All right, welcome everybody.
>> Welcome everyone. I'd like to call this
meeting to order.
So, let's start with roll call.
Veronica,
» Council Member Walter,
>> I present.
>> Council member Hasco,
>> I present. [laughter]
>> Council member Flynn,
>> present.
>> Vice Mayor Hufty,
>> present.
>> Mayor Taylor,
>> present.
>> We have a quorum. Great. Thank you.
All right. So, the first thing on the
agenda is presentations and
proclamation. And our first proclamation
is for Ethan Radford um and his
appointment to the United States Naval
Academy. So, unfortunately, well,
fortunately for him, but um
unfortunately for us, Ethan is on his
way to the Naval Academy, so he cannot
be here this evening. Um but we have
siblings here that are going to
basically accept it on his behalf. So,
we have
a beautiful proclamation. And normally
what we do with these is we ask you to
come up and the council comes up and we
all take a big picture and then we'll
send you the picture and then you can
tell Ethan like you have a proclamation.
He'll come back at Christmas or
something. You can give it to him. So,
okay. So, why don't we all just stand up
here and
» did you confirm that the that it is
class of class of 2026?
>> Classic.
No,
>> we just
» [laughter]
» Maybe I can just say as we're sitting
down
>> how it how it came Could be that we did
this proclamation
council.
>> Sure.
>> Oh uh I happened to go to Sam Licardo's
uh presentation of his candidates at the
Mafood field because we were discussing
the safety element and whether we
actually had and it was in our own
response hanger. So I got to see where
our response team is which I thought was
very interesting. And then by God there
we had our own person who got
acknowledged with their very own name
and I was so excited to have a real
reason and a real representative. So
thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
>> Gave me a reason to go.
» All right. So with that let's move move
on to 3B which is a presentation from
Sano County Mosquito and Vector Control
District.
We can we even have electricity here.
>> Wherever you like it. Where where you
comfortable. Either either place.
Wherever.
>> I can see the screen from here.
>> Oh yeah. No problem.
Yeah. So I'm Brian Weber. I'm the
district manager at Sontel County
Mosquito.
I just want to thank the council for uh
honoring mosquito control awareness week
with us. We really appreciate it.
No problem.
[laughter]
» I have to say getting into the Naval
Academy is not easy. That was a really
impressive feat. So,
>> it was it was certainly an impressive
ceremony, too. It was fun.
>> Oh, is that right? Yeah.
>> Yeah. Who knew that California could do
that kind of stuff?
Okay,
so do I just say next slide? Okay, we'll
go to the next slide. So, um I only have
five slides. Uh real quickly, I think
one of the important things about us
coming and talking to you all is um so
you're aware of our services. Uh, I was
just telling your board representative,
Robert, that I think one of the biggest
things that we're always trying to do at
these type of events and um all of our
outreach efforts is just understand that
the public knows we exist. That's number
one. And that they can call us for any
one of these services. That's that's one
of the most important things. We're the
experts in the county and we want your
residents to reach out to us. Um, so I'm
going to go down this list and just
briefly describe
um how we deploy these services. So
mosquito control, believe it or not,
we're one of the oldest organized
mosquito control districts in the
country. So we've been operating for
about um almost 120 years. And uh it
started when people wanted of course to
develop the peninsula and they hired a
professor from Berkeley who came over
and came up with an integrated program
uh to treat the mosquito larvae in what
was um the salt marsh. So I think the
biggest thing is um to have the council
aware is we do in-house testing of
mosquitoes for Westnile virus. Uh that
is the only virus currently of concern
in the Bay Area. there. Not too long
ago, there was a lot talked about of
deni and Zika virus, things like that,
uh, that were in the media, but as it
currently stands, we do not have those
mosquitoes in Sano County. Uh, long
story, we had them back in 2015, but we were able to gain eradication status.
However, those mosquitoes um invasive
species called 80s Egypt eye, uh, they
are in Santa Clara County and some of
our surrounding counties. They do a
great job at living uh and proliferating
around people. So, we would expect that
they're going to be back uh sometime
soon. Uh mosquito fish. So, we breed
mosquito fish on site. We have a rearing
facility. Uh our mosquito fish, they
only go into man-made containers, but
residents can call us. They can either
stop by the district and pick up a bag
of fish like you would with a goldfish
at a uh at a pet store or they can call
the district and all our response time
is always one business day. I've been
there over 20 years. I can't think of a
time where we weren't able to respond in
one business day. So, um they can call
we can drop the mosquito fish into those
man-made containers, ornamental ponds.
Sometimes people have wine barrels with
a little fountain so um they can tell us
the size of the feature and we even will
um uh some homeowners they're not able
to take care of their swimming pool
anymore. We'll also put fish into the swimming pool and they reproduce on
their own and they eat all the mosquito
larvae. It avoids us having to use uh
control products.
So, insect and tick ID
residents, uh, anyone can bring an
insect or email, uh, an insect, no
matter what type, to the district and
we'll identify it for them. If it's an
insect of public health significance,
um, then we'll come out to the
resident's home and do an inspection and
advise them on how to get rid of those
insects. We we're not going to do the
control work like as we would mosquito
control. However, um we'll advise them
often give them a report if it's rodent
or or raccoon skunk related and they can
take that road map to a pest control
operator or even do the work themselves
that they need to do. Most of our
residents in Santo County hire a pest
control operator. But um in the instance
of say our rodent inspections, we advise
the homeowners on um our biggest thing
is there are rodents in Sonteo County.
There are always going to be our only
concern is when they're getting into
your living space. And so what our staff
does is they go out and they recommend
areas in your home that you need to fix
or uh or shore up, put a put it put a
new screen on. We'll give um just like
with the insect ID, we'll give a roadmap
on what to fix to keep rodents out of
your house permanently. If they want to
call a pest control operator following
that, uh we'll actually come out and
inspect the pest control operator's work
to make sure that they did an
appropriate job. Uh sometimes we'll even
work with the pest control operator.
Sometimes they don't love that, but um
we we'll ensure that they did an
appropriate job. And you know everything
we recommend does not involve the use of
rotic sites.
Yellow jacket control. You'll see on the
next slide that um of the service calls
we get in Portola Valley the biggest
ones we get is for yellow jacket
control. So yellow jackets 99% of the
control work we do are the ground
nesting yellow jackets. And I know you
all have them here. You probably have
the little traps up. But um if you know
where the hole is in the ground, then
we'll come out and we'll either
depending on the situation, we'll either
put a treatment in the ground or we'll
dig it up and remove it all together.
Community education, I spoke a little
bit about that and in a moment I'll talk
about our open house. It's occurring
this Saturday. And um disease
surveillance. So I talked about we do
have a laboratory that can do in-house
testing for Westnile virus. We also test
for Lyme disease and um of the ticks we
collect in Sontel County, the Lyme
disease prevalence is about 1 to 3%.
Okay. And just uh briefly, there was a
note at the bottom that obviously we're
paid for by uh by taxes, but there is no
additional charge for us to come out.
So, you know, um there are houses we've
been to 10 times in a in a year. So um
it we always tell if you have one of
these problems please call us. So thank
you. Next slide.
So this is uh 2025 snapshot for Portola
Valley and considering so we have uh
we're approaching 200 service requests
and what these numbers tell me
considering they're only 45 you know
approximately 4,500 residents is that
the the town residents are well educated
and aware of our services and we always
know we could be we'd uh be doing better
but um so we had 177 service requests
you can see of those were just for
yellow jackets as I spoke about 51 for
rodent requests. So um you know mosquito
service requests pretty small. So, as
you can tell in this um in your town
anyway, uh the bigger issues are people
calling out rod ends. And I know you all
have done a lot of work um with um with
how you approach rodent control in the
town. And so maybe some of that uh also
prompted people to call us and look at
alternative approaches instead of
putting bait out there. That could also
be happening. But um site inspections,
those are water. So, our staff uses a
geospatial database. Site inspections
are associated with water sources that
we know have already produced mosquitoes
in the past. We keep those in a database
till they're gone or dried out or
removed. So, it could be anything from
an impounded area like a a willow forest
that is seasonal or a um a bucket in a
resident's backyard. So that that's the spectrum of everything that we'll
inspect and work with the homeowner on
remove. But um in 2025, our technician
visited uh 839 properties in Portola
Valley.
And one of the positive things, no
Westnile virus positive.
Next slide. Okay. And as I said, the the
biggest reason that we're here and um in
any way that the town can help out is
just getting residents to call us if
they're getting mosquito bites. Um once we know someone has received a
mosquito bite, we come out to the
property and we'll talk to the
neighboring residents. What what we're
doing is looking for the water source
and trying to eliminate it. So, um
that's that's exactly what we do. Our
technicians take the time, inspect the
neighboring properties and work with the
homeowners to either um eliminate the
standing water or treat it. Next slide.
And again, this just I already mentioned
a lot of this, but reporting dead birds
is is big. Um, one of the ways that we
are um that that we identify Westnile
virus in an area is when someone calls
in a dead bird. And um what we'll often
do, we'll test the dead bird. If it's
appropriate for testing inhouse, if it's
positive for Westnile virus, we'll come
out and set traps in that area
overnight, collect those mosquitoes and
test them for Westnau virus. If it's if
those mosquitoes are positive for
Westnau virus, that's when we have to
determine whether we would do an adult
treatment. We haven't done one in over
five years, but it does happen. And and
what that would mean is there's adult
mosquitoes flying around with with
active virus. If they bit someone, they
could transmit that disease. Um I talked
about people dumping standing water.
That's a list of you know breeding sites that we find on
residential properties. Next slide.
And I talked about our open house. Um, I
think anyone who comes out would be
pleasantly surprised, believe it or not.
I know it probably doesn't sound like
the most exciting thing to do is come to
a mosquito district, but there we have a
lot of um cool equipment that we use.
And um we we have our laboratory. We
have a lot of different insect
collections from around the world. And
um all of our staff are really engaged
and and happy to educate residents on
anything I spoke about today. So that's
actually this weekend on the 27th from
12 to 4. And we we used to have it
during the week, we moved it to the
weekend to try and get more people to
come. So um come visit our open house.
I think that's it. Yeah. Was there any
questions?
Thank you, Brian. Questions for
>> I have questions. I always love my my
favorite organization, by the way. I I
this is the closest I get to what I want
in this town, which is the one health
organization to dominate, which is that
the community lives by the health of the
environment and the health and the
environment lives by the health of the
people. So, and that's a CDC um project.
Uh and this is a great organization. My two things with you guys is I thought
you were just doing mosquitoes for the
20 first 20 years I dealt with you. Uh
and then you gave up my favorite job,
which was that you clean the the creeks
for us.
>> That's right.
>> So every year I remind you that if we
don't clean the creeks, we're still
going to we're still going to get
flooding and we're going to get
mosquitoes and we're going to get
whatever mosquitoes. So I'm keep hoping
you'll put that back on. No hope.
Any hope? Can you will you help us again
with the with the
>> Yeah, with the creeks. Any anything we
can do like that? We're happy to work
with with any city, any town. Um staff,
[clears throat] like I said, are really
engaging if there's something.
>> We were pretty much told last time last
year that there was no creek happening
because of fishing game.
>> Uh oh. Well, yeah. So, within our
abilities, right? So, I know depending
on what exactly the work is, you might
need a stream bed alteration permit.
There's a fine line sometimes with that,
but you know, I could always talk to
Okay, manager.
>> I'll call you. Okay.
>> Thank you.
>> Go ahead.
>> So, thank you for the presentation. Um,
I've heard of you guys, but I didn't
know is everything that you've done. Um,
so this is great to know about ticks.
Um, do you guys do anything around it?
Didn't say anything. So, this is just a
question. like I've been seeing more
rattlesnake issues. Um, so I know this
is more vector like [laughter] vector
and but pest management, right? Because
people have been definitely I'm
definitely seeing more posts about
rattlers. So
>> yeah. So if somebody called about
rattlesnakes, we could certainly advise
them, but no, there's no control work
that's done. I do know there are
services, paid services in the county,
um, that you can have if you have them
on your private property and you want
them removed, you can actually pay
someone to do that. You know, I think
it's somewhere in the vicinity of $300
to $500. But anything that's a nuisance
to residents of the county, we'll we're
always happy to work with them. And you
know, I we've been on kitten calls under
a building and sometimes when there there's, you know, the residents
have nobody to call, we're happy to at
least come out, show our face and try
and work with them whether it's exactly
in our wheelhouse or not.
>> Great. Thank you. Okay. Um, and then the
last one would be it's a little beyond
but because of the rodent situation to
use to helping the owl population to
help with owl boxes. Have you guys done
anything around that?
>> I did um years ago. I know that there
was a I presented at um something a few
years ago. So we've done outreach um
maybe it was in Woodside but um that was
talking about the owl boxes and I had
presented on rodent control without the
use of rodentic side. Um so we do often
talk about that. I know that owl boxes
can be successful but they're they're
really hit or miss. We have worked with
the Boy Scouts on that before where they
put up a bunch in Hillsboro and um
different things like that. But
certainly our staff are educated on uh
raptors and um you know educate
homeowners on on their success with with
rodent control. And obviously they can't
control rodents to a population level,
but as I spoke about earlier, when we're
talking about rodents in a household,
usually that has nothing to do, you
know, getting them out of that household
isn't going to impact any raptors.
>> Okay. Thank you. Thanks for what you're
doing.
>> Sure. Thank you.
>> Other questions for Brian?
>> Yeah, I do. um for for areas that have
like a seasonal pond that's just sort of
dead, you know, the end of winter, it's
sitting there and it'll dry out
eventually, do you come out and put the
fish in or mosquito dunks or something
or
>> Yeah. So, we do have um and quite often
it's necessary, you know, that's a
perfect example where um if we know
something's going to dry out, we're not
going to put mosquito fish in there. But
we do have a variety of biorational
products that when you're treating
mosquito larvae, they only kill the
mosquito larvae. They don't even kill
the other aquatic invertebrates in the
water column. So, um that's why it's
always important for people to call us.
Uh you would think, you know, mosquito
control can be complex and depend every
situation is completely different. So
that's why we always recommend someone
coming out evaluating it and um we would
uh we're going to resolve the problem
one way or another and working with
them.
>> And if you put mosquito fish in a
swimming pool that's no longer kind of
in use.
>> Yeah.
>> Do you need to feed the fish?
>> No.
>> So what recommend [laughter] not feed
the fish so that they continue to eat
the larvae and they reproduce rapidly. I
can say that there are some swimming
pools where we only put 20 fish and by
the end of the summer there were a
thousand fish in there. So they
reproduce rapidly and they'll control
their own population. So you don't have
to feed them depending on how much food
is available. Their population stays
about that size. But we recommend not
feeding
>> and a rain tank. Do you recommend a fish
or the dunks
>> in uh in what was that barrel? rain tank
like a 30,000gallon rain
>> like a 30,000galon tank. So the fish do
need access um you know
>> sunlight
>> to yeah to sunlight right so in that
instance yeah we would recommend the
dunks
>> oh and um you had said that 1 to 3% of
the ticks do have Lyme disease um is
that in specific areas you've found or
is it completely random or
>> Yeah. So I don't know. So we we do
what's called tick dragging. It's just
as it sounds where you have a piece of
felt and you drag it along all the
public trails around here, pick the
ticks off and then um and then we test
them. So those numbers do vary. Um but
generally, you know, if if we had a
really high number, we would notify that
community. Um however, we we haven't
noticing we've been testing for a long
time now, so we don't always get to
every trail every year. It might be
every third year, but I can't stand here
and say that there was a abnormally high
number in Pacifica or Portolo Valley or
it's usually just always right around in
that range.
>> Uh and then in terms of biting bugs
besides mosquitoes, do you do you have
any recommendations for that? Yeah, I
mean we there are always repellents that
we recommend
depending on the repellent in the
situation.
There are there are only a few products
that are uh recommended by the EPA. So
it's picaridin and de and so obviously
with the higher percentage of that
material the more effective it is.
However um we often just recommend you
put that on your clothes. Wearing long
sleeves and long pants is always going
to be best in areas where you have
biting insects, especially of public
health significance. But um but yeah,
with with mosquitoes, if you add that
additional layer of repellent, even with
ticks, um a lot of those products can
repel ticks as well. So I know there are
some biting flies, not not to a great
degree in the county, but sometimes a
year that could be a concern as well.
Yeah,
>> I just want to thank you. Um Oh, is it
my turn?
>> Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I was
going to say go ahead.
>> I just want to thank you. I think it's
one of the higher value uh lower profile
services that our government provides.
So, I do encourage the public to think
about availing itself of education and consultation. So, thank you.
>> Thanks.
>> So, and I had two quick questions.
something like glassywing sharpshooter.
Is that something you guys go after or
is that egg department?
>> That's the egg department.
>> Okay. Yeah, I thought it might be. Um,
and then just because you piqu my
curiosity, what happens when you have
adult mosquitoes that have Nile, West
Nile? Like, are you going to then, you
know, fog the area or what do you do?
>> Yeah. So, every situation's different.
We always say we want a minimum of two
pieces of scientific information to
confirm the result. Um, so we have
fogged before as I said the last time we
did was 5 years ago but you know in
accordance with the you know state
health department guidelines it is still
the only way to control adult mosquitoes
actively carrying virus right so we have
that extremely proactive larviting
program because you can use those
biorational products we have a database
with over 10,000 water sources that we
inspect on a regular basis to um to to
ensure we're controlling mosquitoes at
the larville stage. But yes, there are
instances where we where we would fog
and that is because we've determined
that the risk to the public is too great
that we we would have to do
>> Great. Thank you. Yes.
>> Sorry, but I have to follow up on that.
>> Can I ask whether you have anything to
do with the fogging at Jasper Ridge? Uh
because nobody asked the question. So
the
>> uh we're we're currently I've been
notified that we're fogging Jasper
Ridge. Have they had West Nile that uh
they reported or
>> So Jasper Ridge what that actually is
it's not a fogging. It's it's using the
biorational larvides that I've talked
about.
>> Okay.
>> Being applied by a drone. It used to be
applied by helicopter. I think this is
going on the 23rd year that this type of
application has occurred. But there is
as you know there are areas up there
large inexp inaccessible to our
technicians and it's such a great area
it requires aerial application. So we
have in the past three four years
transition to drone use. It's uh less
disruptive but yeah it's just applying
the same product that we would put in
someone's backyard fish pond or anywhere
else. It's just on a greater scale.
>> Thank you. Sorry.
>> Yeah. No worries. So, I just wanted to
say thank you. This has been very
informative and hopefully we'll get some
of this information in our next
newsletter that we send out to everybody
in the town. Yep.
>> So, Brian, thank you very much for your
time.
>> All right. Thank you.
>> All right. With that, I'm going to close
3B.
>> Thank you.
>> And move on to 3C.
>> Uh, yeah, actually. Yeah, sure. We
always do that. Thank you for the
reminder.
>> Do I have to? Do we [laughter] have to?
>> Yeah, we have to. Come on.
>> How about you can do it?
>> Come on. Come on.
>> No.
One, two, three.
» Thank you. Thank you so much.
Appreciate it.
Okay. So, now we'll move on to a
presentation from PG&E.
» Welcome.
» Good evening. Thank you for having me.
I'm thrilled to be back in the hometown
of Pulla Valley. I am Marjgerie Ruizgo.
I remain your senior local government
affairs representative for Pug Genie
serving the county of
May I just say I'm I'm thrilled to be
talking about safety today.
That being said, um every meeting at P
Gen starts with a safety message and
tonight should be no different. So, I am
sure that everyone woke up this morning
to or you would have been awake before
to hear your cell phones buzz buzzing
from USGS's earthquake alert. And so, in
that spirit,
an emergency
is not the best time to be prepared. And
so, I'd love to remind the public that
being prepared is critical. And a
disaster supply kit with food, water,
medications, emergency contacts can make
a real difference when it matters most.
If you need any ideas, tips, learn more
at pg.comsafetyaction
center.
Please, it's okay. So, our agenda for
the night, where we're going. So, we're
going to learn about identifying and
reducing wildfire risk. We're going to
learn about enhanced power line safety
settings, known internally as EPSS. P
Gen has all of the acronyms and then
we'll take questions at the end. So to
kick us off, let's discuss how we
identify and reduce wildfire risk.
As you can see from this map, more than
half of our service area is considered
high fire risk. So for P Gen, that means
we are laser focused on safety for our
customers and communities. We use this
map to help target our wild safety, our
wild fire safety efforts in the areas
that need them most. And so with that
context, I'll walk you through the
layers of wildfire protection that we
use which are designed to reduce said
risk and protect our customers.
Thank you. So these are layers of
wildfire protection. Last time I was
here, I introduced the P Genie reported
app and mentioned our safety toolkit
which includes cameras, drones,
helicopters, and foot patrols. But
today, I want to expand further on this
topic. Each year we evaluate wildfire
risk and conduct safety work in these
areas. And so this safety work includes
as you can see situational awareness,
operational mitigations, resiliency
work. And these are the guiding
philosophies that help us do our work.
And sit so for example situational
awareness tools like meteorology. We
have an in-house meteorology team 247
release weather reports three times a
day. And these are the models that PG&
relies on when planning um resiliency
work, wildfire safety, EPSS settings
during storm season. We will use these
models to help inform us where we're
going to pre-stage crews, equipment,
anything to cut down that response time
and have everyone in position should
anything arise.
Now, our long-term resiliency work
includes installing stronger poles,
covered power lines, as well as the
undergrounding in the highest priority
power lines. I'm sorry, undergrounding.
It's a mouthful to get through these
undergrounding in high fire threat
districts. So, that's something else
that we do as far as resiliency work. We
also manage, you'll see our arborists in
your neighborhoods. I imagine you've
been seeing them here in Perola Valley.
We manage our trees, vegetation,
anything located near our power lines to
help prevent outages and wildfires. We
also conduct additional inspections and
we maintain greater clearances in those
areas that have fire threat districts,
high fire threat districts um when there
is an increased risk of wildfires,
especially with the context of the
weather. So, we don't just rely on any
single one of these. We do all of these
cohesively.
