Minutes of OMVNA Steering Committee meeting, Monday, July 29, 2024, 7:30PM, convened electronically (via Zoom)
Present: Regular SC and subcommittee personnel (M. Hauser filling in for Deborah Vasquez, Jim Whitfield for Sherril Brennan); Becca Swett; Paula Giannoni (speaker, item 5)
(1) Call to order: Chair David Lewis. Came to order 7:36.
(2) Call for additional agenda items: Chair David Lewis Item 10 (Becca Swett) added at end here.
(3) Approval of minutes from last meeting: Secretary Deborah Vasquez (M. Hauser acting). Corrections offered by K. Bailey; new typo corrections to the AI-assisted text by R. Cox. Approval, provisional on these revisions: Moved (Bickford), 2nded (Cox), passed.
(4) Confirming time & place, next OMVNA Steering Committee meeting(s): Chair David Lewis and Newsletter Editor Susan Bickford. Reconfirmed next meeting Sept 30 (J. Steach will be absent). For the Annual General Meeting, need to avoid Dec. 9 (downtown tree lighting). Tentative date DECEMBER 2 (the 16th was felt to be “too late”). Discuss at the Sept-30 meeting; needs resolving by early October for advance notice of items needing General Meeting vote.
(5) Presentation from TRUST non-profit: TRUST representative Paula Giannoni (10 minutes presentation, 5 minutes Q&A). TRUST = Trusted Response Support Team, a mobile crisis response team for low-(public-safety)-risk de-escalation assistance in mental-health or substance-abuse situations, available 24/7 for ages 18+, no other constraints or fees; “Call 988” (which will refer to 911 if needed). “Alternative to calling law enforcement.” Currently this is a “baby” pilot program with van serving 11 cities (“Palo Alto to Santa Clara to Mt. Hamilton”). One of a set of acronymed behavioral-health mobile programs for county (in order of increasing crisis level: TRUST, MRSS, MCRT, PERT). Wants us to help spread word. R. Cox had the presentation slides.
(6) Establish Nominating Committee for 2025 OMVNA Leadership Team positions: Vice Chair Robert Cox. J. Steach will chair once again; Susan needs, by late Sept., names of SC members willing to serve again.
(7) Establish OMVNA City Council Forum Ad Hoc Subcommittee: Potential dates, venue, and volunteers: Vice Chair Robert Cox. Will solicit by email.
(8) Discuss potential clarifying amendments to OMVNA bylaws and rules of order for our meetings: Social Chair Kristin Bailey. By-Laws language could use clean-up: (a) obvious typos; (b) improve inclusivity of language? Suggestion for a formal proposal of changes at next SC meeting Sept. 30. Final vote in December “Annual” meeting could make it effective. K. Bailey also suggsted a more streamlined process for SC voting, possibly a roll call; that also allows for abstentions. K. Bailey suggested laying out annual meeting schedule ealy each new year. Governing factors raised: Newsletter publication; Historical Association (MVHA), on which some SC members also sit. R. Cox said MVHA resolves its meeting dates in January, so that would be a natural time to plan ours too.
(9) Steering Committee/Subcommittee Chair Member Reports
(a) Chair David Lewis
(b) Vice Chair Robert Cox
Added: CERT, Jim Whitfield for Sherril Brennan: Progress in City funding; City action expected after Labor Day holiday.
(c) Secretary: Deborah Vasquez
(d) Treasurer: Carola Thompson
(e) Social: Kristin Bailey: Since last meeting, Eventors did Wheels Party (~100 people, Mercy-Bush Park); Ice Cream Social coming Aug 24.
(f) Downtown Committee Jamil Shaikh: DTC off for two months; next meeting September
(g) Newsletter Susan Bickford
(h) At Large: Lorraine Wormald and Max Hauser
(i) Historic Preservation: Jerry Steach
(j) Parking: Robert Cox & Jamil Shaikh
(10, New Item): Resident Becca Swett wondered about a formal “mission” (statement?) for the Newsletter, against which questions could be assessed — such as a recent proposal of an unsigned op-ed about dogs and leashes.
Adjournment: Chair David Lewis (Approximately 9PM.)
— Max Hauser, acting OMVNA Secretary
