City Council - Regular Meeting

Call up call to order the city of Seaside city council and its success agency to the redevelopment agency. Our regular 5:00 pm meeting February 19th, 2026 will come to order. Thank you. Uh, roll call, please. Council and agency member Miller here. Council and agency member Burks here. Council and agency member Garcia Arizona here. Mayor Pro Tim and Vice Chair Pacheo. Mayor and Chair Oglesby here. You do have a quorum.

Uh, thank you so much. We will have a moment of silence and I will ask uh Council Member Miller to lead us in pledge allegiance if he would please. To the republic of the United States of America, Okay, thank you. We'll go to item number four, which is reviewed agenda. Uh, city manager, any adjustments, deletions from the agenda?

Mayor, there are no requested changes to the agenda.

Uh, thank you. Item number five is public comment. Members of the public wishing to address the city council or matters underneath our jurisdiction may do so uh for up to three minutes. This is also the time to comment on presentation items. Uh for the benefit of the record, we ask that you state your name. Public comment is open. Members of the council, my name is Rick Hoyer. I am the president of Mon taxpayers association and I want to bring you some good news for your residents. Back in 2016 when the water management district reinstated the user fee, they were supposed to by their own ordinance discontinue the water supply charge. They chose not to. They chose to basically double charge all the taxpayers despite us continually bringing it up. We were forced to file suit in September of 2021. In August of 2023, the court ruled unanimously ruled in our favor, saying basically anyone who was reading the ordinance was very clear you they were required to sunset the fee instead of stopping charging. At that point, they decided to spend more taxpayer funds to appeal. A year later, the court of appeals agreed with us and ruled that they had been collecting it illegally for about 7 to 8 years. Uh, unfortunately, the way state law is you can't go all the way back to the time frame of when they first began to do it illegally. You could basically do it for a year. So, after negotiating with the district, uh, we came to the settlement and they are refunding $3.5 million to the taxpayers of this district. checks will be going out in March to all property owners, varying

amounts depending upon how much you paid of that fee. The thing that this really brings to mind is unfortunately they spent over half a million dollars of taxpayer money fighting something that if anyone read the ordinance it was crystal clear because it was put in there because that fee was meant to be a replacement for the user fee when the PUC ruled it was unconstitutional. They ultimately prevailed in court in that and then decide to reinstate it. So please as agency members and you are on many other boards and commissions and other things as well. The plain word of an ordinance very often is what it means. So even if a staff member may be telling you something very different. Please think of the taxpayers when it comes time to things of charging. Unfortunately, through the years, it cost the rateayers over $10 million uh which we will not be getting back, but at least it's stopped and the last year and a half's worth is being refunded and you should see it next month. Thank you.

Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone. council Mason seaside resident and I just want to uh uplift the fact that um I want to inform all of the voters of the city of Seaside that I will be running for a seat on the Seaside City Council this November. Thank you. Sorry for the laptop, but I left the pages at home. Uh, good evening, mayor, council members. My name is Glenn Wilson. I am actually a resident of Marina. I'm here tonight because I want to talk about infrastructure conditions on the northern part of the city boundary with Marina. Specifically, I'd like to address the infrastructure concerns with First Avenue, Second Avenue, and Lifeway corridor. Specifically, this corridor is no longer functioning as a local access roadway as designed. It is now becoming a regional spine, not only through development of marina, but also through the development of seaside with campus town and then other future growth. With the now open, the dunes well into phase three, campus town now rapidly growing, and the shared decision on how to reconfigure 1 Avenue needs to be made jointly with Marina. Right now, according to your city planning department last week, there is no plan and no conversations with the city of Marina planning department or planning commission to discuss the intent of what to do with First Avenue. That is honestly a disgrace. We are supposed to be working together as a peninsula. The intersection of light and 1st Avenue presents a rare practical opportunity because of the historical

main gate footprint of Fort Ward. There is ample space there for a right away for a modern roundabout. It should have been built into it to design for campus town, but it has not been discussed. It is already approved with, you know, but there is still time. A roundabout is not the only configuration. It is realistically will improve the safety and continuous movement of traffic that's leaving the highway. It is the only actual option to ensure that you can make a left turn onto First Avenue and turn that into a second two-way road instead of Second Avenue. A roundabout will include continuous flow. It will also make efficient use of of first avenue as we look at the new surf bus line, the fifth a the fifth street station, the aggregate for the new courthouse and overall development of the rest of the marina property themselves. In the end, this intersection in this decision is bigger than the intersection by itself. Nobody, whether it's a seaside resident, a marina resident, or someone visiting the courthouse or the VA, or any of the other opportunities that are being built there, are going to care whether it was our city of Marina or the city of Seaside that didn't address this issue. Now, those city councils are going to receive the blame, but the real punishment is going to come to all the public who is going to get stuck in the traffic concerns. Growth is going to happen. My question to you is ultimately, are you going to direct your staff to look at working and partnering with the city of Marina planning staff to come up with a viable solution for this intersection? Thank you very much. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone. Carlo Lobo, you now have the floor to make a public comment.

Thank you. I'm here to address a reoccurring procedural concern regarding presentation items that are listed on the agenda but are not accompanied by supporting documents or attachments to the public review. While these items appear on the agenda, the absence of materials limits the public's ability to engage meaningfully. Under the Brown Act, the public has the right to participate in discussions on matters within the council's jurisdiction. Even when no formal action or vote is taken, once council members engage in discussion, ask questions to the presenters, or otherwise deliberate on the presentation item, the public then has the right to provide informed comment on that discussion. Forcing the community to comment only during the general public comment period before presentations occur or before council discussion does not allow for meaningful equitable participation. These materials are prepared during agenda development. So withholding them is not a logistic necessity. It is a procedural choice that limits public oversight and transparency. The Brown Act emphasizes access to information prior to deliberation and action. And withholding supporting materials undermines the public's ability to participate effectively. To ensure compliance, I'm asking this council to make all supporting documents for presentation items available at the time the agenda is published. offer a separate public comment period after presentations are delivered, but before council discussion, allowing members of the public and their right to provide informed feedback. This update will guarantee equitable participation, meaningful community engagement and transparency consistent with state law. I urge the council to take action to correct this ongoing issue. And on another note, as I announced online and publicly, I too am running for city council. announced it back in November of last year. So, I look forward to the

competition. I yield the rest of my time. Thank you for your comments. The caller ending in 2287, you now have the floor to make your public comment.

Can you hear me? Yes, we can.

Thank you. This is Peter Kaiser, a longtime resident. Um, I just got on, so I'd like to offer a sincere prayer. Lord, please, we thank you for your sacrifice of your son for dying on the cross so that we may be forgiven and as he conquered death and hades and sin and that we could be allowed to be serving him and bringing the kingdom here on earth and being in heaven with him forever. Thank you for that. And also um we adore you Lord. We glorify you and u we confess our sins and the sins of this nation especially um the mistreatment of so many pre-borns maybe 70 million. And please forgive us that the Africanameans have lost maybe 20 million since Roi Wade came into being in 1972. So we deserve to be severely judged, but please with your grace forgive this nation as we return to follow you, follow the Bible, and have a great revival here. Thank you for the example of Charlie Kirk and his sacrifice to this country and bringing love and truth to many college campuses and helping help remind young people to uh uh be responsible and the men to be maybe buy a house, have a great job, get married, have raise godly children and u thank you Lord for that. And also we want to invite people to the uh 40 days for life at the uh in front of Planned Parenthood there usually at least Wednesdays and Friday mornings maybe around 9:00 or anytime you can come for the next 40 days from Ash Wednesday yesterday till Palm Sunday. And then there might be some Thursday evening prayer vigils at

about 6:00 um to also honor the protection of these innocent babies. And um also Lord please bring revival to this country that we may uh honor you with our proper high virtues and uh Christian worldview in Jesus holy name. Amen. Thank you for your comments. PM, you now have the floor to make a public comment. PM, you now have the floor to make your public comment. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone. Mayor, no other members of the public have come forward to make public comment.

Uh, thank you so much. Public comments closed. Uh, city manager, city attorney, are there any questions, issue, or concern you can speak to at this time? City manager. Yes. Thank you, mayor. Just one at this time, item 10A on tonight's agenda regarding the main gate uh development is potentially the start of a planning process uh for that area that will um prioritize and look at traffic uh corridors in the area that were discussed earlier by the public com. Thank you. Through the mayor, yes.

Um addressing the question about the access to presentations and the ability of the public to speak on presentations. Um the presentations are made available online and they are posted on our web page with our agenda packets under the term presentations where those are available and so long as no city action is taken on those there is no right to public independent public comment on those on each one on each one. That's correct.

Okay. Uh let's go to item number six which is public agency communications. Uh first one is is a seaside city news broadcast and comments from city manager. Let's dip into this week's edition of Seaside City News, covering more of the events happening this February. The city of Seaside is stepping up to the plate this spring with its adult 18 and over baseball league. The season runs from March 8th through June 7th, giving local players the chance to compete, stay active, and enjoy some friendly competition on the Diamond. Games will be held on Sundays at 9:00 a.m., 12:15, and 3:30 p.m., all taking place at Seaside High School. The player fee is $125 for the season. Gather your teammates and register your team today. For more information, call 831-8996821. Don't miss your chance to play ball in Seaside this spring. The Walter Lee Avery Gallery at Seaside City Hall is currently hosting a special Black History Month exhibit celebrating culture, creativity, and community. The exhibit, running through February 27th, features work by local artists highlighting powerful stories and artistic expressions rooted in black history and experience. The exhibit is free to the public and open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The community is also invited to

attend a special artist reception on February 6th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibit is presented by the Avery Gallery and sponsored by the Seaside Art and History Commission. The city of Seaside is planning its next garbage and recycling contract and community members are invited to help shape the future of local waste collection services. City leaders are asking residents to share their ideas on how services can be improved, what matters most to households, and what value they expect from their trash and recycling programs. Feedback gathered during these meetings will directly inform decisions that guide collection services for years to come. Residents can choose from three virtual community meetings. Tuesday, February 24th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 25th from noon to 1:00 p.m. and Thursday, February 26th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The third meeting will be offered in both Spanish and English. Participants can join via Zoom using the meeting IDs listed on the city's website and social media pages. Don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard and help shape the future of Seaside's garbage and recycling services. For more information, visit the City of Seaside homepage. Do you know someone in the community who shines bright? Nominations for the Seaside Stars Awards open on March 1st. This is your chance to recognize outstanding individuals who make a difference in the city of Seaside. Whether it's a dedicated volunteer, an inspiring leader, or community champion, we want to hear about them. Submitting a nomination is easy. Visit bit.ly/seaside stars and fill out the form. But don't wait too long. The deadline for entries is March 31st. For more information or questions, call 831-899-6800. Join FOSPA on Saturday, February 21st at Beta Park and on the 28th at Highland Otis Park for a day of service and outdoor fun. For more information, including future workdays and locations, visit friends of seaside parks.org.

Looking for affordable spay and neuter services for your pets? Snip Mobile Spay and Neuter is coming to Seaside on February 24th, offering lowcost spay and neuter services for dogs and cats. Just $25 per pet. The clinic will be located at 1271 Canyon Delray Boulevard in the empty lot next to the Chili's restaurant. This clinic is for seaside residents only and appointments are required. To schedule, call or text 925-96710001. Two vaccines, rabies and a booster are included at no cost. Microchipping and sedatives are available for an additional fee. Sponsored by the city of Seaside, this clinic helps provide safe, affordable care for our community's pets. Again, that's February 24th, Snip Mobile Spay and Neuter in Seaside. Call or text 925-96710001 to make your appointment today. Attention students and families. The 2026 MPUSD upcycled prom closet is here to make prom night unforgettable with a perfect outfit at no cost. Hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. Students are invited to the Oldm Center on March 7th from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. to browse a wide collection of free prom dresses, suits, and accessories. Fitting rooms will be available on site, making it easy to find the perfect look for your big night. This incredible event ensures every MPUSD student can shine at prom without breaking the bank. Spread the word, bring your friends, and make this prom season one to remember. For more information, call 831-64512000. We appreciate you tuning in to Seaside City News where we work to include, innovate, and inspire. We'll be back with more exciting events to share with you this March. Until then, be safe, live fully, and enjoy all our city has to offer. Thank you, Seaside.

