2 councilmen ask colleagues to release report about incident involving planning commissioner Forest Peterson

BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer

Two Palo Alto councilmen are pushing their colleagues to release a report on a planning commissioner who was accused of trying to get special treatment after his daughter’s car was towed from a city parking garage.

“When allegations of significant misconduct arise among our public representatives, the public’s interest in understanding what occurred, and how the city responded, outweighs generalized privacy concerns,” Councilmen Pat Burt and Keith Reckdahl said in a memo.

Burt and Reckdahl want to release a report on Planning Commissioner Forest Olaf Peterson’s actions after his daughter’s 1994 Ford Mustang was impounded by police because of a DMV registration issue on Jan. 6. At the tow yard, Peterson allegedly tried to get a discount, suggested that he could “change the rules” and said he had police friends who would agree with him.

“His repeated invocation of his role appeared intended to influence the outcome of a private commercial matter in his favor,” the tow yard owner said in a complaint to City Manager Ed Shikada. Shikada hired an attorney for $50,000 to investigate the complaint on March 9.

The attorney’s report was sent to council on April 7 but hasn’t been released to the public.

Four council members — Vicki Veenker, George Lu, Greer Stone and Julie Lythcott-Haims — voted to reappoint Peterson to the Planning and Transportation Commission on April 13.

“I did not believe there was a sufficient basis to conclude there had been an abuse of position. So I voted for the incumbents, Veenker said in an interview on July 10.

Surprised by vote

Burt and Reckdahl were surprised to see a majority pick Peterson.

“We were supplied the same report, and I simply don’t understand how (Veenker) came to the conclusion that she claimed,” Burt said in an interview on July 11.

Reckdahl said he wants to be transparent to avoid undermining public trust.

“If you refuse to release the report, then it may look like we’re trying to hide something,” Reckdahl said in an interview.

Councilmen’s request

City Attorney Chris Jensen could release the report while redacting the personal information of victims or whistleblowers, Reckdahl and Burt said in their memo.

The report was limited to factual questions of whether misconduct occurred. Shikada said council would decide whether Peterson violated any city policies or law. But council hasn’t had an opportunity to consider any violations, Burt and Reckdahl said. Council can remove a commissioner for violating city policy or the law, Burt said in an interview yesterday.

Peterson, 49, has declined an interview on the towing dispute. Burt and Reckdahl are asking council to discuss waiving attorney-client privilege in a closed session and to consider releasing the report in an open session.

“Maintaining public community trust requires transparency, and public accountability,” Burt and Reckdahl wrote. “Releasing this report, along with necessary redactions to protect third-party privacy, is necessary to upholding the standards of openness our residents expect from Palo Alto leadership.”