City Council - Special Meeting

Make me a co-host.

Okay. Thank you for your patience. This very special meeting of the Lafayette City Council is called to order at 7.18 p.m. Roll call. Let the record show that council members Cervantes, Candell, and Enduri are present. Council member Witherspoon has an excused absence. And Vice Mayor McCormick is living the city's commitment to continuing lifelong education by attending a course at Oxford University on the Stuart Dynasty, 1603 to 1714, earning an excused absence. Is there a motion for adoption of the agenda? All in favor? Aye. 3-0, we've adopted the agenda. Please join in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you for participating in this special evening when we talk about our city and recognize and honor the volunteers who contribute so much to our community. This will be the second year the State of the City Address has been given in the Don Tatson Community Hall. To cut to the chase, last year Mayor Kandel pronounced the State of the City to be outstanding. It's hard to disagree with that. It is still outstanding and it will continue to be. Yes, we have problems and challenges, but Lafayette will meet those challenges and solve those problems, because our civic life is supported by four strong pillars. The first is our city staff, led by our city manager, Nirup Srivatsa, and our five department heads, Jamie Williams, chief of police, Tracy Robinson, assistant city manager and administrative services director, Greg Wolf, Director of Planning, Mike Moran, Director of Engineering and Public Works, and Jonathan Katayanagi, Director of Parks, Trails, and Recreation. As I've said before, I sometimes marvel at the level of talent serving us, a small city of 25,000 people. The second pillar is the talented residents who step forward to serve on our city commissions, committees, and task forces. The third pillar is the deep web of partnerships and collaborations the city has built over the years with the elected officials representing us, with regional entities and utilities, and with many, many local organizations. Collaborations that help strengthen the fabric of our community. I'd like to give the representatives of our partners in this room an opportunity to identify themselves so that we can see the scope of these relationships. I just ask that in the interest of time, please just give your name and organization. And if we could start over here. Okay. Okay, thank you to each of you. The fourth pillar is the benefit we receive from the example set and the high standards established by all those who have preceded us. Past volunteers and city staff have built a tradition and a model of excellence in public service, financial responsibility, and transparency that guides and motivates each of us.

Now for the challenges.

