| Time | Speaker | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00:03.02 | Unknown | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 00:00:06.46 | Ray Withy | Good evening and welcome to the regular meeting of the Sausalito City Council for Tuesday, February 28th. Lily, would you take the roll, please? |
| 00:00:17.19 | Lily Whalen | Councilmember Burns? |
| 00:00:18.56 | Ray Withy | Here. |
| 00:00:19.17 | Lily Whalen | Councilmember Weiner? |
| 00:00:20.18 | Ray Withy | President. |
| 00:00:20.86 | Lily Whalen | Council member Hoffman? Present. Vice Mayor Cox? Here. Mayor Withy? |
| 00:00:26.04 | Ray Withy | here. We will be going into closed session. There is no member of the public here, therefore no Thank you. public comment. We will adjourn for item D1, conference with legal counsel, existing litigation pursuant to CGC 54956.9A, Samus versus City of Solstede. Thank you. |
| 00:00:54.71 | Herb Weiner | death weekend. |
| 00:01:11.11 | Ray Withy | Good evening and welcome to the regular meeting of the Sausalito City Council for Tuesday, February 28th. Lydia, would you please take the roll? |
| 00:01:23.61 | Lily Whalen | Councilmember Burns? |
| 00:01:25.27 | Ray Withy | Present. |
| 00:01:25.94 | Lily Whalen | Councilmember Weiner? |
| 00:01:26.82 | Ray Withy | THEIR OWNERS. |
| 00:01:27.56 | Lily Whalen | Council member Hoffman? Present. Vice Mayor Cox? Here. Mayor Withy? |
| 00:01:32.96 | Ray Withy | here. Ben Brown, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance tonight? |
| 00:01:38.43 | Herb Weiner | It's done. you Go get him, man. Thank you. |
| 00:01:43.98 | Unknown | I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, |
| 00:01:44.06 | Jeffrey Chase | I pledge allegiance to the flag |
| 00:01:46.97 | Herb Weiner | States of America. |
| 00:01:47.96 | Jim Swindler | All right. and to the Republic. for me. |
| 00:01:51.02 | Unknown | Amen. |
| 00:01:53.50 | Unknown | under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. |
| 00:01:59.72 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 00:02:05.46 | Ray Withy | We held a closed session this evening, conference with legal counsel, existing litigation, name of the case, Samus versus City of Solcelito. As a result of the closed session meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to approve settlement of the Samus case in the amount of $350,000. The city has expended its self-insured retention of $50,000, and so the settlement payment will come from the city's insurance pool. Is there any member of the public who would like to comment on the closed session item? Seeing none, let's move on. Could I have approval of the agenda please? So moved. |
| 00:02:46.79 | Unknown | Second. |
| 00:02:47.95 | Ray Withy | All in favor. |
| 00:02:49.05 | Unknown | I. |
| 00:02:52.31 | Ray Withy | Item number one, special presentations, Mayor's announcement. I have none at this point. As we have a long evening and as the room fills up, we may need to restrict public comment, but at this moment I don't see the need for that. So at this time, we have item number two, which is public communications. And so this is a time for the City Council to hear from citizens regarding matters that are not on the agenda. And except in very limited situation, state law precludes the council from taking action or engaging in discussions concerning items of business that are not on the agenda. So does any member of the public wish to address the council on any matter that is not on the agenda? |
| 00:03:48.75 | Jeffrey Chase | Yes, yes, yes. |
| 00:03:50.98 | Ray Withy | Please, three minutes. And could you, those who do want to address the council, please fill in a green Thank you. |
| 00:04:05.83 | Jeffrey Chase | Thank you, Mayor. and city council, city manager, and citizens. I'D LIKE TO FIRST do what I've done in my heart if not through this microphone at all the meetings I go to which is A prayer to begin. The meeting, and there's a couple reasons that I do that. One is when the Supreme Court decided every meeting can be attended by members of every religious faith. to make their prayers. And I invited everybody else to come here. The response has, not been overwhelming. So it's me right now. So my prayer is that somehow, in some way, a miracle happens And the most radical element, the gadfly, which is me, Some people have said and some people have said it wasn't. A gadfly actually is one of the plagues that comes to the Pharaoh in Egypt, the flies. And that's not what I'm here for. I'm here for... unifying. And this is in the Constitution. that it says, we the people, those are the first three words. And then it goes on to say that this Constitution is made for the general, to promote the general welfare, as well as to provide for the common defense. promote the general welfare. What does that mean? It goes on later to explain that that is called a more Perfect union. which is a paradox. And since I'm an anchor out, I like a pair of docks. So I'm kind of happy about that. So this is from the portion for this week. It's about bringing gifts, right? I'm not 50 cents a day anymore. I delivered a boat. And I got a little more than 50 cents this month a day. 50 is the amount of money that is given in redemption for the firstborn. It's also the number... of Jubilee. 50 years, we do a reset. So we're not always doing the same thing over and over and digging a hole deeper and deeper. So the portion for this week is from Terima, and Terima means gifts. And it says, the Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak to the children of Israel and have them take for me an offering from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity. You shall take my offering. I was reading the Torah portion this Saturday at the ferry landing. Peter was there and there were people coming through the Torah season is now beginning, a lot of bicyclists and a lot of people from all over the world. I read the Torah portion straight, no chaser, from the Jewish translation and somebody called the police. saying that there was a hate crime going on. I was already gone by that time. I'M NOT HERE. For hate, I'm here for love. Big difference. |
| 00:07:14.16 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Jeff. Any other member of the public like to address the council on any matter not on the agenda, seeing none? We'll move on to action minutes of the previous meeting. |
| 00:07:30.49 | Ray Withy | Do we have a motion to approve? Is there any changes we'd like to? |
| 00:07:34.36 | Joan Cox | Move approval. |
| 00:07:35.57 | Ray Withy | Second. All in favor. Aye. |
| 00:07:38.05 | Joan Cox | Bye. |
| 00:07:39.82 | Ray Withy | Item 4, Consent Calendar. Matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered routine and non-controversial, require no discussion, are expected to have unanimous Council support, and may be enacted by the Council in one motion in the form listed. Do I have any member of the public who'd like to comment on... Any item in the consent calendar. Okay, seeing none, do we have a motion for the |
| 00:08:10.81 | Joan Cox | Move approval of the consent calendar. Thank you. |
| 00:08:12.93 | Ray Withy | Second. |
| 00:08:13.37 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 00:08:13.96 | Ray Withy | All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Seeing none. |
| 00:08:14.49 | Herb Weiner | I |
| 00:08:15.04 | Joan Cox | Hi. |
| 00:08:20.19 | Ray Withy | The public hearing item number five will be moved to after the business items number six. And so with that, we will begin our first business item. which is 6A, the Dunphy Park Rehabilitation Project Feasibility Analysis Report, Direction to Prepare, Design Review Application, and Approval of a Professional Services Contract Amendment to RHAA for those services. Mike Langford, our Parks and Rec Director, will be kicking us off by the look of it. |
| 00:09:02.70 | Mike Langford | Yes. Good evening, Mayor Withey and city council members. It's a pleasure to be here, two council meetings in a row with updates on parks, not just that the parks need help, but that we're actually doing things for the parks, and the parks are going to get better in this town very, very soon. Quite an exciting time. We're going to talk today about Dunphy Park. If you read through your staff report, we've been talking about Dunphy Park since way back when. 2013 was ranked to be one of the priorities on the city priority calendar. And that was a great opportunity. The friends of Dunphy Park came forward and started work. We've been to you a few times with some different members of the Council, but what's exciting is that through all the community efforts and community meetings and the positive reactions that we've been getting as we've been working through things, we're at a great point today. When we were here last, we looked at the overall schematic master plan. The friends presented the overall schematic master plan. And the council said, this looks great, but let's get some peer review on it and let's do a little bit more work and then please come back to us with that information. So I'm happy to be here today with our landscape architects from the firm RHAA. We have Manuela King and Jacob Millard, and they are going to do the presentation for us today. |
| 00:10:47.44 | Mike Langford | Actually, I'd like to make one point of clarification before we get into that. Okay, this map you saw in your packet and it shows Dunphy Park. That's actually more than just Dunphy Park, that is including lands that Galilee Harbor owns, not lands that Galilee Harbor leases. So if I'm going to come up to the screen and point out what they own. |
| 00:11:13.58 | Adam Politzer | Use the mouse. Thank you. So no, no, no, just use the mouse inside. |
| 00:11:20.51 | Mike Langford | Oh, there we go. This way everybody can see it at home, too. This portion here is all land that Galilee Harbor owns. It ends somewhere right about here. It's kind of rough to see, but this is land that they own. It's not least, as I was alluded to in the staff report that I gave you, but we are including it for purposes of parking cooperation as part of the overall plan for Dunphy Park. So now we'll go back to the beginning, and I'll turn it over to Manuela. |
| 00:11:58.25 | Manuela King | Thank you and good evening everyone. I'm Manuela King. I'm a landscape architect with RHAA We're located in Mill Valley, so this is kind of our backyard or front door, either way, whichever way you look at it. So, um... Let's see. We were contracted by the city of Sausalito to conduct a peer review of the 2016 Dunphy Park Schematic Master Plan that was developed by the Friends of Dunphy Park. As part of that, we met individually with stakeholder groups to gain an understanding of the issues and concerns that were identified by the city staff and by those specific groups. And we provided feedback on the current plan and by those specific groups. And we provided feedback on the current plan and potential issues for further study. This is the plan which you've seen many times. This is the plan that we were given to work with. There were a few things that were identified by the City Council in 3.8.16 when you adopted it. And one of the ones that we did change on the plan and it was the only thing we changed was the orientation of the cruising club. And the plan that was originally presented to you, the cruising club was perpendicular to Dunphy Park, and the city council decided that the cruising club should remain in its existing orientation. So you'll see on the plan that we show the cruising club was rotated. to show it in its existing orientation. And that's the only change that we made to the graphic plan. So this is the existing site. And Mike has already explained the Galilee Harbor parcel that has the parking on it. |
| 00:13:52.39 | Manuela King | Something's happening. Sorry. |
| 00:14:03.33 | Manuela King | Some existing site photos, I'm sure you have all been out there, but you know that the park has some disrepair, especially things like the volleyball court and Some of the existing drainage is not working very well. There's a soggy spot in the middle. The volleyball is really I don't think it even has a net right now or occasionally is used, but it's really, run down and the park is in desperate need of repair. This is the plan set into the context so you can see how it relates to Galilee Harbor and Bridgeway and the surrounding neighborhoods. So we had four stakeholder group meetings, and the city staff attended all four of the meetings. The first meeting was in October, and it was with the Friends of Dunphy Park. Each meeting had exactly the same agenda, where we presented what we were hired to do, that we were here to hear from the various people, to hear their issues, concerns, and to get an understanding from each group what their desires were for the park. So the friends presented their history of how they came to the plan, what their process was to get there, the different components of the plan. In November, we met with Galilee Harbor Community Association. In December, we met with the Sausalito Community Boating Center at Cass Gidley Marina. And in December, we also met with the Cruising Club. Each of these meetings was extremely helpful to us to understand the issues and concerns. And we discussed topics that included a review of the proposed plan, parking, layout, and capacity, access for visitors, deliveries, drop off, and emergency vehicles. Multimodal circulation, so bicycles, pedestrians. Recreational activities, the bocce courts and the volleyball. The restroom facility location. environmental issues that might come up and tree removal. Thank you. all of these issues what we came to conclusion was there was general support for the plan as it is. There was only one issue that really needed further study that was pretty extensive and that is the parking. There is a bit of a high parking demand on weekends when there's an overlap between Bocce, the cruising club, and Galilee. parking, resident parking, and that needs further study so that everybody gets their parking and the overlap is satisfied. So further parking study is needed and that might tweak the parking layout on the plan a bit. There were no technical issues with the layout of the site components as they are right now, and any other issues were minor and could be worked out during the design. So as part of this, we did look at some very preliminary parking studies. They need to be definitely further developed in this next phase. So we looked at six different studies with slightly different capacities and different approaches to the Galilee parking layout. So what we are here for today is to ask for additional scope to prepare, to continue these studies and to prepare the design review application and advocate for the project at the Planning Commission level. And then after that, then we'll come back if the project is approved. to prepare a proposal for construction documents and cost estimates, permit applications for CEQA, and BCDC and other regulatory agencies. So if you have any questions, I'm here to address them. |
| 00:18:22.54 | Ray Withy | Thank you very much. Do we have any questions at this point? |
| 00:18:33.65 | Ray Withy | Okay, could I ask someone, I don't know who, what is the level of CEQA Analysis required. |
| 00:18:44.41 | Manuela King | We don't know exactly what, in this next task order, we have a very small amount of money for the environmental consultant to consult with us to ask them if they think we can do mitigated NEDEC, which is what we hope we can do because there will be a restroom building. |
| 00:19:03.31 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Okay, if there's, if I see any questions? |
| 00:19:10.21 | Joe Burns | Was there more to the feasibility portion? Was there more discussion on that? |
| 00:19:20.14 | Mike Langford | Thank you. |
| 00:19:20.15 | Joe Burns | Can you be more specific? Well, the item is feasibility analysis. I didn't know if there was going to be a deeper dig into that. |
| 00:19:21.23 | Mike Langford | Well, |
| 00:19:28.86 | Joe Burns | Thank you. at this point. |
| 00:19:29.33 | Mike Langford | As far as the design of the plan, their task was, is it feasible |
| 00:19:32.02 | Joe Burns | It's just design. Okay. |
| 00:19:34.85 | Mike Langford | to do this, and are there any major flaws or anything. |
| 00:19:37.16 | Joe Burns | There was a metrics provided just yes or no okay. |
| 00:19:41.59 | Ray Withy | Okay, is there any member of the public who'd like to comment on this agenda item? Ben. |
| 00:19:55.84 | Ben Brown | So my name is Ben Brown and I'm a resident of Sausalito, also co-captain of one of the Bacha League teams. And I'm speaking in support of the plan just presented by Mike Langford and his associates. A key stakeholder group for Dunty Park is the Bocha League of Sausalito. In 2015, we had 23 teams with 175 members generating approximately $4,000 of revenue to the city of Sausalito three times a year during our three playing seasons. One of our problems was that with 23 teams, we wound up playing some of our games in the dark at night under a flashlight because there weren't enough courts. Another problem was that there was no adequate water drainage from the courts, so after a substantial rain, they'd stay wet for a long time. We organized a meeting of 13 team captains in December 2015 and prepared a consensus document of recommendations for what our group needed. Since that time, I'm told by Mike Langford, that the number of BOTCHA teams has expanded from 23 to 32 teams with a consequent increase of revenue to the city, I might add. and increased pressure on the facility. The sets of recommendations from our group were basically in three categories. One, the number of bocce courts and their location. Two, available seating for spectators and families. And three, storage capabilities for the Sausalito Parks and Recreation equipment, which they provide us for our games. We came up with four recommendations. Our representatives Paul Rogers and myself met with Mike Langford and with the architects who created the initial plan at the behest of the Friends of Dunphy Park, and we came to a consensus set of recommendations to have three courts, to have them located in a waterfront location. It was the desire of the Friends of Dunphy Park to have the courts moved to the northeast corner from their current southeast corner. and also to provide some lighting for the courts, which is internal as well as drainage. Very fortunately, there seemed to be a uniform agreement amongst the architects and Mike and Paul Rogers and myself on the four recommendations, and it appears that all of them have been incorporated. So I'd like to thank you for incorporating all those elements in your plan. I see my time is up, so I'll sit down. |
| 00:23:07.49 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Ben. So anybody else? Geoff, did you want to? |
| 00:23:22.06 | Jeffrey Chase | Hello again. Uh, This is going to be specifically about Dunphy Park and community gardens. And the subset that those two groups make THEIR OWNERS. And the demand is that they do come together. For people who don't know about the history of community gardens in Sausalito, uh, Kat and I were on the same bus coming from San Francisco and we started talking about this. Then we planted in the back of what is now Bochy Ball, the Bochy Ball facility. Well, I'm just looking at Jonathan Goldman because we were served with encroachment notices. We attempted to move it to Galilee, and Galilee has a garden for their residents only. I was rather excited about this whole issue, even passionate, probably too much garlic and onions in my diet. And so... I asked Kat to take the helm of this. And she did. And there were eventually... A hundred... and 80 people meeting here about this topic. They had a huge plan for Martin Luther King Park. The plan was way too grandiose, but I didn't have anything to do with it at that time. I put my trust in her. One person objected because he could no longer walk his dogs through what would be the community garden. And those 180 people are not at this meeting, for obvious reasons. I just submitted a demand to Mary Wagner, according to the Brown Act 54962. Within 30 days of the receipt of the demand, the legislative body shall cure or correct the challenge action and inform the demanding party in writing of its actions to cure, correct, or inform the demanding party in writing of the decision not to cure, if that's what you decide. The cure would be a community garden for Dunphy Park. The non-cure would be no action. Right now, all we have is the courts. Republicans dominate all federal government. I know the state government and the cities here in California are mainly dominated by Democrats. Still, a community garden is not here, whichever party we're talking about. And the courts are no longer being used. There are half the number of suits that were filed 15 years ago that go in front of a jury and a judge. The courts are using teleconferencing. These courts are very often empty. I come from a legal family, I have been dragged into court a couple times, but never of my own volition. Now I will test this out and see how it works. We have 30 days to decide if there will be a community garden in Dunphy Park. I have already put Jonathan, I've planted five trees. Where there are olive trees planted there, three olive trees. There are two in the book of Zachariah if you wanna look at that. And there's also one pine tree. We need... to do this now. |
| 00:26:26.57 | Ray Withy | you Thank you. |
| 00:26:27.70 | Jeffrey Chase | you |
| 00:26:27.78 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 00:26:27.82 | Jeffrey Chase | Thank you. |
| 00:26:27.97 | Ray Withy | Jeff. Any other member of the public like to comment on this item 6A? Okay. Let's bring it back here. |
| 00:26:41.30 | Ray Withy | Who would like to, has any comments, further questions of staff or comments? And if not, let's figure out what actions needed. Thank you. |
| 00:26:54.23 | Mike Langford | Unfortunately, I neglected to put the action on the last slide, as I should have. But in your staff report, there is a recommended motion to accept park rehabilitation feasibility analysis report as presented by landscape architectural firm, RHAA. Direct staff to continue working with RHAA to prepare a design review application and adopt a resolution authorizing a professional services contract with RHA for those services. |
| 00:27:26.05 | Ray Withy | I have a question, I've just thought of one. Okay. |
| 00:27:28.04 | Mike Langford | Okay. |
| 00:27:31.23 | Ray Withy | If this council approves that motion tonight, what do you think is the approximate timeline for then going in front of the Planning Commission? And assuming that if the Planning Commission were to approve this project what's our goal for initiation of construction. |
| 00:27:52.63 | Mike Langford | I can tell you the goal for initiation of the project is July 5th. Very aggressive. I'll let Manuela speak to how long it would take to get to Planning Commission. |
| 00:28:04.43 | Manuela King | We have a very ambitious schedule to get to planning commission also of six weeks to eight weeks. |
| 00:28:12.36 | Ray Withy | Okay, thank you. Ciao. |
| 00:28:14.90 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 00:28:14.92 | Manuela King | Thank you. |
| 00:28:14.94 | Joan Cox | I have one question. We received as late mail correspondence from Galilee Harbor proposing an alternative site for the parking. I heard our consultant to say that the parking is not set in stone, that they are still considering alternative parking solutions. And so I just wanted to confirm that they would be considering this latest correspondence from Galilee Harbor with their recommended parking solution. That is correct. Thank you. In that case, unless there are more questions, I'd like to move that we accept the park rehabilitation feasibility analysis report as presented by landscape architectural firm RHAA. Direct staff to continue working with RHAA to prepare a design review application and adopt the resolution authorizing a professional services contract amendment to RHAA for these services. |
| 00:29:09.50 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 00:29:09.53 | Ray Withy | I now second that. OK, all in favor. Aye. Any opposed? That motion carries 5-0. |
| 00:29:14.76 | Joan Cox | Aye. |
| 00:29:33.46 | Ray Withy | Okay, our next agenda item 6B is the award of contract for the general plan update consultant and creation of an appointments to a general plan advisory committee. Danny Castro, our Community Development Director. |
| 00:29:59.62 | Danny Castro | Good evening Mayor Withey, members of the council. THE END OF Danny Castro, your Community Development Director, and Let me just get this started here. Here's an overview of tonight's presentation, and I'll be describing what is a general plan update task force and their role and purpose. Their purpose and role in selecting the general plan update consultant, the general plan advisory committee, and what it is that they serve as a purpose and the considerations for the creation of an appointment to the general plan advisor. advisory committee and what it is that they serve as a purpose and the considerations for the creation of an appointment to the general plan advisory committee. The actions I'm seeking tonight from the City Council is direction that the City Manager execute a professional services agreement with Metropolitan Planning Group, the M Group, for the General Plan Update. and to discuss and provide direction on the creation of and appointments to the General Plan Advisory Committee, or the GPAC you will hear me refer. Some background, in October 2015, the City Council appointed a General Plan Update Task Force, and it was to review the current 1995 General Plan, identify the important issues to include as part of the General Plan Update, and to discuss the overall approach to help form the framework and the work program to update the General Plan. The task force members were Jill Hoffman, Ray Withy, Bill Werner representing the Planning Commission, John McCoy who's a former Historic Landmarks Board member and later replaced by Shasha Richardson. And myself I was a staff representative of this task force as well as Lily Whalen. The General Plan Update Task Force conducted nine meetings. The meetings were conducted pursuant to the Brown Act, and agendas were posted. Meetings were open to the public and video recorded. The updates to the City Council were done in May of last year, as well as in November of last year, on the progress of their work and their recommended approach to the General Plan Update. |
| 00:32:23.51 | Danny Castro | In terms of the selection of a general plan update consultant, the City Council directed the task force to distribute a request for qualifications to be followed by a request for proposal to a short list of those candidates. Six statement of qualifications and two proposals were received. And these SOQs and proposals can be accessed on the city's website and the general plan update page. Following the recommendations of the task force to move two of the consultants forward for interviews, the City Council disbanded the task force and appointed a panel to interview the top two qualified planning consultant firms and recommend the selection to the consultant to the City Council. The interview panel consisted of Mayor Ray Withy, Councilmember Hoffman, Planning Commissioner Bill Werner, City Manager Adam Paulitzer, City Clerk Assistant City Manager Lily Whalen, and myself. |
| 00:33:29.49 | Danny Castro | What is on the screen is a selection schedule that was approved by the task force. In terms of the due dates for beginning with the RFQ and then with the RFP submittal. THE REVIEW TIME IN BETWEEN, AS WELL AS THE SCHEDULE OF INTERVIEWS, WHICH OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 1ST, AND THEN THE PRESENTATION OF THE CONSULTANT AND THE WARD OF CONTRACT. YOU'LL SEE THAT DATE IS FEBRUARY 14TH, BUT IT'S MEANT TO BE FEBRUARY 28TH TODAY. Here is a list of all the 17 planning consultant firms that the RFQ was sent to. There were 17 firms that were... invited to participate in the RFQ process. you Of those 17 firms, six Six statement of qualifications were received. From that list of six, six were moved forward to be shortlisted to send a request of a proposal, and that was identified by the task force for the four to move forward. When those four were sent a request for proposal, two proposals were received. And those two were also selected for interview. The top two consultant firms that participated were on February 1st, and it was Ramey and Associates and M Group. The task force took into consideration when interviewing these two and reviewing their proposals was compatibility with Sausalito. familiarity with Sausalito, their professional experience, the composition of the team members, their outreach approach, community outreach approach, and their responsiveness to the request for proposal. Five of the six panel members concurred that the proposal submitted by the M group ranked as a top choice and that Councilmember Hoffman preferred Ramey and Associates over the M Group. |
| 00:35:39.34 | Danny Castro | The, M group. was in terms of the five members of the interview panel, The M group was selected because of a number of items here. And that being first that they're familiar with Sausalito, the Bay Area jurisdictions, and of local and regional issues. The scope of work includes a robust and comprehensive community outreach program. Their scope of work included over 70 meetings that include check-ins with the community, regular meetings with staff and the General Plan Advisory Committee, consultation with the Planning Commission, Historic Landmarks Board, City Council community meetings neighborhood walks, coffee shop chats, pop-up workshops, and stakeholder meetings. The M group consisted of members that represented land use planning in the profession of land use planning and policy, technical expertise in transportation, engineering, economics, environmental, and fiscal analysis. And that their scope of work presented a clear and concise roadmap on the update process within a two to three year timeframe and under the $750,000 budget for the general plan update. the role of the General Plan Advisory Committee, so that is sort of The first part of this presentation, now I'm going to go to the General Plan Advisory Committee The GPAC represents the community and serves as a sounding board for developing the general plan update. The GPAC will refine the approach taken for each major step in the update process. provide feedback through interim steps, and ultimately provide a final review or along the way as well, the deliverables before publication of the various work products that go into a general plan. So there are some considerations in terms of the makeup of the general plan. There's a variety of ways to appoint a general plan advisory committee, and here are some. Number one, you can |
| 00:37:55.88 | Unknown | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 00:38:06.68 | Danny Castro | take a representative from each of the 12 commissions, committees, and boards. Upcoming slide will show you that list of these commission committees and boards. Number two, you may take a representative from each of the eight area neighborhoods in Sausalito and looking at the 1995 general plan. It includes eight area neighborhoods that were identified in Sausalito. And that was something that was suggested as part of the task force review. Number three, you can establish a smaller core GPAC, for example, up to four to five members or more, with a sub list of community members who express interest in participating on particular topics. These community members could be called upon throughout the preparation of the general plan update when those topics of particular interest are being discussed. Number four, is similar in certain terms of establishing a core GPAC at the initiation of the general plan update to kick it off and later expand it Up to nine members, that is not a fixed number, it could be any number, but we felt that nine was, at least I did, was manageable to some extent in terms of just efficiency in the meetings. |
| 00:39:35.36 | Danny Castro | Now for one and two in terms of considerations, The GPAC members would be recruited and selected to participate in the process from the very start and the very beginning. having full involvement and investment and participation The downfall for this approach in terms of getting a full number is that the recruitment and the appointment process could delay the initial kickoff. of the general plan update. So that would take some time. For three and four, this core GPAC Um, in terms of getting the general plan update process underway uh, could be done in terms of getting the initiation of task one, the first number of tasks. If you've looked at the M Group's proposal, there's startup tasks that are very consultant and staff heavy in terms of receiving a lot of data and getting some input and some basic information to include as a starting point. and That can be done again with the core group of the general plan advisory committee. And then at later tasks when it is important to get the input from the community, then we involve it with a larger general plan advisory committee. I'm not sure. I think I mentioned again the benefits of having a core group at the start. is that it's easier to coordinate schedules and to get the general plan kicked off and then either for three or four to then bring in the interest groups or any interested individuals into the input process at later tasks in the general plan update. Here's just a list of all the 12 Commission Boards and Committees. There are other interest groups, this is not an inclusive list or exclusive list I should say there are other interest interest that and I don't want to offend anyone if they're not on this list but this is what's what we have currently on our city's website in terms of the boards and committees and commissions And here is the neighborhood map that I referenced a few slides ago. That's currently in our 1995 general plan. and how they are divided up. So, The recommendation is to adopt a resolution of the City Council of the City of Sausalito authorizing the City Manager to execute the professional services agreement With the M group in the amount of 749 874 for the preparation of the general plan update. There are members, two members of the M group here, Christy Bascom and Heather Hines. They're available for any questions. And number two is to create the GPAC and appoint members of the GPAC. And that concludes my recommendation. my presentation and I'm available for any questions. |
| 00:42:48.14 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Danny. Hmm. Thank you. Thank you. So let's start off with questions of staff by council. And maybe we should divide this up into two parts because the selection of the consultant is clearly one item. And a discussion or questions around the composition of an advisory committee are obviously a very distinct set of questions. So who would like to go first? |
