City Council May 6, 2025

May 6

City Council Meeting Summary

Time	Item	Item Summary	Motion Summary	Comment Summary
00:00:12	None: None	The City Clerk announced that the City Council meeting for May 6, 2025, is being held at 420 Litho Street in the Council Chambers and is accessible via the city's website, Zoom, and Marin TV Channel 27.	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

00:00:33	I.: CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL - 5:00 PM	Mayor Cox called the special meeting of the Sausalito City Council to order at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (00:00:33). The City Clerk called the roll, and Councilmembers Blastham, Hoffman, Sobieski, Vice Mayor Woodside, and Mayor Cox were present (00:00:45). The first item on the agenda was interviews for the Economic Development Advisory Committee (00:00:56). The first applicant to be interviewed was Alexander Lelebin (00:01:05). Mayor Cox explained the interview format, where the applicant introduces themselves and explains their interest in serving on the committee, followed by questions from the council (00:01:14).	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

00:01:29	II: INTERVIEWS FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE - 5:00 PM	The council conducted interviews for the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC). Alex Blyleben Interview: Alex Blyleben introduced himself as a four-year resident of Sausalito with a background in business strategy and investment. He expressed interest in contributing to the community through EDAC, citing his experience with retail development and his familiarity with the committee's activities. Mayor Cox questioned him about Caledonia Street, as this year EDAC is focusing on the street. Alex suggested consumer research to understand business owners' and customers' needs, address empty spaces (00:05:03), and improve publicity to attract investors (00:05:24). Vice Mayor Woodside asked about what Sausalito lacks in terms of business development. Alex suggested better integration between the tourism and local communities (00:06:03). Alexander Woe Interview: Alexander Woe discussed his background in economic development and financial services, expressing a desire to leverage his experience to benefit the community. He highlighted his experience in managing stakeholders and navigating economic environments. Councilmember Hollweg asked what he feels is missing from Caledonia Street or downtown, and he suggested driving more regional business and mentioned the success of events like Jazz by the Park and the former art show (00:09:18). Mayor Cox asked about Caledonia Street. Woe mentioned the success of the Pride Fair and Parade and suggested creating more opportunities for outdoor seating and supporting local businesses (00:10:13).	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

00:12:44	III.: CLOSED SESSION - 5:20 PM	Mayor Cox called the meeting back to order and announced that two applicants were unavailable for interview. The council will be adjourning to a closed session to discuss several items: C1, Anticipated Litigation; C2, Real Property Negotiations at 558 Bridgeway; C3, Existing Litigation, Yimby v. City of Sausalito; C4, Existing Litigation, County of Marin v. Monsanto; C5, Labor Negotiations with the Sausalito Police Association; C6, Liability Claim for Eva Crizante Lagios; C7, Existing Litigation, Schrader versus City of Sausalito (00:13:16). The City Clerk added C8, Conference with legal counsel on suspended litigation, initiation of litigation to cases (00:14:09). Mayor Cox inquired about any recusals from items C1 through C7 (00:13:16).	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

00:15:05	IV: RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION - 7:00 PM	The meeting reconvenes to open session at 7:00 PM. (00:15:07) The City Clerk calls the roll, confirming the presence of Council Members Blashton, Hoffman, Sobieski, Vice Mayor Woodside, and Mayor Cox. (00:15:21-00:15:25) Sybil Boutelier and David Lay were asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, but Linda Fotch led the Pledge of Allegiance instead. (00:15:30-00:15:53) Mayor Cox announces there are no closed session announcements and seeks a motion to approve the agenda. (00:16:10)	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

00:16:18	1: SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS/MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS - 7:02 PM	Mayor Cox explains that the council will continue hearing special presentations from department heads regarding their proposed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year 2526, in preparation for adopting the budget next month. (00:16:25)	Motion to approve the item (00:16:18)	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

00:16:48	1.A: Budget Presentation from the Community & Economic Development Department	Brandon Phipps presented the Community Development Department's (CDD) budget and activities. The department is divided into Planning, Building, Code Enforcement, and Economic Development divisions. Since October 2022, the CDD has shifted several positions from third-party consultants to full-time, in-office staff. The department has significantly reduced outstanding planning project permits by over 60%. Planning permit numbers are up by approximately 15%, with a trend towards more administrative permits. Building permits are projected to increase by 8% this year. Code enforcement cases have been reduced, but there has been a recent uptick due to a vacancy. The Economic Development Division is working on the Downtown Sausalito Property Business Improvement District (DSP bid). The city has approved over 100 housing units since the start of the sixth cycle in 2023 and is processing approximately 147 units. Several notable projects approved in the last year were highlighted, focusing on their positive impact on economic development. CDD's budget expenditures have seen a minor increase in planning, a significant increase in building, and a significant decrease in economic development, resulting in a modest 1% overall increase. Revenues have increased by approximately 25% due to upticks in planning and building revenues. Priorities for the year include the housing element, objective development and design standards, ballot measures, and improvements to the municipal code and internal processes. (00:17:42) Transitioned from consultant to full-time staff. (00:21:48) Planning permits up 15%. (00:32:04) Revenues up 25%. Mayor Cox inquired about streamlining the administrative permit process for smaller projects, especially in the Marinship area (00:34:33). Councilmember Blaustein highlighted the new code enforcement officer and their fire mitigation background (00:36:42). Councilmember Sobieski questioned the economic development efforts and the overall economic welcomeness of Sausalito (00:38:04).	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

00:42:20	1.B: Budget Presentation from the Resiliency & Sustainability Department	Katie Thau Garcia presented the Resiliency & Sustainability Department's work and proposed budget. The presentation covered the department's guiding principles from the sustainability element in the general plan, climate action plan, and council direction. Key priorities include the shoreline adaptation plan and addressing sea-level rise. The Shoreline Adaptation Plan, initiated in January 2024, is nearly two-thirds complete, including community workshops and surveys. Conceptual drawings of adaptation strategies are available on the city website. Next steps involve community group presentations, council updates, a draft release for public feedback, and a potential adoption hearing in early fall. A subset of the shoreline plan focuses on sea level rise considerations for Bridgeway from Princess to Richardson Street, targeting potential inclusion in the capital improvement plan in fiscal year 26-27. The presentation also addressed waste management, highlighting compliance with SB 1383 and the drafting of a new franchise agreement with Bay Cities Refuse. The city has implemented zero waste initiatives, including food vendor composting and waste workshops, and an Earth Month repair fair. The department's operational budget is $30,000, primarily for grant-funded projects. These funds provide flexibility for matching grant opportunities and addressing program gaps, such as membership dues for the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership and eelgrass restoration efforts. (00:51:25) Councilmember Hollweg noted that Katie did not give herself credit for the 3 or 4 major grants of upwards of 2 million that she has brought in on her own. (00:53:56) Katie responded with some grants she has acquired since she has been there. (00:54:25) Vice Mayor Woodside asked about work being done for the coming year on Bridgeway between the Golden Gate Market and Princess Street. (00:55:35) Katie responded that she is anticipating using the Ocean Protection Council's funding to look at all of the city's facilities to further understand their vulnerability within that area. (00:56:13)	No Motion	2 Total: 2 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral
00:53:14 Mayor Cox was In Favor: Mayor Cox conveyed positive feedback received from BCDC staff regarding their work with Katie Thau Garcia. 00:53:48 Karen Hollweg was In Favor: Councilmember Hollweg commended the presentation and work of the Resiliency & Sustainability Department. She highlighted the significant grant funding secured through the department's efforts.
00:57:00	2: COMMUNICATIONS - 7:40 PM	The Communications section of the meeting was opened by Mayor Cox, who invited citizens to address the City Council on matters within their jurisdiction but not on the agenda, noting that state law limits action or discussion on unagendized items. There were three speakers: David Lay, Jeff Jacobs, Babette McDougal, Eva, and Vicki Nichols. David Lay spoke about a New York Times article exposing issues in Washington, suggesting potential economic calamity for California and urged the council to pay attention to the causes. Mayor Cox responded that the city manager provides a monthly report on federal actions and their potential impact. Jeff Jacobs spoke about the permissibility of prayers before public meetings and mentioned a book titled 'Lost at Sea' by a man who visited Sausalito nine times and read from the Torah. Babette McDougal congratulated the presenters, voiced concerns about items placed on the consent calendar and the need for more public hearings, especially regarding the housing element. Eva said that the US administrations have handed China an enormous advantage because of facilitating Israel's genocide. Vicki Nichols complimented the council's participation in the Sausalito Historical Society's program with third-grade students, where they learn about local government and debate issues.	No Motion	5 Total: 1 In Favor 1 Against 3 Neutral
00:57:27 David Lay was Neutral: David Lay discussed a New York Times publication revealing issues in Washington and suggested potential economic challenges for California. 00:59:42 Jeff Jacob was Neutral: Jeff Jacobs corrected the Mayor regarding prayers at public meetings and spoke about a book, 'Lost at Sea', and read from the Torah. 01:02:52 Babette McDougal was Neutral: Babette McDougal congratulated the presenters, raised concerns about the consent calendar, and advocated for more public hearings, particularly on the housing element. 01:06:03 Eva was Against: Eva criticized US administrations for enabling China's rise due to financial support of Israel's genocide and the repercussions of pointless wars, while expressing the need for local action and awareness. 01:09:20 Vicki Nichols was In Favor: Vicki Nichols complimented the Mayor and council members for their participation in the Sausalito Historical Society's program with third-grade students, which teaches them about local government.
01:11:04	3: CONSENT CALENDAR - 7:55 PM	Mayor Cox initiated the Consent Calendar (CC) and announced that Item 3E would be pulled due to significant public comment received late in the day, including a policy example from Healdsburg City Council. She clarified that this was a second reading, addressing concerns about its inclusion on the consent calendar, and emphasized its transparency and previous public hearing. The remaining items on the CC were outlined: 3A (meeting minutes adoption), 3B (proclamation for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month), 3C (reappointment to the Economic Development Advisory Committee), 3D (Library Quarter 3 Report), 3F (PG&E restoration agreement authorization), 3G (PG&E property damage settlement agreement authorization), 3H (Ferry Landslide Improvement Project acceptance), 3I (local support for parking management equipment upgrades), 3J (approval of agreement with Axon Enterprise), and 3K (May 2025 cars report). Councilmember Sobieski questioned the handling of the pulled item (3E), the modification of the ordinance. The mayor clarified it would be addressed at the next meeting on May 20th. (01:14:38) The Mayor states that pulling the item was due to a request from a councilmember. Discussion ensued regarding whether to vote on item 3E at the current meeting or defer it. The city attorney recommended taking public comment even if deferred. (01:15:07) Public comment was opened and closed. (01:30:12) Councilmember Hoffman sought clarification on the EDAC appointments (3C), noting potential term limit issues due to previous abbreviated terms. (01:30:41) A motion was made to approve the consent calendar items excluding 3E (01:31:46), which passed 5-0. (01:31:46) Then a motion to move item 3E to the May 20 agenda. (01:31:55) Councilmember Sobieski discussed the aim to align ordinances with state law to avoid legal risk and emphasized that the proposed changes are not intended to open Sausalito to formula retail. (01:33:09) Mayor Cox explained her desire to continue item 3E to explore adding more safeguards to the formula retail ordinance. (01:35:12) Vice Mayor Woodside opposed continuing the item, citing the extensive process it had already undergone. (01:36:29) Councilmember Hoffman argued for the continuation to allow for further consideration of residents concerns and potential ordinance improvements. (01:40:41) Hollweg supported the continuation. (01:41:52) A vote was held, and the motion to continue item 3E to the May 20th meeting passed. (01:44:12)	Motion to approve consent calendar items excluding 3E passed 5-0. (01:31:46); Motion to continue item 3E to the May 20th meeting passed. (01:44:12)	5 Total: 1 In Favor 3 Against 1 Neutral
01:16:59 Jeff Jacob was Against: Mr. Jacob expressed concern over the lack of local news coverage of city council meetings. He criticized the police department's request for $476,000 in tasers and cameras, referencing his past experience of being tased and winning his case against the city. He also mentioned Kim Slater's case. He tied the purchase of tasers to the police department targetting people without bike lights, and not releasing the footage. (01:17:58) He also protested the city spending a half million dollars on environmental mitigation, (01:18:42) and wanted item 3J pulled. He spoke in favor of peace in Gaza. (01:19:57) 01:20:11 Hank Baker was In Favor: Mr. Baker, representing the downtown PBID and EDAC, voiced support for item 3I, which requests local support for funding from the MTC for parking equipment. He also emphasized the importance of funding multi-stations in parking lots due to old equipment causing revenue loss. He thanked the city manager and public works director for helping with temporary watering of flower baskets. 01:22:01 Ms. McDougal was Neutral: Ms. McDougal commented on the consent agenda process, noting that some items, particularly those related to retail and mixed-use concepts, keep returning without meaningful edits, causing confusion for constituents. She supported increased public informational gatherings. (01:22:16) McDougal expressed confidence in the police chief and her requests for necessary equipment. (01:23:44) 01:24:25 Eva was Against: Eva criticized the declaration of Asian American Heritage Month (3B) (01:24:25) as hypocritical. She spoke about the removal of an Asian American at a candidate forum. (01:24:34) She asserted it was hypocritical to declare Asian American Heritage Month when city council members are promoting genocide against West Asians in Gaza. (01:26:15) 01:28:32 Alice Merrill was Against: Alice Merrill expressed concern about the formula retail concept being addressed on the consent calendar, which she sees as not transparent enough. (01:28:32) She requested that the item be openly discussed rather than decided by the council. (01:29:39)
01:44:18	4: PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS - 8:00 PM	Mayor Cox thanks everyone for engaging in the discussion as part of the democratic process.	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

01:44:23	4.A: Introduction by Title Only and Waiver of First Reading of Ordinance No. 05-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Chapter 10.44 Section 10.44.010 (“Purpose and Applicability”) and Section 10.44.190 (“Residential	This agenda item focuses on amending specific sections of the Sausalito Municipal Code related to residential uses in commercial districts. Matthew Mandich presented the current ordinance, highlighting issues such as the Planning Commission's ability to waive requirements on a case-by-case basis, potentially leading to litigation risks and the affordability requirements for units in commercial districts. The proposed changes aim to remove the exemptions in 1044-010E, allow for commercial uses above the first floor in specific cases in the Central Commercial Zoning District, prohibit the conversion of existing residential units to commercial uses in commercial districts if built before 1984, remove the requirement for providing one affordable unit for projects of five units or less, and include an in-lieu fee for a fraction of units. During the discussion, Councilmember Hoffman raised concerns about the impact of the changes on affordable housing, particularly in commercial neighborhood districts, and requested clarification of the number of affordable units affected. The Mayor provided historical context for the existing ordinances. There was discussion regarding the Central Commercial Zoning District, and its restrictions on residential development. Councilmembers also debated about the affordability requirements for smaller projects. Ultimately there was a motion to conduct the public hearing, introduce, and waive the first reading of ordinance number 05-2025, an ordinance of the city council of the city of Sausalito, amending chapter 1044, section 1044.010, purpose and applicability, and section 1024.010, purpose and applicability, and section 1024. 1044. 1044, 0.190 residential uses in commercial districts of title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code.	Motion to conduct the public hearing, introduce, and waive the first reading of ordinance number 05-2025, an ordinance of the city council of the city of Sausalito, amending chapter 1044, section 1044.010, purpose and applicability, and section 1024.010, purpose and applicability, and section 1024. 1044. 1044, 0.190 residential uses in commercial districts of title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code (02:28:56)	4 Total: 0 In Favor 3 Against 1 Neutral
02:19:15 Linda Fotch was Against: Linda Fotch expressed disappointment that her letter was not posted and agreed with previous comments. She raised concerns about decreasing housing capacity and potential conflicts with the Housing Accountability Act, and that a 102.2 doesn't apply to the CC zoning district. 02:23:33 Senator Bushmaker was Against: Senator Bushmaker stated the council was not ready to vote, citing the need for more analysis, neighborhood involvement, and legal citations regarding the unconstitutional taking issue. The senator was concerned about the discretion in determining a fair return on investment and asked that the city retain discretion and facilitate neighborhood input. 02:25:41 Babette McDougal was Neutral: Babette McDougal supported the public comments and Councilmember Hoffman's points. She requested that similar items be grouped together for better public understanding and debate and called for better noticing and consensus-building. 02:27:56 Alice Merrill was Against: Alice Merrill reiterated the need for more community input and stated that decisions made without community knowledge don't make sense.
02:46:25	5.A: Receive 2025 User Fee Study Prepared by Willdan Financial Services and Provide Direction Regarding Setting User Fees	The City Council received a presentation from Willdan Financial Services regarding the 2025 User Fee Study. Interim Finance Director, Jesus Nava, explained the fees were adopted in FY08-09 and amended in FY16-17, and a fee was commissioned in 2013 but completed in 2018 due to staff changes. Priti Patel from Willdan Financial Services explained the purpose of user fees, why they need to be updated, and the methodology used in the study, including data collection, cost analysis, and setting cost recovery goals. The study included administration, police, building, public works, planning, parking, and parks and recreation departments. Key data types included expenditure data, staffing structures, and time estimates. The study recommends adjusting fees annually based on CPI or MOU and conducting a comprehensive analysis every five years. Councilmember discussion focused on concerns about the potential impact of fee increases on residents and businesses. Specifically, Mayor Cox expressed concerns about parking fees and the potential negative impact on local businesses, also questioning the new $3 fee for a one-day temporary guest pass. Councilmember Hollweg questioned the increase in planning fees and the justification behind the increases, with the consultant responding that the analysis was based on staff time. Several councilmembers discussed phasing in fee increases to mitigate the impact on residents. Vice Mayor Woodside questioned whether the number of hours spent on tasks were necessary and whether processes could be streamlined. The council also provided direction to staff to come back with an ordinance that would cap the number of Planning Commission meetings for project approval and also to create a consent calendar for projects exceeding a specific expenditure threshold. The City Manager, Michael, thanked the consultant and the council for taking on the issue, explaining the importance of the fees to avoid subsidizing development and to ensure new growth pays for new growth.	No Motion	1 Total: 0 In Favor 1 Against 0 Neutral
03:13:40 Jeff Jacob was Against: Jeff Jacob spoke against subordinating human beings to dollar bills. He argued that war and cars make a lot of money, while peace does not. He mentioned the $79,000 cost for the study and stated that the council did not create the shoreline, birds, or seals. He highlighted the importance of heritage and the need to look beyond money. Jacob expressed concern over artists and writers leaving Sausalito due to financial reasons.
03:25:42	5.B: Authorize Staff to Proceed with Soliciting for Construction Bids for the Bridgeway Slide Repair below Woodward	Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, presented a proposal to address a slide on Bridgeway Boulevard below Woodward, which occurred in 2017 and has expanded since. The repair would include soil nails and Tycho mesh, similar to the North Street project. The engineer's estimate is $1.4 million, with 120 days for completion. The project aims to stabilize the upper 5 to 10 feet of soil. Scott Stevens from Miller Pacific Engineering Group addressed concerns about using Tycho mesh instead of retaining walls, stating it is suitable for shallow landslides and allows vegetation regrowth, preserving larger trees and providing a 'green' aesthetic. He noted the GeoBrug mesh system is designed to the same factor of safety that the engineered retaining wall system was designed to. The council discussed the possibility of bidding out both the Tycho mesh and retaining wall solutions to compare costs and address resident concerns (03:39:29). Councilmember Sobieski requested that the consultant should confer with Mrs. DeHaney's consultant to see if they can reach a meeting of the minds (03:41:20).	Motion to authorize staff to proceed with soliciting construction bids for the Bridgeway slide repair below Woodward, seeking two separate bids for the two separate engineering solutions, and to direct staff to have their consultant confer with Mrs. DeHaney's consultant to see if they can reach a meeting of the minds. (03:42:15)	1 Total: 0 In Favor 1 Against 0 Neutral
03:33:44 Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian was Against: A neighbor, expressed concerns that the city's previous work in 2017 exacerbated the problem by cutting off a wooded slope behind her house without notice (03:33:48). She stated that the movement on the slope has affected her house and requested a retaining wall solution, stating that a geotech consultant also recommended a retaining wall (03:34:31).
03:42:54	5.C: Authorize Staff to Proceed with Soliciting for Construction Bids for the Edwards/Marion Retaining Wall	Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, presented the project to stabilize the hillside at the Edwards and Marion intersection due to soil movement. The design includes a soil nail with tycho mesh system, similar to the Bridgeway project. Some soil nails will need to be placed on private property. The estimated cost is $1.2 million, with construction anticipated to be completed by December 2025. Road closures and traffic control are expected during construction. Staff will notify residents, the fire department, and the police department. Vice Mayor Woodside recused himself from this item due to a conflict of interest. (03:42:57) Mayor Cox asked about tree removal and its impact on hillside stability and if neighbors would be notified. (03:46:38) Kevin McGowan responded that they would notify residents, and the trees in question have root systems that are being undermined by the slippage of the slope.	Motion to authorize staff to proceed with soliciting for construction bids for the Edwards Marion retaining wall (03:47:47). Seconded by Councilmember Sobieski (03:47:55). Motion carries 3-0, 1 absent, 1 recused (03:47:56).	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

03:48:03	6: CITY MANAGER REPORTS, COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS, CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS, OTHER COUNCIL BUSINESS	This agenda item was introduced by Mayor Cox, who then acknowledged the presence of the Vice Mayor.	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

03:48:18.92	6A: City Manager Information for Council	City Manager Michael presented a proposed organizational chart for the city, emphasizing public service to residents. The aim is to enhance efficiency, align resources with personnel, and create an agile organization responsive to city policies. Key points include: Sustainability as a cross-departmental function, Combining library and recreation into a community services department led by Brian Vitale, Consolidating finance, HR, risk management, and IT into administrative services, Potentially integrating public works, planning, and building into development services in the future, Reverting the police department structure to a police chief, a captain/assistant chief, and a lieutenant, aiming for succession planning and employee growth opportunities. Mayor Cox thanked the City Manager for the thoughtful report. Vice Mayor Woodside asked about action required and the Mayor clarified that an approval was on the agenda.	Motion to approve the proposed city organizational chart (03:52:51.72)	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

03:52:56	6B: City Attorney Information for Council	The meeting is moving to Item 6B, City Attorney Information for Council. (03:52:56)	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

03:52:57	6C: Councilmember Committee Reports	This agenda item covers reports from councilmembers on their committee activities. Mayor Cox reported on attending a BCDC meeting, highlighting discussions on their strategic plan, modifications to manage sea level rise and subsidence, and the need to address the expanding jurisdictional band due to these environmental changes. She also announced that Sausalito will host the MCCMC meeting on May 28th and invited a speaker on the e-bike ordinance and Senator Mike McGuire. Vice Mayor Woodside reported on discussions regarding the transfer of sewer responsibilities to the Sausalito Marin City sewer district, noting the involvement of various officials and the potential for a win-win situation pending financial arrangements and bond considerations. The city manager added that the funds are paid by the rate payers and relayed Councilmember Hoffman's request for a comprehensive update to the city council as a whole on the issue. The mayor noted that the council took action on the issue at the end of last year when they adopted the MOU and so perhaps an update regarding what has changed since adoption of the MOU is warranted.	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

03:57:34	6D: Appointments	Mayor Cox opened public comment for the appointment of members to the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) and then nominated Alexander Bleleben and Alexander White to the E-DAC. (04:00:58)	Motion to appoint Alexander Bleleben and Alexander White to the E-DAC. (04:00:58)	1 Total: 1 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral
03:58:08 Ms. McDougal was In Favor: Ms. McDougal initially commented on the consistency of EDAC appointments, mentioning Cass Green and Linda Fotch. After a clarification from the Mayor (03:58:53) that the discussion was about the new candidates interviewed, Ms. McDougal expressed her support for endorsing the two candidates, praising their proven abilities and integral role in the community's functioning. (03:59:27)
04:01:33	6E: Future Agenda Items	Mayor Cox initiated the discussion on future agenda items, mentioning the displacement ordinance, the CEDD manager's reporting, and the sewer consolidation update. (04:01:33) Councilmember Hollweg raised concerns about the length of the meetings and their impact on public engagement, suggesting limiting agenda items or special presentations (04:02:06). She suggested earlier start times or additional meetings to facilitate thorough conversations (04:02:46). Councilmember Sobieski suggested experimenting with time-limited Q&A sessions to improve efficiency (04:03:32). The Mayor agreed to add an update to protocols to the consent item (04:04:00). Councilmember Sobieski requested bringing back the notion of an urban plan, referencing a previously considered plan and an existing RFI (04:04:11). Mayor Cox acknowledged the competing priorities and the existing list for the year, but agreed to add the urban planning to the agenda items list (04:04:54).	No Motion	2 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 2 Neutral
04:02:06 Karen Hollweg was Neutral: Expressed concern over the length of the meetings, stating that it affects public participation and the council's ability to thoroughly discuss important topics. Suggested limiting agenda items or exploring alternative meeting schedules. 04:03:06 Sergio Rudin was Neutral: Inquired about the number of vacancies on the EDAC, noting a discrepancy in the staff report. He asked the city clerk to confirm if there were two vacancies.
04:05:17	6H: Public Comment on Items 6A-6C and 6E-6G: limited to 3 minutes/person	Councilmember Sobieski indicated that others would need to express their interest in seeing specific items come up for discussion (04:05:17). Mayor Cox opened the floor for public comment on items 6A through 6C and 6E through 6G (04:05:22).	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

04:05:33	7: ADJOURNMENT	The meeting was adjourned by Mayor Cox at 10:58 PM (04:05:34).	No Motion	0 Total: 0 In Favor 0 Against 0 Neutral

