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CC 2020-06-09_07 Supplemental No 3_R MEMORANDUM TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: JESSICA MATSON, DEPUTY CITY CLERK SUBJECT: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION AGENDA ITEM 7 – JUNE 9, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS DATE: JUNE 9, 20 20 Attached is additional correspondence received after 12 PM. cc: Acting City Manager Police Chief City Attorney City Clerk City Website (or public review binder) From: Amber Steele ] Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2020 1:28 PM To: Caren Ray Russom Cc: Kristen Barneich; Jimmy Paulding; Keith Storton; Lan George Subject: Current and Urgent Issues Hello, Yesterday, I sent the email below to Mr Gibson I want to be sure my voice is heard, and that I am sending this correspondence to the correct people So, I am now directing this to you, and I have CC’ed your team and council members On Friday, June 5th, 2020, a peaceful protest took place in Arroyo Grande for the unlawful death of George Floyd, an African American man killed at the hands of police in Minnesota During this protest, the owners and associates of The Pit, decided it was okay to stand on the roof of their building on Grand Ave to intimidate protesters while holding weapons in clear sight (see attached photo) I am sickened that is took place and even more sickened that no further action has taken place by city or county officials To the best of my knowledge, California is not an open carry state That being said, I ask you why? Why have no charges been placed on these individuals? Why were they not immediately arrested? Why are officials being passive to active threats to community members who are exercising their right to peacefully protest? The San Luis Obispo Police Department felt it was right to unleash tear gas on protesters, yet the Arroyo Grande Police Department didn’t feel the need to take charge of an active threat towards protesters? These actions speak loudly on the local governments stance on equality within our county and country I demand that action be taken towards these individuals I wonder, Mayor Russom, what would happen if those individuals were people of color Would the Arroyo Grande Police Department turn a blind eye to the threat and laws being broken? Thank you for taking an active stance on this issue I would like a follow up with the actions being taken Kindly, Amber Steele Cayucos, CA , 93433 Begin forwarded message: From: Amber Steele <> Date: June 8, 2020 at 6:36:04 PM PDT To: bgibson@co slo ca us Subject: Current and Urgent Issues Hello Mr Gibson, I would like to start by saying I am extremely saddened by the recent events that have taken place within this county, OUR county On Friday, June 5th, 2020, a peaceful protest took place in Arroyo Grande for the unlawful death of George Floyd, an African American man killed at the hands of police in Minnesota During this protest, the owners and associates of The Pit, decided it was okay to stand on the roof of their building on Grand Ave to intimidate protesters while holding weapons in clear sight (see attached photo) I am sickened that is took place and even more sickened that no further action has taken place by city or county officials To the best of my knowledge, California is not an open carry state That being said, I ask you why? Why have no charges been placed on these individuals? Why were they not immediately arrested? Why are officials being passive to active threats to community members who are exercising their right to peacefully protest? The San Luis Obispo Police Department felt it was right to unleash tear gas on protesters, yet the Arroyo Grande Police Department didn’t feel the need to take charge of an active threat towards protesters? These actions speak loudly on the local governments stance on equality within our county and country I demand that action be taken towards these individuals I wonder, Mr Gibson, what would happen if those individuals were people of color Would the Arroyo Grande Police Department turn a blind eye to the threat and laws being broken? Thank you for taking an active stance on this issue I would like a follow up with the actions being taken Kindly, Amber Steele Cayucos, CA , 93433 the 2nd Amendment and it’s shameful to use our Constitution as a defense for the ultimate in bullying. Absolutely shameful. I am gravely concerned by the city’s response and not what I would expect, or want, from my elected SLO County leaders. It makes me question how the city would have responded had those men been anything but white? The public was exercising its Constitutional right to peacefully assemble as intended and guaranteed under the 1st Amendment. There was no violence, looting or rioting, just protesting. What is more American than protesting? I can’t think of anything. Yet, when it came time for our elected leaders to stand up for us and help us feel safe and protected from armed bullies, you took a cowardice's way out, claiming everyone was simply exercising their Constitutional rights and there was a clash with those rights. Laughable, really, if