Each year around February, the Council has an all-day special meeting to set the goals and priorities for the next fiscal year. We identified three priorities for the fiscal year that just ended, 2025-26, and we stuck to the same number for this fiscal year, 2026-27. One major priority for the fiscal year that just ended was to focus on fiscal sustainability. Let me provide some context. Last year, Mayor Kandel reminded us of Lafayette's unique financial qualities. We have no debt. If we had debt, it would be rated triple A. We have no unfunded pension obligations because we have no pensions. Our only unfunded obligation relates to a retirement medical benefit, and that is being easily covered on a steady basis over the next 15 years. Even though we have all this going for us, in 2022, we saw that the city was facing a $2.2 million structural deficit that would begin in fiscal year 25-26. The city continued its efforts to find cost efficiencies, and the city took steps such as freezing hiring for vacant staff positions, but it was even clearer by 2024 that the city faced a choice between raising revenues and cutting services. The council placed a half cent sales tax on the November 2024 ballot that was expected to raise the 2.2 million necessary to fund the services in the budget approved by the council. Our residents chose to maintain services. The measure passed with 64% approval and our one half cent sales tax went into effect on April 1st, 2025. As part of the focus on fiscal sustainability during the past fiscal year, the council called for six things to be done. First, we would provide the services called for by the 2025-26 budget that we had approved at the time of the sales tax vote, and we would not add new services or programs. We did this. Second, we would establish the Measure H Citizens Oversight Committee, and we did. Third, we would see how much the half-cent sales tax actually brought in. Now that we have a full year of experience, we know that it is more than we thought. We expected 2.2 million. We received 3.23 million, a million dollars more. Thanks to differences in how our allocated sales tax revenue and our new half-cent sales tax are calculated. Fourth, we asked our city manager to explore additional sources of revenue. This is an ongoing process, but there are several things we have done or that are underway. For example, the city has contracted with an investment management company to help manage the investment of our city funds. We've also initiated several new fee studies to update our development and other fees in order to ensure that growth pays for itself and funds the necessary infrastructure and services. Fifth, we asked our city manager to explore additional efficiency measures. In the past year, we have, for example, invested in software solutions that increase the efficiency of our staff so they would be able to absorb more work with the same staff. Sixth, we carried out an assessment of all the city's physical assets to see if we were putting aside enough in sinking funds to be able to replace or repair our existing assets over the next 20 years. We learned that we were not. In fact, we learned that we would need to contribute an additional $1 million per year and increase that by 3.5% each year. The council decided to make that additional $1 million per year investment, and fortunately, the additional $1 million brought in by our half-cent sales tax enabled us to do it. So now, unlike most other cities in California, we are putting away the funds we need to repair and replace our physical assets over the next 20 years. As part of the assessment, we were advised that the original community center building, not the Jennifer Russell building, is at the end of its useful life. And while we could use $500,000 per year to keep it repaired and functional, that might not be the best use of our funds. That takes us to the council's goal setting meeting this year when we decided that this priority, focusing on fiscal sustainability, should shift to planning for the development and financing of the city's recreational needs. This means that during the next fiscal year we will do the following. First, we will take a hard look at the original community center building and determine the best course of action. Continue to repair and maintain the existing building at a cost of $500,000 plus per year and find ourselves 20 years from now with a patched up building from the 1950s or replace the existing building with a new building planned for today's activities or a new building in a more central location or some permutation of these options. second we will undertake a short medium and long-term recreational needs assessment to ensure that our facilities keep pace with our growing and evolving community third we will carefully assess the cost of meeting our community's needs explore fiscally responsible options for funding those investments and recommend a path that balances long-term financial sustainability with our commitment to serving the community But in the meantime, we are in active discussions with our partners and others to obtain land for a playing field, land for a dog park and possibly a mountain bike pump track, land for one of the possible downtown parks called for in our downtown specific plan, and additional space for indoor recreation programs. The year ahead promises to be an exciting one in the area of recreation. We have important work underway, big opportunities on the horizon, and plenty to look forward to. And we'll provide regular updates as these efforts move forward. A second major priority, last fiscal year and again this year, is wildfire prevention, preparedness, and responsiveness. This year, the Council has six tasks under this priority. First, facilitate community engagement and public education efforts, particularly with respect to vegetation clearing, home hardening, and firewise neighborhoods. Last year, we added 10 new firewise neighborhoods, bringing Lafayette's total to 35, representing more than 3,000 homes. Second, work with CONFIRE and other partner agencies to reduce the risk of wildfires, including through fuel reduction and shaded fuel breaks, methods for early detection of ignition, and methods for rapid response to ignition. Third, develop an evacuation time study, either through CCTA or our own means. Fourth, after the study is completed, consider developing objective standards for wildfire evacuation risk to use when making land use decisions. Fifth, work on evacuation route hardening. Sixth, take steps to ensure that wildfire risk is considered during the 2031-38 Regional Housing Needs