City Council - Regular Meeting

I want to give a special welcome before we start to our new city manager. This is his first meeting with us. Sean Sharpentier. He's been here with us for a week and a day now. It's been quite an intense week meeting with our representatives in Congress and our state senators about funding and a lot of onboarding and a lot of, and here on Saturday you were at least at three different community meetings. So welcome and thank you for jumping right in and if you'd like to say a few words before we start.

Yes, thank you very much for the warm welcome and I'm happy to be here and happy to be in the service of the Pacifica City Council and serving the community. Thank you.

Thank you. So we'll backtrack now for our city clerk to do our formal roll call.

Council Member Espinoza. Here. Council Member Beer. Here. Council Member Beckmeyer. Present. Vice Mayor Wright.

Present.

Mayor Bowles. Here. Here. And I'm going to start with a comment that I read at the beginning of every meeting and which is about the public comment process So public meetings are a limited public forum meeting there are rules for commenting at these meetings Comments on non agendized items must address matters within the subject matter jurisdiction of the city and comments on agendized items must relate to that specific item and If comments do not fall into one of these categories, the city will provide you with an initial warning to stay within the subject matter jurisdiction of the city or on topic. If the warning is not followed, the mayor will direct the city clerk to cut off the microphone. And throughout this warning system, I'll be seeking the assistance of our city attorney in identifying comments not related to the agenda item or not within the subject matter jurisdiction of the city. So with that, I'd like to read our land acknowledgement. The City of Pacifica acknowledges that we occupy the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. We honor the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples for their enduring commitment to Mother Earth. As the indigenous protectors of this land, and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. We affirm their sovereign rights as First Peoples and wish to pay our respects to the ancestors, elders, and relatives of the Ramatishalani peoples. Council Member Espinoza, could you lead us in a salute to the flag?

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

And oh, I see her. I want to invite Shawn Marshall to the podium from Peninsula Clean Energy. We have a special presentation tonight.

Thank you so much. All right, let's see if I can get this going here. Thank you so much, whoever did that. Good evening, Mayor Bowles, members of the council. My name is Shawn Marshall. I'm the CEO of Peninsula Clean Energy, and I'm delighted to be here with you tonight to provide both an update on our various activities as we celebrate a decade of service, and also we are here to support item on your consent agenda related to JPA amendment changing our name. So we'll run through these slides quickly and then I do have an obligation right after this so I'd encourage any questions that you might have for me after the presentation. Okay, so to level set for folks who aren't familiar with Peninsula Clean Energy, we are a community choice aggregator in the state of California. We serve the county of San Mateo and the city of Los Banos in the Central Valley. And our purpose is to take over responsibility for the contracting and development of clean power resources to put onto the grid on behalf of our residents, our businesses, our local governments. It is a shared service model with Pacific Gas and Electric that maintains responsibility for the delivery of the power, some of the programs and customer billing so that at the end of the day, our customers are receiving cleaner energy that is less expensive than PG&E. Next please. Thank you, sorry, these build, okay. Alrighty, so this is just a quick summary of our 10 years in service. Over that time, we have lowered electric generation rates and saved customers over $230 million since 2016. That is a number that we are quite proud of and we intend to continue leaning into as affordability remains a primary priority. Since our inception in October of 2016, we have always provided cleaner energy and increasing portfolio of renewable energy for all of our customers. We also invest in local infrastructure. So here in Pacifica, we've done a solar project at the Pacific Civic Center and Community Center. That is projected to save the city over a million dollars. in 20 years, and then we have several EV chargers at a number of your multifamily housing projects. Next slide. For the City of Pacifica, your customers have saved, or your constituents I should say, have saved $5.7 million, and what this equates to is essentially a week of free electricity per year for each household. We have, in addition to the projects mentioned just previously, we have another $2 million in community reinvestment through bill credits, solar system credits, NEM customers, customer rebates, and zero interest loans. Those are $10,000 loans that any of our customers can access to electrify their home. and pay back over five years on their PG&E bill. And then we are well on our way to achieving our goal of 100% renewable by 2030. Next slide, please. When we first started in 2016, we really focused on our core mission, which is making the grid greener, so really procuring power that was substantially cleaner than that which was being provided by PG&E. In the ensuing years, our organization has grown and matured so that we are really now partnering with our local governments and with our customers to help make smart choices around clean energy and electrification overall. So it's been a great journey and more to come. Next slide. So what is ahead? The city of Pacifica has just engaged on a $476,000 member agency energy grant. You all have chosen to use that for EV charging at your city hall Corporation Yard and Community Center. So that is underway. There will be a battery backup at the Civic Center and Community Center solar projects. So that really makes it a complete resiliency and clean energy play for you here. We will be rolling out a new residential solar and battery program that will have preferred pricing for our customers. Continued rate savings, we are currently at a 10% discount to PG&E. And we partner with Coastside Farmer's Market to share information so we have a presence in town. at a number of activities, but most recently, Coastside. Next slide, please. Okay, so part of the reason we're here tonight is to talk about a decision that our board made last October to change our name from Peninsula Clean Energy to Westlight Energy. Want to stress that we are the same agency with the same mission and the same people, but it's just a great new chapter for us. Next slide, please. So you might wonder why we are asking this, and this, as I said, shows up on your consent. And the reasons are, Just really two or three. The first is that Peninsula Clean Energy and the acronym PCE for years has been confused with PG&E, which frustrates customers. It confuses customers. It results in opt-outs sometimes. And so it's just after 10 years of service, a point of inflection for us to kind of fix a longstanding problem we've been dealing with. Westlight Energy is also more inclusive of our entire service territory since we now serve customers in the Central Valley who don't live on the peninsula. And so with that, what we're asking you is to approve the JPA amendment. We're asking that the city help us communicate this change to customers through your website, through newsletters. We'll be in touch with you about that. And then we are scheduled to have a number of really great events to mark our tenure of service. We have a policy reception on September 30th. We will be moving to San Mateo with new offices, so an event there. and a lot of local community activities upcoming. So with that, our last slide is simply to say thank you very much for all of your continued support. I do want to recognize Mayor Bowles for your great leadership on our board of directors, and now here to answer any questions you might have. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Sean, for all that helpful information. I know we have some young people in the audience who care about climate, so it's great for them to hear what you're having to say to you. Council, are there any questions or comments?

I'm happy to ask a quick question. So what I thought I heard you say, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that you deliver cleaner energy cheaper.

Correct.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

So people can sign up with you and do a good thing for the planet and save money.

Here's the beautiful part. people don't have to sign up because part of the way the law is written in our state is that people are enrolled because the city decided 10 years ago to participate. And so customers are automatically enrolled with the option to opt out and stay with PG&E for bundle service if they choose to do that. So they don't have to do anything, actually.

Wonderful. So I also thought I heard something about... some kind of a loan product for electrical upgrades or something to that effect. How would one go about getting in touch with?

So go to our website, which is www.peninsulacleanenergy.com. In July, that'll switch over to www.westlightenergy.org. You can go on and just search for zero percent loans and A one-page application will come up. It is available to all customers. As I noted, it is 0%. It does have to be used for electrification and sustainability purpose in keeping with our mission. And then it is repaid over five years on your PG&E bill.

And then I thought I heard you say something about special rates for solar panels or something. Is it the same process for getting hold of you or is it? Is there a phone number to call for those of us?

That program is not yet. That will be up later this year. It is sort of a reboot, if you will, of a program we had a number of years ago called Power on Peninsula. So what we're doing with it this time is that we've diversified our vendor counterparties, and we are offering a small rebate and then third-party financing at preferred rates for customers who want to do solar and batteries on their households. And so check back on our website. That'll be rolling out. And we'll make sure that Mayor Bowles announces that as well.

I can communicate that when that comes online.

Well, thank you so much for all the great work you're doing in our community.

It is my pleasure.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Just a question. If someone doesn't want to change the, put electrical panels on a solar panel, but they want to use some of the energy efficient equipment or they want to, so what can they do maybe the heater and the stoves and the furnace, those are things that they can also do?

Let me unpack your question. There's maybe two ways to answer it. The first is customers are welcome to use whatever solar product they want to use. So in the program that we're rolling out coming up later this year for solar and batteries, customers choose their own products, and they work with a third-party provider. If they want to finance it under preferred rates, they can finance it through our preferred provider. PCE is providing some of the credit backing for that so that we can access special terms. So that'll be coming actually, Mayor Bowles, to the board soon. You've had a little bit of it, but that's what's rolling out later. What we have now is for that 0% loan, the $10,000 loan, you go on, you do your application. You do have to indicate that you're going to use it to replace a gas stove. You're going to put in a heat pump water heater. You're going to put some of it to solar on your rooftop. You're going to swap out your old appliances for more efficient, cleaner appliances. And you have to provide proof of that. But other than that, it's not difficult at all to get access to that loan.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I have one follow-up question. You said solar on the rooftop. Is that only rooftop solar, or do you also help with ground mount systems as well?

You know, for residents, I'm sure we will do ground mount. For the cities, when we've been putting in, you know, solar on rooftops at rec centers and police stations and such, those have both been ground mount parking lot structures as well as rooftop. Thank you.

I just want to say what a pleasure it is to serve on your board, to know what a big difference you're making in reducing electrical rates for our residents and businesses, for reducing our greenhouse gases. It's really fun to see all these technical contracts that Penn State Clean Energy, soon to be West Light Energy, is purchasing for power and really being forward thinking. And then beyond the projects that you're doing, you've already given us advice on our reach codes so we can try to be even more progressive and meeting our greenhouse gas reduction targets as a city. And I know you've got advice coming that I'm hoping we're going to take advantage of soon for fleet electrification, too. So the state is starting to require governments to have a certain percentage of vehicles be electric. and or hybrids. So you're such a great resource. Thank you so much for being here tonight, Shawn. We love it. And for your excellent staff and team. Thank you.

All right. Have a great evening, everybody. Thank you so much.

And I should open up for public comment if anybody has, I don't have any cards for the item. I don't see any room. Is there anyone online? Okay, I'll close public comment. Thank you again.

If you all will forgive me, I'm going to head out, but I will follow up tomorrow on the result. Okay, great. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Okay, and that brings us, we have a few proclamations here. here tonight. So, and I see some of our emergency responders here. So the first one, so we're going to share the load a little bit between council members so I don't have to read them all. So we'll start with Greg reading the Proclamation for Wildfire Preparedness.

GREG BRUDNICKI- Proclamation of the City of Pacifica in recognition of wildfire the Wildfire Preparedness Month, May 2026, whereas in California, over 2 million homes are at risk of wildfire, and whereas last year alone, 8,036 wildfires burned 525,223 acres across the state, destroying over 17,000 homes, and whereas 95% of all wildfires are human caused mostly with careless acts resulting in wildfire disasters every year and whereas each year more people move into wild land urban interface areas on the edge of open spaces increasing the risk and the need to raise awareness among our citizens on how they can protect their property from wildfire losses and whereas In 2025, the state of California, through Cal Fire, produced new fire maps that designated high fire hazard severity zones within local responsibility areas in Pacifica. And in 2026, expedited zone zero requirements to create a five-foot ember resistance zone around homes in high fire hazard areas. And whereas... Genesee's project, formerly known as Zone Haven, has been adopted as a countrywide tool to assist with informed evacuations during wildfire, and we encourage every resident to know your zone before an emergency arises. And whereas the North County Fire Authority encourages fire-safe behavior by all those who live, work, and recreate throughout the City of Pacifica, and whereas each of us can do our part to prepare for wildfire emergencies by taking steps to make effective changes to our homes and landscapes to reduce the risk of wildfire. Now, therefore, our Mayor, Christine Bowles, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Pacifica, and all its citizens do hereby proclaim May 2026 as Wildfire Preparedness Month and encourage all Pacifica residents to increase their knowledge and awareness of proper safety measures to protect themselves and their property from the effects of potentially devastating wildfires. Done this the 11th day of May 2026.

Thank you, Greg. And I'm going to read the Emergency Medical Services Week Proclamation. But while I'm doing that, I wanted to invite Battalion Chief Nick Doyle forward along with EMS Chief Matt Powers. And then we'll take a few, want to come up towards the podium. And then, yeah, I'll read this. We'll have some comments from council members and then take a photo and give you your proclamations. So this proclamation is in recognition of Emergency Medical Services Week, May 17th to 23rd. Whereas emergency medical services are a vital public service, and whereas the members of emergency medical service teams are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and whereas access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury, And whereas emergency medical services fill healthcare gaps by providing important out-of-hospital care, including preventative medicine, follow-up care, and access to telemedicine. And whereas the emergency medical services system consists of first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, educators, administrators, Pre-hospital nurses, emergency nurses, emergency physicians, trained members of the public, and other out-of-hospital medical care providers. And whereas the members of emergency medical services teams, whether career or volunteer, engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their life-saving skills, and whereas it is appropriate to recognize the value and the accomplishments of emergency medical service providers by designating the Emergency Medical Services Week. Now, therefore, I, Christine Boles, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Pacifica and all its citizens, hereby proclaim the week of May 7th to the 23rd, 2026, as Emergency Medical Services Week. The theme of the 57th anniversary of EMS Week is Improving Outcomes Together. I encourage the community to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities in honor of the EMS profession and the essential service it provides.

Thank you.

Would you like to go ahead?

Yes, I'd like to add to that. So, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council Members, thank you. Good evening. My name is Battalion Chief Nick Doyle. I'm here on behalf of EMS Chief Matt Powers who cannot attend tonight. So on behalf of the members of North County Fire Authority to say thank you for this EMS week proclamation and for recognizing the dedication of emergency medical responders throughout our community. EMS Week is an opportunity to acknowledge the paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, dispatchers, nurses, physicians, and support staff who answer the call every hour of every day. Their commitment, compassion, and professionalism make a difference during some of the most difficult moments in people's lives. Emergency Medical Services is truly a team effort, and we are proud to stand alongside our healthcare partners, neighboring agencies, and community members in providing high quality care. This recognition honors not only our personnel, but EMS professionals everywhere who continue to serve with skill, courage, and passion. Thank you again for the proclamation and for your continued support for emergency medical services. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Council members, would you like to say anything? I'll start.

Thank you for all you do. We hear when you're responding because the sirens, and they're not always sirens, but we often hear the sirens. We see you up and down the highway, in and out of our neighborhoods. And lately I've been very observant of so many calls for service at our senior living areas. And so in addition to all that was stated in terms of what you provide, you're also making Pacifica safer and healthier for people to age in place. And thank you for that, because as an age-friendly city, working to improve in every way we can around those goals, you're already doing it. And we're very grateful for that. And I personally am very grateful for your services, because I had an incident last year. went they didn't come to me I went to them because station 72 is right around the corner from my house well not right but pretty close I was my husband was taking me to the ER and I told him go to the fire station I don't think I can make it to the ER so that you were as responsive as you were right there in the parking lot. And it was quite scary. It all worked out. It was all fine. But the way you handled me freaking out, and I couldn't help my husband, who was freaking out. And when the language was used, now he doesn't watch as much ER TV as I do. So when the language was used about we think we need a bus, He literally was like a bus, and he told me later, I thought, you know what that means. I know what that means. That means an ambulance, in case you don't know. And it was just a scary moment for us. And you took care of me, and you took care of him, and we are very grateful. Thank you. Thank you all.

Of course. Glad to hear that you're doing okay. You know, we have a dedicated, you know, professional firefighters here in Pacifica and, you know, always strive to give the best service to all the citizens. So I'm glad you had a good experience in a moment of, you know. Terror. Terror.

Val used the word. Thank you.

I mean, I don't think we can say thank you enough. I'm sure we've all had some kind of experience where you've helped us and helped our neighbors and helped our neighborhoods and helped our schools and our family. So, yeah, there really isn't a whole lot to say except for thank you over and over again.

None of us meet you on our best day, but you guys are always there at the ready for us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I can't tell you how much better I sleep at night knowing you guys are there. Thank you, not just for that, but all that you do to make us all safer and better off. Thank you.

I have to say something that someone shared with me on Saturday. And he was talking to me that he has some attacks and he didn't know what he was doing. And he found blood. during that time that you guys were helping. I was like, who was that blood? And he said it was the paramedic. And I was like, oh my God, didn't they take you to jail? And I feel like you guys do a lot for people because you don't know what you're going to face when you go for a call. And I really appreciate that. And I was telling him, look, we help you. We're doing the services. So this guy came and helped you, and you're here now. So thank you so much for doing what you're doing.

Thank you. I appreciate the kind words. And yeah, a lot of times it's not your best day when we see you, but also take the time to say hi to us and come out and greet us when it isn't that moment. And we're happy to be in the community and give back as much as we can.

Yeah, the last time I saw you at my house, I was in my pajamas because my mom had fallen before I woke up. And I appreciate that you weren't just taking care of her, but you were also giving us advice about the kind of care that she needed, right? That she had just moved in with us from rehab, and it really wasn't the right place for her at the time. And I don't want to shortchange all the work that you do for fire prevention and putting out fires in our city, too. Yeah, the statistics I've heard is that our fog amount at the airport has been reduced by about 30%. And we've just updated our fire maps this year. We know we have some high fire hazard zones. And we just appreciate that you're always ready and that you also provide so much education to the community about what we can do to make sure we've cleared space around our homes and done what we can to prevent the fires from starting and spreading. So it's super important. And as Greg mentioned, there's a great little app called Genesis, G-E-N-A-S-Y-S. Now everyone should get because in the case of an emergency, some of the roads might be blocked. So this will tell you where to go and more information about how to keep yourself and your family safe. So I really encourage you to take take advantage of that. So I think we'd like to take a picture with all of you with the two proclamations. And then we'll let you get on to your work and keeping us all safe. Thank you.

Oh.

So why not go get that?

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

And then our next proclamation is for National Public Works Week. So I wanted to invite Melissa Tigbald and Dan Patton up to the front.

And anyone else in the audience who works in public works, please come forward. Because we want to recognize you.

So nice to see so many of you here tonight.

Yes. Thank you for making it I'm sure your day started very early.

And I've asked Councilmember Beckmeyer to read this proclamation for you all.

A proclamation of the City of Pacifica in recognition of National Public Works Week, May 17 to 23, 2026. The theme is Rooted in Service, Powered by Community. Whereas the City of Pacifica employs over 60 public works professionals, including parks, streets and building maintenance workers, wastewater collection and plant operators, lab technicians, rangers, engineers, managers and administrative staff. And whereas public works professionals focus on infrastructure, facilities and services that are of vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities, as well as to public health, quality of life, and well-being of the people of the City of Pacifica. And whereas these infrastructures, facilities, and services could not be furnished without the dedicated efforts of public works professionals at all levels of our government and the private sector, who are responsible for building, improving, maintaining, and protecting other structures and facilities that are essential for our citizens. And whereas it is in the public interest for all residents, businesses, civic leaders, and other staff in the City of Pacifica to gain knowledge and understanding of the importance of public works and public works programs in our community, And whereas the year 2026 marks the 66th annual National Public Works Week sponsored by the American Public Works Association, and whereas the City of Pacifica will hold an open house for National Public Works Week on May 20th, 2026, and National Public Works Week will be celebrated from May 17 to 23, throughout the United States to acknowledge the contributions Public Works has on our community and our everyday lives. Now, therefore, our Mayor, Christine Bowles, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Pacifica and all its citizens, does hereby designate the week of May 17-23, 2026, as National Public Works Week. and urges all citizens to join with representatives of the American Public Works Association and government agencies in activities, events, and ceremonies designed to pay tribute to our public works professionals, engineers, managers, and employees, and to recognize the substantial contributions you make to protecting our health and safety. and advancing the quality of life for all. Done this 11th day of May, 2026.

Sorry about that, Christina. No, no, you're good. Would you like to say something, Director Tickbaugh?

Yes, thank you. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Council. My name's Melissa Tickbaugh. I'm your Public Works Director. And on behalf of the Public Works Department, we thank you for passing this proclamation today and recognizing our Public Works team as we approach National Public Works Week, May 17 to 23. With me are some of the Public Works staff, people who keep our community running every single day. And this past year has been extra special due to several awards received by the state and regional organizations. Lastly, we'd like to invite you and the public to our Public Works open house on Wednesday, May 20, from 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. at our Corporation Yard, 151 Milagra Drive. Thank you.

Awesome. Thank you so much. Council members?

I mean, where would we be without you? Right? Our city could not run without you guys. So I want you to know how much we appreciate you. And I don't think we get a chance to tell you that enough. So each and every one of you, I appreciate you. Thank you.

