City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. We're going to call our regular meeting back to order. And if you would please stand as we do the Pledge of Allegiance and our silent invocation. Silent invocation first. Amen. Now for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag, the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. Please be seated.

Okay, we have a number of proclamations and some recognitions. I'm going to start with the proclamations first. Okay, here we go. hello there we go okay everybody all right we have a number of proclamations i'm going to start with here with the american red cross if i call you out you want to come on up please do so i'll read the information and then we'll present the proclamation and you can say a few words yes All right. Tonight, we recognize March as American Red Cross Month, honoring the compassion and generosity that define our community and reflect the enduring humanitarian legacy of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton. Here in Morgan Hill, local volunteers and supporters continue that mission by stepping up in times of crisis to deliver help and hope when it is needed most. Through their selfless service, they provide shelter, food, and comfort during disasters, support patients through life-saving blood donations, assist military families and veterans, and other critical skills that save lives. This month serves as a reminder of the power of service and calls on all of us to come together, support one another, and strengthen our community through acts of care and compassion. Make sure I'm giving you the right proclamation. There we go. Would you like to say a few words?

We are very pleased to be here. Even though I live in San Jose, I come down here a lot. My husband gives blood down here. We'd go to other activities. You have a fantastic community and we wanna make sure that it stays that way. We continue to have... special clubs in your schools for Red Cross. We continue to have blood donations. And we're now starting a number of community teaching education programs that are free. One is Stop the Bleed for people who are in an accident or some sort of issue. And the other is Hands Only CPR. A number of individuals are frightened or... hesitant to put their mouth on somebody else's mouth that doesn't belong to their family. And so we have hands-only CPR where, in fact, it works. And you don't have to have mouth-to-mouth and all of those other wonderful things. Even though I'm a nurse for 57 years, you still have to do whatever you have to do. And we appreciate it very much. And my colleague Mo Gandahari has been a Red Cross volunteer for a long time, and he is back And the gentleman over there taking the pictures is my husband who does public affairs. See, I have to keep an eye on him. I want to know who he's having these public affairs with.

All right.

All right. We've got a little standup comedy tonight as well. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Very good. Okay. Parkinson's awareness month. You're going to, you've got a tough act to follow there. tonight, we reckon i'll wait for you to come on. Sure let's do it okay. How are you? You too. Thank you. Tonight, we recognize April as Parkinson's Awareness Month, a time to bring greater understanding to a disease that affects more than one million Americans and stands as the second most common neurodegenerative. It's not easy to say neurodegenerative condition in the United States. While there is currently no cure for treatment to slow its progression, the strength and resilience of those living with Parkinson's, along with the dedication of their families and caregivers, continue to inspire hope and determination across our communities. This month highlights the importance of early diagnosis, education, and access to support services while honoring the millions of caregivers and loved ones who provide unwavering care. It's also serves as a time to raise awareness, including through the lighting of landmarks and vibrant blue on April 11th as a symbol of hope and unity for all those impacted. And would you like to, here, let's get a picture.

hey that one

While they're holding for the picture, I'll tell you why I come down here every year. The California State Registry of Neurologic Diseases, Brain Health, has registered Parkinson's And we live in the third largest hotspot in California. And most of you don't know that. So we come every year to raise awareness. Parkinson's is somewhat silent because of the stigmas associated with the disease. And the only way we're going to change that is to come down and keep talking about it so that those who have Parkinson's will come out, get diagnosed, and get the proper treatment. It's bad enough that disease is bad, but when you hold back and don't get treatment, it affects the quality of your life. So we do this every year. Yesterday, Saturday, over 600 landmarks worldwide lit up, all the way from the Empire State Building to bridges across the country. And in addition, the little hats, the lights, et cetera, Probably 1,000 individuals lit up their house or lit up a room, wore blue, as we're wearing tonight, to raise awareness. So we're here. If you see me, stop me on the street, whatever you can ask. Even though you might not think you know anybody with Parkinson's, you probably know somebody who shakes. You probably know somebody with a small gait and is very slow. It's likely to have undiagnosed Parkinson's and it's our job to try to get them in to see a specialist. So thank you, Mayor, for all you do every year to help us raise awareness. And you will be able to see some of these pictures and pictures from your town at www.worldparkinsonsnight.com. Go take a picture and you'll see Mayor Turner and others with the proclamation.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Our next one is for the American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. I think, Noshama, are you coming up for this? Oh, well, we're going to, excuse me, I'm sorry. We're going to introduce Susie. Hi, Susie. Thanks for being here. Now we're going to move on to, just kidding. You okay? You're good with that? Susie, thanks for being here. Now, I'm sorry, Neshava, come on up. Anybody coming up with you? Please come on up. Mr. Mayor? Yes.

While they're coming up, I do want to recognize the Berlins that are here today. So Susie is here as she unfortunately lost her husband to Parkinson's. And Curtis Berlin served this very agency. He worked for Morgan Hill Police Department. And so I want to recognize and acknowledge that. And not only that, but she also serves our city through attorney services. She is an attorney that specializes in utility services. And so she has been very instrumental in helping us deal with the CPUC and other sort of things. And then her lovely children are here who my kids went to school with. And so with that, thank you.

Well, we appreciate you being so modest, but thank you. Thank you for your service to our community and to our city as well. Thank you so much. Okay. No job. I think we're now ready for you. If you guys want to come on up. Very good. Okay. Perfect. Excellent. Glad you're here. We appreciate it. So April is recognized as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month, an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Muslim individuals and families and to promote greater understanding and respect. In our diverse and welcoming community, this observance encourages residents to learn from one another, strengthening connections and reinforcing mutual respect, inclusion, and unity. Who would like to say a few words? You can.

Thank you. Well, good evening, Mayor and council members. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Zain Yahya, and I'm a board member with the South Valley Islamic Community and a proud resident of Morgan Hill. I want to thank the council for this proclamation and care for their leadership in bringing it forward. For the American Muslim community here, this month is about more than appreciation. It is about visibility. We have been part of this city for decades, contributing to its schools, its economy, its organization, and its character. The South Valley Islamic Community has long been a pillar and strong contributing member of Morgan Hill. We are founding members of the Safe Car Park, the Interfaith Community of South County, supporters of the annual Wildflower Run, and Cecilia's Closet, to name a few. As we move forward with building our first masjid after 20 years of perseverance, I hope the appreciation and awareness this proclamation represents will carry through a support and a true sense of belonging for all of our families here in Morgan Hill. Thank you.

Appreciate it. Okay, thank you guys.

Okay, and now we're going to recognize some of volunteers who have served our city through various committees. And the first one is Mark Fiorenza. I'm gonna move down here because we have for you a nice framed proclamation here, certificate of recognition and a nice little gift for you as well. So let me go ahead and read this information. Tonight, it is my honor to recognize Mark Fiorenza for his dedicated service to the Library Culture and Arts Commission from 2024 to 2026. During his time on the Commission, Mark provided thoughtful leadership in advancing programs and initiatives that enrich our community through arts, culture, and access to library resources. He played a key role in supporting the creation of the Public Art Master Plan, which establishes a framework for policy and decision making. to enhance quality of life through the visual arts. Marcus was also instrumental in the development of the Let's Chalk art wall design to build to encourage community engagement and to bring the master plan to life in a meaningful way. His commitment to public service and passion for cultural engagement have made a lasting impact on the Morgan Hill community. And so on behalf of the city council and our community, we extend our sincere appreciation for your service. Thank you so much.

Thank you, everybody. I'd like to thank the commissioners that are here and Chris Keown. It was really fabulous to work for the city and I hope to do it again. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mark.

You're quite welcome. Yeah. You've got this and this gift as well. I think your name is on there.

Yeah.

Look at that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We appreciate your service. Thank you so much. Next one is Shwetha Manier. Where's Shwetha? Come on up. And yours is here. And so tonight it's also an honor to recognize Shwetha Manier, if I'm saying that correct, thank you, for her dedicated service to the Parks and Recreation Commission from 2022 to 2026. Over the past four years, Shwetha has brought a genuine commitment to strengthen our community, helping to enhance parks, expand recreation opportunities, and create spaces where residents can connect and thrive. During her tenure, the city made meaningful progress, including the construction of the soon-to-be-opened Butterfield Park, the implementation of the Downtown Trail Dog Park, and efforts to continue expanding recreation programming for the community following the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently serving as chair, she provided steady leadership and thoughtful voice in shaping these efforts. Her time? Care and dedication have made a lasting impact on the Morgan Hill community, so on behalf of the City Council and the residents of Morgan Hill, we want to thank you for your years of service.

I'd like to thank you, Chris, Director Chris very much. I've known Chris for a very long time. And I keep making jokes. I started actually out here at the City Hall as a volunteer. When I was a teenager, I also was in the Youth Commission. Now I've spent time in the Parks and Rec Commission. So I think all I have is left is to maybe make a round on the senior commission at some point, and maybe I'll make a full round at some point, but I look forward to coming back in the future. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your service.

That's yours as well.

You're welcome. Thank you.

