Okay, I'm going to call the the
regularly scheduled August
meeting the Breen City Council.
>> I'm sorry. Will you go ahead and turn on
the microphone?
>> Okay. Well, now with the microphone on
call to order the regularly scheduled
meeting of the Nino City Council and
would you please uh stand and join the
pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
>> M city call the role.
>> Council member Craig
>> here.
>> Council member Mata
>> present.
>> Council member Torren
>> here. Vice Mayor Shannon
>> here. to Mayor Allen.
>> Um,
do you colleagues want to change the
orders of the day and anything?
>> Being none. Um,
madam city clerk, are there any
announcements?
>> None.
>> Okay. Well, then we
make sure
>> I would like to make an announcement at
the end of the meeting under council
member comments. So, so we don't sort of
I'll put that to the end. You
>> like
Okay. Uh, we have a We're going to start
with a presentation by Moroc
District. Please, your name and
social security. Am I on here?
>> Wait, let's check. Let's make sure we're
recording you
and all the viewers in team.
>> Yeah. Uh my name is Craig Gleon. I'm
award one director for region regional
open space district and um uh next slide
please.
So starting out um just to encapsulate
our our mission it boils down to five
words. Preserve, protect, restore,
educate and enjoy. And that represents
the the braiding of the natural resource
preservation, land preservation with the
public access to these lands. Next
slide, please.
So we currently have uh over 72,000
acres under management all the way from
up near Half Moon Bay to over to the
coastside near Pescadero and then down
all the way to the edge and actually a
little bit into Santa Cruz County by um
so-called demonstrations forest. Next
slide please.
And we um we divide it up into seven
wards. So ward one is the dark green one
that you see down to the right. Uh it
encompasses Monte Sereno, Saratoga,
Loscatos and parts of Certino and then
uh the lands that you see going down
through Sierra Azul Mount area and Lum
Pria area. Next slide please.
So we protect many many things. So you
can see uh redwood forests, creeks,
rivers, um grasslands, wetlands, and
also many sensitive species. And one
that I point out here is the the one on
the middle of the left is the San
Francisco garder snake. So we have a
very interesting project there with the
San Francisco Zoo as well as other
wildlife agencies to u protect and
restore the populations of the the
garder snake. and the very interesting
project where we're essentially trying
to make the uh remaining populations of
the snake more sustainable and
[clears throat] sometimes raising in
captivity and then in u introducing
those snakes back in when they're at an
age where they're much more likely to
survive to adulthood.
Next slide please.
So um few facts about men. We were
created in 1972 through a grassroots
voter initiative and initially just in
Santa Clara County. Then in 76 it
expanded to San Monteo County and then
finally in 2004 to the San Monteo
coastside. Uh we have 27 preserves. 25
of those are currently open to the
public. They're open all day and um
[clears throat] no charges no charge for
parking. Um we our main office is up in
Los Altos and we're moving on towards
250 employees now. Uh we also have a
major bond fund that was passed in 2014,
Measure Double A, which uh provides $300
million over 30 years for major projects
that were prioritized by the public. And
we'll we'll speak to some of those
projects here. Next slide, please.
Um, so I'll go through some of the uh
nearby preserves here. Uh, you can click
through these pretty quickly.
[clears throat]
Um, there there four right around the
Loscatos Moni area. So, El Sareno, you
know this one. This is this is your
mountain. [clears throat] Um, and uh,
Sierra Azul is our biggest preserve
extending all the way down into Santa
Cruz County.
St. Joseph's Hill, I'd say small but
mighty. It's uh one of our most populate
or most popular preserves uh right out
of downtown Loscatos. And then Barrack
Redwoods, we've done a lot of work to
open this up since 2019. Uh and we have
major projects going on there right now
building a bigger parking lot which we
need and um also uh uh more trails and
ultimately a bike legal trail there as
well. So I'll go on to some of the
program and project updates. And the
first one I'm going to talk about is
wildland fire resiliency which is very
important to to all of us. Um this is uh
become a really big part of midpen's
work and it's a a real partnership
project.
Next slide please. So there are a number
of different components to this. One big
one is vegetation management and then
I'll speak to one part of that project.
Um also uh prescribed burning is
becoming a bigger part of this and then
there are a number of other components
including training and monitoring and mapping. Next slide please.
Uh with respect to prescribed burning,
you saw the picture a couple slides ago
and then this one as well is from a
prescribed burn that we did at the end
of 2024 uh over in Cherry Springs which
is an area of Sierra Azul off of Hicks
Road. And this particular burn was 9
acres and we're gearing up to do a much
larger one there uh hopefully by the end
of this year. So they've been preparing
for it by doing pile burns and then um
ultimately we hope towards the end of
the year to do this larger um somewhere
between 50 and 150 acre burn. Next slide
please. Um, our rangers are not the
primary firefighters, but they are
trained in firefighting and often
because of the their position in the
preserves. They're the first ones on the
scene. Um, so you can see the picture of
the rangers helping to fight the fire at
um the CCU fire in 2020 there. Next
slide, please.
And the biggest part of the vegetation
management in our area here has been the
Splatos Creek WHED collaborative. It's a
partnership program between Midpen and
um Santa Clair County Parks, San Jose
Water um and the Fire Safe Council and
then the fire agencies CalFire and and
[clears throat] County Fire. And this
has rolled out in three phases. Um now
that you might have first seen it a
couple of years ago up in Sandborn Park
area and up towards Skyline and then it
um went into Elsereno. So up at the top
the Aenus trail there was a lot of
vegetation management uh removal done up
there and then the most recent phase um
you you might see at Kennedy fire trail.
So a lot of shaded fuel brake creation
and more vegetation management in the
shop rail up top there. Next slide
please.
a really interesting project and one
that I've become more involved with is
um ADA accessibility
and uh the this project sort of started
out as a barrier removal project.
Sometimes you may have seen these these
physical barriers uh which I think were
originally installed to prevent
motorcycles from going into the
preserves but they unfortunately also
prevented anybody with a mobility
device, wheelchair uh from getting onto
the trails. And so this project started
out as a literal barrier removal project
systematically removing those barriers.
Uh but we've also expanded to include
improving the surfaces on our easy
access trails. So now uh we have several
projects at Russian Ridge, Skyline Ridge
and Pulgus Ridge as well as some other
places um to install these granite
surfaces which look and feel like trails
but are much more uh sustainable and and
hardened. Uh so they're they're truly
wheelchair accessible. Next slide
please.
Um many people are interested in uh
careers in conservation and we held our
first career conservation fair this
year. It was tremendously successful. Uh
many hundreds of people uh attended this
and we had presentations from MIDIN and
other agencies um where people came in
and talked about their careers and tried
to interest people in uh in similar
careers. Next slide please.
Um, our interpretation and education
programs are are very extensive and I
think very successful. One place you see
this is the Daniels Nature Center which
is up at Skyline Ridge. Uh, that's a
drop in center on weekends. And then
also we we host um school classes there.
Um,
I think maybe [clears throat] several
thousand students come through the
nature center each year on these
programs. And next slide.
Another part of this is our dosent
naturalist program. So every week we
have many events across the different
preserves and they focus on all sorts of
different uh activities and um primarily
hiking and biking but different interest
areas. So, for example, if you want to
find a hike that will teach about
mushrooms or oak trees or galls or maybe
birds, then you can find these hikes and
hikes of of different lengths and
different activity levels. Next slide,
please.
Uh, another thing that we're really
concentrating on is partnerships and
particularly partnerships that bring in
a more diverse set of people to the
preserves. Some of the partners shown
here are Latino Outdoors and Safe by
Nature. And then um we also have a very
interesting partnership now with the
Vista Center for the Blind and Visually
Disabled. And u we just had a a dosent
light hike that was tailored
specifically to that group. Next slide
please.
Uh wildlife linkages are a
important topic for many of our agent or
local agencies. So you'll see agencies
like post and open space authority um
the land trust of Santa Cruz have all
been working on this and um particularly
we uh the area of the Santa Cruz
Mountains is uh it's a biodiversity
hotspot but it's also sort of hemmed in
by our civilization our our cities and
our towns and our roads particularly
highway 17 is a barrier to wildlife
crossing and um has many hot spots for
roadkill. So, this is one thing that
we're we're really concentrating on
improving. And next slide, please. U one
way we're doing that is by building a
major wildlife undercrossing for um at
Highway 17 up by the Lexington Dam. So,
just below the dam, there'll be a a very
significant wildlife undercrossing. And
this is a place where there's a creek,
trout creek that comes down and
currently crosses in a culvert that's
not suitable for wildlife crossing. Uh
but this will provide a much better
pathway for the wildlife.
And uh next slide, please. In
conjunction with that, we're connecting
the Bay Area Ridge Trail across a point
very close to there, a little closer to
Loscatoos.
Um, so this will connect from the
Loscato Creek Trail up into Elsareno and
then ultimately we'll connect that on
the back side of Elsereno down to San
Park. Next slide please. [clears throat]
And these um so these projects are well
underway. They're in the design phase
and we're also doing a lot of uh grant
seeking fundraising for these projects.
So, Midpen has a substantial amount of
uh measure doubleA allocated to these,
but we're still seeking grant funding
from external agencies and u
optimistically we would hope to break
ground as early as possibly uh next
year. Next slide, please.
Um something that we've really been
trying to increase our outreach on is
rodenticide. So, in areas around the
preserves or close to the um the city
boundaries, we often see these uh sickly
animals, particularly coyotes, sometimes
bobcats or foxes, and they've been
poisoned by eating um rodents that have been poisoned with rodenticide. So,
we're really trying to step up the uh
public awareness of this and get people
particularly around these these um
wildland urban interfaces to reduce
their use of rodenticides and use other
methods to control the rodents there.
Next slide, please.
And another really interesting wildlife
project is for the kang Santa Cruz
kangaroo rat. So several years ago, I
think there was only one known
population of bees in Henry Cowell State
Park, but another one was discovered up
in El Soul. So up on the LMA Pria Ridge
and Midpen is for
>> just just one
>> a population Okay.
>> One.
So now there there are two populations.
>> Okay. uh known. And what what Midban is
trying to do is is really expand the the
habitat and connect these little islands
of habitat up there uh to make it so
that that population can be more
sustainable and and less likely to be
wiped out by you know some particular
event. Um [clears throat] next slide
please.
Okay. So that's what I wanted to talk to
you about. Uh, I would definitely
encourage you all to visit our
preserves. And um, also I I love to be
out there hiking or or riding bikes. So
if uh, anybody would be interested in in
touring some of these preserves and
maybe hearing more about some of these
projects that we have coming up, I would
be very happy to do that for you or any
of your constituents. And I'd take any
questions you have now. colleagues.
Well, I first I want to thank you for a
very interesting presentation. Uh
questions of the speaker.
>> Well, I just thanks so much. Um it's
really wonderful work you're doing. Um
question is what so
we may take you out on your offer to go
on a hike or a bike ride. Um but what what else can we do? What what do
you need from us?
Is there something specific?
Maybe I I could also ask my my colleague Alex
here. Um I I think what one thing is
sort of helping to spread the word,
right? We have we have a lot of good
programs particularly the dosent
naturalist program. We have um very
established volunteer program. So, uh,
started out primarily [clears throat]
>> put you on our website. That might be
very
>> website. Do we have material? I I think
that would be great. Maybe links to our
events and activities page.
>> Okay. I I I think your colleague wants
to She's looking like,
>> please. The first amendment breathe
free. Why don't you introduce yourself
and add whatever you'd like to add?
>> Hi everyone. I'm Alex Ree, the
government affairs specialist. Sorry, I
was a little late. I wasn't used to the drive in this part of the peninsula
during rush hour. Um, I think exactly
what you said just about getting the
word out and that's really why we do
these introductions and presentations is
to spread awareness about this amazing
resource that exists across the Santa
Cruz Mountains. Um, I'll be happy to
share information that you could add to
the Montes Reno website as well. And
like Director Gleason said, our
volunteers accomplish so much. Like we
would not be able to accomplish the
habitat restoration efforts we do
without our volunteer base. We have over
a thousand people that support that. So
getting people involved in that way is
really valuable.
>> Well, um, our city clerk should become
your new best friend. And Senator
Craig comments,
» um, I have a number of comments.
>> Go, go.
And hopefully I won't embarrass Craig
too much because I met Craig years ago.
Who were you work? What were you working
on with the town of Lascatos? Was there
a trail system or
>> We we put together a um uh trail
connectivity report that
>> we were looking at potential connections
between trails and parks and open space.
>> That was before you joined Bit Pen,
right?
>> Yes, I believe so.
>> That doesn't sound too embarrassing.
Well, um, so
>> Greg,
he's on Straa and I, we follow each
other and every time you go,
>> Strava,
>> for those of us who are alive, what's
Straa?
>> Straa is an app where you record what
you're doing from an activity
perspective, exercising. So I see
>> So social media,
>> social media. Okay, that's so so I see
when Craig goes out into the open space
preserves and he's taking all these
wonderful photos of the wildlife and
everything else. Um, and it's just he
takes a lot of really great photos. Um,
so, uh, and when when I'm going through
Elserino open space and I see a
motorbike there, I'll take a picture and
then send it to Craig and [laughter]
Craig's like, "Okay, we we're on it."
So, um, I appreciate that because you
shouldn't have, you know, motorbikes
going through in the open space. Um,
and, uh, it's interesting. Now, now I'm
going to make a comment because I don't
comment on Next Door, but I kind of
watch it every once in a while and I see
all these photos of the mangy coyotes,
you know, and how sickly they are and whatnot. And I didn't know that it's
a result of uh rodent size. So, that's
really interesting. And it's I find that
offensive that
>> well we don't have much of that here
because every coyote I've seen in the 47
years I've lived here has been very
healthy. So I don't think
>> I have I have seen them on on
>> maybe in your neighborhood
>> university. Yeah. In our in our
neighborhood
>> yeah um so I'm in a more uplash
neighborhood I really surprised you.
>> Um thank you. But I want to commend you
on the work that you've done and how you
support MIDI pen and this is really good
to see that you know your presentation.
>> Yeah. I I just want to say that I think
we on the board have the easy part and
it's it's our staff members who are are
doing hard work. So I I really
appreciate them.
>> Well, we and the city council have the
same thing. We know who does the work
for staff. So hope we resumple that.
>> Um,
>> yes, please.
>> A couple of quick questions. I did ask a
bunch of questions. I'm very interested
in mid pen. Uh, the highway 17
overcrossing I
over one for the humans.
>> Oh, okay.
>> Um, did you mention when will that one
expected to be finished?
>> Our our goal is to treat those as the
two as one project. um because there's a huge savings
um in in dollars if we can do those two
projects uh sort of as as one. So um
this has to be uh worked out
[clears throat] with I I think VTA is
the lead agency and you know PALR is
involved. So um it's a fairly complex
thing but our goal is is to sort of do
that in one shot. Um and then there are
other parts of it as well. For example,
building the trail up into Elseno. So
the our trail crews marching orders are
to make sure that that's done by the
time the overcrossing is done so that
people have someplace to go.
>> So it sounds like it's not approved and
all of that yet. So it could be quite a
few years before we actually see it. Is
that what I'm hearing you say?
>> You want to speak to this?
>> I I I think I would say we have all the
approvals, but there's a funding gap.
Um, and so we're going to be ready to
break ground by the end of the year. And
so it's really far along. It's just
about filling that funding gap. So the
overcrossing and the undercrossing can
be completed simultaneously as you
suggested, but our trail crew is already
out building trails on the other side of
where it will go. So things are already
in motion.
>> Okay. And then just another quick one.
Um, I'm actually looking at one of the
slides and I don't think it came out the
last slide. It looks like on the website
we can see things, events on the event
calendar. Is this where residents can
actually go onto the website and sign up
to go on a guided tour? So,
>> that's right. There's an events and
activities page. And yeah, I apologize
for not floating through to that slide.
Um, and if if you go there, you'll be
able to search by different types of
events, you know, whether they're
volunteer events or doentled hikes. Uh
many of the dos doesn't let hikes do not
require a sign up. You can just show up
and then there are certain ones that
might have limited parking or other
considerations where they do ask for a
sign up.
>> Gotcha. Okay. Wonderful. Thank you very
much.
>> Okay. Well, thank you both again. Uh we
really appreciate it.
>> Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
>> Thank you.
>> I'll follow up with more information.
>> Great. Thank you.
>> The next item on the agenda is all
communications. Is there anybody uh here
in chambers who wants to comment on
anything that is not on the agenda?
See no hands. Madam city clerk,
>> hands are raised.
>> Okay. And written communications. I
think madam city clerk you've already
distributed to members of the
>> everything that we've received um has
been mailing for an item that is um and
everything has been posted on our
website as well as distributed a copy
for each of you to review
>> uh the consent calendar I think council
member Craig you said you wanted to
remove an item from the Yeah I wanted to
remove the the warrant list item three does anybody wish to remove
item
uh do which is of the approval for the
last minutes. If [clears throat] not,
I'd ask for a motion to approve that. M
vice mayor, you
may make a motion to approve item two on
the consent calendar.
>> Second,
Matt, city attorney, a voice vote or a
roll call?
>> Voice.
>> All in favor of approving item two. Hi.
I think it's unanimous. Okay. Uh,
council member Craig on the warrant
list. Uh,
>> so I I just had a quick question. I
noticed that there was a lot of letters
missing between the words. I think
Council Member Machuk explained to me
before the meeting that some sometimes
that can be an issue with our system.
>> So, um, Vice Mayor Shannon pointed this
out to me yesterday. um the PDF file
that was created and then uploaded into
our agenda system
reads clearly. So it was some error
message or error happening with our
agenda system and so we will follow up
with our vendor.
>> Oh, okay. Great. And from what I could
pick out, one of the one of the charges
on the uh on the warrant list was a
annual license for our watch guard
firewall system. Is that correct?
>> Yes. So that is um a security measure
that we recently implemented and that
was due to recommendations from our
insurance company from a cyber security
audit that they performed for us.
>> Okay. All right. Very good. Thank you.
Uh
would you now like to make a motion to
adopt it? Uh with that explanation given
I would like to um move that we approve
item three the warrant list. Is there a
second? Second.
>> Okay. Again, just a voice. All in favor?
>> I.