| 00:43:25.94 | Jill Hoffman | we're going to talk about selection of the consultant first? Yeah. Is that right? OK. Well, I'll go first because I was on the committee |
| 00:43:28.35 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 00:43:32.03 | Jill Hoffman | As Danny said, I did not support the selection of the M group and that stemmed from my experience with them during the housing element issues. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE You know, I just there were other people in town that also shared my feelings on that. And so I thought it was important to state that I can certainly go into more detail if the members of the council would like me to about why I had that feeling one of them was um, |
| 00:44:09.09 | Jill Hoffman | Anyway. I felt that we could do better reacting to the views of the citizens and the residents as we were going forward in the housing element program and with the M group and when I look at spending you know almost a million dollars over the next three years and the amount of effort that it took to incorporate the views of the residents with them, you know, It was a struggle, and so I didn't see that that was something that I wanted to do for the next four years, to be engaged at that level. of opposition to residents and going forward with our plan. So that was my. feeling and that's why I didn't vote for them also you know, to be fair, Uh, they're... circulation group that they were going to use was Parisi and we had just had a presentation two weeks prior about our South Gateway project that had a lot of resident opposition. And so I had concerns about that as well. And that's, and if anybody wants to go further, I'm happy to further state my views on that. Thanks. |
| 00:45:30.88 | Ray Withy | So we're in the question period. |
| 00:45:35.62 | Jill Hoffman | Yeah. that |
| 00:45:36.03 | Ray Withy | Yeah. you |
| 00:45:38.62 | David Archer | That's the guy. |
| 00:45:39.38 | Ray Withy | Thank you. . Yeah. So, |
| 00:45:41.95 | Barbara Nelson | Which is something here. |
| 00:45:42.91 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 00:45:42.96 | Barbara Nelson | Thank you. |
| 00:45:42.98 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 00:45:43.23 | Ray Withy | It's all right. |
| 00:45:43.57 | Barbara Nelson | Sure. |
| 00:45:43.80 | Unknown | Right, Dias? Thank you. He didn't question you. I have a couple questions. |
| 00:45:46.86 | Ray Withy | I have a couple questions. So maybe, I was thinking maybe somebody had some questions of you. So anyway, please. I do. |
| 00:45:54.44 | Joan Cox | I do have a couple of questions because I agree with Councilmember Hoffman that $750,000 is a considerable sum. So is that a lump sum guaranteed not to exceed price for preparation of the general plan? Yes. And so if we get change orders halfway through, we get to say no. Yes. Unless we change the scope. |
| 00:46:18.68 | Danny Castro | Yeah. |
| 00:46:20.17 | Joan Cox | Unless we change the scope. Okay, and that includes over 70 meetings. Thank you. |
| 00:46:25.70 | Danny Castro | Correct. |
| 00:46:26.03 | Joan Cox | Thank you. And then I, too, share Councilmember Hoffman's concerns about the circulation consultant. Do we have the ability, as this process unfolds, to seek a different subconsultant? |
| 00:46:47.17 | Danny Castro | Yes, you could. |
| 00:46:49.35 | Joan Cox | Okay, those are my questions. |
| 00:46:53.33 | Ray Withy | Any other questions of staff? Should we? I'm going to take public comment in one go. So do we have any questions here on the advisory? I know we're going to have a lot of discussion about the advisory committee, but do we have any questions specifically of the four alternatives that Danny put up there? If not, then I'll throw this out for public comment, and we can have a discussion about it when any further. Okay. So at this point then, why don't I open this for public comment? I have no cards yet, so does anybody like to address the council on this particular topic? |
| 00:47:43.68 | Unknown | Yes. the both sides there, weren't you? |
| 00:47:47.75 | Ray Withy | Yes, both sides of it. Yep, any and all comments welcome on the general plan. Thank you. Jeff. |
| 00:47:58.16 | Jeffrey Chase | Hello, Mayor. |
| 00:47:59.68 | Ray Withy | Good evening. |
| 00:48:03.90 | Jeffrey Chase | I'm here for a couple reasons. And... Neither of them IS TO LOSE. So far, I've been losing. There is no authorized community garden. The bicycles between 500 and 600 were chained up. And there is enhanced enforcement against the Anchorage. It seems so on the national level too. And... part of the way that we will impeach President Donald J. Trump is through the emoluments clause. Emolumentum is what we're going to gain. And it's Article 9 of the U.S. Constitution. It says that no president shall profit. by a gift, From a state. or a king. or Queen Mary. |
| 00:48:56.86 | Jeffrey Chase | Then I looked in the California Constitution to see if there was anything similar. What do you know? There is. This is section 6. Article 16. It says the legislature, and that includes you here, shall not have the power to make any gift or authorize the making of any gift or any public money or thing of value to any individual, municipal, or corporation, whatever. This is the emoluments clause in the state. that now you are proposing to give $749,000 to some corporation called the M Group. Planning has only been around Since... The... invention and sweeping of the landscape of the automobile to make sure that there's places to park and there's gas stations and all of that. Now it has seeped in to every square inch of our life. Everything is planned in California. As you know, California has a lot of freedom. However, you have to get a permit first. |
| 00:50:07.75 | Jeffrey Chase | So, Aren't there people in the city? Aren't there people in the county? Aren't there people in the state? And aren't there people in the federal government who do planning? Right now, all of the money that's being spent for the planning for the anchorage is to destroy the boats. To me, this is a destruction of the environment through gas usage. through unplanned carbon output, through homogenization and gentrification of one of the most diverse communities, the most diverse community in Marin County. I'm saying there's a much, much better way. We can get together and plan this ourselves. That's all. Thank you very much. |
| 00:50:53.44 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Thank you. I have two speaker cards for this agenda item. If anybody would like to speak, please fill in the card. Otherwise, we're going to close public comment at the end. Charles Kaufman. |
| 00:51:13.66 | Ray Withy | Yeah, Sybil, please. |
| 00:51:21.44 | Sybil Boutillier | Good evening Mayor Withee, Vice Mayor and Council Members. Sybil Boutillier, your Commissioner on Aging and also a member of the Age-Friendly Salcelito Task Force. And as some of you will remember, in November we brought to the City Council the Community Strategic Action plan for an age-friendly Sal Salido, which we'd been working on for almost three years. And at that time, the council member, now Mayor Withey, clearly stated that the plan which was accepted and adopted by the council could serve as a age-friendly lens through which the different elements of the general plan could be looked at. one part, one aspect, one perception of the plan. And so I was disappointed that I didn't see the Age-Friendly Task Force listed as one of the community organizations to be included in the advisory committees, Although I know from speaking with Danny Castro that there is an intention to include members as appropriate. I'd like to suggest that a member of the task force might participate in the core advisory committee if you decide to extend it beyond the planning Commission and the Council. And... my recommendation for that person would be Charles Coughlin. Thank you. |
| 00:53:24.47 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Sybil. Charles. |
| 00:53:32.02 | Charles Kaufman | I'm Charles Kaufman. I think I've spoken here before. Just a quick reminder, I'm the president of the Whiskey Springs Homeowners Association. I'm on the age friendly task force on the board of Saucedo Village and the Marin County representative to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Advisory Board. So I'm very happy to see you're moving forward with this. I would hope you would consider number three as the way to go. So, Thank you, Sybil, for your kind recommendation. I have a strong interest in being involved in this process. Last Friday, I sat in on the TAM conference on transportation, and there are very dramatic changes coming soon. Tonight, another item on the agenda is Airbnb. These things are going to make potentially huge impacts along with very, very significant issues about revenue and how we're going to make our way forward with revenue for the city. as these constant technology changes continue to occur. So I think number three would be a good strategy to get wide representation and appropriate representation from the city to become involved in this really important plan. Thank you. |
| 00:54:51.75 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Vicki Nichols. |
| 00:55:02.50 | Vicki Nichols | Good evening, Mayor Withey and council members. I wasn't going to speak about this per se, but I would just like to say that to clarify a few things that number one, I think the amount of this general plan is very consistent with any other city that you look at. I think this is reasonable for the tasks that are deliverable. And I have a different opinion of the performance of the M group during our housing element I know Councilmember Hoffman had a personal THE FAMILY. conflict with them about her own property, but I think the commitment to have the 70 meetings, et cetera, et cetera, this is going to be a difficult process as it is in all communities because it affects how we're going to live and form our community. So the more outreach we can have, the more conversation. I liked how they worked prior to, on the housing element personally. And this isn't a gift to anybody. This is a fee for services that will be, I'm sure undoubtedly well earned. So I'm a little bit on item three on the core group. I'm a little bit on item three on the core group. My preference, I understand the difficulty of getting a number of people on a schedule where they're all eligible, but I think by having too many meetings with a core group before you get everybody on the same page or at least feeling they're participating. I would think similarly to... when former Mayor Amy Belzer promoted individuals with a specific sort of topic, when she formed the Marinship Specific Plan Committee, we each sort of represented a portion of that. And while it was rather unwieldy, when it came time to write that draft, We all participated, we all had a statement in the front that while we didn't agree totally with every 100% of every sentence, everybody had been heard. So it takes a little bit of work in those big groups, but I think in the end you get less blowback from segments that don't feel they've been included or you have to keep going back to update their input. That's my two cents at the moment, thank you. |
| 00:57:30.50 | Ray Withy | Is there any other member of the public who's filled in a card to speak on this item? Seeing none, I'll close public comment. Sure. |
| 00:57:45.21 | Ray Withy | Could you fill in a card afterwards, please, Peter? Yes. |
| 00:57:47.35 | Peter | Yes, Peter. Yes, sorry I'm late. Thanks for all being here. I think we had more people in church last Sunday downstairs than here. So we're growing, we're growing. Sorry, I'm late. Now, does the general plan, does it include |
| 00:57:49.46 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 00:57:49.58 | Ray Withy | All right. |
| 00:58:04.08 | Peter | The anchor, I mean the anchor outs within the city limits, I'm just wondering. And if not, I'd like to nominate, well Doug, who could we nominate? I live outside the city limit. across the channel, Doug Storms, my co-pastor, lives just outside. But there are people within the city limits, which extends to the city to the channel. That would... be glad to serve on a commission, you know, to, to, to, as a representative for the people that are anchored or moored within the city limits, you know, because they are part of the community, and there's obviously not enough affordable housing to, to, you know, you know, San Francisco has the highest rents in America now, and Marin County is just about the same, you know, just a little less, you know. But I just wanted to throw that out, something to think about, and just remind everybody that we have a service. We have a waterfront service every Sunday from 11 to 3 at the recreation room, and we're growing, we're growing. And pretty soon we're going to have to pay more rent eventually. And we already pay 450 a month, we contribute that to the city and we're glad to do it, we're glad to do it. We're not getting anything, we're not getting it free, but we are getting a discount, you know. And I'm just saying that our, be assured that the anchor outs and we're getting organized and peaceful and nonviolent and and non-threatening and all of the trouble that's been happening out there, it's two or three people that the judges keep releasing on us, you know, just one person, all it takes is one person to go on a thieving spree and all of a sudden we're all painted with the same brush, you know, but it's only Two people sometimes that are causing all the trouble. And we need to tell the judges, lock them up. Keep them locked up and then we'll all be happy. And thank you. By the way, none of us lock our boats. No, I haven't ever had anything stolen off my boat in 30 years of being anchored out there. So I don't know. Where's all the thievery, you know? But anyways, God bless you, and thank you for your time. Thank you. |
| 01:00:16.41 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Peter. Okay, I will close public comment on this item, bring it back up here for discussion. Again, let's divide this into two parts and We each have any comments on the appointment of the M group. |
| 01:00:43.53 | Joan Cox | I'll share. um, I will simply share because I was very active in working with the M Group on the city's housing element in 2012 to 2014 and then also on the housing element update. And we definitely faced an uphill battle when we first hired the M Group. City staff, who aren't with the city at this point, but at that time, city staff was recommending that we consider high-density development in one of nine neighborhoods throughout the town in order to meet our very steep housing quota because we had gone so long without a certified housing element. And with the M Group's guidance, we were able to avoid any high- development in any of the proposed nine Sausalito neighborhoods. And instead, the M group came up with a low impact strategy that consisted of approval of an amnesty program for accessory dwelling units, approval of a new accessory dwelling unit program, approval of liveaboards being counted as residents. Whereas prior to that program, they had been counted as transients, even though some of them had lived in Sausalito far longer than other residents for 20 years. And when we encountered resistance from Sacramento lawmakers on some of these novel programs, the M Group facilitated meetings whereby Sacramento decision makers came here to City Hall and met with Housing Element Committee members so that we could share Sausalito's unique characteristics and explain why Sausalito should be entitled to use novel approaches to meet its quotas. And ultimately, that strategy was successful. I found that the M Group was very responsive to feedback. Certainly at one point they went off in a different direction than what the city wanted, and we pushed back, and we pushed back hard and said, we don't want this and we don't want that, and ultimately we were able to get a program very close to what we were seeking. Because of this extensive work with the city in the past, including literally dozens of meetings, including community meetings, neighborhood walks, meetings with the city council, meetings with the planning commission, the M group is familiar with the city process. They have a track record of outreach and hosting community meetings and so i believe as between the two choices that we have m group is ideally situated to accommodate our needs and assist us in generating a general plan that again preserves Sausalito's unique character. And is consistent with the goals of Sausalito's residents and businesses. Thank you. |
| 01:04:07.77 | Ray Withy | Thank you. show. |
| 01:04:12.27 | Joe Burns | I WAS BOTH LUCKY AND THEN REGRETFUL THAT I DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AT THAT TIME AND HAVE THAT, THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH THE M GROUP IN THAT PUBLIC PROCESS. HOWEVER, I'VE HEARD GOOD THINGS ABOUT BOTH THE OUTCOME AS WELL AS HOW IT WAS MANAGED AT THE TIME. IN WHAT I'VE HAD EXPOSURE TO, BASED ON THE WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION, I THINK BOTH GROUPS WERE BY FAR PUT TOGETHER GREAT PACKAGES AND I KIND OF RESONATED TOWARDS THE WORK PLAN AS I THINK WAS A BIG DIFFERENCE OF ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT I SAW WITHIN THE PLANS AND THE PROPOSALS made me just in the writing of the documents look like it was a good choice that the committee went through. I was wanting to hear some objectives, what those were, and to learn more about what maybe any problems were. So some of this is new to me. I didn't necessarily have a problem with the South Gateway plan as far as what Parisi did for it. I thinkN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SOUTH GATEWAY PLAN AS FAR AS WHAT PARISI DID FOR IT. I THINK WE HAD SOME OTHER ISSUES WITH IT. LIKE I SAID AT THAT MEETING, I'M EXCITED ABOUT PARTS OF THAT DOCUMENT IN USE IN THE FUTURE. based on what I've had, I don't have a reason to argue with the selection of the group. |
| 01:05:43.33 | Herb Weiner | Burby? |
| 01:05:47.89 | Jill Hoffman | I just have one small additional thing. When the comments that I made weren't based on... you know initially that we had with my personal property it was a larger scope of my entire neighborhood and so I just wanted to clarify that |
| 01:06:05.35 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Is there any other discussion? No. I'm going to... Let's get this out of the way and then we'll come back and talk about the advisory committee. So I'm going to move to direct the city manager to execute a professional services agreement with the Metropolitan Planning Group, the M Group for the general plan update. Basically, all of the information is in our package, including the draft services agreement. Do I have a second? Second. Okay, would you call the roll please, Lily? |
| 01:06:39.68 | Lily Whalen | Councilmember Burns? |
| 01:06:40.96 | Ray Withy | Yes. |
| 01:06:41.53 | Lily Whalen | Councilmember Weiner. Thank you. |
| 01:06:42.56 | Ray Withy | YES. |
| 01:06:42.59 | Lily Whalen | Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Hoffman? No. Vice Mayor Cox? Yes. Mayor Withy? |
| 01:06:48.18 | Ray Withy | Yes. |
| 01:06:48.74 | Lily Whalen | That carries 4-1. |
| 01:06:50.51 | Ray Withy | Okay, so let's... Now move on to discuss the one two three or four here or some combination of both um and If I could be... a little presumptuous and just sort of try and move this along a bit with some suggestion for us to talk about. So first of all, I think in the end, I think the advisory group needs to be you A group that gels together as a team has different perspectives. could be through, have an environmental sustainability interest, could have historical interest, could have transportation circulation interest. There's a whole different interest. Then there's also where they are in the community, Are they in the north end of town, south end of town? And that is an important thing, I think, to factor in. Ah. the all of the work product and the initial visioning and work is going to end up being processed through many of our boards and commissions for their input. And so in the end, I've realized the most important thing, bearing all of that in mind, we need to have our boards and commissions look at this. We need a sort of broad geographic area. We also need, I think, at least a group of nine people but with the fact that we will be having subgroups on particular topics where we're going to be bringing in expertise. So I'm not sure I see the difference. I'm not sure I understand what really is the difference between three and four, other than perhaps the size of the group. Because in the end, I think we need to bring... people, anybody in the community who wants to participate in this as part of the process. And I think one of the very first things that has to happen is outreach, because there are people out there who, absolutely itching to work on the general plan they just don't know it yet right so we need to get out there to everybody in the community and have them understand what we're doing so i'd like to propose we form initially a core group four or five folks i suggest we kick off with just four and their first job is to actually come back and recommend make recommendations to the city council as to who should be on it. That's number one. And because we've just now hired the consulting group, it means that they can work with the consultants as well and with staff quickly to start figuring out how you square this circle of having possibly representatives from certain commissions, representatives from the different areas, as well as good, sound, sensible people who are going to make some good decisions, which is probably the most important. So I'd like to propose a small group initially with the goal of expanding, working with the M group and also planning very quickly the initial outreach. |
| 01:10:45.56 | Herb Weiner | My question to you is that going to be a committee or a task force? In other words, if you want to put a time limit on it, then you can pull in the reins as a task force. As we all know, a committee has a way of just being a committee. |
| 01:10:56.95 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 01:10:56.99 | Ray Withy | Cheers. |
| 01:11:01.96 | Ray Withy | Thank you. I think there's a couple of things here. We could use some advice from our city attorney here. Also, we do have a rule that someone cannot sit on one of our boards of commissions and possibly even task forces. They can't sit on more than one. And this might be something where we're going to have to specify and make some different rules. So task force, committee. It's a semi-permanent thing or several year thing probably. |
| 01:11:40.24 | Mary Wagner | Yeah, if you're establishing the group, no matter what you call it, that has ongoing subject matter jurisdiction, fixed meeting schedule, it's not just a short focused effort, they are a group that's subject to the Brown Act. And if that's the council's desire, whatever you call it, that's going to be the rule. Then with respect to your other question, Mayor Withey, with respect to can somebody serve on more than one board or committee under the city's regulations, we could include that in the creation of the committee when you come back with, if there are recommendations to have a larger committee and there are people who sit on different boards and committees, we can make that exception in the creation of the committee. |
| 01:12:32.47 | Ray Withy | So why don't we then start off with setting this up as a task force, and when we've reached the full membership level, it becomes the permanent sitting advisory committee for the plan. Is everybody okay with that? That sounds great. |
| 01:12:45.41 | Unknown | That sounds great. |
| 01:12:47.43 | Ray Withy | OK. In terms of initial composition, I'd like to suggest, and I'm going to uh, I'm going to choose my words carefully here. |
| 01:13:01.39 | Mr. Summit | one at a time. |
| 01:13:03.36 | Ray Withy | So I'm suggesting we start off for this task force to build the committee and to build the outreach program with the M group that the mayor sits on it And I'm not giving a name there. I'm saying the mayor sits on it. OK, that a council member, a second council member appointed by the mayor, that we have Planning Commissioner Bill Werner, sit on this task force. Whether or not in the future he's on the Planning Commission. So his seat on this is not tied to him being a Planning Commissioner. |
| 01:13:54.68 | Ray Withy | And one planning commissioner to be decided by the planning commission itself. So that's my recommendation. |
| 01:14:06.73 | Joan Cox | I think that sounds great. Just as an initial... task force charged with Yeah, collecting and And populating a committee. with making recommendations to the full council about who that should be comprised of. |
| 01:14:22.90 | Ray Withy | And I'm assuming that they themselves will stay on it, right? Does staff have any comments on that? |
| 01:14:33.26 | Ray Withy | consider, and I haven't run it by them before. |
| 01:14:37.07 | Joe Burns | I'm not sure if you're not |
| 01:14:40.36 | Ray Withy | Maybe we'll do the test. |
| 01:14:44.21 | Joe Burns | would would that group appoint from would they be able to point from committees? And we're saying no. |
| 01:14:50.62 | Joan Cox | We're saying no. |
| 01:14:53.47 | Joe Burns | Right, right. They would make recommendations to the council and we would approve it, but would the people they recommend be able to be on a committee still? So they can still serve on two committees even when it goes from task force to committee? |
| 01:15:03.55 | Joan Cox | If we make the exception recommended by the city attorney. |
| 01:15:05.00 | Joe Burns | We'll make that exception. and then can we give them kind of criteria to stay within maybe those first two, as much as possible to consider at least representing commissions as well as geographical locations. Not mandating or not specifying, but those considerations be in there. I don't think they're worth setting up as a group, but for sure to take that into consideration. |
| 01:15:28.07 | Herb Weiner | This is just an initial step. |
| 01:15:31.95 | Joe Burns | Well, I think the next step is for them to select, right? Right. No, it's for us to select. |
| 01:15:32.06 | Herb Weiner | THE END OF |
| 01:15:32.10 | Joan Cox | I THINK THE NEXT No, it's for us to select. |
| 01:15:36.25 | Joe Burns | I'm sorry. |
| 01:15:36.59 | Joan Cox | for them to recognize. |
| 01:15:37.45 | Joe Burns | for them to recommend and then we select. |
| 01:15:39.27 | Joan Cox | Right. So the City Council is free to... stick to those parameters to the extent it |
| 01:15:45.70 | Joe Burns | But in fairness, we should tell them what those parameters are before they... |
| 01:15:47.22 | Joan Cox | BEFORE THE HIGH. |
| 01:15:48.13 | Joe Burns | Recommend. |
| 01:15:48.87 | Ray Withy | you |
| 01:15:48.92 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 01:15:48.96 | Ray Withy | . See, part of why I... wanting to be not say yes, they've gotta be from all 12 committees, or yes, they've gotta be from every one of the eight neighborhoods, or assuming there are eight. Not so sure about that. is that in the end, the most important thing is that we have good, smart people who are going to make good decisions. And hopefully, our judgment can find those people but we can't do it until this group has approved a letter of outreach thing to get out to all the residents. As I said, there's a whole bunch of people out there dying to work on this. They just don't know it. Do we want to provide them with a number |
| 01:16:32.97 | Joe Burns | to recommend, say, That will be the end. |
| 01:16:35.84 | Ray Withy | I would say it's a committee of |
| 01:16:37.96 | Joe Burns | to nine members? Well, if they recommend nine and we're choosing nine, Should we ask them to recommend more than nine to choose from? |
| 01:16:46.03 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 01:16:46.16 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 01:16:46.21 | Ray Withy | Thanks. |
| 01:16:46.75 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 01:16:46.87 | Ray Withy | I think we build it as we go. If we got two that really want, we add two, and it's then six. We then add another three, and then it's nine. Or we may decide it should be really 11. Or we don't like two people, and it's now seven. No, in all seriousness, I think some flexibility so that we quickly build the team. The other reason is that now we've picked a consultant. I personally would like to hear... |
| 01:17:08.17 | Ben Brown | Thank you. |
| 01:17:15.46 | Ray Withy | the consultants' views as to how to interact with our various committees, interest groups, and so on, and what they think could advise in terms of building the advisory committee. So my view is let's just get going with the outreach and we're building the committee, and that will give us a chance to have the consultants' input at the same time. Is everybody okay? Is everybody all right with that? Can we just sort of make a motion to approve that? So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. And do you know what that is, Lily, Mary? Yeah? Oh, OK. Yes. So. |
| 01:17:56.52 | Joan Cox | I. |
| 01:18:01.09 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 01:18:05.27 | Ray Withy | With that, I'm going to suggest we take a five minute break. |
| 01:18:09.97 | Unknown | I was here. |
| 01:18:12.01 | Ray Withy | I'll do that later. So I'm going to take a five minute break and we'll resume here absolutely no later than 8.30. |
| 01:18:27.31 | Unknown | Oh, |
| 01:18:27.97 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 01:18:28.04 | Unknown | you |
| 01:18:28.39 | Unknown | you Thank you. |
| 01:18:31.30 | Unknown | On a cloudy day. |
| 01:18:32.71 | Unknown | you |
| 01:18:33.02 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 01:18:40.44 | Unknown | Thank you for having me. |
| 01:18:44.96 | Ray Withy | Okay, thank you. Let's get back at this now. uh... city council has our city attorney has reminded me that i actually didn't appoint a council member to join the General Plan Task Force, which I was supposed to do. So the mayor's appointment of a council member to the General Plan Task Force will be the Vice Mayor, Joan Cox. Okay. |
| 01:19:20.25 | Unknown | THE END OF THE END OF THE |
| 01:19:21.23 | Ray Withy | Okay, item 6C is the short-term rental task force recommendations. And Danny Castro, our community development director. |
| 01:19:33.46 | Danny Castro | Good evening again, Mayor Withey and members of the council. Before you is the short-term rental task force recommendations. To give you a summary, the short-term rentals are currently prohibited in Sausalito. Short-term rental is a rental of a home, dwelling unit, bedroom, rooms or rooms in a dwelling unit for a period of less than 30 days. On September of last year, the city council appointed a short-term rental task force to provide recommendations on how to address short-term rentals in Sausalito. In November of last year, City Council directed the task force to explore whether a program should be established to allow short-term rentals, what regulations should be in place, and to consider the assistance of host compliance. It's a company that helps to provide the tracking and monitoring of short-term rental activity in the city and among other services. This presentation provides these recommendations of the task force. The City Council began discussing short-term rentals in March of 2015 in terms of an introduction to the issue. We had a presentation from Senator Mike McGuire at that meeting. At that time, there was proposed legislation to require that platforms track and monitor and also remit transit occupancy tax. That legislation did not occur and is still pending. in June 30th, a second meeting of the City Council. The Council directed that staff employ a part-time code enforcement officer to enforce the current prohibition. In January 26, 2016, a working group was appointed to conduct community forums, reach out to the community, get a broader input from the community in terms of short-term rentals in this issue. Also, a survey was conducted on Open City Hall, and that was also available online as well as hard copies. The community forums, there were two that were held in June of last year, and also the council directed that code enforcement specifically for short-term rentals continue. In July, an update was received last year. In September, as I said, that a task force was then created to look at, consider a few specific items related to short-term rentals, and in November, finally, to explore a program with regulations, look at the penalty fee in terms of increasing it, and explore the assistance from host compliance. The task force members were Jill Hoffman, City Councilmember, Susan Cleveland Knowles, Planning Commission Chair, currently, Ben Brown, the Historic Landmarks Board Chair, Russ Irwin was a community representative, and Kate Storr as well. And myself, I was staff representing the task force. The purpose of the task force was to discuss and provide recommendations on, again, assistance from host compliance to supplement our code enforcement efforts. Consider a penalty fee increase. As the council is aware, that occurred in December, and the fee was increased to $1,000 for a first violation, $2,000 for a second violation, and $5,000 for a third and subsequent violation. So those fees were increased specifically for any violations of operating a short-term rental. And another role of the task force was to look at devising a plan to work with platforms and getting the reporting data. to discuss concerns about ADUs, accessory dwelling units, that may be replaced by short term rentals. consider establishing a program, and any other items. The task force held four meetings conducted in accordance with the Brown Act. The meetings were open to the public. There were video recorded and available for view on the city's website and on the city's short-term rental page. The task force agreed with the city council's decision to increase the penalty fee for short-term rentals. And that occurred again in December 13th of last year. The task force, and what I'm presenting this evening is a task force's recommendations. These are the majority of the task force recommendations. They weren't unanimous. They did recommend, the majority did recommend the use of the services of host compliance. Host compliance would provide if... if the city uses their services, to provide the tracking and monitoring of short-term rentals operating in the city. They would provide updated data regularly that would be provided to the city on properties that are hosting short-term rentals, the number of days rented, and a self-reporting mechanism to track and remit taxes. They would also provide a 24-7 hotline number to lodge any complaints on short-term rentals. And they would also provide correspondence or notification to short-term rental operators in the city to inform them of the city's regulations and what the permit requirements are. The cost for services is approximately $13,000 per year. |