Our next recognition is for Krista Rupp. Is Krista here? Krista, coming up. Krista is with Visit Morgan Hill. That's a long one here, so I'm going to read it all. Today, we honor and recognize the contributions of Krista Rupp as she transitions from her role as executive director of Visit Morgan Hill to executive director of Visit Morro Bay. Yes, we are unfortunately losing her, but it's a good thing for her because she'll be closer to family. And to visit Morro Bay is an award-winning destination that just last week was named the number three best small coastal town in the United States by USA Today. And we know that with Krista's involvement, they'll soon be number one. But most importantly, she is going back home and will be closer to family. Krista started her job as the executive director of our tourism business improvement district in 2020. Krista was met with a challenge of few leaders ever faced launching a brand new tourism agency at the exact moment the global tourism industry came to a standstill because of COVID-19. As the organization's sole staff member, she spent the pandemic years working tirelessly to build the framework for Morgan Hill's future, ensuring that the world reopened, our city was not just ready, it was ahead of the curve. During her tenure, Krista led the development of the city's first-ever destination strategic plan, giving Morgan Hill a professional identity it had never possessed. She grew our social media presence and earned a Gold Addy Award and a Visit California Poppy Award nomination for the Morgan Hill Chill Campaign, which captured the city's sophisticated yet relaxed feel. Beyond the marketing, Krista was instrumental in the 10-year renewal of the Morgan Hill Tourism Business Improvement District, which we call the Morgan Hill TBID, securing a decade of funding and stability for our local economy. Her accomplishments are many, but Krista didn't just promote Morgan Hill. She strengthened the partnerships between the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Association, the Wineries Association, and the local hotels and businesses, creating a unified voice for our tourism community. As she returns to her hometown to lead Visit Morro Bay, she leaves us with a fully operational tourism organization and a clear roadmap for continued growth. I do also want to point out real quickly, this, I think, is the most recent great success for Visit Morgan Hill. And this was something that Krista worked on for quite some time. It was the destination guide. that I think, and you'll probably say a few more things about it, but there's like 10,000 of these floating around the Bay Area, and you really led the effort on that, and it really has positioned us well as a city. We are profoundly grateful for the resilience, professionalism, and passion she brought to Morgan Hill during such a pivotal time. Krista, thank you for your service and for laying the cornerstone of our city's success. On behalf of the City Council, we'd like to wish you great success as you move on and move back home to Morro Bay.

Wow. Good evening, everybody. The past six years have been incredible, and I absolutely fell in love with the city of Morgan Hill. As I get ready to start this new chapter, I reflect on how this one began. In 2020 I came to Morgan Hill to interview for this position and Edith Ramirez said something that really stuck. She said that this is a place that is on the verge of something special and standing there downtown on a sunny day I saw that to be true. So I took the leap and what I found was more than a job. It was a community that shows up, that collaborates, that believes in what's possible and works hard to achieve it. We launched Visit Morgan Hill during COVID and together with my board, we navigated what it meant to build in a virtual world. Partnership has been at the core of some of my fondest memories. The chamber welcomed me with a desk and good company when I needed both. The downtown association, early meetings. We had photo shoots at our wineries, farms, restaurants. We partnered with the downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District on so many projects. Gabby, you're a rock star. The city's economic development team, you have been my trusted partners and problem solvers every step of the way. And Chris and the recreation team supporting the sports tourism and pulling off that unforgettable Panthers championship parade. I may have been a team of one at Visit Morgan Hill, but I was never alone. Today we see so much progress that we have made. We have this dedicated tourism marketing organization to promote and tell the story that Morgan Hill deserves. My advice, keep going. Keep overnight hotel demand in mind when making decisions. because the additional spending it brings strengthens the city's resilience and enhances quality of life. We are at the good part of seeing Morgan Hill recognized for the wonderful community it is. I'm grateful to have been part of this tourism journey and the foundation we have built. I'll be excited to come back as a visitor and see Morgan Hill's next success. Thank you.

Thank you, Chris. So you can see. Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. I just thought you were going to share this with the rest of us.

Yeah.

I think you can all see that we have some wonderful people volunteering for the city as we have seen some of our committee volunteers as well as those working on behalf of the city as well, doing everything they can to make this a better place and a better community. We also have someone here who has been working for the city of Morgan Hill. And it's difficult, as we say to these folks who have been volunteering and participating, as we say goodbye to them. Many of them, two of them are staying in the community. One is leaving. And of course, we have one more who has been working for us, Don, for how many years? 11, 13, 20, 15? Cumulatively 12, 10 as city attorney. tennis city attorney and so we're saying goodbye to don he has been uh... has been working uh... with us for for many years doing great work on behalf of the city and on behalf of the residents. And I got to know Don when I came on board, and I'm gonna let each of the council members, if you wanna say something here, but I'll say a few words. Don, I'll read this about you, give you some things, and we'll come back and let the city council members say a few words about you as well. But it's been great working with Don because he really has worked very hard in order to, yeah, Don, I'm sorry, please come on down. uh, has worked very hard to do the things that are necessary from a city attorney's perspective. First of all, to keep us out of trouble, keep our city council members, uh, focused and on task and, uh, and really has done a great job in his capacity as our city attorney. I have really enjoyed getting to know you and getting to work with you. You've done an outstanding job, Don, and we so much appreciate all that you have done on behalf of the city of Morgan Hill. And I would like to read this and this is done. This is all of yours here. Uh, and, and, uh, We put claim on these right here. So let me read this. Let me read this to you, Don. This is certificate of recognition. The city of Morgan Hill recognizes Donald Larkin. We extend our sincere appreciation to city attorney Donald Larkin for his dedicated service to the city of Morgan Hill over these past nine years is what it says. You cannot trust an attorney, I guess, huh? Throughout his tenure, Don provided thoughtful counsel, steady leadership, and a deep commitment to public service. His guidance helped the city navigate complex issues with the integrity and care, always keeping the best interests of the community at the forefront. We thank Don for his many contributions and wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement. Don, thank you so much.

So I don't have any prepared remarks, but I have been reflecting a lot the past week or two on all of my experiences at Morgan Hill. Many of you know I first came to Morgan Hill 35 years ago to be environmental programs assistant. And it's amazing when you reflect on how things have changed. But I will say the big issues back in 1991 when I was in environmental programs system that everybody was talking about were residential growth and traffic. And those are still the big issues today. But there were a few things that nobody complained about in 1991, like downtown parking. because there was nothing to there was no reason to park in downtown and um you know that there's so much has changed in this community and and so often if you look online people focus on the things that were that are that are associated with negative things but you know since the time I first worked here until now, we have this beautiful city hall that didn't exist. We have the community center, which is just such an incredible resource for our community, the aquatic center, the recreation center, all of these great things that really improve our community. And the big thing is the downtown. Working in Morgan Hill as a 22-year-old, this was not a good place for a 22 year old. And especially somebody who was here on my own. So I'm just really proud of all the things we've done. Mayor talked about keeping us out of trouble. I think, you know, there's so much thing, so many things have happened, but the thing that I'm the most proud of, because it's the thing that I can take some credit for most of the things that are accomplished. It's all of you back there and all of you over here. I'm doing incredible work and I'm just here as your cheerleader. But when I was here as a deputy city attorney and as a law clerk in the late 90s, early 2000s, we were getting sued by everyone. Dozens of lawsuits that we were juggling. Right now we have six active lawsuits. So that's... something I'm really proud of. The other things that I think we can all be proud of, so when I came here as a law clerk, I had to research, well, when I came here as environmental programs assistant, half the staff had just been laid off, literally half the staff had just been laid off. When I came here as a law clerk in 1998, I had to research municipal bankruptcy, because we were didn't have a $4 million structural deficit, we had $0 and we were on the verge of bankruptcy now we're talking about in four years. we will be down below our threshold for reserves. And we're taking that really seriously because it's a serious issue. But the fact that we have a staff and a council is taking that seriously, looking into the solutions for those and being proactive and trying to solve those issues now without waiting until we have to research municipal bankruptcy speaks volumes about the professionalism of my teammates. And I can't... begin to tell you how much I appreciate all of you. But I have to give Rex and Dorothy are here. Rex, Dorothy and Shadia for the last eight months. So I was employed here for nine years and then they couldn't get rid of me. So that's why it adds up to 10. But Rex and Dorothy and Shadia who's not here have really held down the fort because I'm failing at retirement and I have another job. So I haven't been here as much as I normally would. And so I'm appreciative to them We're holding on the fort. And of course, my wife Maria is here and she's happy to have me back on Wednesday nights, I think. And she's been, you know, I couldn't do this job without her. So I appreciate it. My sister-in-law Martha's here also taking pictures. But I really thank you all. I appreciate it. And I am super happy to have had the privilege of serving this community.

Well, Don, you've served it well. We can leave these things here for you. We can get those later. And Christina, would you like to start off? And we'll work our way around the dais.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Don, I could speak for hours just about what an amazing teammate you are. Great audience here today. I mean, one of the themes that we have here in Morgan Hills that we have people that are truly dedicated to their jobs and their skill, but the big thing and the most important thing in my mind is the hearts that they have for each other and for the community and You are all the beneficiaries of that. So, Don, SCU law alum, which is amazing. Go Broncos. Just quickly on the technical side of things, he's been in business practicing law for more than 25 years. His specialties are open government laws like the Brown Act and the Public Records Act, land use planning, public safety, and the list goes on and on. And so much so that yesterday he was in Sacramento practicing. testifying on behalf of local agencies regarding the Public Records Act. He's like an expert in these areas, and I've heard him speak, and he's a talented speaker on those areas as well as others. But above and beyond, and even more importantly than that technical stuff, I want to acknowledge you, Dawn, for two things in particular. One is your humility. and your grace. I have been extremely honored for my time as city manager to work alongside you and to not have you just as our city attorney, but to have you as a trusted and super smart colleague, as well as confident. And just your easygoing and friendly demeanor has just been such a blessing to me, to our teammates that are here today, and for all those that you encounter in your daily work. Maria, thank you. for the sacrifices you made for the city, for us to have Dawn here. Thank you. And Dawn, I think we're going to still be seeing you in your role through Burke, Elisa Willing. But thank you for your service to Morgan Hill and just for being an amazing teammate.