>> Okay. Um I show we have nothing under
public hearings, nothing under
unfinished business, new business. Uh
item four is to discuss a climate
resilience district. I'm Steve Manager.
Are you giving a presentation on that?
>> Can give a brief introduction. Yes.
Thank you. Um, a climate resilience
district is a separate public agency
that may be established by a city or
county to fund and implement projects
intended to improve climate resilience,
mitigation, and adaptation.
Unlike traditional city departments or
special programs, a CRD operates as a
separate government entity and with its
own governing board, budget, reporting
requirements, and financial
responsibilities similar to um JPA's um
that the city is involved in. And um
attachment one to the staff report is a
white paper that was prepared by the
city of Saratoga and provides um a lot
of information on the formation of a
CRD, its governance, funding mechanisms,
and potential implementation
considerations.
And we are honored tonight to have
Saratoga Native Chuck Page here to
provide presentation with some more
details and information on climate
resilience districts.
We're delighted to have you here.
>> Well, thank you, mayor, vice mayor, and
members of the council. It's my honor to
be here. Um, I got involved in climate
resilience districts when they first
came out in 2022. Um, back in 2019 and
2020, I led a wildfire public safety
task force in Saratoga. Learned more
about fire than than I think uh I ever
would have learned unless I was a
fireman. And uh and and they're
disastrous as we know. And so I've been
constantly paying attention to the
changes in the industry, the changes in
law to see what it is we can do to help
better protect us. And and the climate
resilience district appears to me and a
bunch of people that I've talked to,
including the town manager in Los
Moscatus and uh wildfire task force that
the may the mayor Hudas had going last
year that continues. Um it seems to be
one of the key mechanisms to allow us to
be able to do some things. So I got a
short presentation. It'll be as long as
uh as long as you guys want it to be.
I'm I'll answer any question that I can
within the reign of what I know. Um
which in the scope of government stuff
is probably very minimal because it'll
change tomorrow. So um anyway, if you
could go to the next slide. Uh climate
resilience district is essentially a
special district as explained um that
was designated by the state in 2022. Um
it provides for uh the opportunity to
raise money to do the mitigation of
things that are caused by climate
change. So it could be wildfire, floods,
sea level rise, a whole bunch of things.
You you name it, you could probably fit
it into there. Um it also came with a change to the funding, but it is
not a project. It is it is the purpose
is it create a a dedicated funding
mechanism to invest in long-term um
climate resilience. So we go to the next
slide. Um what can it fund? Well, it can
fund a whole lot of things. So we I
listed a few here. Uh wildfire fuel
reduction. It could it could do home
hardening projects. You could do
evacuation room improvements, backup
power for critical facilities. Um,
anything that we that you can actually
allocate or or justify as being caused
by climate change, you could probably
fit it in here. It's very wide open. Uh,
this the state as most of the laws they
passed, well, except for the housing
ones, of course, they uh they're kind of
wide open. And so, this one is also wide
open. So, these are a few of the things.
Um, just listed a few to uh try to give
you an idea of the things that that it
could could be used for. If we go to the
next one.
So how does it work? So the first thing
that happens is it's it's formed by one
or more public agencies.
This could be formed by a city. Uh you
could have the Monosino climate
resilience district and then say
Saratoga does it and then Los Scatos
does it and then you all decide hey you
know what wildfire doesn't give a darn
about the city limits. So let's merge
these together. And there may be reasons
for that. There may not be. And I'm
going to go through an example of how
you might create one and talk a little
bit about how I think ideally it would
work in our communities knowing some
things about our budgets and how much
money we have to spend which I don't
know about you but I don't have very
much. So we we need to find funding
mechanisms that'll work. Um but the
things that they talked about that we
could we could have an assessment
district so the property owners within
the district could contribute. Um we can
go out for grants so you could go to
state or federal grants. One of the
things I like about a climate resilience
district is that it doesn't say doesn't
have to say Monosino on it. Monosino,
Saratoga, Certino, and Los Altos Hills,
for example, as you know, were singled
out when Prop 13 went in place. And up
until 2014, we only got three and a
half% of the property taxes that were
generated. line. You remember this from
your time or some of you may or may
remember that uh 2014 finally got Jim to
do a bill that wasn't just singling us
out and saying, "Hey, we need to get
more." But it was that everybody should
be treated the same, which
[clears throat] is how it should be. So
now we're
>> What a crazy thought.
>> Yeah, I know. Exactly. So we now worked
our way back up to the 6 whatever
percent it is of property taxes, which
still isn't a whole heck of a lot as you
know. We've got roads and I don't know
what parks you've got, but you've got
the facilities here. You've got lots of
things to spend it on. We've got that
much and then some. So, it's uh it's
difficult at best. Um you could form
public and part public uh private
partnerships to get things done. You can
go out to the voters and get a bond
measure. You could do um a tax increment
financing, which is the one thing they
added for this that is kind of unique. a
tax the tax increment funding would be
to me that's not something you do right
away and I'll talk about that in the
next slide but um it's something that
says okay when you form the district or
at some date and time you take a
snapshot of the property taxes of the
people within this district so say the district was your wooi for example
so that's the severe you know the the
very high high moderate and then the
wooi wrapped around the fire fire areas
and you say okay let's take the property
uh what what the the property taxes are
from that that section.
We're going to take 2% of the increases
from now on and we're going to put it
into the district. And you could do
that. Now, again, I don't recommend that be the first thing we do because
we're still trying to catch up with the
stuff the state's slapping at us and
it's it's kind of difficult to do. Um,
but the CRD itself does not create a tax
at all any way, shape, or form. There
are some expenses that go along with it,
especially for staff, as I'll talk about
in the next slide. But anything, any
assessments, any taxes would have to
come from the way that the state
requires it, which as we know is a vote
of the people. And if they would approve
it, then we could go and either do a
property tax or an assessment or a, you
know, sales tax increase, whatever, method you decide to use. Um,
so it's um it's interesting. Any
questions so far? because I'm going to
get into some some meat in a minute.
>> Do you have examples of CRDs that have
been created?
>> There is one CRD in the state of
California and it was not created. It
was grandfathered in. So, nobody in the
state has done this yet. Englewood,
California, down south in LA, uh they
have an intent to form a climate
resilience district. Um, and there's a
couple other entities in the LA area.
There are some entities down in very
southern California that have also said
they're going to do it. I don't think
anyone has passed the resolution of
intent to to form one yet. Um, when I
looked at what LA was trying to do and
Englewood specifically.
To me, it's it's very very narrow and I
don't I don't know if it'll actually
ever fly, but it's um it's a
possibility. But right now there's one
in Soma and it was grandfathered in when
the bill was created. So they haven't
gone through this process.
>> Okay. So my as you said um fire is
another thing to note
respect geographical or jurisdictional
boundaries as
former mayors know once a month the fine
west valley cities get together with the
mayors and managers. If we are to look
into this rather than municipality by
municipality
as [clears throat] the five West Valley
cities work together by so many things,
wouldn't you recommend that that
we [clears throat] look into this as a
group rather than separately, separate
municipalities?
>> Personally, I do not I do not recommend
that.
>> Okay?
>> And and I'll talk a little bit about it
in in a couple of slides, but okay. The
reason is that locally,
if we've got funding for something
locally, we can decide what to do with
it locally. And by locally, I mean the
people that live in the district. Okay?
If I'm doing a if I'm doing a CRD with
Loscatos, Monosino, um parts of Certino,
Loscatos, uh you know, if there's some
entity, Los Altos Hills wants to be in
it. The unincorporated county wants to
be in it. Everybody's got their pet
project. Okay. in Monoserino might be
well we want the money to go to the
eucalyptus take down the eucalyptus
trees on highway 9 in Saratoga it might
be you know we want to cut the
vegetation on our evacuation routes so
they could be competing and I think if
you do it locally meaning city by city
and you have the people within the
district make that decision you've got a
lot better ability to a have personal
responsibility in what goes on and and
you set your own parameters for for the
priority so That's personal opinion.
Humbly my personal opinion.
>> Yeah.
>> One more. The the CRD has physical
boundaries.
>> Correct. When you form it, you form it
with a physical boundary.
>> Okay. And just because it's the city of
Monty Serino doesn't mean it's it's our
city. It could be those properties south
of Highway 9.
>> You you might define it. I mean
certainly you couldn't go beyond your
city and include stuff unless you
included that government agency as part
of the governing board. Um so you might
like for example in Saratoga my
suggestion is that we do the WOOI. Okay.
The WOOI includes the very high high and
moderate fire hazard zones and the
wildland urban interface that's
including and around it. That makes the
most sense to me because those are the
folks most at risk of a wildfire and of
the subsequent flood that happens after
the wildfire and the rains come and the
ground doesn't catch the rain. So it
forms well whatever it forms and then it
catches some mud and feet down the
[clears throat] hill and all of a sudden
your house is you know knee deep in mud
or worse and that would be a flood. So
you could protect against that you know
you do things to to try to protect
against it. So that's again
>> no my thought. Well, thank you. Thank
you.
>> Okay, so the next I I put it to this
slide. It shows the benefits and
considerations just some of them. I
mean, obviously there's a million
different ways, but I looked at okay,
it's a dedicated funding source, but you
got to consider it. It takes some time.
When I presented this to my council and
we had a couple of discussions about it,
I said, you know, the thing is this
isn't a one-year project. It's probably
not a three-year. It's maybe not a
fiveyear or a nine-year. It might be a
10-year project. It's going to outlast
me on the council for darn sure.
>> Everything's going to unlatch because
we're done at the end of this year.
>> Yeah, that's not going to happen. But
the thing is, if we don't start at some
point, we'll never get it.
>> And and this kind of thing happens when
somebody gets the I hate to say the
word, but the fire inside and says we
got to do something and tries to lead
it. If people choose not to, then then
we'll end up, you know, having the
discussion maybe over time, but nothing
will happen. So, I don't want to end up
seeing Saratoga, for example, in six
years with a burned out hillside because
we did I mean, we're doing a lot. We're
now a fire we since 2024, we're a fire
risk reduction community in the state of
California, one of only 11 in 2024. Uh
the only one in Santa CL County. This
year, Loscatus got it too. So, there are
two. Um that gives people an advantage
on insurance and and discounts if you
got the fair plan. So, different things
can happen. But we started doing things
and this would put more attention on
that and provide some funding for it. So
let me go through. So you know the
benefits access to grant supports short
and long-term resilience. Um it can
leverage outside funding which I think
is really really key. And then your
>> issue uni bonds
>> if and again that would be a vote.
>> Yeah. Right. Right. But but mechanically
is
>> it could the possibility is there to do
that? Absolutely.
Again, the mechanisms or the the the
vehicles to fund it are up to the to the
board essentially. And I'll go through a
scenario of how I I would recommend it
be done. Uh because I think that the
people that live in it have to have the
most vested interest. And if they set
the priorities and they determine the
projects, the things that the money will
be spent on, it's probably much more
likely to go. I personally, when
somebody says, "Hi, I'm from the
government. I'm here to help. I'm
curious about which part of my bank
account's going to get affected next. I
just I'm sorry. It's the truth, you
know. Um I've been on the government for
in the government for a long time. It
took me many years of being, you know,
somebody would say, "Well, you're a
politician." And and it took me many
years before I stopped cringing when I
heard that, you know, now I accept it.
It's like, okay, I guess I am. Um but to
me that just means we work together to
solve problems. And so that's what, you
know, to me this is it's a way to work
together to solve a problem. So I think
the next one is my scenario. So here's a
startup scenario that is how I think it
would work best in Saratoga. It may or
may not work for your city. There are
lots of ways to do it. So the first
thing is that the governing body creates
a CRD. Um first there' be a a resolution
of intent to form and then you form it
and there's planning that goes on and
I'm glossing over all the dirty steps
that staff would have to go through and
whatever consultants you might need.
What it really takes is a whole lot of
marketing, if you will, engagement with
the community. Um, getting out, doing
town halls, meeting in neighborhoods,
getting, if you've got fire wise
communities, those are the natural
places start because the folks are
paying attention to it. If you don't
have some firewise communities, start to
work on that. That neighborhood is going
to be your nucleus. And when I've talked
to people that live in the hillsides in
Saratoga, and Saratoga is very anti-ax.
I mean, we you do any kind of a a survey
of folks um
>> unlike any other community.
>> Yeah, we don't know any of them around
here. But, um you know, so to say, hey,
we're going to do a property tax to
solve XYZ, the answer is going to be a
big fat no.
>> But I think that the people within this
district have a vested interest and if
personal responsibility means anything,
they will actually help. So, so the
first thing that happens, I think
there's a question here.
>> Oh, sorry. Um
if there's a path going forward and it
hasn't been done before in the state of
California per se by starting from zero
>> y
>> then if you blaze the trail then can
others then we could leverage off that
>> absolutely
>> imitation is the highest absolutely
flattery right
>> there is something
>> search and replace city of Sarah
Saratoga to Monty
>> we could certainly do that um you might
want to change the boundaries a bit but
Um, yeah. I think it wouldn't offend us
if you went first drunk. Is that what
you're saying,
>> Brian? And, and I got no problem with
that. I just have to get
>> two other council members, too. Okay.
So, it's like
>> you have to count to three.
>> That's the, you know, one of the key
things you learn when you're a council
member. You got to know one. That's what
it takes to get a thing on your agenda,
and you got to know two because that's
what it takes to get it passed along if
you're voting that way. Yeah.
>> So, absolutely. Thank you. Um so the
first thing that happens is the board is
formed and the board consists of three
members of the governing body that
created the district. So in this case it
would be three members of the council
and two members of the public. Now it's
very loosely defined as how you pick
those people but there there are lots of
methodologies and things that could be
used. I personally would probably think
we'd want to get people that lived in
the district. That might be that might
make a lot of sense. I think we should
go one step further. Like in Saratoga, I
would propose that we form a climate
resilience commission and that would be
five to seven people that actually live
within the WOOI. Their job would be to
define the projects that any funding
that comes in will be allocated to. What
are the priorities of the projects that
we want to do? And then go through the
actual process of, you know, might be
grant writing. might be how do they how
do we go out and search for somebody to do the consulting or to do the
creation of the grant request all kinds
of stuff and of course your governing
body would then be the entity that would
make the decisions upon your that that
commission's recommendation. So it's
just my way of saying we need to have
the people that live there be really
involved. I think at least in my town
that's what we need. we really need them
because they're they're the ones that
are going to otherwise they're going to
say man the government's doing it to us
again and I don't ever want to see that.
Um so as I said the commission
identifies the projects and you know in
Saratoga these are the things that come
out the most frequently. One is the
evacuation route vegetation clearing. I
want to make sure that if we need to
evacuate we can actually get out that
road because there's only one. So or in
some different areas there's one. Um,
number two might be creating homeowner
defensible space. Okay, so we got a
grant program for people that need to
clear out vegetation. Let's put it in
place. And then number three could be
home hardening. We just did a xyop plant
study. Xylopan's a company that does
these wildfire analysis.
Thousands of scenarios of wildfires
where they start in Saratoga, where they
travel to. It was discovered that if for
every home that is hardened, three homes
don't burn. For every one home that is
hardened, three don't burn. Now, I'm not
saying that you only go, okay, one, two,
three, but that's a that's a great thing
to keep in mind. So, the home hardening
I I think would want to be a part of
this. Now, how you define who gets it
and stuff, that's whatever your
community decides. Um, and the funding
plan is created. Now, the order of these
things may vary, but personally, I think
that the first funding should come from
the community members, the people that
live in the district. I have proposed
that and and when I talk to people about
it, I'm like, "Hey, would you be willing
to pay $80 a month to raise money to
protect your community, your the WOOI
from wildfire?" And what is 80 bucks?
Well, that's, you know, if I got a
family of three that drink coffee,
that's probably, you know, 10 less cups
of coffee a week at whatever favorite
Starbucks or coffee place I go to,
right? That's not a whole heck of a lot
of money. If I do that, that's a,000
bucks a year from each household. In
Saratoga, we have 2,000 homes in the
wood. That's 2 million bucks. I now have
some serious dollars to get this
started. So, to me, that's the best way
to do it. And that would, from what I
understand, it's a Prop 218 protest
vote. So it' be a letter would go out to
all the people in the WOOI. Do you want
this or not? Would you be willing to pay
80 or not? It gets back. If it's 50% of
the responses plus one, boom, on the
property taxes next year, $1,000 is
added. 500 bucks every six months or
every time we got to pay that bill. You
know what? Not such a bad deal. But not
to increase property taxes that the
community did and it took a twothird
vote as opposed to because we're
thinking about one to pay for police
services assuming the thing on the
November ballot doesn't pass. So I'm
interested in how you could increase
property taxes which is your
>> So this is an assessment district. It's
actually not increasing their property
taxes. They would pay it in their
property taxes and it goes to the
district. So, [clears throat] for
example, in Saratoga, in a lot of our
flatlands, we have what we call
landscape and lighting districts.
They're individual neighborhoods that
have said, you know what, you know,
getting three people out here to clean
the entrance way and to butter up our,
you know, entry sign and plant the
perennials or the annuals that we plant
all the time and try to come out and
water it, it doesn't happen. People do
it for about two weeks and then they
stop and everything's dead.
>> Please help me.
>> Yeah. Yeah. If if you say that that the
city of Saratoga or the city minus
Freedom is an assessment district
itself,
you could increase things with just a
simple majority, not a two3 vote. I'm
looking at my majority.
>> It's a little different, I think. But
>> so there are under state law there the
cities have the ability to create
special districts or special areas and
provide specific types of benefits to
those. We have in the past had two in
town. We had the Rose Andrews.
>> So there's not going to be an answer for
a partial tax for police service.
>> Completely different.
>> Right. Okay. Absolutely.
>> And I'll please continue checking.
>> I'm looking for a way to fund that. So
>> absolutely. So to me that and and the
people that I've spoke with, they they
and and these are some of the people
that I know are very anti most of the
things we've asked for and they come
down to the council meetings, they
demand certain things. Everyone that
I've talked to, they've been very pro very positive about this. It's like
80 bucks. Yeah, I can do 80 bucks a
month, no problem. I tell them it's 500
bucks twice a year, but it they would do
it and and they said they they believe
in it. So, I think that we can make that
happen, but it is a lot of community
engagement to make that happen. Whether
you get a consultant to do that or you
try to do it, that's the key way of
making that happen. Um, this group could
also go out for state and local funding
based on the people I've talked to at
the state, the federal government, fire
environments, the people who have money
that they're allocating to organizations
that will do things to solve fire
problems or prevent it. The first one
that gets this district is going to get
all the attention. and they got the best
chance of getting that funding. So keep
that in mind. Whoever's for, you can
absolutely let Saratoga go first.