it didn’t involve guns. If you truly believe what happened last week on Grand Avenue is acceptable, protected under the Constitution and doesn’t need to be denounced, you are not acceptable to hold elected office, another privilege in this country. If there is anything I am afraid of in our community, it’s John Hackleman and people like him. Thank you. Stay well and safe, April Charlton 28-year Five Cities resident CC: AG Interim City Manager Bill Robeson City Clerk Jessica Matson District Attorney Dan Dow The assumption that our gathering is un-American and destructive just highlight how ingrained into our country racism and the tolerance of it is, not to mention police brutality. This should not be tolerated. I have no other thoughts on next steps moving forward, but thank you for opening the floor to community voices. From: Amy Sinsheimer ] Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2020 11:51 AM To: Caren Ray Russom Subject: Last Friday Dear Mayor Russom, I am shocked, saddened and angry after seeing photos of people on the roofs of The Pit and Grand Barbers with guns during last Friday’s protest. Standing with guns above peaceful protesters in a sniper like stance whether or not it is allowed by law is exactly the type of fear tactic that these protests are trying to expose. If the people on the roofs with the guns were truly only concerned about the protection of the property they could have made several other choices that did not involve standing on the roof holding guns. These choices could have still included access to their weapons to show as a deterrent if anyone actually tried to do anything to the property. I understand these people were within their rights and the police and City followed up to confirm this. I appreciate the communication to the community about that. However, I think the City has a role to play to work to bring the community together to not have this happen again. There is what is allowed under the law and then there is what is the right way to treat fellow humans. Please continue to work on these issues and do everything that the City can do to decrease the fear and misinformation and increase the dialogue and positive interaction between all parts of the community Sincerely, Amy Sinsheimer County resident of behavior after the fact, will others feel this is acceptable? Will my children be in the car as we drive down grand and see men on rooftops in the name of “protecting their business”? Do I have to explain to my children why people have guns standing on roofs as people drive by? Teaching them that if they don’t agree with something or someone to get a gun and try to create fear in others? Are we telling our future generation that this is acceptable? To me that’s a BULLY and is the exact opposite of what I want to teach my children. We are better than this! This town has always supported one another with respect and love, why should this be any different. A message needs to be sent to the community that this is unacceptable behavior and will NOT be tolerated. I ask you please think of the POC in this community like myself who feel fearful of what could happen if this is perceived as acceptable behavior. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I am sorry to send this to you personally but I tried to send to to the “public comment” but it said it was full: Good evening Mayor and council I wanted to express my concern regarding the display of Mr. Hackleman and Grand Barbers. To say I was disappointed would be a huge understatement. I am told he was “within his right” to have a man on his roof brandishing an assault weapon and I am in my right to express my concerns on how this not only affects our community, but as a biracial woman in an interracial marriage with children, how it affects me and my family. My boys used to attend the Pit and I was impressed by his motto of not initiating violence first. That was clearly not the case as he and his friends intimidated our community on their way to PEACEFULLY protest. He’s made it VERY clear to the community where he stands on this issue. Needless to say my children will not be returning to the Pit. My concern is as citizen of this community who is a second generation raising my children here, is if there is not some sort of repercussions for this tacky display of trying to envoke fear and panic in our community, and his manner ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Gregory Ross <> Date: Tue, Jun 9, 2020 at 2:15 PM Subject: peaceful protest in Arroyo Grande To: <hello@jimmypaulding.org> Councilman Paulding- I am emailing you to express my outrage at John Hackleman, owner of The Pit, stationing a gunman on the rooftop of his establishment in an obvious attempt to intimidate peaceful protesters. The United States Constitution has enshrined in its 1st amendment the right of the people to peacefully assemble to seek redress of grievances. I have seen on Nextdoor Neighborhood the the AG police have encouraged vigilante activity in policing this peaceful protest. I certainly hope this is not the case and someone is mistaken. However, if this is the