CC 06-04-2024 Oral_Written Late CommunicationsCC 6-04-2024
Oral
Communications
Written Comments
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2024-6-4 CC Oral Communications
SB330 PR-2024-017.
Good evening Mayor Mohan, Vice Mayor Fruen and
Councilmembers
I implore the City to make written findings to
disapprove SB330 pre-application PR-2024-017 (0
Linda Vista), and any other proposal that uses the law
to encroach into the hillsides.
Once people have encroached into an area, it is almost
impossible to reverse course.
It will reduce the amount of open space near our city,
reducing space for wildlife to live, breed and
thrive. People continue to encroach into wildlife
areas—Cupertino has other, better, options for
housing.
We know that because the State mandated building
4588 plus a buffer into our new Housing Element.
Cupertino’s new HE was carefully written to provide
infill housing to make room for more people. Infill
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SB330 projects in are very good ideas. These on the
hillsides are not.
The HE did not put any housing sites on residential
hillsides. Note 1 on Page B5-1 says that “Residential
Hillside Classification is intended to protect
environmentally sensitive areas from extensive
development and to protect human life from hazards
associated with floods, fires, and unstable terrain.”
Further, the Wildland Urban Interface map shown in
Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code shows that the
hillsides are High Fire Risk.
I urge the city to make written findings that these
proposed developments are inconsistent with SB330
sections d4 and d5. (found on page 7 and 8 of 27
pages.)
as to one of the following:
First, (d)(4). The location is surrounded by several
preserves:
*McClellan Ranch Preserve (north)
*Steven Creek County Park (reservoir) (east)
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*Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve (southeast)
*Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (south)
*Stevens Creek is a riparian habitat for endangered
species. Stevens Creek flows north from the hills to
the bay, from above the reservoir, through Stevens
Creek County Park and along the McClellan Ranch
Preserve.
Secondly, (d)(4) this property is unlikely to
have adequate water or wastewater facilities to serve
the project. This area is zoned for only a few
homes. This new project will have 30 single-family
units and a community sports center. I have heard
that there is another project like this one that would
encroach on the hillsides with about the same number
of homes. 60 homes.
*Thirdly, (d)(5) The housing development project … is
inconsistent with both the jurisdiction’s zoning
ordinance and general plan land use designation as
specified in any element of the general plan as it
existed on the date the application was deemed
complete, Therefore, this third paragraph (d)(5) will
apply when the Council approves re-zoning (in process
now).
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Cupertino has carefully written its Housing Element
within the law. Below Market Rate projects are
intended to be near work, school, and other amenities.
Cupertino leaders and residents have made it clear
that they value nature and open space.
General Plan, and Land Use Plan, CAP 2.0, the
Sustainability Commission, the Bird Safe and Dark
Skies Ordinance all show that intent.
There is no reason for this project to proceed.
I appreciate this time to speak.
I urge the city to write findings to reject any
application resulting from pre-application PR-2024-017.
From:Peggy Griffin
To:Kirsten Squarcia
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:6-4-2024 Oral Comm - Peggy"s Slide
Date:Tuesday, June 4, 2024 7:13:02 PM
Attachments:Oral Comm-Peggy Griffin.pdf
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Hi Kirsten,
If possible, please show this PDF when I speak during Oral Communications.
Thank you,
Peggy Griffin
From:Susan Bassi
To:City Clerk; Kirsten Squarcia
Subject:Fwd: Objection to Funding WomenSV and founder Ruth Patrick Darlene
Date:Tuesday, June 4, 2024 5:00:16 PM
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Good Afternoon,
First , we would like to thank the city, Ms. Kirsten Squarcia, the city attorney and city manager, for the
assistance provided today with our request to access and inspect records related to the nonprofit
WomenSV. Ms. Squarcia was professional, friendly and fully understood the law with respect to public
records access and inspection laws. She was well trained and made our job as journalists easier so we
could meet our deadlines.
Ms. Squarcia offered a refreshing change from our experience in Los Altos.
Below please see an email I sent to the Los Altos city council in advance of a public meeting as it relates to
our reporting on WomenSV.
Whistleblowers at the Los Altos City Hall have pointed us to funding for WomenSV from 2017 to 2024
that amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars and includes $100,000 buried in the police budget
what allegedly was never approved by the city council. The city has refused to comply with public records
access laws and public officials openly called our reporting " defamatory " and a ' smear campaign ".