| 01:25:29.09 | Danny Castro | At the December meeting, Ulrich Benzer from Host Compliance made a presentation. At that time, he identified 165 short-term rentals operating in Sausalito based on the data that he provided, despite the current prohibition. And that video of his presentation can be accessed on the short-term rental page of the city's website under that December 13th date, 2016. The task force recommendation is that if a program were to be established that the cost to administer a pilot program and to regulate short-term rentals and to fund host compliance and the associated code enforcement staff be cost neutral paid for by annual permit fees charged to short-term rental hosts and with a collection of the transient occupancy tax, TOT tax. |
| 01:26:22.34 | Danny Castro | The task force recommended a pilot program and with the objectives stated here, that that may be authorized by a permit granted by the city Um, No adverse impacts on neighbors. No adverse impacts on the housing element and those objectives in the general plan, of the general plan. Set the procedures for staff to process neighborhood complaints. And to present clear regulations that are easily understood by permit holders. I'm not going to read these, but these are the main objectives that the Short-Term Rental Task Force provided. And the next three slides, I believe three slides, are the actual task force recommendations in terms of the outline and the recommended conditions for granting a permit. |
| 01:27:22.57 | Danny Castro | The task force recommended that establishing a program would be for one to two years with regular reviews for program compliance. And that the cost, and review of the cost and permit fee revenues done regularly. And for this program to sunset within, again, either one to two years. It was a range. There was discussion that two years was more appropriate than one year. The application would include a set of criteria, a number of conditions that would have to be complied with for the duration of the permit. So a permit holder would have to comply with a set of criteria. Would that include provisions for parking, trash, noise, good neighbor policies, limit on the number of days per year for renting entire homes, and require that the permit holder is a primary resident of the home, so they would have to establish that they are a primary resident, and that would be by any number of... criteria that staff would undergo similar to tax records or utility bills to establish primary residence. |
| 01:28:42.90 | Danny Castro | What else can I go through here? |
| 01:28:48.75 | Danny Castro | The short-term rental of a dwelling unit would be limited to 90 to 180 days per year if the rental is for the entire home. There's a range that was recommended by the task force and not a definite number. And no limit to the number of days per year for short-term rental if rental is for only a portion of the home. For example, if it was a bedroom or attached or detached unit or an upper or lower level of a floor, with the idea that it's likely that the primary resident is residing while they are renting. They must obtain a business license, must agree to remit and pay transit occupancy tax with the business license division of the city. Agree to comply with some health and safety codes to be determined by and hashed out more specifically by city staff. Um, agree to To provide each tenant and a copy of a Good Neighbor Handbook, the City of Mill Valley, with their short-term rental program, has a very user-friendly and Good Neighbor Handbook that's available on their website, as well as provided to each of the tenants that hosts provide to each of their tenants to include rules regarding parking, trash, and noise. |
| 01:30:19.54 | Danny Castro | Um, The host would also include a local contact that's available 24 seven to the city. Um, They would have to display their permit number prominently in all advertising. |
| 01:30:41.21 | Danny Castro | the Thank you. would agree to whatever garbage arrangements for each individual living area in terms of how garbage is, when it's picked up and where it's located. And that the entrance door to each of the units be clearly posted with some type of standardized sign so that short term tenants will know they are not knocking on or opening the incorrect door, but the right door when they arrive. In terms of the administration, Permit fees would range from $150 to $500. That fee to be determined by city council or staff the permit would be valid for one year with an annual renewal. |
| 01:31:35.15 | Danny Castro | I'm not going to read each one of these. I'm happy to come back to these rules or these recommendations. |
| 01:31:46.53 | Danny Castro | in terms of enforcement to retain host compliance and contract for all their available services, the and to maintain the current penalty structure of the $1,000 for a first violation and $2,000 for a second violation and $5,000 for a third and subsequent violation. The idea with the penalty structure and I don't know if I mentioned this, but also sort of a three strikes you're out provision in terms of, you know, if you're issued a complaint and a second one and a third one, then your permit can be revoked for up to one year or two years before you can reapply for a short-term rental permit. |
| 01:32:33.37 | Danny Castro | The, um, The task force recommended that these permits be non-discretionary So, meaning no conditional use permit or no public hearings that the permit would come with a set of criteria or conditions that must be complied with and the consequences for violating them would of course as I mentioned would be penalty fines and a three strikes you're out provision with the ability to revoke the permit for up to two years. Uh, The task force did talk about notification to neighbors, but that That notification would be that a permit has been granted and to provide neighbors with the information for lodging any complaints to the city and providing the 24 hotline number. |
| 01:33:28.00 | Danny Castro | If there were to be a discretionary permit review process, and this was discussed by the task force in terms of what that would be, and an example I provided to the task force would be similar to... Um, are conditional use permit process or a design review permit process where notification to neighbors prior to a public hearing is provided at least 10 days prior to a hearing. they have the ability to attend a meeting and voice their concerns about a proposed application. Um, Staff anticipates that this process would substantially increase the workload of staff to process these applications. The application fees to be assessed would need to recover costs to process them. I would recommend a much higher fee than the permit fee that the task force had recommended in terms of a permit fee because I would liken it to be closer to a design review or CUP permit and that additional time for planning commission and city council meetings may be taken, to review applications. possibly appeals of decisions. If it were done at a zoning administrator level, Those decisions can be appealed to the Planning Commission, And then those decisions can be appealed to the city council. |
| 01:34:54.64 | Danny Castro | In terms of correspondence, so there was a letter included in your materials in terms of the timing, because it was done at the time, the production of the packet, you did have a letter from... Russ Irwin, and then there were numerous late mail that, okay, 23, 23 letters that were received via email that has been forwarded to each of the council members. for a recommendation is to provide direction on how to address short-term rentals in Sausalito, given that you have recommendations of the task force. And number two, to provide direction on also to disband the short-term rental task force. They felt that their work was complete, and I'm seeking your direction on whether to disband them. So that concludes my presentation and I'm available for any questions. |
| 01:35:54.54 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Danny. Okay, any questions of staff from the Council? |
| 01:36:02.88 | Joan Cox | I had a couple. |
| 01:36:03.76 | Ray Withy | Who would like to go first? Thank you. |
| 01:36:07.50 | Joe Burns | I'll toss a lob. I'll give you a lob ball pitch first, Danny. So, you know, that is a soft, easy pitch. Okay. On the objectives at, 80 use are treated like any other dwelling unit. and can also qualify to apply for an STR permit How does that a non-adverse impact, what did the task force correlate those to, that it's a non-adverse to Treat an ADU like any other dwelling unit. |
| 01:36:42.23 | Danny Castro | Well, the The discussion THE CITY OF THE CITY OF THE An ADU is considered a dwelling unit and that it received a valid permit and operates as such. And that if you establish you're a primary resident, than that you would have the ability to unqualify to rent it on a basis. If you were, for example, a teacher, and this was discussed by the task force, if you were a teacher and you were going out of town or you were vacationing because your school year is over and you had some time, |
| 01:37:10.07 | Lisa Scopazi | Thank you. |
| 01:37:10.18 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 01:37:20.89 | Danny Castro | that you would have the ability to rent your place as a primary resident short term. |
| 01:37:29.33 | Jill Hoffman | Yeah, can I just comment on that though first? So the idea was that we wouldn't lose housing stock, right? I mean, that's like one of the primary reasons, or things that we addressed. So the ADU issue, Joe, that you bring up is that the primary resident of the ADU, not the owner of the ADU, but the primary resident of the ADU would be able to REQUEST A PERMIT. THAT'S CORRECT. Not the person that owns a larger house that has the ADU. So therefore, if you own the larger home and you have an ADU, you wouldn't be able, are not the primary resident of the ADU, So you as the owner of the larger dwelling would not be able to apply for a short term rental. permit but the but the resident of the ad would have that option should they wish to |
| 01:38:16.16 | Joan Cox | Gah. |
| 01:38:16.68 | Jill Hoffman | Can I get a little bit? |
| 01:38:17.03 | Joan Cox | Do you want to follow on, Jo? Danny, you're aware that ADUs comprise a part of the city's housing element, correct? And you're aware that they actually are the low-income aspect of the city's housing element. And so have you considered whether if we start allowing residents to rent out ADUs as short-term rentals, whether Sacramento will continue to allow us to count them as low-income housing stock. |
| 01:38:52.72 | Danny Castro | that. Very good point, Commissioner Cox. I'm not aware of how. |
| 01:38:57.80 | Joan Cox | I'm not the commissioner anymore, but I was. Oh, I can help someone work. |
| 01:38:59.46 | Danny Castro | Council Member Cox, I'm so used to that, I'm sorry. |
| 01:39:04.62 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 01:39:04.81 | Danny Castro | LAUGHTER Council member Cox, I have to say that again to remind myself. I'm not aware there was discussion as to how HCD would determine this whole short term rental phenomenon that's occurring everywhere. And to determine how that would impact or affect many cities housing element objectives, specifically on ADUs. Thank you. |
| 01:39:36.85 | Joan Cox | If we eliminate ADUs as a source of low income housing, we would have to identify alternative low income housing. Isn't that right? |
| 01:39:45.76 | Danny Castro | Well, we may have to because that's what our objective and our housing element, and those are the time. And that's the. |
| 01:39:50.98 | Joan Cox | And that's the mandate from the state officials is that we identify a certain number of low and very low income units. |
| 01:40:00.06 | Danny Castro | Is that correct? Yeah, that's correct. The creation of the ADU does not specify or provide a covenant that says that you are low income or that you qualify. But it's to provide that diversity of housing that would likely be somebody with a moderate income or perhaps even low income. Um, And, You know, again, the the task force felt that it doesn't remove that resident from residing because they have to establish that they are the primary resident. |
| 01:40:36.71 | Joan Cox | Right, but if the resident is not residing, if they're staying in a luxury villa elsewhere that they're able to afford by charging $185 a night for their ADU, then it's no longer serving a low income housing purpose, isn't that right? Thank you. |
| 01:40:57.28 | Mary Wagner | it. |
| 01:40:57.90 | Danny Castro | I would say so, yes. |
| 01:40:58.44 | Mary Wagner | THE END OF THE END OF THE Thank you. Vice Mayor Cox, if I may weigh in on that as well. I think that's something we would need to explore further for you as well and speak with HCD and other jurisdictions about how there, if there has been any impact on their affordable housing numbers based on short term rentals. Because the actual characterization of the unit isn't changing. And if there's limits on the time frame that you allow them, There may be other discussions to be had with HCD that it's still. You know a unit for a certain type of housing stock. |
| 01:41:31.55 | Joan Cox | But in the report that we did for our housing element to HCD, we listed the various categories of housing that we have in Sausalito. And we included ADUs and liveaboards in our low income housing category, correct? That's correct. And if we stop, if we start allowing ADUs to be rented out as short term rentals, we will no longer in our future housing elements be able to list them as a component of low income housing. |
| 01:42:01.32 | Jill Hoffman | Would you agree? Could I respond to that though? But we're not changing it from an ADU. It's still an ADU, it's still a low income unit. But we're changing its use. Well, you're changing. |
| 01:42:09.10 | Joan Cox | CHANGING. |
| 01:42:11.95 | Jill Hoffman | We're in questions right now. Okay, isn't it right, Danny? That unit would still be a low-income housing unit. It's just that the low-income housing person that's there would also have the option of |
| 01:42:12.20 | Joan Cox | I mean, we were in there. |
| 01:42:12.96 | Unknown | Thank you. Yeah. That universe. |
| 01:42:24.54 | Jill Hoffman | of applying for a permit. But if there's a question about that, then let's just table the ADUs and not have that as part of the pilot program. I'm fine with that. I mean... I mean, it's a pilot program. The idea is that we're not going to lose housing stock and that people that are residents are able to get the permits. And so you have to be a resident, and it's your choice as a resident on whether or not you want to be part of the sharing economy and use your unit that you have the right to live in in this way. I mean that's sort of the idea. And Danny, what was the vote? The votes for the program were? It was four to one, correct? I mean, for the recommendations. Were they four to one on all the recommendations or? or some of them. Because I recall we had a lot of discussion on this. And this is all, you know, all these videos are online. um, that you can watch if you should, you so wish that we had a lot of discussion with, um, Chair Cleveland Knowles from the Planning Commission. about housing and housing stock and affordable housing. |
| 01:43:27.57 | Danny Castro | And I should mention, and I forgot to mention that, but Ben Brown is here. He's a member of the task force, and I know that he has some comments to make as well. And you can choose if you'd like Mayor Withy, if you'd like him to come following my, you know, any questions you have of me. |
| 01:43:44.21 | Ray Withy | Sure. Do we have Joe? |
| 01:43:47.97 | Joe Burns | anything Well, in all fairness to Danny, I threw him a lob ball, but Jill hit it. She swung the bat and hit the pitch. You answered the question. In a good way. Thank you. I'm trying to go with the sports. Um, Was the number of bookings considered as an objective as well in the number of days? Was it maybe bookings per ratio or bookings per days considered by the group at all? No. Okay. I just want to. |
| 01:44:15.32 | Unknown | of for now. Thank you. |
| 01:44:24.50 | Ray Withy | Okay, I have a question. So help me understand host compliance, because You said they did some work and they came out with 165 illegal short term rentals in Sausalito. Why don't we just hire them and go and figure out who these 165 folks are? I mean, they're claiming they can do it. Will they only work for a city if you've actually legalized short-term rentals? |
| 01:45:08.41 | Danny Castro | Yes, they do. Their business is associated with cities that regulate them and permit them and provide provisions for them, and then they monitor and track those, whether you're operating with a permit or not, and they're able to then provide that information to the city. |
| 01:45:29.62 | Ray Withy | but we A resident can rent a room in their house for 30 days, 31 days. I don't know if it's 30 or 31, however the wording is. Okay, 31 days. |
| 01:45:42.70 | Unknown | Or do you want? |
| 01:45:48.31 | Ray Withy | So we do have a provision about rental of properties. So why would host compliance not work with us? So it's only they only will work with the jurisdiction if But help me understand, if we have something on our books that actually says that we will allow rentals shorter than 30 days. |
| 01:46:07.24 | Danny Castro | No, that's- |
| 01:46:15.95 | Danny Castro | Their services are tied to agencies that provide or that allow for short term rentals with the issuance of some type of permit process. There are, Host Compliance was the only one that reached out to. I believe there are other companies. You know, this is a relatively new arena of business that, and so these are very, very young companies, but there are companies that perhaps assist cities to continue to prohibit short-term rentals. Host Compliance does not do that. |
| 01:46:53.51 | Ray Withy | Okay. Okay, thanks. Any other questions before we take public comment? Thank you. |
| 01:47:02.34 | Jill Hoffman | I have a couple more. |
| 01:47:03.28 | Ray Withy | We have a couple more. |
| 01:47:04.38 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. Danny, how many housing units do we have in Sausalito? Big, small, whatever. Just what's our ballpark? |
| 01:47:11.48 | Danny Castro | I believe 5,000. |
| 01:47:12.93 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 01:47:13.03 | Danny Castro | Thank you. |
| 01:47:13.07 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 01:47:13.14 | Danny Castro | units-ish. |
| 01:47:15.02 | Jill Hoffman | Okay. |
| 01:47:15.33 | Danny Castro | Thank you. |
| 01:47:15.35 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 01:47:15.36 | Danny Castro | Bye. |
| 01:47:17.59 | Jill Hoffman | That's close. Ballpark, that's all I was asking. And what other, you mentioned Mill Valley has a short-term rental program. Do we have any other... in the Marin County towns or? |
| 01:47:29.35 | Danny Castro | So we've all been. A lot of my colleagues in the Marin County cities, Thank you. Mm-hmm. |
| 01:47:36.68 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 01:47:37.33 | Danny Castro | our, keeping tabs on who's discussing it. A lot of San Rafael right now is just monitoring potential activity but haven't established any program, Mill Valley is the only one in Marin. that actually has a permit program. Tiburon bans it. They had gone through extensive review, and in fact, were heading into, in fact, allowing it. And then it was, you know, that, that decision was overturned ultimately by the city council and the ban is currently in place. |
| 01:48:12.87 | Jill Hoffman | Who were the, we had one of the forums that we had last June. we had three towns that came and presented that actually allowed it. It was Napa and Petaluma and |
| 01:48:19.28 | Danny Castro | Thank you, Jen. Thank you. |
| 01:48:22.93 | Danny Castro | Napa, Petaluma, as well as Sonoma. |
| 01:48:26.02 | Jill Hoffman | Okay. |
| 01:48:26.39 | Danny Castro | Thank you. |
| 01:48:26.41 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 01:48:26.74 | Danny Castro | and then Tiburon participated. as well. |
| 01:48:30.19 | Jill Hoffman | Okay. Okay. Thanks. |
| 01:48:34.59 | Ray Withy | Any other questions? Ben, as a member of the task force, would you like to say a few words outside of the public comment? Because maybe some of the council members would have some questions of you as well. |
| 01:48:55.15 | Ben Brown | So I'd like to begin by. personally endorsing the Excellent summary of the recommendations made by the short-term rental tax force by our community development director, Danny. I was privileged to serve as a member of this diverse group, which had representation from a number of constituencies, residents of Sausalito who own rental properties, a member of a group representing the interests of a group of hosts for short-term rentals, a city council member, the chair of the planning commission, and the chair of the historic landmarks board. And we were very fortunate in hearing from a large number of Sausalito residents about the pros and cons of short-term rentals. We also had the opportunity to hear a very well-organized presentation by a local Marin company called Host Compliance, which has been gathering an increasing volume of business from a variety of cities ranging from large like Vancouver, Canada to relatively small in terms of helping cities who have a short-term rental ordinance on the books to manage it effectively with an experienced professional staff rather than having to hire people from the ground up and train them to do something that they've never done before. One of the things which motivated us was the fact that the prohibition against short-term rentals in Sausalito was an abject failure. And the fact that we have 165 short-term rentals, all of which are prohibited, and we have been unable to gather any significant number of penalties fees for them is a good demonstration of that. And I think, unfortunately, that's the reality of the world. So we were receptive to the possibility of trying to meet the formidable challenge of trying to create a program or recommend a program for managing and enforcing a program for short-term rentals rather than trying to continue a ban. And we had a number of strategic objectives in this, some of which were mentioned by Nanny. I'll just refer a few of them. I'm not meaning to be totally inclusive here. One was to support a source of extra income for those property owners who are Sausalito residents and do comply with the requirements established by the city council for obtaining and keeping a short-term rental license. Secondly, to protect the neighbors from adverse effects from an adjoining short-term rental and provide neighbors with a real-time reporting and correction system for adverse events. Third, to maintain cost neutrality for Sausalito taxpayers for a short-term rental program so that the revenues brought in from that program cover all of our costs. And finally, to use a professional company to monitor host compliance and communicate real-time data to Sausalio compliance enforcement staff hired by the city. The ADU issue is too complicated for me to get into. I don't personally think that it was a critical portion of our recommendations. but one thing which was a strategic objective was not to interfere with our ability to meet the housing element mandates of the state. So however that's crafted, if the city council should accept our recommendations, those details could be worked out by the city council and the staff, because I personally don't believe we succeeded in working out all those details. So in order to achieve those strategic objectives, there were a number of tactical steps that all of us, in my opinion, appeared to agree on. One is we needed to establish a system for short-term rental licenses, permits, which had specific requirements, specific fees, and specific penalties for noncompliance. That would be a staff task at the city council direction. Secondly, to establish a schedule for frequent short-term monitoring of short-term rentals to assure cost neutrality of our fee structure, compliance of hosts with licensure requirements, and satisfactory response to complaints from neighbors. Third, we all, well, I think most of us, endorsed contracting with host compliance because they have professional expertise to offer any compliance officer or compliance enforcement staff that the city might hire, and that would keep us from being in the business of trying to train people to do something that we don't fully understand, and host compliance already has extensive experience within other cities. A fourth point, which wasn't mentioned previously, was to ask the City of Sausalito to engage at least a part-time compliance enforcement staff or group of staffs to manage host compliance with licensure requirements, collection of short-term rental fees, penalties, and responses to neighbor complaints. Okay. One of the points of our recommendation was this was meant to be a pilot program. We don't expect to get everything fully right the first time around. I mean, nobody can do that with a new program. But what we recommended was reviewing the outcomes of the program at fairly short intervals during a two-year period to see how we're doing. That gives us the ability to make in-course corrections if there's something we could do better to do it. and to decide at the end of two years whether to continue the program, modify it based upon the mistakes we learned about, or give it up because it was a lost cause. So the idea was to basically give us a chance to try this out and see how it went based upon the best recommendations that this group could come up with. And I think the additional procedural details were covered in the summary, which was very capably reviewed by Danny Castro. I guess my time is probably more than up, so I'll give up at the stop. |
| 01:55:48.84 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Ben. Thank you. Danny, I have another question for you. I'm sorry. |
| 01:56:01.80 | Ray Withy | So. If we were to make a change to our zoning ordinance and we were gonna hire host compliance, Would they immediately identify 165 illegal short term rentals of which we could charge them $1,000 fine? So that's $165,000. Or are in fact the host compliance going to ensure that those who apply for a permit comply with our rules? What happens to the 165 illegal ones right now? |
| 01:56:44.05 | Danny Castro | Well, I think it's the latter. I don't think that they would... we can do what we want in terms of how we decide to enforce. But I'm not sure that that's what host compliance is, their intentions are, and their intentions are to work with the city in terms of getting compliance, you know, by identifying those who don't have permits and by ensuring through correspondence that people are aware of the regulations. |
| 01:57:19.89 | Herb Weiner | Danny, you mentioned Tiburon in there. What is Tiburon? |
| 01:57:23.03 | Danny Castro | done. Have they? |
| 01:57:24.28 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 01:57:24.89 | Danny Castro | Tiburon had a similar outreach process. I don't know the exact details, but I do know that they had an ordinance that allowed what they called for vacation rental of homes. And it was permitted. had always had that historically and then when the short term rental shared economy business took off, there were complaints that were coming to the City Council in terms of whether it were party houses or whether they were just quality of neighborhood issues and then the City Council took it on I believe they had a working group that Den recommended to the council And ultimately, the the decision was to ban it, and so they They did increase the fees as well as we did, very similarly, and then they also made it clear of the ban in Tiburon. |
| 01:58:25.67 | Joan Cox | Danny, didn't they initially approve a short-term rental program, and wasn't it then overturned after community outcry 30 days later? |
| 01:58:35.27 | Danny Castro | You may be correct, but it was very similar where, you know, I think it made the Marin IJ in terms of there was a change of course. |
| 01:58:46.70 | Ray Withy | Any other questions before I open this for public comment? No? OK. Now, I only have five cards here, and I got a sneaky suspicion there's a few more people. So please fill in your cards and hand them to our staff and we will start the public comment. |
| 01:59:07.98 | Unknown | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 01:59:09.70 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 01:59:09.72 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 01:59:09.73 | Ray Withy | Okay. |
| 01:59:09.75 | Unknown | Okay. |
| 01:59:11.44 | Ray Withy | Yeah, of course. Okay. |
| 01:59:11.50 | Unknown | Yeah, of course, yeah. |
| 01:59:16.01 | Ray Withy | So first person, Yasmin McCrane. And if I don't pronounce your names correctly, I'm so sorry. |
| 01:59:25.61 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 01:59:25.70 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 01:59:25.93 | Unknown | Thank you. Thank you. Well, thank you, city council members. And also, I wanted to join in and applaud Danny. I've been peripherally part of coming to the meetings on short-term rentals for a year or two now. And I just want to say Danny has done an amazing job having so many open forums, having so many different community citizens coming and voicing their opinions in a very professional and open way. And I really applaud the work you've done. I just wanted to point out that I am very much a proponent and in agreement with all the details that Danny and the task force have put together in this proposal. I think it really addresses all their strategic and tactical questions that the city council had put before the task force. And like Ben had mentioned, it's not going to be fully 100% right off of the gate. But I think there's a lot of checkpoints along the way to course correct and adapt. I did hope the city council members, when you vote, will consider that one of the key things I kept hearing from people that had spoken about why they want to do short term rentals. It seemed no matter whether they were artists wanting to stay in town or a husband that was recently unemployed that just needed to do something so that they could earn some income for the family to stay here until they found their next job. Or retirees, a lot of retirees came and spoke about being on fixed income, having lived here for decades. But this allowed them not only a new lease on life, they actually enjoyed sharing their home at certain times, but supplemental income to afford living here, as well as a parent wanting to stay home and be active in the community and raise their kids, but needing this supplemental income to pay for rising college tuition. It seemed like a key theme was affordability. I mean, there's so many diverse citizen groups I just spoke of that want to stay in Sausalito. But this is a means to afford the cost of living here. And out of those hundred, the last thing I want to mention is 165 or so short term renter hosts. There's really, it kept bubbling up, there's really like three main hosts that are the nuisance properties. People call them bad apples, whatever it is. That the host, the 162 or so people, want those people to stop doing short term rentals just as much as people who are not hosts. And I think that task force addressed that really well by putting in these higher penalties to enforce that. And the other thing I just want to mention is it's easy to go down the rabbit hole again of saying, well, why don't we identify the 165 people and now go and bill them these higher fines. And I just want to mention it's easy to go down the rabbit hole again of saying, well, why don't we identify the 165 people and now go and bill them these higher fines? And I just want to remind the city council that it might be the best way to go, but if you think about it, you already did that with hiring. We had a $50,000 budget and hired an enforcement person to try and do that. |
| 02:02:33.01 | Ray Withy | Yeah. Thank you. |
| 02:02:35.17 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 02:02:35.27 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 02:02:38.04 | Ray Withy | Charles Kaufman. |
| 02:02:45.36 | Charles Kaufman | So I'd like to speak to this issue from two points of view. One, the age friendly task force has underway a strong effort to actually do something that is a shared model. Not the Airbnb, which is a bogus kind of story, which is really a commercial story. Now, sharing homes on a long-term basis is good for the community because it would provide senior citizens with income, it would also provide them with presence in homes which would be beneficial for them very frequently. That's not a short-term rental model. Secondly, from a homeowners association point of view, Almost all homeowner's associations have CCNR covenants that forbid short term rentals. Ours does at Whiskey Springs. Promoting short term rentals will make life more difficult because without strong enforcement, It does start negatively impacting the association members. And when you had this effort to try and enforce Thank you. it didn't seem to work very well for us when we tried to use it. So if you're going to do this, I would argue very strongly that you have to have an incredibly rigorous enforcement and unremitting program that deals with people who are violators. Last of all, I would say that the thing that the community would benefit from most is finding ways to promote actual rental availability. And Airbnbs don't do that. They actually introduce a commercially negative component. It's kind of classic American capitalism the last 20 years. The benefits go to an individual, and the costs get socialized. |
| 02:04:37.53 | Ray Withy | Thank you. SOBIESK? Thank you. |
| 02:04:40.60 | Ian Sobieski | Bye. |
| 02:04:41.07 | Ray Withy | you Sorry if I didn't get your last name quite right. |
| 02:04:45.12 | Ian Sobieski | You got it right, Mayor. Thank you very much. Council members, I'm Ian Sobieski. I own and live here in Sausalito and Boakley Avenue. And I am urging you to positively consider the recommendations made by the STR. It's not rocket science to solve this problem. There are obvious pros and there are obvious cons. And I wouldn't throw out the entire set of recommendations just because there are technical objections that could give us problems. Vice Mayor Cox, if the ADU issue is an issue, then simply remove it from the recommendations. We're a small village, and we've studied this problem longer than it took us to build the Liberty ships and the Victory ships that were used to be constructed here. Really. This is a program that's flexible, that allows us to adapt, to actually experiment and change course. Some of these concerns really strike me as substantial and worthy of consideration. If we note that there are problems that are systemic, then we need to change the system. But we only notice those problems if we try. So if these proposals aren't accepted, after all this study, then those who vote no really are just against any change to the status quo. There is no regimen. that allows this activity that will be approved. I THINK I'M GOING TO BE |