For example, we'll install a stronger
pole. We will come in and prune trees
and we manage these with cameras, with
drones, helicopters. We're constantly
inspecting all of our assets. A lot of
this is public. You can learn more about
this wildfire safety progress through
the years on our website at
pen.comwfiresafety
progress and you'll be able to track
what we do there.
Enhanced power line safety settings.
These are advanced protective settings
that make the electric system more
sensitive to potential hazard. These
they automatically shut off power in
fractions of a second, sometimes within
an eighth of a second when a threat is
detected to help prevent power line
related wildfire ignitions.
Let's talk about this map. This is
Portola Valley. You will see that white
boundary there. And Portola Valley is
fed by two circuits that come from two
substations them there. the Menllo 112
in green and the Woodside 111 in purple.
Both of these circuits, the entirety of
these circuits are EPSS enabled. And
what that means is that these EPSS
devices that detect anything foreign to
the line live on those segments of the
line.
Slide, please.
So, let's walk you through a scenario.
A foreign object hits the line. the
safety settings turn power off quickly.
And so what that means is that and
council member Walter, you've you've
visited us so you'll you'll remember
this. The line reclosure will open. The
line reclosure lives on the line and as
soon as it detects any foreign object,
it'll automatically open and it will
deenergize that line. It will try to
reopen and if it doesn't detect that
it's safe to do so, it will immediately
deenergize and trigger a patrol. And so
we'll come out here. We will inspect the
entirety of that line. Until eyes are
physically on it, I am not able to reize
that line. Now, these patrols also
inform the system improvement work we do
to prevent similar hazards from causing
future outages. We constantly monitor
wildfire conditions to determine when to
turn EPSS safety settings on or off. We
are in fire season, so right now all of
these circuits in the town of Portulla
Valley are enabled.
what in what guides us in turning on
these settings. So we examine low
humidity, dry fuels like dead leaves or
grass and greater wind speeds. Those are
the three ingredients that we are
looking for to turn on these EPSS
settings. EPSS is PG& developed
technology. It came about in 2021. It
has a 69 to 70%
um safety setting. I'm sorry, reduction
of ignition success rate. And it's it's
been so successive that we are
consulting on this in Maui, in the
Palisades, in Oregon. It's it's become a
lead safety instrument in the industry.
Next slide, please.
Now, that being said, in the middle of
keeping everyone safe, we absolutely
recognize that losing power is
inconvenient and it is our priority to
keep in customers informed in the event
of a safety outage. Since the power
turns off so quickly, sometimes within
an eighth of a second, due to the
potential safety hazard, it is not
possible for me to notify in advance.
However, we are able to provide
customers with updates during and
following an outage through their
preferred contact method. This includes
text messages, emails, andor automated
calls. Once power is restored, we will
also send a notification to confirm
power is back on along with information
on the outage cause if it is available.
We have not always been able to do this.
Um, we've not always been able to follow
up with a cause in the past, but we do
have a dedicated team internally that is
working on developing and improving this
communication system.
Slide, please.
And so, I'll take the opportunity here
to say P Gen is only able to communicate
with customers based on the customer's
communication preferences. So, if anyone
has any trouble, customers can see a
step-by-step guide on how to update
their preferred contact method by
scanning that QR code on the screen or
by visiting pg.com/preferences
guide.
Slide, please.
So, for more information in work taking
place in the area, we also have an
interactive map that lets you see
exactly where reliability work is taking
place on power lines serving you. And
this progress map can also be accessed
by visiting pgen.com
progress map or by scanning that QR code
there.
This was a brief but I think it I've
introduced the mechanics of how EPSS
settings work. I'd love to take your
questions now. Um we might want to keep
up that presentation Darcy because I
might use it to explain a few things
depending on the questions.
from the council.
Becca,
>> uh, thank you so much for coming to tell
us all about this. Um, so we have two
circuits that control large parts of
Port all of Porto Valley.
>> Yes. You know, in the past I can
remember that when there were outings
outages that somehow my home was
frequently never got hit even though
there's these two circuits. Have the
circuits changed in some way? So yes
actually we've sectionalized those
circuits as a method to improve so that
the entire line doesn't go down that
means no one the everyone else goes
down. So for example with site 1101
which is that purple circuit uh it has
it's been segmented or sectionalized 15
times and that circuit has 20 EPSS
devices. That means I have more EPSS
devices than segments.
That is how serious seriously we're
taking this. Menllo 112 has 19 segments.
I've sectionalized that line 19 times.
And what that does is it allows me to
switch customers back and forth along
the line. So that if one section of the
line is deenergized, I can shorten that
restoration time, move them somewhere
else on the line, and then switch them
back. So a MENLO 112 has 19 segments and
has 34 EPSS devices.
So yeah, that was my second question is
can you just switch people to a
different circuit if part of it is
damaged?
>> So yes,
usually that isn't always possible
depending on the extent of the damage.
So if it might there might be a
difference
encroaching on the line versus an entire
tree branch with the which the coast um
experiences with frequency like an
entire tree coming down on the line. at
that point the line is gone and it's not
safe for me to switch because I the wire
is down I wouldn't have a line to
switch. So it depends on what the nature
of the outage is. So I found the
communications that we get reasonably
helpful but what I always wonder is if
we can't know why an outage occurred
sooner than later. You know we don't
seem to find that out till if ever you
know until after it's all fixed. Is
there no way to as part of the um alert say a tree fell on it or a
squirrel got killed or you know whatever
just so we have a better sense of kind
of the magnitude of the problem.
>> So it's not always possible. I can let
me give you an example. If if I have the
right amount of wind speed, low humidity
and heat, it might be that the line is
detecting the wind
>> and it deenergizes until it's safe. And
so I there wouldn't be a cause there
available. Now I can't notify you
immediately because these lines are
quite long as all of them are. It comes
I also those triangles are the
substations that feed them. You can see
they're right near the 101. And so
it requires human eyes to see the line
before I can re-energize. And so the
line will detect well I'm sorry we'll
detect that the line has been
deenergized. Smart communications will
trigger and it'll start notifying
customers that are affected. But there's
no way for me to follow up with cause
until someone patrols the line.
>> So if that particular ESP sensor is
triggered, do you you still have to
inspect the entire green line or the
entire purple line or just that sort of
segment that was triggered
>> during normal weather conditions. So
let's say in February, February, we got
through most of the storms this year. It
wasn't fire season yet. So those
circuits were not EPSS enabled. When
EPSS circuits are enabled, we have to
patrol the line.
>> I see. And then my last question is, I
know that PG& does offer battery rebates
for people who are affected a lot by
these. Is there And I've gone on the
website to see and I put in my address
and I'm confused about the information.
I just am not sure whether or not I
would qualify for um
>> So, you can always call 1800 PG5000 and
those are local customer service
centers. Those are Californians. They
are your neighbors. They're your
friends. They live right here. They can
help walk you through that, but I can
also follow up with more information.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
Um, what was the statistic since
2021?
69%
>> 69% of wildfire ignitions have been
reduced. So this is this is incredibly
successful
>> within your district or what what's the
geography that that cover
>> enterprisewide throughout our surface
territory.
>> Okay. And what are you looking to do to
further improve? I assume you're always
trying to improve.
>> We're always trying to improve. So
sectionalizing the lines were part of
that.
But it also depends on what you mean by
improve. So for example, are
deenergizing the line within an eighth
of a second is a major improvement. So
if if you mean that we're going to
continue to cut down that line. Now if
you mean restoration
then I imagine we're going to continue
yeah going through the process safety is
the priority.
>> I mean I imagine you have thousands of
different technologies pull in and
you're evaluating over time in a
separate but um it sounds like this
technology has been very successful.
>> Yes. Okay. Um, we we monitor these every
day, 24/7. We decide the safety setting,
when they're on, when they're off.
Obviously, right now, they're going to
be on all through 24/7 until we get
through fire season. And sometimes it's
within an eighth of a second. Um, I know
we have zero second. It immediately
shuts down in some districts, in some
areas. It it it it depends.
>> Yeah.
>> Thank you. Very very interesting.
>> Qu Hope hopefully a huge subject, a
quick question. We have 38 crossings of
our evacuation route uh with overhead
high power electric lines in a a high fire risk area and we have a
standing undergrounding committee that
has never made an inch of progress and
I'm wondering uh if uh we could put the
spark in it so that we could start
thinking at least put it on your radar
that it would be a huge deal for us to
actually get this done
>> for that question. I promise you I'm
your biggest advocate on this
internally. But let's if we could Darcy
put up that um put up Portulla Valley
again please. So within that white shape
boundary shape there are no high fire
threat districts here. So it's not tier
three. You have tier 2. It's a heavily
vegetated area. So for us the priority
here until we can get to that
undergrounding
goal is vegetation management. Now,
that's not to say that undergrounding
isn't coming to some of these areas, but
that that will be something that I think
we can discuss down the road.
>> And that's because we're so good at our
vegetation control. Or is because we
were right in the middle of what you
showed us, the high fire district.
>> I think it's because you're adjacent to
a high fire threat district. So,
Woodside would be more of a tier three.
You're not quite tier 2. And right now,
we're prioritizing tier three per CPC.
other question.
>> Thank you. You're welcome, Ellen.
>> So, thanks so much for coming. Super
helpful. Um I love seeing where our um
transmission lines are. Do we have
redundancy considered redundancy here
for the outages? Like when people are
out, are the lack or is the lack of
redundancy part of the restoration
problem?
Council
member, do you mean by redundancy, do
you mean do I have the ability to move
people up and down the line across the
circuit?
>> Um, I meant like the redundancy where
one line goes down, but you have another
line that occurs, right? So, is that
moving them up and down the circuit? I'm
>> Yes, that's Yeah, it's called switching.
So, we we switch people, we back tie
people, we we move them around to keep
as many customers energized as possible.
>> Okay.
>> Um, could you also speak? Obviously,
we're lower density than Bayside, for
instance. Um, and how you prioritize
um when there are outages. Um, are we a
like a lower priority because we are
lower density?
>> No. No. So, multiple factors go into
this. One of the first things that we
look at are we have a critical customer
list. So, we look at who on that line is
a critical care customer. Maybe they
need an oxygen tank. Maybe they are in
hospice care. So we we have a great
customer team that would reach out to
that customer directly. Whether it's
phone, we try to get out here in person.
These are one of the things that we
measure. We also measure safety, the
safety of our workers. So for example,
during storm season, if it's not safe
for me to put crews out there, then
we'll we have to wait for the weather.
It has to be safe for them to work. We
have standards about the wind and who
can get up on a bucket, who can get up
on a pole given the wind conditions.
It's usually about what are the most
customers that we can restore and how
can we mitigate the outage for as many
people as possible. So sometimes you'll
see outages where everyone's been
restored and then there's one customer
who's at the end of the line who will be
out for the duration of the repair and
we'll usually reach out to that customer
directly, see if they need anything, if
provide. Each outage is unique.
>> Thank you. Thanks so much. Yeah,
>> thank you. So, I had some questions. So,
one of the things I was wondering is
given that the San Andreas fault runs
through Portola Valley, what are you
guys doing special to deal with both
electric and gas lines in a in an
earthquake fault zone? I am not as
intimately familiar at the moment with
gas lines, but I can say that I'd love
to follow up with you on that one. Now,
internally, we have ways of shutting
down the lines through SCADA, something
called SCADA. Please don't ask me what
the acronym stands for.
>> I couldn't possibly remember at this
point. So, we have ways of completely
deenergizing those lines.
>> And this is an electrical line or
>> electrical. Okay. Yeah. I can follow up
with you with gas.
>> Okay. Because obviously both of those
are concerned during an earthquake.
>> Yep. Um, and then I guess you answered a
little bit about undergrounding and
covering the lines. I mean, obviously,
you know, in our western slopes here,
you know, we have steep slopes, heavily
vegetated. If a fire caught there, it'd
be very similar to Oakland Hills.
>> Yes.
>> Um, so, you know, I think there's a lot
of concern within the community to make
sure that it's safe. And to the degree
you can, I think being able to explain
to people that they're pro protected
with EPSS or EPS, I mean, whatever.
>> You know, you had it right. EPSS.
>> Yeah. So that they have a sense because
I think right now it's a little bit
voodoo magic. It's like, well, I don't
know. They the lines all look the same,
I think people say. And so maybe you can
find a way to say, no, we've got your
this segment segment covered this way. I
think that might go a long way. and we
have an emergency preparedness committee
um that I think would be a great place
to provide some of that information
because then they could get it out.
>> So, I'm hopeful that tonight's council
meeting is a good starting point for the
residents of the town of Pulla Valley,
but I want to emphasize that the
entirety of these circuits are EPSS
enabled. So, to to Council Member
Walter's point about redundancies, I
have 19 segments on one circuit. I think
it's 11:02. Yes, it's 11:02. And 34 of
those EPSS devices live on those
circuits. So it's it's it's a crowded
line of safety if if that makes any
visual.
>> Yeah. I guess what I didn't quite when
Rebecca was asking the question I didn't
quite understand that if one of them
triggers does it take out the whole
circuit or is it only the segment that
it's responsible for monitoring? it'll
take out that section. It and it and
again it depends what if if the entire
tree falls on the entirety of the line
the then the entire line goes down and
so everyone's out and we would try to
switch everyone to the other circuit
while we repair the line. It depends on
the outage.
>> Okay.
>> Yep.
>> Um and then the last one is on
arborists. Um I think I certainly hear a
number of complaints of PG just showing
up and hacking. Like there doesn't seem
to be an arborist involved. I mean, it's
pretty clear they go, "Well, that's
within 12 feet." And they just cut it
without any concern for potential damage
to the tree itself. So, I think calling
it an arborist might be like a little
bit too strong. Or maybe you could find
a better way of communicating with the
residents so they understand that what
they're doing is actually healthy for
the tree as well as protecting the
neighborhood.
So vegetation management is the highest
priority on the P Gen desk and it's a
bit difficult to so that's why we have
annual permits and I imagine that that
notification pro process as inspectors
come out it it gets a little murky but I want to just say at the risk of
sounding cliche that our vegetation
management folks are tree huggers in
their off time they go and plant trees
and they invite everyone at P Gen to
tree plant So that's a thought that's a
very good note to take back to the team
of how can we get it out there that
actually our vegetation folks are doing
the good work of the forest and you know
working to keep trees as healthy and
safe for the residents as possible.
That's a good note, mayor. Thank you.
>> And I and I'm thinking particularly the
trees they're cutting. I mean it's great
that they're planting other trees and
they love trees. That's good. But sure
often it just seems they're drawing
their sphere around the line and cutting
anything without thinking guy just
climbs up and goes oh that one that one without actually at least from
a resident's point of view saying look
we carefully cut it at this place for
this reason because keep the tree
healthy. So I just think maybe a little
more education on how they're going
about the cutting not just what they're
cutting.
>> I understand but it's also important to
remember that we don't set the clearance
heights. It's it that's done by CalFire
and so we have to meet that safety
standard.
>> Yeah. I'm not suggesting that you don't
cut to the requirement. It's there's
different ways you can cut a tree to be
a healthy cut versus a hack
>> and and right now the complaints I get
is they're just hacked.
>> Okay.
>> So that's a good note.
>> Yeah. So I mean this is great. Thank you
for your presentation.
>> Can I ask one other quick question?
Yeah. So, um, there have been concerns
in the town, maybe this isn't quite your
department, but about how long it takes
to get a permit, how long it takes to
get a work, how long it takes to get
connected to a grid when you're putting
on solar or battery. Is there any kind
of advice you can give or recommendation
or for how that could be sped up or is
there any kind of internal discussions
about facilitating that so that we can
get more solar connections and more
batteries up faster? So, the number one
thing that I'd like to emphasize is that
everything starts with an application
for service and and that runs in
parallel to whatever permits any
residents or business owners may need
from the city. Our our process has its
own timeline. And so the earlier, and
this is my message across the county and
anywhere that I am, frankly, whether
it's a residence or it's a business or
it's a developer, if you wake up and you
think you're going to need service from
PG, please file an application.
So, or yes, that that that would be my
number one suggestion. The second one I
would have is we have a applicant
journey map and you can see at each step
of the process how much we estimate for
something to take
and I would recommend everyone go online
to pg.com and you can type in customer
journey map and you can see and you can
estimate about how long it will take.
Solar has been an experience. a lot of
solar companies are going bankrupt or
they stop operating from one day to the
next and that that right now as of the
last six eight six to eight months
that's been the challenge that I've been
hearing from constituents and your you
know my customers your constituents is
maybe they were midway through a project
and their solar company went dark or
they went under and and well that that
brings about its own sets of issues
unfortunately
>> and the other you should look at is
undergrounding I mean you know that
we've had some permits that have taken
like nine months to get approved
for somebody who's trying to underground
from the pole to their house. So, and
that seems kind of excessive when you're
trying to move move things along. So,
it's just something an area you might
look at look at.
>> So, I so I each application like each
outage is also unique. I would imagine
that given the curves in the road, the
lack maybe of public rideway that we
have less room to work with here. It's rural. There are curves. I imagine
that might have something to do with it.
I would have to have an an example,
mayor, so that I could truly speak to
it. I think it's getting the engineers
to look at the plan, but but let's not
go into detail. We can talk later.
>> We can.
>> Yeah. Perfect. Thank you.
>> Sure.
>> Appreciate it. Thanks for coming.
>> Okay, with that, thank you. You're very
welcome.
>> Okay, so with that, I'm going to close
3C and move on to the town manager
report.
» Darcy Smith, town manager. I don't
really know that I can top that to be
honest. mosquitoes,
power lines, but do it my best. Um,
town events coming up. One of my
favorites, the Thursday night summer
music series starting in July. Then
August and September, PV Palooa, which
is a little bit later this year,
Saturday, August 29th. We have started
the planning and the band rosters up.
And last town picnic, Zots to Tutts. Be
opening up registration [clears throat]
for that soon. But make sure it's on
your calendar for the fall. But if you
don't have plans this Saturday or if you
want to do something before going to the
mosquito open house, we have our very
own town emergency preparedness and
safety day at station 8,
10:00 a.m. to 3 pm. I'll be there and
there's going to be some really fun
presentations. Maybe not bug
collections, but
it will have WPBERT, the amateur radio
club, etc.
10:00 a.m. Yes, please come. You don't
have to stay all five hours. You can
just drop in.
>> If I could just jump in. Um, for field
day, if a member of the council shows
up, they get extra points because
there's there's a whole point system
with a L um, when they do field day. So,
I'm unfortunately out of town. So, if
any of you are available, and I would
suggest 10 to two, you know, by the time
2 o'clock, depends on the weather and
the frequency bands, how well they're
doing. Sometimes things wrap up. So,
don't show up at, you know, 2:55 because
they may be wrapping up, but sometime
between 10 and two it would be a great
time. So, any of you or all of you that
would like to come, that would be great.
>> Sorry, Darcy. Keep going.
>> No problem. So, then some of you might
recall I've announced in the past that
we ran a community survey. It's titled
the Cortell Valley conversation. Um,
it's engagement with the town about
protecting our emergency services, our
financial stability, and looking at our
town a
recall we had a survey that was open to
everyone. It was not selective. And I'm
really happy to announce that we have
published the rankings um for that
survey. This is a lot to absorb. So this
is on our website at the engagement web
page and but more importantly we're
working on our next Portell Valley Post
and it will have this on the front page
and this should be mailed out hopefully
next week. So watch for this. We've got
some great articles by the conservation
committee about defensible space
and we've got an article from the
emergency preparedness committee and
woodside fire and some sustainability
tips and some trail tips. So, watch for
this. But this community priority
ranking was based on the priorities that
were identified last year by our uh
survey. Um, but you can see here the
overwhelmingly number one ranked most
important community priority is wildfire
prevention services. That includes
different services that the town and
Woodside Fire does as well as homeowners
can do themselves, but that's a huge
priority. And then next up is 911
emergency police patrols. And then maybe
not as glamorous but still important,
storm drains. and then preserving our
autonomy and preventing what could be a
potential county takeover of our local
zoning land use. So, this is just a
quick snapshot. We'll be talking about
it more in the next few months, but I
just wanted to share this this data that
we analyzed and announced that the post
will be mailed out next week. So, keep
an eye out for that. Thank you.
» Thank you. Any questions for Darcy?
Yeah. On the survey, how many people
does that reflect?
>> Approximately 1% of our population.
>> So 40 odd. Yep. Um and what is the
purpose of it?
>> The purpose of it is to inform the
budget. So that's number one. We were we had this data before we finalized the
budget. It's also important to inform
the town about what the council
priorities are. We already had our
priority setting discussion and I think
we we touched on all of these. Um, but
it's also important to [clears throat]
inform the community as we head into
July and look at a potential ballot
measure to identify revenue for the
town.
>> But this isn't to be confused with the
polling that was done
last year. Is it the one and the same or
is it different?
>> Different. They are different. The
polling last year was very much a
community focused poll around a
potential ballot measure.
>> Yeah.
>> But we're not using statistics on how
much this sample of 1% reflects the
community.
>> Correct. This is not statistically
valid or stat scientific survey because
it was open to everyone. anyone with a
computer could participate
>> and you have mechanisms to prevent
double counting etc.
>> Correct.
>> I I have concerns of things like this
being used as meaningful at that
percentage. So I'll stay tuned and see
how it plays out. Will you be giving
reports periodically on numbers? Thank
you. Yes.
» Other questions for Darcy? Right. I will
close out the town manager report and
move on to oral communications. So, this
is an opportunity for the public to me
turn off the
>> I'm trying. I I've turned it off a 100
different ways.
>> Okay. Uh [laughter]
let's see who's trying to call Mary. So,
oral communication. This is you can
comment on anything that's come before
presentations, town manager report, or
anything else that's not on the agenda.
So, is there anybody in the schoolhouse
that has oral communications?
