Draft Resolution
Below is a draft of the memo and resolution that I attempted to bring forward to the Los Gatos Town Council. Unfortunately, my colleagues on the Town Council were not willing to discuss or agendize this proposal.
I am publishing this memo and resolution in an effort to demonstrate to the Los Gatos community that I will do everything in my power to protect ALL residents of our town. In Los Gatos, we take care of all of our neighbors and we will get through this together.
I am continuing to work on this issue. Actions and next steps to come.
Memorandum to the Los Gatos Town Council
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In light of the significant anxiety that I have observed from residents of our town as a result of the outcome of the election, I believe that it is critical for the Town Council to reaffirm our commitment to protecting and defending all members of the Los Gatos community. Personally, I have had numerous residents, especially women, residents of color, LGBTQ+ residents, and immigrant residents share that they are scared, hurting, and that they would like their Town government to commit to supporting them. While the May 2, 2017 Town of Los Gatos Resolution 2017-024 is strong and demonstrates Los Gatos’ values, that resolution was passed approximately 8 years ago by a different Town Council. Most residents are not aware of that document. This draft resolution clearly reaffirms our commitment to our values and pledges to residents that this Town Council will stand with them.
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Second, this is an opportunity for the Los Gatos Town Council to display unity during a difficult time for the community. While not all residents are upset, we can collectively agree that the local impact of this new federal administration are uncertain. Multiple Los Gatos community groups have already publicly voiced their fears, and if we adopt this resolution, the Town Council would explicitly show our solidarity with residents who are worried about what is to come. I want to be clear that this draft resolution has nothing to do with politics. The Town of Los Gatos has extremely limited local resources and I do not believe that using these limited resources to persecute Los Gatos residents is an ethical use of time or money. Los Gatos has certain values we stand for, such as community, belonging, inclusivity, respect, and compassion. This resolution reinforces those values. I sincerely hope that new federal policies do not negatively impact people in our community, but the Town Council is responsible for being responsive to Los Gatos residents’ concerns and getting ahead of any potential issues.
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Third, the new federal administration has been clear about the ways they plan to create large changes that could impact Los Gatans. They plan to declare a national state of emergency to conduct mass deportations in cities and force homeless people into tent cities. As Councilmembers, we have a great deal of power to help residents feel safe, as they turn to us in times of uncertainty. A swift response to this anxiety is important. Other towns and cities, police departments, the County government, and the State of California have already issued similar statements to this draft resolution, and Los Gatos residents are asking to hear from their local government, too. You can see statements from the San Jose Police Department, the City of San Jose, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and the Office of the Governor California. As representatives of our residents, I believe we have a responsibility to take action.
Thank you for your consideration of this weighty topic and I appreciate your partnership in service of the Los Gatos community.
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Rob Moore
Draft Resolution​​​​
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DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS DEMONSTRATING THE TOWN'S CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING ALL MEMBERS OF THE LOS GATOS COMMUNITY AND TO PROTECTING DEMOCRATIC VALUES, THE RULE OF LAW, AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES OF LOS GATOS’ RESIDENTS, WORKERS, AND VISITORS
WHEREAS, on May 2, 2017, the Town of Los Gatos adopted a resolution reaffirming the Town’s commitment to a diverse, supportive, and inclusive community and to protecting the constitutional and human rights of its residents, visitors, and workers; and
WHEREAS, on April 6, 2021, the Town Council unanimously adopted a resolution denouncing hatred and violence toward the diverse communities of Los Gatos; and
WHEREAS, Los Gatos is a community of people from a variety of cultural backgrounds, economic statuses, gender identities, sexual orientations, immigration statuses, religions, and ethnicities, all of whom are valued in the Los Gatos community; and
WHEREAS, the existing practices, policies, and norms of the Town of Los Gatos treat all residents, workers, and visitors with respect and dignity, regardless of who they are; and
WHEREAS, Los Gatos residents are deeply committed to one another and their community, often volunteering for service organizations, involving themselves in their neighborhoods, supporting the most vulnerable in our town, and coming together during natural disasters and emergencies, both natural and human-made; and
WHEREAS, the Los Gatos community has united again, as many residents have recently become increasingly concerned about the serious risks to marginalized communities, including harassment, discrimination, deportation, persecution, rejection of human and civil rights and liberties, and nullification of national laws safeguarding protected classes of people; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Gatos is committed to working with our partners and elected representatives at the County, State, and Federal levels of government both to push back against changes to policies that will hurt people in Los Gatos and to continue enforcing the existing laws and norms of our community; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Gatos fully embraces the system of democracy, checks and balances, the rule of law, and federalism enshrined in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights and will use its resources to protect these sacred institutions in Los Gatos; and
WHEREAS, government agencies around Santa Clara County and the State of California have recently renewed pledges to protect the safety and dignity of all people, including the San Jose Police Department, the City of San Jose, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and the Office of the Governor of California.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos hereby commits to continuing to protect the rights, liberties, and freedoms of Los Gatos residents, workers, and visitors; and
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Los Gatos will not use its limited resources to assist in the deportation of Los Gatos residents, the persecution or forced displacement of unhoused residents to tent cities, the disruption of personal reproductive healthcare decisions, the weakening of environmental policies or conservation regulations, the enforcement of restrictions on physical or mental healthcare services, the targeting of LGBTQ+ community members, or attacks on individuals of any particular race or ethnicity; and
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, as stated in Resolution 2017-024, “the Town of Los Gatos will oppose any attempts to undermine the safety, security, and rights of members of our community and will work proactively to ensure the rights and privileges of everyone in the Town, regardless of religion, country of birth, immigration status, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”