[0:15] you
[0:15] .
[0:16] I'm kevin wilk, mayor of the
[0:19] city of walnut creek and
[0:20] welcome to the regular meeting
[0:20] of the walnut creek city
[0:22] council.
[0:23] >> the city council is
[0:24] conducting this meeting from
[0:26] the city council chamber.
[0:27] This meeting is being video
[0:27] streamed and could be viewed
[0:30] live or later on the city's
[0:33] website as some attendees MAY
[0:34] be participating in their first
[0:35] walnut creek city council
[0:37] meeting.
[0:38] I wanted to welcome everyone
[0:39] and talk briefly about the
[0:42] public comment process for each
[0:45] agenda item there will be an
[0:46] opportunity for public comment
[0:49] on the item thus if you desire
[0:50] to speak to an item on the
[0:50] agenda this evening please hold
[0:53] your comments until the city
[0:53] council considers that item.
[0:57] Additionally we have a section
[0:57] on the agenda titled public
[0:57] -
[1:00] communications which is for
[1:01] public comments for items not
[1:04] on the agenda any comments
[1:05] during public communication
[1:06] should not relate to an item
[1:08] that is on the agenda this
[1:11] evening consistent with section
[1:13] 9.5 of the city council
[1:14] handbook 30 minutes will be
[1:15] initially allocated for public
[1:18] communications for items not on
[1:18] the agenda additional time for
[1:21] public communications for items
[1:22] not on the agenda will be
[1:25] provided at the end of the open
[1:25] session portion of the meeting
[1:26] if necessary.
[1:29] If you desire to provide a
[1:29] public comment please complete
[1:33] a speaker id card and line up
[1:33] behind the lectern at the
[1:36] appropriate time.
[1:37] Wait your turn and then when
[1:38] you approach the lectern please
[1:40] state your name and city of
[1:43] residence for the record you
[1:43] will have two minutes to
[1:46] address the city council to
[1:47] pursuant to california
[1:51] government code section 54953.4
[1:52] sb 707.
[1:53] Members of the public MAY also
[1:56] participate remotely via zoom
[1:57] if you are participating via
[1:57] zoom and would like to make a
[2:00] public comment please use the
[2:01] raise hand feature or press
[2:03] star 90 for calling by phone
[2:04] during the agenda item on which
[2:06] you wish to comment.
[2:07] >> again you will have two
[2:08] minutes to address the city
[2:10] council.
[2:11] Please keep in mind that this
[2:14] is a city business meeting.
[2:15] The city council has adopted
[2:18] rules of decorum to ensure that
[2:18] meetings are conducted
[2:19] efficiently and effectively and
[2:22] that all members of the public
[2:23] have a full, fair and equal
[2:26] opportunity to be heard.
[2:27] The city council handbook
[2:29] outlines decorum expected in
[2:30] the council chamber and can be
[2:31] found on our website.
[2:34] All remarks should be addressed
[2:34] to the city council.
[2:38] Please do not use threatening,
[2:38] profane or abusive language
[2:42] which disrupts disturbs or
[2:42] otherwise impedes the orderly
[2:45] conduct of the council meeting
[2:45] .
[2:48] Again each speaker will have
[2:49] two minutes to make your
[2:49] remarks.
[2:50] Written comments submitted and
[2:53] received up to wo hours before
[2:54] the meeting have been posted to
[2:56] the city's website for public
[2:56] review and are included in the
[2:59] meeting record but will not be
[3:03] separately read into the record
[3:03] .
[3:04] >> all right.
[3:04] Well good evening.
[3:08] I'm kevin wilk, mayor of the
[3:09] city of walnut creek and
[3:10] welcome to the tuesday,
[3:11] SEPTEMBER 1st, 2026 regular
[3:11] meeting of the walnut creek
[3:14] city council.
[3:15] >> and if you please join me in
[3:18] the pledge of allegiance I
[3:21] pledge allegiance to the flag
[3:22] the united states of america
[3:25] and to the republic for which
[3:26] it stands one nation under GOD.
[3:29] Indivisible with liberty and
[3:33] justice for all.
[3:34] >> and city clerk susie
[3:37] martinez.
[3:37] >> would you call the roll,
[3:38] please?
[3:39] Councilmember darling I'm here.
[3:41] Councilor devaney here.
[3:41] Councilmember silva is here.
[3:44] Mayor pro tem francois.
[3:45] Dear mayor, welcome here.
[3:48] All right, so the first item is
[3:52] a proclamation for emergency
[3:53] preparedness month.
[3:53] And I would like to invite
[3:56] recently retired cert member
[3:57] don providence to receive the
[4:03] proclamation.
[4:07] >> additionally, I would like
[4:08] to take a moment to recognize
[4:08] don with a certificate of
[4:11] recognition in honor of his
[4:12] retirement after 16 years of
[4:15] service to walnut creek state
[4:15] and our community.
[4:17] And since completing his cert
[4:18] training in 2010, don has been
[4:19] a leader in building and
[4:21] strengthening the emergency
[4:22] communications group.
[4:23] He helped establish critical
[4:26] radio infrastructure, secured
[4:26] grants to modernize our
[4:27] emergency communications
[4:29] capabilities, developed
[4:30] training and used throughout
[4:34] that use throughout contra
[4:34] costa county and led our
[4:35] volunteers in regional and
[4:37] statewide emergency
[4:37] preparedness exercises.
[4:38] Through his expertise
[4:41] leadership and generous
[4:42] commitment to mentoring others,
[4:43] don has helped ensure that
[4:46] walnut creek is better prepared
[4:47] to communicate and respond when
[4:49] disaster strikes.
[4:50] Don thank you for 16 years of
[4:53] dedicated service and for the
[4:54] lasting impact you've made on
[4:56] our community.
[5:00] >> now you have findlay.
[5:04] >> don't believe any of that.
[5:05] >> all I can say is it's been a
[5:07] privilege to serve this city
[5:08] for so long a city that has
[5:11] returned so much to my family,
[5:12] to myself and my family.
[5:15] We've lived here almost 50
[5:15] years so it's been a privilege.
[5:16] >> thank you.
[5:19] Well, thank you, don.
[5:19] >> don't go away.
[5:20] Don't go too far there.
[5:23] We are going to take a picture
[5:23] with you.
[5:26] And do we have a subpopulation
[5:26] ?
[5:37] This is this is not it.
[5:42] But look up here.
[5:42] >> let's do the picture and
[5:45] then we're going to grab the
[5:48] proclamation and we'll do our.
[6:04] Luckily we have something right
[6:04] ?
[6:04] Right.
[6:04] oh yes.
[6:06] Very conservative government
[6:07] regulations.
[6:15] So so family fairly short
[6:16] reverse.
[6:16] >> okay.
[6:17] So I look at that.
[6:17] One, two, three.
[6:17] Okay.
[6:19] The official that we need to
[6:28] face again one more word to the
[6:29] area.
[6:29] Hi there.
[6:31] How is your face?
[6:35] I think it's o pretty.
[6:35] Thank you.
[6:36] Thank you very much.
[6:38] Thank you.
[6:38] >> thank you.
[7:00] Okay.
[7:01] Next on the agenda is the
[7:04] consent calendar.
[7:05] Does any council member wish to
[7:08] pull any item for discussion?
[7:08] >> and does any member of the
[7:09] staff wish to pull an item for
[7:10] discussion?
[7:11] Ys.
[7:12] Yes.
[7:17] I have questions on item two g
[7:17] please.
[7:19] >> to g so I'll pull to g.
[7:20] And as any member of the public
[7:23] wish to provide public comment
[7:24] on the consent calendar either
[7:28] please come forward here.
[7:28] Thank ou.
[7:29] Or if you're remote please use
[7:32] the raise hand feature or press
[7:32] star nine if you're calling.
[7:33] If you'd like to provide remote
[7:36] public comment if you're
[7:36] attending in person please
[7:37] complete a speaker id card and
[7:39] come forward and line up behind
[7:43] the lectern at this time.
[7:44] >> it doesn't look like we have
[7:45] anybody in person.
[7:45] Do we have anybody and we have
[7:47] no remote comment.
[7:47] >> no remote.
[7:50] Okay then so can I have a
[7:51] motion on the remaining items
[7:54] on the consent calendar?
[7:55] >> all right.
[7:58] Well then I will make a motion
[7:59] on the remaining items.
[8:02] I move to approve items two a
[8:02] through f and h.
[8:05] Second with a motion to second
[8:06] call the roll, please, mayor
[8:09] well, I mayor pro tem francois
[8:10] councilmember darling I
[8:12] councilmember devinney
[8:13] councilmember silva I am
[8:16] curious and okay so now item
[8:16] two g.
[8:19] Thank you very much mayor.
[8:23] The item is a five year
[8:24] agreement for a contract for
[8:27] services and for software
[8:31] services for basically
[8:31] ticketing in the arts and
[8:32] recreation department.
[8:36] So my first question is does
[8:36] this is there a separate system
[8:39] that lesher center ses or will
[8:42] this be the same system?
[8:43] Chris farrow arts and rec
[8:44] director the lesher uses a
[8:46] separate system for ticketing.
[8:47] >> this is used primarily by
[8:51] our recreation and parks folks
[8:52] for facility rentals, picnic
[8:55] rentals and then program
[8:56] registrations.
[8:59] >> okay we it was in MAY that
[9:00] when we approved the first year
[9:02] of the agreement so this is now
[9:03] approving five years of the
[9:08] agreement actually for six.
[9:09] This is a replacement of the
[9:11] previous action.
[9:12] >> there was a staff error.
[9:15] So previously what was approved
[9:20] was the implementing fee, the
[9:20] technical account management
[9:23] fee and the annual subscription
[9:23] .
[9:26] >> so the 582 674 which on page
[9:30] two if you look at that table
[9:30] what was included in the
[9:33] original ask was columns one,
[9:37] two and four after the approval
[9:38] staff as we are moving forward
[9:41] with an active not realize that
[9:42] we take in transaction fees and
[9:45] it's basically a pass through.
[9:46] So we're charging those using
[9:49] the system a transaction ee
[9:50] and then we're paying that
[9:53] transaction fee back out.
[9:54] So we did not include that in
[9:58] the original ask and we need to
[9:58] because it is both a revenue
[10:02] and an expense to us and even
[10:03] though it's a net zero we still
[10:05] need council authority for
[10:05] those funds.
[10:09] So we recalculated the amount
[10:09] based on including the
[10:12] transaction fees.
[10:13] And since we were coming back
[10:16] to council we also decided to
[10:17] add some hardware just in case
[10:17] we need it.
[10:20] As of right now we've been told
[10:21] by the active net that our
[10:24] current hardware the things
[10:27] that we use to to scan for
[10:29] example or to swipe will work
[10:32] with the new system.
[10:33] >> so that's why we hadn't
[10:33] included it.
[10:36] But since we were coming back
[10:37] to council anyways we thought
[10:37] it's probably in our best
[10:40] interest to include some
[10:40] hardware costs just in case we
[10:43] run into a place where we need
[10:44] to dish to replace some
[10:47] hardware to be to work with the
[10:48] new system.
[10:48] So we did that as well.
[10:51] So the total amount when you
[10:56] include those transaction fees
[10:57] is 1,798,358.
[10:58] >> but I want to note that all
[11:00] of those transaction fees will
[11:00] net out.
[11:04] we just need to ask for council
[11:04] approval in order to pay the
[11:05] expenditures but we will see
[11:08] that on the revenue ide as
[11:09] well.
[11:09] > so let me clarify make sure
[11:12] I understand trance absolutely
[11:15] fee seems to be the fee like
[11:16] the bank charge for using a
[11:19] credit card correct card so
[11:20] these are standard fees and
[11:23] this is not a guaranteed
[11:23] amount.
[11:24] This is just an estimate based
[11:27] on certain levels of revenue, a
[11:31] certain number of transactions
[11:31] that we've experienced in the
[11:32] past and then projecting out.
[11:32] Yes.
[11:35] And does this system allow us
[11:38] to we recently at the last
[11:39] meeting approved our user fees
[11:45] that included a resident
[11:46] benefit payment discount
[11:50] discount is does this system
[11:51] allow us to do this?
[11:53] It does great.
[11:54] Thank you, mayor.
[11:54] Thank you.
[11:57] Do you have any other questions
[11:58] on this item?
[11:58] No.
[12:00] Okay.
[12:01] And councilmember silva, would
[12:03] you like to make a motion and
[12:04] move to approve item two g in
[12:07] the consent calendar which is
[12:08] the authorization of the city
[12:11] manager for a five year
[12:12] agreement?
[12:12] We're about to network four for
[12:14] recreation management software
[12:15] services in an amount not to
[12:19] exceed just about $81.8
[12:19] million.
[12:22] Second, we have a motion to
[12:23] second and a third.
[12:27] >> councilmember silva I
[12:28] councilmember darling I
[12:28] councilmember devinney to my
[12:30] right mayor pro tem francois
[12:34] mayor well I ight so next on
[12:35] the agenda is public
[12:37] communications.
[12:38] This portion of the meeting is
[12:39] reserved for comments on items
[12:41] not on the agenda.
[12:42] All remarks should be addressed
[12:42] to the city council.
[12:43] Please do not use profanity
[12:45] during your comments.
[12:46] Under the brown act the council
[12:47] cannot act on items raised in
[12:49] public communication but MAY
[12:50] respond briefly to statements
[12:53] made or questions posed request
[12:53] clarification or for the item
[12:54] to staff consistent with
[12:57] section 9.5 the city council
[12:58] handbook 30 minutes will be
[13:00] allocated at this time for
[13:01] public communications for items
[13:02] not on the agenda additional
[13:04] time for public communications
[13:05] for items not on the agenda
[13:06] will be provided at the end of
[13:08] the meeting if necessary.
[13:09] Written comments submitted have
[13:11] been posted to the city's
[13:12] website for public review and
[13:13] are included in the meeting
[13:14] record but will not be
[13:16] separately read into the record
[13:18] at this time I'll note that the
[13:19] time is 614 and we'll take
[13:22] public comments and items on
[13:23] the agenda until approximately
[13:24] 644 and then the remainder of
[13:26] any such comments at the end of
[13:27] the open session portion of the
[13:30] meeting please use the raise
[13:30] hand feature or press star 90
[13:31] for calling in if you'd like to
[13:33] make a remote public comment
[13:34] and this time if anybody would
[13:37] like to make any in-person
[13:37] -
[13:38] comments and please come
[13:41] forward fill out a speaker card
[13:41] .
[13:42] i see MRS. Warren has one in
[13:45] her hand and you'll have two
[13:46] minutes.
[13:46] Good evening jan warren from
[13:49] the woodlands.
[13:50] It's maybe technically not a
[13:53] city council question but maybe
[13:57] you can direct me a month or
[13:58] two ago on next door or
[13:58] somebody was talking about the
[14:01] we get a lot of action on
[14:02] ignacio and I live off of oak
[14:04] grove and and there was a car
[14:05] that was n fire and it was
[14:09] between an our city and like on
[14:12] the line almost the way they
[14:13] talked about it our city and
[14:14] concord and of course we're a
[14:17] consol predated fire department
[14:20] and so they were you know too
[14:24] stressed the same like you know
[14:24] no no walnut creek people are
[14:25] coming out or something and so
[14:28] I was just curious is there a
[14:29] contact for the con fire or
[14:32] whatever it's called now to ask
[14:33] how that's done you know
[14:37] somebody calls in and I guess
[14:37] it's like a dispatch that would
[14:40] go and say hey, so but would
[14:40] they pull someone possibly from
[14:44] our station and from a station
[14:45] in concord or do you have any
[14:46] idea who I could talk?
[14:47] Well, con fire me obviously you
[14:48] would call 911 if you saw that
[14:49] and they would decide where
[14:51] it's coming from.
[14:52] What I would suggest is we have
[14:53] our chief of police in the back
[14:56] of the room and he'd be happy
[14:56] to talk with you about that.
[15:00] But if anybody sees a car on
[15:00] fire on any road that you're
[15:03] on, call 911 and let dispatch
[15:04] figure out who's going to get
[15:04] there.
[15:07] Yeah.
[15:08] >> thanks jan kevin, if I if I
[15:11] could add the con fire is a
[15:12] county jan well I just can let
[15:12] you know con fire too.
[15:14] That's a county district so
[15:14] they're not they're not
[15:18] responding ased on, you know,
[15:18] city boundaries and when
[15:21] there's a fire there's often
[15:22] more than one unit deployed so
[15:25] they'll someone's responding
[15:29] and and they're not they're not
[15:30] concerned about the the city
[15:33] lines yeah I can I can I'm
[15:34] aware of that oh understanding
[15:36] the people's position oh okay
[15:37] thank thank ou.
[15:38] Jan do you have any other any
[15:40] other public comment here in
[15:44] the chamber.
[15:44] >> right.
[15:44] Seeing none.
[15:45] Do we have anybody on line?
[15:48] No one on line and nobody on
[15:48] line.
[15:50] So we will close public comment
[15:51] and we will move to council
[15:55] member and staff announcements
[15:55] reports and activities r
[15:59] requests the city attorney do
[16:02] we have any announcements?
[16:03] >> no closed session
[16:03] announcements.
[16:04] City manager any report?
[16:06] Yeah I do have one I want to
[16:07] update this evening.
[16:08] Mayor dan buckshi sure I city
[16:11] manager as many of you are I'm
[16:11] sure are aware yesterday was
[16:14] the last day of the legislative
[16:15] session in sacramento for the
[16:17] state government.
[16:18] This would be the 2026 session
[16:21] and is the the second year of a
[16:22] two year session.
[16:25] I just thought I would give a
[16:26] very high overview just to give
[16:28] a ense of scale in terms of
[16:29] what's occurred.
[16:29] So in 2026 the state
[16:35] legislature introduced 846
[16:35] bills.
[16:38] so think 846 new laws that were
[16:39] introduced.
[16:42] Of those 1103 were approved by
[16:43] the legislature and move
[16:45] through.
[16:49] So more than you know, roughly
[16:50] half or a little more than that
[16:52] of that 177 have been in signed
[16:56] into law and 926 emain with
[16:57] the governor for his review and
[17:02] he has until AUGUST 30th AUGUST
[17:03] 30th to take action on those
[17:06] bills or I'm sorry SEPTEMBER
[17:06] 30th.
[17:07] >> yeah.
[17:07] Thank you.
[17:08] It would be hard to do,
[17:09] wouldn't it?
[17:10] And I would just highlight
[17:11] there are several bills that
[17:14] are quite impactful to walnut
[17:14] creek and to other cities.
[17:17] I won't go into those details
[17:18] but I do anticipate some
[17:19] budgetary pressures as a result
[17:22] of these bills if they are
[17:22] passed and other regulatory
[17:25] changes that we will and
[17:26] challenges that we will be
[17:26] dealing with.
[17:29] Our intention is to ave our
[17:30] consultant from townsend public
[17:32] affairs provide an update
[17:33] likely in OCTOBER with more
[17:37] details about those bills once
[17:37] we know what's actually signed
[17:40] or vetoed by the governor.
[17:41] >> thank you, jim.
[17:44] And now we have city council
[17:46] member reports on ab one two,
[17:47] three four activities.
[17:47] Let's start over.
[17:50] Councilmember silva how did I
[17:51] know you were going to turn and
[17:51] look at me first?
[17:53] Thank you mayor so two items
[17:57] that I wanted to spend a little
[17:57] bit of time on the diablo
[18:00] regional arts association which
[18:01] is our partner in our
[18:02] fundraising partner and program
[18:05] support partner for the lecture
[18:05] center of the arts held its
[18:08] regular board meeting yesterday
[18:08] .
[18:09] It's one month until on
[18:12] broadway which is OCTOBER third
[18:13] which is the annual fundraiser
[18:14] where they focus on raising
[18:17] funds to support arts access
[18:20] programs and other special
[18:21] programs at the leisure center
[18:22] and the arts access program
[18:24] really brings children from
[18:28] underserved local schools into
[18:29] the lecture center to
[18:32] experience some of their very
[18:33] first theater performances such
[18:39] as a christmas carol who are
[18:43] discussion focused on the
[18:44] upcoming event and the year and
[18:48] what it's sold out.
[18:48] But you should go online to
[18:51] daria talk to see if you might
[18:52] get a single ticket if it's
[18:54] available.
[18:55] They also described that
[19:00] martinez refining company is
[19:04] basically launched a partner
[19:05] program with the local
[19:09] elementary school in martinez
[19:12] and with the dry age provide
[19:16] afterschool enrichment programs
[19:17] that are choral about choruses
[19:20] and singing and it is for
[19:21] grades k through five and they
[19:24] have 60 children signed up for
[19:25] it and this basically reflects
[19:28] the value of the partnership
[19:29] that we have with d-r, the
[19:32] bedford gallery kaleidoscope
[19:33] which is this current show will
[19:35] close on SEPTEMBER 13th.
[19:39] Kaleidoscope is a play on words
[19:39] .
[19:40] It's all sorts of images that
[19:44] are it's call of kaleidoscope
[19:46] has in kelly I just go and then
[19:50] the new show will open at the
[19:51] end of the month called
[19:54] portraits in tufte so textures
[19:58] and textiles and center reps
[19:58] opening night for glass
[19:59] menagerie is next week nd it
[20:02] should be a great show.
[20:05] Last week was the AUGUST
[20:06] meeting of recycle smart which
[20:07] is the central contra costa
[20:09] solid waste authority.
[20:13] We are in the process of
[20:13] implementation for the new
[20:14] franchise agreement which will
[20:17] start next spring and one of
[20:18] the things we learned the last
[20:21] week at our meeting and council
[20:22] member mayor pro tem fran so
[20:25] I'll sort of joins me on that
[20:26] board.
[20:26] One of the things we learned is
[20:29] that there are 68,000 single
[20:29] family households that we
[20:32] collect trash and recycling and
[20:36] organics waste from in orinda,
[20:37] morocco, lafayette, danville
[20:40] walnut creek and the
[20:40] unincorporated areas that
[20:44] surround s and about 30% of
[20:47] those single family homes will
[20:48] be having their day of pickup
[20:51] change in MARCH with the new
[20:52] routes and the new trucks.
[20:55] So there's a major campaign
[20:56] communications campaign that's
[20:59] going to be happening and all
[21:00] of us that were there said that
[21:03] our cities will be supportive
[21:04] of it with our whatever
[21:07] outreach we have, whether it's
[21:11] psa is on walnut creek tv, the
[21:11] nutshell city managers
[21:15] e-newsletter ecause it's going
[21:15] to come as a shock to people
[21:18] and there's lots of ways to
[21:19] communicate but it's also it's
[21:22] a third of the number of people
[21:23] the households that we have in
[21:26] the territory.
[21:27] Te other thing that's going to
[21:30] happen so starting NOVEMBER is
[21:31] one of the concerns that we
[21:34] have with the landfill the
[21:34] black card is that people
[21:38] overstuffed them or they leave
[21:41] extra trash in a bag next to
[21:42] the containers and these are a
[21:45] problem for a number of reason
[21:46] trash left on the ground is
[21:49] even if it's bagged can
[21:50] sometimes end up in the storm
[21:50] drains and then our public
[21:53] works people and the clean
[21:53] water people don't aren't happy
[21:57] plus it is more likely to
[22:01] damage the art when they're
[22:02] tipping it and causing trash to
[22:04] fall on the streets.
[22:05] Republic service currently in
[22:08] their ontract is allowed to
[22:09] charge $10 each time there's an
[22:12] overage like that and now they
[22:13] have the technology on the
[22:16] trucks to be able to know that
[22:16] every address that has
[22:20] overstuffed that means the lids
[22:21] not shutting tight, overstuffed
[22:25] or left with a bag at the side.
[22:26] So they're also going to be
[22:28] reaching out and letting us all
[22:29] the customers know that these
[22:31] charges will start and it's
[22:32] really important to realize
[22:35] that if you have it's every
[22:36] once in a while it's
[22:39] understandable.
[22:40] But if it's a regular
[22:41] occurrence, what you really
[22:41] need to do is rightsize your
[22:44] cart and pay for he cart that
[22:47] you need which if it's most
[22:48] people are at a 32 gallon cart
[22:50] and if you need a 64 gallon
[22:52] cart then you should get a 64
[22:53] gallon cart and you won't be
[22:56] having overage overage charges
[22:56] .
[22:57] And mayor pro tem, are you
[23:01] going to report on the schools
[23:02] or do you want me to do can
[23:04] okay I'll let I'll let the
[23:05] mayor pro tem do that and there
[23:05] have been a lot of activities
[23:08] and events and more to follow
[23:08] in the coming months.
[23:09] Great.
[23:13] Thank you very much.
[23:13] >> well actually let's go to
[23:14] mayor pro tem so we can just
[23:15] going to be of a follow up
[23:16] question on the the over stuff.
[23:17] >> I'm just curious that is
[23:20] this all the containers were
[23:21] they just just the black just
[23:24] the black okay.
[23:24] So linking the green waste in
[23:25] my mind I've always got a
[23:26] branch that's sticking out of
[23:27] the top and that's not so much
[23:28] of a problem.
[23:30] It's really that the black
[23:31] waste where they find the
[23:35] greatest level of it and one of
[23:35] our colleagues on the on the
[23:39] board suggested you make
[23:39] friends with your neighbor
[23:40] because maybe what you do is
[23:43] just take your bag down to your
[23:43] neighbors pin thank you for
[23:44] clarification.
[23:46] Yeah.
[23:47] Thank you mayor so I'll start
[23:50] with the recycle smart and
[23:51] councilmember silva, I just
[23:54] want to give a shout out to our
[23:55] great staff at that authority
[23:58] who not only put us in a good
[24:01] position to have new contracts
[24:02] for collection and post
[24:06] collection services, en year
[24:09] contracts two years in advance
[24:09] of the date that we needed them
[24:12] which is next MARCH but also
[24:13] now have prepared
[24:16] implementation plans, pretty
[24:17] detailed implementation plans
[24:21] and worked closely with all the
[24:21] providers including republic
[24:25] and mdr to make sure that we're
[24:26] going to hit the ground running
[24:29] next year which I have every
[24:32] confidence that we will.
