At a glance

Where Council stands on the Peterson case

April 13
Four of the seven council members vote to reappoint Peterson to the planning commission, even though they had received the secret report about his dispute with the tow-truck driver.
Reappoint him

Vicki Veenker
George Lu
Greer Stone
Julie Lythcott-Haims

Didn’t vote for him

Pat Burt
Keith Reckdahl
Ed Lauing

Aug. 5
Two of the seven council members say in a memo they want the Peterson report released.

Pat Burt
Keith Reckdahl

Aug. 7
Three of the seven council members say they want to hold a hearing Monday, Aug. 10, on the removal of Peterson.

Those who want a hearing

Ed Lauing
Greer Stone
Vicki Veenker

Aug. 7
Five of the seven council members say they want the Peterson report released and/or they want to hold a hearing on whether to remove Peterson

Pat Burt
Keith Reckdahl
Ed Lauing
Greer Stone
Vicki Veenker

BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer

Palo Alto City Council will consider removing a planning commissioner who was accused of trying to get special treatment after his daughter’s car was towed from a city parking garage.

The potential removal of Commissioner Forest Olaf Peterson was put on Monday’s agenda by Mayor Vicki Veenker, Vice Mayor Greer Stone and Councilman Ed Lauing.

Councilmen Keith Reckdahl and Pat Burt were working on a separate memo to release a report on Peterson’s actions at the tow yard, but the memo hasn’t made the agenda yet. 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 after his daughter’s 1994 Ford Mustang was towed on Jan. 6.

“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.

City Manager Ed Shikada hired an attorney for $50,000 to investigate the complaint, and the attorney’s report was sent to council on April 7. 

But the report hasn’t been released to the public. “If you refuse to release the report, then it may look like we’re trying to hide something,” Reckdahl said in an interview last month. 

Questioned about ‘events’

Burt alluded to the investigation while publicly questioning Peterson on March 23.

“Forest, is there anything that you would like to share with us about events that might inform our decision on reappointing you?” Burt asked.

Peterson said he’s held to high ethical standards as a Stanford researcher and a labor standards investigator.

“For 20 years, I have had no deficits to my behavior,” he said.

Burt said he gave Peterson an opportunity to respond to the investigation, but Peterson “was unresponsive and even deceptive.”

Peterson, 49, has declined an interview on the towing dispute.

Split reappointment

Veenker, Stone, councilmembers George Lu and Julie Lythcott-Haims voted to reappoint Peterson as a commissioner 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 a July 10 interview.

Burt and Reckdahl said they 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 a July 11 interview.

Negative review

The tow yard owner forwarded the city a negative online review that Peterson left for his business after picking up the car for $494. “Unprofessional and incoherent not just to others but to themselves as well,” Peterson wrote. “Shop looked like a mess. I doubt they are real mechanics.”