City Council Meeting Transcript

Adrian Brinton

City Council May 20, 2025

Time	Speaker	Text
00:00:12.99	City Clerk	City Council, tonight's meeting of May 6, 2025 is being held here at 420 Litho Street in Council Chamber. It's also being seen on the city's website, on Zoom, and on Channel 27, Marin TV.
00:00:33.46	Mayor Cox	Thank you, city clerk. I will call to order the special meeting for the Sausalito City Council at 5 PM on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 and ask you to call the roll.
00:00:45.39	City Clerk	Councilmember Blastham.
00:00:46.93	Mayor Cox	here.
00:00:48.11	City Clerk	Councilmember Hoffman.
00:00:49.74	Mayor Cox	Here.
00:00:50.02	City Clerk	Thank you.
00:00:50.18	City Clerk	Councilmember Sobieski, Vice Mayor Woodside, and Mayor Cox.
00:00:55.55	Mayor Cox	here.
00:00:56.66	Mayor Cox	All right, first thing on our agenda is interviews for the Economic Development Advisory Committee.
00:01:02.57	Mayor Cox	We have some applications.
00:01:05.42	City Clerk	First person we have is Alexander Lelebin.
00:01:10.91	Mayor Cox	Welcome.
00:01:14.79	Mayor Cox	So the way we conduct these interviews is we typically ask you to introduce yourself and share a little bit with us about why you'd like to serve on the Economic Advisory Committee. And then we'll ask you any questions that we might have.
00:01:29.17	Mayor Cox	These interviews typically last about five minutes.
00:01:31.63	Alex Blyleben	Super.
00:01:32.42	Alex Blyleben	Well, thank you, and thank you, City Council, for the consideration of my application to EDAC. My name is Alex Blyleben. I could work on the last name. It's a bit of a mouthful. I'm about a four-year resident here in Sausalito. Originally came just drawn to, frankly, the nature, the trails, the headlands, the water, and some separation from San Francisco, but have really come to call it home thanks to a set of completely different reasons, and mainly down to community and the uniqueness of that community. And I think in particular, you could argue that a lot of that uniqueness also extends to some of the economic activity, the unique economic prospects that we have as a city and as an area.
00:02:11.06	Alex Blyleben	Um,
00:02:11.60	Alex Blyleben	I, uh, my wife and my eight month old son have come to call this place home.
00:02:16.31	Alex Blyleben	And now with a growing family, I really, you know, we were talking before with Councilmember Hoffman, the passage of time goes very, very quickly. And you start to think about where you spend your time and just wanting to contribute and participate more actively in the community. And what I think is very exciting about Sausli, you know, it's a place that's both big enough and meaningful enough to have an impact. But it's also small enough where I think a small collection of thoughtful voices can hopefully make a difference. And so EDAC was one opportunity that came to my mind as an area where I might be able to contribute, given some of my background.
00:02:51.56	Alex Blyleben	Professionally, I come from about 20 years of business background, originally strategy consulting, working across a number of industries and companies of different sizes. And then in-house as an investor, as a strategist, as an operator, both for very large multinational companies, as well as a couple of very small locally oriented operations. And that includes about four years dedicated to an enterprise that was focused on retail, small independent retail development, a network of a few thousand independent mom and pop stores in South America. Recognizing that South America and Brazil, Argentina, a couple other markets, very different economic and cultural contexts that we have here in Sausalito. But I do think a couple of lessons transcend and apply. And it's just been an interest that I've had for a while, including on a professional level now. I've also tried to get to know the committee a little bit and understand what they're working on. I've had the chance to, Council Member Hoffman was nice enough to show me the ropes as a liaison last year when I first got to know about EDAC. Scott Thornburg, the current chair, was nice enough to give me some perspectives. Tom Raleigh, the former chair, also the chance to meet with Monica Finnegan and John DeRay. So I think I've got some sense of the activities. We're just really excited to roll up my sleeves and jump in and help however I could, if you all deem it worthwhile.
00:02:51.94	Jesus Nava	Professionally,
00:04:08.63	Alex Blyleben	Open for any questions.
00:04:10.05	Mayor Cox	Sure.
00:04:10.79	Mayor Cox	So I noticed that you list a bunch of Caledonia Street businesses as your references.
00:04:16.45	Mayor Cox	Oh, um,
00:04:17.96	Mayor Cox	you know,
00:04:19.33	Mayor Cox	Last year, the EDAC really focused on the downtown, and this year we've asked them to focus on Caledonia Street. So what brainstorming might you be able to provide us regarding enlivening the businesses on Caledonia Street?
00:04:35.06	Alex Blyleben	I think consumer research is a good place to start. So really understanding the needs and I've gotten to know a couple of the folks, but I would be remiss to say I've definitely not gotten to know the full gamut. Uh, and so really just going and doing the diligence and understanding the world from a business owner's perspective and end customers perspective, what drives, uh, vitality along that street and also thinking about multi-use and kind of across various hours and use cases during the day. So like.
00:05:00.32	Alex Blyleben	use cases during the day, the evening, and kind of finding the right balance there.
00:05:03.90	Alex Blyleben	I'm also struck and I'm naive to the exact reasons for this. There are some empty spaces, including one large one, I think on Caledonia. I don't know the backstory there, but I'm just as an outsider, still relative newbie here. I'm somewhat bewildered that some of these spaces stay empty for as long as they have, including my entire time here in Sausalito. So I just think there's opportunity given.
00:05:04.20	Katie Thau Garcia	I'm also sorry.
00:05:24.98	Alex Blyleben	the vitality of this area to just, just attract. And I think there's probably a publicity problem or opportunity to attract more investors and folks into the downtown, including Caledonia.
00:05:35.44	Unknown	Other questions?
00:05:39.03	Vice Mayor Woodside	You pretty much asked the question I was going to ask. Do you have any particular thoughts about, in terms of, you mentioned empty storefronts, but in a general sense, what's lacking in Sausalito in terms of business development from your perspective?
00:05:59.54	Alex Blyleben	Mmm.
00:06:03.05	Alex Blyleben	Off the cuff, one thing that comes to mind is it strikes me that there's kind of separate worlds a little bit. You've got a tourism world that comes for day trips and enjoys the waterfront and looking back to a different city, which is San Francisco. And you have a locals community here, which is maybe more centered around Caledonia and some other areas. And I perceive as though those two orbits could maybe be better integrated just in terms of like foot traffic and better
00:06:08.95	Unknown	A little bit.
00:06:29.51	Alex Blyleben	kind of integration so you don't have like tourism kind of Disney World one side and kind of locals kind of the other side.
00:06:34.55	Alex Blyleben	A few of them might come to mind, but that's one.
00:06:37.42	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
00:06:37.64	Alex Blyleben	Thank you.
00:06:37.66	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
00:06:39.19	Mayor Cox	Thank you. And that was the little beep for the end of our time. So thank you so much for coming in to meet with us. We will be making appointments at the end of our meeting this evening. Thanks all.
00:06:51.19	Mayor Cox	Next on my list is Sebastian Scheider.
00:06:56.84	City Clerk	And I don't think he indicated that he might not be able to make it because he was traveling.
00:07:03.58	Mayor Cox	Okay. Is Alexander Woe here? And forgive me if I butchered your name.
00:07:11.90	Alexander Woe	I'll see you next time.
00:07:12.55	Mayor Cox	I know.
00:07:13.08	Alexander Woe	It's boy. Yeah. Boy. It's Norwegian.
00:07:14.87	Mayor Cox	Boy.
00:07:16.57	Mayor Cox	Welcome. And if you would like to start off with sharing a little bit about what interests you in our economic advisory committee, that would be great. Sure.
00:07:25.77	Alexander Woe	So I have a simpler background, it sounds like to Alex, but I think what I'm looking for is really a way to leverage my experience and my passions to get involved in our community. I've long been passionate about private sector economic development. I have a master's from Georgetown School of Foreign Service in Economic Development. And it's been that kind of like marriage of private sector activities with impact that I think has been something that's always powered me through my career in financial services. My background has been large as a strategist and also as a chief of staff for large companies, also for a smaller startup called Varo in the city. So I helped the company grow from 100 people to about 1,000 people over that time, obviously doing a range of different things. So I think I have a lot of expertise sort of managing through various stakeholders, both within the company without how to find success in the pretty challenging multivariate economic environment. So, yeah, I think I'm...
00:08:26.48	Alexander Woe	I live here. I want this to be a vibrant community for all of us to share. And I think we have incredible potential here in Sausalito, and I would love to be part of that story.
00:08:41.05	Unknown	Thank you.
00:08:41.06	Mayor Cox	That was for, yeah, I second that.
00:08:43.76	Karen Hollweg	Thank you.
00:08:44.03	Karen Hollweg	Thank you.
00:08:44.40	Karen Hollweg	I'll go.
00:08:45.22	Unknown	Thank you.
00:08:45.42	Karen Hollweg	you
00:08:45.64	Karen Hollweg	Bye.
00:08:46.14	Karen Hollweg	Thank you for your time this evening. Really appreciate it. When you look at say Caledonia street or our downtown, what do you feel like is missing or,
00:08:55.49	Karen Hollweg	you think we have an opportunity to do more of?
00:08:58.73	Alexander Woe	Yeah, so a lot of what I've pondered, I guess, is I think we do fairly well with local traffic. We do fairly well with sort of people from, say, San Francisco and also from afar. But I think there's an opportunity in
00:09:11.37	Alexander Woe	driving more regional business. So folks coming from the rest of Marin or what are we doing to sort of draw people
00:09:18.32	Alexander Woe	to us, to our town, what makes us so unique in our position in the Bay, but also just the other, you know, intangible benefits that we have here. I think the Jazz by the Park does such a good job of doing that. But there are also, you know, further opportunities. I know this predates my time as well, but the art show was a thing that it sounded like it was a success. If there's not a way to, you know, bring it back the way it was before, maybe there's a way to riff on that idea and bring other opportunities like that back that would draw in more of a regional component to drive foot track that doesn't just stick around that sort of downtown sort of tourist area.
00:09:56.83	Mayor Cox	I'll pose the same question to you as I did to the prior Alexander. Are you at all aware of Caledonia Street? And do you have any notions of how you might like to see that area revitalized, similar to how we're doing downtown?
00:10:13.03	Alexander Woe	Yes. So I live right up from Caledonia Street. I'm very familiar with it. So I think one of the things that I've also reflected on that I felt very successful was our Pride Fair and Parade. And I think that did draw a lot of people, again, from around Marin. Certainly I brought friends from San Francisco. But I think there's opportunity there to, you know, get creative about creating. Is it just a few sort of summer series of street fairs or, you know, improving more opportunities for seating outside and just sort of making it a nice
00:10:44.79	Alexander Woe	It's a place for people to come and spend time. And I think that there's just further opportunities to help support the restaurateurs and the shops that are there, I think, to drive better foot traffic, create really a unique space there, which I think really did come alive during the Pride Parade and the Pride Fair. So replicating that might be another opportunity for the streets.
00:11:12.68	Mayor Cox	behalf so much. Thank you for your interest in this important commission.
00:11:20.08	Mayor Cox	Okay, so I'll call Sebastian Scheider again.
00:11:25.17	Mayor Cox	All right, and then I'll inquire if Joseph Summerhill is here.
00:11:30.37	City Clerk	Doesn't look like he's here, but we also gave him a start time at 5.15.
00:11:33.58	Mayor Cox	All right, so we'll just pause for three minutes. Take a breath, take a glass of water.
00:11:38.54	Unknown	Thank you.
00:11:55.72	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
00:12:44.65	Mayor Cox	I'm going to call the meeting back to order. It appears that neither of our other two applicants are available to interview this evening. And so I'm going to go ahead and adjourn this. I'm going to take a break from this portion of the meeting. We will reconvene at 530 to announce our closed session items.
00:13:12.89	Mayor Cox	So we will be adjourning to close session to discuss
00:13:16.97	Mayor Cox	The following items. C1, Conference with Legal Counsel, Anticipated Litigation, 1 Case. C2, Conference with Real Property Negotiators, Government Code Section 54956.8 for the property at 558 Bridgeway. C3, Conference with Legal Counsel, Existing Litigation, Name of Case, Yimby v. City of Sausalito. C4, Conference with Legal Counsel, Existing Litigation, Name of Case, County of Marin v. Monsanto. C, Conference with Legal Counsel Existing Litigation. C5, Conference with Labor Negotiator, Employee Organization, Sausalito Police Association. C6, Liability Claim, Claimant Eva Crizante Lagios. And C7, Conference with Legal Counsel Existing Litigation. Name of of case Schrader versus City of Sausalito. Are there any recusals from items C1 through C7?
00:14:09.65	City Clerk	There's also C8 that was printed after your packet was given to you, which is a conference with legal counsel on suspended litigation, initiation of litigation to cases.
00:14:17.11	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
00:14:20.99	Mayor Cox	Two cases.
00:14:22.16	Mayor Cox	Okay.
00:14:24.82	Mayor Cox	Okay.
00:14:28.72	Mayor Cox	That's not on here tonight. 558 is on.
00:14:31.73	Mayor Cox	That's tridents.
00:14:32.98	Unknown	Okay.
00:14:34.33	Mayor Cox	Okay. Is there any public comment on closed session items?
00:14:39.54	City Clerk	Sinnen.
00:14:40.26	Mayor Cox	Then we will adjourn to closed session. We will resume for our regular meeting at 7 p.m.
00:14:52.25	Mayor Cox	The order.
00:14:53.54	Mayor Cox	If you wanna chat, please step outside.
00:14:57.12	Mayor Cox	City Clerk.
00:14:58.81	City Clerk	It's 7.06. We can...
00:15:01.90	City Clerk	to convene.
00:15:05.41	Michael	I'm Michael.
00:15:07.64	Mayor Cox	Okay, good evening everybody and welcome to the regular meeting of the Sausalito City Council for Tuesday May 6 2025 we are reconvening from open session city clerk will you call the role.
00:15:21.14	City Clerk	Council Member Blashton.
00:15:22.43	Mayor Cox	here.
00:15:23.25	City Clerk	Council Member Hoffman. Here. Council Member Sobieski. Vice Mayor Woodside. Here. Mayor Cox. Here.
00:15:25.47	Mayor Cox	Here.
00:15:30.47	Mayor Cox	Here. Sybil Boutelier, will you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please?
00:15:36.46	Mayor Cox	I thought I saw Sybil come in.
00:15:40.64	Mayor Cox	All right, how about David Lay?
00:15:50.43	Linda Fotch	I can't do it.
00:15:52.25	Mayor Cox	All right, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
00:15:52.27	Linda Fotch	Thank you.
00:15:53.37	Linda Fotch	Pleasure.
00:16:10.65	Mayor Cox	All right, we are back from closed session. There are no closed session announcements. I will seek a motion approving the agenda.
00:16:18.97	Vice Mayor Woodside	So moved.
00:16:19.74	Mayor Cox	Second.
00:16:20.62	Mayor Cox	All in favor? Aye. That motion carries.
00:16:24.25	Mayor Cox	Five zero.
00:16:25.36	Mayor Cox	Next is special presentations. We are continuing a practice that we have undertaken in the last couple of months where we are hearing special presentations from our various department heads regarding the budget that they are putting together because we will be adopting our fiscal year 2526 budget next month.
00:16:48.87	Mayor Cox	And so tonight we will be hearing from the Community and Economic Development Department, as well as the Resiliency and Sustainability Department. And I will welcome Brandon Phipps.
00:16:59.94	Brandon Phipps	Thank you very much, Mayor, and good evening to you, Vice Mayor, Council members, staff, and members of the public. Happy to be here as always this evening to present item 1A, as enunciated by the Mayor, a special budget presentation from the Community Development Department. Being sensitive to time, next slide please, I will jump right in.
00:17:19.72	Brandon Phipps	Here's what I'll be presenting this evening. I'll start with a high level description of the department as a whole, provide details on the actions of each of our departmental divisions, discuss staffing, and then jump into providing division-specific metrics. We'll finish with a discussion of budget and our previously discussed priorities for this year. Next slide, please.
00:17:41.59	Brandon Phipps	So
00:17:42.57	Brandon Phipps	Here is a snapshot of the state of the Community Development Department in October 2022 from the perspective of personnel. And this is when I became a part of the Sausalito team. Happy to join. Yellow shaded positions are positions that were at the time occupied by third party consultants. Red shaded positions are ones that resulted in a near termterm staff transition out and green positions i note only one nod to mr kenneth henry are associated with full-time in-office staff the takeaway here is that the majority of positions in cdd in october 2022 were held by third-party consultants that on the whole were 100 remote next slide please here is the state of the department now
00:18:30.56	Brandon Phipps	Including myself, we have shifted approximately seven positions away from third-party consultants and made them full-time in-office staff. We have also added two part-time in-office staff members. Those are both of our principal planners, Kristen Teichy and Neil Toft. We also replaced two previously in-office staff members with new team members and maintained the building inspector, Mr. Kenneth Henry. as shown in yellow here, the only remaining yellow, the solicitation for the building inspector Mr. Kenneth Henry as shown in yellow here the only remaining yellow the solicitation for the position of building official is ongoing but we are pleased to be working with a capable consultant in the interim next slide please
00:19:08.17	Brandon Phipps	Okay, you've seen the team.
00:19:09.72	Brandon Phipps	Here is what we do on a high level. There's a lot of text on this slide, so I'm just going to summarize. We are broken down into four primary divisions.
00:19:18.94	Brandon Phipps	Planning Division, Building Division, Code Enforcement Division, Economic Development Division. The Planning Division primarily reviews and processes our current planning applications, ensuring compliance with state and local laws and standards, and assists in guiding long-range local and community planning, such as the housing element. The Building Division primarily reviews and processes submitted building permit applications, also ensuring compliance with building-related code requirements, both local and statewide. The code enforcement division primarily assists in creating compliance with the Sausalito Municipal Code, investigates complaints, and takes on enforcement actions when necessary. The Economic Development Division, this is CDD's newest division, primarily promotes business retention, expansion, and attraction, and develops and implements strategies to that effect. Next slide, please.
00:20:17.48	Brandon Phipps	So to support the work summarized in the last slide, we attend a lot of public meetings. The list you see here is CDD's bread and butter. We bring projects before the city council as appropriate, administer and act as secretary to the city's planning commission, administer and act as secretary to the city's historic preservation commission, assist in administering the EDAC with a dedicated planning staffer, Administer zoning administrator meetings as appropriate and act as the city's zoning administrator, as well as assist in administering the PBID interim board and the interim board meetings. We also have the honor of holding a seat on the interim board. This list is not exhaustive, however, CDD collaborates with a number of additional groups in the city, including but not limited to the odds peer review group, the Chamber of Commerce, the Sustainability Commission, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, County Housing Director and Housing Working Groups, Director and Housing Working Groups, excuse me, as well as the City Council Housing Element Working Group. Next slide, please.
00:21:25.43	Brandon Phipps	Now on to division specific metrics. What you see here is a summary of outstanding planning project permits over time. In October 2022, I estimate there were over 90 outstanding applications that were in need of processing, many of them associated with potentially impactful projects that required discretionary project review.
00:21:48.42	Brandon Phipps	Based on a recent review, that number stands at approximately 38, representing a significant reduction of over 60%. As you can see here, the current distribution of projects is about evenly split between projects that require planning commission review and administratively reviewed projects, with a few that are slated to go before the zoning administrator. Next slide, please.
00:22:12.72	Brandon Phipps	Here's a summary of our planning permitting this fiscal year relative to last fiscal year. Please note the data for this fiscal year, and this applies to all future slides, only encompasses a portion of this current fiscal year, but the year-over-year increases shown are extrapolated from average monthly performance during this fiscal year and extended over a 12-month period. So it's an estimate based on current performance. The primary takeaway from this slide is that our total permit numbers are up approximately 15%, and we are seeing a trend towards more administrative permits and less discretionary permits. We believe this is partly due to a statewide trend towards more administrative permit approvals, of course basing compliance and approval on compliance with objective standards. Next slide please.
00:23:04.94	Brandon Phipps	Here is a summary of our building division permitting this fiscal year relative to last fiscal year. Based on performance thus far, we are on pace to approve 8% more permits this year than we did last year, with the majority of permits spread out between the top 10 list you see at the bottom half of this slide. Yeah, on the building side, many of those projects do not necessarily require planning commission approval. And some of the ones that we see in most numerous quantity are residential remodels, residential re-roofs, and the others shown here. Next slide, please.
00:23:43.03	Brandon Phipps	Here's a summary of our code enforcement division's active case list over time. As you can see, since October of 2022, we've significantly reduced our active case list, but I've seen a recent uptick in code enforcement cases, and this is due to a recent vacancy in the code enforcement division, which also culminated in the recent hiring of the city's newest code enforcement officer. that is Justin Goger-Malo, and we are happy to have him on the team. As far as code enforcement cases by type are concerned, as you can see here, the majority of our current cases are related to building without permits. And we're actively working to identify process-related improvements and code code related improvements, which will assist us in reducing these numbers and properly enforcing our code. Next slide, please.
00:24:38.63	Brandon Phipps	Here is the summary of some of the actions CDD's newest division has taken since its inception in the end of 2022. Notable actions include the investigation and formation of a downtown Sausalito property business improvement district. We call it a DSP bid.
00:24:53.94	Brandon Phipps	in addition to the approval of a number of projects, both administrative and discretionary, which have been finalized since then, some of which are shown here. From a high level as well, maybe this is more philosophical, but we also work to ensure that the economic development mindset is instilled into all of our divisions, so that all divisions are acting with a business-supporting mindset to the extent appropriate and applicable, of course. Next slide, please.
00:25:23.02	Brandon Phipps	Extending that same kind of mindset to the planning division, housing production represents an economic development opportunity.
00:25:30.71	Brandon Phipps	Of course, while also assisting the city in maintaining compliance with the state as related to our arena and our housing element.
00:25:37.31	Katie Thau Garcia	and,
00:25:38.96	Brandon Phipps	Thank you.
00:25:39.10	Brandon Phipps	As you can see here, the city has approved numerous housing units. There's over 100 in total since the start of the sixth cycle, which started in 2023, and is currently processing approximately 147 units. As further detailed in the tables you see here, they're all at different stages of the review process. Some are in planning review. Some are approved by planning but awaiting a building permit, and some represent active building permits. Some, of course, are also under construction.
00:26:10.65	Brandon Phipps	Next slide, please.
00:26:13.64	Brandon Phipps	Here are three of what I'm calling hot housing applications in the city. 1755 Bridgeway is a 19-unit project that is slated to be heard by the Planning Commission on May 28th, this month. 1319 Bridgeway is a four-unit office to residential conversion that was recently administratively approved by our senior planner, Matthew Mandich. and 2015 Bridgeway is another office to residential conversion, this time a 12-unit projectway is another office to residential conversion, this time a 12 unit project that is slated to go before the commission next week actually on May 14th. Next slide please.
00:26:49.89	Brandon Phipps	So the following set of slides summarizes some of the notable projects we've approved in the last year, again, talking about the economic development world, highlighting projects with a positive impact to economic development in the city. In the interest of time, I'm going to run through these fairly quickly, so bear with me. 721 to 723 Bridgeway, this project created three new retail locations two of which are currently occupied one of the spaces is occupied by the holiday shop and the other is occupied by the city's newest brick and mortar establishment that is cafe franco which recently opened their doors and celebrated their grand opening next slide please
00:27:30.86	Brandon Phipps	813 through 817 Bridgeway, I imagine council recalls this project. This project includes interior and facade modifications to an existing commercial structure, and it adds potential for food and beverage service on the second level, as well as increases outdoor dining via the addition of a parklet. This project is currently under construction. Next slide, please.
00:27:53.93	Brandon Phipps	715 bridgeway the former wells fargo building is proposed for a restaurant and hotel use it's in the discretionary review process now and was most recently remanded back to the planning commission following an appeal to the city council next slide please.
00:28:11.53	Brandon Phipps	Great. 12 El Portal, 690 Bridgeway continues to undergo tenant improvements, primarily to the interior of the structure to make way for Cultivar, a farm-to-table restaurant that we look forward to seeing open sometime later this year, hopefully as early as this summer. Next slide, please.
00:28:33.54	Brandon Phipps	633 Bridgeway. This is Suzette Cafe and Bistro. This French cafe currently occupies the former location of the Bridgeway Cafe and is open for business.
00:28:45.08	Brandon Phipps	Next slide, please.
00:28:47.46	Brandon Phipps	666 bridgeway this historic structure was renovated in 2023 following planning commission and historic preservation commission approval. Although the former tenant is no longer occupying the space. The project as a whole represents a high quality or has has created a high quality commercial space in the city. The project also supported the rehabilitation and the remodeling of one of the city's most historic buildings and I think it looks much better. Next slide please.
00:29:18.76	Brandon Phipps	We've also approved projects in the Marin Show. This project, 170 Gate 5 Road, approved the demolition of an existing warehouse as well as the construction of a replacement warehouse in the same location with a more contemporary and industrial aesthetic. I bet you can guess which one was approved relative to the other. Next slide, please.
00:29:41.96	Brandon Phipps	265 Gate 5 Road, another rentship project. This project was approved by the Planning Commission in 2023, and allows for the construction of four, one, and two-level structures, which support an art studio and exhibition space. Next slide, please. Here are some additional renderings of the approved structure, which I think is quite stunning. Next slide, please.
00:30:05.98	Brandon Phipps	14 through 20, Princess. Finally, the department has approved renovations of a number of commercial spaces on Princess Street, 14 through 20 in this case, which are currently being marketed for rent. Next slide, please.
00:30:21.10	Brandon Phipps	in addition to a new retail location within the adjacent structure at 6 Princess Street. Last time I checked, this space was being used as a staging area for a commercial business, and we continue to collaborate with EDAC on the ultimate occupant.
00:30:35.58	Brandon Phipps	Next slide, please.
00:30:38.14	Brandon Phipps	OK, on to a discussion of CDD's budget.
00:30:42.48	Brandon Phipps	specifically division-specific expenditures. Again, please note the data for the fiscal year only encompasses a portion of the current fiscal year because we're not done with it yet, but the year-over-year increase, as shown, is extrapolated from our average performance during this year and extended over 12 months. So from a high level, what we're seeing relative to the previous year is a minor increase in planning division-related expenditures, a somewhat significant increase in building-related expenditures, and a significant decrease in economic development-related expenditures, which results in a very modest 1% expenditure increase overall, reaffirming CDD's expenditure budget at approximately $2.3 million. Our expenditures within the department are, of course, partly tied to our open purchase orders with outside consultants, which I've summarized here for the public and for council. With these open contracts in mind, one of the ways that we can reduce expenditures in CDD is to close some of these open contracts, some of which have extended themselves over multiple years and for good reason, because they've related to significant undertakings in the city, such as the housing element. I believe this is feasible this year to some degree, and I'll touch on that on a future slide. Next slide, please.
00:32:04.32	Brandon Phipps	Regarding CDD revenues, we're happy to have a very positive story to tell here. In both of our divisions, which receive funds from the planning and building permit application process, we're seeing a significant uptick in funds received, with an approximately 23% uptick in planning revenues relative to the previous year, in addition to an approximately 26% uptick in building revenues, resulting in a total revenue increase year over year of approximately 25%. Now, it bears mentioning, although these are positive figures, they don't represent revenues in the same way that revenues are treated in the private sector. These funds received from both the building and planning process are used only to recover costs associated with the staffing and administration of the community development department. In other words, the funds we receive are put right back into our department in support of our continued delivery of quality service to the community and are not treated as profit. Next slide please.
00:33:07.10	Brandon Phipps	Finally, I'd like to touch on CDD's summary of priorities for the year, which are shown here and which were previously discussed at our City Council priority setting session. Each of the items you see here continues to be a priority project and process in some cases that we work on and address on a daily basis. So, for example, the city recently publicly posted an amended housing element to our housing element webpage and continues to work in collaboration with the peer review group on the adoption of more robust objective development and design standards relating back to the budget discussion concluding these projects housing element and the odds is one way cdd can reduce its ongoing expenditures on third-party consultants we also continue to evaluate the timing and high level approach to the ballot measures, mentioned here as item three, which we plan to bring before the voters later this year.
00:33:59.44	Brandon Phipps	Finally, the last two priorities are ongoing. We're constantly looking for ways to improve the municipal code, some of which you'll be considering this evening, and improve our internal processes. And we look forward to continuing to carry these priorities forward into, well, until the end of this year. And then we'll, of course, reestablish those priorities. Next slide, please.
00:34:25.09	Brandon Phipps	Thank you for the opportunity to present. Much appreciated, and I'm available to answer any questions.
00:34:33.14	Mayor Cox	I actually had a question.
00:34:34.91	Mayor Cox	I saw that you have 17 administrative permits pending, and I know that, um,
00:34:44.16	Mayor Cox	we talked earlier this week about, you know, a permit for a small office space that received 84 comments from our outside vendor and the vice mayor transmitted to you a, um,
00:34:59.42	Mayor Cox	procedure used elsewhere to help.
00:35:02.57	Mayor Cox	So I'm wondering if, in the spirit of economic development, whether we can
00:35:08.26	Mayor Cox	and in the interest of saving and conserving staff time and resources.
00:35:12.68	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
00:35:12.76	Mayor Cox	whether we can for some of these smaller
00:35:15.65	Mayor Cox	projects in the marine ship,
00:35:17.34	Mayor Cox	adopt a more streamlined approach to approving office improvements or, you know, the industrial use that they are seeking, you know, this business is concerned that they're not going to be able to
00:35:35.22	Mayor Cox	We've taken six months to process their permit so far.
00:35:38.99	Mayor Cox	which they don't time as money. And so I'm wondering if this is something your department would be open to.
00:35:44.76	Mayor Cox	in terms of
00:35:47.04	Mayor Cox	updating or
00:35:49.48	Mayor Cox	Some of your processes in a manner that still protects the city, but really does advance our goal of economic development and facilitation of businesses in especially in our industrial area.
00:36:02.41	Brandon Phipps	Yep. Appreciate the question, Mayor, and appreciate you touching on, yeah, I think an ongoing case that I feel is unfortunate. I am all ears and very enthusiastic to streamline our processes in general. All the better if they relate to improving processes within our building division in addition to supporting some of our economic development goals. So I am all with you on that. And I haven't had the opportunity to look into Vice Mayor's content, but I very much appreciate it and will do so. And I look forward to a follow-up.
00:36:38.14	Karen Hollweg	really.
00:36:38.51	Unknown	Thank you.
00:36:38.54	Mayor Cox	Appreciate that. Thank you.
00:36:41.34	Karen Hollweg	Yes.
00:36:42.42	Karen Hollweg	Hi, Brandon. Great presentation. Exceptional work from your department as usual. Thank you for all that you and your team do. I know that we hired a new code enforcement officer and I don't know that we ever introduced them. So I just thought you could mention their experience and point that out because it's a significant part of the work you're doing as well.
00:36:59.40	Brandon Phipps	Certainly appreciate that council member Blaustein. Justin gogramelo hails most recently from city of San Rafael, where he acted as a fire mitigation specialist and worked to inspire code compliance as related to fire mitigation in the city. So, so actually I'm really pleased with that background and specialization. Thank you again for the opportunity to discuss it. Um,
00:37:25.89	Brandon Phipps	Based on some of the sensitivities and recent catastrophes or disasters that we've seen in California related to fire safety, I think that that expertise is very much needed. So when he interviewed before the department, presented this fire mitigation related background, in addition to checking the box on many of our code enforcement related needs, I thought it would be a great fit for us. So we're really looking forward to continuing to work with Justin, leveraging his expertise. And I'll note he is also a Marin County resident. He lives close by, so he knows the community. Thank you.