| 02:06:11.15 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 02:06:11.68 | Ian Sobieski | set of recommendations still to be finalized with details can't be. So I'd urge you all to take a step forward towards activist, engaged, experimenting government approve these recommendations, empower city staff to take a fine pencil to specifically how to attend to some of these technical issues. And try it out. If it doesn't work, come back and fix it. and be engaged with the community of what actually is happening instead of what theoretically might happen. When I was here, the only other time I came to such a public forum, I had my own agenda of why I think STRs make sense. It seems to me a waste if a family goes to Tahoe for three weeks to have their home empty and unused. And a family visiting from France, or a family that wants to celebrate Thanksgiving together from far-flung areas of the country, seems like a worthy use of an empty building. But what really struck me was the elderly woman who stood here and said that she didn't know that STRs were prohibited, and she had been running her front room. And she liked it because he gave her a little extra money and he gave her some company. And then when she found it was illegal, she had to stop. She's not one of your 165. She's a law-abiding person who stopped. It is a little bit lonelier and a little bit poorer. And I would urge you to give an experiment solve that problem as much as you're attending to all the potential downsides. Thank you very much. |
| 02:07:39.00 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 02:07:43.09 | Ray Withy | Adam Cravasse. |
| 02:07:52.00 | Adam Cravasse | Thank you. Good evening Adam Krivash, 840 Ulema Street. I'm here very impressed. I have not attended any of the workshops, unfortunately. I wish I would have. And I can only bring to the table something that we have worked on as part of programs for economic development in other states. For example, North Dakota hired our firm to develop a plan for bed and breakfasts and for multiple occupancy single family residence as a form of economic development. The farmers on 1,000 acres growing wheat cannot make a living. So when the flyway is active, when birds fly from north to south, from south to north, many people go to North Dakota to watch the birds. When ice fishing is good, many people go there to ice fish. hotel development is not a good business because it's capital intensive. So... How could you accommodate those people who want to visit when you don't build hotels. They invited the people to train themselves, to equip themselves, to run guest accommodations in their homes, farmers at the non-busy periods of their year. in Sausalito, We do the same thing, it's a form of economic assist. to people who are interested in income. I don't regard it as a commercial venture, but it would certainly help the business community if they are live bodies in empty rooms that otherwise would be empty. And it helps the business community. and it keeps the community alive and more versatile. I think there is only one aspect that nobody mentioned here today and that probably was at the workshops. is how do you accommodate additional parking if the owners are home and guests are there? Our streets are not designed for parking or to be parking friendly. And therefore, I would suggest that we |
| 02:10:21.31 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 02:10:32.55 | Adam Cravasse | Favour for this kind of uses? the areas which are within walking distance to downtown. and that could create a zone of hospitality where you treat these guest units differently from up the hill. Thank you. |
| 02:10:57.37 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Adam. I have simply written here, Summit, Mr. Summit. |
| 02:11:11.00 | Mr. Summit | Hi, Mr. Mayor and Council Members. Because the previous gentlemen are so articulate, I'll make it short. I just wanted to say I'm strongly in favor of the proposal of STR and I would request you seriously consider it. |
| 02:11:28.05 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Bye. Pat's Zoom. |
| 02:11:39.98 | Unknown | Thank you. Hi, Pat Zook. I have somewhat of a different point of view. similar. actually, to the gentleman over there. I'm very dismayed at the thought That we would take our, we do have a transient occupancy zone in town. It has hotels in it. And the thought of extending that transient occupancy zone, to the residential areas dismays me enormously. So, I also have a procedural problem with the notion of you approving a whatever you'd like to call it, a test program, a temporary program, what is really happening here would be, either permanently or on a temporary basis, rezoning our residential areas without a full rezoning process or an analysis of the environmental impacts or CEQA or parking. Many of our neighborhoods are different from each other and different in terms of what they can accommodate. But all of us who live in a residential, not all of us, that's not a fair thing to say. Many people who live in residential areas like to have neighbors and not a network of nightly rentals. I hope you'll consider that. In looking at the M group proposal, There was a little blurb in there that said on their critical analysis, They said general plan policies need to respond to new trends in tourist activity, such as the rise of the sharing economy and short term rentals, fair use and cycle based tourism, and the community impacts of visitor oriented business. These topics deserve careful consideration in the general plan update to maintain a balance between tourism, benefits, and community livability. I think that would be, if this is to be discussed, a more appropriate forum. Thank you. |
| 02:13:45.71 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Can Drisdell? |
| 02:13:59.43 | Ray Withy | I'm doing all right tonight with the names, I think. |
| 02:14:02.62 | Unknown | I'M AN AIRBNB HOST. whether it's Airbnb or some other way. I retired. I couldn't make it unless I had some kind of income. I was tired of working for somebody else all the time, so this was a great way to do it. I need a certain amount of money to supplement. I don't want to do out of my house. I have my kids moved out, so I've got room to share, but I want to have the kids back from time to time. I don't want to have a 30-day rental because it's not, I don't want to be a landlord and be stuck with somebody if I don't like them. And this system has worked out wonderfully for me. And it's allowed me to pay my income tax and not a lot more. I don't want to work that much, so that's great. I'm being retired and senior citizen. I would hope that the The council would understand that their fees should be such that you have supported trying to live in place and to retire in place, which I applaud the council for even doing all this. I think it's fabulous. And I think it's wise, and I think it's helped citizens like myself, which is hopefully what the council is for. And I would hope that the fees would be such that they wouldn't make it – So why bother kind of thing? Because if the fees are $900 just to do it, you know, then it's not going to be worth it. And I'm actually in San Rafael, and I'm here because what comes down here will impact the county, which will impact other places. In the county, it's legal. I pay a $15 license fee and 10% TOT. That's wonderfully generous. It's still, if I make 10,000 a year, which sounds like a lot of money, I net maybe five or six because TOT is 10%. That takes a grand. My homeowner's insurance has doubled because of liability. On down the line, it just ding, beam, beam, beam. I'm not making a lot of money on this. I'm surviving, and happily so, and I'm happy about it, But I would just urge the council to think about the math when you go ahead and set fees. I think it's very important to think about senior citizens as a category and allow that as a category and perhaps treat it with fees differently than somebody else who has two or three homes and is doing it as a big business. But anyway, I applaud the council and thank you kindly. |
| 02:16:40.05 | Ray Withy | Thanks, sir. |
| 02:16:44.28 | Ray Withy | Jeff Jacob. |
| 02:16:59.98 | Jeffrey Chase | This is Exodus chapter 25, verse number 8. It says, and they shall make me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst. THIS WEEK'S PORTION IS ABOUT BUILDING A TENT. for God to live in, a place that he would be proud, she. Shekina, we have a female version of God in the Torah as well. would come down, would see how beautiful we've made it. with gold and silver. and skins an anointing oil, and incense. I can't always do that on my boat right now. I've hosted over 100 people. from all over the world. And once I charged. I thought I was going to be gone, and I was renting the boat out. I guess I'm now within Sausalito waters. And it was a fiasco when I charged. I do something called Workaway, and these people come here, and they're workers. I'm working for some political issues and some material issues as well in my life to have enough to eat. to have clothes, and to come here and talk with you folks, too. |
| 02:18:26.33 | Jeffrey Chase | I've heard here that the houses have been getting bigger and we can all see that in Marin County. It's kind of obvious. And the number of people who are living in these houses Per house gets smaller. What that is is a recipe for extreme loneliness. And when we're alone, when we don't have people with us, when we don't have a nuclear family, or better, an extended family, we don't have friends that we can see in a small town, something is lost. It makes it more difficult for God to be able to come down and join us because we're all doing our own thing and we're not together. And so even though I can see that Airbnb is very money oriented in some ways, if this is the only way to do it, I'm okay with it. When I applied here a number of years ago for a business license, Heidi was working behind the desk at the time. And she said, well, Your money's no good here. You don't really need to get one of those. In a way that was great. You know, I saved 100 bucks and I spent it on I don't remember what. I'm an anchor out. It's a little different for me than it is for the people who are living... in apartments or in houses here. We take in people from all over the world, and we're going to continue doing that no matter what. So thank you for... getting people into Sausalito any way we can. |
| 02:20:01.32 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Jerry Fate. |
| 02:20:16.28 | Jerry Fate | These recommendations make the assumption that most of the, that all of the Airbnbs are in residential areas. And I would like some effort to address the fact that they're all over the city. And I refer to Host Compliance's own map in their their slide show where they showed seven B&Bs out in the bay, two in Dunphy Park, some in commercial and some in industrial areas and two at the end of these two gray prongs, which I think were, The old fish stocks, at the end of them, there were two bed and breakfasts, which seems kind of unlikely, but... So I just think, I think, Personally, I would like to see a clear statement if you write an ordinance saying where B&Bs are absolutely prohibited. Thank you. |
| 02:21:25.67 | Ray Withy | Thank you. And Melanie Masha. |
| 02:21:47.46 | Melanie Masha | Mayor, council members, staff, and neighbors. I'm Melanie Maharshan. I'm the head of our host group here in Sausalito. I rent a second home. in Truckee when we don't use it, and I'm on Truckee's tourism program. board of directors. I also head up the host group in Pacific Grove. So this is an amazing feat to be here after two years. There's been an incredible amount of engagement from everybody. I want to thank task force members, council staff, and neighbors, including everybody who I know has spoken today and has voiced concerns about short-term rentals. And I just want to let you know that I think in the process that I think we've really seen a great effort to try to limit what the rentals are. The scope of it would be to keep it well out of anything that would be commercial and to really limit the types of activities that could be disruptive to neighbors and the community. So I think there's something that's very balanced here and that really builds on what other cities have done but addresses the unique needs of our city. So I think the first thing that we have to really acknowledge is that this is being taken well out of the realm of anything that's commercial. By limiting it to 180 days or less, that is an important threshold that we've heard from Ulrich Binser at Host Compliance presented to us in Truckee and said that 180 days is the threshold at which it balances out. Somebody doing short-term rentals would earn the same amount as somebody who was doing long-term rentals. So we've really taken good care. So I think this keeps it well within the residential character of any of our areas because it's very limited, and it's not something that could be done on a speculative basis. We have some concerns about signage for security reasons. We have some concerns about adding a business license, especially because that could be an administrative hardship for people who are really not doing this as you've heard for income purposes. It's very, very supplemental. But I do think that Mayor Whitty, to something that I've heard you speak on, set of recommendations will be a lot more effective before the regulations to ban it were very, very easy. meager. There wasn't a lot there for staff or anybody doing compliance to be able to really work with, but a lot of structure around this, this actually gives staff the ability to be able to stop people, to identify them very effectively and stop them. We have a technically sophisticated program to be able to stop bad actors. And that's something that our host group also supports as well. We want it to be a very productive activity for our community. |
| 02:24:49.64 | Ray Withy | Thank you. and Now, I've run out of green cards. And is there anybody else who would like to speak? And if you could fill in a green card afterwards, that'd be great. Thank you. |
| 02:25:05.47 | Barbara Nelson | Hi, I'm Barbara Nelson. I'm a 50 plus year resident of Sausalito. And I feel that I've contributed somewhat to the operation of the city. My most notable achievement, I think, was Working with the kids at the Sausalito Presbyterian Church, as facilitator back in the days when Debbie Purage. Puglieri, I can't remember her last name, when she was a teenager. And that group wanted a place to hang out. And so I coach them to come to the city council and appeal for a rec center and that's why we have the rec center today. So, Because back then I was able to do that because I was a stay-at-home parent, my Social Security nowadays reflects the fact that I was a stay-at-home parent all those important years and so from time to time I supplement my income with having paying guests they provide me with company and once in a while a little extra money I am thrilled to read this tonight and see that there is accommodation made for residents who are living with you know renting out a room in their house I kind of question the business license I really hope it's not going to be a prohibitive cost because you don't really make all that much money doing this I don't anyway And I also kind of question how much the TOT is, since we're also paying state and federal taxes. Any rental that I've ever had, I've reported. And I do pay taxes on that. And I also pay property taxes, which pays for police and fire and that sort of thing. And that would be, it's really no different when I have a guest in my house, whether it's a cousin or a son or a paying guest. Anyway, I really appreciate what the task force has done. And I basically approve with what they're presenting. Thanks. |
| 02:27:17.57 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Before I close, public comment. Is there any other member of the public who would like to address the council on this topic? |
| 02:27:32.39 | Unknown | Thank you for your time. I've been living in Sausalito for about 40 years. I owned a houseboat and my husband and I raised three kids in our home. And we have a beautiful home in Sausalito and I love Sausalito. I can't tell you how much I love Sausalito. Anyway, we have a home where we have an in-law unit, And my son and my daughter are nearby. But we like to rent our home because We get some really interesting people come through and we want to share our beautiful home. And also, we feel that it's kind of a waste for us to be gone and have this home sitting there. So we do this and we regulate it, we are downstairs. and we make sure that the noise is not loud and we make sure that we Our neighbors are okay with it, and we'd be happy to pay TAT, or transient accommodation tax, and a license. And we always have someone on the premises, because my son's nearby and we are also nearby. And I just don't think that there's an issue here because we meet amazing people. and We are a shared community now and I feel that we have a beautiful home and I want to share it. And I want to share Sausalito. We always tell everyone to go to driver's market. We tell them to go down to Molly Stones and Divinos and it's like we're giving business to Sausalito. And I just feel like it's a waste to sit there and let my house, which is absolutely beautiful, sit there with cobwebs. It's like, why don't I share it with people? And it's also nice. because we have a global community and we're sharing it. And anyway, We meet great people and I just don't think that this is a big issue. As long as someone is there. know watching what's going on and we own our home so I just feel that, you know, there are certain rights to, you know, First Amendment rights, you know, Third Amendment rights. I mean, I think that we have a right to do what we want and we We always have two or three weak people, it's not like a. a two day rental party or anything. Anyway, so, and it's really kind of, as retirees, you know, we've met some people from all over the world, and it's really great. So, that's what I have to say. Okay, thank you for your time. |
| 02:30:15.52 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Could we have your name for the record, please, ma'am? |
| 02:30:27.92 | Ray Withy | Is there anybody else who'd like to comment before we close public comment? Anybody else? No, going, going, gone. All right. We're closing public comment and bring it back up here for discussion. |
| 02:30:48.14 | Jill Hoffman | Did you want me to kick it off since it was my big idea? Okay, well, so. |
| 02:30:50.23 | Ray Withy | Please. |
| 02:30:58.78 | Jill Hoffman | We've heard from, you know, I think we had a total of 14 meetings over two years we had 14 public meetings on this issue whether it was here at the City Council meeting whether it was part of the part of the task force meetings or part of the community outreach forums so you know and what when we're working on this we really tried to bring in all of the concerns and address all the concerns that we heard throughout all of that process and I think I went I think I was at almost all of them. I think I missed one of the community forums. So the idea is that, you know, a pragmatic approach to this issue that's affecting our town. And I don't ever like it when we say we can't solve a problem. That's just not in my DNA. So if I see a problem and I think that we as a city are not reacting effectively to it, then I start thinking about what do we need to do to work on that problem. And I'm an optimist, I have to say. The biggest issue is the enforcement. I mean, that was kind of the thing that really drove some of the early discussions was how do we take care of these problems? We haven't been particularly effective in the past at the five or six problem people. So that was why one of the first things we did as a task force was to put in tools for enhanced enforcement and that we would be able to identify them. That's the host compliant. And that's something that's arisen since we first started talking about this. It's a relatively new business model. Um, So one is identification. And all the other tools that come along with host compliance at a relatively low budget of $13,000. And then the other thing was to raise the fines to get the attention of people who are renting some larger units for maybe $500 or $1,000 a night. So, you know, the people that have voiced concerns tonight with the program, you know, I agree with most of their concerns. We don't want to affect affordable housing units. We don't want to change the character of neighborhoods. We don't want to impose on neighbors. If it's a problem, I want to be able to take care of it and take care of the problem. If it's not a problem, then it's not a problem by definition. And so, you know, I can tell you there's been people that some people have disparaged people you know some of our residents and neighbors who have come forward and said this is why i'm using my home for this purpose and i can tell you i know these people i know them from the schools here in town and i know them from my neighborhood and i know them from my community that they are actually using their homes or their units in this manner to either supplement their income because they're retired because their parents because their life circumstances dictate it or you know know they don't see the purpose THEIR INCOME BECAUSE THEY'RE RETIRED, BECAUSE THEY'RE PARENTS, BECAUSE THEIR LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES DICTATE IT, OR THEY DON'T SEE THE PURPOSE IN LEAVING THEIR HOME EMPTY FOR MONTHS AT A TIME. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THE TYPE OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PEOPLE WE HAVE HERE IN TOWN. this program is designed so that the pilot program is designed so that you won't have people moving into town and buying a three-unit building and turning all three units into short term rentals. That's why we talked about it and put the provision in there that has to be your primary residence in order to participate in the program and in order to get the permit. SO WILL IT BE A PERFECT PROGRAM? NO, IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM. SO WILL IT BE A PERFECT PROGRAM? NO, IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM. SO WILL IT BE A PERFECT PROGRAM? NO, IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM. And jettison the things that don't work and adopt the things that do work. And so we would also look at, I think, if we have an issue, a question about ADUs, or if we have a question about whether or not this is an affordable unit, then we might draw a line and say, that's probably not something that we want to have in our pilot program. And so that's sort of the idea. And I see these people too, based on the two years of talking with these people, is that this is a different type of landlord. This is a landlord that is not ever going to rent probably this unit on a long-term basis. They're a person that it's the type of unit that it's in their home or it's closely connected to their home, and it's not the type of unit that's really amenable to someone living there long term and bringing in all of their. So, I'm not sure if you're The issue, as I see it, is that we as a community can effectively manage this program. And if we can't, then that's why the idea is that we have the sundown, that we look at it quarterly, we look at it annually, and when the sundown date comes in and whoever's on the council at that time decides that it's not working, then we'll You know, we vote to... to I don't want to say abolish. That's kind of a mean word. But anyway, to discontinue it. So anyway. And then we can talk about any other conditions that we might want to put on it. That's what I think. |
| 02:36:09.01 | Joe Burns | I'll go. I want to thank the task force, Ben Brown. THE COUNCIL MEMBER HOFFMAN AND THE THREE OTHERS THAT SERVED. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE AND IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED IRONICALLY AS LONG AS IT'S TAKEN TO BUILD A LIBERTY SHIP. BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT. I was kind of looking at some of the bigger drivers of the sentiment in both directions. One of the words that is attached to this is prohibition. And some of our letters of non-support or against it state that have said maybe we're doing one thing in front of another or not maybe doing this in the correct order because we haven't been able to enforce our current prohibition. But I think that's how prohibitions get changed, is because the enforcement becomes too difficult and you're losing control. I think of two prohibitions that we all know about. And they didn't come about because enforcement was 100%. They came about because the people wanted more control and they wanted to have a... AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. Why we got here and why we are talking about short-term rentals in Sausalito, I think, is for something that makes us very unique. And I appreciate that we have communities around us that we've compared to and even communities regionally. But I'm kind of hard-pressed to think of a community that might have fewer rentals. legal accommodations, hotel, hospitality units, with the number of the higher ratio of tourists coming to our community. If it's a certain number of hotel rooms and a certain number of tourists, I can't think of any community, and I'd love for somebody to tell me one in California, that has more tourists and less legal accommodations. So the need is there, obviously. Now, we're not going to solve that with 165 or 120 or we're not we're not going to solve that type of issue whatsoever with this but i do think it is a step in a direction of maintaining uh some uses for our property as well as providing back to our our retail core and and and to the character of our community um SOME OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT WHO'S MAYBE BEHIND THIS AND GREED AND MAKING MONEY AND I'LL KIND OF ECHO ON COUNCILMEMBER HOFFMAN'S NOTION THAT I DON'T SEE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF IT DOING THIS AS A GET RICH SCHEME. I KNOW A LOT OF THEM AND I DON'T WANT TO OFFEND THEM BUT I DON'T KNOW THEM AS NECESSARILY THE WARN BUFFETS OF SAUSALIDO. THOUGH THEY'RE GREAT PEOPLE, BUT THEY great people, but they're obviously not doing, to me, they're not, this isn't a huge financial endeavor for them. I do think that is one of the control issues that we have in our hands with this program, is to set a number that makes it a viable option, but not a, but keeps a labor of love in it it so it doesn't compete with the long-term rental opportunities. We have a lot of people making a lot more money on long-term rentals, and that adds to our housing in a constructive way as well. But I think when we set these fees and when we setES AND WHEN WE SET THESE NUMBERS OF DAYS OR EVEN NUMBERS OF BOOKINGS WITH THE NUMBERS OF DAYS SO WE CAN LESS THE IMPACT ONCE MORE WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE, THAT WE DO IT RIGHT UP ONTO THE EDGE WHERE IT DOES MAKE MONEY BUT IT DOESN'T PRODUCE A WINDFALL THAT WOULD COMPETE WITH THE LONG-TERM RENTALS. So given YOU KNOW, GIVEN THOSE POINTS AND LOOKING THEN AT THE INDIVIDUAL OBJECTIVES WE HAD AS WELL AS SOME OF THE FINDINGS THAT WE WERE ASKED TO MAKE OR THAT THE TASK FORCE WAS ASKED TO MAKE. THE ADU WAS OBVIOUSLY ASKED AND ANSWERED AND I THINK THE CONSENSUS IS THAT WE WOULD TAKE THOSE AS THEY COME AND EVEN TAKE IT OUT OF THE PROGRAM ALTOGETHER. DEVICE A PLAN TO WORK WITH PLAT a plan to work with platforms to get reporting data. I didn't necessarily hear that one answered completely or adequately. I'm not sure that that means that we can't start one and still get that information. I think some people have suggested that once we start this, there's no turning back. I don't necessarily believe that, but like other issues we might even TONIGHT, I THINK IT CAN BE A PROCESS THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH AND GET BETTER AS WE GO. SO THAT WAS REALLY ALL THE ISSUES OF THE ADU AND THE DEVISA PLAN THAT I SAW THAT WE STILL HAD QUESTIONS ON. SO I'M INTERESTED TO PUSH THIS FORWARD TO A POINT WHERE WE ACTUALLY DISCUSS THE DETAILS TO GAIN THAT CONTROL. |
| 02:40:53.76 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 02:40:53.78 | Herb Weiner | Well, first of all, I want to thank the task force, Ben Brown, and Council Member Joe Hartman, for really tackling a very, very difficult task. Good job. I have some notes on this. First of all, Sausalito was approximately 40% of the people that live in Sausalito are renters. It's one of the highest in the state next to San Francisco. Okay, we're a very small community. If you look at it, the population 10 years ago was almost the same as it is now. So that hasn't changed. First of all, you don't have any room to build in this town. So as far as it growing bigger, no. The short term rentals. Well, as far as short term, the only short term that I see of the visitors, the tourists, They're the ones that come in and stay maybe two hours, three hours. So they're not here for a long time. You notice how they come over by the buses, by the bikes? Two and a half hours, three hours. But... Nonetheless, let's look at what effects these rentals do have in our small community. I wouldn't want to jeopardize, first of all, the demand for rentals. in San Francisco alone is tremendous. And the demand for rentals in Sausalito was just as high percentage wise. So it isn't that we have a shortage of people looking for rentals. And it's always been in this community that we have neighborhoods. A lot of other cities around, even here in Marin, don't have neighborhoods. And it's been depleting more and more. We have maintained our neighborhoods. And when you get the short term rentals all of a sudden, As we all know and live here, you add two automobiles onto these streets in Sausalito, you now have a problem. Okay, because now everybody's running out when a car moves to get in that place. So that is one of the problems, and it always has been the problem. As far as Trash, we all know that when they rent these units, if they leave on a Monday and their trash day is Thursday, that trash sits out and possibly becomes a nuisance. When they talk about 165 rentals, That's a small number. But still, that's 165 people that we could have as renters living here all year round, rather than the very, very short term. Um, So I'm really not crazy about going forward with this because we are very, very unique. Sausalito is a place so close to San Francisco that the demand to live here is tremendous. The easy accessibility to take a ferry, to take a bus, to get into the city without an automobile, it's there. So the desirability is. And as I mentioned also before, approximately 24% of the population in our town is over 65. That also is one of the top three in percentage of age in the state. If someone wanted to rent a place and they were seniors, I think they'd be more apt to rent it for a period of time not a short period of time. These are people that would prefer to have the companionship in many, many ways. All right. So with those thoughts, I really don't see going ahead with this. |
| 02:45:14.28 | Joan Cox | Well, I also want to commend the short-term rental task force on its really careful and thoughtful work. I want to commend the task force on its outreach. Fourteen meetings over two years is impressive. I want to extend thanks to my neighbor, Ben Brown, and my colleague, Jill Hoffman. I think they've made a great start at suggesting some solutions to some really difficult issues that are raised by short term rentals. Of course, as a former member of the housing element, I'm most familiar with the accessory dwelling units, so that is what I focused on this evening, but I think enforcement is also an issue. All of that being said, I think we are putting the cart before the horse a little bit here. I was very impressed with what Pat Zook had to say, that this is really a land use decision. And so as much and any time you make a land use decision, you have to send notice of the fact that you're going to be making a decision to everyone who lives within 300 square feet of that residence and so really The outreach for this task should have been to pretty much the entire town. The fact that in the last three days we received 23 letters from residents after the packet was published is an indication to me that perhaps the public outreach has not yet been adequate. And I think that, you know, I also have a concern about the survey. So we did this great survey, thanks to my colleague Joe Burns for getting it put up online. But not everyone who participated in the survey identified themselves. And so we don't know if they were Sausalito residents or other people who participated in the survey. When we undertook the accessory dwelling unit program and other aspects of the housing element, we sent out postcards to every single affected person. And we had them coded so that we knew what came from what neighborhood and how people, we knew that they were returned by Sausalito residents. So I think that there needs to be more transparency and more public outreach for this process. And I also think that we need to undertake this process just as we would any other zoning change. Residential neighborhoods are not zoned for bed and breakfast. They are not zoned for TOT. They are not zoned for bed and breakfast. They are not zoned for TOT. They are not zoned for many hotels. Changing the zoning is a decision that has to go through the planning commission and through the city council. And the ramifications need to be carefully considered in light of Sausalito's current zoning regulations. So I was impressed that in its scope of work, the M group who is undertaking our general plan is going to be looking at this concept of shared rental and what the best vehicle for shared rentals should be. I think it's the experts in conjunction with all of the residents and all of the various neighborhood groups that we identified earlier this evening that should participate in the general plan that should be weighing in on and advising us on these decisions. As a land use decision, it also has to consider CEQA, which includes circulation, traffic impact, parking, noise, some of the issues that some of those who oppose this project are concerned about. So without that preliminary work, I'm not ready really yet to weigh in on the merit of a short-term rental program. Rather, I would like us to, with all of the interest that's been expressed here tonight, I'd like to see us undertake the proper consideration and vetting of this program in the process that we do any other zoning change in Sausalito. |
| 02:49:25.24 | Ray Withy | one of the potential advantages or perks of the mayor is that they get to go last. which is usually a very easy job, except when it appears to be at the moment a 2-2 vote. I am not ready to recommend to staff that we move ahead with this right now. |