You know, it's pretty boring. Every time I flush the toilet, it works. That's because of you guys. You're there for us. When this seawall out here breaches in the middle of the night, it's not us that get the call. It's you guys that get the call, and you're there for us. People don't realize those middle-of-the-night calls. They take for granted a lot of things, and so many of those things are the things that you guys do and do it with a smile on your face and the culture that you've created in your department, and the way you guys work together is just amazing, and I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing that for all of us.

Well, you already say it all, so, but thank you for keeping the city running, even though most people don't see what you do every day. But we do appreciate you, so thank you so much.

It's my fond hope and my goal to get more of you. I know you work, that we are thin-staffed. We are thin-staffed in all of our departments. But I see it a lot in your department. And what I appreciate is the, as Greg said, the camaraderie and the willingness to jump in and help, even when it's not necessarily your area. Because when it's mission critical, it's everybody's area. And I've seen that. I've been down at Beach Boulevard in the driving rain, and it's just amazing to see what you do and how pleasant you are in the way in which you do it. So thank you.

I just want to say an extra congratulations for the work at our wastewater treatment plant. I know it won awards when it was first built. some of the people in the room you might not know, this is a really special system with an ultraviolet disinfection. It's not very many sewage treatment plants that can release the treated water into a creek, you know, with this amazing habitat and right into the ocean. It's really something very special that we should be very proud of as a city. And to have won awards again over 20 years later, right, for the continued operation. And I know it's getting older and it needs a lot of maintenance and it needs new solar panels and We're excited to see some of those projects go together. But yeah, you not only keep us running, but you're also thinking steps ahead to make sure that we stay running. And we really appreciate you very much for all each one of you and all your staff do. And so I know you two have things to do tonight, and you don't all want to stay here. So we'd love to take a photo with you and let you go on your way.

We're going to do it later.

Thank you.

Thank you all for being patient with us. There are always a lot of proclamations in the month of May. We have one more exciting one, last but certainly not least, for small business month. So I wanted to invite Gretchen Heckman up. And, yeah. Oh, is Jenny? Whoever else you want to invite up with you can come up to the podium, too. Yeah, I know there's some businesses here, and I have some cards for public comment.

Come on up, small business owners.

Yeah.

Come on up.

And I've asked Mary to read your proclamation.

Okay. Proclamation of the City of Pacifica in recognition of Small Business Month, May 2026. Whereas National Small Business Month was created by the Small Business Association, SBA, more than 50 years ago. And whereas Small Business Week 2026 is designated as May 3rd to May 9th. And whereas this country's more than 33 million small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses. Whereas U.S. small businesses are responsible for creating more than 1.5 million jobs every year, which accounts for 64% of all new jobs. And whereas when the city of Pacifica was incorporated in 1957, small businesses were the foundation of the local economy. And whereas today the City of Pacifica's nearly 2,000 small businesses play a vital role in the community and local economy, and whereas each small business owner is a brave entrepreneur taking risks and working long, hard hours with the hopes of success, and whereas small businesses support the local economy, employ local residents, encourage youth entrepreneurship, engage in philanthropic and civic campaigns, and contribute to the vibrancy of neighborhoods and the city of Pacifica overall. And whereas the residents of Pacifica are asked to support their local businesses and recognize their contributions and the key role they play in keeping our economy strong. Now, therefore, I, Christine Bowles, On behalf of the City Council of the City of Pacifica and all its citizens, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as Small Business Month and encourage all Pacifica residents to support our local small businesses during the month of May and all year long, of course, on this 11th day of May, 2026.

Thank you, Council Member Beer. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council Members. I'm Gretchen Heckman. I'm the Economic and Housing Development Manager for the city. I'll make some quick remarks for Small Business Month, and then we will hear briefly from some small business representatives. I will start by saying that Pacifica businesses do more than sell products and provide services. They represent the hardworking families and neighbors that make up this great city. Small business owners are truly tireless. They show up early and they stay late. Their storefronts are not just a place of business, they are gathering spaces where new connections are made and old ones are strengthened. These businesses provide familiarity and stability for us all. They kept their doors open through a pandemic, through economic uncertainty, and through their own life challenges. I'll take a moment to acknowledge the regional recognition of one of our truly homegrown businesses, Breakers in Rockaway. Just last week, our region's Small Business Administration, a division of the federal agency that exists to understand small business success, recently named Steve and Robbie Bancroft of Breakers, the regional 2026 Small Business Persons of the Year. Small businesses like Breakers don't just serve this community, they shape it. They give Pacifica its authenticity, its idealism, its quirkiness, and its penchant for hope. As we all know, these are strengths that no one size fits all ranking can measure. So that concludes my remarks, and I'll pass it on to some small business representatives that will say a few words about their businesses. First, we'll have Beth Lemke, owner of Grape in the Fog in Rockaway, and Tyler Martinez, friend and facilities manager of Pacifica Thai Cuisine in Sharp Park.

Good evening. I want to mention first that because of the first proclamation that you had, I wanted to say that I just graduated from the CERT program, and there was another small business there, the folks that own the Chit Chat Cafes. And I just want to say that was an amazing program. I'm glad that it's funded and that it keeps going because it's extraordinary. And maybe it should also be promoted to visitor-serving businesses too because that's good.

Anyway.

So here we go. I always get really nervous and kind of freak out, but hopefully I can do this. You're perfect. So I'm Beth Lemke. I own A Grape in the Fog. We are celebrating 16 years at A Grape in the Fog. More than a wine bar since 2010, we have been a part of so many milestones, births, deaths, marriages, divorces, people moving to Pacifica, and people moving away. During the pandemic years, we discovered just how committed the greater Pacifica community is to supporting local businesses. Now I see some new businesses foregoing brick and mortar altogether and instead participating in pop-up events. Time will tell if this is a win-win for traditional brick and mortar. The years since the pandemic have been difficult, to say the least. for the wine bar and we are not out of the dark. I am proud of what I've created together with my staff and loyal customers. Back when I was opening the bar, I took advantage of all the help I could get, including the city of Pacifica, that was always helpful. put an exclamation point after that, as well as the SBDC and the Renaissance Center. After 16 years, you would think that I'm a pro at running my business. The reality is that nothing prepares you for owning a business in a coastal bedroom community. This business environment is like no other. And I want to point out, or let you know that on page 21 of this month's Coastside Magazine, there's a really nice article about us, and I think I am far more articulate in that article. So maybe you'll get a chance to read it. Thanks.

How's it going, everyone?

Could we ask you to speak in the microphone? Because it's on the recording as well.

Sorry, this is my first time.

No, perfect. You're perfect. Thank you so much for being here.

So we are with Pacifica Thai Cuisine. This is the star of the show, the owner right here. My name is Tyler Martinez. I'm the facility manager. So we're located at 1966 Francisco Boulevard. That's on the corner of Francisco Boulevard and San Jose Avenue. So I just want to give you some back story on this. Pacifica Thai cuisine has been a staple in our community for over 38 years. Joy and Tom Lawapati founded Pacifica Thai Cuisine in 1989 to follow their dreams of serving fresh and culturally accurate and original food from their homeland to the people of Pacifica and the Bay Area. Our founder, Tom, unfortunately passed away on April 22nd of this year. We're heartbroken, but we'll continue to carry on his legacy and have plans to keep the restaurant operating long into the future. Yeah, it's really sad he passed. Got a picture of him I'd like to show real quick. This is him in the 90s. He's a real handsome guy. Halfway. And this is shortly before he passed. That's him and I. We had some laughs that day. It was good. It was fun. Yeah, we miss him dearly. Pacifica-type cuisine has always been a family-owned and operated business that offers a warm, friendly, and inclusive environment for all to enjoy. Our restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. We serve all of our food cooked to order. We have over 90 items to choose from. We have menu items that would appeal to almost anyone. We have classic favorites like chicken satay. It's just like a basic barbecue chicken skewer. We have pad thai. That's a stir-fried rice noodle and some tamarind sauce with peanuts and any protein of your choice. Fried rice with pineapple in it, tomato, if you'd like, any protein of your choice. And many different soups and curries. There's a common misconception that Thai food is really spicy. Any item on our menu can be modified. We can make it not spicy at all, mild, or we can make it so hot that all of us are coughing in the kitchen. For people with dietary restrictions, we have many gluten-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, and vegan options. So if you just ask, we can get you those. Last but not least... We cannot thank our Pacific community enough for their tremendous support over the years. Without their support, we wouldn't have been able to keep our restaurant and dream alive for the last 38 years. And for that, we're forever grateful. Thank you so much for having us.

Thank you so much. And I know we have a, Jennifer's going to speak as part of public comment. which we, you can do it now. Why don't you come do it now? I'm an open public comment.

No, no, it's on this topic.

All right. Good evening. For anyone that doesn't know me, my name is Jennifer Christensen, and I'm the owner of Art Space on the Coast, a pottery studio in downtown Pacifica. First, I want to say thanks to the Council for the Small Business Week Proclamation. It means a lot as a small business owner for us to be recognized this way every year. I'm here tonight because I want to tell you something that's been happening quietly among the merchant community and why I think it matters for Pacifica. In April, WalletHub published a ranking that named Pacifica the worst city in the country to start a small business. I won't pretend that stung. But what happened next is really what I want you to hear. Over 30 businesses so far have signed up together for something we're calling Project 1334. Each of us are creating a special item for sale priced at exactly $13.34, turning the WalletHub ranking into a symbol of where we actually are in the community. For my business, we're going to be making these little bracelets, like a mini workshop. I believe this project has the potential to help Pacifica earn different national attention, not as the worst place to do business, but as a city where small businesses don't give up, where neighbors rally together, and where the community can write its own story. I'm sharing this tonight because we would love the city's support as this project grows. I think it's important for you as a council to know that your small business community is not just surviving. We are organizing, we're creative, and most of us are proud to be here. Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight.

Thank you so much. Go ahead, Robbie, and congratulations.

All right. It's been a year since I've been on the podium because I accepted the proclamation last year. What did I miss? No, I'm just kidding. I was going to say a lot of stuff about small businesses. I think it's been covered. So I'm going to take this opportunity to also thank everyone and thank the SBA and thank the City of Pacifica and welcome Gretchen. and shout out to my dad and the staff at Breakers and also the Shore Shack. And then I'm gonna take the rest of my time to honor Maya's Mental Health Awareness Month. Because if you don't have your health, mental and physical health, you have no small business. So Mental Health Month, the theme this year is what does a good day look like? So if you're having a bad day, or if you want to celebrate mental health, I want to encourage you to ask yourself, what does a good day look like? A good day for me is today. I woke up early. I woke up. That's the start, so we can start there. I got some work done for the business, and that's not always the case. I got to work out. I had a sandwich. I had discovered a new deli. with a friend and I had four hours of therapy One is a dbt class so you learn coping skills and your emotions and different ways to operate in this world and the second one is a Support group and That's a good day because I was showing up at the City Council meeting. I'm with loved ones and and my community. So I think it's important to share what a good day looks like. And if it doesn't look like a good day is happening right now, but this is good. I'm so proud of what we're doing, and I'm so proud of what I'm saying right now. So this is a good day. So of course, we want to honor Small Business Month. Don't forget about small businesses. Don't forget about your mental health. And on a more positive note, well, this is all positive, but it's also National Burger Month also. So in order to support small businesses and support my mental health in National Small Business Burger Month, I need you to support Breakers and the Shore Shack. So I wanted to end it on a funny note. But yeah, definitely thank you guys so much for the support. That WalletHub article kind of stung, but I was on CBS News within two weeks of the article, so Pacifica got more publicity. So there's no such thing as bad publicity. My grandpa always used to say, just make sure you spell our name right. So they got my name with a Y, and they spelled Pacifica correctly, too. So definitely thankful for all this stuff that's coming out of it. We're doing Project 1334. That's why I have the lemon hat on. So looking forward to more content and support from that. And then just keep working on yourselves and supporting each other with all the things I discussed. Thank you to CBS for coming out. Thank you to Jennifer, Ed, Jason, my girlfriend Jen, Was it the Manor Pirates also? And my good friend, Brooke, and the countless others who are hopping on board to this DIY initiative. And I think something beautiful is going to come out of it. And I hope the Chamber of Commerce turns in their homework by the 20th so we can all work together with the EDC to promote Pacifica in the century that it is, not the century that it was. Thank you, and I love you all. Appreciate it. Oh, and welcome. Looking forward to getting to know you.

I have one more card. Anyone else who would like to speak to this or any of the other proclamations, there are yellow cards in the back. I have one more card from Ed Ochi.

Council members, city staff, and our new city manager, welcome. My name's Ed Ochi, and I'm, oh, thank you. My name's Ed Ochi, and I'm speaking for myself, not as a member of any kind of committee or any kind of organization. I'm also speaking not as a small business owner or a business owner of any kind. I'm speaking as a resident of Pacifica. And I view small businesses, businesses, local businesses of any kind, to be incredibly important because that's what differentiates Pacifica as a town from being a suburb. You have to have businesses. You have to have localized businesses in order to be a town. When that WalletHub article came out, naturally being Ed, I started picking the article apart. Ended up with about three pages of notes before I realized, whoa, none of it really mattered because what happens is other media sources picked up just the headlines from Wallet Help. All they picked up was, St. George, Utah was the best small city in the U.S. to start a small business, to start a business. And Pacifica was the worst at number 1334. So it doesn't matter whether WalletHub's methodology was any good or not. The headline is out there. When you start reading it in Yahoo Finance Newsweek, that same line is repeated over and over again. That's not good. This kind of publicity actually causes long-term damage. And the story I tell is the year I moved to town here was the year the houses fell in just south of the post office on Esplanade. They fell off the bluff, they fell into the ocean. And I go, 29 years later, I travel, I talk to people and they go, oh, Pacifica, that's the place the houses fell into the ocean. It's not good. Mm-hmm. So what I'm really happy and really proud to be part of is working with this idea of Project 1334 to see it to spring to life in barely two weeks since those articles started running. We have 30 businesses that have already signed on offering some kind of 1334 tied in special. We're getting out where the website, where the list is, and I think that's really important to hopefully kind of change the dialogue to change it so that we're not the worst. We're actually a city where the businesses and the residents all get together, work together to form a better city. So I hope that other local businesses are gonna join Project 1334 and that members of the community are gonna join in, not by simply buying those 1334 specials, but actually sharing some love, sharing some attention to those businesses that are participating. And it looks like I'm out of town here. So I'm just asking you please, YOU KNOW, PAY ATTENTION TO PROJECT 1334, HELP THOSE BUSINESSES OUT, AND PAY ATTENTION TO LOCAL BUSINESSES SO WE CAN REMAIN A TOWN AND NOT A SUBURB.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, ED. SO, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CARDS. IS THERE ANYONE ON THE LINE? OKAY. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL. THERE WAS A LOT JUST THERE.

YEAH, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD. HI, EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. WHEN I SAW THE ARTICLE, AND ACTUALLY, FIRST, I'd like to honor Tom because why did we like going to the Thai restaurant was because Tom, because he was so funny and he used to give me bags of those, those crack, those, what are they? The shrimp chip. Yeah. The shrimp chips. He gave me candy. Tom was awesome. He will be missed. So thank you for being here tonight and thank you for showing his picture. I appreciate that a lot.

And guess what? On Wednesday night, I went for dinner at the Thai restaurant. I gave her a tip, and she gave me a dessert.

Always generous. And that's how it works, right?

And that's how our relationships in this community are so very important. And for small businesses, of course, that's equally as important. But when I saw that article... I got defensive. And I really wanted to give a comment, which they did quote in whatever their online article. But I'm just going to say a few things now. For one, rating some community as the worst of anything is not helpful in any way. It's hurtful. And there's no ranking or article that's going to show the heart of our city. And the heart of our city is in the relationships that we build with each other and how we support each other's businesses and families and adventures and anything else. It really made me angry because it did not reflect how beautiful our community is. Yeah, it's hard to run a business. I'm not a business owner. It's hard to run a business anywhere. It's hard to run a business here. However, When we keep our relationships together and we nourish them and we shop at all of our shops and we talk to our small business owners and we become friends, right? Because that's what it's about. And so if we continue to love each other, then I think we're going to be all right. So I love 1334. I want a lemon hat. Count me in.

I, too, was a little defensive when I saw that article, but something warmed my heart when I saw that news article and Robbie on there talking about how he knows everybody that's in the store. I don't understand how you get any work done if you're always talking to all your friends at work, but that's the way it feels. When I go to Breakers and I talk to your dad and I talk to the other 15 people that I know there at the time, that is what makes us Pacific Gans. not Pacific Gants. And I'm just appreciative to you all, especially appreciative to Gretchen. She's been a pleasure to work with. And I look forward to us not just moving up the rankings, but continuing to build on the positivity that you all have shown us here tonight.

Thank you. I just want to repeat what someone says.

Pacifica, the city where small business doesn't give up. And we're here to support you guys. So I encourage everyone to, instead of going to Daily City to have dinner, please have dinner here in Pacifica. Thank you.

I don't even know where to start. I was so... Greg knows. We were in Sacramento when that article broke, and I was livid. Because... What I kept thinking about that they didn't know about was how this community came together during the pandemic. and how we produced lists of our businesses, everybody, all the restaurants, how we figured out a way for them to still stay in business, how Green Enchilada stepped forward and worked with the county in providing meals through that program that they funded, and how we survived together. And none of that is a headline. You're right, Ed. None of that is brought forward. Jen and the Seaside Merchants working together with the American Express program, the first year of your business, pulling that together, you are so inspiring. And I just really thank you for your fortitude and for keeping our city a town and not a suburb. Thank you.

Oh, there's so much that's been said that I'm not going to repeat. But I want to give a special shout out to Robbie. Yeah, you were here a year ago. You had no idea what the next year would hold. And it's been brutal. Just as you were about to open your shop. And these medical conditions, no one would have expected. No one would have known. And you have been so brave through all of that. You are Mr. Pacifica. Haven't I heard you call that before? And you're not only promoting your business, but you're promoting every other business in town and our city overall. You know, this award that you've received, we should celebrate, right? You and your dad, Steve, the Small Business Persons of the Year. Not just for Pacifica. Regionally, right? I mean, what a testament that is to you, to where you've been, to how you're getting through every day right now, and to where you're going. And it's really exciting to see your business open and thriving. There's always a ton of people outside. I'm really pleased to see that. for you and for all of your businesses. You feed us, you give us toys for our children, gifts for our families, wine when I come and bring my relatives over for a visit. You bring our community together with our art classes. I know all those little 10 or 12 year olds that were in your shop on Saturday, Jennifer. You bring joy to our community and like Mary said, love in your bringing us together. They always say that any publicity is good publicity. I know I didn't feel like that at the time, but I really love this collective creativity in this 1334 project. We're going to take it back, and we're going to show those expletive, expletive people who we are here in Pacifica. And thank you for leading us all. We're so very proud and so very grateful for each one of you and the hard work it is to open your business doors every single day. So with that, we're going to come up and take a picture.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Alright, we're going to focus on Julia's camera first. Don't look at Sarah's camera. Everyone keep your eyes open. I don't know if you can see this.

I'm looking at Julia's camera. I'm referring out to Sarah's camera. I'm going to look at Tyra's camera and say, Project 1334! Project 1334!

Thank you so much. See you soon. Thank you.

Oh, gosh, no. Are you going to make that motion now? I will veto that. It will be too far for you.

Well, look at it this way.

I'd rather go over it because of that stuff than anything else.

I am so nervous.

If you look at it.

Okay. Okay, I'm going to... Move us quickly to our consent calendar. Do I have any council members who want to pull an item off consent? If I could just please have order in the room. Thank you.

Public comment?

No. Oh, wait. Anybody pulling? I'm not pulling. Okay. I'm pushing. I don't have any cards for public comment on the consent item if you want to speak you can come forward Is there anyone online okay closing public comment?

I move approval of the consent calendar second all right, please vote For the consent calendar with the motion made by councilmember Beckmeyer seconded by vice mayor right the motion passes unanimously with all consent calendar items approved.

Wonderful. Thank you. We've saved some time. And that brings us to general public comment on items that are not on the agenda. We have some very patient people here in our audience. So I'm going to start by calling Jenna Duca, followed by Jerry Duca.

Is there a stool?

Yes, I've told the dad already. Welcome, young ladies. These are two seventh graders from IBL joining us tonight.

Do you get to take pictures?

No, I want to take a picture. Yes, you can.