Just a couple additions to the seaside news this week. Um the seaside public works department continues landscaping improvements around the north and the west sides of city hall. Existing ground cover has been removed uh to create a lowmaintenance landscaping that will match the eastern entry. Work by city staff will be complete over the next 3 to four weeks as staffing and weather permits. Um the city of Seaside has executed a community partnership agreement with the Monterey Bay football club to promote local business, community engage engagement and regional branding. The partnership includes in stadium and digital marketing exposure for the city, a reoccurring seaside business of the month recognition, resident discount opportunities, so discounted tickets for seaside residents and coordinated signage to support visitor navigation and local commerce. So, this initiative aligns directly with the city of Seaside's economic development strategy by strengthening tourism, small business visibility, and our destination branding. The city of Seaside and Monterey Bay FC will be issuing a joint press release on that partnership soon. And then finally, it's my pleasure to to announce to this group that the city of Seaside has secured $850,000 in federal funding, federal community project funding for the San Pablo pedestrian bridge replacement project as included in the recently adopted federal appropriations bill. This funding represents a major milestone towards improved pedestrian uh safety, a neighborhood connectivity and access to key parks. This award reflects a strong partnership and advocacy with Congressman Jimmy Petta's office and JA and Associates. City staff will be coordinating with Panetta's office uh for a joint pre press conference in the next week or two. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you. Okay. Going to item number uh seven which is presentations 7A. Presentation for firefighter of the year award and proclamation. Uh we have the anybody chief here. Anybody representing the Okay, come on down. Uh I don't know. Engineer, captain, battalion chief, chief. Jason, division chief got division. Yes, sir. Go ahead. Uh, the mayor. Yes,

prom. Council members, thank you. I'm excited tonight to uh be able to recognize one of our members. Um, it's an honor. For over 50, actually for over 60 years, our city, your fire department has been recognizing a firefighter of the year continuously and we're upholding that tradition tonight. Although the formalities may have change changed over the years, um the foundation is still the same. And that foundation is that member is voted on by their peers. So I'm not voting on it. Uh the command staff isn't voting on it. They're voted on by their peers. And we have a unique culture here at Seaside Fire Department. And that's based on the emergencies that we go on and the experiences that we share together. And because of that, we hold our members in extremely high regard. We have high expectations for our members because of these emergencies, these real life emergencies. And it's something I'm extremely proud of. I'm extremely proud to work alongside our members. I'm extremely proud to recognizes this member tonight. Um, but it's our unique culture that really recognizes this member. Um, our culture, you know, our high standards are enveloped by all the members that teach each other and mentor each other. One of the cool unique things about the fire department culture is we don't care what your ethnicity is, what your pay scale is, what religion you are. When the alarm goes off, we are going to help. That's it. It's pure and I wish more of the country recognized that. Um, this member recognizes that and he embodies what we represent and our values in the fire department. Um, mayor, if you could join me in recognizing through this proclamation our firefighter of the year, who is joined by his family and his fiance. A good round of applause for firefighter Matt Bryan.

I think it's better if I stand on this side. Uh maybe I'm a little taller than you if I stand on this side of you.

This is just a a proclamation. I think the uh division chief uh black said some uh some very true statements about our fire department and especially about you and the team role you play to get to this position. So I'm just going to read it. You have the firefighter of the year 2025. Whereas firefighter Bryant has been selected as Seaside Fire Department 2025 firefighter of the year in recognition of his outstanding professionalism, leadership, and dedication to the department mission, personnel, and whereas since joining the Seaside Fire Department in 2022, Firefight Brian has demonstrated exceptional skills, reliability, uh, initiative, earning the trust and the respect of his peers and supervisors drew consistent performance and meticulous attention to detail. And Royal's Firefinger Bryant claimed calm and steady demeanor both on and off the scenes of incidents has contributed directly to the success and efficiency of his team, exemplifying the highest standards of teamwork and service and roles. In addition to his firefighter duties, firefighter Bryant has served as a mentor to new probationary firefighters, playing a key role in two inhouse firemies and directly supervising training for recruits, generously volunteering his time to ensure that their development and the future strength of department. And whereas Firefighter Brian has been taking on additional leadership responsibilities, including managing the department's personnel protective equipment program, overseeing one of the department's largest budgets, and expressing a strong interest in transitioning to managing the radio and communication program. showcasing his initiative and dedication to continual

improvement of the department operations and whereas Firefire Bryant has further committed to his own professional growth by completing training casework to qualify as a future leader of ship roles overnight including proceeding uh pursuing the position of engineer working through his fire captives task book. I just stop there. I can simply how difficult that is. And so I just want to say thank you for that by always stepping forward. Now therefore be proclaimed that Ian was mayor of the city of Seaside on behalf of the city council do hereby recognize and congratulate Matthew Bryant for his many accomplishments including his recognition firefighter of the year award 2025. So that is the

So that is the competition right there. Okay. And then a little something to put on your wall for future. I'm sure this just one of the first awards you're going to uh win or be appointed to receive. And so we here in the city of Seaside and on behalf of the city council and the police that are the parliament, I want to congratulate you on it's kind of hard for me to fire you because again like the division chief black said, this is voted on by your peers. So every day they watch you, you guys watch each other and for you to be consistent in what you do to allow them to be choose you easily, right? And I don't know how close it was. You got a lot of good fire, but the point is you got chosen. This is your year. We're so proud of you. Thank you so much. City clerk.

and

so there's some we say respect is currency in the fire department. I think that makes sense to everybody. We'd like to get the firefighters on here to take a picture as well. Make sure absolutely They all right here. All right, m say a few words. Thank you, madam. Okay.

Thank you, council. Didn't plan on the speech, but I'll keep it short and sweet. Always happy to serve the community side. I moved up here from Southern California and it's pretty much been the best thing I ever did. So, thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the citizens of Seaside and thank you to my peers for supporting me. Um, any one of them up there could have gotten it. Um, just lucky that it was me this time. So, thank you. Have a good morning.

Uh, thank you so much. Next, we got item number 7 uh B, which is February 2026 House of the Month award uh for who's representing the neighborhood improvement, Mr. Ray Ry Ray. Uh heard Good evening everybody. Um, every month we pick a house of the month and how we do that is we go and each uh commissioner goes in a certain section of town and picks out four or five houses. And they say, "Well, that looks nice. That one looks nice. This one's unbelievable." I mean, that's just how it goes. Then we come back at the council meeting and uh we turn around and we do a vote. We all look at the pictures, see where we're going, and then we choose the best house out of those. Uh, we're open to the public for you guys to throw out a house at us, except for your own. Okay. No, just kidding. But we're open to that even. Okay. But what we're trying to do and we are doing is recognizing uh our neighbors and us taking care of our homes because Seaside's a beautiful town. It really is. And there's some beautiful homes and everybody's trying their best and it puts us on the map. It really does. So, what we have here is um uh here. So, we have a few homes here. This is uh this is the winner. This is the winner. Uh 1282 Elm Street. Um, uh, Dennis

Alexander was the commissioner that drove around, found five houses, and then we all voted on this one. So, what happens is they will receive, are they here? Um, Roberto and Maria Garcia, come on down. So, what we are presenting to you is a little plaque for you to hang out outside your house. Just kidding. And uh what you do with it and you will re receive also a U gift card from Home Depot for 50 bucks. Okay? You spend your money on your house and then also you're going to get a yard sign that we'll put in your yard. And here it is. and and and you could drive you can have look at this and say I want one of these. Okay, pick it up at the end of the mall. But anyway, I hope uh you all believe that we're trying to do something good here, you know, and it's fun for your neighbors, fun for us, and uh I know it's not a lot of money, but you know, it's the thought and it's to say thank you to every one of you. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me here. Thank you for just my little tiny house.

Can I say a few words if I want to just thanks everybody for having me here and I just encourage to everybody to to keep trying to verify. Oh, beautiful season. Thank you very much. And you can take that if you'd like and we'll pick it up at the end of the month. Yeah, thank you very much. By the curb so everybody can see it. I just want to say the transformation on this home was phenomenal. If you actually look at it on Google Maps, what it used to look like, it's like day. So really well done.

Not done yet. So thank you very much y'all. Okay. Thank you so much. Right. Uh, next we'll go to item number seven, 7C, Broadway Avenue complete street quarter improvement project update. Uh, Mr. City Manager. Yes. Thank you, mayor. We will hear from our representatives at Kimley Horn, uh, Frederick Ventier and Molly Trembley.

Right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, council. Um so I am here to give you an update uh project construction update for the Broadway Avenue complete street corridor project.

Uh so this project is going to run along Broadway um starting at Fremont all the way up to General Jim Moore. So it's about a mile and a half. Um and that's the area that will include the road diet and seven mini roundabouts. And then on Yusede, it's going to be a bike boulevard. And really what that means is we're putting sheros in so that bikes can share the road. So a little history of this project. Um really it got started with the development of the county and then the city's safe routes to school plan. As a part of that, um, TAMC did a demonstration project that you can see here where they installed protected bike lanes, converted one of the travel lanes to parking, and then left one travel lane in each direction. Um, this got great feedback, especially from the students and parents of students at Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts. Um so after that we went ahead and did an intersection control evaluation so that we could look at uh how to to include that road diet without um negatively impacting the congestion along the corridor. Uh all that to say the way to get the road diet to work was to convert the allway stop controls and the traffic signals to roundabouts. Um after the ICE uh evaluation was completed, we then submitted the project for an active transportation program grant and through that won um $16 million. Um so the project goals, this is really at the end of the day, it's a safety project. That is the absolute main goal of of this project. We want to increase safety for all users. So that's cyclists, pedestrians, drivers, um with special attention to students as well as uh seniors. Um as a a safe routes to school project, um we really want to focus on that area in front of Martin