[24:33] >> we did get our annual report
[24:36] school progress report and I'm
[24:40] pleased to announce that
[24:40] several walnut creek elementary
[24:44] schools as well as middle
[24:45] schools received waste buster
[24:48] awards which means they were
[24:51] successful in diverting 75% of
[24:55] waste from the black can or the
[24:55] garbage can.
[24:58] It went to organics or
[24:58] recycling.
[24:59] So these kids are getting the
[25:02] message and doing a great job
[25:03] and we all need to follow their
[25:05] lead.
[25:06] It was also interesting that
[25:09] los alamos high chool kind of
[25:12] clocked in at 71%.
[25:13] High schools are kind of the
[25:16] hardest demographic to get them
[25:17] to change their behavior.
[25:20] As many parents will know.
[25:21] And that's true when it comes
[25:24] to diverting trash from the
[25:25] black hand.
[25:25] But los alamos is doing a good
[25:28] job and I think north gate's
[25:31] numbers were up there as well.
[25:32] So that's recycle smart.
[25:35] I'm going to let the mayor
[25:36] mostly report on the partner
[25:40] city event with the youth
[25:40] delegation from kita city,
[25:44] japan.
[25:45] But thank you for including me
[25:45] in that.
[25:48] That was a really fun event at
[25:49] the leisure I know it was a
[25:51] week long event and there were
[25:52] a lot of behind the scene tours
[25:55] with staff but we I
[25:55] participated in the reception
[25:59] at the lesher rotunda where it
[26:03] was meaningful to hear from the
[26:06] students 15 students from kita
[26:09] city who had prepared a really
[26:09] beautiful powerpoint and spoke
[26:13] very good english in terms of
[26:14] and presenting their city.
[26:17] so look forward to welcoming
[26:17] that delegation next year you
[26:20] all will.
[26:24] Had I was able to step in for
[26:25] the mayor for an eagle scout
[26:28] court of honor a week or so ago
[26:32] and so really are just a a
[26:36] delight to to participate in
[26:36] those.
[26:37] It's quite an honor to see the
[26:40] years of accomplishment that
[26:41] have led to this pinnacle and
[26:44] the the adult leaders who are
[26:45] there every step of the way
[26:49] encouraging these young men on.
[26:49] Evan oh kinds.
[26:52] Robert peterson, william
[26:55] pickett and nathan wong and
[26:58] their projects ranged from
[26:59] constructing wooden steps to
[27:03] help the zookeepers at the
[27:04] oakland to access the lion
[27:07] exhibit more safely to creating
[27:10] windbreaks at contra costa
[27:14] sustainable farms creating owl
[27:17] boxes for endangered species at
[27:18] the lafayette reservoir and a
[27:18] backpack and school supply
[27:22] drive for monument crisis
[27:22] center.
[27:25] So well done to all of them and
[27:26] let's see I attended the
[27:29] rossmore board meeting last
[27:30] week and was able to give them
[27:33] an pdate on our JULY and
[27:33] AUGUST activities.
[27:37] They were attentive as always
[27:37] had good questions.
[27:40] They are interested in
[27:41] participating in the general
[27:44] plan update I assured them that
[27:45] they would be included in an
[27:49] outreach effort there and they
[27:52] had some questions about our dv
[27:52] strategic plan hich I was able
[27:55] to give them an update on.
[27:59] Let's see rounding things out.
[28:00] I was able to step in for the
[28:04] mayor for a ribbon cutting at a
[28:08] volunteer esthetics here on
[28:08] main street beautiful facility
[28:12] they do specialize in facial
[28:16] treatments and skin care.
[28:17] I think I will be back for a
[28:20] visit sometime soon.
[28:21] I wanted to congratulate mar
[28:23] and aisha.
[28:24] Apparently they have several
[28:27] their pakistani-americans at
[28:31] own several skin care type
[28:32] businesses in pakistan and
[28:35] other businesses here in
[28:38] california and this is their
[28:39] first location in walnut creek.
[28:40] So I was glad to see them there
[28:42] and he chamber was there
[28:43] giving them a warm welcome as
[28:46] well and then finally along
[28:49] with councilmember silva, I
[28:50] attended the moonlight on the
[28:54] mountain event on mount diablo
[28:54] a fundraiser for save mount
[28:58] diablo which is up on the
[28:59] mountain kind of going up the
[29:02] south gate and it's always a
[29:02] fun evening.
[29:05] It's beautiful location, great
[29:05] food.
[29:08] It got very cold.
[29:09] So even with the blankets
[29:13] people were kind of making a
[29:14] beeline for the busses while
[29:17] the live auction was still
[29:17] going on.
[29:18] But next year we'll all come
[29:21] prepared and that's my update.
[29:21] >> thank you mayor pro tem.
[29:24] Let's go to councilmember
[29:25] darling.
[29:25] >> thank you.
[29:29] Couple of things we all got a
[29:29] chance to I think you were
[29:30] there.
[29:32] You were there and I think you
[29:33] came with a civic crossing and
[29:36] got a tour of the new
[29:37] construction there and it's
[29:37] fascinating because the
[29:40] building is still inside and
[29:40] the inspector walked us around
[29:43] and explained all the different
[29:44] safety features that go into
[29:47] these multifamily buildings.
[29:47] So that was quite fun.
[29:52] You can tell I have been on
[29:52] vacation a lot earlier this
[29:53] year because I have traded my
[29:56] farmers market and I have been
[29:56] at the farmer's market two
[29:59] weeks in a row now which is
[30:02] always an entertaining time.
[30:03] We a number of us went to the
[30:06] chamber of commerce candidate
[30:07] forum this morning to hear from
[30:10] our there are two seats open
[30:10] and two people running so we
[30:13] had to hear from them.
[30:17] Other chamber news their 100
[30:17] year celebration will be
[30:21] OCTOBER 29th at kelly craft.
[30:25] So beer drinkers unite and head
[30:28] out to that angela ashley and
[30:29] her husband opened their house
[30:32] to a reception for the new
[30:33] chamber ceo.
[30:33] So that was really fun.
[30:34] I think most of us made it to
[30:36] that.
[30:37] >> the biggest things going on
[30:40] right now for me really are the
[30:40] emcee world.
[30:43] At our last meeting we walked
[30:44] through you know we'd had an ad
[30:47] hoc group working on the
[30:48] response to the marin civil
[30:52] grand jury and we have a draft
[30:52] that was approved at the last
[30:56] meeting that draft is being
[30:56] finalized for the chair
[30:59] signature and I should be able
[31:00] to distribute a copy of that to
[31:03] folks here in the city.
[31:06] But basically we went through
[31:07] each one of the grand juries
[31:10] discussion items and either
[31:10] agreed partially disagree,
[31:14] discuss you know, did a bunch
[31:15] of different things but
[31:17] basically we talked through in
[31:18] that report the things that
[31:19] we're doing to make the
[31:21] operations at mercy work better
[31:22] and that will be what we are
[31:25] doing between now and the end
[31:28] of the year.
[31:29] The next board meeting in
[31:29] -
[31:33] SEPTEMBER we will have the ceo
[31:37] search firm coming to us as a
[31:37] proposal as well as the first
[31:40] report we have a consultant
[31:41] that's working on governance
[31:42] because it's a very large
[31:42] board.
[31:45] The agency has grown
[31:45] tremendously.
[31:47] It's four different counties,
[31:51] 38 cities or 38 member agencies
[31:51] .
[31:52] So we're going to be hearing
[31:52] from that.
[31:54] The other thing that we are
[31:55] looking at with the california
[31:58] power grid is very complicated
[31:59] and we have been looking at how
[32:02] we are procuring ur power to
[32:03] make sure that we're maximizing
[32:06] the greenhouse gas benefits in
[32:07] our cost effective in that we
[32:10] have been holding a series of
[32:11] workshops a number of the folks
[32:14] in walnut creek and in contra
[32:15] costa county interested in
[32:17] sustainability have been coming
[32:17] .
[32:18] There is a survey in the field
[32:21] right ow that is ue by this
[32:22] friday and I've circulated that
[32:25] to the members in contra costa
[32:26] county that are interested in
[32:29] sustainability and mce.
[32:29] If anybody else would like a
[32:30] copy of it I can get that to
[32:32] them.
[32:33] But overall we have a lot of
[32:36] work to do between now and
[32:40] DECEMBER and we are looking at
[32:41] making sure that we are an
[32:44] agency that can work together
[32:44] effectively and represent our
[32:48] multitude in this multitude of
[32:49] rate payers in a way that makes
[32:49] sense.
[32:52] So that's my report for
[32:52] tonight.
[32:53] Thank you, councilmember
[32:53] darling.
[32:56] And then we have councilmember
[32:56] devinney.
[32:57] >> thank you, mayor.
[32:58] I have a brief report this
[33:01] evening I was able to attend
[33:04] two chamber events this last uh
[33:04] last go round.
[33:08] One was the business and social
[33:09] hour at the new diva workspace
[33:11] on tree boulevard.
[33:12] Very nice workspace.
[33:13] So someone's looking for
[33:16] something like that to get out
[33:16] of the house.
[33:19] Great destination and and
[33:23] want to thank dan and angela
[33:27] ashley angels our board f
[33:28] chair of the board for the
[33:28] chamber of commerce they opened
[33:31] up their home and we were there
[33:32] to celebrate katie barrows, the
[33:35] new PRESIDENT And ceo of the
[33:36] chamber and that was very nice
[33:39] of them.
[33:40] So thank you to them and that's
[33:40] all I've got to thank you.
[33:43] All right.
[33:44] Well lot's been covered but few
[33:44] of the things and I'll just
[33:46] expand a little bit upon what
[33:47] the mayor pro tem had mentioned
[33:48] about the key to the city
[33:50] students exchange which is
[33:51] really phenomenal.
[33:53] In fact I had many families
[33:54] that were northgate families
[33:55] came to me during the event
[33:58] saying how how wonderful this
[33:59] was for their own family to be
[34:01] able to have that and shared
[34:02] that experience.
[34:05] And if think about how was 3040
[34:06] years ago you'd have an
[34:10] exchange program, maybe they'd
[34:11] share a couple of letters and
[34:11] that would be it.
[34:12] But now between social media
[34:14] and emails I mean these
[34:14] students MAY be friends for
[34:17] decades and and visit each
[34:18] other in their own countries
[34:18] with their own families.
[34:21] So it's really phenomenal.
[34:22] And we already have talked
[34:25] about the 10th anniversary of
[34:26] when we had a partnership
[34:26] signing with them nine years
[34:29] ago and so next year the mayor
[34:30] will come out council members
[34:33] and leaders of the city will be
[34:36] out here next OCTOBER and we'll
[34:37] put on a show for walnut creek
[34:38] for them as well.
[34:39] So and you're not getting out
[34:41] of that well, you MAY not be
[34:42] sitting right here but you're
[34:43] going to be here as well for
[34:44] that.
[34:45] So anyway, terrific.
[34:45] We look forward to more
[34:48] exchanges with not only key to
[34:49] city but our sister cities the
[34:50] chatto and chio folk in the
[34:56] future I had the what a true
[34:56] pleasure to cut he ribbon for
[34:57] the 35th anniversary of
[35:00] springfield montessori.
[35:01] Now we cut a lot of ribbons
[35:02] here we go we go to new
[35:04] businesses.
[35:05] We don't have a lot of personal
[35:05] involvement with those
[35:06] businesses.
[35:08] We just met them and we wish
[35:09] them luck.
[35:09] We hope they're here for a long
[35:12] time my kids went to two
[35:13] montessori springfield
[35:13] montessori and they went there
[35:17] to seven and 25 years ago and
[35:21] so it was truly a leasure to
[35:21] be able to see the the
[35:25] executive is running
[35:25] springfield montessori and
[35:26] bringing back some of the
[35:29] former teachers that my own
[35:32] kids had and this is how this
[35:33] MAY be the best endorsement
[35:34] that I can actually give of of
[35:36] springfield montessori of
[35:37] course I remember the teachers
[35:41] they remembered my kids they
[35:42] remembered shane and dario when
[35:45] they were two years old and one
[35:45] year old.
[35:48] They remembered their best
[35:48] fiends.
[35:49] They remembered that the the
[35:52] grandmother of orioles named
[35:53] bobby I mean amazing and this
[35:57] is the care that they put into
[35:58] the kids that truly become part
[36:00] of their own family too.
[36:01] So it was truly a wonderful
[36:05] experience to be able to cut
[36:05] the ribbon on that and thank
[36:07] you to to mike and cassava for
[36:08] joining me on that one.
[36:09] I also had the opportunity to
[36:12] meet with you csf benioff with
[36:13] their government relations
[36:16] person and talking about
[36:16] obviously there's a lot of
[36:19] investment that's coming from
[36:20] ucsf and benioff right now so
[36:24] talk really about how we're be
[36:27] able to open those discussions
[36:28] and future opportunities and
[36:28] working with them.
[36:31] So just a nice welcoming
[36:31] meeting on that one.
[36:32] You heard about the meeting of
[36:35] the chamber ceo katie burroughs
[36:36] and the meeting of he
[36:39] candidates today.
[36:43] I will I will wrap it up by
[36:43] saying that there's going to be
[36:46] some interesting things that
[36:47] I'm hoping to see with walnut
[36:50] creek downtown over the next
[36:51] few months and into next year.
[36:53] I haven't been at one of the
[36:54] meetings now for about six
[36:54] weeks.
[36:56] We'll have another 1 in 2 weeks
[36:57] and one of the things that
[36:57] we're talking about is making
[36:59] more of a tie in between the
[37:00] lecture center and some of the
[37:03] businesses that are downtown
[37:04] and what we can do to really
[37:04] help to foment those ties and
[37:08] if you come if you're coming to
[37:08] a performance, there ould be
[37:11] an opportunity to be able to
[37:12] get a discount and save some
[37:14] money at some of the other
[37:15] restaurants or services
[37:15] downtown.
[37:16] So we're working on that and
[37:18] I'm looking forward to seeing
[37:19] how that progresses nd I'm not
[37:21] going to say much else about
[37:22] walnut creek downtown right now
[37:23] because the last time I spoke
[37:25] at the city council meeting
[37:26] that comment went viral and we
[37:29] were mentioned on people
[37:30] magazine as the viral comment
[37:32] of the of the week in the
[37:33] nation evidently.
[37:33] And so I'm not going to talk
[37:37] about nicknames just going to
[37:37] say let's close this portion of
[37:40] the agenda item and that is my
[37:44] update.
[37:45] So next on the agenda is
[37:48] consideration item for policy
[37:51] direction on regulation of
[37:52] short term rentals and I invite
[37:52] community development director
[37:55] erica vanden brand forward to
[38:02] provide the presentation.
[38:06] Thank you very much mayor mayor
[38:10] pro tem council I am erica van
[38:11] and brown the community
[38:11] development director to talk
[38:12] about the regulation of short
[38:13] term rentals.
[38:14] So the request that we have of
[38:19] council right now is to we're
[38:21] seeking a policy direction on
[38:22] the regulation of short term
[38:25] rentals.
[38:26] So what is a short term rental
[38:29] essentially it's a rental that
[38:30] occurs less than 30 days and
[38:33] it's typically a home or a
[38:34] portion of a home or a room
[38:37] during that time period.
[38:41] And the reason why that we'd
[38:41] like to consider you to
[38:44] consider some I'm looking at
[38:45] whether or not there are
[38:45] changes needed in the
[38:48] regulation is that since the
[38:49] ordinance was first adopted
[38:52] there have been several things
[38:53] that have been happening.
[38:53] So one is that there's an
[38:56] affordable housing crisis in
[38:57] the state and that whenever
[39:00] short term rentals of homes are
[39:03] you know, done or you know as a
[39:04] business it takes away the
[39:06] potential stock for longer term
[39:07] housing.
[39:10] >> other trends are that you
[39:11] know, short term rentals are an
[39:14] increasingly desirable lodging
[39:15] option that people look for to
[39:16] have a you know, a more home
[39:18] oriented environment whether
[39:19] they're on vacation, traveling
[39:22] or recovering from a medical
[39:27] procedure or an event so that
[39:27] there's technology technology
[39:31] has made great advances that
[39:31] has really reduced the friction
[39:34] and essentially the interaction
[39:37] between homeowners and visitors
[39:38] to quickly connect and then
[39:41] transact these rental agreement
[39:42] .
[39:42] -
[39:42] so we've all heard about airbnb
[39:46] and the rba etc. And so it's
[39:47] really you know you can get
[39:51] into this as a business with a
[39:53] very low bar then there's
[39:54] clarity.
[39:58] >> so the city as do many
[39:59] cities actually we currently
[40:01] regulate the short term rental
[40:02] through a bed and breakfast
[40:05] ordinance and then this
[40:05] requires a conditional use
[40:08] permit so that in rder to
[40:09] bring a business into
[40:12] compliance they have to go
[40:12] through a fairly lengthy
[40:16] process to be able to operate
[40:19] within the city's parameters.
[40:19] Then of course there's
[40:20] administration so that there's
[40:23] program administration
[40:27] enforcement and that while you
[40:27] know it's certainly possible
[40:31] and we do regulate, you know,
[40:32] the businesses this way and
[40:34] enforce it create some
[40:35] challenges for us with clarity.
[40:38] And then there's the transient
[40:38] occupancy tax that there's
[40:42] revenue collection that until
[40:42] folks come into compliance it's
[40:46] very difficult o compel
[40:47] compliance with collecting that
[40:47] tax.
[40:50] Now one of the other changes
[40:51] that's happened is that under
[40:54] state law these platforms are
[40:57] now required to provide data to
[40:58] us jurisdictions on who's
[41:02] operating where and how many
[41:02] days etc. So that there's the
[41:05] ability to more efficiently
[41:08] collect that tax revenue.
[41:12] >> so this is a snapshot of
[41:13] short term rentals in walnut
[41:16] creek you'll notice a couple of
[41:16] things.
[41:17] You'll notice that there are
[41:20] 111 properties advertised but
[41:21] certainly the map that's there
[41:23] doesn't have 111 properties on
[41:23] it.
[41:26] That's because things change on
[41:27] almost a daily basis.
[41:28] So it's essentially looking at
[41:30] inventory within the
[41:31] marketplace.
[41:31] This data these data are
[41:35] provided by our business
[41:38] license folks who are who've
[41:39] been tasked with trying to help
[41:42] us look at the different
[41:43] numbers with this.
[41:46] So while there MAY be 111
[41:46] properties advertised across
[41:49] the different multiple
[41:52] platforms, there are over 265
[41:53] listings for those 111
[41:56] properties yet of that only 13
[41:57] are registered and are playing
[42:00] on their business licenses and
[42:04] some level of the total and of
[42:04] these only three have
[42:05] conditional use permits having
[42:08] gone through the entire process
[42:11] to essentially operate
[42:12] legitimately within the city.
[42:15] Well we also found out from
[42:16] hdl, our consultant who's
[42:19] responsible for our business
[42:22] licenses is that their estimate
[42:23] based on their best guesses is
[42:27] that the amount of additional
[42:28] totty that the city ight
[42:31] realize if we were to more I
[42:35] guess make it easier to be able
[42:36] to access short term rentals
[42:39] would be just under $169,000 in
[42:43] revenue.
[42:44] So to give you some perspective
[42:47] how to nearby urisdiction
[42:48] funds regulate short term
[42:51] rentals.
[42:52] >> so the cities of brentwood
[42:55] concord in the town of danville
[42:58] each prohibit rentals under 31
[42:59] days so they essentially ban
[43:02] short term rentals.
[43:03] Others like dublin, you know,
[43:06] use the brighton bed and
[43:07] breakfast ordinance as do we
[43:10] and then still others like
[43:11] orinda and san ramon and then
[43:14] contra costa county use short
[43:18] term rental permit so you know
[43:18] a more administrative permit
[43:22] type of process and then in
[43:25] addition you know in all the
[43:26] reading test notes on the right
[43:26] hand side there are some
[43:30] nuances about you know, s it
[43:33] hosted not hosted operating,
[43:34] you know, certain number of
[43:34] days and so forth.
[43:37] Is it a onditional use permit
[43:38] ?
[43:38] But I just offer this
[43:39] information to you just as you
[43:42] know, sort of a like a start of
[43:45] what's going on.
[43:49] >> so give that information and
[43:50] what you know, you know about
[43:53] short term rentals we are
[43:56] requesting guidance about first
[43:57] short short short term rentals
[44:01] be allowed in the in the city
[44:02] or should they be disallowed.
[44:04] However, if they are allowed
[44:05] should the city continue to
[44:06] regulate them as a bed and
[44:09] breakfast or develop a more
[44:10] streamlined option for
[44:13] consideration for council's
[44:16] consideration and should
[44:17] council provide direction on
[44:20] that in that manner?
[44:21] What aspects might you be
[44:24] interested in getting eedback
[44:25] on from the planning commission
[44:28] the community so things like
[44:28] you know should a short term
[44:31] rental be hosted or not hosted
[44:35] lcation restrictions if any
[44:36] maximum rental duration
[44:40] operational require minutes and
[44:41] then permissibility of events
[44:43] and anything else.
[44:44] So I think that you know just
[44:47] to also give you a little bit
[44:48] of context, our current bed and
[44:52] breakfast ordinance, you know
[44:53] has no more than one week and
[44:56] it has you know, has a week
[44:56] duration.
[44:58] I has 500ft away in certain
[44:59] locations, you know, from
[45:02] arterials and collector
[45:02] streets.
[45:03] it does not require that a host
[45:06] be present.
[45:07] So you know, just to give you
[45:10] some you know, I guess
[45:11] information about that and so
[45:14] with that any questions?
[45:14] >> okay.
[45:17] Thank you, erika, do we have
[45:18] any I'm sure we do have
[45:21] questions.
[45:22] Let's start start with
[45:23] councilmember delaney first.
[45:24] >> all right.
[45:27] Thank you for the presentation
[45:27] .
[45:30] >> I I'm curious so we're using
[45:31] digital companies, right?
[45:38] And and we've are we right now
[45:39] in a relationship with them
[45:42] where they're helping us with
[45:42] like discovery and compliance
[45:43] of short term rentals and
[45:50] collecting of totty so we have
[45:50] them available for that action
[45:53] but we need to be able to get
[45:54] more clarity on what we're
[45:58] actually enforcing nd how and
[46:02] each effort to bring in check
[46:02] compliance.
[46:05] There's significant amount of
[46:06] work that needs to be done so
[46:09] that as I had noted earlier,
[46:10] that to regulate a short term
[46:13] rental requires a conditional
[46:14] use permit and there's a whole
[46:17] body of ork that needs to
[46:18] occur with an applicant to
[46:20] bring that forward to planning
[46:21] commission.
[46:24] So with 108 nd 11
[46:27] opportunities to do that it
[46:28] takes a little bit.
[46:31] But that was but to understand
[46:32] that that is within the scope
[46:35] of the contract that we entered
[46:36] with them was to help us with
[46:39] that collection and so yes,
[46:39] they have that capacity
[46:40] ability.
[46:42] I think that we have you know,
[46:43] we have had a lighter touch
[46:46] with them just simply because
[46:47] they you know, they've been
[46:50] collecting top tax for us and
[46:51] so forth as part of the
[46:54] business licensing process.
[46:57] But as part of the workflow one
[46:58] of the things they ask is are
[47:01] are they a legitimate business?
[47:02] Have they gone through and
[47:03] gotten the conditional use
[47:05] permit?
[47:06] And so that's where there's
[47:09] some you know are out in the
[47:10] community trying to get folks
[47:11] to actually go through the
[47:14] process to be able to have the
[47:17] conditional use permits.
[47:18] You know, I can add to that if
[47:19] you would like.
[47:21] So in terms of as eric is
[47:22] noted, they primarily do our
[47:22] business license.
[47:25] They also can do this service
[47:28] we have chosen prior to having
[47:29] this discussion to input that
[47:33] we have not asked them to
[47:36] proactively enforce and collect
[47:37] the totty and ask them to come
[47:38] into compliance for the reasons
[47:41] noted that if we had 111 come
[47:44] in to actively comply we
[47:44] couldn't handle that type of
[47:48] volume at this point because of
[47:48] the process involved.
[47:51] So what they have been doing
[47:52] those that have come in and
[47:53] have requested to pay they're
[47:57] certainly collecting and doing
[47:57] the business license but we
[48:00] also felt that we should not go
[48:03] out and actively ask a 111 to
[48:03] be paying the totty if we're
[48:06] not giving them an avenue to
[48:07] come into compliance and given
[48:10] the current regulations and how
[48:11] burdensome it is, we don't
[48:12] think we can handle that type
[48:12] of volume all at once.
[48:14] So we wanted to have this
[48:15] discussion about how to proceed
[48:18] with potential changes f the
[48:19] decision were to continue with
[48:22] the bed and breakfast ordinance
[48:23] going forward we'd have to talk
[48:26] through about how do we try to
[48:26] sequence that work so that it's
[48:29] manageable if we expect all to
[48:30] come into compliance under the
[48:31] current regulations and if we
[48:33] did create a more streamlined
[48:34] process, would we would we
[48:36] outsource that to a third party
[48:37] to handle that for us?
[48:41] So there if we created a more
[48:41] streamlined process we could
[48:45] outsource a portion of that in
[48:46] terms of communicating the you
[48:48] know, the initial requirements
[48:52] and but there would still be
[48:53] work I'm involved on by city
[48:56] staff but it wouldn't be nearly
[48:57] as labor intensive and it
[49:00] wouldn't need to have all the
[49:00] preparatory work and legal
[49:03] costs that are associated with
[49:04] a conditional use permit
[49:05] process with the planning
[49:05] commission.
[49:10] Okay I saw live 111 was the
[49:14] number I think our last meeting
[49:15] and I had looked the number up
[49:15] myself.
[49:17] I got something like 197 off of
[49:20] their hair dna which apparently
[49:25] does look for duplicates.
[49:25] So what would it do?
[49:26] We feel like this is a more
[49:29] accurate number with why the
[49:29] big difference in those two.
[49:32] >> so this is a snapshot in
[49:33] time that ur consultant gave
[49:36] to us and as I head indicated
[49:37] it changes on a daily basis how
[49:41] many are advertised out there
[49:41] in the marketplace?