Good afternoon, Pacifica City Council. We are here from a middle school in Pacifica called Ingrid B. Lacey. We have come to talk about the seriousness of climate change. If we don't take action to slow climate change, nearly 40% of the world's population is projected to face water shortages. To us, the climate is serious and there is no time to waste because we are near the shore. We don't know when the sea levels will rise again, and we can't just wait for the next storm. Climate change is quickly worsening, causing multiple things to happen. Four of those things are rising water and decreasing water, more frequent wildfires, bad air quality, and a decrease in agriculture. Firstly, we'll be talking about the most important bad thing, which is sea levels. Rising sea levels are bad because they can cause permanent damage to land and increase the chances of storm. Climate change causes the sea level to rise due to global warming. Moreover, this causes thermal expansion and melting of land ice. When the greenhouse gas emissions trap heat, the ocean temperature rises, causing the water to expand, also known as thermal expansion. Furthermore, when the sea temperature rises, it also causes ice to melt. raising the sea level. But rising sea level isn't just the only problem. Decreasing sea level is too. Decreasing sea level is bad because it can disrupt coastal ecosystems and they can isolate marine species. Climate change can cause the sea level to decrease due to the gravitational change from melting ice. The ice loses its gravitational pull when it melts, influencing the water surrounding the ice to flow away and increase the sea levels. Secondly, we'll be talking about how climate change is causing more frequent wildfires. Wildfires are bad because they can cause harm to human shelter and ecosystem. Climate change causes an increase in wildfires due to drier climate. Drier climate turns forests into a huge match, causing forests to be more flammable. Furthermore, lengthening fire seasons increases the chance of lightning storms. Thirdly, we'll be talking about how climate change causes bad air quality. Bad air quality is bad because it introduces toxins to the human body, such as ozone and sulfur dioxide. Furthermore, ozone is a colorless, unstable gas that is highly reactive, but it's harmful near the ground because it turns into a harmful air pollutant. Silver dioxide is similar to ozone, except sulfur has a pungent smell. It is produced by burning fossils. In addition, these toxins can cause an average of 6.5 deaths a year. Climate change causes bad air quality due to global warming. It testifies to wildfires, causing the smoke to increase. Warm temperatures speed up chemical reactions that form smog. Finally, warm temperatures trap pollution through stagnant weather patterns and cause bad air quality. Lastly, we will be talking about a decrease in agriculture. A decrease in agriculture is bad because it directly threatens global food security by decreasing food supply, leading to higher prices and heavier reliance on foreign suppliers. Global warming influences a decrease in agricultural production due to extreme weather. Climate change can cause rising sea levels, which can cause flooding. Flooding causes plants to drown, lose nutrients, and decrease immune from pests and diseases. Furthermore, interrupting nutrition uptake and stunts growth, which leads to death. To us, climate is serious and there's no time to waste because we are near the shore. We don't know when the sea levels are rising and we can't just wait for the next storm. If our house were on fire, would we argue over the price of a fire extinguisher? Then why are we arguing over the cost of saving our planet? Ways we can help are reducing personal carbon emissions through energy-efficient home choices, sustainable transportation and diet changes, along with advocating for systemic policy changes. Some impactful ways are switch to renewable energy, increase efficiency, so light your home, drive less, and play cheese. We thank you for listening and having us here. Goodbye.

Thank you so, so much, Jenna and Sherry, for being with us tonight, for all those words. We're not usually supposed to respond, but I just want to tell you that we do, all of us up here, really, know that climate change is a really a big problem we're trying to do as much as we can and and but we want to keep learning from you would you do us a favor and send us an email with your speech so we can really read it and study it because there were some facts that i didn't know about in there that i'm learning new things um and maybe a picture of your poster too um we really really appreciate you being here tonight and being brave and and speaking and patient for all the other things that came before. Yeah, you did great. Thank you so much. Hey. Hey, thank you. Okay, I have two more cards for public comment. If anybody else would like to speak, please fill out a card in the back. Joaquin Jimenez followed by Anita Reese.

Good evening, honorable mayor, council members, city staff, members of the public. My name is Joaquin Jimenez. I am one of the candidates for San Mateo County Supervisor for District 3. Dallas, I've been coming to your meetings almost two years, talking about different topics. And most recent, I've been doing a lot of canvassing in Pacifica, especially visiting the local businesses. And listening to the comments from the local businesses, that's part of my platform, economic mobility and supporting local businesses. That's why one of the reasons I created Rancho San Benito, a nonprofit organization, is to work with our farm workers so they can become farmers. They can own their own business. One of the things that I also do in Half Moon Bay, I organize a lot of events. Events like Vaquero Days, where we invite local vendors to be present. We also do music and vendors. That's downtown Half Moon Bay. And this year we're also going to have a bike and car show with local vendors. So I'm always supporting small businesses. Over the weekend, I was here in Pacifica Manor and visited some of the businesses. And they offer good food. They offer really good stuff. A couple of the local businesses, they talked about things that they need. And that's signage. You know, there's a lot of signage, you know, on Pacifica that is missing. You know, Pacifica coming down from Skyline from 35, that's the gate into the coast side. And as you come down, you know, down that hill, there's no signage that directs you, you know, to what's there. That would be, you know, something that I would do. I know in Halfon Bay we did a lot. We're talking about, you know, doing a signage, you know, that we have the South Gate. It comes here on Main Street by the fire department. But, you know, yes, signage around Pacifica. You have a lot of beautiful things to visit, a lot of nice businesses, you know, all over Pacifica, different areas. But what's missing is the signage. You know, now we'll, that was something we'll do, you know, look into it to promote your local businesses, small businesses. They are, you know, the heart of the community. And I've been enjoying, you know, visiting our local businesses here in Pacifica and looking forward to representing District 3 in San Mateo County. So Joaquin Jimenez, Fort County Supervisor. Thank you.

Thank you. Anita Reese from PRC.

Hi, Anita Reese from the Pacifica Resource Center. And I just want to share a couple of updates. We continue to be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursdays 9 to 5, Wednesdays 9 to 7, and Fridays 9 to 1 and one Saturday a month from 9 to 1. We are closed for lunch Monday through Thursday, 1230 to 130, and our next Saturday office hours are this Saturday, May 16th. We continue to provide groceries weekly, as I shared last time, and we are exploring ways to continue this practice beyond October 2026, which is when the funding that we receive to increase our grocery purchases So we're excited to figure out how to keep that going. The next grocery distribution, which happens once a month, is on the 27th of May at the American Legion Hall, which is 555 Buell, at 555 Buell. If you haven't already signed up for groceries at the distribution, we ask that folks arrive at the American Legion Hall around four. We will provide groceries at that time and then try to get you connected with longer-term services And then our annual volunteer appreciation lunch will be before the distribution. Invites were mailed last week, and I hope that the city manager, new city manager, might be able to stop by and get to know some folks. Our UC, our Unhoused on the Coast outreach team, want to share again that they respond to requests for outreach to unhoused folks in Pacifica through Pescadero every day. Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 9 to 5. So if you see someone living outside or in a vehicle, please email us at ucoutreach at pacresourcecenter.org or give us a call at 650-452-6279. As of today, there are eight encampments in Pacifica. They have 66 individuals. 22 of those folks are in the two encampments that are specific to the Safe Parking Program because it is considered an encampment even though it's part of the program. And then we have 40 individuals who are not living in an encampment. So it's a total of 106, which is slightly lower than the last time that I came. When you subtract the 22 folks who are part of the Safe Parking Program, it's 88 folks who are unhoused. So I just want to share that it does fluctuate from one month to the next or even day to day. And we are trying different strategies to help folks return to housing. And I encourage empathy and... patients as we try to find the thing that works. I wanted to share that we also have our back-to-school program. We're providing gift cards for backpacks and school supplies to Pacifica youth. Enrollment begins on May 27th, and our Pommapalooza fundraiser is on September 12th at the Farallon Room. The theme is homecoming. So please call us at 650-738-7470. Go to our website, pacresourcecenter.org, or email us at info at pacresourcecenter.org if you need help.

Thank you so much, Anita. You pack a lot into those three minutes. Thank you for all you do. And we don't have anyone online. Okay. I'll close public comment and bring it back to council. So I want to make sure we take a little bit of a break in our meeting. So I just want to check in with you all. Do you want to do it now or maybe after the Sam Trans presentation? Yeah, you're okay right now? No, after the SAMTRANS presentation. Okay, so that brings us to our first consideration item, number nine, a presentation from the San Mateo County Transit District SAMTRANS regarding SB63 and the local investment plan. So it says Melissa's going to introduce you, but welcome to the podium. You must be Jessica.

Yes, is there a clicker or do I say next slide?

Good evening, Council, Jessica Epstein. I am the Director of Government and Community Affairs. Also, congratulations on your new city manager. I have worked with him for years. So tonight, I'm doing a presentation on the Connect Bay Area local investment plan. I am going to give information about a potential revenue measure that's currently working its way towards the November ballot. Where do I point? Do I point in a specific? Okay, great, got it. Working its way towards the November ballot as a citizens initiative. And if it makes it there, we're sharing information on what it could mean for the county for local funds that will come back to be spent locally. So here's the agenda. Really the focus of today is on the San Mateo County local component. So a little bit about SAMTRANS, a little overview. So we provide bus and paratransit service in San Mateo County. It's an essential service helping people get to work, home, schools, jobs, and medical appointments. You can see a number of bullet points about our service. I think one thing to really point out is that we are 94% low income and that's 68% extremely low income. We really are an essential service and that's based on that. San Mateo County affordable housing metrics. 80% either do not have access to a car or don't drive for some other reason. And we're also doing very well on our ridership recovery, 98.8%. I would say adults are actually well over 100%. This youth are lagging but recovering. So transit agencies that carry millions of people throughout the Bay Area are facing major operational deficits. And I encourage you to go to their websites. The agencies have been sharing a lot of information on this reality, what they are doing as part of their recovery, but also what it would mean to them if their deficit funds aren't met in the coming years in terms of service reduction and other costs or other cuts. So the Connect Bay Area Act authorizes a 14-year measure. It was passed as legislation called SB63 last year. And it is going towards the ballot as a citizen's initiative. And as a citizen's initiative, that means it would require 50% plus one to pass. It's in San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa. Each county is a half cent except for San Francisco where it's a full one cent due to the size of their transportation obligations. And most of the funding, you can see that 63% is designed to go towards major service cuts on Caltrain, BART, the AC Transit, the ferry, and a number of small operators. But in San Mateo County there would also be a locally administered portion of the funds. And you can see that it's approximately $50 million a year, lower at the front end, larger in the back end. And these are funds that have to be used for public transit in one way, shape, or form, but the decision-making is held within San Mateo County on what that means. So when I say it has to be public transit, what I mean by that is you have your traditional public transit, but you also have, let's say, a multimodal project where it has both a bicycle path and a bus stop upgrade. These funds could go to the bus stop upgrade, but they could not go to the bicycle path component. So there may be projects that you're interested in funding that don't actually fit into SB 63, the Connect Bay Area Act. But we have two other funding mechanisms in San Mateo for transit and transportation. And Measure A, it is the one where we see the vast majority of funding for these local transportation infrastructure and non-transit projects. And that's actually expiring in 2033. So we're looking at kicking off relatively soon the renewal process and considering a renewal in 2028. It is 30 years old now, 2030, actually I'm not sure if 20 or 30, but it's outdated. And we are very excited for the opportunity to go back out in the community and to redevelop Measure A's renewal to make sure we're meeting the modern needs of local communities and transportation. So as you think about projects, there may be ones that are more suited for Measure A than for SB 63, but that is coming. So Samtrans is in a much better position than many other transit agencies in the region. We are... We do not have a 75 to 300 plus million dollar annual deficit. But around 2028, we do hit an inflection point, and that's where we see our costs outpacing our revenue. Just like cities are individuals, the scenarios have changed, costs are way up. And so we do project an operating deficit of around $30 million per year over the next year. So given the nature of our essential service, we do anticipate some of the funds coming in to be dedicated by the SAM Trans Board to helping us with that operational deficit, but of course with an understanding that in 14 years, this measure would only go for 14 years. It is not a long-term funding plan for any agency. So what we have done in the last... roughly eight weeks, is we've spent an immense amount of time out in the community building a local investment plan proposal for the board. We have guidance from the board. We have our two agency, we have, one thing actually that's very important, everything we've been doing is based on past work we've done for Samtrans, past planning work, different studies like our capital improvement plan, as well as our plans in redesigning the network, improving bus stops, transit signal priority, which helps the bus move faster. We've been doing city council presentations. This is our 18th. And final one, one thing of note that we are actually outside of our engagement period right now. There was a request for us to come in after you had your new city manager in place. So you'll hear about our survey and you'll hear about the different engagement we've done. That's now closed. We did a presentation to the board at its May board meeting and we'll be taking a final recommendation in June. I will say Pacifica has been well represented. You have had staff involved in our agency advisory group. Rick Nahas in the audience. He has been a regular participant in our stakeholder advisory group. And I know we have had individuals speak to various council members too individually as you've reached out. So we've definitely been hearing from Pacifica in advance of that board presentation. As I go through, I'll give some indications of what we heard specifically for this community. But I do thank you for giving us the opportunity to get you up to date even though we are in this slightly after So we did a survey. These are all, it was a forced ranking. You had to pick one through 10. And it's really, each of these categories were based on projects we're working on, issues SAM Trans is facing to really understand what the priorities are in the community. And I can just say for the coast, you will not be surprised, but expand access to transit for communities that are currently underserved was one of our primary things we heard. We did get some really positive feedback in Half Moon Bay about recent changes, but both south of Half Moon Bay and up here in Pacifica, we've definitely heard a feeling that Pacifica is underserved, and we reflected that to our board during our May presentation. Well, see, now you see. We're past our phase, we're in May, but June is when the board will be having an action item on how to essentially allocate these funds. And one thing I will say, if you go, I think I just hit the wrong. Okay. You won't see 10 specific categories ranked one through 10. We had direction to consolidate, shrink them down, make them higher level, so you're gonna see many fewer categories than you would on the survey, but we really worked extensively with our stakeholder and agency groups to work through all the feedback, all the inputs we got, Our survey ended up getting 1,800 responses. We had our stakeholder groups. We took extensive notes at each of the presentations and fed that into a giant spreadsheet and really consolidated that information so that what we could present to the board really did reflect all the different inputs. And so this is what we did. It was multilingual. I'm sure we shared it with your staff. And so we're still happy, I'm still happy to take any comments you have. I think, I would say the primary thing we do hear about service up one to San Francisco is slower than you would like, there's less frequency than you would like, and so that has all been reflected back to our board as part of this process.

Thank you very much for being here and presenting tonight. I want to invite council member questions.

Through the mayor?

Oh, yeah, please.

I did prepare a couple of slides for information specific to Pacifica that I would have put in the staff report, but it went out three days after I got here.

You just started. We'll forgive you this time.

And could you go to the last slide first? Okay. So I was looking to see what would be relevant in helping your deliberations So I went to your planning documents and in the general plan, which is fairly recent There's very strong policy guidance for advocating for Sam trans and other public transit providers to improve transit service and facilities To enable trips to be made without use of a car and in particular to advocate for the expansion of public transit services and facilities to improve public access and recreation opportunities along the coast And then go back up to the top. And then I wanted to basically just include how Pacificans get to work. And this is often a key metric. And I pulled these from the census this morning, ACS, and compared them to the county. They do track pretty much with the county, with a couple of exceptions, about 62% drive alone. And I'll put these online tonight. or tomorrow morning, for us about 7% carpool compared to 10% for the county. We have a much higher percentage for those who work from home at 24% versus 17%. And then for public transportation, about 4% commute from Pacifica versus 6% for the county. And then the walking and other means pretty much track the county metrics. And then there's one more piece of information that is no surprise, but it is our PCI. And that is our pavement condition index. And compared, MTC every year compiles a PCI report of every jurisdiction in the Bay Area. And unfortunately, Pacifica gets a score of 50 on a three-year moving average, which is the lowest in the county and one of the lower ones in the Bay Area. And that technically puts us at risk, whereas San Mateo County as a whole has a 71 PCI. And I'll put the sources in this. And I would have put this in the staff report, but just didn't have time. The other sort of consideration, and it dovetails with other discussions we're having, is just the sales tax picture. We are at 9.85 already. And then within that, there are six local sales taxes. There's our measure Y. There's the county measure K. And then there's the measure A and W that Jessica mentioned. And then there are two other transportation ones. There's RR for Caltrain, which is a quarter of a cent. And then Sam Trans has a half cent as well.

What does the city get in sales tax? What percent do we get? From the state or

yeah of the sales tax collected i think we get one cent uh usually it's one cent i would look to finance from the six so there are two components there's a base of state sales tax of seven and a quarter and then uh marisol uh the what share of the sales tax does the city get from the state portion I believe it is the 1%, but then there's also the half cent measure Y.

Thank you so much. That's it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You should come up to the microphone if you...

Sorry, are you referencing the Bradley Burns at 1% or?

Yes, the question is of the state sales tax, what is the percentage we get?

Sorry, I didn't have the percentages up. Do you want to keep going while I'm looking for it? Yeah, I got it.

While she's looking that up, I'd be happy to ask Sam Trans some more questions.

Please do. I do have it now. Sorry, it just took a little bit to get the exact percent. So state, county, and agencies, we got about 8.375% of our 9.875%. So our city of Pacifica total with the Bradley Burns and Measure Y is 1.5%.

So measure-wise, half, and then Bradley Burns, one. Yes. Correct.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

So what does return to source in Sam Tran's vision look like? Is it that $50 million is coming back to the municipalities? Yes. in terms of additional new services or investments or is it something else?

So that is the process we're going through right now is getting the feedback to figure out what it would look like. As I said, some would be reserved for our operational deficit. The board is also very much committed to looking into our finances, our spending, our costs, our revenues to figure out how we can address that. The deficit, we've already done several things, like no new positions in the budget, as well as cuts to discretionary funding. Preservation of service, of course, is the most key thing we're looking at. There are some...

But that's outside of the return to source funds, right? You have additional funding, not just the return to source funds.

That would be within the return to source funds. So there's specific categories within SB63 that fund Caltrain, BART, AZ Transit, other agencies, Samtrans does not have one of those categories. We are the administrator of the funding that would come back to the county. This measure really is about preservation of service and we wouldn't expand in a way that meant we had to cut core service, but it is likely to be a balance between different types of projects, like for instance, Sean mentioned the PCI. There is money for pavement in this, but it is very constrained that it can only go to streets that have fixed-route bus service. So we can't just formula fund out the pavement funding like we do in Measure A under the TA, but it would have to be more project-based because it really has to be limited to funds for... STREETS WITH FIXED ROUTE. I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE MAY BOARD MEETING. THAT IS WHERE WE DID A FIRST ROUND OF THIS IS HOW IT COULD LOOK. AND IT WAS DIFFERENT, I WOULD SAY HIGH LEVEL BUCKETS. WE AREN'T PICKING OUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS TODAY TO FUND. THAT WILL FUNCTION IN THE WAY THAT THE SAM TRANS BOARD NORMALLY DOES WHERE PROJECTS COME BEFORE AND IT ALLOCATES BUDGET TOWARDS IT. BUT WITH THESE FUNDS GUIDED BY ESSENTIALLY A FUNDING FRAMEWORK FOR THE SB 63 SPECIFIC RETURN TO SOURCE FUNDS.

Okay, and what percentage, in terms of your public outreach, you said you had 1,800 responses?

Yes.

What kind of a percentage is that of San Mateo County?

Oh, this is not a professional poll. This is not statistically significant. This is an opt-in survey, so that is a small fraction. of San Mateo residents, but what I can say is as we looked at it roll in from 300 responses to 1,800 responses, the data stayed the same. What was a priority, efficiency, reliability, bus stop improvements, those stayed a priority no matter how many results we got, but that's also why we did the city council and other organization presentations as well as having our stakeholder and agency advisory groups so that we could have a lot of different inputs for the board.

And how do you weigh that public input versus, say, input from city councils?

Well, it was all presented to the board as this is what we heard in the survey. This is what we heard from our working groups. This is what we heard from the councils and other presentations we gave. What I'll say is there was a lot of consistency within the councils and the other groups like the Citizens Advisory Committee and Paratransit Coordinating Council. We definitely heard more about fiscal responsibility and the budget. We heard more about east-west connections and neighborhood coverage and of course we heard the specific coastal issues. This is all presented to the board and trying to balance all the different needs and It is also one of those things that, you know, an individual project may fit into different categories. It's trying, but really trying to be responsive. And again, we saw very much consistency across all the different inputs.

And just from a very selfish standpoint, what is it that Pacifica, or when is it that Pacifica can find out what is in it for Pacifica if we were to support this measure? What's in it for the coast? Do you have an answer for that today as you stand here, or is that future and forthcoming after the meeting on the 3rd?

