City Council - Special Meeting

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

The Ross City Council approved a professional services contract with Gensler Inc. for facilities master plan amendment services, with a budget not to exceed $286,879. The Council also acknowledged the withdrawal of the Friends of Ross Firehouse initiative and approved the argument language for the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority parcel tax renewal measure.

About this meeting

Government Body
City Council
Meeting Type
City Council
Location
Ross, CA
Meeting Date
August 4, 2026

Transcript

106 sections

0:03Speaker 6

I am taking care of my children. My wife was away and I needed to take care of them and watch them.

0:12Speaker 10

Okay, great. So you're participating remotely. Does he need to say if there's anyone in the room that's 18 or older? Matt, is there anyone in the room with you?

0:22Speaker 6

There's no one else in the room right now. Just me.

0:25 – 1:00Speaker 10

Perfect. Thank you. Has the agenda been posted? Mayor Mrakas, Yes, Mayor any changes to the agenda, no mayor so number three because this is a special meeting all public comment for the other. Mayor Mrakas, Three items will be taken right now so for people who have public comment on items for five or six not general public comment, but just pertaining to those three items, please come to the podium and. make your public comments.

1:13 – 4:19Speaker 2

I can do it myself. Good evening, Mayor McMillan and Ross Town Council members. I am here today to formally request that the Town Council agendize this evening a motion to take up during its September Council meeting. This agenda item should instruct the Town Manager, in conjunction with the Town Treasurer, to produce a detailed accounting of all costs incurred by our Town on the fourth issue slash initiative. The report should itemize the following legal expenses, staff's time, the special meeting at Renard and Garden Center, and the election code report. Once the final expenditures of our town's resources is known, the town council must instruct the town attorney to make a formal demand on the Friends of Ross Fire, FORF, for full reimbursement slash restitution of any and all municipal expenditures incurred by the town of Ross related to FORF's flawed and untenable ballot initiative. As I've noted in prior communications, the town of Ross has been forced to expend significant taxpayer resources, including an estimate of $85,000 in unanticipated consultant fees to address a ballot measure that was fundamentally flawed from its inception. Recent reports, including the Citizens Advisory Committee findings, have served as formal acknowledgement that for its own admission, the goal of staffing and maintaining a fully functional fire department at the Ross Civics Complex is no longer realistically objective. For over a year, this community has endured misinformation that has fractured our town and compromised our standing with Marin County agencies. Throughout the process, the town has acted in good faith, adopting resolutions to evaluate alternative designs and expending significant resources. It is only equitable that the organization responsible for these extraordinary unnecessary costs be held financially accountable. FORTH has publicly claimed that they have raised hundreds of thousand dollars in donations. As a 501 entity, these funds should now be utilized to reimburse the taxpayers of Ross for the administrative or legal costs squandered on the initiative that FORTH eventually admitted was untenable. Just as a resident pays for services of the town arborist when requesting tree removal, FORTH must be held to the same standard of financial responsibility for their municipal work that they have mandated. I'm asking the council take the following actions. Agendize a discussion, schedule a formal agenda item to discuss the financial impact of the fourth initiative on the town's reserve, instruct the town attorney, direct the town attorney to issue a formal demand to FORF for reimbursement of all consultant fees, staff time, and legal expenses related to the June 2026 ballot issue within 30 days of notice. And I require that FORF make their finances public to ensure the donations are not being hoarded while the town's general fund bears the burden of their campaign. We as residents deserve a swift resolution, the return of taxpayer dollars. Accountability must come with public demand for restitution. In my opinion, Bob Hurst, president of Forbes, should write this reimbursement check before his name appears on the November ballot. Respectfully, Michael Roosevelt. Perfect.

4:22Speaker 10

Anyone else in the chamber with public comment on the three agenda items? Anybody online with public comment?

4:30Speaker 7

No one online, Mayor.

4:31 – 5:15Speaker 10

So we're moving to item number four, which is town council to decide to decide if it wants to adopt resolution number 2648. approving a professional services contract with gensler inc for facilities master plan amendment services in an amount not to exceed 286 879 establishing a facilities master plan amendment project with a total project budget of 320 000 appropriating 320 000 from the undesignated operating fund balance in the fiscal year 2627 budget for implementation of the project and authorizing the town manager to execute the professional services agreement with Gensler Inc. Town Manager Johnson.