Assessment process. We have also joined Senator Tim Grayson's Wildfire Task Force, and we thank him for bringing so many entities together to focus on this challenge. The third of our major priorities is listed in our official documents as Mount Diablo corridor planning. I think of it as implementing our housing element. You recall that last year Mayor Kandel announced that our housing element had just been approved, but we had been sued. Last month, we entered into a settlement agreement that calls for the city to consider rezoning certain downtown areas. If those zoning changes are made, the suit will be dismissed. The big picture with our housing element is that we currently have around 10,000 housing units in Lafayette. Our regional housing needs allocation calls for the city to make it possible for an additional 2,114 units to be built during the current cycle. Our housing element calls for most of those units to be built along Mount Diablo Boulevard, which will double and possibly triple the number of units in our downtown and along the corridor. We need to plan for the impact of those units. And that is the most important task under this third major priority. The city has now retained consultants to carry out what we're referring to as the Mount Diablo Boulevard Corridor Multimodal Mobility Study. We'll find a short acronym for that. The purpose of this urban planning and transportation study is to figure out what we can do to reimagine or reconfigure our downtown and the entire corridor so that residents moving into new units and current residents alike can minimize their use of personal automobiles when carrying out their daily activities. The work on the study began earlier this month and we anticipate it will be completed by the end of next year. Several complementary projects are underway to improve mobility and access along the corridor, from better connections to BART and a new aqueduct bike and pedestrian trail to parking management and ultimately protected bike lanes connecting each neighborhood to downtown, all guided by a new seven-member advisory committee. There are three other tasks relating to the Mount Diablo corridor planning or implementing the housing element. The first is preparing and adopting objective design standards for multifamily commercial and mixed-use residential development. This should be completed by the end of the year. The second is facilitating the development of a 100% affordable housing project on city donated land at 949 Moraga Road. The city has approved Sunflower Hills plans for 48 housing units for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The third is working with the owner of the DeSilva property across from Oakwood to explore opportunities to incorporate a recreational facility alongside new housing. These are the three major priorities established by the council for this fiscal year and the tasks to carry them out. There are many other things that the city does in addition to the top priorities. In fact, 90% of what the city team, staff and volunteers alike does is carrying out the basic functions of the city. Then there are projects that don't come within the top three priorities but are far more than basic. For example, during the past fiscal year, we launched the city's downtown mural program with the unveiling of a vibrant Matilia poppy mural by Lafayette native Rachel Pearls. We launched a program to make Lafayette even more welcoming to newcomers. The Lafayette juniors have taken the lead in collaboration with the library foundation in the city to host Hello Lafayette gatherings for newcomers in this room. We enhanced safety for our youngest students by adding a new pathway on Pleasant Hill Road near Spring Hill School. We took a proactive approach to e-bike safety through education, targeted enforcement, and legislative advocacy to promote safer streets for everyone. There's a lot more to do in this area, and we are trying to do it. We celebrated the La Mirinda Spirit Van's 20th anniversary. and we expanded partnerships with La Mirinda Village and other community organizations to provide more transportation, wellness programs, educational opportunities, volunteer activities, and social connections for older adults. Coming up during the current fiscal year, we plan to work with the Park Theater Trust toward the opening of the renovated Park Theater in 2027. Be supportive of the cancer support community and their goal of opening their new regional center in Lafayette in early 2027. Deepen the city's collaboration with Larmenda Village in order to provide more services to older adults in Lafayette. Construct the new walkways along Topper Lane and along School Street from the Lafayette Moraga Trail to Moraga Road. Complete the BART bikeway and pathway connection to downtown, which will make the transition from BART to downtown much more welcoming. Complete at least one more mural in the downtown mural program, ideally by October 4th. Continue the city's Slow Down Lafayette campaign to make our streets safer by making observing the speed limit a Lafayette civic value. There will be education, there will be engineering, and yes, there will be enforcement. Last year there was a 39% increase in traffic citations and we had a 28% reduction in traffic collisions. We will launch a new user-friendly city website with improved search capabilities and expanded online services. We'll make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to add accessory dwelling units by offering free pre-approved ADU plans that simplify the design and permitting process. And we will complete the La Mirinda Smart Signals projects. In sum, we have a lot on our plate. We have challenges, but we will face them and come out a better community because of our incredible staff, our dedicated volunteers, our deep collaborative relationships with our community partners, and the tradition established over the decades by those who have preceded us. Finally, I want to acknowledge that facing our challenges and pursuing our goals will bring change. What Lafayette's history teaches us is that Lafayette has always been changing. We know that Lafayette will continue to change. It is up to all of us to work together to create change that makes Lafayette an even better place to live. Thank you. Okay, and now for the most important part of the evening, when we recognize and honor our volunteers. Councilmember Kandel and Councilmember Cervantes will introduce our commissions, committees, and task forces in alphabetical order. When we name your commission, we ask present and past commissioners and staff liaisons to stand. Councilmember Kandel.