Well, Don, I got to know you about a year and a half ago, more or less. And when we first started, we went through some rough stuff and you were there to guide us along and you always come to you for staff. But, you know, I just thought you were a city attorney. And then I started going out and about and I see volunteering everywhere for our community. You show up for us. So that says so much to us because not just to start an employee, but you're also part of our community and you donate your time. I don't know where you find time to donate. be out there in the community doing great things for the people that need it. So thank you. And I was super honored to have sat next to you for a while. Thank you, Don.

Good luck.

I can see him again.

I didn't know if you wanted to add something personal. Don, thank you for all you've done. I have found you extremely easy to work with. And I've And I was not intimidated ever to talk with you about whatever the situation would be. So I think that's a real talent you have, is to make people feel comfortable. And we look up to you for the answers. And you are an amazing wealth of knowledge. I know you're supposed to know all this, but you surprise me time after time when you do know all this stuff just off the top of your head. So it's going to be big shoes to fill, and I'm sure we're going to do well without you. But it's not going to stop us from missing you. So thank you for all you do for our city. And thank you what you do for our Council and for me personally.

Thank you. Thank you, Marilyn. And I forgot one of the things I wanted to say is I am one of the things that makes this easier for me is that I know that the city's in really good hands and, um, Elisa's here. And so I wanted to acknowledge, I know that, um, that, that she will do a fantastic job. And I think the council did a great job of, of selecting my replacement.

So maybe we could just have her stand up. So she, there's a sea of people out there. There you are.

And Elisa, we want to get those six lawsuits down to three. That's,

Next week, please. Thank you. Again, thank you, Don.

Don, I've been listening to all the comments and I'm like my partner over there in the blue. Um, you know, we haven't had the privilege of, of knowing you as long as everybody else got to, but in the short time, it has been an honor. You've always been very, very kind. And that's the thing that struck me the most when talking with you was that you, you were very open, whatever question I had, you know, um, I never had any doubts that you were not going to have the best interest when you gave me the answer. So it gave me a confidence and you just have an ease about you. And I also found a great deal of comfort when I saw some of the things that you were involved with outside of this place, specifically your charity that you do. As a nurse and as somebody who was a caregiver for a long time for my dad, you know, with a brain injury, That rung really true to me. And I think that changed my perspective even more so on you. And yeah, it just gave me an affection for you, even though I didn't get to know you for very long. I just wish you nothing but the best and blessings for your next chapter. You are going to be missed. I mean, that's all there is to it. Many times I'm up here, I'm about to say something wrong, and you've got to look for me. Brown at Brown. So I'm going to miss that. I'm sure. I'm sure she'll be in my place too, but good luck. Good luck.

Well, Don, it's been a great ride. I have to say, and I feel like I grew up on council with you. I think it's fair to say that the questions were never few. I value your advice. And your willingness to find the answer when you don't know, and I don't know lots of people who do and go outside the bounds as you do. I appreciate your style on to help guide us as we try to navigate the ever changing policy and legislation and it's been quite. It's been quite a task. So RDCS, housing laws, RENA, it's all just been such a challenge for you and our staff. And you've been a great leader to take us through that. And for that, I'm really grateful. I want to thank you for being involved, not only on council, not only with your colleagues, but also in the community. And I think it shows a lot of heart that you have. You've been able to learn and grow as the city has as well. And what I most value and respect about you, Dawn, is that we can have intellectual conversation. And while there is much that we do agree on, when there is vigorous debate or disagreement, it was always respectful and always professional from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much. You're a good human, Dawn. And I'm sure that we will continue to see each other in many circles. And I wish you nothing but the very best. And I know that you will enjoy this new adventure. Good luck.

Outstanding. Good. Thank you, everyone. Okay. Well, we're going to go ahead and move on to our next part of the agenda. This is the presentations. And we have the Youth Action Council presenting on development asset number nine, service to others.

Good evening, Mayor.

You're good to go.

Yeah, you're good. Good evening, Mayor Turner, council members, city manager, city attorney, and our community members. Thank you all for being here tonight. We are super excited to be presenting to you all. Before we get into our presentation, we'd like to introduce ourselves. My name is Akash Shakya. I'm in 11th grade, and I go to Oakwood School. This is my first year on YAC, and I'm an active member.

My name is Constance Costa. I'm a junior at Archbishop Medhi High School. This is my second year in YACC as Developmental Asset Ambassador.

My name is Jay Sandhu. I'm in ninth grade and I go to Live Oak High School. This is my first year in YACC and I'm an active member.

We are here to present this month's developmental asset, and that is asset number nine, service to others. Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.

Extracurricular activities are a real-life example of how young people can practice service to others. They give students opportunities to contribute through leadership, volunteering, and involvement in the community. These experiences can help them make a positive impact in the community while also help them build skills. This is something many of us can relate to, which we will further display through our own personal experiences starting with Jay.

I can connect to the asset service to others through the variety of volunteer work I've done. For example, through the Youth Action Council, I've gained many opportunities to service others through contributing to and helping manage different events. These events give people a fun time, and I've found it also has improved my leadership ability. I've also volunteered at St. Catherine's Food Pantry. There, I work to unload and sort food, making it easier for anyone in need to receive aid from our community. This sort of work bettered my empathy and my awareness of people's situations in our town. Another form of service I provide is at my place of worship, San Jose Cordora. There, I wash used dishes and serve people food. By doing this, I help to keep the space clean. This has also improved my communication, as I often have to work with people I've never met before. All in all, service has taught me many things, the most prominent being that service is about more than just a physical action, but rather supporting the community around you as well.

Thank you, Jay, for showing how meaningful service can be in different settings. As for me, being a board member of YAC as Developmental Asset Ambassador has shown me what service really means. It's not just about helping other people, but about uplifting the people around you. Through YAC, I have supported other members through helping build their presentation skills and also their confidence, while also giving me the opportunity to build my own confidence through talking about community values. That experience has helped me to become a more empathetic leader and connect with people that I would not have otherwise talked to. I also volunteered at the Morgan Hill Library, where I served in a quieter way through sorting and organizing books. Even though it was behind the scenes, it still helps to create a welcoming space for the rest of the community. Finally, as an editor for The Muse, I help give a space for others to express themselves creatively. To me, that is also a form of service as I'm helping other people feel seen and heard. Overall, these experiences have shown me what that service can take in many forms, but at its core, it's about making a meaningful impact on other people.

Thank you, Constance, for talking about your volunteering experiences and how they've impacted you. Personally, I've taken part in many volunteer opportunities, and I still do to this day. Firstly, I volunteer at food banks, where I sort food and help package the food that is going to be sent out to the communities to the people who need it. Despite this role seeming relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, it is still just as important. Say, for example, that you were to remove my role as the food sorter in the process, the entire operation would all of a sudden just fall apart. And this goes to show that even though you think that your role is relatively small, the impact that you have when you give your time can make the impact just as great. Another form of volunteering that I've done is YAC. As this is my first year on YAC, I've had to learn the responsibilities related to the role. During my time at YACC so far, I volunteered at various events, as well as taking on the role of developmental asset co-lead to help prepare my peers for presentations such as this one. Lastly, I'm also the vice president of the business club in my school. At this club, we take the initiative to teach the members about the different aspects of running a business, as well as go out into the community and host events related to the club as well. Taking all three of these activities into account, I feel that they have all truly made me who I am and have changed me in some fundamental way, one way or another.

As Muhammad Ali once said, service to others is the rent you pay for your time here on earth. What you can give to others is always more valuable than what you can receive. This is something that can take you from school to work to even everyday life. Altruism is a trait that can take you far. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Jay, Constance, and Akash. Thank you for your service to other people and to our community as well.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you. We now have our city council reports, and up first is Mayor Pro Tem Levers.

Thank you, Mayor. I'm just going through March and April, and we're only on the 15th of April, but I've been busy. So I attended a luncheon hosted by Gail Palvin, who is our assemblywoman, and we honored two Morgan Hill women for being Women of the Year, well, I guess they're gone now. They were here, but anyway, I was going to have them stand up. So that was held over in Santa Cruz. I volunteered at Rock the Mock at Live Oak High School. That's where we teach students, senior students, on interview skills. That's a great event. I do it every year. I attended the State of the City. It was hosted by our mayor, and it was a great evening at the Granada. Furthermore, I attended the Youth Task Force Conference. for South Santa Clara County, and that's held in Gilroy. We go between Gilroy and Morgan Hill. That's a group that has the DA's office, the Sheriff's Department, the Police Department, many volunteer groups, and all on the focus of bettering our youth, helping our youth in the community, which is really important. One of the subjects we've talked at length about is The e-bikes and helmets. And then this last one that we talked about also talked about that, but also the future for these, especially foster children that are aging out of the system at 18. So that was very beneficial. I chair the habitat agency for the Santa Clara County, which takes care of our little critters, little owls and all kinds of stuff that is out there. and make sure that they're not trumped on or that they're not built upon. So it's a very important meeting for the county. I attended in San Jose a meeting for Silicon Valley It was a roundtable. It's called Silicon Valley at Home. It's an agency that works with finding housing for the unhoused and also developing housing. So it was very beneficial meeting. It was a roundtable with quite a few mayors from different communities, and it was very insightful. I serve on a state committee. March 25th through the 27th, I was in Costa Mesa, California. I'm on a, it's called service community. And we talked about this last meeting in March. We talked about How does city do cities have the responsibility for child care? So pretty interesting conversation in that one. There's about 40 people that serve on that from all over the state. So let's hop into May. I mean, in April, I was just recently at the flag raising or donate life. And that's where people that have passed away, that their organs are being donated. I was able to share the loss of my own son and how his organs were donated. It's a very moving ceremony. We raised the flag for that.