So, I see no hands in the schoolhouse
and
I see two hands.
So, a Zoom user
might be Dana.
» Uh, hi. Is PG& still there?
>> No, I'm afraid she left
>> because I had a hell of a lot of
questions for her. Anyway, that's too
bad.
>> Yeah, my my apologies. That that would
have been um
>> I mean, they do a lot of things that are incorrect, especially with their
trees, and it's and it's going to it's
going to make fire danger worse. Okay.
Thank you.
>> Yeah. So, Dana, I did Dana, I did try to
press her a little bit on that and maybe
if you reach out to me, um, I can put
you in touch with her and maybe we can
get some of that information to her.
>> Well, I think it would have happened a
lot better in public
>> had everyone heard what really happens
with their street tree pruning. I
>> I agree. That's what I was trying to
pressure on as well.
>> Thank you.
Dana.
Caroline, you're up next.
Caroline, you're still on mute. There we
go.
» Can you hear me?
>> We can. Welcome.
>> Great. Thank you. Uh I was trying to
raise my hand and I couldn't. So um I concur with several comments. Um
PG&E has been a disaster, but I welcome
the enthusiasm and the willingness of
this young person who is trying to help
Pulla Valley residents. Um I have
several reports where staff has no clue
what to do when there's a power outage.
We have our own uh contacts and we have
helped the town restore uh power outages
for
I'm I'm not involved because I have
solar power but uh there's many
districts in this area who suffer from
power outages and luckily because we
have our own local uh contacts and then
they're willing to help us restore it.
It's it's a shame that the staff does
not know who to contact and I hope that
they will take this person um and and
provide contact information so we can uh
build on a on a brighter future and and
find solutions to uh bring reliable
energy beh reliable energy to our
community. Um
so after this presentation from Pen I
assume that you no longer are pursuing
uh undergrounding
um infrastructure
and I advise you uh that might be best
because Palmer Lane has had underground
uh infrastructure and it has not helped
because they don't maintain it. uh water
goes in the lines and if PG&E doesn't
maintain it um
that's why we were forced even before um
PCNE uh promoted uh their own energy uh
solutions uh to have solar power because
otherwise we would not function in Porto
Valley and and and there's so many
issues and I hope we can find people who
are willing
to come to uh common sense solutions
because you continue to
uh to rely on all these consultants
planning and planning. if it it doesn't
work, you have to come to real solutions
uh because that will is the only way
that you will keep residents happy in
this town. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Carolyn.
» Patty, you're up next.
Hey, good evening. Um
good evening. Uh just another plug for
the fair this Saturday. Emergency prep
and safety uh wildfire preparedness
committee will be there and we will have
a booth that's focused primarily on
firewise. We have a goal this year of
covering Porto Valley 100% Firewise
communities. We're 50% of the way there.
If you'd like to stop by and wonder if
you're covered, if you're not, if you'd
like to know what it would take to be a
leader or to be covered, we can help you
um get awareness about what happens
there. So, any kind of question about
Firewise, stop by and see us. Thanks.
>> Great. Thank you, Patty.
All right. Anybody else in the room?
Don't see any hands. Anyone else online?
All right. I'm going to close oral
communications and move on to the
consent agenda. So, I will open the
consent agenda up to public comment.
Anybody in the schoolhouse wants to
speak on the consent agenda? Don't see
any hands.
And Carolyn, I see your hand up the
consent agenda.
» So, once again, I would like to let you
know that we cannot see whether our hand
is up or not. that button doesn't
function but thank you for allowing me
to comment. Um, you got my public
comment. Um, I have recused myself to
participate in town council meetings and several subcommittee meetings
because it's it's really it's it's it's
draining. You know, you
many of us have tried for over 20 years
to find resolutions and and nothing gets
done. So once again, I hope you will
consider um what I the public comment I think I represent many owners in this
residents in this community. Uh people
have been silenced and so they wonder
why they should speak up because nothing
gets done. I hope you will reconsider
that and provide us answer and really
substantiate why you continue to work
with an outdated contract, a contract
that is so vague that does not allow
accountability because you hold them
harmless.
And really, why do we need all these
highly paid sheriffs when there's no
crime, when there's no when they don't
come out? when we report um
illegal conduct. So really I think you
have to resort to the data and then make
your decision. So thank you so much for
listening to me.
>> Thank you Caroline.
All right. Anybody else in the
schoolhouse? Anyone else online?
All right. Seeing none, I will close
public comment, bring it back to the
council. Um, are there any items that
council members want to pull?
>> I want to pull 6A just because I want to
recuse myself and there's a one change I
want to make to the notes.
>> Um, and you need to abstain or
>> Yes.
>> Okay. Yeah. So, all right. So, so 6A for
an extension. Got it. Any
>> 6 D
>> D is in dog. Okay.
Anything else? Okay. And then um what I'm going to do rather than poll
6A, I'm going to basically do the same
thing with 6J, which is the Woodside
Highlands Road Maintenance District. Um
we're just going to have separate votes
on that. And that way you can abstain on
6A and I can abstain on 6 um J. I
>> I also have a change I want to make make
to the 6A. Okay. Then then we'll we'll
pull it.
Okay, why don't we start with 6A?
>> So, I I think we should list Aaron
Fannon Steel's full name instead of just
listing him as Aaron at Atlas Planning.
It's on page two
of that minutes. So, his last name is
spelled P F A N E N S T I E L.
[laughter]
Okay. So, is that it? All right. Any
other comments on 6A?
All right. I would take motion for 6A.
>> So moved.
>> Seconded.
>> A motion in a second. All in favor?
>> I.
>> Any nos? Any abstensions? One
abstension. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Let's
[clears throat] move on to 6D.
» Go ahead, Judah.
>> Okay. So, I have a question um and then
a a comment. I'll ask my question, which
is I understand the intent is that we're
approving
the costs that are set out in the
schedule B. I guess the intent is
well, what is the intent? Are we
agreeing to that for four years or is it
the intent to be one year?
Can you explain?
>> Yeah, the intent is to just approved a
budget for one year. We do not have a
budget for future years. The contract
stipulates that the county must pro
provide the proposed rates to the town
by April 1st. So, we will get those next
year.
So logically speaking, we'll get them by
April next year, but we have to give
notice not less than 12 months prior
uh to a termination. So essentially,
we're we're signing up for a year and
three quarters at a minimum.
There is another provision for
termination um 5.3
y uh allowing the town to terminate um
based on the town's unavailability of funds by providing
written notice to county as soon as
reasonably possible after the town
learns of said is said unavail un un
availability of funding. I do read that
as allowing another path for termination
in the event that the county increases
the rates
significantly for the next fiscal year
that the town would not be in a position
to pay for the increased service or
increase charges. But is the legal
standard of unavailability meaning
there's a dime in the bank and you have
to pay the dime or is it a decision by
the council that this is not a sensible
budget? Like what is unavailable?
And if you don't know, we should at
least admit that we're signing up for
possibly a year and three quarters, I
think.
>> Yeah. It it is uh not a defined term in
the contract.
>> Yeah. So, we'd have to argue what what
that means if that ever happened,
>> right?
>> Um
Okay. Um and Craig, if I just make the
comment and then see I have comments on
this.
>> Yeah, please. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
Please.
>> Yeah. I've said this before. This
contract is a contract of adhesion as
far as lawyers go. Um that means there's
objectionable terms and we have no other
choice. So, we are going to agree to it
because we don't have another choice.
Um, and we've tried to negotiate and see
flexibility and there have been none. Is
that correct, Darcy?
>> That is correct.
>> Yeah. So, I think, you know, I want to
acknowledge the public's comments that,
you know, this is a bad contract. It's one that's one-sided and the
sheriff has sole discretion. This county
has a huge amount of discretion. the
allocation of costs that would normally
in business be overhead and not
chargeable or chargeable in part is uh
not there. And I I do think we we all
just ought to be acknowledging that for
the public. And what that leads me to is
a comment that the county at some point
has to realize it's unsustainable for
individual towns such as us and that
there's got to be a better methodology.
There's got to be a more transparent
discussion. If the dollars are not
there, they're not there. But this has
been a very frustrating process and I've
seen this for years. So, I I think we
got to do what's right by the town to
get some um support, but but I I just
really want to express the frustration
that I envision and really send a
message that this is getting to the
point of so much pain. we are going to
be forced to evaluate and see what is
the right level um relative to where we
are today and what is it that we're
going to be getting if we need to pair
back given our financial situation. So
um I might be saying the obvious but I
do feel the need given the size of the
contract and the proportion of our
budget that it constitutes.
>> Okay. Other comments on 6D?
>> I I Yeah, go ahead. I do. Um
yeah, I agree completely with what
Judith is saying, but I also wanted to
bring up, you know, I I felt the same
that this contract is very vague and
it's always in their favor. Um the
overtime is um
my theory about the overtime is that
we're kind of being punished for the
fact that they're unable to hire
adequate staff. So they've taken the
entire overtime and some people are
making 700,000 a year because of over
>> taken the entire sum and then subdivided
it up per per you know per deputy and
then voiced the cost on to to everybody
regardless of whether they're the
deputies that are actually patrolling us
or generating overtime. Um and then the
contract doesn't give us really any real
details about how much time each deputy
route is actually spending in our town.
And instead it's the very contract
starts at the very beginning with a
comment about the fact that um
the deputies routes do not necessarily
just involve our town limit. that a
deputy's route could very very clearly
go through the middle of Menlo Park,
then through Lera, then through us, and
then through Los Trangos, and that would
be their route for the day. And so, it's
really unclear to me how much actual
time we have for these people to be
actually patrolling in our streets. And
the one of the things that that I have a
concern about is let me pull up the
contract was um I think 2.5
where it says that if a deputy if the
sheriff determines that a particular
deputy needs to work overtime
o over and above their assigned route
and they have to go overtime. But then
we would get charged an additional
overtime fee on top of what the overtime
we're already paying for these people,
which is 30% of their actual salary. So
to me, 30% of someone's annual salary is
what,
three extra months or something of
overtime. It it just the numbers don't
quite work out for us. And I know we
have no choice about this, but uh right
now today, but I think we still need to
continue to explore options. And I know
they've refused to cut it down, but in
ter giving us options of having a little
bit less deputies or whatever, but we
have to continue to explore options.
>> Thank you, Ellen.
>> So, I appreciate my colleagues comments
on this contract. Um, I would also note
that we seem to
ha be overstaffed and I'm I I worry
about overtime for like zots uh zots to
tats or zot right what's it I always get
the name wrong z to tats
>> zots tots zots tots thank you [laughter]
um but then like pb puzza which is not
actually a town event but we we are you
know we might have to pay extra for PB
Palooa. So I am concerned that the
contract doesn't you know clarify our
special events. We do have the an you
know very much the same annual events
every year. Um so that is of concern to
me as well. So um thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Any comments? Mary?
>> Um so the only other thing I would add
on is we do have a new sheriff. Um, and
we do have a new senior staff under the
sheriff. And that's not to say that this
is a good contract. I'm not going there.
Um, but I would recommend that we get
our list of issues and we bring them to
the captain. Um, I found him to be open
and receptive. It's not necessarily that
things are going to change tomorrow, but
they're at least opening to listen. And
before I'm not even sure they were they
were such disarray that they they
couldn't even do that. Um, I can also
say that they get a lot of pressure from
the county in terms of expenses. So, it
is a complicated thing and I'm I'm not
trying to justify it, but I I have met
their senior staff now. Um, and it is a
market improvement over so it gives me a
glimmer of hope. So, I I just would add
that to it. So, okay. Um, so I would
entertain a motion to approve 6D.
» I move to approve 6D.
Second.
>> Second.
>> Motion in a second. All in favor?
>> I.
>> All right. Passes unanimously. Right.
The next one is 6J.
This is the road maintenance district.
Um I'm I would entertain a motion for
this. I need to abstain.
>> So moved.
>> Second.
>> All in favor?
>> I.
>> Any opposed? Any abstensions? I abstain.
All right. And mayor, if I if I could,
um just to clarify, your uh vote would
actually be a recusal uh because you
have a financial conflict of interest.
Um whereas uh Council Flynn's um uh vote
on the minutes was an abstension because
that was simply because she was not
present at the meeting.
>> I I recused myself from
>> Thank you. And because this is on
consent, that's why because as a consent
item, um council members do not need to
leave the room uh for those items.
>> Thank you. Thank you.
>> Correction.
>> All right. Which leaves us with a motion
for the rest of them, which is 6 B C E F
G H I K L M N O.
>> So moved.
>> Second.
>> Thank you. I have a motion in a second.
All in favor?
>> I.
>> Any opposed? All right. As unanimously.
All right. Close out the consent agenda.
Move on to the public hearing. So, the
first item is public hearing on the
recreation fees and the master fee
schedule update. Tony, you have a staff
report.
» Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good evening,
members of council.
Presation, excuse me.
I do have a very brief presentation.
This is a continuation of the first
public hearing [clears throat] where we
adopted the planning, building and
engineering and administration fees and
continued uh the recreation fees uh for
to tonight's meeting. Um and we were
also directed to work with the parks and
recck committee uh to review the
recommended fees. Uh we did meet with
the parks and recck committee uh
representatives. Uh we did uh review
some of the fees or we actually reviewed
all the fees. Uh listen to their
recommendations. One request that they
have is that they want to have more time
to uh do further analysis and study of
the fees and possibly come back with a
more formal uh recommendation either at
midyear or for next year's budget. But
to go through the um in your packet, you
did receive um the amended fee schedule.
Uh the red lines were the changes or the
amended uh proposals. Um, but for my
presentation, I'm going to review the fees that were changed. The first
slide has uh the rentals for classes.
Um, the first fee was a processing fee.
The matrix had recommended $197.
Uh, staff is recommending $45 and to be
applied to only new instructors. Uh,
existing instructors will be
grandfathered in. Um, also an amendment
is for the um, insurance at the town.
>> Hey, Tony. Yeah, you might put this in
presentation mode just so it's a little
bit larger for people.
[clears throat]
>> I did. Apologies.
>> Yeah, no worries.
Okay. So, uh going back um for
insurance, uh if the town is purchasing
the insurance, uh the applicant is
charged carrier rate. Uh we will also
include a $45 processing fee. However,
if you are a new instructor, we will
wave the $45 processing fee because
you're already paying the processing fee
when we um sign up with the initial
contract. Um, and then for the rentals
of community hall, there will be a
application processing fee of $492,
which is the matrix recommended uh fee,
and staff agrees. And this will only
apply to when you're renting out the
entire hall. Um, if you're renting the
Buckeye or Alder room, it'll be a $45
processing fee. Um, and then another new
fee is a cleaning fee. Uh this is a $25
per hour fee and this will be applied if
the town has to do additional cleaning
uh after the rental period is over and
it'll be reduced from the initial
deposit. If the amount of cleaning
exceeds the amount of the deposit then
obviously the the applicant will be um
charged for the excess.
And then another new fee is the public
agency fee. Um this is going to be a,028
per event. Um, we do have several uh
public agencies, the county being uh
probably the largest user of our
community hall and for sometimes they
have events that last three or four
days. Um, and they have like department
well wellness uh or wellness benefit
fairs. Um, and so they they take up
parking, they take up the community
hall, they take up uh the entire town
hall area. Uh, so we'll be implementing
a [clears throat]
$1,000 28 fee for public agency rentals.
And then we're also adding a key deposit
of $150.
Um, matrix, oh, I'm sorry, I have that
backwards. Matrix had recommended 140.
We're recommending 150 as staff. Um, so
that was for community hall rentals and
for classes.
>> And Tony, these are per day or per
event.
>> So if I have a three-day event, it's
$1,000. Okay.
And then [clears throat] moving on to
the sport user fees. Um this was
probably the item that had the most
comments uh during the public hearing.
Um after meeting with the parks and
wreck uh committee members. Um the
recommendation is to increase the fees
by 10%.
um still leaving the the local organized
youth leagues like AYSO at $48 per
person. Um and the local organized youth
clubs go from 67 to 72. Um or sorry 74.
Uh the local organized adult leagues 67
to 74. Then the local organized adult
clubs go from 100 to 110. Uh we have
parsed out the town courts from the
sport user fee uh category and uh
adopted to not recommend a fee increase.
So that fee will stay at $100 uh per
person uh for picnic spaces of Little
People's Park. We're recommending a $10
increase uh to match with matrix
recommendation. And then with the Ford
field parking lot, uh there's a
commercial rate that we're going to
implement. It goes from 108 to $117.
And um and I forgot to type in uh
there's a staff consulting time fee. Uh
the current rate was $65, but the first
hour was free. Um and then the $65
kicked in after the first hour was over.
Uh we're implementing a $246
fee, which is the amount of time it
would spend for staff to spend one hour
of consulting. So, the $246 will be
applied as soon as the the first hour
starts.
So, that's a breakdown of the new fees
in the uh recommended fee schedule for
uh community hall rentals and park and
field rentals. So, that concludes my
presentation. Turn to back to council
for questions.
>> Thank you, Tony. Questions?
Do you have any questions?
Right.
>> Um, thank you Tony and for uh these
updates. Um,
in terms of the
uh per field per hour rate to simpler to
bill versus the per user fee for field
usage.
>> Yeah, it's it's $48 per
participant. Like so if a team has 10,
it's $480. So it just it it works. So
don't break it. But would it be easier
to do a flat per field per hour kind?
>> That's what the parks and recck
committee wants to do with their
analysis to actually look at whether to
have a per hour rate or uh using the
existing fee structure.
>> Okay.
>> But we just we didn't have enough time
to complete that analysis because these
need to be put into place by July 1st.
>> Okay. Um,
in terms of the Redwood Grove for group
size, like you wouldn't want to do a a
tier rate of like 25
people, $50 for under 25 at $100 for 25
and over kind of thing.
>> Um, that would require more analysis,
but again, it's something that we can do
um for the next fiscal year. Um, and
then what about the maintenance of a
concrete? You know, concrete, I'm not
clay, I don't know which is pickle ball
court being
lower maintenance than a field. So, the
costs. So, for the budget this year, I
did rearrange a little bit the parks and
fields. I did there's a separate line
item for court maintenance. Um and it's
separate from parks and field
maintenance. But yeah, it's we want to
keep track of the actual costs for
maintaining the courts.
>> So because right now pickle ball the
court users pickle ball and tennis are
charged the same as the field users. So
at this point we don't know
>> right
>> the maintenance difference. Okay.
>> Um let me and then um I saw for sport
groups I saw locally organized youth
leagues versus clubs. AYSO for instance
versus club soccer, right? Um, but I
didn't see little league. Where does the
little league fit into?
>> They would be the leagues, the local
organized youth leagues.
>> Okay. And I think that's my questions.
Yes, that's all. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Helen. Mary,
>> I have a tiny question of $25 per hour
for cleaning. Uh is that a how do you uh
how do you do that? Um, and why why
>> I mean and and that does that cost cover
the cost for an hour of cleaning and and
why do we not have it?
>> It probably would not cover the cost of
an hour, but we did it's again have the
applicant with a little skin in the game
to keep the facility clean knowing that
they will have to pay extra
>> if um
>> why not make it meet the cost? I mean,
the the incentive is there to uh to just
let you guys clean it at $25 an hour and
take the
>> If you want us to charge the hourly rate
or the rate it costs for the cleaning,
then we can we can amend the fee
schedule.
>> What's wrong with that? Because then
they clean up after themselves.
>> Do that. We can do that.
>> Well, that would be my suggestion.
>> Okay.
>> I would I would need I would need
concurrence of council to do that.
>> Is that something we can do? It seems
like too minor appointed, but it it
jumps out at me because uh I'd be jump
at the chance to get cleaning done for
$25.
>> But I mean it's we've we've the
frequency of that happening is not it's
been infrequent that um although we did
have an example.
>> Yeah. and and
>> so but the the um the um we have not had
to have additional cleaning after an
event at community hall in quite some
time.
>> But can I just say the town contracts
for our janitorial services and it's
infrequent. So, I guess I would just be
cautioner. I would caution you that we
don't necessarily have a janitor a
janitorial contract in place to support
what you're describing or janitorial
services are not daily. They're
and we they're not necessarily available
on call to do what you're doing.
>> But it would staff would probably have
to
>> Yeah. And then staff would have to clean
that. And that's not we don't really
have this. We may not have the ability
to do that from a staffing or
contractual perspective.
>> I don't get it. If you're if you're only
charging $25 an hour for leaving it a
mess, what kind of incentive is that for
not leaving it a mess?
>> Staff for being doing the work. That
should be even higher.
>> Yeah. I'd say if that if that's the
case,
>> we have the deposit though. That is what
we use if someone leaves a unusual mess,
>> which hasn't happened.
>> I see what you're saying. Okay, I get
it. I guess.
>> And we are charging, you know, $2,777
just to use the room. So,
>> and we have a big deposit, right?
>> And we have $1,000 deposit.
>> Okay, I understand. Judith
>> Mike.
>> So I um just have a a framework question
because the comments that were submitted
by members of the parks and recck
committee um you said that they want to
do more analysis. So inherent in in that
I think is we should not be adopting
these without further analysis as as
proposed by them and their comments or
are we free to do that? Like what's the risk of considering them now without
the analysis?
>> Council can say we're not going to adopt
these recommended fees. We're going to
remain with the existing fees.
But well, but some of these are new and
they want to structure them differently,
right? They're they're different dollar
amounts.
>> We want to implement new fees. Yes. But
we also have existing fees that are
being amended and adjusted.
>> Yeah.
>> Um if you you say no to this action
tonight, then it's whatever the current
fees are right now is what's going to be
put in place
>> for that item.
>> Yeah. Um, I'm just trying to get to a
point of is it practical to consider
these now or should do I is I think
forward because these are good ideas. I
just don't know how to think about them
six months or a year's time. It does
seem like I'd be more
>> a professional. We had a professional
firm
>> exactly
>> review make recommendations.
>> Yeah. and they've they've determined the
actual cost
>> for the town to perform that service,
>> right?