Thank you. Very nicely done.

Hello, everybody. Thank you so much, Mayor Underhury. You're doing an amazing job. So first up, we're alphabetical. So the Banner Advisory Committee, if you're on that committee, please stand up. And everybody, give a round of applause. So the Banner Advisory Committee oversees the city's street banner program, ensuring the banners are attractive, colorful, and reflective of our community. They may not build roads or approve development projects, but they help create something just as important, a downtown that feels welcoming, vibrant, and unmistakably Lafayette. while the rest of us drive around Mount Abel Boulevard and think, those banners look great. This committee is the one behind the creativity, design, and the decisions that make our downtown shine. Thank you. All right. Next up, the Capital Projects Assessment Committee, CPAC. Are there any CPAC members? OK, yes, Bob's there. Oh, there they are. So, want to know why Lafayette's streets are in such great shape? You can thank CPAC. Back in 1995, they successfully championed the road and drain bond, which helped kickstart the reconstruction and resurfacing of nearly every public street in town. These days, they keep the momentum going by reviewing our city's capital improvement program each year, helping ensure our roads, sidewalks, and infrastructure projects stay on track so your daily commute is a little smoother and your coffee has a better chance of staying in the cup. Thank you again. All right, next is the Code Enforcement Appeals Hearing Board. There they are back up again. The Code Enforcement Appeals Board provides a fair and impartial hearing process, ensuring that every appeal is considered carefully, property owners are treated fairly, and decisions are consistent with the Lafayette Municipal Code, all while helping protect the health, safety, and quality of life that make Lafayette such a great place to live. All right, Creeks Committee. I see a couple people. The Lafayette Creeks Committee is dedicated to keeping Lafayette's 16-plus miles of creeks healthy, beautiful, and thriving. Through creek cleanups, native plant restoration, public education, and pollution prevention efforts, this committee helps protect those treasured waterways while making them more enjoyable for everyone. One of this year's standout projects was installing a wood duck nesting box near Lee Creekside Park, giving hens a cozy and safer place to raise their ducklings.

Thank you.

And now Crime Prevention Committee. Yes, awesome people here. The Crime Prevention Commission helps keep Lafayette safe by partnering with the residents and the police department on neighborhood watch, public safety programs, community cameras, and crime prevention outreach. Want a behind-the-scenes look at policing? The popular Citizens Police Academy lets residents experience everything from investigations and the crime lab to jail tours and ride-alongs. It's about as close as you can get to being a police officer without having to write parking tickets.

Thank you.

All right, next up, design review.

All right.

The Design Review Commission is one of the reasons Lafayette doesn't just grow, it grows gracefully. These dedicated community volunteers are the thoughtful eyes behind the details, helping ensure that new buildings, remodels, hillside homes, and commercial projects fit beautifully into the character of the community we all love. Their work may happen around a meeting table, but the results are seen every day, from the neighborhoods we walk through to the downtown spaces where we gather. Thank you. I've got two more. All right. Emergency preparedness commission. The Emergency Preparedness Commission doesn't wait for disasters, they prepare for them. This powerhouse team helped increase firewise covered homes by 78%, strengthened our nationally respected La Miranda CERT program, shared expert guidance on wildfire safety and emergency technology, and led the update of the city's emergency operations plan. Their work may happen behind the scenes, but it helps keep all of Lafayette safer when it matters most. All right, the Environmental Task Force. Lafayette's environmental task force may be small, but it packs a mighty green punch. They've helped make our neighborhoods quieter and our air cleaner by advancing the transition to electric leaf blowers, tackled single-use plastics, and partnered with community organizations to keep sustainability moving forward. And they're just getting started with their sites set on water conservation, more EV charging, and an updated environmental action plan.

