City Council Meeting - March 27, 2018

Mayor Susan Cleveland-Knowles calls the meeting to order at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. The roll call is taken, confirming the presence of council members and the mayor ▶ 📄. Mike McKinley leads the Pledge of Allegiance ▶ 📄.

The meeting began with Susan Cleveland-Knowles announcing that a closed session was held earlier in the evening, with no announcements to report from it. She then opened the floor for public comment on the closed session items. ▶ 📄

The meeting was called to order. Public comment was taken on closed session matters. An unknown speaker discussed transparency in government, referencing lawyers negotiating behind closed doors and advocating for removing money from politics and religion, promoting a barter system ▶ 📄. John Burke raised concerns about his stolen mailbox and mail, alleging city involvement and expressing frustration over lack of response from city officials and police regarding his missing mail and artwork ▶ 📄. The Mayor reminded speakers of time limits and maintained order ▶ 📄. After public comment, the agenda was approved with a motion ▶ 📄.

Chief of Police introduces Officer Harrison Biersteker, sharing the story of his recruitment from the police academy in Eureka and his initial role as a parking enforcement officer before becoming a police officer ▶ 📄. City Clerk administers the oath of office ▶ 📄. Badge pinning is performed by Officer Biersteker's father ▶ 📄. Officer Biersteker gives brief thanks to God, family, City Council, and Chief Herb Walker ▶ 📄. No councilmember discussion occurred.

This was the public comment period for items not on the agenda. The Mayor invited citizens to speak. Two speakers addressed youth vaping and advocated for a tobacco retail licensing ordinance. ▶ 📄 Jasmine Garrity, representing the Smoke Free Marine Coalition, presented statistics on youth vaping and urged the council to adopt an ordinance to deter youth access to nicotine products, including eliminating flavored tobacco. ▶ 📄 Georgia Little, a high school junior and intern with Smoke Free Marin Youth Council, shared personal observations about the prevalence and ease of access to vaping products like Juul among students, emphasizing the need for the ordinance to protect her generation. ▶ 📄 An additional, less coherent comment was made touching on religious themes, civil rights, and social issues, but it did not relate to a specific actionable city matter. The Mayor then closed communications and moved to the next agenda item.

Susan Cleveland-Knowles moved to approve the minutes, which was seconded. The council voted unanimously in favor. ▶ 📄

The consent calendar was introduced as containing routine, non-controversial items expected to have unanimous council support. Councilmember comments included: a request to change wording in item 4F from 'may attend' to 'are encouraged to attend' regarding alternates on boards/commissions ▶ 📄, and acknowledgment of Ben Brown's resignation from the Historic Landmark Board with thanks for his service ▶ 📄.

Bill Hines, President of Sausalito Beautiful, presented an overview of the organization's mission to create, enhance, and protect Sausalito's public landscapes through community volunteerism, partnerships, and advocacy. Key updates included: education lecture series with the library and Marin Master Gardeners ▶ 📄; volunteer Green Thumbs projects like the post office beautification ▶ 📄 and Bridgeway median maintenance ▶ 📄; advocacy for tree maintenance on Caledonia and Bridgeway using unused city funds ▶ 📄; involvement in the General Plan update to include landscapes ▶ 📄; neighborhood projects like Poets' Corner restoration ▶ 📄; Civic Center project moving to Planning Commission ▶ 📄; Caledonia Street tree planting and maintenance ▶ 📄; Bridgeway Medians replanting as a public-private partnership ▶ 📄; future focus on replacing diseased downtown Bridgeway trees ▶ 📄 and city-wide tree monitoring ▶ 📄; and exploration of long-term funding mechanisms like public-private partnerships or assessment districts for landscape stewardship ▶ 📄. Upcoming events: Earth Day (April 22), Rotary gala (May 12), and Beautification Awards. Councilmembers expressed appreciation: Susan Cleveland-Knowles noted the medians' success and the importance of long-term financial solutions ▶ 📄; others praised the collaborative model, breadth of impact, and revitalization of community pride ▶ 📄, ▶ 📄, ▶ 📄. Carolyn Revell acknowledged positive partnership with city staff ▶ 📄.

City Clerk Lilly Whalen presented an informational update on the National Park Service's proposal for new ferry service from Pier 31 1/2 to Fort Baker, including Sausalito's appeal of the project. The project involves 50-year contracts for ferry service and pier renovations, requiring approvals from San Francisco. Sausalito appealed San Francisco's environmental review, arguing it inadequately analyzes long-term impacts of ferry service to Fort Baker, particularly regarding transportation options for visitors to access destinations beyond Fort Baker like Muir Woods and Marin Headlands. Sausalito proposes three mitigation measures: 1) Shuttle buses from Fort Baker should use Highway 101 instead of driving through Sausalito to avoid traffic delays ▶ 📄, 2) Establish public transit links between Fort Baker and other Marin destinations including downtown Sausalito ▶ 📄, and 3) Allow bikes on all ferries and sell one-way tickets at Fort Baker for bikers/walkers returning to San Francisco ▶ 📄. Councilmember comments: Susan Cleveland-Knowles expressed satisfaction with progress but concerns about future congestion and 50-year project scope ▶ 📄. Jill Hoffman thanked colleagues working with National Park Service and supported regional transportation goals while preventing added congestion ▶ 📄. Alice Merrill acknowledged National Park Service collaboration and emphasized protecting Sausalito's environment for future generations ▶ 📄.