| 02:49:57.31 | Ray Withy | Sorry, folks. And. My reason is where I started off in this process. Nothing has convinced me that anything we will do by legalizing this is going to actually reduce the number of illegal short-term rental units in our town. The only way that that's going to be done is if the platform companies such as Airbnb, they're the one we keep picking on, but there's more of them. actually report the transactions that they actually make in the town. It was particularly, it was one of the items we asked the task force to look at. Council Member Burns pointed out that we haven't heard much, and that's because right now the platforms are fundamentally refusing to do so. And so I view what we will end up with is basically a partially regulated movement of tourism into our residential neighborhoods. And that is not something I'm willing to sort of sign up for until this has been looked at, this, A very important land use decision is looked at in the context of our overall general plan. And our overall use of the various residential zones, commercial zones, and so on. I'm afraid I'm agreeing with my colleagues on at least my right here. to say that we are putting the cart for the horse. I'd like to see this incorporated into our general plan work as the M group has proposed in their scope. And not rush through this at this stage without taking all of those considerations into effect. So with that, What do we need to do in terms of a motion? |
| 02:52:13.03 | Joan Cox | in terms of emotions. So we have to give direction to staff, and we have to address the existence of the short-term rental task force. So I would recommend we... provide direction to staff to continue to to press forward with this project as a part of the general plan planning process. But at this time, we thank and disband the short-term rental task force. |
| 02:52:44.18 | Herb Weiner | I'll second that. |
| 02:52:48.59 | Herb Weiner | and you need a roll call. |
| 02:52:49.80 | Ray Withy | Okay, let's have a roll call please, Lily. |
| 02:52:56.13 | Lily Whalen | Councilmember Burns. |
| 02:53:08.57 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 02:53:08.69 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 02:53:09.87 | Joan Cox | She can comment on a pending motion. It's been seconded. |
| 02:53:13.12 | Jill Hoffman | I'm not sure. |
| 02:53:20.18 | Jill Hoffman | so the motion is that the motion is that we're going to spend the task force and And you want to address this and have |
| 02:53:27.03 | Joan Cox | Staff will address this issue as a part of the general plan process. |
| 02:53:32.97 | Jill Hoffman | In what context? To rezone, to talk about whether or not rezoning is even necessary? |
| 02:53:38.07 | Joan Cox | identify their recommendations. M group already has this as a part of its scope of work. |
| 02:53:38.08 | Jill Hoffman | IDENTIFY. |
| 02:53:42.92 | Joan Cox | Well, But I think we should certainly provide M Group with all of the valuable feedback we got from the short-term rental task force and all of the resident. |
| 02:53:51.97 | Jill Hoffman | Well, I think one of the A preliminary question might be to figure out whether or not uh, whether or not this does, you know, there's been a lot of discussion up here about whether or not this requires rezoning. |
| 02:54:04.91 | Unknown | Hmm. |
| 02:54:05.13 | Jill Hoffman | or if it's a land use change, I don't think that's been established. been something that you've commented on Vice Mayor and Mayor's comment on as a concern, but if that's a driver for the decision making process and there's no legal requirement for that if you're gonna have short term rentals. |
| 02:54:27.04 | Joan Cox | My motion does not weigh in on whether it's a zoning change or not. |
| 02:54:27.27 | Jill Hoffman | So. |
| 02:54:30.78 | Joan Cox | My motion simply seeks to have the experts address that issue as a part of the general plan process. |
| 02:54:38.76 | Jill Hoffman | My concern with that is that now you're talking about a five to six year process about whether or not- |
| 02:54:45.28 | Joan Cox | about whether or not. |
| 02:54:46.76 | Jill Hoffman | Well, okay, you're optimistic, I like that. As are you. Yeah, I know, but I don't, you know, |
| 02:54:49.87 | Unknown | I'm sorry. |
| 02:54:53.26 | Jill Hoffman | I don't see that tabling this issue for two to three years and throwing it into the morass that's going to be the general plan update. effectively address the problems that we're trying to address now. So I don't think |
| 02:55:08.31 | Joe Burns | Yeah. |
| 02:55:08.77 | Jill Hoffman | Yeah. |
| 02:55:09.09 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 02:55:09.75 | Jill Hoffman | Call the question. |
| 02:55:10.49 | Joe Burns | I will I will make a comment that I do not believe there is a that we have enough information to say renting your home for 30 days is falls within a zoning and ran in for 28 days does not fall within a zoning or a CEQA compliance so I'm well vote no. |
| 02:55:33.54 | Lily Whalen | That was no. No. Councilmember Weiner? |
| 02:55:34.28 | Joe Burns | you Yeah. Thank you. |
| 02:55:38.05 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 02:55:38.08 | Lily Whalen | . |
| 02:55:38.25 | Joan Cox | That's my emotion. |
| 02:55:40.88 | Unknown | to have the M group address. |
| 02:55:42.57 | Joan Cox | Yes. |
| 02:55:42.97 | Herb Weiner | Yes. |
| 02:55:45.30 | Unknown | Councilmember Hoffman? No. Vice Mayor Fox? Yes. Mayor Withy? |
| 02:55:51.19 | Ray Withy | Yes. Okay, this item. |
| 02:55:52.34 | Unknown | Okay, this... |
| 02:55:55.34 | Ray Withy | It's closed. We're now going to move on. Does anybody need a break or are we okay? I'm good. Let's move on. Let's move on. Let's move on to item 6D, which is the 2016 Bicycle and Congestion Management Plan Recap. |
| 02:56:01.47 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 02:56:01.49 | Unknown | READY FOR LIFE. |
| 02:56:02.09 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 02:56:09.84 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 02:56:09.86 | Unknown | you |
| 02:56:10.02 | Unknown | Good advice. |
| 02:56:10.57 | Unknown | The Press. |
| 02:56:14.80 | Ray Withy | The 2017 season plan and consideration of Tracy Way closure. |
| 02:56:29.84 | Ray Withy | If we could... |
| 02:56:35.83 | Ray Withy | We could all try and settle down. We can move on to this item. And so. |
| 02:56:46.86 | Ray Withy | Chief Robarker. |
| 02:56:56.21 | John Moerbacher | Okay, confirming no break, is that right? Yeah. |
| 02:56:59.05 | Herb Weiner | OKAY. you're like. you you Thank you. Thank you. |
| 02:57:22.96 | John Moerbacher | Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of the City Council. Tonight we're going to cover two things. We're going to do an end-of-season financial report, and then also we're going to talk about the bicycle congestion management plan for this season 2017. |
| 02:57:44.44 | John Moerbacher | So among the presenters will be me, John Moerbacher, Chief of Police. Jim Swindler is here from Golden Gate Ferry. And Dr. Ed Fotch is here. He's the chair of your Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. |
| 02:58:03.34 | John Moerbacher | So we were last here on October 13th to give you what was at that time the latest tri-monthly update on the bicycle season, and you simply received and filed the status report at that time. knowing that we would be coming back to you around this time with the end of season wrap up with a few extra numbers and a financial report. So that being said, see how well this comes out on the big screen here. So there's a paper copy of this in your package. |
| 02:58:37.28 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 02:58:42.47 | John Moerbacher | but this is the 2016 year-end financial listed by the month. you And so it's a little bit to look at column by column, but what most people want to see |
| 02:58:56.12 | Joe Burns | I DON'T HAVE THAT. |
| 02:58:56.61 | John Moerbacher | It's probably right what the fan is hiding. |
| 02:59:00.58 | Joe Burns | You have that? |
| 02:59:01.04 | Unknown | you |
| 02:59:11.35 | John Moerbacher | So after the entire season of revenue and expenses, the bottom line was that we were in the red by $34,000, $34,658. That in itself is not the entire story. There was, of course, a lot of work went behind earning that revenue and spending money on payroll. And if you have any questions about the different pieces of the month, I'm happy to answer them now or later. |
| 02:59:51.22 | John Moerbacher | And this is the same number except for broken out by the types of expenses. So the difference in whether the revenue came in cash or credit card is not all that important. It just shows that the people are spending about, half of it comes in credit card, and half of them are paying cash at the pay stations to pay to park their bikes. For expenses, Nearly 89% of that came from paying people, payroll costs. The rest is actually fairly small. The piece that's labeled associated services, those are insurance and bank charges and that type of thing associated with putting together payroll. The other pieces of equipment and consumables are fairly small, less than 2% each of the total budget. And so at the end, this comes down to really a people cost for running the bicycle parking. |
| 03:01:01.44 | John Moerbacher | So a few end of season numbers that put a little bit of a face to the effort that went into the work to park bikes. The ambassadors for the Sauciuto Plus |
| 03:01:06.40 | Unknown | of. |
| 03:01:15.28 | John Moerbacher | count bicycles coming in between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and they counted over 280,000 rental bikes and they parked 107,000 of them, which I think was 38% was the number I put in the staff report. So it's a lot of bikes coming in and it's a lot of bikes getting parked. It's a lot of activity every day. A lot of work went into making that happen. |
| 03:01:44.33 | John Moerbacher | In addition to that, this is a recycled slide from the end of last season with a couple of updated numbers. Last year was the first season that we actually began the impounding of illegally parked bikes. That started on June 24th and we, impounded 517 bikes, and we collected over $6,000 in revenue from that. |
| 03:02:16.03 | John Moerbacher | The charge for releasing a bike is $25. If you did the math, it would be a lot more than $6,000, but we were, of the mind to grant some group discount for families of four and such. We weren't going to charge them $100 to get their bikes back. And so a lot of that was that type of scenario. AND you know We're looking more for compliance rather than raising money, but we did bring in some some revenue behind that. |
| 03:02:52.16 | John Moerbacher | the part-time extra hire parking enforcement officer wrote, about 400 parking citations during the time that they were doing the in pounding of the bicycles and that's worth about $20,000 in revenue. And at the end of the day, we paid that parking officer, a retiree who came back and worked part time for us, about $12,000 in summer wages. So overall that worked out fairly well. So, Some other end of season numbers, and I know Jim Swindler's here, and he might wanna talk about this himself a little bit, but I have this slide and one more that's a summary. It's interesting to see the amount of bikes that were loaded onto the ferry year after year, and watch the number change. But what's interesting is you could almost tell from looking at the numbers what the weather was like and what the season looked like. And example, looking at the January number here, you know, it's fairly small. it looks like 4,000 bikes, but the previous two Januaries was in the neighborhood of 10,000. And we know from the previous winters, we almost didn't have a winter, and so we were pretty busy with bikes coming into town. If the bikes were here, the ferry took them. But what was noteworthy for this last season was the amount of effort that the Ferry District put into taking away the passenger's bicycles and responding to the extra demand. And so during our peak months of this summer, July, August, and September, they actually increased the amount of bikes that they were able to take. And not to steal Jim Sunder, he can talk a little bit more about the effort they made to put extra people on not only the landing but also on the boats to get the bikes and their passengers back to San Francisco. |
| 03:05:01.45 | John Moerbacher | So before I get into this, if you have any questions first about last season's numbers, that little summary of numbers, or anything about the finances, probably best to take them now before talking about this. |
| 03:05:13.01 | Joe Burns | Thank you. I have one, please. Going back to the slide, 282,000 bikes came in and the ferry took 169. |
| 03:05:24.60 | Herb Weiner | Excuse me. That's only one ferry company. There's also blue and green. We don't have those numbers. I was going to ask. |
| 03:05:29.31 | Joe Burns | I WAS GOING TO ASK. I was going to ask. |
| 03:05:31.34 | Herb Weiner | what the other |
| 03:05:32.01 | Joe Burns | Thank you. where the other 120 went. |
| 03:05:33.72 | Herb Weiner | Well, I think if you |
| 03:05:35.44 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 03:05:35.45 | Joe Burns | All right. How to go backwards escapes me. |
| 03:05:37.43 | John Moerbacher | I hate to be a technical expert. |
| 03:05:38.63 | Joe Burns | He doesn't know how to go backwards. Was that the number, 282? 282 was the bikes, total bikes. Did you just have to? Yes, it was. Okay, thanks. |
| 03:05:39.67 | Joan Cox | It was at the number 282. |
| 03:05:44.60 | John Moerbacher | Did you step in? Bye. Thank you. Did somebody else answer your question? Yeah, they did. Okay. They probably need to show me how to go backwards anyways. I won't go further. |
| 03:05:48.40 | Jeffrey Chase | Thank you. |
| 03:05:48.42 | Joe Burns | Yeah. I WANT, I WANT. |
| 03:05:56.68 | John Moerbacher | Did you have anything else? No. Joe? I'm good. All right. I could do that. Thank you. |
| 03:05:56.99 | Ray Withy | Did you have anything else? No. Joe? No, I'm good. All right. Okay. |
| 03:05:59.91 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. 100 a day times 30. THE END OF THE END OF THE |
| 03:06:08.43 | John Moerbacher | This was your question, Council Member. |
| 03:06:08.50 | Herb Weiner | This was your guest question. |
| 03:06:11.21 | John Moerbacher | Okay. So that's the bikes that were counted. Clearly more bikes could have come in before that time, you know, people coming through early or people coming through a little bit later. But the ambassador staffed the station number one at the, you know, before the city limits, you know, right there at the Park Service property on Alexander and Bunker Road. |
| 03:06:32.00 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 03:06:36.44 | Ray Withy | Okay, so we're asking the chief questions about these numbers, either the financial numbers or these count numbers. Any other questions? |
| 03:06:45.13 | Joan Cox | Yes. Um, Chief, you started off your presentation telling us that we're $34,000 in the hole. Where's that money coming from? |
| 03:06:59.04 | John Moerbacher | You're asking me who's paying the tab? Yeah. Yeah, the city of Sausalito. COMING OUT OF HER BUNNY. |
| 03:07:08.93 | Joan Cox | I already gave mine away, my salary away. you And, uh, You put up a chart, it's another couple of slides down, about the, okay, so it looks to me like the biggest aspect of the expense. The total expenses are $289, is $257 for payroll. how is that broken down? Do you have a breakdown of what's the hourly rate? How many hours? Do you have those kinds of details for this? |
| 03:07:47.74 | John Moerbacher | We do. Saucyta Plus did submit you know, detailed invoices for us to pay based on management and supervision and also the workers. And so we have that. I don't include it in here. It's a significant amount of detail. |
| 03:08:04.07 | Joan Cox | Okay. |
| 03:08:04.39 | John Moerbacher | Right. |
| 03:08:04.75 | Joan Cox | But we could get that if we wanted to see it. OK, and then I have one more question, which is, |
| 03:08:05.90 | John Moerbacher | to see him. |
| 03:08:08.88 | Joan Cox | Um, I had no idea on $2 or $3 a bike that we were making this much money. um, in revenues. Have we, was this, and of course I'm new to the council, so I don't know all of the history, but did we issue an RFP? Is that how we ended up with Sausalito Plus as the group that handles these services for us? Was this competitively bid, this work? Thank you. |
| 03:08:37.50 | John Moerbacher | No, it was not. |
| 03:08:40.79 | Joan Cox | Okay. Okay. |
| 03:08:43.66 | Ray Withy | Do you have any questions, Herb, on the chief numbers? |
| 03:08:47.73 | Herb Weiner | I roughly figure that if the remark actually came to a long goal, which is not here, I think if you take five runs at 150 bites a run, I think you'll see it comes out to, in this six and a half month period, it comes out to approximately about 110,000 bytes, and that might be on the lower end. But if you take the 110 and the 160, we that's 270,000 bytes out of how many? 280 something coming in, so that's pretty good. |
| 03:09:32.72 | Ray Withy | OK, you asked us to, you posed to ask us for questions. I think, what's the next? I have a question. Oh, sorry, please. |
| 03:09:41.68 | Jill Hoffman | I have a question based on Commissioner Cox. Because that was the issue about the RFP, because that was something we did talk about in past years. And Council Member Pfeiffer was always concerned about that, rightly so. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I WANT Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason we didn't issue an RP is because we didn't have a program. And Saucel Plus was a nonprofit that stepped in and created the program. |
| 03:10:11.11 | John Moerbacher | Correct, and I have a slide on it coming up in a couple more slides. |
| 03:10:11.24 | Jill Hoffman | Back in the hand. |
| 03:10:15.12 | Jill Hoffman | We may be at the point where we're issuing RPS now, but that's why originally they weren't issued. |
| 03:10:21.15 | Ray Withy | Okay, please, Chief. Thank you. Carry on. |
| 03:10:26.21 | John Moerbacher | So this is a little bit of that background, Vice Mayor Cox, about how we got to where we are today. There's a lot of effort that predates many of us. Staff reports I found dating back to 2009, I'm sure there's some even beyond that, that show the effort that The city government has made related to congestion management. In 2013, the City Council established the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee to provide you input on just that very topic and the Saucyedo Ambassador Program actually was created out of ideas from the Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee. and so in the first year of operation 2015 is actually only about two thirds of a year of operation because it was the pilot year the first year to see how that would work before that we had tried a number of other ways to park bikes. None of them as successful as Saucydo Plus has done. And then in last in, you know, 2015, like I said, we did the half year and then last year we did the entire year. So last year is the first year of an entire season from beginning to end. with having South Street Oplass park bikes and provide ambassador services to visitors. |
| 03:12:00.29 | John Moerbacher | So a Plan summary for coming up in 2017. is again the seasonal closure of Tracy Way. Only you can authorize that because it's not an emergency. And so we require council approval to do that. We're also looking again for the ability to use the property in front of the Bank of America in Urgent situations in case we have a day that exceeds capacity for parking, we need a safe place to put bikes. We're again asking the Council to allow us to consider Saucedo Plus for bicycle parking and ambassador services. And also Golden Gate Ferry along with Blue and Gold Ferry and the bicycle rental companies will provide the actual loading and the queuing for the ferries. |
| 03:12:55.99 | John Moerbacher | We again want to do the enforcement of illegally parked bikes. This year we're prepared to start sooner. Like I said last year we didn't start until late June. And this year we'll be prepared to start earlier with that. Lastly, but not at all the least, is the bicycle return program that John and Lisa Scopazi started last year and to explore getting bikes back yet another way. Not just on the ferries, not just on the back of the cabs, and not just with people trying to ride them back. Thank you. but also provide a way for people to leave their bike here, and take their ride back to the city without that bicycle as an appendage. And so they made A lot of strides last year, and we look forward to working with them again this year. So participating in this plan requires a lot of people and a lot of different organizations, and hopefully most of them with a mutual interest of trying to provide a safe environment for our visitors and assist us with the congestion management. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee last year presented to you which you approved a 10-point plan for the committee's 2016 goals and tasks. I'm sure Dr. Fotch will talk about that in a few minutes. Sausalito Plus was clearly the ambassador and bicycle program vendor for us. Blue and Gold Ferry and Golden Gate Ferry was responsible for year-round management of the queuing patrons. and continues to be. And the bicycle rental company this last season was Blazing Saddles, who along with Blue and Gold provided the funds for the workers to manage the queuing of the lines on the boats. And then of course, Saucedo Bicycle Return Program, new for 2016. And not to leave us out, our partners here at the city government, the public works, they're responsible, of course, for closing the street and also reopening it later. And also our city engineer, Jonathan Goldman, is the final word on sign placement for everything related to incoming bikes. You might remember a couple times last year, at least one person came to council and mentioned they didn't think there was quite enough signage. As you know, the balancing of too many signs and too little signs is tricky, but, We have some ideas in mind for this year that should be better than last. And then of course, the Department of Public Works sets up the free parking areas and then us, the Sausalito Police. We're the lead agency in congestion management, and our goal is strictly safety. and we're Happy to say that that's been met every year so far, and we hope that that will continue to be that way because at the end of the day, it's all we really care about is that people that come here are safe. |
| 03:16:21.51 | John Moerbacher | So for a timeline, and what's next, is I'd like to close Tracy Way no later than the end of next week. We'd like to get the street closed and put the bicycle racks in because we don't know exactly what to expect for Spring Break visitors, even though we know we will have some. And even though we don't have a agreement yet. a financial agreement yet with Saskuto Plus. We don't actually have to have that in place yet because we just will offer the bike parking for free and let people have more place to park because the few racks that are up by the Chamber of Commerce kiosk won't be sufficient for visitors during spring break. And so we hope then that the other issues related to the agreement for parking operations would be approved and brought back to you for approval no later than April 1st, which is the Saturday, first Saturday in April. |
| 03:17:25.37 | John Moerbacher | So I'll leave that for now and ask if Jim Swooner would like to, unless you have questions for me first, but I know you want to hear from Jim and I know you want to hear from Dr. Fotch. So you can hold questions, okay. |
| 03:17:41.40 | Ray Withy | No, let's just move along, I think. |
| 03:17:44.24 | John Moerbacher | Bye. Bye. |
| 03:17:45.91 | Herb Weiner | So, |
| 03:17:45.92 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 03:17:46.02 | Herb Weiner | And, uh... |
| 03:17:46.06 | John Moerbacher | THE FEDERAL. |
| 03:17:46.14 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 03:17:46.16 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 03:17:46.23 | Herb Weiner | THE END OF THE END OF THE |
| 03:17:46.38 | Ray Withy | Jim? |
| 03:17:46.53 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 03:17:46.55 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 03:17:46.58 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 03:17:46.70 | John Moerbacher | Yeah. |
| 03:17:46.89 | Herb Weiner | Yes, sir. |
| 03:17:50.99 | John Moerbacher | So Jim Swindler from Golden Gate Ferry. |
| 03:17:55.71 | Ray Withy | Well, welcome, Jim. |
| 03:17:57.23 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 03:17:57.25 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Madam Vice Mayor and City Council. I actually hadn't planned on speaking tonight. I was asked to come and be here to answer any questions. But now that I'm up here in front of the microphone, I will just touch on a couple of things. Last year, I think most of you know, we did quite well last year. And a lot of that had to do with everybody that was involved, Sausalito Plus, the bike companies, and the two ferry companies. especially managing the queue last year, Some of you may not know that there was some confusion. the Chamber of Commerce with us. helping us to manage the queue. Well, that didn't happen last year. So the reason I'm telling you this is I want to give a lot of credit to Blazing Saddles and Jeff Sears, because to manage that queue, to staff the queue, The price tag for that is about $64,000 in labor and those are summer kids that we hire. But there has to be a way to pay those kids. Well, last year, We didn't have the organization that we needed to get all the bike companies involved. But Jeff and Blazing Saddles stepped up. and they wrote checks to the tune of about $50,000, and Blue and Gold paid the other $14,000. That was extremely important, and it was a key factor in our success last year. So I just want you to know that we've already started discussions with Jeff. We have a plan this year to go out and solicit the other 15 to 17 bike companies to try and get them to come back into the fold and pick up their fair share of the 64,000 that it will probably cost us again this year. We've already started discussions with the Chamber of Commerce to see if they'd like to step back in and play the role as acting as the the employer handling the administrative end of that. So we're laying the groundwork, the plans. As I said, a number of us have had a couple of meetings. We do need some direction. I'm hopeful that tonight we'll hear what direction the city council would like to go because it's very important for us to get our plan in place and get ready to go as we were last year. One of the things we didn't have last year, again, it was because we just didn't have information. It seemed like it was a little difficult getting everything lined up last year. We usually put out a brochure. The brochure is basically dedicated to providing information to all the bicyclists as they rent their bikes. It gives information on Sausalito Plus. It gives information on where to park their bikes. But we didn't have that last year because the start of the season was pretty uncertain. So my plea to you tonight as the council members is to try and move this along as quickly as we can, make decisions on what the landscape will look like this year so that we can get ready to go and have another successful year. So would that answer any questions? Or I'll be available to answer any questions. |
| 03:21:08.69 | Jill Hoffman | I have some. |
| 03:21:09.17 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 03:21:09.20 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. you |
| 03:21:09.47 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:21:09.49 | Jim Swindler | Joe. |
| 03:21:10.15 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:21:10.70 | Jill Hoffman | Jim, thanks for coming and I don't want to put you on the spot, but since you're standing there at the microphone, I might. |
| 03:21:16.76 | Unknown | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 03:21:19.88 | Jill Hoffman | The question I have, and it's kind of a mystery, is why there's so much resistance to having one entity manage the traffic in that ferry area. And so, you know, my question is, Saucel Plus... in my mind has been pretty successful in corralling the bikes and getting them up to the point. The ferry, if you're paying $60,000, why don't you just pay Sausleo Plus to manage that? I mean, I don't understand why there has to be this disconnect between people that are managing the bikes and they're there and they have a pretty good cadre of trained people that were already there. Why I have this disconnect? I mean, and I did put you absolutely on the spot. |
| 03:22:01.36 | Jim Swindler | Yeah. Um... It's not that there was a lot of resistance. It's that last year, There was a lot of confusion. uh, I guess you put me on the spot, I'll be honest. There's a trust issue. |
| 03:22:15.38 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 03:22:16.87 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. |
| 03:22:16.89 | Unknown | Mm-hmm. |
| 03:22:17.29 | Jim Swindler | I'm not sure if I'm not sure if a few of the entities. And And it just didn't work out. I mean, we tried to work it that way last year. Actually, the chamber was, I believe, asked to step out of it. They stepped out of it. We stepped out of it as well. And then it was realized that not only were we stepping out, but the bike companies were stepping out as well. So we had to put it back together. So I'm not sure what the right word is. It didn't work last year the way a couple of people thought it would work. It's not rocket science. What we do is not rocket science by any stretch of the imagination. It's a lot of hard work. It's people that have to work together. And if everyone is not going to work together, if everyone's not going to have each other's backs and have the same goal in mind, and that's to provide... |
| 03:23:04.39 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:23:13.37 | Jim Swindler | A good service for the customer. provide a pleasant atmosphere for the city of Sausalito It just doesn't work. And last year, I'll leave it at that, it did not work. |
| 03:23:25.52 | Jill Hoffman | Yeah, that's my concern, and how we can do better this year with a coordinated effort. So, you know, I think we're all, I think everybody on the city council is focused on, you know, the effective management of that area down there and whatever tools we have in our belt to do that and whatever we can do to facilitate that. the relationships for whatever reason are going on down there. But to me, it doesn't make sense to have two or three different operators in that 20 square foot area trying to manage a line that's snaking down the sidewalk and going into Dumpy Park. And sometimes all the way down to Spinnaker. |
| 03:24:06.84 | Herb Weiner | You meant Gables on top. |
| 03:24:08.26 | Jill Hoffman | Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. Sorry, I've got Dunphy on the mind. If they went to Dunphy, you'd |
| 03:24:10.66 | Herb Weiner | If they went to Dunphy, we'd really be in trouble. |
| 03:24:12.55 | Jill Hoffman | We really- Yeah. So anyway, my apologies for putting you on the spot. But I think we can do better. And I think it works better if there's just one entity managing the whole thing. |
| 03:24:18.64 | Herb Weiner | It's okay. |
| 03:24:19.26 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. |
| 03:24:19.36 | Herb Weiner | Yeah. |
| 03:24:25.29 | Jill Hoffman | You know, that's just my perspective. |
| 03:24:28.36 | Jim Swindler | If I could comment, maybe respectfully disagree. I think that last year and a number of years prior to that, six or seven years prior to that, would say that several entities can do it, as long as they all get along. And last year... was a phenomenal year. I think everyone involved, Sausalito Plus, us, we would all say that. Last year was a phenomenal year. We moved a lot of bikes. Sausalito Plus did their thing. We managed the queue, and it all works. So I don't know whether it's, I don't know. I don't have the answer. All I know is that last year it worked, and it's worked well before. Last year, as I said, when we started, It looked like everything was going to be run by Sausalito Plus. It didn't play out that way. So we stepped in. as did the bike companies and made it work. |
| 03:25:32.11 | Jill Hoffman | Well, let me put you on the spot again. you know, Would you guys prefer that Sausalio Plus take it over? and run the whole operation? |
| 03:25:42.17 | Jim Swindler | No. |
| 03:25:43.00 | Jill Hoffman | Okay. |
| 03:25:43.74 | Jim Swindler | No. |
| 03:25:44.41 | Jill Hoffman | And why not? Because to me, that seems like that's the smoothest operation because they have the managers down there and they have the fleet, you know, the forces of people. It doesn't seem to make sense to me to have like you said, trying to get the Chamber of Commerce to come back in and manage a workforce, manage employees, manage these things, when you already have somebody down there that's doing it. you know, |
| 03:26:12.46 | Ray Withy | and the... |
| 03:26:12.97 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:26:13.03 | Herb Weiner | Bye. |
| 03:26:14.11 | Ray Withy | Other questions for Jim? |
| 03:26:16.09 | Unknown | Is that right? |
| 03:26:19.16 | Herb Weiner | I want to thank you Jim because I can honestly say and being down there all summer for the last nine summers that anybody that wanted to get on a ferry with a bicycle was able to. Might have not been the time that they wanted to get on, but they still were able to go and get on that. When you're having ferries coming in every 35 minutes, There's not room really for another vessel to come in. So I want to thank you for a job well done. |
| 03:26:50.50 | Jim Swindler | Well, it's everybody. It's not the ferry companies. Well, it's the bikes. It's blue and gold. Everyone. |
| 03:26:53.53 | Herb Weiner | Well, it's the bikes. It's blowing up. It's the whole team. |
| 03:26:57.79 | Jim Swindler | A concerted effort. |
| 03:26:59.31 | Ray Withy | So thank you. Thank you. Jim, I have a few questions. Sorry. Before we release you. |
| 03:27:00.44 | Jim Swindler | THANK YOU. |
| 03:27:05.43 | Jim Swindler | Yeah. |
| 03:27:05.45 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:27:08.89 | Ray Withy | So, I think any reasonably objective observer down there at the height of the season would say that A in large measure the congestion downtown it's not solely but in large measure whether it's reality or perception is caused by rental bicycles mulling around not parked and or queuing up in line for the ferry. So you can argue with the premise, but that's my premise. I'm asking the question. Why has The ferry district, Golden Gate Bridge, ferry and transportation district. Why are you resistant to some form of boarding system, reservation system, because it seems to me that if we combined our parking with almost like a I can't think of another word, corral, for putting the bikes that are going to get onto the next ferry. Then you could affect a much more orderly transition from them being parked to the ferry. Instead of this sort of snaking line, which is not managed. It's managed in the sense that you're helping them get on. A lot of those bikes are just milling around, have never been parked. So why would you resist some sort of boarding system, reservation system to manage that volume of bikes in this small space? |