Whether it happen or not, I would
suggest you think about it and if you if
you got the burn, go for it. Um and I'll
be glad to help you. So whatever I can do to have community
meetings, whatever you need. Um
charitable contributions. I don't know
if you you probably all remember and
Aland does we've got a thing called the
Saratoga Monosino Community Foundation.
They were formed so that people could
make contributions to a 501c3
and then that organization will do
grants to fund different things that the
city needs to do. So um you know it
can't be just a pass through. It's got
to be allocated and defined by the board
and stuff. There's all rules about that
which you know I'm not going to answer.
Kristen might be able to. Is that
dormant or is it still active?
>> Still active. In fact, I'm using it
right now. On Saturday, if you all want
to come down to Wildwood Park in
Saratoga, starting around noon, we're
gonna have Saratoga's 70th birthday
party. And as you guys just celebrated
yours, so we're going to have our
>> We're a year behind you. We're
>> behind.
>> Yeah. You were 57. 57. Okay. But we're
saving energy for Sunday for our annual
picnic.
>> Oh, there. Well, that's cool. But if you
want to come and dance a bit to get your
kinks out and get the butterflies out,
come down to Wildwood Park at noon on
Saturday. Um, and then long-term to me
the carrot here is if we raise this
money and we smartly execute and use
that money effectively, then you've got
the carrot of the tax increment funding
that can say, you know, if the city gets
whole with the taxes we've got and we
don't get too many more unfunded
mandates,
then perhaps that's a way to help fund
it. Um, there are other ways. There
could be districts that go away that are
currently funded by something else and
we can move the money in. Um there
there's lots of different ways to do it.
These are just some that I've thought
about that that may work in my community
and maybe will work in yours. That's
all.
>> Yes.
>> One of the benefits would be the
reduction or the ability to get
insurance now.
>> Could be. And I mean that's that makes
the $1,000 a year kind of
[clears throat]
>> Yes. Now there's no guarantee. Um,
>> of course not.
>> I've I've been having some very lengthy
in fact I just this afternoon I had a
lengthy conversation with Sam Licardo
who's got a program. He's trying to work
with a couple of insurance companies to
say yeah we'll give discounted rates if
we can get two to two to 300 people or
two to 500 I think is the number he used
uh of people within a given area to
harden their homes. Okay, I'm paying
$10,000 a year for my my home insurance.
Um, you're going to give me 10% off if I
spend $30,000 this year on home
hardening.
Okay, you got to define what needs to be
done. It's not just about the first
thing in front of you. The the discount
sounds great, but there's something
behind it. I got to do something to make
that happen. So, I think there's a
reality check. And Sam and I were
talking. He goes, "Chuck, what about the
brokers? What about agents like you?"
It's like, dude, I get the fair plan is
cutting their commissions on new
business from 10% to 7%, I think, and on
renewal business to 3%. I'm I'm not
making that much. I And what is my $75
going to do to your $10,000 charge? It
It's nothing. So, yes, we could all
share in this, but the homeowner at the
end of the day has to decide, yeah, I'm
going to spend 30 grand to harden my
home, and I don't know how many of them
will.
That's that's the reality, you know. So,
we've got we got work to do in that
area. So, that's kind of a scenario that
I I think would ultimately work. And and
the way that the reason I talked about
just the city itself at first is because
you the people that live in that CRD are
the ones defining where the money goes.
And who better to do that and control
those funds than the people that live
there. The larger you make it, the more
diverse it gets, the more dispersed it
gets. Like diverse is not the right
word,
>> right?
>> But you know, all of a sudden you got,
you know, Certino weighing in on where
all the money in the district's going. I
don't know. I don't know if the if the
Monerinans will think that's a good
thing. I I I don't know. Maybe it is
because they've got the right thing in
mind. Um
>> even though we really like Katie more,
>> long as there's AI, we we like that.
It's all good. It's all good. It's all
good. Um so, so that's why I think that
locally is better. Now, if it makes
sense at some point to merge the CRDs,
then let's do it. But I think start off
it's better locally.
>> I can't. We we've all had a lot of
experience who've been on the council
for years with joint powers authority.
>> Oh yeah.
>> I take your point about priorities which
I hadn't thought of. So thank you. I I
got that now.
>> Yeah. [clears throat] So I just got one
more slide and it's basically just a
summary. This is not a project. It is a
tool. And it's a it's a tool that here
before no one has used in the state of
California. The one that's been
grandfathered and I don't count them.
They didn't have to go through the work.
They didn't have the the funding
mechanisms. We are going to create all
that. But I really believe that
whoever's first is going to, you know,
when when Saratoga was out for a grant,
they look at it and they say,
[clears throat] not that rich city of
Saratoga, so they don't have areas of
need, o areas of opportunity. So we're not going to fund that one. We're
going to fund Turlock before we do that.
>> We've heard that too.
>> Right. It it happens. And so to me, you
know, the the Elserino, whatever, you want to call it, you know,
call this climate resilience district,
that's got that certainly garnered some
attention from some folks who might not
otherwise have paid attention. And
that's personal opinion. I may
[clears throat] be wrong, but after
talking enough people, I think it's
probably more accurate than not.
>> Okay. [clears throat] Before I open it
up to uh the council chambers for
questions, any of my colleagues have any
questions I'd like to ask of
>> just a comment. Just first of all, thank
you so much. This is amazing.
>> Uh and I've heard about climate
resilience districts ever since I got
involved with the what is it called?
West Valley Wildfire Council. I think
>> the mayor's Yeah.
>> Um and what I like about this is it
makes our community safer.
It engages people and flexibility of
funding and we could focus on wois or
areas that you know whatever are area we
want. So there's so so there's great you
know there's great opportunity to focus
and I think it's a terrific idea and I'd
love to be the first one state of
California to do it.
every year. So, while I love the concept
of Firewise Community, the ultimate end
result, if I'm doing one hour a year, am
I really doing it? But what it does is
it keeps people's in mind on the fact
that they've got to be paying attention.
And that's the real key. So, that's an
individual thing that's done within a
neighborhood. The fire risk reduction
community is um is a designation that
comes from an application that you
provide to the board of forestry which
is a division or department within
Calire and they every two years they
review the applications that they
receive and based on the the way that
you've answered the questions the things
that you've done in your city um to
protect them or to create ordinances
like we've we've got a safety fund now
so if somebody takes down trees in our
willie
Instead of having to replace the tree
with something of equal value, they can
put money into the safety fund, which
could be used to help clear vegetation
on the evacuation routes or to build a
turnout or something else, you know,
whatever we define that to be. Um, we
didn't have that a while ago, so it's a
new mechanism that we've got. Um, so
that that's the kind of thing you could
do. So, making those decisions both in
your planning and your your ordinances
that you pass that can help you get
that. Um, but that is a board of
forestry and the next one will be in
2028. Um, but it's really cool. I mean,
I brought this up at the at the Ken was
talking about the wildfire task force in Loscatus. That's where I first
proposed this and I told them about it
when they hired their emergency services
manager. I'm like, you guys ought to try
for this. And so now we have two cities
in Santa Clair County, which is really
kind of cool.
>> Did you have a followup? I Please go
ahead.
What do you estimate the organizational
or administrative costs would be for
uh CRD per year?
>> That's a a really good question. Um our
staff in in the report that's attached
there is a staff report that was
presented at our council meeting. Um and
it talks about some of those both the
startup costs.
>> Yeah.
>> Um
>> those are one times.
And then the
ongoing would be well how many grants
are you going to try to get you if you
don't have a grant writer on staff maybe
this district wants an executive
director so you have to spend. Now the
thing that they did when they created
this entity at the state they said only
5% of the funds can be spent on
administration. So the cool thing is
it's limited in that which is another
thing that I like uh because you know as
one of these people who thinks the
government might be out you know not to
be my pal I know that it's limited and
so you you start to gain another level
of
>> 2 million you get 5%
>> 5% can be used on administration so
that's all you can do now hopefully the
city might contribute something you know
the entity that created it if they've
got it if they don't then you don't got
it So,
but you know, and is grant writing, you
know, you're going out for a grant. Is
that administration or is that part of
the grant writing and you'd have to talk
to lawyers and finance people about
that?
>> You you would also need to prepare
financial information. So, someone's got
to do
>> and and you know, typically that might
be somebody from the body that created
the entity. Um, but it's all that's all
TBD and that's part of the being the
first, you know, and how you do it.
There's a whole lot of questions and and
I'm I know I'm giving the the Oh, here's
the the sky is you can't because we
don't have one. No one could have those
answers. I'd like to now open it up and
see if there are people in chambers to
question either our speaker or the city
manager.
See no hands. Madam uh city clerk, are
there any hands raised online?
» No. But bringing it back to council,
again, I find this very interesting.
Personally,
my primary goal next year is raising a
parcel tax, which by the way would be
what we need would be $80 a month or
$1,000 a year because our we don't have
sales taxes unlike Saratoga or
Loscatoos. our property tax revenue goes
up about 5% a year and just like with
Saratoga, our cost of police services
goes up more than 5% a year. So
my own view is
to keep this in mind, but at least next
year until we pass a parcel tax, I I'd
like not to have the residents see us
spending a lot of money when we're
asking them to uh to go from $150 a year
parcel tax to $1,000. That's my
comments, but I'll let comments from my
colleagues. I I agree that that's the
priority, but I do think it's something
that we should keep on the list of
things to consider and do because I
think it's a a valuable way to do all
the things I mentioned, which is make
our community safer and do it in a
flexible way and engage more people.
>> Yeah, Vice Mayor Shannon,
>> um I agree with you that that it's the
parcel tax is a priority, but this
information is very good information
that we can use down the road if needed.
I know we currently have other things
we're doing getting um [clears throat]
getting the city better ready for a
wildfire, including something we're
going to talk about later, the
eucalyptus trees, including updating our
emergency handbook, including doing a
study on our evacuation routes. So, I
think we're still gathering data. We're
not to the point yet where I think we
would need something like this, but we
might get there.
Greg.
>> Well, thank you very much, Chuck, for
coming in and talking to us about this.
I think this is a great tool and one of
the few things that I think our state
legislature has done right these days.
And
>> that's a short list burning it.
>> Well, it's it's something that I think
most of our residents are thinking about
more and more now because every year,
you know, 10% of California is on fire
for the most part. And it's just it's not if, it's when. And I think a
lot of people are starting to realize
that. And if uh if they don't, their
insurance companies sure do. And so I
think as a as a one of our jobs as
government officials is to make sure
that we give our residents all of the
tools that are necessary to help build a um a a community that can withstand a
disaster. So, I hope this is something
that will be on our plate. Um, as Lon
said, we definitely got to get our our
parcel tax for police services uh
settled, but I hope that this is going
to be right behind it. And that's what
I'm looking to do um in my next term if
I'm still here.
>> Well, you know, you will be because
later
in the two, Chuck and I are the two has
in the group. I can't be back. Um, yes.
My question is how do you work this
through at your city council? Do you
have an ad hoc committee? Like, how are
you working this to move it forward so
it doesn't all of a sudden stop? Um what
I'm trying to do is to get the council
to uh put forward a resolution of intent
to form one at which point it would be
an ad hoc. It could be a um a committee
of people that live in the WOOI for
example to help define it. Um because I firmly believe that I need the
community to push this as much as any
council member or even if the entire
council wanted it. It's not going to fly
unless the people that live there buy
into it. But what you said earlier,
right now you're still looking for two
more folks.
>> I still am.
>> I [laughter] I got we all sound like a
city. We understand how that works.
>> Yeah. Yeah. So, it it's a challenge
without a doubt. Um and I think that's
one of the things that most of the
communities have talked about doing this
are running into because it it isn't for
the faint of heart. And yeah, you oh
yeah, Sonoma's got one. Yeah.
Grandfathered in by law. It's like
that's a whole lot easier than what
we're trying to do.
>> And and by the way, what are they doing
with it? Good question.
>> Yeah, yeah. Um, let me wrap this up
again. You have brought something to our
attention and I think we all realize
that we have to be proactive.
Uh, because I agree with Council Craig.
It's not if we have a wildfire, it's
when we have a wildfire. Um I think
madam city attorney that this was a
discussion thing so u there's nothing
for us to vote on but I think what I
hear is consensus of the council was
done once we get the parcel tax behind
us this is things that the this council
may wish to look into
>> there was no um action for this item so
I think the direction was heard by staff
and we will proceed accordingly
>> and if there's anything I can do to help
you uh in my day job I do have insurance
and other stuff. So, I live this thing
constantly and it scares the living
daylights out of me because you're
right, it's not if, it's when. And all
we need is that lightning strike that
happened in 2020 on the other side of
the hill to happen over here in the
middle of the open space district. And
when somebody told me a story, I I lived
here at 85. You know, a fire came down
in Broadway.
>> And but when you look here, I don't
think you see anybody. You're shy.
>> [clears throat]
>> We understand our responsibility to the
residents of our community and uh none
of us is here for the big bucks
>> otherwise we can go to something else.
[laughter]
>> I'll [clears throat] see you in is it
next Wednesday or the week.
>> I'll see you next Wednesday lunch.
>> Thank you again.
>> Thanks. I'm going to stay for next time.
>> Oh, you're very welcome.
>> Thank you. Thanks.
>> Okay. Well, uh I think the next item is
probably the the big on the agenda.
I'll ask our Sydney manager to uh make a
presentation, please.
>> Thank you. Um the city council's goals
for the current year um as well as of
last year included improving wildfire
prevention and preparedness and this
goal includes um maintaining evacuation
routes and as well as efforts to reduce
um the fire hazard risks along Highway
9. Um, highway as highway 9 would likely
serve as a main evacuation route for
many Monsino residents in the event of a
wildfire. Reducing risks that may
prevent the roadway from being used in
an evacuation
has been identified as a priority for
the city council.
The eucalyptus trees in the median of
Highway 9 are of concern as they can be
problematic for several reasons um
including they can contribute um to fire
hazardness due to the oils um in their
leaves. They are also susceptible to
sudden branch drop which causes limbs to
fail without warning and their shallow
roots can make them susceptible to
falling. Attached um to the staff report
is a draft resolution that the city
council may want to consider adopting
which would establish a city policy that
the eucalyptus trees in the median
highway 9 are potential hazard for the
residents of Monoserino and neighboring
cities and supports removal of these
trees. That completes the staff report
and I'm happy to answer any questions
you might have. Um
>> I'll start without hearing questions of
the city manager. Um,
well, there's a lot to talk about here.
Um,
>> I like to start with questions question
from the council and then from the
public.
>> Okay. We can make
>> I have no questions. I'll wait till the
rest.
>> Okay, that's fine.
>> I don't have any questions.
>> Neither do I.
>> Can I check questions?
>> Um, I do have a few questions. Um I
understand that um you amended what was
said um by
uh someone from the town of Lascatos.
>> Chris Todd I think is his name right the
isn't that
>> it's not in the staff report.
>> Okay. I believe it I believe that's who
you're referring to.
>> Right.
And my question to you is, did you have
any discussions or email correspondence
with uh Chris Todd regarding the
definition of a eucalyptus tree and uh
the difference between the species?
Um yes, I did have um conversations um
yesterday as well as a few months ago
with or maybe about a month ago I should
say um with Chris Todd who is the Los
Gatos um emergency manager and um
discussed this issue in general um
and yes regarding the the trees
the eucalyptus
>> right so I spoke with him and he said
that Oh, no. I'm going to make us I'm
going to ask a question.
>> Okay. Okay. Cuz we'll do the comments
later. Okay. Fair enough.
>> No, I I get it.
>> Okay. Fair enough. Please proceed.
>> And he said that he had asked you to
differentiate between the species
and I expected that to be done but it
was not done. Can you explain that?
>> Yes. So the um information that I was
asked or the question that I was asked
of um Chris Todd yesterday was to
clarify in the staff report that this is
his professional opinion and not an
opinion a policy of the town of
Lascatoss or approved by the Loscatos
town council. I had talked to him
separately about other issues, but his
request for the modification to the
staff report was limited to this being
um a professional opinion of his.
>> I'm surprised because that's not what he
explained to me, but um
I do and I don't know at what point in
time. Oh, I'll ask it as a question. Um
you uh distributed this document to
everyone on council.
Um have you gone through it and uh do
you understand the difference in the uh
in the different trees?
>> Correct. I did um review it today. I
don't wouldn't say that I had a chance
to to read every um page, but I did
review it. and they do understand the
points that you're making regarding the
difference in the species of the
egyptus.
>> Okay. Okay. I will if there are no other
questions I will ask if anybody in
chambers has any uh questions of of the
city manager. If so, you have three
minutes to come up and ask your
question. Point of order. Um, are they
allowed to make are they asking
questions or can they make comments or
are you going to take public comments
separately?
>> Let me ask the city attorney for
clarification. Am I asking just
questions or comments?
>> So the public it is their opportunity to
make public comments.
>> Okay.
>> They can ask questions and that
>> or they so members unlike the council uh
members of the public will start with
those in chambers and we'll go to those
online. They have three minutes to uh
make any comment they wish.
Okay, Ed, please come up and speak into
the microphone so that we have it. Ed,
if you would tell us your name, please,
ma'am.
>> My name is Kelly Weissberg. I live at
15927 Viewfield Road. I'm also the head
of the neighborhood watch for Viewfield
neighbors. Um, I'd like to speak in
favor of the resolution to remove the
eucalyptus trees in the median strip of
Highway 9. I want to speak to what makes
uh these trees uh uniquely so dangerous
in fires. Particularly, I want to
highlight five reasons, some of which
were mentioned. Um, I want to elaborate.