Luther King Junior School um and improve access through the project to the uh the school areas. As an active transportation project, we want to increase the number of multimodal users. So, make it more accessible for people that may not feel um confident to ride on the street. And then also as part of the project, we have an education and engagement effort um led by Tamzy. And that's going to be uh geared towards uh biking and walking education as well as education on how to utilize roundabouts. As I mentioned, sorry, I misspoke. It's $12 million uh through the active transportation program. So $11 million was for the design and construction of the project. Another million is for that education and engagement portion. Um and then just recently we won another $4 million towards the construction through the uh regional surface transportation program. Uh this project has been going on since well as you saw really since 2018 and uh the design portion has been going on since about 2022. During that time, we've held a uh project website. Um we had numerous community meetings. Um we've received just under 150 surveys about different elements of the project. Uh we also had pop-up events at different local venues, um including the city's birthday, uh different markets. We met with the residents of uh Villa Delonte Apartments. Um at the request of council a couple years ago, we did some additional outreach. So, we actually called all of the businesses and churches along the corridor. Um, I held office hours at city hall for several hours so that we could meet with anyone who had questions or comments. So, uh this is the corridor uh with all the improvements. As I mentioned, each of the intersections that are currently

always stop controls or signals will be converted to mini roundabouts. um we'll be reducing the corridor to one travel lane in each direction and that allows us to then install protected bike lanes. So if we zoom in a little bit here, you can see um what the each of the roundabouts is going to look like. So the theme is seaside by the bay and that was chosen by the community members at the different community workshops. Um the plant pallet and the different hardscape options were also voted on by the public and we've worked with Phospa um to make sure that we're using things that are on their pallets as well. And then one more closeup. So this is again that seaside by the bay uh theme. So we've got whales in the center island there. Um on the bike paths there's seals and kelp that show you which direction to go on the separated bike paths. So for the schedule, um we received our request for funding allocation at the January CTC meeting. Um which means that we now can access our construction funds. Um we have ongoing coordination with the school. So um we're looking at some ideas for their pickup and drop off that the school principal had. Uh the project is intended to go out to bid in April. um which means that we will need to award the project to a contractor in June and then have the contractor under contract by August. Um and that will lead to our construction time period which is going to be fall of 26 through 2028. Um I will say part of the reason that that construction period or excuse me 29 part of the reason that is so long is because we are specifically trying to avoid major impacts to the school. So we'll be doing the majority of the construction during their off periods. Um, and then finally, we will have an open house at the fire station uh March 24th at 6 PM

and that's it. Okay. Thank you. Uh, city manager, did you have any uh comments and then we'll we'll address questions. We'll go to that next. Just want to reiterate that that we encourage uh those who want to know more about the project to to to call our office or simply uh help attend the the public u open house at the fire station again March 24th at 6 p.m. We hope to see everybody there. Uh Mayor Pro

appreciate that. Uh just couple questions. If there were if we decided to make any modifications small or large or whatever, would there uh to the design would there be lost of the grant or a portion of their grant or would it be any significant change? We are kind of butting up against um deadlines in terms of So the main deadline that we're up against is that contract are under contract by August 2026. So we have to get the project out to bid and then get them under contract or the construction funding. So 11 million would be at jeopardy. So the answer is well I mean we can make construction changes but yeah

we would have to approve the the contract as as designed. Um and then there could be change orders along the way in the project but again those would need to be cleared through the funding source. Okay. Um, can you explain there's seven roundabouts from Fremont Broadway to General Moore. Can you explain um the need to have seven roundabouts?

Sure. Yeah. So, that was driven uh primarily by what the existing control types were. So, with the allway stop control and the signal, if you were to have roundabouts at some of the intersections and then not at those, they would then impact you would back up because you're stopping at either the stop sign or the signal. It would then back up into whatever the previous roundabout would be and reduce the efficiency. Um, so when we did the intersection control evaluation, we found the only way that we could get the road diet to work was through the use of the roundabouts because they allow cars while they're going slower, they're going more efficiently because you're not having to stop and wait.

And I I assume that the lights that are on Noa would and where else on Broadway would go away. Okay. And my last question is this plan has been reviewed and there's significant agreement with the churches with the businesses uh those that are living in the in those areas that everybody feels happy. Um for the most part

I would say we've had a lot of lot of coordinations. I've met one-on-one with different residents. I think some people are overjoyed that this is going to happen. and it's going to make it easier to walk and bike and things. And I think there's some people that are have trepidation about the changes to the corridor. It's a admittedly a very big change. Um, so I I'm not going to say everyone is absolutely thrilled, but I I think we've won a lot of people over through the public workshops. Good. Thank you so very much. Uh, Council Member Miller. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I can't remember. Did Kimberly Horn do the lower Broadway? We did not. Okay. So, I was just wondering if if the upper Broadway, this section flows nicely into the lower Broadway section as well.

Yeah, I definitely with the landscape palette, um, some of the hardscape elements are a little bit different than the treatments that were on lower Broadway, but I think overall it's it will flow nicely because I understand when I saw the picture up there, there's bike lanes and those go into the lower Broadway section as well. Correct. So at Fremont, we will transition then into the uh the lower Broadway sections. And as people are coming down these roundabouts, do we have a projected speed limit that people will be as they maximum limit?

Yeah. So one of the great things about roundabouts is I I equate it a little bit to a speed bump where that's forcing you to slow down with that vertical jolt. With the roundabout, it's that horizontal change in direction that's forcing you to slow down. All of these have been sized and designed so that there's on the entry there you can't go faster than 23 miles an hour and that's purely on the geometry. In addition to that, we are including raised crosswalks on the Broadway segment and that's really going to slow people down as well. So is it 20 miles an hour or Yeah, I would I mean 25 is what the the speed limit is going to be. And when you when we went through design surely public safety is a consideration and

that is the absolute primary factor of this project. department in our police department. Correct. Yeah, we met with fire. We did a twocale field review with them at CSUMB um and literally had them come out and drive through the Yusede roundabout and they were able to make the turns just fine along with um Monterey's leanest transit and they'll be similar dimensions to this uh similar angles. Yeah. So, Yusede actually had the tightest turns. It's a it's a bigger intersection, but it had the tightest radius and that's why we chose that one for them to drive through. We ended up changing one of our the radius on the curb to better uh facilitate MST's movements. So MST is more of an issue than the fire department. Correct.

So that one turn. Yeah. Because they're making lefts onto Yusede and then that right coming back down on the Broadway. So it was a little tight. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Uh Council Member Bur. Um regarding the education for the public, that 1 million, is there going to be or is there already a plan of how that's going to be broken down? I know there's been some concern with district wanting to collaborate. They are the safe space where a lot of our community members go. So just curious or is it just more of like social media?

Uh no. So um I believe that is on the agenda later. Um so Tancy will be discussing um what their uh education outreach is going to be, but um yeah, they're working directly with the school. They're doing traffic gardens so this the kids can learn how to navigate through a roundabout and and better bike safety. I think there's helmets and things involved as well. Yeah, you have something. Council member Garcia, thank you. Uh, it says here you had 50 participants at community meetings. Was that per community meeting or was that just in total? I believe that was total. I think the biggest one was maybe 35 or so.

Okay. And what was the was the survey? Was it the survey in both in English and Spanish? I just I'm just trying to refresh. Yeah. Yeah. And we also had a translator at every one of the community outreach events um that either sat with people or translated while we were presenting. Great. And is there going to be translation services at the public meeting on the March 24th event? Yes. Okay, perfect. Thank you. I guess another thing, maybe this is for the city manager. Are we going to be posting these updates on our on our website for people to for our constituents to go and and see the progress or different types of events that are going on?

Yes, we are revamping a city project page specifically for this project. We'll also be um using some QR codes at these events so residents can sign up and get automatic alerts if they if they feel um the need to continuously stay updated on during construction. Thank you.

Thank you for that presentation. No, city manager, is there any more comments you wanted to make about this? Uh my two questions is uh about the safety issue and how will you continue to reach out to the to the residents as you mentioned some of but as you go along and I guess my third one is uh this will come before the council a couple more times at different iterations of so-called for action. So then it's more uh public comment on those on those questions. So, I just want to reiterate it's not uh it's not we're going to talk about it now and next thing you look up uh it'll be done. There's a lot of steps in between there. Correct. We'll be bidding and acceptance of a contract and then we will have multiple community meetings, just the first ones on on March 24th. We anticipate trying to have some at the school district. We anticipate having some at the fire station, trying to trying to meet people where they're at and uh and provide information on the project. And and like you you said to start your questioning, this is a safety driven project uh to improve u safety for both uh vehicles and pedestrians.

Uh thank you. Thank you so much for that presentation. Thank you. Uh next we'll go to item number uh 17, financial statement uh results. Uh Mr. City Magic.

Thank you, Mayor. This item will be presented by the city's finance director, Jessica O'Reilly. Good evening, Mr. Moel and members of the public. My name is Jesse Riley, uh, uh, finance director for the city of Seed, and I'm pleased to present a brief overview of the city's financial results for the fiscal year June 30th, 2025. This presentation is intended to be uh providing a high summary of the annual comprehensive financial report or which is available on the city's website. Um so uh the city's independent auditors and associates completed their audit of the city's financial statements on June 31st. Uh June 31st, excuse me. I'm pleased to report that the city received an unheld or cleaned opinion which is the highest level of insurance an auditor can provide. This means the financial statements are fairly presented in accordance to generally accepted accounting policies. There were no material weaknesses. Uh additionally there were no significant deficiencies and no exception to the city's appropriations limit. Single audit fieldwork is currently in progress and will be finalized before March 31st and overall the results reflect strong financial management and internal controls. Next slide of the city as a whole including all governmental enterprise funds. The total net position ended the year at uh 192.2 million a decrease of about 1.6 6 million 4%

total revenues were 65 16% from the prior year. Our key contributor contributor was a sixmon sale related to campus challenge fees one day project. At the same time total expenses increased to 67.4 million up 22%. And the primary drivers were increased public safety costs, including pension and personnel costs, affordable housing, property acquisitions, and street, park, and infrastructure investments. In short, fiscal year 2425 was a year of active investment in the community. Uh now turning to the general fund, which funds core city services such as police, fire, public works, recreation, and administration. The total fund balance ended the year at 36.7 million, a decrease of approximately 4.4 million for the prior year. Revenues were primarily supported by property tax growth and a one-time land sale. However, expenditures, particularly capital improvements and infrastructure costs, exceeded ongoing operating revenues. The chart on this slide shows the 10-year trend in the city's general fund balance. A little over three years ago, the city received approximately one federal funds with a temporary surge in sales tax revenues related to higher spending during the COVID pandemic, which is reflected in this chart as an increase in the fund balance by $14 million in fiscal year 2122. Those one-time resources allowed the city to advance major capital infrastructure projects by strategically using sign fund balance rather than issuing debt or using reserves. It is

important to clarify that the city utilized sign fund balance which is the unrestricted portion general fund balance for council discussion uh to fund these town capital projects. So the breakdown of the 36.7 million funds reported for fiscal year 24 slide shows how that capacity has larely been spent down. So the next slide shows that as of June 30th 2025 the general fund balance totaled 36.7 million of which approximately 7.8 89 was unsigned and at the time for council discretion so the remainder is restricted or committed for specific purposes yet in the budget document approximately 6 million of this form balance of 7 million to prepare the phase 1B campus town site this highlights the importance of transitioning to a more sustainable long-term capital funding strategy. And the bottom of this slide highlights um about fiscal year 2425 alone have supported approximately five capital improvements including parks, municipal facilities and transportation projects. Um so these u to streets, parks and public facilities. However, the reserves are beginning to tighten as the city has to use capital reserves in the current fiscal year 2526. So, careful uh financial planning will be essential as developmental infrastructure needs continue. So, the next slide uh just highlights some other major funds besides the general fund. The Water Enterprise Fund

ended the year with a net position of 2.7 million and in operating uh revenues exceeded expenses by approximately $118,000. The water fund continues repayment of an interf fund related to recycled water infrastructure at the golf course and a water study is currently under to evaluate sustainability. Um for the affordable housing fund, the fiscal year uh 2012 included the purchase of two properties to support affordable housing initiatives. These acquisitions were funded by restricted housing revenues strategic ter housing stability. In addition, the city invested approximately six million in transportation capital projects, of which about four million was funded primarily through grants and state programs. I'm seeing a slide here, but I can just read my notes, which is just a summary of the fiscal year 2425, which reflects urban growth from the one-time land sale, strategic investment in infrastructure and housing, increased operating costs, particularly safety, the continued decline in broad deposition from ongoing capital project expenditures, and continuing maintenance of healthy reserves. The city remains financially stable, but we're experiencing expenditure growth pressures tied to infrastructure needs, pension costs, and development related investments. Um, so while this presentation itself was properly listed on the agenda, uh the attachment of the statements in the consent agenda was in uh missed. So to ensure full transparency and proper documentation, the financial statements