5:16 – 13:44Speaker 3

City Council Chambers, Thank you, Mayor of there is a lengthier staff report in your agenda packet i'll just summarize. City Council Chambers, If you recall, on may 6 of this year, the town council adopted resolution 2623 directing me to initiate an amendment to the facilities master plan utilizing the CAC concept as the preferred alternative. City Council Chambers, to concept be subject to further technical operational and financial analysis by the town. City Council Chambers, This resolution further directed that the amendment process include preference preparation of a comprehensive project scope and a fully burdened cost estimate. City Council Chambers, Including updated space programming infrastructure analysis parking analysis public works operational requirements public safety operational requirements. and preparation of a fully burdened project cost estimate. The resolution also directs that any amendment continues to support the town's affordable housing objectives and include stakeholder engagement throughout the process. So consistent with town council direction, staff issued a competitive request for proposals Also called a rfp seeking professional planning architectural and technical consulting services to prepare a facility master plan amendment five proposals were received. Town staff completed a technical evaluation of all the proposals utilizing the evaluation criteria established in the RFP document. Following staff evaluation, the Town Council Subcommittee of Mayor McMillan and Mayor Pro Tem Robbins and staff reviewed the proposals and selected the three highest ranked firms for interviews. Following the interviews, town staff deliberated further and entered into negotiations with Gensler to refine the scope of work and budget, clarify project deliverables, reduce overall costs, and address the accelerated project schedule. The final negotiated proposal with Gensler includes a comprehensive work plan attached as Exhibit A to the Professional Services Agreement, and that is attached to the staff report in your agenda packet. Gensler's proposal provides a 12-week work program with completion anticipated at the end of October that's this year. The plan amendment schedule is intended to support subsequent Town Council consideration of financing alternatives and, if directed by the Town Council, preparation for placement of a potential general obligation bond measure on a 2027 ballot. Through the negotiation process, town staff worked with Gensler to refine the project scope, clarify deliverables, and eliminate work not essential to completion of the facilities master plan amendment. As a result of our staff work, the proposed professional services agreement was reduced by approximately $169,000, which is approximately a 38% reduction from Gensler's original proposal. While preserving the core planning engineering evaluation cost estimating and facilities master plan amendment services necessary to meet the town council's objectives. Gensler scope of work balances technical analysis costs and schedule why intent while intentionally limiting the assignment to planning level validation. rather than advancing into schematic architectural design. Exhibit A to the Professional Services Agreement contains a detailed project work plan identifying project milestones, meetings, deliverables, consultant coordination, engineering evaluations, cost estimating, preparation of the actual amended facilities master plan document, and the project schedule necessary to complete the amendment before the end of October 2026. A Gensler scope of work also identifies information that is required to be provided by the town, including a site engineering or called a topographical survey, an existing building, a laser scan documentation. Excuse me. Town staff have already begun the contracting process to get this work completed ASAP. The total project budget is $325,000, which includes $286,879 for the professional services agreement with Gensler. Then the rest of the project budget includes $32,450 for completion of the additional owner-directed work, and it also includes a minor amount, $5,600 or so for minor expenses that might arise. So as mentioned, the 12-week timeline for this project is very aggressive. Assuming council approval tonight, Town staff has a kickoff meeting scheduled on Monday with the consultants. We anticipate needing to hold several special meetings with the Council during this 12-week period to keep the project moving forward, and I will gratefully accept the Council's previously stated offer to meet as often as needed and ask that the Council set aside the fourth Thursday of the coming months More specifically, August 27th, September 24th, October 22nd, and November 19th, which is actually the third Thursday in November, because I don't think you want to meet on Thanksgiving, for potential meetings. And so I will ask our town clerk to send outlook notifications to the council so that you have that. And the good news is it'll be on your calendar. For some reason we don't need them, we can council them. But that's what we need to do in order to move this project forward and meet that 12-week timeline. In summary, approval of the proposed agreement via resolution number 2648, which is in your packet, this will authorize preparation of a comprehensive amendment to the 2023 facilities master plan that will validate and refine the town council's preferred civic center concept update project costs and implementation strategies and provide the technical foundation for future environmental review, financing, and consideration of a potential 2027 bond measure. The proposed agreement that is in your packet represents the culmination of a competitive procurement process and successful negotiations that have resulted in a technically comprehensive, schedule-driven scope of work appropriate for the amendment of the facility master plan approval of the agreement will allow the town to complete the technical evaluation directed by the town council and position the town to consider future financing and inflammation. implementation decisions. So specifically, it is recommended that the town council hold this public hearings evening and decide if it wants to adopt resolution number 2648, which will approve a professional services agreement with Gensler for facility master plan amendment services in an amount not to exceed 286,879. It will establish a facilities master plan amendment project in the budget with a total project budget of $320,000. It will appropriate $320,000 from the undesignated operating fund balance current fiscal year, 26-27, for implementation of the project during this current fiscal year. Anna will authorize me, the town manager, to execute the professional services agreement with Gensler. The Gensler has already signed the agreement, and a copy of it is in your packet. Thank you for the opportunity to.