Um, first, the extreme flammability of
the trees. They contain oils that make
them highly combustible. The leaves and
wood contain compounds that act like
lighter fuel. They're so combustible, in
fact, that they don't simply burn in
high heat. They vaporize. They really
explode. This allows the fires to burn
with extreme ferocity. Second, the deep
litter accumulation. The trees
continuously drop leaves, twigs, bark
that piled up in deep layers at the
base. This ground layer easily ignites,
creating a bed of tinder that fuels
intense ground fires. Three, a stringy
bark creates a ladder of fuel. The trees
contain stringy peeling ribbon-like
bark. It easily [clears throat] catches
fire, allows the ground flames to climb
rapidly up the trunk into the upper
canopy of the tree. Four, fast ember
dispersal. When the tree when the flames
climb up the bark into the upper canopy,
the burning strips of bark easily detach
and catch the wind, sending embers
flying over long distances to spark
fires to residences that are far away
from the main front. Five,
these trees complicate firefighting
efforts. Firefighters call these trees
widow makers because the trees
complicate firefighting efforts. Why
does the flying embers breach
containment lines, forcing the
firefighters to constantly retreat and
establish new defensive positions? The
firestorm created by these trees creates
massive clouds of severe radiant heat,
preventing the ground crews from getting
close enough to fight the fire. In
addition, the dense limbs and bark drop
unexpectedly during any blaze, creating
an additional safety hazard for the
firefighters that are working underneath
them. Because of these factors, these
trees have contributed to several
historic fire disasters such as the
Oakland Hills firestorm. It killed 25
people, destroyed over 3,000 homes.
This makes these trees a permanent focus
for local fire safety efforts to remove
them like this one tonight. Thank you.
» Yeah, that's a good question. Uh
[snorts] I would have been surprised if
you didn't. So, please go ahead. Brian,
thank you very much for describing the
uh dangers of these particular of of
eucalyptus trees. Are you aware? My
first question. Are you aware of the
difference between a red iron bark tree
and a Tasmanian blue gum?
>> Yes.
It's my understanding all of these trees
are flammable. And if we're talking
about a question of degree, these trees
are not native to California. They were
brought here from Australia during the
Gold Rust days. If you want me to go
into the history of the trees, I'm happy
to continue.
>> I I we can have that discussion. I but I
want to ask you questions.
>> I'm not a um I know there are people who
are um lawyers who who are forensic
arborists. I know that is a specialty.
I'm a lawyer. That's not my specialty.
So I prefer not to address it in detail.
I think
>> I'm just going to ask you a question.
>> Yes.
>> Okay. Um one of the things that is well
first of all I'll make a comment then
I'll ask a question if that's okay. The
comment is that California because
there's so many quote eucalyptus trees
planted here, there's all kinds of
literature that's available.
>> Absolutely. But one of the one of the
items is the overall uh fuel hazard
assessment guide the fourth edition um
via the state of Victoria that talks
about the bar bark hazard classification
and spotting distances
>> and they differentiate and identify the
difference. This is not this is
>> I understand where I understand where
you're going with that. It's a question
of how many kilometers that the sparks
travel
>> but and the rating of the different
trees.
>> Absolutely. If embers travel distances,
I'm not going to question whether my
home is 30 kilometers or 10 kilometers,
it's a question of how how high those
winds are that are occurring during a
given fire. Usually, we've seen in
California, we've seen high winds whip
around. I mean, you've seen on
television the high winds during fires
in in Southern California just last
summer. This is true in Portugal, too. I
mean, the high winds take these embers
really vast distances from the front of
the fire. These trees, if you Google
what's the most flammable tree,
surprise, surprise, it's the eucalyptus.
And it doesn't make a distinction
between the blue gum or the red one.
>> Okay. Um,
I will ask you a second question or
another question and this will be my
last question.
>> Okay. I just this is you know I practice
law for 50 years. She's you know I I
don't want us beating up on people
speaking.
>> I'm just asking questions.
>> Just tell me where I'm coming.
>> I'm a law professor retired. He's not
beating up.
» Maybe you should reference that me.
» Are you Have you seen the three groves
of
Tasmanian blue goats on the south side
of Highway 9.
>> Are we talking about the ones in the
median strip?
>> No, I said on the south side.
>> Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm confused.
>> Well, explain that to me, too. Which
ones are the ones on the south side, cuz
I don't know where.
>> Okay, so at the corner of Rich Crest and
Highway 9.
>> Yes, that's only a couple blocks from
where I live. on the southeast corner
there is known it's across the street
from view if I could
>> Okay,
>> that's the south side.
>> Okay. Have I seen them? Probably
hundreds if not thousands of times. Your
point is
>> Oh, if you're ask my point My point is I
believe those trees should be removed
and taken care of. Okay,
>> that's one. The second one is have you
seen the ones at Decatur and Farra?
There's a small group of of blueg cedars
there. Tasmanian bluegs.
>> Uh I don't remember that. Okay. Grove in
particular.
>> Then there's another two that are by
Montavo Oaks.
>> I'm sure there's several online read as
well. And the point is,
>> may I ask her her answer question? I at
this point I think you've asked her
questions. I think she's answered it.
So, I'd like to uh let her go. Uh
I know with the law school for 12 years,
too, by the way. Um [clears throat] so,
thank you. I think I'd like to see are
there other people in chambers who would
like to uh comment and so please come up
and introduce yourself. Madam, thank you
very much for your presentation and uh
and I as I [clears throat] said to the
vice mayor, it became clear to me that
you didn't need me to protect you.
You're doing very well.
>> Yes, sir. If I had your name, please,
sir.
>> I am George Blumenthal. I also live on
Viewfield Road. I also want to speak in
favor of this resolution. And just I
don't want to repeat what the previous
speaker said, but I do want to just make
a couple of points. One is many of us
live on culdeacs
and our culde-sacs lead into Highway 9
and therefore Highway 9 represents the
escape route for us from a big fire. And
um it's really important that that
escape route remain free and capable of
taking on the traffic of people fleeing
from a fire. And that's why I'm
concerned about particularly the trees
that are in the median strip on Highway
9. Just incidentally, my son is a lawyer
who happens to have represented many of
the victims of the Soma fire from a few
years ago and his comment to me was that
the most important thing that you have
to prepare for is an escape route from
such a fire and I completely agree with
him and I encourage you to think about
that as you consider this matter. Thank
you.
» Questions? Any questions? Sir, thank you
very much. Are there others in chambers
who would like to comment on the
eucalyp?
Sir, please come up and introduce
yourself.
>> My name is Raj. Um, live on Bridge Crest
on Bank Avenue.
>> You're name sir?
>> Roger Ry.
>> Okay.
We corresponded.
>> Yeah. I think he spoke to my mother.
>> I thought we exchanged.
>> I think he spoke to my mother some.
>> Yeah. Um I would just u ask the council
to consider the degree to which um the
treatment of median should be a priority
because um as I think the other council
member described on the corner of the
street leading to mine which is
Ridgerest there's a gigantic um
eucalyptus and there are a few more
along the side of Highway 9 and those
present like represent a huge amount of
biomass and flammable oil and they also
drop a lot of bark on the base of the
ground which I from what I understand is
really represents the most of the danger
in in the in the event of a wildfire. Um
one the other thing I understand is that
there's some difference between the two
types of between a few types of
eucalyptus and it kind of struck me
because I didn't even realize that the
trees in the median were eucalyptus
trees because you're so used to seeing
those big ones with the stringy bark and
they're kind of pale. These I thought I
thought were something else. Someone
said acacia. I thought they were aac
walnut. Turns out they're eucalyptus.
But I think phenotypically they're
completely different. And maybe because
I saw Calrans working on them for months
and months. I think maybe if they're
able to manage those, we could maybe
direct your resources to these more
problem problematic ones just much
bigger and seem to present have a lot
more fuel in case of a fire. And if
those fell, I don't think there'd be
really any way to get around the
obstacle presented. Whereas these ones
in the median seem a little bit lighter
weight and probably maybe not as
hazardous, whereas the ones on my street
and around it, I think they could
present a big problem if anything ever
happened. So I just ask the council to
consider um more than just the median
and maybe prioritize more problematic
trees. That's it.
>> Right. Questions of
member, did you have questions on the
speaker?
Um,
no. [clears throat]
Are there others in chambers? Yes,
madam. Please,
>> if they have a moment of time,
>> everybody who's here gets to speak. Add
your name, please. Madam
>> Roi and I emailed some of you.
>> Okay. Yes. I think we each feedback.
>> And first of all, I'd like to thank all
of you for taking care of us and
watching out for us, being here on
Tuesday night worrying about what to do
with the city and how to make things
better for all of us. We appreciate that
very much. Uh, having said that, of
course, I'm here because I want to make
some noise about the eucalyptus. I will
>> through emails.
>> Well, one of them was a corre correction
because I was appalled when I read my
own emails. So, I had to do all the
corrections. Um,
I have to say that I absolutely love
Highway 9. When I didn't live in this
area, we used to come for a drive and it
was just so magical to be there. uh come
on a summer evening, you know, you turn
off the air conditioning, turn on the
recycling and able to get the lovely
fragrances, which hasn't happened for a
while uh last couple of years, but
generally speaking, it used to be
heavenly. Um you just feel proud of
saying I I'm now I live off Highway 9.
You know, you try to be as casual as
possible when you say it, but you feel
great about it. And to lose those trees
would be something else. I'll give a
very quick example of uh these the
notorious um eucalyptuses the tall ones
that were on the on the bend around
Rididgerest when you go and there's a
little street going up Scott and there's
a hill u both are private roads I
believe but they were majestic and they
were more than 100 years old. Uh one day
they were just cut down and then that
time there was Jinny and Rocky Road over
here and I remember talking to Jinny.
She stopped by for some work that we had
were getting done. And I said, "What
happened there?" And she said, "Oh, you
know, we've got them to agree to
planting several oak trees. If you go
around that around the creek, you'll see
lots of oak trees have been planted."
So, yes, they took down those
eucalyptus. The red hawks were
displaced. We don't hear owls that much
anymore. I'm not sure if they, you know,
they go off s hand in hand, but
there was a plan in place. So while I
can't presume to tell you not to cut
this down because you are finally the
managers literally no there's a city
manager managers of our well-being if
you will I would really say if you could
have one project in which you cut it
down but put something else rather than
leave it as a second phase that would be
my you know humble request and I'm sure
that if the city and again I don't mean
to be in any way um insulting but if
there's a lack of funds then I'm sure
there are plenty of arborists etc who
live in the city will be happy to donate
or you know send manpower or whatever it
is to replace the trees we could always
try to ask for help and there might be
plenty who will come forward so that
would be my request I mean we the
quail's gone out of Monteino so we don't
want to lose anything else I mean I busy
I asked the mama's market guy who sells
quail eggs can can you get me quail so I
can put them out here and he'll say we
are not allowed to do that but there was
a one pair that came to our house and
we've been trying to feed her and
they've gone Okay. So that was my my
little bit. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Uh questions of the speaker.
>> Yes sir. Um
are you aware of the difference between
the the trees in the center median and
the blue gums on the south side of
highway 9?
>> Yes, I am. And I actually feel that the
ones in the middle are not they may I
mean all trees will will get burnt at
some point of time but I don't think
they represent that much of danger to
us. We do have several. In fact, I was
wondering when I read this and driving
down, I literally tried counting how
many trees do we have of the blue
eucalyptus. There are several on the
sides even on the right side. There are
some, yes, I know in the corner,
Ridgerest or Datur and Faragut. There's
some on the right side when there's one
odd coming up every now and then. Which
are the flammable ones? I know the
difference. And I also see the canopy
and how how much calans because I was
wondering earlier why is why are people
working on these trees all the time. Now
it makes sense. So the canopies are far
away from each other. They have been
trimmed upwards if that makes any sense.
So I don't think they represent that
much danger. But the final word I guess
like is you know with all of you. What I
can say is that if there is any if I may
call it deforestation loosely then I
would really request there to be a plan
B which is part of you know this A and B
together rather than a B coming along
the way at some point of time. That
would be devastating. practice making we love I mean I I don't want it to
become a stream in CO even sunny girls
down I mean this sounds insulting but
down after big basin way the same street
looks so different it doesn't have this
beauty
>> thank you
>> um anybody else in chambers well I think
everybody has spoken uh hands online
city clerk
>> uh no hands are raised
>> okay well I'm going to bring it back and
I'm going for myself the privilege of
speaking first. Uh we've been looking
into uh the trees for u several years
now as fire
and u
until
5 minutes before the meeting when I got
members back I hadn't heard anybody say
that
the trees were not fire day. I've had a
number of meetings personally with CALR.
Calrans has raised the issue. It's a
scenic highway and so we have to get
permission and we'd have to replace it
with something else going to what you
said, madam, that we'd want to maintain
it as a scenic highway. But there's
nothing in the law that says to be a
scenic highway you need to trees. But in
all my conversations uh with Calrans and
I had some one-on- ons that uh our
citizen of the until tomorrow leader
Carl Gardino set up uh Calrans has never
said and they've been they have
exclusive jurisdiction since the trees
were planted to maintain the trees. over
the last 60 years cal has maintained and
they have never said that uh gee um
these are eucalyptus trees that aren't
flammable. They've never raised the
argument. Uh they've just said gee we
need permission because of the state
highway. Also I've had meetings with
several meetings with county fire. uh
our county treasure chief Sana Kerto has
come to our meetings. She wrote a letter
last year. There was a letter that Craig
wrote and in it she talked about
training a county fire has never raised
the issue that the these trees are not
flammable. So my view is we u as
the view field speaker said we only have
two arteries Winchester and state
highway nine but for hundreds of our
residents on both sides of nine who live
on culde-sacs
uh uh if they if nine is impassible they
are trapped in their fold we're talking
about uh several hundred presidents I
think as a council, we have an
obligation
to uh remove it. And again, uh until
this evening, I've never heard either
Town Trans or County Fire say that the
kind of eucalyptus we have are
blackable. So, that's my comments and
I'd be pleased to I'm going to start
this one because I with respect I I I
know what council member Machek's
position. No, ma'am, it's not open
anymore. Sorry. uh customer inventory.
>> Well, um I um
there's a couple things. Number one,
this is not a new issue. It seems like
you've been patr. We've talked to many
people about this. Uh you know, we're
not ar n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n none of us were arborists, so we
don't really know. We know that there
are different species of eucalyptus
trees. Eucalyptus trees are flammable.
There are other there are trees there
are species of trees that are more
flammable than others. That's a fact. Um
we also know that there's a lot of brush
that the uh eucalyptus trees cause on
both sides of Route 9 which is also a
major problem. Um that has to be
addressed too. Um, you know, I I think
it's a dialogue we have to again have
with Calrans because it's their it's it
they are the lead agency and I think we
have to go in with with with a plan. Um,
one of the things that's important to me
as part of this plan is to demonstrate
to CALR uh what we're doing uh with
regard to
emergency prep preparation in our
community. I don't, you know, judging
from what Mayor Page uh presented
earlier, there's a lot of things that we
could be doing in this community to
prepare people for wildfire that I'm not
sure that we are doing. Um some of the
some of those things were mentioned
earlier and I I think they're all, you
know, they're all to be considered. So,
you know, when we go to talk to Calrans,
which is something we definitely should
do, um I think we should be prepared to
at least um offer a a plan
to deal with evacuation, deal with home
hardening, deal with fire risk, deal
with all the things that were mentioned
earlier today, even to engage our youth.
Um um council member Craig and I had a
meeting with the youth commission and
talked to them about maybe getting doing
a project to create go bags for the
residents of Monerina. So there's a lot
of things that we should be going into
saying we are not just looking at
eucalyptus trees in this area that area
this species or that species. We're
looking at creating uh a a safer
community in general. Um, so, uh, but I,
you know, but I, but I'm not an
arborist. I'm not, I'm not an expert. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I
can do the, the research that everybody
else can do to determine, you know, uh,
the the various species and which ones
are more flammable than others. Um, so I
look I look to experts that that can at
least offer their advice and counsel and
help us figure figure this out.
Something needs to be done. That's
clear. But I I I would defer to who
whomever is an expert in this area to be
able to help us, you know, facilitate a plan that makes sense over time. The
last thing I will say is there is a cost
and I think these trees are very
expensive to take down. Uh many of them
are huge. [snorts]
Um so that has to be addressed and I'm
not sure how that how that works. Well,
I can too. I I spoke with uh James
Williams on this very issue. Uh I got to
know him when uh he was county council
because county council provides legal
services to the civil grand jury. And
after my first conversation with Calrans
when uh they
gave this information they said uh 100%
of cost of removing the trees falls on
city where they are located. of Saratoga
minus Seno 100% as it's seen anything
replanning would be on Saratoga and my
Seno and putting in irrigation and so I I called up James Williams and I said
gee this is what Calran said and um he
said well that's actually 100% false u
that the cost of removing the eucalyptus
trees falls 100% on Calrans the cost of
Saratoga and money will be zero because
of the senior road the cost of putting
in appropriate
u
not replacement thing
uh is on Calr not a penny from Saratog
putting in irrigation and maintaining it
just like Calrans has maintained this
for the last 60 years. So um
you know uh I am embarrassed that I so
misunderstood
what CALR said because I thought they
said we had a bear cost 100% and county
council and I went back to Calr. They
said they misunderstood
me and they Cal France has now agreed in
the conversations that there will be
zero cost to either removal or finding
something else to keep it as a scenic.
The zero cost to the cities of Saratoga
and Sereno and I'm so embarrassed that I
misunderstood them is one of the major
reasons I'm not running for reelection.
>> Well, that's that that's good news
because I I heard differences.
of opinion too. And
by the way, the last thing I'll say is I
am complete in favor for if if to
replace any or all of the eucalyptus
trees with other other appropriate
plants and trees and things of that
nature because I think preserving that
beautiful scenic route. I I agree with
you and I think we we have a well first
of all I think we have a legal
obligation but I think as a number of
the speakers have said um you know I
said I've lived in this town 47 years
and we live here because it's a
beautiful place to live and so but u I
think there are so many other things
that we could plant there that will
still make it a beautiful thing and
we'll make it the Boulevard. Uh but we
will be fulfilling our obligation to our
residency. Vice Mayor Shannon,
>> uh you just touched on this both just so
that it's you know clear to the
community that what we're talking about
with this resolution is just to say that
we if we adopt it that we are supporting
efforts to remove these trees. this
council doesn't have the power to remove
the trees and then as you just heard
it's a CALR issue and CALR would be
paying for it. It's just whether or not
we're going to pursue having this done.