[49:42] And then one of the other
[49:45] nuance pieces to this is that
[49:50] it MAY read, if you will or be
[49:50] characterized as a walnut creek
[49:53] you know, short term rental but
[49:56] it could be an unincorporated,
[49:57] you know, contra costa county
[50:00] or it could be giving a walnut
[50:04] creek address quote unquote in
[50:05] one of the you know, in a
[50:05] neighboring jurisdiction that
[50:09] bands airbnbs and short term
[50:10] rentals and so forth.
[50:13] >> so that our feeling is that
[50:14] the the 111 number is more
[50:17] accurate than the 197 or we're
[50:21] sort of like I'm trying to get
[50:22] a sense of the scope because
[50:23] when we estimate the 168,000
[50:27] when look at that number and
[50:28] think about well if we got like
[50:30] half of the properties in a
[50:35] compliance and they were
[50:35] generating say I think
[50:38] currently that the the place
[50:39] that the short term rentals are
[50:41] about 70% occupied and they're
[50:44] averaging like $175 a night
[50:45] there's the numbers that I
[50:48] looked at but you can correct
[50:49] me if there's a more accurate
[50:49] number but that would generate
[50:52] more like the 4 or 5 plus
[50:55] hundred thousand and in totty.
[50:58] So I was also looking at 168
[50:59] and wondering how we arrived at
[50:59] that.
[51:02] So I, I don't want to speak
[51:03] exactly on behalf of our
[51:06] consultant but what they've
[51:06] conveyed to us is that you
[51:09] know, again they are able to
[51:10] look at any point in time and
[51:13] so you at a different point in
[51:14] time MAY have seen more
[51:16] advertised and you know
[51:17] different parameters and so
[51:20] forth but they looked at that
[51:24] and then what they also tell us
[51:25] is that whenever there's a what
[51:25] their experience has been in
[51:28] the past is that whenever
[51:29] there's a significant effort to
[51:32] bring short term rentals into
[51:32] compliance, some people will
[51:36] drop out of the marketplace so
[51:36] that that diminishes the number
[51:39] of short term rentals and then
[51:42] of that of those the remaining
[51:43] folks decide whether or not
[51:47] they want to, you know, go
[51:47] through the effort for, you
[51:50] know, a ish how many days,
[51:51] etc. And again it depends on
[51:54] the type of regulation whether
[51:55] it's hosted, non hosted, etc..
[51:55] >> okay.
[51:59] However, like a legal question,
[52:02] my understanding is that
[52:03] there's been laws passed that
[52:03] sort of compel now these online
[52:06] platforms to remit to not
[52:10] directly to the cities does
[52:11] that is that accurate and does
[52:14] it require us say passing an
[52:15] ordinance to sort of press them
[52:19] on that or what what does that
[52:19] landscape of new laws require
[52:22] them to report that there are
[52:23] airbnb or short term rentals
[52:26] happening in your city that are
[52:27] being facilitated on their
[52:27] website?
[52:31] So airbnb vibro they don't
[52:32] actually require them to remit
[52:35] the tax to us.
[52:36] The city collects the tax.
[52:38] Okay I, I read that some cities
[52:39] are collecting the majority of
[52:42] their totty like through the
[52:42] platforms you can collect them
[52:46] through the platform the host
[52:49] needs to needs to identify the
[52:54] tax as part of the rental and
[52:57] then the the individual the
[53:01] renter if you will pays it.
[53:02] I'm not exactly sure whether
[53:02] the dollars are then remitted
[53:06] directly to the city or they're
[53:06] remitted to the to the owner
[53:09] who then remits them to the
[53:10] city because as you recall with
[53:12] toti those are remitted to the
[53:13] hotel operators and then the
[53:16] hotel operators remit them to
[53:17] the city on a on a periodic
[53:17] basis.
[53:20] I think the airbnb is operate
[53:20] the same way.
[53:20] Okay.
[53:24] And I think I read there was a
[53:27] city that had sort of passed
[53:28] some sort f legislation or
[53:31] ordinance locally that didn't
[53:31] allow these platforms to
[53:35] operate in their city unless
[53:37] they you know, helped with the
[53:40] itot like portion f it
[53:41] whatever that looks like that I
[53:44] mean that MAY have been cracked
[53:44] before but by state law they're
[53:47] now requiring help.
[53:47] Yes.
[53:47] All right.
[53:49] And with with 80 use I have a
[53:53] question about it use I believe
[53:57] in 2020 we passed an ordinance
[54:01] saying that there would be no
[54:02] short erm rentals that 80 use
[54:06] would we would no longer do
[54:07] short term rentals only to use.
[54:07] Is that is that accurate?
[54:10] That is correct.
[54:10] Okay.
[54:11] So and that was based off of
[54:14] state law.
[54:14] Okay.
[54:15] State law also allows us to
[54:19] prohibit 80 use that were built
[54:22] prior to that but that would be
[54:22] a discretionary action on the
[54:26] part of council.
[54:27] I understand that since that
[54:27] that that law was passed at the
[54:30] state level in 2020, there's
[54:33] been some some manipulations of
[54:34] it and that that might not
[54:38] necessarily apply to all to use
[54:40] at this point after the year
[54:41] 2020 from a state law
[54:43] standpoint, does our current is
[54:44] that is that a an accurate
[54:49] picture or do you believe that
[54:52] 100% unqualified all e we can
[54:52] confirm that but my my
[54:53] understanding of it right now
[54:56] is that 80 use that are built
[54:57] pursuant to the recent 82 state
[55:00] laws are prohibited from being
[55:00] used for short term rentals but
[55:03] that that might be if they only
[55:03] allowed that if they used the
[55:07] law to build it so to speak
[55:08] like I was just that's correct.
[55:09] If they if they use if they
[55:12] relied on the law for the
[55:13] purposes of getting the 80 you
[55:15] built which is the way or at
[55:15] least most of the recent ones
[55:18] have been built have been
[55:19] pursuant to the state laws
[55:21] because they are there more
[55:26] expedited and more streamlined
[55:26] in their approval process than
[55:30] what we're historically local
[55:30] zoning requirements associated
[55:31] with 80 use.
[55:34] So it's probably safe to assume
[55:35] most people are using that.
[55:35] But would we would it be wise
[55:38] for us or or should we look at
[55:39] our ordinance and see that
[55:41] maybe we should revise it to
[55:42] say something like only
[55:45] eligible short term rent or
[55:50] eligible to use MAY be eligible
[55:51] for so our current rate our
[55:54] current ordinance I'm sorry
[55:54] accordant our current ordinance
[55:58] currently prohibits 80 use that
[56:01] were constructed since that
[56:02] since 2020 to be or to be used
[56:05] as short term rentals.
[56:06] So regardless of whether it is
[56:09] following state law or whatever
[56:09] so that could you know in the
[56:13] case that you offer be
[56:14] construed as being more
[56:16] stringent merchants than maybe
[56:17] just an opportunity to look at
[56:17] eligibility for those?
[56:20] Okay.
[56:21] That's it for my my questions
[56:21] right now.
[56:24] thank you, mayor pro tem thank
[56:24] you.
[56:27] >> you asked a lot of mind but
[56:28] just to clarify on the
[56:32] collection of the total because
[56:32] I had heard information I think
[56:34] similar information to
[56:35] councilmember devinney that it
[56:38] was kind of more of an ottoman
[56:42] automatic process that airbnb
[56:43] would remit the territory to
[56:47] the city but it sounds like
[56:47] they they would inform us that
[56:51] there's a registered board
[56:51] short term rental on their
[56:54] platform and then we would
[56:55] still need to hire a consultant
[56:59] like hdl to collect the total.
[57:02] >> so maybe a different way of
[57:06] explaining it is that these
[57:06] certain platforms and certainly
[57:10] the ones that are more
[57:11] sophisticated like the rpo and
[57:13] airbnb have an ability to
[57:14] essentially do that accounting
[57:17] feature with them so that you
[57:18] as a business owner are able to
[57:21] track and then remit your you
[57:24] know, business taxes and so
[57:25] forth and keep track of your
[57:26] income too so you can pay your
[57:28] federal income taxes.
[57:29] >> okay.
[57:32] Maybe you know as we as the
[57:33] conversation goes on maybe
[57:33] that's something obviously
[57:36] there's if there's way to
[57:37] streamline the process further,
[57:39] that would be good and then you
[57:42] know, I'm curious in terms of
[57:43] you know, from both egal and
[57:47] planning perspectives, you
[57:48] know, if we were to streamline
[57:51] the process, would we still
[57:54] have the enforcement ability if
[57:55] if a business is operating once
[57:59] or more times is a nuisance if
[58:01] it was just a kind of a
[58:02] business license type permit,
[58:06] you know, to what extent could
[58:06] we revoke that?
[58:10] >> so I forgive me my
[58:11] colleagues that deal with
[58:13] outdoor dining but that closest
[58:14] analogy is that with an
[58:15] operators permit and so it's
[58:18] the it's very similar to you
[58:21] know an aup or chp having been
[58:25] required for alcohol and then
[58:26] with outdoor dining and so that
[58:29] those have you know rocesses
[58:30] associated with it.
[58:33] But whenever we went over to
[58:34] our outdoor dining there was an
[58:37] operators permit that provided
[58:38] very clear direction on here
[58:41] are the norms etc. Here are the
[58:42] things you need to comply with
[58:42] and if you're in violation of
[58:45] it this operators permit can be
[58:46] pulled.
[58:49] Same thing could be true and
[58:50] the way that it operates in
[58:53] other cities so that based off
[58:54] of that versus going through a
[58:57] more complex and lengthy and
[59:00] legally costly process to pull
[59:01] a conditional use permit.
[59:01] >> okay.
[59:04] That's helpful.
[59:07] And then in terms of the 170 or
[59:08] 190 folks that don't currently
[59:11] have a permit but want to
[59:12] continue to operate short term
[59:15] rentals, what's staff's plan to
[59:18] bring them into compliance?
[59:19] >> well, our first plan was to
[59:20] ask the question of council
[59:23] policy direction on whether or
[59:24] not you wanted to ban or
[59:27] continue to allow it.
[59:30] So with that question once that
[59:31] is answered then we can develop
[59:35] a plan to be able to, you know,
[59:35] follow policy direction so that
[59:39] if you know if council's
[59:43] choices to continue on in the
[59:44] the bed and breakfast model
[59:47] then things would remain
[59:48] largely the same for all the
[59:51] same reasons if council instead
[59:52] were to choose to go to more of
[59:55] an operators permit type of
[59:58] program then we wouldn't need
[59:59] to essentially stand up a
[1:00:00] program much the way that the
[1:00:03] outdoor dining program was
[1:00:04] stood up and you know come up
[1:00:06] with parameters and so forth
[1:00:10] and then bring that to council
[1:00:11] ,you know, for adoption along
[1:00:13] with the new ordinance.
[1:00:14] And just finally, do we have
[1:00:18] kind of any stimates of what
[1:00:18] the cost and time would be to
[1:00:23] obtain an operators permit or
[1:00:24] no?
[1:00:25] I we can certainly look into
[1:00:28] that if that is council's will
[1:00:31] to go to a different type of
[1:00:32] regulation of short term
[1:00:33] rentals but we didn't want to
[1:00:36] get too far down the road and
[1:00:39] presupposing councils will okay
[1:00:39] thank you.
[1:00:43] Thank you councilmember darling
[1:00:44] thank you and thanks for the
[1:00:44] presentation and all the
[1:00:45] -
[1:00:46] thought that's obviously gone
[1:00:47] into I know in orinda the the
[1:00:50] big impetus for their ordinance
[1:00:51] was the party that went
[1:00:55] horribly wrong up there.
[1:00:55] What's been our experience with
[1:00:59] calls for service from pd for
[1:00:59] the short term rentals?
[1:01:02] Have we had much of that here?
[1:01:03] So it was much more prevalent
[1:01:06] during covid less so now but
[1:01:11] you know pd responds for that
[1:01:14] most of he types of feedback
[1:01:15] we get about the short term
[1:01:15] rentals are from neighbors.
[1:01:19] Some of it might be you know on
[1:01:22] noise related, some of it might
[1:01:23] be people not being able to
[1:01:26] find their short term rental
[1:01:27] late at night and so that and
[1:01:30] knocking on the wrong door and
[1:01:31] talking with pd that hasn't
[1:01:34] been you know it calls for
[1:01:35] service at short term rentals
[1:01:37] hasn't been a significant you
[1:01:42] know reason for calls for
[1:01:42] service.
[1:01:45] >> okay that's good to know so
[1:01:46] I know the bed and breakfast
[1:01:49] ordinance limits it to within
[1:01:49] 500ft of an arterial or
[1:01:52] collector street does that
[1:01:53] effectively does that actually
[1:01:57] does that make no never mind
[1:01:58] when you're out there or is
[1:02:00] that a relatively difficult
[1:02:01] requirement to comply with just
[1:02:04] thinking about keeping people
[1:02:05] on the edge of neighborhoods
[1:02:06] rather than deep into a
[1:02:12] neighborhood so it I think you
[1:02:13] know, it's just it's a criteria
[1:02:15] in the someone would need to
[1:02:16] comply ith but there are
[1:02:20] numerous homes that are on that
[1:02:21] you know that meet that
[1:02:24] criteria so as to whether or
[1:02:28] not it helps or hurts and the
[1:02:28] ability to operate that
[1:02:29] business.
[1:02:31] We haven't seen any evidence
[1:02:32] one way or the other.
[1:02:32] >> okay.
[1:02:36] And then if we go through this
[1:02:36] and come up I know when we
[1:02:39] originally were working on
[1:02:42] alcohol permits there was one
[1:02:43] set of standards and if you're
[1:02:44] willing to live with that you
[1:02:46] could get the easy permit and
[1:02:47] if you really wanted to push
[1:02:49] things you could get the hard
[1:02:50] permit.
[1:02:50] Could is something like that
[1:02:52] possible here?
[1:02:54] For example, if somebody is on
[1:02:57] site limits people to you know,
[1:03:01] a certain number they could get
[1:03:04] a more easily acquired permit
[1:03:05] but if they want to have a site
[1:03:08] where hey can not be there, do
[1:03:11] different things.
[1:03:12] So that is definitely possible.
[1:03:15] There are examples of that in
[1:03:16] the information provided in
[1:03:16] your packet.
[1:03:19] Usually those you know the
[1:03:23] differences etc. You know it's
[1:03:24] like here you have a permit
[1:03:27] type of you know process and
[1:03:28] then if you want to do
[1:03:31] something different usually you
[1:03:32] know they've mentioned it in
[1:03:32] the context of having events
[1:03:35] and hosting events and so forth
[1:03:36] and that you you know, would go
[1:03:39] through a separate process
[1:03:39] getting a special event permit
[1:03:42] as an example.
[1:03:43] You know, we certainly in the
[1:03:47] example that ou offered that
[1:03:48] there's the potential to if you
[1:03:51] want to have it hosted do it
[1:03:52] one way if you want to have it
[1:03:52] on the hosted then you go
[1:03:55] through you know, presumably a
[1:03:55] conditional use on process.
[1:03:56] >> okay.
[1:03:59] I would just add if I if I MAY,
[1:04:00] you know a consideration along
[1:04:01] those lines if we were to head
[1:04:03] down that path is the
[1:04:06] complexity in terms of the
[1:04:07] application process and
[1:04:09] explaining that rocess through
[1:04:10] potential applicants and then
[1:04:11] it does make enforcement more
[1:04:14] complicated if we get a
[1:04:15] complaint what's allowed or not
[1:04:16] allowed having to know that by
[1:04:18] address as compared to knowing
[1:04:19] across the board what are the
[1:04:22] standards.
[1:04:23] So those would be some
[1:04:23] tradeoffs and considerations if
[1:04:26] we had a bifurcated approach.
[1:04:27] Yeah, it's good to good to know
[1:04:29] because it's okay.
[1:04:31] And then if we were to do an
[1:04:34] operator type permit, would
[1:04:34] there still be notice for
[1:04:37] neighbors to come and express
[1:04:40] their opinion on it?
[1:04:41] >> unclear.
[1:04:42] And the reason why I say that
[1:04:45] it's unclear because there is
[1:04:49] the in most of the examples
[1:04:52] that are out there currently
[1:04:52] it's done know through a
[1:04:56] process that doesn't require
[1:04:56] that notification.
[1:04:59] It's more administrative trying
[1:05:04] to insert that required meant
[1:05:04] and there as a condition of
[1:05:05] receiving an administrative
[1:05:08] permit creates a whole other
[1:05:11] set of things to consider which
[1:05:12] we haven't thought through yet.
[1:05:14] Okay.
[1:05:15] >> and then as far as it sounds
[1:05:18] like people kind of come and go
[1:05:21] out of the business so have we
[1:05:22] talked to any jurisdictions
[1:05:23] that have a limit on how many
[1:05:26] permits they issue in their
[1:05:27] city and how is that work if
[1:05:29] people are coming and going so
[1:05:34] there are jurisdiction ones out
[1:05:34] there typically in more you
[1:05:38] know, along shores or highly
[1:05:42] you know, tourism oriented that
[1:05:42] have programs like that.
[1:05:45] But our neighbors don't
[1:05:49] tpically and so there would
[1:05:50] need to be a justification as
[1:05:55] to why or you know you have 100
[1:05:55] groups or you're 101.
[1:05:57] You can't come in but then
[1:05:58] that's very difficult.
[1:05:58] And as you know, our city
[1:06:01] manager saying from an
[1:06:02] enforcement standpoint because
[1:06:05] you know, early discussion is
[1:06:06] at 190 or is a 111.
[1:06:08] Yeah.
[1:06:09] And then last question.
[1:06:12] You know, just thinking about
[1:06:16] how we encourage compliance,
[1:06:17] have we thought about an idea
[1:06:20] where if you apply in the first
[1:06:23] year of the program your
[1:06:26] application fee is much less
[1:06:27] but in out years have just some
[1:06:31] way to get people to want to
[1:06:34] come to see us upfront discount
[1:06:35] yeah that's it.
[1:06:38] So are you today again we were
[1:06:42] first focusing on the you know
[1:06:43] the policy question is council
[1:06:46] want to on diane or continue to
[1:06:49] allow this use and then in
[1:06:50] terms of perational kinds of
[1:06:51] things like you're talking
[1:06:54] about that would be a next step
[1:06:54] in the process if council's
[1:06:57] direction is to continue to
[1:06:58] allow or use but to do it
[1:07:00] differently than what we do
[1:07:01] now.
[1:07:01] >> okay.
[1:07:04] Thank you, councilmember silva.
[1:07:04] Thank you.
[1:07:05] Thank you very much for all of
[1:07:08] this work and for the continued
[1:07:11] patrol of some of our
[1:07:15] interesting operators.
[1:07:17] So let me start with c u p
[1:07:20] versus operator permit.
[1:07:20] I was on the planning
[1:07:24] commission but it was a ong
[1:07:24] time ago.
[1:07:25] My recollection is the c u p
[1:07:28] basically is more permanent
[1:07:31] than an operator permit which
[1:07:32] could be in fact you get it and
[1:07:38] you get a renewed etc. So I can
[1:07:42] answer this and how we're doing
[1:07:42] it more recently so I'm not
[1:07:47] going to step on our city
[1:07:47] attorney's toes I promise
[1:07:48] hassle the conditional use
[1:07:50] permit typically runs with them
[1:07:51] and however the way that we
[1:07:54] have been working through the
[1:07:55] process more recently is that
[1:07:58] once that operator ceases
[1:08:01] operations at that site then
[1:08:02] the permit sunset that's
[1:08:06] different as you had noted from
[1:08:07] the operators permit type f
[1:08:10] idea.
[1:08:10] most of the examples out there
[1:08:13] have an annual permit that gets
[1:08:14] done on a calendar year basis
[1:08:17] and that you have an incentive
[1:08:18] to come in early in the year as
[1:08:21] opposed to later and that you
[1:08:22] know everyone renews for that
[1:08:25] particular year and so and it's
[1:08:29] easier to both identify a
[1:08:33] violation with the operators
[1:08:37] permit than it is with the c, u
[1:08:38] p and to address it from a
[1:08:40] foresman standpoint because to
[1:08:44] address he c p it has to also
[1:08:45] go through a planning
[1:08:48] commission process as opposed
[1:08:49] to you know, a more
[1:08:52] administrative process that's
[1:08:53] also you know, subject to
[1:08:56] appeal etc. But it's a lot
[1:08:59] easier when they have ermits.
[1:09:03] So 111 1111 for no matter what
[1:09:05] the number is.
[1:09:06] One of the issues I think is
[1:09:09] that some of the operators that
[1:09:10] are advertising on these
[1:09:13] platforms you cannot tell where
[1:09:14] where if they're in the city
[1:09:15] limits or if they are in the
[1:09:17] unincorporated city.
[1:09:18] How can we actually figure that
[1:09:21] out?
[1:09:22] Is there gas?
[1:09:24] Is there do we have to make the
[1:09:25] elections department do it to
[1:09:26] figure out if that address is
[1:09:29] actually eligible to vote?
[1:09:32] >> so the on the platforms
[1:09:33] themselves it could be a little
[1:09:37] bit ambiguous but once the city
[1:09:38] has a specific address we have
[1:09:41] gas capability is that and we
[1:09:42] can find out you know is this
[1:09:46] advertise housing as a city of
[1:09:46] know within the city of walnut
[1:09:49] creek but they're actually in
[1:09:50] concord for example are they in
[1:09:53] the city of walnut creek or are
[1:09:54] they unincorporated contra
[1:09:54] costa county?
[1:09:55] okay.
[1:09:57] So 111 has hdl had an
[1:10:00] opportunity to consider the
[1:10:01] location related so we haven't
[1:10:04] gone down that path yet.
[1:10:05] And the reason why is because
[1:10:08] we wanted to get policy
[1:10:08] direction from council about
[1:10:12] whether or not you wanted to
[1:10:12] ban because that's one pathway
[1:10:15] and one set of enforcements or
[1:10:18] do we go a different round is
[1:10:22] the city are we allowed and I
[1:10:23] noticed in looking at or even
[1:10:23] in our bed and breakfast
[1:10:26] ordinance now and looking at a
[1:10:29] windows short term rental
[1:10:33] ordinance proximity and consent
[1:10:37] duration so 500ft from a major
[1:10:37] arterial or collector street is
[1:10:41] location specific and then
[1:10:42] there's the and you can't have
[1:10:42] more than three and within a
[1:10:45] certain distance because there
[1:10:45] is a lot of concern about
[1:10:49] oversaturation whether it's
[1:10:52] adult care facilities, alcohol
[1:10:57] sobering facility these and
[1:10:58] this as well are we able to
[1:11:04] specify that so we would look
[1:11:05] into it further as a practical
[1:11:08] matter we have many collector
[1:11:11] streets so the 500ft or more is
[1:11:15] not a huge delineate or of
[1:11:18] exclusion or inclusion in terms
[1:11:19] of looking at saturation and so
[1:11:22] forth.
[1:11:26] There are possibilities and we
[1:11:26] have gas capabilities but then
[1:11:30] the plot forms themselves and
[1:11:33] the ability to sort of cycle in
[1:11:34] and out because one day you
[1:11:36] know you have 190, another day
[1:11:40] you have a 111 and so we need
[1:11:41] to be we would need to be very
[1:11:44] vigilant and also have a lot of
[1:11:45] clarity about what the
[1:11:48] parameters are that councils
[1:11:49] are looking for in terms of
[1:11:52] what that density looks like
[1:11:52] under state law.
[1:11:56] >> are we able to limit the
[1:12:02] size or is it only specific to
[1:12:03] 80 use built after 2020 when
[1:12:04] that law went into effect with
[1:12:07] the concessions and the
[1:12:07] streamlining?
[1:12:11] So when you say size, could you
[1:12:14] mean could we say you cannot
[1:12:17] rent a home with five bedrooms
[1:12:20] as a short term rental which is
[1:12:21] more of a single family
[1:12:24] neighborhood home?
[1:12:28] I mean are you able to restrict
[1:12:29] the size to something small
[1:12:31] that would be considered larger
[1:12:32] than a hotel room but maller
[1:12:36] than a permanent home so that
[1:12:39] there are examples of that and
[1:12:40] certainly our current bed and
[1:12:43] breakfast ordinance that has a
[1:12:43] maximum number of rooms and
[1:12:44] number of people per room.
[1:12:47] So I can't see why not.
[1:12:48] >> you know the council has
[1:12:51] pretty broad authority on
[1:12:51] setting those types of
[1:12:52] requirements.
[1:12:55] You can ban them if you want to
[1:12:55] and so anything that is short
[1:12:58] of a ban is generally within
[1:12:59] the authority of the of the
[1:13:01] council.
[1:13:05] I think that answers the
[1:13:06] additional questions that
[1:13:06] have.
[1:13:06] Thank you.
[1:13:09] Thank you.
[1:13:10] Oh, thank you.
[1:13:10] And I think most of the
[1:13:11] questions I had have been
[1:13:13] answered one that I wanted to
[1:13:14] check on with you.
[1:13:16] I know that these are all
[1:13:17] snapshots in time but do you
[1:13:20] find that there are more short
[1:13:21] term rentals that are available
[1:13:22] downtown like in multifamily
[1:13:25] housing versus outskirts of
[1:13:28] neighborhoods at popcorn's
[1:13:31] around and so sometimes if
[1:13:32] there is a major event
[1:13:35] happening in downtown there
[1:13:36] will be a propensity to, you
[1:13:40] know, rent out a short term
[1:13:40] rental so that there's access
[1:13:44] to leisure centered here and of
[1:13:44] that and other times you know
[1:13:47] there are weddings or other
[1:13:47] things that are happening
[1:13:48] elsewhere and so proximity to
[1:13:51] how their farm or you know
[1:13:55] other amenities etc. Are also
[1:13:55] there.
[1:13:58] So it it depends and there's
[1:13:59] not a hard and fast rule about
[1:14:02] where okay.
[1:14:06] I would just add for context
[1:14:07] and correct me if I'm wrong on
[1:14:07] my housing units here ut
[1:14:10] roughly speaking we have about
[1:14:10] 34,000 housing units in walnut
[1:14:13] creek and we have somewhere
[1:14:14] between 100 to 200 short term
[1:14:17] rentals that we believe are
[1:14:18] operating.