>> Um, you know, I I get the wanting the
per hour.
>> Um, that's more of analysis and and it's
also they're going to look at more of
the area, the the surroundings, which
Matrix did.
>> U, but um I mean, but they're the
professionals. this is what they do
>> and and this is the study is actually
going to be more defensible than what
the committee is going to come up with.
>> Yeah. So that goes to the risk of our fees being challenged there.
>> If we go with a professional
recommendation, they're less subject to
challenge. It's possible this committee
can do an analysis that right helps us
get more Okay, thank you. That's the
framework I needed.
And and you did incorporate some of
their changes. I mean, some of the
>> Oh, I did. Yeah.
>> 10% increases.
>> Yeah, they were, you know, just do a 10%
increase. Uh they were also asking for
the court maintenance to be separated.
So, we did listen to what they were
saying. Um but there's some fees that we feel as staff that we need to
implement.
>> Thank you,
>> Rebecca.
>> Yeah. I I wanted to clarify a comment
you made um about the agency event hall
[clears throat]
>> fee of,028
and I'm looking at um
what was put in the packet and it says
it's per day
>> then I spoke.
>> Okay, great. Because I was not in favor
of five days for the same price of one.
Um,
okay. And then it seemed like that
residents were not going to be charged
at all.
>> No, we're we're we're taking away
resident fee, non-resident. We're just
it's calling it rental fee.
>> Okay. Okay. So then the rental fee
whether they're resident or not, they're
charged 277.
Now I wasn't clear. Yeah. I think um
Karen Asi in her comment also made the
same comment about I wasn't actually
clear what the full cost was going to be
if somebody wants to rent the hall
because you've [clears throat] got the
2777 you've got the $1,000 deposit
you've got the 150 key deposit and then
there's some other charges that may or
may not apply applications fees.
>> Yeah. So
what you have in front of you is our
master fee schedule. It lists all the
fees.
That's its purpose. Karen was more
concerned about how's it presented.
Well, that will be presented when we
individual conversations with the
applicant. This is how much it's going
to cost and this is how much this is
what your fee is going to cover. But we
will have that conversation with the
applicant and we're also going to have
it on the web page. This is what your
fee covers. So you're planning to have
you have your master fee schedule will
be one document [clears throat] and then
you're going to have something on the
website that'll say are you interested
in v renting our community hall this is
what it will cost if you're this kind of
person. So you'll have all those fees
listed so someone doesn't actually have
to call in
>> and ask right
>> you want people to call in
>> don't they get charged to do that though
» regardless they're going to get a
processing gap even if they do it
online. No, but I mean I if I was
planning a wedding, I'd want to know
ahead of time how much it's going to
cost. I wouldn't want to have to pay you
to tell me how much.
>> We also have to coordinate if they're
doing a wedding. We have to coordinate
with caterers, photographers,
logistics of the area. So that's the
part where the consultant time comes in
with using staff and that's what Cindy
has to do.
>> I'm not quite following.
>> Well, okay. If you're organizing a
wedding and you're you want to have
caterers, you want to have
photographers, you have to have the
logistics discussed at the community
hall, you need to talk to somebody from
staff. You can't just show up and do it.
>> And you're saying that that logistics
analysis
will cost per hour a certain amount of
fee. So if I were coming in to comparing
prices from one place to the next for
different venues to have a wedding,
I I'm having a little trouble struggling
to understand what the cost would be
[clears throat]
at Portola Valley versus going to some
vineyard where they probably just give
me the price,
>> right? But if you call them, ask them
what's the price, what does that cover
and then they'll break down this is what
you get. You get the room for x amount
of hours. You get use of these two rooms
for
uh your bridesmaids can use this room,
the groomsman can use this room. you
have access to the PL. I mean, you still
have to have that conversation
>> list. They may say it's going to be this
is what it covers, but you're still
going to have to talk to somebody to
kind of go over all that to confirm it
and to also schedule it with the the
vendor,
>> but they don't charge for that
conversation. Are you going to be
charging for that conversation?
>> Some do.
>> It's included in the cost because it it
is their time that's that's going to be
baked into the cost. We as a local
agency have to spell out what our costs
are.
>> All right. Well, okay. I'm just hoping
there'll be a lot of information on the
website so that people don't have to use
the staff time for just to find out that
>> we'll have the same with planning and
building and with planning and building
as well.
>> Okay. And then um [clears throat]
uh so the for the court fees you you
pulled it out into a separate line item
because our professionals didn't
actually look at the court fees.
>> No, this was a request because the the comments that were being made is
that the court fees were not included in
the fee schedule. They were they were
just included in the adult clubs.
>> Okay. So that's the fees that were being
used to charge the pickle ball users and
the classes and the clubs for use of it
was used. It was listed in the sports
user fee category. All we've done is
pulled it out and called it town courts.
>> But the professionals looked at that in
terms of grass fields or not or just
>> they looked at maintenance across the
board for all facilities.
>> Okay. And then was there a reason why we
decided not to have a different fee for
resident versus non-resident?
>> We just wanted to have one right now.
But again, we'll do further analysis
>> for next year. You're saying? Okay. Um,
yeah, I guess that's those are my
questions. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Rebecca. And I'll just save
mine for the discussion. So, is there
any public comment on this item in the
schoolhouse? Okay.
And line.
>> All right. We have one hand up.
Christie,
» welcome Christie.
>> Yes. Hello. I was curious that you're
going to charge parking lot from 108 to
117. That is so low
for
Can you remind me how many acres our
parking lot is for
this? And we need to get our land value
for
parking each car. So, what does each car
cost if we have 60 parking spaces and
you're only going to charge 108 and
you're going to up it to 117. That is
not getting land values for our dollars
in Porta Valley. So, I'm concerned with
that.
and the $25 for a cleaning fee. No
cleaners charge $25 anymore. So, I agree
with what was said earlier and I think
we need to go with cleaning fees that
are available now in this valley.
And I'm going to leave it at that. Thank
you.
>> Thank you, Christie. Patty, you're up
next.
Hi,
good evening. Um, I already submitted my
comments, so I'll keep it short. Tony
mentioned that the professionals
um came up with most of the numbers that
you're looking at. Keep in mind that the
town directed matrix to develop the the
uh fees. um as it relates to cost
recovery.
Um two things. Parks and Rec looked at
it in terms of what are the competitive
[clears throat] rates because we truly
believe that the people who use our
fields and some of our facilities have
options. Now the two are not just
necessarily need to be you know at odds
or separate. You can come up with both
and compare them and reasonably look at
them. But cost recovery and then
deciding how you're going to subsidize
it as you look at competitive rates was
that parks and wreck wanted to um
address.
Second, um we did request that the court
fees be pulled out separately and Tony
complied. They are pulled out
separately, but they're not different
than the field fees. We asked for a cost
recovery number on the um tennis courts.
The town did not provide that, nor did
matrix. So, they have no basis for the
$100 other than it's what the fields.
All we're asking for is look at it
reasonably and say, should those be the
same? We don't happen to think so. Um,
we think [clears throat] parks and wreck
can help over the next whatever year to
move us closer to the type of rate
structure that other towns are using,
which is a per field, you know, per hour
type of basis um versus the um per
player cost recovery that the matrix and
the town is proposing. Thank you, Patty.
And can I add the the court user fee is
actually $10 less than the adult club.
There is there is a change.
>> And presumably once you actually get
costs then you may change it again.
>> Yes.
>> And in regards to the parking lot the value of the parking lot is based on
the use of the parking lot and the other
optional uses of the parking lot. The
parking lot is only used for one and
it's parking. And it's a dirt lot. And
the maintenance costs for a dirt lot on
annual basis are not that expensive,
which is why it's $117.
» Okay. So, one last chance for public
comment. I see no hands in the room. So,
no hands on the line on the line. So,
I'm going to close the public hearing
and bring it back to the council.
Oh, final discussion on this item.
» No, I think we need to get it passed.
>> Okay,
» Judah.
>> Yeah. Um, you know, I would invite the
parks and recck committee for the areas
they want to explore further to do so
over time. Um, you know, I think right
now it's really important we approve new
user fees so that we can start the next
fiscal year or whenever they do apply um
in a in a manner that's getting us uh
better positioned to collect closer to
value. Uh, so I'm pretty comfortable
with this pretty much as it is, but I
would be open to them coming back and
looking at jurisdictions and seeing
where we are in six months. Um, I'm
really glad that we've done this and
we're at the stage where we we have
something to improve. Thank you,
>> Rebecca.
>> Um, in general, I do think we should
move forward with this. I would raise
the cleaning fees to probably $50 an
hour just as a discouragement for
leaving it dirty and also to at least
recoup some of our costs. I would lower
the court fees to probably $75 per
person. Um and then yes, I think the um
parks and recck should should continue
to work on on more analysis so that we
can uh understand the field versus the
hour hourly rate versus the person rate.
um and make modifications if it warrants
next year.
Otherwise, I think
it is it is, you know, something we
should move forward with with just those
couple changes.
>> Thank you, Helen.
>> Um thank you. I support in uh the
cleaning fee up to $50 an hour. Um the
court fee seemed Yeah. $75 an hour. I
support that. I actually would lower the
cost for the rental hall
um
uh for residents.
So, you know, um $500 or $1,000 less
down from 2777.
I think that it's a benefit to the
community and to allow them um some, you
know, to have community events here um
at a lower rate. Um the parking lot, I
actually agree. I would increase the
Ford Field parking lot um to uh at least
150
uh per day. And I I get that's per
that's not per car, right? That's just
total.
>> It's per day to
>> per day. Total 150. If someone wants to
» [sighs and gasps]
» So, so like if someone's having an event
and they're going to have 30 cards there
or whatever at Ford Field, as a
resident, it's 108.
>> Wow.
» Again, I'll just emphasize it's really
meant to be a camp, not a not
necessarily a resident event. It's a
special event fee for like a if we were
to have a day camp teaching baseball to
kids and they needed the parking in the
field, it would be extremely rare that parking lot is rented.
>> Got it. Okay. But are we So, but for
instance, the um Alpine in so because
they use it.
>> Yeah. So they have a
I'll say like grandfathered in
short-term arrangement that would not be
consistent with this fee schedule today
>> and we are working on potentially a
lease license agreement to
uh get them a more formal arrangement
>> and it's per day.
It's 117 per day
>> for
the Ford fuel park.
>> Yeah. But I want to emphasize it really
is it is designed for a special event.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> Don't think about it
>> is mutually exclusive for
>> Got it. Okay.
>> Okay. Um and then the but the commercial
is also at 108 or 117 now per day and
commercial
>> being 117 per day
>> would be like a camp.
>> Yes.
and the the
residential would be 108
>> eight still.
» Got it. Okay. Okay. Um
>> can you clarify that if I wanted to have
a baseball if I had a 10-year-old
grandson who wanted to have a baseball
party, I can call up and rent Fordfield
and the and the uh parking for $107.
parking lot would be $18 per day
>> and the field
>> field would be
um
it was a daily weight
>> is that the special event permit?
>> No,
there's an informal group rate
that's not that expensive. Um,
so if you had 50 or fewer,
>> yeah,
>> it would be $100.
And if you had greater than 50, I'm
sorry, that's the deposit. So local
informal group, it's $3 per person
with a
if if it's 50 or fewer, deposit would be
100. with greater than 50 or for 51 and
more it would be $500.
I don't know how you going to manage
this. How do you manage this uh asset?
Anyways, not my
>> I know I actually I I actually would
push the commercial fee for to have Ford
Field at least up to 135 per day.
I just think it I think I know it's for
camp, but I think that I think we could
ask a little bit more.
>> So, this is for the parking lot.
>> Yes. For the commercial and 135 even
seems low to me, but
>> it sure does,
>> right?
>> Yeah. Otherwise, the used car facility
will be parking their car.
[clears throat]
>> It costs the town less than $5,000 a
year to maintain the Ford Field parking
lot.
Yeah, I mean thing I would add here is
the reason we get a professional group
to and and do a fee analysis is because
we're not allowed to make profits on
these things. So if we start just
setting it like what we feel like
>> well we can for
>> I make some but but I mean the point is
we're we're trying to recover our costs.
We're not trying to turn this into a
profit center. And Tony's trying to make
the point that a gravel parking lot
doesn't cost very much. So there's not a
lot of cost to recover. So, I I think
we're getting we're starting to get a
little crosswired in the we think it's a
super valuable place because you have
the privilege of, you know, being next
to our field, but if you're trying to
recover cost, that's not quite the right
lens.
>> Um, so can I make my comments? Good. Um,
so I'm good with courts at 75 and
cleaning fees going to 50.
Personally, I'd love to see the resident
um community hall be equal to the public
agency. I really do think it's a
benefit. I I won't go to the mat on that
one this time. Um I'd like to see this
reviewed at mid midyear budget.
>> Um because that'll give park and wreck
time to do this and we can also just
start to see kind of what our usage
pattern is and what kind of complaints
we get, right? Which I think will help
us decide because I appreciate we're
trying to move this along, right? We we need to have something in place. So, I think with those two and then the
general comment, um, public comment that
we read and it was my comment as well
looking at this is it feels like we're
nickel and dimming people. Like $150 for
a key deposit, you know, it's like we
already, you know, got a $1,000 deposit.
It's like it feels like a few of these
we should just roll them up into one
thing. It's a deposit. I don't care if
it's $1,000 or, you know, $1,200. It's a
deposit. and if you don't give us your
key back, we're going to charge $150 is
a part of that. But it just feels like
itemizing all of these. And I think
that's what Rebecca was trying to get
out a little bit, which is I would
expect if I call the town that they can
give me an estimate of what it would
cost to rent this hall. It may not be
down to the dollar, but it shouldn't
cost me $250
to talk to somebody to find out how much
it's going to cost. Like, that feels
wrong.
>> We are we are held to a higher standard
because of state propositions.
So we really have to itemize our fees,
>> right? But a deposit
>> otherwise it could be considered an
exaction or a tax and then require a
deposit.
>> So that's why we have the list as it's formatted. You can go to any
other city,
>> right?
>> And you look at their master fee
schedule, it's going to be formatted
very similarly. They're going to have
the costs spelled out individually.
>> But can it be under the deposit? You
have one deposit and then you have the
fees associated with that deposit. if we
don't have it listed under
>> Okay. So,
>> and someone could challenge it.
>> So, maybe what you're saying is this is
the messy version and what goes up on
the web will be something that says your
deposit's $1,150.
If you don't return the key, we're going
to charge $150. If you give us all our
stuff back, you're going to get your
money back. And and and that's the end
of it. And it's one line in the on the
website, even though it's broken into a
thousand little fees here. But I think
the point I want wanted to get at is I
expect somebody should be able to call
up and have a 10-minute conversation
with staff about renting a facility and
not be charged $250.
>> Right.
>> Okay. So, is that but it's not clear
from here. This
>> the initial the initial call will not
start the meter, but if they call back
and say we want to have more
consultations or we want to schedule a
meeting with Yeah, then that's when the
meter starts taking.
>> I just wanted to be clear because that's
it doesn't quite read that way. It's
talks about initial
>> and also a lot of times it's the the
initial contact with town is an online
application.
>> Sure. And that just assumes that on the
website there's enough information that
I can tell that it's going to cost me
$3,500 or whatever to rent the town hall
because it's not 2777.
>> Right.
It's that plus all these other
things. So, as long as there's some easy
way to know
>> Yeah.
>> what I'm, you know, getting into within
a couple hundred bucks. Hey, but um we
need to clarify some things here because
you kind of brought up No,
>> I got we're we're coming we're coming
back to that. We're we're coming back.
I'm just finishing my comments. So um
All right. So I I think I'm done with my
comments. I would suggest that we amend
the fees to include $50 cleaning and $75
court fee and leave the rest of it alone
for now. and then ask Tony to revisit
this at mid-budget year review.
>> Um, there was also a comment about
reducing the the community hall
facility,
>> right? And and and I said I wouldn't go
to the mat on that one. I'm I'm willing
to wait until mid mid year, but if other
people feel strongly, we could put it
in. I I just trying to get us something.
>> Yeah.
I think there was a $100 versus
>> Yeah,
>> I think it's just a nod to we we believe
it's likely going to be cheaper to
maintain concrete courts, but we don't
know yet. And that's Tony's putting in
the mechanism. But but again, some of
this is we're here as a town to service
serve our residents. And so, you know,
not nickeling diamonding from everything
seems like a positive to me. So, that
was sort of a nod toward that. Honestly,
I think we got to keep in mind we have
no money in this town and if we have to
charge a little extra, it's not that
much. So, I don't have a lot of patience
for it, but I think I I could absolutely
get comfortable with the $50 cleaning
and $75 court. Um, and then course
correct in six months.
>> Yeah. And that's kind of why I left the
community hall. We can always course
correct.
>> We can always course correct.
>> Yes. Right. And and that's why I was
suggesting if we do it mid-budget that
rather than wait a full year. I think
that would give us everybody a chance to
weigh in.
>> But okay. But I do think actually you're
saying you want to give services to our
community members, but you don't want to
give a discount for the community hall.
>> I think it's too big. I think that for a
big event, you're already spending I
mean, people are spending 20, 50,
$100,000 on their wedding. I I think a
$1,000 difference, you know, is is
pretty minor. So, I I would course
correct that. I mean, I I wouldn't mind
going there, but that feels like a more
complicated if we're going to get into
resident versus non-resident fees, that
feels more like something we should do
at our next course correction. So, I
guess that's my thinking, but again, I I
brought it up because I mean, if
everybody else thinks that that's what
we should do, then we we could include
it. I'm just trying to get us to a
resolution that we could give to Tony.
Not only do we need any resolution here?
We just need to get Okay. So, yeah. No.
So, but where where are people at in ter
let's try to craft some some kind of
motion dude.
Comments on the community hall. I think
that's the piece that's sticking out.
>> Well, Helen, you had suggested taking it
down 500 to a,000, right? For residents
>> for 500. Yeah, I would do 500. So you
would be 2277
for residents
>> and that's yeah just for that one
>> I would be okay with that resident that
and non-ren non-resident would stay.
>> Any other comments? Um, one quick thing,
it's sort of a process one. I notice
every month with the warrants that for
the parking for Rosadis, you're charging
a $100 deposit and then you're refunding
at the end of the month and then you're
charging the deposit again the beginning
of the funding at the end of the month.
And is there some reason we can't just
have one deposit that is carried over
for the full year?
» Well, we can. Um but part of the process
why we do that is in the past checks for
being held, not being deposited
and getting lost. So this is an audit
trail. This is a record. So we can't
have a applicant say
>> we did not uh return a check or we
didn't deposit a check
>> being held for the full year. Then you
deposit it once and there it is and then
at the end of the year it gets
>> right. It's it's basically a new record.
You know, once once the rental period is
over, if they rent, it's another rental
period.
>> And so, we want to have a record of the
rental period plus deposit, return of
the deposit, close out. Closes out. It's
process.
>> It's an audit trail.
>> Can we get these people on uh the AC?
>> So, entirely up to them.
>> So, Rebecca, could I could we just put
this on hold because we got a lot to
cover tonight. So, um, if everybody is
okay, I think a proposal that we could
get a motion on is $50 cleaning fees,
$75 court fees, and $500 discount on the
community hall. Is that
>> for res? Thank you. For
>> res how many resident bookings do we
have per year? If I don't know that, I
I'm not comfortable. So, I can wrote
» Did anyone want to do anything about the
parking lot as well?
>> No. Because that's a lease problem.
>> It's a It's a problem.
>> It's an unsolved problem.
>> Well, it's a different problem. It' be a
lease rather than masterpiece.
>> Yeah.
>> So, we just need to solve that.
» Yes. So in urgent
>> in 2025 we had 11 rentals.
>> Um but of the
community hall um we had I mean we do
have a lot of rentals for nonprofits.
>> We're we're not charging anything. Um
but for big events we had
six.
>> So why aren't we charging anything for
nonprofits?
>> We are we are now. We weren't
>> Oh. We're t Well, no, we're town
sponsored. We're not.
>> Oh, town sponsored or not?
>> Which which does include the nonprofits?
That's part of the whole
>> Which which nonprofit?
>> That's all part of the grants.
>> Oh,
>> they're planter grant.
>> Yeah,
>> that's the that's the other component
that we also have to comply with too.
>> I thought it was over.
>> No, we still have a couple more years.
>> Getting close.
>> Okay. So, again, trying to close this
one out. I'm ask So, are would somebody
be willing to make a motion? I'm com
comfortable with moving ahead with your motion.
>> Okay. All right. Then I'll make it as a
formal motion that we
increase the cleaning fees to 50, the
court fees reduced to 75, and the
community hall reduced by 500
>> for residents.
>> Four residents. Thank you for keeping me
on the straight and narrow.
and your the motion is to uh approve the
revised fee schedule for the parks and
fields and hall
>> the rest of it as is.
>> Thank you.
>> And I'll second it.
>> Okay, we have a motion, a second. All in
favor say I.
>> I.
Okay, it's unanimous. All right,
we're going to take a So, I'm going to
close this public hearing. We're going
to take a fivem minute break and then
we're going to open up the next public
hearing. Thank you everybody. They have
water.
>> Okay, I'm gonna call the I'm gonna call
the meeting back to
>> gonna call the meeting back to order.
>> Thank you.
>> Okay. Um before we start, I was asked
whether we think we're going to get to
8D this evening,
which is receiving um an update and
provide direction for the housing
element. So, we have an option to put it
off to next meeting or we could move it
up because we have our two lovely
planning
um department members here and it seems
like we' be nice to not have them have
to stay until 11:30 at night. So, are we
okay either moving it up if we want to
do the full agenda or postponing it now
so they don't have to sit here?
>> Okay, moving it up. I'm okay with it.
Moving it up because you have three
people here waiting.
>> Okay.
