City Manager's Blog

Council Meeting Date: June 21, 2023 (full Agenda link)
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TownOfAtherton/featured
Details of each item can be found via the links to Staff Reports within the narrative and meeting videos are uploaded once they are fully compiled.

The City Council met for the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, June 21 at 6 pm. Following the Roll Call the Council began moving through the Agenda beginning with Public Comments and Presentations.  There were no Public Comments or Presentations.

Next, the Council moved to Departmental Reports (~6:03 pm). The Departmental Reports are prepared monthly as part of the City Council's Regular Agenda. 

In addition to current reports from the City Manager, it typically includes departmental updates on the various happenings around Town such as reports from Administration, Community Services, Planning, Police, and Public Works.

Following Departmental Reports, the Council moved to the Consent Agenda consisting of Items 1 through 6 (~6:04 pm). Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine in nature and are generally considered in one motion and adopted by a single vote of the Council. Included in this month's Consent Agenda were bills and claims, minutes, and Approval of Scopes of Work for the Safety Element Update, a Report from the Goals Workshop, a Resolution setting the time of Regular Meetings to 6 pm, and the 2nd Reading of the Leaf Blower Ordinance. The Council approved all items on the Consent Agenda.

Next was Public Hearings.
 
Public Hearings are typically held for Ordinances, Budget Adoption, Fee Adoption, and Land Use approvals. There were two scheduled Public Hearings.  

Item No. 11 was the 1st Reading of an Ordinance authorizing prevailing parties in litigation prompted via Code Enforcement to recovery attorneys' fees. (~6:05 pm) Following brief Q&A and opportunity for public comment, the Council introduced the Ordinance for 1st Reading. 2nd Reading and Adoption is scheduled for July 19, 2023.

Item No. 12 was the Adoption of the FY 2023/24 Budget and all associated resolutions. (~6:06 pm) Following brief Q&A and opportunity for public comment, the Council adopted the FY 2023/24 Budget and all associated resolutions consisting of the salary and benefit resolutions, MOU with the Town's Labor Association, salary schedules, GANN Limit Resolution, ARPA Funding Resolution, and CIP. 

Next up was the Regular Agenda. The Regular Agenda is reserved for items that require more deliberation and discussion by the City Council and items that are not routine in nature. 

Item No. 13 was consideration of appointments to various Town Committees and the Planning Commission. (~6:11 pm). Following a brief staff report and public comment, the Council appointed:

• Walter Sleeth to the Audit & Finance Committee;
• Gregory Loew to the Environmental Programs Committee;
• Alex Key, Julianna Robertson, and Walter Robinson to the Park & Recreation Committee; and
• Paul Tonelli and Thom Bryant to the Planning Commission.

The Council discussed the disposition of the Rail Committee and directed staff to advise the Committee that it is the inclination of the Council to transition to the Rail Committee to an informal, resident committee by the end of September 2023. 

The Council also discussed the possible consolidation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and Transportation Committee. Following discussion, the Council directed staff to move forward with the consolidation as an initial 7-member Committee with the intent to reduce membership through attrition to 5-members; and appointed:

• Jerome Leugers and Raymond Juballa to the combined Committee

The Council directed that staff make the requisite modifications to the Town Committee Resolution and return the Resolution to the Council for considered adoption at the July 19 Council Meeting. 

Item No. 14 was consideration of a Lease Extension for Knox Playschool, Inc. at Holbrook-Palmer Park. (~6:40 pm) Following a brief staff report and public comment, the Council discussed issues related to the cost of the lease pre-COVID, the current cost of the lease, the Town's cost of maintenance of the facilities, the overall cost in relation to the cost of the Park, the continued desire of Knox Playschool, Inc. as a continuing tenant, and the value of the provision of childcare services to the community. Following discussion, the Council approved the lease as presented at $125 per student per month. 

Item No. 15 was discussion of the Conceptual Plan for the Watkins Avenue Sidewalk Project. (~6:57 pm) Following a brief staff report and public comment, the Council discussed issues related to cost of the project, design of the curb, design of the adjacent fencing, construction limitations and available space, use by pedestrians and cyclists, curb cut entry to the pedestrian gate, and suitability of a paved pathway versus an asphalt pathway. Following discussion, the Council directed that staff make revisions to the Conceptual Design and return a new design based on Council comments with an engineer's price estimate for revisions to include a curb cut at the pedestrian bridge, a concrete squared curb along the entire pathway, a new and smooth paved pathway versus asphalt, and matching fencing to the Circulation Project of tubular design, white powder coating, and as low as Code allows. The revised Conceptual Design will return to a future City Council meeting for consideration.

Item No. 16 was review of the Town's progress on its Climate Action Plan along with recommendations for new Goals and Strategies moving forward. (~7:37 pm) Following a staff report, Presentation and public comment, the Council discussed the various goals listed within the Climate Action Plan with particular focus on Climate Inventory, GHG forecast, Energy Goals and separation of Town-specific goals versus community goals, Transportation Goals, and Solid Waste Goals. The Council provide some substantive suggestions for change in the document and asked that staff return the Climate Action Plan for deeper discussion by the Council at a Study Session in the Fall with particular focus on the underlying objectives for each Goal. 

Item No. 17 was the last item on the Agenda and was the considered approval of the City Manager's Performance Evaluation results and recommendations for salary and benefit adjustment. (~8:12 pm) Following a brief staff report, the Council discussed issues related to the City Manager's performance to include compensation resulting from such discussion by the Council. Following discussion, the Council approved the recommendations within the Staff Report. 

The last items on the Agenda were Council Reports and final Public Comments. 

Having cleared the entire Agenda, at approximately 8:18 pm, that as they say - was a wrap!

The next meeting of the City Council will be the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, July 19. There is no Study Session scheduled for July 5. It is anticipated that the Council will be DARK in August with no scheduled meetings. The July Regular Agenda includes a Review of Possible Pickleball at Holbrook-Palmer Park and the results of the Town-wide Survey connected to it; as well as, finalization of the Housing Element Project Description for the purposes of conducting the required CEQA environmental analysis. Inclusion of any housing opportunity site as part of the environmental review does not automatically mean that such sites will be included in the Town's Housing Element. Completion of environmental analysis will allow the Council to make a more informed decision regarding the site. 

Thanks for reading!
 
 George Rodericks
 City Manager
Town of Atherton
grodericks@ci.atherton.ca.us