[1:14:18] So on a percentage basis it's
[1:14:21] very small.
[1:14:22] We don't see a large cluster of
[1:14:24] any in one particular area or
[1:14:25] another.
[1:14:28] It's a fairly dynamic situation
[1:14:29] and given that it's a very
[1:14:30] fluid platform and it allows
[1:14:32] people that lexibility to rent
[1:14:33] or not rent so it is kind of
[1:14:34] bouncing around.
[1:14:36] I don't think we have a high
[1:14:37] concentration in any one
[1:14:39] particular area of the city.
[1:14:40] Okay.
[1:14:40] Thank you.
[1:14:41] I think that's my questions for
[1:14:43] now.
[1:14:44] >> mayor mayor, I wanted to
[1:14:45] just follow up on one issue I
[1:14:47] did check the airbnb website.
[1:14:51] They do have the technology to
[1:14:54] allow for directory maintenance
[1:14:55] remains two cities.
[1:14:55] it does require that they be
[1:14:59] required through some mechanism
[1:15:00] so we can check that further if
[1:15:02] the council would like to see
[1:15:03] what kind of mechanism is
[1:15:03] required.
[1:15:06] I am aware that many cities
[1:15:07] collect totti from short term
[1:15:10] rentals in the same way they
[1:15:14] collect totti from hotels that
[1:15:14] is the property owner.
[1:15:15] The business perator collects
[1:15:18] it and then remits it.
[1:15:19] But airbnb at least does have
[1:15:21] that technology in their system
[1:15:21] .
[1:15:25] Thank you.
[1:15:26] Great.
[1:15:26] All right.
[1:15:27] Well eric, I probably don't go
[1:15:27] too far because I have some
[1:15:30] more questions afterwards but
[1:15:30] for right now we're bringing
[1:15:33] this to the public and as any
[1:15:34] member of the public wish to
[1:15:35] provide public omment at this
[1:15:38] time, please come forward or
[1:15:38] use the raise hand feature
[1:15:40] press star nine if you're
[1:15:41] calling if you'd like to
[1:15:43] provide remote public comment
[1:15:44] if you are attending in person
[1:15:47] please complete a speaker id
[1:15:48] card line up behind the lectern
[1:15:51] at this time and written
[1:15:51] comments submitted have been
[1:15:52] posted.
[1:15:52] The city's website for public
[1:15:53] review are included in the
[1:15:56] meeting record but will not be
[1:15:56] separately read into the
[1:15:57] record.
[1:15:59] Each speaker will have two
[1:16:00] minutes to make the remarks and
[1:16:01] all remarks should be addressed
[1:16:03] to the city council and at this
[1:16:06] time we'll take public comment
[1:16:06] .
[1:16:07] Good evening everyone.
[1:16:10] Thank you.
[1:16:11] my name is lisa blanco and I
[1:16:17] live in the woodlands and oh
[1:16:20] boy this is kind of I could see
[1:16:25] the bit of the rat's nest this
[1:16:29] is because as a resident I feel
[1:16:33] that resident social zones
[1:16:34] should be for esidents
[1:16:37] mid-term long term residents
[1:16:37] and and not rent it out.
[1:16:41] On the other hand they're
[1:16:45] happening anyway and is the
[1:16:45] city benefiting from that in
[1:16:48] any way through totty or what
[1:16:51] have you?
[1:16:56] And I think I think as a
[1:17:02] resident I don't care for them
[1:17:02] .
[1:17:03] Call me lisa nimby blanco if
[1:17:07] you want and I don't think that
[1:17:10] they add to a neighborhood they
[1:17:13] take away from them.
[1:17:18] >> but I do see the ee he
[1:17:25] point of coming up with a maybe
[1:17:29] a better policy for these and I
[1:17:33] think a couple of things who
[1:17:37] are that neighbors residents
[1:17:41] actually residents should be
[1:17:45] involved for our input and then
[1:17:49] also that I know that the
[1:17:52] surrounding areas pretty much
[1:17:56] don't allow them and that at
[1:17:59] least one of them the owners
[1:18:03] have to conduct the stairs.
[1:18:07] So anyway, that's it.
[1:18:07] >> thank you ery much.
[1:18:09] Thank you.
[1:18:13] Next speaker please.
[1:18:17] My name is pamela trail.
[1:18:18] I live in the woodlands also.
[1:18:22] Oh, sorry.
[1:18:22] >> my name is pamela traill.
[1:18:25] I live in the woodlands also I
[1:18:26] agree with lisa's point the
[1:18:29] city is not benefiting
[1:18:30] financially.
[1:18:33] Tey seem reluctant to collect
[1:18:36] any fees for people who
[1:18:40] continuously violate in the
[1:18:44] face of the rules and I don't
[1:18:45] think they belong in the
[1:18:48] residence and for the last
[1:18:52] public meeting that took place
[1:18:55] very this issue there was only
[1:18:56] three days notice given to the
[1:18:59] public for their comments and
[1:19:03] that's not enough time for
[1:19:03] people to contribute their
[1:19:08] thoughts and I think the zoning
[1:19:12] should all and ermits should
[1:19:15] be done by us sites by site and
[1:19:19] in consideration it should be
[1:19:19] looked at if there is
[1:19:22] elementary schools nearby or
[1:19:23] daycares or places where young
[1:19:26] people gather in our
[1:19:27] neighborhood there's an
[1:19:30] elementary and a daycare two
[1:19:31] blocks away and that was not
[1:19:34] mentioned in the last council
[1:19:35] meeting.
[1:19:38] There needs to be some kind of
[1:19:39] a background check for the
[1:19:43] safety and community of the
[1:19:43] public and who's responsible
[1:19:46] for this background check and
[1:19:49] who do these checks include in
[1:19:50] the council decisions should be
[1:19:54] respectful of the people who
[1:19:57] elected them and permits should
[1:19:58] not be given to repeat
[1:20:01] offenders and action should be
[1:20:01] taken against their repeat
[1:20:05] offenders and my comment is
[1:20:09] specifically directed to you in
[1:20:10] the end of the last meeting
[1:20:13] regarding hector crouse giving
[1:20:17] him a lifeline maybe he could
[1:20:17] get a ermit when he continues
[1:20:20] to violate this week.
[1:20:21] >> thank you MR. Trail.
[1:20:30] Next speaker please.
[1:20:31] >> hi.
[1:20:31] Jan warren the woodlands.
[1:20:34] It's hard for me to read my
[1:20:35] notes.
[1:20:38] I do appreciate this topic
[1:20:38] being brought up.
[1:20:41] I think it was time passed time
[1:20:42] for us to look at what's
[1:20:43] happening in the world today,
[1:20:46] how things are being used that
[1:20:46] people don't use their housing
[1:20:50] or cars or anything else like
[1:20:50] they used to.
[1:20:54] So it would seem like if you
[1:20:54] had a more reasonable process
[1:20:57] more people would comply.
[1:20:58] I think it should be set up so
[1:21:04] the the remittance is included.
[1:21:05] I mean anything we do we go
[1:21:08] like you rent a car, you know,
[1:21:09] you got a whole line of things.
[1:21:12] I just got to selling things
[1:21:15] for a acation and then I'm
[1:21:16] always tell you all of them but
[1:21:19] you pay for them so my question
[1:21:23] my thought also has to do with
[1:21:24] what happens in hoa.
[1:21:27] A lot of people have hoa is I
[1:21:28] don't know if that matters or
[1:21:32] not and it seems to me that
[1:21:35] whether it's a neighborhood or
[1:21:35] ,you know, a high rise, we're
[1:21:36] building a lot more housing
[1:21:38] that's high rise.
[1:21:39] So I don't think you should
[1:21:40] discriminate from one or the
[1:21:42] other if they have something
[1:21:43] that they want to rent and
[1:21:44] they're following the rules,
[1:21:47] you know, maybe they're young
[1:21:47] and need some extra cash to
[1:21:48] meet their bills.
[1:21:50] Who knows?
[1:21:51] But at any rate, I do think we
[1:21:54] ought to continue to explore it
[1:21:57] and see how we can improve on
[1:21:57] it.
[1:22:01] Um and thanks for looking at
[1:22:01] it.
[1:22:01] Thank you.
[1:22:04] Jan?
[1:22:05] Looks like we have no more in
[1:22:08] person public comments we have
[1:22:09] any comments on the line?
[1:22:09] We have no one on two.
[1:22:11] Okay.
[1:22:12] So we will close public
[1:22:13] comment, bring it back to
[1:22:15] council for any further
[1:22:16] questions or comments and let
[1:22:22] me just ask erica it looks like
[1:22:23] you're looking for some
[1:22:23] specific policy direction
[1:22:26] requested short term rental
[1:22:30] should they be allowed at all?
[1:22:31] How how regulated and then if
[1:22:34] it should go to planning
[1:22:35] commission and community for
[1:22:36] discussions before coming back
[1:22:38] to council for a policy?
[1:22:39] Correct.
[1:22:41] So the very first question is a
[1:22:44] yes or no one and then if yes
[1:22:45] then and then if right then
[1:22:45] it's okay.
[1:22:48] So yes, there were two
[1:22:48] questions that were asked from
[1:22:50] the public could I get answers
[1:22:51] to those?
[1:22:54] And the first is how was the
[1:22:54] last hearing noticed and the
[1:22:58] hearing that was in front of
[1:22:58] the planning commission and so
[1:23:02] the hearing was noticed in
[1:23:03] multiple ways is noticed in the
[1:23:06] newspaper is notice through all
[1:23:07] the standard options and so
[1:23:09] forth we had gotten
[1:23:10] notification though from
[1:23:14] neighbors that the notification
[1:23:15] and the notice that had been
[1:23:15] posted and we have
[1:23:16] documentation of it being
[1:23:19] posted on the on the property
[1:23:23] and then also on you know,
[1:23:23] nearby lamps have been taken
[1:23:26] down as soon as we receive that
[1:23:29] notification we posted it to
[1:23:33] this did homeowners or property
[1:23:34] owners a certain distance from
[1:23:37] the property receive postcards
[1:23:38] or mailed notices?
[1:23:39] So this followed all the
[1:23:42] standard notices and so yes.
[1:23:43] So could you reiterate what
[1:23:46] those are or maybe the attorney
[1:23:46] can only because the public is
[1:23:50] wondering if they MAY not have
[1:23:51] been within the distance zone
[1:23:54] diversity of a postcard.
[1:23:55] >> did you want to take us
[1:23:57] deeper?
[1:23:57] >> okay.
[1:24:00] So essentially, you know,
[1:24:01] postcards were sent out.
[1:24:02] It was on the city's website.
[1:24:04] It was sent out in the you
[1:24:05] know, all the notifications in
[1:24:06] terms of the newspaper and so
[1:24:09] on so that all of our standard
[1:24:12] processes were put into place.
[1:24:13] And so in addition they're
[1:24:16] posted on the on the on the
[1:24:20] residents the site and then
[1:24:21] they were also posted on
[1:24:21] lampposts, you know,
[1:24:24] streetlights etc. That were
[1:24:24] there.
[1:24:27] So we were very diligent in
[1:24:28] posting that with all the
[1:24:31] required postings and how many
[1:24:32] days prior is our posting
[1:24:32] requirement?
[1:24:35] >> oh that's like a pop quiz.
[1:24:36] >> she's she's waving her
[1:24:39] fingers at you so tenders yeah
[1:24:40] thank you.
[1:24:42] I can count that high.
[1:24:46] Okay my other question is what
[1:24:49] are we doing with regard to the
[1:24:50] the one that we disallowed we
[1:24:53] upheld the we upheld the
[1:24:57] planning commission decision.
[1:24:58] Are they still operating and
[1:24:58] what is what is the enforcement
[1:25:01] mechanism that we have under
[1:25:01] the law?
[1:25:05] >> so we were notified of a
[1:25:05] potential short term use
[1:25:09] occurring most recently I
[1:25:10] myself went out and posted a
[1:25:13] notice violation at the site
[1:25:14] and there's an active code
[1:25:17] enforcement case occurring.
[1:25:18] So what does what under the law
[1:25:21] are we allowed to do to that?
[1:25:22] I mean can we lock the door?
[1:25:24] Can we what are know we would
[1:25:29] have to so we would first do as
[1:25:30] erica did you would post it and
[1:25:32] try to get voluntary
[1:25:33] compliance.
[1:25:33] >> if we don't get voluntary
[1:25:34] compliance to it then we would
[1:25:37] have to get a court order to
[1:25:37] shut it down.
[1:25:41] >> so that's going to be a
[1:25:41] multi-month process that can be
[1:25:43] faster on an expedited basis
[1:25:44] when there's a violation of a
[1:25:47] of a of a land use regulation
[1:25:48] of this sort when they're just
[1:25:51] operating without any ermits
[1:25:52] you can go in on short notice
[1:25:53] to try to get a court to issue
[1:25:55] at least an interim order
[1:25:56] stopping that type of activity
[1:25:59] which which we will do if
[1:25:59] necessary.
[1:26:00] >> so so it is an active case.
[1:26:03] It is an active code
[1:26:03] enforcement case.
[1:26:07] >> thank ou so well as long as
[1:26:08] we're with you, councilmember
[1:26:09] silva, any further comments or
[1:26:11] maybe just if we ant to be
[1:26:12] able to go down and answer the
[1:26:15] questions do you have these the
[1:26:16] questions for us of he
[1:26:17] questions right there?
[1:26:18] All right.
[1:26:19] I think we should allow short
[1:26:19] term rentals.
[1:26:22] We have they're in use in very
[1:26:26] good ways for people to be able
[1:26:29] to supplement their income to
[1:26:30] be able to rent a small room.
[1:26:33] My husband and I were in
[1:26:34] seattle last weekend.
[1:26:37] Hotels were unavailable due to
[1:26:38] a bridge being rebuilt and so
[1:26:42] in order to be within blocks of
[1:26:44] our children we rented a short
[1:26:45] term rental that was in the
[1:26:46] basement of a house.
[1:26:48] It was lovely.
[1:26:49] It was not what someone would
[1:26:50] rent for a long term basis
[1:26:53] because it had a studio style
[1:26:54] kitchen and a very tiny
[1:26:56] bathroom.
[1:26:57] It as all very nice but it was
[1:27:00] not in lieu of them renting it
[1:27:04] for permanent tenant.
[1:27:07] I think the bed and breakfast
[1:27:11] ordinance has has run its
[1:27:12] course.
[1:27:12] A bed and breakfast is a
[1:27:16] different type of commercial
[1:27:16] law.
[1:27:16] It's a more commercial
[1:27:19] operation and it's and I think
[1:27:20] we need to have a short term
[1:27:22] rental ordinance so that we can
[1:27:26] make it clearer and easier to
[1:27:27] implement and I think we should
[1:27:30] use a user permit not
[1:27:31] conditional use permit unless
[1:27:34] for some reason they're asking
[1:27:35] for things that we want to have
[1:27:37] more stringent permitting on.
[1:27:38] And finally I'll mention that I
[1:27:42] think for a variety of reasons
[1:27:45] these need to be owner occupied
[1:27:49] or host occupied because if you
[1:27:50] rent a room in a hotel there is
[1:27:53] someone there managing at 24 by
[1:27:53] seven.
[1:27:54] So for the safety of the
[1:27:55] visitor and the safety of the
[1:27:56] neighborhood and the safety of
[1:27:57] the property, there's someone
[1:28:00] monitoring it.
[1:28:01] When we were in the short term
[1:28:04] rental in seattle last weekend
[1:28:05] the family was living upstairs.
[1:28:08] I could hear them kind of
[1:28:08] walking around every once in a
[1:28:09] while.
[1:28:11] We weren't but t was good to
[1:28:12] know that because it was good
[1:28:15] to know that somebody was
[1:28:15] available to tell us if there
[1:28:19] was a plumbing problem or
[1:28:19] something like that.
[1:28:22] But I also think that without
[1:28:22] the orinda issue happened
[1:28:23] because the owner was not on
[1:28:26] property or anywhere near the
[1:28:30] property and so but how would
[1:28:30] that work if it were a
[1:28:33] multifamily housing if it were
[1:28:36] if it were something in the
[1:28:37] lyric or one of the places that
[1:28:40] it's a one bedroom or two but
[1:28:41] we want to run you want to know
[1:28:42] how the ob was doing it because
[1:28:43] there was a new apartment
[1:28:43] building that wasn't filling up
[1:28:46] fast enough about five years
[1:28:49] ago and we were finding rentals
[1:28:49] .
[1:28:50] But there's management in an
[1:28:52] apartment building not in a
[1:28:53] condo building or a townhome
[1:28:54] building so that's a different
[1:28:54] issue.
[1:29:00] But I'm just I'm just so you're
[1:29:01] saying that that would count
[1:29:04] then if it were a condo in a in
[1:29:05] a multifamily housing the fact
[1:29:08] that there's on premises
[1:29:08] management would count as owner
[1:29:13] occupied for so here's if
[1:29:16] there's on premises management
[1:29:17] there help if it's an apartment
[1:29:18] if it's the lyric it's an
[1:29:21] apartment building and so the
[1:29:21] first one you mentioned is
[1:29:24] rental apartments but I don't
[1:29:27] know about condos and townhomes
[1:29:28] because generally people don't
[1:29:29] own two in the same building
[1:29:32] although they have but we'll
[1:29:35] have to condition and I'm just
[1:29:36] kind of going through the yeah
[1:29:37] I did I wanted to ask a
[1:29:39] question about the host because
[1:29:40] we don't currently have that
[1:29:41] requirement right so what if it
[1:29:43] is a single family home and the
[1:29:47] owner would not be on premises
[1:29:48] ,it would not be hosted.
[1:29:49] >> so if they're seeking to
[1:29:52] rent out the entire home then
[1:29:54] that could present
[1:29:55] complications.
[1:29:56] However, if they're renting out
[1:30:00] rooms r if there is an ad on
[1:30:03] site and the owner is living on
[1:30:04] that and then they're you know,
[1:30:06] renting out the home itself.
[1:30:07] But that's another scenario.
[1:30:10] Yeah, you're correct.
[1:30:10] Councilmember francois if it
[1:30:14] were an owner requirement on
[1:30:14] site it would effectively
[1:30:18] preclude entire house rental
[1:30:19] for the most part with the few
[1:30:21] exceptions that eric noted.
[1:30:22] I think where we'd have to
[1:30:23] figure out is how many of them
[1:30:26] are full house are being rented
[1:30:26] because the orinda it was a
[1:30:29] full house being rented and
[1:30:30] which is a problem the one in
[1:30:31] the woodlands the guy went out
[1:30:33] he wanted to start a commercial
[1:30:34] business and basically he was
[1:30:37] intending to rent multiple
[1:30:37] single family homes around the
[1:30:41] era of this was not his and he
[1:30:44] was going to turn them into a
[1:30:45] property management agency.
[1:30:48] Do we want that to me is not
[1:30:49] what we should be allowing in
[1:30:52] single family neighborhoods.
[1:30:53] >> that's not the intent which
[1:30:53] you have in proximity then if
[1:30:56] an owner lived within 500ft of
[1:30:57] the property or how to well we
[1:30:59] have we yes, there's the
[1:31:03] proximity I mean but it was
[1:31:04] comforting for the neighbors,
[1:31:07] for the visitors and for the
[1:31:07] owner to know that their
[1:31:12] property is being you know, the
[1:31:15] I wrote down risks out of
[1:31:15] control event no.
[1:31:18] One for the city or the
[1:31:19] neighborhood to able to contact
[1:31:21] because if no one's nearby who
[1:31:25] do your contact and you know
[1:31:28] everybody needs to feel
[1:31:29] comfortable with this in their
[1:31:30] neighborhood what about the
[1:31:32] last couple of questions their
[1:31:33] maximum rental duration
[1:31:34] operational requirements
[1:31:37] permissibly pool operation
[1:31:37] requirements?
[1:31:40] Well, I hosted non host and
[1:31:41] local restrictions such as
[1:31:43] proximity saturation, maximum
[1:31:44] rental duration.
[1:31:51] I think we're I'm not into
[1:31:52] making it permissible to host
[1:31:55] events in single family homes
[1:31:56] in residential neighborhoods.
[1:31:59] That's a commercial enterprise
[1:31:59] .
[1:31:59] Yeah.
[1:32:00] All right thank you council
[1:32:02] member darling.
[1:32:06] >> okay so it's interesting
[1:32:08] after I got the list of who
[1:32:11] banned short term rentals I
[1:32:11] looked up and every one of them
[1:32:14] has short term rentals listed
[1:32:15] on airbnb so they're in the
[1:32:18] same position that we're in
[1:32:18] which is they say that you
[1:32:22] can't do it but people are
[1:32:25] doing it anyway and and given
[1:32:28] that slipperiness I think it's
[1:32:32] better to go ahead and bring
[1:32:32] people into compliance so we
[1:32:36] know who they are so we have
[1:32:36] control of the situation.
[1:32:39] So I would not favor banning it
[1:32:40] because we will be back here
[1:32:43] right away.
[1:32:44] I do think going for an
[1:32:47] operating permit makes a lot of
[1:32:51] sense something that is easier
[1:32:55] to administer than anything we
[1:32:56] could do to automate those is
[1:32:59] to the good he owner occupied.
[1:33:00] I have two minds on this.
[1:33:01] On the one hand that was the
[1:33:04] problem with orinda but on the
[1:33:07] other hand the joaquin ranch
[1:33:08] airbnb that was shut down by
[1:33:11] the planning commission a few
[1:33:12] years ago the owner lived there
[1:33:15] and they still managed to
[1:33:16] irritate the neighbors so owner
[1:33:20] occupied owner is only as good
[1:33:23] as the manager the person and
[1:33:27] how proactive they are.
[1:33:28] So I am interested in learning
[1:33:31] more about that.
[1:33:32] I don't have my heart set one
[1:33:33] way or the other.
[1:33:34] I can argue that one both ways.
[1:33:35] >> I ask you a question.
[1:33:39] Yeah but with no owner required
[1:33:42] you definitely don't have on
[1:33:43] site anagement I think it's
[1:33:46] something that we need to think
[1:33:46] about carefully because I think
[1:33:49] if we just say you have to be
[1:33:49] owner occupied that would still
[1:33:52] have let the joaquin ranch one
[1:33:53] go forward and that one ended
[1:33:56] up really being problematic for
[1:33:57] the neighborhood.
[1:33:57] I didn't I wasn't in the
[1:34:00] hearing because my house is
[1:34:01] within 500ft of it.
[1:34:03] You said yes.
[1:34:04] Let me go over to across the
[1:34:07] street for hours but it's not
[1:34:11] the panacea.
[1:34:12] It's not the cure all.
[1:34:12] It's not perfect.
[1:34:15] Okay.
[1:34:16] I think clearly no special
[1:34:16] events.
[1:34:19] I think that especially in
[1:34:19] single family neighborhoods but
[1:34:22] same is true of our multifamily
[1:34:23] housing you don't want to have
[1:34:27] and I know that you don't want
[1:34:30] to have the the bridesmaids
[1:34:31] hootenanny in the apartment
[1:34:34] next door.
[1:34:35] I would like o see standards
[1:34:36] safety requirements as far as
[1:34:42] parking occupancy, things like
[1:34:45] that as part of the permit.
[1:34:49] I o think the how you keep the
[1:34:50] neighborhood informed is going
[1:34:52] to be an important part of this
[1:34:53] .
[1:34:57] I can see with an owner with a
[1:35:01] an operating permit hat makes
[1:35:02] it more difficult and so we'll
[1:35:05] have to think through that
[1:35:06] carefully.
[1:35:06] I can think of a couple of
[1:35:07] different ways you could do it.
[1:35:09] One is frequently when we have
[1:35:12] daycares that are coming in
[1:35:13] there is a requirement for them
[1:35:16] to provide contact info to
[1:35:17] neighbors so that if pick up
[1:35:20] and drop off gets to be a
[1:35:21] problem and people are parking
[1:35:23] in front of people's driveways
[1:35:24] they know who to call.
[1:35:24] So we will have to think
[1:35:27] through how the neighbors get
[1:35:31] recourse short of calling pd on
[1:35:32] a friday night.
[1:35:34] Now I'm not sure what the
[1:35:35] answer is there but we do need
[1:35:38] to find a way so that our
[1:35:42] neighbors it doesn't spin out
[1:35:43] of control before we find out
[1:35:46] there's a problem I suppose
[1:35:49] about safety requirements.
[1:35:53] That's I think that's most of
[1:35:54] the questions for e.
[1:35:54] Okay.
[1:35:57] They approached him kay.
[1:35:57] >> but I'm generally in
[1:36:00] agreement with councilmember
[1:36:00] darling.
[1:36:04] I guess the talking about the
[1:36:07] owner occupied I'm worried
[1:36:08] about how that would be
[1:36:12] implemented from a practical
[1:36:15] matter and especially given the
[1:36:16] 111 or 179 where we don't
[1:36:19] currently have that requirement
[1:36:20] and so how would we go back and
[1:36:23] and it essentially say they
[1:36:24] can't be if they if t's a
[1:36:26] single family home then they
[1:36:30] can't do it and not the ones
[1:36:31] that don't have permits that
[1:36:34] we're trying to bring in to
[1:36:34] compliance.
[1:36:35] So I think if we imposed right
[1:36:38] now at this point in time an
[1:36:41] owner occupied requirement it's
[1:36:42] a big I think it's a big
[1:36:45] administrative enforcement
[1:36:46] issue for us and for staff to
[1:36:46] try to bring them into
[1:36:49] compliance.
[1:36:50] I so I'm sensitive to that.
[1:36:54] I think what I'd like to see
[1:36:57] and I'd be okay with an
[1:36:57] operator permit provided there
[1:37:01] were guardrails that said if
[1:37:02] it's being operated in a manner
[1:37:05] that's adverse to public
[1:37:06] health, safety and welfare as
[1:37:06] reasonably determined by city
[1:37:10] staff, the operator permit goes
[1:37:11] away and that can be done
[1:37:14] immediately and that requires
[1:37:15] enforcement as the city
[1:37:17] attorney said.
[1:37:21] I think if you're if you are or
[1:37:22] have been in violation you
[1:37:26] can't apply for a permit for 12
[1:37:26] months.