| 03:29:08.99 | Jim Swindler | The answer to that question is simple. We don't resist that. The answer to the question is we actually are the ones that invented the reservation system. Seven years ago, we started a reservation system using colored poker chips, and that worked okay for a few years. Blue and Gold, our counterpart, which I haven't said enough about them tonight, Blue and Gold actually went out and spent thousands of dollars and now has an online mobile reservation system that we encouraged and that we wanted to put on the brochure last year, but we were unable to get the information on scheduling and everything else in time so we didn't get the brochure up. So we are not, we are actually a proponent of a reservation system. What we're not a proponent of is a priority or you pay extra money to get into a line. And there's a couple of reasons for that. Number one, We're a public agency, and we can't charge a premium for someone to get on the ferry. We just can't do that. Number two. The area down there is not large enough to set up something like that. We would have enough trouble as it is trying to put someone in line that needs to be in line, whether it's they've got a child or something like that, trying to put a special line for someone who paid a premium price to get on the boat. It's just not going to work down there. But as far as the reservation system goes, we are a proponent of that, and we would love to see 100% reservations. I understand what you're saying, Mr. Mayor, that there are certain people, a certain small group of people that will mill around right at the mouth of the queue line, but that's because some of those people don't want to park their bikes. They don't want to pay that $3 fee to park their bikes, so they'll hang around there hoping they can get in the line. and That's pretty much what you see there. |
| 03:31:00.52 | Ray Withy | Okay, great, thanks. Is there any other questions for Jim? |
| 03:31:06.95 | Herb Weiner | Jim would you consider putting a pay station just exclusively for your customers at Golden Gate Ferry on Tracy way right where the other we have right now on Tracy way we have poor for pay stations that people pay for the parking |
| 03:31:31.09 | Unknown | Mm-hmm. |
| 03:31:31.95 | Herb Weiner | I'm saying to you, rather than to load them over at the two stations that you have at the mouth of the entrance, would Golden Gate Ferry, their own unit, in other words, would you be willing to put a unit on Tracy Way, or could you, that all the bikes that come in could be able to purchase their ticket there, rather than taking their bike and dragging it up all the way to this. You mean to the ticket vending machine? Yeah, in other words, your own station, just no other mixing. |
| 03:32:05.06 | Jim Swindler | Just... We've actually taken some steps to try and take the ticket vending machines out of play as much as possible. Last year, in addition to the reservation system that Blue and Gold put online, We put a mobile ticketing app online where people can actually buy their tickets with their phone. We have scanners down there to do that. We're trying to do exactly what you said. We're trying to pull as many people away from that area as possible down there. The ticket vending machines are not well located. Quite frankly, we've had some problems with them. So we'd be willing to do anything, anything that gets them away from that area. We don't, that's the last place we want people. |
| 03:32:43.99 | Unknown | The Press. The Press. |
| 03:32:46.78 | Jim Swindler | All right. |
| 03:32:46.86 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:32:46.91 | Jim Swindler | you Thank you. |
| 03:32:47.18 | Herb Weiner | That wouldn't be anything other than integrate with your own. Like the city pays $500. |
| 03:32:49.99 | Unknown | TOGETHER. |
| 03:32:54.54 | Herb Weiner | A month. for four, that's 2,000 a month to have those. how to have those four pay stations i'm saying if you could put one pay station at the end of tracy way for all the bikes that come in could buy their tickets there. |
| 03:33:13.93 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:33:14.99 | Herb Weiner | It's just a thought. And like you said, it gets them away from the bottleneck. Joe. |
| 03:33:22.37 | Jill Hoffman | Jim, I have one more question. |
| 03:33:23.41 | Herb Weiner | Sure. |
| 03:33:23.70 | Jill Hoffman | How many people did you have on a shift managing the line, like during prime time? So from mid to mid to mid. |
| 03:33:30.37 | Jim Swindler | We would have managing the line itself. That's the summer help. We would typically have three. |
| 03:33:36.20 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 03:33:36.22 | Unknown | Mm-hmm. |
| 03:33:36.24 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. three young people there. That's in addition to probably on average down there we had four staff that were on the dock, and one of those staff members actually oversaw the management of those, the kids and the like. |
| 03:33:37.79 | Unknown | Okay. |
| 03:33:49.49 | Jim Swindler | Okay. Thanks, Paul. |
| 03:33:52.24 | Ray Withy | Any other questions of Mr. Swindler? No, okay. Chief, what's next? |
| 03:34:03.42 | John Moerbacher | I hope Jim takes my calls now. I'm not so sure. The next is to hear from Dr. Fox. After you gave him a ticket. Thank you. |
| 03:34:08.96 | Unknown | Dr. Fauci. Thank you. |
| 03:34:11.27 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 03:34:11.31 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 03:34:11.34 | Ray Withy | Yeah. |
| 03:34:11.69 | Unknown | I'm not sure. |
| 03:34:11.98 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 03:34:12.03 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:34:12.07 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 03:34:13.80 | John Moerbacher | So Dr. Fotch is next. |
| 03:34:18.11 | Ray Withy | Welcome. |
| 03:34:21.31 | Ed Fotch | I'm going to try to plug in my little USB drive here. Good evening, Mayor, Council members. while I'm attempting this, former member of AV Club. Just a couple quick comments. One is, I chair the pedestrian and bicycle advisory committee and Maybe I can do this for me. We approved a plan to present to you. in September. And as a recommendation, next year, we might take a look at the recommendations for the following season a little earlier in the year because it's getting warmer and based on my house we saw a lot of folks coming down the hill today. but fewer cars. Very few cars right now. In fact, if we close the road completely, then just a couple other just preliminary comments. We've got about 10 slides, 12 slides. I'll try to get through this quickly. There's an elephant in the room, which is there are people in the town who would like to have fewer rental bikes coming into town. They vote. So I'm assuming there's some reflection of that here. There's folks here who make money when rental bikes come into towns. And that's just a reality and we can't get around that and it's going to be reflected. One of the reasons that I stepped off the Saucyutel Plus board and focusing my work on the pedestrian bike committee is that Saucyutu Plus has to work with the bike vendors and the ferry folks I run a committee that reports to you. And it's our job to try to give you our best recommendations irrespective of where the chips fall. If you're interested... Talk about why reservation systems, frankly, don't work. Largely because when people leave San Francisco, they don't know what the heck they're going to get on. And we can get into that, we can get into the RFP, which I would encourage. city to have, the problem is someone actually have to write an RFP. And I can guarantee you we are in an extremely unique position where you have hundreds of thousands of tourists coming to a town of 7,000 people one way. in a fixed period of time. for 150 key days. All that having been said, Let me see if I can. Make this go. I have some key concepts, just want to touch very briefly on 2016 stats. talk about bike parking and enforcement its impact on revenue the b of a bike parking our free bike parking the queuing what we learned in 2016 What I think we should consider doing in 2017 and our specific recommendations to the council. The first is our problems are our problems, that's why they call them our problems. And no one's going to solve our problems, and so we have to come up with a solution for our problems. The second is bike. parking. not unlike car parking, is the key In fact, it's almost our only arrow in the quiver. because the state dictates the vehicle code, we dictate our parking. Bike parking. ties to valet revenue, and I'll drill into that a little bit more. But why pay for parking if you can just kind of drop your bike wherever? But. Our parking enforcement should have better signage that we did not have last year. The queuing last year was a learning experience. I would hope that as a head of our committee, we don't repeat the jammed sidewalks of last year, I'll say a little bit more about that. And I also believe that the Ambassador Program, if it is continued, needs to be put on a continuity plan. not a year-over-year thing. Frankly, if I wasn't underwriting it with cash out of my pocket after tax, it wouldn't exist now, and there's a limit to how much longer that will go on. I'll say a little bit more about that. So year over year, we've got a 13% increase, order of magnitude. But the reason I'm showing this slide is that without the Ambassador Program, we wouldn't have these numbers. We would be sitting and arguing about is it more, is it less, is it up, is it down, is it left or right. So it's helpful to have the numbers because you can see 13% and As Einstein said, the most powerful force in the universe is compounding interest. So that will double the number of bikes that come in in roughly five years, just over. The second thing, as the chief pointed out, you had a $34,000 shortfall in revenue across income of $255,000 or maybe a 13% revenue shortfall. I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE Those are important numbers to know, but as Councilmember Cox, or Vice Mayor Cox pointed out, there's real money here. I mean, there's a quarter million dollars that didn't exist. not too long ago. So those who three years ago when we conjured up this idea said no one will pay $3 to park their bike, were off by at least $250,180. Which brings me to enforcement. As I mentioned, our year over year was up about 13%. in terms of the volume of bikes. And that is the blue line, looking to August. The red line is the valet growth over that period of time. And taking in margin of error, they're both up, you know, sort of 15 to 20 percent. And then, came September. IN OCTOBER, And the revenue jumped about 60%, and the volume increase actually dropped down. So year-over-year, October was actually flat, and the revenue was up. Substantially, and as Clinton used to say, when you see a turtle on a fence post, he didn't get there by himself, there's more to the story, and so what's the more to the story? We were, while the chief points out, we started enforcement in June, we got serious in August. And when we got serious, the revenue went up, again, the why buy the cow? if the milk's free. Now if you look at that in the retrospective scope and say, what if we had done it the whole year? If in fact there was a 60% increase, you'd have about $100,000 increase in revenue, and you'd be looking at a $65,000 surplus. Now, there's hypotheticals in there. The real question that I focused on is, How did the people coming into town make suddenly this different decision? We didn't change the signage, the law stayed the same, somehow the message got back upstream. The point here, and you'll see it in our recommendations, is if we don't enforce the law, don't expect people to follow the law. And if bike parking is free, don't expect people to pay. As it relates to the queuing, these are just some of the images. You didn't have to be a professional photographer to take pictures of bikes and families in line last year going up, Tracy Way Harbor and to Spinnaker on scores of days. My estimate is roughly 100. I, for reference, I'm down there most afternoons. I take my lunch, I bike down, I help out for a little bit. What that meant, practically speaking, is our sidewalks were closed. If you're wheelchair bound, if you're I mean, you'd have to walk through the parking lots to get through there. So while I would agree that the ferry service was better last year, while I would agree that there was a lot of cooperation last year, From a bike committee standpoint, I would not consider this to be a success, and I would ideally not repeat it. And I would go on to say the previous year collaborating with some of the folks from There was a queuing system, I think a queuing system would be better than just line them up on the sidewalk. In addition, just I'll add anecdotally, one of the reasons that was given for we don't want to have a prioritized bike queuing system, which I couldn't care less if we have a prioritized bike system. I just want someone to pay for this stuff. but it was said it was unfair to visitors to prioritize. I can tell you having stood down there, for hundreds of hours. There is nothing more unfair to visitors than to stick them in a line in the hot sun with their kids, some of the people who've had too much to drink, Give them no other choice to get out of town but stand in, pardon the expression, our stinking line. They can neither shop nor leave. They ought to be a protected class, I think, in the town. At any rate, let's move on. The B of A parking. This is not unusual in the B of A parking. There's no actual parking there. That's just where people toss their bikes. Because if we don't enforce the laws, that's where they will park their bikes. Then we have the actual bike parking area there, which, interestingly has bikes in it 24 hours a day for most of the summer. One of the reasons is that some of the bike vendors leave their inventory there. which if I was a bike vendor, that's what I'd do, because bikes break. My point is that I don't think the B of A parking is particularly helping anyone. It's jammed, it's unregulated, and our recommendation, as you'll see, is to move it closer to the Tracy Way parking so that it can actually turn into parking. And so the suggestion is A is the B of A parking. Our suggestion is let cars park there, replace it in location C or B or someplace closer. THE FAMILY. because if you need to go to the bathroom, you can't park there. They're jammed all the time, and it's just sort of an odd place It's a minor issue. If you then tie to So we're going to get more revenue because we're going to enforce. And if you're down there, you knew about six times last year we hit maximum. valet parking. The question is where are you going to put the extra bikes? You can't generate more revenue. by parking bikes in spots that you don't have. And so if we have order of magnitude, 30 to 40 more spots, I think that's worth considering. Also, another thing that is in our recommendations is to have organized free parking outside of the immediate downtown. What we have right now is a hodgepodge. It's kind of a little here and a little there. This is a recommendation, not blessed by Jonathan Goldman or the police chief, but we do have a place at the base of Locust Street, not adequate for car parking, but has a bunch of dirt, and it seems like you could throw some, all of our sort of collection of racks we could put in an organized place and get our parks back because right now we're kind of using some park space and some other space for sort of a hodgepodge of of parking, so I'll give to my recommendations. The first, actually I haven't touched on it at all, but I believe it's the case from an efficiency standpoint, I believe that the Ambassadors run by Saucido Plus or anyone else should be collaborating more with the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce staffs a person, pays a person to what I'll call a bird, sitting in a birdcage, while 10 to 12 ambassadors are running around answering questions about where to eat and where to shop and where to go. It just seems like it could be run more efficiently from that standpoint. I agree with the chief that we should enforce the bike parking ordinance right out of the blocks, but I think it was a disservice to our visitors to not have adequate bike parking signage in the areas where we know people will park illegally. On the other hand, we are not advocating permanent signage because we have a lot of signs in this town already, and we think that we can get 10 or 12 of these types of cones and have the ambassadors put them out when they start work, take them out at the end of the day, and as citizens we don't have to stare at these things all day long. B of A bike parking I touched on. We think that that should be incorporated into the valet parking and ideally move to a place that's a little bit, more conducive to participation in the valet parking. Another kind of a white owl but important is that we have a lot of bikes that go and just dump the bikes in Gabrielson Park. When speaking to some of the enforcement officers, they said it wasn't clear to them that the bike parking ordinance as written covered Gabrielson Park. It seemed like it would, the problem is that it starts and it ends at addresses on Bridgeway and it doesn't really say up to Gabrielson Park, so there's another specific recommendation. I mentioned, eliminating the hodgepodge, Have the ambassadors run the queuing system and reestablish the bike queuing service to eliminate the lines. I had no idea that $64,000 was spent. I suspect that the bike. Vendors and the Ferry District can save themselves at least $10,000 by hiring Saucido Plus who's also running thing and anecdotally, it turns out that when the demand for queuing services goes up, the number of bikes coming into town goes down. Up until, as Herb's pointed out before, up until about 3 o'clock, you get more bikes coming in. After 3 o'clock, people want to leave. And so if you have some... ability to shift your staff from parking bikes to managing queues, you probably can eliminate one FTE. There, as I mentioned, right now, the only way you can get on a ferry when things are crowded is to stand in that line, which I think is a disservice. I think over the course of this year, the council, in addition to developing an RFP, ought to understand the fully loaded cost of running the program. If you're going to rely on this program, you have to be able to figure out some way to have a third party who's willing to run it that can fund it in a sustainable way with the fully loaded cost. And I think that's important. As I said, parking is central. There is one way, and I've mentioned this before, that we're not ready to do that would have a dramatic drop. And then there are bikes that come into town. which is to allow people to come into Sausalito riding the bike, drop the bike here, and have someone else pick the bike up and ride it back the other way. I've referred to it as the south route. We've spoken about it to a few of the bike vendors. It has the possibility of letting them turn their inventory back. twice in a day when oftentimes they can only rent their bike once I mention that though as a for next year because I frankly don't think we can pull it off for this year. as opposed to the other things on the list. And I think that it's given the dollars that are involved here, given the politics that are involved here, I think I would recommend that the council give specific feedback both to my committee and to the city staff. Specifically, how would you like the 2017 proposal? program to run. You have our recommendations. I don't think just sort of. saying we'll kind of do what you did last year. If you do what you did last year, you're going to get what you got last year. Better maybe than it was three or four years ago, but as far as I'm concerned, not what it should be. Just one last thing because Vice Mayor Cox asked. So when we conjured up this program at the Pedestrian Bike Committee, first I pitched it to the city. and Parks and Rec, and they sort of said, we don't, eh, not sure. Then I pitched it. to the to the chamber. And they didn't want it. And then I talked my wife into starting a nonprofit. But I know the board of Saucido Plus, and I know their executive director, and they are prepared to stand down. But they're willing to provide the service certainly for the 2017 year. but even they need direction. |
| 03:50:51.50 | Unknown | you |
| 03:50:51.67 | Ed Fotch | What services do you want? When do you want them to start? Are they running a queuing system? Just, you know, they can't bid against a plan that's not there. Stop there. Thank you. |
| 03:51:08.82 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Ed. OK, questions of Dr. Fuch. Or the Chief. |
| 03:51:21.22 | Herb Weiner | . |
| 03:51:21.31 | Ray Withy | THE FAMILY. |
| 03:51:21.95 | Herb Weiner | I have a quick question on How much is the insurance on that, do you know, to insure the employees? and run that operation? |
| 03:51:31.30 | Ed Fotch | I'm sure I don't know, and if I gave you a number, it'd be wrong. I know they have to have workman's comp. |
| 03:51:34.10 | Herb Weiner | I know. |
| 03:51:36.83 | Ed Fotch | I know they need to have directors and officers insurance, and there may be general liability insurance that they need to purchase, but the truth is I don't know. |
| 03:51:45.18 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:51:45.22 | Joe Burns | I have a question for the chief regarding safety, safety and safety. |
| 03:51:45.25 | Unknown | I. |
| 03:51:45.42 | Ed Fotch | Thank you. |
| 03:51:45.55 | Unknown | QUESTION. |
| 03:51:45.86 | Ed Fotch | you |
| 03:51:46.03 | Unknown | No. I have a question for the |
| 03:51:56.08 | Joe Burns | From the years where we didn't have the Ambassador Program to having the Ambassador Program, do you see a change in the safety element as they are directed into town differently? Say that they are up on station one or station two, did that have an impact on safety as they worked with the bikes coming into town? |
| 03:52:13.13 | John Moerbacher | The simple answer is yes. We feel that as the visitors come into town and they're better informed sooner, you as they get to town, then they are more likely to find the right spot to go. And we want the visitors directed onto El Portal and onto Tracy Way to park their bike. And we don't want them starting to park their bikes, you know, starting at Richardson and just laying their bikes down. And so I think that overall it provides for a much safer environment for the visitors to have some information coming in. And the sooner that happens, I think it's a lot better for them. Thank you. |
| 03:52:53.69 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:52:53.90 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 03:52:54.98 | Jill Hoffman | Chief, I have a follow up on that question. I recall that the conversations we had last year and with Chief Tejada before is that the Sassuil Plus operating that area also alleviates the need to have an officer down there and saves us a lot of costs, personnel costs with police. Is that right? |
| 03:53:14.28 | John Moerbacher | you It is absolutely true. In the last couple years before Sausalito plus was parking bikes and It was a mess, and the crowds were big, and it was all police department staff, including the chief of police, myself at the time as a captain, lieutenant. We were all working extra days, and the beat officers were there. The parking officers were there, and a very expensive way to run a bike parking operation, and we didn't really do that great a job, not nearly as organized as Saucydo Plus does and at way, way more cost. And so it's significantly better now. We were trying hard, by the way. It wasn't that we just stood around, but it wasn't anywhere near as good as it has been. In fact, every year has gotten remarkably better, last year being our, certainly our best year so far. |
| 03:54:21.28 | Ray Withy | Um... Okay, the pictures that Ed showed of bicycles basically lining up on our sidewalks, I mean essentially taking over the sidewalks. I don't know how many days a year we actually sold that. But for those days of the year where we did see that, how do we stop that happening. |
| 03:54:58.27 | John Moerbacher | You know, in some ways that's probably the million dollar question, not that it really comes with that much of a price tag. So it's a, It's a moving target every day. And so I have no doubt on the days that Dr. Fudge said that the bikes lined up down to the Spinnaker. There was a few of those for sure. And that was before the ferry district brought in the extra boats to relieve the line. One of the things that we saw last year that was different than the years before is that our visitors stayed around longer. We saw a shift in the pattern of our visitors. And there's no way for us to explain it. but where before we had a more, not so sure a more even, distribution of how they arrived in town. But last year people were leaving later and all at once. And so it required a shift in the timing for the boats and that's something that Jim and his people and the Blue and Gold people did very well, was to add the boats at the right time. In fact, many times the boats were stacked up two and three deep out waiting to be able to dock and load more. passengers. But at the late afternoon, sometimes as late as five or six, it was amazing how many people were still waiting and had not come to town and left. I don't know whether they all arrived later. I just don't know that answer, or whether they liked it and they stayed, or whether they went and visited Mill Valley and came back. I just don't know. but there's no doubt that There's a lot of people on the sidewalk in the late afternoon |
| 03:56:37.24 | Joe Burns | Sounds like really is a 64,000-dollar question. |
| 03:56:39.48 | Unknown | Yeah. Yeah. |
| 03:56:41.86 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 03:56:41.91 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 03:56:42.32 | Herb Weiner | It's like any other event and that's what it is. You go to a football game, you go to a baseball game and watch what happens right at the end of the game. Well this takes place roughly between 3 and 6.30 and 7. That's when the impact when everybody decides to go back. and that's why you get that but when you're having You know, in one hour, they take out approximately 300 bikes an hour. Because every 35 minutes you have a boat coming in. So you can do the math. The future still is the next move as we increase I say 4%. The next move is how do these people turn their bikes in for return? Because it doesn't matter how many pedestrians you have waiting to get on that ferry, the ferry can accommodate that. I believe the Golden Gate Ferry can accommodate 650,000 people. So you're only taking in 150 bikes? you |
| 03:57:49.02 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 03:57:49.14 | Herb Weiner | Okay. |
| 03:57:49.53 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Okay, anybody have any more questions before we get some public comment on this? Maybe I do. Could I ask the same question to Ed that I just asked the chief? How do you stop bikes? lining up on the sidewalks. I mean, why aren't they parked? |
| 03:58:17.17 | Ed Fotch | so, um, Let me start with Herb's comments. There's a supply demand mismatch that we have where you have roughly a thousand people trying to get out in a short period of time every afternoon between 3 and four and five. So obviously people will do what they're told to do. We give them no choice but to stay on the sidewalk. The answer to your question is give them another option. The THE Reservation system, as I mentioned, has been tried and for reasons that are perhaps predictable don't work. People when they leave San Francisco don't know what fur they want to get on. When they get here, they may change their mind. It's very difficult to create a system where you can trade. I'll trade you the 315 for the 445. It's kind of a goat rodeo atmosphere. And what you need is something that's much more predictable, which was tried successfully in 2015, where you have boarding groups of 100, not unlike Southwest Airlines. And when you have your boarding group, you know you can get in after your boarding group is called, not unlike Southwest Airlines or any deli you go to. and you wait for your boarding group to be called while your boarding group is... not being called. You're free to shop. You don't have to stand in line. In fact, it doesn't to stand, let you stand on the sidewalk if you want, but it doesn't do anything. And then in addition, We had the cards that were given so that you could, you knew your boarding group had a QR code you could scan and you could remotely pull up what number was being boarded. It was tried, it was compared to long lines, it was quite successful. reenacted. replace, put back in place, and run professionally. The other answer I would say is how do you get rid, how do you do anything? You hire someone, you say part of what we're hiring to do is get rid of that line. figure out how the heck to do it. and do it. But I don't think up until this point we have said It's anyone's job to get rid of the line. We've said it's their job to manage the line and look at the line and keep the line from spilling over. So, you know, my bifurcated answer is, one, put a queuing system in place, and two, pay someone to run the queuing system. And, two, pay someone to run the queuing system. telling them our goal is to not have lines on that sidewalk. |
| 04:00:37.76 | Ray Withy | I'm still struggling. How do you have a queuing system, Jim? How do you have a queuing system and not have loans on the sidewalk? |
| 04:00:50.04 | Ray Withy | Yeah, I understand. |
| 04:00:51.43 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. I don't think you do. I mean, unless we bring in vessels that are absolutely huge and we could just have a constant stream of customers coming onto the vessels, it's not going to happen. I mean, I don't know how you control people from using public sidewalks. I mean, how do you stop that? I disagree with Dr. Fudge on a couple of points here. We talked about the reservation system. First of all, the reservation system that was started last year by Blue and Gold, you don't have to make your reservation when you leave the bike company or when you're in San Francisco. Most everyone has one of these telephones. And you can do it on the phone when you're standing there when you walk into Sausalito. Some of our queuing staff was working with customers and they made their reservations while they were standing right there. So that reservation system works. And the boarding card system is something that we used two or three years ago, and that That took over from the poker chips. We went from poker chips to the boarding cards and then to an electronic online reservation system, which everyone is going to. But the answer to Um... Keeping them off the sidewalks, I mean, Someone just stated, and I didn't state it when I was up here earlier, there were a number of times last year, I would say frequently on the weekends, where if you looked out there, you saw a boat at the dock and two boats sitting out in the water waiting to come in. I mean, we threw an inordinate number of service out there last year. I'd hate to even think of what it cost the district, and blue and gold for that matter. I mean, there were times that we had two boats literally sitting out there. |
| 04:02:13.57 | Unknown | I don't know. |
| 04:02:26.26 | Jim Swindler | and we couldn't keep up with it. But as Herbie points out, you'll find that most of the time that's anywhere from three to six o'clock in the evening because people, they ride into town, they're buying ice cream, they're shopping, they're doing all sorts of things, All of a sudden, in that three hour period, they want to leave in that three hour period. The facility that we have, today or even if we have the new facility. You can still only bring one vessel in there unless you want to build a huge facility where you can board multiple vessels. |
| 04:02:54.04 | Unknown | I should. What? |
| 04:02:57.23 | Unknown | I'll do it. |
| 04:02:59.90 | Jim Swindler | You're not going to do it. I mean, you know, last year, we did a number of things last year. I mean, now you gave me the soapbox, so I'm going to take the opportunity. The beginning of the year I was down to, we had two extra staff members on the vessel, and one of those staff members, their job was to herd those people that were coming in from the city and shut off the restrooms and make sure they got off the boat. But we picked up five or six minutes just by doing that. So we added five or six more minutes to the boarding time. We had extra people on the dock as well. We had four staff members down there. Five years ago, we had zero. We had four staff members down there working their tails off to move these people. But there is that period of time, and I was quite shocked to hear, and I quite frankly think it's an exaggeration. I think there was only a handful of times last year where it went beyond the corner down there. I mean, I talked to the chief, I think the chief, and I'll take a stab at what his quote was. He received two complaints this year, two. |
| 04:03:00.27 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 04:03:06.71 | Unknown | I'm going to take that. |
| 04:03:58.82 | Jim Swindler | Jeff Sears from Blazing Saddle sent me an email at the end of the year, received zero complaints. That was unfounded. I mean, last year was a phenomenal year. If you don't want people on the sidewalks, I think maybe you have to hire staff to just keep people off the sidewalks. But people, they see the boats, they want to get there, and we just can't get them out of there quick enough. Thank you. |
| 04:04:21.91 | Herb Weiner | So, |
| 04:04:22.25 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. you |
| 04:04:22.60 | Herb Weiner | you |
| 04:04:22.89 | Unknown | you |
| 04:04:22.97 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:04:23.27 | Jim Swindler | Thank you. |
| 04:04:23.43 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:04:23.44 | Jim Swindler | THE FAMILY. |
| 04:04:23.50 | Herb Weiner | One more quick. Sure. The Marin boat, how many does that here hold? Bicycles? No. We know that the- |
| 04:04:33.72 | Jim Swindler | We can get anywhere. The three boats are slightly different, the bigger boats, anywhere from 650 to 725. |
| 04:04:38.41 | Herb Weiner | Yeah. Okay, so if we were able to some way maybe push the idea of people turning in their bikes over here, you would have no problem getting them on almost any boat that they desire. |
| 04:04:54.41 | Jim Swindler | desire. Everyone would love that. Everyone would love it. I mean, you know, one of the other problems we have is, you know, we've got over the years, we've been refurbishing these boats and we have two wide doors. We can only use one. We're able to use two doors, it'll make a big difference. |