I'm going to interrupt here real quick. Your time is up. I'm sorry to interrupt, but that is the three-minute mark right there, and we're going to move on to our city manager report.

Great. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, community, and my teammates that are here this evening. Just a couple updates. First, wanted to just share that at the Dennis Kennedy Morgan Hill Aquatic Center this past weekend, we proudly were the home for the Far Western Championship. A thousand athletes and more than 3,000 spectators from across California and Nevada participated. The event brought together some of the region's top youth swimmers. for an exciting weekend of competition. And so the hotels and restaurants throughout our city were filled as the community welcomed athletes, families, and fans for a memorable and high-energy swim meet. The next item is related to the Upper Yagas Creek Flood Protection Project Phase B Construction Update. And so Hale Avenue closed today from Main Avenue to Yagas Road. And this is going to be through December of 2026 for the installation of box culverts, utility relocation and paving. And so details about the road closures are available on our website and have been shared by Valley Water as well as in our scoop email that goes out. And, you know, while there's going to be some, you know, traffic concerns, we just have to keep in mind that this is a project that will greatly help flooding in our city and then actually lead to some insurance rate reductions for community members. And then lastly, our next meeting is going to be on May 6th. So that's the first meeting in May. We will introduce the budget document at that meeting. With that, I conclude my remarks.

Very good. Thank you, Christina. And now for Don, your final city attorney's report. Bring it home.

I won't do it. Nothing to report this time. The council did meet in close session on three items immediately prior to this regular meeting. And there were no reportable. There was no reportable action. Very good. Thank you, Don.

And now for other reports, these are one minute reports. Anybody? Council member Vega.

I don't have anything to report, but I do want to welcome two of my students and means a lot to us. I guess we're here. If you guys can please stand up. Max and Janitsa, thank you for making the drive down here.

Very good. Very good. Welcome. Thanks for being here. Anyone else? Council Member Iwanaga.

Yeah, I just wanted to make a quick, I had the honor and blessing to have helped out on Easter Sunday, where I forget how many people ended up showing up, but it was mostly, you know, we had our first responders, we had senior citizens that showed up over at Mama Mia's. Thank you to the, oh, yeah, there was multiple people there, Marilyn.

I got cut off.

So, but the event was, you know... hosted by the Edward Ross Prado Foundation. And thank you, Majid, the owner of Mama Mia's. But it was truly an honor to see all the senior citizens showing up that day, getting fed. It was a wonderful event. I'm proud to have participated in that. And it just really... Again, I talked to a lot of people who were very lonely, no family, nobody to celebrate that day. And it was just a sweet thing to see them so happy coming together. And, you know, many of them got a blanket, some flowers. Several of the ladies that I talked to, they were so happy because they were collecting eggs throughout the restaurant. But it just was a really sweet event. And I was honored to have been a part of that. So looking forward to see what happens next year.

Very good. Thank you, Council Member Martinez-Beltran.

Thank you. I hope everybody had a good Easter that celebrates. I also participated in Rock the Mock at my alma mater of Live Oak, which was amazing. It looks a little different now. I had an ABAC housing committee where we discussed the policy framework for the possible BASA legislation. I had a Silicon Valley Clean Energy Board meeting as well as a VTA PAC meeting and I also attended the Wildflower Run, which was a huge success this Sunday. I hope that you got to see it or participate. It was wonderful. Tons of runners there. They never disappoint. Every year it rains, and every year it's packed. It's so amazing. So I threw on my boots and my jeans, went out there, and helped volunteer. It was really fun. And then we had a Cal Cities Peninsula Division call, and we will have a city summit in Sacramento tomorrow. and there'll be a gubernatorial panel at 1130 on Thursday. I hope that you'll all be there.

Thank you. Right on time. Perfect. Thank you. And for myself, I attended a Cities Association meeting, a Legislative Action Council meeting, part of Cities Association Finance Audit and Administration Committee, which is subcommittee of VTA, and then also a VTA board meeting. So we will now move on to public comments. Are there any public comments?

Yes, Mayor. We have Gabby Crescini.

It's a long walk.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, Gabby Cressini, downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District. I'm here tonight to provide a brief update on projects that the downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District is funding, has completed, and those that are currently in progress within the district. In February, we completed a landscape refresh on Depot Street between second and third, replacing outdated materials with new drought-tolerant landscaping, enhancing both the look and the area and supporting our sustainability efforts. In the coming weeks, we will install 18 new metal trash receptacles on Depot Street, replacing the old brick cans with units similar to those on 3rd and Monterey, and this will create a more cohesive downtown aesthetic, and the existing units will be repurposed in parks and other areas in the community. Looking ahead, our Sidewalk Saturday 2020 season, 2026 season kicks off on May 9th. This open-air maker's market takes place the second Saturday of each month, May through November, on a closed-to-traffic Third Street. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature 40-plus vendors each month, bringing consistent foot traffic and energy to downtown. This year we will also host two markets, Twilight Markets in June and August, which are family-friendly community events. And then lastly, I would like to provide an update on the Downtown Gateway Arch, which you unanimously approved in January. This $500,000 project with the Downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District committing $250,000 and raising the remaining $250,000 through a capital campaign. We are pleased to report very strong momentum. Following the founding gift from Dan McCraney, we have secured an additional $50,000 founding sponsor from the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill, along with $10,000 commitments from Kent Construction, Morgan Hill Downtown Association, and Leadership Morgan Hill, as well as additional community donations. To date, we have raised $182,000 or 72% of our goal. The target to be fully funded by June 30th is still in place. Construction is anticipated to be complete by November of 2026 in time for the city's 120th anniversary. Thank you all for your continued support of our downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District and our efforts to keep it clean, safe, and welcoming for all.

Great. Thank you, Gabby. And thanks for the lights in the middle of Monterey Road. You do a great job on that. Thank you. Any other comments?

Our next speaker is Brian Sullivan.

Good evening, Mayor, City Council people, and people in the audience. My name is Brian Sullivan, a citizen of Morgan Hill. I live on the corner of Peoples and Taylor Avenue. About 10 days ago, we received in the mail something from the County of Santa Clara regarding an 838-unit complex that they're planning on building, which is going to run from Burnett to Peoples and over to Madrone Parkway, almost to the parkway. They also requested people to come to a Zoom meeting last night, Tuesday night. A number of our neighbors showed up at the meeting. One of our neighbors did get up and speak cohesively about the issues that this is going to bring for our neighborhood. 838 units is going to have about 1,700 cars. We already have an issue with the Sobrato when the people come to school and the people leave school with the backup traffic going on to Monterey Highway. There's going to be an issue with safety, noise issue, all kinds of other issues. So I hope somebody from the city attended last night's meeting regarding the scope meeting regarding this EIR that they're looking to propose and get through. This project, if it goes through, is going to be built between 2028 and 2030. So it's going to affect our police fire and ems because we're closer to that than the county is so it's going to be that type of problems as i said there's going to be other problems involved my wife kathy and i submitted a written comment to the county as well as other people in our neighborhood are doing the same so i hope the city is looking at this and trying to figure out and working with the county on what's going to happen when these units, if they are going to be built, what effect it is going to have on our city. Thank you.

Thank you, Brian. Anyone else? There are no more speakers. Very good. We'll close public comment and move on to the adoption of the agenda. I will entertain a motion to. So moved. Well, this is the adoption of the agenda, not the consent. I've got a motion to approve the adoption of the agenda. And I have a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? There being none, that passes unanimously. Now for the consent agenda. Sounds like number two is being pulled. Okay, very good. Any other items wishing to be pulled by council members or anyone in the audience? There being none, then I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent calendar minus item two.

Love to approve.

Got a motion to approve. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? There being none, that passes unanimously. And now item to Christine.

Yes, Mr Mayor, if I may. Councilwoman, are we looking for a report or do you have specific questions that we can address. Okay, so I'm I'll ask Tiffany Brown senior planner to come up to provide a report and then we would be happy to answer questions.

I good evening tiffany brown senior planner before us tonight, we have a project request for concessions, this is for 100% affordable project that will be locating on the northeast corner of right avenue and monterey the properties approximately an acre. The project includes 100 affordable units and 100 parking spaces and therefore qualifies with the project location and the affordability qualifies for five concessions. The five concessions that they are requesting is the private open space, balconies, storage areas, exterior treatment materials, and undergrounding utilities. Staff did a review of the concessions and understands that the project does qualify for them. Therefore, our recommendation for you tonight is to adopt the resolution approving the concessions for the project.

Very good. Thank you for that report. Council member even question, right? Yes, I have many. And these are counsel. These are questions, qualifying questions. Yep. Right.

So on the on the report, there is a section that that kind of alludes to some of the reasons why we have to accept the concession specifically, because it doesn't constitute something that's not a safety issue or something that negatively impacts health. Is that correct?

Correct. There are in the staff report. on the portion where there's alternative actions, it does list, there's three findings that have to be made if we are going to deny the project.

So is there a way to get more specific as to what we feel is a negative impact on a person's health? So if they have no open space, they have overcrowding because they don't have a storage, those all things. And I pulled up a bunch of studies that show that's a negative impact on a person's mindset, on their health, and the community around there. So How do we get specifics on how we figure out what specifically are they looking for? I mean, do they want a body? Is that the proof that they have that it's negative impact on the community? How do they define that?

I'm going to ask our attorney, Don Larkin, to help assist with that question.

Yeah, there's a specific definition, and I'm pulling it up, but I don't have it up yet. But it's not... quality of life type health impacts. It's really public health and safety is things like, are they proposing to do something that would violate the California building code that California, you know, those codes that are intended to protect or health and safety, but it's, you know, there's things that cumulatively, well, you know, get up to market.