00:38:01.40	Karen Hollweg	Thank you.
00:38:04.80	Councilmember Sobieski	Hi, Director Phipps, congratulations on your progress here. When you were first interviewing for your position as community development director, economic development was not what you were being offered, right?
00:38:17.73	Councilmember Sobieski	That is true.
00:38:19.18	Councilmember Sobieski	So how is it that you are our community development director and economic development director?
00:38:24.84	Brandon Phipps	Well, I think first and foremost, I've been given the opportunity and I was selected following the interview process. So that's point one. And I'm pleased to have taken that position on. One of the reasons why I think it was even an opportunity to start with is because I have a background in economic development. I worked for approximately four years in the L.A. area, supporting and identifying economic development partnerships, as well as received a master's in local economic development from a university in London. So I'm pleased to be able to take some of that expertise and apply it to this wonderful city.
00:39:04.44	Councilmember Sobieski	So your time and effort compensated by the taxpayers of the city of Sausalito toward economic development was added to your portfolio by our city manager who in turn was responding to direction from city council to making that a priority.
00:39:19.76	Brandon Phipps	Yeah, I think that that's that that's accurate.
00:39:22.18	Councilmember Sobieski	And is there anyone else in your office who's directly
00:39:25.84	Councilmember Sobieski	assigned an economic development task.
00:39:29.13	Brandon Phipps	As far as by title is concerned, no, there are no specific staffers that are paid out of the economic development budget. My salary is also not, I don't believe, paid out of that specific budget. However, as presented on a previous slide, I discussed the economic development mindset, and that's one of the really kind of neat and useful things about economic development in general, that it can apply to a lot of different processes and divisions citywide. That's part of the reason why economic development is sometimes folded into administration and city management. So I'm happy to be able to support the ongoing dissemination of the economic development mindset within the department. So in a way, all staff are carrying forward economic development priorities on behalf of the division.
00:40:23.42	Councilmember Sobieski	And so in addition to city employees, who else is helping
00:40:27.30	Councilmember Sobieski	with some of this economic renaissance that you're thinking, these success stories that you're talking about.
00:40:32.49	Brandon Phipps	In addition to my employees, I would say there are a number of very passionate community members and community groups who are focused on creating that kind of economic development mindset, business attraction, retention potential. So I'll point to the Chamber of Commerce. We're currently working with the PBID as well, and that's high up on their list of charges, particularly focusing on the downtown. town. We have, you know, local. We're currently working with the PBIT as well, and that's, you know, high up on their list of charges, particularly focusing on the downtown. We have, you know, local organizations that offer advisory like the EDAC, as well as organizations that are a little bit separate from the city, but complement some of our priorities like the SCA. and I wish I had the opportunity to write down the entire list because I'm sure there are more but I think I'll just start there and appreciate that. like the SCA. And I wish I had the opportunity to write down the entire list because I'm sure there are more, but I think I'll just start there and appreciate that question.
00:41:23.36	Councilmember Sobieski	And do you think you've been here now for how long, Director Kipps?
00:41:27.95	Councilmember Sobieski	I know it feels like a decade, but it's probably there.
00:41:29.43	Brandon Phipps	Yeah, nobody's counting, but it's approximately two and a half years.
00:41:34.19	Councilmember Sobieski	And so just your qualitative assessment, how are things getting, are they getting worse or better in terms of the economic, uh, welcomeness of Sausalito?
00:41:42.22	Brandon Phipps	Well, I really appreciate that question. And I would like to say there has been a tremendous and resounding improvement in the last two and a half years. That doesn't mean that the job is done. That doesn't mean that the work is done. There's still a lot of opportunities to take advantage of, a number of challenges to address. But the spirit that I discussed and that mindset that I discussed, I think is pervasive within the department now. And yeah, I look forward to continuing to climb that ladder. Thank you, sir. And congratulations. Thank you.
00:42:05.51	Katie Thau Garcia	Thank you.
00:42:05.53	Councilmember Sobieski	Now.
00:42:14.91	Mayor Cox	All right. Thank you so much.
00:42:20.53	Mayor Cox	We'll next hear from our resiliency and sustainability department and Katie Tho Garcia. Welcome.
00:42:33.15	Katie Thau Garcia	Katie Thau- All right, good evening mayor vice mayor council members members of the public i'm katie thau Garcia the city's resiliency and sustainability manager and i'm here tonight to talk about my work and proposed budget for this upcoming fiscal year.
00:42:50.80	Katie Thau Garcia	I do have
00:42:52.61	Katie Thau Garcia	a slide deck. In the interest of time, we'll go to the agenda slide.
00:42:57.94	Katie Thau Garcia	um so to go over a little bit of what i'll be talking about tonight i will first give a brief introduction to my work as the resiliency and sustainability manager
00:43:07.26	Katie Thau Garcia	Next, I'll talk about two hot topic items, which I'm working on. And finally, talk about the budget for this fiscal year.
00:43:17.97	Katie Thau Garcia	Thank you.
00:43:20.11	Katie Thau Garcia	So the resiliency and sustainability managers work is guided by the sustainability element in the general plan, the climate action plan, the low emissions action plan, and of course, council direction.
00:43:32.23	Katie Thau Garcia	Together with the Sustainability Commission, we work to mitigate the impacts of climate change by significantly reducing fossil fuel emissions, adapting to sea level rise, extreme heat events, drought, and reducing non-compostable and non-recyclable waste.
00:43:49.05	Katie Thau Garcia	While the long-term goals are outlined in the previously mentioned plans, I'd like to place emphasis on the need for flexibility within my work. It's the third slide. Yeah, I'll get to this. For the flexibility within my work. Oftentimes, this can mean pivoting from one project to provide resources to the community or pivoting to take advantage of a new funding opportunity that has become available to me or to provide other free resources or take advantage of free resources from the county or the state.
00:43:55.80	Priti Patel	with it.
00:43:58.34	Priti Patel	There we go.
00:44:24.73	Katie Thau Garcia	So back in January, I presented these council priorities or these council
00:44:32.91	Katie Thau Garcia	departmental priorities to the Council during their strategic planning session.
00:44:37.64	Katie Thau Garcia	These included work on the shoreline adaptation plan and general sea level rise, infrastructure modernization with an emphasis on energy conservation and sustainability in mind,
00:44:48.94	Katie Thau Garcia	state and local regulatory compliance.
00:44:52.34	Katie Thau Garcia	grant monitoring, application, and management, and finally, the management of special projects through the integration of resiliency planning within city departments, local businesses, or organizations. For the purposes of tonight's presentation, I will only be discussing two of these items, both of which with the stars on the bottom of them, which have been the focus of my work very, very recently. Next slide, please. And you can go to the next one.
00:45:22.47	Katie Thau Garcia	So the shoreline adaptation plan, first I will be talking about that.
00:45:27.79	Katie Thau Garcia	began in January 2024 and will provide us with a Sausalito shoreline sea level rise vulnerability assessment, documentation of community visions for the future of sea level rise and provide us with a framework that identifies adaptation opportunities along the Sausalito shoreline that align with the community's vision.
00:45:48.33	Katie Thau Garcia	As you can see from this graphic, we're nearly two-thirds of the way through with this plan, and the team has begun formalizing the final outline of this document.
00:45:57.96	Katie Thau Garcia	To date, we have had two community workshops, focus group presentations, pop-up events at local events, and a community-wide survey to solicit feedback on work so far. Next slide, please.
00:46:12.61	Katie Thau Garcia	In January, we had our second community workshop at the Bay Model, where we had over 120 participants show up for our presentation.
00:46:21.08	Katie Thau Garcia	presentation and small group discussions. During this workshop, we summarized the community's feedback so far and presented international examples of unique shoreline adaptation strategies that align with our community's feedback that we had previously received.
00:46:35.12	Katie Thau Garcia	In addition to this, our team also presented conceptual drawings of those adaptation strategies along the Sausalito shoreline. Next slide, please.
00:46:45.84	Katie Thau Garcia	If you haven't had the opportunity to go to a workshop, I'd invite you to take a look at these drawings on our project website available at sausalito.gov slash shoreline plan, sorry, under the documents from workshop number two.
00:47:00.45	Katie Thau Garcia	In the drawings, each portion of the city has been segmented and contains adaptation strategies for each of the sea level planning horizons that we're including in this plan. So 2050 and then 2050 with storm surge and then 2100.
00:47:17.66	Katie Thau Garcia	Each projection that I just mentioned is based on planning guidance mandated by the state's Ocean Protection Council. And these are just some examples of
00:47:28.31	Katie Thau Garcia	of the conceptual drawings that are presented again available at Sausalita.gov slash shoreline plan. Next slide please.
00:47:38.49	Katie Thau Garcia	So the next steps for the shoreline adaptation plan include the continuation of presentations to local community groups, City Council to receive and file an upcoming update in either late May or early June,
00:47:51.87	Katie Thau Garcia	release of the draft of the draft, full draft of the shoreline adaptation plan and provide the public and opportunity provides late or provide public with the opportunity for feedback in late summer.
00:48:05.71	Katie Thau Garcia	Community workshop number three in late summer.
00:48:08.57	Katie Thau Garcia	And finally, presentation to city council in early fall and potential adoption, hearing of adoption in early fall.
00:48:17.62	Katie Thau Garcia	If any community groups that are watching would like a presentation of work that has been done thus far, feel free to reach out to me.
00:48:26.92	Katie Thau Garcia	either now or later. Next slide, please.
00:48:31.37	Katie Thau Garcia	So as a subset of the shoreline adaptation plan, I've also brought sea level rise considerations to council for Bridgeway from Princess to Richardson Street.
00:48:40.43	Katie Thau Garcia	As part of council direction received in March, I will be working to further develop these options and get them listed potentially on the capital improvement plan aiming for council consideration in fiscal year 26 to 27.
00:48:54.53	Katie Thau Garcia	In addition to this effort, we will coordinate and complement with the sea level rise vulnerability facility assessment study, which has been funded by the Ocean Protection Council and is forthcoming.
00:49:08.23	Katie Thau Garcia	Next slide, please.
00:49:10.44	Katie Thau Garcia	Alright, so now I'm changing gears to the second hot topic for tonight. Next slide.
00:49:16.97	Katie Thau Garcia	Um, we're going to start talking about waste. Um, so in 2022, with the passing of SB 1383, local jurisdictions became responsible for ensuring all residents and businesses had three stream waste services among many other requirements.
00:49:32.97	Katie Thau Garcia	In order to meet these needs, we are actively drafting a new franchise agreement with our waste hauler, Bay Cities Refuse, who have ensured everyone in Sausalito has the access to recycling, waste, and composting services. In 2023, Sausalito adopted the county's reusable foodware ordinance, which requires all food vendors to use compostable foodware and have other single-use items available upon request.
00:49:59.04	Katie Thau Garcia	in late 2024. The city was subject to an audit by Cal Recycle for our compliance to SB 1383. And while we're still awaiting Cal Recycle's findings, we've moved forward with several zero waste, zero waste initiatives during that time.
00:50:16.62	Katie Thau Garcia	As an example of this, in February, we partnered with the Chamber
00:50:20.39	Katie Thau Garcia	and Bay City's Refuge Service to offer food vendor composting and waste workshops to get Sausalito food vendors on board with these many regulations. Next slide please.
00:50:32.72	Katie Thau Garcia	In addition to this workshop, in early April, we partnered with the county waste JPA, zero waste Marin, and the Reuse Alliance to offer an Earth Month repair fair and clothing swap. Our residents came together to repair or volunteer repairing household items to prevent waste going into the landfill. And together we diverted over 370 pounds of waste from the landfill. All right, next slide, please. Now we will go into the budget portion of the presentation. Next slide.
00:51:06.30	Katie Thau Garcia	So many of the projects I lead or contribute to are grant funded projects, both at the state and federal level. Because of that, the operational budget for the resiliency and sustainability department is quite low with $30,000 budgeted for this current fiscal year after salary and benefits.
00:51:25.64	Katie Thau Garcia	In fiscal year 2526, $30,000
00:51:30.82	Katie Thau Garcia	the continuation of a $30,000 would be helpful. While I frequently don't use the whole budget, having these allotted funds allows me the flexibility when needs arise to either match funding for a grant opportunity or fill in a gap between needed programs. Examples of budget uses for this $30,000 could be things like membership dues for the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership, which I am an active member of.
00:51:59.93	Katie Thau Garcia	In addition, in fiscal year 25 to 26, I'm anticipating that the city will need to expend funds on eelgrass restoration per BCDC settlement agreement.
00:52:08.71	Katie Thau Garcia	And while this does not come out of the resiliency and sustainability budget, I will be closely monitoring these funds and helping to expend them mostly through the Tidelines Fund. So for those typical types of budget items, I've been working with the interim finance director to get those accounted for.
00:52:29.02	Katie Thau Garcia	And finally, efficiency, talking about
00:52:32.80	Katie Thau Garcia	efficiency and cost reducing measures these could come from salary reimbursements for potential grants or future grants that the city would be awarded for myself next slide please
00:52:46.86	Katie Thau Garcia	All right, next slide. We'll go into the conclusion. So I'd just like to say thank you to everybody who supports my work. I lean on heavily other departments, community groups, commissions, the Sustainability Commission, in particular, local organizations, businesses, and individuals to help make Sausalito a better place to live, work, and play for us all. So thank you. That's it.
00:53:12.68	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
00:53:14.96	Mayor Cox	Thank you so much for your presentation. I don't have any questions, but I did want to convey a comment. I attended my first BCDC meeting last week as an alternate for Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, and I had the opportunity to meet with several of their staff following the meeting, and they could not have been more complimentary of their work with you. And so.
00:53:39.68	Mayor Cox	It's really nice when we receive high praise of our employees. And so I wanted to personally convey that to you.
00:53:40.10	Ms. McDougal	Thank you.
00:53:45.77	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
00:53:45.79	Ms. McDougal	Thank you.
00:53:46.06	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
00:53:46.18	Ms. McDougal	Thank you.
00:53:47.26	Karen Hollweg	Yes.
00:53:48.20	Karen Hollweg	Yep.
00:53:48.40	Karen Hollweg	Great presentation and excellent work as usual. It's hard to believe that you are one person doing all of this from your office.
00:53:56.10	Karen Hollweg	On that note, I see that you did not give yourself credit for nor mention exactly how much you have essentially personally brought in through grant fundraising through sustainability efforts. So could you just touch on, I think it's three or four major grants of upwards of 2 million that you have brought in on your own?
00:54:12.38	Katie Thau Garcia	Yeah, for sure. So we regularly get grants through CalverCycle to do, um,
00:54:17.87	Katie Thau Garcia	know waste events reimbursement like buying bottle fillers um those kinds of things but specifically since i've been here
00:54:25.26	Katie Thau Garcia	In early 2023, we've gone after one federal grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help us plan for Gate 5 Road, future flooding, sea level rise considerations. In addition to that, we've also received funding from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for planning of improvements to the Turney Street boat ramp. And in addition to that, we've received funding from the Ocean Protection Council, $250,000 to do planning for the sea level rise of vulnerability of facilities. I briefly mentioned that in my presentation. So yeah, all of those together, like $1.5 million. I do keep an ear out for other grants. Most recently I heard that the police department had been awarded $500,000 for police funding parking grants. So that was a great interdepartmental collaboration, which contributed to more grant funding.
00:55:31.31	Katie Thau Garcia	Thank you.
00:55:31.32	Karen Hollweg	Thank you very much, Katie.
00:55:35.05	Vice Mayor Woodside	Just a focused question on where a couple of separate issues have come together. It wasn't that long ago on a Saturday that we had a long session focusing on Bridgeway, basically between the Golden Gate Market and Princess Street. There were a lot of concerns about public safety along that route, but also about sea level rise and adaptation. And I think I saw in your presentation that you're targeting perhaps a major push in 26, 27, not this coming year. So what would you be looking at there in this coming year?
00:56:13.04	Katie Thau Garcia	In this coming year, I'm anticipating using the Ocean Protection Council's funding to look at all of the city's facilities to further understand their vulnerability within that area. you know I'm using the word facility lightly because in this case we might be considering like the riprap along that portion of of the roadway to be a facility because it's providing a service to, you know, essentially keeping that part of the road dry. So we have yet to line out, you know, what exactly the scope of work for that is and what's going to be a facility and what's not. But likely it's going to be along those lines because we know that is a very high vulnerability area for sea level rise. Yeah.
00:57:00.27	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
00:57:00.90	Katie Thau Garcia	Yes.
00:57:04.09	Mayor Cox	All right. I think that's it. Thank you so much.
00:57:05.17	Katie Thau Garcia	THANK YOU.
00:57:05.22	Unknown	Thank you so much.
00:57:05.64	Katie Thau Garcia	much.
00:57:06.28	Unknown	you
00:57:06.30	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
00:57:06.33	Unknown	Mm-hmm.
00:57:07.31	Mayor Cox	All right, with that, we will move on to communications, this is the time for the City Council to hear from citizens regarding matters within the jurisdiction of the City Council that are not on the agenda. Except in very limited situations state law precludes the City Council from taking action on or engaging.
00:57:23.17	Mayor Cox	in discussions concerning items that are not on the agenda.
00:57:27.02	Mayor Cox	I have one speaker card, and that's for David Lay.
00:57:39.27	Unknown	Thank you.
00:57:39.79	Unknown	Thank you.
00:57:40.33	Unknown	Thank you.
00:57:43.24	Unknown	All right.
00:57:45.62	Unknown	I see.
00:57:46.12	Unknown	you
00:57:46.71	Unknown	Don't worry. Still not doing well here.
00:57:48.97	Unknown	Um,
00:57:50.41	Unknown	This time, I don't want to talk about the environment so much.
00:57:54.64	Unknown	I'll do that next time and have my sheet and your sheet, and we'll talk about that some more.
00:58:00.48	Unknown	This time, though, two days ago, the New York Times published...
00:58:04.57	Unknown	two opinion sections and a front section full of the disaster going on in Washington.
00:58:13.75	Unknown	and exposes a lot of things. And at first read through that, I thought this is kind of underwhelming compared to...
00:58:20.90	Unknown	what I know and what they've previously published.
00:58:21.24	Katie Thau Garcia	Right.
00:58:23.77	Unknown	Then in close reading,
00:58:25.74	Unknown	line by line through that long opinion and the rest of it.
00:58:30.76	Unknown	It's really very shocking.
00:58:32.98	Unknown	We're in for a big change here.
00:58:35.21	Unknown	And...
00:58:37.44	Unknown	We're in for another kind of calamity throughout California economically. And we should be looking at that and looking at the causes. And you ought to pay attention to that. Thank you very much.
00:58:52.47	Mayor Cox	Thank you. I will respond to, and I don't know if you can hear me, but the city manager every month provides us a report of the actions being taken at the federal level so that we can be aware of their potential impact on federal.
00:59:03.19	Unknown	SHOW.
00:59:08.39	Mayor Cox	California, on our local governments, and on how we plan our best future for Sausalito. So thank you for making us aware of that.
00:59:15.00	Unknown	Thank you for making that up.
00:59:16.84	Unknown	This is really very serious. Thank you very much.
00:59:42.85	Mayor Cox	Jeff Jacobs.
00:59:46.51	Jeff Jacob	Well, thank you, Madam Mayor City Council.
00:59:49.63	Jeff Jacob	Walfred Michael
00:59:52.77	Jeff Jacob	people that showed up.
00:59:54.84	Jeff Jacob	I'd like to correct you, Madam Mayor,
00:59:58.44	Jeff Jacob	that it is allowed to give prayers before every public meeting
01:00:04.95	Jeff Jacob	Whether somebody says that that's under the venue of Sausalito or not,
01:00:09.71	Jeff Jacob	Well,
01:00:10.49	Jeff Jacob	I don't really care and neither does God.
01:00:13.59	Jeff Jacob	So there's a book that just came out
01:00:15.92	Jeff Jacob	a beautiful one,
01:00:17.24	Jeff Jacob	That's going to live long after God.
01:00:19.85	Jeff Jacob	We're gone.
01:00:21.12	Jeff Jacob	It's called Lost at Sea by a man who visited Sausalito nine times.
01:00:27.08	Jeff Jacob	And I don't come up here.
01:00:29.47	Jeff Jacob	to get money from you,
01:00:32.73	Jeff Jacob	I don't come up here because you do what I,
01:00:34.99	Jeff Jacob	tell you to do
01:00:37.72	Jeff Jacob	I don't come up here because you're necessarily even listening to me.
01:00:42.09	Jeff Jacob	But there is someone listening, Melissa. I'm glad you're here.
01:00:46.84	Jeff Jacob	So,
01:00:48.68	Jeff Jacob	I haven't read the Torah for a while. I've been concentrated on politics.
01:00:56.44	Jeff Jacob	So Jeff approached the microphone with the Torah
01:01:00.22	Jeff Jacob	We are now in the week of acharai mot,
01:01:04.94	Jeff Jacob	Maybe Melissa knows what that means. It means after the death.
01:01:09.91	Jeff Jacob	So after the death of Aaron's sons, he's the first high priest.
01:01:16.87	Jeff Jacob	And after the death of the Anchorage as it's presently constituted,
01:01:23.98	Jeff Jacob	So Nadav and Avahu were Aaron's sons that were killed.
01:01:29.50	Jeff Jacob	by God, for their zeal lighting the fire for a sacrifice instead of ceding the task to their father Aaron.
01:01:38.37	Jeff Jacob	Their death was often interpreted as a story of the struggle between the two forces of the soul. It's ratso, which is a desire to run away, to transcend material life, and it's shove, which is a desire to settle down and achieve in the physical world.
01:01:56.43	Jeff Jacob	In this portion, it goes on to talk about the scapegoat.
01:02:00.77	Jeff Jacob	about two goats that are brought on the Day of Atonement.
01:02:05.59	Jeff Jacob	One...
01:02:07.84	Jeff Jacob	is
01:02:09.66	Jeff Jacob	Slaughtered.
01:02:10.91	Jeff Jacob	The other one is sent off into the wilderness.
01:02:15.28	Jeff Jacob	What's your clock?
01:02:16.95	Jeff Jacob	In his great book, Lost at Sea, says, is that goat will live.
01:02:22.92	Jeff Jacob	So the Anchorage, I'm now captain still of a 27 foot sloop, not on the Sausalito side at the moment, called Jubilee II.
01:02:33.86	Jeff Jacob	that when the bottom of the ladder is cut,
01:02:39.76	Jeff Jacob	The next rung becomes the new bottom.
01:02:42.73	Jeff Jacob	We cannot get out of our problems by scanning.
01:02:46.03	Jeff Jacob	Keep coding anyone.
01:02:47.78	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
01:02:48.81	Mayor Cox	Any other public?
01:02:49.50	City Clerk	goat lives.
01:02:50.68	Mayor Cox	communications city clerk.
01:02:51.26	Unknown	Thank you.
01:02:51.31	Jeff Jacob	THE FAMILY.
01:02:51.46	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	TODAY.
01:02:51.51	Jeff Jacob	I'm ready.
01:02:51.63	City Clerk	THE FAMILY.
01:02:51.73	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	Thank you.
01:02:51.74	Jeff Jacob	Thank you.
01:02:52.28	City Clerk	Yes, we have some people online. Great. All right, we'll start with Babette Monctugo.
01:02:53.92	Mayor Cox	Great.
01:03:00.77	Ms. McDougal	Hi, good evening. Thank you so much for acknowledging me.
01:03:03.91	Ms. McDougal	There you go.
01:03:05.38	Ms. McDougal	First of all, I want to congratulate the two presenters in the special presentations. I think both Mr. Phipps and Ms. Garcia, they're doing a fantastic job. I'm glad that she's acknowledged as having her own department because she's
01:03:20.36	Ms. McDougal	Frankly, personally, I see it as mission critical to the survival of everything going forward. So I'm glad to see that you're elevating.
01:03:27.28	Ms. McDougal	the importance yourselves. That's where we all agree. That's a wonderful thing. The other thing that I'd like to ask you to consider is,
01:03:34.44	Ms. McDougal	is as you continue...
01:03:36.99	Ms. McDougal	And Madam Mayor, I give you credit for this, especially. And I also want to acknowledge Mr. Woodside for being very good about some issues.
01:03:45.24	Ms. McDougal	recent historical recollections of things that are being said
01:03:48.95	Ms. McDougal	in the town to try to help bring greater clarity.
01:03:52.72	Ms. McDougal	And along those lines, in terms of running
01:03:55.89	Ms. McDougal	the government of Sausalito, which is not an easy task,
01:03:59.70	Ms. McDougal	The consent calendar thing and the public hearing issue, I think it still remains a bit...
01:04:07.75	Ms. McDougal	confusing to a lot of folks. And I think part of it has to do with
01:04:12.74	Ms. McDougal	Things being placed on the consent calendar that, by all its holy from the constituent perspective, really has no right to be on the consent calendar. These should be openly debated.
01:04:23.63	Ms. McDougal	And that's why we ask them to be polled. So I'd like to encourage us to consider that we need to tighten up the consent calendar going forward, knowing full well where the hot topics really lie. And secondarily, I would really appreciate more attention to the public hearing aspects, because frankly, if you review all the totality of Q1 public comment, the word over and over again from your constituents was that they want more public hearings, especially with regard to this housing element thing. If you recall, and please go back and review the record, so many people that came forward that you never saw before, hundreds of them,
01:05:03.81	Ms. McDougal	And they said, you know, we didn't know that this was in progress. And it's time for us to get caught up. And I think we need to be mindful because it's very confusing. Like I had one neighbor ask me, for example, as if I know the answer and I don't. But if something is called off like of the housing element list, like let's just take City Hall.
01:05:23.96	Ms. McDougal	Or the corporation yard. And yet it shows up later on an attendant list like the CIP list. And it shows that it's being deliberately, you know, not thought about for, you know, repairs and upgrades because something else might happen to it down the road. And all you have to do is crush it.
01:05:41.27	Ms. McDougal	index list to ask the question. This was somebody else asking me, just what is the status of the housing element anyway? I don't understand the way we're sidelining ourselves. Well, I'm passing that along to you because I think we can...
01:05:54.72	Ms. McDougal	I think if you're in the mood, more Saturday hearings. And I realize that's a lot to ask, but I thank you very much.
01:06:03.58	City Clerk	Next speaker is Eva.
01:06:09.32	Eva	Thank you. I do think that David Lay understated the fiscal crisis that we're going to be facing. This is not just because of
01:06:22.23	Eva	things that the Trump administration is doing, although that's accelerating it. We also have
01:06:29.18	Eva	just an issue that we have poured tens of billions of dollars
01:06:34.12	Eva	into facilitating Israel's genocide.
01:06:37.52	Eva	in Gaza.
01:06:39.44	Eva	And unfortunately, you know, that comes on top of 20 years of pointless counterproductive wars we waged.
01:06:48.62	Eva	largely on civilians in the Middle East. Um,
01:06:52.06	Eva	while everybody back home performatively recited the Pledge of Allegiance,
01:06:57.12	Eva	at city halls instead of asking real questions about
01:07:00.97	Eva	where this was going to end up and where this is ending up is that successive US administrations have handed China an enormous advantage, both in terms of soft power, in terms of reputation, etc, etc. America is no longer seen as
01:07:22.67	Eva	you know, responsible or even seen, especially when you look at
01:07:27.45	Eva	our facilitation of this genocide. Now I want to bring your attention, the fact that the Financial Times today
01:07:34.47	Eva	just came out with a damning condemnation of the US and also other powers because of its
01:07:44.81	Eva	silence on genocide. And we're seeing that the tide is turning. I don't know if you watched the British Parliament recently, but some of the most vocal Israel supporters
01:07:58.43	Eva	art.
01:07:59.71	Eva	actually reversing course. And that is striking. Pew Research shows how
01:08:08.15	Eva	Dramatically, this is changing in the U.S. The majority of Americans, of course, wanted a ceasefire a year ago, regardless of what white people on Sausalito felt about it. But very dramatically, you know, Israel has negative polling now with the majority of Americans. And this is despite years of propaganda telling us that they were the only so-called democracy in the Middle East. Clearly, they're not. They're enacting a disastrous genocide. Now, I want to point out that despite this, the local Israel lobby, very prominent in that is the JCRC slash banjo, which, you know, several of your city council members have
01:08:52.57	Eva	have been party. They're not slowing down. They are running candidates for assembly and we're seeing the endorsements roll in. So if you're one of those people who took one of those free junkets to Israel through the JCRC,
01:09:07.96	Eva	They're getting endorsed and they're endorsing each other. We need a little more. Walford?
01:09:16.39	City Clerk	I believe we got another speaker card. No, we're done with...
01:09:17.39	Mayor Cox	Any time?
01:09:20.29	Mayor Cox	Okay, I'm going to call Vicki Nichols.
01:09:20.31	City Clerk	Okay.
01:09:25.94	Vicki Nichols	Good evening, Mayor Cox and city council members. I actually have a compliment. You've heard a lot of complaining. Today I worked with the Sausalito Historical Society, which we've been doing for 15 years. You've all participated at some point when the third grade students come in, and they are up on the dais, and they're also in the audience. So my role is I teach them how to be speakers before a council or legislative body, so I help them introduce themselves. We talk about issues, and then the pseudo-council does the debating. Mayor Cox today really laid out a good explanation of what city government does, and I grabbed vice mayor in the hallway, so he was here with us. But I just want to tell you that we had never had this before, but we had a squabble over who was going to be the vice mayor today sitting up at the dais. And usually it's over the gavel.
01:10:20.99	Vicki Nichols	And I think that all of them spoke about infrastructure. They heard sewers, streets, and they heard parks. So they may be contacting you, but I just want to thank you all for participating. It really makes a difference for them. Part of the third grade curriculum
01:10:37.65	Vicki Nichols	is them to start learning about their local government. So that's what we're helping them do.
01:10:41.73	Vicki Nichols	Thank you.
01:10:42.59	Mayor Cox	Thank you. And thank you, Vicki, for shepherding this program along with the numerous other volunteers that I met this morning. I wish someone had reached out to me when I was eight years old and let me know that I could make a contribution to my local government without waiting until I was 50. So thank you very much.
01:11:04.68	Mayor Cox	All right, with that, we'll move on to the consent calendar. I'm going to ask that staff poll item 3E. We've received significant public comment later this afternoon, including an example of a policy recently adopted by the Healdsburg City Council. I do want to note for the record that this is a second reading. So I got a lot of comments about why is this on consent. This was already the subject of a public hearing
01:11:32.68	Mayor Cox	uh several weeks ago and so there's no hiding the ball it was absolutely transparent we took
01:11:38.16	Mayor Cox	some public comment that evening. Nevertheless, I am going to postpone the second reading of item...
01:11:45.40	Mayor Cox	three each.
01:11:46.89	Mayor Cox	e um and so i will be seeking a motion to approve the following actions 3a adopt the draft meeting minutes from march 29 and april 1 2025
01:11:57.31	Mayor Cox	3B, Proclamation for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders.
01:12:01.65	Mayor Cox	Heritage Month 3C.
01:12:04.33	Mayor Cox	Reappointment of Cass Green and Teresa Ancona to the Economic Development Advisory Committee for a one-year term each. 3D, receive and file the...
01:12:12.87	Mayor Cox	Library Quarter 3 Report for 2425. 3F, adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign PG&E's restoration agreement and release for a $70,000 reimbursement to the city
01:12:25.19	Mayor Cox	for damage caused by PG&E or its contractor to a city roadway,
01:12:29.60	Mayor Cox	3G, adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign PG&E's property damage settlement agreement and release for an $18,500 reimbursement to the city for damage caused by PG&E or its contractor to a city storm drain.
01:12:41.85	Mayor Cox	facility
01:12:42.91	Mayor Cox	3H, adopt a resolution to accept the Ferry Landslide Improvement Project.
01:12:46.94	Mayor Cox	and adopt a resolution to authorize the city manager to execute
01:12:51.87	Mayor Cox	the first contract amendment with park engineering for a total contract amount of 219 622 which is within the project budget 3i adopt a resolution of local support for the mtc 2024 capital program implementation grant award for parking management equipment upgrades 3j approve master services and purchase agreement with axon enterprise for five years for camera taser and evidence software for 471 741
01:13:21.25	Mayor Cox	dollars and 83 cents and 3k receive and file the May 2025 cars report.
01:13:27.46	Mayor Cox	Any questions regarding the consent calendar?
01:13:30.62	Councilmember Sobieski	Yes, my question is you're pulling that one item on the modification of the ordinance and it's going to be a business item later today?
01:13:37.65	Mayor Cox	No, it will be on our next agenda item on consent.
01:13:43.37	Councilmember Sobieski	And.
01:13:43.96	Councilmember Sobieski	you
01:13:44.37	Councilmember Sobieski	identical. It'll be on today's, it'll be today.
01:13:48.42	Mayor Cox	I don't know if it will be modified at all. It will be on our consent calendar at our next meeting on May 20th.
01:13:55.68	Councilmember Sobieski	Okay, but with no direction to staff to change it.
01:13:58.80	Mayor Cox	no direction to staff to change it, but direction to staff, you'll see in your email, you'll see in your inbox an email from staff that was sent this afternoon. And so there's direction to staff to consider whether or not to change it.
01:14:17.31	Councilmember Sobieski	Thank you.
01:14:18.49	Councilmember Sobieski	I'm uncomfortable with that. I mean, I may not be alone, but this little kerfuffle is standard operating procedure. As you pointed out, Mayor, it's been in the public domain for many, many weeks.