have been added to the consent agenda for the March 5th meeting at which time council can review the financial statements again and decide whether to accept and file the reports. Um and actually just a look at some of the upcoming items. Um the fiscal year 2526 midter budget report presented at regular council meeting. Uh the fiscal year 2627 budget process is beginning internally in March. Uh the budget study sessions will take place over two days on May 26th and 27th from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and draft budget to council is planned to be presented to council for consideration for adoption on their June 18th regular council meeting. That concludes my presentation and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you so much for well done presentation. Are there any questions? Uh no questions. just thank you so much for watching the dollars and and and making sure we are accountable to the public for their tax dollars with that uh clean uh audit report. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Uh let's go on to item number eight, which is the consent agenda. 8. A, approve minutes from February 5th, 2026 regular meeting. Uh B, approve and file city checks. Uh C, approve and file success agency checks. D. Accept and file cash investment report for the city of Seaside and the success agency to the redevelopment agency of the city of Seaside for the quarter ending December 31st, 2025. E. Approve a proclamation recognizing March 13, 2026 as K9 Veterans Day. F. Approve a proclamation recognizing March as Women's History Month. Uh G, approve a proclamation recognizing March as Irish American History Month. H approve a proclamation recognizing March as domestic violence awareness month. I approve a fee waver request from Kindness Rock 831 to use the Lagruna Grande Park to hold their annual spring egg hunt on March 28, 2026 in the amount of $463. Uh J, approve a fee waiver from the Hindu Temple of Monterey Peninsula for the use of Laguna Grande Hall and Kitchen for the Dewali celebration night event on October 17th, 2026 in the amount of $61,8.75. K. approve co-sponsorship for the action council building healthy communities Junth Jubilee celebration at the grande park and seaside city hall lawn on June 13 2026 in the amount of $3,127 L adopt a resolution for the acceptance of grant funds for the recreational trail program through the state of California department of parks and recreation and the amount of $1,621,418

and authorize the city manager to sign the G the grant contract accepting that money. Uh M adopt a resolution authorizing the closure of Canyon Del Ray Boulevard for the three city sponsored events on Saturday, June 13, 2026, Junth Jubilee. Saturday, July 4th, 2026, Red, White, and Blues. And Sunday, September 27, 2026, Waka by the Sea. Uh in adopt a resolution approving an agreement for professional service related to the Broadway Avenue complete street corridor project with the transportation agency for Monterey County and County of Monterey Health Department. O. Adopt a resolution approving $138,117.13 for the purchase of street maintenance equipment from the Quinn company using Source Well and authorizing the finance department to adjust the budget for the street division equipment purchase. That concludes the reading of the consent agenda. Is there any item that anyone from the board would like to pull off the consent agenda? Any item anyone from the public would like to pull off the consent agenda? Okay. Hearing no one. Seeing no one. Bringing it back to the D. What is the will of the council?

Move approval. Second. It's been probably moved and second that we adopt the consent agenda on the question. All those in favor use regine voting which is I. I. I.

Nays have the same right. Abstensions hear none. Eyes have it. Motion carried. Item number nine, public hearing 9A, zoning ordinance amendment Z A206-001, an amendment to the Seaside Municipal Code to modify the definition of public safety facility to include contracted public safety facilities. The proposed action is not subject to California Environmental Quality Act, SQUA, pursuant to section 15061B3 of the SQA guidelines. Uh, this is the second reading. Mr. City Manager, do you have any

thoughts, questions? Yes. Thank you, mayor. This item will be presented by Andrew Mrick, our housing and planning manager. Thank you, city manager, city council. This is the second reading. So, just as a brief reminder, um what this would do would be to modify the definition in our zoning ordinance of a public safety facility to also include entities operate private entities operating under contract with a public agency as a public safety facility. Um, and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

All right, Moren, just real quick, thank you for the quick report. uh if someone moves in there and they're just using the back part of that facility and there's no one inside, will they be required to have a sign up there? And then two, are they responsible since no one's going to be inside for the maintenance of the frontage of the facility as well? So, this is just for the zoning ordinance, but in general, um we don't require businesses to have signs and maintenance is a general requirement of all businesses. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? I'll take it out to the public. Public comment is open on this side.

Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone.

Lobo, you now have the floor to make your public comment.

Thank you. I want to be clear. My concern about the value of emergency services is not with regards to this ordinance. It is about the process and adherence to established land use law under California Gov code section 65860. Zoning ordinance must be consistent with the city's adopted general plan. Courts have repeatedly described the general plan as the city's constitution for land use. Zoning is intended to implement that plan, not be reshaped in response to individual projects. The staff report indicates that this amendment is being proposed because the current definitions do not fit the use request that is being requested. That raises an important policy question. Are we undertaking a comprehensive planbased update align with our strategic and general plan goals or are we modifying definitions to accommodate a specific pending application? When I previously asked when this ordinance specifically to this property was last amended to meet an applicant's request, I was given an example involving meals on wheels. That was not my question. I was asking specifically about this property. The distinction matters. If amendments are repeatedly initiated in connection with individual applications that risk creating a project driven pattern rather than a policydriven one. While cities do have authority to amend their zoning codes, those amendments must maintain general plan consistency and avoid the appearance of arbitrator or preferential treatment. Incrementally broadening definitions to make non-conforming proposals fit can resemble spot accommodation. Even if that is not the intent, our strategic plan and general plan are meant to guide development for years, even decades.

Ordinance updates should be evaluated in that broader context, ensuring they preserve neighborhood integrity and establish community fixtures, not primarily as a mechanism to fit a practitioner's proposal into existing categories. I understand that change is sometimes necessary. However, changes must occur through a process that is equitable, comprehensive, and clearly align with our adopted plans. When amendments appear to be tied to individual practitioners, including this proposal and the prior with meals on wheels, it creates whether intentionally or unintentionally the perception of favoritism rather than a uniform application of policy. For that reason, I urge the council to ensure that any ordinance amendments moving forward is demonstrabably driven, broadly applicable, and consistent with the long-term vision adopted by the city and to remain transparent. and forthright with his constituents. Because normalizing projectdriven ordinance changes carries real legal and community consequences and continued actions that resemble preferential treatment can expose the city to serious challenges, including potential litigation.

Thank you for your comments. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone.

Mayor, no other members of the public have come forward to make public comment. Uh, thank you so much. Public comment is closed. What is the will of the council? To approve 9A second. It's been properly moved and second. This is a roll call vote. on the question. Uh, yes sir. On the question, just on the question really quickly. I mean, I'm a yes on this and I was a yes the last time, but I am a little bit concerned that we're changing our code to fit into certain types of industry that we're looking at. So, I expressed my concern in the last council meeting and I can continue with that concern, but I still plan to vote yes. Thank you. You're still going to vote yes? Yes.

Okay. Anybody else have concerns? Um, I don't have any concerns. I I I think you know for me this is straightforward. Uh we this is not done every day but cities do this as needs as needs come about and so it's not out the ordinary and what we do want to do is we do uh as we have conversations going forward uh about uh vacant buildings uh this is one way to to to to reduce one vacancy. And so it's a lot of things that we could do, some of the things we're forced to do, and so it's not all straightforward. So I'm very comfortable with what's going on and how we're moving forward. Uh, roll call vote.

Council and agency member Miller. Yes. Council and agency member Burks. Yes. Council and agency member Garcia. Hi. Mayor Pro Tim and Vice Chair Bacho. Yes. Mayor and Chair Oglesby. I. Your motion passes unanimously.

Thank you so much. Item number 10, uh, business item 10 A, adopt a resolution authorizing execution of a exclusive negotiation agreement with KB Bakewell Seaside Ventures 2 for the development of the property commonly referred to as Main Gate. Mr. City Manager. Uh, yes. Thank you, Mayor and Council, and good evening. Uh, before we begin, I want to ground tonight's discussion in in what Main Gate represents for Seaside. This is one of the city's most prominent and consequential opportunity areas. It's highly visible. It's strategically located and it's one of the few remaining places in Seaside where it can intentionally shape a true gateway into our community. Mangate has also carried the wide range of expectations over the years from design quality to community benefit to envir environmental performance and to the kind of e economic activity that strengthens seaside entire seaside community in the long term. With that context, tonight's presentation is about a path forward and a key structured considerations that will guide the city's work as we work with a developer to refine the concept worthy of Main Gate. Tonight's purpose is to consider an approval of the exclusive negotiating agreement or an ENA for the property commonly referred to as Main Gate. An ENA establishes a structured negotiation framework. It is not a conveyance of property and it is not a development approval. The process to get us to this point is as follows. The request for proposals was issued on June 20th, 2025. Uh four proposals were received on August 22nd, 2025, which were evaluated by nine member evaluation committee. That nine member evaluation committee was comprised of city staff and representatives from California State University at Monterey Bay, Monterey County Economic Development, and the former Fort Orard Reuse Authority. The committee followed the proposal and evaluation criteria selection section published in the RFP on page 24. The committee recommendation to the city council for selection was to

KB Bakewell Seaside Venture 2 and the city council subsequently authorized staff to begin NO ENA negotiations with that developer. An ENA is a structured negotiation framework. It allows the city and a selected development partner to conduct due diligence and to negotiate potential terms without committing to a project specific or a land transfer. The agreement is timebounded. The ENA is for one-year period with an extension process. It provides exclusivity so that the selected party can invest in real due diligence and planning work moving forward. It also is milestone driven that includes appraisal work, early site planning, market finance analysis, and a development schedule so the city can track the progress. Importantly throughout this though the city retains discretion during the ENA period. Approving an ENA does not approve a project. It does not grant entitlements. It does not transfer land. It does not commit the city to public funding beyond the negotiation framework. Any future project details, entitlements, and approvals will come back through the public process and council action. In other words, tonight's a step in the path. It's not the finish line. If approved, the next phase includes due diligence and community engagement. This is where the word becomes more detailed and more public facing. If a sequel applies, this process would run in the normal course with appropriate opportunities for review and there will be future public hearings. And throughout the next steps, again, council retains full authority. This directly aligns with the city strategic plan and pillar two for a vibrant local economy. Specifically in the strategic plan, it says quote that secure a development partner and advance a unique transformative mixeduse plan for the main gate property that fuels economic growth and elevates seaside's identity as a vibrant destination. And with that, the recommendation from staff is to adopt a resolution authorizing the execution of an exclusive negotiating agreement with KB Bakewell Seaside Venture 2 for the development of this property commonly referred to as Main Gate. Be happy to

answer any questions. Thank you so much, city manager. Uh yeah. Uh any questions? Council member Miller.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh and to the city manager, uh thank you for the pres the presentation and in section one of the NA describes the length of time and you I think you hit on it in your presentation that is for one year but can be extended by five months and then three months um beyond the additional one-year term if I understand that correctly in that section. Um and then section four prohibits the city from negotiating with anybody else during that period. So um is is is there a reason or is it intentional that we are it could be up to 20 months of exclusivity without returning to council for approval of those extensions?

There is a one-year period with extensions that are put in the contract that those extensions are only if the developer is not in default. There are no material issues. Uh and the extension is needed solely to complete the SQA documents and obtain city council approval at the city school discretion. So is there a purpose that it wouldn't come back to council after a year for the extension that are that the you or the manager and the attorney would make that decision if I understand correctly? I believe we would seek approval in executive session from the city council.

I see. Okay. And um the in attachment the attachment three in the ENA states the developer shall have the right to review and provide input to any and all consultants contracts prior to ex um execution by the city and staff must provide plans studies within 10 days and give monthly SQA status reports to the developer. Uh, does the city attorney believe that these provisions are consistent with a the city procurement integrity and b maintaining the city's independence as a squa lead a agency through the mayor? Yes.