Thank you. So that's two hard acts to follow. I'm going to start off with the General Plan Advisory Committee. Bravo. I have a soft place in my heart for this because I was on the commission like five, six years ago, the start of the pandemic. But the GPAC, or the General Plan Advisory Committee, helps create Lafayette's roadmap for the future. It's comprised of residents and community stakeholders, representatives from other commissions, transportation, safety, and so on. And the General Plan Advisory Committee was the starting point for our work on the housing element. Believe it or not, I had jet black hair when we started that process. We also worked on the safety element and other aspects to ensure our future and make sure it's thoughtfully planned. So thank you so much. And next, the Measure H Oversight Board. Thank you. So this is critical. Since the voters approved that half-cent sales tax measure that the mayor talked about, this has been our show us the money group, looking over financial reports, making sure the funds are well spent, making sure the dollars are collected, accounting for all that, and making sure that the money was spent the way it was promised to the voters, a key role in our community. And thank you all so much. Parks, trails, recreation, or PTR. There we are. So if it's a park, a trail, playground, pickleball court, recreation program, or feral pig prevention, Chances are that Parks, Trails, and Recreation has a hand in all that. These volunteers help plan, improve, envision the spaces that we will use, that we will enjoy, and connect with. Their work helps ensure that future generations will have great parks, trails, and other amenities that make this such a wonderful community to live in. So thank you all so much. The Planning Commission. I know we have some. Whoa. Great. THESE GUYS SHOW UP. THEY'RE CLEARLY HERE. PLANNING COMMISSION HELPS SHAPE OUR FUTURE. IT'S ONE PROJECT, ONE POLICY, ONE PUBLIC CONVERSATION AT A TIME. THESE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY'S VISION IS CAREFULLY THOUGHT THROUGH, THAT DEVELOPMENT APPROVALS ARE DONE CONSCIENTIOUSLY, CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW, AND THEY ADVISE COUNCIL ON POLICIES. SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING COUNCIL MEETINGS I'VE BEEN AT HAVE BEEN ONES WHERE THE PLANNING COMMISSION ALREADY TOOK A WACK AT SOMETHING. And I know they've put in long, thoughtful, careful work into everything they've done. So thank you all so much. Public Art Committee. That's a good show. The mayor touched on this, but the public art committee brings creativity into the fabric of our community. It helps make Lafayette a more vibrant and visually attractive place to be. And with the murals that are ramping up, it's really bringing a splash of color to this community. The work that they've been doing, the murals, sculptures, rotating art exhibits, the work that will happen when the BART project is done, all creates a vibrancy in our community. And thank you all for your work to make it such a lovely community. Senior Services Commission. Great. So the Senior Services Commission is dedicated to helping Lafayette remain as a great place to grow older through advocacy, planning, community partnerships, mahjong, pickleball, other endeavors. The commission supports programs and services that keep older adults active, connected, informed, and independent. And from transportation and volunteerism to lifelong learning and social engagement, this commission helps ensure that Lafayette's seniors continue to maintain an active life and remain an active and vibrant part of our community. Thank you all so much. Transportation Circulation, or TransCirc. I know there's a few there. So for those who love to talk about traffic, and not just to complain about it, to get stuff done, this is our commission that makes that happen. And if individuals have strong opinions about stop signs, crosswalks, and other issues, please talk to them, not us. I'm kidding. But this is the thoughtful, creative work that makes us get from point A to point B with the least amount of hassle. The mayor touched on the work that's going to be done in this space, but TransCirc is a key part of making sure that we can move safely and efficiently, biking, driving, walking, all through our community. And they've helped bring traffic calming improvements in the neighborhoods throughout Lafayette and have played a key role in the safety improvements that we've installed over the years. So thank you all so much for your And finally, and this is definitely not last and least, but the Youth Commission, I've been a liaison with this commission, along with other council members, and this is the most active, vibrant group, giving opportunity for younger individuals in our community to make a real difference. They have a seat at the table. There's a member of the youth's commission that was a member of the general plan advisory committee and really made a real impact on the work of what the GPAC did back when I was on it. From organizing the haunted house and Tri-City Dance to volunteering on community events and programs, spreading holiday cheer around the community. This group really makes a positive difference. And we welcome their involvement and engagement in making Lafayette better. And as you move on through your next steps and hopefully come back to us to bring vitality and come to the City Council, thank you so much for all your work that you've done. Thank you. And that wraps up my part. Back to the mayor.