Our reporting is top notch and we stand behind it. It was supported with public records, court documents
and over 80 sources duped to donate or harmed by the charity. One such donor is an affluent property
owner in Cupertino.
Therefore we will continue our reporting on the nonprofit and will additionally be looking at a misuse of
public funds with focus on the Los Altos city government and elected officials.
Our sources are survivors and private donors who do not want to publicly come forward, but have asked
me to encourage Cupertino officials to investigate the funding it provided to WomenSV in 2022 in the
amount of $21,000.
Other than our reporting, if you should require information contained in our source documents, we would
be happy to provide it.
Respectfully,
Susan Bassi
Publisher, Investigative Journalist
Public Records & Local News Advocate
P.O. Box 2220
Los Gatos, CA 95031
LinkedIn: Susan Bassi | LinkedIn
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Susan Bassi <gilroybassi@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, May 28, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Subject: Objection to Funding WomenSV and founder Ruth Patrick Darlene
To: <council@losaltosca.gov>, <Publiccomment@losaltosca.gov>
Dear City Council Members,
By way of introduction, I am a 35 year Santa Clara resident and former local magazine publisher and
investigative journalist who reports locally on police, the courts and domestic violence in Silicon Valley.
In 2017 I was introduced to Ruth Patrick Darlene and the nonprofit WomenSV by individuals who had
donated to and supported the organization. In my work as an investigative reporter, I referred donors
and sources to the nonprofit based on the community support and funding that appeared to legitimize
the nonprofit's activities.
In 2018 I referred Ms. Patrick to my associates at NBC and the San Jose Mercury, which brought Ms.
Patrick media attention she desperately craved, despite an abundance of publicity she had been afforded
through the Los Altos Town Crier. At the time, I was unaware the Crier's publishers sat on the
WomenSV nonprofit board, raised funds through their publication and also prepared the nonprofit's tax
returns.
Ms. Patrick referred women to me, knowing our team was reporting on high asset divorce and domestic
violence cases in the area.
In 2020 our team began to get complaints from the women referred to the group. We were provided
recordings from group meetings where the women " clients " were brought to WomenSV, not for a
meeting to assist them move through allegations of domestic violence and related divorce, but to hear
presentations from private divorce lawyers and the Santa Clara County District Attorney, Jeff Rosen.
We heard recordings of meetings where Ms. Patrick referred and recommended private divorce attorneys
and told " clients " to vote for DA Rosen as he "supported " those associated with WomenSV. We are
aware that Mr. Rosen and countless divorce lawyers who benefited from WomenSV referrals attended
their fundraisers at the Los Altos Country Club.
In 2021 our team began actively investigating Ms. Partick and WomenSV in connection with a divorce
attorney and real estate referral scheme. Ultimately we found 80 donors and former clients who came
forward to report an appearance that the nonprofit acted as a predatory business that largely benefited
divorce lawyers, local real estate agents and the publishers of the Los Altos Crier.
Ruth Patrick is not a therapist, or an attorney. She did not offer services vulnerable women needed.
Further, she openly discriminated against women of color and men who are often victims of domestic
violence.
Ms. Patrick Darlene sold her home in Los Altos shortly after our reporting. The real estate agent who
assisted in that sale, Patricia Horwath, was appointed to the WomenSV board and continues to seek
public funding and private donations for this group in a manner that is deeply troubling.
Links to our reporting are here:
February 2023 : https://www.davisvanguard.org/2023/02/tainted-trials-tarnished-headlines-stolen-
justice-part-three-ex-wives-of-silicon-valley/
March 2023 : Silicon Valley Nonprofit Victim Shames over 50 Former Clients in Online Post | Davis
Vanguard
December 2023: Nonprofit Founder Poised to Flee as Ex Wives Demand Fair Trials and Return of Funds
Taken from Duped Donors | Davis Vanguard
January 2024: Silicon Valley Ex-Wives and Duped Donors Silenced as Judge Orders Lawsuit into
Arbitration | Davis Vanguard
We stand by our reporting and hope to give a voice to the 80 plus victims and duped donors we have
interviewed. As a local resident, journalist and business operator, it is my hope that the city council will
deny the 2024 WomenSV funding application and launch an investigation into how funds previously
donated were used.
Respectfully Submitted,
Susan Bassi
Publisher, Investigative Journalist
Public Records & Local News Advocate
P.O. Box 2220
Los Gatos, CA 95031
LinkedIn: Susan Bassi | LinkedIn