Yeah. John, they know it's your last name.

But it's so it has to be defined in our code already as a health and safety standard. But something like the fact that I hear what you're saying is like having a home without any private open space or any area to... Does have an impact on people, but it's not the type of health and safety standard that the code is referring to. They're really referring to those things that are in the uniform codes or that we may have adopted as an amendment to the uniform code to protect. Public safety, but it's things like, you know, the. railings on balconies so that people can't fall through them, or fire access is one that is a defined health and safety standard that we could deny the project if they were going to build it in such a way that didn't have appropriate fire access. Those types of things are what we can do.

Right. Sorry. So we have that, you know, our famous, you know, Morgan Hill, little paperwork that says what we want our quality of life here in the Morgan Hill. We did the. The study where we talked to the 1 neighborhood, and it's. Like, an opportunity neighborhood, and we want the blue, the blue zones. I mean, how does this type of thing fall into that? How can we justify. This kind of project into what we say sustainable Morgan Hill what we want for a city.

I mean, that's the dilemma right now with state housing law is the state has taken that ability away from us to define those types of things, particularly in a project that's providing 100% affordable housing. The more affordable housing the project has, the less impact we can have on how it's built and what those features are. And because this is 100% affordable, they can... They get unlimited waivers and they get concessions so they can strong arm their way.

Okay. So why do we have to accept an all 100% affordable housing project knowing that this is probably what they're going to do their way to get out of that?

No. No, because under the Housing Accountability Act, we wouldn't be allowed to deny 100% affordable housing project. If it's 100% affordable, there are very few grounds on which we're allowed to deny it. Even if we've met our arena numbers, because we hear that a lot, met your arena numbers, we don't have to approve these projects. But that's not how the state looks at it. They want us to meet our rating numbers. But if you read the Housing Accountability Act as a whole instead of line by line, it's really clear that there's no basis on which we can deny an affordable project.

Unless you're Marin County, right?

Unless we had lots of money to defend lawsuits.

Or had certain people living there. Sorry. I'm failing. I don't mean to be. Especially towards the staff or any of this. This is my frustration right now with the state. So I want to make sure everybody's clear. My frustration is not the staff. or dawn god bless them for always putting up with with my questions uh my frustration right now is with the state this is appalling to me but okay i need to form it in a question so my my last question since i'm running out of time here um if we were to push back and say no i'm not giving the concessions what is the potential negative impact to our city

Um, the potential negative impact is that the developer could would likely file a lawsuit under density bonus law and we would. Have a hard time defending that lawsuit. We would be liable for attorneys fees and potentially penalties.

For for denying their concessions, are there other cities that have pushed back and said no to these kinds of things?

I'm not aware of any published case law about cities denying concessions under density bonus law. There is at least a couple case, one out of Berkeley, where residents have sued the city for granting density bonuses, and the cities prevailed in those cases. But I'm not aware of any city that has at least any published cases involving cities that have denied concessions under the density bonus law.

So you're saying if the residents sue the city. For allowing these concessions, then the city has a little bit more pool.

No, the city. Yeah. Well, the city will win that lawsuit.

Oh, okay. Let me repeat that question then again. Okay. All right. Well, that's good to know. Um, Thank you for the report. And again, I apologize. I don't mean to come at anybody in a harsh way. This was just a very frustrating thing.

Thank you. That's my believers.

Hello. Thank you. My question is, when did we go to allowing six stories? Back in my day, which wasn't that long ago, we had three stories that was mass. We have gone a few higher, but now we're looking at a six-story building. Is this a law that we have now? When was this passed? I'd like to see it. I'd like to... have somebody show that to me and see who the council was that voted on that. So can you provide that for me at any different times?

Well, that council's in Sacramento. Yeah, right.

So the state said... You could go 20 stories if you wanted to. There is no topping it off. Okay.

So with the affordability that they are proposing and due to the site location, which is within a quarter mile of a transit stop, I understand they get an additional height that allows them to have that on top of our max height, which brings them to the 68 feet. Okay. Um,

Next question is kind of for Dawn. My colleague talked about health and safety. And you answered two safety questions, like rails, so it'll fall off the porch or whatever, and fire exits. But you didn't talk anything about health. So tell me about your health that this is good for us or them.

Yeah. And so I had a chance to pull it because I want to get the language right. I pulled up the statute. And when they talk about a significant adverse act, significant adverse impact on health and safety, what they're talking about is a and it's why things like open space don't qualify. It's a significant, quantifiable, direct and unavoidable. impact based on objective, identified, written public health or safety standards as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete. So when they're talking about quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable, it has to be, if this is built, it will have this impact. And there's no way to avoid that impact. So things that are kind of more holistic, like access to sunlight and access to open space, No question those have an impact, but it's not quantifiable. It's not direct.

An example might be hazardous materials. So if the project was sitting on some sort of land where there was clearly an issue and an exposure, that would be an example.

Maybe they could use lead paint. I have one more question too. We got a letter from the developer. I don't even know if the developer's here or not. And they gave us four or five examples of buildings they have built in other places and they're just pristine. There's no bikes sitting outside. There's no overflow, no storage, you know. So there was one listed in San Jose. Did anybody on our staff drive to that San Jose location, take pictures and tell me that there was not Debris, whatever you want to call it, sitting outside because there was no storage. And I'm asking if anyone on our staff went and looked at that San Jose project. The others were all in Southern California.

I did not.

So we don't know if that Hold on, hold on.

Someone's got a hand up.

That's the director.

Jennifer, you did? And did you take pictures? Do you have proof that it is clean and pristine and there is no debris on the outside?

There's one in San Bruno too, that's right.

It is Northern California.

So, you know, I'm sure the developer gave us his best products to look at.

And I would imagine if he wants to eliminate storage, he can build more units. And if there are any that are run down, he's not listing them. So until he lists more projects that we can look at, no matter where they are, because we can always hire somebody to go to California. I mean, I'm personally happy to do that and take pictures of his other developments and I WON'T BE SATISFIED. SO MY QUESTION IS, SINCE THE DEVELOPER IS HERE, COULD HE PROVIDE A LIST OF HIS OTHER PROJECTS, PLEASE? AND NOT JUST THE FIVE HE PICKED OUT.

I DON'T THINK THE DEVELOPER IS HERE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ-METRO. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ-METRO. Go right ahead.

Thank you. Thank you, Tiffany. So I would pull this, but I heard that you were pulling it. I think we all have to. Yeah. But I had a long discussion already with the city attorney. I'm very familiar with some of these. So one of my questions is really in the weeds here, though, is there a minimum increase in construction costs? Which, Dawn, I don't know if you had a chance to find out if there is any minimum It sounded like earlier when we talked, there is not.

Yeah, there has to be a defined reduction in cost for the project, but there's no minimum. So if it's a defined reduction of $5, that is a defined reduction. And the burden is on us if we were to deny one of these to identify the reasons that there isn't a cost reduction based on these concessions.

Okay.

Uh, the next question I have as well, others do we, if you could just stop the clock wouldn't. I'm not asking I appreciate how long, um, well, others do have, uh, some substance on high transit corridor. The density bonus line does not.

That's correct. It's just.

The 3rd is how long do we have to have our objective standards on the books before they can be applied or.

They have to be on the books at the time that the preliminary application comes in.

Okay. And so ask that because I would like, I think that these should all probably be legislative priorities for us to look at. We've had success and worked on it for 8 years and we finally did get the high transit corridor leveling. Um, with one of the bills, maybe we can look at that for density bonus. I think we should also look and see if we could establish a minimum in the construction cost. There has to be some nominal, you know, it can't just be normal. It has to be some significant change in cost. Otherwise we're talking about $5, $1,000. That just seems a little ridiculous. So I think we should look at that. And I did ask him to jump over to the undergrounding by PG&E. And I know that they'll have to look at putting other utilities in there and doing some of that work too. And I wondered if there was any way that we could get them to at least go into the list. That's a priority for the city. That's really something that is putting us in a bind. And so what can we do about that?

we can ask the developer if they're willing to do it voluntarily, but it's not something that we're going to be able to require.

Okay. I think we absolutely should. If there's some way that we can include that in those objective standards. And I do need to send you that because I had asked about that. I know it's on my list, um, of the future agenda items and it'll take a while for it to go into effect, but maybe we can look at that as well. Um, Because I'll be asking as a future agenda item that we do revisit the objective standards. I think it's a great way for us to try and really define what we can do.

And just to be clear, the underground is in our objective standards. The concessions are concessions to get out of developing to our objective standards. So they're allowed to have unlimited access. waivers from our objective standards, and then they're allowed a certain number, depending on the level of affordability of concessions that are things that they're going to do that are outside of our objective standards.

But what I'm saying is that if we go and we define it in our objective standards, right now teaching me, part of the whole reason that we're all paying We're paying a lot of money for the wildfire. You know, that's why we're undergrounding our utilities now. And we've seen costs go up so much. And so I think we could argue that there is some, you know, health and safety. I mean, that's part of the reason why we're paying so much into this. And we should really qualify under that and see if we can get that to continue to happen because we're going to end up paying for that if not. And then similarly, I'll go up to the other thing is there's a lack of the open space and the storage and then the second one is the lack of the balconies and wanting to provide balconies, which also service open space and storage. And I think we can provide that or also try to link that somehow to health and safety because if you have children, you know, you want to protect them from cars and traffic. You want to protect them from pets or dogs. And so I think there might be some ways that we can look at this and really discipline that this is, you know, I mean, obviously there's not much we could do here, but I think that we should try to do something proactive.

Very good. Thank you. Council Member Rebecca.