01:14:20.36	Mayor Cox	Okay.
01:14:28.55	Councilmember Sobieski	Is it a perfect modification? No, I would like it to be a little bit different, but it sat out there. And the kerfuffle here is at the 11th hour. And why? It's because an email went around entitled, the golden arches are coming to town.
01:14:38.00	Mayor Cox	No, no, it's an email from, there's a request from a city council member, and I always defer. When any one city council member requests that an item be pulled, I always agree.
01:14:47.19	Councilmember Sobieski	But to be a business item at today's meeting.
01:14:50.81	Councilmember Sobieski	We pull it from consent and it should get a hearing in a vote.
01:14:54.57	Councilmember Sobieski	and not be deferred to a future meeting.
01:14:56.04	Unknown	So because we have a full agenda, I'm making the executive decision to move it to our next...
01:15:02.74	Unknown	agenda with the hopes that we'll approve it on consent at the next meeting
01:15:07.43	Sergio Rudin	And, Mayor, if the council does like to move it to the next meeting, I would recommend you take public comment on it as part of the consent calendar.
01:15:08.93	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
01:15:15.22	Mayor Cox	Absolutely. I'm not intending not to take public comment.
01:15:20.42	Vice Mayor Woodside	May I just find out what we're doing? You're suggesting that we actually not vote on it tonight? Do we take public comment, even though it's a second reading?
01:15:29.72	Mayor Cox	We are required to take public comment on all consent agenda items. Yeah, I understand.
01:15:32.81	Vice Mayor Woodside	regardless of whether or not we pull them. I'd rather see it come to a vote than I.
01:15:37.25	Mayor Cox	I understand.
01:15:45.75	Councilmember Sobieski	So you're pulling it from the consent calendar, and that's of course your part of it should show up, and that's why we take public comment as a business item, right? And then we can have a motion to continue it, right?
01:15:58.44	Councilmember Sobieski	which may or may not pass.
01:16:01.49	Mayor Cox	That's fine with me.
01:16:02.85	Mayor Cox	Do you want to move to continue it?
01:16:04.60	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
01:16:04.73	Mayor Cox	I do not want to, I will, I'm going to take public comment before I take any action.
01:16:10.74	Mayor Cox	Okay.
01:16:12.18	Vice Mayor Woodside	It's fine to take the public comment, but I think what Supervisor Sobieski is suggesting is that we either vote—
01:16:17.36	Mayor Cox	He's not a supervisor. He's a council member.
01:16:19.35	Vice Mayor Woodside	That's right. I'm living a previous life.
01:16:24.83	Vice Mayor Woodside	Um,
01:16:25.58	Mayor Cox	He used to be on the other side of the dais for many years.
01:16:28.16	Vice Mayor Woodside	I understand. But the alternatives would be either to move to continue it or move to adopt it.
01:16:36.29	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
01:16:39.43	Mayor Cox	Okay, if there are no other questions about the consent calendar, I'll open it up to public comment. I have one speaker card from Jeff Jacob.
01:16:50.89	Councilmember Sobieski	Here's another one. Sorry, man.
01:16:59.27	Jeff Jacob	Ain't easy being...
01:17:00.69	Jeff Jacob	Gadfly, Ian.
01:17:02.47	Jeff Jacob	We don't have a local newspaper to be covering the city council meetings.
01:17:07.10	Jeff Jacob	The building is still there from Marin scope. The last few pages of Marin scope is now defunct. The IJ does not cover most of these meetings.
01:17:18.38	Jeff Jacob	I'm going to specifically talk, Stacey, about three things.
01:17:23.47	Jeff Jacob	Jay.
01:17:25.77	Jeff Jacob	not just because I was tased on Bridgeway Avenue for not having a bike light.
01:17:31.76	Jeff Jacob	And for assault on an officer. And I won the case, Ian.
01:17:35.76	Jeff Jacob	Just as Kim Slater won the case.
01:17:39.37	Jeff Jacob	when she was accused of a felony of Bear Sprain, the harbor master. Free felonies, not guilty, not guilty, not guilty.
01:17:48.92	Jeff Jacob	Now the police department wants to buy
01:17:51.91	Jeff Jacob	$476,000
01:17:56.01	Jeff Jacob	in tasers
01:17:58.25	Jeff Jacob	to tase more people without bike lights
01:18:02.94	Jeff Jacob	and cameras that may or may not have their footage released
01:18:08.24	Jeff Jacob	after
01:18:09.36	Jeff Jacob	An incident.
01:18:11.35	Jeff Jacob	I did not sue this city. I did not collect a dollar after. Mr. Jacob, you do not have to shout. Free Jay. Could you speak just a little more softly? I'm going to, I'll stand a little further away from the microphone. It's called free speech, Madam Mayor.
01:18:16.02	Mayor Cox	You do not have to shout.
01:18:18.05	Mayor Cox	Oh.
01:18:18.93	Mayor Cox	more softly.
01:18:26.77	Jeff Jacob	And this is on top of another, I love Stacey, I love you Stacey.
01:18:32.02	Jeff Jacob	And I like her a lot of the time. She bought me a ticket to see my dad when he was dying.
01:18:37.49	Jeff Jacob	It was round trip to I double checked.
01:18:42.80	Jeff Jacob	This is on top of a half million dollars that the police department is getting for environmental mitigation, $1 million.
01:18:52.96	Jeff Jacob	I do appreciate now that we have three minutes instead of two. Thank you, Mayor and Council, for that.
01:19:03.14	Jeff Jacob	And I also appreciate that many of the consultants are not on the consent calendar anymore. There is so much money being spent here.
01:19:13.57	Jeff Jacob	With...
01:19:14.51	Jeff Jacob	Not...
01:19:15.69	Jeff Jacob	an entire amount of oversight. No news media. There's me. I read this stuff. But I don't, you know, I appreciate that the police department is so much better now with homeless people, houseless folks,
01:19:30.59	Jeff Jacob	that they no longer hassle somebody with a backpack walking down Bridgeway.
01:19:36.23	Jeff Jacob	that they're taking care of the city instead of targeting the poor.
01:19:40.48	Jeff Jacob	Thank you, Stacey. Thank you, Sausalito Police Department. But I want you to pull this. Free Jay.
01:19:48.68	Jeff Jacob	for tasers
01:19:50.78	Jeff Jacob	to the police department half a million dollars.
01:19:55.11	Jeff Jacob	It's unconscionable.
01:19:57.49	Jeff Jacob	and peace in Gaza. End the war here, and end the war in Gaza.
01:20:02.37	Mayor Cox	Thank you, Mr. Jacob. I'll recognize Hank Baker. Welcome.
01:20:11.62	Hank Baker	I'm Madam Mayor, City Council, Hank Baker.
01:20:11.68	Mayor Cox	I'm at a mayor.
01:20:15.80	Hank Baker	member of the interim pbid downtown pbid as well as edac and local resident and merchant as you all know i've been a vocal advocate for new parking equipment almost since it was recommended by the dixon study almost two years ago now i am here in support of 3i and the and the uh the request for support local support from the city council regarding our request to the mtc for a half a million dollars in funding but i also want to point out that that's a wonderful solution that bifurcates the need that we have and i think it's a very creative solution to resolve half of the need the second half of the need that's in the staff report is i think equally important. It is basically funding as fast as can be possible for the multi-stations in the parking lots. Our equipment is 10 years old. As we've discussed, we're probably losing anywhere from $300,000 to $600,000 a year in revenue because of the broken equipment. And the sooner you can move that along, the better. I appreciate any help you have. And then finally, I would like to thank the city manager and the sooner you can move that along the better and i appreciate any any help you have and then finally i would like to thank the city manager and the director of public works for facilitating uh helping the pbid uh in temporary watering of our flower baskets which are now up and we'll be proceeding with other other aspects of that in the near future but again thanks guys for your help in taking care of those
01:21:42.07	Mayor Cox	Thank you, Mr. Baker. I will apprise you that we are scheduled to hear a report on parking revenues and other parking matters at our May 20th meeting. Thanks.
01:21:53.96	Mayor Cox	City Clerk?
01:21:55.80	City Clerk	You know, we have Babette McDougall online.
01:22:01.02	Ms. McDougal	Hello again. Thank you so much for acknowledging me.
01:22:03.75	Ms. McDougal	So I just would like to make a comment about the consent thing because...
01:22:08.49	Ms. McDougal	I think here's where
01:22:10.50	Ms. McDougal	your constituents and I could sometimes be in this group, so I'll speak for myself for sure.
01:22:16.12	Ms. McDougal	This is where it gets a little confusing because, yes, it's true, we've been through a read of some of these. I think the ones that are particularly thorny have to do with the retail, the formula retail, obviously, and the mixed use concept. Because it keeps floating back on consent without any meaningful substantive edits. And so if there's a note from the city manager saying, why don't we pay attention to what the people are saying? I'm all for it. Because frankly, that's why it keeps coming around and around and around. And one should not assume that just because you keep putting it on consent that the people are somehow...
01:22:50.26	Ms. McDougal	given an opportunity to weigh in via a forum where we can debate it openly so that we understand what we would expect you as our elected representatives to go forward with. So just having it hang around waiting to be called back to the agenda is not good enough. I'm so sorry. I wish it were. Maybe we need to figure out how to orchestrate more of these public informational gatherings without having to burden you the council. I'm not sure how to I don't know how that would happen. But it's obviously a lot to ask of the five of you to keep showing up to meeting after meeting after meeting when you feel like you've been there done dealt with it and we and you're ready to move on. But the citizens are still stuck in school.
01:22:53.23	Katie Thau Garcia	them.
01:23:33.34	Ms. McDougal	where one, two, or three, if you see my point. All right, well, that's really generally it. You have some really wonderful things on the consent tonight. And while I see the controversial side of
01:23:44.06	Ms. McDougal	the necessary equipment, frankly, for our police department. And I think it's a learning process for the community going forward. I have to say that I, too, have a great deal of confidence in our chief
01:23:55.70	Ms. McDougal	She's been with us a long time.
01:23:57.56	Ms. McDougal	And if anybody understands what Sausalito needs going forward, I honestly believe she's got a pretty good handle on it. So I respect that.
01:24:05.05	Ms. McDougal	her requests and her recommendations always.
01:24:07.60	Ms. McDougal	always, without question.
01:24:09.67	Ms. McDougal	If I question it, I'll let you know. Thank you so much for your opportunity.
01:24:13.67	Ms. McDougal	to give me this chance to speak to you.
01:24:16.96	Mayor Cox	Thank you. City Clerk.
01:24:20.15	City Clerk	Eva?
01:24:25.50	Eva	Thank you, Eva Cresanti. I am calling in response to consent item B, 3B. That is Asian American American.
01:24:34.98	Eva	I find it deeply ironic that you're declaring this after your police removed an Asian American who was merely asking a polite question at the end.
01:24:50.22	Eva	of your candidate forum.
01:24:53.46	Eva	Um,
01:24:54.29	Eva	merely because she was asking a question about the rights of other Asians who, in this case, West Asians who are being genocided by the state of Israel,
01:25:04.40	Eva	in Gaza. And of course, it's not limited to Gaza. Israel is also murdering Palestinians in the West Bank. They're bombing Syria and they're bombing Lebanon, contrary to what Mr. Chase has said, that we need peace in Gaza.
01:25:21.68	Eva	what we need
01:25:22.81	Eva	is an end to the occupation, we need an end to Israel's bombing, there was no
01:25:28.82	Eva	you know, it's not a war. It's not a war. But let me finish.
01:25:29.32	Mayor Cox	It's not a war.
01:25:30.42	Mayor Cox	It's not a war. But let me.
01:25:31.97	Katie Thau Garcia	Thank you.
01:25:33.09	Eva	I'm going to finish, Mayor.
01:25:34.87	Eva	I'm going to point out the deep hypocrisy
01:25:38.81	Eva	of a city declaring Asian American Heritage Month when they do not respect the rights of Asian Americans for the first time.
01:25:48.43	Eva	amendment when they don't respect the rights of anyone but, you know, people who look like them. Now, I want to point out that you have two members on the city council who've been quite active in promoting a genocide against Asians.
01:26:06.95	Eva	uh,
01:26:07.81	Eva	what is happening in Gaza is not just an assault on Christian Palestinians, on Muslim Palestinians.
01:26:15.76	Eva	They are West Asians. So to promote Asian American culture,
01:26:22.16	Eva	you know, Heritage Month when your own city council members have been promoting the right, the quote unquote right.
01:26:30.39	Eva	for Israel to defy international law and slaughter
01:26:35.51	Eva	tens of thousands of children, you know, countless civilians. They have utterly destroyed. It's not 80% of the architecture that they've destroyed in Rafa anymore. It's all of it.
01:26:47.82	Eva	And now they are enacting
01:26:50.64	Eva	a most severe famine. The rest of the world can see this, whether Babette McDougall can open her eyes or not is not material. The problem is the rest of the world can see what we're funding. They can see what some of your city council members are actively supporting.
01:27:09.85	Eva	And it's going to punish us. It's going to harm our own national security. And the fact that you cannot
01:27:18.65	Eva	recognize this is, you know, it speaks to how incompetent you are.
01:27:27.84	Eva	Thank you.
01:27:27.85	Mayor Cox	City Clerk.
01:27:29.64	City Clerk	No more speakers on that.
01:27:31.09	Mayor Cox	I will recognize Alice Merrill. I do want to briefly respond to the prior public comment. The agenda setting committee
01:27:40.88	Mayor Cox	made a decision to, because we get so many requests each, every week to recognize certain holidays, the agenda setting committee made a decision to
01:27:56.14	Mayor Cox	recognize those that are recognized by the federal government. And so if council members would like to discuss during a future agenda item which holidays we should recognize and which we shouldn't, right now we recognize federally recognized heritage months in the...
01:28:16.99	Mayor Cox	United States the proclamations are provided to us by the city clerk and so if there's anyone um
01:28:17.53	Unknown	Thank you.
01:28:23.93	Mayor Cox	on the dais who would like to change that approach. I welcome your feedback. We can discuss it in future agenda items. Thank you. Alice.
01:28:32.89	Alice Merrill	Hi.
01:28:34.07	Alice Merrill	I just want to talk about the formula retail concept because I tend to agree that
01:28:40.55	Alice Merrill	It's been on this sort of, you know, secret. I think of the consent calendar as under the table because it's there.
01:28:51.97	Alice Merrill	but often it's pulled because it's, it has some subjects that people want to talk about. So
01:28:59.65	Alice Merrill	This is big. I remember when we did the thing about not having formula retail, and it was a fairly big, open discussion.
01:29:11.03	Alice Merrill	Probably at the ID test is what my mother called it.
01:29:18.92	Alice Merrill	Oh.
01:29:19.41	Alice Merrill	Oh, my God.
01:29:19.50	Alice Merrill	hall the ID the ESST hall um
01:29:24.64	Alice Merrill	And
01:29:26.03	Alice Merrill	Bye.
01:29:26.70	Alice Merrill	it was a big conversation and people could
01:29:29.84	Alice Merrill	get in there and say what they thought.
01:29:33.03	Alice Merrill	And we haven't done that really.
01:29:34.97	Alice Merrill	And I think that this is something that we need to do it because if
01:29:39.93	Alice Merrill	If it's just you guys deciding which formula retail and why and how,
01:29:45.77	Alice Merrill	It's not the town, and I think that that's my problem. I wish that I felt like you guys really were listening to the town, and I sometimes don't. So that's all. Please consider having it not just on the consent calendar next time. Have it an open thing that we talk about. Thank you.
01:30:10.86	Alice Merrill	Thank you.
01:30:11.35	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
01:30:11.37	Alice Merrill	Thank you.
01:30:12.30	Mayor Cox	Okay, seeing no further public comment, I will close the public comment and bring it up here for discussion.
01:30:21.14	Mayor Cox	So first, I will entertain a motion to approve actions 3A through 3D and 3F through 3K.
01:30:33.43	Unknown	Thank you.
01:30:34.98	Unknown	And that's the task for you. This is just a comment for anybody.
01:30:38.93	Mayor Cox	your mic on.
01:30:40.87	Mayor Cox	Pardon me.
01:30:41.78	Councilmember Hoffman	And this is the reappointment of Cass Green and Teresa Ancona. Because there's, I had a question about it. There's a little bit of confusion because.
01:30:52.80	Councilmember Hoffman	Cass, both Cass Green and Teresa Ancona, this is their second term
01:30:58.45	Councilmember Hoffman	They're in their second terms.
01:31:00.24	Councilmember Hoffman	And we're appointing them to one-year terms. So this would be their third terms. By our ordinances, they can only serve two terms. But because of the way, I believe, the way that we appointed them, they were abbreviated terms when we first appointed people to EDAC.
01:31:21.64	Councilmember Hoffman	And so it's a bit of an anomaly. We no longer have abbreviated terms. So for people who have questions, it's not going to, I don't believe this is going to happen again, but we're appointing them to one-year terms. Their total terms will be six-year terms. And so it's a bit, like I said, it's a bit of an anomaly. We're appointing them to one-year terms, total six years. That's why it looks a little bit strange, but anyway.
01:31:46.34	Mayor Cox	Thank you for that clarification. And is that a motion to adopt the consent calendar as I enunciated it? Except for the form of the reason, yeah. With the exception of 3E? Yeah. Okay. Second. Thank you. All in favor? Aye. Aye. That motion carries 5-0. I'll entertain a motion regarding 3E. So moved.
01:31:52.77	Councilmember Hoffman	Except for the form of the region.
01:31:53.97	Karen Hollweg	3E?
01:31:54.41	Katie Thau Garcia	Yeah.
01:31:55.59	Katie Thau Garcia	it.
01:31:55.68	Karen Hollweg	Second.
01:31:57.82	Karen Hollweg	Aye.
01:32:04.65	Councilmember Hoffman	To move to the next agenda.
01:32:11.39	Mayor Cox	I will second that motion. Is there another motion?
01:32:15.03	Councilmember Hoffman	20th agenda.
01:32:16.01	Councilmember Hoffman	you
01:32:16.06	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
01:32:16.15	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you.
01:32:17.12	Councilmember Sobieski	I'd like to just have some discussion about that motion first. So we have the text in front of us, and no direction to staff about how to change it. I read the email that you referred to, Mayor, and don't see any reason to think that the ordinance will change in any way. The purpose of this was to fix it. To Ms. Merrill, to your concern, Ms. Merrill, the, I don't know, the ordination Anyway, the purpose of this was to fix it to Ms. Merrill, to your concern, Ms. Merrill, the, the, I don't know if the ordinance as proposed limits the number to six. So we're not talking about golden arches. There was a provocative email sent out today. The golden arches are coming to town. It's not the current formula retail prohibition that we would adopt.
01:33:01.32	Councilmember Sobieski	would prohibit equator coffee. Equator coffee had to
01:33:04.96	Councilmember Sobieski	would be considered a formula retail. So this is a very restrictive prohibition against formula retail. It is simply
01:33:14.89	Councilmember Sobieski	aligning our ordinances with state law to avoid legal risk. We've been talking a lot about risk up here.
01:33:21.89	Councilmember Sobieski	and trying to mitigate risk. And the recommendation on how to change this ordinance came from our city attorney in his professional assessment
01:33:30.98	Councilmember Sobieski	to attempt to align our laws with the best practices of the state and avoid legal risk. This does not open up Sausalito one iota
01:33:39.78	Councilmember Sobieski	to the Golden Arches or Arby's or even a Quater coffee.
01:33:44.99	Councilmember Sobieski	Six is the total number. Just read the staff report, read the ordinance. Now,
01:33:51.45	Councilmember Sobieski	And so.
01:33:52.53	Councilmember Sobieski	You know, we have so much to do.
01:33:54.53	Councilmember Sobieski	this habit that we got into of the 11th hour saying out
01:33:58.71	Councilmember Sobieski	misleading information,
01:34:00.41	Councilmember Sobieski	and provoking people's fears
01:34:02.74	Councilmember Sobieski	is something I don't want to be
01:34:04.15	Councilmember Sobieski	you know, lend my support to, frankly.
01:34:06.35	Councilmember Sobieski	So I think I would like to improve it. In fact, if we were starting over, I would probably make the number larger than six because I like equator coffee. I think having 10, let's say, would be appropriate. But the number six, if we're going to put it back on the table, if we're going to have a big debate about it, then maybe we should make the number bigger or maybe we should change it. But right now it's extremely restrictive and restrictive.
01:34:27.58	Councilmember Sobieski	This is not a high priority item. Reducing our legal risks is, but just
01:34:33.05	Councilmember Sobieski	This is cleaning up shop, more or less. And making it bigger than that is distracting us from a lot of important things we have to do in this meeting and in future meetings. And that's why I just want to get on with business.
01:34:43.65	Unknown	Thank you.
01:34:43.67	Mayor Cox	I don't see the clocks.
01:34:44.44	Councilmember Sobieski	Sit later.
01:34:45.05	Councilmember Sobieski	Thank you.
01:34:45.10	Mayor Cox	Clark.
01:34:45.42	Councilmember Sobieski	Yeah.
01:34:46.87	Councilmember Sobieski	But I just wrapped up right on your neck. Thank you. So that's my two cents.
01:34:48.32	Mayor Cox	Okay, thank you. So that's my cue sense. Thank you, Council Member Sobieski, and I'll respond with why I would like to continue it. So at the beginning of our meeting this evening, I was handed an article regarding the fact that Healdsburg bans chain stores from Historic Plaza, but not from all of downtown. And something that I struggled with, and I publicly announced some of my...
01:35:08.54	Mayor Cox	concern.
01:35:09.50	Mayor Cox	during our discussion of this item is that I
01:35:12.22	Mayor Cox	hate giving up the CUP lens for approval of formula retail stores. I hate giving up the discretion to evaluate their appropriateness on the very limited grounds that we are now able to do so. And so I wanted to give the city attorney
01:35:31.49	Mayor Cox	an opportunity to evaluate whether indeed we can implement more safeguards into our formula retail ordinance in light of the fact that another town has actually banned them in certain areas of town. So I just wanted to continue it to have one final opportunity to see whether there's any way to add more teeth into what we previously approved to have time time to evaluate it. I apologize that I didn't become aware of this sooner. This was published at the beginning of March. I probably should have been aware of it before tonight, but that's my reason for continuing it. I really always want to make the best possible decision that reflects the concerns of our residents as well as the wishes of our residents and the protection of our residents and our businesses. And so I just wanted additional time to
01:36:23.24	Mayor Cox	consider that. And that's the reason I'm asking that we continue it. I'll hear from other council members.
01:36:29.89	Vice Mayor Woodside	I'm opposed to continuing it, but let me talk about the process. This was something that was on a list of things to be addressed because of the risk of our current ordinance that was out of compliance with law as I understand it and as the city attorney advised us. So therefore, it went forward, full hearing before the planning commission, full hearing
01:36:51.66	Vice Mayor Woodside	public hearing and a unanimous very unusual a unanimous Planning Commission adopted this
01:36:58.82	Vice Mayor Woodside	Coordinates.
01:37:00.25	Vice Mayor Woodside	didn't adopt it, they recommended it. And we are taking it up for the second time. This is not the first time. This is the second time it went on this agenda. Members of this body spoke to it. The mayor suggested that rather than have it be approved ministerially, she suggested an appropriate amendment that it be reviewed by the Planning Commission, to which we all agreed as I recall. So it was modified in that regard.
01:37:29.80	Vice Mayor Woodside	and it's before us. It's been debated. And the one thing that frustrates me, looking back at history, is so many things get pulled at the last minute and continued and continued and continued. It's very inefficient. It's disrespectful of the public, ultimately, who appeared before the Planning Commission.
01:37:48.68	Vice Mayor Woodside	who appeared before this body when it was on a regular agenda for discussion. So procedurally, I have to say I strongly disagree with pulling it at this time. I think there's a path to reconsider it. If there's more information, that can be done. If there's really the need to put more teeth into it, we can modify it in the future, if that's a desire of anyone on this panel or at the Planning Commission for that matter if they want to take it up so I just think we need to move on and not waste time thank you
01:38:23.48	Councilmember Hoffman	So here's the issue.
01:38:29.30	Councilmember Hoffman	This was on our...
01:38:31.11	Councilmember Hoffman	This was on our...
01:38:32.46	Councilmember Hoffman	City Council agenda for I think three times before it was actually
01:38:36.22	Councilmember Hoffman	heard as a hearing.
01:38:37.77	Councilmember Hoffman	And every time it was heard, different people showed up at different times.
01:38:46.35	Councilmember Hoffman	the message was always the same.
01:38:49.27	Councilmember Hoffman	Because our neighborhoods are so closely in proximity to our commercial districts, and we have, I think, four or five commercial districts across town, people are very concerned about how those commercial districts are managed, and they're very concerned about what stores go into those commercial districts. They always have been, ever since I've lived here in town. And in the different commercial districts,
01:39:18.41	Councilmember Hoffman	The houses are some, in fact, in all the commercial districts, people live very closely to the stores. And so that's why we struggle so much. And we have historically struggled so much with our commercial and our formula retail.
01:39:33.92	Councilmember Hoffman	actually all of our retail sort of business licenses and our formula retail business.
01:39:39.53	Councilmember Hoffman	ordinances that we have. And so the message from our residents have been the same at every one of these meetings. It's we want to have input into.
01:39:49.98	Councilmember Hoffman	how we issue these permits at every one of these meetings.
01:39:54.88	Councilmember Hoffman	the response from our residents has been, we want to have some way to weigh in.
01:40:00.56	Councilmember Hoffman	And the problem with the way this ordinance is written, which the mayor is uncomfortable with, which I'm uncomfortable with, which the residents who've shown up are uncomfortable with,
01:40:09.37	Councilmember Hoffman	is that the change in the ordinance
01:40:11.56	Councilmember Hoffman	is that it's just,
01:40:13.13	Councilmember Hoffman	There's no discretion anymore.
01:40:15.14	Councilmember Hoffman	And
01:40:16.17	Councilmember Hoffman	When I look at the Healdsburg,
01:40:18.40	Councilmember Hoffman	which is very different from what
01:40:20.47	Councilmember Hoffman	our discussion at the last, which is,
01:40:23.98	Councilmember Hoffman	at our meeting, which is that it's illegal to have discretion. Well, Healdsburg has just enacted a formula retail ordinance that gives discretion.
01:40:33.99	Councilmember Hoffman	And I'm not saying that I want to adopt exactly
01:40:38.02	Councilmember Hoffman	what Healdsburg did, but the example is there.
01:40:41.16	Councilmember Hoffman	And so that's why it's appropriate, I believe, at this point to pause. We received several emails today from residents urging us to pause and take a look at this. And I think that's appropriate, and I think that's
01:40:58.02	Councilmember Hoffman	reasonable for us to take a look at this and take another
01:41:02.04	Councilmember Hoffman	the time to
01:41:05.92	Councilmember Hoffman	see if we can come up with something. I'm not aware of any email that went around today about
01:41:11.59	Councilmember Hoffman	about McDonald's or Golden Arches, but I am aware of an email that went around today
01:41:17.11	Councilmember Hoffman	talking about this.
01:41:19.16	Councilmember Hoffman	Um,
01:41:19.91	Councilmember Hoffman	you know, the interplay, frankly, between this formula retail ordinance and the
01:41:26.81	Councilmember Hoffman	And another item on our agenda, frankly, that also interacts with the neighborhoods. And we'll talk about that when it comes up. But anyway, I support this motion.
01:41:34.42	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you. And I'm willing to work on it, as I've said before. Yeah.
01:41:38.08	Karen Hollweg	Okay, I wasn't able to be here when this item was discussed because I had a family emergency and I had to leave the meeting, which is unfortunate because I didn't have the opportunity to engage in a conversation about direction that I would
01:41:39.55	Councilmember Hoffman	And you weren't here for the last. Yeah.
01:41:52.58	Karen Hollweg	have liked to have given staff on the ordinance. So for that reason alone, kind of selfishly, I would like to be able to have it be a business item where we might engage more directly and have
01:42:01.42	Karen Hollweg	more conversation about some of the things that have come up, but about what I was thinking about going
01:42:05.64	Karen Hollweg	into the meeting, which is very much in line with what Mayor Cox and Councilmember Hoffman shared with regards to approval, essentially ministerial approval without review of the
01:42:20.45	Karen Hollweg	you know, the character of our community and all of the things that we're dealing with, with regards to changing our odds, updating all of our zoning, it's really critical that where possible and when we can, we do have that opportunity to take a second look and engage together with members of the community. I'd be happy to talk about it this evening, but we have four other business items. So I'm not, I'm not trying to slow it down, but I do want to have that conversation. So if we, you know, if we finish our business items before 10 PM, then I would have, you know, if we didn't have four other business items, then I'd be inclined to hear it right now. So I support both what council members. So we ask you and the vice mayor saying about process and wanting to move things forward. But given that I wasn't here and I do have those concerns, the fact that there's an opportunity for it to be continued so that I can engage perhaps selfishly, I support the motion.
01:43:09.43	Councilmember Sobieski	I just have a question for my colleague. Our city attorney is right there, city attorney Rudin, city attorney Rudin, and he can address this question, which is
01:43:19.53	Councilmember Sobieski	kind of the open and shut about this discussion thing.
01:43:20.77	Mayor Cox	about this discussion thing. We're not gonna hear it as a business item now.
01:43:24.83	Mayor Cox	She's if we were either going to hear it as a business item later tonight or as a business item at our next meeting. So this is only.
01:43:31.75	Mayor Cox	We're right now only discussing the motion to continue.
01:43:35.57	Councilmember Hoffman	Mayor Cox, I would suggest we hear it in the future. I think we really need to research this and look at what's an appropriate ordinance for Sausalito. I'm not saying I'd feel uncomfortable looking at it
01:43:50.26	Councilmember Hoffman	tonight and doing it on the fly.
01:43:51.70	Mayor Cox	Okay, well, the motion is to continue it to the May 20th meeting. So I'm going to go ahead and call the question.
01:43:58.15	Mayor Cox	Okay.
01:43:58.97	Mayor Cox	City Clerk.
01:44:00.61	City Clerk	Thank you.
01:44:00.69	City Clerk	Councilmember Blossy.
01:44:02.45	Mayor Cox	Yes.
01:44:02.82	Karen Hollweg	Thank you.
01:44:03.41	City Clerk	Council member Hoffman. Yes. Council member Sobieski. No.
01:44:05.11	Mayor Cox	Yes.
01:44:09.03	City Clerk	Vice Mayor Woodside?
01:44:10.46	City Clerk	No. And Mayor Cox.
01:44:10.63	Vice Mayor Woodside	you
01:44:12.35	Mayor Cox	Yes. All right. So that that matter is continued to our May 20th meeting. Thank you all.
01:44:18.43	Mayor Cox	This is the democratic process. Thank you all very much for engaging in this discussion.
01:44:23.07	Mayor Cox	All right, so I'm going to now move on to
01:44:25.92	Mayor Cox	Our first public hearing item, which is 4A, introduction by title only and waiver of first reading of Ordinance No. 05-2025, an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito, amending Chapter 10.44, Section 1.
01:44:41.78	Mayor Cox	10.4410 purpose and applicability and section 10.44.1
01:44:47.17	Mayor Cox	on 9.0.
01:44:48.11	Mayor Cox	residential uses in commercial districts of title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code.
01:44:53.16	Mayor Cox	Um,
01:44:54.29	Mayor Cox	City Attorney, has the full redlined version of this been posted?
01:44:59.70	Sergio Rudin	So thank you, Mayor.
01:45:03.70	Sergio Rudin	You may be aware if you look at Exhibit A to the draft ordinance in your packet, it does not include strikeout and underline, which was included and presented to the Planning Commission and is in your packet as attachment three rather than attachment two. So I have asked the city clerk to post the corrected version of this. However, this is just a clerical error. And under government code 36934, the city council can proceed to introduce this ordinance as it is written and set forth in attachment 3 and direct staff to clarify and fix this clerical error prior to second.
01:45:43.68	Mayor Cox	So the clerical errors rather than exhibit a it's attachment three.
01:45:48.42	Sergio Rudin	Basically, that's it, yes. Exhibit A, which is attachment 2, just has the incorrect formatting, but it is in your package.
01:45:55.29	Mayor Cox	And is it posted online?
01:45:57.65	Sergio Rudin	the correct formatting is posted online in attachment 3.
01:46:02.07	Mayor Cox	Okay, great. All right. So we'll hear from senior planner, Matthew Mandich.
01:46:07.71	Matthew Mandich	All right. Good evening, Council, Vice Mayor, Madam Mayor. Thank you for having me this evening. So, yeah, a lot of talk of ordinance amendments tonight, and here's another one for you. So we'll just go ahead and jump right in. Next slide, please. So the request is for Council to conduct a public hearing introduced by title only and waive the first reading of ordinance number 05, 2025. in ordinance of the city council of the city of Sausalito amending chapter 1044 section 10 44010 purpose and applicability and section 10 441 90 residential uses and commercial districts of title 10 of the Sausalito municipal code next slide please.
01:46:44.40	Matthew Mandich	Thank you.
01:46:44.55	Matthew Mandich	So, basically, we're going to look at kind of the current ordinance, how it stands right now, some of the issues that we've discovered with that, and some of the proposed changes. So, to begin, SMC 1044-010E allows for the PC, the Planning Commission, to waive requirements in Chapter 1044, which is our specific use requirements chapter, on a case-by-case basis. And I've provided the language for you there from the code section in italics. As it stands right now, this increases the litigation risk and appeal potential for the city as it is not uniformly applying the zoning code as required for general law cities. Typically for an exception like this, as you see there in E, to be granted a variance or a conditional use permit will be required. And those come with, you you know specific findings that need to be made to grant those permits. This exception also appears in SMC 1044 190 C5 which allows for waivers of residential requirements in what we consider special circumstances that remain undefined in the code, which is also problematic next slide please.
01:47:47.83	Unknown	Thank you.
01:47:48.39	Matthew Mandich	Section 1044190, which is the residential uses and commercial districts, also features provisions that require affordable units to be constructed on second floors in commercial districts when the project is five units or less. However, this could lead to 100% or 50% affordability requirements for one or two unit developments in this case. That can be then considered confiscatory. Most jurisdictions do not require more than 50% affordable, and they usually have no affordability requirements for small projects such as these one to five unit builds. SMC 1040, 140D, which is our inclusionary housing chapter, our section, requires 15% for projects of four plus units in residential zones, so that of aligns with what most jurisdictions are doing is for inclusionary housing. We also have a requirement for affordable units in our commercial districts when that project is six or more, which is at 20% and that will remain the same next slide please.