case, I would like to see the police chief and all officers involved punished to the full extent of the law. Sincerely, Gregory B. Ross responsibility to keep peace and order in this town. The fact that they engaged him and allowed that behavior to continue with no perceivable threat is absolutely unacceptable, and NEGLIGENT. I urge you to encourage the DA to file formal charges to look into this incident more fully than to just take somebody’s word for it that the guns were not loaded. A full-scale investigation needs to be launched. I understand that the first and second amendment came to a clash in this incident, and luckily no one was harmed. I doubt a similar outcome would happen in the future, and the blood will be on your hands. Other parts of the county are even more divided, and with tensions running so high, it is a gasoline can you have lain carelessly beside a burning pyre. IMAGINE THE OUTRAGE, if the police engage a Black business owner in any perceivably different way. The police, and the government will be inexorably labeled as racist, and they’d be correct. So if it’s ok for Hackleman, it’s ok for ALL. What a dangerous precedent to set! It is your job to govern and hold people in power accountable. PLEASE DO SO. Brianna Biberston Resident of SLO County Footnotes (1) https://link.edgepilot.com/s/5754a8e2/y7_-mBr8rEid_hrl0mMPhg? u=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml? sectionNum=26045%26lawCode=PEN , Section A (2) https://link.edgepilot.com/s/5754a8e2/y7_-mBr8rEid_hrl0mMPhg? u=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml? sectionNum=26045%26lawCode=PEN , Section C (3) https://link.edgepilot.com/s/ef229f22/flWK_oAsc0WTKgZrQBagKg? u=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml? sectionNum=417%26lawCode=PEN , Section 2 Links contained in this email have been replaced. If you click on a link in the email above, the link will be analyzed for known threats. If a known threat is found, you will not be able to proceed to the destination. If suspicious content is detected, you will see a warning. Establish Civilian Review Boards in all municipalities to build public confidence and hold local police departments accountable via the following provisions: Review boards must have Black representation, be multigenerational and represent the diversity of genders, races, ethnicities, faiths, and sexual orientations in our communities. Review boards must have oversight of complaints against police. Review boards should be able to request reports from police to grant transparency and commitment to social justice. Review boards must have input on law enforcement hiring. Review boards must conduct social media background checks for current and future law enforcement. Review boards must review footage from protests. Law Enforcement Officers must have rigorous training grounded in evidence-based practices and de- escalation techniques. This training must be provided by organizations and agencies that are committed to prosocial behaviors, upon recommendation of the Civilian Review Board. SLO County, and every municipality there-in, must divert funds from law enforcement and incarceration toward community services, mental health and community non-profits. Continue follow-up and communication with the community regarding long-term reform with regard to decriminalization, surveillance, facial recognition software, Use of Force policies, de-escalation, and other concerns. Additionally, we request that SLO County officials and each city in SLO County reviews A VISION FOR BLACK LIVES: Policy Demands for Black Power, Freedom & Justice, and we demand a report back on how much work has been done so far to accommodate each of these demands. We request creative commitment to review these demands within all applicable public agencies in your jurisdiction Understanding that not all the demands will fall within each jurisdiction, we expect you to use the power of your position to hold other agencies and officials accountable. R.A.C.E. MATTERS, and the people supporting these demands, request a response to these demands by June 19th, along with a date by which you commit to submitting a report back to R.A.C.E. MATTERS on the demands above. STATEMENT FROM R.A.C.E. MATTERS SLO We reiterate that our focus--fully and fundamentally--is on supporting Black lives in the face of all forms of hostility, aggression, and terror. While we are proud and honored to have a leadership role in the struggle for racial justice in our community, we do not pretend to be the sole force at work in the current protests. This is a coalition movement, with many elements and groups involved, sometimes with different strategies for moving forward. We urge local officials and police departments to listen to all organizers, especially Black youth,​ with regard to the change they and we want to see locally. Here is our list of demands: ●Recognize that racial discrimination is bigger than law enforcement, and therefore should be declared a Public Health Emergency by every city within SLO County and at the SLO County level. ●Focus all future interactions with protestors on protestor