Thank you for that that answer. That was all my questions. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, anyone else? Uh, anyone else? Uh, let's take it out to a public comment. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone. Good evening, council members. My name is Hector Aspel Queta and I'm here from Unite here local 19. Our union represent hospitality workers in the Monory County and uh hundreds of them live here in the city of Cesai. As Monory County and even Cesai becomes a harder place for workers to live, our union helps workers to stay in our community by ensuring that they ear enough to survive. Our members are excited about a project that can bring more economic development to CIA and more tax dollars to the city. However, as constituents, our members are expect to see more than from this project than a high return on the developers investments or a painless city approval process. We hope Cesai ensures that its public land is used for public good and that it recognizes the importance of good local jobs and affordable housing. While the proposed ENA includes a prevailing wedge and local jobs assurance for construction, we wish to stress the importance of ensuring that the project's permanent jobs are a highly quality as well. Future permanent works at this project's hotel and other amenities should also be guaranteed a living wage and good benefits. We hope that this project will make his side an easier place for our members to live. Moving forward, I urge the city to encourage a project that provides

community benefits to working people in CSI. Thank you very much for listening.

Hi, Mayor, mayor prom and uh council members. My name is Lean Thomas with USA Properties Fund. uh Sheay and USA did a similar master plan project on a Ford site in Marina and we also submitted on this um RFP for this potential. I think it's really amazing at our grand opening of our Terasina Marina Dunes project, we gave a right of first refusal to all city staff members um and one of our very first residents was a city staff member of Marina um who gave a a life-changing update as they got to move into their very first brand new apartment um that was financed through the tax credit program. USA's has 20,000 units we financed under the tax credit program um in California and that stories like that and being able to offer the city a right of first refusal to live in your own community um it allowed his wife not to work a second job. They didn't need to scrap scrape money together for food. Um and partnering with our resident services program to ensure food insecurity at our properties was not an issue for our residents. We have a commercial fridge in our um clubhouse along with resident activities and job resume services. So, you know, SHA's been a great partner. They help finance any gaps that we have, especially on prevailing wage projects. Um, you know, for affordable housing, it just gets more and more difficult for us to get built. Um, but we're a partner. We understand you guys chose another group, but you know, if we run into questions or find ways to continue to partner together in this community. I just wanted to say that thank you for the opportunity. We're around and we want to continue doing work here in the city of Seaside and if there's future opportunities, you know, I wanted to come down here and make sure you guys knew my face and I'm around and and want to be part of helping housing for all. So, thank you for everything.

See council members, my name is Alers. I will protect carpenters here in the county and as this project is um going stance we can also board at this time there has been no commitment on using responsible contractor that support a partnership programs with healthcare benefits to hires local local workforce and these standards matter ensure that the jobs are created by this product they're quality jobs and support the local economy. Thank you. Good evening, city council. My name is Alberto Lustster with the carpenters local 646 here in Marina, California. Uh we cover the area of Monterey County. And uh trying to say it's a great project and uh it's it's actually good that the CDC says moving along for development. Although we need to actually move along with the actual work workforce development for the community. We need to actually uh ensure that some of the uh work the the people locally living in seaside get through these projects. Often we get uh companies or contractors come in and all the workforce comes outside. There's no there's no local hires. There's no healthcare. There's no apprentichip. There's no future for the actual residents of Seaside or around the area of Monterey County. I urge the city council, our original developer to please think about the community, think about the work workforce development. Um, if you look at Seaside Monterey, there's really not that much development in the area. Most of the contractors are in the area, most of the actual construction workers on the area have to drive two, three hours a day

just to get to work, just to make that to be able to get a liveable wage. There's not many many opportunities at the actual uh on this actual area and these projects and the area seaside especially on the actual uh corridor or any type of programs have the opportunity to actually give an opportunity to women minority homeless and youth. Thank you for your uh for your time. Good evening, Katherine Anderson. Um, I've been a property owner of Seaside for over 40 years and I've followed along what's been going on and I totally support you given this exclusive negotiation, the ENA to KD Bakewell. And I want to share why they have invested in this community since Seaside Highlands. They didn't leave. They're still here. We could all both of the Bakewells are reachable by their phone numbers. They've talked to the unions. They've done all the right things. So, we don't want to take a chance like we did with Petravage and have all these promises and end up with the lawsuit. So, I think these folks have um earned their merits. I think we should carry on and not try to go with somebody else because we know what we get with the Bakewells. So, I suggest you continue to work with them. Thank you. Members of the public on the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star 9 if you're calling from a phone.

Hi, good evening. My name is Young and of SEAD and economic justice organiz county black caucus. Um, I'm going to support 10 KB sign venture. I just wanted to kind of just take a second to remind the council of just how the last couple years have gone. Um the city manager just earlier mentioned how there's influence to enhance economic development and increase small business visibility visibility. Um, so I want you to just consider the example that you're setting to small businesses, particularly blackowned businesses when you aspire to securing future commissions and contracts, whether it's in the city or anywhere else. Um, not to consider how um there's been a lot of feedback from the community on this project from like in its entirety, from its inception. uh the community was even invited to participate in conversations at Erdmire about like the layout and kind of the maps and stuff like that. So we've all been really invested in this project and also asked that you consider KBO community workshop for for us to provide information on how folks can homes at affordable rates and they answered a lot of questions. They broke down data in a way that was like really easily digestible and um they were just like the previous person said really accessible to us and it didn't feel like we were being talked at. Felt like we were part of the process and um as community members being able to collaborate with developers is unique. Um and um I also just want to remind the council that um KB's values align with what the city of Seaside and

particularly like what the manager was speaking about earlier is trying to accomplish here economically. Um representation behind our city matters and this is an opportunity for us to tell future generations in Seaside. Like I'm thinking about my kids and grand grandkids as we drive by um you know the campus town the city of seaside but you all saying that people supported the development by contracting the black le developer. I think that would be really dope. So thank you.

Hello. I'm Katherine Pocket, a 26-y old resident of the Seaside. Um, I support entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement with KB Bakewell for the Main Gate project. It's a chance to explore ideas without approving the development project. The fact that KB Bakewell is currently constructing the adjacent Empus Town project offers some advantages. Having a single developer across projects has the potential for a coordinated design with a unified transportation system, a shared infrastructure to support housing, retail, economic vitality, and a cohesive plan for green spaces and environmental conservation. It's important to have confidence in a developer. KB Blake has has established a relationship with the city and has a strong track record for delivering projects locally. As you consider the ENA draft, I hope you will consider expanding it to include a set of clear opportunities for early public engagement during a negotiation period. Too often, the community sees the project design after significant design work and investment have already happened, which can limit meaningful uh public input. Why does that matter? Transparency builds trust, improves projects, and helps ensure that development reflects community priorities. KB Bakewell has been consistent and reliable in all of those. Thank you. Jim Mason, lifelong resident, city of Sea Sun. Um I want to echo what I've heard from other speakers before me and um I think it's about time that we start the development. We have other neighboring cities that are developing all around us and it's really proud to see that this development is finally going to be able to happen. So, I just

want to say that I wholeheartedly support lifting this project. Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Council. My name is Fedrica Jones. I have been a resident of the peninsula for the past 20 years and I've had the opportunity to witness the growth and evolution of our community firsthand. I've also seen developers come and I go then they go and I understand how important it is to choose partners who are committed for the long term. There have been two previous developers who stepped away from the project currently on our agenda. That history makes it even more important that we move forward with confidence and stability. KB Bakewell is a developer with a proven track record in our community. They are a team we know and we trust, one that has demonstrated both commitment and the ability to deliver. They also have experience navigating the surplus land act which is critical to ensuring this project moves forward reasonably and successfully. Thank you for selecting KB Bakewell and for prioritizing experience, accountability, and a deep understanding of our community. Thank you. council and members of the public. Uh my name is Don Hoffer. I'm with Shay Holmes and uh it's a pleasure being here tonight. Um I want to thank you for the opportunity to present uh to the city on this project. Um it's uh it's been a pleasure and uh we look forward to the development of the project. As I think many of you know, we have a long history in the in the area in the region just on the other side of Devart Street. Uh more than 20

years working at successful development there, but also in your city, right? So, a partner of yours on the en at the Enclave project, Bayonet and Blackhorse Golf Courses, making that move forward the best we can. And uh we hope to have a long future with you. Also, uh we're here to help. We're helping the KB team uh currently with building the KB uh Bakewell campus town project, sharing with them our experience building at prevailing wages on the formal Ford, which is really tough, right? And I think a lot of you can appreciate that. So, uh, we wish everybody luck on this project, not an easy one. And, uh, like I said to I've said to many of you and I'll extend I've talked to the folks at KB, we're here to assist in any way we can. At the end of the day, we're here to leave some and that's just the we're looking at that at this point. and uh want to thank you again for the opportunity to present and look forward to great things on this site and um the future of of Ming Gate. So, thank you Council, city manager, city attorney, uh, pastor Lusk here with pastor Britt and pastor Dunham, but take much of your time. We are standing together, um, as a seaside ministerial alliance to support KB uh, Bakewell. Um, if you remember correctly as I stand here, the city of Seaside many moons ago with his father sitting over there was talking about we need a highlands. We need nice houses that can look over the ocean like Carmel, like Monet. And all of a sudden, a developer came from Los Angeles. My father was

right there. William, Mr. Glover was right there with him. Uh, Mr. Mayor Jordan was right there with him. Mr. Mayor was right there with him. It was a positive thing for the city of Seaside and I think it's necessary with campus town developing that we continue to allow someone that cares that has been invested that has not run away that stays here with us to continue to make Seaside a better place. If my father was here he would say why are we trying to make Seaside stop growing? It's time for Seaside to grow. Thank you. Evening council, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, Attorney Damon, Ron Glover. Uh, my father couldn't make it here today, but he wanted me to be sure to get down here and show our support for KB Bakewell. and they have delivered for the city of Seaside numerous times and they will deliver a quality product that we can stand behind, be proud of as citizens of Seaside and they've never stopped committing their help. They've shown up for nonprofit organizations. They've given back consistently since Seaside Highlands were built and they will never turn their back on us. Support them. Let's move it forward. Thank you,

Miriam Smith. Um, I just want to say this is Black History Month and power to the people. Power to the people. Um, I think it's super awesome that, you know, Seaside is moving forward with building and that we have a black developer working on this uh project. And I definitely want to say to the people uh to the DAS, to to the mayor and and everyone to please approve the ENA for uh Bankwell developers. so that uh we can keep moving forward and we have uh space. I happen to um live in the Seaside Highlands right now and I thank God for living in a place that was done by a black developer. I'm just going to be proud. This is Black History Month after a hundred years. And so I just want to say this has to this has to be able to move forward. He's already proven he's had a he has a proven track record and he's already shown that he can do develop something and it stands and so I think that um we as as people should be really really proud seaside should be proud of this uh black uh developer and and say move on with the main gate keep going and let's find something else to do in this city. Power to the people.