13:45 – 13:59Speaker 10

Thank you, Krista. Sorry? Okay. Questions, council members? Mayor Mrakas, matt any questions. Mayor Mrakas, Then we will move it to discussion discussion.

13:59 – 15:54Speaker 5

Mayor Mrakas, i'll mention one thing Oh, thank you krista it's great contracts and. Mayor Mrakas, I mean, I think everyone's delighted. City Council Chambers, That we can move forward with against the plan which has such widespread support that one thing to focus on now, now that we've launched our project. City Council Chambers, That you know, the most important thing is to get Community support behind the project, you know and and, as you mentioned in the resolution to include um. engage with stakeholders to provide input during the process. I mean, people having community members at the table who then take this project out to the community is probably the best way for us to make sure that we get the bond measure passed. And on that topic, I know that some of the CAC people, especially Dan Whining has said, has offered to be part of some of the meetings going forward. which I think we should certainly consider where, you know, he's a big player behind this and has helped us get to this point with this beautiful project. And, you know, so I think that we should at least consider, and not, you know, not the contract we were gonna approve, but just how we run some of the meetings and can we have community members there also, especially Dan, who we're lucky, said he would be willing to come to meetings so that we can have this as a community you know with led by krista and and david but also community members to help us get it out to the community to get it approved for a bond measure so that's my comment any other comments i i think the beauty of what krista is proposing is that there will probably be two meetings a month where the public

15:54Speaker 10

and community members and we can participate and give feedback.

15:59 – 16:27Speaker 11

so um i think that's built into what you've said um any other comments i was just going to say i i really like the idea of having stakeholders participate because in hearing what's going on and i think of stakeholders as age-friendly ross and other groups school so parts of the community that will be involved in voting for the geobot so i i think that's key that everyone feels that

16:27 – 16:55Speaker 5

I mean, even if everything goes beautifully, everybody wants to be a part of it going forward, and that will get engagement and votes. So that's where I think we'll have to decide how many people come to, I mean, everyone come to council meetings, should people also be, and especially like our design people from the CIC, should any of them come to some of the interim meetings with Gensler, because they do have building skills. So that's something to think about going forward.

16:58 – 19:27Speaker 3

Mayor Mrakas, Oh, thank you, I don't I don't want our mayor pro tem to leave this meeting under the impression that. Mayor Mrakas, Anybody except town staff and our team and, of course, Gensler our project team which actually doesn't include on what Dan whiny he's not on their project team as they presented I had. Mayor Mrakas, nothing to do with who they identified as their project members, so you know we will absolutely this is going to be coming forward to the Council. very often in this 12-week period of time. And that will be the opportunity. And we can certainly do working with the town clerk and his enhanced community engagement skills do our most to get the word out about the special meetings and hopefully what's going to happen at that meeting, what decision points are being brought to the council to really to engage the community to come to the meetings. Um, but that, that, so that happens in a public setting with all five council members here. Um, it's very transparent. Everybody hears the same thing. And in the meantime, staff is busy working with the Gensler project team to, to get this stuff done because it is, um, you know, Gensler is the one that proposed the 12 week turnaround time. City Council Chambers, The Council subcommittee was very supportive of that 12 week turnaround time and it is. City Council Chambers, it's going to be super challenging to get it done, we won't be able to have lots of other extra meetings. City Council Chambers, To it just won't you know you, you could do that if you were willing to extend the time that you're conducting if you recall the first facilities master plan project took well over a year. several meetings with the council, several meetings with the public. And so it's difficult for us to get it all. And so in order to get this done in 12 weeks, in order to get it done in what I consider to be a reasonable cost, which is still, by the way, twice as expensive as the first facilities master plan, this is what we need to do. Take advantage of the council's very generous offer to meet as much as needed. And everybody will be hearing the same thing and lots of opportunities.