[1:37:27] You know it's similar if you've
[1:37:30] been denied a permit you have
[1:37:31] to wait at least a year to
[1:37:33] apply again, I'm okay with
[1:37:37] giving someone the discount for
[1:37:38] compliance but f they don't
[1:37:40] comply within two months
[1:37:41] they're denied and they can't
[1:37:44] apply for a year because
[1:37:44] think the goal is to try to
[1:37:47] bring people into compliance
[1:37:48] and get this regulated.
[1:37:51] You know, I hadn't thought I
[1:37:52] had I mean you brought up the
[1:37:55] the neighborhood notice to kind
[1:37:56] of see that going both ways
[1:38:00] that it's I think it will be
[1:38:00] regulated by staff as an
[1:38:03] operator permit then there's
[1:38:04] really not an opportunity for a
[1:38:07] notice public hearing you could
[1:38:08] do it a different a couple of
[1:38:10] different ways and provide
[1:38:11] notice to the neighbors and an
[1:38:15] operator permit is going to be
[1:38:16] issued unless a request for a
[1:38:19] hearing before the zoning
[1:38:19] administrator the said I don't
[1:38:20] think we want to make it
[1:38:23] necessarily appealable all the
[1:38:24] way up to the council because
[1:38:28] but there's maybe there would
[1:38:29] be an up there'd be there would
[1:38:31] be a hearing process before
[1:38:32] there could be before the
[1:38:35] sunning administrator set your
[1:38:36] eyes get big that's one way to
[1:38:36] do it.
[1:38:37] I mean it could be an
[1:38:40] administrative use permit too
[1:38:41] which is I think that's how
[1:38:43] those are run at staff level
[1:38:44] but it could be appealed zoning
[1:38:47] administrator issues and then
[1:38:48] it could be appealed to the
[1:38:48] planning commission.
[1:38:51] So let's see I like the direct
[1:38:55] remittance a lot.
[1:38:56] I think we should absolutely
[1:38:57] look and I know there are
[1:38:59] several different platforms but
[1:39:00] it sounds like one of the
[1:39:00] biggest ones has that and I
[1:39:03] think we should go forward with
[1:39:03] that.
[1:39:06] Absolutely no special events.
[1:39:10] Um, what else?
[1:39:15] I think I covered I think I
[1:39:15] covered yeah.
[1:39:17] So es sorry I didn't go
[1:39:17] through your questions.
[1:39:18] Yeah short term rentals should
[1:39:19] be allowed.
[1:39:20] What other aspects in terms of
[1:39:25] operational uh, I think maximum
[1:39:26] rental duration was the only
[1:39:26] other one that you didn't
[1:39:27] mention really.
[1:39:28] >> we have o more than a week.
[1:39:32] I'm okay with that.
[1:39:33] >> I actually missed that one
[1:39:33] when I was still my comments I
[1:39:37] would be in favor of up to 30
[1:39:37] days.
[1:39:40] One of the bigger uses is
[1:39:40] people that are relocating to
[1:39:41] the area and those those would
[1:39:45] not to be to do the problems or
[1:39:45] traveling professionals,
[1:39:48] traveling nurses traveling you
[1:39:52] know people in those and so up
[1:39:56] to 30 days could work for a
[1:39:56] situation like hat.
[1:39:59] Council member did any eah
[1:40:02] well I'm thinking about it like
[1:40:03] the 30 day idea too I think
[1:40:04] about people going on vacation
[1:40:06] to maybe they want to rent out
[1:40:07] their home they're going for 2
[1:40:07] or 3 weeks and that gives them
[1:40:09] some flexibility.
[1:40:14] Um one of the one of the things
[1:40:14] I think about is you know what
[1:40:20] I didn't like about the last
[1:40:21] round we had discussion on this
[1:40:24] was that we see this idea of
[1:40:24] residential homes being turned
[1:40:25] into commercial rentals, right?
[1:40:28] So this as someone who not
[1:40:29] only did they own home they
[1:40:31] were renting it from someone
[1:40:32] else and then turning it into a
[1:40:33] commercial space.
[1:40:35] So one suggestion I would have
[1:40:38] that we consider is you know,
[1:40:39] should the person have to live
[1:40:41] in the house for at least six
[1:40:42] months to be able to rent it
[1:40:42] out.
[1:40:45] So more than half the year that
[1:40:48] that would be I think a pretty
[1:40:52] reasonable thing to do.
[1:40:56] I think if we do that it will
[1:40:57] cut down on this residential
[1:40:57] being turned into commercial.
[1:41:00] It will be more homeowners that
[1:41:01] are choosing to rent it out for
[1:41:03] periods of the year.
[1:41:04] I don't think that we need the
[1:41:07] collector contingency.
[1:41:08] I think all residents should
[1:41:12] have the opportunity to rent
[1:41:13] their house out on a short term
[1:41:15] basis.
[1:41:16] I would recommend e only
[1:41:20] administer one short term
[1:41:21] rental per resident so we don't
[1:41:23] want to be in situations where
[1:41:23] people collect houses so they
[1:41:26] can rent them out.
[1:41:27] I don't think we need a
[1:41:28] conditional use permit.
[1:41:31] I think it should be a much
[1:41:32] easier almost you know like a
[1:41:35] we calling it a operator is I
[1:41:36] like a buy right type thing if
[1:41:38] they just they meet certain
[1:41:39] criteria.
[1:41:42] Yeah currently we have five
[1:41:43] guests I mean I'm not I'm not
[1:41:44] so sure I mean we're a family
[1:41:47] we often travel and we rent out
[1:41:49] a home and we sometimes have 6
[1:41:50] or 7 people, right?
[1:41:51] We've got like us five and like
[1:41:52] maybe our parents or something
[1:41:53] .
[1:41:53] We're trying to find a home.
[1:41:56] I don't think it's unreasonable
[1:41:57] t increase that maybe eight I
[1:41:58] don't think that's a party
[1:41:58] size.
[1:41:59] I still think that's family
[1:42:04] oriented and then and then I
[1:42:05] think that the when e issue
[1:42:08] this permit for the short term
[1:42:09] rental they should have to
[1:42:11] display that on the listing
[1:42:12] whenever they listed on one of
[1:42:13] these platforms.
[1:42:16] So it's easy for us to to pick
[1:42:17] out like who's out of
[1:42:17] compliance right your rent
[1:42:20] there's a rental it doesn't
[1:42:21] have a permit you out of
[1:42:23] compliance then you know that
[1:42:27] that would be a violation in of
[1:42:27] itself.
[1:42:30] I think we should we should
[1:42:31] look at escalating penalties so
[1:42:34] that we're not dealing with,
[1:42:35] you know, folks going long
[1:42:37] periods of time without having
[1:42:38] consequences for for being out
[1:42:41] of compliance.
[1:42:42] And I think that if someone is
[1:42:45] applied for the permit and is,
[1:42:48] you know, remitting their totty
[1:42:49] that the renewal process should
[1:42:53] be very sort of just you know,
[1:42:54] over the ounter type thing or
[1:42:57] just online like if they're if
[1:42:58] they're in compliance and and
[1:43:00] they're remitting their totty
[1:43:01] they should be able to renew.
[1:43:04] Can I ask you a question just
[1:43:05] to clarify if they are in
[1:43:09] compliance means that they have
[1:43:09] not violated the terms and
[1:43:10] conditions of their permit.
[1:43:10] Right.
[1:43:11] Right.
[1:43:12] Okay.
[1:43:16] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[1:43:16] So yeah.
[1:43:19] So I would I wouldn't restrict
[1:43:20] I don't think we need to come
[1:43:21] up with like a density or
[1:43:24] location criteria.
[1:43:24] Yeah I don't I don't think
[1:43:27] we're at that level.
[1:43:30] I do think if you live in the
[1:43:31] home and you have a need to you
[1:43:35] that's eligible to be rented as
[1:43:36] a as a short term rental that
[1:43:39] we shouldn't put limits on that
[1:43:40] I think if you if you live in
[1:43:42] the home and you have a space
[1:43:43] that you want to rent out that
[1:43:46] that that should be allowed.
[1:43:50] I think the with these types of
[1:43:51] changes we might see an overall
[1:43:51] decrease in short term entals
[1:43:54] if we have folks need to live
[1:43:55] in them for six months which
[1:43:57] would increase our housing
[1:43:58] stock.
[1:43:59] But I also think that if we
[1:44:02] make the process easy to comply
[1:44:02] with would be increased
[1:44:03] compliance and increased tlt
[1:44:06] for the city.
[1:44:06] Good.
[1:44:10] Thank you.
[1:44:11] I mean obviously we short for
[1:44:12] rentals are something that's in
[1:44:14] existence.
[1:44:15] It's been there the cat is out
[1:44:16] of the bag on this and now
[1:44:19] we're trying to figure out ways
[1:44:21] to corral it but some and and
[1:44:22] and where to feed it and how to
[1:44:24] and and how to take it in but
[1:44:25] it's been part of the challenge
[1:44:29] that I have ust emotionally on
[1:44:30] this is that here we are
[1:44:33] approving all of these units
[1:44:34] and there was just a course at
[1:44:36] the lanning commission last
[1:44:37] week approving a eight storey
[1:44:41] development right in the heart
[1:44:44] of downtown and we're doing
[1:44:45] that of course to increase the
[1:44:46] housing stock and I have a
[1:44:48] concern that all right.
[1:44:49] Are there are there going to be
[1:44:50] investors that are going to be
[1:44:52] taking up these to be able to
[1:44:53] rent them out of short term
[1:44:56] rentals and now we're just
[1:44:56] losing housing stock along the
[1:44:57] way that we're trying to do the
[1:45:00] best we can to meet the numbers
[1:45:01] and to do what's right.
[1:45:04] So there are challenges there
[1:45:05] but I do think short term
[1:45:07] rentals should be allowed the
[1:45:08] question of a whole house
[1:45:14] versus in the multifamily units
[1:45:15] it's hard.
[1:45:16] I think it's it's hard to say
[1:45:20] owner occupied and we're like
[1:45:23] if we go somewhere and my wife
[1:45:23] and I bring our son and
[1:45:26] daughter and their significant
[1:45:27] other is that six and if we're
[1:45:30] going to rent a house for
[1:45:31] that's 2 or 3 bedrooms you know
[1:45:35] where is the owner going to
[1:45:35] stay so we don't have a lot of
[1:45:38] mansions in walnut creek and a
[1:45:39] lot of these are just 3 or 4
[1:45:40] bedroom places so not sure
[1:45:42] owner occupied is really
[1:45:46] pragmatic and certainly when
[1:45:46] we're talking about multifamily
[1:45:47] housing while there is roperty
[1:45:50] management on site I think it
[1:45:51] becomes more of a challenge and
[1:45:54] anything else and being able to
[1:45:58] try to meet that I, I like so
[1:46:01] yes so I think we do need to
[1:46:02] develop a short term rental
[1:46:03] agreement on this.
[1:46:05] I do think we need streamlined
[1:46:08] options for consideration
[1:46:09] absolutely not events I mean
[1:46:12] whatever event whatever
[1:46:12] planning commission decides
[1:46:13] what are events I don't think
[1:46:16] we should be able to have those
[1:46:17] maximum rental duration.
[1:46:19] I think 30 days makes sense and
[1:46:20] I think that the other
[1:46:24] requirements that we've heard I
[1:46:25] think in general the one thing
[1:46:28] I would say regarding adu since
[1:46:28] councilmember vinny brought
[1:46:29] this up is that was
[1:46:31] specifically related to these
[1:46:32] whole housing that is using the
[1:46:36] streamlined state mandates to
[1:46:36] be able to build an edu.
[1:46:38] I don't think they should then
[1:46:39] be able to turn that around as
[1:46:40] a short term rental.
[1:46:41] They're doing that to be able
[1:46:43] to take advantage so that we
[1:46:44] can provide more housing for
[1:46:48] people not more rentals for
[1:46:48] people.
[1:46:49] So that's a one no understood
[1:46:51] and I agree and so to be clear
[1:46:52] I understand there's state law
[1:46:54] around that and I understand
[1:46:55] that it's there to maintain our
[1:46:56] housing stock for people have
[1:46:57] taken advantage of the
[1:46:58] streamlined process so those
[1:46:59] should not be allowed to be
[1:47:00] rented out of short term
[1:47:02] rentals.
[1:47:03] But if you have an eligible to
[1:47:06] you that MAY be was preexisting
[1:47:06] or you didn't take advantage of
[1:47:10] those streamlining processes, I
[1:47:11] think those folks I would I
[1:47:11] would agree I guess just so
[1:47:12] we're on the same page there i
[1:47:16] would agree with that.
[1:47:17] Well, we're a little over the
[1:47:18] board all over the board on
[1:47:18] this.
[1:47:20] But is there enough direction
[1:47:24] we to move forward on so I
[1:47:24] think there's a good start of
[1:47:27] things to create a conversation
[1:47:28] with the community and planning
[1:47:31] commission and then circle back
[1:47:32] around.
[1:47:32] >> okay.
[1:47:32] Can I make one other?
[1:47:36] Sure as it went down so I will
[1:47:36] correct my word from owner
[1:47:40] occupied to hosted because that
[1:47:40] was the r word that was in
[1:47:43] front of us and if somebody
[1:47:44] built in to you and moved into
[1:47:47] the adu on their property which
[1:47:48] I know someone who did that
[1:47:48] then they can rent out the
[1:47:51] house whether it's for long
[1:47:51] term or short term.
[1:47:52] Right.
[1:47:55] Well I mean there's a way
[1:47:55] there's a way to do it if there
[1:47:56] was way to do it.
[1:48:00] Yes, there is a way to do it.
[1:48:00] Okay.
[1:48:01] So great.
[1:48:04] Well, thank you very much,
[1:48:05] erica.
[1:48:05] That was a much longer
[1:48:06] discussion than I thought it
[1:48:08] was going to be.
[1:48:09] How are people doing here?
[1:48:12] But you know what's it to we
[1:48:13] take a break, right?
[1:48:13] Yes.
[1:48:13] All right.
[1:48:14] Let's take a ten minute break
[1:48:14] -
[1:48:22] till 8:00
[1:48:22] tonight.
[1:48:28] >> you know, we should have in
[1:48:31] the middle of the race and and
[1:48:31] we're back next on the agenda
[1:48:35] it's a consideration item
[1:48:37] titled update on 2025 and 126
[1:48:38] city council priorities and I
[1:48:41] invite assistant to the city
[1:48:42] manager joe karas and forward
[1:48:44] to provide the presentation.
[1:48:45] >> all right.
[1:48:46] Thank you so much.
[1:48:46] Good evening.
[1:48:49] Council members.
[1:48:49] My name is joe cardoza,
[1:48:52] assistant to the city manager
[1:48:53] and thank you for your time
[1:48:56] this evening to present on yes
[1:48:57] the update on the five city
[1:49:00] council priorities for calendar
[1:49:01] years 2025 and 2026 which were
[1:49:07] identified in FEBRUARY of 2025
[1:49:08] .
[1:49:08] So tonight's presentation is
[1:49:11] going to include two things
[1:49:11] first that update that we're
[1:49:12] here for on the significant
[1:49:15] work accomplished since the
[1:49:16] last update to council which
[1:49:19] was in MAY of this year.
[1:49:20] >> and then I'm going to go
[1:49:20] ahead and close the
[1:49:23] presentation tonight with
[1:49:23] something a little bit more
[1:49:26] forward looking which is for
[1:49:29] the calendar year 2027 and 2028
[1:49:30] upcoming city council
[1:49:32] priorities.
[1:49:33] I'm oing to go ahead and
[1:49:34] provide a brief overview of in
[1:49:37] progress and plan community
[1:49:38] outreach to inform those future
[1:49:44] council priorities so as done
[1:49:44] in the past you'll be hearing
[1:49:47] directly tonight from the the
[1:49:48] leads for each of these five
[1:49:51] city council priorities and
[1:49:52] these staff leads are those
[1:49:54] that are ensuring that these
[1:49:55] priorities become implemented
[1:49:58] and turned into real projects
[1:49:59] and accomplishments.
[1:49:59] And so you'll be hearing from
[1:50:03] from them which is economic
[1:50:04] development and downtown
[1:50:04] vitality which will be mike
[1:50:07] nieman, candace rink and mumby
[1:50:08] will talk about environmental
[1:50:11] sustainability climate action
[1:50:12] general plan update you'll hear
[1:50:14] from erica vanden brand rich
[1:50:15] payne to cover park and
[1:50:18] recreation facilities and then
[1:50:19] finally chief hibbs will cover
[1:50:20] public safety and social
[1:50:22] wellness.
[1:50:23] >> so with that I'm going to go
[1:50:24] ahead and pass it to our first
[1:50:26] presenter mike newman to talk
[1:50:27] about economic development and
[1:50:30] downtown vitality.
[1:50:34] >> and good evening mayor
[1:50:34] council mike newman, your
[1:50:38] economic development manager
[1:50:39] and I will give you an update
[1:50:42] for the economic development
[1:50:43] priority updates.
[1:50:46] As you know we have four major
[1:50:49] council priorities and the
[1:50:50] first one is continue building
[1:50:50] a resilient, inclusive and
[1:50:53] diverse economy.
[1:50:54] So we're making a number we
[1:50:57] have made a number of efforts
[1:50:57] on those fronts.
[1:51:00] First and foremost we are
[1:51:01] developing a health care
[1:51:04] marketing campaign and we are
[1:51:07] getting ready for a health care
[1:51:07] conference season.
[1:51:11] We have two in NOVEMBER that
[1:51:12] are planning to roll the
[1:51:15] campaign out for we are a
[1:51:15] sponsor will have a booth.
[1:51:18] There will be marketing to the
[1:51:19] recipients there and we also
[1:51:22] have a digital presence
[1:51:25] following up on those efforts.
[1:51:26] As you know health care is one
[1:51:30] of the critical industry that
[1:51:31] we are targeting.
[1:51:33] We also continue collaborating
[1:51:34] on with educational
[1:51:34] institutions and other tech
[1:51:37] partners on various
[1:51:38] initiatives.
[1:51:41] tech is another area of focus
[1:51:42] to build a diverse economy here
[1:51:45] in walnut creek and we are
[1:51:46] sponsoring a small business
[1:51:49] development corporation start
[1:51:50] up world cup event next
[1:51:53] thursday.
[1:51:54] Actually it will be at the east
[1:51:57] bay health state campus in
[1:52:00] hayward.
[1:52:01] Te second objective s to
[1:52:04] continue creating a business
[1:52:04] friendly environment.
[1:52:08] A number of efforts on that
[1:52:09] front include assisting the
[1:52:12] shade lance property business
[1:52:15] improvement district with
[1:52:15] developing and getting an
[1:52:16] entitlement for their master
[1:52:19] signed program.
[1:52:20] Signage is one of the critical
[1:52:23] priorities there for for
[1:52:27] creating a more distinct area
[1:52:27] within the shade lands will
[1:52:31] continue process improvements,
[1:52:31] training and implementation and
[1:52:35] that's the lead effort and as a
[1:52:35] matter of fact that the next
[1:52:39] council hearing on SEPTEMBER
[1:52:40] 15th you will get a much more
[1:52:42] robust update on what various
[1:52:43] progresses and updates that
[1:52:47] staff has made in that regard
[1:52:48] to streamline the permitting
[1:52:51] process and make he customer
[1:52:54] experience more friendly.
[1:52:58] And we also continue an ongoing
[1:52:59] outreach to local businesses,
[1:53:02] property owners and other
[1:53:02] stakeholders.
[1:53:03] This of course includes
[1:53:06] business retention efforts,
[1:53:07] communications information
[1:53:10] sharing and things along that
[1:53:10] nature.
[1:53:11] The third objective is
[1:53:14] enhancing the downtown
[1:53:15] experience and tourism
[1:53:18] attraction the focus on
[1:53:19] downtown over the last year has
[1:53:22] been on the outdoor dining
[1:53:23] program which has really
[1:53:25] activated the streets with the
[1:53:26] pods.
[1:53:26] We have implemented the
[1:53:29] council's direction for
[1:53:30] implementation of these pods by
[1:53:34] deploying the $100,000 grant
[1:53:37] and thank you to this council
[1:53:38] for allocating the funding
[1:53:41] exactly a year ago.
[1:53:42] We're happy to report that over
[1:53:45] the course of a year all of the
[1:53:46] hundred thousand has been
[1:53:48] deployed and ten new pods have
[1:53:49] been delivered and we estimate
[1:53:52] that that generated about 4 to
[1:53:53] 1 private sector investment.
[1:53:56] But most of hese ods being
[1:53:59] north of $40,000 each in
[1:53:59] construction.
[1:54:02] So the 10,000 per restaurant
[1:54:03] have been leveraged really well
[1:54:06] and has transformed the
[1:54:10] landscape on many blocks across
[1:54:10] downtown to the tune where we
[1:54:13] have actually even won an
[1:54:14] economic development award for
[1:54:14] the implementation of this
[1:54:17] program.
[1:54:18] We've also implemented an
[1:54:21] entertainment zone in
[1:54:22] collaboration with walnut creek
[1:54:25] downtown and happy to report it
[1:54:26] that they have successfully
[1:54:28] hosted two events under the
[1:54:29] management plan that they had
[1:54:32] conceived under this ordinance
[1:54:36] umbrella and both events have
[1:54:37] been very successful and
[1:54:40] reported positive feedback from
[1:54:41] a lot of operators of
[1:54:41] restaurants in downtown and
[1:54:44] we've attracted about 11,000
[1:54:47] visitors through those two
[1:54:47] events alone.
[1:54:48] So there's more in the works
[1:54:51] for next season and the last
[1:54:55] objective is promotion of the
[1:54:55] city rand as a premier
[1:54:58] destination and a high quality
[1:55:01] of life community as we are so
[1:55:02] I'm excited to share that.
[1:55:05] We have just last week launched
[1:55:06] a new data dashboard and it can
[1:55:10] be found on the walnut creek
[1:55:11] connected website and you could
[1:55:13] see here it's in the
[1:55:13] interactive data dashboard that
[1:55:18] captures 20 major data points
[1:55:22] and each one of them you can
[1:55:22] click on and play around with
[1:55:25] the data going from istoric to
[1:55:26] current and we're currently in
[1:55:28] the process of sharing this
[1:55:32] with the development community
[1:55:33] with prospective businesses and
[1:55:36] also we are seeking input on
[1:55:36] it.
[1:55:37] We plan to continuously update
[1:55:40] the data but also if there MAY
[1:55:44] be other kpis that are helpful
[1:55:44] .
[1:55:45] It's something that we will
[1:55:47] continuously update as we get
[1:55:48] along and make sure that it
[1:55:52] captures the most important and
[1:55:52] robust data that's a living
[1:55:55] document.
[1:55:56] We've also continued
[1:55:59] coordinating quarterly
[1:56:00] stakeholder meetings and those
[1:56:00] are with our partners the
[1:56:06] chamber wcg leicester.
[1:56:07] We've also continued to support
[1:56:10] the general plan update through
[1:56:14] primarily through data support
[1:56:15] and working with economic sub
[1:56:18] consultant and lastly we've
[1:56:19] completed the city's economic
[1:56:19] development action plan and
[1:56:22] that was the document that we
[1:56:24] brought before you in JUNE
[1:56:29] which is a two year document
[1:56:29] and document documents the
[1:56:30] action steps for the city's
[1:56:30] economic development efforts in
[1:56:32] the next two years and grow
[1:56:36] well underway in implementing
[1:56:39] the goals of that document.
[1:56:43] and with that I will pause for
[1:56:44] questions.
[1:56:45] >> thank you.
[1:56:47] Any questions for mike?
[1:56:48] >> there's a nice, nice and
[1:56:50] thorough and glad to hear that
[1:56:51] our grant program was a success
[1:56:55] to councilmember silver.
[1:56:56] We just wanted to say thank you
[1:56:57] for the report but it was
[1:56:59] concise.
[1:56:59] It was focused on the things
[1:57:00] that have been recent and key
[1:57:03] achievements.
[1:57:04] So great job.
[1:57:04] Thank you.
[1:57:07] I got to play with the
[1:57:07] dashboard and I found out
[1:57:08] things when I was looking.
[1:57:09] >> I came across that the other
[1:57:12] day I, I didn't you know we
[1:57:12] always talk about how many
[1:57:14] health care jobs that I like.
[1:57:15] Well that is quite a few.
[1:57:18] So good job.
[1:57:19] >> what is the percentage of
[1:57:20] health care used to be 14% f
[1:57:25] the jobs but I don't have it
[1:57:25] off the top of my head.
[1:57:28] >> I have to go look at it.
[1:57:29] I would encourage you to look
[1:57:30] on the dashboard and we'll be
[1:57:31] there.
[1:57:32] All right.
[1:57:35] Thanks, mike.
[1:57:50] There was the good evening,
[1:57:50] mayor and council.
[1:57:51] I am candis ranking member
[1:57:54] sustainable city manager and
[1:57:54] I'll be providing the update on
[1:57:55] the next school environmental
[1:57:58] sustainable city and climate
[1:57:59] action which focuses on
[1:58:02] remaining a leader in reducing
[1:58:02] our pollution related to the
[1:58:03] climate and other
[1:58:06] sustainability goals focused
[1:58:06] through implementation of our
[1:58:10] sustainability action plan.
[1:58:11] >> so first we'll discuss some
[1:58:14] of the work that we've done on
[1:58:14] buildings since we last talked
[1:58:15] in MAY and a lot of this has
[1:58:18] focused on energy efficiency
[1:58:18] within buildings.
[1:58:21] So facing outward into the
[1:58:22] community we coordinated with
[1:58:25] mce to send a targeted email
[1:58:29] campaign to high users of
[1:58:29] energy between 4 to 9 P.M.