And based upon the comments that came
from the citizens, and I'm, you know,
happy when the citizens get involved and
they have comments, whether it's here in
chambers or via email, um there were
some people who were in favor of keeping
the trees. I think more were in favor of
trying to get them removed because of
all the buyer safety issues we've all
just heard us all talking about. Um, I
think the big concern that kind of keeps
coming up is, as you just said, Mayor
Allen, the beauty of that corridor and
if those trees were to be removed, um,
that something beautiful would be put in
its place. Um, again, my understanding
is, correct me if I'm wrong, but that would be completely up to CALR and
that we would not necessarily have a say
in what those replacement fees would be.
May I add to that my conversation they
would
>> they will discuss it with us
>> uh because it is a scenic highway uh but
you know it's their nickel but I I
didn't get the feeling
my sense was that they would want to
know what the that the residents of my
thought and the residents of Saratoga
because the trees are in these two
cities.
Uh but the CalR
one of the people I spoke to there her
whole job was preserving scenic highways
around the state. That's her job at
Calrans. So I think they are very
sensitive that subject to fire safety
that to keep it as a scenic highway that
we can all be very proud of. And so I
would think that when we are inspection
from Cal Friends, what we would do just
like we're doing with this resolution is
we'd send out special notice to all the
residents and get input from the
residents because we're all neighbors.
We all live here. So I think that uh the
uh as I say the the two people who won't
be on the city council next year are
Chuck Page and myself. Uh but I am sure
uh that [clears throat] you and uh
council member Zyler will uh be reaching
out uh just like we do on all major
issues. We want to hear from from the
residents. Council member
please was not I just want to make sure
that that was clear. But that's very
encouraging that you know Cal Rams if if
this should happen that they'll work
with the city to keep our our city as
beautiful as it is now is important I
think to all of us. Um [clears throat]
council member Meccachuk brings up
really good points about these trees and
the difference in the trees and he even
though I didn't know exactly where you
were talking about um there are other
big eucalyptus trees in our city. So,
aside from what we're talking about, the
dangers of the ones on Highway 9, um I
think we need to be discussing these
other eucalyptus trees, and I know it
has been discussed at council before,
but the ones that are on private
property, how we can encourage um owners
to remove those trees, how we can kind
of just encourage over time getting some
of these dangerous trees uh taken
[clears throat] down.
>> I think you're Yes, you're exactly uh
right. And um uh I didn't realize till
I uh I got this uh memo this evening
from Council Mechek that uh that the
eucalyptus of whatever variety on the
sides were on the right way and that
Calrans had jurisdiction on it. And I
want to add to our resolution that that
we want Calrans I my [clears throat]
vote would be for Calr that any
eucalyptus streets on the state highway
9 right away whether they're in the
median or the sign it's the same danger.
I just didn't realize before that those
were on the highway 9 right away not on
private property.
>> Um anything?
>> No I'm done. Thank you.
>> Okay. Council Member Craig. So, I'll
simplify it by saying I'm going to
support this resolution. Now, I'm going
to kind of go off vote a little bit.
First of all, I was on that call with
you with CALR and they absolutely
presented that it was our responsibility
to fund the removal of those trees. So,
you you did not get that wrong. Great.
>> And um it was very nice of u James to
kind of set the record straight. And I
and um I will also um if you're
listening Aver thank you very much for
bringing up this topic way back in 2013.
This is this is how long we've been
trying to get something like this moving
and every every discussion has just had
a an outpouring of support from the
community in favor. I know that there
are a few folks that do not want to
remove the trees, but I think once we um
explain that we're not looking to take
away the beauty of Highway 9, it's it's
understood what what our goal is here.
Um I think the the the bigger issue, as I think Kelly was pointing out, was
the massive massive trees that are on
the side of Highway 90, though. Um, and by the way, um, thank you very much
for noticing that, uh, Calran came out,
uh, I guess it was after our
conversation we had with them and they
went out and and took care of 68 of
those trees and they look a lot nicer
now. Um,
but there's also a very large issue with
not only the trees on either side of
Highway 9, but we also had that same
issue on Winchester. And I don't want to
forget about Winchester in this whole
discussion, but I know we're focusing on
Highway 9 and there's some on Dave on
Dave's Avenue before the school and I
don't know again if it's on
uh part of the rightway or not on the
rightway it that wouldn't be Calr's
nickel that our nickel is on private
property. I agree with Vice Mayor
Shannon.
uh we have to find a way to uh approach
residents
uh see if they but I think the first
thing to figure out if it's on the
rightway or not.
>> Yeah. Yeah. So again I know we're
focusing on the rightway but this is
where I'm going off book even a little
bit more now. Um, over the years we have
done everything that I think we can as a
city council to make it easy for these
trees to be removed by the owners of the
property that they're on. Anything. The
only thing we can't do is pay you to do
it. And I know that the cost to remove
these trees are substantial, upwards of $20,000 if you have a 50ft plus uh
eucalyptus tree on your property. And I
know that because my neighbor who had an
80ft tree cost it cost her about 20
grand to remove it. And she only did so
after 2,000 lb branches fell. One of
them almost killing my wife missed her
by about 6 f feet. The other one
destroyed the front of her car. So she
finally
>> was that highly motivated to do that.
>> She was a little bit more motivated
after my after it smashed my little
bunny rabbit. But no. Um yeah. So, I understand that there's a
huge cost for these things. Um, the the
last thing that I wanted to point out
though is we have a lot of eucalyptus
trees in the city. And
it's not really practical to say we're
going to get rid of them all, especially
by the time that the next big fire is
going to get here. We could definitely
mitigate it, especially working on the
median strip of Highway 9. But I think
just to think a little bit out of the
box, the other thing we should take a
look at is some type of mechanism to
quickly clear either Highway 9 or
Winchester should one of these trees
fall and block the roads. And they do
make this type of machinery. They're
called tree sharers or excavators or
there's a number of different types of
these machines and it might be something
to take a look at especially as Chuck
was was talking about a CRD. That was
one of the things I'm thinking about.
You know, we put two of these things
inside of Minus Areno in Saratoga. One
in our parking lot, one over on the
corner of Saratoga and Highway 9. And if
any trees fall on Saratoga, these things
roll out and they get rid of these trees
immediately. Same thing if it was to
happen on Winchester. So, you know,
let's let's keep our minds uh you know,
let's expand this a little bit
where we
>> we [clears throat] have to be thinking
outside of the box and we have to be
proactive. I absolutely agree. Uh,
council member Magichek.
» I just want to say one one last thing
and and as one speaker um also pointed
out because this this was something that
Alr threw out and and immediately I was
like, "Oh my god, you're you're really
going to do this." They they really
started to go on this. There's the red
iron bark and then there's the blue
spruce and some of these burn in this
direction and some of them will burn at
this. Let me tell you something. When a
fire comes rolling down this hill at
2,000° plus, it's going to burn. I don't
care what kind of tree it is, unless
it's a concrete tree, it's going to
burn. And if it's concrete tree, it's
just going to burn a little bit slower.
Cuz if you've never seen concrete melt,
it's actually a pretty amazing thing to
see. So, I don't care what kind of tree
it is. Um,
I'm going to support this motion. Yeah,
>> I'm about ready. I'm all done.
>> Council, is there anything that is not
in your memorandum that you'd like to
add before I bring this to a vote?
>> Absolutely.
>> If you if you would I believe this
motion is limited to the center median
of Highway 9. So therefore, we can't
discuss items that are outside of the
scope of that. Is that correct?
So the item on the agenda is to discuss
to take action on the median. If you
wanted to take action on anything
outside of the median, we would have to
bring it back for at a future meeting.
>> Just a point of order here. We have to
take this action if we want Calrans to
move forward with this though. Correct.
>> I don't believe we are required to. I
think they understand
>> based on my conversations we do.
>> Yes.
>> So, so our goal here tonight is to get
this particular
operation moving forward though.
>> Yes.
>> Well, yeah. I would draw council's
attention to page 11 in the document.
I I might say for the record that
getting something before the meeting
started. I've not had a chance. I I
appreciate that. That's why I'm going to
page 11. What I'd like to do is support
the following motion. Um and any council
member that wants to make it.
>> I'm not asking you to make a motion.
>> Just just may I make my comment, please?
You may make your comment. You may not
make a motion.
>> Okay.
I believe this item should be continued
to our meeting on September the 1st
regarding the removal of trees and
taking action on the south side of
Highway 9 as well. So, we're expanding
the scope of them. Not saying that we
can't do anything at that meeting, but
between now and then, we can certainly
ask Calrans not necessarily to remove
the trees, but to remove the the the
litter under that's caused by the one
grove of trees by Montalvo Oaks that's
near our highest density um
uh per acre housing in the city of
Monteno. and there and it's all set
forth in this and I apologize Lon for
you getting this at the last minute and
not being able to go through it but
you've worked on this for some time and
so have I and in fact I know and to get
to another point that was raised um
there the trees the trees the red the
red iron bark trees in the median were
planted 50 ft on center and there were
two instances where they're they are 100
ft apart
I measured with council member Torrent
on Sunday morning. We went there and we
walked through the media and there's one
instance where there's two missing. So
previously when the trees were removed
by Calrans, they were not replaced and
they need to be replaced. So there's and
you can see those two gaps there and
they're 50 ft on center exactly except
in three locations. Those were car
accidents. They had mentioned that
during our conversation we had them from
last year.
>> U so
yes
» I believe and I ask that this item be
continued
to September the 1st and broaden the
scope to include the south side of
Highway 9. No, I understand.
Okay.
Uh,
>> are you taking more comments?
>> No, I
No, I'm going to make a motion that we
have approved the thing that is on the
agenda. We could do things on the south
side and other there are a lot of things
we could do, but I want to get the train
out of the station. So, I am making a
motion that we approve the items on the
agenda.
I
am going to second that motion because
we have been promising to do something
about this and I really do not want to
have any more continuences. And if we h
and this gets the ball rolling and from
the center we can go to the um outside
of Highway 9 and work from there. But
this is something that our residents
have been asking for for years and years and we've discussed discussed. So that's my second.
>> Madam city attorney, is this a roll call
or a quick
>> Are we able to make any comments?
>> Yeah. So um once you vote on it, it will
be a roll call vote.
>> Okay. U so there's a motion
there people comment on the motion.
>> Technically someone can call for the
question and require the vote. Um but
typically you would allow comments.
>> Okay.
Do you want to go first? Yeah, you
>> um so
we are going to talk to Katrans about
the uh and root nucleot
in the media
>> in the media.
However, in the course of conversation
with Calrans,
there may be o other options or maybe in
other words, there may be like um a
phased a phased approach because there
are there there are other other areas
that do contain rather large eucalyptus
trees that are extremely of the red gum
species of blue, whatever you said. Uh,
and so I, you know, I I I had this
notion that we we were going to have a
conversation with Calrans about our
priorities and state our case, but they
may have a different but we've had a
number of conversations in
>> but it hasn't gone anywhere. Well, but
they've never said that some of these
trees were they've never made the
distinctions that council member has
made that they're they the only thing
they've said is it's a state highway.
We have permission.
>> Understand? And uh but they but it's
also clear to me that they are removing
eucalyptus trees around the state and we
are not asking for special treatment to
jump the queue. What I want to do
tonight is as council member I want to
get the law rolling to have a resolution
because also one of the things that
they've said in past conversations is
well you your council hasn't asked us to
remove these trees and u uh I've heard
that from uh uh uh supervisor
and from Perin that we need a city
council resolution to get the train
where the council says we want these
trees removed. That's what I want to do
this evening and that's why I made the
motion. But but in the course of
conversation with Calr might be there
might be a phased approach. There might
be alternatives. There might be options.
There might be other considerations.
Maybe they'll say no. In fact, we don't
we we aren't going to pay for it. You're
going to pay for it. Well, so I I don't
know.
>> We don't know until we get there. Well,
>> so we can make any resolution or motion
we want, but I think we need to be a
little more open, not adversarial, not
go in and demand
>> adversarial,
>> but have a conversation with them that
they are much more uh expert than we are
on this subject.
>> We have to the train has to leave it.
That's why
>> Well, I'm I'm okay. Anyway, I I would
call the question I mad the city
attorney, I can do that, I assume, and
let vote on this.
>> I I
>> I mean, you know, if we're not, you
know, some of us have been working on
this for a number of years, Kevin, and
we have to get the train. Uh
I agree with council member Craig. We
have to get this thing going.
That goes to the point of council member
Makachuk.
Yes, I think we should kind of get the train rolling. I mean, a lot of
work's been done behind it, but if there
are additional trees that are Altrans
trees, we should be conscious of that
and try to pull those. I don't want to
preclude those trees because
>> the only reason we talked about the
median is that for no one before I
didn't understand that the those trees
were not on private property or we would
have had
a resolution. I think the next
resolution is that all the trees that
are on the on the state.
>> So that's a separate that's thing that
we could do out of a future meeting.
Please.
Okay.
Hi, good evening. This is city clerk
here with the city of Monino. We'd like
to inform you that we're having a quick
5m minute break. Unfortunately, we had a
system issue. So, we'll go ahead and
restart as as soon as we get the
computer started. Just give us about
five minutes. Thank you.
Jack
[clears throat]
the bus.
>> I think we're back.
>> And I'm going to call the question and
I'm told I need a second. Great. I will
second that. Okay. Then madam city
clerk, let's have a roll call vote on
this, please.
» Uh, council member mech.
>> Nay.
>> Council member Torren,
>> nay. [clears throat]
>> Council member Freight,
>> yes.
>> Vice Mayor Shannon,
>> yes.
>> And Mayor Allen,
>> yes.
>> Motion passes. Three to two.
>> Okay. Um, may I make your comment?
>> Absolutely.
I believe that a motion that's unanimous
would carry more weight externally
and if you bring it back uh as
recommended on the next meeting, then I
think you would have a unanimous vote.
>> I think that's a great suggestion and I
would be very pleased to do that at the
next meeting. that encompass the um
cattle trains everything on cattle
trains. Yeah. Uh as I say I I never
realized until this evening with all the
discussions that the eucalyptus
were on the right of so that's valuation
u item seven u the volunteers
for commission is really council member
I assume she is that council I think
we're on are we on six vote Oh, excuse
me. You're right. The discussion which
is also your thing. So, uh Matt, city
manager, are you going to present or
council to wrote
>> you could just give a quick introduction
um about how this item ended up on our
agenda? Uh this item was placed on the
agenda tonight at the request of council
member Torren to discuss how the city
communicates with the community. Um,
currently the city uses um the website
and email distribution list, social
media, and the semi annual peaceful
mountain monitor as methods of
communication with the committee, I'm
sorry, with the community. And um
attached to the staff report is a
listing of emails and social media posts
that were sent for the first half of
this calendar year um just to give
council um a summary of the different
types of topics that have been sent out.
And um with that bit of background
information, I'll ask council member
Torin to provide his additional yeah
discussion points.
>> Um this really came about when I was
appointed to the council and spoke to
people about um this experience being on
the council and was asked well we don't
hear much about what's going on in
Monserina. I don't really know what you
know and not not not knowing what what I
do you know what I do as a count what a
council member does
what happens in the in the city they you know there was this this notion
that they weren't communicated with so
you know I thought that's kind of odd
you know that's there's something we
could do about that so
I don't think this has to be a lengthy
dis discussion I know that we do we have
the peace peaceful
>> mountain
>> monitor and that's twice a year.
>> That's correct.
>> Right. And we do not have a newsletter
per se. We do have we have email blasts.
>> That's correct.
>> Right. Um and I just feel and and that's
sometimes to report on meeting notices
plus other other other things. Right.
Correct. Okay.
It just occurs to me that, you know, we
always say we wish that people would be
more engaged in our community. We wish
that they would know more, wish that
they would, you know, come out to things
and volunteer, etc. Um, and if we don't
broadcast what we're doing and we don't
share what we're doing and not it's not
only what each of the council members
are doing but all the committees that
they serve on which I think could be of
interest to to to many people not only
from the city perspective but from a
regional perspective.
I think we need to think about how we
can broaden our uh communication with the residents of the city. I think
that goes hand inand with engagement. So
we just talked about CRD as a you know a
possible thing that we're going to
consider and that's going to involve
engagement with the the public having
residents involved. Um we have a picnic
that we have. I mean, wouldn't it be
great if we had maybe a committee or a
people or some some group that would be
involved in this? We have citizen of the
year. Maybe it would be nice to have
some residents involved with. So,
>> you're sort of slipping over to item
seven.
>> Well, I'm I'm What I'm saying
>> what I'm saying is it's part of
>> you're saying the two sides of the same
coin.
>> They're essentially the same. I know I
know the city attorney is going to talk
about the the the notion of volunteers. That's
a different subject but it goes hand in
hand. Um there is a platform that I'm
aware of which I um can share with you
separately. I've shared it with a few of
you called my go tools and it was it's
developed actually by the mayor of Santa
Monaco uh Lana Negretti and I spoke to
her and someone from her team and she
developed this because she was
experiencing the same thing that that I
I'm I'm experiencing and perhaps you are
too a lack of communication with the
city um and uh and a lack of sharing
information. So, I think it's something
that we should think about using. It's a
tool that helps both council members
individually communicate with their
constituents as well as the city
communicate with their constituents. Uh,
I get Rob Mayor Rob Moore's uh,
newsletter which is highly effective and
um, there's so many people that look
forward to it and share it and just love
the information that he provides. So
I don't make one comment on that
briefly.
>> He pays for that himself. That's not a
Cindy.
>> I'm just saying yeah that's great. You
know that's certainly an option. I I
just feel that we have social media
posts. We have a website that I think
needs some attention. We have um we
don't have a newsletter. We have a
publication twice a year. That doesn't
seem to be enough for all the things
that all we're doing. can u I've heard
that I am not aware of anything the city
is doing that isn't in the emails that
we send out. So with people and of
course I think one of the goals at
picnic is to get more of our residents
to sign up but offhand I can't think of
anything that the city is doing that
hasn't been sent out in email. I've been
curious, are there some things that you
think that you're aware of in the last
couple years that the city is is doing
that we haven't notified the res?
>> Well, I I've been in the city for I
don't know probably four or five years
now. And before coming on council, I
didn't know anything of what was
happening other than other than through
Melissa who you know.
>> Well, did you were you were you getting
all the emails?