Well, so as I said, we're not doing specific projects right now. You can't do that thoughtfully in eight weeks. We are planning. It is forthcoming. It takes time. We're going to do a comprehensive operational analysis That's like our reimagined SAM trans that we did to redesign the bus network. We have another one of those planned for a couple years from now. I think that there's been a lot of talk about the need for more, a real deep dive on the coast and what is needed out here. The reality is also if this doesn't pass, we're going to have to reassess our entire network in reaction to that because if service cut is cut from various rail stations, that may mean we have to

We don't have any rail stations.

Right. Well, what I was saying, if the Colmar BART station is closed, we're going to stop sending buses there. But what does that mean for the overall network? We just don't know today. But no, no city is going to – we're not today going to say you get this and you get that. It's a holistic network for us, but we are very aware that in past work we've done, the coastal communities, particularly in Pacifica and south of Halfman Bay, do not feel that we've done enough, and that has been made clear to our board.

In terms of when we built the rail systems, was it not equally measured Pacifica tax dollars that helped fund those things?

I'm sorry, I can't repeat the question. I didn't follow that.

When we built BART, when we built Caltrain, was that not Pacificans' tax dollars that helped build that? And what I'm trying to say is we didn't get much benefit from that. And I guess what we're looking here as you're reaching back asking us for more is that you consider the fact that we have less service than many other communities that have the economic benefit and the transportation infrastructure that makes it much easier for people to commute to the city to get to work. It doesn't take two hours to get there.

So first and foremost, we're a public transit agency. I'm not asking on behalf of SamTrans for you to do anything, vote for anything, or support anything. But if it were to pass, that's what this process is. How do we do that? So within that realm that SamTrans has control over, I can just repeat that we've made it clear to the board that the coast feels underserved.

So if you were me, and you're sitting here, and you're a council person, and one of your constituents comes to you, being me, and says, what's in it? For us, why should we vote for us? What's your answer?

I mean, I can look to the polling data that found very broad support for public transit in general. Our service does connect to BART. BART serves more people in San Mateo County than Caltrain by a wide margin. The Daly City BART hub is a major transit hub, and you do have people who take those routes up to Daly City, up to Colma, and connect into the rest of the network. And then there are funds that would come back into the county, and Sam Trans is looking at how to best distribute those funds, potentially with pilots and other ways for new service, while also maintaining the integrity of our core network.

Okay, so I heard a bunch of potential. I didn't really hear any concrete.

Well, as I said, we're not picking specific projects at this time. However, I would say it is our board of directors who is the one in the end of the day that will direct funds to specific projects. So this is a long-term conversation, not an immediate conversation, or not a near-term, yes, there will be this out there tomorrow, but that's what I can say, is that we're very aware of the concerns that have been raised and reflected back to the board.

Okay, and... Aren't there four existing sales tax measures that help fund transit?

There is.

There's four that fund transportation with a heavy emphasis on transit. Is that not true?

All right, so RR is pure transit. That's the eighth cent to Caltrain. There is measure Prop A, which is a half cent to Samtrans. Measure W is half to Samtrans. So that's a quarter cent, but the rest is transportation, so that funds your bike paths, your highway interchanges, your shuttle programs, things like that. Measure A is a mix. There is funding for Caltrain there, shuttles, and paratransit, but for instance, Samtrans doesn't get core operational funding for Measure A. That's also bike paths, highways, grade separations, safety improvements, all those different kinds of things.

And then in terms of the funding distribution on this measure, Most of it's going to BART. Is that true?

No. The way the funds were determined was really based on service in the county. So BART has a slightly higher percentage than Caltrain. Caltrain is really based on San Mateo being one of three partner counties with Santa Clara and San Francisco. BART, of the three transit agencies specifically funded, BART has, I think, like 4%. I think it's like 27%, and then Caltrain has like 24. And then there's about seven to Muni. Muni actually has 11 different routes that come into San Mateo County. So for instance, the people who take the SamTrans to the Daly City Transit Center, they may actually be transferring to Muni to get to jobs or medical care around San Francisco. They may not be transferring to BART. But the majority, 37%, is this return to source funds that comes directly back for local administration.

Is that to fund already existing projects, or is that?

That's exactly the conversation we're having right now that the Sam Trans Board has to determine. It will be at the June board meeting as an act.

So it could be for existing already budgeted projects.

Well, so it will definitely, there will be funds for our operational deficit. and then it will be funds for, you know, we have our near-term budget, which is actually budgeted, and then we have our long-term budget. So a good example is the bus stop improvement plan. I think we've actively budgeted maybe $20 million out of a $100 million plan. So... Frankly, by the time any funds come in, whatever our current budget cycle is will be over. So I'm not sure, like I'm not a finance person, but just in terms of how the cycle, the length of time it would take for these funds to come in versus what is actively budgeted right now or not lined up.

I'm just looking for a reason to be able to say, yeah, Pacificans should vote for this, we should support public transit, and be able to tell them, what are we getting here in Pacifica?

I can say preservation of SAMTRAN's operating service, so existing service, high potential for new bus stops. In Pacifica, we have a bus stop improvement plan. It includes bus stops around the county, and there are potentials for pilots, like Ride Plus, but I cannot guarantee any specific projects or programs because I don't have direction to do that.

Can we take public comment pretty soon and keep asking questions?

I have a couple questions. I can do it on the other side of public comment.

I have two cards, Rick Nahas and then Jessica Shepard. Yeah, if you don't mind just stepping aside for a second, we'll take the comments from I am Rick Nahas.

I live in Sharp Park. For the past nine years, Sam Tran says the coast doesn't deserve better public transit because of low ridership. That's been a consistent message. In the past five years, hundreds of surveys of hundreds of coast-sized residents say They don't take the bus because it takes too long to get anywhere. Myself, it takes me 40 minutes in the middle of the day to go from Sharp Park to BART. I can't even take a bus from the middle of Pacifica, one bus to Half Moon Bay. According to Sam Trans, they only support low-income riders, and that might work when you have a Caltran and BART corridor, but it doesn't work on a coast where we have no regional corridor. 60,000 people living on the coast are a transit geographically underserved community. Now, Sam Trans uses that word underserved community in their survey to mean low income and no car riders. So there's a disconnect. The coast population represents 0.8% of the Bay Area transit communities. The yearly operations budget of the top six transit agencies is $4 billion. That seems like there's $30 million a year that the coast does not get. Petaluma, population 60,000, 40 miles from San Francisco, has regional bus service to San Francisco. Half Moon Bay is 20 miles from San Francisco. Petaluma's operating budget is $10 million. However, you don't throw money at a problem without planning. Here are three Sam Chan suggestions. One, start advocating for the coast by putting the problem that 60,000 people on the coast have no regional bus service on the entire Bay Area transportation roadmap and collaborate with the 26 other operators on regional ways to solve the problem. Two, stop telling everyone the coast has low ridership because it's used as cover by board members and agencies to do nothing. Three, change your policy for the coast to address all residents, not just communities of concern, because a rising tide lifts all boats. Pacifica, for some reason, rejected applying for $400,000 in transportation planning grants over the past five years. So Pacifica hasn't helped itself. But today is a new day. Pacifica has a citizen committee tasked with transportation planning and multiple council members who will fight alongside SamTrans for a change in policies if they choose to change their policies and a new city manager. Next spring, Pacifica is eligible for another $100,000 transportation planning grant. And if Pacifica chooses, they might collaborate with Half Moon Bay and the Midcoast to get $300,000 together. Perhaps SamTrans might commit some funds to dedicate staff to advocate for and facilitate coastal jurisdiction collaboration for regional transit. Thank you.

Thank you, Rick. Thank you, Rick. Jessica Shepard, that's the last card I have. I see one coming. Thank you.

Good evening Council and good evening community. My name is Jessica Shepherd and I am going to do a radical thing by asking you to actually support this initiative. We claim to be these fantastic neighbours along the coast. We didn't put in the really aggressive concrete seawall a few months ago. We did not want that as a community because we didn't want to push that problem down the peninsula. Yet when it comes to funding transit, that we are intrinsically part of the Bay Area and the coastal side community, we question it. We need to be good neighbors in this moment, even though it's not perfect. I understand it's hard on our roads. I understand it's hard on our wallets. But currently, the price of Pacifica gas, according to GasBuddy, is $6.49 a gallon. I think we all know that number is about to go up. And I don't think it's going to come down for a long time. I drive my car into the city to get to work. I am part of that 62%. However, when you need to get downtown, really downtown, or you need to get to a stadium, or you need to get to Santa Clara County, being able to get public transit to these places are important. Whether they're perfect or not, is a problem and it does need to be addressed and community members do need to be listened to. However, that doesn't mean that we abandon our neighbours and we abandon that potential just simply because it is not perfect. My favorite saying growing up was, I don't need you to be perfect. I just need you to give a perfect effort. If I know anything about this community, we have effort in spades. We have voices in spades. I do not doubt that they will not be able to shut us up. However, To completely abandon the idea of having transit, even though it's imperfect and it is hard on our roads and potentially hard on our wallets, that doesn't mean that it's not worth the investment, especially because often Pacifica is A place where people can sometimes feel trapped if they don't have a car. And not having that accessibility, not having that freedom of movement, is detrimental to not only mental health, as we've discussed earlier tonight, but it's also detrimental to people being able to do their jobs. And being able to get into the city and get out of the city is equally important. Because if we want people to come in, we have to first prioritize people actually having that ability. I know it's hard. I know that you have to plan every single bus ride. Trust me, I've been there. But in the end, it is worth it, and we have to be good neighbors. Thank you.

Thank you, Jessica. I have one more card from Sue Degree.

Good evening. Thank you. I totally agree with the last two speakers for sure. And I know you've heard me before. So I have been on council and I have dealt with this public transit thing. And twice now we did get a shuttle to help us out. And it was ridership. And I know that ridership thing is a hurdle, but looking back and trying to analyze everything, why did we get wonderful shuttles? Why did we have great cooperation from the county to have it, poof, go away? It comes on us, if we really want this, we have to shepherd it. I don't know what better word to use than shepherd it. We have to hold the whole thing by its hand with the county to make sure that when we say we're marketing, We really market it. Yes, we marketed it, but believe me, tell you, one time I had to ask where the sign was. It was right in front of me, but it was so small. And so verbal, digital, flyers, you people speaking about it, staff working on it, that piece of getting a shuttle, I think the county would be fine. We really need, not shuttle, sorry, transportation, public transportation. We need it, no doubt about it. The last two speakers spelled it out. The hurdle is going to be once we get it, getting it is one thing, once we get it, making sure it actually works. And what are we getting? What we get needs to be absolutely convenient, convenient, convenient, and timely. and not make people late for things. So I think transportation people know those parts. I'm a teacher. I repeat ad nauseum. Make it work. Make sure that the ridership is there because the ridership is there, but being able to get the ridership on the vehicle is another thing.

Thank you. Thank you, Susan. Is there anyone online? Okay. I'll close public comment. I want to ask a few questions soon.

I have a question about the Ride Plus program in Half Moon Bay. It was a few years ago, not last year, I don't think, I think the year before that, when this presentation was given, an annual presentation from Sam Trans, and I was so thrilled about the Ride Plus program because I thought that's exactly what we need with our little neighborhoods off of the main line of Highway 1. But the answer was we don't qualify. And I found that really hard to accept when there are bus routes that go to the back of the valley in Lindemar that don't run on the weekend. And it didn't seem to add up to me that we didn't qualify if there was no other service being proffered by Sam Tran. So I want to understand more about where that is. I know it was a pilot at the time. I think that's what they said. for Half Moon Bay, but I've heard positive things about it, and I'd like to know more about how does one qualify? Because that seems still to me like a fit for Pacifica.

Sure. So with Ride Plus, we have two right now, one in Half Moon Bay in El Granada, one in East Palo Alto and Belhaven and Menlo Park. They're expensive but popular, and we have been doing some tweaks around the service, a brand new type of service. We learn a lot as we go, and I definitely could see the expansion of that being something these funds could go to. Again, also, it's a 14-year measure, so whatever we commit to for new operations would either have to be a, you know, I think the way you are most likely to see it is as a pilot, that if the ridership doesn't materialize, then it won't continue. But actually, you know, what Sue was saying is very much real. We need the help of the cities and the marketing desperately. We are a small but mighty marketing team, and when I say small, I mean two people. And we do, for that branch, we have other marketers who do other things. But we do hope, like, it works. People love it. They love it in Half Moon Bay. They really love it in East Palo Alto. So it's certainly something we're looking at as a potential for these funds in the future. We don't have resources for mass expansion of RidePlus at this time with our current funding situation.

But it sounds to me, from what you said earlier, that with the return to source funding that's coming, if Senate Bill 63 passes or the half-cent sales tax passes, there would be an opportunity for using those dollars for such a program in Pacifica. Is that accurate?

So Council Member Wright is not going to like the way I answer this question, but there is a potential. We have put it before the board that neighborhood coverage is something we've heard a lot of the desire for, and Ride Plus is the type of program that could create neighborhood coverage. I would say from that coverage concept, it's the best one we've seen in terms of just its ability to get around a community.

I think that one of the things that works well for public transit is critical mass. And what I see being a success with Sam Trends is the support that is given for moving our students around Pacifica. The timing, I know that there's work put into planning routes, timing of routes. There are changes when there's no school during the summer, and then it's a kind of gear up for fall again. And I know this because I work at a school. So I think what I'm hopeful for is an equally creative and energetic look at serving another element of our population in Pacifica, which is seniors. We have an increasing number of senior members in our community. You know, not everyone gives up their car or their car keys, but many do. They still need to get around. The whole idea of aging in place is not to stay put in your house. It's to get around to the community center, to get around to shopping, to get around to go have lunch down with friends or whatever. And I would love to figure out how we enable that kind of mobility in our community Sometimes people say, oh, paratransit is the answer. I'm not sure that it is. I don't know what the answer is. I just know we have a crying need. And I want to make sure that we keep mentioning that every opportunity that we get.

Yeah, no, I totally hear that. There's always, outside the Sam Trans world, there's always the option of applying to our shuttle, or switch hat, the Transportation Authority shuttle program for a Pacifica-sponsored local shuttle. South San Francisco has had a lot of success in that area. Again, though, it's figuring out what's the right loop, where are the seniors located, where do they want to go. But I will also say with the Transportation Authority, we are going to be launching a corridor study working with the cities on the coast about the projects that you've already been working on and how to help them interconnect on all different modes. But, yeah, the growing senior population is very much a real issue here. And the... In Half Moon Bay, seniors are a major rider, and East Palo Alto is the seniors and the youth who do it. It's the people who need all-day transportation of short distance.

Yep, you got it. So now we need to figure out a solution.

And we are very proud of our school service. We put an immense amount of work into that. And we want it here.

Thank you. And, you know, I also work for the school district, the high school district, and so I see young people who are choosing Ubers because if they're in our... after-school program five minutes late and they miss a bus, they're not going to be able to get another bus. So while I'm happy that Sam Trans is proud of their school service, I'm not so sure that it's really fulfilling the needs of our students. And thank you for being here tonight. By the way, hi, I'm Mary. Nice to meet you. I'm sure you know what you're getting into when you came to Pacifica. And I do feel like it was an afterthought. for you guys to come to Pacifica, and you had already gone to the board with information, so that's kind of like we're the very last.

We'll take the blame for that, Greg and I. Yeah, you can yell at us later. We tried.

Okay, I take that back. Thank you.

You're welcome. Can I, on the after-school service, I understand that we get that request everywhere. We simply don't have the resources to run multiple buses after school, so it's either the kids who get out at the dismissal or covering the after-school programs, and it is an unfunded gap.

It is, yeah. And honestly, it makes me so nervous to send young people in Ubers, especially young girls in Ubers. It just does. I'd rather just wait and give them rides. And I know, historically, right, ridership has been low in Pacifica, historically. And I think the only way that we can promote ridership is if we have a decent system to get us places. And so it's like, you know, chicken or the egg. Yeah. So sorry. Sorry I blamed you for something that wasn't your fault. I'll take responsibility for that, too.

Happy to be here now. One other, I think, really missing piece in Pacifica is a connection to Skyline College.

Mm-hmm.

I mean I was just looking at the bus routes today. Myra and I were at Skyline College earlier today. And if you're coming from Lindemar, I mean, God forbid, you're back of the valley and you have to get to the park and ride. But to get from the park and ride, it's an hour and 45 minutes. You have to go all the way to Daly City and then all the way back when you can see it from our roads right up the hill. You can walk faster. Well, you can walk faster. And that is the option in some of the routes that they give you, a half-hour walk uphill carrying all your books.

For the record, I do not want anyone walking up Sharp Park Road. No. I'm just going to state that emphatically. Nor riding, frankly, but that's another whole topic. On a bike, I mean.

And we have a lot of high school students who are taking classes there. Middle college program, right? I mean, unless they have a parent taking them, some of them aren't driving yet. So there really are no other options. There used to be a bus that went up Monterey Road. That's one of the ones that got cut because there wasn't enough ridership, but You know, I mean, it's just crazy to take almost two hours to get there when it's just here. And I was also looking at the, you know, the supposedly fast bus route. So the PCX, right, that goes, well, it goes from the Lindemar parking right and from Valleymar all the way to Daly City as a super fast bus in 23 minutes. But the rest of the northern part of town doesn't have stops, so we have to take the slower buses, and that's where we have more people of color and more tenants, right, who, you know, so it's an equity issue. What else was I going to say? And if we had some kind of shuttle that went from, like, Sharp Park, like, look at Rick, had to take so long to get on his bus. So something maybe from Sharp Park that went to Skyline and then went over to Millbrae, BART, And Caltrans, like, there would be so many more commuters you would capture, right? So, you know, I appreciate that you're going to be looking at the routes. But, yeah, look at all these opportunities that we don't have people riding because we don't have any good options right now at all. Yeah. So thank you.

And we do need transportation. The other day I had to come from my house to to bring my car to the mechanic, and I walked for an hour and a half. I had to rest because I thought I wasn't going to get home. So we need transportation here, definitely.

So how can we as council and the community You know, where should we come to speak? We've missed the survey, or some of us have done it. Not everyone has. You've mentioned the June 6th board meeting. I don't know if that's a good time. June 3rd. June 3rd, sorry. Thank you for that.

I think that's a Saturday. June 6th. Yeah, I mean, that is the next opportunity for anything public is our June 3rd board meeting. We will be taking something for adoption. But the board members are ones who like to discuss things. So that would be your best avenue, I think, at this point, is that board meeting.

OK. And then later on, assuming the ballot measure is successful, then there will be opportunities for us as part of your process to really evaluate the routes and so forth.

Absolutely. So what we'll have on June 30 is essentially a high-level framework of the types of big-picture categories. And we have some, if you look at our May presentation, we have some example projects. Like, for instance, we do have... Ride Plus as something that could enhance and help with the neighborhood coverage. It won't be a specific list of this community will get this or this project or we'll do things like that. That will go through regular transportation planning. And one thing that we do at Sam Trans is we've really built out our community engagement program We partner with community-based organizations. We do extensive outreach in communities. We have our working groups. So any transportation planning that is coming out of this, there will be extensive opportunity to engage and influence the project itself as it moves forward.

OK, great.

Thank you. I believe it's your last. board meeting you discussed, a 5% of the return to source funding going towards pothole money, basically. There's 20 municipalities, 5%. That means like $100,000 per municipality

So that's actually one element of what could be funded. That was a category we proposed as fixed. It was also for cleaning up.

I understand. I just want you to understand what we're looking at when we're looking at return to source funds. We have an $85 million hole in our streets that is in desperate need of attention. We are literally the worst city in the county for streets. $100,000 won't do a block. So for us, it's almost insulting to offer us $100,000. So I would say we're not. I would advocate for a much higher percentage of those return to source funders going for the transportation routes. to repair roads.

So we recognize that this can't be a formula pass-through. It can't just be, okay, Pacifica, you get $100,000. It's going to have to be project-based. But I think the big picture of what you're saying is you'd like to see more money in the fund that could be allocated to potholes. I'll also remind you, Measure A, the renewal of that one is where all of your pass-through pothole funding is coming from. But I will take that note that the fix-it category is insufficient, and you'd like to see more towards Pothold on fixed route transit streets.

Absolutely. And of course, as they've all been saying, more essentially express buses down the highway. On our housing element, we have a number of sites along the highway that are counting on there being public transportation infrastructure that is affecting the number of parking spots we're putting in these units.

counting on you guys and if that transportation isn't there how are those people going to get to work and that's a major concern for us and actually as a follow-up to that and this is where i think we don't really have a plan yet and the money that rick keeps reminding us that we're welcome to apply for um would hopefully be useful um to creating a plan but These developers will have to do transportation demand management planning, and that could go into a shuttle program, is what I'm told, potentially. But we need to kind of identify those needs and have those projects that they can then pay into as they're building their projects.

