CC 2020-06-23_07 Supplemental No 1MEMORANDUM
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JESSICA MATSON, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
SUBJECT: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
AGENDA ITEM 7 – JUNE 23, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
D ATE: JUNE 22, 2020
Attached is correspondence received.
cc: Acting City Manager
City Attorney
City Clerk
City Website (or public review binder)
From: Jamie Reeves <
Date: June 17, 2020 at 11:33:29 PM PDT
To: Lan George <lgeorge@arroyogrande.org>, Keith Storton
<kstorton@arroyogrande.org>, Jimmy Paulding <jpaulding@arroyogrande.org>,
Kristen Barneich <kbarneich@arroyogrande.org>, Caren Ray Russom
<crayrussom@arroyogrande.org>
Subject: Defund the Police
Hello,
Here is what I have to say:
DEFUND THE POLICE!
Sincerely,
Jamie Reeves
From: Gina Whitaker [
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2020 10:25 PM
To: Jimmy Paulding; Caren Ray Russom; Kristen Barneich; Lan George; Keith Storton
Subject: Fwd: City of San Luis Obispo, CA: City Council Releases Statement on Protests and Policing
Dear Arroyo Grande City Council Members,
My husband, Ken Hill, and I would like to be sure you have read the statement from San Luis
Obispo CityCouncil that resulted from their council meeting on 6/17/20. It is attached.
It would please us to no end if our city council would take this model to heart and adopt
similar ideas and actions for our city.
We will he making public comment at this coming council meeting on these issues, especially
in regard to declaring racism as a public health crisis. I will be providing all of you with an
article that I have already sent to Councilperson Paulding to support the need to understand the
deep internalization that people of color experience from decades of oppression, fear and
stress that racism causes in black and brown Americans resulting in serious health issues.
Thank you.
Gina Whitaker and Ken Hill
City Council Releases Statement on
Protests and Policing
City Council approved a statement regarding recent tragic
events, the community’s response, and intentions to address
past and current systemic racism at their June 16 meeting.
Post Date: 06/17/2020 12:00 PM
City Council approved a statement regarding recent
tragic events, the community’s response, and
intentions to address past and current systemic
racism at their June 16 meeting. The complete
statement is as follows:
“As your elected officials, we would like to address
the community regarding recent tragic events, the
community response, and our intentions to address
past and current systemic racism.
We recognize that the recent killings of George
Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are
reflective of ongoing injustices. We are seeing the
nation mourn along with the Black community as
we reflect on the tragic losses of life due to racism.
We personally are feeling great sadness as we
witness the sadness, despair, and anger that our
Black community is feeling. To the Black members
of our community, we are here for you and will
support you. We are beginning to understand that
white privilege is based on centuries of racism,
inequity, and oppression. This council commits to
partner with the Black community, to listen, to
learn, and to follow their lead to make the changes
that must be made. Black Lives Matter.
We are fortunate to have a community with
compassion and a desire to change. Thank you to
the thousands of people who have come together
peacefully to protest, rally, march, write letters,
lead discussions, and speak out against the violence
of racism. Thank you to the students and youth who
bring extreme passion and leadership to move us
forward. We know you will continue to ask the
hard questions and keep us accountable. Thank you
for demanding that we do better and be better.
Many have questions about specific actions during
the protests on June 1 and broader questions about
the police department’s overall policies and
procedures. We also have questions and want to
know more. When Chief Cantrell joined this
community four years ago, she and her team
collaborated with many community partners rooted
in different races, ethnicities, and religions,
engaging the community as a whole and cultivating
inclusion. We have confidence that our police chief
and the department are committed to a
collaborative process of review and change.
We are grateful for our community partners who
always step up and share in the work, holding each
other accountable but never leaving the
conversation: Cal Poly, Cuesta College, San Luis
Coastal Unified School District, the SLO Chamber
of Commerce, Downtown SLO, service groups and
so many more. We humbly acknowledge our circle
has not been open enough and gratefully welcome
more partners to the table. We will be starting a
diversity taskforce to bring our partners together to
create a more welcoming, just, and inclusive
community. As a council, we are committed to
economic and community recovery that is
grounded in equity.
In these past few months, we have seen our
dedicated city staff step up and help the community
come together, stay safe and plan for moving
forward. The rallies, marches, emails, and calls for
change have moved our entire team; we know we
need to look at everything we do to be more
inclusive. Together, we are committed to the
success of our city.
Thank you for trusting local government; we join
with you in believing in democracy. We are truly
humbled and grateful to serve.”
In addition, the City Council adopted a resolution
affirming that racism is a public health crisis and
recommending public health officials declare
racism a public health emergency. The resolution
accomplishes two primary purposes: 1) A formal
city affirmation of the well documented premise
that systemic racism has manifested itself as a
public health crisis and 2) A request that public
health officials who possess the authority to declare
public health emergencies declare systemic racism
and its ongoing effects to be an emergency, which
could provide for opportunities to direct needed
funding and resources to the crisis. To read the full
staff report and resolution, please click here.
To receive updates from the City, please register
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at
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u=http://www.slocity.org/ or follow the City of San
Luis Obispo on social media.
From:Miriam Cahill
To:public comment
Subject:Anti-Racism Work to be Done
Date:Monday, June 22, 2020 2:05:44 PM
Hi there,
My name is Miriam Cahill and I live in SLO county. I am writing to make sure you are
committed to fighting racism in our community. You need to reallocate funds from law
enforcement and incarceration to fund community services, mental health and community
non-profits. Our community needs this funding! Law enforcement officers should not be
dealing with any issues other than crime (with sufficient training, functioning body cameras,
and only from support of the black community). Resources need to be allocated to mental
health and social workers so that they can support their community members. Over and over
again, we see law enforcement hurting and killing our black and brown brothers and sisters.
The system was meant to control people of color and so it is our job to dismantle that system
and rebuild something that makes sense for ALL of us. Support R.A.C.E. Matters demands in
your jurisdiction. Adopt a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. Also, as a city
council, connect and collaborate with organizations in Arroyo Grande who work on diversity,
inclusion, equity and/or racial justice.
Although I am very excited that AG will have Juneteenth Day, that is just the beginning. There
is work to do.
Thank you for your time,
Miriam Cahill
"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan
is for one hundred years, educate children." -Confucius
From:Leila Daniel
To:public comment
Subject:Racism as a public health crisis
Date:Monday, June 22, 2020 1:17:48 PM
Hi there,
My name is Leila Daniel and I live in SLO county. I am writing to make sure you are committed to fighting racism in our community. You need to reallocate funds from law enforcement and
incarceration to fund community services, mental health and community non-profits. Our community needs this funding! Law enforcement officers should not be dealing with any issues other than
crime (with sufficient training, functioning body cameras, and only from support of the black community). Resources need to be allocated to mental health and social workers so that they can
support their community members. Over and over again, we see law enforcement hurting and killing our black and brown brothers and sisters. The system was meant to control people of color
and so it is our job to dismantle that system and rebuild something that makes sense for ALL of us. Support R.A.C.E. Matters demands in your jurisdiction. Adopt a resolution declaring racism a
public health crisis. Also, as a city council, connect and collaborate with organizations in Arroyo Grande who work on diversity, inclusion, equity and/or racial justice.
Although I am very excited that AG will have Juneteenth Day, that is just the beginning. There is work to do.
Thank you for your time,
Leila Daniel