>> I don't I don't think so. Well, but had
you what I'm trying to find out is if
someone has signed up to get our email
traffic, I'm not aware of anything we're doing
that we're not already notifying the
people about. So,
you know, it may not be the most
effective way to communicate. I don't
think we have a very good social media
presence. I I don't think we are
frequently enough posting things and get
and and sending out information and ju
just
>> you don't have you have any examples
>> just in general about what we're doing
about what the council members are doing
about the the things that we're
attending about all the things you know
we we've attended a a variety of
wildfire things lately we should be
sharing that um you know I mean all the
things all the things that come up that
We attend,
we go, we get information and then we
bring it back to council. We share it,
we apply it, but we don't share.
>> Well, no, it's it's in our minutes
through through the chair.
>> Yeah, please.
>> Yeah.
>> Um,
this is a topic that we have talked
about a lot over the years and um before
I came on the council, I try not to say
that too often.
>> [clears throat]
» We used to give jelly out to new
residents. So when a new person moved
into the city, we would welcome them
with a jar of jelly.
>> And and a little newsletter that said,
"Here are the resources that your city
has offered you."
>> That's nice.
>> And um it just as we continued to get a
high turnover, it it was just
impractical to do that. And as
I will also say back back in the day,
you know, we didn't have
4,000 telephone books thick worth of
regulations that our staff had to deal
with every day either. And it's gotten
to the point where the stuff that would
the stuff that we would have our the
stuff that staff would need to do to be
able to have any meaningful impact on a
social media account be able to generate
enough traffic to be able to generate
enough hits that it would start to get
into people's algorithm is going to be
very very time consuming for our staff
and
at at some point I have to push back on
people that tell me this stuff and say,
"How much effort have you put out there?
How many have you even tried to have you
ever come to a city council meeting? Do
you even know where city hall is?" And
they don't even know those kinds.
>> Uh yeah. So, and I think that's a great
So, so I think on the flip side, I look
at the fact that we have close to 800
people on our mailing list. I look at
the fact that when we post stuff now for
the ice cream social, we actually have
50 60 people showing up for that and
it's going to continue to build every
year. When we first started doing the city picnic, 100 people was like,
"Oh my gosh, I didn't know we had this
many people in the city." Now we're at
300.
And so it continues to get better and
better every day. I mean, you when you
look at the um
I don't want to say apathy, but when you look at the amount of people
that do engage, it it's actually a
little impressive in my in my opinion
what we've been able to get people to
do. I'm not saying that that there isn't
more work that that that needs to be
done, but when people come and tell you
that because I mean I I would get
disheartened all the time about it. I
didn't know this was going on. I didn't
know this. I remember
gosh, what was it? 2009 back in the day.
>> Back in the day. No, that
not only was a resolution passed giving
the city council members a salary,
but then it it actually passed for
second reading and then when it was
actually about ready to go into effect,
that's when somebody said, "Hey, what's
going on here?" And all of a sudden,
this place was filled with people.
or when the the the city was going to
discuss annexation of the uninorporated
pockets around man, they were overflowed
into the parking lot over here. So, when
there's important issues that people
need to deal with, and we've seen it
with things like housing,
um there's there's going to be certain
buttons that will push people to want to
participate more in in our government.
And um but I I wouldn't take it to heart
that the city is is is not doing enough
to communicate with people. So
>> two publications a year and email
blasts.
Uh
>> but I mean we're doing 30 40 email
blasts a year. We don't do that much as
a city. And and you know it's also
interesting on the flip side. People are
like I don't expect our city to do a
lot. This is supposed to be a low
government city. This is what it was
founded on. And you'll hear people come
in and tell you, "Well, the world
doesn't want all of this."
>> And I hear I mean, look, we can we can
go back and forth, bro. I I I hear I
hear the opposite. I hear I don't know.
I wish I did know. What do you do? Where
>> they would subscribe to the email blast.
Again, I you know, I challenge you to
point out something that the city is
doing. I think it's really effective the
effectiveness of these things
>> and and and maybe we can take a look at
making our communication more effective.
That's that's what I'm that's what I'm
saying. There's there's a lot more that
we do that most people don't know and
I'm just looking for a vehicle to share
it. Right.
>> And I think it it has a positive impact
on on the resident's knowledge of what
we what we do. It could further uh could
further encourage their engagement in
some of the things we're trying to get
them to to get involved in. I think that
they could we could get more community
engagement if we communicated more
effectively with the in the community.
>> But, you know, it's interesting. I've
been involved with city government for
more than 15 years. And you were the
first person I heard of who said, "Gee,
I don't know what the city is doing."
you know, uh, as you know, I put my cell
phone number on my business card and on
the website, and I did it when I was
mayor 10 years ago, and [clears throat]
I've gotten calls, a lot of calls from
residents about a lot of things,
especially the the cost of monthly water
bills. But, uh, I never once had a
resident say, "Gee, I didn't know the
city was doing this." Because if they
subscribe to the emails, there's nothing
that the city or city is doing that
isn't covered in our we can always do it
better.
Well, I can't you can Yes. anything we
do, we can do better. But I'm just
responding where you were saying u I
didn't know what the city was.
>> That was me. That was I I'm I'm saying
my experience in moving from Loscatoos
to Monosino
in talking to people when I first got on
the council was consistently I what what
do you do? What do you do? I don't I
don't What does a council member do?
Like what what do you do? And when I
explained to them the things that I do,
they said, "Oh my god, I didn't know
about that." Any of those people like
you said when you first came here, you
got the stuff from Melissa. You
>> you you weren't getting the emails. No,
you hadn't signed up.
>> I didn't know to sign up.
>> Well, of course, that's our That's why
we have a That's why we all have picnic.
I didn't know about anything because it
was a resident in Monino, you know, but
u Well, look, if if you're saying can we
do things better, but more efficiently.
>> Yeah. But, u you know, we we have four
full-time people and we so so let me
just you know, suggest this. Okay, we
have one person that handles the forget
it. What is it?
The newsletter.
I can never remember,
but I cannot I I cannot and probably
will not remember that. But that
periodical is done twice a year.
What if we take those resources to do
something twice a year and do something
more frequently and communicate more
frequently? Why do we have to have one
that one publication twice a year when
we can use those resources to have more
frequent publications throughout the
year?
>> What What do you mean? Instead of having
a twice a year publication, have a more
frequent use those resources to have a
more frequent
>> more frequent uh way to communicate with
residents. more more frequent.
>> I think we were
>> um now
I have sat at this day
continuously [clears throat] more than
anyone on this council because I have
was elected in 2020
>> and I agree
with council member Torren. There are so
many people that don't know what's going
on and some of the organizational
knowledge within the city or call it as
you wish when people leave or whatever
the new people coming in are not do not
understand and some of them don't care.
I get that
>> about residents or uh commissioners and
council members. I I'm missing your
I'm just trying to understand when you
say new people coming in are you talking
about new residents or new people in
involved in government new people come
into the city of an new res.
>> Yeah.
>> And
you know for example at the picnic last
year I went up to Ken Torren and said
hey Ken would you be interested in being
on city council? You know, I've gone out
and solicited with different people to
become involved in our community. And I
don't want to go too deep into this, but
there was a person that came to council
and talked about safety on Highway N on
Winchester going into going up to Dave's
school. I never knew it, but I ended up
at the end of a dinner the other night
that I spoke with her parents.
>> You know, like it's a small community,
but it's it's still different
neighborhoods and we're not quite
connected there. And I think that's an
opportunity. And I think Council Member
Torren is [clears throat] saying, "Let's
try something different. Let's not do
the same old same old because it's not working." And if you say what's
our metric to getting more people
involved, you know,
we need to get more people involved. So
I I if you've got an alternative that
you'd like to pilot, for example, let's
try something different. You know, this
[clears throat] is just one I mean this
is my gov tools is just one. I'm I'm
sure there are others. It's just that
they they they
um I received this uh in in um in my uh
city of Monino email in the outlook. I I
didn't know where it came from, but it
looked interesting. And so I called I called the mayor. We had a
conversation and she she was experienc
and this is Santa Monica. She was
experiencing the same kind of thing
there.
>> What is the mayor as we're concerned
about money? Um
>> I don't know.
>> Okay. because we have limited resources
as I'm talking about and um uh
the thing that would be free and you
know why we're all taking 30 minute
things at table on Sunday is if we get
more and more residents to sign up uh
you know
everything the city quite the city is
doing is sent out to people so that
would be a starting place to we have 200
plus households
the goal should be to you know at
today's you know
>> get them all well you know even people
in their 80s are not on their computers
I'm told so uh the goal should be to try
to really get virtually all of them on
that and then as a starting point and
then beyond that
because if people will look at see
what's on the agenda
uh you know we We don't have it isn't
just people here. I mean, we always ask
the city clerk, are their hands raised?
People aren't calling in where they can
do it from their own home, but we, you
know, if people would read the agendas
and if they'd read the minutes where
afterwards
all council members talk about the
commissions that they are on,
uh,
I think that's a starting point and we
can do that without increasing our
budget. Well, they're not going to
that's not the way they should be
finding out about things of the city
coming to a meeting. Coming to a meeting
is important. You want to encourage them
to do that. Uh and they usually come if
there's an issue that they care about or
they're passionate about. But there are
there that's not that's not the way to
get to communicate with people. There's
much much more much
more of a variety of ways to do that. Um
I So look, we let let me sum up this
conversation. So what I'd like
>> you're going to sum it up, but I still
would like to make some comments about
the topic. So
>> you want me to do it before you sum it
up?
>> No, no, no, no, no. I'm sorry.
>> So just a couple of things. I think
sometimes the the message does get out
there. I think we do have a lot of
residents that are signed up for the
emails and the examples are the soccer
balls. People found those free soccer
balls. You know, people came tonight
about the eucalyptus trees because they
saw the email blast about that. I agree
with you. There's probably more and
better ways to communicate with the
community. Diana keeps hearing me talk
about we need a better Instagram
presence.
>> Um maybe Tik Tok. I don't really do Tik
Tok, but a more modernized approach
including the emails.
>> I don't know that I'm in favor of doing
like another kind of website because we
have a website and if people aren't
going to that website now, why would
they go to a new kind of website? But
again, in agreement, in agreement with
what you were saying earlier, I think
our website needs a little sprucing up%
>> or maybe in those email blasts or in the
peaceful mountain monitor, we can find
ways to kind of redirect residents to
our website for more information. Um, I
think it's on all of us on Sunday to
really get people involved in our
website, let them know we have social
media, get, you know, we need to
communicate with residents when we have
opportunities and the picnic is kind of
the biggest opportunity that we have.
So, I agree there's more we can do to
communicate with our residents and I'd
like to look at some of those things. I
don't agree that giving them more emails
or another website is the way to do it
because the feedback that I get from
people is they kind of want to be left
alone. When I say you should sign up for
emails, the response is often I don't
want any more emails. I don't need any
more emails and I have to assure them
it's not a lot and you get kind of a
headline and then you know if you want
to read more about it. So that's kind of
where I fall in office.
>> So I'm again thank you. I'm not
suggesting another I'm not suggesting
yet another thing. I'm suggesting taking
a look at all the ways in which we are
interacting with our community and maybe
consolidating some of those things into
more simple more simplified uh system
and and not building another website.
>> We only have one website and that that
in itself needs to be updated. I agree
with that. I'm just suggesting that
there's a a better way there is possibly
a better way to communicate with our
residents than the way we're doing it.
That's that's essentially what I'm
saying. And I so there's no action.
So, what I'd like to do is sit down with
staff, somebody, you know, anybody, and
talk and and get a further understanding
of exactly what we're doing, how we're
doing it, who's doing it, and maybe, you
know, come back to you with a a plan
that, you know, that maybe incorporates
some of the things we talked about.
>> I think that's, you know,
>> it's not agendaized, but you could have
an ad hoc if you want.
>> I I I don't know what the process. I
think you could um you could be a you
know as I was throwing stones. let me
now support of the of you because
conversations and
getting the get this spread by the way
you know if you talk to Chuck Page is
the same thing trying to get the word
out of it used to be when nightmare
owner news we had Judy Peterson who
would come to our council meetings work
uh no Cruz has never come to any of our
meetings and uh she's been replaced.
>> Oh, has she already?
>> Okay.
>> But the short answer is you're coming to
it with fresh eyes and you know
spite of all the rocks out here. I think
if you have some creative ways probably
getting more effectively people
involved, I would absolutely support it.
Okay.
Um, so again my my um
my my comments were I don't want you to
feel dishearten that people come to you
and say this um because
>> I'm not the only one. Let me just say
for for all of us because I mean I I I
hear this all the time and and I asked
them I said so what have you done
and it's it's amazing that I mean I I
still meet people that don't know we're
a city
just to let you know that's that's
>> not that live in the city I
>> Yes. Yes. People in the city. I I met
this one guy and I said, "Oh, so um you
live in the same city?" He goes, "Where
a city?"
>> As opposed to what? A town or something?
>> As as you know, like Willow Clark,
>> you know, like like like a neighbor or
something like that.
>> So, I mean, you're you're going to meet
all kinds of people. Um, and one thing
that I would now like to also throw out
is a long time ago we used to be on Next
Door and we probably still have an
account and I think it would be
worthwhile to possibly get a little bit
more um engagement with Next Door
because that is I think between our
mailing list and the people who are on
Next Door, I think you're going to have
a really a really good um amount of
coverage of of the folks that live in
the city.
That'll be great.
>> Yeah. And
>> I think you're bringing this topic up at
like the perfect time since this Sunday
we're going to be at that picnic and we
can actually ask people how can we
better communicate.
>> Yeah. Do you know do you know Yeah. You
do like an informal survey, you know,
with people. Yeah.
>> Yeah. I think it's a
>> great thing for us to be looking at.
>> Yeah. And I'll share this for you to
take a look at. I'll share my gov tools.
I think it's a it's a you know what I
like about this is it's a mayor
of a city
that that experienced this problem and
developed a solution to it.
So that's what that's what I would
>> I think it's $200 a month, isn't it?
>> I don't know. I I
>> maybe you could research if that's
something that you think you'd like to
try if you come back to council
>> through the through the mayor. I would
say, you know, we could look at it and then you say, okay, if we do this,
then we readjust some funds and and and
maybe and obviously get some feedback
from people at the picnic.
>> Okay.
>> Anything that's is that is quote free
generally
>> that's true. Um [clears throat] yes,
please. So, one thing that I've I've um
tried to get a handle on in the past is
it would be nice maybe during a um city
manager report if we could get some web
statistics. How many visitors did we
get? What pages are they going to
>> um and and just just kind of some
general information on when people are
trying to find stuff about the city. Um,
how many people are actually trying to
do that?
>> Who does our social media posts?
>> Um, our
management analyst, Michelle Boom.
>> So, just I'm just thinking I was looking
at you and thinking
>> I do some too.
>> I figured you know what?
>> And I was thinking, you know, could we
have somebody maybe from our youth
commission help us do that? I mean kids
know social media much better than
adults do.
>> So did did you have you tried that
before?
>> No. Um so right now we do get emails. We
have a contact particularly with you
know each of the uh boards that you guys
are part of. Um some of them use us more
than others. They will forward
information that they are posting on
their website so that we can convey that
and normally that goes onto our website
as well as you know what we share
through eblast. So, um, typically,
again, we're the main point of contact.
And so, I I see those emails that come
in to Michelle. So, if she's not in the
office, I make sure to I'm the second
person to post um anything or if I have
anything, you know, that I need to get
out rather than just giving it to her.
We wear multiple hats. So, I just check
in with Diana and usually post it
myself.
>> But I would go back to what you're
saying with the youth commission. I
think besides the fact that any one of
them is more technology literate than
all of everybody in this room combined,
it would be interesting
of what they
think
people should know about
from and how and how to do it. How to do
it. And so I think you and Burton uh I
think they I think that that would be
exciting and also are helping these
young people put something else on their
college resume.
But seriously, I think that they are
aware and they may have more awareness
and certainly I would of what is
happening than residents would want to
know about. And also if then we have
more school kids, middle and high school
kids checking out things, the kids will
speak to their parents about
u what's going on. So I I think that
that's
um I would encourage the two of you who
are sort of our youth commission to
throw that out there. I think the kids
would be very interested in doing this.
>> I I I will say we have broken the
subject with them in the past. we didn't
get a lot of traction on it, but I will
I I do keep pushing. Um, and can I make
one other suggestion? So, so something I brought up a while ago um and and the
town does this
is that they do their committee
commission reports at the beginning of
the meeting and um that way they've got
a captive audience and that way by the
time the end of the meeting concurs, you
know, our audience is usually gone. So
just another thing to think about as
you're mentioning you want people to
know what we're doing. So any week we
go, you know, I always say does anybody
want to change
and
speaking and wearing my mayor's hat? If
Saturday the next meeting people want to
do commission reports and comments, it's
a meeting.
>> I I would have no objection to that. And
maybe in your mayor's remarks at the
picnic, which I'm assuming you're going
to
>> well the actually well we I believe my
only role is to uh give to Javeed is a
plan for being citizen of the year. I
wasn't and I think u Margareta is also
Koga is also going to give him a thing.
>> I wasn't uh [clears throat] frankly
people are there to have a good time. I
don't was really coming. They said I
wasn't other than just saying some nice
things about
>> Well, we can talk to them at our booth.
>> Yeah, at the booth. Yeah, I wasn't
invited to give any remarks, guys.
» Just a
piece of information. So, another item
on our agenda tonight is about the
guidelines. And so, you could actually
move the committee reports in our order.
The order of business is in those
guidelines. So if you wanted to make
that change tonight, you could.
>> Well, I would think that
>> not to put you on the spot, but it is an
option.
>> It may be that time when we get to that council or may suggest a
modification to do that and I would
support that.
U council member I you look on your face
and you wanted to add something to this
conversation.
>> No, I think the conversation is going
well. Um,
I
commend Council Member Torren for being
quote completely new to council and
saying, "Hey, here are some observations
and, you know, we may be um testing on
that, but but I I think you're making
your point, and I think that um uh
council member Craig to suggest that we
put that at the the council member
comments at the beginning of the
meeting. I think that's a great thing
that we should consider at the
appropriate point in the agenda tonight.
>> Well, I I I think that we will I guess
other comment on that particular thing.