01:48:47.92	Matthew Mandich	So SMC 1044190B requires all uses above the first floor in the Central Commercial Zoning District to be residential. However, this is seen as a current constraint on commercial development in our Central Commercial District. It's also not aligned with the existing uses in the district right now. We have a number of businesses that are on second floors. Just as an example, we have Barrel House, DTUS, the new fish and chips that was recently approved, as well as several hotels, including Hostel Sausalito, Cosmadrona, et cetera. This also creates a lack of... Arrowhouse, DTES, the new fish and chips that was recently approved, as well as several hotels, including Hostel Sausalito, Cosma Drona, etc. This also creates a lack of flexibility and hinders the use of historic structures for non-residential uses.
01:49:23.06	Matthew Mandich	SMC 1044 one I know also lacks clarity concerning the conversion of residential uses in the central or sorry in the commercial residential district in particular and provides that one of these exceptions which we spoke about earlier in the presentation along with the CUP could be granted to convert these spaces however that flies in the face of our ordinance 1022 which prohibits the conversion from residential to commercial.
01:49:47.12	Matthew Mandich	and doesn't allow that with a CUP or a variant. So that's something that needs to be corrected. Next slide, please.
01:49:54.19	Matthew Mandich	So moving on to the proposed changes after having covered some of the issues with the current ordinance. We would like to edit 1044.010 for brevity and to reduce redundancy. The very beginning there is a long list. That's the beginning of our specific use requirements chapter, and it lists every single piece, every single section in that chapter. And it's a very long list, so we'd like to just delete that because it's unnecessary. We'd also like to remove the exemptions in 1044-010E, which were presented at the beginning of the presentation, as well as that waiver that appears in 1044-190. Staff would also like to edit 1044-190B and add 1044-190D to allow for commercial uses in specific cases in the Central Commercial Zoning District above the first floor, only if the proposed project does not propose expansion exceeding 1000 square feet. Or the proposed project involves historic structures and has received a certificate of appropriateness from the historic preservation commission and the planning commission.
01:50:52.68	Matthew Mandich	or substantial evidence is prevented to the planet presented to the planning commission
01:50:56.81	Matthew Mandich	that residential project is physically or financially infeasible.
01:51:00.83	Matthew Mandich	Staff would also like to edit 1044 190 C2 and add 1044 190 D to a better line with ordinance 1022 as previously discussed. This would prohibit conversion of existing residential units to commercial uses in commercial districts if built before 1984, which is aligning with ordinance 1022 next slide please.
01:51:21.96	Matthew Mandich	In addition, staff would like to edit 1044-190-C2 to remove the requirement for providing one affordable unit for projects of five units or less and include an in-lieu fee for a fraction of units if a developer rounds down, and that would be for those larger projects of six-plus units that require 20% affordability. Staff would also like to add 1044-190-DB, which allows for affordable units to be less than two bedrooms if site-constraint findings can be made by the Planning Commission. we'd also like to add 1044190D B, which allows for affordable units to be less than two bedrooms if constraint findings can be made by the planning commission. We'd also like to add 1044190D C, which will allow an applicant to apply for reduction adjustment or waiver of the affordable housing requirements by showing a result in an unconstitutional result. Next slide please.
01:52:04.47	Matthew Mandich	So that brings us to our recommendation. Staff recommends that the council move to approve the draft ordinance as proposed or with modifications that the council sees fit. Continue the proposed ordinance for a second reading to the next hearing next meeting May 20th, 2025 and authorize the summary of the ordinance to be published five days in advance of the second reading and for 15 days after its adoption.
01:52:25.54	Matthew Mandich	Thank you very much, and I'm happy to take any questions.
01:52:30.34	Mayor Cox	Thank you. I'm going to go ahead and open the public hearing. Are there any ex parte communications that anyone has had regarding this matter?
01:52:38.99	Mayor Cox	Okay, seeing none. Any questions for Mr. Mandich?
01:52:48.64	Councilmember Hoffman	I, yeah, I'm trying to catch up.
01:52:51.56	Councilmember Hoffman	Because, um, sorry, I guess there were a lot of ordinances that you went through and there were a lot of, um,
01:53:00.96	Councilmember Hoffman	it seemed to affect a lot of housing units, especially the way that it affected affordable units. And so do you have any sort of a breakdown or chart of how many potential affordable units this might have affected in Sausalito?
01:53:17.74	Matthew Mandich	So this would be moving forward, so it wouldn't have any effect on previous units. But basically what we're doing here is getting rid of the requirement of one to five units having to provide an affordable unit. And that's mainly because if you have a one-unit build or a two-unit build, that would require 100% or 50% affordability, which could be considered on constitutional taking. So we'd like to get rid of the requirement. A lot of inclusionary requirements are typically 15% for affordable housing. So this would be well above that for those smaller builds. So that's something that we wanted to eliminate.
01:53:48.53	Councilmember Hoffman	Do you know when
01:53:49.92	Councilmember Hoffman	or why these ordinances came into effect that required
01:53:58.07	Councilmember Hoffman	that these requirements came into effect.
01:54:02.66	Matthew Mandich	When?
01:54:03.32	Councilmember Hoffman	Yeah, because, I mean, it seems like when we do these amendments to our, you know, codes, that they mirror state codes or there's a reason why we do the amendments. It seems like it was probably some sort of a...
01:54:17.69	Councilmember Hoffman	unintended consequence of some effort to mirror. I don't know why there's a clock. Is there a clock for questions to ask?
01:54:24.11	Mayor Cox	the
01:54:24.19	Mayor Cox	There's no clock for questions.
01:54:25.37	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you.
01:54:27.38	Sergio Rudin	Anyway. Councilmember Hoffman, if I can supplement. Sure. Uh,
01:54:30.96	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you.
01:54:31.02	Councilmember Hoffman	I'm just trying to, it was a very fast presentation. I'm just trying to catch up.
01:54:34.23	Sergio Rudin	Yeah, so this code section was created in 2003 in the last amendment, it looks like 2011. Importantly, these changes modify the regulatory requirements for when affordable housing is required. It does not eliminate, if a developer wants to propose housing on the second floor, that is still allowed. So it's not an effective removal of that use. We're just no longer mandating it in certain instances. And if developers want to elect to seek commercial projects in those instances, they can. But we're not mandating that those mixed-use projects all be commercial. I think that's an important distinction for the person.
01:54:50.35	Katie Thau Garcia	Thank you.
01:54:50.36	Unknown	Thank you.
01:54:50.40	Katie Thau Garcia	Thank you.
01:54:50.50	Unknown	Thank you.
01:54:50.52	Katie Thau Garcia	you
01:55:14.55	Mayor Cox	And I can actually speak to why it was an act, why it was...
01:55:17.73	Mayor Cox	amended in 2011.
01:55:20.30	Mayor Cox	In 2011, we were adopting a housing element after not having adopted a housing element in the prior cycle. And so we had to identify 700 units of potential, no, 300 and some units of potential housing, including a large inventory of affordable housing. And so we purposely...
01:55:47.06	Mayor Cox	revise some of our ordinances to encourage the bill, the requirement of inclusionary housing in order to meet those affordable housing
01:55:57.32	Mayor Cox	requirements. We later more than exceeded our affordable housing stock requirements through the adoption of our ADU, JADU
01:56:08.09	Mayor Cox	amnesty programs, as well as converting the status of liveaboards from transients to residents.
01:56:18.65	Councilmember Hoffman	Okay, thank you. Thank you for that.
01:56:22.11	Councilmember Hoffman	So I'm struggling with this, and I'm also struggling with some of the other references to the
01:56:32.02	Councilmember Hoffman	1022 and different areas around town and the commercial districts, right? And the commercial neighborhood districts. And without the maps, if I can't, you know, I can't see how this is gonna be impactful. And actually, and this is why
01:56:48.57	Councilmember Hoffman	It also goes back to impacts with the formula retail issues, right? So when we have presentations to the city council and actually to residents who live in or near, well, we all live in or near most of these commercial neighborhood areas, and we can't see how these changes are going to be impactful, right? So when you say if you're going to remove constraints or you're going to,
01:57:15.20	Councilmember Hoffman	Remove.
01:57:16.52	Councilmember Hoffman	or change how
01:57:18.71	Councilmember Hoffman	builders or owners or developers are going to be able to develop properties in a dramatic way
01:57:25.41	Councilmember Hoffman	I need to be able to understand that as a council member before I make that decision.
01:57:29.34	Sergio Rudin	Thank you.
01:57:29.38	Councilmember Hoffman	So I'm not able to see that or understand that in the way this presentation has been presented.
01:57:29.48	Sergio Rudin	Yeah.
01:57:34.86	Sergio Rudin	There are no changes to the regulatory requirements for a commercial neighborhood one or a commercial neighborhood two.
01:57:39.67	Councilmember Hoffman	No, you're changing it dramatically.
01:57:41.69	Councilmember Hoffman	if you're changing the economic incentives for how
01:57:45.68	Councilmember Hoffman	A DEVELOPER CAN
01:57:47.21	Councilmember Hoffman	can exploit his property
01:57:49.76	Councilmember Hoffman	and you're changing it from if I'm able to build go from
01:57:54.08	Councilmember Hoffman	I'm now constrained because I have the ability to build one affordable unit
01:57:59.90	Councilmember Hoffman	and I don't have, or for affordable units or something, you know, the calculation, which is the proposition that I'm being
01:58:07.01	Councilmember Hoffman	presented with.
01:58:08.93	Councilmember Hoffman	and you're specifically changing that because you're taking it away
01:58:12.93	Councilmember Hoffman	the responsibility of an owner to build affordable units, which we've been talking about up here in the context of our housing element,
01:58:20.95	Councilmember Hoffman	and where we've been making representations to the state
01:58:24.27	Councilmember Hoffman	for the past four years that we support affordable housing
01:58:27.93	Councilmember Hoffman	And now we're dramatically changing that
01:58:31.53	Councilmember Hoffman	then yeah, then that's going to make a big change to how people are addressing properties
01:58:37.43	Councilmember Hoffman	across the commercial districts.
01:58:39.68	Councilmember Hoffman	And you're changing that in all the commercial districts and the proposition that we're presenting today, as I'm looking at this presentation,
01:58:46.34	Councilmember Hoffman	in all the commercial districts.
01:58:48.69	Matthew Mandich	Just the central commercial.
01:58:50.12	Councilmember Hoffman	Okay, well, I thought it said all the commercial districts.
01:58:53.92	Sergio Rudin	So presently the code says residential uses are not permitted in CN2 zoning district.
01:58:59.71	Councilmember Hoffman	Well, okay, hold on.
01:59:01.97	Councilmember Hoffman	uses in commercial residential district.
01:59:05.97	Councilmember Hoffman	That's what this slide I'm looking at the slide right now.
01:59:09.46	Councilmember Hoffman	But I don't think that's what the ordinance said.
01:59:11.40	Matthew Mandich	Yeah, there's a staff report and a full ordinance on this too. So apologies if the presentation was a little bit quick or not detailed enough.
01:59:18.56	Councilmember Hoffman	Okay, well, okay. All I can do is I'm sitting here in the council dais.
01:59:19.05	Matthew Mandich	or?
01:59:26.20	Councilmember Hoffman	And I'm trying to make
01:59:29.12	Councilmember Hoffman	you know, you're
01:59:30.47	Councilmember Sobieski	Thank you.
01:59:30.56	Councilmember Sobieski	point of order mayor i really appreciate and i think that my colleagues making great actually
01:59:33.26	Councilmember Hoffman	Well, actually,
01:59:34.03	Mayor Cox	it's making great.
01:59:34.77	Councilmember Hoffman	I'm sorry.
01:59:34.82	Mayor Cox	THE FAMILY.
01:59:34.88	Councilmember Hoffman	Yeah.
01:59:35.10	Ms. McDougal	Thanks.
01:59:35.59	Mayor Cox	Sobieski, a point of order can always be entertained, and then I'm going to let you continue your question.
01:59:35.75	Ms. McDougal	be asking.
01:59:36.24	Councilmember Sobieski	I know.
01:59:36.31	Ms. McDougal	maintain a point of order.
01:59:38.32	Ms. McDougal	be at home.
01:59:38.52	Councilmember Sobieski	I think.
01:59:40.21	Councilmember Sobieski	your questions. They are great points and they're appropriate for discussion, but we're never going to get to discussion. Well, there are, these are,
01:59:45.98	Mayor Cox	These are the best.
01:59:46.79	Councilmember Sobieski	So I just these aren't questions.
01:59:47.48	Mayor Cox	These are questions, and they're valid questions. I think if you had read the ordinance carefully, perhaps you wouldn't have the same questions. I do agree that the slide presentation was not entirely consistent with the staff report.
02:00:00.74	Mayor Cox	So.
02:00:01.81	Mayor Cox	I'm sorry.
02:00:02.03	Councilmember Hoffman	Well, how? Okay.
02:00:04.20	Councilmember Hoffman	As a member of the public,
02:00:06.16	Councilmember Hoffman	As a council member,
02:00:08.41	Councilmember Hoffman	I'm trying to be prepared for the meeting. I'm looking at the staff report.
02:00:13.54	Councilmember Hoffman	and I'm listening to the presentation,
02:00:17.70	Councilmember Hoffman	Um,
02:00:18.68	Councilmember Hoffman	If we're not prepared, we're not prepared.
02:00:21.23	Councilmember Hoffman	and
02:00:22.35	Councilmember Hoffman	And I'm also looking at this in the context of our housing element and the representations that we made to the state.
02:00:28.96	Councilmember Hoffman	And I'm telling you, I'm very concerned about the removal of affordable housing
02:00:33.65	Councilmember Hoffman	And anything that we're doing in Sausalito to discourage affordable housing
02:00:38.71	Councilmember Hoffman	across our
02:00:39.86	Councilmember Hoffman	Commercial zones.
02:00:40.44	Mayor Cox	If you could pose that as a question to either staff or the city attorney, that would be great.
02:00:46.06	Councilmember Hoffman	Am I wrong in my conclusion?
02:00:46.85	Mayor Cox	I can.
02:00:48.72	Councilmember Hoffman	Matthew.
02:00:50.05	Councilmember Hoffman	That this is...
02:00:51.22	Councilmember Hoffman	that we're removing constraints or removing
02:00:54.97	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you.
02:00:55.34	Councilmember Hoffman	Yeah, I think it's a constraint.
02:00:58.51	Councilmember Hoffman	of affordable housing.
02:01:00.13	Matthew Mandich	For developments of one to five units in the commercial district, yes. Yeah. We're removing affordability requirements.
02:01:03.40	Councilmember Hoffman	Yeah.
02:01:03.82	Councilmember Hoffman	We're removing affordability.
02:01:04.95	Sergio Rudin	to the next episode.
02:01:04.99	Councilmember Hoffman	TODAY.
02:01:05.04	Sergio Rudin	requirement.
02:01:05.51	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you.
02:01:05.63	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
02:01:05.68	Sergio Rudin	Yep.
02:01:05.98	Mayor Cox	Thank you. Okay.
02:01:07.82	Mayor Cox	City Attorney, anything further to say on this?
02:01:10.91	Sergio Rudin	No, I think staff have covered it appropriately.
02:01:14.69	Unknown	All right, any other questions?
02:01:18.52	Vice Mayor Woodside	This was reviewed by the Planning Commission? Yes. And when you say removing of a requirement for affordable housing in these small developments, what you're in effect, let me ask it in the form of a question, are you doing so in order to avoid an unconstitutional taking of public property because in those small units it's impossible in many cases to actually do it without requiring it to be fully affordable?
02:01:21.09	Matthew Mandich	Yes.
02:01:47.85	Matthew Mandich	Yeah, that's correct. For developments, for example, oftentimes in the commercial districts, as you know, there's limited space in the second floors and floors above these commercial uses. And sometimes those spaces can only provide for, you know, one, two, three units. And in that case, you know, in a one unit development, for example, that would be requiring 100 percent affordability or in a two unit, 50 percent, which city attorney has advised is would be considered an unconstitutional taking. Well.
02:02:14.48	Sergio Rudin	Well, it may not be non-constitutional taking in every instance.
02:02:16.08	Matthew Mandich	Maybe.
02:02:17.25	Matthew Mandich	I'm taking every instant.
02:02:18.26	Mayor Cox	Can you speak into your mic, city attorney?
02:02:20.15	Sergio Rudin	Yeah, so in this instance, it may not be an unconstitutional taking in every instance. You're still allowing a reasonable opportunity to develop the property, but it is a difficult constraint, and what it does is it disincentivizes the development of a second floor altogether.
02:02:37.35	Sergio Rudin	particularly if you're requiring, say, effectively 100% affordable housing requirement, someone may just choose not to develop that and then, again, may choose to argue that that's some sort of regulatory taking the city is responsible for.
02:02:52.95	Sergio Rudin	I mean, there are obviously going to be counter arguments to that proposition. But effectively, in your commercial districts, it does disincentivize the development of a second floor at all in a very significant manner.
02:03:05.58	Vice Mayor Woodside	Two more questions quickly. This was considered by the Planning Commission and four members were present and it was a unanimous vote in favor of this change? Yeah, that's correct. It was a unanimous approval from the Planning Commission. It does not open the door to eliminating the requirements for affordability in units of six or more.
02:03:16.78	Matthew Mandich	planning commission.
02:03:17.42	Katie Thau Garcia	Yes.
02:03:27.94	Matthew Mandich	Correct. In fact, that would stay at 20%, which is actually higher than our regular inclusionary housing at 15%. So...
02:03:34.60	Matthew Mandich	Thank you.
02:03:36.36	Mayor Cox	City Attorney, I am concerned about Council Member Hoffman's comments about HCD and our housing element. Is this something that has been communicated appropriately to HCD, or is it something that will need to be communicated to HCD with respect to potentially reducing the requirement to build affordable housing?
02:03:59.31	Sergio Rudin	So I think that is something that we will need to interface with HCD. However, I'm not anticipating significant issues with those discussions. I think we're well prepared for them. As a practical matter, I think HCD understands that a very high percentage of affordability for small projects is going to disincentivize housing development, period. And they have sometimes raised questions about a high level of affordability in a rezoning ordinance program, for example, potentially disincentivizing housing development overall.
02:04:33.04	Sergio Rudin	I thought it was.
02:04:33.18	Mayor Cox	AND I THINK IT'S A
02:04:34.12	Mayor Cox	How did you choose the exemption of one to five as opposed to, for example, one to four? Because if you had one to five and one unit is affordable, that is 20%. So I'm questioning the math why it's not one to four.
02:04:41.07	Katie Thau Garcia	Thank you.
02:04:41.11	Sergio Rudin	So-
02:04:49.66	Sergio Rudin	So the reason why typically 15% is what is commonly used is the Builders Industry Association versus City of San Jose case, where San Jose's 15% inclusionary housing requirement was upheld. And most cities typically use that for their residential projects. I think that the city's 20% standard for commercial mixed-use projects is justified because a developer still can make up some additional earning capacity or, you know,
02:05:20.26	Sergio Rudin	return on the commercial portion of the project.
02:05:24.74	Sergio Rudin	I think a public agency or a city can probably impose a higher inclusionary housing requirement for mixed-use projects. But again, this is one of the reasons why the clause that is suggested by staff allowing the waiver of these requirements where a developer can show that it would result in an unconstitutional result and deny them a fair opportunity for return on their investment. You know that sort of savings clause is important where cities are going to be pushing for higher inclusionary housing requirements above 15%.
02:05:58.95	Mayor Cox	So applying
02:06:01.15	Mayor Cox	if we were to apply the 20% across the board, including in the Central Commercial District,
02:06:07.76	Mayor Cox	we have the waiver language that would allow a developer to avoid that 20%, that one unit on a unit of five on. So if we were to change it to one to four instead of one to five,
02:06:19.27	Mayor Cox	We have the savings language that would allow a developer to avoid that one affordable unit if they could show it was economically infeasible.
02:06:27.93	Sergio Rudin	Yes, I think that that is, you would have more requests and we'd have more close cases and staff would have to do more work. But ultimately, I think that that kind of ordinance would be defensible.
02:06:38.96	Mayor Cox	So we could change what's in front of us tonight to make it one to four instead of one to five, between one and five.
02:06:45.29	Sergio Rudin	I think so, yes.
02:06:46.28	Mayor Cox	And that would be consistent across the city in terms of a 20% inclusionary requirement.
02:06:52.85	Sergio Rudin	Yes, yes, it would. Okay.
02:06:55.26	Sergio Rudin	I will say that your inclusionary housing requirement across the city right now is 15% for residential
02:06:55.43	Mayor Cox	Any other questions?
02:07:01.83	Mayor Cox	But we're changing it.
02:07:04.38	Mayor Cox	to 20
02:07:05.81	Sergio Rudin	It's currently 24 mixed use projects.
02:07:08.00	Mayor Cox	That's what I'm saying. It's 20 for mixed use.
02:07:09.67	Sergio Rudin	And it's going to continue being 20, except for projects five units or less, where effectively
02:07:15.68	Mayor Cox	Or four units or less if we make a change to this tonight.
02:07:17.93	Sergio Rudin	to this tonight. And one of the issues is four units or less projects. You know, typically you round down fractional units so you'd have no units in such a project.
02:07:27.36	Unknown	Thank you.
02:07:27.38	Karen Hollweg	Okay.
02:07:28.49	Karen Hollweg	Thank you. I appreciate it. And thank you to Steph. I know that the intricacies of city code can be time consuming. So I appreciate the time and the presentation and your efforts on this. And so I'm just trying to understand. I am also, you know, I served on Mayor Cox's affordable housing subcommittee, yeah, Blue Ribbon Housing Committee. And we actually recommended a 30% inclusionary ordinance so i'm an advocate of course for more affordable housing in our community so i'm i'm equally a little bit concerned with the the shift in the requirement there's nothing else really that turns my head about all of the changes in the in the code but i i'd just like to understand especially given what we have been saying to hcd
02:08:13.33	Karen Hollweg	and that we are about to pass our housing element
02:08:15.76	Karen Hollweg	Um,
02:08:16.58	Karen Hollweg	you know is there a way where we could rather than necessarily change it to four units maintain it and have an opportunity for folks to demonstrate financial hardship or make a case for their project where they could get an exemption as opposed to abolishing it completely because I'm thinking of for example some of the buildings downtown where there might be two affordable units upstairs that are low rent and what would happen if a landlord came in and decided to buy it and just
02:08:41.98	Karen Hollweg	raise the rent substantially and then improve both units. And I know it doesn't apply to current buildings right away, but if someone does want to come in, raise those rents,
02:08:49.91	Karen Hollweg	It just makes me concerned. So I'm, I'm wondering what protections, if there's a middle road or something that would allow us to maintain the affordability, but also provide incentive or financial hardship demonstrations from developers in the, in the, in the event that it's a new building or something along those lines.
02:09:08.24	Matthew Mandich	Yeah, we built a little bit of that language into this already, as I think was mentioned in one of the last slides, but I can defer to...
02:09:15.41	Matthew Mandich	to the attorney on that as far as striking a middle ground between that. I think Mayor Cox already mentioned some,
02:09:21.13	Matthew Mandich	ways to move from one to four that can still require some affordable units for those smaller developments. And we can try to walk that line in between. But again, I just want to reiterate that I think, you know, the idea that having a very high percentage of units being required to be affordable in these smaller
02:09:39.10	Matthew Mandich	builds as city attorney already mentioned would you know limit development so i think if anything we're probably actually encouraging more housing development on these second floors by eliminating this affordability requirement so i'll leave it at that and if attorney rudin wants to add anything
02:09:52.52	Karen Hollweg	But just to clarify, because I recently read that the cost of affordable or low income in Marin County is actually $109,000 annually. So we might imagine that the rent for that would be like what?
02:10:06.76	Karen Hollweg	I don't know if the average, the median rent is like 3,500 for a
02:10:10.62	Karen Hollweg	two bedroom. So I'm,
02:10:12.56	Karen Hollweg	Sorry, for a one-bedroom, yeah. And just being aware of some of the statistics that we reviewed in the context of the housing element, which demonstrates that something like 60% of our residents who are renters are
02:10:13.97	Katie Thau Garcia	Yeah.
02:10:22.32	Karen Hollweg	spending and I'm the 60%, I think I'm not exactly positive on the number, but it was very high are spending their income.
02:10:29.34	Karen Hollweg	more than 50 of their income on their rent so i'm just really concerned with eliminating any guard rails for some of the existing older buildings where someone might come in purchase the building raise the rents kick people out and then make improvements and have a market rate just given the you know if you think about who's living in the upstairs currently in the downtown and the cost of some of those places because i've looked like as a renter
02:10:53.74	Karen Hollweg	You know, when I'm trying to find a place, I saw what the market rate is for some of those. So I just am really concerned about that. So I don't know if we can. And again, I respect what's trying to be done here. I know we're trying to incentivize development. But at the same time, I really want to do whatever we can to protect affordability in the context of this. So welcome ideas.
02:11:08.40	Sergio Rudin	So...
02:11:09.70	Sergio Rudin	I I think that you're raising a very valid policy issue for the city. I don't think that that policy issue is directly related to this particular ordinance. I think one of the things that you're maybe seeking is programs to extend existing affordable housing or programs to
02:11:31.44	Sergio Rudin	you know, preserve existing affordable housing stock, which I think is something the city can certainly examine.
02:11:38.73	Sergio Rudin	with respect to this particular ordinance.
02:11:42.56	Sergio Rudin	You know, certainly nothing other than, you know, covenants and restrictions whenever the city approves an affordable housing project, you know, would normally prohibit a landlord from raising rates, you know, in accordance with state law to the market rate housing. So...
02:12:03.43	Sergio Rudin	I agree you you raise a very difficult and challenging issue for cities across California, but I don't know that we can necessarily fix those issues with this particular ordinance.
02:12:14.54	Karen Hollweg	But isn't it?
02:12:15.79	Karen Hollweg	Karen Hollweg, True that we might be making ourselves more susceptible to them if we completely eliminate the affordability of ordinance but the one to two unit. Karen Hollweg, Sorry well i'm if we if we remove the 50% for the downtown commercial.
02:12:29.10	Sergio Rudin	Um,
02:12:32.48	Sergio Rudin	I don't know that we can definitively answer that question. I think it may be necessary for staff to look at how many units have been developed over the course of the last 20 years.
02:12:45.30	Sergio Rudin	and provide maybe some additional analysis to counsel as to whether or not that serves as a constraint on development.
02:12:50.84	Sergio Rudin	And
02:12:51.44	Karen Hollweg	Yeah, I don't have any issues with anything else in the this is the only piece that's really kind of bringing concern. So I might if I, I mean, we were not a discussion yet. So whatever, when we get to it, I'll address how I might like to proceed. But just noting that I'd like more information about that and also about anti displacement generally.
02:12:51.76	Sergio Rudin	I don't know if any.
02:13:10.11	Mayor Cox	So I just have a follow-up. So I'm looking at the ordinance at Section 2A, and it deleted the sentence, developments of one to five units must provide a minimum of one affordable unit. But it changed the next sentence to say developments with five or more units shall include at least 20% of the units as affordable, which totally addresses what I was saying about one to four being exempted, but five units or more, because
02:13:38.98	Mayor Cox	20% would be one of those five units. And that would be consistent with our mixed use development standards elsewhere. So I'm not seeing where,
02:13:49.17	Mayor Cox	the, I'm not understanding the 50% discussion, because this looks to me like we're doing exactly what I was asking if we could do.
02:13:59.01	Sergio Rudin	Uh,
02:14:00.36	Sergio Rudin	Yes, Mayor Cox, I think we are doing exactly what you were saying.
02:14:03.48	Mayor Cox	We're maintaining a 20% affordable requirement for mixed use all over town.
02:14:10.10	Mayor Cox	For mixed use, second story development all over town.
02:14:11.85	Sergio Rudin	Yes.
02:14:14.38	Sergio Rudin	Yes, and I think that there was concern expressed about the not including affordable housing requirements and small projects where the site can only develop, you know, one, two, three, four.
02:14:26.25	Sergio Rudin	potentially four units.
02:14:27.72	Mayor Cox	But that would be in requiring
02:14:30.35	Mayor Cox	30, 40, 50 percent affordable as opposed to 20 percent.
02:14:34.03	Sergio Rudin	Correct, and that is the issue that staff and the city attorney have identified and have caused us some concern.
02:14:40.84	Mayor Cox	Okay, I have no more questions. Any other questions?
02:14:43.61	Councilmember Hoffman	Yes, yes. I'm sorry. I have. So I have follow up. So I think this is in the staff report. So this is where. So on page three of the staff report in the discussion.
02:14:57.28	Councilmember Hoffman	the discussion, it says,
02:15:01.60	Councilmember Hoffman	uh, um,
02:15:03.96	Councilmember Hoffman	primarily proposed in order to improve clarity and structure
02:15:08.01	Councilmember Hoffman	And
02:15:09.18	Councilmember Hoffman	Instructor of the amended code section support development of housing within the city central
02:15:14.05	Councilmember Hoffman	Central Commercial.
02:15:15.86	Councilmember Hoffman	commercial residential
02:15:17.51	Councilmember Hoffman	and neighborhood commercial zoning districts and provide greater flexibility. So the staff report says we're talking about
02:15:25.04	Councilmember Hoffman	you know, amendments and all of these commercials.
02:15:27.44	Matthew Mandich	Yeah, so the CN1 and the CN2, I think, are the difference there. The CN2 does not allow for residential uses, whereas the CN1 does. So that's in reference to from the staff report.
02:15:27.45	Councilmember Hoffman	Yeah. Districts.
02:15:40.65	Councilmember Hoffman	So we're talking about changes.
02:15:43.50	Councilmember Hoffman	in the commercial neighborhood districts.
02:15:46.77	Councilmember Hoffman	in the commercial residential districts.
02:15:48.92	Councilmember Hoffman	in the commercial
02:15:49.96	Councilmember Hoffman	in the Central Commercial District.
02:15:51.35	Mayor Cox	It says we're maintaining a 20% affordable requirement for projects throughout those districts.
02:15:57.44	Sergio Rudin	Yeah, the main change here is potentially you're affecting the affordability requirements for very small projects, and that's it.
02:16:04.41	Councilmember Hoffman	Well, but the ordinance change, we're talking about changes across all these districts.
02:16:09.34	Councilmember Hoffman	Yeah, correct.
02:16:09.35	Matthew Mandich	Yeah, correct for the affordability. Yeah. But for the central commercial district was the one that we're talking about allowing commercial uses above the first floor, but for the affordability for those three districts, CM1.
02:16:16.20	Councilmember Hoffman	for different things.
02:16:20.03	Matthew Mandich	Commercial residential and central commercial. Yes. Correct. For one to five units. Yes.
02:16:21.96	Councilmember Hoffman	Correct.
02:16:23.77	Councilmember Hoffman	Right, that's why, well, right. So it's not just, we're talking about changes across all of the districts. And when I'm looking at the ordinance, right? I'm looking at the ordinance, the proposed ordinance that's attached.
02:16:24.81	Matthew Mandich	Correct.
02:16:34.73	Councilmember Hoffman	And it says, I'm looking at the one, two, three, four, the fourth paragraph down,
02:16:40.39	Councilmember Hoffman	Whereas
02:16:42.82	Councilmember Hoffman	language language and then it says require affordable units only for projects that are five or more units
02:16:48.86	Councilmember Hoffman	and not require residential construction for projects that do not include
02:16:54.00	Councilmember Hoffman	physical expansion exceeding 1,000 square feet, or that involves a historic structure, or where conversion of existing space to residential uses is physically or financially infeasible. So you've got incredibly broad language here.
02:17:11.52	Matthew Mandich	Well, those are the very specific cases in which we would allow a commercial use above a first floor in the Central Commercial Zodium District in particular.
02:17:20.82	Councilmember Hoffman	So you're just getting the whole residential requirement.
02:17:23.03	Mayor Cox	Wait, is this the question?
02:17:25.85	Mayor Cox	This is limited to questions right now. You can make your comments when we get to comments.
02:17:26.30	Councilmember Hoffman	This is limited to
02:17:28.77	Councilmember Hoffman	to comment i'm asking the staff member we're talking about what's
02:17:32.45	Councilmember Hoffman	what's happening to the residential requirements
02:17:36.29	Councilmember Hoffman	in all of these districts.
02:17:37.93	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
02:17:38.17	Mayor Cox	No, in the central commercial only. It's only in the central commercial that commercial-
02:17:43.15	Matthew Mandich	That particular piece of the resolution that you're reading from about those exceptions for or this or that if in a historic building, if it's 1000 square feet, those were specifically related to the central commercial zoning district. The affordability question, which we were talking about before, does cover all the mixed use commercial minus the CN2.
02:18:00.78	Councilmember Hoffman	There's nothing in this ordinance that indicates to me that that's only in the
02:18:05.45	Councilmember Hoffman	a certain district.
02:18:06.95	Councilmember Hoffman	It is in the ordinance.
02:18:08.34	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
02:18:09.00	Mayor Cox	How can I tell that? It's page, it's 10.44.190B. You have to read the actual ordinance.
02:18:19.73	Mayor Cox	Central commercial. It segregates out the manner in which CCCR, CN1, and CN2 are treated.
02:18:30.06	Councilmember Hoffman	You understand my confusion.
02:18:30.50	Mayor Cox	I understand your confusion. I would hope these questions would be raised in advance of our meeting.
02:18:32.62	Councilmember Hoffman	How could anybody understand?
02:18:34.24	Councilmember Hoffman	question.
02:18:37.18	Councilmember Hoffman	How would anybody understand or know how to raise a question if I'm reading the staff report, I'm looking at the slides and I'm looking at the attachment.
02:18:46.44	Councilmember Hoffman	I mean, I'm trying to be prepared.
02:18:48.97	Councilmember Hoffman	I'm a council member. I'm trying to be prepared for the meeting. How would a resident looking at this understand and know what's happening in their town? Okay. I'm going to, I'm going to close.
02:18:58.96	Mayor Cox	questions and open this up for public comment any public comment no speaker cards
02:19:03.94	City Clerk	Thank you, Mayor.
02:19:04.50	City Clerk	speaker cards.