safety with regard to traffic control, and do not impede on the direction of peaceful marches or demonstration. ●Recognize that police presence can be triggering to communities of color, and the use of riot gear such as gas masks, shields, helmets, etc, is a form of aggression and escalation in itself, which should not be allowed during peaceful protests, and used only as a last resort when officer safety is truly at risk. ●Ensure officers have their body cameras on at all times; and have back-up battery power to guarantee this. ●Ban the use of knee-holds and chokeholds as an acceptable practice for police officers. ●Immediately drop all criminal charges against non-violent protestors arrested during Black Lives Matter protests and expunge these charges from any records. ●Establish Civilian Review Boards in all municipalities to build public confidence and hold local police departments accountable via the following provisions: ○Review boards must have Black representation, be multigenerational and represent the diversity of genders, races, ethnicities, faiths, and sexual orientations in our communities. ○Review boards must have oversight of complaints against police. ○Review boards should be able to request reports from police to grant transparency and commitment to social justice. ○Review boards must have input on law enforcement hiring. ○Review boards must conduct social media background checks for current and future law enforcement. ○Review boards must review footage from protests. ●Law Enforcement Officers must have rigorous training grounded in evidence-based practices and de-escalation techniques. This training must be provided by organizations and agencies that are committed to prosocial behaviors, upon recommendation of the Civilian Review Board. ●SLO County, and every municipality there-in, must divert funds from law enforcement and incarceration toward community services, mental health and community non-profits. ●Continue follow-up and communication with the community regarding long-term reform with regard to decriminalization, surveillance, facial recognition software, Use of Force policies, de-escalation, and other concerns. ●Additionally, we request that SLO County officials and each city in SLO County reviews ​A VISION FOR BLACK LIVES: Policy Demands for Black Power Freedom & Justice​, and we demand a report back on how much work has been done so far to accommodate each of these demands. ○We request creative commitment to review these demands within all applicable public agencies in your jurisdiction ○Understanding that not all the demands will fall within each jurisdiction, we expect you to use the power of your position to hold other agencies and officials accountable. R.A.C.E. MATTERS, and the people supporting these demands, request a response to these demands by June 19th, along with a date by which you commit to submitting a report back to R.A.C.E. MATTERS on the demands above. Petition link: https://www.change.org/ActNowRaceMatters -- R.A.C.E. Matters SLO County racemattersslo.org race.matters.slo@gmail.com Facebook: @R.A.C.E.MattersSLO Instagram: @racemattersslo Links contained in this email have been replaced. If you click on a link in the email above, the link will be analyzed for known threats. If a known threat is found, you will not be able to proceed to the destination. If suspicious content is detected, you will see a warning. Love the Avila Family. Get Outlook for iOS From: public comment <publiccomment@arroyogrande.org> Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2020 1:51:39 PM To: Freedom Ropes <freedomrecoveryropes@gmail.com> Subject: RE: Small business fears and community unity Hello, There are no comments below. Would you like to resubmit? public comment Public Comment Public Comment Tel: 805-473-5400 | https://link.edgepilot.com/s/fe037116/8PWozLK18UmLEbxB7HHetA? u=http://www.arroyogrande.org/ 300 E Branch St | Arroyo Grande | CA | 93420 City Hall Business Hours: M-Th 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; Closed Fridays The information contained in this email pertains to City business and is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not an intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient and you have received this message in error, please advise the sender by reply email or phone and delete the message. Please note that email correspondence with the City of Arroyo Grande, along with attachments, may be subject to the California Public Records Act, and therefore may be subject to disclosure unless otherwise exempt by law. From: Freedom Ropes [mailto:freedomrecoveryropes@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2020 11:02 AM To: public comment <publiccomment@arroyogrande.org> Subject: Small business fears and community unity Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Hannah Ingham > Date: June 9, 2020 at 10:51:22 AM PDT To: Subject: Fwd: Small business fears and community unity Links contained in this email have been replaced. If you click on a link in the email above, the link will be analyzed for known threats. If a known threat is found, you will not be able to