Um, you mentioned something about in our code, is there ways that we can update our codes so that way we can maybe. Not prevent, but implement different future builders to come in and do things differently.

So there were limited and how we can deviate from the state health and safety codes. Um, and so we, there is a process for doing that. Um, we have to find that there are specific, um, specific factors in play in Morgan Hill that are not. Statewide and we're able to make changes and we've got several areas in which we've made changes to our. standard statewide codes. But again, in order for it to be a health and safety standard, there's got to be a specific, direct, quantifiable health impact. So even though some of these things are problematic for us or things that we don't think, like long-term, it's not healthy to not have outdoor access to the outdoors. That's not the type of thing that we're going to be able to amend our codes to do. But to the extent we can look at things that maybe aren't in the uniform codes, but that do have direct quantifiable health impacts that are not necessarily specific to Morgan Hill, but are not things that are generally issues statewide, there is an opportunity to amend our code to do those things.

Okay, well, our new city attorney is here, so maybe that's something that you can start thinking about. That's something that we would like you, not your first assignment, but it's one of our few things that might just be your thoughts, please. And then my other question, you're going to laugh at this. Can we just move the bus up? Is it kind of like not a very good place to be?

We don't just move it. We don't select the bus stops.

Can we try? I mean, it's not a very safe bus stop. Can we just for safety reasons?

Part of that is Monterey Road is considered a... Yeah, it's whether the bus stop is there or a few blocks over. It's not going to make a difference.

And my other questions are, well, they pertain to our Morgan Hill families. I'm big on trying to house our Morgan Hill families. And I would love to see for our developers or, you know, builders who are coming to want to put their buildings in our Morgan Hill to guarantee housing to a Morgan Hill resident. What does that look like?

It was a question mark.

And to Tiffany, yes.

So I do know as a 100% affordable project, it's rental. They do have a program on how they select people. And I believe someone is here and on his way up here to go through that with you.

I mean, I would like to not just see a program. I'd like to see a guarantee, like a percentage that is guaranteed for the people of Morgan Hill. That would make me feel better about this building. I'll call it what it is. Who is it?

Good evening, Mayor, members of Council, community, Morgan Hill, John Lane, Housing and Economic Mobility Director. Under our code, we do have a local. A local preference, if you will, which does allow. For individuals that are. looking to go into affordable housing for projects that we can control, that if you either work or live, you get the preference. And we have been spending a lot of time improving upon our marketing to our community. With this particular project, it is 100% affordable. But it doesn't necessarily guarantee that even if people compete, they're going to get the units. The best we can do at this point in time in all of these projects is to market them and engage with our community and let them know that they're available. But there is clearly a greater demand for. Units than than the supply available. So. A project like this, we will absolutely do our best to market and make sure. Our community members have the best chance. But at the end of the day, there's going to be way more demand for the unit than supply. So we cannot. We cannot say this is exclusively for a particular population. We don't have the ability to control that.

Is there any way we can work with them and ask them that this is really important for our community? If you're going to be here, you might as well serve our community and make sure that we're guaranteed a percentage of those homes for our families in Morgan Hill.

Once again, we can't require them, but we can certainly work with them to make sure we're engaging with our community and making sure that they know how to get into the units and go through that application process. And we're happy to have those conversations with the development community.

Okay. And then I think that there's a lot of questions and just reviewing all this material. I would feel more comfortable if we can put this on another agenda so we have a chance to talk to the developer and see if he's willing to maybe give us Juliet balconies or do something else and see if there's a can we? Is that an option?

So during the design review permit process, I can take the feedback that you give me today and work with the developer and say that the council has really requested we look into these things. And so I'm happy to jot some stuff down and work with them through that.

Actually, I'm going to ask some questions. I'm going to go to public comment and we'll come back. So Adam did a presentation to us a while ago about the neighborhood that Sarita had mentioned. Was that required by the state that we did that survey of that neighborhood?

I think you're talking about the healthy element.

Yes.

So we were required as part of our housing element to do that.

Okay. Very good. That'll be ammunition for a comment I'll make when it comes back. Okay, very good. Yeah. Yeah, I'll make some comments when we come back. No, we're going to go to public comment.

Okay.

We have our a speaker on zoom gene.

Hello, can you hear me? Yes, we can. Yeah, thanks. Yeah, my name is Gene Broussard. I work for AMG and Associates. I'm actually the developer, so I just wanted to speak and apologize for couldn't be there. We were on consent calendar, so we didn't think there'd be this much comment, but I would love to address some of your comments and go through some of the questions that you have and If it could go beyond public comment, happy to take whatever time you need to go through any questions. But kind of wanted to give a little bit of a history too. So we, you know, originally this was kind of a lower density project. And then we had the transit option with the new density bonus law probably, I want to say three plus years ago. And so we went to the state and they granted us the kind of unlimited density. The first project that we formally submitted via SB 35 was over 200 units. And we met with staff and city management over the past few years and really have worked with them to kind of scale it down. It was all six stories prior, more dense, more compact. way less parking. And so what you have, you know, not before you, before you use the density bonus agreement, but you know, is this, it is a severely scaled down project. We're, we're less than half that we had before. And it is tiered in a way that staff really wanted to be aware that along the highway Monterey that we had the three stories, and then we tiered it up to six stories and, So there's been a lot of, this is two years in the making, probably three years from our original application before you. And I think as you heard the city attorney speak and everything, the whole area is now under vehicle miles traveled as allowed unlimited density. But we're trying to work in good faith with staff. And like I said, we cut the units from over 200 to to 100 now. And then the concessions, we use a lot of these concessions for financial feasibility. We're not asking the city for any soft funding or anything like that, but we're using these concessions to help the financial feasibility of the project, especially with the balconies and everything like that. There's a lot of ongoing maintenance and costs associated with the balconies for the reasons outlined that you saw in the staff report. But I just wanted to introduce myself. I've worked for AMG for almost 20 years and we do a lot of affordable housing throughout the state and happy to answer any questions if you wanna take me out of public comment as well.

No, we're not gonna do that, but thank you for your willingness to do that. Are there any other public comments?

No, Mayor, there are no other speakers.

Very good. We'll close the public comment and bring it back for council discussion. Go ahead and jump in and we'll mix it up.

Go ahead, Marilyn. I wish she was waiting.

Yeah, well, I did have more questions for staff about these consignment consensus. What about the texture of the building? Is it just because they're asking not to have it you know, different kinds of textures on the outside of the building? Is it just going to be a flat building?

I mean... No. So we have, as we're working with them through the design permit, they have done... They've provided variation in the elevation. So there are push pulls. They have recessed the windows, added additional colors. There will be brick veneer at the bottom. So they are doing... Okay, I just wanted to know because it's in there.

Yeah, so... Yeah, I have been called publicly an elitist that I am against low income housing and many other names. I have, you know, I was just last month in San Jose working with a low income agency, and I am all for low income housing. I am not for the location. Okay. And when I voted against the project, that's going to be across the street. It was not because it was low income. It was because of the location. I am all for housing the unhoused. My question, and I guess if I can have a question, do we have even 100 unhoused families that will fill both these buildings that are Morgan Hill residents?

I'm not mistaken.

This is not housing for unhoused. It's low income.

Most of them are

Do we have that many low-income families? I'm sorry, I will change it.

Thank you for the question. So at that level, we have over 2,000 families looking for units.

We do. Okay. Well, that's good to know. Okay. Still don't like the location, but I am all for finding them a home. And all of those that beat me up, keep going.

Okay. Any other comments? Council Member Martinez-Beltran?

Thank you. Um, I just, I want to return to the objective standards because I, I think that that's probably going to be our best route rather than code, because we can really clearly define them and, you know, be as clear as we can. So, um, and to the, since the developer didn't know that you were on here, um, I, I do think it's important, you know, when we're looking at the, Part of my concern is we have the balcony is being mitigated. We have out open space being mitigated and storage. I've personally looked at. Some of the buildings that have been built here. They don't have a closed garage. Whether you're low income, moderate income. I think you should be able to have access to that. I mean, if you can't even keep your bikes stored safely, I think that's a public safety issue. If, you know, again, as I've said prior, if you don't have somewhere where children can play, I think that that's a public safety issue. And so I will put this in to see if we can come back and look at our objective standards and then the other pieces really, I would ask developer to, look at what you can do possibly in undergrounding for us, because that is an extensive cost for the city to take on with projects. And as we know, seeing the increase in the cost with PG&E, it's quite an expense. So if you can take a look at that, we're going to have to continue to continue to underground. Thanks.

Council member Vega, so the developer keeps mentioning how it's going to save him money and it's going to lower his cost and that way he can build more homes. But. They're not thinking about how much is going to damage our roads and how often we have to repair those roads around there. Now we have 1,700 new cars. Maybe I made the numbers wrong, but we're going to have a lot more traffic, a lot more police.

That is a different project than what we're talking about.

No, no, no. The same one. They break it down where they're saying if they don't have the balconies for the concessions, they can save this much money and they're going to lower their costs. So they keep talking about how they're going to need to lower their costs. But they're not thinking about working those extensive that's going to bring up our cost police officers, firemen, our roads, reconstruction, all this stuff is going to go up and then. I'm sorry the developer is not thinking about. Our city, they have to endure all these additional expenses. Because of, you know, like, not having more traffic or not having that parking spaces, all that stuff. So I think that we need to look at that too. And then my other thing is, it's important for open spaces. They need to have a community. They need to be able to feel safe. And I think those are important just because it's a low income doesn't mean that they don't deserve to have certain amenities. And I don't see any other amenities. And these concessions are five big ones. They're not little ones. So maybe I'm hoping that the developer can change his mind. And, you know, the Julia balconies would be nice to have. They're less maintenance and they're less expensive, but they will also give a little bit of space. So I want to see if he can come back and not ask for all five and see if there was some flexibility with what he's asking for.