02:19:05.33	City Clerk	We have people online. The first one is Linda Fotch.
02:19:14.39	City Clerk	in the box.
02:19:15.62	Linda Fotch	Hi, Linda Fotch, resident of Sausalito, and
02:19:23.23	Linda Fotch	I sent in a letter yesterday to Brandon Phipps, and it selectively was not posted on tonight's meeting for public comment, and that's very disappointing. I agree with a lot of what Jill has spoken about this evening. Basically, you have...
02:19:49.67	Linda Fotch	decrease the housing capacity in the heart of our city, because there's now no requirement to do any housing upstairs in the CC zoning.
02:19:56.83	Linda Fotch	Um,
02:19:59.16	Linda Fotch	I believe that runs afoul of the HCA and Sausalito is designated as an effective city. Because of this, Sausalito is subject to certain restrictions that frees development standards and limits the ability to make restrictions on housing development, including mixed-use developments. I don't think you can make any restrictions on housing development or change land use without it having been approved by HCD. Okay.
02:20:26.43	Linda Fotch	This is also kind of an end run around of Ordinance 102.2.
02:20:32.96	Linda Fotch	102.2 does not apply to the CC zoning district. 102.2 was passed and there was a resolution 3407 that was
02:20:45.58	Linda Fotch	voted on.
02:20:47.45	Linda Fotch	and change the ordinance so it does not affect the CC district.
02:20:52.82	Linda Fotch	the
02:20:54.39	Linda Fotch	City Attorney at that time said it's not the intent of the initiative defective central commercial district.
02:21:00.33	Linda Fotch	I therefore conclude that the provisions of the initiative do not apply to the CC district or to residential zones.
02:21:06.50	Linda Fotch	Charles Merrill.
02:21:07.65	Linda Fotch	said it's always the intent of the initiative to specifically exclude the residential districts in the cc district from this ordinance so i think that
02:21:18.74	Linda Fotch	Thank you.
02:21:18.89	Mayor Cox	Thank you. Hold on, city clerk, city attorney, can you address that, please? And I also want to hear from staff why...
02:21:19.18	Unknown	Thank you.
02:21:26.13	Mayor Cox	First of all, it's not a total exemption of the CC district. It's simply allowing for an exemption if certain conditions are met. But can you...
02:21:36.69	Mayor Cox	I'd like to hear from staff why the CC is being exempted,
02:21:40.58	Mayor Cox	And from the city attorney, the response to the 10-22.
02:21:45.08	Sergio Rudin	issues. So for –
02:21:47.00	Sergio Rudin	first i will address the housing crisis act issue that was raised by the commenter the housing crisis act of 2019 prohibits uh the effect of down zoning of districts um to a less intensive use what i will say is that this ordinance does not do that because it does not eliminate
02:22:06.70	Sergio Rudin	the development potential of any of these sites for housing
02:22:10.19	Sergio Rudin	Um,
02:22:10.61	Mayor Cox	In fact, it encourages it.
02:22:11.93	Sergio Rudin	It effectively it encourages it by removing some of the regulatory constraints, but all it does is it actually clarifies the waiver and exemption provisions that already allow the planning commission to waive these requirements and put specific guardrails on them, making them more clear enforceable and fair.
02:22:32.47	Mayor Cox	And is it because the CC district was exempted from 1022 that you're now allowing this potential waiver and allowing commercial uses on the second floor if certain findings can be made?
02:22:45.93	Sergio Rudin	I will actually sidestep that question entirely, because this ordinance does not make any changes related to Ordinance 1022, except for with the CR district, where it parrots the language of Ordinance 1022
02:23:01.37	Sergio Rudin	and inserts the relevant dates that are in Ordinance 1022 to make clear what the actual requirements on the CR district are.
02:23:09.39	Mayor Cox	And so for the reasons that you've enunciated, are you concerned that HCD will perceive us as reducing potential housing stock by way of this ordinance?
02:23:18.59	Sergio Rudin	No, because this ordinance doesn't actually eliminate the housing development potential of any site.
02:23:24.27	Mayor Cox	Okay, next public commenter.
02:23:27.28	City Clerk	We have a Senator Bushmaker.
02:23:33.55	Senator Bushmaker	Good evening, Council.
02:23:35.12	Senator Bushmaker	I don't think you're ready to vote on this tonight. In my opinion, I could not make a decision if I were sitting up on the dais on this particular issue. You've raised many important issues that need to be discussed. This is a highly complex ordinance that requires not only more analysis and answer to the questions that have been raised,
02:23:54.61	Senator Bushmaker	including whether HCD approves it or not.
02:23:57.91	Senator Bushmaker	But, you know, we need to include the neighborhoods that are going to be impacted by this. A 72-hour notice is insufficient to get the neighborhoods involved who are affected by this to give their input and be informed as to what is happening.
02:24:15.88	Senator Bushmaker	I am very concerned about this unconstitutional taking. I would like to see some legal citations on that. And I also am very concerned about the
02:24:26.39	Senator Bushmaker	determination on what is a fair return on the investment.
02:24:31.50	Senator Bushmaker	I think that is going to create a tremendous amount of
02:24:36.50	Senator Bushmaker	friction and a tremendous amount of discretion.
02:24:39.86	Senator Bushmaker	in making that particular
02:24:42.50	Senator Bushmaker	argument. I'd like to see more guidance.
02:24:44.50	Senator Bushmaker	on that particular
02:24:46.69	Senator Bushmaker	up.
02:24:47.50	Senator Bushmaker	aspect.
02:24:48.58	Senator Bushmaker	What is a fair return on investment and how is that going to be determined?
02:24:53.58	Senator Bushmaker	So basically when I add this to
02:24:56.76	Senator Bushmaker	the formula retail
02:24:59.19	Senator Bushmaker	I've got two things I'd like to say. I want to see as much discretion retained by the city. As you know, city discretion is being hacked away by the California legislature.
02:25:10.89	Senator Bushmaker	And I want to see that neighborhood input
02:25:14.60	Senator Bushmaker	be
02:25:17.47	Senator Bushmaker	facilitated.
02:25:18.48	Senator Bushmaker	to use a word, just came out of the Supreme Court, to facilitate
02:25:22.45	Senator Bushmaker	the
02:25:23.97	Senator Bushmaker	the neighborhood input and the impact that it's going to have on the specific neighborhoods. You're not ready to vote on this tonight, in my opinion.
02:25:35.44	Unknown	All right.
02:25:36.07	City Clerk	Babette McDougall.
02:25:41.85	Ms. McDougal	Good evening and thank you for allowing me to jump in.
02:25:45.45	Ms. McDougal	So I completely can...
02:25:47.20	Ms. McDougal	concur with what's being said
02:25:49.47	Ms. McDougal	I think your public commenters, there's absolutely nothing I would disagree with.
02:25:53.82	Ms. McDougal	I think Councilmember Hoffman is hitting the nail squarely on the head.
02:25:57.62	Ms. McDougal	I appreciate you, Madam Mayor, for being open to this diverse community.
02:26:02.24	Ms. McDougal	cross-section of ideas and opinions. I appreciate that. That's, as you point out, the essence of democracy. I want to just speak specifically to the issue of grouping apples with apples, oranges with oranges, because again, going back to those two items on consent, you know, it's really hard to assume that the citizens are having this stuff for breakfast every day because they're not. It's so complicated to most citizens. Their eyes just roll back in their head and mine do too. This complication has got to be resolved. And I think if we could just pair apples with apples, like someone
02:26:43.67	Ms. McDougal	it.
02:26:43.94	Ms. McDougal	And referring to one of those consent items, well, this is the point. There are three items on the calendar, at least tonight, that should be grouped and looked at
02:26:53.59	Ms. McDougal	frankly side by each, because the only way to compare and contrast how they are alike, how they differ, how each will somehow complement or radically impede the other from its effective implementation. How else do we examine these questions if we don't line them up together? So again, I'm asking for consensus moving forward, making it more public and possible for the city and its constituents to debate these things together.
02:27:22.36	Ms. McDougal	And the best way to do that is with better noticing and better, to the council member's point, if a sitting council member can't,
02:27:31.07	Ms. McDougal	Grasp it.
02:27:32.22	Ms. McDougal	Who can? Not we citizens. Thank you so much.
02:27:37.72	City Clerk	City Clerk. Oh, for the public speakers online, but you do have a slip.
02:27:37.90	Unknown	Thank you.
02:27:41.80	Unknown	I don't have a slip.
02:27:45.60	Unknown	Who's the slip?
02:27:46.04	City Clerk	from.
02:27:47.67	City Clerk	I think it was Alice Murrow. All right. Alice.
02:27:50.16	Unknown	Yeah.
02:27:55.67	Alice Merrill	Thank you.
02:27:56.58	Alice Merrill	I just want to reiterate, starting with Jill and moving on to the people who spoke, that these things need more thought from the community. This is a community. It's a very wonderful one. You guys know that. Don't need to lecture you that and that. But we need to know what's happening. And just to decide something just doesn't make sense so I agree with the speakers thank you
02:28:17.10	Katie Thau Garcia	that.
02:28:28.99	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
02:28:30.15	Mayor Cox	Ah.
02:28:31.13	Mayor Cox	With that, I will close public comment and bring it up here for
02:28:36.11	Mayor Cox	Discussion, I'm also going to close the public hearing.
02:28:39.30	Mayor Cox	who would like to, well, first of all,
02:28:41.89	Mayor Cox	um,
02:28:43.77	Mayor Cox	I'll entertain a motion.
02:28:47.06	Vice Mayor Woodside	I'm going to move for adoption of this. Excuse me, the recommended action is to wait.
02:28:52.88	Unknown	to conduct a public hearing. Go ahead.
02:28:56.27	Vice Mayor Woodside	to conduct the public hearing, introduce, that's what we're doing. We've had the public hearing, right. Waive the first reading of ordinance number 05-2025. This is an ordinance of the city council, city of Sausalito, amending chapter 1044, section 1044.010, purpose and applicability and section 1024.010, purpose and applicability and section 1024. 1044. 1044. I better put my glasses on. Sorry.
02:29:30.44	Vice Mayor Woodside	um 0.190 residential uses in commercial districts of title 10 of the sausalito municipal code
02:29:39.83	Mayor Cox	Is there a second?
02:29:41.06	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
02:29:41.08	Councilmember Sobieski	Second.
02:29:41.31	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
02:29:41.92	Mayor Cox	All right, I'll open it up for discussion. Who would like to lead off?
02:29:44.85	Vice Mayor Woodside	I'm just to explain why. I agree ordinances are challenging.
02:29:54.31	Vice Mayor Woodside	Those of us who are lawyers have worked and written these things find them challenging. And yes, last Sunday I did read this for breakfast because I wanted to understand what it meant. And it doesn't open the floodgates to untrammeled commercial development. It really doesn't. It's, in effect, a tightening of things to avoid some problems and hopefully encourage in the long run more development that will include affordable housing. It's a big tough step for us to achieve that as we all know. I don't think this runs afoul of what we've submitted to HCD or any of the laws that require us as we are trying to do to create more housing, more affordable housing. I think if I understood the mayor's concern about 20%, I think that the way I read this ordinance, it does achieve that. And it's on that basis that I'm prepared to go forward. I also encourage, I know this is tough for the average person to understand it. I had difficulty understand it to be candid.
02:30:03.62	Unknown	Thank you.
02:31:08.32	Vice Mayor Woodside	And I'm only saying that because these things are technical and complicated, and that's why we rely on the city attorney to draft them narrowly so it was not in the floodgates to over-commercialization or reduce our purpose and desire to create affordable housing. This was carefully reviewed at a public hearing by the Planning Commission. Four of the commissioners voted yes. One was absent. Again, that's a process that we have. And I'm often deferring to the city attorney and the planning commissioners because they have superior expertise. So it's on those several bases that I will support the motion.
02:31:35.66	Katie Thau Garcia	have.
02:31:50.03	Mayor Cox	Thank you. Who else would like to speak?
02:31:53.68	Councilmember Sobieski	I'll turn in. I also obviously will support the motion
02:32:00.16	Councilmember Sobieski	and really riffing off what the vice mayor said, and what we heard about earlier,
02:32:06.30	Councilmember Sobieski	Maybe I'll tie even back to this. There is a franchise trying to expand aggressively in Sausalito. It has a name. It's called Vacant Storefront, and they have an aggressive expansion strategy. And our staff has been working hard to push back on that vacant storefront franchise. You saw some of the results that are...
02:32:25.98	Councilmember Sobieski	Director Phipps presented earlier today. And there have been great success.
02:32:33.10	Councilmember Sobieski	The city council gave direction to city staff to try to make Sausalito sensible in how it encourages local businesses.
02:32:43.41	Councilmember Sobieski	Our city attorney...
02:32:45.55	Councilmember Sobieski	is an expert. Our staff are experts. We turned it over to the experts who worked on this and presented it in a public forum at the Planning Commission, which voted unanimously
02:32:55.64	Councilmember Sobieski	To approve it.
02:32:57.94	Councilmember Sobieski	are,
02:32:59.09	Councilmember Sobieski	Residents haven't looked at it with that level of extent. And I don't think we want a model where every person needs to do that kind of work before something passes. The thought is, do we trust our staff or not?
02:33:11.35	Councilmember Sobieski	Does this work or not?
02:33:13.78	Councilmember Sobieski	I do. I trust Sergio Rudin. I trust Director Fitz. I trust the process that we've gone through. I think these are issues brought up at the 11th hour that are going to trip up
02:33:26.03	Councilmember Sobieski	progress. And none of this is perfection, it's progress. And the way you make things better is when you find new problems, you tweak them. So there's nothing that prevented us in our previous ordinance that we decided to continue, or this one that we're having on our first reading,
02:33:42.57	Councilmember Sobieski	to when their problems tweaking it later.
02:33:45.88	Councilmember Sobieski	But this habit of grinding away until people are exhausted and undermining staff by not accepting their work.
02:33:54.37	Councilmember Sobieski	is ultimately self-defeating.
02:33:56.88	Councilmember Sobieski	You can't have it both ways. You can't send out emails lamenting the empty storefronts of Sausalito and then undermine our staff's effort to respond to that by fixing the environment in which businesses try to get it started.
02:34:11.68	Councilmember Sobieski	We're being sued by a business.
02:34:13.81	Councilmember Sobieski	around.
02:34:14.89	Councilmember Sobieski	the challenges that they face that drove them out of business because of after opening very briefly. And there are many that won't even get started. So...
02:34:27.75	Councilmember Sobieski	if we
02:34:29.30	Councilmember Sobieski	continue down this road.
02:34:31.39	Councilmember Sobieski	We are not partnering with our own staff.
02:34:34.53	Councilmember Sobieski	to be part of the solution.
02:34:35.88	Councilmember Sobieski	I think
02:34:36.89	Councilmember Sobieski	That's what I really maybe would summarize here is that look, we on city council have a role to play and that means bringing our objections and our issues up well ahead of time. So it's not going to respond to them. Not at the 11th hour means doing our own homework.
02:34:49.58	Councilmember Sobieski	And if we haven't,
02:34:51.10	Councilmember Sobieski	than being humble in how we approach that.
02:34:54.75	Councilmember Sobieski	And
02:34:56.32	Councilmember Sobieski	and being part of the solution.
02:34:58.27	Unknown	Thank you.
02:34:58.31	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you.
02:34:58.68	Unknown	Thank you.
02:34:59.32	Councilmember Sobieski	Who else?
02:35:00.03	Mayor Cox	would like to speak.
02:35:00.65	Councilmember Sobieski	Thank you.
02:35:01.34	Councilmember Hoffman	All right, great. Thank you. Sure. Let me respond to that because I think that was aimed at me.
02:35:05.60	Councilmember Hoffman	So let me first talk about bringing things up at the 11th hour.
02:35:09.51	Councilmember Hoffman	So when you're a council member and you're not part of the inner circle, right? So here, this is the,
02:35:15.57	Councilmember Hoffman	The agenda setting committee is the mayor and the vice mayor.
02:35:18.96	Councilmember Hoffman	And so they set the agenda and a lot of times they work on things very hard.
02:35:24.45	Councilmember Hoffman	for months at a time. And they vet issues for, spend countless hours vetting issues. And the mayor and the vice mayor
02:35:33.42	Councilmember Hoffman	are our housing elements subcommittee. And so they work on a lot of housing issues also for months at a time.
02:35:39.20	Councilmember Hoffman	And so, and I'm not on either one of those things. And so when we get an agenda,
02:35:48.53	Councilmember Hoffman	And we have items on the agenda.
02:35:50.37	Councilmember Hoffman	A lot of these guys have seen
02:35:52.19	Councilmember Hoffman	these things for months.
02:35:54.45	Councilmember Hoffman	But I haven't seen it.
02:35:55.82	Councilmember Hoffman	And I get it on Thursday night.
02:35:57.96	Councilmember Hoffman	And our staff doesn't work on Fridays most of the time. Sometimes I call them and they answer the phone and they're kind enough to talk to me, but they don't work on Fridays. And so...
02:36:06.43	Councilmember Hoffman	I look at the agendas and I work at other jobs.
02:36:10.08	Councilmember Hoffman	And then I have all we all have things on Saturdays and Sundays and I look through the agendas quickly on Mondays. I usually look through the agendas.
02:36:18.13	Councilmember Hoffman	And then we have meetings on Tuesdays. And so I looked through meetings on Tuesdays.
02:36:21.72	Councilmember Hoffman	When I look at the agenda and I see an agenda item that mainly just says ordinance,
02:36:26.63	Councilmember Hoffman	which is what this thing
02:36:28.37	Councilmember Hoffman	had.
02:36:29.32	Councilmember Hoffman	And then I actually read the staff report, usually Monday night,
02:36:32.59	Councilmember Hoffman	And Tuesday I'm delving into it as I did today. And then I find out this is really a pretty complicated thing that has to do with our
02:36:41.19	Councilmember Hoffman	neighborhood districts and it has to do with housing it has to do with affordable housing then i start
02:36:48.38	Councilmember Hoffman	Melvin into it deeply so yeah It's not at the 11th hour. It says as I can prep for it during the day of sometimes at council meeting. It's unfortunate and
02:36:59.12	Councilmember Hoffman	Yes, but that's the timeline that I have to do to prepare for a meeting. If I can't figure it out and I'm a council member and it's not apparent and clear from a staff report, then that's the rigor...
02:37:12.63	Councilmember Hoffman	that I have to deal with and that's the rigor that I have to hold our staff accountable for.
02:37:17.48	Councilmember Hoffman	And that's my responsibility to residents and to make sure that the residents can figure out what's going on.
02:37:22.98	Councilmember Hoffman	Now, in this case, I'm concerned that I'm not entirely sure what's happening in our historic district.
02:37:29.93	Councilmember Hoffman	I'm not entirely sure that
02:37:31.92	Councilmember Hoffman	residential in our historic district.
02:37:35.48	Councilmember Hoffman	on the second floor, that's a lot of people who lived on those second floors.
02:37:39.94	Councilmember Hoffman	and they live in affordable units on those second floors.
02:37:42.84	Councilmember Hoffman	And now that affordable housing may be going away.
02:37:46.00	Councilmember Hoffman	And we've given up the protections for those people that live in those second floor units.
02:37:50.62	Councilmember Hoffman	in our historic districts, and I'm not okay with that.
02:37:53.62	Councilmember Hoffman	And so I'm not going to support this in this present form tonight. And I think there's some more work that we can do on this. I'm also very concerned that we've been telling ACD for a long time that we support affordable units in Sausalito. And I'm not sure that that at this time with our housing element precariously
02:38:13.70	Councilmember Hoffman	orally given the go ahead that we should be
02:38:17.36	Councilmember Hoffman	approving something like this tonight and i'm i'm cautious about that so
02:38:21.89	Councilmember Hoffman	Thank you.
02:38:22.55	Councilmember Hoffman	Anyway.
02:38:26.73	Karen Hollweg	and the only one that hasn't spoken.
02:38:29.03	Karen Hollweg	Well, I know, but I feel like you want to close it out. I got that vibe because you said who else? But if you want to go, by all means.
02:38:35.20	Karen Hollweg	I just, I figured. Yeah, I mean, anytime we're dealing with municipal code, it's a mouthful and there's a lot to look into and a lot to consider and review. And I appreciate that there are a lot of intricacies and there's a lot of pieces of our code. If we had the time, we would revise a lot of it because much of it is perhaps no longer serving what would be best for our community, whether that's economic development
02:39:03.08	Karen Hollweg	or housing or otherwise. In this case, I think, you know, there was a need identified and some changes suggested that the planning commission is in agreement with. I'm just consistently really concerned about affordability in our community and making sure that we maintain and create new opportunities for affordable housing. And I get really nervous when there is a potential for affordable housing units to be in any way compromised or for them to be disincentivized. I'm not saying that that's necessarily what would happen with the overarching adoption of this, but I would ask for at least a friendly amendment that would require or suggest, you know, looking into or an anti-displacement.
02:39:48.64	Karen Hollweg	placement programs or having staff direct and continue a discussion on anti-displacement programs to make sure that there are ample protections in place for people who are living
02:39:57.82	Karen Hollweg	in perhaps a commercial unit because if we are going to make these changes as planner matt matt managed told us we can go back and make other changes going forward as well so if we are going to move forward now for a variety of reasons
02:40:11.36	Karen Hollweg	okay i understand that staff identified those and i too council member sobieski have trust in our staff but at the same time and
02:40:18.06	Karen Hollweg	deeply concerned about affordability. I'm the only renter on this council. And so I would really ask that we could at least add an addition of looking at anti-displacement and looking at changes to our code that would reinforce anti-displacement as sort of a compromise on this issue. So that's what I'll say.
02:40:34.41	Mayor Cox	May I ask, because there are some other reasons that it's important that we move forward with this, because of some pending projects,
02:40:43.59	Mayor Cox	Would you be okay with giving direction to staff to return to us with an ordinance to
02:40:50.93	Mayor Cox	to encourage or create anti-displacement programs as part of implementation of our housing element moving forward
02:40:58.84	Karen Hollweg	It looks like director Phipp said something he wanted to say about that.
02:41:02.13	Sergio Rudin	And-
02:41:02.71	Sergio Rudin	I will note that program two of our currently adopted housing element includes preservation of existing affordable housing. So that is something that the city has promised to undertake.
02:41:13.35	Brandon Phipps	Yeah, and I'll dovetail off of that. Appreciate the concerns, Councilmember. Staff are actually in correspondence with certain...
02:41:20.71	Brandon Phipps	county staff members who are specializing in and creating anti displacement programs at the county level
02:41:27.65	Brandon Phipps	Thank you.
02:41:27.97	Brandon Phipps	I'll have to check into this, but my hope is that a model ordinance will exist that we can collaborate on with the county and we can bring it forward to you at the appropriate time. I'm actually trying to coordinate a presentation before city council with this county staff member to discuss potential anti-displacement programs in the city, supporting exactly what you're bringing forward in addition to implementing certain programs that are housing elements. So I'll end there. Thank you.
02:41:55.64	Sergio Rudin	And I will also note that typically when you have a development that is approved that requires affordable housing, you will have restrictive covenants that are approved as part of that development, usually for a term of 40 to 55 years. And so while those restrictive covenants are in place, you know, that property owner couldn't make use of any of these changes in law. They still have to comply with the terms of their prior approved deed restrictions. Right.
02:41:56.49	Unknown	I wouldn't.
02:42:21.46	Karen Hollweg	Right, but I recall a building, for example, close to me on the south side of town where a woman in her 90s was evicted and I'm sure she'd been living there for more than 40 years so while I appreciate that I just want to be thoughtful about. Just because years lapse doesn't necessarily mean that it solves all the problems but. I'd also ask that maybe we could consider direction specifically for the looking at that within the downtown if we are going to make these changes for the commercial district as well within the central commercial yes.
02:42:43.08	Mayor Cox	Yes.
02:42:45.22	Mayor Cox	All right, so I will note that the proposed ordinance that we are considering does specify that affordable units must be deed restricted for a period of not less than 40 years. So that deed restriction does continue on for affordable units in the revised chapter 10.44. I also am going to support this recommended action. I'm going to support the pending motion.
02:43:14.75	Mayor Cox	although this was not something that the housing element subcommittee delved into at all um i did very carefully review this and you know i have been working on housing matters and housing policy since my involvement with the city's housing element commencing in in 2010 and i also deliver
02:43:38.56	Mayor Cox	seminars on housing and affordable housing as well as homelessness. So I am familiar with the Housing Accountability Act, although I don't consider myself as much of an expert as our city attorney or our outside consultants. I am
02:43:54.02	Mayor Cox	am comfortable that we are threading the needle here on the one hand we are encouraging the development of second story
02:44:06.66	Mayor Cox	units in our Central Commercial CN and CR districts by maintaining
02:44:14.47	Mayor Cox	The same.
02:44:15.71	Mayor Cox	affordable unit ratio for mixed use as we have throughout our mixed use districts throughout town.
02:44:25.33	Mayor Cox	Bye.
02:44:26.42	Mayor Cox	only requiring a 20% affordability ratio and not higher,
02:44:31.18	Mayor Cox	We are, I believe, encouraging
02:44:33.95	Mayor Cox	the development of those second story
02:44:38.59	Mayor Cox	levels,
02:44:39.64	Mayor Cox	in a way that we may not be if we required a 50% so that if you have two units one of them has to be affordable I have met with various developers in exploring development of the corporation yard and of other sites in Sausalito and it is very difficult to meet even a 20% affordable
02:45:02.97	Mayor Cox	affordability ratio and still have the project pencil out. And so I think we.
02:45:09.03	Mayor Cox	must be thinking
02:45:11.70	Mayor Cox	holistically about what will
02:45:14.51	Mayor Cox	best serve our community in terms of
02:45:18.60	Mayor Cox	encouraging commercial where appropriate and encouraging
02:45:23.34	Mayor Cox	development of residential where possible,
02:45:25.97	Mayor Cox	I really like.
02:45:27.34	Mayor Cox	the direction proposed by
02:45:30.17	Mayor Cox	Council member.
02:45:32.39	Mayor Cox	Blaustein regarding adoption of an anti-displacement ordinance, and I'm so happy to hear that our
02:45:38.71	Mayor Cox	Community and Economic Development Director is already
02:45:42.49	Mayor Cox	Um,
02:45:44.05	Mayor Cox	working on that and so
02:45:47.25	Mayor Cox	I will ask that we add to future agenda items the development of an anti-displacement ordinance. And I'm ready to call the question unless anyone else has something to say.
02:46:03.81	Mayor Cox	All right. City Clerk.
02:46:07.05	City Clerk	Councilmember Blaustin.
02:46:08.55	Mayor Cox	Yes.
02:46:09.46	City Clerk	Council member Hoffman.
02:46:10.84	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
02:46:10.88	Mayor Cox	No.
02:46:10.90	City Clerk	No. Councilmember Sobieski. Yes. Vice Mayor Woodside. Yes. And Mayor Cox.
02:46:14.76	Vice Mayor Woodside	Yes.
02:46:16.43	Mayor Cox	Yes, thank you. That motion carries 4-1 with Hoffman dissenting. All right, we'll now move on to business items.
02:46:25.27	Mayor Cox	The first is receive the 2025
02:46:29.59	Mayor Cox	Actually,
02:46:31.01	Mayor Cox	City Manager, what would you think about reversing DPW, which I think will be much more quick than the fee study?
02:46:41.18	Michael	Mayor, I respectfully would ask that we
02:46:45.94	Michael	Thank you.
02:46:46.20	Michael	Question the consultant who's been here all meeting to see if she's.
02:46:49.66	Mayor Cox	Oh, I didn't realize we had a consultant here for this. All right. So let's go ahead then with the 2025 user fee study. And apologies for the late hour. I don't think we anticipated that our public hearing item would take up quite so much time.
02:47:04.07	Mayor Cox	And I will welcome our interim finance director, Jesus Nava.
02:47:09.96	Jesus Nava	Thank you.
02:47:10.97	Jesus Nava	Mayor and members of the City Council. So I know the hour is late and you've been busy for numerous hours discussing the city's business. So we will be quick and to the point. A review of the public record here shows that fees were first adopted by the City Council in FY08-09. And then those fees were further amended in FY16-17. A fee was commissioned in 2013, but that fee study was completed in 2018 due to changes in staff. And that former study was conducted by MBS. So the current study, which brings all the fees up to date, was conducted by Wilden Financial Services. They will be providing you the presentation as well as all the information you need to recommend further action to the city staff. The action for tonight is to receive the report, to listen to the presentation, and to hopefully direct staff to come back as part of the budget with adoption of the fee schedules as recommended tonight. So with that, I'll introduce Preeti, who is with World End Financial Services.
02:48:27.02	Mayor Cox	Thank you and welcome.
02:48:28.49	Priti Patel	Hello. Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council Member, staff in the community. My name is Priti Patel, and I'm with Wildin Financial Services. Next slide, please. What are user fees? They provide private benefit with limited or no community benefit. State law requires that individual use of the service must be voluntary, and fees must reasonably relate to the services provided. Fee levels and cost recovery determined through City Council fee adoption. This does not include development impact fees, utility rates or taxes. Next slide.
02:49:07.83	Priti Patel	Why update user fees? They help with the subsidies and service to impact the general fund. Private and specific benefit services are subsidized by unobligated funding sources. It reduces the ability to fund general and community
02:49:24.49	Priti Patel	Benefits. Decreased apartment
02:49:27.66	Priti Patel	funding typically results in understaffing and reduces service quality cost recovery knowledge and planning provides clarity pressures on city resources enables city to strategize and set fees to benefit of the city and community and state requirements for reasonable cost based fees
02:49:51.30	Priti Patel	A user fee objective is to determine the full cost of providing services or program.
02:49:57.37	Priti Patel	which includes reviewing the fee schedules based on service delivery, identifying potential new fees that are not currently being collected, reduce or remove fees, and usually fully burden rates to calculate the full cost recovery. A user fee step includes updating the fees for service based on cost analysis. Incorporate or establish cost recovery goals. Subsidies allow access to services and facilitates compliance. Identify appropriate fee levels that enhance reasonability and applicability. Maintain consistency with local policies and objectives. And maintains legal compliance with state law.
02:50:40.91	Priti Patel	The following departments and divisions were included with this study. They include the administration fees, police, building, public works, planning, parking, and parks and recreation.
02:50:55.48	Priti Patel	The primary dates of types of data used for the user fee was expenditure data, staffing structures, central service indirect overhead, productive billable hours, time estimates to complete tasks in the city department input feedback and policies. And I would like to thank the staff support throughout this process. We couldn't have done it without them.
02:51:23.23	Priti Patel	The next slide shows the summary steps of the study. The first one is model development. We collected the data, built the fee study, or the fee model,
02:51:33.11	Priti Patel	and calculated the overhead and fully burdened hourly rates.
02:51:37.31	Priti Patel	After that, the cost analysis entailed staff meetings with individual departments, update the fee schedules, gathering time data from staff, and then calculating a full cost based on the time data.
02:51:52.26	Priti Patel	After that, once we have received the full cost for each of the services, we determine what the current cost recovery is and what the target cost recovery they would like to have. A fee study was created, which is in the agenda, and right now we're at the last step with adopting the fee adoption here at the public hearing.
02:52:18.77	Priti Patel	The primary types of data used were salary and benefits, services and supply costs, indirect support costs, and system and maintenance costs.
02:52:28.86	Priti Patel	The hourly rates were structured to account for the direct work hours and
02:52:33.62	Priti Patel	The way we calculate the fully burdened hourly rates was to take the total salary and benefit of a position, dividing it by the productive hours of $16.50 to get the salary and benefit rate, and then applying a direct and indirect overhead.
02:52:52.96	Priti Patel	The fully burdened hourly rates were mainly used to calculate the full cost of fees. Also included any cross-departmental personnel that were involved in the fees and any indirect support.
02:53:10.69	Priti Patel	So the fees services included in administration included photocopying, lost checks, finance charge for past due balance,
02:53:20.16	Priti Patel	collection service fee and return check fee, which is already set by the state.
02:53:24.62	Priti Patel	The time-based cost analysis was done for the lost check fee.
02:53:29.98	Priti Patel	for suggested fee notes was to align the return check fee with California Civil Code section 1719 and all other fees would remain as currently set.
02:53:42.05	Priti Patel	For police, the fees were used with a time-based cost analysis. The analysis found current fees are currently below the full cost of providing services. So there is a suggested to increase 12 fees, one fee would decrease, two new fees would be added, three fees would change to a fully burdened hourly rate from a flat fee.
02:54:06.09	Priti Patel	and 23 fees would remain as currently set, the average fee change would be an increase of 34%.
02:54:16.39	Priti Patel	For building a time-based cost analysis was done. The analysis found that the current fees are not completely in line with the full cost of providing services.
02:54:25.74	Priti Patel	There is suggested to increase 19 fees, two fees would decrease, 13 fees would remain as currently set, 14 new fees will be added,
02:54:37.55	Priti Patel	and there would be an increase of 35% for the flat fees.
02:54:41.25	Priti Patel	A program analysis was done for the building permit.
02:54:45.01	Priti Patel	and it was determined that the current cost recovery is at 76 percent. Staff is recommending to set the program at full cost recovery.
02:54:57.44	Priti Patel	A time-based cost analysis was done with the public works fees also. The analysis found that the fees are currently set below the full cost of providing services.
02:55:07.50	Priti Patel	They're suggested an increase to 23 fees, five fees would decrease, 20 new fees would be added, two fees would change to actual cost from a flat fee,
02:55:18.27	Priti Patel	11 fees would remain as currently set, and the average fee change would be an increase of 26% for the current fees.
02:55:30.28	Priti Patel	For planning, there was a time-based cost analysis. The analysis found that the current fees are not completely in line with the full cost of providing service.