I really like the idea of changing the
orders of the day every now and again
that we may have people in chambers or
if we know people are watching because
uh well maybe that maybe that's the
wrong time to do it. My concern is we
try to get through stuff more quickly
when people are waiting on us. At the
end of the meeting when we make all of
our comments and talk about our
commissions and things that's sort of
the end people have already left. So
we're trying just
>> we can do it
Lisa numbers I agree that if people are
here on one agenda I think it's
courageous to take that first but after
we do that uh and chamber's empty then
we might want to do that for people
listening in figuring that
if they didn't submit comments or
questions about particular agenda items
And this goes to the point the council
member Torren said in terms of all the
other things we are doing in the
community. Um maybe that's a way to
generate some interest by moving it
forward to uh see if uh more residents
pick up on that and uh uh you know one
because u you know all of us spend as
much time if not more on things we do in
the community than actually you know
attending the two council meetings each
month. So I'd like to segue to your next
thing because I agree it's the other
side of the coin pen which is the other
side of the communication point is the
volunteerism. So, uh, madam, city
manager, you want to give a brief.
Oh, please. No, no, no, no.
>> Oh, I don't see any, uh, hands raised in
that. Uh,
yes. He reminds me and then Brian teases
me and I accept. I, uh, I deserve the
teasing, Brian. So, you know, any time
we're in public, he brings it up and I
say, "Guilty is charged." So, go ahead.
Uh there I don't see any hands raised in
chambers. Uh madam city clerk any hands
raised online?
>> No raised.
>> Okay. Then I would ask the city manager
to give the presentation on item seven
of fun. Then ask again council member to
as it is to supplement what the city
manager is saying.
>> Thank you. Um, this item was also placed
on the agenda tonight at the request of
council member Warren to discuss how the
city uses volunteers in the community
and how the city engages the community
for various commissions and committees.
Um, currently the city has three
commissions, site and architectural
commission, youth commission, and the
better students commission.
Additionally, the city council has
appointed residents to represent the
city on the BTA bicycle and pedestrian
advisory committee and as an alternate
on the Silicon Valley clean energy
board. Um, the city council has also
established special committees for
specific purposes and limited durations
um, in the past as needed. I think the
most recent example of that was the
community center committee. Um, so this
is just some background information on
what the city has been doing to date. It
completes um, the information I was
going to provide and see if council
member stats. Well, first um want to
thank our city attorney for
uh for providing this information. So,
did you want to add anything about this?
>> Any clarifications or any
>> I wasn't planning on it.
>> Okay.
So, so she pro so city attorney provided
some structure to this. Um again, I I
think we've already kind of talked about
it. It kind of goes hand in hand. we
communicate more effectively, we're
going to get more people engaged.
>> The other side of the story.
>> So, I think we I think we kind of talked
about it. Um, but I, you know, I I think
we should be open to taking a look at
how we can engage people in things more
people in things that we're already
doing. Uh, I I
gave a few examples. Um, and
[clears throat]
uh, I think I think if we do a good job
communicating and sharing what we do,
perhaps we could get more engagement in
things that we need people to get more
engaged in.
>> Yeah. Going back to the youth commission
uh, be able
helping with communication. It seems to
me as those kids are so interested that
maybe at meetings uh if it's
[clears throat] appropriate saying you
know this is something maybe your mom or
dad might be interested in. Uh
because I'm surely at home, mom or dad
says, "Well, what do you do today at
youth commission?" [clears throat] And
I'd say, "Yeah, we're doing this." And
they were saying they they could use
some volunteers to do whatever it is
XYZ. It just it's a zerorost way to
involve more people. And so so this so
do at the picnic and I recall last year,
are there ways for people to say if
somebody says, "I want to help
I want to do something. Is there do we
have a list of things that they can do?
Sign up or do something, take action.
>> So, I think we've got it down to um what
we as staff take care of. Um but I
haven't had really anybody step in to
ask that question. So we usually just
kind of coordinate that you know between
the city manager and I discuss the
picnic itself what it entails and then
we offer that to the staff to attend um
just to enjoy it or to participate in
the sense of working and then we
distribute the work amongst us
>> but that's for the picnic only it sounds
like you're talking about I think Ken's
question is more along the lines of
people walk up and say I want to be
involved in the city for something I'll
pick up garbage I talked to uh people
that um I was here when the when you're
doing the soccer balls and I I I talked
to many many of them and and this woman
was was there and she said you know I
never knew I never came here I never I
never knew you know I saw the soccer
balls I came over it was the free soccer
balls it was wonderful and she said what
you know what can I do you know you know
I've been thinking maybe I should get
involved with city government you know
and so I you know we talked talked it through with her and And um
and she said she said I I explained a
little bit about site and architecture.
She seems to be more interested in that
point is you know I I I live in a world where
people are always saying well what can I
do? How can I help? You know, and so
that's, you know, if if you create
opportunities for people to help and and
they can take action on something, if
there's a committee to, you know, to
volunteer or something clean street,
whatever it is,
especially for a for a, you know, a
picnic, it's going to attract what, 300
people or whatever. It's going to some
something like that.
>> Over
>> 300 people. I mean, I think there should
be options for people to get engaged.
>> For those that have expressed that sort
of interest, I definitely always let
them know that we do have commissions,
you know, available. Um, but of course,
sometimes they do ask during a time
where, you know, the seats aren't
available and I always let them know
that towards the end of the year to be
on the lookout. Sometimes that's my
initiative to just, well, let me have
your email if you don't mind. can you
know insert into our eblast if you don't
receive those east already because
that's how we notify folks to our
website and um you know elast and for
the most part a lot of them are telling
you um even from right now uh people
that have signed up I think more than
90% of the people that are RSVP were
folks that were already in the eblast
system because everybody has a list of
their emails and I kind of cross checked
>> more than 90% of those individuals
actually.
their their part. But going back to a
new race this morning and coffee, uh we
decided to jump and have a table at the
picnic because when we didn't have one
for the soccer balls and that was an
opportunity there was and and it was be
because of that when we talked about it
that's when we said let's have a table
at the picnic and everybody take a 30
minute thing and number one thing is if
they if they're not on the email list
have a thing where they follow our
email. You don't let them leave the
table, but they don't sign up because
not that we're based on discussion doing
other things, but that's the starting
that's the study on the list. So you get
the notices and more and more when there
things of special interest, we do send a
special email and
then maybe people from time to time may
just go up to the website and
yes, it could be refreshed where we try
to make sure that whatever is going on
that
you know anything that's important
should be on our website and then we
could use the website for other things
whether it's the open space thing or
uh you know other things that we're doing to do more.
>> Uh yes.
Um I think we're we're limiting this to
commissions and committees and Brown Act
uh things that turns off a lot of people
and that's I think a barrier and I've
read the battle for peaceful mountain uh
which is that thick typewritten book
that was put together years ago. Um and
there were a lot of volunteers
back in the formation of the city of
Monty Sereno
19
56 [snorts]
through six the early mid60s
and we don't have that anymore. and the
gentleman Craig Gleason from um the open
space he talked about their doses and
how many volunteers they have and like
we don't have any volunteers in fact we
push them away and to get to your point
you know someone comes up and says what
can I do well you know the only
alternative is join a commission well I
don't want to do that I don't want to
crown act it's it just there's too much
friction there.
>> It's like a whether we call it Dosens or
Friends or Don Brown Act thing where we
won't get a a dirty look from our city
attorney.
>> Yeah. I don't know how it's structured,
>> but if the Mid Pen can do it, we can do
it. [clears throat]
>> Yeah. Well, I think the first question
is what can we do that doesn't fall in
Brown Act? The second thing is what would we like these people to do?
Uh
because again unlike you know
Loscatos or
we don't we don't really get we have the
picnic and the Christmas parade and the
youth commission and maybe had ice cream
social but we we we have very very few
activities that the city puts out. So I
yeah I'm sorry. Well, you finish and
then I'll then I'll
>> I think that that was my point. Just
thinking uh the idea of having all these
volunteers sounds great. Uh
I'm not sure I'd be I'd be interested in
what we'd like we want to involve them
in the city, but what would we like them
to do uh where they would find it, you
know, worthwhile do?
So, I'll give you an example.
>> Okay.
>> Right. Um Terry McCarthy.
>> Sure. I know you know.
>> Yeah.
>> Um he reached out to me and said, "Hey,
how could I get involved? How could I do
something?" And he wanted to help. And
then it was the opportunity through
Silicon Valley Clean Energy and having
an alternate because it just didn't work
for for all of us. Um
and then he went through a lot of
turmoil and friction just getting him.
He was the only one that well no there
was actually one other person that
applied I believe but it was difficult
for him and then once he got on as the
alternate he was coming to meetings and
then he's like well I want to get more
involved. How do I do that? And now he's
on the audit committee but it just he
was very frustrated. He's not here
tonight. And I know that he's on
vacation
um doing some diving, but he is an
example of someone that came out and got
involved, but it was very difficult for
him to get involved. What the rules are
that we have and you know one of the
things is um we don't have for example
an audit committee. you know that could
you don't want to have all the friction
of a Brown act but even someone to
review something like our financial
statements that he's a retired CPA with
ex Deoy partner you know I'm just
tossing that out because that's what I
know but there's probably other people
that want to somehow get involved but
not to the extent of a Brown act more of
a and I'll just use the word dosent in
quotation or maybe subject to hearing
from the city what where I'm coming from
why when I think anybody here identifies
a place where we think the city would
benefit from volunteerism
then we could arm wrestle with the city
attorney to see if we could do that in a
non broad thing because I take your
point when I first got involved 15 16
years ago get I served on a dozen
for-profit boards and an equal number of
nonprofit boards. And you never went
into a board meeting if you didn't have
your ducks lined up. And when I got
involved in city government was, oh no,
you can't line up your ducks because of
the Brown Act. And I found that very
frustrating. And uh if you drop down on
me, the city attorney will tell you that
I still find that very frustrating. But
maybe we have to start with where we
think
we could use some volunteerism and it's
something that residents would find to
be worthwhile and then we get back into
how is there a way to structure it uh
you know
informally. Uh but I think we should
start with things that we'd like these
people to do. I mean, Terry's doing this
because the work is of interest to him
because of what he's done his whole
life. So, you know, I would say let's
figure out things where it would, you
know, because we only have four
full-time employees here. Uh thing where
gee, we this is something we'd like
done, but we don't want to add someone
to the payroll. Uh it'd be nice to have
an informal committee doing whatever it
is. Volunteers. Volunteers. And I think
if people have ideas, uh, they should,
you know, we should look [clears throat]
into it. Yes. [snorts] So, while we're
talking about volunteers, I wanted to
talk about getting more volunteers on
this to at least run for city council.
>> We're now going through our third
election period where we did not have
anybody run. And and I find it a little
interesting that we didn't get anybody
sign up, but yet when there was a
open position, we had five people sign
up.
>> Yeah. When it was to be appointed, we
had five people
>> and because no one wants to go through
the BS of running for an election.
>> Exactly. So, so one of the things I was
hoping to work on um leading into the
next election is how can we get more
people to run for office? And I think um
part of it is making sure that we can
explain to people what does running for office entail? And
I know some people think I mean I talked
to one guy like well I don't have
$20,000.
I said, 'Well, it doesn't cost 20,000.
>> It's at least 100,000. It's not unique.
Saratoga has three openings. They have
four people running for three openings.
So, you know, Las says five for two, I
think. I thought it was seven.
>> I heard six for three.
>> I thought I heard seven.
>> I heard seven.
>> Seven for three.
>> That's what I heard seven. But, um,
yeah, it's
>> it could be six. So, I'm not sure about
>> six or seven. Let's say that. whatever.
I know it's worth I'm just saying, you
know, some of the some of the things
that um we we might want to consider is
maybe doing something like paying for
the candidate statement that runs about
$300.
3,000
>> 3,000 now.
>> But the other thing I was thinking about
is why do we have to pay for that when
we could I mean we're such a we could
literally send out a special edition of
the peaceful map monitor with a profile
of all
edition of whatever you call that thing.
>> I love it that we're going to we're
going to have three of them.
>> Whoa.
change or something like that. But
>> some rules on what how the city can be
involved in campaigns, but
>> but you could,
>> you know, there's things that you could
probably
talk about it so that people wouldn't
feel intimidated by the cost because
they're like, "Oh, I got to buy yard
signs." No, you don't have to do all
that. All you have to do
and we'll help you take care of the rest
of it. I mean, Boyisey does a great job
making sure all the paperwork gets
filled out and it all gets filed and
making sure that you understand what a
form 700 is all about. I'm already
making it sound.
>> Look, I think it's a good point and we
have an election in uh two years and u
you know, I never focused on the point
you didn't do. We have five applicants
to fill a seat where they don't have to
go through the election process. I don't
think it's the money thing we,
you know,
>> I know there's more to it, but I just
>> I think it's just the
uh it's just doing an election.
uh and uh
yeah,
>> yeah, I I don't know why, but I I take
your uh point, but it it is interesting
that even in Saratoga, they only have
four people in your seats.
>> And and last year, all three of our
cities did all appointments. Nobody ran
for office except for the incumbent.
>> Well, we have two years to address that.
Oh, I was going to say um I think we're
leading into the next item on the agenda
uh which is the um new the appointing
the the
not having the election.
>> Well, I
Okay. On item uh seven, I see no hands
raised for public comment. So, this is a
two-step process that I explain to
everybody here in TV land. Step one is
that Vton reminds me and I need you to
be reminded every time to do this. And
step two is that Brian giggles and I
deserve the giggle. So, you've done step
one, want to do that.
>> You already did it.
>> Oh, you already did it. Uh, any hands
raised?
>> No hands raised.
>> Well, let's go to the next one. Uh, and
not spend money. Uh so please madam city
manager are you giving the madam city
clerk?
>> Sorry. Yes.
>> Okay. So item item eight.
So, at the June 16, 2026 city council
meeting, the council adopted resolution
number 26-3960
calling the November 3rd, 2026 general
municipal election and requested that
the county consolidate the general
municipal election with the statewide
general election. The municipal election
is for the election of the three council
members for the four full four uh year
terms. The initial nomination period ran
from July 13, 2026 through August 7th,
uh, 2026.
At the close of the regular nomination
period, one eligible incumbent did not
file nomination papers in accordance
with the California Elections Code
section 10225.
The nomination period was extended for
five uh, calendar days for individuals
other than the incumbent to file
nomination documents. At the conclusion
of the extended nomination period, the
total number of qualified candidates did
not exceed the number of offices to be
filled. Additionally, no petition
requesting the elections to be conducted
was filed has been filed. The election
code section 10229 authorizes the city
council to cancel the election and
appoint the nominated candidates in lie
of the conducting the uncontested
election.
As of the closed of the election
extended nomination period, sorry, uh,
Ken Torren, Burton Craig, and Allison
Zidler filed nomination papers and were
reviewed by the city clerk, myself, uh,
and determined to meet the requirements
for submission.
So, in tonight's meeting, um staff
recommends that the council adopt a
resolution cancelling the November 3rd,
2026 general municipal election and
appoint the nominated candidates to the
city council.
>> In the interest of time, if there are no
questions of council members, I will see
if there are any public comments. You
could still go Brian. Uh I assume from
our discussion there are no questions. I
don't see hands raised. Any hands raised
online, madam clerk?
>> No hands are raised.
>> Then uh yes, I council member Mache,
>> I wanted to make a motion.
>> Please make the motion.
>> I would like to make a motion adopting
the resolution as set forth in the staff
report.
>> Is there a second?
>> I'll second it.
>> And madam, city attorney, is this a
voice or a roll call?
>> Okay, [clears throat] madam. City clerk,
would you call the role, please?
>> Council member Torren,
>> I. Council member Craig,
>> yes.
>> Council member Mecca,
>> hi.
>> Vice Mayor Shannon,
>> yes. And Mayor Allen,
>> yes.
>> Um
the the Let's go on to the last item on
the congratulations.
>> Thank um
>> and thank you for Sorry, Chair. Thank
you for stepping forward, you know, once
again to continue your service and we'll
look forward to welcoming Alison.
>> How long is the ter the term? It's It's
a four-year term.
>> Just checking.
>> Congratulations. Somebody said two
years.
>> No, no, it's four years. The next
election is uh I I want to say that I
think for the residents swapping out an
83y old and getting a 50-y old is very
good for the city. U
they they they're getting uh they're
swamping an 83y old, they're getting a
50-y old. I think that's a good grade.
>> And u wow.
>> And I also want to point out that for a
long time, Council Mech has talked about
getting a younger generation involved.
So I'm doing my part. I noticed Chuck
Page was also doing his part and not
running for reelection. Um on the next
item, I don't see manager within the
same time. I want to go on record saying
I I like the u drafting changes that
contor mech is proposing but maybe you
could present madam city manager and
been practicing macheek you could uh u
make your comments and maybe uh as a
modified resolution uh which I assume
attorney will allow us to do.
So madam city manager please.
>> Yes thank you. The regulations and
guidelines for the conduct of public
meetings includes procedures for
attending council meetings um including
the agendas, rules for addressing the
council, selection of mayor and vice
mayor, rules of procedure and debate
minutes and disciplinary procedures. A
suggestion was recently made to consider
changing the start time for city council
meetings to 6:00 p.m. from 7:00 p.m. and
the draft policy would change um that
start time if obviously if council were
to adopt it tonight. There are some
other proposed administrative um changes
in the um to the policy and those are
provided in a redlinined um version
attached to the staff report tonight. Um
those do not change any policy or
current practices but are um
administrative clarifications.
And council member Mechach has proposed
an additional modification to the policy
which was provided to each council
member tonight. And this would clarify
that members of the public with
materials to distribute to the council
should hand those materials to the city
clerk for distribution rather than um
approaching each council member to do
so. And that concludes the staff report
and I'm happy.
Would you like to add to the uh staff
report?
>> No, I'll just make a comment, but I can
do that afterwards. Or do you want me to
make the comment right now?
>> Why don't you make the comment now and
then we'll see if there are questions.
But I I thought if you'd add to the
report then when people ask questions.