Yes.

Where do I begin here? Well, thank you for the gentleman that called and from the group, the AMG, I think is what they're called. I did look up the properties that they gave us as examples of some of their other projects, you know, two are senior housing. Specifically, so I'm not sure how that relates to the 100 unit that they're talking about here, because I don't think it's senior housing, right?

Correct. Okay.

So that means more cars, more things that people will have, assuming that happens. Because that's usually how families go. Then the other projects that they gave us as examples are not totally filled. So we still can't see how that can compare to what they're, you know, they're using that as examples of, oh, well, there's no complaints about storage. Well, that's because they're not filled yet. So that's just my comment. And I was a little horrified to hear that they were actually going to offer less parking spots. Like, holy smokes. But I digress. Sorry, this is... I'm going to try and be less emotional. I find it very appalling that you are expecting people to live in... I grew up in an apartment, so this is probably why I'm somewhat passionate about this. For a child to not have any open space, no park, no area for them to goof around, if you have a pet, you're going to have to walk quite a ways because there's no dog park right here. Although downtown, I guess you can cruise on over there. But... I just, I find it appalling in the storage. You know, there's multiple studies, scientific studies that are medical journals that talk about the effects on mental health, on your physical health, when you have these high density, overcrowded living conditions. These apartment complexes, unless you're going to limit it to one person per space, you're You know, those environments are not good. They're not good for families. They're not not even good for a couple. If they're just forced to. My living area is also my area where I can't even go up to a little balcony to just get away from my family for a little bit of quiet time. We all need that. Right. And that's what's appalling me about this building. aside from the aesthetics, because I actually showed pictures to six different people, hey, what do you think this building is? And they all said hospital. So that, you know, it doesn't look like a home. It just frustrates me. It frustrates me. And I, for one, do not want to agree to the concessions. And I would like to see for this developer to be flexible on things like the open space, right? That's what I'd like for them to come back and give them something. Are we gonna give them a community garden? Are we gonna give them a common area where they can go hang out? I'd like to see that.

I'm going to make some final comments.

There is open space and there's a playground.

Just want to share that. Which didn't come up, so I apologize in advance. I did not see that. But living, yeah, it wasn't, I didn't see it in the report, so I apologize. But, and that makes me a little bit happier.

Yeah, just to clarify, thank you. There is a 1700 square foot outdoor playground area. So the concession for open space is just the private open space Not public open space. So they will have a place on site. Where where it's in the back corner on the train track.

Location isn't necessarily yeah, I'm ready to move on. I just have a quick question.

Could you tell me I didn't catch what the unit mix was please.

Yes, so there are sorry it is 7 very low income and I haven't pulled up.

No, no, no, I have that. Oh, I'm. the unit mix. Is it a one bedroom, two bedroom, studio? There's a hundred parking spaces and so I'm trying to.

Understood. I don't have that mix in front of me right now because that's designed for the developer. Can you tell us what are your units that you have?

We're not, no, we're not, we're not doing questions and answers with the developer at this point in time. We can get that information for you. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah. We'll get that. We certainly can provide that later. We're not going to do a Q&A with the developer. Okay, so I'm gonna make some final comments here and I think it's very clear. To staff and to others that the frustration we're experiencing on the dice is not to do with city. It's with the state, it's the state that's putting these requirements upon us. The state required that we go do a survey of a neighborhood that. They say, based on the study is is. They got air pollution, it's near industrial black parks, like grocery stores. We need to. Provide cooking classes and do other things for that neighborhood is some of the, some of the answers to what they're required or asking, or what the city has state staff has come back with yet. The state says, go build a facility that lacks all of the things that we're going to make you do later. So that's the frustration we face. It is not to do with staff, not to do with what you're having to comply with as well. But we are frustrated by the crap that we get out of the state of California. And I think it's important for our residents to know and understand. It is not us on the dais that's forcing this upon our city. It's forced upon us and we are sick and tired of it. And there's nothing we can do about it. And that's what frustrates us when this comes before us. These concessions get made. We don't even get to weigh in other than we can vote no, can't we? But we're going to face a potential lawsuit. Is that correct?

Yeah, I strongly recommend not voting no because the city's only discretion is if you make the finding that these concessions will not result in it. decrease in cost for the developer. That's the problem which you could deny it. And I don't think you could make those findings.

We have not. Staff didn't find it. We're not going to find it. And so we are faced to have to, as much as you want to vote no, we can all vote no, but we will face the consequences. So this is about the state forcing this upon us and not with, well, just go back and tell them we would like to have this. We can certainly vote and then ask why you to go deal with the developer. But they put those concessions in for a reason, and we're forced to have to live with them. Mayor, I have a comment. Yeah, we're going to have brief comments, and then we're going to wrap this up.

Is there any way we can push this to another meeting so maybe the developer has heard us and maybe he can change his mind or work with us? Please, please.

All of that stuff comes up back in design reviews. So the concessions, it's not worth bringing. They're entitled to the concessions. they're asking for them doesn't mean they have to do everything that they've asked that they've got it so there's still an opportunity if they if they have heard what you have to say and want to do something different there's an opportunity for them to submit that in their design review but um but we have a limited number of meetings we're allowed to have on these projects and this is one of them we had another one and then we're taking away our ability to do things down the road so it's important to get this done in one meeting

I want to be clear with my position. I absolutely know that we need affordable housing. And I do realize that this has, I think, maybe 72 units that are low income and very low income, all units that we also need affordable housing. I think where I see the opportunities is in, there has been people not building affordable housing in communities who haven't been doing their part. And Morganville has done a really great job. In one sense, I think that it is helpful that everybody else has to play by the same rules that we've always had to play by in being a home housing community. I think the opportunity for us again is to try and look at the objective standards and how we can do that. And also through legislation and asking for things like levels of transit corridor, right? I mean, that's where we can get some changes done. We are not going to be able to take on the state or the legislature. And I think that we have to be really careful strategic in what it is that we're calling out and what we want in Maureen Hill. And I think some of, you know, my disappointed and I am hoping that the developer will look at some of the things that we've said is that it does, it does test the public safety and health and also the extreme costs that we're going to have to have with undergrounding. And so these are even the aesthetics. I won't go as far as that, but there was, I really did look at that change that you made in the wall, you know, in the aesthetics of the tile and the brick and the, all of that.

Councilmember, we're on time here.

Oh, I'm sorry. I think that that's also something, you know, we're wanting to see if it is affordable housing, that it's quality affordable housing.

Okay. So with that, I will entertain a motion. based on the recommendation of staff. We've got a motion. Looking for a second. If it dies, it dies. We will face the consequences. Is that correct, Dawn? What will we do?

Yeah, and just to jump in first, you know, the developer jumped in and said that when he originally brought forward the project, it was a lot denser. And so they have the ability to revert to that application under SB 35. So that's the other consequence.

So it's going to get done no matter what. All right. Very good.

I would also just say with that motion that we return to the developer and talk with them about all the things that we've heard tonight, please.

Yes, very good. Okay, we'll move on then to, I'm sorry. We need a second.

There is no second. Well, the council needs to understand the consequences. That's exactly right. Do you...

Do you want to hear from the team of what the original application looks like?

Let's do this. The consequences of not granting the concession could be $10 million. Exactly. We have a say.

Can't we just delay this, postpone this until two more weeks when the developer has a chance maybe to.

We are very limited in the number of hearings we're allowed to hold. This is one of the ones we're holding. It's five hearings. But if you want to have hearings on design review, if you want anybody to have to say a design review, you better vote tonight.

We need to get this done tonight. I get your frustration. There's nothing we can do about this. We can talk with the developer. But this sort of approach is only going to get us in more difficult situation. This is not a smart move on our part. It's not a smart move on our part.

Is that a second?

I will second it, yeah. I'll second it. Now, we still need a vote. So we got a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed?

Abstain. Abstain.

Oh, this is bad.

It is bad.

This is bad.

I didn't hear your vote. Abstain is a no vote. It is a no vote. Exactly. Right.

So, take my city with 10 million dollars or or or agree on to this. Hold on.

Let her finish with.

I created this hideous building and I want that on record. I'm totally against this, but I'm going to go ahead and say yes to save my city. That's fine.

That's just 3 to 2.

You didn't pretty much the right. I'm going to say that's just to save the city.

That's just 4 to 1. okay. Although we have a unanimous decision.

Very good.

Happily unanimous.

Since it's my last meeting, I'm going to take the program to remind the council. That we offered you an option to not have to hear these items and you all said. But new council, but the council members at the time all said, no, we want to hear this.

We do. We do. It's our city, but here's the thing.

We can hear them. We can't vote against. You can hear them, but you have to approve them, and that puts you in an awkward spot.

The public needs to know how to really feel, okay?

It is important, and I think they got that. But to vote no or to abstain is foolishness on our part. It puts us in a bad spot. I have a feeling the community understands how we feel, but it doesn't mean we should make a foolish decision after expressing our opinions.

We voted yes.

Very good.

We passed it, but

All right. We're going to move on.

We're going to move on.

Do you need a break?

Yes.

Yes. Okay. Let's do a five minute break.

Oh my gosh.

Okay, we're going to call the meeting back to order.

Okay, we are moving on to item four. You're welcome. Other business, Christina. Thank you.

Yes, and we have Mr. Guioni should be coming forward for this item. Item number four.