Power to me. Power to me. That's just the other comment remains open. It's you. Little show. I just say I lived here all my life. But I I I finally can come down and say I missed something. When I sat on that city council up there for 16 years, one thing we did not do was to come out with a master developer for Ford. And at that time was because it was so large and the council didn't know what we're going to get, what land we're going to get to hear that Shay understands that, you know, they're the master developer of Marina. Um, and so it's kind of hard to be the master developer and come to next door maybe something there too. It's a little hard, but it sounds like they're going to work it out or work some stuff together. But I think Mr. Mcwell and um as% of uh living in the city um they are here all the time. They're really supportive of a lot of things. Um, I always say a developer that loves you, he gave all the nonprofits a house to sell all the goods in and everyone walked away with I was it 30 40 $50,000 a piece each nonprofit. That was something that you never get developer to do and they did that. So I stand with everybody in this room sounds like um that this is the right move. I want to say one thing though. Remember this location is supposed to be the new power center for seaside. And when I say that, remember we are dependent on the car dealers. This location is the new location. Do not just depend on the car dealers that we have one more money

making area economic development. So please focus on making that new engine for us. This is the right location to do it. Thank you.

Good evening, Mr. Members of the City Council. I am Analisa Mitchell and a lot of what I wanted to say has already um been said, but I say this every time I get up and speak about the Bakewells. I keep going after Denzel Washington Mr. Baker I'm talking to the dis not to you senior but here what I'm saying senior and junior one is Oscar they ask him what would be his defining role now if you just play the tape and hear all the contributions that they've already made the city of seaside they're currently working on campus town and if you ask them what would be finding what their best project they would be they would say the Excellent. It's the one on the agenda because they're vested and invested in the city of Seaside within the citizens. The citizens, the individuals, all of us, they're vested. All of the nonprofits, like someone said, from the time that they built camp, I mean, Seaside Highlands, they never left. They didn't take a sbatical. They didn't leave for 6 months. for a few months they stayed the course with the city of Seaside. They're vested and somehow um Mr. Mayor and all things in my life because my pastor sitting back there I want to do it decently but it's always right to do is right and somehow I missed the memo. So, I heard two um people speak prior. So, I know that council member Miller is vacating the seat and I see myself sitting right there. So, accept this that I'm running for seaside city council. So,

I didn't plan to speak tonight because I respect my elders and they did such a great job and I don't want to repeat anything but I am speaking on behalf of the youth. Um my name is Deja Robinson and I'm a seaside resident. You guys know that I oversee several youth programs um and several youth residents. Um, being from Seaside, born and bred means I was born at Silus Be Hayes. Meaning been here all my life. I left and came back to give back to the community. And when I think about the KB Bakewell family, they are a family that smiles at us when we see them in grocery stores, out on the streets, and that means a lot to our youth because they see representation. And I think about sustainability. I think about retention. And I always think about our youth leaving and never coming back. But when we have developments that take place and they're in our communities, that gives our youth jobs, that gives them power, that gives them responsibility. So, um, I'm just to say I support the movement and continue to move forward with this project because it seems like we continue to stall every time we get to the, you know, the end of it. But yes, I am in agreeance with moving forward with this project. Thank you. Jim, city manager and city council, uh, city attorney, uh, assistant city manager. Um, I came with the script. Um, but just as Anaisa mentioned, much has already been said,

but I would be remiss not to um give comments on the importance of us approving the ENA with KB Bakewell. Um, because as you've already heard, they are a part of our community. They are not just um contractors. They're not just developers. they are actually part of our community. They invest in our community and so that is something that I I think our community um wants to see move forward. We relationships um and not just state and so this has already been a proven thing with KB Bakewell. We also want this project to be able to move forward. It is long overdue. Um speaking as a a voter authority, this has been a long time coming. And so I think that um it's time it's seaside time to move forward. Um our neighbors are and we also want our projects to move forward because it is important. Um, as I am third generation, I'm a native. I kind of outdid Deja because I was born at the old hospital. It doesn't even know. It's just called the hospital. So, um, and so I spent my lifetime here, third generation. Um, and I have three generations here, myself, my children, my grandchildren. And so I think it is very important that we um tonight approve the ENA and we trust that the city council um hears the voices of the community and that you all do the right thing in your vote tonight. And so again, thank you and thank you to KBa.

You now have the floor to make your public comment.

Good evening, council members. My name is Dea Kungun with Unite Here Local 19, a union of over 8,000 hotel, hospitality, and food service workers. With many of our members living and working here in Monterey County, our members stand to be impacted by the potential benefits and drawbacks of this project. Ensuring responsible development is important to us. As the city prepares to negotiate over selling its public land for private development, it is important that the city ensure that it will be repurposing the public land for public good. This project involves significant contribution of city land and resources. In addition to the sale of approximately 50 acres of public land, the city will likely devote significant resources to planning and infrastructure for this project. It is important that the city makes sure that the agreement it negotiates for the project builds in community benefits and ensures that the project builds brings in good jobs and affordable housing. We look forward to seeing how the city ensures that this project truly benefits all of Seaside and earns the support of our entire community. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone

council. Inspired by the number of people here in this room supporting this project. Inspired because it tells me something powerful that people believe in growth. That people believe in opportunity. That people believe in seaside. I wonder why some say there is no growth in Seaside because I see growth. I see Campus Tan rising. I'm looking forward to Main Gate moving here. I see Broadway alive with events. We have seven exotics on Broadway um events. I see culture celebrated at Waka by the sea. I see Black History Month honored. I see seniors gathering monthly at Old Mayor Center. I see youth receiving funding and opportunity. I see Kina Park filled with teams from across the region. A parking that other cities rented. I see momentum is not a slogan is happening and growth requires investment. KBwell has invested in this community before. Built the highlands. They give food at Thanksgiving. They give toys at Christmas. They show up. They're willing to invest again. Not so bad, but here seaside. You know, that's not just in buildings. It's in parks. It's ballparks. It's gathering spaces. It's tax revenue that funds services. It's opportunity for families. And it's a belief in their future. Community focused development strengthens a city. Parks strengthen families. The parks strengthen use. Economic growth strengthens stability. So today, this is our mantra. We stand for growth. We stand for opportunity. We stand for investments that benefit residents. We stand for a city moving forward. And we thank KB Bakewell being willing to invest once again in Seaside because when others hesitate, they step forward. Others criticize, they commit. They have stood beside this

community. We stand beside them for standing beside us. Seaside's future will not be built by fear. be built by partnership, vision, and the courage to invest. And together we will move forward. Thank you. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from the phone. Mayor, no other members of the public have come forward to make public comment. Uh, thank you so much. I hear no one else. Public comment is closed. I bring it back to the D through the mayor.

All right. Yes. Mayor like to make a motion to approve 10A. Second. It's been probably moved and second on the question. Just a couple questions. Yes.

Council member Miller. Thank you. Um, one of the things that I really like about the Bakewells, uh, is that they can perform. They've performed. They've shown us that they can finish their projects. They, um, did a great job on the Highlands, and I'm amazed at the progress at Campus Town. My ch my during my time on the council, it's going up, which is wonderful to see. Um, they are a solid choice. They are a great choice. Um, just for procedural reasons, I I think I would have thought it would with all the support we heard tonight, I would have liked to have seen all of the projects and then had a public hearing with all of the projects instead of the council deciding in close session. I think that is more fair way of doing it. So, all of the all of the proposals are brought to a public hearing and we can have this dialogue during a public hearing. I still think that the Bakewells um deserve this project and they are a solid choice, but for procedural reasons, I think it would have been uh beneficial to the community for community buyin if all the projects were presented in a public hearing like we're having today. Those were all my comments. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Uh Mayor Pat.

Yeah, thank you. Uh first of all I I want to say uh congratul uh they handled themselves very professionally. Well done. Uh and I appreciate the generic support across the community for the big. Um, but I think we all work with each other over time and I think that's good and we can learn from each other and I think I'm the process worked. The process was effective. I think that's the important part. The way it was done and handled by the city manager and his team was the right way to do business. I think that's important. And I'm not sure who spoke it spoke about this But tonight I was Jay actually tonight Bakewell for this project won the gold medal and that's the bottom line they were the best project chosen or recommended and we decide I think that project for tonight this c this project tonight they won the gold medal and they should be congratulated on that. And just my last um Just my last comment in brief and it goes back a little bit of history. Um I went to um Soerfield um last Friday night and I'm going there this Friday night. Um, and I watched about 150 kids playing baseball and over a 2-hour time period. That's 150 kids doing good stuff. The Bakewells in cooperative, and this is kind of a reminder, uh, in a

cooperative effort, build that park, build that community facility. If it wasn't for that park, those 150 kids wouldn't have an opportunity to play. I'm just saying that as a reminder as far as future opportunities,

whatever it be. Uh but any developer will engage with the community and we expect the highest respect from this project developer because he won the gold medal. his company won the gold medal tonight and Shay and was handled himself professionally and I appreciate how they presented themselves in a team building effort for the all the entire peninsula. So, thank you. Anyone else? Council member Garcia.

Thank you. I I also just want to echo uh council member PCO's sentiments. I I think and thank you for bringing up uh uh that park. I it's it's important to remember how this a group has cemented its legacy in our community, has really bonded with the community, gotten to know the community, but also become part of the community. I think that's what we heard today here with everybody coming out in support, speaking out, saying great things about uh this specific group, which is which is KB. And I and I thank you for for everything that you've done. But I also just want to congratulate Shay Holmes. I think that was very tasteful what you came up here and and really carried yourself really formally and I really appreciate that. So thank you.

Yeah. Uh anyone else? Uh thank you. U Mr. May just a couple comments a comment about the process and and I don't want to think I don't want people to think somehow what the way it went somehow that was something wrong with that. So, can you speak to uh us not necessarily having all the uh proposals out here in front? Yeah, this process was typical with an economic development municipal project of this size and scope. See, sometimes I like when you just tell the truth. Some people Some people took 30 minutes for that one.

Yeah, I'm I'm comfortable with the process. Nothing wrong with the process. uh that you know having all the proposals out here is is not a requirement, right? Let's let's quit playing games about it. I I I do want to start off by by saying that Shay and and a couple uh someone else in your company spoke before you, a young lady spoke before you. And I do want to say thank you. Oh, I'm sorry. I And I do want to thank both of you for coming down saying what you had to say. Very professional, very high high-end professionalism. Uh because we know it's a tough conversation. uh uh to do when you don't get the the proposal, the project. But but you guys handled yourself well. We all we have been partners. We continue to be partners. I just remind the community, you are doing our uh golf course, hotel, resort uh single family homes out there. Uh they are so well done. They have won numerous awards uh for the for our golf for the uh the houses on the our golf course. So we do have a partnership. We appreciate that partnership and look for it to continue. Uh, so you you already in Seaside and I'd appreciate your comments about, you know, you've been doing the dunes for 20 years. You know, I get a lot of times people say, "Hey, hey, hey, mayor, what about Monterey, what about Marina?" And then sometimes I tell them, "Marina started 20 years ago, you know, when they had the property. Some of these property we have, we didn't get, we didn't have it. Matter of fact, 20 years ago, we were doing something called the Highlands." Okay, I just want to throw that out there. Uh so so so I just want to appreciate Shay for being professional right in our community. That that goes a long way. And I just want to be clear KBO was uh selected to enter into this ENA on the merits of their proposal. And all we're doing is in negotiation. So we're entering negotiations to talk about the potential through the next 18 to 20 months negotiating how do we move this forward. Right? That's that's the

only thing starts tonight. So, it's up to both of us to uh negotiate in fair manner to move a possible project forward. So, you know, working through the CNA uh to create a project that the community can support is heavy lifting. It's hard work and and we're I think this council is ready for that. I know the city manager is ready for that and of course uh Bakewell and them KB Bakewell and them are ready for that. So, I I want to thank them for putting in their proposal. Uh but challenges do lie ahead, right? But you can't get to the challenges until we take this this first step which is let's talk through the challenges. So uh anyone else? I think we're on the question question. All those in favor use reg.