[1:58:33] Which is when energy is the
[1:58:33] most expensive and also the
[1:58:37] dirtiest and so we was able to
[1:58:38] use the data that they have to
[1:58:40] target 430 households with a
[1:58:41] specialized email that you see
[1:58:44] here on the right really trying
[1:58:44] to make sure that we're putting
[1:58:48] the message where will be most
[1:58:51] most used and then for our own
[1:58:52] facilities we completed the
[1:58:52] lighting upgrades that have
[1:58:55] come to council earlier this
[1:58:56] year at the leisure center for
[1:58:59] the arts the arts guild and the
[1:59:00] walnut creek library and we use
[1:59:03] on both financing for this
[1:59:03] program which is offered
[1:59:06] through pge and allows us to
[1:59:07] offset the upfront cost and
[1:59:10] spread it out over time through
[1:59:11] the energy savings for the that
[1:59:14] will be part of the project
[1:59:15] next we have a lot of
[1:59:19] transportation updates from
[1:59:19] this summer as well.
[1:59:22] So as you know at our last
[1:59:23] meeting we went deep on
[1:59:23] electric vehicles focusing on
[1:59:26] our fleet and implementation of
[1:59:27] our public facing chargers and
[1:59:30] so staff are working on
[1:59:30] implementing the direction that
[1:59:33] we received at that meeting and
[1:59:34] are working on preparing a
[1:59:34] procurement for a third party
[1:59:37] vendor for our ublic facing
[1:59:37] chargers.
[1:59:38] So be more updates on that in
[1:59:41] the coming months and then
[1:59:41] wanted to note that from the
[1:59:45] goal in the sustainability
[1:59:45] action plan we have we're
[1:59:48] making really great progress on
[1:59:49] expanding our bike network so
[1:59:49] we've expanded from our
[1:59:55] baseline 15% already and 3.2%
[1:59:56] or about a half a mile of that
[1:59:57] has happened in the last year
[1:59:59] and we're really targeting that
[2:00:00] on expanding the bike network
[2:00:02] and increasing access and
[2:00:03] filling in gaps and you'll get
[2:00:06] more updates on some of those
[2:00:07] specific projects later
[2:00:07] tonight.
[2:00:08] But it's really important to
[2:00:11] sustainability so I wanted to
[2:00:11] mention it here as well and
[2:00:14] then on more outreach and
[2:00:15] programatic transportation
[2:00:18] related goals we've been doing
[2:00:21] a combination of both in-person
[2:00:22] and online outreach this summer
[2:00:25] so we hosted bike to where
[2:00:26] everyday very shortly after
[2:00:28] your last update which was very
[2:00:29] successful this year we had our
[2:00:32] regular energizer station that
[2:00:33] we've done in the morning for
[2:00:34] several years and then this
[2:00:36] year we added on a bike rodeo
[2:00:37] in the afternoon focused on the
[2:00:37] younger kids and that went
[2:00:40] really well and additionally
[2:00:41] during his summer we were
[2:00:44] invited to some staff from
[2:00:45] sustainability and mayor wilk
[2:00:48] joined us to the sustainability
[2:00:48] and science summer camp which
[2:00:51] was a new summer camp that was
[2:00:51] offered this year.
[2:00:52] It was mostly recycle smart
[2:00:55] programing and hen n friday
[2:00:56] we joined to focus with the
[2:00:59] kids on transportation related
[2:01:00] initiatives and they were very
[2:01:01] enthusiastic about the topic.
[2:01:03] We are also working to support
[2:01:06] the walk and roll program which
[2:01:07] is offered throughout the
[2:01:08] county at elementary schools
[2:01:10] and for those participating
[2:01:11] schools they pick a specific
[2:01:14] day a week and really encourage
[2:01:17] the students to come on foot on
[2:01:18] a bike or in a carpool and
[2:01:19] students get incentives to
[2:01:22] participate over time.
[2:01:23] These programs are really well
[2:01:24] received and it's going to be
[2:01:26] receiving an award at the
[2:01:26] upcoming sustainability gala.
[2:01:28] And so we've been helping to
[2:01:29] promote it to more elementary
[2:01:30] schools in walnut creek and
[2:01:32] we're seeing more and more
[2:01:36] participate each year and then
[2:01:37] over the summer we supported
[2:01:39] the youth ride free program
[2:01:40] from county connection which
[2:01:44] had I believe it was in their
[2:01:44] first month about 13,000 youth
[2:01:48] take advantage of that program
[2:01:49] and it was a big increase over
[2:01:49] last year about 15%.
[2:01:52] So that was a very successful
[2:01:53] program this summer and
[2:01:53] currently we have our fall
[2:01:56] version of encouraging youth
[2:01:59] pass to class which offers free
[2:02:00] bus pass for the first two
[2:02:01] months of the ear to get
[2:02:03] students in the habit of
[2:02:04] writing the book the bus to
[2:02:07] school.
[2:02:08] And so both of those work on
[2:02:09] reducing congestion and
[2:02:11] pollution as well as creating a
[2:02:12] habit of aking transit from an
[2:02:19] early age in the area of waste.
[2:02:21] We've given a few updates on a
[2:02:22] program through recycle smart
[2:02:25] called rethink disposable which
[2:02:26] works with local restaurants to
[2:02:29] who use single use for dine in
[2:02:30] to see if they can switch that
[2:02:33] to reusable which can save them
[2:02:34] money obviously reduce waste
[2:02:37] and then also provide an
[2:02:38] elevated dining experience and
[2:02:42] we had low participation early
[2:02:43] so we've really been targeting
[2:02:45] and focusing on that and over
[2:02:46] the year we've essentially
[2:02:46] filled all the available spots
[2:02:49] in walnut creek for this
[2:02:49] funding cycle.
[2:02:50] So we're excited to get those
[2:02:53] resources out there so that we
[2:02:54] can promote these great changes
[2:02:55] that the restaurants have been
[2:02:55] making.
[2:02:56] But they're about seven
[2:02:57] restaurants are actively going
[2:03:00] through that process right now
[2:03:00] .
[2:03:01] >> we also hosted our second
[2:03:04] annual repair cafe partnering
[2:03:05] with sustainable rossmore and
[2:03:08] recycle smart but it was hosted
[2:03:09] in civic park and open to
[2:03:11] anyone who has a common
[2:03:12] household item that they think
[2:03:13] they can fix but isn't
[2:03:16] operating at the time they can
[2:03:17] bring it in and a volunteer who
[2:03:18] has some sort of repair skills
[2:03:20] sits down with them and they
[2:03:20] work together on seeing if they
[2:03:23] can make the item usable.
[2:03:24] And so we had really great
[2:03:26] turnout again this year with
[2:03:29] 129 items that were brought in
[2:03:30] and about 70% of them were
[2:03:30] either fixed or the person
[2:03:33] walked away kind of knowing
[2:03:34] what they would need to do to
[2:03:34] fix it.
[2:03:37] It's a really great environment
[2:03:38] and there encourage anyone to
[2:03:38] attend.
[2:03:39] We're hoping to host one each
[2:03:41] year people use their item
[2:03:42] doesn't get fixed.
[2:03:42] They feel really good about
[2:03:43] trying to do it and it helps
[2:03:44] add to our culture of reuse and
[2:03:47] repair in the city.
[2:03:49] >> and my last topic is just an
[2:03:52] update on our gas power leaf
[2:03:53] blower ban which has been in
[2:03:56] effect since APRIL.
[2:03:56] And so sustainable staff and
[2:03:57] code enforcement staff are
[2:04:00] working together to respond to
[2:04:00] complaints of potential
[2:04:03] violation that we receive and
[2:04:04] we're really focusing on an
[2:04:06] education first approach.
[2:04:09] We're averaging about 150
[2:04:13] reports a month and we have
[2:04:14] notice we send a if we get
[2:04:17] repeat notices you know, we
[2:04:18] have steps that we follow up on
[2:04:20] that but about 85% of the
[2:04:22] properties we've only received
[2:04:23] one complaint about them.
[2:04:24] So we're hoping that's a sign
[2:04:24] that the outreach that we're
[2:04:27] doing s either informing
[2:04:27] people of policy they didn't
[2:04:30] know about or helping them see
[2:04:31] the benefits of it and bringing
[2:04:34] them into compliance.
[2:04:35] >> and with that I'm happy to
[2:04:35] take any questions.
[2:04:37] Thank you can so I actually
[2:04:38] have a quick question on that
[2:04:38] last one.
[2:04:41] So how what's the outreach that
[2:04:42] if we hear a complaint what's
[2:04:42] the next step?
[2:04:45] >> so we send a letter to the
[2:04:46] property letting them know that
[2:04:47] there MAY have been a potential
[2:04:50] violation sharing the resources
[2:04:51] that we have on our website and
[2:04:53] we include a flier that's
[2:04:54] targeted to landscapers along
[2:04:55] with that notice so they can
[2:04:58] pass that information along if
[2:04:58] that's the service that they
[2:04:59] receive.
[2:05:01] Thank you.
[2:05:02] On the reusable food work we've
[2:05:05] had some conversation at
[2:05:06] recycle smart about this.
[2:05:07] What do you actually mean by
[2:05:10] reusable food where because
[2:05:10] quite frankly if I go into a
[2:05:13] restaurant and I get a plated
[2:05:14] dinner with their plates that's
[2:05:17] reusable because it's going
[2:05:17] through a dishwasher but I
[2:05:18] don't think you mean thank you
[2:05:21] what do you mean by that?
[2:05:21] >> yeah.
[2:05:22] So this program is pretty
[2:05:24] flexible and part of what they
[2:05:25] provide is technical assistance
[2:05:26] kind of working with the
[2:05:26] restaurant and understanding
[2:05:28] their operation.
[2:05:29] So the photo on the slides a
[2:05:32] little small this isn't an
[2:05:33] example in walnut creek but it
[2:05:34] is an example of the kind of
[2:05:36] the wide breath this kind of
[2:05:37] program could provide.
[2:05:40] So the photo on the left would
[2:05:41] be the before you come in and
[2:05:43] sit down and you get your food
[2:05:44] in a clamshell even if you're
[2:05:44] eating it in so they can
[2:05:47] provide dishes for that but
[2:05:48] they'll also assist restaurants
[2:05:51] even if it's one of the
[2:05:52] participating businesses is
[2:05:55] looking at just reusable straws
[2:05:56] there they mainly do beverages
[2:05:59] so even if they aren't able to
[2:05:59] transition everything if they
[2:06:03] could do just the straws as an
[2:06:06] example it still reduces a lot
[2:06:07] of waste being generated and
[2:06:10] can save them the money they
[2:06:11] have to go all the way.
[2:06:12] I guess a conversation centered
[2:06:12] around the dishwashing
[2:06:14] requirement so if they're
[2:06:15] actually eating in and that the
[2:06:18] food establishments utensils
[2:06:22] and food were and even that it
[2:06:22] might not even be available on
[2:06:23] site.
[2:06:26] Yes so the technical assistance
[2:06:27] providers can work with them to
[2:06:30] see if the certain there are
[2:06:31] some that sometimes it works
[2:06:34] without a dishwasher they there
[2:06:35] are ways they can do it.
[2:06:36] Sometimes it doesn't it doesn't
[2:06:38] work for every site but this
[2:06:39] program actually can funded
[2:06:41] dishwashers which a lot of them
[2:06:42] don't.
[2:06:43] >> so that that is a really
[2:06:43] great way about how it's
[2:06:44] structured.
[2:06:45] Thank you.
[2:06:46] >> yes.
[2:06:50] Yeah and thank you for the
[2:06:51] presentation and a lot of the
[2:06:51] exciting projects we're working
[2:06:53] on.
[2:06:54] Congratulations on the work
[2:06:54] with rock and roll.
[2:06:57] I was wondering with this
[2:07:00] reusable food containers did
[2:07:01] someone reach out to john meyer
[2:07:05] hospital cafeteria because they
[2:07:05] recently there are very high
[2:07:09] volume and they recently just
[2:07:09] made this change and I imagine
[2:07:13] that the volume of disposables
[2:07:13] that hey go through would
[2:07:16] probably equal 5 or 6
[2:07:17] restaurants in and of itself
[2:07:17] but they've transitioned to all
[2:07:21] reusable food wares and yeah
[2:07:24] that's that's great to hear I
[2:07:25] don't think and just you know
[2:07:28] outside of restaurant and
[2:07:29] there's some other schools
[2:07:30] programs that recycle great
[2:07:30] works on I'm not aware of them
[2:07:32] reaching out to health care
[2:07:36] yeah just a few yeah I feel o
[2:07:36] it's nice to see you.
[2:07:37] >> yeah.
[2:07:39] Thank you.
[2:07:40] >> thanks, candice.
[2:07:40] Thank you.
[2:07:43] And I'll pass it off to erica
[2:07:43] vanden brand to give the
[2:07:54] general plan update call hello
[2:07:58] there council erica vander
[2:07:58] brown community development
[2:08:01] director so just a little bit
[2:08:02] more than a month ago we are
[2:08:05] before you talking about the
[2:08:06] general plan update and the
[2:08:09] fact that it's a multiyear
[2:08:09] community based effort.
[2:08:12] It's more of an iron man than
[2:08:12] it is a5k.
[2:08:16] So with that I will share with
[2:08:19] you one slide and what's
[2:08:20] happened since we're last in
[2:08:24] front of council on the 21st of
[2:08:24] JULY.
[2:08:28] So if you recall you know there
[2:08:29] had been a significant amount
[2:08:30] of stakeholder outreach that
[2:08:31] occurred in the community as
[2:08:32] well as having a joint
[2:08:35] commission kickoff study
[2:08:36] session and then coming here
[2:08:39] before council on the 21st of
[2:08:39] JULY.
[2:08:42] So since that time we've been
[2:08:43] out in the community talking
[2:08:44] with folks about what their
[2:08:46] hopes, aspirations and dreams
[2:08:47] are for the general plan.
[2:08:51] Update we've been at the locust
[2:08:52] street festival once upon a
[2:08:54] street and probably plaza and
[2:08:55] then later on this month we
[2:08:58] will be at both farmers markets
[2:08:59] so that the one in shade lands
[2:09:02] on the 19th of this month as
[2:09:06] well as the downtown farmer's
[2:09:10] market on the 13th to share
[2:09:11] with the community that this
[2:09:13] effort is underway.
[2:09:14] >> and then the you know
[2:09:17] probably for you the least
[2:09:21] interesting paper based type of
[2:09:21] -
[2:09:22] thing is that we have existing
[2:09:25] condition reports to document
[2:09:26] all the different existing
[2:09:29] commissions are conditions
[2:09:30] throughout the community and so
[2:09:33] those are you know have been
[2:09:34] drafted, they've been reviewed
[2:09:35] by staff and we're going back
[2:09:38] and forth with the consultant
[2:09:38] to make sure that those
[2:09:41] existing conditions represent
[2:09:42] represent the community as we
[2:09:45] know it to be today and those
[2:09:46] will be shared out a little bit
[2:09:49] later in the year with both the
[2:09:53] commissions and I want than you
[2:09:54] with council.
[2:09:54] The intention is that by the
[2:09:56] end of the year that we've
[2:09:57] returned and that we're able to
[2:10:01] share that information with you
[2:10:02] and to have a further
[2:10:05] discussion most importantly
[2:10:07] however there on thursday,
[2:10:08] SEPTEMBER 24th there is a
[2:10:09] workshop upcoming at the civic
[2:10:12] park community center and so
[2:10:15] mayor pro tem francois has
[2:10:16] agreed to help welcome the
[2:10:20] community to that on that day
[2:10:23] and so with that it's not
[2:10:24] nearly as exciting as the last
[2:10:28] time we were here last month or
[2:10:29] you know, the month before
[2:10:29] that.
[2:10:31] But just if you have any
[2:10:32] questions I'm here to answer
[2:10:34] them.
[2:10:35] >> thank you.
[2:10:39] And I'm manning the stuffing
[2:10:39] the farmer's market booth n
[2:10:42] the 13th so I'll see you or
[2:10:45] staff or both what is an
[2:10:46] existing an example of an
[2:10:49] existing condition and when do
[2:10:50] you think council will see that
[2:10:53] report and will it be before a
[2:10:56] mayor pro tem and I two part
[2:10:57] good question.
[2:11:01] >> so the the intention is an
[2:11:04] existing conditions report so
[2:11:05] there are a number of them some
[2:11:08] of them deal with healthy
[2:11:08] communities, some of them deal
[2:11:11] with the state of in our arts
[2:11:12] and recreation or open spaces.
[2:11:15] Still others you know document
[2:11:16] our demographics or economic
[2:11:19] development you know what's
[2:11:20] going on and then our land uses
[2:11:23] in our transportation certainly
[2:11:23] so that is the array of
[2:11:27] existing onditions and it's to
[2:11:28] make sure that we all have the
[2:11:31] same facts that we're operating
[2:11:32] from in the community and that
[2:11:35] all those are undocumented.
[2:11:36] Now in terms of your next
[2:11:39] question, we're so well I was
[2:11:40] sharing with councilmember
[2:11:43] francois earlier it's like one
[2:11:43] of these period television
[2:11:46] shows where you have the staff
[2:11:47] scurrying around for the big
[2:11:50] event and so we're trying
[2:11:50] desperately to get all this
[2:11:54] done and we need to be able to,
[2:11:57] you know, work to both with our
[2:11:58] consultants to get things done
[2:11:58] as quickly as possible and then
[2:12:01] also find time on he council
[2:12:02] agenda.
[2:12:05] So I will defer that question
[2:12:08] ultimately to our city manager
[2:12:08] .
[2:12:12] Thank you.
[2:12:12] Okay.
[2:12:13] I think that's it.
[2:12:15] Thanks for the update, erica.
[2:12:16] Thank you very much.
[2:12:17] And I will introduce rich payne
[2:12:25] our public works director.
[2:12:29] >> good evening mayor.
[2:12:30] Members of the council I'm rich
[2:12:31] payne, the public works
[2:12:32] director for the city walnut
[2:12:33] creek.
[2:12:34] >> tonight I will be updating
[2:12:37] you on the park and recreation
[2:12:40] facility.
[2:12:41] This probably already includes
[2:12:45] many of the metro projects
[2:12:49] specifically a large one which
[2:12:49] is the aquatics and community
[2:12:50] center.
[2:12:51] >> so I'll give you an update
[2:12:52] on that along with some other
[2:12:53] funded projects such as the
[2:12:57] transportation project that we
[2:12:57] have going in the ity.
[2:13:01] >> so just first off just
[2:13:01] want to recap some of the
[2:13:02] projects that we've completed
[2:13:07] using our metro funding and the
[2:13:08] first one here is the ball
[2:13:09] field lighting project at tice
[2:13:12] valley park.
[2:13:12] I'm sure mike vickers is
[2:13:15] looking at this picture and
[2:13:16] asking why couldn't you use a
[2:13:17] better picture of the turfs in
[2:13:19] pretty bad shape?
[2:13:20] But I wanted to illustrate this
[2:13:23] the lighting has enabled the
[2:13:24] city to expand the usage of
[2:13:27] this ark and you can see that
[2:13:28] it's being well used.
[2:13:31] So I think that's a success
[2:13:31] even though it's a little more
[2:13:34] work on our maintenance staff
[2:13:35] and it definitely is a success.
[2:13:38] The synthetic turf project at
[2:13:39] heather farm park is another
[2:13:39] one.
[2:13:42] Just anecdotally my ife and I
[2:13:43] were here on friday drove past
[2:13:46] the field and looked at the
[2:13:47] just looked at what was
[2:13:47] happening out there and I don't
[2:13:50] think there was a square oot
[2:13:51] of that field that wasn't being
[2:13:54] used or several teams using the
[2:13:54] field for practice.
[2:13:57] >> it was really you know, just
[2:13:57] -
[2:13:58] illustrates the success that
[2:14:01] has gone into this project.
[2:14:02] And then I just want to point
[2:14:06] out the court resurfacing at
[2:14:06] both our basketball court
[2:14:09] abelardo and then the roger
[2:14:10] park.
[2:14:13] So both really in talking to
[2:14:13] mike it really has activated
[2:14:17] those spaces before.
[2:14:18] If you remember the basketball
[2:14:21] court at our building was in
[2:14:22] pretty bad shape and really
[2:14:24] underutilized and now that it
[2:14:25] we've resurfaced it and prove
[2:14:28] that amenity has really drawn
[2:14:29] people there for pickup games
[2:14:35] and other types of activities.
[2:14:36] Just to update you on the
[2:14:39] existing park at civic we were
[2:14:43] in the process of this this
[2:14:43] project has taken a little bit
[2:14:47] longer than anticipated.
[2:14:48] One f the delays for this park
[2:14:51] was just he getting a hold of
[2:14:51] all the playground equipment.
[2:14:55] So there's been delays in
[2:14:56] getting that but now that we
[2:14:57] have it we're working with the
[2:14:59] contractor to schedule the work
[2:15:00] and it's slated to happen in
[2:15:03] the fall.
[2:15:04] So and as it starts up there
[2:15:06] will be about six weeks for
[2:15:06] that project to happen.
[2:15:10] >> so next on the list is sort
[2:15:13] of our premier project for
[2:15:16] metro as I offer these pictures
[2:15:17] just so you can kind of take a
[2:15:20] look at just the development,
[2:15:21] it's really kind of cool to see
[2:15:24] just everything coming
[2:15:25] together.
[2:15:29] You can imagine in how it sits
[2:15:32] next to he concrete pond and
[2:15:35] just the experience that's
[2:15:36] going to create for the
[2:15:39] community center in terms of
[2:15:40] the pool you can see it they've
[2:15:41] excavated the pool.
[2:15:43] The next steps there will be to
[2:15:47] add some additional utilities
[2:15:48] and associated lighting and
[2:15:49] other things at rebar it and
[2:15:51] then the gunite which is
[2:15:52] concrete that they spray on
[2:15:55] will go on I'm told this month
[2:15:56] I was talking to the contractor
[2:15:59] and so later this month we'll
[2:16:00] see concrete going there.
[2:16:03] I know the push is really to
[2:16:06] get all this done before the
[2:16:07] the super el nino comes.
[2:16:07] So we're I know that the
[2:16:10] contractor s really concerned
[2:16:11] about that and then of course
[2:16:14] the next step will be vertical
[2:16:14] construction.
[2:16:18] We'll start seeing things come
[2:16:18] together and I'll tell you that
[2:16:19] we're really excited to see
[2:16:22] that happen.
[2:16:23] But just to update you and
[2:16:25] overall the project is going
[2:16:26] well.
[2:16:26] We've ran into a few things
[2:16:29] associated with the site
[2:16:33] development but I think so far
[2:16:34] given the magnitude of this
[2:16:35] project is it's going quite
[2:16:35] well.
[2:16:38] So next on the list is all the
[2:16:42] pedestrian bike friendly
[2:16:42] development that's going out
[2:16:43] there.
[2:16:43] The first one here is a trail
[2:16:46] crossing enhancements project.
[2:16:47] If you drive around town you
[2:16:50] can see all these the
[2:16:51] improvements that are being
[2:16:53] made at all of our trail
[2:16:54] crossings and I definitely see
[2:16:58] well it has definitely created
[2:17:02] a safer environment for people
[2:17:05] crossing at these intersections
[2:17:06] before I think they were
[2:17:09] probably under marked now
[2:17:10] you'll see the signs lines and
[2:17:13] legends and advance warning
[2:17:14] when you come up on these
[2:17:14] trials and it really has
[2:17:17] improved safety for the
[2:17:18] pedestrians and bicyclists
[2:17:18] bicyclists that use this
[2:17:22] infrastructure for the broadway
[2:17:23] newer safer to school project
[2:17:29] is in design and that
[2:17:33] improvement is slated to happen
[2:17:33] .
[2:17:35] And I want to say and we see
[2:17:40] here yeah the construction is
[2:17:44] is slated to happen in late
[2:17:48] 2728 so and that really is
[2:17:49] going to improve the safety for
[2:17:52] the school and the other users
[2:17:53] that use that pathway too or
[2:17:55] that area to come downtown
[2:17:56] including the motorists that
[2:17:59] use that area.
[2:18:00] >> so design is underway for
[2:18:03] the north broadway road diet.
[2:18:04] This is that section between
[2:18:08] civic and and why we are really
[2:18:10] it's a wide really expansive
[2:18:11] area when you're crossing you
[2:18:15] feel kind of alone out there.
[2:18:16] It takes a while to get across
[2:18:18] that area so the improvements
[2:18:19] and design are underway for
[2:18:23] that project and that's also a
[2:18:23] project that will probably
[2:18:30] happen in 2028 ish but that
[2:18:31] there's still a lot of design
[2:18:32] work that needs to happen with
[2:18:35] that project and the same thing
[2:18:38] goes with the park side cycle
[2:18:39] track project.
[2:18:42] These projects are similar and
[2:18:43] that they'll both receive some
[2:18:46] type of cycle track and
[2:18:49] essentially cycle track is
[2:18:50] where they have a divider or
[2:18:53] something between the icycle
[2:18:54] us and the motorists and
[2:18:58] sometimes they'll use a buffer
[2:18:59] like park parking so that push
[2:19:01] the parking away from the curb
[2:19:02] out into the street and this
[2:19:05] allows some security between
[2:19:06] the motorists and and the
[2:19:12] people driving so the next one
[2:19:14] on the list here for bike
[2:19:15] friendly and pedestrian
[2:19:18] friendly infrastructure is the
[2:19:21] oakland boulevard improvements
[2:19:21] .
[2:19:22] This is a section of boulevard
[2:19:25] that from mount diablo oakland
[2:19:26] boulevard from mount diablo to
[2:19:29] trinity it's almost a connector
[2:19:30] from all that condensed housing
[2:19:33] there to the bart station.
[2:19:37] This one's a tricky one.
[2:19:38] We've received funding for it
[2:19:40] but it's it's a tricky one just
[2:19:41] because of the elevations are a
[2:19:44] little bit steep from just the
[2:19:48] way it was built are we it it's
[2:19:54] going to require a lot of a lot
[2:19:57] of engineering to put sidewalks
[2:19:58] and other bicycle
[2:19:59] infrastructure on this section
[2:20:02] of street the next one and I
[2:20:05] think we're all ware of this
[2:20:09] poject is on street there
[2:20:10] right now we're working with
[2:20:13] the county just to make sure
[2:20:14] that we're coordinating our
[2:20:14] projects together.
[2:20:17] This project is slated to
[2:20:21] happen in late 7 so the
[2:20:25] construction probably in in the
[2:20:27] end of summer or early fall of
[2:20:28] 27 and that'll be interesting
[2:20:31] how that turns out.