>> No, no, wait. So that just hang on. So
all we're doing right now is finding out
so that they know whether they're going
to leave or not. I'm still going to do
the public hearing. Going to finish that
and then I'm going to potentially move
this up in the regular agenda. I'm just
using the break as a house some
housekeeping here. So is everybody okay
when we get to the regular agenda if we
move 8D up? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay.
Great. All right. So, we're going to
finish the public hearing on the charter
and then we'll get to you guys and then
you guys can go home. Okay. So, let's
start with 7B. So, who's giving the
presentation?
>> Me, Darcy Smith, town manager.
>> Thank you, Darcy.
>> I'll be fast because frankly this is the
second public hearing. You already had
the first one and there's actually
nothing really new here.
So your council priorities again these
are maybe different than what I shared
earlier from the community conversation.
These are your six priorities and the
one of the most important ones is the
financial responsibility and long-term
viability of the town. So this item is
related to that. Tony will talk about
the budget later but you've seen this
slide with the forecast and know that we
are running out of money tapping into
our reserves tonight with the budget
item that's coming up. we have a
structural deficit and this
black line is going to keep going down.
In fact, it's going down even sharper.
And so again, we've gotten community
feedback from our survey that started
last September with the Godby survey
that identified three priorities for the
community. The disaster preparedness,
preparing for wildfires, protecting the
town autonomment. We autonomy. We heard
from residents that they don't want the
zoning and land use planning decision
made by the county. Remaining an
incorporated town with stable finances
preserves our local decision-making
authority and then longterm fiscal
stability. The residents have voice that
they want to ensure the town can
continue delivering our services.
So right now, as you know, we're general
law and we defer to state law even on
municipal affairs and we c cannot adopt
a real property transfer tax. So we're
looking at the charter town. Um we're
looking at it mainly to adopt a real be
have the ability to adopt a real
property transfer tax. Um, but it's just
also something that other cities do for
other reasons, but for us, the main
focus right now is that tax.
About 26% of California cities have
charters, so we're not unique in this.
Um, and many of our neighbors have them.
And the council direction back in April
was to utilize a brief, narrowly focused
charter similar to the St. Helina model.
It authorizes the tax I mentioned while
keeping us subject to the other state
laws that govern us to keep the process
and the charter very simple and
streamlined and that let us remain on
schedule. The charter can be amended in
the future by the voters but simplest
charter has let us move this forward on
schedule and present it for you tonight.
So we are moving forward. This is our
second public hearing. As I mentioned,
we are marching forward towards a
deadline if the council decides to make
a decision in July to place this charter
and potentially a ballot measure on the
ballot. Um, and that would go before the
voters in November. And in order to go
in effect right now, the charter and the
real property transfer tax requires a
simple majority which is 50% plus one.
So again, this is our second public
hearing and you know, we followed the
St. Helina model with a very simple
brief charter. Um, we've researched a
few things and research that we
determined the town does not need to
specify the form of government in the
charter. Um, the charter that you see
attached, which is still in draft
format, has not been finalized and we're
not looking for any vote tonight. We
just have to have this meeting for
public review and comment, but there is
a small red line in the charter that
you'll see in your packet. Um, so this
is again a simple meeting tonight. We
just want you to open and close the
public hearing, receive public comment,
and then we will return in July for you
to make a final decision as to whether
to place the final charter on the
ballot. And you can make changes up
until July. Probably unlikely at this
point, but just important to note that
there's no con this public hearing has
no effect on whether the charter could
still be amended in the future. That can
be done up until you consider placing it
on the ballot, um, which would be
scheduled in July.
So with that, Katherine and I are
available to ask questions. And I also
want to give a thank you to a staff
member, Lauren Tarp, who's also been
part of our team and been extremely
helpful. So we're grateful for her work.
>> Thank you, Darcy. Are there questions
for Darcy before we move on? No. No. No.
Okay, great. Then let me open up the
public hearing on 7B, which is the
proposed adoption of a town charter. Is
there anyone in the room that would like
to speak to the town charter? Okay, I
see nobody here in the schoolhouse
and I see one hand online. Christy C, go
ahead.
» Can you please explain a charter city
versus the city we are currently
involved in? Thank you.
>> Okay. Well, that was the slide that
Darcy put up. Um, so they're the the
slides are in the packet, but for us the main consideration here is it gives
us the ability to raise a real property
transfer tax.
>> Can you explain to the public what this
means?
>> Um, okay. Okay. Well, I mean that's what
the slides were Christie, but this is a chance for you to comment, not sort of
a
>> Well, you know, since we didn't have a a
open session with our residents, I think
this is the time to do it.
>> Okay. Well, thank you for your comment.
» So, any other comments that you would
like to make?
Okay, I guess Christiey's muted, so I'm
going to assume no. Is there anybody
else who would like to comment on this
item?
All right, so is there anything um I'm
going to close the public hearing? Is
there anything else that you guys want
to say about the charter that would help
clarify?
I guess I would um just uh refer um the
council and the public to particularly
page 218 of the packet which provides
it's it's high level but provides the
overview of the difference between a
general law city which or general law
town which we are right now versus a
charter city or charter town. Um the
different the key difference is that
charter towns are are authorized to
exercise local authority over uh
municipal affairs and municipal affairs
are defined in the constitution and also
um case law determined by courts. Uh and
so there are specific uh powers uh that
charter cities can exercise that general
law cities cannot. Um the key one that
we've been talking about is the power of
taxation and particularly the power to
enact a real property transfer tax.
There are other um other authorities
that charter uh towns may exercise. They
are not however included in the current
draft of the charter.
>> Right. Okay. Great. Thank you for
providing some clarity.
>> All right. So
>> I I do think I mean this is a public
hearing. that's the only reason we're
having it. And if people aren't
following
um I get concerned. So if I if I my
recollection is wrong, let me know. But
when this first came up, the first
hearing, we had a wholesome packet that
actually, if I recall correctly, spelled
out there's two types of towns. One's
charter, one's general law. Here are
some of the differences. So, if Christy
or others want to
um have a more comprehensive
presentation that exists and maybe we
could follow up with her to send the
date that that was first discussed and I do think it's important for public
understanding
um what it is and isn't and you know
it's on us as well as them to engage to
understand it. So that's my only
comment.
>> And could I just ask also is there are
[clears throat] we putting something up
on the website about this or is there
going to be an FAQ or what what is the
plan for that?
Yes. So
we I think we have an FAQ. I'll double
check, but yeah, we do have an
engagement website that people can go
to.
And there is a description as Katherine
mentioned in the packet in this packet
as well. It's not as detailed I think as
the first one but there's definitely
um you know charter town municipal
affairs etc.
>> Okay. Other
>> yeah question.
>> So um I just it is under engagement but
and Darcy and I went through this
earlier this week because I was curious
about it. It's a little bit tricky to
find. So, I'll just let you know it's
under community under engagement. Um, so
which to me is not an obvious link. So,
it'd be nice to have it more prominent.
um to be honest. Um
so and in terms of charter to me just
you know general law generally is
everything by state law and then charter
is uh a little bit more cities get to do
a little bit differently then they get
to expand
more things than what state law just uh
the guidance is.
So,
>> right, but in our case, we've sort of
chosen to do charter city light, which
is just ch basically take all of general
law and change the taxation.
>> Right?
>> So, just for most people's simple
understanding is not much is changing.
It's literally changing this taxation
>> and right and then and that's um because
July 22nd there will be on the agenda
whether we put something on the ballot
or not. There is that vote at that
point.
» Right. That's when we're going to decide
whether to put the charter city on and
whether to put property transfer tax.
>> Exactly.
>> Other discussion on this one?
>> Yeah. I I just wanted to ask what seems
to be the obviously I am a advocate for
the charter uh town and have have been
for a long time because it helps us uh
individuate ourselves uh as a town. Uh
however, Charter Light doesn't do
doesn't perform that function. And so my
question is always, do I have to go back
all through this whole thing again? If
we want to do another, if we want to
actually make a robust charter, we're
going to have to do these two public
hearings. And uh and I mean, it's one
thing to come up with a good charter,
but it's another thing to spend a whole
year trying to go through the
bureaucracy of it. It's going to be it's time consuming. It's all get out
and and staffing uh consuming but also
late nights,
>> right? But this is the decision we as a
council made which was just
>> right. But I'm asking the question of is
it is it really just as arduous is this
once you become a charter city do you
have to go exactly isn't there some like
modificate modifying our charter city uh
program?
>> Um generally speaking no the amendment
process is the same as the adoption
process. the two public hearings and
then the placement on the ballot. Uh
that said, I would say the the council
is actually engaged in a much more
robust discussion of of this particular
proposal. I would say given that the
council considered a range of options um
over a course of several council
meetings and so the the two public
hearings are really I think just a
portion of what this council did when it
considered adoption of the charter in
the first place. Um, so I I think it
actually would be somewhat more
expedited in comparison for an
amendment.
>> Thank you.
>> And the finance committee also
considered many many options over
several meetings.
» All right. Any other comments on 7B?
All right. So, I'm going to close the
Well, I guess I've closed the public
hearing and now I'm going to close the
agenda item 7B and move on to the
regular agenda. So um as we agreed we
will move on to 8D
excuse me
you just need a comment right there's no
resolution
>> correct the no resolution tonight um it
was just the public hearing
>> thank you
» welcome welcome
>> I'll just make a second to I don't think
you've met Akoi
Wilson our new senior your planner, but
just for the record, she's an official
staff member, not a consultant. And we
are incredibly lucky to have such a
talented individual with us.
She formerly worked at Midpen, city of
Half Moon Bay, and has a degree from I
think Baylor environmental science and
is
grew up in Colorado and but still loves
California. So, we're lucky to have her
here. And she's focusing more on
advanced planning. So, this housing
element, the safety element, these are
things she's working on in addition to
lots of other fun things.
» Thank you for that introduction, Darcy.
Uh, and then if I could be promoted to a
panelist to share the presentation.
» And AOE, you see how I talk like I'm
trying to get close.
>> If you can't hear echo behind you, then
you're not talking close enough.
What I find is if I put it in front of
my mouth, even if it's a little farther
away rather than to the side, it's
significantly better.
Hey, good evening, Mayor Taylor and
council members. Thank you for having me
tonight. Uh my name is Acoi Wilson. I'm
our senior town planner. Um and I will
be presenting to you tonight on the
housing element amendment. Uh
specifically the second draft of the
housing element amendment. Uh and we'll
be seeking direction from the council
tonight regarding next steps and
potentially the authorization to submit
to HC.
I'll first walk us through some
background uh on the housing element and
the draft housing element amendment and
then I'll provide additional feedback on
the content of the housing element
amendment. We'll discuss HCD's comments
that were received in March and uh the
updates in the current draft of the
housing element amendment in response to
those comments.
A bit of background on the housing
element. It was first certified back in
January 2024 uh and then was reertified
in 2025. Around that same time, there
were some discussions regarding one of
the existing sites in the housing
element and whether or not it was a
feasible site to remain in the housing
element. Uh which led to the housing
element amendment to be drafted. Uh
which we'll discuss how that's being
addressed. uh and that was officially
drafted around late 2025 and was brought
to uh the council back in December 2025
and then was officially submitted uh in
January 2026 after receiving that
direction from council earlier in
January. Uh and then most recently we
received uh comments on that draft from
HCD uh back in March and since then
we've been working on addressing those
uh comments and updating a second draft.
So, the previous draft amendments
included the removal of the Dorothy Ford
site and to accommodate the site the
units lost as part of removing that
site, those units were reallocated to
two new sites uh as well as one existing
site that was revised with the draft
amendment. The uh each of these three
sites were also updated to have a
proposed reszoning to a mixeduse
highdensity zoning. Uh all of this
maintained our site inventory. Uh it
just redistributed how they were, but
each category maintains the same amount
of units as well as our overall reena
number remains at 272.
Um, and so none of that has changed with
the draft and that remains the same with
this draft as well.
HCD had five main points in their
comment letter. Uh, three of these stood
out and two others were a bit more
administrative. Uh the first two
involved the need for additional site
analysis as well as um some research
into the site constraints and
infrastructure specifically relating to
the skyline open space site which was
one of the new sites. So that has been
addressed through adding additional
language into the housing element
amendment as well as uh new conceptual
site plans that we'll look at here in a
moment.
Uh the third item involved just a
reminder that staff will need to
resubmit uh an electronic sites
inventory, though this should be
relatively simple given we're not
changing our site inventory. Uh and then
their fourth point was they recommended
that we consider following our analysis
that we update the housing element
programs um or add additional programs
to address the need for or to
accommodate additional housing uh and
affordable housing throughout the town.
Um and specifically consider allocating
funds to the skyline open space site for
a program to do so. Uh, and then lastly,
there was just a reminder that we'll
need to complete program 1-1B, which is
the reasonzonings for the three sites.
So, basically what I just shared on the
last slide, but just reiterating that
this draft just includes additional text
to sites that were already identified
with the last draft. uh and just
additional analysis for these sites to
describe the feasibility of housing and
the number of housing units that were
identified on each of the sites. Uh as
well as conceptual site plans for each
site. Um but just as a reminder, these
are conceptual. So with the submittal in
the future, these could certainly
change, but the goal is to show that
these sites could accommodate the number
of units that are identified in our
housing element. And then the main uh
new addition would be a new program
which is program 4-5. And this is
committing the town to publishing a
notice of funding availability or a NOA
uh which will provide uh opportunities
for applicants to come in and apply for
affordable housing fund uh funds to
build their sites within certain
parameters that would be identified in
the NOA that we would have to we have an
early draft of but would have to
continue to work on and then publish
publicly.
So the first site is the village square
site. Uh this with a proposed amendment
has uh identified 20 very lowincome
units as well as five above moderate
income units. Uh and so the conceptual
site plan shows 25 units and this is a
mix of one and twobedroom units. Uh the
main site constraints that we were
seeing with this site is just the Saucil
Creek setback in the rear of the site.
uh as well as uh the goal to maintain
the required parking for the existing
commercial uses um as well as
accommodate parking for the new housing
units. And this site plan does uh
include enough parking to accommodate
both of those things within the town's
code.
The Christ Church site was a previously
existing site that was updated with the
last draft. It proposes 14 very
lowincome units and one median income
unit. Uh so a total of 15 units that
you'll see on the site plan here. And uh
it would be a twotory set to the far
rear back of the site. It maintains the
parking for the church as well as all
the existing church uses. Um the main
constraints on this site exist actually
more towards the front of the site. So
there were pretty minimal sight
constraints when looking at where to uh
propose the new units.
And lastly, the Skyline open space site.
This was a new site added with the draft
amendment. Uh it proposes 16 very
lowincome units. Uh and for the
conceptual site plan, we've included 16
one-bedroom units. Uh this is to have a
more lowp profofile uh look of the site
and considering that Skyline Boulevard
is a scenic corridor. Um and it also
accommodates the 200 foot scenic setback
off of Skyline though uh there would be
the potential for a 100 foot setback. So
we've shown that as well. Um but we are
going with the greater of the two. Um
and so again these are one-bedroom
units. Uh this is also uh to accommodate
some of the infrastructure needs. Um so
because of the limited utilities on the
site uh there were discussions that um
there would need to be on-site
wastewater treatment systems and it's
best to accommodate these through uh
smaller unit sizes. Um and so that's why
we've gone with showing 16 individual
one-bedroom units on the site.
The new program the language exact
language is here if you want to take a
moment to read it. Uh in summary it's
would focus on establishing the NOA as
discussed earlier um which would support
the development of 100% affordable
housing projects and it would include
incentives specifically for the housing
element sites. Um, and these incentives,
while they're not identified yet, um, an
idea of it would be something like
increase per unit subsidies over what
some of the other affordable units might
be able to receive or apply for.
So, next steps, uh, tonight we're
looking to receive direction from the
council. Uh, and we'd like to ask the
council consider by motion um
authorizing staff to submit the draft
housing element amendment to HCD. Uh,
the public comment period will remain
open through June 30th, 2026. So, um, we
would not submit until that public
comment period is closed. Um, and then
following that, we would have 60 days
that we'd be waiting to hear back from
HCD. Uh and then we would receive a
response from HCD as to next steps. Um
and then following that we would if HCD
were to not have additional comments to
address we would be bringing it forward
to the town council for adoption. If
there were additional comments we would
be going through this process again. And
lastly would just be implementation um
which many of the items to implement the
draft housing element amendment are
already in draft um or complete.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. Clarifying questions.
» Um
okay. So I want to just confirm there's
nothing
This is in response only to the HCD
comments that you listed. We're not
trying to change anything else. And from
your perspective, the changes are
consistent with the prior housing
element, but updated like there's
nothing no surprise.
>> Correct. Yeah. The only new addition
would be that program. Everything else
is just language that most of which
would have already been discussed at
public meetings or a discussion of
establishing the sites. We've just
bulked up the site analysis and content
uh relating to each of the sites.
>> So on page 126 of 407
[clears throat]
um it talks about mi mixed use zoning
districts and there's a little more
redlinining in there than I thought was
needed. Can you just confirm you were
trying to clarify something there? It's
just above the site's inventory.
Um,
it page six adequate site.
>> Sorry, you said page 126.
>> 126.
Yes. Of 407. I'm clicking through the
online link. So, I think that should be
accurate. But it's a section entitled
mixed use zoning districts
>> or it's 119 if you're just looking at
your packet. So Judith number is in the
packet and it's 119 in the actual
document
>> depending on which you're looking at.
>> I'm in the actual document or I'm on the
linked.
>> Right. Well, the page number at the
bottom of that page is 119.
>> Yes. Yes.
>> Even though I agree that PDF says 126.
So I was just trying to help her
depending on how she's trying to look it
up because she's got paper in front of
her. [laughter]
>> I came prepared. I knew I was gonna have
to screen share. Um so yeah the two the
mixed use zoning districts section.
>> Yeah
>> correct. Let me just give it a brief
look over.
Yeah. So all of this language would have
been related to the last draft. So we
haven't altered this in in any way. It's
really to address the
uh updated mixeduse zoning um for each
of these three sites. Um but nothing
with that has changed since the last
draft. Well, it's redlined.
So,
thank you for asking that because it'll
help provide some additional
clarification. We did add um a
supplemental document um online that
highlights the version uh to try to
differentiate between what red line is
associated with the overall draft
housing element amendment and the
sections that were added as part of the
uh this second draft if that makes
sense. So just because it's red line
doesn't necessarily mean we've added it
with this current draft. We're
maintaining the red line throughout the
entire draft housing element amendment
while we're submitting to HCD. Uh just
to ensure that there's clarity for them
as to what's been updated from our
original housing element.
>> So it's a cumulative red line.
>> Correct. Yeah. For the draft for the
Yeah.
>> Okay. Um, so there really isn't that
much cumulative change. If I look at
this amount of redlinining, there's not
it's very targeted. It looks like an
incremental red line.
>> Yeah, the overall red line throughout
the document should be relatively
minimal. You're going to see the bulk of
it in terms of the housing the actual
sites themselves um as those were
deleted and updated. So there's a lot
more red line there. But otherwise
throughout the document, the red lines
would mostly be associated with the
updated mixed use uh high density zoning
and then um a little bit in the sites
inventory just showing where some of
those units moved around during the
previous draft. But again, the sites
inventory numbers remain the same as our
original housing element.
>> Okay. So this round you didn't make
changes in that paragraph,
>> correct? Yes. Okay. Thank you.
Becca. Um, so I I just want to clarify
this redlinining situation because I
looked at the link
to the second draft version. So you're
saying that the even if it's red line
that doesn't distinguish what HCD has
already seen.
Correct. So the red line would have
carry over would have carried over from
the previous draft housing element
amendment. So going back um to prior to
January 23rd, 2026.
Um so there's red line. If you have the
document that's just redline that's the
essentially clean in a way. Um that
version is going to be anything that's
been added to our housing element
associated with the draft or deleted. Uh
and then we added a version on the
website where staff went through and we
added yellow highlight to anything that
was added just with this draft.
>> So how does HCD know whether or not you
responded to their question to their
letter? We checked with HCD as to what
they wanted to receive and they wanted
the red line for the entire draft. So, I
think they want to continue to see how
it's cumulatively changing. Not that I
can speak for them, but assuming they
want to see what's cumulatively changing
from our original housing element before
fully approving our draft amendment.
>> Seems like more work for them, but who
knows? They put it through AI anyway. I
know that for a fact. Um,
uh, so I had one substantive question
and then I wanted, well, before I get to
that one, I just wanted how do you want
to handle typos and errors, the tiny
little problems that I've seen in the
document? How would be best to handle
that? Because I have about 10 of them.
I may defer to our town manager or our
attorney, but I think if you wanted to
provide those just in writing or in
comments to us after the fact, we could
go through and and fix any very minor
typos.
>> Okay. So then my substantive one is
related to this new total new program,
the 45 NOA program. Um,
how was the decision made to word that
so that it only accommodates 100%
affordable housing
projects as opposed to mixed affordable
housing?
We worked with a consultant who has
worked on these in several
jurisdictions. this was their
recommendation in terms of the NOA
language but I think there could be room
to discuss um if there is something that
might better suit the town and our
priorities. Did you discuss the idea of
limiting of not having it for 100% but
instead having it phrased so that the
funding would go to VLI and LI unit
regardless of whether or not the whole
project is 100% or not but because what
we need is VLI units more so than 100%
affordable which could include moderate
affordable as well um could even include
100% um moderate affordable which is the
last thing we need. So um was there any
discussion of just spelling out that we
you know this would be money for VLI and
LI unit?
>> Not specifically.
>> Okay. Um can I just jump in? I I think
that could be reasonable though because
I don't think this town has
well
affordable housing housing is new to
this town. We don't know exactly what
we'll get. But I think if you if you you
look at what we're trying to accomplish
in the housing element, it's to
accomplish very low and low income. And
I think we just would be grateful for
any opportunity we have to provide
assistance.
Um
let's see. 47 page document.
Um
let's see. I have a typo. I have a
correction. Substantive. We talked about
that. Um, so, um, what was HCD's advice
about correcting the document?
