City Council Meeting - September 25, 2012

The meeting is called to order for the Tuesday, September 25th regular meeting of the South Salado City Council. Roll call is taken with all councilmembers present ▶ 📄. The Pledge of Allegiance is led ▶ 📄. The Mayor reports on a closed session where the council considered four items, giving direction on the Clipper Yacht Harbor vs. Sausalito case and Bruce vs. City of Sausalito to the city attorney, and approving items 3 and 4 by a 3 to 2 vote ▶ 📄. The Mayor asks for closed session materials to be returned to the city attorney.

The council moved to approve the agenda. A motion was made and seconded. Councilmembers voted in favor with no discussion or objections noted ▶ 📄.

Vicki Nichols requests the meeting be adjourned in honor of Ron Page, a 25-year Sausalito resident who passed away on September 5th. She describes his background, including moving to Sausalito for a Nike distributorship, his career in brand building for companies like Clinique and Ugg, and his appreciation for the city, especially when his street was paved. The council agrees to adjourn in his honor ▶ 📄.

The minutes were presented as a routine item. There was no discussion or corrections mentioned by councilmembers. The item was quickly moved to a vote without any debate or comments from councilmembers ▶ 📄.

Councilmembers had questions about specific items on the consent calendar. Vice Mayor Leon inquired about compatibility between the Next Gen system and Spring Book system for financial planning, which staff confirmed is compatible ▶ 📄. Questions were raised about item 72 Platte regarding whether it involved a new retaining wall or encroachment into the right-of-way; Todd clarified it's a minor encroachment to replace an old wooden retaining wall with a more robust structure, not substantially changing the reality ▶ 📄. Mary Wagner offered to pull an item about an encroachment agreement for further review if needed ▶ 📄.

Vasco Morais presents a follow-up on establishing a sister city relationship with Cascais (Kashkais), Portugal. He provides a draft mission statement for the Sausalito-Kashkais Sister City Committee, modeled after the Portuguese Hall's mission statement, to be vetted and potentially aligned with the broader Sausalito Sisters Cities, Inc. mission statement presented later ▶ 📄. He clarifies expectations from the council: primarily political support and modest economic support for official gifts, with the program intended to be self-funding ▶ 📄. Key upcoming steps include sending an invitation to the Mayor of Cascais for May 1-6 (aligning with the Holy Ghost Festa), signing a twinning agreement, and holding fundraisers to cover accommodation and event costs ▶ 📄. He has drafted a proposed resolution (vetted by Adam and Debbie) and an invitation letter for the mayor's review. Council acknowledges the group's hard work and plans to add the resolution for formal adoption at the October 9th meeting ▶ 📄. No formal motion is made regarding the letter; the council agrees to review it via email for any changes ▶ 📄.

Jim Swindler provided an update on the replacement of the Sausalito Ferry Terminal float, gangway, and pier. The project aims to improve ADA access, expedite boarding, and increase passenger staging areas. The new float will be larger (150ft x 53ft vs. 110ft x 42ft) with two boarding gangways for Golden Gate ferries, a wider gangway (20ft vs. 5-6ft), and a wider fixed pier (25ft vs. 8-9ft). The gate may be moved shore-side to improve queuing. The project is estimated at $12-15M, fully funded, with environmental review underway and an open house scheduled for October 2nd. Construction is targeted for fall 2013/winter 2014, post-America's Cup. ▶ 📄 Swindler also announced a $2.4M grant for shore-side facilities to improve passenger staging, ticket vending, and access routes, and requested the city take the lead as they are already working on related improvements. ▶ 📄 City Manager Adam Politzer clarified the city has long-term plans for parking lot circulation and pathway improvements aligning with the grant. ▶ 📄 Council questions included confirming the footprint change (bay fill will increase), requesting overlay visuals of current vs. new footprint, and obtaining the grant application details. ▶ 📄, ▶ 📄, ▶ 📄

City Engineer Todd Teachout presented on a Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) grant from the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) for $83,000 to fund bike path improvements along Humboldt Street, connecting existing paths on Anchor and Bay Streets ▶ 📄. The project aims to extend non-motorized transportation, coordinating with other underway projects like the Ferry Landings grant, lot two bathrooms, and the Priority 1B sewer project ▶ 📄. The grant requires completion within two years. Council discussion clarified that while no formal design was previously approved, consensus from past public meetings supports a plan maintaining existing traffic flow while adding a path for pedestrians and cyclists ▶ 📄. Concerns about bus circulation and geometric feasibility within the 60-foot right-of-way were addressed, with current bus management strategies explained ▶ 📄.