[2:20:32] But I know that there's a lot
[2:20:34] of angst out there for that
[2:20:35] project and the last one here
[2:20:38] is the walker avenue san miguel
[2:20:38] sidewalk.
[2:20:39] This project is almost done if
[2:20:42] you've driven through that area
[2:20:42] it's essentially a you know,
[2:20:46] return for ada and given the
[2:20:50] number of condominiums and
[2:20:51] other apartments in that area
[2:20:54] there is a lot of pedestrian
[2:20:55] traffic that come through there
[2:20:55] and so this will really make
[2:20:58] that corner, that section of
[2:20:59] san miguel and walker really
[2:21:00] safer.
[2:21:04] >> edestrian traffic and last
[2:21:08] but not least is the the sort
[2:21:09] of phase three, if you will, of
[2:21:12] the you know, the aquatics
[2:21:16] project as you recall this
[2:21:18] project are essentially the
[2:21:22] plan is to remove this from the
[2:21:23] site and so this we recently
[2:21:28] took to pros in fact last night
[2:21:30] we took this pro to pros last
[2:21:31] night and offered two options
[2:21:33] one and two and the pros
[2:21:37] commission recommended option
[2:21:41] two and sort of with the caveat
[2:21:44] that they that we plan to use
[2:21:45] the outreach information
[2:21:48] collected by the general plan
[2:21:49] as a foundation to guide the
[2:21:52] process with the focus on
[2:21:57] creating a mass the heather
[2:21:57] farm master plan update with a
[2:22:04] focus on really this clark and
[2:22:07] you know kind of re-use of this
[2:22:08] space here so if you look at
[2:22:11] that blue line last time I was
[2:22:12] up here there was a question in
[2:22:13] terms of what that footprint
[2:22:15] print looks like.
[2:22:16] This is sort of following the
[2:22:16] fence line.
[2:22:19] So it's a pretty large space
[2:22:23] that will be repurposing so
[2:22:27] more to come on that as I as we
[2:22:27] work through this the next
[2:22:28] update I'll probably have more
[2:22:32] information for you and that's
[2:22:34] all I have is there any
[2:22:39] questions toes in the water
[2:22:41] 2027 toes in the water 27 I
[2:22:44] have the sign on my on my desk
[2:22:45] .
[2:22:45] >> so DECEMBER 31st 2027 it's
[2:22:46] midnight.
[2:22:49] I know what 27 could you go
[2:22:52] back one slide please?
[2:22:55] >> maybe.
[2:22:56] Although I appreciate that the
[2:22:59] pros commission weighed in on
[2:22:59] this.
[2:22:59] Yes.
[2:23:00] And of course they took the
[2:23:00] most.
[2:23:03] But I think what they did is
[2:23:04] they took the broadest option
[2:23:06] and narrowed it to focus on
[2:23:11] this space here,not the whole
[2:23:11] park.
[2:23:12] Mike, did I interpret what you
[2:23:14] said correctly?
[2:23:17] >> so kind of the the they did
[2:23:21] see the importance of doing an
[2:23:22] update to the existing heather
[2:23:23] farm master plan which was done
[2:23:29] in 2003 and so I think the plan
[2:23:30] would be to use that the
[2:23:33] existing master plan and update
[2:23:34] it.
[2:23:34] There's a ew things that are
[2:23:37] outdated obviously we have an
[2:23:38] all abilities playground there
[2:23:41] along with the dog park so that
[2:23:44] aren't reflected in the other
[2:23:45] the fields and all the other
[2:23:45] things.
[2:23:48] There's not much to update in
[2:23:51] terms of the the the and the
[2:23:52] other farm update that was done
[2:23:55] in 2003 but they know which
[2:23:56] fell through the park on the
[2:23:58] third rail that yeah and then
[2:24:01] the folks would be here so you
[2:24:02] know just and my understanding
[2:24:03] is that they also asked for
[2:24:05] some additional information and
[2:24:06] we MAY be going back in early
[2:24:09] OCTOBER to discuss some of the
[2:24:10] options with them and then
[2:24:11] we'll bring it back to council
[2:24:11] for further discussion and
[2:24:14] ultimately decision about how
[2:24:14] to proceed what's correct.
[2:24:18] >> what were your estimation be
[2:24:19] like if we're looking at option
[2:24:22] if the pros commission if we
[2:24:23] look t option one essentially
[2:24:27] the time frame for making
[2:24:29] decisions versus option two
[2:24:29] time frame, it seems like an
[2:24:30] option to that could be a
[2:24:33] couple of years of discussions.
[2:24:33] >> right.
[2:24:34] And that was the pros
[2:24:37] commission's concern.
[2:24:38] And so the dea was not to wait
[2:24:40] until the general plan was
[2:24:40] complete.
[2:24:41] We were just interested in
[2:24:45] using some of the data used in
[2:24:48] the outreach for the general
[2:24:49] plan and aligning that data
[2:24:53] with the or with a an
[2:24:56] additional master plan of this
[2:24:56] area.
[2:25:00] So we were t was kind of a
[2:25:01] combination and that would
[2:25:04] expedite the you know, any kind
[2:25:08] of delays in the process of
[2:25:09] summarize a little little
[2:25:12] differently in that they liked
[2:25:16] the idea of option two but
[2:25:17] wanted it done as quickly as
[2:25:17] option one.
[2:25:20] And so you got this you know,
[2:25:20] so there might be an option
[2:25:23] three coming back and at no I
[2:25:24] was waiting for the we gave
[2:25:26] them option one, we gave them
[2:25:27] option two and they took option
[2:25:28] three and that's exactly what
[2:25:30] they did right.
[2:25:33] Think thank you.
[2:25:34] Yeah, you're welcome.
[2:25:35] What one thing and I know this
[2:25:37] isn't necessarily this forum
[2:25:38] but as we go through these
[2:25:39] projects I know that like just
[2:25:42] this last weekend right at a
[2:25:43] soccer game with our kids from
[2:25:44] these new fields out in dublin
[2:25:48] and everybody's like you know,
[2:25:48] 30, 40 yards from the field
[2:25:49] trying to find a little tree to
[2:25:52] sit under because there's no
[2:25:52] shade.
[2:25:53] And it occurred to me that as
[2:25:56] we build these projects like I
[2:25:59] was looking at the one on civic
[2:26:00] park and I'm thinking is there
[2:26:02] time to put up like some shade
[2:26:03] sails you know for the kids
[2:26:06] over the playground is that I
[2:26:07] know that maybe the ship sailed
[2:26:10] on a funding but yeah I think
[2:26:14] that's something we can look at
[2:26:14] when that time comes.
[2:26:17] Yeah because because I know
[2:26:18] what a what a premium you know
[2:26:21] that is especially like for the
[2:26:21] kids.
[2:26:24] >> yeah civic civic park has a
[2:26:25] lot of tree shade around it so
[2:26:29] it's there is a lot of shade
[2:26:29] there but I see what you mean
[2:26:32] especially which is you know
[2:26:33] all abilities fields and things
[2:26:36] I mean not the old buildings
[2:26:36] but the synthetic turf fields.
[2:26:40] Yeah those can get really warm
[2:26:40] so yeah.
[2:26:40] >> thanks.
[2:26:41] Yeah.
[2:26:43] I mean you spurred a thought
[2:26:46] there that parking field that
[2:26:47] we're not seemingly touching is
[2:26:50] part of this phase three.
[2:26:54] Is there an opportunity to do
[2:26:57] kind of solar car shade
[2:26:58] coverings to generate you know
[2:27:01] we can cross pollinate in terms
[2:27:02] of some of our priorities here
[2:27:06] and make t a little less less
[2:27:06] of a heat island?
[2:27:07] >> yeah, I think those are all
[2:27:09] things that we can look at when
[2:27:13] that time comes.
[2:27:14] >> okay.
[2:27:14] Thanks, rich.
[2:27:16] You're welcome.
[2:27:18] And I'll turn the time over to
[2:27:26] chief phipps.
[2:27:30] Thank you, rich.
[2:27:31] Good evening, mayor and city
[2:27:31] council members ryan his chief
[2:27:34] of police here to give an
[2:27:34] update on the council priority
[2:27:37] of public safety and social
[2:27:41] wellness as a reminder the
[2:27:42] goals here are to ensure a high
[2:27:43] level of public safety by
[2:27:43] building on efforts to support
[2:27:45] an effective and innovative
[2:27:45] police department.
[2:27:46] A proactive response police
[2:27:49] response to crime trends.
[2:27:50] Joint agency responses to
[2:27:50] homelessness and mental health
[2:27:54] challenges to crime prevention
[2:27:54] partnerships and partnerships
[2:27:56] in neighborhoods or programs
[2:27:57] and neighborhoods the downtown
[2:28:00] and other commercial areas
[2:28:01] impervious to traffic, transit,
[2:28:02] pedestrian and bike safety and
[2:28:05] community and egional disaster
[2:28:06] preparation and resiliency to
[2:28:06] meet the increasing challenges
[2:28:09] of wildfires, earthquakes,
[2:28:09] droughts, floods and other
[2:28:12] hazards.
[2:28:13] So the first strategic
[2:28:13] objective is to maintain an
[2:28:14] effective and innovative police
[2:28:17] department and I spoken a lot
[2:28:18] about the need to do a
[2:28:20] technology audit to ensure that
[2:28:21] we're not using overlapping
[2:28:24] technologies and so the idea
[2:28:25] here is to get not only more
[2:28:28] fiscally lean but also to
[2:28:29] become more efficient.
[2:28:30] So I am pleased to report we
[2:28:33] have submitted into an rfp
[2:28:36] process for a new cat or mouse
[2:28:36] .
[2:28:37] We did field test a couple of
[2:28:38] different vendors for that.
[2:28:40] We have not yet received any
[2:28:41] proposals yet so I don't know
[2:28:44] if the ones that we evaluated
[2:28:45] will be a part of this rfp
[2:28:47] process but we're actively
[2:28:51] underway here as far as patrol
[2:28:52] technology we are evaluating
[2:28:52] the addition of in-car cameras
[2:28:55] to the patrol fleet.
[2:28:55] Those are commonly referred to
[2:28:56] as dash cameras but they're
[2:28:58] actually not mounted to the
[2:28:59] dash anymore.
[2:29:00] They're mounted behind the or
[2:29:00] in front I guess in front of
[2:29:02] and between the windshield the
[2:29:03] rearview mirror.
[2:29:06] So so that system in addition
[2:29:10] to a camera system that covers
[2:29:11] the prisoner bay is under
[2:29:13] evaluation.
[2:29:14] I'm not sure if we're going to
[2:29:15] end up purchasing those but it
[2:29:17] is something we're actively
[2:29:17] evaluating.
[2:29:18] Social media engagement has
[2:29:21] jumped since the last quarter.
[2:29:22] It's it's up the instagram
[2:29:24] followers have increased by
[2:29:28] 7000 and then with the facebook
[2:29:36] is always probably more
[2:29:36] utilized broadly and we're now
[2:29:39] up to 30 5000 followers for
[2:29:40] that for that part of our
[2:29:43] social media city wide camera
[2:29:44] systems e're continuing to
[2:29:46] evaluate management, manage
[2:29:47] camera technology there.
[2:29:50] And then with respect to our
[2:29:51] license plate reader cameras, I
[2:29:52] did make a comment I think at
[2:29:54] the last meeting that we are
[2:29:55] evaluating and actually
[2:29:58] building a public acing portal
[2:30:01] to outline not just the best
[2:30:02] practices with respect to data
[2:30:06] sharing from lpr cameras but
[2:30:06] also who we share it with and
[2:30:07] we plan on updating that
[2:30:14] frequently with respect to
[2:30:14] continuing proactive response
[2:30:15] to crime trends and with the
[2:30:18] community involvement we we are
[2:30:18] continuing to host coffee with
[2:30:21] the cop events.
[2:30:24] The last one was on JUNE 16th
[2:30:24] and a national night out was
[2:30:25] well attended.
[2:30:26] We'll get to that in just a
[2:30:28] little bit.
[2:30:28] Officers in addition to going
[2:30:32] to national night out did also
[2:30:32] attend a bunch of neighborhood
[2:30:32] -
[2:30:36] block parties which is that the
[2:30:39] more traditional way that that
[2:30:40] national night out is run but
[2:30:43] we also found that we got a lot
[2:30:44] of great engagement and
[2:30:45] participation by by hosting
[2:30:48] added broadway plaza so so that
[2:30:54] will continue and of about 85
[2:30:55] or 90% done with one on one
[2:30:57] meetings with all of our staff
[2:30:58] and these are these are with
[2:30:59] everyone these are with our
[2:31:01] sworn police officers and with
[2:31:05] our professional staff to try
[2:31:05] another room to improve
[2:31:08] communication in the department
[2:31:09] of communication.
[2:31:10] But also the goal is to develop
[2:31:12] action items with the themes
[2:31:16] that I co-lead from all of
[2:31:17] those one on ones and with
[2:31:18] respect to crime, intelligence
[2:31:21] and analysis we've been with
[2:31:22] peregrine now for a couple of
[2:31:25] years and the the things that
[2:31:28] this program can o we're
[2:31:29] finding more and more every
[2:31:29] day.
[2:31:32] In fact currently working on a
[2:31:33] new dashboard informational
[2:31:35] dashboard for the council as
[2:31:37] well as a post not a post but
[2:31:44] sort of a change in how that
[2:31:45] information is delivered.
[2:31:45] So instead of excel
[2:31:47] spreadsheets and numbers and
[2:31:48] analysis you'll receive a
[2:31:51] little bit more of a thorough
[2:31:52] visual breakdown of of of what
[2:31:55] you need to know.
[2:31:56] And I would be remiss if I
[2:31:59] didn't plug the next coffee
[2:32:00] with the cop which is on
[2:32:02] SEPTEMBER 8th at nordstrom at
[2:32:05] 9:30 A.M. Where nordstrom the
[2:32:09] coffee shop at nordstrom and
[2:32:09] one downstairs that would make
[2:32:12] it easy for people yeah
[2:32:16] national night out this was we
[2:32:16] we had a good attendance as
[2:32:19] well but 400 people were in
[2:32:20] attendance for for this
[2:32:22] national night out we continue
[2:32:23] to see good crowds every year
[2:32:27] again it's it's it's very
[2:32:30] beneficial to us that in such a
[2:32:30] a welcoming venue such as
[2:32:34] broadway plaza.
[2:32:38] >> strategic objective number
[2:32:39] three coordinate joint agency
[2:32:39] response to homelessness and
[2:32:42] mental health challenges.
[2:32:42] hop continues to collaborate
[2:32:43] with the city and with the
[2:32:46] county and different resources
[2:32:46] to to address people
[2:32:50] experiencing homelessness.
[2:32:51] I am pleased to report that
[2:32:51] there aren't any established
[2:32:54] encampments in city limits as I
[2:32:55] think I did the last quarter as
[2:33:01] well ith strategic objective
[2:33:04] number four which is to develop
[2:33:04] crime prevention partnership
[2:33:05] and programs.
[2:33:07] We continue business watch.
[2:33:08] This was the brainchild of our
[2:33:11] crime prevention specialist
[2:33:11] cara ramon.
[2:33:15] This initially started off as a
[2:33:16] crime free business model which
[2:33:19] is the more common way to to to
[2:33:23] build something like business
[2:33:24] watch.
[2:33:24] >> but cara took that in and
[2:33:25] ran with the concept.
[2:33:27] So we've hosted a few meetings
[2:33:27] to this point four events so
[2:33:30] far this year they re
[2:33:31] increasingly getting to be
[2:33:34] better attended and the idea is
[2:33:35] to have businesses commuting
[2:33:36] communicating with each other
[2:33:38] so that if you see something
[2:33:39] say something but also to open
[2:33:40] up lines of communication to
[2:33:42] the police department with that
[2:33:45] detectives our detective bureau
[2:33:46] presented on fraud, robbery and
[2:33:49] business related crime business
[2:33:50] watch lunch and learn on the
[2:33:52] 18th of AUGUST and then the
[2:33:57] crime prevention specialist
[2:33:57] completed three environmental
[2:34:00] design evaluations of local
[2:34:01] businesses and what that is
[2:34:02] that's a service that we offer
[2:34:04] where the crime prevention
[2:34:05] specialist will go and make
[2:34:08] environmental recommendations
[2:34:08] to the business to increase
[2:34:11] security and lower the chances
[2:34:12] that they could become he
[2:34:13] victim of a crime.
[2:34:13] >> and the neighborhood watch
[2:34:16] program we we we've restored
[2:34:19] that up but it's starting to
[2:34:20] grow a little bit.
[2:34:20] But again, that's the the
[2:34:23] revamp from our crime
[2:34:26] prevention specialist with
[2:34:29] strategic objective number five
[2:34:30] to improve traffic transit
[2:34:33] pedestrian and bicycle safety I
[2:34:34] am pleased to report the
[2:34:34] overall traffic collisions have
[2:34:36] decreased 11% compared to this
[2:34:37] point last year.
[2:34:39] Duis we're seeing a lot more
[2:34:40] dui arrests and that's probably
[2:34:43] due to our officers comfort
[2:34:44] level based on some of the
[2:34:47] training that they've received.
[2:34:48] They ypically when an officer
[2:34:51] is is they go through the
[2:34:52] police academy, they do receive
[2:34:54] some level of training as to
[2:34:55] alcohol and drug detection from
[2:34:56] from drivers.
[2:34:59] But until you go through a more
[2:35:00] specialized class, sometimes
[2:35:03] those things can can slip by.
[2:35:03] So we did send a number of
[2:35:06] officers to that training
[2:35:07] several years ago or three
[2:35:08] years ago now and now it's
[2:35:10] starting to take hold with the
[2:35:10] I mean we can't really use
[2:35:13] covid as an excuse anymore but
[2:35:14] we did hire a number of
[2:35:15] officers through covid and
[2:35:18] getting them used to going out
[2:35:19] and making traffic stops and
[2:35:21] educating the public again was
[2:35:22] it was a bit trying.
[2:35:25] So we're there now we're making
[2:35:26] traffic stops route and
[2:35:29] educating the public ut one of
[2:35:30] the products of that is an
[2:35:30] increase in dui arrests over
[2:35:32] the nighttime and weekend hours
[2:35:36] today or since SEPTEMBER of
[2:35:37] last year we're at 118 arrests.
[2:35:43] But I will note that in 2025
[2:35:45] year to date 2025 so JANUARY
[2:35:46] 1st to SEPTEMBER 1st we had 49
[2:35:50] dui arrests and since then or
[2:35:51] since JANUARY of this year,
[2:35:53] year to date we have 89.
[2:35:54] So it's quite a significant
[2:35:58] increase in one that is a
[2:36:01] little surprising kind of given
[2:36:02] the ride share that are out
[2:36:05] there and the opportunities for
[2:36:06] folks to not drive impaired.
[2:36:09] But now that we're now that
[2:36:10] we're out there stopping them
[2:36:11] there, they're being held
[2:36:12] accountable if they're driving
[2:36:16] impaired.
[2:36:17] And I did MISS One thing for
[2:36:20] pedestrians safety month we are
[2:36:21] partnering with rossmore on a
[2:36:21] presentation planned for
[2:36:24] OCTOBER.
[2:36:24] >> those are always well
[2:36:27] attended for strategic
[2:36:28] strategic objective number five
[2:36:28] which is to improve traffic
[2:36:31] transit pedestrian base,
[2:36:31] bicycle safety.
[2:36:32] We continue to work with public
[2:36:38] works quarterly to discuss not
[2:36:39] just engineering projects but
[2:36:40] also community feedback and
[2:36:43] evaluate roadway conditions and
[2:36:43] to review crash details after
[2:36:44] serious collisions.
[2:36:45] So one thing that actually came
[2:36:46] up in our chiefs advisory board
[2:36:50] meeting was fairly minor
[2:36:51] detail about a local parking
[2:36:52] lot coming out onto a public
[2:36:55] roadway that captain slater has
[2:36:55] since started to work with
[2:36:58] traffic engineering to see if
[2:36:59] we can come up with a solution
[2:37:02] for so well we'll take it from
[2:37:02] anywhere we can get it.
[2:37:03] Any suggestions or feedback?
[2:37:06] We're certainly open to and we
[2:37:07] want to improve our roadway
[2:37:09] safety as much as possible on
[2:37:13] e-bikes so we receive it pretty
[2:37:17] regularly.
[2:37:18] Complaints about reckless
[2:37:18] e-bike riders and I know
[2:37:19] council member dave any of this
[2:37:23] is a passion project of yours
[2:37:26] and so I am pleased to report
[2:37:27] that we participated in a joint
[2:37:30] e-bike education on AUGUST
[2:37:31] 18th.
[2:37:31] So nine agencies in total
[2:37:35] participated and we were one of
[2:37:36] them 45 officers and that's I
[2:37:38] don't think they're all
[2:37:39] pictured there but you see the
[2:37:43] numbers there and this is not
[2:37:43] just specific to walnut creek.
[2:37:47] This is this is a growing issue
[2:37:47] everywhere and obviously with
[2:37:50] respect to e-bikes and and
[2:37:51] motorcycles, we want to ensure
[2:37:54] that people are safe.
[2:37:55] We want to ensure that there
[2:37:56] are license and we want to
[2:37:58] ensure that the public around
[2:37:58] them is safe.
[2:38:01] So 194 contacts total made 56
[2:38:04] tickets were issued a 137
[2:38:05] warnings or education contacts
[2:38:07] were made.
[2:38:08] One was arrested for drug
[2:38:09] possession which is always
[2:38:13] surprising to me on an e-bike
[2:38:13] and then we towed one for I
[2:38:16] believe being unlicensed with
[2:38:17] the next operation planned for
[2:38:23] SEPTEMBER 17th with respect to
[2:38:24] strategic objective number six
[2:38:25] which is community and regional
[2:38:27] disaster preparation we
[2:38:28] provided we were provided with
[2:38:35] updated training on when.
[2:38:36] This was at one of our command
[2:38:38] staff meetings a representative
[2:38:40] from cw us came and made sure
[2:38:43] that we were all signed up for
[2:38:44] the alerts and we were but but
[2:38:47] he also assured us that the
[2:38:47] system is working properly.
[2:38:48] there are times that sometimes
[2:38:49] we don't feel like we're
[2:38:51] getting all the alerts there.
[2:38:52] They assure us that we are and
[2:38:58] so we are now well informed.
[2:38:59] >> now I'll open it up to
[2:39:02] questions if any of you MAY
[2:39:02] have some.
[2:39:03] >> is is officer young feeling
[2:39:06] the pressure of people that are
[2:39:09] going to be on his tails for
[2:39:09] the award next year?
[2:39:13] >> I can't speak for him but he
[2:39:13] should be which is a good
[2:39:16] problem for us and the
[2:39:17] community frankly I as just
[2:39:21] curious on the cwc how is that
[2:39:21] different from so because I
[2:39:24] think I guess nixon alerts yes
[2:39:27] so cwc is countywide it's the
[2:39:30] county emergency system as
[2:39:31] opposed to everbridge which is
[2:39:31] one that we have within the
[2:39:32] city as well.
[2:39:35] So we make the call when it
[2:39:36] goes out on next hold.
[2:39:38] Correct the call on cwa?
[2:39:38] >> correct.
[2:39:39] So we MAY never hear from them.
[2:39:42] We MAY not but if we make the
[2:39:46] requests from them they will
[2:39:46] make sure that t gets to the
[2:39:47] right people.
[2:39:47] Okay.
[2:39:48] What's the I mean what is the
[2:39:50] difference like a refinery
[2:39:53] blows up coverage?
[2:39:54] Yeah, well coverage between
[2:39:55] that and everbridge coverage.
[2:39:57] Okay.
[2:39:58] >> thank you.
[2:39:58] Right.
[2:40:05] I think oh what is this we
[2:40:06] frequently hear comments that
[2:40:06] why aren't we just banning
[2:40:10] e-bikes outright like down and
[2:40:13] I kind know what is what's
[2:40:17] really going on at the this
[2:40:17] regional level so you have to
[2:40:20] work regionally because people
[2:40:21] are crossing borders faster
[2:40:24] than they used to but well and
[2:40:25] you know without giving away
[2:40:28] too many trade secrets
[2:40:31] sometimes a planned e-bike
[2:40:31] enforcement operation is the
[2:40:32] way to go.
[2:40:35] >> the regionally this works
[2:40:36] better because just to your
[2:40:40] point, councilmember silva it
[2:40:40] is it is people do kind of
[2:40:41] crossover borders.
[2:40:43] Te california the jurisdiction
[2:40:44] isn't an issue it's it's the
[2:40:47] personnel and making sure that
[2:40:47] we have the personnel o catch
[2:40:48] people on the other end if they
[2:40:50] take off.
[2:40:50] One thing we're not going to do
[2:40:51] is if it's a danger to public
[2:40:54] safety, if we were to continue
[2:40:55] a pursuit of an e-bike rider or
[2:40:57] an e motorcycle rider, we do
[2:40:58] need to weigh that out.
[2:40:58] And if it's just the violation
[2:41:01] of the e-bike or the the
[2:41:02] driving pattern of the e-bike
[2:41:05] rider as opposed to maybe a
[2:41:05] violent crime that they're
[2:41:08] fleeing from, we have to weigh
[2:41:09] that out when we're deciding
[2:41:11] whether to to continue a
[2:41:14] pursuit.
[2:41:15] >> thank you.
[2:41:19] I think yeah I see e-bikes
[2:41:19] doing well.
[2:41:20] >> leaves go all the way down
[2:41:21] the street in front of my house
[2:41:22] now.
[2:41:23] >> yeah and you know that's
[2:41:23] certainly unsafe and if we were
[2:41:26] to catch that then we would
[2:41:27] initiate a traffic stop on them
[2:41:30] and write a citation.
[2:41:31] >> two weeks ago after this
[2:41:31] meeting I pulled out of the
[2:41:34] parking lot was going south on
[2:41:34] south broadway for north
[2:41:37] broadway and there were two
[2:41:38] coming at me from his side and
[2:41:38] one coming at me from this.
[2:41:41] They were clearly in the street
[2:41:42] but I couldn't even figure out
[2:41:43] what it was.