02:55:40.54	Priti Patel	Staff has suggested an increase to 92 fees, six fees would remain as currently set, nine new fees will be added, and the average fee change would be an increase of 23% for flat fees.
02:55:56.58	Priti Patel	A time-based cost analysis was done for the parking fees. Most fees can be set on market policy or program goal factors under Prop 26. For the time-based fees, analysis found that the current fees are below the full cost
02:56:11.22	Priti Patel	and the suggested fees
02:56:13.11	Priti Patel	Notes are to set one week temporary guest permit at $10 and add a new $3 fee for the one day temporary guest pass.
02:56:26.95	Priti Patel	And for the next slide is just a revenue projection that estimated based on past and projected fee activity.
02:56:35.69	Priti Patel	And we just use those past activities to come up to calculate what a...
02:56:41.80	Priti Patel	projected revenue would be increased. And this does not include any of the new fees that they are suggesting to add.
02:56:52.50	Priti Patel	Some policy considerations are general standard, individuals or groups who receive a private benefit from service should pay 100% of the cost
02:57:03.67	Priti Patel	In certain situations, subsidization is an effective public policy tool. Encourage participation and provide access to services. Promote compliance when cost is prohibited to residents.
02:57:18.72	Priti Patel	And it is recommended that the city utilize inflation factor that annually adjusts the fees based on CPI or MOU.
02:57:28.97	Priti Patel	And it is suggested to do a comprehensive analysis every five years.
02:57:46.90	Jesus Nava	Before we go on to questions, Mayor and Council, just a couple of points. So we're not at the final step. We're actually at introduction and presentation. So this gives the opportunity for the public and for the City Council to look at the study, to review it, to ask questions, and to inquire of staff on any items that they would like. And then, like I said, our hope is that we would return with council direction to prepare a resolution to bring back a resolution to adopt the fees as presented if council so decides not to implement then we would take that direction as well but as you saw from the review of the record I
02:58:33.55	Jesus Nava	Fees have never been totally implemented here at the city of South Salido, as they have in other cities. And some fees have been implemented and others have. And then the actual adjustment of those fees has been periodic and sporadic, not continuous and for sure not on an annual basis, which is what we would hopefully bring to the council in the future is annual fee adjustments. So with that, we're available for questions.
02:59:03.82	Mayor Cox	Sure, I'm gonna start off with a couple. With respect to parking fees,
02:59:10.37	Mayor Cox	we already hear a lot of concern from businesses about
02:59:16.88	Mayor Cox	the
02:59:19.13	Mayor Cox	um
02:59:20.66	Mayor Cox	the time-based
02:59:22.64	Mayor Cox	Um...
02:59:23.72	Mayor Cox	I...
02:59:26.21	Mayor Cox	the time-based fees, you know, we, somebody who comes to visit here for an hour,
02:59:31.38	Mayor Cox	on certain holidays is paying 25 or $30.
02:59:35.23	Mayor Cox	Um,
02:59:36.20	Mayor Cox	And so
02:59:38.36	Mayor Cox	at which then
02:59:40.25	Mayor Cox	means that people who come here to visit one of our local businesses is...
02:59:46.36	Mayor Cox	constrained from wanting to visit our local businesses
02:59:49.52	Mayor Cox	On.
02:59:51.07	Mayor Cox	holidays or popular
02:59:53.18	Mayor Cox	visitation days.
02:59:54.97	Mayor Cox	Um,
02:59:56.94	Mayor Cox	And yet if someone's here for the 4th of July,
03:00:00.01	Mayor Cox	And they have an opportunity to go shop at Gene Hiller or at an art studio.
03:00:07.27	Mayor Cox	That's something we would want to encourage. So I'm concerned about the recommendations to set to add a new $3 fee for a one day temporary guest pass. I feel as though we already
03:00:23.89	Mayor Cox	unless I'm misunderstanding what the intent of this is, I feel as though we're already
03:00:29.41	Mayor Cox	Um,
03:00:31.10	Mayor Cox	Charging.
03:00:32.92	Mayor Cox	as much or more than some of what our visitors would like to pay to visit our merchants. And our merchants are very concerned that we're charging too much for our visitors and for some of our employees. So can you address that challenge?
03:00:48.63	Jesus Nava	Yeah, I mean, I think the challenge is a real one, as it is all over the Bay Area and most of the communities that we visited. There is no such thing as free parking. And we have to pay parking pretty much no matter where we go. I think the purpose of the fee is really to collect the cost of issuing the permit. So the study takes a look at what the staff do, how much time is involved, and then tries to recover that cost. It isn't an attempt to penalize or an attempt to increase the charge, but really an attempt to recapture the cost that is already being expensed by the city in processing that permit. So that's why the study is done. It accurately measures the amount of time that is spent. It doesn't allow for any excess time. And then it gives you a recommendation based on the amount of time the staff takes in order to process the permit. So it's really a cost recovery.
03:01:48.52	Jesus Nava	and not an attempt to make more money or to try to get more money from our visitors.
03:01:52.45	Mayor Cox	So is this a program we have now? Because I'm certainly not aware of a one-day
03:01:56.67	Mayor Cox	temporary guest pass or a one week temporary guest pass.
03:02:00.35	Jesus Nava	I believe we do, but Chief, you want to take that? I think we're looking at increasing the costs.
03:02:06.51	Mayor Cox	Oh, you're talking about the residential permits. Okay.
03:02:10.76	Mayor Cox	Okay, got it. Well, again, our residents already feel incensed that we're making them pay for...
03:02:18.49	Mayor Cox	their guest to come visit them for an afternoon. So...
03:02:23.72	Mayor Cox	So I think you've answered my questions.
03:02:27.99	Mayor Cox	I'll make comments about whether I think this is something we should undertake. I have another question for the police. So this says an increase to 12 fees, but doesn't say which fees would increase or which fees would decrease. I did look at the chart.
03:02:43.15	Mayor Cox	But it was really difficult for me to figure out from the...
03:02:47.06	Mayor Cox	chart exactly which
03:02:49.29	Mayor Cox	police fees would increase and decrease. And one fee that I have a challenge about
03:02:53.74	Mayor Cox	is the alarm.
03:02:55.83	Mayor Cox	service fee. So I get a bill every year.
03:02:58.99	Mayor Cox	for an alarm service that I installed in 2005 and haven't used in over 10 years, and yet I still get
03:03:05.25	Mayor Cox	an alarm
03:03:06.74	Mayor Cox	monitoring bill every year from the police department. So I'm wondering if that's one of the fees that would decrease or increase or what and how that fee is monitored. Yeah.
03:03:20.54	Unknown	You should only be receiving a bill if you apply through your alarm permit. So the alarms permits have been revamped this year. Um, and so that you shouldn't be getting a, an invoice if you haven't applied for your alarm.
03:03:38.27	Mayor Cox	And this is for a burglar alarm? Correct. So I never knew that I had to apply for, in fact, I never did apply for a burglar alarm fee. I think what happened is I had one...
03:03:40.08	Unknown	Correct.
03:03:48.84	Mayor Cox	time when
03:03:49.99	Mayor Cox	There was a false alarm that I, you know,
03:03:53.31	Mayor Cox	silenced within 10 seconds. And after that, I started getting annual bills.
03:04:00.45	Unknown	So we do charge if we respond to an alarm.
03:04:04.11	Unknown	when the residence hasn't actually applied for an alarm.
03:04:07.57	Unknown	Mm-hmm.
03:04:07.94	Unknown	We have the alarm fee. We have the, you know, false alarm. You get three false alarms a year. After that, every three, the fee goes up. And then there is a fee for us responding to an alarm when there isn't an alarm permit on file.
03:04:24.43	Mayor Cox	Okay.
03:04:25.66	Mayor Cox	Okay, thank you for that clarification. You're welcome.
03:04:28.48	Karen Hollweg	Who else has questions?
03:04:31.72	Karen Hollweg	I think the question might be more for Jose or for our consultant. And again, thank you. Thank you for the consideration.
03:04:38.05	Karen Hollweg	I'm a little bit concerned just generally in looking at the increases.
03:04:45.24	Karen Hollweg	of the fees in general. And some of them I just had a question of,
03:04:51.04	Karen Hollweg	for instance, with planning the flat fee increase or the 35% adjusted fee increase. We see a jump if you go into the larger report itself, where there's an itemized amount of each fee, which is, you know, that was an exhaustive report. I appreciate that you put together the hours of each employee to justify all of those costs. Was that jump just something that you made sense thought made sense across the board? Is there any flexibility on that? I hesitate to see us initiate.
03:05:18.19	Karen Hollweg	fees, substantial fees on residents before we finish the budgeting process and would just like to get a sense of what your idea or justification behind that. That's just one example. There are several, but I felt like in general and across the board increase like that, I was a little surprised.
03:05:32.91	Priti Patel	Well, it was based on the staff time that's involved. So there could be like a different procedure done, different positions that are involved.
03:05:41.36	Priti Patel	from when the previous study was done. So this full cost is based on current time right now with the positions that's the staff that's in-house right now.
03:05:51.10	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:05:51.67	Unknown	Can I just go follow in on that?
03:05:52.97	Unknown	So I thought we'd
03:05:53.09	Mayor Cox	So I thought we had implemented a software cost recovery system that measured the actual time that various staff members spend on various applications and that we had implemented that as part of a cost recovery fee for certain planning department activities.
03:06:14.66	Jesus Nava	Well, what this study does is make you compliant with the state law and the state regulations for imposing user fees. So I don't know what the city may have given direction to staff in terms of keeping track. But part of the reason that you're seeing such a large increase is because fees aren't being adjusted every year. They're being adjusted over a series of years. So then as you look at your staff costs and they've gone up over three or four years, in this case, maybe five years, because the last study was done in 2018, then the results will be a 25% or, you know, a substantial increase in costs. The only way to prevent those large increases is to do the incremental adjustments every single year. So If staffing costs go up two or three percent, you adjust your fees that year for two or three percent, and you keep up so that you don't have that subsidy from the general fund on your private activity. Because again, nobody is compelling these individuals to come to the city for service. This is a discretionary service at their own free will. But when you don't apply the proper fee, then the general fund or the rest of the citizens are really subsidizing that activity on behalf of that private citizen. So I think there may be also an equity issue here in terms of, you know, private citizens pay their own fair share for those private activities and don't have to depend on the city or the general fund to subsidize that private activity or those private costs.
03:07:44.99	Mayor Cox	I'm just not sure that our residents should pay for our negligence in not updating our fees each year by having a sudden 35% increase in the amounts that they pay. We already hear significant adverse feedback about how much it costs to process a permit in Sausalito. So again, I think this is more properly a comment as opposed to a question, but I think that's the underlying reason for the question, is that we have to bear in mind
03:08:15.70	Unknown	I agree.
03:08:21.89	Mayor Cox	the impact to our residents of making a sudden
03:08:26.28	Mayor Cox	sharp increase in fees because we lacked staffing or lacked oversight or failed for whatever reason to comply with statutory requirements that we update these each year.
03:08:38.06	Jesus Nava	And granted, I think that's a very valid concern. The flip side is, again, when the budgets are tight and when resources are short and rather than cut staff even further or take other draconian actions is simply to go ahead and try to raise the additional revenues in order to preserve the staffing levels of service.
03:09:00.37	Mayor Cox	Could we perhaps adopt this as like over three years and do 10% per year until we get caught up rather than a sudden 35% increase to ease the burden? I think the council has.
03:09:10.49	Jesus Nava	I think the council has flexibility and the council has the discretion to, you know, consult with the citizenry and bring back a recommendation or direction that will get us to where the city needs to be. I think the point is to make sure that it's done consistently. And again, if the council says do it in three years, that every year then it gets updated so that when the next study is done, you're looking at really incremental costs rather than large-scale costs in the double digits.
03:09:41.80	Mayor Cox	Sure.
03:09:42.34	Unknown	I interrupted Councilmember Blaustein.
03:09:44.77	Karen Hollweg	No, that's okay. I mean, you articulated much of my concern, and I was just wondering, which I think you've answered, is there sort of a path where we do have a graduated fee increased structure so that it is not such a sticker shock to our residents because it makes sense.
03:09:59.95	Karen Hollweg	you know, to adopt the state ordinances, to take the necessary steps, provide all the resources we can to staff. But I'm wondering if that would be something you could consider in your assessment going forward.
03:10:10.92	Jesus Nava	Sure, and we'll work with the city manager and the city attorney on that as well.
03:10:17.18	Vice Mayor Woodside	I have a kind of focused question. I heard the consultant mention that you take basically productive hours at 1,650 per year. That's what you're assessing is the productivity of a full-time employee. And you use that as the basis to
03:10:35.00	Vice Mayor Woodside	calculate.
03:10:36.20	Unknown	Mm-hmm.
03:10:36.57	Vice Mayor Woodside	the cost for an hour of that person's time, for example. Yes.
03:10:40.15	Unknown	Yes.
03:10:40.52	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
03:10:40.86	Vice Mayor Woodside	And then I think fundamentally then what you're doing when you do the study, correct me if I'm wrong, the study then assesses how much time it's taking now to get the task done and then you multiply that times the hourly rate. Is that fundamentally what you're doing in each case?
03:11:00.16	Priti Patel	Yep, the fully burdened hourly rates. It's in the report of all the positions that are with the city.
03:11:05.97	Vice Mayor Woodside	Okay, so one other thing we hear from time to time is how long it takes to get certain permits. We've had a discussion earlier tonight about that very topic. So if, for example, it's taking a staff person five or six public hearings or five or six different encounters with the applicant, for example, for a permit, then that adds to the hours that that task takes, which then adds to the cost. So another way to look at this is from a point of view of trying to keep the fees lower and encouraging, for example, permits to build housing, for example, we want to take a hard look at how long it takes to actually achieve certain kinds of permits. In some cases, perhaps it can be streamlined so that the number of hours involved is actually less. In other words, I'm concerned that we're just taking the status quo as the base. I understand the methodology is a good one, but is it also possible as you look at this over time to really make sure that the hours involved are necessary? Is that part of your study or is that...
03:12:23.68	Priti Patel	Well, that's why it's recommended to do a comprehensive fee study every five years, because things have changed in between that time.
03:12:33.11	Priti Patel	So you're just updating it. But for those complicated permits,
03:12:38.24	Priti Patel	We would recommend to do like a deposit fee where you,
03:12:41.65	Priti Patel	you know, you charge the fully burden rate of the positions that are involved.
03:12:46.63	Priti Patel	and you keep track of it, of the deposit fees.
03:12:51.18	Vice Mayor Woodside	Okay. Thank you.
03:13:00.53	Unknown	Councilmember Sobieski, any questions? Okay.
03:13:02.96	Mayor Cox	Okay, I'll open it up to public comment. I have no speaker cards.
03:13:06.64	City Clerk	Seeing none.
03:13:07.94	City Clerk	Thank you.
03:13:07.98	Mayor Cox	Oh.
03:13:08.11	Unknown	Thank you.
03:13:08.14	City Clerk	Thank you.
03:13:08.35	City Clerk	Mm-hmm.
03:13:12.80	Unknown	Thank you.
03:13:24.92	Mayor Cox	Please just approach the podium, sir.
03:13:30.44	Unknown	Maybe I can just talk here. I don't want to be too loud. I don't really need the microphone, but thank you.
03:13:36.41	Mayor Cox	Well, the public needs the microphone, those who are online.
03:13:39.67	Unknown	So what I'm going to speak...
03:13:40.97	Jeff Jacob	Think about it.
03:13:41.66	Mayor Cox	Actually, you do have to speak in the mic, but you don't have to yell.
03:13:43.06	Jeff Jacob	don't have to yell. I have to speak in the microphone. Yeah, you do. But you don't have to yell. I get too close to the microphone. That's right.
03:13:48.76	Jeff Jacob	What does
03:13:49.79	Mayor Cox	You're still...
03:13:49.88	Jeff Jacob	YOU'RE STILL NOT
03:13:50.32	Mayor Cox	I'm not speaking in
03:13:50.82	Jeff Jacob	What this money issue is.
03:13:54.01	Jeff Jacob	Okay, I'm going to... I'm going to speak, Madam Mayor, free speech.
03:13:58.70	Jeff Jacob	What this money issue is, is subordinating human beings to dollar bills.
03:14:08.08	Jeff Jacob	that war
03:14:10.43	Jeff Jacob	makes a lot of money.
03:14:13.00	Jeff Jacob	Cars make a lot of money.
03:14:15.98	Jeff Jacob	Peace.
03:14:17.33	Jeff Jacob	does not make
03:14:18.85	Jeff Jacob	any money.
03:14:22.16	Jeff Jacob	So I,
03:14:24.66	Jeff Jacob	as I'm wrapping up my time here in this wonderful place of Sausalito, that you as a government did not make...
03:14:33.62	Jeff Jacob	the beautiful shoreline, you didn't make the birds.
03:14:37.50	Jeff Jacob	You didn't make the seals.
03:14:40.05	Jeff Jacob	but you do count the money.
03:14:43.67	Jeff Jacob	And now the one group.
03:14:46.49	Jeff Jacob	who have tried to keep
03:14:48.67	Jeff Jacob	the heritage of this place that depended on something beyond money.
03:14:54.98	Jeff Jacob	A group that I am so proud of.
03:14:58.74	Jeff Jacob	to have been a member of and to be a member of, very much like the anchorites that would wall themselves off in a church with a window into the church and a window outside. People brought them food and they did not use any money.
03:15:14.99	Jeff Jacob	that in fact the requirement in the Torah for being a judge is that a person can't.
03:15:21.68	Jeff Jacob	hates money.
03:15:24.73	Jeff Jacob	I lived off of 50 cents
03:15:26.70	Jeff Jacob	A day, I could have only done it here with friends.
03:15:30.72	Jeff Jacob	in Sausalito. Did that mean I was less of a person? It's a bicycle less than a car. Thank you for not persecuting the bikes as much.
03:15:40.02	Jeff Jacob	I appreciate that.
03:15:40.31	Unknown	Thank you. I appreciate that.
03:15:41.28	Unknown	Any other public? All right.
03:15:42.03	Jeff Jacob	All right. It cost $79,000 for the study. It cost $79,000 for this study.
03:15:44.78	Unknown	I was there.
03:15:45.82	Unknown	It costs several.
03:15:49.67	Jeff Jacob	Kindly. I'm just saying your time is up. All right. Well, I'm still here. The anchor outs are still here. We're not.
03:15:54.90	Mayor Cox	City clerk.
03:15:58.06	Jeff Jacob	We're seeing.
03:15:58.40	Jeff Jacob	Thank you.
03:15:58.46	Jeff Jacob	Bye.
03:15:58.63	Jeff Jacob	year.
03:15:59.21	Mayor Cox	City Clerk, are there any other public comment?
03:16:02.50	Mayor Cox	If you're going to continue to shout, I'm going to ask you to be removed, sir.
03:16:09.89	Jeff Jacob	Yeah.
03:16:11.44	Mayor Cox	All right, I'm going to close public comment, bring it back up here for discussion.
03:16:17.48	Jeff Jacob	and the writers of the artists
03:16:20.20	Jeff Jacob	are not just leaving Sausalito because we don't have as much money.
03:16:24.28	Jeff Jacob	All right.
03:16:24.97	Unknown	Thank you.
03:16:25.01	Jeff Jacob	Thank you.
03:16:25.04	Unknown	Thank you.
03:16:25.14	Jeff Jacob	Thank you.
03:16:25.67	Jeff Jacob	Phew.
03:16:26.86	Jeff Jacob	What is it, Stacy?
03:16:28.48	Jeff Jacob	Come on. What do they mean? Come on.
03:16:31.35	Mayor Cox	All right. Who would like to lead off? So this is really a receive and give direction. So I think some of the direction I'd like to give is that for any fees that exceed 20%, I'm just going to say, any fee increases that exceed 10% be amortized over the next several years at a rate of 10% per year, and that...
03:16:57.19	Mayor Cox	We reconsider. We have a parking item coming up that will include parking revenue discussion on May 20th. And so I'd like to defer decision on parking until we hear more about the parking revenue and some of the parking needs. So those would be two of my initial directions in response to this report. Who else has any thoughts? Questions?
03:17:25.03	Councilmember Sobieski	Yeah, please. This study is done every three years? Five. Every five years. So rather than 10% a year, why don't you do 20% a year? And that way it'll kick in over a period of five years.
03:17:25.34	Jesus Nava	Yeah.
03:17:28.81	Jesus Nava	as well.
03:17:36.91	Councilmember Sobieski	I agree.
03:17:36.96	Mayor Cox	I don't think there's anything more than 30. And so there's no fee increase more than 30.
03:17:42.51	Councilmember Sobieski	You said anything that's over. 10.
03:17:44.88	Councilmember Sobieski	would be phased in 10% a year.
03:17:46.89	Mayor Cox	Right, so 10, then the next 10, the next year, then the next 10. So in three years, we'd have our 30%, and then in the fifth year, we're redoing them.
03:17:55.69	Councilmember Sobieski	It's a bit of math. So maybe I'm misunderstanding it. You're talking when you said 10% a year, that would take 10 years to get to 100% of your fee.
03:18:03.05	Mayor Cox	No, I'm saying where there's a fee increase of 30%.
03:18:06.65	Councilmember Sobieski	do a third.
03:18:07.35	Councilmember Sobieski	A third.
03:18:07.44	Mayor Cox	A third per year. So no fee increase would be more than 10% per year.
03:18:15.10	Councilmember Sobieski	A third of the increase. Yeah, a third of the increase.
03:18:17.92	Mayor Cox	Yeah, you're right. It is a bit of math. You're too smart. It's the rocket scientist debating the lawyer. Not debating, just trying to make sure we're giving some directions. No, exactly.
03:18:22.36	Councilmember Sobieski	Just to make sure.
03:18:23.35	Senator Bushmaker	the lawyer.
03:18:23.71	Councilmember Sobieski	or that. I'm just trying to make sure we're giving. No, exactly. So you're capping the total increase in any one year will be no more than one third of the total increase.
03:18:32.58	Mayor Cox	No, it will be more than no more than 10 percent.
03:18:36.55	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
03:18:36.60	Jesus Nava	Thank you.
03:18:36.63	Mayor Cox	.
03:18:36.70	Jesus Nava	.
03:18:37.12	Jesus Nava	Yeah, so what I'm hearing is, again, look at all the fees, bring them back as part of the resolution, but any fees that are 10% or more, divvy them up over three budget cycles.
03:18:49.83	Jesus Nava	No.
03:18:50.07	Mayor Cox	No, divvy them up over, have no fee increase, exceed 10% of existing fees in any given year. So if there's a 30%
03:18:59.99	Mayor Cox	fee increase as for some of the planning activities
03:19:02.74	Mayor Cox	it would take three years.
03:19:04.14	Mayor Cox	If there's a 20% fee increase, as we've seen in some of the other activities, that would take two years. So it's not just divided by three. It's actually no more than 10% per year. So this year, we will see fee increases across the board, but no fee increase will be more than a 10% fee increase.
03:19:23.53	Jesus Nava	Thank you.
03:19:23.56	Vice Mayor Woodside	AND THE FAMILY IS
03:19:23.60	Jesus Nava	we got
03:19:25.50	Vice Mayor Woodside	If I can just add, I want to commend you for the methodology and commend the city manager for bringing this to our attention, because for these discretionary activities, you want to make sure that the applicants or other people seeking certain permits are, in effect, paying the cost that we incur to issue it. The question though here is because of these significant increases in some areas, it's a shock. It's just a shock. It's a shock to everybody. And the idea of phasing it in over time, I can fully support. But I also am concerned that the methodology, however sound it is, is dependent upon
03:20:13.88	Vice Mayor Woodside	calculating how many hours are spent for a task. And if in some cases lots of hours are spent, the cost will go up. And one should question if the cost is going up, are those hours justified and needed? Are there ways to streamline it? That's a different question. It's not a fee calculation. But I think underlying these fees, particularly if you notice the large results are in the building area.
03:20:43.53	Vice Mayor Woodside	And I think that's where I'm hearing more of the complaints in terms of how long it takes. I'm not saying the staff's not doing the work properly. Don't misunderstand me. But I think it's worth a close look on how we can streamline things, which ultimately then will keep the fee down, get the permits issued more expeditiously, and encourage people to go about their business expeditiously. And we get paid for our fair share, if you will. So that's my big picture view of this, but I have to say this kind of methodology is common. I believe you've probably seen it in other places where you work. It's very important that we get on the right track so that we are not overlooking something that is not really being fairly compensated, and the burden falls then on the general public to cover the cost. So I appreciate that.
03:21:12.08	Katie Thau Garcia	with.
03:21:12.17	Katie Thau Garcia	pictures.
03:21:29.21	Katie Thau Garcia	I'm not.
03:21:37.06	Mayor Cox	I would like to make a couple of suggestions in response to your concerns.
03:21:40.47	Vice Mayor Woodside	Sure.
03:21:41.35	Mayor Cox	One is, we already have an ordinance now that prohibits us from having a planning commission meet more than three times on certain types of projects.
03:21:50.59	Mayor Cox	So it used to be that for certain housing projects, the Planning Commission would meet five times, and of course that would increase the cost. But I believe we have an inordinate state requirement now that the Planning Commission not take more than five times
03:22:05.95	Mayor Cox	So I would consider
03:22:09.04	Mayor Cox	asking staff to bring us back an ordinance that requires that the Planning Commission not take more than three times to approve any given project.
03:22:19.55	Vice Mayor Woodside	Sounds reasonable to me, but I...
03:22:21.12	Mayor Cox	So just for our consideration, so that's one option. Another option I'd like to is that we set a threshold. And again, this is really for the CEDD department. And whenever fees for any project exceed a certain threshold, we see that report on consent on a quarterly basis so that we can track and be aware of where...
03:22:41.37	Mayor Cox	the fees are really
03:22:42.97	Mayor Cox	So I'd like to ask that staff come back to us. I don't see Director Phipps right now, but that he come back to us with
03:22:52.66	Mayor Cox	a proposal for our adoption of an ordinance that says Planning Commission gets three bites at the apple.
03:23:02.31	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:23:03.86	Mayor Cox	unless a project is withdrawn or redesigned or something of that nature.
03:23:12.44	Mayor Cox	and I'll leave it to CEDD to identify the threshold, but that if a project expenditure exceeds more than $50,000,
03:23:20.81	Mayor Cox	for example, that we see a report on that on a quarterly basis of the projects that are exceeding that level, so that we have a heads up when our residents are spending a whole lot of money on our processes.
03:23:34.19	Vice Mayor Woodside	And there may be other examples where things take a lot of time. And Director Phipps, in his presentation earlier, I noticed that most of the positions have been filled now by staff. And my guess is in those eras, there are greater efficiencies. This is just my guess.
03:23:36.92	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
03:23:45.83	Unknown	Yeah.
03:23:51.57	Mayor Cox	I agree, but 84 review comments on a small
03:23:56.28	Mayor Cox	commercial project from Four Leaf
03:23:59.08	Mayor Cox	continues to be a concern for me.
03:24:00.97	Vice Mayor Woodside	I agree. So these are things that we have to look at because they do add up and they affect the fees ultimately. So I hope we haven't disappointed the city manager. Oh, no.
03:24:01.54	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
03:24:10.62	Mayor Cox	Well, no, I would like the city manager to weigh in, if you would like, on our thoughts. Yeah.
03:24:15.40	Michael	Thank you, Mayor. I would like to weigh in. First of all, I want to thank our consultant and want to thank the council for taking this on. It's important. One of the things that, you know, was mentioned is the subsidy by the general population over individual permit requests. The second thing that if Mr. Nava will stay here a little bit longer is the whole idea of impact fees so that new growth pays for new growth. So we're bringing these forward because if you continue to subsidize development, it's not really fair to the people that live here. And the same thing with permits. And I really appreciate the approach that this be graduated. It allows us to figure something out that can be incorporated into this coming year's budget and next year's budget and the budget after that. So I think I have enough. I think, Jesus, we have enough to bring something back. And then we'll have an involved discussion on parking at a subsequent meeting before we adopt the budget. So thank you.
03:25:09.67	Mayor Cox	Thank you. And when are we scheduled to hear about impact fees? Because I don't think it's on our agenda for this evening.
03:25:14.44	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:25:14.50	Michael	Yeah, and that's a little more involved undertaking. If we'd have done them both at the same time, we might be here till one o'clock.
03:25:22.16	Mayor Cox	Well, exactly. But I look forward to hearing, because that's a very constantly evolving issue under state law.
03:25:25.60	Michael	No.
03:25:30.53	Jesus Nava	So that's the second part of the will done agreement. So they'll start working on that right away as well.
03:25:35.60	Mayor Cox	Great.
03:25:36.16	Mayor Cox	Thank you so much, and thank you for a great presentation. Thank you.
03:25:38.86	Jesus Nava	Thank you.
03:25:39.88	Mayor Cox	you and your consultant this evening.
03:25:42.25	Mayor Cox	Okay, with that we'll move on to business item 5B, authorized staff to proceed with soliciting for construction bids for the bridgeways slide repair above Woodward. Which of these do you have to recuse from?
03:25:56.65	Mayor Cox	So, and we will welcome our Public Works Director, Kevin McGowan.
03:26:00.36	Kevin McGowan	Kevin McGowan, Good evening mayor members of city council i'm Kevin gown public works director for Sausalito item five be this evening on this evening's agenda relates to to a slide located on bridgeway boulevard at just below woodward. Kevin McGowan, In addition, this evening, I have Scott Stevens here from Miller Pacific engineering group who's going to help me address some of your questions next slide please.
03:26:06.74	Mayor Cox	it.
03:26:27.31	Kevin McGowan	All right, before we dive into some of the specific details, it's important to look back at our actions related to landslides in Sausalito. As you may recall, Sausalito experienced a significant landslide on Sausalito Boulevard in 2019. As a consequence of that slide, the council formed the Landslide Task Force, who developed more than 12 recommendations to the city the city has been steadily moving forward with with addressing those recommendations including finalization of the geologic hazard mapping which was completed in 2024 the next step is also well underway with the development of the geologic monitoring plan for the city the intent is to have
03:27:16.05	Kevin McGowan	is to obtain
03:27:17.99	Kevin McGowan	a better understanding of geologic instabilities within the city and be able to address these before they become hazardous. Next slide, please. The bridgeway slide below Woodward is a surface slide that occurred back in 2017. So it's been there a long time. City staff have been covering this slide area annually with plastic, and we have buttressed the main slide area in 2023 with K rail or concrete railing at the base of the slope. In 2024, the slide area expanded south of the original area.
03:27:54.67	Kevin McGowan	the design and the bid documents addressing the original slide, as well as the new the design and bid documents address the original slide, as well as the new area that moved in 2024.
03:28:08.53	Kevin McGowan	When the slide originally occurred, the city installed high density polyethylene pipe or black pipe at the top of the slope, which you can see in this picture, which connects to the upper property owners drainage systems. Based on conversations with the fronting property owners, this system will remain in place. However, it may be disconnected in order to install some of the improvements for the construction and then reinstalled.
03:28:35.39	Kevin McGowan	after that's completed. Next slide, please.
03:28:39.10	Kevin McGowan	The repair of this area includes the installation of soil nails and Tycho mesh, a Tycho mesh system. This is the same system that was used on North Street. The construction will require the narrowing of bridgeway to allow for the contractor's equipment to utilize the site. Pedestrian traffic will also need to be rerouted probably to the other side of the roadway. The engineer's estimate for this project is 1.4 million. Next slide.
03:29:08.62	Kevin McGowan	Based on the size and the repair of the on this. Sorry, it's a little late. I'm trying to move too fast. Based on the size of the repair, the construction contractor is allowed 120 calendar days to complete the work unless additional unforeseen conditions arise. If if a responsible and a reasonable and a responsible bid is received, staff anticipates returning to the council in June to request the project be awarded.
03:29:37.37	Kevin McGowan	With this schedule, the construction should be completed sometime in December, if not sooner. I'd also like to introduce Scott Stevens from Miller Pacific to answer any of your specific questions for this project. So that concludes my short little presentation on this one. And if you do have some questions, we're both here for you.
03:30:00.05	Mayor Cox	Thank you so much, Director McGowan. I do have one question. So we have received correspondence from a neighbor concerned that tech-o-mesh is not an appropriate solution to this slope issue, as it does not address the movement and instability of the slope. And they are critical of our wonderful public works department for advancing a cheaper solution than retaining walls they believe retaining walls are the appropriate solution could you possibly comment on that perspective
03:30:37.72	Scott Stevens	Thank you.
03:30:38.21	Scott Stevens	Good evening, Councilmembers. I'm Scott Stevens with Miller Pacific Engineering Group.
03:30:42.27	Scott Stevens	Geotechnical engineer.
03:30:44.18	Scott Stevens	And the GeoBrug mesh system, I think, was characterized as not appropriate. It was an erosion control. I disagree with that characterization. It is meant to be stabilized shallow landslides, which is what we are dealing with with Bridgeway Avenue, and that it will stabilize the upper 5 to 10 feet of the soil.
03:31:07.54	Scott Stevens	And so it's been used by Caltrans. It's commonly used for rockfall and to stabilize those slopes along highways. It's been used at North Street Steps, and we've probably done a dozen projects with it. A couple other ones in Sausalito, and all of them have gone well. It's more than erosion control. It's, it stabilizes.
03:31:29.31	Scott Stevens	five to 10 feet of the soil.
03:31:30.98	Scott Stevens	Not appropriate for a deep-seated landslide, but that's not what we're dealing with.
03:31:36.22	Mayor Cox	And can you give us any rough order of magnitude of the delta in cost? We're going to spend north of a million on this project as proposed between this and a retaining wall approach.
03:31:50.99	Scott Stevens	So this is probably actually less expensive than the retaining wall option in that the retaining wall price that we got was from three or four years ago. Everything has gone up since then. The reason this option is actually being selected, it's more of a green option when you're done. The Geobrug mesh,
03:32:10.04	Scott Stevens	will allow all the vegetation to grow through it again.
03:32:12.50	Scott Stevens	So when you're done and you're five years in the future, it's going to look like a green hillside. It's not going to look like a series of walls.
03:32:18.58	Scott Stevens	that we put in there down the road.