19:30 – 20:17Speaker 11

Any other comments? Can I just say that I remember when the original master plan was being vetted in the community, there was a lot of community meetings. And so I realized that time is so short, so it's going to have to be abbreviated City Council Chambers, If we have any but having people from the Community come to our town council meeting so it's public makes perfect sense to me. City Council Chambers, I just want to thank you, because I know that there wasn't much time since the last time the Council met and today. City Council Chambers, To put together to do the interviews to negotiate the contract to get everything set up for the special meeting, so I really want to thank you and the staff for going sort of above and beyond. to make it possible to have this meeting tonight. So thank you.

20:18 – 22:06Speaker 10

And I also want to just reflect on where we are versus where we were. In January, we were having a very contentious discussion about options and trying to go forward. Thanks to the Citizens Advisory Committee and Jeff and Dan and all the members who came up with, I think, a brilliant compromise. And with Gensler's input, with Dan Winey's input, I think this is a really huge milestone, building consensus and turning a corner for our community. So I am really optimistic that we will get this done in 12 weeks. We will be able to have good financing information to put something on a City Council Chambers, General obligation bond ballot, hopefully in March of 2027 and get the this project started and delivered in order to keep the paramedics here and deliver a new facility to them by January of 2029 so. City Council Chambers, And, and you know this would not have happened, I don't think without force effort, so I want to also thank for for. City Council Chambers, pushing hard and going forward, and there was a lot of controversy and heated discussions, but I think you have helped us reach a beautiful place with a gorgeous facility and turn the corner and we can preserve the option of dealing with the fire station and operations down the road, but we can deal with the building now. and that's what everybody needs and wants. So, I think we need a motion.

22:07Speaker 11

I'll move that we adopt resolution number 2648. Second.

22:17Speaker 7

Motion by Councilmember Dowling, second by Mayor Pro Tem Robbins. Mayor McMillan?

22:22Speaker 7

Mayor Pro Tem Robbins? Yes. Councilmember Kircher? Yes. Councilmember Dowling?

22:28Speaker 7

Councilmember Salter? Yes. motion passes unanimously 5-0.

22:33 – 23:30Speaker 10

So now we are going to take a brief recess and we will resume in five minutes. We are moving on to item number five, town council to consider adopting resolution number 2647, One acknowledging the proponents timely withdrawal of the friends of Ross firehouse initiative under election codes elections code section 9215 point five. And rescinding resolution number to 609 which ordered the initiative submitted to the voters and requested consolidation with the November 3 2026 election. and requesting the Marin county board of supervisors and county elections official to remove the major from the November 3 2026 consolidated ballot krista.

23:32Speaker 3

Thank you. Our town attorney, Miriam, has kindly offered to give a brief staff report. Thank you.

23:39 – 25:01Speaker 9

I will give a very brief staff report. So this item will ask the council to adopt resolution 2647, which does two things. It acknowledges the proponents timely withdrawal of the fourth initiative and it rescinds resolution 2609 and asks the Marin County to remove the measure from the ballot. So this is largely requested from the county. They asked us to adopt some kind of resolution that acknowledges the withdrawal And because we set in motion a series of events with Resolution 2609, this resolution will unwind all of that and ask the county to remove from the Move the initiative from the ballot, so we have the withdrawal a full withdrawal from the friends of Ross firehouse it is. Full withdrawal that says this is withdrawn, so that it will not appear on the ballot and is now part of the record and will be part of the resolution you adopt tonight. So the withdrawal is timely. You can, proponents can withdraw anytime before the 88th day before the election, which is coming up actually very, it's this week. So it is a timely withdrawal and that's it. The action is acknowledge the timely withdrawal and rescind the past resolution. And that's it.