[2:41:48] >> it was just I liked maybe
[2:41:49] they had a light because you
[2:41:51] were probably ahead of me.
[2:41:52] >> oh and I do see legislation
[2:41:53] coming down the pipeline
[2:41:55] eventually to to regulate these
[2:41:56] a little bit more closely.
[2:41:59] But I won't comment on any
[2:41:59] other city ordinance that
[2:42:02] outright bans them but I don't
[2:42:06] know if they're having any
[2:42:07] success with that to be frank.
[2:42:10] >> you know, since we're on the
[2:42:10] topic just today I spoke with
[2:42:13] our emergency medical care
[2:42:14] committee which is a committee
[2:42:18] at the county level and about
[2:42:21] e-bikes and bike safety.
[2:42:22] And so I hope that in the near
[2:42:24] future they'll be stronger
[2:42:28] county wide coordination and
[2:42:29] we'll certainly bring that back
[2:42:32] as soon as I hear more.
[2:42:32] >> excellent.
[2:42:36] Q thank you.
[2:42:36] >> gibbs my pleasure.
[2:42:37] I will now turn it back over to
[2:42:38] joe for closing.
[2:42:42] >> thank you for lunch.
[2:42:42] All right.
[2:42:46] Wll thank you o all of our
[2:42:46] leads for presenting.
[2:42:47] So tonight we discussed
[2:42:50] priorities from 2025 and 2026
[2:42:50] calendar year.
[2:42:53] Believe it or not, 2027 is
[2:42:56] going to get here very quickly
[2:42:56] .
[2:42:57] >> so city council will soon be
[2:42:58] identifying a new set of
[2:43:01] priorities for those two
[2:43:01] calendar years.
[2:43:02] >> so I want to talk a little
[2:43:05] bit about that.
[2:43:06] So at the MAY 19th city council
[2:43:08] meeting city council did
[2:43:11] approve staff to go forward to
[2:43:12] conduct outreach with the
[2:43:16] community to help inform
[2:43:16] development of the next two
[2:43:20] calendar year priority cycle.
[2:43:23] >> so since then staff has
[2:43:24] developed a wo phased approach
[2:43:28] to to engaging our community
[2:43:31] with an overall theme of your
[2:43:31] voice.
[2:43:34] Our future and phase one was to
[2:43:38] begin with a broad open ended
[2:43:39] community question or an pen
[2:43:42] ended listening to hear what
[2:43:43] issues mattered to the
[2:43:45] community over the next two
[2:43:45] years.
[2:43:46] And so that phase that first
[2:43:49] phase did start this week.
[2:43:50] >> we did launch a inhouse
[2:43:53] designed open ended survey that
[2:43:57] was launched and shared in the
[2:43:58] nutshell which was delivered to
[2:44:00] folks this week and is on our
[2:44:04] city website and it asks the
[2:44:05] question what would you like
[2:44:07] the city to prioritize in 2027
[2:44:11] and 2028 suggest an open field
[2:44:12] share with us what you're
[2:44:15] thinking and that survey will
[2:44:18] be open to the public until
[2:44:18] SEPTEMBER 15th at 5 P.M. And
[2:44:19] I'm just going to go ahead and
[2:44:22] plug you can find it at walnut
[2:44:25] creek see
[2:44:26] a.Gov/council-priorities and we
[2:44:28] will share a social media post
[2:44:29] on that as well.
[2:44:30] >> so the responses we received
[2:44:33] to that open ended survey is
[2:44:35] going to help inform the phase
[2:44:36] two which is a more defined
[2:44:40] community survey where we're
[2:44:41] going to ask the public to to
[2:44:44] rank or rioritize the themes
[2:44:47] of most value to them.
[2:44:48] Those themes will be of course
[2:44:52] informed by this open community
[2:44:52] listening section.
[2:44:55] >> so we're currently
[2:44:56] considering whether that phase
[2:44:56] two survey will be done in
[2:44:59] house more informally or if
[2:45:00] we're going to go ahead and
[2:45:00] pursue the support of a
[2:45:02] consultant especially if we
[2:45:06] find from our phase one that
[2:45:07] there's a lot of complex a lot
[2:45:09] of complexities to the issues
[2:45:10] we receive and then we'll go
[2:45:11] ahead and provide to city
[2:45:14] council the the results of that
[2:45:17] survey to help inform as the
[2:45:21] next priorities are developed
[2:45:22] and that is all I have for
[2:45:22] tonight.
[2:45:26] Any questions about the survey
[2:45:29] or engagement?
[2:45:29] Okay.
[2:45:30] Ask a question.
[2:45:33] Could you send us the link to
[2:45:33] that survey o that we can find
[2:45:36] it and have it handy on our
[2:45:36] device?
[2:45:37] >> absolutely.
[2:45:37] Thank you.
[2:45:38] Will that be promoted on social
[2:45:40] media?
[2:45:41] >> yes, we will do that this
[2:45:42] week.
[2:45:42] Great.
[2:45:42] All right.
[2:45:44] Thank you.
[2:45:45] >> all right.
[2:45:46] Thanks, joe and thanks.
[2:45:46] Thanks team.
[2:45:47] Nice job.
[2:45:48] >> yeah.
[2:45:48] All right.
[2:45:55] Which brings us to our final
[2:45:58] item the public hearing.
[2:45:59] So this is a consideration of
[2:46:00] considering a waiver of the
[2:46:03] reading and introduction of an
[2:46:03] ordinance amending the city of
[2:46:04] walnut creek councilmember
[2:46:06] compensation to a $600 per
[2:46:06] month.
[2:46:09] And I invite human resources
[2:46:10] director tricia raber forward
[2:46:24] to provide the presentation.
[2:46:28] >> good evening mayor.
[2:46:29] Welcome.
[2:46:29] Council members trish raver
[2:46:30] human resources director I'm
[2:46:33] here this evening to rovide a
[2:46:34] brief presentation on council
[2:46:38] compensation.
[2:46:39] The agenda this evening
[2:46:43] includes the history of council
[2:46:43] compensation applicable
[2:46:46] legislation inclusive of
[2:46:49] government code section 36516
[2:46:53] and senate bill 329 as well as
[2:46:54] compensation options for
[2:46:58] council consideration
[2:47:03] government code section 36516
[2:47:03] provides for general law cities
[2:47:06] such as the city of walnut
[2:47:07] creek to establish and adjust
[2:47:10] compensation by ordinance.
[2:47:11] There are two primary ways in
[2:47:13] which council compensation can
[2:47:14] be adjusted according to that
[2:47:17] government code section either
[2:47:18] based on the city's population
[2:47:22] size according to a schedule or
[2:47:23] by adjusting based on a modest
[2:47:25] inflation calculator.
[2:47:30] >> this table provides the
[2:47:30] history of council compensation
[2:47:32] over the past 50 years during
[2:47:34] which time only five
[2:47:35] adjustments have taken place
[2:47:38] the current compensation of
[2:47:40] $650 per month was adopted
[2:47:43] almost 25 years ago in 002.
[2:47:44] I also want to note that
[2:47:47] council members are eligible
[2:47:48] for participation in the city's
[2:47:51] retirement and health plans and
[2:47:52] MAY be reimbursed for
[2:47:54] technology and travel expenses
[2:47:58] in JANUARY of 2020 for
[2:47:59] legislation surrounding
[2:48:02] compensation council
[2:48:02] compensation was adopted to
[2:48:06] acknowledge that compensation
[2:48:07] and had not kept pace with
[2:48:07] inflation.
[2:48:10] as a result the population base
[2:48:11] salary rates for increased in
[2:48:13] an additional method as added
[2:48:14] to adjust compensation ased on
[2:48:18] inflation based on the
[2:48:19] population based salary rate.
[2:48:22] The city of walnut creek at a
[2:48:24] population of 70,127 would all
[2:48:27] within the population tier
[2:48:30] between 50 and 75,000 at $600
[2:48:34] per month.
[2:48:35] >> this chart provides the
[2:48:38] compensation here to council
[2:48:39] members in all general law
[2:48:42] cities and contra costa county
[2:48:42] except the three charter cities
[2:48:46] of el cerrito, richmond and san
[2:48:47] ramone who are not subject to
[2:48:49] these laws.
[2:48:50] The chart provides the
[2:48:50] population of the city the
[2:48:54] population based monthly salary
[2:48:57] according to sb 329 and the
[2:48:58] current compensation received
[2:49:01] as of DECEMBER 2026.
[2:49:05] As you can see the majority of
[2:49:06] city council compensation at
[2:49:09] the population based salary
[2:49:11] rate established by sb 329
[2:49:12] however, the cities of
[2:49:15] lafayette orinda and moraga do
[2:49:16] not provide compensation to
[2:49:19] their council members.
[2:49:23] >> I have to note that sb 329
[2:49:26] updated the maximum population
[2:49:27] base salary amounts to address
[2:49:30] in part the current economic
[2:49:31] environment the time commitment
[2:49:34] required by elected officials
[2:49:35] and potential barriers to
[2:49:38] public service council members
[2:49:42] area council members contribute
[2:49:43] countless hours of time and
[2:49:46] devote a significant amount of
[2:49:46] effort and energy serving as
[2:49:50] their role and council member
[2:49:50] to a community.
[2:49:53] >> no increase is taking place
[2:49:53] in nearly 25 years and
[2:49:57] compensation has not kept up
[2:50:00] with the evolution of the role
[2:50:03] per government code section
[2:50:04] 36516 any change in
[2:50:06] compensation would be processed
[2:50:07] active and does not apply to a
[2:50:10] council members current term of
[2:50:11] office.
[2:50:11] However, when one or more
[2:50:15] council members begins a new
[2:50:15] term of office and becomes
[2:50:18] eligible for a salary, all
[2:50:19] members of the council will
[2:50:20] receive the same adjusted
[2:50:23] salary general law cities who
[2:50:23] choose not to adopt an
[2:50:26] ordinance relative to council
[2:50:27] compensation MAY submit the
[2:50:30] question to electors at a
[2:50:33] municipal election.
[2:50:37] In summary, the compensation
[2:50:38] provided to california cities
[2:50:44] under sb 329 at a 50 to 75,000
[2:50:44] population level is 1600
[2:50:48] dollars per month.
[2:50:48] An ordinance has been drafted
[2:50:52] for introduction increases the
[2:50:55] council compensation from $650
[2:50:58] to $1600 per month resulting in
[2:51:02] an increase of $950 per month.
[2:51:03] If this resolution is adopted,
[2:51:06] the salary rate for all council
[2:51:07] members would become effective
[2:51:07] DECEMBER 1st with the new
[2:51:10] council's term of office in
[2:51:13] DECEMBER of 2026.
[2:51:18] >> the council options are as
[2:51:18] follows.
[2:51:19] Introduce the draft ordinance
[2:51:22] tonight increase the salary
[2:51:25] from 650 to $600 per month
[2:51:27] effective DECEMBER 1st, 2020
[2:51:28] six modify the draft ordinance
[2:51:32] and adjust the salary to a
[2:51:32] different amount under $600 a
[2:51:36] month for introduction at a
[2:51:36] future meeting.
[2:51:37] Modify the draft ordinance to
[2:51:40] effective date further in the
[2:51:41] future for introduction at a
[2:51:43] future meeting not introduce
[2:51:44] the draft ordinance and retain
[2:51:47] the existing rate of $650 per
[2:51:47] month.
[2:51:51] Submit to the electors at a
[2:51:51] municipal election a question
[2:51:54] of whether council should
[2:51:55] receive a salary for services
[2:51:58] and that amount or provide
[2:51:59] alternate alternative direction
[2:52:03] staff so finally the staff
[2:52:07] recommendation is to move to
[2:52:08] introduce and waive a reading
[2:52:11] of an ordinance amending the
[2:52:11] compensation for the city of
[2:52:14] walnut creek council members
[2:52:17] from $650 per month to $600 per
[2:52:18] month to be effective on
[2:52:20] DECEMBER 1st, 2026.
[2:52:24] I don't have a question side of
[2:52:25] but I'm happy to answer any
[2:52:28] questions you MAY fresh I also
[2:52:29] question I had a question of
[2:52:32] what has the cost of living
[2:52:36] escalated from or what is it
[2:52:37] been from the last time there
[2:52:40] was an increase in 2002 which
[2:52:43] presented it doesn't do till
[2:52:43] now.
[2:52:44] >> what does that cost of
[2:52:45] living increase mean?
[2:52:48] Well the cost of living
[2:52:52] increase changes annually so
[2:52:52] the ballpark or ballpark I
[2:52:55] would say what I'll say what
[2:52:59] this legislation allows for s
[2:53:00] 5% per year.
[2:53:03] So let's just say for the last
[2:53:03] 22 years that'd be 120%.
[2:53:09] So if it was 5% per year yeah
[2:53:10] yeah.
[2:53:11] >> which would equate to it
[2:53:13] would be it would take it from
[2:53:17] to $780 plus the $650 so it
[2:53:23] would be $1,430 versus he 6050
[2:53:27] that so it's less than that if
[2:53:28] it's not compounded correct.
[2:53:30] That's how the legislation when
[2:53:31] calculate but if you look at it
[2:53:34] from an annual basis which is
[2:53:35] how cpi is actually calculated
[2:53:38] because it compounds year to
[2:53:39] year I believe it puts it close
[2:53:41] to 20 100 hours, correct.
[2:53:42] So had it so had it increased
[2:53:45] every year just like salary
[2:53:46] increases and contracts and all
[2:53:50] that it would be about $2,100 a
[2:53:53] month right now and everybody's
[2:53:54] been at the same 650 a month
[2:53:57] for the last 24 years.
[2:53:58] >> correct.
[2:53:58] And that's what we do with
[2:54:01] every ther salary within the
[2:54:02] city is look at it from a
[2:54:02] compounded perspective.
[2:54:04] Okay.
[2:54:05] Thank you.
[2:54:08] The questions and the
[2:54:09] questions.
[2:54:09] Okay.
[2:54:12] Public comment I if I guess
[2:54:15] there's nobody here in the
[2:54:16] chamber, is anybody online?
[2:54:16] >> okay.
[2:54:20] All right.
[2:54:20] And then then public comment
[2:54:23] and if we have any of if you
[2:54:24] have any comments here and and
[2:54:27] actually I'll make I'll make
[2:54:28] the first comments anybody can
[2:54:28] add on if you would like
[2:54:31] obviously we have a couple of
[2:54:31] council members here that will
[2:54:35] not be here taking advantage of
[2:54:38] this afterwards so I think
[2:54:40] actually and what I found in
[2:54:41] the last ten years of me being
[2:54:44] on city council people are
[2:54:45] shocked at how little we
[2:54:48] actually make on council that
[2:54:48] there is just this mall
[2:54:52] stipend for council and that is
[2:54:52] really a salary.
[2:54:53] I don't think it's meant to be
[2:54:56] a salary but I did do a
[2:54:56] calculation of general costs
[2:54:57] and people have asked me what
[2:55:00] is it this member make or what
[2:55:00] kind of time do you put into it
[2:55:03] and of course is varies among
[2:55:04] different council members.
[2:55:05] We've worked with council
[2:55:07] members that have put the
[2:55:08] minimum effort in and we work
[2:55:11] with council members to ut the
[2:55:14] maximum amount of effort in
[2:55:15] accounts for.
[2:55:16] S I'll just based upon myself
[2:55:18] and then people can determine
[2:55:19] about that.
[2:55:19] But so for council meeting
[2:55:22] weeks like this week or a
[2:55:23] couple of weeks that we have
[2:55:26] during the month, I find that
[2:55:26] with the meetings that I have
[2:55:29] the preparation, the committee
[2:55:33] assignments and multiple of the
[2:55:34] things that are going on it
[2:55:36] works out to about 25 or 30
[2:55:37] hours a week for me a non
[2:55:39] council meeting weeks tend to
[2:55:40] be more like 15 to 20 hours a
[2:55:43] week and weeks vary but that's
[2:55:43] what it is about.
[2:55:44] So calculating that over a
[2:55:47] month is about 80 to 100 hours
[2:55:52] and are given divide 650 that a
[2:55:55] $650 comes out to about $6.50
[2:55:56] to $8 an hour for the time that
[2:55:59] I am spending on council again
[2:56:00] that MAY vary now we can
[2:56:02] probably add another 5 to 10
[2:56:03] hours a week for mayors who
[2:56:03] have additional obligations
[2:56:06] every week we are in the first
[2:56:09] time I was mayor I was shocked
[2:56:10] at how many things I was
[2:56:11] invited to that I never even
[2:56:13] heard about because it's the
[2:56:14] mayors were invited to things
[2:56:15] and that was during covid this
[2:56:17] year been far more so that just
[2:56:20] adds to it.
[2:56:22] >> so that's just on what we
[2:56:25] are doing here in our normal
[2:56:25] responsibilities but we also
[2:56:29] get invited to the 10 to 12
[2:56:29] gala and major fundraisers for
[2:56:33] nonprofit causes every single
[2:56:33] year each one of the costs of
[2:56:36] the ticket between 200 to $500
[2:56:41] per ticket we pay for those out
[2:56:42] of our own pocket if we get two
[2:56:43] tickets to include the spouse
[2:56:44] that's 4 to $5000 for just the
[2:56:47] tickets and there are as we
[2:56:48] know usually additional
[2:56:51] fundraising requests during
[2:56:53] those events which can be 250
[2:56:54] to $500 on average.
[2:56:58] I mean obviously you can even
[2:56:58] budget more as well but that
[2:57:00] means that the gallo's alone
[2:57:01] costs about $10,000 per year
[2:57:04] for council members who often
[2:57:05] do feel an obligation to go to
[2:57:06] these not these worthwhile
[2:57:08] nonprofit causes.
[2:57:09] But the council are always
[2:57:10] invited and we always make sure
[2:57:12] that we that we have presence
[2:57:16] at many of hem and o at $650
[2:57:19] a month or $7,800 a year that
[2:57:20] doesn't even cover the
[2:57:23] fundraisers and then add in the
[2:57:24] 80 plus hours of the month.
[2:57:27] So when I look at all of that
[2:57:28] and I look at who we want to be
[2:57:30] able to serve my council, we
[2:57:30] want a diversity of of
[2:57:34] everybody young, old,
[2:57:38] different, different people in
[2:57:38] different demographic or socio
[2:57:42] economic arenas.
[2:57:43] People want to serve on city
[2:57:44] council for a variety of
[2:57:46] reasons but none of them are
[2:57:46] financial.
[2:57:47] I can promise you none of them
[2:57:47] are financial.
[2:57:50] Nobody's getting rich being on
[2:57:51] city council but council
[2:57:53] members shouldn't ave to ose
[2:57:54] money or be in the red every
[2:57:57] single month for serving either
[2:57:57] .
[2:57:58] It'll never be a full paying
[2:58:01] job being on the council there
[2:58:02] can be somewhat of an increase
[2:58:05] in state and I feel which may
[2:58:06] allow for younger or more
[2:58:06] diversity on the council where
[2:58:09] this can be a little bit more
[2:58:10] help f a supplemental income
[2:58:12] to allow for them to
[2:58:13] participate in public service.
[2:58:17] S for ll that those reasons I
[2:58:20] do feel that it makes sense for
[2:58:25] the next council and and moving
[2:58:28] forward to increase the stipend
[2:58:29] for council members.
[2:58:33] >> is that your motion and I
[2:58:34] will make it for me on this
[2:58:37] borough first of all is anybody
[2:58:37] else have any further comments
[2:58:39] they would like to make on that
[2:58:40] ?
[2:58:43] >> okay, let me go you know
[2:58:44] I've been on planning
[2:58:45] commission for ten years and my
[2:58:48] kids were right at the cusp of
[2:58:51] needing somebody there at night
[2:58:52] and I decided I would just go
[2:58:54] to planning commission and I
[2:58:55] just had the phone right there
[2:58:56] and if it started going off I
[2:59:02] would have to be it not having
[2:59:03] enough money to cover daycare
[2:59:03] is a big barrier for parents
[2:59:06] with school age kids.
[2:59:10] It keeps us older than you know
[2:59:14] and I want to want to make
[2:59:15] sure that we find a way to
[2:59:18] encourage younger people to
[2:59:18] begin participating and be
[2:59:22] interested in running the
[2:59:22] council.
[2:59:23] And so I I'm supportive of
[2:59:23] this.
[2:59:26] I, I personally have a view of
[2:59:27] my husband that I keep track of
[2:59:30] what I spend and I always tell
[2:59:31] him everything but I will not
[2:59:35] go into debt to be okay.
[2:59:37] >> don't tell him I probably do
[2:59:41] so much now he's in bed in the
[2:59:41] in the bed ever again.
[2:59:44] >> yeah I agree with everything
[2:59:45] that has been said in terms of
[2:59:46] the hours commitments the
[2:59:48] nonprofits I think as it's been
[2:59:49] 25 years since it's been
[2:59:53] updated and I think the chart
[2:59:53] basically showed among
[2:59:57] comparable cities we are way
[3:00:00] down we're not keeping pace
[3:00:01] with inflation and and so when
[3:00:05] the time as appropriate I'll
[3:00:06] either make a motion or
[3:00:09] seconded and actually tricia
[3:00:09] you go back to that comparative
[3:00:12] slide if I can so while she's
[3:00:13] doing that I could make a
[3:00:16] couple of comments starting one
[3:00:20] to do the math as to what their
[3:00:22] differential is over after 20
[3:00:23] years on the kelso and there
[3:00:26] was an actual period of about
[3:00:27] eight years in which I was
[3:00:27] making less than 650 during the
[3:00:31] recession and we didn't it
[3:00:31] back.
[3:00:33] I think the other reason why
[3:00:34] this is important is it's not
[3:00:37] just because of families and
[3:00:38] you know, children at night
[3:00:41] there are jobs when if you
[3:00:42] leave the job, if you're a
[3:00:43] teacher you have to pay for
[3:00:45] your substitute and we have
[3:00:46] daytime requirements that we
[3:00:49] have to we have a burden that
[3:00:50] we if we work we have to take
[3:00:53] time off and that is also not
[3:00:56] accounted for here.
[3:00:57] And when I was considering
[3:01:00] running for city council in
[3:01:01] 2006 I asked for council
[3:01:04] members what's the time
[3:01:08] commitment and the answer and
[3:01:09] it was separate but each of
[3:01:09] them said 20 hours a week.
[3:01:12] And lastly your mayor is 40
[3:01:13] hours a week.
[3:01:16] You're underestimating what it
[3:01:17] takes to be mayor.
[3:01:17] Yeah, probably right but yeah
[3:01:20] and so you know that all adds
[3:01:23] up and it is interesting to
[3:01:26] open the publicly available pay
[3:01:27] scale for the entire city and
[3:01:28] notice that we're on the last
[3:01:34] page I guess the lowest paid
[3:01:38] work we are right?
[3:01:39] And I think again if you look
[3:01:41] at this compared to the other
[3:01:45] cities, the ones that we are in
[3:01:45] the same population I think
[3:01:46] people feel that walnut creek
[3:01:49] in general they live in a
[3:01:50] terrific city.
[3:01:54] We do the best that we can, we
[3:01:55] believe of the city first and
[3:01:55] four of us there and I know
[3:01:57] that the headline states where
[3:01:58] the percentage increases but I
[3:02:01] think that you ave to look at
[3:02:02] the percentages do not tell a
[3:02:04] true story and especially I
[3:02:04] think in this instance it
[3:02:05] wouldn't do either.
[3:02:08] It's it's an increase that
[3:02:09] would take us still below where
[3:02:11] it would be if it was if it had
[3:02:14] been indexed properly from the
[3:02:15] last time it was increased.
[3:02:22] So okay post my opportunity to
[3:02:23] say I agree with everything
[3:02:24] that's been said as the newest
[3:02:26] member of the council that was
[3:02:27] actually a bit of a surprise to
[3:02:30] me was all the money that I was
[3:02:33] spending going to events.
[3:02:34] You left out meeting people for
[3:02:37] lunch, you know the coffee?
[3:02:37] Yeah.
[3:02:38] Tere are a lot of commitments
[3:02:42] outside of what is probably
[3:02:45] perceived we're doing that our
[3:02:49] that that costs oney and so I
[3:02:50] don't think like you said
[3:02:53] anybody with this increase is
[3:02:53] going to go into this job for
[3:02:54] the money.
[3:02:56] But I do think that the meaning
[3:03:00] behind the legislation is good
[3:03:00] not not just to lower the
[3:03:04] barrier to access but to you
[3:03:07] know, try to at least somewhat
[3:03:08] keep up with the cost of living
[3:03:09] for as small as it is.
[3:03:12] So I, I also agree with all
[3:03:16] that been said on to be on the
[3:03:16] record for that and if you
[3:03:19] could put up that slide again
[3:03:26] trish people not the one with
[3:03:27] the options I feel like this is
[3:03:29] the one you are looking for.
[3:03:30] >> yeah I will move to
[3:03:33] introduce and waive the reading
[3:03:34] of the ordinance amending
[3:03:35] compensation for city of walnut
[3:03:37] creek council members from 650
[3:03:40] per month to 600 per month to
[3:03:45] be effective on DECEMBER first
[3:03:46] and I will second that as the
[3:03:46] other member who voted to have
[3:03:52] no benefit of ncluding zero
[3:03:53] yes.
[3:03:53] >> yes.
[3:03:57] Including there they were out
[3:03:59] in council just because the
[3:04:00] increase does not take effect
[3:04:03] until the council members are
[3:04:03] seated.
[3:04:04] We've made the ordinance that
[3:04:07] the increase effective DECEMBER
[3:04:08] 2nd, not DECEMBER 1st because
[3:04:11] you're seated on the first
[3:04:16] susie could call the roll these
[3:04:19] members our friends all right I
[3:04:20] darling I never did any I know
[3:04:22] I and think that we've done
[3:04:26] something for the future of
[3:04:31] walnut creek and to help people
[3:04:32] to run were they might not have
[3:04:32] been able to before by a group
[3:04:34] and totally agree my
[3:04:34] recommendation would be you
[3:04:36] know that we stay on top of it
[3:04:37] maybe every four years in terms
[3:04:40] of the inflation or you do
[3:04:40] going forward.
[3:04:41] Thank you.
[3:04:43] And with that I believe we