OK, we also have residents who represent us on county-wide bodies. Our representative on the County Library Commission is Sarah Blumenfeld. And our alternate is Stuart Robinson. Stuart here. Our representative on the County Connection Board is Don Tatson. And our representative on the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District Board is Derek Seaver. Thanks to each of them for representing us now We have a small token of appreciation this evening for each of our volunteers this was put together by our city clerk Joanne Robbins and Just so I'll show you what it is. This has an emergency preparedness theme to it this year We've got a mylar emergency blankets Stormproof matches a battery-less flashlight in this beautiful branded bag so that's your liaison Commission liaison will give that to you before you leave Okay, and before we go any further I want to thank our city clerk Joanne Robbins and her team Paris Hackett and Kyle Bardet for all they did to organize all aspects of tonight's meeting. Thank you Okay, but we're not done because each year a number of our volunteers complete their service with the city at least they're the first tranche of their service because we Get some people back after they leave And we'd like to recognize them so I'm going to name them in order of length of service So when you hear your name, please raise your hand or stand and everyone else. Please do not hold your applause Okay All right, so there are the youth commissioners. I don't know how many are here Addie Stevens Please stand. I'll just go ahead and stand Lily quarter Audrey Parkin Lavon Cooper Zoe Bronstein Ava schedule Piper Duff Am I missing someone? Yeah, okay. All right, so Miayla, shoot. Okay. Okay, so Christy Rodenbush, Environmental Task Force. Janine Smith, Environmental Task Force. Scott Minden, Environmental Task Force. Christine Lee, Creeks Committee. Roger Deming, Planning Commission. Carter Considine, Public Art Committee. Dorothy Walker has stepped down from her role as Alderman on the County Library Commission, but she continues to serve on our Senior Services Commission. Brenna Shafazadeh, James Taylor, Community Center Foundation. Peter Norton, six years on the Creeks Committee. Armin Hadalu, six years on the Design Review Commission. John Gray, six years on the Design Review Commission. Thank you. Christina Sturm, seven years on the Planning Commission. Maria Gastelumendi, seven years on the Environmental Task Force. Nancy Hu, nine years, Environmental Task Force. Judith Klein Flynn, 10 years, Banner Advisory Committee. George Figoni, 13 years, Emergency Preparedness. Michael Melowitz, 13 years, Emergency Preparedness. Gary Huizing, 17 years on CPAC and nine years on the Planning Commission. Okay, now there are only three names left on the list, but they are extra special. Mary Ann Huizington. Marianne represented Lafayette for 22 years on the County Library Commission. Marianne has done so much, and she continues to do much for our community. Marianne, thank you. I understand that Lynn Hedane may be listening in. She served for 46 years on the commission now known as Transportation and Circulation. She started on the Traffic Commission. She moved to Arizona last month, and we will miss her presence in our community. This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lafayette Moraga Trail. We would not have that trail without the tireless advocacy of Lynn and Yvonne Wilson. This is one of the greatest examples of what volunteers can accomplish. So Lynn, thank you. Erling Horn. Erling is stepping down after 16 years on the Public Art Committee, but Erling has served the city for at least 44 years. He joined the Parking Commission in 1982. He was then appointed to the Planning Commission in 1985. He served 10 years on the Planning Commission. He was elected to the city council in 1995 and served for nine years. After leaving the council, he continued to serve as our representative on the County Connection Board, and then he joined the Public Art Committee. He's one of the last two original members of that committee. Erling has brought great enthusiasm, intelligence, and goodwill to each of his many roles with the city. He is the volunteer you want to serve with because you will get something done and you will have fun doing it. It would be impossible to list all the good things in our community that Erling was involved with. But one of his volunteer roles I didn't mention was serving on the Downtown Street Improvement Master Plan Implementation Committee. So if you walk, bike, or drive along Mount Diablo Boulevard, you will see his influence. Erling, thank you for all you have done for Lafayette. Thank you all for coming this evening. This is the end of our formal program, but we hope you'll get cake and ice cream in the foyer and come back and enjoy it with your neighbors. Tonight's meeting is adjourned. Thank you.