Um, there's a lot of things that have
changed since this original document was
um, passed back in May or whatever, two,
a year ago, two years ago. Um, and
things that we've accomplished since
then. So, we've put in place all these
new zonings. We've done all this other
stuff that we committed to doing, we did
it. Now,
what was HCG's advice about kind of
updating some of these things where we
say we will do the redo the zoning in
March of 2024 and now we've done it. So,
they said not to just just to leave it the way it
was or
>> uh yeah, HCD didn't provide any comments
on that um in their letter specifically
this time.
>> Planning building director. So, one of
the other things to look at is that this
plan is a moment in time.
>> Adoption date is the adoption date and
we're tracking other progress outside of
the plan. So, going back and amending it
truly is look very specific amendments,
you know, when we're doing the updates
to the sites and then to address the
comments, but not to go back and, you
know, have this as like a living
document.
>> Okay. And then um we discussed a little
bit about the the idea of going our our
current multif family is a 20 to 23
um and then we had a discussion a little
bit about the 20 to 25. Um could you
talk a little bit about that that the
decision to go to 20 to 25 as opposed to
staying at the 20 to 20?
Um, so that was previous discussions
with town council and planning
commission that was decided upon and
approved for the submitt of the last
draft. Um, from my understanding.
>> Okay. Okay. The rest of mine are all
little typo things.
>> I can add a little bit more on to that.
There still is a 20 to 23 in there and
that's for our multif family. these
sites are the only sites that are going
to have the mixeduse high density and
that's the only sites that are going to
go up to 25. Um, and so I think that's
just to accommodate additional units
that were necessary um to meet our arena
numbers.
>> Okay, great. Thank you.
very
» the NOA program is sort of new to me and
can you help me just a little bit
understand whether there's any uh any uh
point of pressure that the town actually
has some ability to adjust where we see
the NOA funds being done or is there any control or are we just
saying go for it with this? So the town
would have
essentially [clears throat] a document
which would be the actual NOA itself. Um
so the notice would contain uh
provisions as to what can apply for the
available funding, what funding might be
available, how much of it you could
identify per unit, you could identify
how much per um the affordability level.
So there's a lot of things that the town
would have control over in terms of what
we would incorporate into the actual NOA
itself. Uh and so that's the program is
not tying us to those exact provisions
other than maybe
the 100% if that was direction we
received. But having the program in
there itself is really just committing
us to at least publish a NOA. So
publicly developers that are interested
in building affordable units would know
that we have x amount of funding
available and how much they might be
able to come in apply for. Um and then
we would be selecting if they could and
how much they could receive. And so
there's a lot of flexibility in there
still that we would be able to
incorporate in the physical NOA itself.
So u I guess it comes under the heading
of can we show preference in the NOA as
to location.
>> Our understanding is yes. Um we can
identify certain sites in our housing
element that uh we would like to
encourage or provide those funds to. Um
please correct me if I'm wrong,
Catherine. Um, but my understanding is
yes, you can provide that as long as
it's clearly laid out in the in the NOA
itself.
>> Thank you.
Amazing. That it, Mary.
>> Yep.
>> Thank you, Ellen.
>> So, um, uh, I appreciate what you guys
have done with the update um, and
meeting HCDs around the infrastructure.
um the NOA.
Um a couple of things actually before I
get into the NOA. Um Council Member
Flynn's comments about 100% versus um
BLI, I did want to flag Santa Clara now
County, San Monteo, I am not finding it,
but Sam Santa Clara County also now has
acutely low income, which is 15%. Which
I'd never seen before. Um so um I wanted
to flag that so because that's even
lower than extreme actually acute. Um so
I you know um and I also I know
sometimes developers have a hard time if
they don't have access to for you know
all the different levels. So
just saying that um in terms of the NOA
is it similar to community land trust
kind of idea but it's not
like
>> I'm not sure. I think if you could
rephrase or add on to your question
maybe that'll help or
>> Okay. Can you go to the slide about the
NOA
the new program? Right. So an affordable
housing trust fund. So this is through
um so community land trust is actually
usually a separate entity but this is
still managed by the town, right? This
affordable housing trust fund.
>> This is our fund,
>> right?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. Great. Okay. Just wanted to
clarify that it was not a community
trust fund.
>> Yeah.
>> Great. Those are my questions. Thank
you.
>> Thank you.
Um, I just had a couple of quick
questions. Um, I it doesn't sound like
we have to define the NOA today, but I'm
with Rebecca. I like the idea of a VLI
and an LI rather than 100%. I I think
that the more we can do to help
encourage people to build um the better.
So, I I would be in favor of that. Um,
you said this would come back to the
council. Does it also go to planning
commission when it comes back
>> for
your in your timeline? It
>> Yeah. Yeah. It comes back through. So I
just you didn't have it there. I just
wanted to clarify that. Um and then
finally on the subsidies um through the
NOA this is going to be like prevailing
wage and things like I mean will will
all that be whatever the requirements
are will those be defined because I know
when we were dealing with some other
low-income housing here we ran into a
bunch of problems where we wanted to
help and then it was like oh well it's
didn't have prevailing wage and this and
that. So the NA clearly defines what you
need to do to to meet the requirements
for the funds in addition to what they
could apply to.
>> Correct. Yeah.
>> Got Okay, perfect. That's my questions.
Thank you.
Okay. Um,
so let me open it up for public
comments.
>> Could I ask one more quick question?
What kind of comments in the public have
you heard in general? Have you gotten
anything submitted?
>> We've received one public comment. Uh,
so far, uh, staff received it late this
afternoon, so we haven't had a chance to
really look much into it. Um, generally
speaking, I would say it's relating um
more to traffic flow, those kinds of
things.
» All right. So, let me open up for public
comment. Is there any public comment in
the room? Please come up to the mic.
» Welcome.
>> Hi. Thanks. Um, I'm not sure there are
comments or questions because I'm not
sure exactly, but I can make them and
they can be
>> So, they can be
>> Well, if you make them into comments
because this is public comment, that's
always the best. Um, if they're
questions that other council members
feel would help enlighten a council,
they can sometimes ask to get them
answered.
>> Okay. So, um, one of the comments I have
is I'm confused when you talk about
developers and
>> and you probably want to be closer to
the
>> Sorry, I'm confused with some of the
comment about it's available for
developers, but there are specific sites
listed and some of them are developers
themselves.
So, is it related to those people only
or anyone could come to those sites even
though they're privately owned? So
that's a little confusing to me as to
what the relationship is between the
generic term developers and the owners
of those particular properties
because they're not really open to any
developer if I'm not mistaken
» through the mayor. Do would you like me
to address [clears throat] that?
>> Uh if you
>> I might suggest just so your time
doesn't run out that if you have more
questions maybe you can go through all
of them.
If one of the sites doesn't move
forward,
>> it's like the owner of that site decides
they don't want to do this because it's
economically not viable. How does the
city get other sites since there's only
a very limited number?
And we're now I know at one point
someone had raised a question in a
different meeting that they called this
low-income housing and they were
corrected very vehemently that this is
not as affordable housing. But by
reading page 142, this is defined as
very low-income, low-income, and ultra-
lowincome. So, I think there might be
some misunderstandings in the community
that this is actually lowincome housing,
and we should be very open and honest
about that.
Um, and the NOVA, does that go to the
buyers of the property or the developers
of the property? And not sure clearly
how that was intended to work.
Um,
in the proposal there were a couple
comments about um changes to
environmental and other rules and
regulations and specifically at the
village site that there would be um some
very large trees that needs to get cut
down. And my question is not specific to
that but just in general does does this
wave any requirements by developers in
any of the sites to not follow all the
environmental and other legal
obligations they have or are there
remedies that are available for them to
get around those?
So, it wasn't clear for me in the
description. Since it stated that they
would have to be cutting down trees,
that implies that that's an approved
>> decision since it's stated in the
document.
» Those are sort of common questions.
>> Those are my comment questions.
>> Um, I don't know if you guys got those
or not. If if you want to answer them
now or the other thing we could do is
potentially look at the recording,
answer them and post them on the website
so that they're publicly available.
>> Whichever you prefer. I could answer
some of them now and
>> sure it yeah
>> so relating to who could apply to the
NOA uh that would be something that
would be laid out in our published NOA
uh it likely some of the draft language
that we currently have would be it's for
nonprofits for-profit organizations
limited liability companies you know the
list goes on so it could essentially be
open to anyone who wanted to apply for
that NA um The
second question, sorry I'm trying to
think through them all. Um, there's
another question regarding uh their com
the commitment to the tree removals and
those kinds of things. Uh, nothing in
the housing element or the housing
element amendment is an approval of any
sort. So, um, any applicant that's
coming in, whether they're at a housing
element site or another site, would
still have to go through the required
process, whichever is indicated. Um, if
it's going through a discretionary
review process, it would go through the
appropriate discretionary review. If
it's a streamlined ministerial approval
project, it would go through that
ministerial process, but everything
would be reviewed with the town code and
with state law. Um, I think I'm blanking
on some of the other questions, but I
hope that help. So, one of them was if one of the new areas didn't get
built, what are the consequences? And my
understanding is if we zone it, it's up
to builders to build it. It's not up to
us to force anybody to build it.
>> Yeah, that's correct.
>> And the next cycle, we may have to then
rethink this, but in this cycle, it's up
to a developer to decide to build it or
not.
>> Correct. Yeah.
>> So, I think we got generally your
questions. Is if there's more, please
send them in.
Also you you asked about the private
property rights versus a developer. Um
generally it's private property rights
and they can work with a developer. They
can develop it themselves. You know it's
up to the property owner to how they
would like to move forward. So for
instance thea church which is you know
is working with habitat for humanity.
Something else about developers you need
to be aware of is there are two types.
There's at market rate and then there's
affordable housing developers. So two
different they get their capital stack
from different sources.
So generally affordable housing works
with affordable housing developers. So
different sources of uh of affordable
housing uh capital to get it built.
>> Thank you.
>> Thanks.
>> All right. Any other in the room? All
right. Then I'll go online. Christie.
» Yeah. I was wondering if you can just
explain the differences between
different developers and how they
perform housing.
» He's asking different kinds of
developers. So I mean sort of nonprofit
versus for-profit.
Can you make it a quick
>> Is that it, Christie?
>> Yep.
>> Okay, great. I We just don't want your
timer to run out. Okay.
>> So, yeah. So, Christie, I'll take this
one if that's okay. I mean, affordable
housing developers usually have five to
nine sources of uh of places to of
capital. Um they're, you know, 4%
um lowinccome tax credits, 9% low income
tax credits, um a more the mortgage,
um the revenue from the rents that the
people pay, you know, so it's and then
local the local funding sources from the
local cities. there are five sources for
and then sometimes I was at a ribbon
cutting a few weeks ago and they had
nine sources you know sometimes the
county comes in it just depends on the
development um so um and that's how
these projects get built it and it's a lot of paperwork and a lot of
tracking and a lot of administration
over it
>> so and I'm happy to talk to you
>> yeah the public needs to understand all
this and so the more open sessions we
can have to understand this please
provide it. Thank you.
>> Thank you Christie.
All right. Anyone else in the
schoolhouse? Anyone else online? All
right. I'm going to close public
comment.
Bring it back to the council. So are
there other um discussion points?
Otherwise, um we to consider authorizing
staff to submit this um draft housing
element to this state HCD.
So other comments before we
» So I know we're dealing with a lot at
the moment, but I I do have to say that
having a 400page document to read on top
of 300 on top of whatever all in one
meeting.
I don't think it does the public the
service they're owed and I don't think
it does the council
well either because
it's so easily interpreted
as you know a rubber stamp or anything.
So, I just want to put that out there
because we do have to figure out how to
build in a process so people can feel
like they're they're informed while
moving things at a time that's
difficult. So, I just want to
acknowledge that that's something we're
all dealing with and we should continue
to think about how to stage that. Um, so
for something like this that's so
important,
um, I think you've done a nice job. I
would have liked more time with it to be
honest because it is so dense and the
redlinining for me was extra confusing.
Now you've you've done a great job
clarifying it today. So thank you. Um,
but I do think it seems in good shape.
You've been thoughtful. I'm pretty
comfortable with it. So, I I thank you
for all your efforts.
>> Thank you,
Rebecca.
>> Um, so my only um well, the main thing I
have is the the NOA language. I really
the reality is that Portola Valley
doesn't need 100% affordable housing
developments.
um what we need is funding for VLI or or
less or even acutely or extremely though
I don't think we'll be able to support
those that level of need but our housing
you our housing element really requires
VLI that's where we have a big gap um
and we've learned from uh Habitat for
Humanity that it that developer even
affordable housing developers such as
Habitat for Humanity have tremendous
expertise in building affordable housing
units. They cannot pencil out VLIs. Um
so it's very important that we would
dedicate um our affordable housing funds
towards supporting the building of VIS
and most of the developers that might
come into the town, even affordable
housing developers um will need the
extra public support to put in some VLIs
in addition to their other affordable
units. I mean, as a principal, my
personal preference, and I think it fits
much better into Portol Valley, is to um
have mixed income
uh developments for multif family
developments and mixed use to encourage
mixed income units. Um I think it would
fit much better into the town. Um so for
that, I would change that language to
say to support the development of VLI or
LI units. I think VLI is broad enough
term that it also includes lower even
lower levels. Um
so that would be my main change to the
document.
>> One clarifying do does the NOA language
go to HCD or just that we'll have a
notice?
>> No, the NOA language is just done
through the town's process.
>> Right. So, I think we can fix that later
to get what cuz
>> No, I I I want it fixed in the safety
element because I do not want it going
to only 100% affordable projects. I want
it to be able to go to we would this
money would not be able to go to uh
Valley Fair uh village would not be able
to village would not be able to go to
Christ Church um
because neither of those are 100%
affordable. So,
>> right, what I meant was the draft
housing element doesn't have the NOA
language in it. So,
>> it does it has that particular that
little statement says it's the money
will be used for 100% affordable
projects.
>> I thought I just asked so is do we have
to update that in this amendment or
>> I think if it's if we don't want to
commit to 100% then I would recommend
that we modify the language. If I could
make a simple recommendation, I think um
we could also leave there were
discussions about this that we could
leave the program more general which
will give us more flexibility with the
NOA itself. Um the caveat being um from
our understanding HCD does like
specifics. So, that could be something
that they might come back with
additional specifics, but we could go
more general and simply just strike out
um the 100% and say to support
affordable housing projects. Um and then
the NOA itself would define the very
low, really low, whatever we want to
define.
>> I would be concerned that then we would
have uh people who have moderate income
projects wanting for to claiming that
they should also be able to get this
money. That's why I would prefer to have
it just go to VI and LI and that's it.
People know what to expect. VLI is a
term that considers the lower levels and
LI, you know, is is would make an option
too. Um the NOA could then specify the
VLI units would get a higher number
higher amount of funding than an LI
unit. Um, but the actual document I
think should say VLI and LII because the
reality is um there's a lot of funding
available for 100% affordable housing
projects.
>> The state has it the uh
>> no, it's overs subscribed. It's really
hard to get in this area because of our
cost of living. It's extraordinarily
hard to get. So and as we talk to
Habitat for Humanity, they can't build
at those levels even if we support if
you know like so this blocks out the
potential potentially from more things
getting built. So I like more affordable
housing in general. So, I agree that I
want to support VLI, but I'm really concerned by saying that it has
to be VLI that we that developers are
going to look at it and and they're not
going to be able to build it VLI or LI.
>> Yes, both. So, I'm worried about that by
limiting it. You know, I would recommend
personally what I would say is 100%
affordable
units, right? so that they could be in
the mixed unit. Um and you know our like
the state funds are
hugely overs subscribed.
>> Yeah. But then if you look at a mixed
affordable development, there's no
funding. One there's absolutely no
funding for that type of thing. So you
can get a a private developer who's
willing to do some LI or VLI units. They
just they'll never pencil out because
they can't get any support. Whereas if
you do a 100% affordable development,
you can at least apply even though it is
overs subscribed, you can at least apply
for something. Whereas if you have a
mixed affordable project, there's
absolutely no money you can afford. So
the reality in Port Valley is nothing is
going to be built here at 100%
affordable. There's it's just not going
to pencil out with the cost of the uh
the land. So if we have any hope of
having VLI units, we have to allow
market rate units for which we wouldn't
be subsidizing those units. But maybe a
developer would put in a VLI unit if
we're helping to subsid.
>> But that's when they get the
inclusionary like by state they there
are required inclusionary units that
they can do with density bonuses.
>> They you heard the Habitat for Humanity
guys. He can't pencil out a VLI.
>> Not for two units.
>> No, he he can't. He He specifically said
he can't pencil out a VLI unit because
the the amount that they have to pay
just in terms of property taxes, in
terms of other things that they never
could pencil out without, you know,
pretty much public funding for it.
>> So, can we can we move this back to
Rebecca? Why don't you finish up your
comments?
>> Yeah, my comment is just to change that
to support the development of VLI and LI
units and not to
>> Thank you.
>> specify it. Um the rest are just small
type of things pretty much.
>> Mary.
>> Okay. Thank you, Ellen.
>> So, um could I get like um
obviously 100% affordable is not always
feasible. Um so could you I mean could
we do it as VLI you or in units
inclusionary units or you know the 10 or
15%?
>> Yeah. Well, so
you have a lot of discretion when it
comes to actually implementing your
adopted affordable housing fund policy
and deciding how to allocate the funds.
HCD has a different interest and I
remember talking to HCD about this and
talking to the consultant. So I'll just
say that their view is that right now
the units are on the VLI units are on
town property and we would have the
ability for example to do what a lot of
cities do which is make that land
available for free right and so there
remove the land cost I think HCD is just
interested in the town providing support
and funding to pro affordable housing
that's on now private property
So I would
suggest that we follow Ako's
recommendation just remove the 100%.
We can talk through it with HCD if they
have follow-up questions but I think
that the 100% could lead to a challenge
in implementing our NOA.
So that would be my recommendation just
remove the 100% get it up to HCD and
what we do when we submit to HD is we
offer to meet with them and talk through
things. we can talk through this and if
they demand it, we will come back to
you.
>> Great. Are you okay with that?
>> Well, as long as the the NOA, the actual
NOA goes out and it it provides funding
levels that only apply to VLI and LI and
not moderate, I'm fine with that.
>> Yeah, that's something I think we could
accommodate.
>> I support that. Thank you. And the only
caveat I had, you could also say LI and
lower. I'm not sure how to phrase lower.
>> Um, there will be additional since I
went to the Abag meeting, there are
going to be additional lower, acutely
low
>> that come into the next housing element.
So, um, like limiting it to two bands,
we'll probably have to rethink that.
>> Yeah. And that's something I would say
we could implement in the NOA.
>> Yeah. Okay.
>> And just to clarify the facts right now,
Habitat Humanities project is low
income.
>> It's not moderate. It's not VLI. And
that's the only builder we're aware of
right now that is interested in building
deed restricted affordable units in
town. So I think we're on a right path
to success here.
» I'm good. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Right. I don't have any
comments. Do you feel like you've got
enough direction?
>> Yeah, just to reiterate the direction I
think staff has received tonight will be
that we'll strike out pending the motion
would be to strike out the 100% on the
NOA language. Uh and then we'll receive
any additional comments relating to
typos. We'll address those and then
we'll also be waiting for public comment
to see what else comes through.
impending town council's motion tonight,
potentially be resubmitting to HCD if
that sounds correct.
>> And if you got more public comment,
would that cause you to change the
draft? Would it come back to us if you
decided to change? I mean, it seems
unlikely, but I'm just trying to
understand the process.
>> I I would say or I'll I'll let our
director speak.
I think if there was public comment that
warrants f, you know, additional
discussion or bringing back to town
council, that's a consideration. I
think, you know, like the one public
comment we received so far. And also, I
want to clarify that was through the
public comment form online. It wasn't
submitted as part of public comment for
this meeting. So, that's why it wasn't
in the packet, but um it will be
provided later. Um, but you know, the
goal is to hear the public comment and
if there was anything that really
warrants a a red flag, we we could bring
it back to council, but we can um give
you an update to you guys, too.
>> Okay. Just
>> All right. I mean, this sounds
reasonable to me. Um, so I would
entertain a motion.
» So moved with the one change removing
100%.
A second.
>> Seconded.
>> Okay, we have a motion, a second. All in
favor?
>> I I
opposed. You're good. Good. Just didn't
hear you. No, we're all good.
>> Okay. Are are there abstensions?
>> Are you abstaining? Like
>> Okay.
>> All right. So,
four eyes, zero nazs, one abstension.
All right. So, with that, I'm going to
close
8 D
and bring us back to 8A. Thank you,
Tony, very much for patiently waiting.
Um,
» thank you, Akoi. Great presentation.
» [clears throat]
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and good evening
again, members of council. Uh, tonight's
item is the culmination of
about four months of work. Um,
beginning with
March, the council study session.
priorities for
you.
>> No, no.
Again, these are the council priorities
as defined in our March study session.
Since then, um there's been several
check-ins by council during this
process. Um in one meeting we determined
the our council approved a 2 and a half%
coal increase and salary schedule. Uh
the council also uh provided direction
on town committee funding and nonprofit
funding. Uh the town council also
reviewed the capital improvement plan
budget and provided direction. And at
the last council meeting u council also
received a preliminary review of the
proposed budget. and tonight is the uh
end result of that process.
So again, these are the council
priorities as as defined by council. Uh
we also have uh some community
priorities related to the PB
conversation that we discussed earlier
today and some of these items are in the
budget. uh wildfire prevention,
vegetation and rust management,
um these patrols and maintain town
autonomy. And uh but the one item that
uh we probably need to consider for
future budgets is uh investing in our
deteriorating storm drain system.
So in looking at general fund revenues,
uh we're estimating about 8.4 million in
general fund revenues. It's a $468,000
increase or a 5.9%.
Uh tax revenues are anticipated to
increase about 310,000 and with the new
user fees adopted um
we're looking about an estimated
increase of 158,000.