>> Oh, I understand. Okay. Um
I guess I've been trouble. So, when I
first came to council meetings in 1999,
um, former mayor Dorothia Bamford at the
time was kind of coaching me a little
bit on how to deal with council and
stuff. And then the other thing was back
then, no one would approach the deis if
they had something that they wanted
distributed. And it was for a number of
years that they would have to go through
the clerk or through the city attorney
to give them materials and ask that they
be distributed. And then in the last few
years, it seems to have become more
informal. And when there's people that I
don't recognize in chambers and they
start approaching the podium or sorry
the deis saying I want to distribute
some information, I'm getting uh I'm not
feeling comfortable about that. So what
I did was given the opportunity when I
saw it on the agenda to make changes, uh
there happened to be uh item five that
was vacant. Um and uh the our city
attorney dropped in the language uh that
and she's gone through and she believes
it's robust. So that's the background on
why I thought the changes there that
items should be added.
>> Are there questions either of the city
manager or council member MCH?
If not, I will open it to questions. I
see no hands raised. U madam city clerk,
are there any hands raised online?
>> No hands are raised. Well, let me bring
it back and as it's 10:15,
if anybody has comments, please make it.
If not, I would call for a vote and
maybe you would. Yes, council member.
>> We had discussed using this agenda item
to also move council member um committee
and commission reports to the front of
the meeting.
>> Well, u maybe either you or council
member Mack, I can make a motion that
encompasses all that.
if I could just make one comment on that
and then I'd be pleased to make a motion
or a second a motion. But I think that
if the if council chambers are full,
then I think it's good to deal with that
with whatever the matter is for
expediency and and with respect and
courtesy for the people
>> and courtesy for the people. But I think
it's it's the job of the mayor who's
chairing the meeting to read the room
and maybe ask something like, you know,
if it's okay with everyone, we're going
to we're going to move this item out
like whatever it is, but just not take a
to be [clears throat] able to move it to
for courtesy.
>> You're saying a capella and I guess it
would also be helpful to have a mayor
members ask for public comments.
I wasn't going to point that out, but okay.
>> Um, are there other comments or could we
have one of these gentlemen make a
motion and the other one second?
>> Well, I don't understand where we're So,
we're talking about the committee and
commission reports and then also the
council member comments, both those
items or just the council member
comments.
>> No, just just the committee and
commission reports. I believe that's so
that people see what we're doing.
>> And so, that would come at what point in
the agenda? I mean it's going to be
after the roll call
>> after after a present the presentation
has everything right like you want to
have the people that are presenting
which are off in the fire the police
they're here they're gone
>> then
>> right it would be before oral comments
>> yes
>> on items that are not on the agenda.
>> Yes.
>> So where's the actual page
>> uh section nine page three.
So if you wanted to do that you would um
move item
N
to
just before um oral communications. That
would become the new G and then
everything else would move down. So it's
on page 112 of 130 sorry
>> in the lower right
>> in or
>> in the packet
>> and it would be moving item N
to
>> the G new item G between old F or F and
old G.
>> See where that is?
>> Yeah, it's at it's page 105.
Okay.
Are there more questions or are we So, that's what it is. So, I would make a
motion to adopt the um resolution
as set forth with the addition of the um
item five, distribution of doc documents
to council during meeting and moving
item N to uh after item F
>> in section 9
>> in section deny.
>> That's your motion. Is there a second?
>> I I would just like to see if I could
add one more friendly amendment just
since we don't do this very often and
we'll never need it, I'm sure, but some
other jurisdictions put a limit on oral
communication where they will limit it
to the first 30 minutes or 15 minutes of
the meeting. After that, everything gets
moved to the end. And so this would be
our time to try to do something like
that if we want.
>> Has we ever
I'm just saying at least we have the
rule in case we needed it.
>> I I don't have strong feelings,
>> you know, like in case we get zoom
bombed again now that we're doing all of
our
>> uh does it make is that agreeable to the
maker of the motion? [clears throat]
>> I figure out where it is first. Hold on.
But you talk about
going to stare at you. So pretty. I I
just want to find out if if
>> Yeah, it's I the town of Loscatoos does
that today and other councils do that.
We that hasn't been a problem here. You
could put forth if it becomes a problem,
let's address it or you could say let's
spend the time and put it in now. It's
six to me. It's I don't have strong
feelings.
>> Yeah.
>> I just figured we're doing it.
>> Okay. that she had to do. That's
>> if you have the word in.
» Uh she's still looking. Um can we just
make sure So as part of this, we're
changing our meeting time to 6 p.m.
>> Can we please make sure that that gets
updated every place the public might
look or where our meetings are?
do [clears throat]
meetings
if they are if if they become SRO
>> we can maybe charge a fee raise a little
revenue that
>> I love that
>> um
come early get a parking spot you'll let
us know madam city attorney when we
could proceed with this motion
>> so um this would be my suggestion so in
section
three, which I apologize, it's page six
of the staff report. I I see each
separate item. I don't have one giant,
so I'm happy to, so I don't know what
page it is. Um, but if we would add
language that
um, sorry, I'm sure
>> why don't we just give the concept in
the motion and and then as uh put forth
by the city attorney if you are with
that.
>> Yeah, that would be fine. So we would
change it in two places that we would
reference the time limit um under
this is just for oral communications
correct?
>> Yes.
>> Okay. So we would address it by that
where it would be 30. It gives me 30
minutes.
>> 30 minutes.
>> Oh that's agreeable there. We did make
>> so 30 minutes um for oral communications
as item
new H we changed G um in section A9. And
then in addition, we would add to that
where would you put it at the end after
future agenda items?
>> I mean the the oral communications.
>> Yeah. So we could do 30 minutes and then
if we happen to have more than that at
the end of the items before we get into
well council member comments because
we've already done reports before. will
be after the agenda before council
member comments and before the uh city
manager report. I think that's where we
put it.
>> Yeah, I was put
>> so the order right now is council member
comments, city manager report, future
agenda items and then adjournment. So
you could do if you want to do it at the
very end it would be after future agenda
item.
>> Maybe before future agenda item.
>> Okay. after the city manager report.
>> After the city manager report, I I
accept that. We have a motion, a second,
roll call. Sorry.
>> I just make sure I understand what we're
talking about here. So, we have an item
on the agenda and there are so many
people that want to
>> No, this is oral communication that are
not on the agenda.
>> So, this is somebody in the beginning of
the meeting.
>> Yeah.
>> And each person still gets three
minutes. We have to have that many
people.
>> Okay.
But now with with 707 and people
are able to organize on social media,
there have been more and more instances
of just having these ridiculously long
oral communication [clears throat]
sessions. And so if we ever needed it,
we could say our our period for oral
communications is over and it will
continue at the end of
>> It's like a parachute on an airplane
that you hope you don't have to use.
>> Exactly. Uh, madam, city attorney, I
assume a roll call vote on this.
>> Yes, please. So, be the resolution as
amended to include
the changes we've discussed this
evening.
>> [clears throat]
>> I got one more thing.
We we seem to have gotten out of using
speaker cards and I think that is
kind of made some of our larger meetings
a little bit awkward to just say next
person come on up you know.
>> So we can no longer require people to
give their name. We can ask but they
don't have to.
>> Yes.
But if we can we require them to give a
speaker card and just put Joe on it.
I'll say Joe, come on up.
>> They can just give you a blank speaker
card. There's no your name at all or
>> Okay. It was just something I was
thinking about.
>> Number them. You number them.
>> Yeah, you can number them. Again, I just
brought it up because we we
>> it was actually and I'm just going to
say why probably shouldn't do this, but
it gives the mayor a chance to maybe run
a very contentious agenda item a little
bit more effectively. You know, if he if
he sees when they say they are yay or is
that what you're saying?
>> I'm not saying that any of us have ever
done that.
>> I I don't have strong feelings. So u
just informally given that it's almost
10:30
would people like to
>> but since since we can't require speaker
cards or it's more of a courtesy
>> I think yeah I think what we can do is
we can have that we don't need to put it
in the guidelines we can have them and
use them when we have meetings and if
someone doesn't want to fill it out they
don't have to
>> just start the meeting if you wish to
speak out of them you are encouraged
>> to fill out the card why do it that way
I'm now ready for the uh I think for the
roll call vote
>> I don't think we need to include that.
>> No, we're not.
>> No, I was kind of like this.
>> I can tell you for the rest of my I will
encourage people speak regards and
I won't be here next year but I'm sure
that
>> Oh, absolutely. because I don't want you
to deal with well I'm hoping if the
thing doesn't change I will be kindly
signatures for par
>> so just to clarify motion maker and the
amendment that you suggested was in
regards to the movement
other than that then is there a second
to that
>> so I'm seconding I'm I'm making
>> amended
>> amendment friendly amendment which I
accepted and now and I'm seconding that
now
council member
Yes.
>> Council member Ma.
>> Hi.
>> Council member Torren.
>> Yes.
>> Vice Mayor Shannon.
>> Yes.
>> Mayor Allen.
>> Yes. I should also say amend.
We are now going to go through uh
committee commission for its did we
>> and is it's 10:25.
Obviously I believe in the first
amendment but if people would like to be
brief that would be very
>> I'll be very brief. I attended the VTA
public policy committee meeting. There
were various action items bundling
various
VTA related uh project priorities. I can
give you I can send you uh those items
and the interest of time. Uh and the
legislative committee um
we had one, two, three, four, five, six
bills that we voted on. uh to approve uh
several yeses, several nos. Again, in
the interest of time, I could send that
to you in greater detail if you wish.
And then the city's association meeting
um we had um
I don't remember the agenda, but I can
send you the agenda and we'll share that
information with you.
understand.
>> Uh so last Wednesday I attended just the
monthly West Valley sanitation district
meeting and it was a pretty much a
general meeting like the others. There
was nothing particularly interesting to
report on. Um but the sanitation
district is doing well under it new
leadership.
>> Okay, great. We had a very good first
meeting for the youth commission and we
installed a a um our a chairperson and
vice chair and uh we discussed their
participation in the picnic and some
other activities we will do this year
and that's all I have to report today.
>> Council check.
>> Um Silicon Valley Clean Energy had a
meeting last week and I will attach to
the minutes a uh the speaking points
from that. um as I usually do. Um the
other commissions that I'm on are all
meeting uh in the next two weeks. So I
have have more to to discuss. I will say
uh I I've got a comment a council member
comment that I'd like to make.
>> Well, I'm going to start with when
you're done with your reports. I'm going
to start with you with the comments.
>> Okay. Um, so I attended the Silicon
Valley
Climate Youth Action Summit last
Saturday morning and there were 75
electeds there with a keynote by um,
Senator Becker and Margaret Abakob was
there and other people were there. Um,
and there were 225 youth. Wow. and they
are very energized and excited. That's basically almost countywide and
lending in a little bit to uh San Monteo
County. Um so that was that was very
positive. Um, one of the things that I
also am involved with is West Valley
Solid Waste Management Authority. And
they and I'm not sure if anyone received
one of these on their on their
collection bin.
>> No, you did.
>> We did. And a sticker on my actual bin
says batteries go here.
So, so this is a pilot that we're doing
and they selected 600 homes in the city
of Monte Serino and that's the only
place in the four cities that they're
doing the pilot and if you could so up
here you can see the slides that were
prepared. So this is the objective of
the pilot and it's one single family
route for sorry 480 customers and
afterwards they're going to do an
evaluation to see if we move the needle.
So how many batteries are we talking
flashlight batteries or car batteries?
No, no, no. This is
>> your little
>> Oh, if at the Saratoga Library when I go
every week, there's a receptacle there
for
flashlight batteries, which I always
use. So, but this is different. Can you
go to the next slide, please? So, you
can see that the circulation calculation
of the baseline data is there. Then they
distributed the materials, which is
done, which is this. Then they're going
to do this postcard and then do a pilot
in or pilot completion and then they'll
measure against the baseline to see if
it moved the needle.
>> May I ask you a question? Absolutely.
Pilot project since I got one of these.
So I already have one of those bags, an
orange bag that we got when they came
and spoke to us.
>> Should I remove those batteries and put
it in the yellow bag? Does the yellow
bag
>> they should be the same bag?
>> Okay. So it doesn't matter if it's the
orange bag or the yellow bag. I put it
out there, they'll count it towards
this.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> Well, I've got a bags almost ready to
go, so I'll put it in.
>> So, so they're doing this to try to
measure participation in in this battery
program. Well, yeah. To see if they
should roll this program
to all of the all of the pickups that
they do. I thought I thought well as
council member Shannon said they've been
distributing the other bags for the last
this this
goes on your bin.
>> Yeah. The other one we were supposed to
No no no when they give it to you.
>> So it's like a new way to get the word
out. It sounds like
>> Go to the next slide please.
>> All right.
>> Here's So here on the left hand side you
see this side, right? Yeah.
>> And then on the other side it shows
where it
see
» they put it on my bin
>> on your bin. And then you see the two
pictures above. Those are in the
postcard.
>> So it's like, hey, this is what you have
to do. Here's where you put it. Put it
on the target. Okay. So, so they're
making it a little bit more obvious
because before they just would leave it
on on on top of the bin and it would
blow off or whatever.
>> That's why I always took mine to the
library because I knew when I put it in
the little slot there, it would
disappear or a driver would hurry
wouldn't see it and it would get tipped
off.
What? I I'm just I'm just trying to
answer the question that if you got it,
you're kind of like where did this thing
came out of the clear blue sky?
>> Was it was it distributed to just a few
neighborhoods in Mont
>> four on one collection route there's 480
homes in the city of Monero that they
went to. This is not outside of the city
of Monero.
>> So it's about a third of that. We have
1,200 plus homes. It's about a third of
the homes.
>> And but you never got one long and you
never got one. So you're in the 2/3 that
didn't get one. So we're
>> so special.
>> And what what I'd like to do um is uh
I'd like to do an eblast on the pilot so
that our residents understand what's
going on that they're part of the pilot.
And then after Can you go back one
slide? After
the pilot is complete and they know what
the metrics are, I would like um the uh
West Valley Solid Waste Management to do
a presentation on the results of the
pilot so we see, you know, did it move
the needle or not. Um
so
that's my that's that was my what I
wanted to make as council member
comments. So, thank you very
» I think Ken might comment on the same
thing, but I know Ken and I both
attended the wildfire safety town hall
meeting that was hosted by Sam Licaro,
Chuck Page, and Margaret Alvakakota. And
it was well attended and there was some
good information. Some of it was kind of
a repeat of what they've done for the
council members previously.
>> Um, but it was interesting to see what
questions and things the members of the
community had and I thought it was a
very good meeting. very well-run
meeting.
>> Yes. We also attended the
>> scouts Saturday.
>> Scouts and Yes.
>> It was vegetation was
>> Yes. Well, it it was
program for wooies
>> and uh council member and I attended uh
just it's sort of what you know learning
from what chick page said about the CRD
what they're doing uh because they you
know they have full-time employees
doing this. So yeah, we did that. I
think, you know, I think that, you know,
I I, you know, there's there's always
more that you can do, you know, in terms
of that, you know, evacuation, wildfire
preparation.
Uh but what I've seen in the last year
essentially maybe maybe even less is
just a lot of of town halls and a lot of
meetings about this very so it it shows
you how important how important this has
be become as an issue from for elected
official standpoint from jurisdiction
standpoint which is a really really good
thing. Now we want that to filter down
to people taking action for you know
their homes and you know preparing
themselves. Uh but I think it's a really good sign that we are thinking in
the in the right way. It's a very good
sign. Now the
no one should be surprised the uh Ken
and I were there with three other people
who goes to the Wednesday monthly
meetings that Ken and I have been going
to for a long time and other than that
there were maybe five or six people in
the room. So we're not the only ones
that are having problem getting
anything.
>> But that's just what that was really
focused. No, but they sent a letter. I
think this one's Scottish and if you
know Kevin me they they got fewer than
the people there. My one comment is uh
I'm looking forward to the picnic and I
think that uh because of the
observations of the soccer balls. We are
for the first time having a council
member table where our goal would be to
get people to sign up uh to be at
receive all of our email traffic and
also at the same time we could say is
there anything else you'd like to do to
be involved in the city because
I think each of us
not to work inventive but let's see who
can sign those people on the on the
email stuff and on add
one.
>> Absolutely.
>> Okay. I'm not sure if every and I um I
apologize for not bringing this up a
moment ago, but there's something that's
very controversial that's going around
right now, and it has to do with the ban
on the sale of natural gas hot water
heaters that Bay Area Air Quality
Management District is dealing with. And
there is a set information session for
elected officials that's going to be in
Sunnyvale at their uh council chambers.
And if I if I would give the details on
that
not a Brown Act problem
>> so that that Yes. But if I believe that
they would like to have the or other
people that are sitting here attend that
meeting.
>> Why don't you have the city clerk? Yes.
So we don't have a brown act thing send
it out to us.
>> But we are I'm signed up. You're signed
up.
>> Oh, you and I. Oh,
>> we're car pooling.
>> Oh yeah. The favorite vice are
carpooling for that.
>> Which is which is this Monday?
>> It's Monday quality. [clears throat]
>> Yeah. This is another thing. I think we
got the thing from Gina Wio, right?
>> Yeah. [clears throat] Yeah. Yeah.
>> Oh, that's because you're on the um
>> Yeah. So we're
>> associations. At least two of four I can
tell you are going right. Um
>> three.
>> Yeah. Okay. Well, um
if people if if everybody has commented
to what they want to comment, I will now
ask the city manager for her hopefully
very brief
u report.
Um so I just wanted to let the council
know that um we are expecting about 340
residents at the on Sunday. And then um
in addition sorry in addition to that
would be also the different service
providers um that will be in attendance
also. So total of over 400 people
>> really
>> which I think might be the highest
attendance that
>> Why do you think that's the case?
Um, I would guess similar to to what
council member Craig said earlier is,
you know, each year more and more people
hear about it
>> and more and more people get involved in
kind of, you know, those types of
routine um, annual events [snorts]
>> and
I think people once they come to it,
they repeat. They come, it's very
congenial, it's lowkey, it's in a
wonderful venue. The parking is right
there and no one complains about what
the six bucks or whatever it is to park
your car. Uh the food's very good and uh
we have a proud tradition of the mayor
not giving a long speech, actually not
giving any speech at all, which is
probably one of the major draws last. I
mean, I'll keep that in mind. Um
the um future agenda items match.
>> Um no, but if I come up with some I will
actually we talked about
>> Yeah, the putting the
>> Yes, we did.
>> all of Highway 9.
>> I would think we want that on Do we have
room on the September one agenda? Then
why don't we say we'll put it on the
September agenda?
Uh any colleagues? Any other future
agenda items? If not at 10:40,
uh, this may be the record for this
thing. We are adjourned.