What this site is, what it is not, how it's put together, and where AI tools fit in.
Commentary with clarity. Sourcing to public records and reported facts.
MonitorMenlo.news is an independent publication of Monitorium Media, LLC. This site offers commentary and factual analysis on a single question of public concern: will the City of Menlo Park need to seek voter approval of any future decision to convert city-owned downtown parking plazas to other uses, such as the present plan to lease them to private developers to build housing with the help of public subsidies? That question goes to Menlo Park voters on November 3, 2026.
We will say plainly what many publications leave unsaid: this site has a point of view. It is not a neutral wire service, and it does not pretend to be one. What it is instead is transparent — about where its facts come from and about the reasoning behind its opinions and commentary. Facts are drawn from public records, filings, statements by public officials and community members, developer proposals, and reporting by established news organizations. Opinion and commentary represent the views of the site operator alone. You may reach the site operator at editor@monitormenlo.news.
Equally important is what this site is not. It is not a campaign site: it does not solicit votes for or against the ballot measure. It is not affiliated with, funded by, or endorsed by the City of Menlo Park, any Vote Yes or Vote No campaign, any candidate, or any developer discussed here. And it is not for sale — the site is self-funded and non-commercial, accepts no contributions, advertising, or payment of any kind, and charges nothing for access.
Fairness, here, does not mean pretending to lack a view or opinion. It means stating the facts and sourcing claims so readers can verify them for themselves, keeping fact and opinion visibly separate, and correcting mistakes promptly and openly when they occur. Readers are trusted to weigh the facts and reach their own conclusions — including ones that differ from those expressed on this site.
The writing here falls into several categories: original long-form pieces that cover a topic at length; targeted fact checks; and shorter reports and notes.
Some research, drafting, and fact-checking on this site is AI-assisted. Concretely, that means AI tools — currently Anthropic's Claude — are used by the site's operator to:
AI tools are editorial assistants, not authors. All editorial decisions — including what to publish, how facts are characterized, and how sources are interpreted — are made by the site's operator.
AI-generated text is not treated as the source for information and is not cited as authority for factual assertions. Primary documents control over AI output: where an AI-generated draft conflicts with a cited primary source, the primary source governs. Facts published on this Site — whether the underlying draft was AI-assisted or not — are subjected to verification by the Site operator before publication. Assessments, grades, ratings, and similar opinions reflect the Site operator's considered viewpoint and editorial judgment, not an AI system's output standing alone.
When applicable, we have sought to identify when AI did substantial drafting for a specific piece at the top of that article. Where AI was used for research or editing to aid the author's analysis, we don't call it out piece by piece — this page is the standing disclosure for that lighter use. AI tools used may change over time. Therefore, this page describes current practice and will be updated if that changes.
This Site does not use AI-generated content without first subjecting it to human review. Accordingly, MonitorMenlo.news does not permit autonomous publishing on this Site. Similarly, the Site operator, not AI, will make final editorial decisions about newsworthiness, story angles, content selection, focus, commentary, and the expression of opinion.
If credible evidence demonstrates that a factual statement on this Site is materially inaccurate, the Site operator will review the cited sources and, where appropriate, correct or clarify the error. This applies whether the request comes from a reader generally or from someone named in a piece — favorably or critically — who believes it is inaccurate or missing important context. In either case, contact editor@monitormenlo.news. After reviewing an inquiry, the Site operator, at its sole discretion, may correct a factual error, add context, or include a response in the piece itself.
Corrections, once made, are noted on the affected page along with the date of the change. See the Editorial Standards page for more on how sourcing and corrections work generally, and the Corrections Log for a dated record of material corrections made in substance. Grammar and spelling corrections and nominal editing changes typically are not logged.
This Site does not operate a public comment section, forum, or any mechanism for third parties to post directly to the Site. Content remains the result of the Site operator's editorial and posting decisions.
This site is self-funded and non-commercial. It does not accept contributions, donations, or consideration of any kind. All publication decisions on this site are made solely by its operator, described further below. Also, the “Our use of artificial intelligence tools” explanation describes how AI assistance fits into that process.
We believe readers should have the ability to inform themselves about local government without being tracked. Accordingly, MonitorMenlo.news is intentionally designed to minimize the collection and use of visitor information, while still providing access to commentary on matters of public concern. See the Privacy Policy for the details.
The initial Site operator is Monitorium Media, LLC and you may contact the organization at editor@monitormenlo.news.
Michael Giudicessi currently serves as the digital content manager for Monitorium Media and this web site. Giudicessi received a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from the University of Iowa. For 34 years, he was a partner in the Faegre Drinker law firm (and its predecessors) and retired from the private practice of law in 2023. Giudicessi now serves as a board member of and pro bono legal counsel to the Iowa Freedom of Information Council.
He is admitted to practice law in the State of Iowa and in the Southern and Northern Districts of Iowa, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is not admitted to practice in the State of California. He is a member of the American and Iowa Bar Associations. The National Freedom of Information Coalition inducted him into its State Open Government Hall of Fame in 2017.
Giudicessi is the author of three long-form commentaries about the Santa Cruz Avenue parking plaza issues, available on the Booklets page.
“Mayor Burgess & MP's Big Yellow Taxi” recounted the story of one man's vision for Menlo Park and how the City acquired and built the downtown parking plazas to fulfill it. It also looked at how replacing those parking plazas with apartment complexes could doom the downtown commercial district.
“First, Do No Harm” then catalogued the many losses the community could incur by repurposing the downtown parking plazas. It also reviewed how Menlo Park's proposed giveaway of heavily used, high-value public lands could benefit big-time real estate developers more than anyone.
“Money, Power, and Clout” is the third commentary Giudicessi has written about the fight over the future of the downtown Menlo Park parking plazas.
After writing the first commentary, Giudicessi was invited to attend meetings of the Save Downtown Menlo group and did so. He communicates regularly with several of its supporters and personally donated to the organization in 2025. Specifically, Giudicessi personally contributed just over $300 to Save Downtown Menlo (the Vote Yes campaign) during 2025.