This chart shows the breakdown of our
sources of general fund revenues. As you
can see, the majority of
our revenue comes from property taxes.
And we've had many discussions about
property tax and the limitations that we
have related to Prop 13. Our property
tax growth is as a result of either new
home sales or uh redevelopment that
triggers a reassessment. Um then our
other tax revenues
um if you add them all up together
approximately 75 to 77% of our general
fund revenue. Uh sales and use tax is
4%. Um again and that's primarily driven
by uh we have one
business that generates about a third of
our sales tax revenue.
Um on the expense side we're looking
about 9.1 million.
um and resulting in a deficit of almost
679,000
um [clears throat] and um but the the
year-to-ate expense increase is um
884,000.
Uh the largest increase is the serif's
contract which we discussed earlier. Um
about 488,000 is the sheriff's contract.
Um use of consultants has increased a
little bit. Um again it's providing more
support to bu planning and building
services. Also anticipating um cost
increases related to um we did we are in
the process of completing um a review of
new IT providers. Um so we did increase
the budget for IT website consultants um
as well in the budget.
So, looking at general fund expenses,
um, as I stated earlier, 9.1 million,
it's 10.8% increase. Sheriff's contract
488,000, consultants 158,000, and then
salaries and benefits totaling 145,000.
Part of it is the 2 and a half% coal
increase. Also, we're starting the year
with fewer vacant positions as we as we
did in the in previous years. So,
salaries and benefits will be higher. um
in comparison to previous years.
So, the budget does support 15 full-time
equivalent positions. Um this is a half a point decrease from the
previous year. We no longer have a
part-time uh associates working the
front desk. We have um we will be
filling one position, senior development
review technician, building inspector um
that will be managing the front desk. We
also have uh some consultant support in
that area as well. Um and
[clears throat] then in finance, we'll
be recruiting for a finance manager and
an accountant one. Um but we will not be
increasing the total number of uh
personnel on staff.
So contract services and consultants um
for example the town attorney this
contract uh public safety we have the
county sheriff Woodside fire also
dispatch services then consultants we
have planning and building with good
city CSG in west and shootings code you
pass their contracts tonight and then
with information and technology as I
mentioned earlier um we we had six
proposals received for it uh we did
interview five firms. Um we've
whittleled it down to two or three.
We're in the process of uh determining
which um provider to go with. We should
have a selection in the next couple
weeks. And uh the budget does assume a
$30,000 increase from the previous
provider.
So just a history of the county sheriff
contract, 2.5 million for 2627.
It's as per the contract it's an
increase of 197,000. However, we've
discussed in previous meetings. Uh the
impact to the general fund is 488,000.
Uh and that is you know related to the
190 $197,000 increase the expiration of
credits of 211,000 from the county. Uh
the use of ARPA funds of 100,000 and
then we were able to use $20,000 in in
COP's funding to because it was 58. So
we reduce it to 488. Um but um this was
an increase that had been deferred for
over the past three fiscal years. Um
that's finally uh come home to the
general fund.
Our capital project budget is 1.45
million with 986,000
uh related to our streets. Our annual
street resurfacing project has started.
Uh we're looking for completion in the
fall. Um and then uh post adoption,
we're going to still have some decisions
to make in regards to Fordfield bathroom
uh the Valley Oak Trail Bridges and the
Shauny Pass speed bumps or speed homes,
excuse me.
So looking at all funds summary, um
looking at spending appropriation of uh
12.4 4 million in total revenue, 12.38
in total expenses. Um these numbers are
a little bit different than what's on
the resolution and that's primarily
because the resolution appropriation
includes use of reserves on both the
expense and revenue side. So um that's
why the the re the resolution numbers
are a little bit different than what's
being reported on the all fund summary.
But we need to have those numbers so
that we can have the spending authority
and also the the the revenue authority.
So this is an update to the fiscal
forecast. Um
so by the end of 2627 we're looking at
being at the 20% limit. Um and by fiscal
year 3031 being at zero and this is the
general fund reserve. uh being below the
limits um uh will create some uh
challenges for the town. If there's a
natural disaster, there's a road
failure, uh it could have some impact on
the town's autonomy moving forward. Um
and uh without new local revenue, we
would be we would be looking at some
significant service cuts uh just to keep
us at the 20% level. Um [clears throat]
and as stated, this is the culmination
of um the last four months. I want to
thank the council for their guidance and
direction. Um I also want to thank staff
for their um input. Um we've had many meetings and discussions about
where we need to go. Um and I also want
to thank the finance committee. um they
have uh been um an excellent source of
um guidance and um assurance in the work
that we are doing. Um but uh as I stated
the budget as presented is a snapshot of
the town's current financial situation.
There is a structural deficit that needs
to be addressed. Um and this is going to
be our issues moving forward. So with
that, that concludes my report and I
give it back to council for discussion.
>> Thank you, Tony. So clarifying question
on Tony's presentation,
>> Rebecca.
>> Um, yeah, thank you for the great
presentation. Um, could you just clarify
a little bit the 30k increase for the
IT?
Um, is that additional services or is it
pretty much what we what you have now?
>> Cost increase. Um all of the proposals
came in higher than what the previous
provider. We are getting more service
and um um also more of a a virtual CIO,
more strategic planning. Um they've all
pretty much stressed that. So yeah,
there will be an increased level of
service uh with the new rates. And um
just to confirm, I know you've told us
this in the past, this does not include
the potential extra VLF.
>> Yes, I do not I do not budget the
shortfall until I'm told it's coming.
>> That's it for me. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Good. Good. Mary.
» So, as always, um, thank you for making
this, uh, clear and easy to understand.
So, a couple few questions. Um, could
you talk about the trail rehabilitation
and which pot of money that's coming out
of?
>> So, we have several pots of money. Um we
have in our 401 capital projects fund we
have about 20 25,000.
Um we also have monies in gas tax and um
some of our measure A measure M measure
W money can be used in the right of way
um if it's related to any type of
safety. Uh but it's predominantly the
capital projects fund and the gas tax
fund that we're funding um vegetation
management and trail and trail
maintenance.
>> Could I follow on that? Just so how much
of that's coming out of the general fund
versus these other special funds?
>> The 25 is coming out of the general fund
capital projects fund. The remaining is
coming out of um gas tax,
>> right? But the
>> and we also have the Woodside Fire
component as well. So that's about a
hundred. So yeah, general fund is
Woodside Fire for vegetation management,
trails maintenance and then we also have
uh general fund for our gas tax for um
vegetation management.
» Okay. Um in terms of uh salaries
>> um for staff um we don't seem to have
actual steps. We have a range.
>> We have salary ranges. Yes.
>> And what would it take to get steps and
like would we need to bring that back to
council if we chose
>> any change to the salary schedule salary
structure would require council approve.
>> Okay. Thanks. Um
uh could you talk about the 17,000
of first um council dues from 25 that
>> that was a
um that was a
an error. It should have been it was
emergency services JPA was charged to
council instead of non-EP departmental.
>> Thank you.
>> But it was still a general fund expense.
>> Okay. Okay. Um
uh in it looks like um can you explain
under town manager for that the um
salaries are supposed to go down to
713,000
from 797.
>> Yeah. That's related to the assistant
town manager salary being allocated
between town manager and finance whereas
in this fiscal year was 100% town
manager.
>> Great. Thanks for explaining that. Um
uh can you explain
the
um
why the cafeteria plan is expected to go
down in 27
like 10,000? Like I just would expect
things to go up from 80,000 this year 26
to 70,000.
I don't have an answer. [laughter]
>> I stumped you. Sorry, I did not mean to
stump you.
>> The only thing I think it's just I mean
it's just how it calculates. Um
>> yeah.
>> Okay. Sorry, I did not mean to stump
you.
>> Okay.
>> But it's they fluctuate year to year.
>> Okay. Part of it is also
the actual number of employees we have
compared to what we don't have.
>> Yeah. I just would have expected it to
go up. It's nice to see that it's
supposed to go down.
>> Well, okay. I'll tell you why. It was
because we had positions budgeted that
were not or that were not filled.
>> Okay, that makes sense.
>> Yeah. Um so we went from education and
training to from zero for fiscal 26 to
almost 13,000 for 27 for education and
training.
>> That's for one specific
department because overall development
is going way up from the previous year
>> because what's going way up?
>> Development training.
>> Got it. Okay. Okay. Um
could and I'm just confused. Um for
town attorney expenses, fiscal year 26
is showing zero
>> and then some of the previous year
reports were not picking up data.
>> Got it. Okay.
Um
okay.
Why does the Oh, you uh accounting and
auditing expenses
really fluctuates widely from
>> Right. Because in 23 24 and 22 23 we're
using Kish and company.
Then we stopped using them in 23 24.
>> Great. Okay. Um
and Woodside Fire Services
um looks like it would go down by about
50,000 from 330
to 270. I guess that's 60,000 something
going down for 27.
That's on page 53
of the budget package packet.
Sorry.
It looks like maybe the fuel mitigation
program going down and the amount you're
spending on.
>> Yeah, we Yeah, we went from 80 to 60
days,
>> right,
>> for vegetation management.
>> Okay. Cutting where we can. Um
Okay. Um,
and let's see. Um,
okay. the real property transfer tax
that is being shown right now, that is
from what we get from the county. Is
that correct?
>> That is what we're currently getting.
Yes.
>> Okay.
And then um I don't know if you'll know
this. Um you can get back to me if not.
I know measure A is aging out,
sunsetting out soon. Um, and what role
would Portrol Valley take in
re-uping that if possible?
>> Well, that's a sales tax, so that would
require a county vote.
>> Okay. Okay. Those are my questions.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. Um, Tony, what's the VLF in
Lou? I know you don't include it in our
budget, but what what would we expect
given hopefully the current budget
negotiations? Is it like 200,000?
>> Yes. Uh the So right now for 2223 and
2324 the total amount of the shortfall
for the towns about 405,000.
Um my understanding is that there is
funding in place for the 2324 at 66%.
Which is about 300
um
that amount is going to be about
200,000. if there's there's they have
put in place funding for 2223,
but the governor still has to sign the
budget and he's got line item veto. So,
we don't know if that's going to be in
or not. Um, but if he does sign the
budget with those two amounts in there,
then yes, we we would be looking at an
additional 400,000 in VLF,
>> right? And that would go directly to the
deficit.
>> Yep.
>> In in the general fund.
>> Yes. I would I would not come back with
a budget to say we're going to spend it.
>> No. No. Yeah. Peace. I mean I I'm just
>> saying that I mean it seems like one of
those passing is reasonably likely. Both
of them passing probably unlikely,
>> right?
>> But when people think about the deficit
hopefully we're at least thinking that
it's likely to be $200,000 or less than
what you proposed. So
>> that was my point. So okay. Um, with
that, let me open it up to public
comment. Is there anyone in the room who
would like to speak? This is your
chance, Mark. Thank you for hanging in
here.
>> Oh my gosh.
» Very first public comment in any forum
ever
>> except on except on the finance
committee.
>> Except the finance. Is that is this on
now?
>> Okay. Um, so, uh, my name is Mark Wesar,
and while I serve on the town's finance
and audit committee, my comments tonight
are my own. A key element of the
committee's charter is to review and
recommend for adoption the town's annual
budget. The committee met on June 2nd to
review the proposed budget, but we made
no recommendation. I would like to do so
tonight. Specifically, I recommend that
the town council delay for two weeks
adopting a budget with a significant
deficit and instead request town staff
to prepare a six-month balance budget
from July through December. This will
get us through the November election, at
which time the town council will be able
to adopt another six-month budget for
the second half of the fiscal year.
Knowing the will of the town's voters, I
believe a balanced budget may be
achievable for the next six months
without reducing the cost of the sheriff
contract. I highlight two possibilities
as examples using annual estimates.
First, the recent promotion of the
town's finance director, which by the
way, I think is tremendously
wellreceived. We are very lucky to have
Tony McFarland in our town. um that uh
it created a vacancy for the finance
director. Based upon the town's salary
schedule and associated benefits, the
estimated cost of the finance director
role is about a4 million. If the
assistant town manager continues in his
duties as finance director for the time
being, the town will save this amount.
Second, the current budget includes
paying $272,000
to Woodside Fire Protection District for
fire services. The taxpayers of Portola
Valley contribute over one-third of
Woodside Fire's annual budget. Last
year, the district's revenues were $31
million and expenses were $26 million,
generating a surplus of $5 million. The
current cash balance in the fire
district's general fund is well over $30
million. There must be a way to
coordinate with Woodside Fire to provide
fire services in our community without
charging the town's taxpayers twice.
These two items alone total two $522,000
for the year, which closes the proposed
budget gap for the general fund by 77%.
These are just two examples. If the town
council requests it, town staff can
prepare a balanced budget for the next
six months as a reasonable alternative
to the budget in front of you tonight. I
recommend the town council make this
request. Even if the town council
ultimately adopts a budget with a
significant deficit, it should at least
compare it to a balanced budget
alternative. One of the town council's
priorities is fiscal or financial
responsibility. Financial responsibility
means timely audits and balanced
budgets. The town currently has neither.
I suggest we start with a balanced
budget for the next six months. Thank
you all for your dedication and your
time in leading our community.
>> Thank you, Mark. And and just to
reiterate, those are your personal
comments rather than comments from the
finance committee, but I appreciate your
comments.
Okay. So, anybody else in the room who
wants to raise their hand? I don't see
anybody in the schoolhouse. Um, anybody
online?
I'll wait just a moment. All right. I
don't see any hands online, so I'm going
to close public comment and bring it
back to the council.
Who would like to go first?
I'll just
>> follow up on Mark's um comment.
>> Don't we have to approve the budget this
week?
>> Yes.
>> And the ramifications if we don't are
>> we have no spending authority. So we we
can't spend a dime.
>> Can't spend a dime. Um,
so I don't know Tony if you have any
thoughts around I mean we could do it
the flip side which is approve it and
then see if we get we can push things
toward a balanced budget. Do you have
any thoughts on that
after the fact?
The
assuming or make keeping staying in the
role of the finance director
that is one option.
>> Um
it's not sustainable. Um because you
know I do need to sleep. Um the um
sorry Mark um but um you know I I am
concerned about
finding a finance manager. Um, so I mean
it might be I'm going to be doing it
anyway. Um, and we there there are some
other areas that we could look into as
well.
>> Um, depending on how things um certain
situations fall out. Um, but you know, I
think
there are certain areas that we can cut.
Um, but I mean I'm not prepared to do
them tonight.
>> Yeah. Yeah. No, I totally get that.
>> It's it's um
>> Yeah. And I I'm not trying to make you
on your feet.
>> Understand the understanding about
Woodside Fire.
>> Yeah.
>> It's just, you know, one element that
always seems to be getting overlooked is
>> if Woodside Fire wasn't doing it,
somebody else would be doing it and we
would still be paying them to do it.
Okay.
>> It's it's it's you know, this is these
are our responsibilities.
>> Yeah.
>> For the town. It's our right of way. So
it's not Woodside Fire's responsibility
to maintain our right of way.
>> So um but we could probably still go
back to Woodside Fire and say, you know,
we can give them the same arguments, but
>> see see if there's flexibility in some
respects on that. Um and just because
it's getting late, um Craig, is this the
comment period? So you want to hear
>> the discussion?
>> This is discussion.
>> Discussion. Okay. So, you know, from
where I'm coming from,
we're in bad shape. We we want to be
fiscally responsible. I think Tony and
team have done a a lot of work to get
things understood, moved forward.
[clears throat]
Um, and I think our role in approving
the budget tonight, because I do think
we need to, doesn't mean that we don't
continually look look at areas where we
can save. And I think we should do that
not necessarily waiting 6 months if
there's opportunities that come up while
staff and others are are looking at um
the more obvious sources of potential
savings. So I don't look at it as we
can't do that and we're locked in for 6
months myself. There's a limit to how
efficient it is to keep looking at it.
But you know maybe maybe toward the fall
um onward we can look at um if anything
else has come up we'll know more about
the VLF for example and and might have
some comfort around that. We might have
some additional buffer there anyway
depending on what happens in Sacramento.
Um,
so I I'm pretty comfortable um generally
with with this budget myself. I do want
to caution it because part of your
presentation and I made the comment
earlier talking about community
priorities to me isn't the right thing
to do when we're talking about our
budget. If you're talking about 1%
response rate on a non-scientific and
non-statistically significant
um poll, if it becomes statistically
significant or if you want to disclose
what that actually represents, I think
that's fine. But as we go into a trustb
building exercise with the public, as we
move forward to the ballot measure and
onward, um, we better be really firm on
what we're saying and our basis for
saying it. And I don't think we can be
saying that those are anything other
than choices that people can weigh in
on. Like that's the way I would um uh
phrase it because we do have a lot of
trust building to do. Any footfall from
here on in is is going to have
significant
um repercussions that
we don't need to take undertake because
you and your team have done so much over
the last few years to set up as well as
we can within the constraints of the
auditor's backlog etc. So I I just urge
us all to be cautious about that. But I
do thank you so much for presenting and
answering the questions and and
exploring and um I don't I do want you
to get sleep. So I'm I I I don't want
you to feel any burden other than just
to have considered the question and and
we will all move on from my perspective.
So those are my comments.
>> Thank you, Rebecca.
Um,
uh, yeah, thank you again. This it's I'm continually impressed with the
quality that's coming out of your
department. Um, and I think your new
promotion is excellent. Um, it's
obviously not sustainable for you to be
doing what's essentially now, I think,
three jobs. Um, so I I do have the
recommendation that the staff sit down
and really think about what can be
offloaded off your plate and performed
by either some of your the analysts that
we have on staff or as we think about
needing more help in the public works
department, you know, something in there
for project management. So um so that
some of these projects that we have the
list of the capital projects for example
have you know someone else that's not
you dealing with them. Um and I think
that would help tremendously. Uh it
would also give you more time to fill
the finance manager position because
some of the jobs that are also on your
plate would be taken off um for the for
the grant for the PCE grant and again
the library grant would be also part of
it. I really want to make sure that that
goes towards battery backup for the town
center and not towards new fixture light
fixtures. So I just want to put that out
there. Um the main thing is we we do
need to approve the budget today. Um I
of course we want a balanced budget of
course and we want full staffing so that
our staff are not you know run off their
feet and not getting sleep. Of course we
want to be able to pay our staff you
know adequately so that they feel um
respected and appreciated. And we are
not able to do that because we do not
generate enough revenue in this town
because we are essentially a bedroom
community with very little commercial.
And I think the people in town have got
to understand that and recognize that.
And right this minute, our staff is
bootstrapping and doing an incredible
amount of stuff. If if anything, we
could just look at the last three or
four town council meetings that have
been packed solid with so many things
that the staff on such a limited amount
of people are doing. And I actually
think that I mean, one, we have a
reserve for this kind of purpose of kind
of helping us get through. Um, but
second of all, I think by ending up with
a deficit right now, that is one of the
best indicators to the town that we have
a very serious problem that has to be
solved in November with a revenue
enhancement measure. So, you know, I
think it's a pie in the sky to think
that we can balance a budget on the
backs of our staff or by, you know, not
trimming the trees for our evacuation
right away. You know, right as we're
going into, we just heard PG& talk about
how we are in a very high risk area for
wildfires um that PG& is so concerned
that they're going to be popping off our
electricity the minute it blows wind
more than 5 miles an hour. So, you know,
cutting at that point for that I don't
think is a good idea. So, my point is
that, you know, you know, we we it is
what it is. We don't have the money. If
someone would like to give us half a
million dollar, you know, donation,
we'll be happy to take it and we'll have
a balanced budget at that point. Um, but
I think we do I think Tony's already
shown that he's working very hard to
control costs that we're even with the
passing a balanced budget with the
700,000 deficit, we're going to continue
for the next six months working to find
where we can save
and I think we're going to continue to
do that. So, that's where I'm at with
this. Thanks.
>> Thank you, Mary.
» We've had this discussion before and
we're we're limping along. Um,
all council has been committed to having
a balanced budget, by the way. This is
what we tried to do. We've tried it
various different ways. Um, and we're
trying to solve problems
not that are not soluble actually with
unless we go ahead and do something that
generates more revenue. So, and we do
have to get this budget done and I'm for
going ahead with the budget because it
has to be done. That's as simple as
that. Uh, I was probably the person who
was strongest in the beginning of trying
to get this to be a a balanced budget
and we put it out there. I think two
years ago, we succeeded in thinking we
were going to have a balanced budget and
it just doesn't work. So, we we just
slide back into where we are. Um because
we're we're being honest with what our
expenses are. So, anyway, good work.
Thank you. Keep it up.
>> Thank you, Mary Coen.
>> Um so, you know, thank you for bringing
it forward, right? It's always good to
consider other options. Um, if you can
send the comment too, I do better
visually than auditorially. So, I would
appreciate sending it just for future
reference. I think at this point because
of um, you know, we've got to be able to
pay staff. They um, and so we have to
pass it. Um, and uh, you know, I I and
our number one reason to have government
is to try to keep people safe. And so we
need to spend the money on Woodside Fire
and our right ofway. Um but I do it, you
know, it does annoy me and if you guys
are listening, Kim, you know, like um
you know, they get 70 17 cents for every
dollar in taxes that we pay and we get 5
cents, right? Because usually most
cities have other commercial
opportunities for taxation and we don't.
We get property taxes that are locked in
under Prop 13. Um so and that was you
know and that happens with special
districts and it's frustrating. Um so um
thanks to Tony for wearing multiple
hats. We want you to get sleep. Um and
thank you for what you've done. Um I
will vote yes on this budget. So thank
you for um for you know what you are
doing.
>> Thank you Helen.
>> So I echo my colleagues. Thank you,
Tony, for putting this together. Um, I
would not be in favor of having you
continue doing both jobs. I mean, I I
appreciate you've been doing it. I'm,
you know, thank thank you for your
service, but this is not sustainable,
and I don't think not having an
assistant town manager is sustainable.
