Though the regularly scheduled Nov. 19 Council meeting lasted for more than three hours—after a special study session—it was an item that wasn’t on the agenda that defined the evening.
An attempt by Councilmember Rob Moore to prevent the Town from using resources to deport residents, relocate homeless people, block abortions or target gay, lesbian and transgender community members, among other things, failed to make it to a council vote.
The issue was a main focus of Verbal Communications, with some residents expressing concern that such a move would fuel division or prevent local officials from working hand-in-hand with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to root out gangs, while others said it would be a bad sign if Council wasn’t even willing to discuss issues causing serious worries among a sizable portion of residents.
Then, during “Council and Manager Matters,” after reporting she’d attended the reopening of the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, a ribbon-cutting at Coup de Thai and met with the executive director of the West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority (among other responsibilities), Mayor Mary Badame revealed she’d decided against agendizing Moore’s resolution.
“I did not support the proposal for the following reasons,” she said. “I found it to be a repetition of a prior resolution from 2017. I found it to be redundant and overreaching of Senate Bill 54 (a State law preventing resources going to mass deportations). I felt there’s potential unenforceable provisions regarding scope and enforcement. Insulating Los Gatos from consequences of an election is not within our role as Council members.
“I also believe in good governance and being open and transparent. So, I therefore made the call that Councilmember Moore bring forward to the full Council…so that we can all discuss it and see if there’s a second…And with that, I turn to Councilmember Moore, respectfully so.”
Moore laid out his thinking behind the resolution.
“I genuinely wish that I did not feel compelled to introduce this resolution,” he said. “I know this is a heavy topic…I feel obligated to bring this resolution, though, in response to the concerns of many Los Gatos community members I have heard. In the wake of the results of the recent election, I have had numerous residents—many, many people—reach out—especially women, residents of racial minority groups, LGBTQ residents and immigrant residents—share that they are scared.
“They are hurting, and they would like their Town government to demonstrate that we are supporting them. Unfortunately, I believe that some of these fears are well-founded, as the new administration has recently stated their plan to declare a National State of Emergency to conduct mass deportations in cities and towns around the country—and their plan to force homeless people into tent cities.”
Moore referred back to one public commenter, a health care practitioner, who shared a story about a gay person who said they didn’t feel comfortable holding hands with their significant other at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market.
“I really do think that we have the power to help change that narrative,” Moore said. “I believe that agendizing this resolution provides the Council, and the community, the opportunity to discuss how best to respond to proposed federal policies—which I do not think is a controversial idea.”
There was a pause, when no one stepped into the void to quickly second the motion.
So, Moore spoke up, again.
“I’m just going to add one last comment,” he said. “There is an individual on my street who is undocumented, who specifically requested that the Town of Los Gatos do something to protect them. I would be absolutely devastated, personally, to return to that individual and, when they ask, what did the Town Council decide to do to protect them, I would have to tell them that we were not even willing to have a conversation about it. I understand if it’s not something that you all want to take up, but I really feel that our residents deserve this conversation.”
This did not win over his fellow Council members, and the attempt at further protecting the Town against Trump administration policies died.
Next, new Town Manager Chris Constantin thanked the community for a warm reception, and congratulated Interim Town Manager Katy Nomura on a job well done after former town manager Laurel Prevetti retired.
And with that, Badame closed the meeting.
“I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving,” she said. “Peace and joy to all.”
In an interview, Moore said he was surprised to be left out in the cold in regards to his motion.
“I had hoped this resolution would be an opportunity for the Town Council to show unity and solidarity with the people in our community who have very real fears about what is to come,” he said, noting he believes he is still in line to become Vice Mayor.
The Los Gatan asked Moore why he thought mentioning his resolution would aim to protect an undocumented resident from deportation impacts could be persuasive, despite the already cold reception to his proposal.
“I had hoped that providing an example of an individual in our community who is at risk of being hurt by new federal policies would help people feel more compassionate toward people who are in the very difficult circumstance of being undocumented,” he said. “I spoke to people of a variety of backgrounds, including women, LGBTQ+ people and residents of color who were asking for the Town of Los Gatos to explicitly demonstrate its support for them.”
During his Verbal Communications comments, Jeffrey Suzuki, president of the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition, said he’d been hearing people in town suggesting Moore’s resolution was about political grandstanding—something he disagrees with.
In an interview, he gave kudos to Badame for providing Moore the space to make his case. However he said it was a mistake not to agendize the motion immediately, pointing to other times when Council has passed similar resolutions.
“The reality is that many community members look toward their local representatives to stand by them through thick and thin, and there are moments when public statements are a critical part of demonstrating their commitment and resolve,” he said.
He said he was “impressed” to hear Moore share his desire to protect his undocumented neighbor.
“It is an audacious statement that cuts straight to the root of the issue,” he said. “He reminded everyone that undocumented folks are not an abstraction—they are actual people who are present as members in our community. For as long as I can remember, there has been a relentless dehumanization of undocumented people in the United States. Their mere existence is often considered criminal by default, which is accompanied by many moralistic judgments and stereotypes. To challenge that perception publicly is bold, and I’m glad to see Moore be so candid in sharing his perspective. Conversations regarding undocumented immigrants often ignore the fact that they often have temporary-stay paperwork under pending review, or are seeking asylum.”