| 04:05:09.41 | Herb Weiner | Okay. |
| 04:05:09.87 | Jim Swindler | So there are a number of things that we can do to improve that facility, but Even with that, I mean, you still can only get one boat in there. And when you've got two boats sitting out there, the next one comes in. And, you know, it takes a little bit of time to turn those votes around. |
| 04:05:26.71 | Ray Withy | Okay. |
| 04:05:26.81 | Herb Weiner | Yeah. Thank you, thank you, Jim. Thank you. |
| 04:05:29.92 | Ray Withy | Okay, why don't we open this up for public comment? recognizing it's 20 after 11. So I've only got two cards here, but I'm sure there's more people who want to talk. Jeff, why don't you go first? |
| 04:05:59.02 | Jeff Sears | Good evening. I'll try to make it brief. We've touched on quite a few issues tonight. I think the first one I'd like to start with is what we just really ended with, reviewing really how it went down in 2016. And yes, it's true, complaints were down considerably. I wouldn't say we had no complaints, but they were definitely down considerably over 2015, and 2015 was down from 2014. The point is we've made a really concerted effort here to improve the system each year, and I think we've really been successful. There's three components in this. There's been the ferry companies, the the bike companies and in the last two years it's been Sausalito Plus and it's it is unfortunate that we haven't been able to have really a direct team effort I feel with Sausalito Plus I really feel that Mr. Fudge's real motivation is to reduce the amount of bikes coming into Sausalito and that's unfortunate because we're trying to We're trying to increase the number on our end and we're also trying to make things better regarding reducing the congestion. So there is a conflict there and we're going to continue to try to do better for 2017. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like working with Sausalito Plus is going to be easy to do unless things change. I would like to say I did agree with a few things that Mr. Fudge said regarding improving the situation for Bicyclists coming in, parking, I think the signage is critical to have a reasonable amount of signage just like there would be for situations for automobiles that were going to be impounded. I also think having the signage will increase usage of the paid parking lot. So I think it's going to be a win-win having the signage. I feel that the main reason that we had a better 2016 was the really stepping up to the plate of both ferry companies and putting huge amount of resources in to really alleviate the lines. And, Regarding the bikes on the sidewalk, I really don't see that going away unless there's some sort of a parking lot A, releasing some parking spaces possibly for the, bicycles to be able to queue up there instead of being on the sidewalk. Again, that costs money and I'm going to finish this off with saying I really feel that there should be an RFP released for this service in the future. And I'm really surprised that the parking fees for Tracy Way weren't taken out of the fees that were generated this year. It seemed like that was such a front burner issue the last two years to make sure that the revenue not generated from the parking on Tracy Way was going to be paid for by the revenue generated from the parking fees. So I would recommend that being into a future RFP. Thanks. |
| 04:09:32.10 | Ray Withy | Thank you. of Lisa's go crazy. |
| 04:09:40.96 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. |
| 04:09:43.97 | Unknown | . |
| 04:09:47.09 | Lisa Scopazi | That's not. |
| 04:09:47.60 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:09:49.06 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:09:51.17 | Lisa Scopazi | Thank you, as many of you may have seen these. The last year was our first year. And anyway, my name is Lisa Scopazi, of Sausalito Bike Return. Thank you, Mayor Withey, for letting me speak to you and your council members today. Also thank you, Chief Rohrbacher, Lieutenant Gregory, I sound like I'm giving an award or something for the Oscars, Adam Pulitzer and the city, also the ferry boat companies, Jeff from Blazing Saddles, for all the help and support that you all gave to us last year to help kickstart this business. I have given you a handout just to read later. Last year, my husband John and I introduced an innovative service to transport tourist bikes from Salzolito back to San Francisco called Salzolito Bike Return. We have successfully owned and operated numerous companies in the Bay Area related to tourism and hospitality. Salzolito Bike Return offers this special service for those who want to enjoy their valuable time in Salzolito while relieving some of the pressure for the city, the ferry system, and also allowing bike companies to quickly, safely, and efficiently have their bike returned in a timely manner. It was definitely a proven business model this last year, and it did help relieve some congestion near the ferry terminal. The bicycle tourists can be assured that their bike will also be safely returned, and it frees them up to shop, relax, dine, enjoy the views and activities in Sausalito. They can also, which we've talked about numerous times tonight, they can easily board a ferry by walking on board back to their starting point So this year, our proposal for Sal's Lita Bike Return is to have a staging area for the bike return program within site of the ferry terminal. And where we're proposing to have this is at a bike parking area at the corner of Tracy Way and Anchor Street. There's a little lot there, and we're proposing to load the bikes from that staging area late in the afternoon and into the evening into our trailers from the first three parking spots along Anchor Street. And I have a little map I can also show you. This will have a significant impact, we believe, to relieve congestion during the busy hours of 3 to 6. A lot of the people who did want us to return their bikes last year didn't for fear that they couldn't see the ferry terminal, or the ferry boats. So we believe that we can park up to 150 to 200 bikes in just that little spot because we don't need racks, and then quickly load them onto our trailers. We will continue to work very closely with the bike companies and hope to work with even more of them, helping to educate the tourists on the San Francisco side before the bikers enter into Sausalito. We would like to, I talked to Dan Blythe about this as well, but we'd like to work with the ferry boat companies to produce basically a little card, two-sided small card, one with a map of Sausalito. |
| 04:12:54.74 | Ray Withy | No, carry on. Carry on, Lisa. |
| 04:12:55.16 | Lisa Scopazi | Carry on. Are you sure? All right. It's just I have two more seconds. Basically on the how-tos of arriving in Sausalito, giving them options as well as incentivize the tourist to use our return program by giving them a small discount if they can produce this card. It will include things like where to park, how not to park. like don't be impounded, where the ferry boarding areas are, possible schedules, bike return area, and parking for return. But as everyone also said tonight, I'll close with this, is that it's very important for us to all collaborate together, as we did last year. We just were a constant open book, and we'd like to continue to do that this year. Thank you. |
| 04:13:38.53 | Ray Withy | Yeah, thanks, Lisa. John, did you want to add anything? And Lisa might want you back to answer some questions, if we may. |
| 04:13:47.20 | John Scopazi | Mine sounds completely different. completely different. Thank you city council for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is John Scopazi, also from Saucyuta Bike Return, And also the bike returns. Overall objective really is to have everybody have a positive experience in Sausalito. So Sausalito Bike Return is proposing to run and operate the bicycle parking along Tracy Way. The two-sided card, which Lisa mentioned, will talk about a possible discount for Sausalito bicycle companies. |
| 04:14:31.25 | John Scopazi | They say San Francisco, yes, San Francisco's bicycle companies. Giving them the participants, the bike customers, a discount. space parking would still remain at about $3. Hours of operation for Sausalito bike parking, 11 to five, total of four employees. We will have one employee roaming, in the vicinity of Bridgeway and Princess Street. to inform people of where to park and what not to do, and not to get their bikes impounded. The next employee will be at El Portal at the beginning of the bike return area. Our third employee will be at the end of Anchor Street to direct tourists on where to pay and help them pay for their parking. The fourth will be roaming around Tracy Way, helping people park their bikes. Now, the person renting the bike will park and lock their own bikes with the guidance of this fourth person, and that fourth person will only direct them to open slots. The fifth additional person would be a roaming person on, 4th of July week and Labor Day weekend. Note that additional people could be added as directed by the city, and duties can be added by the city as needed. our costs for this program. Labor wages. Bidded a maximum of $150,000. operating every day April 1st through October 15th, Base staff of four. 11 to 5 with 5 on holidays. The other cost to be determined, incidentals, the Vantec Any kind of other expenses, insurance and stuff, will be taken out of the parking revenues. This is a base proposal just for the labor. I do like to thank Jim and Jeff Sears for all their help If it wasn't for the ferry sitting out there and a lot of Jeff's help, it would have been a lot worse last year. And John Scopazi, if you have any questions. You can contact me, 415-720-5881. Thank you. Thank you. |
| 04:16:57.32 | Ray Withy | Thank you. David Archer. |
| 04:17:08.30 | David Archer | Thank you, honorable mayor, vice mayor, and city council members. I'm David Archer, I'm the president and CEO of the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce. |
| 04:17:17.08 | Unknown | . |
| 04:17:17.35 | David Archer | And I wanted to reiterate numerous points here today that the Chamber of Commerce is committed to taking an active role in helping solve the problems down at the kiosk area in the ferry landing. We've met with several shit stakeholders, and we will continue to do that and work however we can to make it better. So if you have questions. I'm available. |
| 04:17:46.31 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 04:17:47.28 | David Archer | All right. |
| 04:17:49.72 | Ray Withy | Okay, oh sorry, Jeff. Jeff Jacobs, you want to speak on this topic, sir. |
| 04:18:09.97 | Jeffrey Chase | I guess I've told a few different stories about how I got involved in politics in this little town here. So far, with no Material results. NOT A ONE. Part of it was when I was bicycling and I was in the bike lane or out of the bike lane and the police department would come and remind me about that. Whether I had a light on the back or the front of my bike, And finally, TASERED ON BRIDGEWAY FOR A BIKE LIFE VIOLATION, AND I WENT TO COURT. AS I SAID, I ONLY DO THAT WHEN I'M DRAGGED IN. And in this case, I was dragged in. I won the case. But, The anti-bicycle politics of this little town of Sausalito Herb Weiner continue. that during the rainstorm I was walking up to cross the freeway from where Starbucks is, that street Santa Cruz, San Jose. |
| 04:19:20.92 | Herb Weiner | No, Starbucks is on print. |
| 04:19:23.15 | Jeffrey Chase | Princess Street, right? I start walking up and I'M FOLLOWING THAT ROAD. And it's raining. There are no sidewalks, there are no bicyclists, and there are no pedestrians anywhere else. above Bridgeway. ever. Why is that? Well, it seems there's a natural reason. It's a pretty steep hill. I get it. So people have cars. They're forced to have cars. If they were gonna walk, they're taking their life in their hands. Now we have a bicycle commissioner who said one good thing. I thought. which was that the bicycles could be ridden one way here, and then somebody else could ride them back. That's excellent. Everything else is a conflict of interest for a bicycle and pedestrian person to be also running a business with his family and making money off of this. This is why we're going to impeach the president and any of the local boards who will not cooperate with this, who are making money off of our current policies of car centrism, San Francisco Bay is the number four most congested place in the world for cars. Okay, I don't hear any talk about that in the many years I've been attending these meetings. Instead, we're throwing sand or ashes in people's eyes and talking about bicycles as if bicycles are the biggest problem we face. In America, in Sausalito, we've got some big issues here, and we better start getting serious about dealing with them. So, That's what I'm going to do. |
| 04:21:11.02 | Ray Withy | Thank you, Jeff. Anybody else want to comment on this agenda item? Okay, seeing none, let's bring it back here. Okay, where do we go from here? |
| 04:21:27.23 | Joan Cox | Well, the Chief had- The previous issue. Well, the Chief, can we go back to the slide that the Chief put up? He had two things he wanted us to do right away having to do with Tracy Way. So- |
| 04:21:38.07 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:21:38.08 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 04:21:38.20 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:21:38.30 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 04:21:51.42 | John Moerbacher | Okay, so here's where you are. |
| 04:21:52.95 | Joan Cox | There was one more after that. You had said, yeah. |
| 04:21:54.39 | John Moerbacher | I have two of them. you're going to be |
| 04:21:56.66 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 04:21:56.85 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 04:21:56.87 | Joan Cox | Thank you. There was one you did after that that said timing, you said in time, the timeliness was due. That's my second slide. Yeah, but there was something. |
| 04:22:06.10 | Herb Weiner | all that. Okay. Okay. Oh, yeah. There was one. We look at my timeline. There you go. That's what the |
| 04:22:06.57 | Joan Cox | Okay. Can we look at my timeline? There you go. That's the slide I was looking for. So, I think right away I'd like to move that we take these that we approve these two steps close Tracy Way and install bicycle racks no later than March 10. Tracy Way bike parking will be free until agreement for parking operations is approved no later than April 1. |
| 04:22:32.83 | Ray Withy | Okay, should we start there? Do we have a second on that? Second. I mean, there's more stuff we've got to go through. There's more stuff, but at least get this. Can we at least get agreement on that? That's what the chief needs. Joe, you. Thank you. |
| 04:22:33.43 | Joan Cox | That's a motion. |
| 04:22:38.61 | Joan Cox | Bye. |
| 04:22:38.63 | Herb Weiner | There's more stuff, but at least get this. |
| 04:22:42.24 | Joe Burns | Yeah. on Stay on. On discussion, will we be starting expenses before we start revenue? |
| 04:22:55.24 | Herb Weiner | No, in other words, what he's talking about there is just closing it, let it be free. Because don't forget the pay machines aren't even in, and that will take... Hopefully, you're looking at March 31st, April 1st. |
| 04:22:57.23 | Joan Cox | This is great. |
| 04:23:02.46 | Joe Burns | OK. |
| 04:23:06.54 | Joe Burns | I just don't want to get in a scenario where we're last year where we start, we're up to $16,000 of expenses before we run into revenue. |
| 04:23:07.54 | Herb Weiner | This has nothing to do with Sausalito Plus. No. Avenue is closing down crazy way which we have to do and if there's a holiday coming up and the weather is nice you're going to need it because right now you only have 14 |
| 04:23:25.46 | Joe Burns | So we're starting the expenses because we're closing down rent of meters. We're not getting rent of meters on Tracy way. |
| 04:23:28.60 | Herb Weiner | THE END. Thank you. on Tracy way that's true. Okay, but you know that's a necessary. |
| 04:23:33.64 | Joe Burns | Okay. |
| 04:23:39.47 | Joan Cox | All right. |
| 04:23:39.77 | Herb Weiner | to. |
| 04:23:39.80 | Ray Withy | Do we have a second? Yeah, Herbie's second. |
| 04:23:39.97 | Joan Cox | Yeah. |
| 04:23:39.99 | Herb Weiner | I have a second. Yeah, Herbie seconded. I give him a second. |
| 04:23:41.88 | Lily Whalen | Thank you. |
| 04:23:43.55 | Ray Withy | Okay, can we do this by acclamation, these two? Okay, all those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Nay. Okay. |
| 04:23:47.87 | Herb Weiner | Bye. |
| 04:23:47.89 | Joan Cox | Bye. Nate. For one. |
| 04:23:52.12 | Ray Withy | So were you a no on there? |
| 04:23:54.06 | Joan Cox | Yeah, I'd like to find a way to start |
| 04:23:55.33 | Ray Withy | Okay, all right. Okay, so that was four one, Lily. Okay. So, Chief, if you could go back, and let's start going through this. So we've dealt with one. You want authorization for an urgent situation scenario, if that were to occur. Thank you. Yes. |
| 04:24:14.31 | John Moerbacher | Yes. |
| 04:24:17.57 | Ray Withy | and then authorize you to make any necessary changes. |
| 04:24:22.48 | John Moerbacher | Yes. |
| 04:24:26.82 | Ray Withy | Okay, which sort of goes with the territory. If you're going to do anything you need to do this, right? |
| 04:24:30.99 | Joan Cox | Thank you. Thank you. Well, but this is approving the bicycle management, the proposed bicycle congestion management plan. So, |
| 04:24:40.01 | Herb Weiner | I only say that you do the first two. Wait a minute, what street does he have to do? |
| 04:24:47.79 | Joan Cox | but what plan are we |
| 04:24:49.21 | Herb Weiner | I think the. He's going to have to manage it until. |
| 04:24:49.24 | Joan Cox | I think. |
| 04:24:49.99 | Ray Withy | the |
| 04:24:50.39 | Joan Cox | THE END OF |
| 04:24:52.99 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:24:53.02 | Ray Withy | Yeah, I think if you go one more slide on, Chief. Okay, so in the end it's this. |
| 04:24:53.29 | Herb Weiner | I think if you've |
| 04:24:58.49 | Joan Cox | There you go. And this is the plan, but we actually heard two plans tonight. We heard a Sausalito Plus. |
| 04:25:01.09 | Ray Withy | And we heard- |
| 04:25:07.89 | Joan Cox | And then we heard a... Scopazi. And then we heard a Scopazi, but we also heard some recommendations from Dr. Fotch. And I'm not sure those are already... I'm not sure they're all... He wasn't speaking on behalf of Sausalito Plus. So I'm not sure they were all embodied in... |
| 04:25:09.82 | Sybil Boutillier | Stop pushing. |
| 04:25:22.45 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:25:22.47 | Jill Hoffman | Exactly. |
| 04:25:26.01 | Joan Cox | the Sausalito Plus plan. I, I, |
| 04:25:31.43 | Jill Hoffman | So let me ask. |
| 04:25:32.51 | Joan Cox | Go ahead. |
| 04:25:32.97 | Jill Hoffman | still. So I think the point that we're at right now is that, if I'm not mistaken, is that we haven't, We haven't. solicited a plan from Sausalio Plus yet. But this number two is saying direct the staff to council for consideration of an agreement with Sausalio Plus not to exceed $250,000 and then will come back to us with a plan from Sausalio Plus. Sausalio Plus will give us a plan within that 250,000. And understanding the 250,000 means that that's revenue based on, that's revenue neutral. that means that's revenue that's going to be generated by if a student |
| 04:26:12.03 | Joan Cox | everything stays the same or increases. So, but I saw stuff in our materials that said that the expenses of Sausalito Plus are gonna increase by 12% this year. We have an alternative plan not fully flushed out either by Skopazi. |
| 04:26:32.74 | Jill Hoffman | Well, the alternative plan was for $150,000 cost. |
| 04:26:32.82 | Joan Cox | for- |
| 04:26:36.16 | Jill Hoffman | to the city. Right now, our cost is 30,000. keeping in mind that we had some revenue efforts last year that didn't get off the ground soon enough. |
| 04:26:46.51 | Joan Cox | Well, ostensibly that $150,000 cost would be offset by the parking revenue. |
| 04:26:51.71 | Joe Burns | I think we have a lot of comments. I think we have a lot of discussion before we start picking off motions and committing to things prior to knowing where there are income. |
| 04:26:51.99 | Joan Cox | I think we have a lot of comments. Yeah, right, right. Yes, sir. |
| 04:26:59.15 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 04:26:59.17 | Joan Cox | to you. |
| 04:26:59.23 | Unknown | to do. |
| 04:27:00.04 | Jill Hoffman | I agree. |
| 04:27:02.32 | Joe Burns | wish we didn't make that vote earlier to start doing things right let's have a plan let's let's have options out here you know what I |
| 04:27:04.85 | Jill Hoffman | Right. We have. to talk about. You know what? I agree. I agree completely with you, and I wish we had had this conversation in September, because the time to have this conversation is right after the last. That's right. So we didn't have the numbers. We didn't know the numbers. We could have the numbers. |
| 04:27:13.69 | Joe Burns | because the time |
| 04:27:18.55 | Herb Weiner | We didn't know the numbers. We could have the numbers in December, January. |
| 04:27:20.78 | Jill Hoffman | December, January. Yeah, so I think it's really late right now to be talking about whether or we're not going to use SOS Leoplast this year. I think it's because we're looking at starting our or program in four weeks. And whether or not someone else is going to be able to ramp up and take over, I think that's Not likely, but for next year, I think everything's on the table. I think it's just too late right now. |
| 04:27:40.32 | Herb Weiner | I know I think. |
| 04:27:46.38 | Herb Weiner | I disagree. |
| 04:27:47.76 | Jill Hoffman | Okay, well, okay, then what's the way forward then? |
| 04:27:51.41 | Herb Weiner | Actually, no. |
| 04:27:52.00 | Jill Hoffman | Well, let me finish. So we're closing, we're going to close down Tracy Way. So as Joe points out, we're losing revenue from Tracy Way right off the bat. And now we don't have a plan going forward. |
| 04:27:52.71 | Adam Politzer | . |
| 04:27:53.37 | Herb Weiner | Okay. |
| 04:28:03.56 | Jill Hoffman | Um, We have somebody that's come in and perhaps offered to do another plan But we don't have an RFP out. We're not going to be able to get one out and back and vote it on and in place in four weeks. That is just not going to happen. So then we have the revenue that we're going to lose until we can get a plan in place. So we're kind of fumbling around like we did last year, which is very frustrating. Which was very frustrating for Jim Swindler back there and the guys that had to pick up the line. So this is the frustration that I'm having is that we're not getting this off the ground fast enough every year. |
| 04:28:40.48 | Joan Cox | The concern I have is that is what was expressed tonight as the elephant in the room and the concerns of the Golden Gate Ferry is that somehow there's a failure to collaborate or to cooperate. There's two different groups are spending two different pots of money. As you said, it would be great if One group could be the group that spends the money in a collaborative way. For whatever reason, that hasn't happened, and I don't fully understand why that is, I'm late to this game, but if Sausalito Plus is unable to figure out a way to cooperate with and collaborate with Golden Gate Ferry and the bicycle companies, maybe we should go a different route. I don't know. |
| 04:29:36.74 | Jill Hoffman | Okay, are you saying that you're putting the blame on Sausalito Plus? No. That our volunteer bike and ped committee put together, they've been working for almost free for these years, and that you're putting the blame on them? I don't blame either one. I don't know who's to blame. Okay. This is our town. Sausalito is our town. We have outside operators that are coming. |
| 04:29:41.37 | Joan Cox | No. |
| 04:29:53.43 | Unknown | Okay. |
| 04:29:53.84 | Joan Cox | to the next day. THIS IS A |
| 04:30:01.53 | Jill Hoffman | Blazing Saddles was shaking their head back there. They're coming into our town and opposing this bird on our town. We had to have, because they couldn't manage their own bikes coming into town, and they were blocking our streets. They were- My sympathy is with Golden Gate Ferry. No, let me finish. They were causing our police to- Golden Gate Ferry that has two boats. Joan, Joan, I was speaking. Let me finish. Okay, I'm sorry. So they were causing our police force to be standing out on the streets, and now you're trying to blame them? |
| 04:30:13.31 | Joan Cox | My sympathy. |
| 04:30:13.97 | Unknown | No, let me finish. |
| 04:30:15.03 | Joan Cox | They were causing our police to... THE FAMILY. |
| 04:30:28.13 | Jill Hoffman | No, no, you are misrepresenting what I said. I said there's a difference. |
| 04:30:28.15 | Joan Cox | So we, no, no, you are misrepresenting what I said. I said there's an issue. And I don't know why Golden Gate Ferry has two boats sitting out in the water waiting I mean, there's just, I don't know what, I don't fully understand what the solutions are, but there is a failure to. |
| 04:30:42.94 | Jill Hoffman | understand. |
| 04:30:47.28 | Jill Hoffman | Okay, so what's the way forward? We're not going to be able to reconfigure the whole thing. There is a way forward. |
| 04:30:47.32 | Joan Cox | Okay. I- Thank you. |
| 04:30:50.89 | Joe Burns | I would. I wish there was a way that we just said, here's the way forward and it was the silver bullet. It's not going to happen. We have to take very incremental steps. The mayor asked some questions to three or four individuals or two to three individuals. How do we get the bikes off the sidewalk? I would love for there to be one answer. I think there's four answers, and I think there are four answers working together over a period of time that that number keeps going down, down, down. That's what we have to do today, is I think on February 28th, a month away from |
| 04:31:24.12 | Herb Weiner | No, for today's review. |
| 04:31:27.29 | Joan Cox | He's saying a month away from. |
| 04:31:28.07 | Joe Burns | A month away from we need to start earning money on a program and getting in front of the issue early and then everything else we do is a parallel approach. I'm going to call this model that it grows. And it takes a few bikes off. That we talk with Mr. Sears about piloting possibly or attempting to pilot a south route sometime before the end of the year so we know to include it into a 2018 plan that starts on January or December of next year. That we look at other alternatives with additional parking outside of the zones. Whatever it takes, but we have to start something now. and get it going and anything we do is a is a parallel program until we can get it resolved as opposed to trying to get it all done at one time and missing our our envelope of window |
| 04:32:21.39 | Herb Weiner | I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT. You know, I started with this in 2007. I've lived this down there. I've been a part of this every single year. |
| 04:32:32.14 | Joe Burns | Thank you for that. You have. |
| 04:32:33.42 | Herb Weiner | Okay. I gave to you before a proposal of running this through the Park and Rec Department. It shows. that instead of a valet service, which incorporates a tremendous amount of labor, that we go to a preferred parking system where instead of people have the bikes taken to them, Here they travel 11, 12 miles, and we need somebody to take their bike and park at 30 feet. And this is why you have a $250,000 tag. In fact, you had a $290,000 tag. The offer that is on the table that was given to you tonight And it's adequate, more than adequate. would be able to take in |
| 04:33:30.78 | Herb Weiner | I'm not sure. would cost us $108,708 to do that. Now I'm proposing also that it would be able to pay $25,000 plus that, to Sausalito Plus to have two people. to operate outside of the parking, which then would be $27,500, which would then bring it up to about $135,000, okay? And that is at a price of $2 a bike. The idea is we've got to get the people to start parking in the designated bike places. If you take a look at last year, July of 2016, according to the records, 57,000 bike rentals came into Sausalito. 85%, we were told, goes down El Portal, which means now that's 57,000, and you're now down to 48,000 bikes. And yet we were only parked 18,000 bikes. Where did the other 30,000 bikes go? Because they can't get right on the ferry. There's no such thing as after 2.30 of getting on the ferry. So where do they go? They go to Mill Valley, they ride around until they've had enough, and then figure, I'll just get back in line. And there's where we were not able to track everybody, because as we started filling in the boats, the line kept on, we looked at how many bikes were parked in the parking lot, in the parking spaces, and they almost stayed the same, and yet the line never went down because these people are riding around, they're riding through your parking lots, which is a danger. because some of them aren't going to pay the $3. Because how many times did we fill the Tracy Way? Not that many times. And that's clearly evidence. So I'm saying to you, even if we paid $135,000 out, our revenue at $2 a bike would be $185,000. And that's enough to pay for the 11 spaces, which we haven't got paid ever on Tracy Way. And we told the public we would, because that's the value. And those are worth $55,000. So that's my put into it. |
| 04:36:09.31 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Does anybody else want to say anything? |
| 04:36:09.68 | Joan Cox | Yes. Well, I would just like to quickly respond. So please, you know, |
| 04:36:15.35 | Ray Withy | Okay. |
| 04:36:17.98 | Joan Cox | Councilmember Hoffman jumped all over me for criticizing Saucedo Plus. That's really not my intention. So I don't know why. these three groups are not getting along. I don't know whose fault it is. It's not my intention to blame Sausalito Plus for that. I think Sausalito Plus, as the chief said, has done an admirable job of improving a huge issue that was prior to that taking tremendous city resources. So there is an issue. I don't know what the solution is. I don't know what the cause of it is. I was simply commenting on the fact that this issue exists. So. |
| 04:36:55.65 | Jill Hoffman | So I'm not clear, Mr. Mayor, what to do now. So unless we're gonna say, go forward with Sausalio Plus, as they've suggested, and if we wanna start reinventing the wheel at this point, And discussing other. possibilities and it seems to me that we need to table this at least for another till the next city council meeting so that we can have a subcommittee and look at all these different possibilities because I mean honestly we have as Council member. I think that's what I'm saying. We've got to start making revenue in four weeks. And we can't, you know, I don't see how you're going to reinvent the wheel and start with some new program. and not have the level of management and skill that you have with the Sausalio Plus people from Alexander Avenue. all the way down. It's not just people on On Tracy Way, it's everybody else along the line that's managing the bikes as they come into town. |
| 04:37:56.51 | Joe Burns | THE REASON I DID ASK THAT ONE QUESTION IS BECAUSE WE CAN'T, AND I DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T MONETIZE SAFETY. whatever and I asked her to put this on paper. So her thank you for I'm sure we all have it. Thank you. Yeah. |
| 04:38:11.75 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. Every single month, how many people it would take to run this. |
| 04:38:14.97 | Joe Burns | Yeah. I WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT'S OUR GOAL TO EARN MONEY, BUT TO BE CAUTIOUSLY SAFE AND BREAK EVEN AT WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, SO WHATEVER VOLUME OF PERSONNEL THAT TAKES. I'm concerned on any models that try to cheapen the expense, but I like your portion of growing the revenue, which is |
| 04:38:39.75 | Herb Weiner | which is going away from valet to preferred. I think I think we should direct |
| 04:38:42.03 | Joe Burns | I think we should direct whatever plan we go to to get more revenue out of the biking parking program. Because I hate to cheapen the expense side too much. |
| 04:38:44.93 | Herb Weiner | to get me to the next level. |
| 04:38:45.81 | Unknown | THE END OF THE END OF THE |
| 04:38:49.01 | Unknown | Because I hate to cheapen the expense side too much. |
| 04:38:53.82 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 04:38:53.84 | Ray Withy | Okay, I think we're gonna... quickly finish this item. And I'm going back to the chief and asking, okay, you got a resolution for what you're going to do now and what you're going to do April 1st. Okay. By April 1st. So that piece is done. What else do you need right now in order so that you can move forward and our antics up here are not slowing you down. Right? They're not slowing you down. That's the first thing. |
| 04:39:02.21 | Unknown | I think you are. |
| 04:39:32.97 | John Moerbacher | So thank you for the opportunity to summarize. You've heard from several different people, all of us really part of the same team trying to do our best to provide a safe environment for our visitors. And it's complicated. You know, we have limited amount of square footage to conduct business. It's crowded and we actually overall have done a better job each and every year since 2007, and it has been sometimes painstakingly slow. but it's been deliberate to make improvements every year so that at the end of the day, people are safe here. Yes, there's probably some different varieties in the way to either spend or make money. And I would agree that the future in this, lies in the bike return arena at some level. The people who've written in that said we should just tie up a barge someplace and put all the rental bikes on it, so that people can get back on the ferry. They're not exactly all wrong. It's certainly not going to work and it's not practical. But the idea is to separate the bicycle, riders from their bicycles when we can. And the Scopazes have started that last year, and I'm happy that they're willing to come back and do it again, because I think that's where the future lies, is in the return programs. And you've heard people talk about whether it should be all under one umbrella. And I don't think there's really much argument that that's probably eventually the right way to go. And certainly not only the economy of scale, but truly placing somebody in charge. At the moment, that's me. Before me, it was Chief Dejada. But there's a lot of people involved. And if it was not for the good intention and the good teamwork of all the people, even those that we disagree with, we still really are all trying to do the same thing. So no matter what you choose tonight or in a future meeting, We're going to deliver a safe product. It may not be of every single item that every single entity wants on their own, but we're gonna make it happen, and it's gonna happen because we all have the will to make it happen. So what we need at the moment to answer your question, Mayor, is we need it this first because I want to close Tracy way. I want to be able to have the ability to have the spring break visitors come in and park their bikes. Okay, so that's done. We're not having anybody help them. It's not optimal, but it'll do. And so it's gonna be for free. |