I I I nays have the same right abstensions here. None eyes have it. Uh motion carry unanimously if that's clear. What happened? Oh yes. We'll we'll take a break a recess to come back south and Okay.

a couple request and comments about the earlier uh public comment. So, uh public comment is open. Where's the where is it? Are we recording? Yes, she can. Okay. We're going to Yeah, we're going to uh open back up public comment. French item 11. Yeah, I'm public comment is open. You can talk about Yeah, you can talk about anything you want to talk about.

Thanks. This is a little different than I thought it was going to be, but uh good evening, Mr. Mayor, council members, city manager, city attorney. My name is Felix Bhoffner. As most of you know, I'm the former mayor of the city of Seaside. I'm here tonight to discuss very briefly agenda item 11B, I think it is, which is a consideration of placing a commercial vacancy tax uh on a ballot at some point in the future, presumably that would be this November. Um, for the last roughly two months, I've been getting more phone calls than I ever have um from stakeholders in Casside asking me to consider running for office again. Um, I'm not sure I'm inclined to do that at the time and I've also been wondering what the heck is up, why is this? and it seems to have to do with this council's interest in affecting the open market uh and rental situation uh whether that be commercial or residential. Um it became pretty clear to me when I read this agenda item today and I recognize that it's not on the agenda for action tonight, but I want to urge you to not take action to put it on an agenda in the future for discussing to put on a ballot. And why is this? Because I think you're going to have tremendous unintended consequences. Um, just this week, since the agenda was published on Friday, I had no less than two commercial property owners call me and say, "We're thinking of selling." And I said, "Why?" They said, "Well, because this thing may make it to the ballot and the residents might vote for it, not understanding the economics of it." But what are the economics of it? And I thought this was a little odd, by the way, because they both have occupied structures with long-term tenants. They said, "Well, uncertainty uncertainty of this kind of action is going to cause us

to raise rents because at some point in the future, we may have a long time to fill our space and we need to make sure that we can pay for that with a known revenue source, which is our current tenant." So, there's a lot more to say here, but I would urge you very, very carefully to talk with an economist about this because what you could have is you could have a bunch of sales happening in the commercial area, which is going to have a downward pressure on price, which is going to have a downward pressure on the amount of property tax revenue that this city receives, which is probably going to be more than the amount of tax that you can raise through a silly measure like this. So consider it very very carefully. I urge you to not put it on the ballot. Talk at least not yet. Talk to an economist. Talk to your staff. Talk with stakeholders in the community that own commercial structures or buildings like I do in the commercial zone but that are residences. Um there's a lot more the city can do to try and tickle up that uh that occupancy rate than this sort of thing. Thank you very much. The caller ending in 2287. You now have the floor to make your public comment.

Can you hear me? Yes, we can.

Thank you. Uh, Mr. for mayor, city council. I believe I mentioned this at the last city council meeting uh on having taxes or fees or fines on unoccupied property in the city of Seaside. And I I believe San Francisco had tried this. It might have been e might even been for residences. And I think they took it to court and I believe they lost on four different items in the court case. And so we need to be very careful. I would understand that this is virtually or apparently unconstitutional to find someone if they can't find a tenant for their property. Now, you may want to encourage them with a visit from the city council or the mayor to or assist them in finding a tenant, but the idea of finding someone if they have property is vacant. um they could even be sick and they can't they've lost their manager and so forth. There might be extenduating circumstances. So there is no there should be no city persecuting these property owners who have uh vacancies that might even be on their their control. So this should not even be uh brought up for a vote in the city of Seaside. We we should be known for having more common sense of course than the San Francisco and some of these other cities who have tried this and I believe they tried it unsuccessfully uh at a certain time. So thank you. Let's drop this item.

Thank you for your comments. Carlo, you now have the floor to make your public comment. Uh, thank you. I'm having connectivity issues, so I wasn't able to make a comment on uh item 10A. Um, I am also in support of that. I thank uh the mayor for giving uh other individuals an opportunity to speak now. I'm not sure if this is appropriate time because I wasn't I didn't catch what this public comment was going to be about, but I do have some concerns with regards to the last speaker. I didn't catch if he said he was running or if he was previously on the dis. Um second from my understanding is the discussions that are being had when council members bring up a a matter. Um it is usually spoken about and then um taking a vote to see if it's going to be put on the agenda so it can then go to the community to have a discussion. And so I assume that is what's happening, but if my assumptions are incorrect, please correct me. Um, so I was kind of confused on that last speaker um, inviting himself in a conversation that we haven't yet have had as a as a community as a whole. Um, right now these are the discussions that we're having to potentially put it on the agenda to have a larger discussion. Um, furthermore, I think creating innovative ideas like taxes where it doesn't go directly to the renters and potentially taxing businesses that have been vacant for quite a while. Um, is beneficial, right, if it's planned out and facilitated correctly. Um, and I think that's why further discussion should be had when we're talking about um, items being put on the ballots. I was a little confused with regards to um, discussions about potentially

harming individuals that have current businesses. I believe we're already causing harm by having vacant buildings. And I think that it's been a topic of discussion when we talk about revitalizing downtown Broadway and all these adjacent areas. Um I think it's a larger conversation. I think that now that we are moving the ball forward with Main Gate, um it's it's prospect new businesses coming through and so I think the discussion is to be had. I don't think we should rule it out. I also don't believe that we should be threatening the council that they need to speak to certain I I believe they do their due diligence. Yes, we have difference of opinions when it comes to certain decisions being made but that's why we have these open forums to have these discussions. That was the first time I've seen that gentleman um not the caller but the person in in in there at the dis. Um, so I'd like to understand where he was getting this information and why were people calling you and not their elected officials. Um, because my understanding they have an open door policy. I hear the waste of my time. Thank you for your comments. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone. Mayor, no other members of the public have come forward to make public comment.

Thank you. Public comments closed. Go to item number 11, new council members request. Sandra this time for any new council members to to bring requests. I don't Yeah, sometimes they come in not not on the D. Okay. Okay. Uh item number B, follow up on previous requests. uh 11B1 discussion regarding uh 1281 Broadway Avenue. Council member Miller.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I believe it was last month uh the board of supervisors. Uh this is their property and they discussed this issue. Uh I was down in the in the supervisor's chamber and council member Garcia Arzola was on the zoom and throughout the entire discussion uh it felt like they kept on saying uh we need to speak to the city of seaside. We need to work with the city of Seaside uh although it is their property. I even did bring up the fact that we're redoing that our street that we talked about earlier in our agenda and they seemed kind of surprised about that. So, um, I I'd like to try to get on the same page with the county at the 1281 Broadway. I know our city manager wrote a beautiful letter to the supervisors, and I guess that's our official position, and that that's a good position. But if my colleagues would uh so um choose to potentially put this onto a next agenda and invite the county to come and collaborate with us for this property, um I think that would be beneficial for both parties, us and the county. And it's possible we might be able to move this project faster because the supervisors at the end of the day did put this on their on their priority list on their CIP priority list. And so it's moving forward, but they want to hear from us. Um, and I there's some some issues um and the issues are kind of over um well, of course, over money and over size and the issue with the library. So, there's a few issues that I know that they're they're eager to to work with this city council. So, that's my re that's my my ask. Um, and hopefully uh a few other council members might uh consider putting this onto a future agenda so that we can have the county come down and uh give us kind of an update what's going on. Uh mayor c

can you simplify it and say what are you directly asking for because you're you're kind of in a wide broad what's the meat of what you're asking for? I'm asking to put this item on the next agenda to for discussion and collaboration with the county of Monterey. Okay. Uh, Council Member Garcia. Would you be amendable to just having the county come and pres and present to the council about where where they are with the process?

Yes, I I would be inclined to support that. Thank you. I would uh I'm not going to support that. Me and city manager have met with the county at least twice. Meeting the city manager and attorney city attorney met with the county twice uh at least three times. Uh they know exactly what our positions are. We know exactly what they want from us. the city manager is doing his due diligence to uh talk with the um the administrative officer for the county to get it done. Uh having some having the same presentation that they gave the board of supervisors uh would would not would not do us any good because we already know what they want from us and the city manager is having discussions with them. And so that's that's kind of like where that's at. It's not it's not right for some open debate about what we want to do with county building. Uh we sent the letter to them. They had the letter. Uh the city manager, city attorney uh watched that board meeting. They know exactly what the county would like for us to do. And the city manager is reviewing whether he can do some of those things or not. And I'm sure when he gets to this point where he has more information for us, he'll let us know. Uh but to to have some other meeting about it, I in my personal opinion, I don't I think that would be a waste of time and um uh put us put us in a bad position if we do try to negotiate on something going forward. Um

can I ask Mr. Mayor? No. No. So hold on a second. I just other people want to speak. I I just took is anybody else before we go back to uh Council Member Miller and Okay. Go ahead. Yeah. I guess that was my question was city manager if this is already something you're in the process of and will you in the future be able to share when the time is right? Yes, we've had several meetings with with the county. Um conversations are ongoing about what our capacities are um to help in that project, but there's a lot of some some research to do there. And that would be common practice, correct? For you to be handling that first before us? Yes.

Thank you. Uh, Council Member Miller, just to the mayor, my question was, um, I think you you made the statement that, um, we know exactly what they want from us. Um, are we able to say that out here today? I I can uh we could we could put uh at the next meeting, I can ask city manager to uh uh summarize what he believed that they want from us. I think he has a good grade understanding. Is it a dollar amount or is it No, it's a little bit more complicated than that. I think we'll put it on the city manager will put it in his notes to uh share what he can about what they want from us.

That that that's all I'm asking. Yeah. That's that you're getting what you're asking for then. Oh, I thought you opposed that though.

No, I I oppose bringing the council bringing the board of supervisors here and having some meeting with them and putting it on the agenda. a a presentation on the agenda from the board of supervisor about what they want from us when I when I've been uh working with the um our county supervisor over the last I don't know five years about that building I think we went in there we went in there with masks from co that's when this conversation started so the city manager understands what they want from us he can brief you guys if you want a briefing but a presentation um in my opinion is unwarranted at this time. So, is there any support? Is there three people that support having a presentation from the board of supervisors?

I mean, I given it on our side, Mr. Mayor, I I'll amend my request to say, can we just have a presentation on what exactly they're looking for from us?

I I I I you know, to go around to go around, I I would say no. I would still say no. He, the city manager, can brief us on what they want from us and what he think we can do. At a certain point, that stuff, some of that stuff should not be spoken about in public. Uh, because we're talking about spending money, terms and conditions, and stuff like that. He's a city manager. Let him go out there and do what he believes he needs to do. If he has something to bring to us, he'll bring it to us. Um, and city manager, are you open to that? Are you open to uh sharing your thoughts with us, the next council meeting?

Yes, we can share our thoughts. Uh there may be some real estate um conversations that do would need to be an executive session, but we can share uh what we can. Uh may I'm agreeing with you, mayor, but I just if he's going to do it, maybe he could do it during the city manager report and just rather than what whatever you all agreed upon. Well, I that's what I said from the start. But the pres but a presentation and agenda item leads to a lot of discussion, right? I don't think he's comfortable. We're comfortable with talking about. I agree with you.

Right. Um and then if you guys want to talk about it in close session, I think city manager mentioned something about uh possible negotiation terms and conditions and all that stuff. Uh, but I don't support putting the city in a in a bad position by having these discussions openly when when you know when they're not settled yet. That's just me. All right. So, is there three people that support that or not? Okay. I don't I don't see three people supporting that. Okay. 11B2. Uh, discussion regarding the process for vacancy tax ballot measure. Uh, Council Member Garcia. Yeah, that was my request that I made few weeks ago, not two months ago. Um, and I just wanted to really make sure that that was out there in the community. Um, and the whole process about this, I know last time I said, let's bring this back to sort of see what the process might be to put it on the ballot in November. And I think where where I really want is maybe us, if if I get the support today, start dissecting what that looks like to get it on the ballot in November. Um, and the purpose would be to have a vacancy tax on vacant properties where maybe we discuss the time frame and all the key details of what that looks like later on. So, I hope I explained that well.