25:01Speaker 10

Thank you, Miriam. Thank you. Any questions from council members? Stephanie, would you like to make a public comment?

25:12 – 25:53Speaker 8

I just wanted to make a brief statement. So when Friends of the Ross Firehouse created the ballot initiative a year and a half ago, we really had three goals. One was to preserve the architectural legacy of this historic John White building, preserve the option of restoring local fire operations and emergency response in the future, and accomplish this in City Council Chambers, A fiscally responsible fashion, and so, with the CAC plan and Gensler is the architect, we really feel that the town is on the right path and we're it's a great outcome. City Council Chambers, For the citizens it's I know it's been painful at times, but I think we've really landed in a great place and we hereby withdraw the initiative, thank you.

25:53Speaker 10

City Council Chambers, Thank you stephanie and thank you for accomplishing those goals. City Council Chambers, All right, any discussion.

26:05Speaker 6

I don't know if you can hear me.

26:09Speaker 10

We can hear you.

26:12 – 27:39Speaker 6

So I think that this is a wonderful moment for our town. I really appreciate the Friends stepping forward and withdrawing this measure and saving the town from a very divisive campaign in November. But I think that the goals should be very clear that the citizens have spoken. And I have no doubt in my mind that over 50% would have voted to restore fire services in town and medical. And so it's now upon us to follow through with this plan by building a facility that can support an operational fire station. There are fires raging all over Europe and Canada. in California and Sonoma County, they're everywhere. And it's unconscionable as people that are here elected to secure these people who voted for us, that we would close a fire station and not try to preserve the option to restore it when our people and the society around us demands it. So I hope that the council has heard the people, whether they have voted for this initiative or not, and that we move forward to restore local fire services and medical and ross because that's what we're here to do thank you any other comments in the discussion i move we approve resolution 2647 i'll second

27:44Speaker 7

Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Robbins, second by Council Member Dowling. Mayor McMillan?

27:51Speaker 7

Mayor Pro Tem Robbins?

27:53Speaker 7

Council Member Kircher?

27:55Speaker 7

Council Member Dowling?

27:57Speaker 7

Council Member Salter? Aye. Motion passes unanimously, 5-0.

28:07 – 28:34Speaker 10

City Council Chambers, All right, number six town Council to consider approval of the argument language in support of the Ross valley paramedic authority personal tax renewal major. City Council Chambers, To be submitted to the county of Marin elections office for the November 3 2026 general municipal election and decide who should sign the argument on behalf of Council members, for example, mayor all five Council members or a portion there of. City Council Chambers, Zach is this your item.

28:37 – 30:05Speaker 7

Thank you, Mayor McMillan and Town Council members. This item asks the Council to approve the argument in support of the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority parcel tax renewal measure for the November 3rd election. For decades, paramedic services in the Ross Valley have been funded by a voter-approved parcel tax that supports trained paramedics on our fire engines and ambulances. That tax is set to expire, and on July 9th, the Council voted to place a renewal measure on the November ballot. Under the Elections Code, the Council may submit a written argument in favor for the Voter Information Guide, which the Council has opted to do. proposed argument included as Attachment 1 describes the purpose of the renewal and the fiscal accountability protections that apply, including that the funds may be used only for local paramedic services and are subject to annual audits and public disclosure. I'll note that state law limits the argument to 300 words with proper nouns, acronyms, numbers, and dictionary recognized hyphenated words, each counted as a single word. Since the agenda was published, I identified that the current draft runs slightly over at 305 words and will need minor trimming before submission. Amending and approving the argument has no direct fiscal impact on the town. If approved, it will be finalized and submitted to me as the town's election official no later than August 14th, with the deadline to be submitted to the Marin County Elections Office no later than end of business on Monday, August 17th. Council's action tonight is twofold, amend and approve the argument language. I'm happy to answer any questions.

30:07Speaker 5

Any questions? Did you say that it's over 300 words?

30:12Speaker 7

Yes, Mayor Pro Tem. It's 305 words.

30:16Speaker 5

So we need to cut out five words?

