By Robert Haugh
The next City Council meeting will be on August 17, 2021.
The major focus of that meeting will be “priority setting.” But there’s another topic that will get a lot of attention.
Councilman Kevin Park’s abusive behavior toward staff will be reviewed.
Here’s how City Manager Deanna Santana described the issue in an email. The Councilmember she refers to is Park.
“… City staff continues to express much concern about overall Council meetings, needless criticism over minor issues, personal criticism, and/or how time sensitive City business is being delayed.
“After last week’s meeting, where the City’s Code of Ethics were violated by a Councilmember, staff has renewed and more strongly expressed concern about interacting with Council and being subjected to similar treatment in public (and particularly how to protect them from that behavior).
“In order to get the best work out of staff and not have them be concerned, or outright afraid, about how they will personally be treated when presenting their area of expertise, I strongly support the effort to achieve a higher level of professional conduct and improved meeting management.”
Wow.
We’ve been hearing complaints for a long time coming from inside and outside City Hall. The most complaints are about Park for being abusive.
But he’s not the only one. Councilmember Suds Jain and Raj Chahal are known as people who badger staff.
According to our sources, the last straw for City staff happened on June 8, 2021. That’s the meeting that Santana is talking about in her email above. That’s when Park was carrying water for the 49ers on the stadium end zone seats issue.
Park was criticizing and interrupting staff more than usual. But it was a 49ers issue so that’s not a huge surprise.
Park, Jain, and Councilman Anthony Becker were elected after 49ers owner Jed York spent a whopping $3 million to support them. And they’ve been supporting the team since they were elected.
At that June 8 meeting, Santana warned Park about his abusive behavior. The words in parenthesis below are added for clarity.
“I would really ask for you to be respectful about your comments. That term “fud” (which you used) is not popular whether it’s spelled f-u-d or f-u-d-d. And I take exception to the derogatory nature (of your comments) of staff’s presentations and the comments that I’ve made. I think they’re unprofessional. I think they’re unbecoming (for you) as a councilmember. And I would like to talk with you privately and with the council separately on this matter later on.”
Double wow.
For those of you wondering, F-U-D stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Maybe those are good nicknames for certain Councilmembers.
[…] The City Staff thinks he’s abusive. […]
Narcissistic behavior disorder with a dose of sociopathic tendencies is a recipe for disaster.
It’s only a matter of time….
I hope people see a pattern of behavior with Kevin Park. Looks like a serious pattern of abuse. Long term?
Wife files domestic violence abuse complaint. City employees are mentally and verbally abused publicly at council meetings. He abuses the public comparing them to children.
What else do we need to know about Kevin Park? He keeps talking about mental health. People! Listen up!
Looks like Kevin is the one that needs help.
Please.Help.Kevin.
Seriously! Before he hurts anyone else.
Just stop the madness!
Not only insulting to staff, he has no respect for Santa Clarans especially with these comments from a recent City Council meeting, “Just like you can’t ask toddlers to specify their own lunch, you can’t really have single family homeowners design a city.” These are his words and it shows what he really thinks about us, the citizen.
With his narcissistic personality, well documented domestic violence issues, 49er servitude, and his exhibited distain and loathing for City staff and the public, Kevin Park cannot be an effective leader for Santa Clara and must be removed immediately.
District 4 doesn’t have a rep!
District 5 doesn’t have a rep for Downtown!
Yet a bunch of folks want to attack the council
because a meeting about form based code
was canceled thanks to Kevin Park’s
inability to be honest about his travel plans.
Notice everything is tentative
with this guy? He thinks the council is his
playground to mess with people’s head’s.
Does he ever commit anything?
How did he ever have a kid? Ha! Ha!
Voters you need to start focusing on
getting things done in your city. Start
with getting rid of these heavyweights.
These Idiots have set you all back thanks to
Jed York.
Hey Kathy “so prim and proper” Kelsey.
How do you feel about your boy Kevin now? Bet youre glad you couldn’t vote for him now. Roll eyes emoji.
Instrad you’re stuck with Kevin’s cohort in crime – Suds Jain! Who can’t vote on the Downtown.Who lied his way onto council with help from Baron Phlem.
Wow you sure know how to pick ‘em. Hope youre lovin’ life!
Too many council members think the staff work for them. They do not and trying to boss them around could get you into trouble.
Am founder and ceo of Korean-American chamber of commerce.
I do not know how he ended up to council membership and I am thinking something must went wrong with his election. City deserves quality leader and I am not sure of he is. Sad I said what I said as Korean.
Ken Kim
Yer right Ken Kim! Something went wrong.
This is what 3 million smackeroos buys. Sad. Not just Koreans feel this way about Park though so you’re not alone.
So who’s getting things done for District 4? Certainly not this jerk if city staff have concerns about dealing with him.
Sad again.