03:32:20.10	Scott Stevens	I'm not sure.
03:32:21.38	Scott Stevens	And
03:32:22.12	Scott Stevens	One of the reasons we did this was for that reason. We're trying to save some of the bigger trees.
03:32:26.75	Scott Stevens	that we're concerned to the upslope property owners. We can work around the trees with this methodology.
03:32:32.57	Scott Stevens	And then, like I said, it will re-vegetate and become green again in the future. So we have taken into account aesthetics and preservation of the larger trees in selecting this option.
03:32:45.07	Unknown	Thank you.
03:32:45.09	Scott Stevens	Thank you.
03:32:45.12	Unknown	Thank you. Any other questions?
03:32:47.28	Vice Mayor Woodside	Just a quick question about the methodology. It requires putting probes or anchors into this hillside, and then this sort of mesh goes on the out, on the edge.
03:32:59.67	Scott Stevens	Yes. So, so the way the system works is we have soil nails. They're like tiebacks. They're anchors into the bedrock that go 10, 15 feet into the surface. And that connects with, to the geo-bred mesh that's on the surface. And so the mesh is holding that five foot layer, five to 10 foot layer in place, and the anchors are attached to the mesh. So it's almost like a big
03:33:24.12	Scott Stevens	trawling net that's holding
03:33:26.47	Scott Stevens	The ground back and the soil nails are the anchors into the bedrock. And then the mesh is holding that five foot layer on top.
03:33:32.29	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
03:33:33.22	Mayor Cox	All right, I'll open it up to public comment.
03:33:36.34	Mayor Cox	I have one speaker card from Adriana DeHenri.
03:33:41.03	Mayor Cox	Dinahinian, we've seen you before, welcome.
03:33:44.41	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:33:44.47	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	You've seen it.
03:33:44.96	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:33:45.03	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	me.
03:33:45.15	Mayor Cox	Yes.
03:33:45.69	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	Madam Mayor and Council and staff.
03:33:48.54	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	I am a neighbor, or shall we say, the adjacent neighbor of half of this project. I have lived in Sausalito for 52 years. I've owned my house for 49 years. Nothing was really bad until 2017 when Public Works came and decided to take a big chunk of the wooded slope behind my house, which is right away, city right away,
03:34:18.59	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	and cut it off. Took them two days, two little bulldozers, a crew of six to eight men, and now it's a cliff. And that's why we have to do this...
03:34:31.91	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	you know, retaining wall solution, hopefully retaining wall solution. I just wanna say that the movement on the slope has affected my house. My house is going slowly downhill. It has large cracks in it now. I have measured the drift and in three years, it went about 5 16ths of an inch. That's not much, but you just multiply that over a longer period of time
03:35:02.54	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	Something has to be done, really. It's not a five to ten foot problem here. We don't have bedrock until, I can tell you right behind my house, it's 15 feet down.
03:35:15.97	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	Um,
03:35:17.02	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	We need to put something more...
03:35:18.82	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	more supportive and that I'm and I'm saying retaining walls they I would prefer to have the retaining walls backfilled and then we could plant in the backfill so it shouldn't be ugly but that's really according to what I've talked to and I've only had like eight days to deal with this but according to the one geotech who would talk to me, he said, absolutely retaining walls. Geotech does not support...
03:35:50.65	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	Can I speak just a little longer? No, but I will ask you a question. Okay.
03:35:55.41	Mayor Cox	How long ago did the city perform this work?
03:35:58.93	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	20 September, the destruction work.
03:36:02.29	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
03:36:02.60	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	September 13th and 14th, 2017. And when did you receive notice of the work?
03:36:10.78	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	I never received any notice of the work.
03:36:13.13	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	Never.
03:36:13.97	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	And I went down there and I said, what are you doing? What are you doing? And the man who was the foreman said, Mr. Goldman said it was a fire hazard.
03:36:26.93	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	A tree was a fire hazard? The whole slope, the whole slope with all the trees on it, which protected me from the noise and misery of Bridgeway, which kept my house more stable. All of that got taken away. And I can tell you why I think it was done, but nobody ever gave me a viable thing.
03:36:47.91	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	explanation. All right. Thank you so much.
03:36:50.56	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:36:50.57	Adriana DeHenri/Dinahinian	Thank you.
03:36:50.59	Mayor Cox	May I ask the Public Works Director to return?
03:36:53.96	Mayor Cox	City Clerk, do we have any more public comment?
03:36:56.33	Mayor Cox	Okay, I'm going to close public comment.
03:36:56.46	City Clerk	And then
03:37:04.34	Mayor Cox	Do you have any knowledge of why the hillside was abated and why no notice was given to possibly affected residents?
03:37:13.69	Kevin McGowan	I do not.
03:37:14.97	Mayor Cox	at that point in time. And can your consultant address the concern? Because you know that in 2019, we did have a house slide down a hill. And so I certainly understand with someone in it. And so I certainly understand that concern. And I would like to know the delta in price between the 1.2 that we're being asked to spend
03:37:39.26	Mayor Cox	or the 1.6, 1.7, and the retaining wall solution, which we already priced. So it's curious to me that we priced that and then decided to do something different over the objection of the affected residents.
03:37:55.08	Scott Stevens	So question number one about the engineering design and what we call the factors of safety. So the GeoBrug mesh system is designed to the same factor of safety that the engineered retaining wall system was designed to.
03:38:08.91	Scott Stevens	And this is not.
03:38:10.27	Scott Stevens	like we're just going in there and guessing. When we do the construction work, we actually load test anchors, make sure they're holding the capacity they need. If we need to make adjustments in the field, because there's some areas where the rock is deeper or shallower, those get done. So this is not just like guesswork. It's during construction, there's testing done to confirm all the criteria is being achieved, to achieve the factors of safety. So it has the same factor of safety,
03:38:35.13	Scott Stevens	as the retaining wall solution.
03:38:37.56	Scott Stevens	So there's really no difference in the stability of the hillside with one option or the other. We had designed the retaining wall option earlier. At the time that was contractors were not competitive.
03:38:50.28	Scott Stevens	We had, I think, one bid come in, and basically it was a bid that we knew was
03:38:55.53	Scott Stevens	you know,
03:38:56.51	Scott Stevens	Thank you.
03:38:57.17	Scott Stevens	way above what it should have been just because there was no competition. It was a time the contractors were very busy. The bid estimate you have now,
03:39:05.10	Scott Stevens	is actually probably based a little bit on the contractor history over the last two or three years, which it's been pretty
03:39:10.94	Scott Stevens	Bids have been pretty high. It does seem there's a little bit more competition now than there was a few years ago. And the bids may be more competitive than we're anticipating.
03:39:21.25	Scott Stevens	Um,
03:39:22.28	Scott Stevens	But it's also, you know,
03:39:24.35	Scott Stevens	a $1.2 million bid from three years ago would probably be much more now just because of all this.
03:39:29.60	Mayor Cox	So since we already bid out the retaining wall, can we bid this out in the alternative and get pricing for both solutions and then evaluate the pricing once it comes in so that the council has a choice?
03:39:42.48	Scott Stevens	I'll let Kevin answer, but I think the answer is yes. There's two designs that are on the table.
03:39:48.45	Mayor Cox	We already have the designs.
03:39:50.04	Kevin McGowan	So...
03:39:53.41	Kevin McGowan	We can. It might need some modifications. The original plan may need some modifications because we've had an expansion in scope. So we'll talk with our consultant about that.
03:40:01.92	Mayor Cox	Is that something other council members would be open to is...
03:40:05.97	Mayor Cox	And if there's a big delta, we could ask Mrs. DeHanian if she's willing to participate in that cost to ensure her feeling safe in her home. But I'm sympathetic to her concerns after the city removed the trees.
03:40:25.34	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
03:40:25.58	Vice Mayor Woodside	Just in terms of having, from the engineer's point of view, two alternatives and costs associated with the two, I think that's always better than just one. But I'm trusting that what we've heard from the engineer is that
03:40:34.10	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
03:40:39.63	Vice Mayor Woodside	either solution will work.
03:40:41.42	Vice Mayor Woodside	The question is, what's the scope of the work? How much will it cost? And what's the delta?
03:40:43.89	Mayor Cox	And what's the delta in pricing? If it's similar pricing...
03:40:45.10	Vice Mayor Woodside	and the other thing.
03:40:48.16	Mayor Cox	I mean, I would be inclined to go with the one that gives the resident more comfort.
03:40:55.65	Mayor Cox	Is everybody just for tonight okay with getting pricing for each solution?
03:40:55.92	Councilmember Sobieski	Except for the...
03:40:59.73	Councilmember Sobieski	Yeah, I guess absolutely. But the thing I'm also, if I were to inquire more,
03:41:07.31	Councilmember Sobieski	is
03:41:08.74	Councilmember Sobieski	there's a there's a technical assessment about which is safer.
03:41:14.14	Councilmember Sobieski	And well, we have competing
03:41:15.09	Unknown	Well, we have competing views evidently because her consultant says the retaining wall is safe. We'd love to hear from her.
03:41:20.57	Councilmember Sobieski	I'd love to hear from her consultant or put her consultant in touch with the our engineer. So I would say professional to professional discussion because I mean, we have professionals here and professionals have, I know, you know, two doctors talking about the same patient. And when they talk to each other, there might be a third point of view that comes up or there might be more information for us.
03:41:24.89	Unknown	Thank you.
03:41:24.91	Mayor Cox	Yeah, so I would say...
03:41:28.49	Mayor Cox	Good.
03:41:32.20	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
03:41:40.97	Mayor Cox	Yes, so, Director McGowan, when you come back, we have to approve plans and specifications as well as award a contract. So when you come back, I would invite you to have your consultant have consulted with Mrs. DeHanian's consultant, and if they are unable to agree, then we can hear from both of them when we're asked to approve the project so that we can evaluate as best we are from the dais, which one leaves less potential risk to the resident as well as to the city.
03:42:13.56	Mayor Cox	Yes, Madam Mayor.
03:42:15.08	Mayor Cox	OK, thank you. All right, so we're going to authorize staff. I move we authorize staff to proceed with soliciting for construction bid process for the bridgeway slide repair below Woodward, seeking two separate bids for the two separate engineering solutions. And that we also, beyond this motion, we give direction to staff to have their consultant confer with Mrs. DeHaney and his consultant to see if they can reach a meeting of the minds.
03:42:45.23	Karen Hollweg	Second.
03:42:46.40	Mayor Cox	All in favor? Aye. Aye. That motion carries 4-0. Thank you so much. Thank you for being here at this late hour to assist us with this challenging situation.
03:42:54.70	Mayor Cox	I think there's one more right there. I know.
03:42:57.22	Vice Mayor Woodside	And speaking to that, I have to recuse myself. My home is, I think, within 500 feet of the proposed project, and that, under the FPPC rules, creates a presumption of conflict of interest. And I would not try to rebut that presumption because it would affect the road on which I and 16 neighbors have to contribute. It's a privately funded driveway just above this project. So I will excuse myself and be outside until the next item. Thank you.
03:43:31.27	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
03:43:31.30	Mayor Cox	Great.
03:43:31.47	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:43:31.50	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
03:43:31.52	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:43:31.59	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
03:43:32.48	Mayor Cox	All right, so the next item is authorized staff to proceed with soliciting for construction bids for the Edwards Marion retaining wall.
03:43:39.10	Mayor Cox	And again, we'll welcome...
03:43:40.45	Mayor Cox	Our Public Works Director, Kevin McGowan.
03:43:42.34	Kevin McGowan	Thank you again.
03:43:44.36	Kevin McGowan	the
03:43:45.26	Kevin McGowan	This project, which is located on Edwards and Marion intersection, this area has been experiencing soil movement on the top of the existing hard chert layer, which is a type of rock, the red rock in the area, for many years. Property owners above this area are concerned that the continued soil movement will impact their property.
03:44:06.33	Kevin McGowan	In addition, maintenance staff have continued to clean up debris
03:44:10.17	Kevin McGowan	from the road from the roadway annually.
03:44:13.79	Kevin McGowan	In 2024, Edwards Avenue was reconciled.
03:44:16.97	Kevin McGowan	constructed and a portion of the funding to support that work was allocated for this this stabilization of the hillside the design includes a soil nail with tycho mesh same as what you've heard about before some of the soil nails will need to be placed on private property to adequately secure the slope in place based on this based on this staff recommends pursuing a right of entry for the property from the property owners to allow the construction to occur however we definitely prefer to uh receive or work with the uh an encroachment permit or at least a a dedication of an easement for the city prior to actually starting with construction. Next slide, please. Okay.
03:45:08.52	Kevin McGowan	the,
03:45:10.78	Kevin McGowan	The site is slightly smaller than the one on Bridgeway, and the current engineers estimate is about $1.2 million for the site. Some additional allocation may be needed for the project, depending upon how bids are received. The timeline for this project is similar to the one on Bridgeway, and we anticipate the construction to be completed in December of 2025.
03:45:35.47	Kevin McGowan	The construction will be located at the intersection of Edwards and Marion. Road closures and traffic control measures should be anticipated for this work since the area is fairly tight. Staff will be notifying the residents on Marion as well as other areas off of Edwards that the construction is occurring. A lot of folks were, I don't want to say they were familiar with the work that happened on Edwards, but this will be similar. There's a little more area up there to install the tiebacks. We'll also be working with the fire department and the police department about this specific area. And next slide, please.
03:46:16.15	Kevin McGowan	So again, we are simply requesting council's approval to solicit for bids for the project. Authorization of construction funding will be addressed at the time of award. This project is noted on the capital improvement program. And thank you again for your time.
03:46:31.98	Kevin McGowan	That's it.
03:46:32.86	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:46:33.84	Mayor Cox	for that short and efficient presentation. I have one question.
03:46:38.51	Mayor Cox	Our staff report says that the worker will require the removal of some of the trees on the slope. And we just heard from a resident concerned about removal of trees without notice, prior notice to her. So I know you said you're going to notice the affected neighbors. Will this include neighbors possibly affected by trees on the slope? And will the trees on the slope that you're removing result in any loss of subjacent support. Subjacent report? Support. The hillside stability by virtue of the root system of the trees in the hillside.
03:47:06.59	Kevin McGowan	Support.
03:47:13.02	Kevin McGowan	Well, that's exactly what we're trying to support. So if you look at one of the slides we had up there, it shows that there's some overhanging bay trees where their root systems are undermined by the slippage of the slope. Those are the ones we're talking about specifically. We'll notify the adjacent residents upslope of this. I believe our senior engineers already talked to them about these trees and they have no objection to it, but we'll do it again just in case.
03:47:40.73	Unknown	I so appreciate that. Any other questions?
03:47:42.77	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:47:43.58	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:47:43.60	Unknown	I'll open up.
03:47:43.97	Mayor Cox	it up to public comment?
03:47:45.98	Unknown	Thank you.
03:47:46.00	City Clerk	See you then.
03:47:47.09	Mayor Cox	I'll close it. I move we authorize staff to proceed with soliciting for construction bid process for the Edwards Marion retaining wall.
03:47:55.30	Councilmember Sobieski	Second.
03:47:56.12	Mayor Cox	All in favor? Aye. That motion carries 3-0. 1 absent, 1 recused.
03:47:57.52	Councilmember Sobieski	Bye.
03:48:03.09	Mayor Cox	All right. With that, we'll invite...
03:48:06.20	Karen Hollweg	INVITED.
03:48:07.60	Mayor Cox	Is my back?
03:48:08.24	Mayor Cox	The vice mayor back.
03:48:15.48	Mayor Cox	Is he out there, Kevin?
03:48:17.10	Mayor Cox	Okay, thank you.
03:48:18.92	Mayor Cox	Next thing on our agenda is city manager information for council.
03:48:26.24	Michael	You want me to start, Mayor, or do you want me to wait for the...
03:48:28.13	Mayor Cox	So I'm looking to see.
03:48:31.10	Mayor Cox	Yeah, we can take two minutes.
03:48:35.42	Mayor Cox	We're going to resume. We're going to move on to the city manager's report, which includes a proposed reorganizational chart. City manager.
03:48:45.23	Michael	Thank you, Mayor and Council members of the public. I'll try to
03:48:48.01	Michael	blast through this for brevities or time's sake. As highlighted in the organization chart that's proposed, this all begins with public service to our residents. And that's why we are here. It starts with our citizens. And in particular, the city code requires a city manager to look at the operations of the city and recommend to the city council ways to become more efficient, align resources with personnel, and recommend, you know, what's best for creating an agile organization responsive to city policies. In the proposed reorganization you have, I want to make sure I clarify a few things. There are certain departments that are in there that are known to people, and there are certain functions that are in the org chart that are maybe new to Sausalito the sustainability function which is a dotted line across from the city manager is not a department it's a function that works the city manager who works with all departments as does a sustainability and resiliency. Under Public Works, you have what I show as a CIP, but that's actually the Capital Improvement Program, which is a function of the Public Works Department that would need to be aligned with the proposed organization charge, which would do a few things. One, it would create opportunities to be more efficient by virtue of creating a community services department, not a separate library department, not a separate recreation department. This all would be one department led by Brian Vitale. in the future, I'd recommend you collapse finance, human resources, risk management, and IT, which isn't listed on here, but which is part of finance, as administrative services, which you used to have. And at some point in the distant future, you might have public works planning building under what's called development services. Instead of having eight different little departments, you might have four departments with three We call it. you might have public works planning building under what's called development services. Instead of having eight different little departments, you might have four departments with three collapsed departments into certain functions that align. So this is a start in trying to make Sausalito more receptive to the council's policy direction, but it's also really important that the city council understand that, you know, this is all part of employing, creating employee opportunities for advanced growth. It's also a return into the police department of our former setup, which was a police chief, a captain or assistant chief, and a lieutenant. Two years ago, we asked you if we could create two lieutenant positions and hold off on the captain position to assess, you know, between the lieutenant candidates and persons in those positions, you know, who might be the captain in that regard. So we're asking to go back to that. So it sounds like it's new, but it's really not. It's what you used to do here a couple years ago, and we want to go back to it because it's all really about not just an agile organization and, you know, efficiency. It's also about succession planning and trying to create opportunities so that people can compete for that next job up or have some blue sky in those certain areas to advance in their careers and maybe stay longer in Sausalito. That concludes my report. I'm happy to answer questions.
03:52:23.56	Unknown	Any questions of the city manager?
03:52:27.57	Mayor Cox	Thank you for that thorough report, city manager, and for the thoughtfulness that went into the way that you are organizing and managing the staff. I think that all makes a lot of sense. So thank you so much.
03:52:40.11	Vice Mayor Woodside	Is there a action required on our part?
03:52:43.11	Mayor Cox	Yes, it is.
03:52:47.65	Mayor Cox	Well, on the agenda, it says.
03:52:51.72	Mayor Cox	approve the proposed city organizational chart so i'll move approval of the proposed city organizational chart
03:52:56.41	Unknown	Second.
03:52:57.78	Mayor Cox	All in favor? Aye. Aye.
03:53:01.90	Mayor Cox	All right.
03:53:03.16	Mayor Cox	City attorney information for council.
03:53:06.13	Sergio Rudin	Nothing to report at this time.
03:53:08.43	Mayor Cox	Councilmember Committee reports. I will report that I attended a BCDC meeting last week as part of, following my appointment as an alternate. It was very interesting. We heard news of their strategic plan and also of some modifications they're making to the manner in which they manage
03:53:33.47	Mayor Cox	uh,
03:53:35.39	Mayor Cox	sea level rise as well as subsidence so the land-based and the water-based impacts and I asked do you have anywhere in your strategic plan a plan to address the expanding 100-foot band of jurisdiction because as sea level rise occurs and subsidence occurs their jurisdiction will extend further and further inland and they said
03:54:01.57	Mayor Cox	That's a very good question.
03:54:03.46	Mayor Cox	And something that we will make plans to address. So, you know, they have a plan for future projects, but I think they also need to have a plan to address existing projects that become subject to their jurisdiction moving forward.
03:54:17.85	Mayor Cox	I also wanted everybody to know that the city of Sausalito will be hosting the MCC MC meeting this month. Yes, at the Spinnaker on May 28th.
03:54:30.22	Mayor Cox	I've invited a speaker on the e-bike ordinance to address MCCMC, since that's something our Council Member Blaustein has been advancing. I also invited Senator Mike McGuire, but I haven't heard back yet whether he'll be able to attend. But I encourage all of you to please make plans to attend. Any other committee reports?
03:54:52.31	Vice Mayor Woodside	I have a brief report. The city manager convened a group to further discuss something that's been going on for a long time. It has to do with the transfer of some of our
03:55:04.44	Vice Mayor Woodside	sewer responsibilities to the Sausalito Marin City sewer district. So in attendance included the general manager for the district, our city manager, council on both sides, and interestingly, two of the three elected sanitation board members from Sausalito. And Jill Hoffman and I represented, if you will, the council. You've asked us to follow through on that. So this will be coming back for a full public meeting and disclosure when and if there is a final agreement. We're optimistic that a transfer can take place, provided certain financial issues are ironed out so that they don't create a continuing burden on the city and also so that any bonds that are outstanding are defeased or paid off in advance, probably from the sanitation district funds, not city funds. So I think this could be a win-win for all of us to have a consolidated system and not have to piecemeal it as we have done in the past. So this will come back perhaps before the end of this fiscal year with some level of presentation, and we do have certain noticing requirements that we'll have to abide by before we can finalize and have a final decision. Thank you.
03:56:10.52	Katie Thau Garcia	I'll do it.
03:56:27.81	Michael	Thank you. Mayor, if I can add a little to the vice mayor's report, which was spot on. I think I would just say that the funds are not paid for by the district. They're paid for by the rate payers that are all part of the district and the city at this time. And the other thing, since Councilmember Hoffman is not feeling well, one of the things that she requested in my regular conversation with her is that the city council as a whole receive an update on this at an upcoming agenda item as an upcoming agenda item so she said she would bring that forward during the gender request but since she's not here I will convey that to you and you know it doesn't have to be an hour report but maybe you know some time spent on it to talk about what it is and what it's not would be really time well spent for the community's benefit and for staff's benefit as well. Thank you.
03:57:19.59	Mayor Cox	Thank you, city manager. I will note that we did
03:57:22.83	Mayor Cox	take action on this at the end of last year when we adopted the MOU and so perhaps an update regarding what has changed since adoption of the MOU and the update and
03:57:34.92	Mayor Cox	All right, with that, I will move on to 6D, consider making an appointment to the Economic Development Advisory Committee. Before I nominate two candidates, I will open it up to public comment. Is there any public comment on the appointment of,
03:57:51.50	Mayor Cox	members to the Economic Development Advisory Committee.
03:57:56.72	City Clerk	Oh, we have a bad bug to go.
03:58:03.57	Unknown	Go ahead.
03:58:04.35	Ms. McDougal	There is.
03:58:05.76	Ms. McDougal	Can you hear me okay?
03:58:07.00	Ms. McDougal	Thank you.
03:58:08.09	Ms. McDougal	So thank you. I just want to say with regard to the EDAC,
03:58:13.10	Ms. McDougal	I'm not exactly sure about why we are not exercising this consistency if perhaps there were no new people applying for positions there. However, I do believe, frankly, that both Cass Green and Linda Fotch are perfectly good candidates to remain on if,
03:58:31.84	Ms. McDougal	If that seems to be copacetic with all the residents here, other
03:58:36.31	Ms. McDougal	constituent holders, I have placeholders, I'm all for it.
03:58:39.60	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:58:39.99	Mayor Cox	Ms. McDougal, you're speaking to a consent item
03:58:40.09	Ms. McDougal	Ms. McDougal, you're-
03:58:40.71	Unknown	Thank you.
03:58:41.25	Ms. McDougal	to a consent item.
03:58:42.35	Ms. McDougal	we already voted on.
03:58:43.45	Mayor Cox	We already voted to extend their terms.
03:58:46.50	Ms. McDougal	Yes, ma'am, I know. I thought you were just asking for a comment generally about what you've just discussed. A wee interview. It had to do with ADAC.
03:58:51.11	Mayor Cox	It had to do with ADAC.
03:58:53.35	Mayor Cox	Nope. We interviewed two candidates this evening. Yes, I know. I'm asking for comment on that.
03:58:56.58	Ms. McDougal	Yes, I know.
03:59:02.03	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:59:02.04	Ms. McDougal	When you don't think my comment is directly relevant?
03:59:04.73	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
03:59:05.40	Ms. McDougal	All right, well, I don't mind withdrawing it. If you don't see the point I'm trying to make with regard to these candidates or others like them, I'm happy to withdraw the candidates. I'm not asking you to withdraw. I do.
03:59:15.04	Mayor Cox	I just would like to hear your perspective on the two questions.
03:59:19.76	Mayor Cox	candidates that we interviewed this evening and are considering appointing to the EDAC.
03:59:27.02	Ms. McDougal	Yes, ma'am. That's exactly what I was referring to. So I support the endorsement of the two candidates. That's the bottom line.
03:59:34.34	Ms. McDougal	because they have proven abilities that they are most certainly both integral to the community and its functioning.
03:59:42.17	Ms. McDougal	And I think we don't get better than the people who have to roll up their sleeves and deliver a bottom line month in and month out on behalf of...
03:59:49.78	Ms. McDougal	the functioning, what turns out to be the functioning of this community.
03:59:54.00	Ms. McDougal	That's all. It's that kind of a broad statement that these are the kind of people
03:59:58.49	Ms. McDougal	that I believe are more ideally suited to the EDAC.
04:00:02.73	Ms. McDougal	than those who might come in with new ideas.
04:00:07.20	Mayor Cox	Please finish your thought. I don't think I can.
04:00:08.61	City Clerk	No, for the second.
04:00:09.42	City Clerk	Thank you.
04:00:09.46	Mayor Cox	a comment
04:00:10.81	City Clerk	All right, you want me to...
04:00:11.70	Mayor Cox	I want Ms. McDougall to finish her thoughts.
04:00:18.79	Ms. McDougal	Thank you. That's very kind. What I'm trying to make clear, and I apologize that I'm not making myself clear enough to you, but thank you for allowing this. I am merely trying to say that the example of these two candidates is a really good example of the kind of people that the EDUC likely will be more productive with.
04:00:38.28	Ms. McDougal	And the city will profit more directly by the wisdom of their experience. And this is the ideal profile of the kind of people, as opposed to others, that may or may not have direct experience in the functioning of this town's economy. Thank you so much.
04:00:53.94	Vice Mayor Woodside	but who have...
04:00:56.88	Vice Mayor Woodside	Are you prepared to make a nomination or two?
04:00:58.75	Mayor Cox	I am. So unfortunately, I don't think she realized that I'm considering nominating two new candidates who we interviewed tonight. We already approved the continuation of the existing of Cass, Green, and Teresa Ancona. All right. So I move that we appoint to the E-DAC Alexander...
04:01:21.57	Mayor Cox	Bleleben and Alexander White.
04:01:26.98	Mayor Cox	Second.
04:01:28.06	Vice Mayor Woodside	Thank you.
04:01:28.08	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
04:01:28.10	Vice Mayor Woodside	second.
04:01:28.37	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
04:01:28.38	Vice Mayor Woodside	you
04:01:28.45	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
04:01:28.52	Mayor Cox	All in favor? Aye. Aye. That motion carries 4-0.
04:01:29.38	Vice Mayor Woodside	Uh,
04:01:33.41	Mayor Cox	Next is future agenda items. I made note of two. One is the displacement ordinance that we requested. Another is the...
04:01:46.93	Mayor Cox	reporting of the CEDD manager to commence reporting on a, well, that was actually Direction of the Dendai.
04:01:59.55	Mayor Cox	The other is the sewer.
04:02:01.15	Mayor Cox	consolidation update for lack of a better word.
04:02:04.58	Mayor Cox	Any other future agenda items?
04:02:06.76	Karen Hollweg	I just want to make a note here that I know we have a lot to cover, but we need to limit how much we put on our agendas. Because if we're starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m., it's hard for members of the public to be able to be with us and be present to engage for the entirety of the meeting. And these are really important topics. And I find myself not wanting to ask as many questions after a certain hour that I might otherwise. And I imagine that folks watching at home probably feel much more fatigued than I do. And I just would, I know that, again, I know we have a lot to cover, but perhaps we limit special presentations or we rethink that format or we limit it to three business items or reinstitute a practice that we previously had where after 10 p.m. we don't hear new business items and continue them.
04:02:46.45	Karen Hollweg	I would be open to beginning the meetings earlier or be open to,
04:02:50.33	Karen Hollweg	um,
04:02:50.99	Karen Hollweg	you know, having an additional meetings, but I just don't want to compromise efficiency. I think it's really important we have
04:02:57.57	Karen Hollweg	these conversations in the format that they deserve instead of kind of false act. So I just want to say, please consider that for agenda setting. Heard.
04:02:58.66	Katie Thau Garcia	and,
04:03:06.97	Sergio Rudin	And Mayor, if I may make a comment on the last agenda item, which is the appointments to the EDAC, I noted in the staff report that it discusses there being only one vacancy.
04:03:18.58	Sergio Rudin	Can we ask the city clerk to confirm that there are in fact two vacant? There are two vacant.
04:03:22.51	Mayor Cox	There are two vacancies. He did confirm that, and we also had correspondence from the chair, Scott Thornburg, confirming that.
04:03:23.25	City Clerk	vacancies.
04:03:30.61	Unknown	Thank you.
04:03:30.64	Councilmember Sobieski	very well. Thank you.
04:03:31.54	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
04:03:32.13	Councilmember Sobieski	I might tell with my colleagues comments to say that I think you're experimenting with this notion of having time limited discussion, you might experiment with the notion of having time limit Q&A.
04:03:45.09	Councilmember Sobieski	You can always do cycles of questions, but.
04:03:49.41	Unknown	And what would you recommend in terms of timing of questions?
04:03:54.15	Unknown	Okay.
04:03:55.26	Unknown	That's
04:03:57.00	Unknown	Thank you.
04:03:57.05	Mayor Cox	I'll
04:03:58.03	Unknown	people.
04:03:58.25	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
04:03:58.70	Unknown	I'll,
04:03:58.98	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
04:03:59.03	Unknown	I'LL ADD THAT AS
04:03:59.97	Mayor Cox	that's a good thing.
04:04:00.04	Unknown	the consent item.
04:04:00.97	Mayor Cox	an update to our protocols.
04:04:03.75	Councilmember Sobieski	It will cycle, so it's effectively a nominate in the same sense, but just will help.
04:04:05.81	Mayor Cox	Yeah.
04:04:07.57	Mayor Cox	Yep.
04:04:07.70	Mayor Cox	Thank you.
04:04:07.72	Councilmember Sobieski	you
04:04:07.95	Councilmember Sobieski	Thank you.
04:04:08.27	Councilmember Sobieski	Organize the mind.
04:04:09.84	Mayor Cox	Yes.
04:04:11.75	Councilmember Sobieski	All very good. Okay. And, you know, I'll just continue to harp on my request that we bring back the notion of an urban plan that we considered two years ago at the city council. We considered it in a different context. This particular housing element has sailed or will sail, hopefully, off into the sunset. But we're going to have to do it again soon. So having an urban plan as an alternate approach to the one we just went through.
04:04:38.82	Councilmember Sobieski	I think will behoove us. And, uh,
04:04:42.19	Councilmember Sobieski	I know outgoing Chair Feller was big into urban planning, and I echo her sentiments to bring that idea here. So I'd like to have that come back. We had an RFI out there that was responded to.
04:04:54.88	Mayor Cox	Okay, so I'm hearing competing things, because we have a list of priorities for this year that does not include the urban planning, and I'm hearing that I'm having meetings run too long as I'm addressing the priorities that we do have. So I will absolutely add that to the agenda items list, and we'll see if we are able to fit it in amongst the priorities that all five of us aligned upon.
04:05:17.09	Councilmember Sobieski	Yeah, I mean, others would have to chime in about when and if they want to see stuff come up.
04:05:22.14	Mayor Cox	Okay, thank you all very much. There are no other reports of significance. I will now take public comment on items 6A through 6C and 6E through 6G.
04:05:33.69	City Clerk	See you then.
04:05:34.89	Mayor Cox	All right. With that, I will adjourn the meeting at 1058 p.m. Thank you, everybody.

City Council May 6, 2025

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