Assistant Planner Alison Thornberry-Assaf presented an overview of the code enforcement process in Sausalito, detailing the multi-step approach from research and investigation to administrative citations. ▶ 📄 The process includes initial courtesy notices, compliance orders, and escalating fines ($100, $200, then $500 per day) for non-compliance. ▶ 📄 A tracking system logs all complaints and correspondence. Council discussion focused on enforcement challenges at Yitakchi Park with unauthorized vendors and individuals displaying/selling artwork. ▶ 📄 Councilmembers expressed concerns about the park becoming unsightly and territorial disputes, including an incident where rose petals were scattered and volunteer materials were displaced. ▶ 📄 City Manager Mary Wagner noted the balance between public speech rights and enforcement, suggesting a review of the ordinance. ▶ 📄 City Manager Adam Politzer highlighted Alison's part-time role in code enforcement and the need to prioritize efforts. ▶ 📄 Questions were raised about fine collection, with Wagner explaining that compliance is typically achieved through the process, and few cases escalate to judicial enforcement. ▶ 📄 A suggestion was made for better cross-communication and education for police officers on frequent code issues. ▶ 📄

Parks and Recreation Director Mike Langford presented on state grant funds from a 2002 bond act for park improvements, requiring deed restrictions to ensure facilities remain open for public use for 20 years. ▶ 📄 Councilmember concerns focused on the MLK Gym, with a desire to limit the restriction to only the gym's footprint to avoid conflicts with other uses of the MLK property. ▶ 📄 City Attorney Mary Wagner noted that if the city repurposes a facility, it may need to repay the state. ▶ 📄 Langford mentioned ongoing negotiations with the state, including a possible reduction to a 10-year restriction. ▶ 📄 Council discussed reallocating the $27,819 for MLK Gym to Harrison Park to avoid the deed restriction on MLK, but Langford cautioned this would require state re-approval and could leave other projects unfunded. ▶ 📄 A councilmember expressed strong opposition to an irrevocable 20-year deed restriction on MLK for a small amount. ▶ 📄 The consensus was to avoid restricting MLK and instead shift funds if possible, while approving restrictions for Harrison Park and the Recreation Center.

City Manager Adam Politzer provided updates on upcoming community events and city projects. He promoted the chili cook-off on September 30th (14 booths), Fleet Week with Blue Angels practices, Halloween, and the accelerated holiday season. He discussed the Bridgeway to Ferry Landing improvement project, noting it began in 2008-2009 under the 'back to basics' initiative, with no final designs yet. He highlighted the partnership with Golden Gate Ferry (Jim Schwindler) securing $2.4 million for landside improvements and potential $12-15 million for waterside improvements, including widening floats/ramps to reduce sidewalk congestion by ~150 people. ▶ 📄 He mentioned the downtown restroom project, Anchor Street improvements, and bulkhead ribbon cutting nearing. He addressed police work with the county on homelessness and anchor-outs, emphasizing compassion during winter months, referencing a speaker at MCCMC about addiction/homelessness recovery. ▶ 📄 He reminded council of the strategic planning retreat on October 5th at the fire station.

Council discussed potential future agenda items including installing ashtrays downtown to address litter from tourists ▶ 📄, traffic safety improvements at Alexander and South intersection ▶ 📄, and scheduling committee interviews for Trees and Views Committee ▶ 📄. City Manager Adam Politzer explained that ashtrays would be a budget item rather than agenda item ▶ 📄, noted the Alexander/South intersection is already on Public Works' list and competing for TAM funds ▶ 📄, and clarified committee interview scheduling requires council direction and sufficient applicant pools ▶ 📄. Councilmembers expressed urgency about filling committee vacancies, particularly Trees and Views which struggles with quorum ▶ 📄. After discussion, consensus emerged to schedule interviews for Trees and Views Committee applicants.

Councilmembers provided updates from their committees. The main discussion focused on potential cuts to Golden Gate Transit bus service through Sausalito. Concerns were raised that financial pressures might lead Golden Gate Transit to reroute buses over Sausalito instead of through it, which would significantly reduce local bus service outside commuter hours ▶ 📄. Councilmembers emphasized the importance of protecting existing service and coordinating with board members like Alice Fredericks and Supervisor Kate Sears ▶ 📄. Other reports included: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) facing potential 8% funding cuts due to sequestration, which may reduce projects and staff; a city and town engagement plan to discuss fair housing goals; an upcoming Spirit of Marin event honoring Kathy Stierhoff; and anticipated heavy traffic and congestion on October 6th-7th due to multiple events, cruise ship arrivals, and Fleet Week ▶ 📄.

The item involved a brief discussion about Ron Paige, described as a colorful Sausalito character ▶ 📄. A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.