I just want to be real clear. I really do support public transportation. I want to be able to go to my people and give them a reason to support it, and I need your help to do that. I need it in writing that we're going to do this, not a wish, maybe this, or we're going to look at it. I need a plan that says this is what we're going to do so I can jump on the bandwagon with you. Can you do that for me?

So maybe one of my board members could. I cannot. But all that's to say is I hear what you're saying, We need to do transportation planning thoughtfully. We have been ringing a big bell about Pacifica to the board of directors. $50 million is a limited amount for a limited duration, and we are doing our best at best. There's a negative, there's a dark story to be told. That is not mine to tell, but you should feel free to look out the implications of it not passing. I would say these SAMTRANS implications is we simply don't know what would happen if it doesn't pass because we don't know how that would impact our entire network. So I would say that story would create a fair amount of instability as we figure out what comes next, but I cannot promise any specific projects or funding to Pacific.

I know you're not doing that. It's a board decision. I'm just trying to advocate as strongly as I can. I understand the $30 million Caltrain hole. I get it. I pay a lot more attention than people may think.

And Pacifica has some very strong advocates.

Well, thank you.

Thank you so much for being with us tonight and taking all our hard questions and complaints, but we really appreciate the service you provided.

We'll be back with the Transportation Authority, and we'll be back with future studies in transportation work.

Thank you so much, Jessica.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Thank you. We're going to take an 11-minute break. We'll be back at 8.40.

Recording stopped.

2023 to 2030 strategic plan, mission, vision, values and goals and strategies. I see Assistant City Manager Yulia Carter here and I understand our dear Greg Larson is on Zoom.

So I'll just start. So the item before you tonight continues the City Council strategic plan discussion. and built on the March 7th workshop that the Council held, and subsequent staff follow-up work. So tonight's item is intended to bring back the revised strategic plan mission, vision, values, goals, and strategies for Council consideration, and incorporate the direction discussed during the workshop. So I just want to add, before I turn it to Greg, I just want to add that the process is intended to align the city's long-term priorities with organizational capacity, fiscal realities, and community service expectations. And it's also intended to help provide direction for the development of the 26-27 staff work plan, which staff plans to bring forward on June 8, together with budget considerations. And I want to acknowledge that many of the goals and strategies that will be discussed tonight are directly connected to broader fiscal sustainability discussions before the Council this evening and in the previous agenda items. As you know, we've been discussing fiscal realities for Pacifica for the last six months. And the June 8th work plan and budget discussions will likely involve some difficult discussions choices and trade-offs as the Council works to align strategic priorities with available staffing and financial capacity. And with that, I want to turn it to Greg Larsen, our strategic plan facilitator, who is joining us by Zoom. I see him on Zoom. And he will work us through proposed updates and guide tonight's discussion.

Thank you very much, Assistant City Manager Yulia Carter, and also welcome Sean. I had the great fortune of working with Sean back in East Palo Alto many, many moons ago on somewhat similar issues. So this is a little bit of a wrap-up to the Council's March 7th workshop you had on strategic planning. and updating the strategic plan. And it's a precursor to the big item that follows in terms of the initial or the next round of budget education and direction. And this kind of fits perfectly just before that. And I will be asking Sarah to advance the slides. And while at the workshop, oh, there it is. You can click through all of them, Sarah. bring them all up. This was the full agenda as modified during the day of the workshop. I'm not going to walk through the full agenda of what you covered and discussed that day because of how much you've already dealt with on this agenda and how much is yet to come. I am really going to focus, unless the council requests otherwise, on kind of the action before you tonight, which is the annual update to the strategic plan, mission, vision, values, goals, and strategies, which was the culmination of your day-long work. However, just to refresh for the public who did not join us, This agenda item starts on packet page 138, agenda packet page 138, if you're following along. And as we've done in past years, the structure of the strategic plan has the mission, vision, values, goals, To achieve, let me reframe that. The mission is what it is the city does. The vision is what you aspire to be. The values is how the city does its work. Excuse me, sir, if we can go back, thank you. The goals is how you will achieve your vision and the strategies are the more detailed actions or direction really on how you will achieve the goals. Then the implementation action plan that Yulia mentioned will come back with the budget because what the staff organization can actually do is so contingent on the fiscal decisions being made that particularly with the challenges facing Pacifica, those have to be addressed in parallel. However, your direction tonight on the goals and strategies, as well as on the next agenda item for the budget, will frame that June 8th discussion that comes back to the council. So with that, unless the council, I will share the council did not direct any changes to the mission, vision, or values during the workshop on March 7th. So those are not proposed for change. And the goals also stayed constant in that there were no recommended language changes. However, some of the strategies that further define the goals were changed, as we'll discuss shortly. One item that the council did re-engage with and re-adopt was that the first overarching goal of this city is to deal with the organizational and financial capacity and constraints, because those have to be dealt with to have any hope of achieving the rest of the goals and strategies, which this council has embraced as an overarching philosophy since you first adopted the strategic plan four years ago. So with that introduction, Mayor, unless council members request otherwise, I'd like to jump right into the discussion of the changes by each goal.

Sounds good.

Okay, so here's the first one and I just need to move the slide so I can see it. The first one stays the same. It's to improve staff retention and organizational capacity through recruitment efforts, retention efforts, mental health and wellness resources for the staff. And I had actually proposed at the workshop that the language of increased staffing for rising workloads possibly be deleted. because of the fiscal constraints discussing by the council. And as the council saw in response to a question that came forward, there was no concurrence on deleting that language. And in fact, still an aspirational goal of recognizing the organization is seriously under-resourced and staffed for the workload demands, as well as wanting to explore novel or unique opportunities to increase staffing as possible. So we did not strike that language based on the council's discussion. So there was a recommendation to delete that final clause, and we reversed that based on the council discourse. For the next one, B, the council... did discuss new revenue sources or modified revenue sources that could come from looking again at licensing for cannabis and tobacco retailers in the town of Pacifica, and those might create revenue or alternative revenue sources. And so I included that here. When we get to the end of the slide, I'll explain what the yellow highlighting means. Next is C, which previously read prioritize implementation of the economic opportunity study. And you've done that with the adoption of the economic development work plan. So as with many of the strategies that you'll see in many of the goals, we've really updated the verbs to be planned for, to do. It's really moving to action. as resources allow, that one of your ceremonial items in the recent media coverage of Pacifica clearly leads to the importance of some of your small business support and work. The next one was prepare the cost allocation plan and conduct the development impact fee and master fee studies. Those are moving ahead, but there was council discussion about explicitly recommending a look at in-house building official and or plan check services that might be an outgrowth from or integral to the cost allocation plan and master fee studies work. And then we'll just go to the last one, E, which was an addition, which recognizing that the council wanted to add in and staff concurred a desire to increase public education about the city's serious organizational capacity and fiscal constraints to make it kind of fit the Pacifica model of we're all in this together, given where you are geographically and economically and in the environmental opportunities and constraints you have. So I am going to pause here and explain the yellow. You'll see I've highlighted a few things, whereas I was going back through the notes, I wanted to accurately reflect both what Elizabeth recorded on the flip charts, as well as what my recollection and notes and understanding were and staff's on what the council discussion was. And it was to include tobacco and cannabis licensing and to consider possible in-house services. I will say as kind of your professional stopping back from that discourse, I did want to reflect this as what the council discussion was that day, but this is where your strategies are starting to get a little granular and it might be possible if the council's willing to move the highlighted yellows to being part of the work plan rather than articulated in the strategy. And following public comment, we may want to just walk back through these slides one more time or any changes the council may or may not want to make to the language of the goals and strategies. But that's what the yellow highlighting means is raising it to the council for consideration of making that part of the work plan rather than an explicit strategic call out. Unless there's questions on the changes I've made here, Mayor, we can go to goal two.

I'm just having a hard time remembering all the details. Maybe you could... Can you just remind me what the tobacco and cannabis licensing meant in a little bit more detail?

Yes, cannabis licensing came up in the realm of... possibly looking at some not necessarily expanding cannabis or tobacco servicing in town, but looking at the newer models that might be out there of cannabis product purveyance via the lounges and on-site consumption rather than off-site sales. And those may create revenue positive opportunities for the city. Similarly, tobacco could be enforcement And no change, and that might create revenue opportunities, or indeed pursuing what other communities have done to possibly increase tobacco revenue. So that is really enforcement on tobacco lounges, but those were exemplars of it's been a while. It might be time to look at those to see if there's revenue opportunities from them.

The tobacco retail license fee.

Yes.

Uh-huh. Great. Thank you for the reminder. Appreciate it.

Yeah. Any other questions on this one before we move ahead? I guess we'll move ahead. Thank you, Sarah. No real changes to this one. If you want to pull all three of them up. I will highlight, we did move the prior C, which was about library, which has morphed over the course of the strategic plan and recognizing that there isn't short-term funding for that project. Council didn't want to drop the representation of the library from the strategic plan because of how important it is for the heart and soul and future of the community, but recognizing it's not in an immediate facilities planning process. So you'll see the library one come back under goal five. So it's been dropped from this goal, but it's not dropped from the strategic plan. The other big change to this goal was on C, where we had a very wordy strategy before, which kind of got into what I felt was moving beyond strategic language. It previously read, complete a facilities assessment and prioritize the city's facilities and equipment needs, including public safety, the community center, and other parks and recreation resources. Her, the work plan staff is implementing that prior strategy by doing a facilities assessment study. And so the reflection back to council was just to elevate that language to complete the facilities assessment study that was previously articulated by council in much more luminous language and recognize that out of that will come the prioritization process as you've done previously on planning projects, economic development, housing element and others. It's kind of the model that's working well for Pacifica as you complete the study or plan and that drives then the priority setting and the targeting thereafter. So those are the changes to this one. It's really the prior library one moving to goal five and simplifying what used to be D and is now C on this page. So I'll ask for questions from council.

I have a question. I would like to add an item. I don't know if it's possible, but I would like to see a bathroom for Fairmont to put it there maybe we don't have the money, but we can maybe move it to another, for another year. But I want it to be on the strategic plan, if it's possible.

And I think following public comment, council member, that would be the appropriate time to bring that up as a change to that slide to see if the council concurs and staff's response to it.

We're not giving direction now, right? This is questions and...

I've made a note of it so we don't forget it, Council Member Espinosa. Could you repeat that? I've made a note here that when we get back to this slide, that's an item you want discussed.

Thank you.

So, goal three, moving ahead, is to prioritize the protection and development of affordable housing. And as the council will recall, we used to have our first goal to be complete the housing element update, which you've done. There's still a lot of work coming out of it, but during the course of my interviews with council, discussion with staff, and then during the workshop, While this goal talked about affordable housing, we didn't have a single strategy that directly referenced affordable housing. And as was mentioned in response to inquiries that came in today, that staff responded to, we proposed at the time that a new goal A, be established to replace the prior complete the housing element update. And this is the language that I prepared based on your request, which is to identify and advance viable affording affordable housing projects. knowing that the definition of that and what's going to be pursued in which year comes actually out of the work plan that the council will see on June 8th. But this is really to provide that higher level strategic direction that this is basically priority one here. And then the next change was on the short-term rental ordinance was to move to fully implement it rather than update in an emphasis on pursuing the completion of the implementation of the short-term rental ordinance. And then for the third one, recognizing that you are ready to move ahead with prioritizing the housing element program implementation, but need to consider including interim housing solutions. And again, that's one I've highlighted that could be left to the work plan or included here based on council direction when we come back after public comment. So Mayor, as I'm doing for each of the goals, I'll pause here to see if there's any questions from council knowing that direction will come after public comment.

OK. I don't see anyone else. I have one about the number three. Because I know we talked about wanting to continue the temporary safe parking program. And I'm not sure if that fits in the category of interim housing solutions. And I'm looking at Anita Reese in the room. Yes or no? Is that a separate thing?

I saw it as part of the interim housing solutions. I mean, it's dealing with short-term housing demand. I don't know how else to describe it. So I saw that as a subject here. And I also saw specifically calling that out gets to a level of detail we don't typically do.

Well, yeah, the issue is in terms of budget, it's a big difference, right? Working towards solutions or continuing a program that we have that's expensive. So, okay, well, we'll put a pin in that one.

Okay.

Any other questions from Council on the Speed? Okay. Go right ahead.

Fourth goal. Oops, there we go. A big one for this city in particular, in most cities, but particularly important given your geography and community import. Pursuing climate change adaptation and mitigation. Really moving on the first one instead of adopting it to begin implementation of it. So that's changing the verbs there, not really the substance, though that is an important next step. B. was to continue the urban forestry plan tree canopy goals inventory and projects. There was discussion that came out of public comment at the workshop about prioritizing refinement of the tree ordinance. language that was called the loophole. I don't think your staff or attorney would call it a loophole, but that's how it was referenced by the public. And to prioritize refinement of that. Again, highlighted as something that could be listed as the strategic part of the strategy or recognized it's work that comes out of the work plan. And so that's an issue we'll want to come back to, especially given likely public comment tonight based on some of the written submissions that have come in. And then last is the third one, which again was a verb change from certify the Pacific Local Coastal Plan to begin implementation of the Pacific Local Coastal Plan. So those are really the changes that are proposed here. I will share that staff has informed me that the urban forestry plan is a project pending council budget action that will move forward in the next fiscal year. And RFP development is already underway for that work. So moving, unless there's questions, Mayor, to the next one.

I don't see any questions right now. Thank you.

So broadened public communications and collaborations, another core value of the city of Pacifica that the council, since the adoption of the strategic plan, has tried to reflect in the strategic plan. No changes here except to move C, which is the library project, from the infrastructure goal that occurred previously to now being here under public communication and collaboration. It's the same language and it's to reflect that the public and community awareness of library projects and needs needs to percolate and mature. to have a successful project coming down the path for the future of the city. Then a new one that came out of the council workshop was to improve coordination and collaboration between city commission's boards committees and city and regional commission's boards committees. And it was just, and I toyed with recommending to you that this really came under A above, but the council discussion was fairly strong at the workshop about this being an important piece of work to make sure there's alignment between the council and its boards and commissions and committees given resource constraints and also effective advocacy and partnership beyond the city. And it's a chance for staff to make sure that there's not, especially with declining and more constrained resource, you know, lots of different directions and that it's all in alignment. And I will apologize for my slide here, cutting off the word regional there under your logo. So apologies there. Other than that, I'll pause here for questions, Mayor.

I don't see any questions.

Right. Then I think that concludes staff report until following public comment, unless the manager or assistant city manager or attorney have something they'd like to add.

Ilya, Shahan, anything to add?

No, I just want to reiterate again how it fits into the budget, the development process. So... The next step for staff, well, once the council approves the strategic plan goals and strategies, the next step for staff would be developing the work program that feeds into the strategies to achieve those goals. And we plan to bring it to you together with the budget options and recommended budget options for adoption. So that is going to be brought to council on June 8th.

Okay, great. Thank you. If it's okay with everyone, I'll open public comment. Then I have two cards right now. Again, there are more cards in the back. Feel free to fill them out. I have Gail Benton Shoemaker followed by Cindy App.

Hello, I'm Gail Benton Shoemaker, and I'm speaking tonight as a citizen. I sent you all an email earlier this morning with a request regarding 10b. It was 10b in the agenda, but I think it was slide four tonight in the presentation. And the request is simple, it's changing B to adopt a 25% urban forest canopy goal, remove loophole language from the tree ordinance, work on urban forestry plan inventory and projects. I'm requesting this change because there currently isn't an urban forest plan and that was the beginning of the previous language, nor are there multiple canopy goals. There's just one. So I am hoping that you will adopt that language. Does anyone have a copy? Should I leave a copy?

We have it in your public comments that you sent in.

You have it. Okay. Also, in April, Council requested a draft for an amendment to the tree ordinance regarding the loophole language, and that is included in the email that you received. So thank you for considering this change.

Thank you, Gail. So Cindy Abbott, and that's the last card I have.

Good evening, Cindy Abbott. I'll echo what you just heard from Gail Benton Shoemaker. In my recommended update to that item 4B, I used a few more semicolons and things like that to separate all of these, but I'm also very interested in having it specify that specific strategy being 25% urban forest canopy and prioritizing the removal of the loophole language. It may seem like a small thing, but right now having that language in there is diminishing our tree canopy. It's moving in the complete opposite direction. And it's two words to take out of two sections of the ordinance. It's not requesting any kind of significant update other than removing those two words, which will also really benefit city staff and commissioners when tree appeals come before us. I'd like to see some of that yellow language stay in place here, the highlights, because when things go into the work plan, it becomes less visible to the public. And transparency is important to get a little bit more of a feeling of the intention behind some of these strategies that are here tonight. And I have one other comment about number five, broadening public communications and collaboration. I went back and forth looking at the word harness. And I understand what the intention was here. However, if you look at the definition of harness, it can often be utilized to exploit, control, yoke, tame. And based on hearing public comment over the last several years, the community hasn't really felt like they've been able to have their voice heard and maybe that it is being controlled and tamed. So maybe consider changing that to engage and nurture, which means growing, achieving, and excelling using all of the expertise here in the community. versus trying to harness it and put a lid on it.

Thanks. Thank you, Cindy. Come on up and then you can give your card. Yeah, thank you.

Yes, I said something earlier, but in looking at the slides, I just wanted to point out regarding public engagement, so really would like to see a focus. I keep hearing more and more that the public doesn't hear about things, and so keep that in mind, even though what we do, you think you're outreaching to the public, but when the public doesn't see it on time. So being focused on making sure the public at large has ample opportunity to know what's going on in a timely manner so that they can get engaged in a timely manner. and I support everything that Gail and Cindy said. Trees, not just because trees are beautiful, but because, you know, the earth is warming, and the trees do two things. They keep us cool, and they also give us oxygen. Oxygen, hello? Thank you.

Thank you, Sue. Is there anyone online? Okay, that all closed public comment.

Oh, sorry, do I say something? Someone is going to bring a card.

Are you coming to speak on this item, Jessica? Come on up. I'll reopen public comment.

It was a bit... My bad. So, again, to echo what people have been saying already, obviously, making sure people have information about events, meetings, committees, all of the things ahead of time. Also, And this is something to consider. People work jobs from business hours of 8 to 5 usually. And so having committee meetings, which I've run into this issue personally with the Chamber of Commerce. Their meetings are to no fault to them. Mondays at 9 AM, I am working, unfortunately. So I was able to present virtually. However, that becomes another barrier then for people who do want to get involved. Obviously, not everything can be solved and not everything can be rearranged and changed. There are reasons why they are the time that they are for sure. However, understanding that that is an additional layer of barrier that has been put there. Yeah, if we want people to get involved, we also not only need to give them time ahead of time, but if we want to engage parents or anyone who's working really, it needs to be at a time that's accessible. That's why these meetings are fantastic because they start at six and not four o'clock in the afternoon or five o'clock in the afternoon. or evening, I should say. But anyway, it's something to consider for those who lead or steer committees or those who are already a part of them, which I recognize that I am not. But it is something to consider if we want to engage folks. We have to make it not only known ahead of time, but at a time that's achievable for a lot of people. So thank you.

Thank you, Jessica. Okay. I'm going to suggest that we pull back up. each slide just to make sure, see if we have any changes or questions, further questions.

And Mayor, what I might suggest is if you're willing and the council is willing, when we've finished each slide, we just kind of get a sense of the council and then there can be a total motion at the end to adopt as changes as recommended earlier.

Okay.

Sounds good.

So let's start with one, if we could, Sarah, just so we're keeping the top priority first, if you could backpedal several slides. Thank you. And then you can pull them all up. So I didn't hear any public comment or counsel Questions about this that weren't addressed, really you have my question for council consideration. Do you want the highlights left in the strategy language or considered as part of the work plan to come back to you on June 8th? Or any other changes you want?

I have a quick question about A, if that's all right.

Sure.

When I read improved staff retention, one of the things I think about is the fact that we pay people on the average 13 to 15% less than their peers in other municipalities. So I read that to include trying to be more competitive. I was just wondering how my fellow council people read that.

Well, I do. I mean, there's a lot that goes into staff retention, and paying a fair salary is one of them. I know we lose people because of that.

And as long as that's considered and included, I'm a happy man. Just want an average number of workers doing an average amount of work for an average amount of pay.

And so just to be clear, the yellow is being requested to move on to the work plan? Is that correct? Because I don't think it needs to.