Good evening, Mayor and Council Member Chris Chione. I'm going to be presenting an item which provides the Council an opportunity to approve a reimbursement agreement. And what that reimbursement agreement would be for was really to complete finishing touches of a new facility designated for a nonprofit center that will be transferred to the city. So, some years ago, it's been many years, the city approved the lumber yard development site, which is across from the community center included realignment of depot street. The whole remake of the area. When that project was approved 1 of the commitments. That was made was to develop a small office space below some of the housing directly across from the community center. That would be transferred to the city. Now, how that came about is some years ago, the city actually redeveloped the Friendly Inn into a nonprofit center. So the Friendly Inn is a building owned by the city on Crest Avenue, which now houses the Boys and Girls Club. So we had a nonprofit center that was there. We had a half a dozen nonprofits that were in there in various capacities. But as the Boys and Girls Club outgrew their space, which is a little El Toro Youth Center on the corner right by 7-Eleven on Crest, they needed more space and had a much more active, useful activity and program to move into the community. the larger Friendly Inn on Crest. So the council approved them moving to Crest, to the Friendly Inn on Crest. So the Boys and Girls Club moved into there. At that time, what we did is we worked with the nonprofits that were there to relocate them. So multiple nonprofits, including... Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous moved into the smaller building, which was then we partnered with Community Christian to operate that. And those nonprofits are still in that space. We actually relocated other nonprofits over to the portable buildings that are right behind you if you went out in the building which we call the villas and those buildings have been around for a very very long time. Also mentioned when we put them in many years ago they were used to begin with and so those buildings are basically kind of failing. Now with that said most of the tenants in the villas have moved out but we still have one tenant there which is the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency. So what we have been trying to do for a good amount of time is to clear those spaces because they are in a condition as a temporary building that they're not something we can really repair and renovate. They would need to be replaced, which obviously isn't in our plan. So we would like to not be pushing money into those buildings to keep them operating. Um, so as this new building that is a commitment from the lumberyard comes online, what we're proposing, um, what we've worked on with the developer over the last couple of months is a proposal for them to complete the building. So their commitment was to provide us a building that was called, uh, that was referred to as a warm shell. So it's kind of like an empty building. It doesn't have lights inside. It has HVAC units, but no ducting to get the HVAC anywhere doesn't have, uh, data to connect computers, no outlets on the walls, those sort of things aren't there yet. All those things have to be put in place. So one of the ideas we had in discussing with the developer was for them to finish that extra work that they're not committed to. And that's what this reimbursement agreement would do. We think it's a good idea because it would allow the tenant that's in the the villas to move over there right away and also set up the space for future nonprofits to move in quicker. The really good thing about the Habitat agency moving over there, it would help us in our cost recovery because they will pay market rate. They've paid... Market rate for what those buildings are worth over here they'll pay market rate at the new building so it'll be a helpful helpful for us as a base for the nonprofit Center to have someone paying the full full market rate. So after they move in they would take approximately half the space, the other half the space, we still need to work on. You know, a policy and program to put out to make that space available for nonprofits those future leases for actually the habitat agency, as well as. Any future nonprofits would have to come back to the council for review and approval. We just started looking at this opportunity as the developer finishes up the building there to take advantage of that because they have done the design and construction. So they can take that knowledge and quickly get this up to speed at what we think is a cost lower than what we'd pay if we had to go out and hire a separate architect and then a separate contractor. construction company to build it, which would be a design bid build that we would do. We think we'd pay much more and it would take us a lot longer to get the space open. So the reimbursement agreement is for $400,000. And It would be funded from the Recreation Center Impact Fund when that's actually one of the projects that was listed, the redo the nonprofit center when we put that impact feedback in place so many years ago. So it'll be coming kind of full circle as that was one of the early ones. And just kind of give you a preview on what we want to do with that site. It will be managed with the community center and we will look to continue to support that full cost recovery and generate the as much revenue as possible to reduce the recreation divisions net impact, which has been a goal of the council. So with that, I would be happy to answer any questions and provide more information as you need.

Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Chris. Any questions? Councilmember Liebers?

Just question you said it was a soft shell. So I mean, we're going to put in the lights and the and all that.

Yeah, that's what the reimbursement agreement.

Okay, so we build up the building. Okay, thank you. That's all.

Anyone else? Council Member Martinez-Beltran.

Thank you. Thanks, Chris. I wanted to ask how, first of all, if you could tell us, what is the cost savings

So, I have looked at this, I think we would end up saving hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don't have an exact number, but that would be my estimate to hire an architect alone is pretty significant to build tenant improvements. Even if they're smaller, that's why kind of using the art, their design firm on board would would save us some dollars. We could do want to mention alternatively, the council could choose not to approve this and we would move forward. With the other opportunity, which would be to look at bringing an architect on board to support this work.

So you're thinking 200,000, 500,000, not 500. Okay. Yeah. And then I also wanted to ask who the staff report says that Habitat's going to be in there. Who else is going to be in there?

We are working on a kind of a plan to put out an RFP for nonprofits. So there's no one else designated. Habitat's the only tenant over here. So they would be the only one.

Okay, and how much square footage does have it?

So, in the future space, it would be about half of the 3000 square feet. But what we would also do is have some shared facilities that are outside the 3000 square feet, which is the restroom facilities will be shared with them and then any future nonprofits as well as a shared conference space. Like, we had at the previous nonprofit center. So. So basically, they would share that conference space with other users. So it's kind of we use the space as best we can.

They're having for their office about 1,500 or probably 1,200 square feet maybe?

It's not exactly set yet. That's part of why we have this design component, but it'd be about half of it overall. Okay. Half of the 30,000, 3000, which could be. But like I said, that conference, the shared conference room could reduce it. Yeah.

Right. And then can you tell me how many other spaces will there be?

So that will really be up to us to decide in the future when we put it out there. So it could be all 1500 square feet of cubicles that we could have.

10 different organizations in there or we could have one organization it's to be determined okay so there's no costing on that i'm to understand that latala's architects are going to take that on yeah it's no longer latala but yeah right yeah new developer it was yeah correct okay and then what happens to our modulars

So we're still looking at that. We really want to determine the use that could be used for storage, and we could save a lot of costs by not utilizing HVAC and all those things and really kind of put them into that kind of mode versus using them for the office space. And we think we could save a lot of money, but we're looking at that. No direct plan to pull them out right now.

Okay. That wouldn't be something we'd identify for a new building space for the city?

Yeah. I mean, like to build a new building there was something we've looked at some time ago. We just don't have a plan on any way to fund it.

Okay. And is all of the site, maybe you don't know this. I was just wondering if all of the tenant improvements were going to be the same, but I guess we would have to wait to find out who's in there.

Yeah, exactly. And so what we did within our CIP, we have a half a million dollars. I think this first reimbursement agreement would take care of 90 percent of the tenant improvements for even the new tenants. And when we spend this money and we were spending it from our recreation center impact fund on our general fund, What it really helps us with, because as a tenant comes in, you negotiate those tenant improvements. What it allows us to do by spending that money is charge a full and higher rent versus having the tenants do those improvements. Could also allow that to, which could in result could help our general fund a little bit more.

Okay, excellent. Thank you.

Council member Vega just do you know how much more lifetime those modules have in the back? I mean, they've been around 30 years now. Yeah, I believe so.

I believe. I think they're close to that or 25. I don't remember the exact number. And I know they were 10 plus when they went in. The running joke, I talked to one of the people who retired from here, was when they put in, they thought they would last their five years and 25. So, yeah. So I don't know the exact age, but they're probably 40 plus.

Okay. Anyone else? There being no other questions, we'll go to public comment. Any public comment on this item? No.

Yes, Mayor, we have Doug Muirhead.

Is that microphone on?

Nope. Sounds like something I'll try, Doug.

Hello? Oh, okay. When you sign language, I would have continued on. Good evening, City Council and City staff. For the record, my name is Doug Muirhead. I do live in Morgan Hill. I strongly support the staff recommendation. It was good of the City to offer modular office space at City Hall as a home for the Habitat Agency in past years. Now those modular offices have been in place for over 30 years. Buildings were purchased used when originally installed, and staff notes they are failing and with costs to maintain them increasing. Habitat Agency Executive Director Ed Sullivan has built a small but talented team to accomplish the mission of the agency, which was created and is governed in part by the City of Morgan Hill. It would benefit all of us if the Habitat Agency had more modern offices from which to operate and recruit. This agenda item is to design and construct improvements to prepare the new city-owned nonprofit site at the old lumberyard for occupancy anticipated by this summer, which can then house the Habitat Agency, paying full market rate, as well as other tenants who could quickly move in. City believes having the lumberyard developer complete needed improvements to the new nonprofit center would save the city significant dollars in finishing the facility and accelerate when it would be available for move-in. I'm a big fan of the Habitat Agency. I would like to make their lives better if at all possible. Again, I strongly support the staff recommendation. Thank you.

Thank you, Doug. Anyone else?

There are no more speakers.

Very good. We'll close the public comment. And if there are no other comments or questions, we will go ahead and I'll entertain a motion to approve item four as recommended by the staff.

Second.

Got a motion and a second. All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Athlete. Very good. We'll take athlete. Sure. Any opposed? There being that passes unanimously. Thank you so much. Now moving on to the next item, future council initiated agenda items. Anything? Council Member Martinez-Beltran.

Mayor, I'd like to revisit the objective standards to include operating open space storage and balconies, impact on public health and safety, as well as look at the unfrowning of utilities, please.

Very good. Anyone else? Council Member Liebers.

I mentioned this before. I would like to see a complete list of development projects this company did. So I could look at them and see if there was a need for storage and stuff like that.

Are you wanting that on a feature?

No. Okay. All right.

Very good. Yep. Very good. Okay. There being none, no other business, we are adjourned. Thank you.