30:19Speaker 10

Correct. And I want to add three words.

30:25Speaker 5

Well, we can wordsmith this pretty quickly by the on and the dash is probably counting as two words.

30:31Speaker 10

Can we first see if anybody has any questions? Any questions? Okay. Now we will move to collective wordsmithing. All right.

30:41Speaker 4

Can I say something?

30:43Speaker 4

You know, I think we've all been through this because we've submitted statements and the county has a certain way of counting words. Is that the county saying this or is it local?

30:54Speaker 7

It is a mixture of myself and the county. I'm sorry, say again? It's a combination of myself and the county.

31:00 – 31:11Speaker 4

And the county, so you have to talk to the county? Okay, because sometimes, you know, you can, what you think may be separate words, you can count all as one word. Okay, you've taken that into account?

31:12Speaker 7

I'm aware of that, Councilmember Kutcher. Thank you, sir.

31:16 – 31:30Speaker 11

City Council Chambers, I can offer a suggestion sure. City Council Chambers, I can take out one word local paramedic funding is set take out the now is now set that's one word and then go up to 1234 you know one thing.

31:30 – 31:42Speaker 5

City Council Chambers, If you just get rid of the on and the dash and you just have voting, yes, will then we get rid of two words three times. Without even editing.

31:42Speaker 10

That's a good idea.

31:43 – 31:54Speaker 5

Yep. You see what says voting yes on and then there's a dash. So I'm assuming that on and the dash counts as two words. All we need is voting yes. That work for you, Zach.

32:02Speaker 7

It was my understanding that that dash is a placeholder for the measured letter.

32:08 – 32:20Speaker 3

Just saying, instead of saying yes on it, yes, if you take out all of those, then, yes, it would be under 300 words and if somehow that doesn't work, you can always at the.

32:21 – 32:37Speaker 5

Fourth bullet points as funds for measure may from measure X may only be used, you can just be funds may only be used for local paramedic services that's if you need like. something more, because that's the same thing. It's just, it kind of repeats the measure over and over. But I think on and the dash gets rid of it.

32:37Speaker 10

There's two more places where there's on and dash that we could take those out, right? Yeah.

32:42 – 33:01Speaker 3

so take those out so that should be eight then i can get it get in my my three words excuse me i i wanted to and i think council member dowling started this off can you tell us where what your suggestion was

33:02Speaker 11

What my five words were? Is that what you're asking? Yeah, I just, I.

33:08 – 33:27Speaker 11

Yes. My other four words, because I took out one word. What was the first one? It was local paramedic funding is, and that's the last paragraph, is set. I take out now. It's not of any use. The last paragraph? No, the third paragraph. Yeah.

33:27Speaker 3

I'm sorry. I'm not clear on where it is. Can you tell me?

33:30Speaker 11

Third paragraph down. OK. Local paramedic funding is set.

33:36Speaker 3

So you're saying get rid of the word now. Why don't we just say will expire instead of is set to?

33:42Speaker 10

OK. How about will? Will. Now I'm getting more words.

33:46 – 34:46Speaker 3

will expire. So that gets rid of now set to so we've got a we got rid of two words there. Good job. Okay, okay. And then a list that Mayor Pro Tem Robbins, I think had the next suggestions and yours were, I think it takes care of eight, we get rid of on and then the underline, which I think is counting as a word all four times. Okay, so the first one is in the second paragraph where it says voting yes on dash. You just say voting yes will ensure, right? So that gets rid of two. So now we're at negative four. And then we go down to right before the first set of bullet points, voting yes on blank will. You just want to say voting yes will. Correct. So that gets rid of 2. So now we're at negative 6. And do you want to do the same in the next?

34:46Speaker 5

I might as well get rid of them all.

34:47 – 34:58Speaker 3

OK. Voting yes on blank. Voting yes continues strict fiscal accountability. So now that's negative 2. So now we're at negative 8.

35:01Speaker 5

Keep going. There's two more yes.

35:02Speaker 10

Oh, there's two more. On dash yes.

35:05 – 35:21Speaker 5

Maybe we keep the last one, if they get that far, so that the measure letter sticks in case there are lots of measures on the ballot. I mean, we've got extra words. Then we get rid of eight and then keep the letter at the very end.