I'm offering it as a suggestion, but it's clearly council direction. The language is included here because that's what I took as your direction coming out of the workshop was to have the language here. So I believe staff and I felt it was our obligation to give you the language you asked for. I'm just raising in the highlights that if you did want to simplify it, any of the strategies, this would be language you could move to the work plan and have be addressed there.

Because it will be in the work plan anyway, right?

Correct.

Okay, I just think we should leave it, my opinion.

For both, Mayor? For B and D? Yeah, maybe if you have a different opinion about D, but I do like it being called out in B. Yeah, D feels a little like it's very specific, like a strategy and not a goal.

Or, you know... Well, it's a strategy.

The first part of D is more... inclusive, I think. And that's a very specific... But maybe that's the reason it's in there. We want it in there. I'm just saying it could go in the work plan.

I would like to see that part of D stay in there. I mean, we could maybe take out plan check services because it kind of goes in together. But, I mean, this is... important well one we have a building official already right who's only here two days a week right to have someone who's more available to our businesses for permitting to review plans whatever we can do to speed and whenever you're sending something out it takes a lot longer but it's also getting to know someone who really knows our town and who's responsive to what we have so I anyway that's something I think we all there was clear direction on, and I would like to still see that highlighted.

I actually 100% support that with the caveat that it says to consider it because of our fiscal challenges, right? I think it's super important to do that. The hard part is when and what.

Well, And it's an analysis because we're paying for those services anyway through a consultant. So are we really saving any money, right? And what are we losing?

So it's an important... And that will come out in that analysis that we're asking staff to do to try to deal with our fiscal challenges.

Yeah. And that's where, like, I might be willing to take out plan check services because... That's much bigger. That's a bigger job. You get big projects. You know, one person as a building official can't necessarily do all of that. I would advocate leaving it in. You'd leave it in.

Yeah. And if I might add, Mayor, as your outside consultant, in cities that I've worked with both as manager and as a consultant that have had an in-house building official, they... justify kind of a full-time expensing of that by handling some of the plan check services with staff rather than all plan check services going out. So I added that on that it probably had to be there if you wanted to look at an in-house building official.

Well, exactly. Like if there's a restaurant doing a quick TI, right, they could review it in a day instead of sending it out for two months to the CSJ. That helps us. Okay. Well, that sounds good to me. Any other comments on this page?

And unless the council says otherwise, I think the direction is to strike the highlighting.

That's really... No, I think the direction was to keep the highlighting.

I mean to eliminate the yellowing. Oh, eliminate the yellowing. Yes, not eliminate the words. Eliminate the yellowing and leave the words.

Do I have three thumbs up at least for both of those? Okay. All right. Unanimous.

You can have a verbal yes.

Okay. Okay. Please go ahead.

Thank you. I THINK THE CHANGES ARE SELF-EVIDENT WITH THE MOVAL OF LIBRARY AND THE SIMPLIFICATION OF C. I'M HEARTBROKEN ABOUT REMOVING THE LIBRARY, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY FOR IT. AND THE COUNCIL IS CLEAR, YOU DIDN'T WANT IT REMOVED FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN, SO YOU'VE MOVED WHERE IT IS IN ITS LIFE RIGHT NOW.

THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IS CONTINUING AS IT'S IN PROGRESS NOW.

YES. I APPRECIATE THAT. THIS IS FINE.

OKAY. THIS LOOKS GOOD. PLEASE GO AHEAD. YEAH.

ADDITION OF A, MODIFICATION TO B, AND A HIGHLIGHTED POSSIBLE OR HIGHLIGHTED COUNCIL REQUESTED ADD TO C, Oh, you know, I forgot to bring up council member Espinosa on the prior one about the bathrooms on Fairmont Park. I'm sorry to go back there. That was a clear part of the discussion and also part of the closing exercise we did at the council workshop. I'll say, I think staff is probably aware of that as a possible work plan item that may become a budget allocation need I'M NOT SURE UNLESS THE COUNCIL AGREES THAT IT RISES TO BEING A STRATEGY, BUT IT'S CLEARLY UP TO THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION.

WOULD IT POSSIBLY BE INCLUDED IN THE FACILITY'S ASSESSMENT STUDY, RIGHT? JUST THE FACT THAT THERE AREN'T BATHROOMS ANYWHERE ON THE NORTH END OF TOWN.

I think it could be included there. I think it also, depending on the scale of the project that staff would look at for it, if it's a lower scale project, it might be more of a straight budgetary decision. If it's, you know, ground keeping facility along with public restrooms and there's sewer and plumbing and piping, then you're right. It needs to be part of the facilities assessment study. It really depends on the scale of the project that's being looked at. What I remembered from the workshop was more of something sooner rather than bigger and later. But I'll leave that to council discussion.

It seems to me if we're talking about a bathroom facility in a park that doesn't have one at all, it is going to be part of the facility's assessment study, will need to be, because all of what you just listed will need to be evaluated and costed out, right? We've got to bring in the power, bring in the water, bring in the sewer. It's not like there's already a building there and we're just adding a bathroom onto it.

No, there is a bathroom already in the facility.

So is this the park you're talking about?

Yes, but the bathroom is used for the daycare only, not for the public. So it will cost less money because we already have an infrastructure there. Okay, so it is an existing building. Yes.

Well then, in that case, I don't know.

Well, I don't think you can mix kids and the public. No. So... It would still be a new structure. It would still be new plumbing. It would still be new everything, which would fall under the facility assessment study. Well, yes. Which should be the first step in order to...

It is, but the fact that we already have the pipes somehow nearby, it's not like there's no pipes in there, so... it won't cost as much as putting in new pipes and stuff like that. So I would like to see it there. I don't expect it to happen tomorrow, but it could be... I wanted to see it there.

There's another option, too, that I know we talked about with Kevin, and I know Public Works Director Tigbao was just, I think, in South City going to see the example of the throne toilets that's... you know, $75,000 a year cost where they bring in a bathroom and all the cleaning, right, that is probably something more. Bathrooms are expensive, just all the tile and all of that. They're very expensive to build. But all I'm saying is there might be other options that are interim. Short-term? Interim? I think that's getting a little too specific for this, but I do want to see it on the work plan.

Me too. I do want to see it there. And you never know where the money will come. And the park?

What about the park? It's a park. It is a park. Yeah. So, and the parks will be assessed, right? I mean, we're hearing the parks. They already have. Sorry?

That's part of the facilities assessment. So, what I'm hearing is Council consensus is really direction to staff to... include the North End bathroom facility as a work plan item, either under the facilities assessment study, if it's of that scale and magnitude, or as a standalone work plan item, if there's an interim or smaller scale solution, and that's what staff would bring back to you for consideration on June 8th. That's what I'm hearing is consensus for direction. Does that meet your request, Council Member Espinosa?

Espinosa.

Yes, Espinosa.

Yes. If I may chime in here. So my understanding that facilities assessment study would cover existing facilities, not the new facilities. So if the council wants to consider a new facility at that point, so later on the agenda there will be CIP discussion to add on CIP. But again, as several of you mentioned, it is expensive. asset, right, to the community. So we would need to talk about finding more than feasibility here.

Yeah, but the other assessment study I was referring to is the parks assessments because they do list out what parks have bathrooms, right? So we can also have that conversation as part of that presentation from the PB&R committee.

just to understand the equity issues around town. Right, but if the council wants to call out this potentially new facility, so maybe to Mr. Larson's point, you can mention or include it in the strategy. But typically it sounds more like a CIP agenda topic rather than the strategy for the strategic plan.

So is what I'm hearing you say that it's a more appropriate place to put it would be On the capital improvement project list.

Correct. And in the next agenda item, you have a list of funded and unfunded CIPs. And they're all for council's discussion.

But how does a small project, like a $75,000 bathroom, compare to a big CIP of a new bathroom facility in a park that might cost several hundred thousand? Those are very different things if you're putting a CIP something in the CIP.

Well, correct. That's why I said to Mr. Larson's point, if you want to just establish or study feasibility, you can add it here. Alternatively, you can discuss allocation of funding, whether it's 75 or portable or permanent facility, which, again, it's a funding question.

But I think the question of the mayor is, would the CIP... be a proper place to have that discussion for a project that is 75,000? And I think the answer is yes.

Yes. Yes. The answer is yes, absolutely.

We have... For either scale, it could be there. Okay.

Okay. In any case, it doesn't belong here, so we'll come back to it. When we get to the CIP discussion. Yeah.

Moving on. Sorry to go backwards there. or to the affordable housing. So including interim housing solutions I had offered up as possibly that being in prioritizing the housing element program implementation would include interim housing solutions. And by calling it out here, you're, jumping ahead of the overall housing element program prioritization, but that's a council choice. Also, you had the mayor mention the temporary safe parking program possibly being called out or explicitly listed in the work plan under this as well, just so it's not lost, either elevated up or explicitly directed for use. Consideration given it will be a budgetary item that has to be addressed by June 8th one way or the other so Throw it open to council direction Through the mayor, yeah, um, there is a housing element policy H e 10 where it specifies

Assisting nonprofits with providing the types of services and programs that are in temporary safe parking program So the line prioritize housing element program implementation would probably include that by itself I Fear it's gonna get lost And that's go ahead buddy, what are you thinking Mary I

Is this like an exclamation point? You want to leave it in?

I think we need to leave it in.

If I may, I could read the actual language that's in the housing element that the council could listen to, and then if that's not enough, then you may want to put it in here. But this is something that we are required by law to implement.

So if whatever you want implemented is in this, what I'm going to cite...

THEN IT'S ALREADY INCLUDED. BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY THE TEMPORARY SAFE PARKING PROPERTY.

INCLUDING THE OTHER OPTIONS, OTHER SOLUTIONS TO INTERIM HOUSING. THE CITY SHALL SUPPORT NONPROFITS THAT OFFER HOUSING SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS. THE CITY SHALL SUPPORT WITH STAFF EXPERTISE AND FUNDING AS AVAILABLE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFFER SOLUTIONS TO SOLVING HOMELESSNESS AND OR PROVIDING housing-related services for the homeless or at-risk homeless.

And what's the timeline for that, right? Usually these implementation measures had a timeline attached to it.

Yeah, and I don't know if Director Updegrave may know what the timeline is, but I don't have it.

Could I ask staff a question in support of Mary? What's the downside of leaving it in?

No, there's no downside. It's just, you know, creating the language, you know, what is it that you want to include and do you want it to focus on this language or do you want it to be other language? Does the council feel that this language is adequate or does the council feel that additional language in here needs to emphasize this language that it feels adequate or does it feel that this language is not adequate so you want to add another sort of item to the work plan.

So as I'm hearing the language, it's fine. Yes, okay, so we want to support the nonprofits doing the work, which is obviously the resource center, right? And so I don't think that's enough. I don't, yeah. So I think we have to call it out. Like, what is the city going to do? Right. Not just supporting the nonprofit, but what is the city's role in this, including interim housing solutions? Really looking at that. What does that look like, and what is the city's role besides supporting the nonprofits?

So there could be language put at the end of that sentence that said, including interim housing solutions. provided for by the city. Because housing element implementation is already included in the housing element. But that second phrase would be interim housing solutions provided by the city, which is, to your point, different than this housing element implementation, which focuses on nonprofits.

But that would preclude us from working with the county because then it wouldn't be a city project if we were doing something with the county instead.

I don't think you're going to be that precise. We are providing services. We may not be the ultimate funder or we may not be, but we are taking action to create more services for the unhoused. However we may do that, I think it would fit under the definition of The city providing services.

Or we could change it, the city... How about including facilitating interim housing solutions?

By the city.

By the city.

Yeah, like, supporting the non-profits is, I feel like it's othering. Instead of bringing, like, okay, but they're equal partners, you know? Which I've just been pushing for a lot, is to have them at the table all the time. All the time.

And maybe it's not including, maybe it's and. Prioritize housing element program implementation, which already addresses the support of the nonprofits. Support. And then put and.

Interim housing solutions to strike. I actually think that cleans it up a little bit. Following on the city attorney's comment, You, by having this clause here, one could argue you're putting interim housing solutions, the council saying that is the most important thing to move forward with in the housing element program implementation, because it's the only thing in the housing element you're calling out. I'm not sure the council's discussion on March 7th was that robust to make that statement. But it's clear there's a sense of it not being sufficient without it being cited. So maybe the question is, following the attorney's suggestion, that including is struck and it goes to an and, interim housing solutions. And that leads then to the question, probably on June 8th or certainly in June, where does the city want to allocate limited funds? Will it go towards maintenance staffing, or will it go towards safe parking? Or, you know, the council's going to be making choices in June, and you try not to do those decisions in a vacuum, but you do want to have the priority that's required by the housing element reflected. So...

And not just the priority defined by the housing element, which has a lot of priorities, which we may get to, we may not. I don't know if we'll actually get any affordable housing projects built. We're going to try. But this in particular refers to a program that is ongoing that council wanted to continue to make sure that we have something for our unhoused because that is all we have. So yeah, I think, and it will need to come up in the budget discussion. So it's more than something that's buried in another document, but it's something that we're committing to addressing.

So modifying what I presented, Mayor, it would be striking the comma and the word including and putting in the word and. Prioritize housing element program implementation and interim housing solutions. Clearly moving those As priorities, his staff is looking at budget recommendations and the work plan.

I see three nods. Thank you, Greg. That's a good way to handle it. Thank you, Greg.

This is the attorney's idea. I just stole it.

Oh, thank you, Michelle. Okay.

Moving on. Climate change. You had... my suggestion that possibly the refinement of the tree ordinance loophole could be struck. You've had public written and oral comment about recasting this to set a goal. And I think the only thought I've had from looking at this today and kind of where we were with the rainforest plan is unless the council makes financial decisions in June that redirects it elsewhere. The urban forestry plan is likely gonna be moving ahead as staff's recommendation for next year is a priority given the council's prior adoption of this. And then the question becomes, does further adopting canopy goals in advance of the plan make sense? That's not really, how you've done most of your planning efforts. And it might come to the attorney to determine is the ordinance language that's gone through the commission close enough to action that it can just be brought forward in the next six months, or is that a bigger process? In which case, if it's imminent action, then I'm not sure it needs to be listed for the so-called loophole. So the two questions, to be more crystal clear, I'm raising for Mayor and Council, is do you want to follow the public's strong request to articulate an explicit goal now, or do you want to let the planning process lead to what is the appropriate goals for Pacifica? That's question one. And question two is do you let the tree ordinance called out so it doesn't get lost or is action imminent that with council direction that will happen?

How about if we do both at the same time and say prioritizing refinement of the tree ordinance including loophole language or something more specific to make that be a part of it, or part of the canopy plan.

Sue has her light on, so I'm going to click on her first.

I think we need to be really specific about this, or we're never going to stop hearing about it. I think the community has made a very clear, fine point about what they would like to see, so I would like us to spend some time debating that discussion. Because we're either going to do it the way the community suggested it or we're not. And if we're not, we need to have our reasons. So what has been asked for by the community in more than one public comment and more than one time before this body? Yeah, over more than one year. Over more than one year. But specifically with regard to this item, the current language reads, continue the urban forestry plan tree canopy goals, inventory, and projects, prioritizing refinement of the tree ordinance loophole language. The proposed changes to that language read, adopt a 25% urban forest canopy goal Remove loophole language from pre-ordinance. Work on urban forestry plan inventory and projects. So it's very specific with regard to the percent of the canopy goal. It's specifically referring to loophole language and removing it, not refining and it includes the urban forestry plan inventory and projects.

The only thing I have a problem with that is that I think in order of priority the urban forestry plan should be stated first. I'm fine with the language. I just rearranged the sentence in order of priority.

So how would you amend it?

I don't know how I would wordsmith that to do that.

But that's the way it's on the screen, right?

But I think that's the reason that it's first.

Maybe start the urban forestry plan because we're not continuing it quite yet.

Including a 25% canopy goal

Which is standard.

And removing loophole language.

I mean, 25% is standard.

It's like not, yeah. Yeah, and we're not saying how that's done or anything. We have to have long conversations about how that's done, but we're just establishing the goal. Yeah, I don't have any problem with stating that number.

How about what the language they propose? What's wrong with that?

Greg, are you saying urban forestry plan should come first because it's the bigger overarching thing?

The canopy goal is part of the urban forestry plan, not the other way around.

But are you saying because we haven't started the urban forestry plan and it might still be some years before that happens that we can't have a canopy goal then at this point?

That's not what I'm saying.

So the idea of continuing the urban forestry plan doesn't make sense, Christine, you're saying, because we haven't started it.

The work is underway. They're getting a consultant, but we don't... Right. We're currently ready to go out with the RFP. So it's going to be the maturity of public works times will be spent next year on this project. And typically what the plan will provide when it's done, the full inventory of all trees, right? And it's both public and private. So that's, to Vice Mayor's point, that's when you usually set the goals after you have, you know what to tie those goals to, right? So what 25% represents. And what Mr. Larson said, so you have two questions before you. So one is the question about 25% goals. Do you want to set it now before you know what the inventory is and what the urban forest management plan will show as a study? And the second question is, do you want to look at the ordinance before the plan is done?

I mean, we certainly don't want any less than 25%.

I don't think so.

And we're not going to do a complete review of the ordinance without looking at this language that I think we can look at separately because that is also going to take a long time. So, yeah.

Personally, I think we should include 25%. That's what we've talked about. We actually started talking about 30% and it was realized that really 25% made more sense. It's called out in the... Climate action plan as well. And I hear what you're saying, Yulia, it seems backwards or it seems like jumping the gun or a priori coming to a conclusion. But I think the recommendations and the ask from the community has been based on what other communities have done that are also tree cities, et cetera. So, and I believe with regard to the, loophole language, the connection between those two, the 25% and the loophole, is because their interest is to see the two-to-one happening all the time, which leads to improving otherwise healthy trees.

Mayor, if I may jump in here with hearing the council discussion as well as the public comment. I actually wonder if there's a way to given that the consultant work is imminent as well and it's no longer off in the future and it's a nine to 12 month project for the work, so it's in the scope of these strategies. So it would be complete the urban forestry plan, targeting a 25% tree canopy goal, excuse me, complete the urban forestry inventory Plan with a 25% canopy goal and projects. The projects have to come last, but it's kind of, you do the inventory, the plan with the goal you're setting of at least 25%.

Can we say at least or minimum, right? I mean, the number can change as we get the plan and...

So complete the urban forestry inventory... Plan with, and plan with 25% tree canopy goals. And maybe strike the projects because that obviously comes out of it. How are you going to then achieve it? That's part of the plan. I'm not sure we need the projects. And then the question is, how do you handle the tree ordinance cleanup?

I see heads shaking in the audience for the tree people. I think part of the problem is tying the tree canopy goals to the urban forestry plan because, you know, you say nine months, we don't know, right? It could be a long process, a consultant, public input, coming to planning commission, coming to council. What I'm hearing is we'd like to adopt a tree canopy goal now and then continue the urban forestry plan inventory projects.

You know, I'm circling back around to what the public comment suggestion was. I think they've gone round and round. That's how they ended up where they are, just like we're going round and round.

Can we just start with that, adopt a 25% urban parts?

It sounds better than anything we've come up with.

That's why you said it. I think it's clean. It's simple. It's specific. I give you that. It's specific. But I think that's the intent. And I'm willing to move that we do that.

Just through the mayor.

Yeah.

If that is the direction, the urban forestry master plan may prioritize preservation. It lays out a plan, and it may identify preservation areas before expansion. So we may have to come back and have this conversation again.

wouldn't be to say not to have a 25 but it may have different levels of prioritization between preservation and expansion okay and i believe that it's not only the future trees that are contributing to the 25 canopy goal what needs to be assessed is what percent we have now and where do we need to do to get to 25. yeah and if i remember i think we have about 17 now and we're doing

arbor day projects and tree planting and as long as they don't die doing two to one so so what we're saying is we we're working towards that goal you know from now and our heritage tree ordinance will over time preserve more trees than what has happened in the past correct yeah okay as a um i'm sorry go ahead i didn't mean to interrupt you greg I wanted to make a comment on loophole just because it doesn't sound very professional in this lovely document you've created to refer to a loophole. I mean, can we just be more specific? Refine the tree health, you know, definition, something like that.

John Aucott, M.D. : Loophole is pretty specific. Teri Manolio, M.D. : Say it again.

Teri Manolio, M.D. : She doesn't like the word loophole, but what our nicer word, a nicer word for loophole. The thing is, I don't know if we start to water down what we're talking about.

Well, I mean, we have the example of the loophole language right here, right? Otherwise healthy. Otherwise healthy tree. I mean, I would just say defining, you know, healthy tree or defining... Say, remove, quote, otherwise healthy.