I don't any Yes, Council Member uh Burks. I kind of feel like we need to get more information potentially from city attorney, city manager before we're even debating it being put on the ballot. Like I feel for me, I'd like more information to know the pros and cons um to dig deeper into what um it potentially may cause for our city before I'm even going to the talking about details about a ballot. So, would it be helpful to have sort of like a like like a a vacancy 101 like learning about what the leg get what legal situation we may or may not be put in? Um what how it would affect our economy since we're trying to grow the economy. Is it going to counter, you know, like are we doing are we thinking about something and not realizing the ripple effect that it could have both positive or negative?

So maybe a study around vacancy taxes throughout California. Yeah. It would just be commercial. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe if the city manager can have a study on vacant commercial property taxes in other cities, okay, and bring it back to us. What's worked? What hasn't worked?

That so he's clear about what you're what you're asking. See man is clear. So that's removing any reference to putting it on the ballot. is that you know cuz I'm I'm not supportive of putting it on the ballot. Well, bring let's let's do the study and then yeah, let's get rid of the the tax right now. Gather information

gather information and and then the tax can be postponed to to another discussion. But just just to clarify, so we're going to potentially talk about what taxes not associated with the city as in related to occupancy or vacancy tax. Then we're going to potentially ask again to get potentially to potentially get it on the ballot and then we're going to do study sessions associated kind of sort of over.

No, no, no. It would be a study. Pending that study would be then once we receive it, it'd be do we get it on the ballot or do we not? Thank you. All right. Is there any support for that? I'm in support of getting additional information on the vacancy tax as a strategy, right? Is that something that's good or bad for our city? Yes. But not putting it on a ballot or even having a discussion about that yet.

Well, that's that's what I'm trying to get an understanding. If we keep mentioning putting it on the ballot, then yeah, I don't support put on the ballot. So that's why I'm saying the question that's the problem we're having now. Like you said, you put it somehow it got recorded that way and you said that may have not been what you meant. So what exactly are you asking for now? Try one more time um about what you're trying to do. Background information on vacancy taxes throughout that other cities have implemented throughout California. I think I can ask for for it to be on the ballot at any other council member request.

Yeah, anytime you anytime you want you can ask for it to be on but but we we should be clear about what this is so the public is clear about what this is. Uh and the city manager is clear about what he's asked to do. Yes. So this in a nutshell is a stepping stone to possibly get it on the belt. What I'm asking is a study of a vacancy tax that other cities have implemented to come back to the next council meeting like the information going to tell you it's not a good thing to do.

Okay. All right. Uh, I I don't mind information, but like I said, I'm not supportive of of, you know, things cuz and I I leave it that way because it's not necessarily on the agenda to be, you know, giving our final thoughts, but but information uh like this, I think we need to clear this up because people are thinking somehow we are voting on a a ballot measure tonight. And so, all right, you got enough information? Yes. Okay. All right. Let's go to uh city attorney, city manager, city council, and mayor's comments and reports on committee committee assignments.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, so I was uh fortunate since our last meeting to have participated in the kindness rocks 831 seaside beach cleanup. um which was I learned about how many cigarette butts really are on our beaches and need to be cleaned up on a routine basis to keep our beach in really wonderful condition. Uh I participated in the Fosspa Park uh Saturday at Mscal Neil Park and today I was able to participate in the older adult Valentine's Day dance. It was really well attended and the music was fabulous and the um food was good too. Thank you.

A city manager. Uh yes, thank you mayor. I attended my first Cal City city manager conference uh last week. U incredible opportunity to meet other um city managers throughout the state of California and realize that we all have some very common challenges right now and and opportunities as well. Uh and then last uh I attended the housing seaside housing collaborative earlier this week uh where the housing collaborative did make a decision not to move forward at this time with uh development uh on a city-owned property between Lzern and Vallejo. I think it was a great meeting uh and good uh discussion uh from the board and the community members that were in attendance. Thank you uh Council Member Miller.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh yesterday or excuse me earlier today uh CHS announced that we hired a new CEO. The new CEO is Sean Stone who was the prior COO. So that's good news for the organization. My AMBag meeting was cancelled and I went to the CHS uh soup event which was very successful donations for clam charter. And I'm uh proud to announce that um my my mother is uh getting older and she is the newest resident of Seaside. she decided to move in with me and so I'm be taking care of my mother effective today and I will not be participating in the close session today because I will be taking care of my mother for the evening. Thank you.

Thank you uh council member of parks.

Yeah. Um I made it to Fosa Park cleanup at Mscal Neil. Um brought my husband out there on Valentine's Day. He couldn't say no. Uh and it was great to see we even had a youth group that came from Selenus to participate. So great to see the community and outside communities joining us. Um I also was part or be was able to be at the Black History Month program organized by multiple community partners. Um several people were honored um for contributions um and there was a powerful African-American women panel um talking about voting and democracy. So that was great to be a part of. Um and then la yesterday I joined the violence prevention task force. Um they had CPY share the work that they've been doing on prevention and interventions to keeping our youth safe. Um our own Derek Elder uh from family community support program was there too. Um both programs did share some of the common fears that they're hearing from families communities is the fear of immigration enforcement. um an increase for need for mental health support and um the number of newer people um becoming unhoused and how we can continue to work to to increase um affordable housing or housing affordability for everybody here in Seaside.

Uh Council Member Garcia,

thank you. I attended I had a meeting with O'Neal C Odyssey and had the opportunity to sort of tour what they do. They're a nonprofit out here in that serve Santa Cruz County, but they're trying to serve Mon County as well. It's a really cool program really tailored to students fourth to sixth grade special education um with a focus on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. So, it's a really cool innovative program that they're trying to branch out here. So, I was able to to to meet with them and and get to learn a lot about what they do and possibility of them coming out over here. Um, I also attended the Black History Month program alongside the mayor and council member Burks. Uh, Mayor Potm was there as well. Uh, so it was a really well attended event. Uh, really powerful uh, panel full of uh, great community leaders in our community and just get to see and celebrate those that got recognized. uh at this event was was very important to not only us because future generations, past generations a and current generations were were being honored throughout this ceremony. So it was a really well uh attended event that I that I enjoyed um being at. And then today I attended the installation mass uh ceremony for the dascese of Monteray's sixth bishop. Um wonderful event uh There was I want to say roughly around 600 people that gathered 600 700 people that gathered today at Embassy Suites. People that came down from Southern California, even Mexico um just to welcome and and celebrate the newest uh bishop here at the Dascese of Monterey. Um and great to to to showcase some support there on that end.

Yeah, I'm sorry I missed that. Uh uh Mayor Prom,

thank you. Um, I attended the senior flea and marketer center on Super Bowl Sunday. Uh, there were numerous vendors there. Good turnout of supporting residents and seem to be well organized and well done. I attended the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District meeting. The school district continues to provide a wide range of positive opportunities for youth. Uh fortunately, there's a multi-million dollar shortfall due to reduced student and COVID issues. Uh the program may or at that discussion was significantly impacting special ed and mental health. Obviously, they're going to be vending their recommendations down the road. Uh the community uh the board is engaging the community though as far as their ideas uh to try to find the best alternatives. Uh as mentioned I attended the black history celebration all celebration as well. Um I think all the comments were correct. They just want to recognize uh Lisa Mitchell and Rosalene for hosting the event and MCing the event. They did great job and attended senior uh dance today with the mayor. It was a nice event, good music, wonderful food and everybody had seemed to have a good fun and u socializing and getting to one another know each other and some great dancers out there uh not including me. Thank you.

Uh thank you. Uh uh I want to just say hats off to uh the recck department for the father daughters and I say grandfather's dance was a wonderful event that they put on uh for um fathers and grandfathers and and of course the daughters right uh had a great opportunity to attend a vanise park cleanup and then they had a park uh pot luck afterwards which was pretty fabulous. Want to thank FOSPA uh for for the work they continue to do in our parks. Tennessee Seaside County Sanitation District meeting uh pretty routine. Uh and so uh not too much going on there. Uh same way the North Selena mosquito abatement uh district meeting. Um pretty routine. Uh just especially now I just say now that the rains uh you know it only takes a couple days for that water to uh you know what is a small vessel of water to collect and and start uh the process of having mosquitoes. So you know during the dry hours if you have some of those spots in your yard please dump that water out uh especially after uh the rain lets up uh this going week uh go out there and check keep the mosquitoes down in your neighborhood. tenative moderate penal water management uh district uh legislative aacy committee uh just talking to our federal state and um uh leg uh what is it act what is it lobbyists about what we can do to not only uh get off the co but uh the other things that we need other grant money that we need as we work on on uh the things that we do at the uh water management district. Uh shout out again to the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County underneath the leadership of Ron Johnson just doing a a

bangup job there. Uh we're hosting uh their art show, the annual uh youth art show here. If you have not seen it, feel free to come down to city hall during business hours and and look at the art from the youth in our county because uh uh they had a lot of youth from uh Selenus bring over their art. So, it's really truly art of our county. So, we want to thank the Boys and Girls Club for that wonderful display. Uh, attended the Seaside Housing Collaborative with with the city manager uh doing a lot of work there. We look to keep the course keep the council up to speed on what's going on. And uh as we look to uh the upcoming budget cycle, we're going to uh come back and ask you guys to continue to support the collaborative and and bring you up to speed about what we're doing and maybe the need for uh other resources as we work to create more uh housing affordability on all income levels. tuning the laugh code budget and finance committee meeting today. Uh uh we all should be getting their uh budget city manager to make sure it's it's in line with what we believe and of course uh making sure we pay our dues uh to LAVCO. Uh Council Member Burks mentioned the Black History program at the Altmire a couple days ago. Wonderfully attended. Uh Mayor Portim was there and of course um Councilman Garcia was there. I just want to give a shout out to the uh Monterey County Black Caucus, the NAACP, all the sororities and fraternities that that help put it on. And then uh it's the C3 uh that group uh is is just coming together doing bangup work in this community. Uh the theme I forgot exactly what the theme was, but it was surrounded uh the contributions that women have made and it had a panel of speakers uh that were just so impactful

and they just talked about um the impact women have made, the contributions women have made to America and of course American history, right? And so uh with that, I will uh turn to item number 13, close session, and ask the city attorney to read us into close session. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, members of the public. The council will have a conference with labor negotiators pursuant to government code section 54957.6. Agency negotiators are the city manager, and the human resources director. Employee organizations are the seaside police officers association, the firefighters association, the public safety managers association, the city employees association, the seaside managers employee association, non-represented non-exempt confidential employees, the non-represented exempt confidential employees, executive employees, and the unclassified exempt employees and unclassified non-exempt employees. They will also have a conference with legal counsel pursuant to government code section 54956.9D D2 on two matters of potential litigation. Uh for the benefit of the public this evening, I do not expect there to be any read out of actionable uh action this evening.

Uh thank you. Uh public comment is open on our close session items. Members of the public in the chamber, please approach the podium. Members of the public on Zoom, please use the raise your hand feature or dial star9 if you're calling from a phone. PMR, you now have the floor to make your public comment. Sorry. Your connection is not coming through. You have a call back or was he on board? He's connected.

Start the clock. He He hung up. He logged off. Mayor, no other members of the public have come forward to make public comment. Thank you so much. We will uh move into close session.