| 04:42:08.37 | Unknown | THE FAMILY. |
| 04:42:09.82 | Ray Withy | Yeah. Okay, so that's done. |
| 04:42:21.11 | John Moerbacher | I'd really like to get back on the scoreboard for having revenue from the people paying for parking later than April 1st. So at the moment, because it is late in getting going on this season. And so this was our recommendations, the seasonal closure, which you already agreed to. But the next steps, you know, I don't need them right tonight, but if you approve them tonight, that would be great because they're really, really simple. I want to have the ability to use the Bank of America if we really get into a pickle. and, and, uh, with your permission, you gave it to us last year, we didn't have to do it, but it's nice to have in our back pocket. The other is I'd really like your authority to, or authorize me to make changes on the fly as I see fit. And that's just the way this is going to have to work. It's too many pieces not to. |
| 04:43:18.83 | Ray Withy | Okay, so let's stop you there, Chief. Can we get a motion for those two pieces that the Chief wants? No, we didn't. We want to give him the authority to use the Bank of America in an urgent situation and give him the authority to basically use his discretion as needed because public safety is number one. Can we have a motion on that? |
| 04:43:19.67 | John Moerbacher | Let's stop you there. |
| 04:43:24.83 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. No. |
| 04:43:26.40 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:43:28.70 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:43:28.72 | Unknown | I beg you. to. |
| 04:43:41.76 | Unknown | Absolutely. |
| 04:43:43.67 | Ray Withy | Second. Okay. All in favor of that. Aye. Aye. Okay. So move on to your next, uh, yeah, right. So please. |
| 04:43:46.21 | Unknown | Aye. Aye. |
| 04:43:52.83 | John Moerbacher | So, please. Until you heard from the Skapazes tonight, this was our... THE FAMILY. direction. However, we're here to take direction from you. What you would like city staff to work on, You let us know. |
| 04:44:08.61 | Adam Politzer | If you want something else. |
| 04:44:08.64 | John Moerbacher | If you want something else. |
| 04:44:10.13 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 04:44:10.21 | John Moerbacher | . |
| 04:44:10.46 | Adam Politzer | Thank you. Maybe I can help with that. I think, not to repeat everything that's been said, But there's a lot of new information that came before the council tonight. That's right. The Kapazi bike parking plan arrived in my inbox yesterday morning. told them to vet it with the chief, and I think the chief and the- |
| 04:44:30.14 | John Moerbacher | We did that this afternoon, I heard from him this afternoon. |
| 04:44:31.20 | Adam Politzer | I heard from him this afternoon. We haven't vetted that. Councilmember Weiner has been talking about an alternative program since 2007 when I started. And we continue to have those discussions. But it's not exclusive and I think unfortunately the president of Southfield Plus is out of town. And so with a commitment to meet with Mr. Riley when he returns, we'll work towards these goals. But some of the things talked about today working together, I would agree that the spirit of working together still remains otherwise. Um, you know, Jeff wouldn't be here. Jim wouldn't be here. Dr. Fudge definitely wouldn't be here. Chamber of Commerce, you know, these folks wouldn't be in the room. and I wouldn't be putting my chief through this at midnight, you know, and the chief before that every year, you know, going back seven years. So, I think we would ask you to just |
| 04:45:37.76 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:45:40.73 | Adam Politzer | trust that we've taken the feedback from the public We don't disagree that we think revenue is important. But right now at this moment, Sausalito Plus is the, is the really the only vetted known commodity that has done a good job. How can we bring this Kapazi plan in them to work? How can we bring? Councilmember Weiner's idea to look at reducing The cut. This was basically our stab without meeting with Sausalito Plus because they haven't been available in terms of really getting into the dollars. Operational plan, I think that the letter that is before you and in your packet. from Mr. Riley is suggesting that they're ready to move forward it'll take them 30 days once the council approves it and they'll be up and running i think we can probably close that gap especially if we have the support of the squazes and councilmember weiner in sitting on the table and looking at ways to improve something that exists but let's not throw out the bath water here when it's perfectly good. what we've built and what's also a plus and having these meetings with Dr. Fudge and Deb Fudge you know, looking just at an ambassador program, and we needed to find a revenue to support the Ambassador Program. That's where this came back around. And the Ambassador Program is still important. But where we are today with the cooperation of the bike companies educating their riders and absolutely we start doing enforcement and pounding. People start parking their bikes in the right place. The people leading the tours were bringing them into parking or giving them the option of where else to park. Yeah, I think the cooperation of the ferry companies as well has been outstanding. So we need to build on that and I think You give us the ability. I don't know if we'll be able to get back here by the 14th. Next meeting is 20, what? |
| 04:47:42.75 | Unknown | THE FAMILY. Thank you. |
| 04:47:44.19 | Adam Politzer | 28th so maybe we're back here on the 28th was something that We take the new points that the pedestrian and bicycle committee has put before us, kind of work some of those in, because I think that those, you know, obviously the science, there's some real obvious ones on there that we just need to do. And then there's others that are a little bit more complicated. Do we move the parking area, you know, away from B of A, get revenue there for parking and do that? I don't know if we can. We'll have to look at the configuration of that lot. But there's things that we absolutely should do and could do and just bring this all together. You guys are going to wrestle here with this mix of ingredients that is on the wall and that's come from the chefs in the audience, and we're not going to get resolution. |
| 04:48:27.72 | Unknown | Good. |
| 04:48:28.04 | Adam Politzer | You need to direct us to come back at a minimum come back with a plan that costs no more than $250,000 because we know that we can generate that revenue, have confidence that we can generate that revenue. and then see if we can work in the means. If we have to go outside of that, We may have to build on it. We may have to come back and say the revenue, because of all the other actions that are in cooperation, is far outperforming what we originally expected. So our expenses can go up at a measured cost at a measured cost that's offset by revenue. So I think there's a plan forward. but you're not going to get it done tonight. And I think you authorized us to go back, work with Sassadal Plus, bring the other interested parties into the... |
| 04:49:13.40 | Unknown | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 04:49:13.59 | Adam Politzer | around their table. See if we can make the sausage outside of the council meeting and come back with a plan |
| 04:49:20.61 | Ray Withy | I think that's okay, but I'm not sure that that motion's correct. |
| 04:49:24.69 | Joan Cox | No, I think it would be, so I move we direct staff to return to council for consideration of an agreement with Sausalito Plus and or other interested stakeholders to operate ambassador and bike parking services for the 27th season. 2017 season with a not to exceed amount of $250,000 and to take into account, the suggestions of the pet and bike committee and the other speakers we've heard this evening. |
| 04:49:51.32 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Okay, before we see, we'll send a motion. |
| 04:49:55.39 | Joan Cox | That's a motion. |
| 04:49:55.94 | Ray Withy | Okay, before we go there, I just... I haven't had a chance to say much here, and I realize it's gone midnight. But this is just personal perspective. Our goal is not to maximize revenue. Our goal is to reduce congestion. |
| 04:50:19.13 | Jeffrey Chase | Are you cars, too, or just bicycles? |
| 04:50:21.48 | Ray Withy | Jeff, you're out of line, man. So, That's my view. We have been embarking on a process with the help of Sausalito Plus, with the help of other partners, The reason we charge for bikes is because it was the only way to generate the revenue to cover the expenses that we needed to reduce the congestion. Okay? I really want us to work also and to figure out how we can really boost the businesses of, business or businesses, of removing the bikes out of the downtown area so they never have to get on the ferry in the first place. If that can't happen, we won't reduce congestion. |
| 04:51:17.71 | Unknown | that would be the next step. |
| 04:51:19.14 | Ray Withy | Okay? But we're not going to solve that problem in a month. Unless you've got some magic, Lisa and John. Unless you've got some magic to make it happen. So I want to include that piece of it. And if there is some good ideas for how to get the bikes out of the downtown and removed other than the ferry, and we're going to need your cooperation. Bike companies, we're going to need your cooperation in this. If your model is solely to return on the ferry, you're not going to help us solve this problem, and our relationship and the whole antagonist is just going to get worse and worse. |
| 04:51:29.01 | Unknown | Good morning. |
| 04:52:02.03 | Ray Withy | So with that motion in my turn, |
| 04:52:03.37 | Joan Cox | So I intend to... I intended to include that aspect in my motion, which is why I said agreement with Sausalito Plus and others that could include the Scopazes if appropriate. So I would like that. |
| 04:52:17.86 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:52:18.03 | Ray Withy | THE END OF THE END OF THE |
| 04:52:18.20 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:52:18.22 | Ray Withy | you |
| 04:52:18.42 | Joan Cox | that aspect to be included. And so if that's an amendment, I accept the amendment. |
| 04:52:22.83 | Ray Withy | And you're coming back then on the 28th of March with final numbers for what we've we're agreeing to and a plan. |
| 04:52:30.03 | Unknown | I'm not. |
| 04:52:30.05 | Joe Burns | Yeah. |
| 04:52:30.47 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:52:31.01 | Joe Burns | Thank you. |
| 04:52:31.06 | Ray Withy | Well, Joe, why? |
| 04:52:31.82 | Joe Burns | Yeah, will groups be able to start their process to get a program going by April 1? Okay. I want to add to your amended motion that safety be a word that's used in this as we throw it out to other companies. The chief said that's his prime, and congestion is our prime thing, our prime concern. But safety is, so I want the bodies out there that allow for safety as well. |
| 04:52:51.01 | Unknown | Sure. |
| 04:52:51.23 | Joan Cox | I'm sorry. |
| 04:52:51.51 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:52:51.97 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 04:52:52.09 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:52:57.69 | Joan Cox | So I accept the amendment to my motion that safety be the top priority in putting together this plan. So there's a motion pending. |
| 04:53:05.60 | Ray Withy | So, Do we have a second for all this? I'll second it. Okay. Can we do this by acclamation? Yes. Okay. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? |
| 04:53:14.65 | Jill Hoffman | Yes. Hi. |
| 04:53:18.73 | Ray Withy | OK. |
| 04:53:19.39 | Jill Hoffman | I just had one, this doesn't have to do with the motion, this has to do with timing. If you don't come back until the 28th, that gives four days for April 1st. Will Saucleo Plus be able to turn it around that fast? I mean, Ed, I really think you're not Saucleo Plus. |
| 04:53:36.43 | Herb Weiner | It's also a plus. Except for a holiday, April is not really that busy. I just clarified that we're starting April 1. That's right. I know that, but the weekends get a little busy too. |
| 04:53:37.94 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:53:41.33 | Jill Hoffman | I JUST CLARIFIED MY THOUSANDS. Yeah. |
| 04:53:48.89 | Jill Hoffman | Yeah, but we need to start, we can't- Just look at the records. |
| 04:53:51.44 | Herb Weiner | you |
| 04:53:51.50 | Ray Withy | the game |
| 04:53:51.54 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 04:53:51.65 | Herb Weiner | Yeah. |
| 04:53:51.67 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 04:53:51.84 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:53:51.94 | Jill Hoffman | Okay. |
| 04:53:52.45 | Ray Withy | I understand. |
| 04:53:53.43 | Jill Hoffman | It's just. Can we come back on the 14th? Do we have to wait until the 28th? I don't think. No. |
| 04:54:04.87 | Jill Hoffman | Thank you. |
| 04:54:04.88 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:54:04.90 | Jill Hoffman | Ms. Jean- I understand you're not going to |
| 04:54:05.58 | Unknown | I understand you're not Thank you. Thank you. |
| 04:54:06.99 | Jill Hoffman | I WANT TO BE GENERATED. |
| 04:54:07.28 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:54:07.35 | Adam Politzer | Thank you. |
| 04:54:07.37 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:54:10.22 | Adam Politzer | Unfortunately, we received an email from Tom Riley, the president of Sussle Plus, that for he and Deb Fox to meet with the chief and I, and we were trying to rope the mayor into this meeting, they are not available until the 14th of March. |
| 04:54:30.92 | Herb Weiner | Chief, what time last year? |
| 04:54:32.15 | Jill Hoffman | We're going to. |
| 04:54:35.16 | Adam Politzer | Thank you. |
| 04:54:35.18 | Jill Hoffman | I WANT TO BE ABLE TO |
| 04:54:35.24 | Joan Cox | I'm not. |
| 04:54:35.31 | Herb Weiner | We'll be right back. |
| 04:54:35.48 | Adam Politzer | you |
| 04:54:35.53 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:54:35.56 | Joan Cox | of the school every public school and but how is he supposed to negotiate a contract if they won't sit down with him till March 14 They won't sit down with him. |
| 04:54:46.96 | Herb Weiner | My question to the chief was, what time did we start last year? I know it was a little late, but what time did we start? |
| 04:54:53.18 | John Moerbacher | We collected our first revenue on March 31st. |
| 04:54:56.15 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:54:56.17 | Ray Withy | Last year. Last year. And we really need to start April 1st. |
| 04:54:56.86 | John Moerbacher | Yeah. |
| 04:54:57.22 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:54:59.98 | John Moerbacher | Yeah. Mm-hmm. |
| 04:55:01.47 | Ray Withy | We really need to start April 1st. |
| 04:55:03.86 | Jill Hoffman | you So, Thank you. Thank you. |
| 04:55:05.03 | Joan Cox | So how can we do that? Well, we've given direction to work with Sausalito Plus. So certainly in the midst of contract negotiations, Sausalito Plus hopefully can be mobilizing and gearing up. in anticipation of a contract being approved on March 28th. |
| 04:55:22.31 | Adam Politzer | The beauty of these meetings is you don't have to stay up to midnight to watch them. I am assuming that folks from South Dakota Plus will be able to fast forward to this portion, hear all of the comment, and will at least be able to have electronic discussions via email and a handful of phone calls, but at some point we've got to get face-to-face and work it all out. So I don't think we're coming back on the 14th. I don't think that that's possible even with willing parties. The 28th is when I think we'd come back. Are we ready to open the doors? Well, if the Scapaozi organization steps in during the interim, then they step in during the interim. If Sassuville Plus says, you know what, we love the Scapaozi plan, good luck. Then we're coming back with with that agreement, but we hope so plus will will continue to manage this and and work with us to bring something back on the 28th |
| 04:56:18.96 | Ray Withy | And can we start April 1st? You could start April 1st. |
| 04:56:23.35 | Jill Hoffman | I think that's highly unlikely. And that's what's so frustrating, is that we're monkeying around with something that we've, a very successful program that we're on track with. Right. And now we're, you know... |
| 04:56:32.34 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 04:56:32.44 | Unknown | Right. |
| 04:56:36.54 | Jill Hoffman | failing as the elected representatives of Sausalito to successfully support and move forward a program that's already built and there. And we're fumbling around with it again, and we're not going to be able to be ready to go at our earliest revenue-generating time. We should be able to move straight from, we closed on Tracy Way to start running Sausalito Plus on the weekends during March and generating revenue. And we're not doing that, and that's our fault. |
| 04:57:05.99 | Herb Weiner | Last year, if you look on April, you lost money. running it. |
| 04:57:11.67 | Adam Politzer | Mr. Mayor, maybe another alternative, another alternative is you give that Direction to staff. to to work with Sassu Plus between now and April 1st to get up and running and it doesn't come back to Council uh for pre-approval and we're going to have a lot of time to do that. So that we can start we can you know we can start in March but There's no way between now and the 14th, unless you give approval tonight, not to enter into an agreement with us of us not to exceed $250,000 we have to come back to the council we have already |
| 04:57:48.55 | Joe Burns | We've already closed Tracy way so we were so we we should have had a date specific on revenue before we went to the expense model or just give it a time frame just say the chief can close it 14 days before we have a revenue model. But right now we're closing March and we might not have something to make yes, but. |
| 04:58:05.24 | Joan Cox | But we don't have a program to approve. |
| 04:58:06.40 | Herb Weiner | have a program to run it on a preferred party when you have a valet parking you're talking about an army. You're talking about 200 and $250,000 I agree with a little bit of a solid 80% |
| 04:58:19.73 | Joe Burns | I agree, but I don't know if I were to solve that by March 28. |
| 04:58:23.87 | Ray Withy | Okay. |
| 04:58:24.96 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:58:25.17 | Ray Withy | This is. |
| 04:58:25.76 | Herb Weiner | at 88% labor. |
| 04:58:25.77 | Ray Withy | at 88%. So let me just remind ourselves here. Chief came and asked for this motion so that they can actually begin on April 1st. The vice mayor made a very slightly different motion, but it has every element of that. |
| 04:58:47.91 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 04:58:47.93 | Lisa Scopazi | That's right. |
| 04:58:48.37 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 04:58:48.55 | Ray Withy | So what's the problem? |
| 04:58:53.14 | Joan Cox | We did exactly what the chief asked us to do tonight. |
| 04:58:55.90 | Ray Withy | Did we vote? Yes, we did. Right. So we've done everything. So I don't know what the issue is. We're moving forward. |
| 04:58:57.08 | Joan Cox | Thank you. We did. We can prove that. |
| 04:59:00.13 | Herb Weiner | . THE END OF |
| 04:59:05.19 | Ray Withy | Doing that And we're starting on April 1st. That's what we said we'd do. Okay. |
| 04:59:13.51 | Joe Burns | We can always have a special meeting if we have to. I'm glad that's on the record. Right? |
| 04:59:14.03 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 04:59:15.86 | Ray Withy | I'm going to go. Right? Okay, that's what we're doing. |
| 04:59:20.08 | Joan Cox | That's what we're doing. All right, we're going to have more on our agenda. |
| 04:59:21.48 | John Moerbacher | Bye. |
| 04:59:25.95 | Ray Withy | All right, this item's over. |
| 04:59:27.91 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 04:59:27.94 | John Moerbacher | Thank you. |
| 04:59:27.99 | Herb Weiner | I'm cheating. |
| 04:59:28.55 | John Moerbacher | Mr. |
| 04:59:28.97 | Herb Weiner | THE END OF THE END OF THE |
| 04:59:29.04 | John Moerbacher | right to the point. |
| 04:59:29.54 | Herb Weiner | Bye. Yeah. |
| 04:59:30.05 | John Moerbacher | If I could just have one minute. I just want to say thank you to the people that are all part of this team for being here still. |
| 04:59:30.52 | Herb Weiner | If I could just have one minute, I just want to say |
| 04:59:37.27 | John Moerbacher | You know, I, you know, trying to be the person to lead this is actually you know, more fun than it might sound like, because of the people involved. |
| 04:59:47.33 | Unknown | because, |
| 04:59:49.90 | John Moerbacher | and I appreciate that all these different people are here because they care. and everybody is trying to deliver the right product you know, here to reduce congestion and make it a safe environment. And so for all of those, even the people from Saucy to Plessy who couldn't be here, Also, if they're listening, my thanks to them as well. It's a lot of effort as you could tell. and without all of them contributing ideas, even if we don't always agree, it still comes together. And so for that, I just want to say that. Chief, very well said. |
| 05:00:17.74 | Ray Withy | Cheers. |
| 05:00:17.91 | Joe Burns | here. here and thank you all. |
| 05:00:19.38 | Ray Withy | Here, here. |
| 05:00:22.53 | Joe Burns | The Press. |
| 05:00:23.90 | Ray Withy | Okay, we're going to have a five-minute break. |
| 05:00:24.27 | Herb Weiner | you |
| 05:00:24.35 | Joe Burns | All right. |
| 05:00:24.44 | Herb Weiner | Okay. |
| 05:00:24.52 | Joe Burns | Stick around for agenda setting. |
| 05:00:30.65 | Ray Withy | We're waiting for it. |
| 05:00:36.69 | Ray Withy | Are we ready? Okay, item 5A. First reading of the ordinance amendment chapters 8.01 through 8.29 of Title 8, Buildings and Construction of the Sausalito Municipal Code and adopting the 2016 edition of the California Standards Code and the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments. And, sir, I gather you've been here all evening waiting for this. I'm sorry. Um. |
| 05:01:08.21 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 05:01:08.87 | Ray Withy | Thank you very much, and I'm sorry you've had to have waited. |
| 05:01:10.64 | Joan Cox | you've had. |
| 05:01:11.67 | Herb Weiner | Yeah. Thank you. |
| 05:01:11.94 | Joan Cox | I'm sorry. |
| 05:01:12.23 | Herb Weiner | I told you you'd be here till Wednesday. |
| 05:01:14.00 | Ray Withy | Danny. |
| 05:01:14.57 | Joan Cox | And Danny has three minutes. |
| 05:01:18.67 | Danny Castro | I have three and so I'm your community development director. I'm here with Doug Ryder who's our city's building official. Doug Ryder is called upon, our city's building official, when There are certain high level decisions that have to be made regarding the building code, and this is one of them, as well as other processes that we have in the city. To give you a quick background, state law requires that local jurisdictions are required to adopt the most recent edition of the California Building Standards Code. Thank you. An adoption of an ordinance allows cities to include amendments to the building codes that are specific and important to the community. And we do this by way of a public hearing, and that's why we're here this evening. I'm going to turn it over to Doug. Thank you. |
| 05:02:10.19 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:02:10.21 | Danny Castro | Thank you. |
| 05:02:13.42 | Unknown | Good evening. So every three years, the state of California publishes a new series of building codes and standards for the state. And the last time that there was a local amendment happening in the city of Sausalito was 2002. So we have by law defaulted to the model codes without your local amendments. So this is an attempt, although I've attempted three times to actually do this, we're actually in front of you tonight to present the, to bring back some of the minor local amendments that you have here in Sausalito. I'm not going to read them all to you. One of the highlights is that a The residential code increased the allowable fence height without a permit to seven feet. Well, the planning department wants six feet, so we have that as a local amendment. The other key issues that are involved in there are some definitions of standard, I'm sorry, substantial remodel, and the 50% rule, which aligns the building code with the fire code that's been presented here. The rest of the codes, the way they're written, you have the documentation in front of you. Of course, the books themselves remain. They are your code. What you have in front of you are just the local amendments to those codes. This latest adoption really didn't change too much in the residential code and the building codes. The energy code and green building codes are the driving forces for the environment. And that's really a lot of major changes that took place with those two codes. So, Would that be like an arrow button? Thank you. |
| 05:04:01.57 | Danny Castro | Yeah. These are the codes that you'd refer to already. Yeah. That have passed through. And maybe I'll just finish that. So this was publicly noticed in the Miranda Independent Journal, and we're asking that the council |
| 05:04:13.01 | Unknown | was publicly known. |
| 05:04:20.44 | Danny Castro | Authorize a summary of the ordinance to be published five days in advance of the second reading and 15 days after its adoption. And here's your recommendation. There's four items to conduct a public hearing. Introduce and read by title only the ordinance. Continue the second reading to March 14, 2017. And then again, as I mentioned, authorize a summary of the ordinance. We are available for any questions. |
| 05:04:47.77 | Ray Withy | Any questions of staff or our guests? Okay, any public comment on this item? Okay. Do we have to read that whole thing? |
| 05:05:01.73 | Joan Cox | We have to read the by title only. I volunteer. |
| 05:05:06.28 | Unknown | Go for it then. |
| 05:05:07.67 | Joan Cox | I move we introduce and read by title only, quote, an ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito amending chapters 8.01, 8.02, 8.03, 8.04, 8.05, 8.06, 8.07, 8.08, 8.09, 8.12, 8.16, 8.20, 8.22, 8.24, 8.26, 8.27, 8.28, and 8.29 of Title 8 of the Sausalito Municipal Code. Adopting Title 24 parts 1 through 12 of the California Government Code, which include the 2016 California Administrative Code, 2016 California Building Code and Specified Appendices, 2016 California Residential Code and Specified Appendices, 2016 California Electrical Code, 2016 California Mechanical Code, 2016 California Plumbing Code, 2016 California Energy Code, 2016 California Historical Code, 2016 California Existing Building Code, 2016 Green Building Standards Code, 2016 California Reference Standards Code, and the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments. |
| 05:05:10.15 | Unknown | THEM. |
| 05:06:08.74 | Joan Cox | I further move we continue the second reading to March 14, 2017 and authorize a summary of the ordinance to be published five days in advance of the second reading and 15 days after its adoption. |
| 05:06:19.08 | Ray Withy | Well done. |
| 05:06:20.89 | Herb Weiner | Can you say that three times quickly? |
| 05:06:23.25 | Ray Withy | And I'll second that. How's that? Yeah. |
| 05:06:24.79 | Herb Weiner | Bye. |
| 05:06:26.00 | Unknown | Yeah. |
| 05:06:26.09 | Unknown | I'm going to go. |
| 05:06:26.27 | Joan Cox | Yeah. . |
| 05:06:26.64 | Ray Withy | All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? No. Okay. Item seven. |
| 05:06:28.40 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:06:28.42 | Joan Cox | I. |
| 05:06:33.02 | Joan Cox | Thank you for staying around to help us with this. |
| 05:06:34.88 | Herb Weiner | THE FAMILY. |
| 05:06:35.72 | Ray Withy | Thank you very much. |
| 05:06:35.81 | Joan Cox | Yeah. |
| 05:06:35.92 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. Thank you. See you when there's the next code, next 10 years. |
| 05:06:42.29 | Ray Withy | THE CITY. |
| 05:06:44.28 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:06:44.29 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 05:06:44.31 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:06:45.54 | Ray Withy | To our city manager I would suggest the only item at this late hour of interest to me is the appointments to boards commission and committees but um maybe is there some uh critical issues that you need to alert the public to in your report. |
| 05:07:02.82 | Adam Politzer | Only one item, Mr. Mayor and council members. The Alexander Avenue has been closed for the last several days, probably a week now. And it is our expectation that by Thursday it should be reopened. Our understanding, Gelati has been out there working very hard to get it stabilized. and passable. And as of this afternoon, they have completed their work. Now inspections will happen late this afternoon and early tomorrow morning. And so we anticipate that it could be open on Thursday. |
| 05:07:43.46 | Ray Withy | Thank you. Is there any public comment on any item 7B through 7F? Seeing none. Thank you. |
| 05:07:54.14 | Jill Hoffman | Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry. I believe that there, because I was not at the last city council meeting, we did have an RBRA meeting in between the last meeting that I attended and tonight. So I might need to give a brief update on that when we get to that point. |
| 05:07:54.16 | Ray Withy | MR. Yeah. |
| 05:08:10.64 | Jill Hoffman | that point yet. Yes, okay. |
| 05:08:10.68 | Unknown | we did that Thank you. |
| 05:08:11.79 | Unknown | Yes. |
| 05:08:13.46 | Jill Hoffman | So we had an RBR, Richardson Bay Regional Agency meeting on February 9th. And at that meeting, we discussed, some of the request from Sosilio to look at the governing rules for how our BRE is managed in other words the percentages of our payments and the voting the voting method mechanism there was There was not A whole lot of... There was not a whole lot of support for revisiting that by the other members of our VRA and it was discussed that that was something that was of concern with us in deciding whether or not we will actually withdraw in June and so I'm not sure. I just want to report that it seems like. I'm not sure. We submitted our letter in January to withdraw from RBRA on June is it June 30th? On June 30th. I'm not sure how optimistic I would be that we are not gonna withdraw. So that was a double negative, but anyway, it's 12.30. I think that's it for the, and Adam, you had a manager's meeting with, do you have any one report? With regard to the RBRA and management of RBRA, should we leave that for another night? |
| 05:09:41.53 | Adam Politzer | I think we need to leave it for another night. |
| 05:09:43.51 | Jill Hoffman | Okay. |
| 05:09:45.29 | Adam Politzer | I'm going to share Um, Council member Hoffman's comments and but we continue to try to work through the issues. My understanding is that they signed a budget committee subcommittee of the RBA. which we thought was curious that it was Tiburon and Belvedere to work through the budget issues when it's really the county and Sausalito that need to work through it so but we'll continue work through this we've been working with the agenda setting committee to have an RBRA update on every agenda you know at least a placeholder and assuming that we need to have a discussion on the 14th of March or the 28th. It would be the next opportunity. It doesn't look promising. |
| 05:10:40.44 | Ray Withy | Okay, I'm going to skip my committee reports until next time. Does anybody else want to say anything on this? that. |
| 05:10:51.06 | Joan Cox | And I've provided all of my committee reports in writing. |
| 05:10:54.94 | Ray Withy | you |
| 05:10:55.01 | Unknown | Ooh. |
| 05:10:55.51 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 05:10:55.61 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:10:55.97 | Ray Withy | I'm not. |
| 05:10:56.03 | Unknown | you |
| 05:10:56.27 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 05:10:56.34 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:10:56.73 | Ray Withy | Appointments to boards, commissions, and committees. I'd like to recommend that we appoint Matthew Nathan's |
| 05:11:08.88 | Herb Weiner | of Matthew Nation. Right. |
| 05:11:11.00 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 05:11:11.02 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 05:11:11.04 | Joan Cox | Thank you. |
| 05:11:11.49 | Herb Weiner | you NAY. |
| 05:11:12.52 | Ray Withy | as the social leader of trustee for the Marin Sino Mosquito and Vector Control District. Second. |
| 05:11:19.69 | Mary Wagner | Second. |
| 05:11:20.88 | Ray Withy | All in favor. Mr. Knight. |
| 05:11:21.75 | Mary Wagner | Aye. Mr. Mayor, if I may. The city clerk did ask me to mention that she contacted the district and you can point either for a two year term which would end December 31, 2018, or a four year term to end December 31, 2020. |
| 05:11:32.33 | Unknown | We didn't have that. |
| 05:11:37.88 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 05:11:37.90 | Ray Withy | THE FAMILY. |
| 05:11:38.32 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:11:38.42 | Ray Withy | Thank you. |
| 05:11:38.44 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:11:39.61 | Herb Weiner | . |
| 05:11:39.69 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:11:39.72 | Herb Weiner | you Mm-hmm. |
| 05:11:40.53 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:11:40.55 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |
| 05:11:40.87 | Ray Withy | I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS. |
| 05:11:42.02 | Herb Weiner | You might get better. |
| 05:11:42.78 | Ray Withy | 40 every four years I mean if he doesn't want to do for you can always quit and find somebody else okay okay um for four |
| 05:11:42.80 | Herb Weiner | For you... |
| 05:11:48.58 | Herb Weiner | and find somebody else. |
| 05:11:50.71 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:11:50.73 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 05:11:53.53 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:11:53.54 | Unknown | Four. Four. Go on. Sorry. Yeah, you sound like golf. |
| 05:11:56.03 | Ray Withy | Anybody have anything to say about future agenda items? |
| 05:12:00.55 | Unknown | What's yeah, can we get the same thing we start. |
| 05:12:04.58 | Ray Withy | I'm sorry. Thank you. |
| 05:12:04.92 | Unknown | Thank you. |
| 05:12:07.18 | Ray Withy | All right, other reports of significance, seeing none, I'm adjourning this meeting at 1233. |
| 05:12:15.87 | Unknown | Bingo. Yeah. |
| 05:12:19.97 | Herb Weiner | Thank you. |