I mean, that's very specific. Seems a little bit... fine for a strategy.

No, we don't want to direct something that specific.

You don't want to direct revisions to an ordinance. I think instead of loophole, you could say vague. Vague language. Loophole just means language that isn't clear. It It can be read, it's ambiguous, vague or ambiguous language. Otherwise, I'm not sure what loophole, unless you have specific examples.

I mean, in the public comments, it's two places where it says otherwise healthy tree. So basically, I mean, and there's ranges of what's a healthy tree. So what we're basically saying is if a tree... So if it's that simple...

Yes. There's just like two areas in the ordinance that need to be clarified. That's all that they're being asked. Then prioritize revision to the ordinance to address ambiguities with otherwise healthy trees, right? To address. I mean, if it's that simple, that can easily be addressed, but. Is that the only loophole?

That's the only thing there.

And that was... At the moment, trust me, there will be more. But is this already coming from a commission there?

No. It's coming from the public.

Oh, I thought it had been. Oh, okay.

Mm-mm.

Yeah, but it's certainly being discussed at the parks, beaches, and recreation.

Oh, the connection, Greg, to the commission thing is because the ambiguity of the language is making tree appeals difficult to handle. If that language was made less ambiguous, it would be clearer for the commission that handles tree appeals. So maybe that relates to the commission. So, Michelle, can you say that one more time? Yeah, it was good, Michelle. It was really good. I didn't write it down. Good job. It's late. I know.

I can't remember. No.

It is late.

It would be prioritizing revising the ordinance to eliminate ambiguous language related to... Tree health.

Leaving it at that.

Yeah. I'm sorry. Tree what?

Tree health.

Tree health. Perfect.

Okay. Point of order. It is 958.

Yes. Okay. Okay. I don't know if we'll finish by 11. We had two and a half hours budgeted for the budget.

Two and a half hours budgeted for the budget.

Oh, yeah.

And the CIE. But can we move along? It's going to be 10 o'clock. I know. So we have to tell you now if we're going to finish by 11. I don't think we're going to finish by 11.

So then, okay. So there's nothing that you want to remove from the agenda at this point?

Well, those are the only two things. I mean, the budget is the last thing. But I know we need to...

Sorry? No, we don't need to spend too long on the budget.

So hopefully we'll be faster, but I don't know that we're going to finish by 11. So are we willing to continue a little longer? Because we're on a tight schedule, I think, giving...

I'm willing to authorize until 11.30 to move this forward, and that way we'll have the opportunity at short before 11.30 that if we need to go a little longer, we can vote again.

Is that a motion?

That's a motion.

So it'll be unanimous then. I'll second.

So the motion is to continue the meeting until 11.30. Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, let's speed up. Do we have to vote? Yes.

She told you how to vote.

She did not vote.

But we don't need the five.

Oh, but you didn't vote. You're not voting? Four out of five. Are you not voting? Four out of five. You don't have to vote. Okay, let's move along. Let's not keep wasting time. Okay.

For the vote, just for clarification, Council Member Espinosa, you're abstaining from the vote? Is that correct? Okay. So with the motion to extend the meeting to 11.30 p.m. made by Vice Mayor Wright, seconded by Council Member Beer, the vote passes unanimously.

Okay. Anything else on this page? Do you have the direction you need?

It would be the attorney's language, but sticking the clause up front, which was adopt a 25% urban forest canopy, semicolon, then the attorney's language in lieu of the loophole language.

That's what I've heard from the council. Adopt a 25% canopy goal.

Should we hear it again, or are we good?

Why don't you read back what you have, Greg?

Adopt a 25% urban forest canopy goal, work, or I would even say complete the urban forestry plan and tree inventory, and clarify the healthy tree language in the ordinance.

I'm good with that.

Remove ambiguous language. Prioritize. Okay. RELATED TO TREE HEALTH.

LET'S UNPRIORITIZE.

REMOVE AMBIGUOUS LANGUAGE. I WROTE IT DOWN THE SECOND TIME. REMOVE AMBIGUOUS LANGUAGE RELATED TO TREE HEALTH.

PRIORITIZING REVISING. PRIORITIZING REVISING IN FRONT OF WHAT SUE JUST SAID.

NOT REMOVING?

Revising. Revising. Because it may be removing, it could be adding, it could be, you know, a number of things.

Yeah.

Yes, it could be. The language could change. Okay. Okay. Let's move on.

We're done with this page then?

Yes. More than done.

Okay, next. What happened with the timing on the agenda?

Oh, yeah. Well, it kind of. Okay, point of personal privilege for Maya.

I see. Can someone remind us of the suggestions from Cindy Abbott about the word harness? I didn't write that down. Oh, yeah.

Yes. Her language was to engage and nurture others. So creatively engage and nurture community expertise, advocates, and volunteers.

I was going to suggest.

I will say the word harness was a point of discussion two or three years ago. And then I offered up and the council agreed a couple years ago to differentiate the three roles for the public. There's drawing on the public as experts. There's drawing on the public as advocates. And then there's drawing on the public as volunteers. And you may remember discussion we had a couple years ago with the city attorney that saying, Advocates can't necessarily be experts serving as volunteers because they're wearing hats that inherently conflict. So differentiating the roles becomes important due to public process requirements. But I don't think the engage in nurture language suggested by the public flies in the face of those three pronouns.

So I'm hearing you support using that alternative language.

It's... I don't see any harm with it. I don't think the council's use of the word harness was in a controlling. It was to... engage and nurture it was to have it help pull the organization forward kind of like harnessing the public not to control them but to help the organization move forward and i think engage and nurture do that i think the challenge becomes resource management you know if you're doing significant staff reductions across the organization, there's going to be less staff capacity to do the work, but that's part of the decisions you'll be making in June. But I don't have a problem with engage and nurture.

And I would just say, as a reminder to the council, that you're not creating law here. So these are the council's goals and priorities. And so However, the council interprets harness will be the law of the council. If the council is agreeing with the public speaker who says that harness can be constricting, then you can come up with any word that you want. And this record becomes part of what we call the legislative history so that that whatever term you want to insert in there will be the term as you all define it.

Yeah, I understand that, but someone reading the word might take the interpretation and the dictionary.

Right, then we would be able to come back to the record to determine what did the council mean when they put that. I know, but...

I'll just throw a recommendation out there just to go to the simpler, just creatively engage community expertise, advocates, and volunteers to advance city priorities. Sold.

Yes. Is that okay? That's fine.

Okay. All right. Are there other comments on this page? I have a question.

There was a promise down here at the bottom that Mr. Larson was going to come back next year for item E. E?

So the way I read the last one, D, Improved coordination and collaboration between the city and regional commissions, boards, and committees isn't really between the city and our commissions, boards, and committees.

No.

Do you think that's what we meant? I don't know. What did we mean? Is it just about regional or is it about both? Because we could say regional and local. Regional and local.

You know, I like that change, Mayor, that you just proposed. Between regional and local, that gets rid of the ambiguity. And I think that clarifies it. The council discussion, I don't have those no tread up in front of me, but it was these two prongs. It's about... how do we get our commissions, boards, committees, and council in alignment given resource constraints, but also recognizing all the regional bodies have roles to play there as well. And I don't think given the late hour of the day, we forced the council into choosing between those, they got reflected as both because it was right at the end. So I reflected that here. But I think the language the mayor just suggested does get rid of what could be a divergent interpretation of the words.

I would say one of the reasons it probably wasn't included, because the city includes our commissions and committees. So I think the way to revise it would be between the city council and local and regional commissions, boards, and committees. Ah.

But is it just the city council? It's also the city, right? Like, our police department is involved with emergency services.

Well... But our police department is part of the city.

But the point is, our committees are part of the city as well, just like our police department is. You know, we're all part of the city. All of the departments, all of the committees, all of the commissions. So...

Okay.

You know, and if the city council implements policy, we are required to implement the policy. So it will be implemented if that's what the council wants.

Okay. So you're suggesting between, so adding between city council, local, and regional commissions, boards, and committees. So adding the word council and then adding the word local and regional. That's great. Okay. Let's do it.

Okay. That's clear.

Okay.

Thank you. And now I think we're prepared for a motion incorporating adopting the strategic plan with all of the changes as discussed with each goal, Mayor.

So moved.

Second.

Okay, please finish. Thank you very much, Greg. Thank you. Appreciate you being here late. And I know this is probably the last time we see you. Yeah, bye, Greg. It's been wonderful.

Great to work with you and Sean and Yulia. We should probably do a debrief in a couple weeks, but great.

Bye, Greg.

Thank you. Bye-bye.

Okay. We're moving on to item 11, the base budget introduction and introduction of the 26 to 20 to 31 capital improvement program. And I just want to make a statement that the two and a half hours is And we were supposed to start this at 8.55. This was Greg and I's best guess as to how long things would take. It's not like ASAP plan, right? Conversations took longer on every item. So this is where we are. We're going to try to speed up. But this is a really big, important item for us tonight.

I'll give a very short intro. So this is the base budget, which is a reflection of The current sort of expenditures with, sorry, current services at next year's expenditures, and it includes your recommendations from your prior budget study session. And we're here tonight to get your feedback on both the base budget as well as the CIP items, and we'll be returning on June 8th with some recommendations from City Manager's Office and the departments about how to address some of the challenges that we're facing with some of our structural deficits. And with that, I'll turn it over to staff.

Thank you, City Manager. So we can move on to the next slide. Let me see. For some reason, that clicker is not working. All right. So, good evening again. So, I'm Julia Cardo, Assistant City Manager, and I have Marisol Gomez, Administrative Services Director, and our Public Works team, Roland Yip, and Dan Patton here with us to go over the base budget and CIP plan, and we can just go over the agenda very quickly. So, tonight, we will first review the budget timeline, explain what we mean when we say base budget, and touch base on our methodology that we've been using for the last five years with the city modified zero-based budgeting methodology. And then we will talk through general fund revenues and expenditure assumptions. discuss projected general fund structure, departmental reduction targets, because unfortunately we don't have good news to share today. And we will review the new service categorization framework that we introduced at the last meeting, discuss other major funds, and finally conclude with the proposed CIP program and the next steps in the budget development process. Next slide. So this slide provides a high-level overview of where we are in the budget development process. And again, it highlights the fiscal year 26-27 budget process and key milestones. You can see that tonight's discussion is focused specifically on base budget. And the next major step in the future meetings, Planning Commission review of a proposed 2631 CIP plan for conformity with the general plan is scheduled for June 1. And shortly after, we will come back to you for budget study session number three with the review and approval of proposed budget recommendations and the work plan as we just discussed. And finally, the process will conclude with the Council's formal adoption of the budget during the budget hearing on June 26th, 22nd, I'm sorry. This slide is an important reminder on the base budget methodology that we are using because the term base budget is often misunderstood. And I just want to emphasize here that base budget is not a proposed budget or recommended policy budget. So that's not what we're discussing tonight. Base budget is built upon revised current year's budget. And that's why it's so important for us to bring the mid-year budget review first. And that's technically for finance team. That's what starts the budget process. And so we build the base budget based on the revised mid-year budget. Then we'll take out all one-time expenditures that were approved in the previous year. And we add the new year's assumptions for all the recurring costs that increase no matter what, whether you increase the service or not. And these costs include salaries, benefits, MOU provisions, inflationary factors, pension, and things like that. So what you see before you today, that is NOT A PROPOSED BUDGET, AGAIN, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY INCREASE OR REDUCTION IN CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICES, ANY CHANGES IN CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS, BUT WE DO INCLUDE CIP PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS WITH THE BASE BUDGET BECAUSE WE WANT TO BUILD CAPITAL TRANSFERS TOGETHER WITH THE BUDGET AND MOVE THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ALONE SO THE NEXT STUDY SESSION YOU WILL BE JUST MAKING DECISIONS OVER OPERATING POLICY LEVEL DECISIONS. So the key takeaway from this slide is actually at the bottom in red. So base budget is today's services at tomorrow's cost. The next slide. All right. Thank you. As we discussed during the prior budget cycles, the city continues to use modified zero-based budget methodology. And that method is intended to ensure transparency in the development of the budget process. And it has a tighter connection between the service levels, staffing, operating priorities, and fiscal sustainability. And that's exactly why we are using this methodology, and it's been successful so far. So this slide essentially shows how we do it. We establish the base first. Once we apply all the revenues and expenditure assumptions, we can determine whether we are in surplus or deficit for the upcoming year. And unfortunately, we are looking at budget deficit as we've been already having this discussion over the last six months. So, once this target figure is determined, which we will have on future slides, we will ask all departments to develop decision packages for council's consideration. Again, in the good years, when we are in surplus, it would be most likely service enhancements. In the bad year, like we are facing, it would be service reductions. And we will ask each department head to rank the decision packages based on their priorities. And once all of them are submitted to the city managers who will rank prioritized decision packages citywide, and include in the city manager's recommended budget. And that proposed budget will be brought back to city council for review and adoption later in the next study session. Next slide. And before I turn this to Marisol to dive a little bit deeper into the numbers, I just want to share snapshot where we are at the base budget level discussion. So we're projecting about 53.2 million in general fund revenues. That's less than 1% difference from the revised budget. On the general fund operating expenditures, we are projecting 57.1, which is about 3.5% above the revised budget. Again, very much in line with the most recent CPI projections. So, the structural deficit, well, you can see the difference between the two numbers is about 3.8 million, but we are reporting structural deficit at 2.3 after applying 5 percent salary savings that the council already gave us authority to do, and we are building it in the base, and that ultimately reduced the deficit to 2.3 million level. And we did build in strategies that we discussed with you at the last study session. So, the base budget incorporates all the previously approved strategies related to ERAF, VLF, reserves, economic development efforts, and ongoing cost allocation and fee recovery work that we discussed back in April. Next slide. And just to reiterate again, here's what is not included in the base budget before you. We have no changes to current level of services, no changes to staffing level, no additional funding to advance city's strategic plan. So this work, again, once you just gave us direction for development of the work plan, so it's going to be the next step for all departments to work on the work plan. And obviously, we are not counting on any new revenue measures as well. And with that, I want to turn it to Marisol to just dive deeper into base budget revenue assumptions.

I'm going to go over the general fund revenue and general fund expenditure in a little bit more detail over the next couple slides. As Ms. Carter queued up for us, our revenue projections are $53.3 million for the fiscal year 26-27, and that is a little bit of a dip over the 25-26 amended budget. Some highlighted in red, and I'll go over them. Property tax. Property tax is showing a positive increase after

hardy vendor HDL we are estimating 18 budget at mid-year we always review the property tax for any regarding valuations or current level and we'll provide an update there but that is a strong

category. For TOT, we have a 200,000 or 7 percent. Now, last year we projected some losses in the TOT category of about 1.3 million over the next three years. why this reduction is not as big of a hit this current year, or sorry, in the projected 26-27 base budget. Ms. Carter had did a lot of work, VRBO and HomeAway, to create an independent agreement where they, a voluntary agreement where they remit the city Operators, if they go through VRBO or HomeAway, they don't remit the portion that are owed to the cities. In working in that agreement, we actually have reductions in that category. As a reminder, the TOT category is made up of the taxes from hotels and the STR. of those taxes. So we're incorporating that projection in the updated assumptions for receive payments from and that's why this category is not seen as big of a decline as we had previously projected. Still to note that the STR portion of that is trending downward and so we're continually keeping an eye on that and will of course

TO THE COUNCIL IN THE COMING YEAR. THE VLF CATEGORY IS ALSO VERY COMPLEX. THE CITY IS WORKING WITH

the county and agencies and advocacy and making sure the state pays the portion that they owe the city. But the VLF is made of a base tax and also a shortfall where the state says they cannot pay this amount in a certain year. And then we add back any backfill that's projected.

So the backfill payment very complicated. In this case, the reduction is largely made up of 3.7 million out of that category.

And projection is projected pretty exponentially based on the county estimates. And then we also will hear more. We're in May, mid-May already. We will hear hopefully by the end of the month on where the state falls with that payment. The other category that is showing a reduction is the transfer in some estimates from our gas tax funds.

We have four streets funds.

MEASURE A, MEASURE W, HIGHWAY USERS TAX, ET CETERA. THESE TRANSFERS IN AT 1.4 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THOSE FUNDS. THIS YEAR WE'RE PROJECTING ONLY AT 450,000. ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS FOR THIS REDUCTION IS THAT MEASURE A AND MEASURE W FUNDING WHICH IS ALLOCATED THROUGH reduce speaking with the county the measure a and measure W funds are allocated 50% for miles of roads and 50% based on population and since the city of Pacifica's population has decreased over the last few years our allocation thus has decreased so in projecting some of this revenue flattening or reduction those street funds overall focused on you will see in the later slides through those projects through thus reducing the fund next slide this is just some further detail on the revenue assessments property tax as we mentioned is showing a good increase but it is also good to note that property tax makes up about 34% of our revenue base The property tax base has shown a slower growth compared to other Bay Area cities as we have presented in the revenue generation study sessions. But also looking at the other categories mentioned here, TOT, VLF, they make up about 77 percent of the general fund's other revenue base. So we have a big gap between the property tax portion at 34 percent and then it trickles in on the variety of the other revenue sources. I also mentioned the VLF and just a note there on the 3.7 million shortfall that I mentioned earlier. That number is going to be increasing in the coming year, so we just want to keep an eye on that. And then the budget strategy, too, for the VLF, we did present to you Budget Study Session 1, those budget strategies, and we're just confirming that we did place $1.06 million in THE RESERVE CATEGORY. ONCE WE HEAR BACK OF WHAT THE STATE IS PLANNING ON DOING, LAST YEAR I BELIEVE WE HEARD ON JULY 1ST WHAT THE FINAL OUTCOME WAS. SO HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ADVANCED NOTICE WITH THE OUTCOME FROM THE STATE. HOWEVER, WITH THAT BUDGET STRATEGY, We'll bring that back at mid-year if we do indeed need to utilize it as we did in this current year for $771,000, which is the amount that the state did not pay the city. Again, I spoke on the transfers in category and the Measure A and gas tax funds, and we'll be working closely with public works team in any future projects CIP project just to make sure we're in alignment with those transfers in and what those funds can hold. Next slide, we'll go over the fiscal year 26-27 projected expenditures are $57.1 million. We largely categorize expenditures in these main categories, salaries and benefits, contract services, material supplies and maintenance, and then the transfers in and transfers out. As Ms. Carter mentioned in our base budget methodology, our modified zero budget methodology, we take a look at the amended 25-26 budget and we pull out one-time not ongoing expenditures. You can see in the contractual services and material supplies and maintenance, this is why those are showing as reduced. line items and pulled out those notable expenditures that were one time salary and benefits you're showing a projection here for next year and that incorporates the increases that council has approved with labor negotiations but it also incorporates the unfunded liability projections with pensions and also the the health increases and workers comp increases that are coming The next slide will go into a little bit more detail on the expenditures. The personnel expenditures total 39.1 million, but the FTEs bring us to 202.25 FTEs citywide. This includes the Wastewater Enterprise Fund, and that is based off of the midyear adopted budget, which brought one of our positions up to full-time. So this FTE grew 0.5 since we brought the adaptive budget to you. One of the other things to note on the personnel expenditures line category is that we have placed back into the base the PARS OPEB trust contribution and also the PARS pension trust contribution for Council's review, and we'll bring back ANY CHANGES TO THAT WE'LL BRING BACK FOR BUDGET STUDY SESSION 3 OR AS SO COUNCIL DIRECTS BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE IN THE BASE BECAUSE THOSE ARE ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS BASED ON THE COUNCIL POLICY THAT WAS ADOPTED TO PUT ASIDE 1.5% OF ANY FUTURE COSTS IN BUILDING THAT PRESERVE AND THAT ATTACHMENT 6 I BELIEVE GOES INTO OUR OPEB AND PENSION STRATEGY IN MORE DETAIL The contract services and materials and supplies, the assumption for the base budget is 1.5% inflationary increase. Contract services last year, we had an assumption of 2%. Because the base budget was showing a deficit, we dropped that down to 1.5%. And, you know, CPI is well above that, well above 1.5. So, as the departments review their line items, we'll have to see how that fits within their and matches up to their core services or legally mandated services. But also, one of the important things to note in the contractual services line item, it's grouped in that category, is that we do have in the base ongoing community grants for the PRC at $100,000. PBC, the Pacific Beach Coalition at $10,000. So those are marked as ongoing contributions for Council's review, but those are included in the base. Just another note on the transfers category of $4.3 million. The transfers category contains $2.5 million in debt service fund for the annual debt service schedule and payments that are due in fiscal year 26-27. Over the last few years, the general fund has had a break in the annual debt service payment as the debt service fund had some fund balance to cover some of those payments. In 26-27, we're projecting that there is no cushion there to give the general fund a break. So the general fund is paying the $2.5 million in transfers to the debt fund. The other transfers out include to the motor pool, the risk management funds to cover the insurance premiums and claims management. And of course, the workers comp and general liabilities show some increase over the prior year, which is incorporated into all of the allocations. One of the other things that is in the transfer out category and specific to one line item is a capital transfer of $50,000. And we'll go into this in more detail in the next section when we go over CIP. But that project is for, that $50,000 is for an economic development improvement project. And that is the only project at this time that's being requested from the general fund. Next slide. So the next slide, we did mention, you know, what's included in the base and all of the other follow-up slides, what the methodology was to get us to the base, what we included. This is a note on some of the other one-time items that are not included in the fiscal year 26-27 base budget. but that were included in the 25-26 budget. So it's good to note this in case council wants to provide some direction on these line items or these items. But one shoreline, Fogfest Pride, had an allocation in the 25-26 year from the general fund. And the temporary safe parking program, which is made out of The two separate pieces of the San Francisco RV and the PRC for those amounts on the slide came out of the Housing Action Fund 221. This is separate than the ongoing PRC cost of $100,000 that is included in the general fund-based budget for the original slots that that was covering. So this is some additional information that we felt would be necessary to present to you. We have a couple more slides before we go into CIP. So thank you for bearing with us. There's a lot of information here. But on the next slide, you'll see the general fund-based budget. When we compare the operating revenue to operating expenditures, we do have a deficit of 3.8 million. After we apply the 5% salary savings that council had approved with our labor negotiations, which that amounted to about 1.6 million. That drops us down to a deficit of 2.3. So the 2.3 million deficit is about 4% of the general fund operating expenditures. Next slide. We worked with departments to provide some information so they would be able to be prepared for Budget Study Session 3 and bringing back options. The department target reductions seen on this slide by the general categories in the general fund are approximately 5% of the department's budget. It's not an exact 5% because we do account for the transfers in category, which is spread across all the departments, but it's very close to 5%. The difference between the $2.3 million and what we're asking the departments to bring back options for is... about 0.5, so half a million. And one of the reasonings for that is to provide some flexibility as we're refining the budget. It's due to legal mandates or due to ongoing cost increases, departments may come back with not only reductions, but there may be some line items or categories that need an increase. So we're asking departments to provide up to 5% in options to review to bring back a prioritized list to the city manager's office and thus a recommended list to the council for our June 8th budget study session. This will also account for some projected imbalances in our long-term financial forecast, knowing that our deficit is not just a one-year thing. It's something that we've been battling over several years. So providing some OPTIONS IN TERMS OF NOT JUST FOR THIS YEAR BUT POSSIBLY SOME STRUCTURAL CHANGES THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO REVIEW. THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THE SERVICE CATEGORIES. I'M GOING TO HAND IT BACK OVER TO MS. CARTER FOR THIS.