So, having you drop back to just being
the finance director, I don't think that
works either. I mean, we need a
functioning town. Um, and you've been
doing a great job at both, but I can see
when I meet with you, you're getting
more and more tired. So, I mean,
anything we can do to help you. Um, but please don't don't take hiring off
the table. Um, I I don't think that
makes sense on the Woodside Fire. I I
mean, are we down to just um right away
maintenance at this point? Is that there
other thing because I know for a while
there's some
It's they're it's what it's vegetation
management, the chipper program and um
education is part of their budget,
>> right? And the education we have I mean
that's like a contract we have. So I
mean that's something we have to pay for
at least for a while. At some point we
could decide to stop paying for that,
>> right? But we have to negotiate that
with the contract,
>> right? So I I think that's something
that we should potentially look at. And
the other question that the citizens
need to decide is, you know, chipping is
something we're doing for the public,
not a requirement of the town.
>> Um, unlike the rightaways, th those are
our responsibilities. So, I mean, that's
another thing that we could drop,
>> but I see that as an important service
and we said that, you know, and we've
seen it over and over again that, you
know, wildfire preparedness is an
important thing. So I'm I'm hardressed
to drop that even though I think
technically it's a
>> and they going to I mean it went from 47
I think to 35,
>> right? And yeah, we've kind of reduced
it. Um so so I think we're you know
we've been working with Woodside. Um I
think the education is the this for me
the last one that's sort of hanging out
there that feels like they could cover
>> um with their budget.
>> Um the it the 30k I'm completely in
favor of. You know, I've been sort of
trying to rally the troops. I mean, we
need reasonable it here because we're all paying that cost. The public
pays it every time. We can't do stuff in
the room. Every time we have issues at
town hall, we pay for it. So, so I think
that's well um money spent. The one area
I would ask you to look at, I'm not
asking to change the budget tonight. Um
I was a little worried the accumulated
training costs. I mean, they do add up
and there's I don't know 50 or 60K in
there.
>> Given the issues that we have right now,
you know, that one feels I I believe in
staff training. I think it's important.
Um I guess I would hope that staff for
the first half of this year would go
light on that budget.
>> Yeah. Um, so I'm I'm not asking for a
change in it, but but I think that
that's the the one area that the
department heads could consider, you
know, just trying to stay late until we
get through to the midyear budget.
>> But just as a reminder, when we balanced
the budget in 2425,
development was not cut.
>> Yeah. No, I I understand. But but we
also had a balanced budget then and now
we have a deficit. So it's a slightly
different. So, um, anyway, that's a
request I'm making, you know, and and I
think I'm make making it mostly of the
assistant town manager who has some
influence. Um, but other than that, um,
thank you. I really do.
>> Reinstitute. It's not in the budget.
>> I'll reinstitute. It's not in the
budget. That was that was the mantra in
2425 is it's not in the budget.
>> There you go. Yeah. Perfect. So, um,
well, this is in the budget, but I'm
saying go go go light on it for
>> we'll we'll we'll monitor we'll look at
if things can be deferred in the second
half. [clears throat]
>> Exactly. That's
>> we'll do all that. Yeah,
>> that's the request. Great. Perfect. So,
um, other than that, yeah, I'm in favor
that this budget as well. I appreciate
you putting it together.
>> And also, I just wanted to add the the
inner west contract will be for project
management and public works assistance
specifically. So,
Okay. So, with that,
get back to my agenda here. Um,
so we need a resolution to adopt the
fiscal year 2627 operating and capital
project budget.
>> So moved. So moved.
>> Okay. I think I have motion by Helen,
second by Rebecca.
>> All in favor?
>> I.
>> Anyone opposed? Any abstensions? Okay,
passes unanimously. Thank you, Tony. All
right, closing 8A, moving to the very
exciting topic of resolution to
establish the GAN appropriation limit
for 2026 2027. Tony, this is yours as
well.
>> Yes. And I do not have a PowerPoint.
This is administrative. We have to adopt
it every year.
>> Thank you, Sarah. Good night. be uh
taking last year's limit and m using
factors of the increase in CPI and the
change of population in the county.
>> Yep.
>> Um so that's the number that came out
with the calculation. So we need a
resolution to pass.
>> Yeah. And and like I said, there was
just a typo in the packet on the point
0.3 versus 0.0.
>> It wouldn't
>> Yeah, it's okay.
>> Yeah.
Yeah. I figured it was probably a
rounding error, but just so you know,
everybody knows and we can just fix
that. So, are there any questions on the
GAN limit? I mean, this is really very
much a you know, turn the crank, come up
with a number. So, any K. Okay. So, any
comments from the public in the room?
Mark, are you good on the GAN limit?
Perfect. Thank you, sir. [laughter]
You know, listen, you got to respect
somebody's hanging in here until 11:30.
[laughter]
All right. Um, is there anyone online
that would like to comment on the GAN
limit? Christie, go ahead.
Christie, you're muted.
» There you go.
>> Claim what you were
referring to.
>> The GAN limit that's in the packet.
There's a full staff report on
>> I want to hear what the description is
for the public.
>> Okay. So, the reason we publish a
packet, Christie, is so the public can
read it. Um, so I appreciate your
comment. You would you would like maybe
more information, but I think if you
read the packet, it describes it in
detail.
>> I would like you to describe it now for
the public.
Thank you that I hear your comment.
So, um, with that, yeah, no, I it's she
can comment. So, that's her comment. She
would like more commentary, but I
believe we've got it in the packet and
it's well documented. So, um, with that,
I'm going to close public comment
and bring it back to the council for
discussion. Is there any additional
discussion the council would like to
have on this?
>> Tony, do you have a two sentence
description of the GAN limit? We are
here to be visible to the public and
asking them to read a thousand pages to
keep up with us is simply unfair.
>> The uh Right. But reading staff reports
if you're interested in it, I mean it
does.
>> This is my request of
>> Yeah, that's fine. I'm I'm good with
that. I can even read the background for
you if you like.
>> So the GAN limit resolution is required
by state law. It sets the appropriation
limit. So basically it sets how much tax
revenue we can generate and then how
much we can spend against the tax
revenue. And for um as as long as our
appropriations subject to the limit are
below the appropriations limit, we are
in compliance with the GAN limit
>> and that is the case.
>> That is the case.
>> Thank you.
>> Okay. Any other discussion within the
council?
>> All right. Well, with that, I would for
a motion to
approve a res a resolution to establish
the fiscal 2627 appropriation limit.
>> So moved. Second.
>> Okay.
>> I have a motion in a second. All in
favor?
>> I.
>> Any opposed?
Any abstensions? All right. Passes
unanimously. Thank you, Tony.
All right. So, with that, we move on to
8C.
>> Yes. Hi, Darcy Smith, town manager. I'll
just make a brief oral presentation. So,
this is an item that is a consideration
to authorize and provide direction to
the mayor to complete the ballot. It's
for the West Ridge Architectural
Supervising Committee 2026 reinstatement
of the protective restrictions,
conditions, covenants, and agreements
for the West Ridge area, otherwise known
as restrictions or CCNRs. And this is
before you because the t town owns a
piece of property in this restrictive
area on Escobar Road. I want to point
out it is unique property and that it's
considered steep.
I've heard it's unbuildable, but I guess
with enough money you can build on
anything and it was dedicated to the
town with the subdivision in the early
'7s.
It appears to be dedicated as open
space. Um, but we'd have to do more
research on that. Um, so this ballot was
sent to us. It is due uh July 2nd and
the council may consider either voting
yes to adopt it, no to adopt it, or just
to abstain. Um, the staff report
highlights what the changes were. This
is essentially the first major update
since 2008.
Um, as you can infer from the name, it applies to land use. So it has a
comprehensive set of land use
restrictions.
Um important to the town is that it does
impose fi new fire safety obligations
which include vegetation management
requirements
um removal of certain plants like poison
oak and other requirements. Um there's
also an increase in the assessment. It's
not maybe not significant. Um, but it
would go up a little bit. And so the
town's in a maybe a unique position
here, but I just want to emphasize that
the town has no regul regulatory
authority here. So you may have a lot of
concerns about the content here. You may
also question the legal authority. So I
want to tell you we did not review these
for any legal concerns at all. Um they
are again private property restrictions.
So the town's council's in a little bit
of unusual boat here. Uh and staff does
not make a recommendation. We can
certainly give you our input if you want
it. Um but with that I'll turn over to
the council for discussion.
>> Okay. Are there questions for Darcy?
» I have questions. Would you like to
start?
>> No, you go.
>> Well, I I just occurred to me. Have we
ever voted on this before as the count
as a do you have any way of finding that
out? I suspect we never have.
>> Um,
>> we could not find any record.
>> Um, question for Darcy. Um,
no, I think I got it. Thank you.
>> And Mary,
>> and I am I I I'm I'm staying what I do,
right?
Yeah, I I understand that you were you
decided to recuse on this item given
that you reside in in the
>> So, I'm not even allowed to say what I
think about this.
>> Correct. If you're recused, then then
you
>> I do have a thought about what I think.
Anybody want to know what I think? I
just thought of it. Okay. I'm not
>> I I would suggest
>> Don't go there.
>> Yeah. Um and we can we can um hopefully
call you back soon when this item is
Thank you, Mary. You got a bite too.
Get enough jack.
>> Well, there's there's still one.
>> Yeah.
>> Right. But yeah,
>> so the question.
>> Okay.
>> So I'm just trying to think if we take a
position on this at all,
it probably creates precedent. So we are
now appining and buying into in a way
the fact that this is all appropriate
and I'm just wondering like there's
overlapping jurisdiction on these
properties right on the one hand and
then the town has broader powers not not
regulatory within was but but it so if
we take a position
but later we develop velop some rules
that impact Wasque. Could that be put us
in a compromised position?
I'm not sure what this is, but I do
worry that there could be, you know, a
fire regulation that we want to adopt
that somehow at odds with whatever
they're doing here. Just one random
example. So, I I don't know if you've
thought that through. If so, what would
you know your your framework for looking
at that?
>> Um, so the council is sitting in an
interesting spot here. Um, this is not
unprecedented in terms of other, you
know, local governments have property in
um, areas uh, where they, you know, vote
on CCNRs and that kind of thing. Uh but
this is a quite a comprehensive, you
know, restatement of all of their rules.
Uh and so, you know, the council is
sitting in its in a seat as a property
owner here, but the the council
obviously acts as a regulatory body as
well. And so, you know, it is difficult
to separate those two roles. I I would
say I I can't really say that there
necessarily would be a precedent by how
you vote on this matter, but I think
that's worth considering uh those two
rules. and and the president said you
know basically you know what um uh yeah
what what would happen in the future in
terms of implementation.
>> Thank you.
>> That's all.
>> Did you have a comment?
>> Not a comment. Sorry question.
>> Yeah. No. Um can I get clarification on
um
the HO I was looking for I thought I
highlighted it but I can't find it right
now. the HOA versus
uh they call call themselves now here it
is um
uh an unincorporated association of
property owners like what's the
>> so they're yeah they're not an HOA
they're they have covenants between each
other rather than to an association
>> okay so legally
>> and they were never an HOA
And they could never at this point they
could never be an HOA.
>> Okay.
And it's grounding the committee's
authority and equitable servitudes
created by the original 1947 deed.
Okay. Is what it says.
Um [snorts]
okay. though and
we have no authority over their CCRs,
right? Just
>> correct.
>> Okay. Okay, that's my questions. Thank
you.
>> Thank you, Rebecca.
>> Um,
so it's an unincorporated association of
property owners with covenants between
the properties itself. So they're kind
of self agreeing to adhere to these
particular rules. Legally, however, um
do the individual properties have to
comply with state law if it's in
conflict with what's in these CCRs?
» Uh generally speaking, yes. Um but in
some some respects, the CCNRs can
override um certain aspects of state of
state law. And so this actually was uh
was an issue with the accessory dwelling
unit law um uh where uh HOAs were
basically overriding uh uh members
abilities to uh develop ADUs and the
state legislature actually changed the
ADU law to prohibit that uh so that even
if the the HOA prohibits the ADU the
property owner can still develop one.
That is not the case with SB9 units as I
understand it. However, so in in the
context of SB9 units, um the HOA can
prohibit
uh
>> split and and my understanding,
>> this isn't an HOA,
>> right? My understanding is Westridge
doesn't think that the AU applies
because they're not an HOA. They have
these covenants. Do you know whether
>> these uh and again we did not do a
comprehensively review of this but I uh
but the restated CCNRs do address ADUs
and uh permit them with the conditions
included in in
>> but I'm saying they believe they can
create ADU rules rather than have the
state apply ADU rules to them is my
understanding.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah. Well, I mean, yeah, the CCRs say
that they can specify it's a
discretionary decision on the part of
their committee about I mean, you can
have an ADU, but it has to go through
their discretionary process. They they
they've focused on site and every and
design, which is not allowed in the law.
So, I'm unclear about whether this
overrides or not, but um regardless, the reality most of the CCRs don't apply
to this lot because it's not because
it's essentially not buildable. So, we
wouldn't be going through the process
because we're not necessarily going to
be building on the lot. But, um
I guess yeah, I guess those are my
questions. I'm starting to get into
discussion here. Sorry.
>> Yeah. Thank you. Um so my question is um
what if we what would it take for us to
abandon this lot because my concern here
is fire liability. Yeah.
>> U so I can provide a pretty high level
uh answer to that question. And I think
that's really a separate conversation,
but um uh jurisdictions can um sell or
abandon uh property, but there is
generally a process. Um the town needs
to be compliant with the surplus lands
act.
Um unless an exception applies and I'm
not we could do an analysis whether
there are any exceptions that would
apply here. If not, then there's a
process where um the town would need to
offer the parcel to a number of public
entities and affordable housing
developers before it can then go and
actually um sell the property.
Uh there may be other avenues um that we
need to research a little bit more what
kind of covenants I my understanding is
there's some sort of open space easement
or very some sort of easement perhaps on
this property parcel and so we would
want to research that as well um to see
what kind of restrictions might apply
there but yeah surplus lands act would
guess be the biggest thing that we would
need to um address in terms of
uh
>> right and just so assume we went through
this process nobody wants to buy it. Um,
we put it up for sale, nobody wants to
buy it. Can I mean, I'm trying to
understand, can can you truly abandon it
given we're sort of the the public
entity that this land exists in? Because
it seems like this weird thing that we
have land, we're a property owner, but now we're getting restrictions put
on our property, not as a property
owner, but as the jurisdiction
underneath that owns all land that's not
covered otherwise. So, that was the
level I was trying to to get at in this
question is and and I'm I'm fine for us
to do more research. I don't think we
need to answer it all research there. I
mean, if it were a private property
owner, we would just stop paying taxes
and ultimately there would be some tax
sale and we would get rid of the
property that way, but um um I don't
believe we're taxed on this property and
so that would not be an avenue. So, we
would have to do some more research on
that question.
>> All right. Thank you. Can I actually ask
are we doing any fire mitigation in on
this property?
>> I'm checking with Woodside Fire, but
they didn't give me an answer.
But they are, as we recently reviewed,
they are responsible for fire mitigation
on town properties, town rightaways. But
they this
I have reviewed this property. I've
survey it survey surveyed it and it is
very thick. So I suspect they will
charge us an additional cost to clean
goats.
[laughter]
>> I don't I Yeah, it might be too thick
for goats.
>> Yeah, I guess my concern is that the
Woodside Fire is not the ones who are
creating the um
the cleanup requirements. It's basically
this
unaffiliated [clears throat]
association, whatever the guys call
these guys, right? I mean, that's that's
my concern is that they are putting
restrictions on the town that that we
don't really have a say on on a piece of
property that's unbuildable. So, it has
no value to the town unless the open
space committee were to to come back and
say, "We think this is highly valuable
open space." But assuming that that's
not the case, then it's a pretty odd
situation. But we're starting to get
into discussion. You I think you
answered my question. Thank you.
Okay. So, there's nobody left in the
schoolhouse. So, let's get that. Um, and
there are two participants online. So,
I'm opening up public comments.
So, I don't see any hands up.
All right. So, I'm going to close public
comment
and bring it back to the council for
discussion. So I think the the issue
before us is
are do we want to authorize me as
somebody to vote and then are we
authorizing me to vote for it against it
or abstain?
>> I'd make a motion to abstain.
>> I'll second that. I don't think we
should I don't think we should weigh in
at this point.
>> Any discussion on the motion?
I I agree. I don't want to be on record
taking a position. We don't have enough
property there to make any difference to
the vote. So, I don't think we like if
we protest for whatever reason, I don't
even know what what I would say, but we
we'd be outnumbered. Um, and your point
about the liability and the costs that
we might incur, we we should look into
that in the future. It might be too much
of a burden for staff in the short run,
but those are valid points from my
perspective to be thinking about going
forward.
>> Okay. So, we have a motion. We have a
second.
>> But you asked if you're uh are we
letting you be the signatory on the
vote, which would be a vote to abstain.
Is that or what?
>> There there's only yes and no. We just
need if you take action to abstain, I'll
communicate back to them that we're not
voting.
>> So, no vote. Great. Perfect.
>> Okay. So, I have a motion. I have a
second. I think the discussion done. So,
all in favor of the motion, which is to
basically not vote.
>> I
>> All right. Great. Thank you. We get Mary
back and somebody go grab Mary and then
let's wrap this up.
a
>> leak.
» Who's that? Public works. We have a
public works volunteer.
» No, no, it's not about raining. It is.
There is a broken pipe out.
I mean, I think
>> it'll
get
>> Mary. Mary, sit down. We're been trying
to finish a council meeting. We got it.
» Yeah. No, I appreciate it. It's great.
So, we got somebody on it. So, um All
right. So, Mary Mary's back from
recusing herself. So, we're moving on to
item nine, which is subcommittee leaison
and regional reports. Um, are there any
in addition to the ones that were listed
here, are there any oral reports?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, Judith.
>> So, I went to the Abag meeting in San
Francisco. Lovely offices. Um,
the cycle
is starting next year. They are. Um, I
will be posting a more detailed report
for the next meeting in writing which
will in turn include some excerpts of
the PowerPoint that they presented and
links
um because it's a it's pretty dense
material and um people ought to take
time to absorb it
>> and and just to clarify this is the
Reena cycle that started
>> the Rena cycle starts in 2027.
Um there will be changes the some of the
very high level I'm not prepared to get
into it but um there there are going to
be including these new extremely low
income levels and there's going to be
more levels that are required.
They will in most likelihood
numbers per jurisdiction will go up. Now
they didn't say four-fold like last time
but they will go up. Um
there is a new uh statutory um ability
or requirement to consider wildfire and
certain other like there's a laundry
list of considerations that can go
toward you know the sighting but it
doesn't really give you relief from the
numbers. So, we all got to look at that,
think about what what exactly will do
those changes permit or not permit
because it sounds great on the one hand
they encoded what people have been
already referencing as wildfire risks,
but I'm not sure how legally it's
operational. So, we we all ought to look
at that. Um they are trying to get the
number allocations
reported out earlier because I guess one
of the last cycle challenges was people
didn't know what their final number was
before they already had to be like
producing quite a lot of work product.
So they're trying to get that number out
earlier. Whether they're successful or
not, I don't know. It did seem like
people in the audience really were
asking questions having learned what
this cycle was like to manage. And you
know, I do think there's been a learning
curve that will hopefully be
incorporated into um the process for for
this cycle. Um but I do, you know, I
don't want people to get
worked up yet. This is more of a notice
to check out the reports and keep um
current on the timelines for sure and
the inflection points where data is
going to be coming out and and we can
make our case um with the different
juris um bodies that weigh in on the the
allocation. So, we really ought to be
vigilant early in the cycle is my main
point. And that means getting getting
our bearings on it over the next year so
we're ready when it starts to to execute
because if you just sit by and observe,
my impression is going to be you're
going to it it's going to be a very
reactive process
>> and there might be a window to get more
a little bit more proactive or at least
understand these changes earlier rather
than later. So, I'll I'll submit that
separately. It was just too detailed to
do it for this meeting.
>> Well, thank you. We'll look forward look
forward to your update.
>> Any other oral?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay.
>> Couple things. Um
uh Westbase Sanitary District um has
their meet had their meeting tonight
concurrently. They uh there um they had
repealed the five-year retroactive
billing to three years of retroactive
billing. Um
uh my boss
uh Josh Becker and Diane Papen now
submitted a letter of concern. Um, and
there is a threat of a class action
lawsuit to deal with these retroactive
billing situations with the ADUs um,
from a man who lives in Athetherton. Um,
so I don't So I'll try to keep you guys
updated on that. um letting you know how
the Howard Jarvis um ballot measure um
has not so there is uh a piece of
legislation I think it's 763 that was
proposed that would cap um transfer
taxes at 1.5%
um LA is I think it's I can't remember
it's bigger than that um so the Howard
Jarvis they were hoping that Howard
Jarvis would pull their ballot measure
off of um the ballot they Howard Jarvis
has until tomorrow to pull it off at
this point. They have not pulled it off.
The real litters also are now up in arms
about transfer taxes and they're coming
after the situation. So, um letting you
guys know about that. Um ebikes, there
are still nine um uh nine pieces of
ebike legislation floating around. Um
and we'll see what ends up. Um, if you
want a matrix, I can send you a really
good matrix. But definitely lots of uh
concern over ebikes. Um, commute.org.
Um, the it's such a great little um
board and organization up there um that
no one knows about. So, I'm talking um
an office of sustainability for the San
Monteo County is now looking at working
with um uh they just hired a
transportation program manager to and so
they're talk, you know, they're looking
at transportation in San Monteo County
to try to manage and make it uh and
reduce greenhouse gases for
transportation. So, those are my report
outs.
>> Thank you. All right, I'll open up um
agenda item number nine to public
comment.
Don't see anybody in the room. I don't
see any hands online. So, I will close
public comment for agenda item number
nine and adjourn the meeting. Thank you
everyone. Good night.
She's done.