proceed to the destination. If suspicious content is detected, you will see a warning. Thank you and let me know of you have any questions. Bill Robeson Acting City Manager/Public Works Director Public Works, City of Arroyo Grande Tel: 805-473-5466 | https://link.edgepilot.com/s/0bee9fc8/U507miUVokKR65jb-p6aJQ? u=http://www.arroyogrande.org/ 1375 Ash St | Arroyo Grande | CA | 93420 City Hall Business Hours: M-Th 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; Closed Fridays The information contained in this email pertains to City business and is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not an intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient and you have received this message in error, please advise the sender by reply email or phone and delete the message. Please note that email correspondence with the City of Arroyo Grande, along with attachments, may be subject to the California Public Records Act, and therefore may be subject to disclosure unless otherwise exempt by law. From: Caili Wilk <> Date: June 5, 2020 at 9:26:03 AM PDT To: "kbarneich@arroyogrande.org" <kbarneich@arroyogrande.org> Subject: Arroyo Grande’s response to racism Dear council members, police force, and community members, Now is not a time to be silent. Now is a time to recognize systemic racism and the acts of police brutality across the nation. Now is a time to show the community you care and are willing to implement proven changes which will decrease police violence and address racism. There is a great deal of data out there and recommended guidelines which can be a good start. You have probably seen #8cantwait. 1 Ban chokeholds 2 Require de-escalation 3 exhaust all means before firing a gun 4 require warning before shooting 5 duty to interven 6 ban shooting at a moving vehicle 7 require use of force continuum 8 require comprehensive reporting These are by no means the only things the city can do, and I want to point out I am not privy to any current anti-racism training and current de-escalation training you may already have in place. However, I have not seen any public recognition from the city about the national and local protests. Your silence is disappointing. I know police work is an honorable and brave profession. Please recommit to serving the community by implementing these proven policies and moving towards a more just society. It’s not enough to say we are a good community. You need to show this through policy changes and let the community know you are doing this. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Caili Wilk Links contained in this email have been replaced. If you click on a link in the email above, the link will be analyzed for known threats. If a known threat is found, you will not be able to proceed to the destination. If suspicious content is detected, you will see a warning. communities here on the central coast or anywhere in our country. This goes for both our police departments and private citizens. We can and will do better, with help from leaders like you. Thank you for taking this matter seriously. Sincerely, A very concerned community member tried to scare and intimate people who were marching peacefully for a crucial cause. Is this the kind of person/business AG wants to protect? More investigation needs to be done regarding whether the assault rifles on that roof were actually in good legal standing. Many people have reported that nonlegal magazines were attached to the guns, and the fact that they were using the guns as a form of INTIMIDATION, definitely needs to be investigated. As if that wasn't enough, he posted a 2nd video livestreaming his thoughts. In this 2nd video, which was taped the night of the protests AFTER they were done, he is clearly intoxicated and unhinged and behind the wheel of a car. He names a woman, Jenn Beloved, who spoke out against him. He spells her name out multiple times - degrading her, insulting her, and putting a huge target on her back. This is a HUGE threat to her safety since we know what kind of people patronize and support his business (gun owners). The link to the 2nd video can be found here: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/d0489675/Aw2H5PL7IkabVOlVidPCBA?u=https://youtu.be/bMhMlAygIJQ He is pulled over to the side of the road for the first half of the video and he is CLEARLY drunk. He then begins to drive while intoxicated, while using his phone, and continues to demean local citizens and incite violence under the veil of patriotism while driving drunk. PLEASE. Please. Please, make this man is held responsible for his actions. He deserves to lose his business for inciting violence and encouraging racism. I, and many others, will continue to fight against The Pit until necessary actions are taken. This is not the kind of person who should be representing our community. Thank You, Joseph Ogren Links contained in this email have been replaced. If you click on a link in the email above, the link will be analyzed for known threats. If a known threat is found, you will not be able to proceed to the destination. If suspicious content is detected, you will see a warning.