the Police Department. Council unanimously voted to continue with efforts already under way (expansion of the vulnerable communities response team, enhanced crisis intervention training for Officers, mental health response training for the Victim Services Unit, virtual reality training system, and integration of communications, assessment, and tactics into the defensive tactics training curriculum). Council requested additional information, including costs, for contracting an ambulance program to transport individuals detained under Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 to emergency psychiatric services and a therapy canine program. Council asked staff to meet with County leaders to explore additional mental health service options.
On October 19, 2021, the Council unanimously voted to authorize the Town Manager to execute a service agreement with Silicon Valley Ambulance, Inc. as a one-year pilot program for transportation services of juvenile patients placed on an involuntary mental health evaluation hold. The ambulance company will provide dedicated service for the transportation of juveniles placed on involuntary mental health holds (under 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) to psychiatric treatment facilities instead of an Officer transporting the juvenile in crisis in a marked patrol vehicle.
Also in October 2021, at Council's direction, the Police Department implemented an Assistive Therapy Canine Program to enhance employee wellness, assist in the response and follow up of mental health and trauma related incidents, and serve as another tool in the promotion of positive community outreach and engagement. This collateral duty assignment will work closely with the Department’s Victim’s Services Unit, Peer Support Team, School Resource Officer, Community Outreach Coordinator, and Vulnerable Communities Response Team.
Also at Council's direction, in the fall of 2021, the Police Department was awarded a California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Innovations Grant which was used to purchase a virtual reality (VR) training system. The VR system will be primarily used to train Officers in de-escalation of force techniques. It also has the capability to modify the mental status of the VR characters and scenarios to simulate a mental health crisis. This simulation training tool will be incorporated as both perishable skills and advanced sworn officer annual training in compliance with California POST requirements. The Department is one of a few agencies in the County to receive the POST Innovations Grant and implement this VR Simulation/De-Escalation System.
The staff reports for the Police Report and Mental Health Options items and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
June 15, 2021 Council Meeting - Crosswalk Modifications
The Council unanimously voted to add rainbow stripes to two crosswalks on E Main Street in front of Town Hall in support of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) community. The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
April 6, 2021 Council Meeting - Stopping Hate with District Attorney Rosen
The Council had a discussion with Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen and other local community leaders, heard public testimony, and discussed the importance of standing together in solidarity and respect during this time of divisiveness. The Council also authorized the Town Manager to issue a Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to assist with the Town's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Work Plan and adopted a Resolution denouncing hatred and violence toward diverse Los Gatos communities. The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website and a full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
March 16, 2021 Council Meeting - Police Reform Update
The Town Council accepted the quarterly Police Reform Update Report, discussed the Town's collaboration with County Behavioral Health Services for mental health calls, and expressed support for other mental health service models that the County is developing. Staff from Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services presented an overview of the Mobile Crisis Response Team and the collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the County. This is one of a growing number of programs in the nation that bridges law enforcement and social services to address crisis situations. In addition to a discussion of mental health issues, the staff report includes updates on traffic stop data, use of force, training, the Independent Police Auditor function, and responses to non-emergency calls. The meeting minutes are available on the Town website. A full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
January 26, 2021 Special Council Meeting - Strategic Priorities
The Town Council unanimously voted to affirm the Town goals of Community Character, Good Governance, Fiscal Stability, Civic Enrichment, Public Safety, and Quality Public Infrastructure and the ongoing Strategic Priorities for 2021 - 2023 of Safety, Quality of Life, Traffic/Transportation, and Prudent Financial Management. The Council unanimously agreed to add Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the Quality of Life item. The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website. A full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
November 3, 2020 Council Meeting - Police Reform
Council unanimously voted to:
- Work with the County of Santa Clara regarding responses to mental health and homeless calls for service and provide a status report on an annual basis.
- Authorize the Town Manager to establish an Independent Police Auditor function with reports released to the public on a quarterly basis and a goal of selecting diverse rotating investigators with a preference for retired attorneys and judges.
- Ask staff to return to the Council with a proposal for a Community Service Officer to respond to non-emergency calls during the next budget cycle.
- Acknowledge the timeline for Police Department stop data availability and transparency. The data includes time, date, and location of the stop; reason and resulting action of the stop; perceived race or ethnicity, gender and approximate age of the person stopped (based solely on observation as officers are disallowed from requesting the information); etc. and will be collated for presentation to the Town Council and the public by July 2021. The information will then be posted to the Department’s website and augmented with future annual reporting periods.
The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website. A full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
On February 19, 2021, a Request for Qualifications for Independent Police Auditor Services was released. On May 18, 2021, the Town Council authorized the Town Manager to execute agreements with Burke, Williams & Sorensen, Richards Watson & Gershon, and the Renne Public Law Group for Independent Police Auditor Investigation Services. The staff report and attachments (including each of the proposals) can be viewed here. All Police Department complaints are now submitted directly to the Clerk Department and facilitated by the Town Attorney. The rotating panel of independent investigators will be reviewing public and internal complaints regarding Police conduct. For more details and to access the submittal form, visit www.LosGatosCA.gov/PoliceComplaints.
October 6, 2020 Council Meeting - Below Market Price Housing
The Town Council unanimously voted to approve a proposed Ordinance to amend the Town Code regarding the Below Market Price Housing Program. Council also unanimously voted to adopt a proposed Resolution to modify the Below Market Price Housing Program Guidelines with an additional modification to add points for low income applicants. The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website. A full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.
September 15, 2020 Town Council Meeting - Direction for Police Reform
The Town Council unanimously voted to determine a police oversight model, provide increased transparency and public access to police data, utilize non-sworn personnel for non-emergency calls when possible, examine options for providing mental health services, and explore potential modifications to role of the School Resource Officer in consultation with local school districts. The staff report and meeting minutes are available on the Town website. A full video recording of the Council meeting is available on the Town YouTube page.