OKAY. NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE INTRODUCED THE SLIDE DURING THE LAST STUDY SESSION AND THIS SLIDE REALLY GETS INTO THE WHY BEHIND THE SERVICE CATEGORIZATION EXERCISE the why behind our methodology that we are using for the budget. In traditional budgeting, discussion usually focuses on line items, percentages, totals, but what community actually experiences is and what really guides the council decision about services are the services themselves. So that's why we should be talking about the services like emergency response, street conditions, recreational programs, permit processing, any maintenance requests and other infrastructure needs. So the purpose of this exercise was to create connection between the services that community expects and the staff and organizational capacity requiring to provide them with and tie it together with the fiscal realities that we are all facing. So that's why we asked the departments to start looking through all the services that they provide within the departments and put them in these three buckets between legally mandated and public health and safety services. So those are the federally required or maybe mandated by state or any other legal requirement services. and any services that tie directly to protecting life, property, and public safety. So that's your bucket number one. Your bucket number two are the core or essential services. And here we're talking about critical services needed to maintain basic operations and community functioning. Again, those services are critically important for our mission, but may not be necessarily legally mandated. And the final bucket the service level enhancements or discretionary services. Those are the services that enhance quality of life, community identity, and create this long-term vibrancy. And again, as we discussed during the November fiscal sustainability study sessions, Pacifica's challenges are structural and layered. The city is struggling to balance ongoing operating needs, aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, together with workforce challenges and growing service demands. And all of this at the same time when we are struggling with lean staffing levels and our revenues as we already outlined in the presentation, in this presentation and the previous ones, our revenues just don't keep up with our expenditures and in rising regional costs. So again, the goal here is not to suggest that some services are more important than the others. And in fact, in many cases, the discretionary or community enhancement services are exactly what contributes to the Pacifica's quality of life or community character. So we're using this framework just to support our guiding decisions in development of the work plan on June 8 as well as budget discussions just to tee up all this difficult conversations and difficult choices that we will have to make for the upcoming budget. Next slide. And this slide summarizes the initial results of this exercise that we ask all departments to complete. And you can see on the slide, departments identified approximately 358 different services that are supported by 165.78 general fund FTE. Again, we have 2.275, but the rest of the FTEs are allocated to other funds, specifically wastewater and other funds. So, again, this summary is more detailed, presented in more detail in Attachment 7, where we actually identified the services that go into all these buckets. But based on this preliminary assessment, approximately 27 of the services categorized as mandated or public health and safety related. About 35% identified as core services, and about 39% is discretionary or community enhancement activities. But again, I just want to note once again that these percentages do not directly correlate with the budget allocations, because many mandated and core services, especially in public safety, infrastructure, and any regulatory operations, very often significantly more resource-intensive. And They continue to represent the substantial maturity of Citi's ongoing staffing and operating costs. And I also want to emphasize and recognize that this is not intended to be precise scientific inventory. So we are not claiming that the city only provides 358 distinct services. And some of the services are grouped together in broader service categories or programs. some ongoing functions, and some specific projects, as you can see in attachment seven. So the purpose of this exercise was less about quantifying those services, but more about creating the framework and organizational mindset for us internally to go into future priority discussions and difficult choices ahead for the next budget study session. And again, more information is presented in attachment seven for your staff reports. And with that, I want to turn it back to actually Marisol to just quickly touch base on other funds.

I just got one more slide on other funds before we hand it over for the CIP portion of the presentation. On the other funds piece here, our enterprise funds are consisted of sewer, wastewater enterprise funds and beach parking funds. For that total category, and there is more detail on our fund balances in attachment three to the staff report, the total enterprise base expense budget is 40.3 million, which is about 34% of the city's overall citywide budget. Sewer charges include a 3.5% rate increase budget at 20.7 million in the base budget assumptions. We're still reviewing the parcel data in order to provide some what's going on the tax roll, which is coming back to you later in June. Operating expenditures includes the same inflationary base budget assumptions that we went over in the previous slides. And then salary and benefits for wastewater are 6.5 million and are based on the 31.5 FTEs directly allocated to the sewer fund. The special revenue and capital funds category for 26, 27 base funds are $2.3 million, and that's around 9% of the city's total budget. Internal service funds for the 26-27 base budget amount to $6.3 million, which is about 5% of the city's budget. Again, the internal service funds are comprised of the motor pole allocation, which this year also includes the $200,000 transfer in from the general fund to build up that base reserve for future fleet appropriations. And then the internal service funds also include the employee benefits for the self-insured and also risk management funds, workers' comp and general liability. The debt service fund amounts to $2.9 million or 2.5% of the city's budget in 2020. That, in a nutshell, is the other funds. And, of course, if you guys have any additional questions on those funds, we can go over that. But we're going to hand it over to Roland and Dan for the CIP portion.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council Members, Roland Yip, Deputy Director of Public Works, slash the engineer. I will be presenting the recommended capital improvement program for everything except for the wastewater projects, which Dan Patton, the engineering manager, will be presenting. Next slide, please. Starting with our new non-discretionary projects, requesting funding. We're starting with the economic development infrastructure improvements project for $50,000, coming from the general fund 101. The Economic Development Infrastructure Improvement Project delivers targeted upgrades to utilities, streetscapes, pedestrian access, and other improvements to support business activity and commercial vitality. I wanted to pass it to Assistant Manager Carter if she wanted to add some additional

I'll be happy to add some additional information here because I was the one who requested this project and there is unfortunately no reasonable other sources other than general fund that could potentially sponsor the project. But I want to add that this project is consistent with the recently developed economic development work plan that we brought in front of you a couple months ago. And the project will support smaller scale repairs, replacements, upgrades or any beautification improvements that are visible in the community across all city districts. So we want to make sure that the entire city can benefit from those potential improvements. And again, the goal here is to improve and enhance visitor-serving areas and support local businesses and strengthen some of the vitality goals that we presented to you in economic development plan. And again, we are targeting citywide approach here, but it's yet to be developed how we are going to rank and prioritize those projects. But again, the goal is here to make sure that all five districts are benefiting. Oh, and another thing I wanted to highlight. So this, typically when we allocate funds towards CIP project, they role from year to year. So for this specific project, we propose this to be as a standalone $50,000 contribution in the CIP. So in other words, if we don't spend the funds in one given year, we don't add the funds to this. If you do spend $10,000 in a given year, we will only ask for $10,000 to replenish the fund in the future. So that's, again, we are considering this as a pilot project to make immediate small improvements that we may not be able to do otherwise.

Next slide, please. The next project is the Terranova Boulevard and Ostad Boulevard pedestrian crossing improvements. It's going to be funded from 213 street improvements The project will install rectangular rapid flashing beacons, RRFB, and speed humps to increase visibility for pedestrians. So this project was prioritized because there was a collision at this mid-block crossing, which resulted in a fatality. So we need to prioritize to increase the visibility for pedestrians and also slow down the traffic at this location. Next slide, please. The next project is the fiscal year 26-27 pavement resurfacing project, and is primarily funded from 210, the gas tax, but also is funded from 211 and 213. The project was previously awarded at City Council in the March meeting, and the project will rehabilitate paving along the designated areas in our five-year paving plan. We'll also have base repair and then also do restriping and markings and pavement markings. Next project, please. This is the 26-27 sidewalk curbs and ADA ramps improvement project. This project is tied along with our paving projects every year. So as part of the DOJ's requirement, when you resurface the street, you have to improve the curb ramps at the corner so that they are ADA compliant. So all of the locations are tied to the project limits of our paving project. And it is funded all from Measure W, Fund 211. And similar to the paving project, it was awarded at City Council for the construction back in March. And it will replace damaged sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and priority locations throughout the city. Next slide, please. This project is Oceana Bike Lanes, which was on consent at this meeting. And it is funded with Fund 211 for our local match and a grant of $83,000 from SMCTA. And this will install Class 2 bike lanes along Oceana Boulevard to improve safety, accessibility, and motor motor activity and Currently, what was on consent was a feasibility study for these bike lanes, and that was due to how complex the design could be. It requires road winding and possibly poles to be relocated in order to get a class two bike lane at the location. So we did not receive enough grant funds for the full design, and we're still looking for additional grant funds. Pass it to Dan Patton for this one.

Good evening. This is the pump station flow meter project. So in a typical wastewater pump station you have pumps supporting equipment and flow monitoring to best control and monitor the pump station operations. Now two of our pump stations have flow meters that have not been functioning for several years now, and we're looking to replace those to get in line with industry standards and to better operate the system, especially during wet weather events. Next slide.

So now we're gonna move on to the ongoing core non-discretionary projects that is requesting new funding. So this is the Manor Drive Overcrossing Improvements Project. and we're authorizing $5.5 million, of which $4.95 million is from a highway program grant funding, and the remainder is a 10% local match coming from Fund 312, our Highway 1 Improvements Fund. This was also taken to City Council to approve the grant application last year in September. So the project will widen the vehicular overcrossing at Highway 1 and Manor Drive and install traffic signals to better facilitate traffic, install pedestrian and bicycle improvements. The next project is the annual pavement striping and marking refresh project of $75,000 coming from Fund 213. And this has been an annual project in the city to refresh center lines, bike lanes, edge lines, crosswalks, stop bars, and adding more striping on the city roads. And I'm going to pass the remainder of the projects to Dan.

All right. Thank you. First up, we have the Anza and Lindemar stormwater pump station SCADA connection and improvements project. This will allow us to operate and monitor our stormwater pump stations through our same computer system that we monitor our wastewater systems through. Next, we have the Calera Creek Wetlands Maintenance Project. This will continue our maintenance of the Calera Creek wetlands and keeping us within meeting our requirements of the Coastal Commission permit, which was issued for the design and construction of the treatment plant and the wetlands. And this will ensure that we continue to provide habitat for our many native species. Similar to that, we have the Calera Creek water recycling plant permit update. Our discharge permit is ending in the next fiscal year, and we are working with our consultant to develop our permit for the next five-year cycle. The Calera Creek Water Recycling Plan Piping Improvements Project, as our facility has been in operation for approximately 25 years, older systems are beginning to reach the end of their useful life and many require continuous maintenance and in some places replacement. This includes some of the piping for both sludge and utility water. POTAWATER OR DRINKING WATER AROUND THE PLANT. OUR BLOWERS ARE THE HEART OF OUR BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT. THE MICROBES NEED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF AIR TO METABOLIZE THE WASTE ENTERING THE PLANT. TRYING TO THINK OF A WAY TO SAY THAT NICELY. and blowers have been in constant operation for the entire 25 years they've been in service and they need constant work to stay running. Similarly, the Clear Creek Water Recycling Plant Electrical Condition Assessment Project, continuous electrical improvements around the plant for continued reliability and energy improvements, energy efficiency improvements where possible. Lastly, the Clara Creek Water Recycling Plant Environmental Compliance Project. This is for various other environmental permitting related tasks. Next slide, please. The CCWRP Headworks Rehabilitation and Improvement Project. This project, the design is ongoing, and we are hoping to bid the first phase of this project later in this fiscal year. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE REHABILITATING THE INFLUENT CHANNEL TO THE PLANT AND ASSESSING THE GRID REMOVAL AND SCREENING AT THE FRONT OF THE PLANT. THE CLEAR CREEK SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, THIS WILL REPLACE OUR AGING SOLAR PANELS WHICH WERE INSTALLED IN 2006 WITH MODERN PANELS OVER THE EXISTING AREA. We've received a question on the status of the project. We are currently in design and we are reviewing some of the submittals from the designer right now. We're anticipating on delivering this product through design build later this year, if all goes well. Next up is the CCWRP process optimization project. So these are doing studies to find ways to operate the plant more efficiently and to ensure that we continue to meet and exceed our permit requirements. The CCWRP pump replacement project, this is our ongoing replacement of pumps and supporting equipment. The CCWRP R&R project is, this is for everything else, for all of our other equipment and supporting systems, ensuring that, again, we meet our requirements permit requirements and continue to provide a high quality effluent to the Clara Creek wetlands and recycle water to North Coast County Water District. Similarly, on the collection system side, we have the collection system projects, and these are just ongoing projects as needed to replace sewer mains, pump station repairs that aren't already captured in the other CAP projects listed above. Next slide, please. The collection system rehabilitation and replacement projects, Valimar and Rockaway Beach Avenue. I really need to rename that project. This is also been referred to as the Valimar project. This will replace the sewer mains in the Valimar neighborhood THE ROCKWAY BEACH BOULEVARD NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE STRETCH OF SEWER MAIN ALONG HIGHWAY ONE THAT CONNECTS THEM. WE ARE CURRENTLY, OUR DESIGN, OUR 100% DESIGN SHOULD BE COMING BACK TO US IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. AND AS SOON AS WE ARE WORKING WITH THE U.S. EPA ON OUR WIFI LOAN, POTENTIALLY SCHEDULED FOR TO BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER IF ALL GOES WELL. And as soon as the, if the loan is approved by council and the terms are favorable to the city, I would like to bid this project, well, the next day if I can. And regarding the, this is, as you can see, this is a high cost item. The WIFI alone does not go through or it is, again, the terms are not favorable to the city. We will look at alternative means to deliver the project, whether that's through phasing it into smaller increments, into bits that we can afford every fiscal year or looking at other funding opportunities. But it's a high priority for the wastewater division and for our collection system. Next is the Crespita Anza Sewer Replacement Project. There's a line that goes along the Pacific State Beach. So we want to rehabilitate that line to ensure that there are no sanitary sewer spills or any maintenance issues and minimize impacts on the public. The digester is ATAD modification phase three. So this is our aerobic digesters are a key part of the plant. and sludge is very hard on equipment, thus they need constant maintenance and improvements. Last is our lateral grant assistance program, and this is where we provide lateral grants to qualifying private residents. We are hoping that with the Valimar project, we plan on doing extensive public outreach to notify residents of this program so that they can take advantage of having a contractor working in their neighborhood and hopefully we can have a good turnout like we did with the Lower Linnemar project in the past year. Next slide, please. The Linnemar Pump Station Rehabilitation Repair Project. This is the stormwater side of the Linnemar Pump Station. This will Our first priority is to replace some of the electrical equipment there to ensure that we have flood control protections for the Lindemar neighborhood. Next is the sanitary sewer system master plan update. So this is essentially for developers to review the impacts of developments. So how this works is we have a developer will propose their plans, submit their plans, we PASS THAT ON TO OUR CONSULTANT THAT RUNS THE SANITARY SEWER MODEL. IMPACTS ARE ASSESSED AND THE DEVELOPERS THEN PAY THE CITY BACK FOR THE CONSULTANT FEES AS PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION. LASTLY, THE SHARP PARK PUMP STATION R&R PROJECT. THIS IS A PROJECT FOR THE FACILITY THAT SHARES A WALL WITH THIS BUILDING TO IMPROVE THE WET WELL equipment, the odor control equipment, and make various other improvements around the plant to ensure that the pump station is in good operating condition for years to come in the future. And next slide. I think that might be it for us.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for that overview. Just bringing it back to a couple slides here to wrap up, and then we'll hand it over to Council for questions or direction. But just a reminder on where we are in the budget calendar. Between now and the June 8th budget session 3, the finance team will be working with every individual department. We'll be meeting with the city manager and prioritizing or bringing the prioritized department list to the city manager for review and working on those, you know, helping the departments put together some of those requests. The other thing we'll be doing between now and then that's not on this external calendar is connecting with the council for our briefings for budget study session three as well. But between then, the planning commission is on June 1st where we're taking the CIP plan for conformity with the general plan. Again, June 8th. Not only are we taking the budget request, but we're also bringing the work plan to the budget session three. And then the city council budget hearing will be on June 22nd. We will also be bringing the citywide fee schedule, the one with the normal CPI increases back to council for the July 1st effective date. That's separate than the ongoing study that's happening right now that will come at a later date. as well as just updating our policies that normally come back with the budget book. Next slide, please. Again, just to recap, there's no council action required today. However, council may provide input on the presented 26-27 base budget and CAP program. Again, budget study session three is on June 8th, and city council will review and provide approval of the city manager's office proposed 26-27 budget recommendations. And then we'll have the budget hearing and adoption on June 22nd for formal adoption of the operating and capital budget citywide fee schedule and policies.

Thank you. Thank you so much, Marisol, Yulia, Roland, and Dan for the excellent presentation. So I just want to remind us all it's 11-06. We have 24 minutes unless we find we need to extend again. So we'll keep an eye on the clock. And I have two lights. I'm very excited to hear about a solar project at the wastewater plant.

One quick question. Do you have any idea which percentage of your PG&E bill your goal is to cover with that, or if that's just not something you're considering, you're just replacing what you have with more efficient panels?

I don't know that I have a short answer to that, but I'd say... Based on our previous energy consumption before we replaced our UV system, I would say these panels are going to produce somewhere between 5% and 10% of our total usage. I think it might be a larger proportion of that as our new UV equipment that's been in operation the last six months is significantly more efficient, although I'd like to collect a little more data before I have a formal number. But I'd say it's probably in that 5% to 10% range.

I'd like to thank you for doing something to make it even greener for Pacifica.

Of course.

And then perhaps a question for Sean, maybe a question for Yulia. When council asks questions and emails them in, how does the public access those so they can understand the dialogue? that's going on in addition to the agenda packet between staff and council.

It's intended for council communication. It's intended for council communication as it is typically a little more detailed than what's provided and hopefully in the staff reports.

Right, but I guess what my question is, is does public have access to this or no? We do.

I think it's a question for Sarah, maybe.

Yes, we do typically share it with the public as well, so Sarah can chime in. I believe we have copies available.

We typically print the questions and answers that are provided to council and make those available in the public agenda binder in the back of the room.