35:21Speaker 7

If I may, Mayor, we are now at negative 11, which brings us to six below the 300.

35:28 – 36:11Speaker 10

Okay, so that's getting rid of this one. City Council Chambers, Yes, of all for those I just have three words that I want to add and it's in the second to the last line of the first paragraph. City Council Chambers, So I would add i'll just read the sentence as our community has grown in emergency medical services evolve dedicated local paramedic funding now helps support, so I would add helps and make support singular. City Council Chambers, Two ambulances, as well as state of the art fire department units with train paramedics and equipment, I would add, and equipment aboard fire engines so that and then nothing else changes.

36:11Speaker 5

City Council Chambers, Are you sure that.

36:13Speaker 10

City Council Chambers, I mean it covers equipment, I guess, it does, I talked to chief mahoney this morning Okay, yes. I mean, I think that's fine.

36:24 – 36:57Speaker 5

The edit I made was what we all agreed to on the ballot wording, which was I took out the line about response time so that we didn't go down the rabbit hole talking about response times and paramedics, ambulances, and fire engines. And there was a line here that had the same comment about response times. And that was really basically the only edit. I mean, there were one or two words, but otherwise, that was the same. And Dan Mahoney had looked at this also and said it looked fine. Well, I think that's one of your words.

36:58Speaker 10

I got a better understanding of the financing for the paramedics, and part of it is based on the parcel tax, but part of it's based on the billing.

37:06Speaker 5

Right, it's about 50-50. It is.

37:10Speaker 9

helps support, I think, is more accurate.

37:12Speaker 10

And then the parcel tax also pays for significant equipment that are put on fire engines with paramedics.

37:23Speaker 5

I think helps is better because it doesn't support it fully.

37:26 – 37:50Speaker 10

Are there any other changes? we have a brief discussion about who should sign this argument i would suggest that each one of us agrees to sign this argument that was my suggestion i i don't see why we wouldn't i think it's a good idea i mean the only reason we wouldn't is sometimes we go out to community members

37:50 – 38:26Speaker 5

and try to have like the school board president and our POA and age friendly. But I don't know that it really matters who signs it. I think it probably looks better if all five of us sign it because then we're all united in moving the paramedic parcel tax forward. And that if they're, as we've had differences of opinions about other things, I think it's great that it's clear that the whole council wants you to vote for this. There's not any split here. What's the deadline and getting this to the county, I think it's the 14th which is why we did it today so that August 14, because our meeting August 13 I thought was going to be too close.

38:28Speaker 7

So the deadline to get it into the town clerk is August 14 the deadline to get it into the county is August 17.

38:36Speaker 10

Okay, Matt. Could you be available to swing by and sign this argument. Before that date.

38:46 – 39:12Speaker 3

sorry what was the date august 17th yes uh august 14th he needs to be at the town clerk's office and signing it because that's what the resolution placing it on the um ballot so we you'll be back in town council member salter yeah i'll be back sorry i i didn't hear the date yeah okay okay hold on i won't be back necessarily you can sign it right now

39:13Speaker 4

I'll be happy to sign it now. In fact, I'll sign anything other than a check.

39:18Speaker 3

You're not allowed to leave this room until you sign.

39:20Speaker 10

That's fine. It's not printed final. Okay. Let's have a motion.

39:26Speaker 5

I move we approve the wording as edited and that all five of us sign it.

39:33Speaker 10

Is there a second? Can someone second the motion? I will second it. Awesome.

39:40Speaker 7

Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Robbins, second by Council Member Dowling. Mayor McMillan? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Robbins? Yes. Council Member Kircher?

39:49Speaker 7

Council Member Dowling? Yes. Council Member Salter? Yes. Motion passes unanimously, 5-0. I see.

40:07Speaker 10

Thank you. We're adjourned. Thank you for being here.

40:09 – 40:30Speaker 5

How many needs to go on? There might be a specific form. Oh, so this should be wrapped up by tomorrow. What? Oh. It's a long time coming.

40:30Speaker 9

Oh, that's good enough?

This transcript was automatically generated from the official public meeting video and is presented unedited. It reflects remarks made on the public record by elected officials, staff, and public commenters. Transcript accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.