Public Works Director Jonathon Goldman provided a status update on the Dunphy Park Improvement Project, explaining that after bids were rejected in October due to high costs, staff has value-engineered the project to reduce risk and cost. The project is now broken into three scopes: 1) General engineering (demolition, grading, utilities, parking lot, walkways, foundations) to be competitively bid; 2) Pre-fabricated restroom and trash enclosure via a bid-exempt procurement; and 3) Landscaping, potentially via a negotiated agreement with Conservation Corps North Bay. Staff seeks approval for contract amendments totaling $50,000 ($21,000 for Pernusky Chatham for JARPA permitting and $29,000 for Geologic Associates for additional burn dump characterization required by CalRecycle). Funding sources include COP funds, tidelands, ADA barrier removal, Galilee Harbor contribution, sewer enterprise, and potential grants. Councilmembers expressed support for moving forward but raised concerns about budget contingency if grants don't materialize ▶ 📄, requested a sources-and-uses chart ▶ 📄, and inquired about volleyball courts (not in current scope but space reserved) ▶ 📄 and permeable pavement (changed to asphalt to save $200k) ▶ 📄. Goldman emphasized the complexity and regulatory challenges (burn dump, permits) but believes this approach offers a reasonable path to deliver the project.

Community Development Director Danny Castro presented the 2017 Annual Housing Element Progress Report, required by state law. For 2017, five new housing units were permitted: one above-moderate single-family unit and four accessory dwelling units (ADUs) across very low, low, and moderate income levels. The city's RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) for 2015-2023 is 79 units, with 40 for very low/low income and 39 for moderate/above moderate. To date, 27 very low/low income units (68% of target) and 9 moderate/above moderate units (23% of target) have been permitted, exceeding targets for low-income but below for moderate. ▶ 📄 Castro summarized pending Senate Bill 828, which if enacted would increase RHNA penalties for unmet housing needs, potentially doubling shortfalls and rolling over unmet allocations to the next cycle. Assembly Bill 1771 would change RHNA methodology to consider fair housing, displacement, and affordability. Both bills could dramatically increase future RHNAs with no state funding. ▶ 📄 Councilmember Susan Cleveland-Knowles asked about units entitled but not yet permitted, clarifying that RHNA is not a quota but a planning target, though SB 35 already ties consequences to underproduction. ▶ 📄 Councilmember Joe discussed the tight timeline to avoid SB 828's 200% penalty by rezoning before 2023. ▶ 📄 Cleveland-Knowles noted that rolling over unmet units effectively turns RHNA into a requirement. ▶ 📄 She inquired about liveaboard units, with Castro confirming none have been permitted in this cycle, suggesting proactive outreach to marinas. ▶ 📄 Discussion included potential strategies like a second ADU amnesty program, junior ADUs, fee waivers, and incentives for moderate-income housing. ▶ 📄 Public comment from David suggested an amnesty program for informal low-income units in R3 zones. Councilmembers emphasized celebrating success in low-income housing, being proactive to meet future targets, monitoring pending legislation, and possibly reconvening a housing element committee. They requested future reports break down progress by strategy category.

City Manager Adam Politzer provided updates on three items: (1) The Richardson Bay Regional Agency (RBRA) held a community workshop on March 8th with police participation; an update on Sausalito Waterfront is scheduled for April 17th, and RBRA Executive Director Beth Pollard may be invited. ▶ 📄 (2) Open Doors Marin (formerly MCHAT) has housed 48 chronically homeless individuals, but faces a $4 million funding gap due to rising rents and federal voucher limitations, with strategies being discussed; a report may come later this year. ▶ 📄 (3) An invitation from Southern Marin Fire for a community safety meeting on fire safety, scheduled for April 14th at 10 a.m. at the Bay Model, was extended to the council. ▶ 📄 No councilmember comments or discussion followed.

Councilmembers provided updates on various committee activities. Councilmember Ray reported on the Bike and Pedestrian Committee meeting with new commissioners and discussions on the General Plan update and bike master plan ▶ 📄. He also discussed Finance Committee budget work, capital improvement plan prioritization, and an upcoming TAM presentation ▶ 📄. Additionally, he mentioned the MCCMC pensions and OPEB reform subcommittee meeting, noting Sausalito is ahead of other jurisdictions on pension issues ▶ 📄. He reported the Business Advisory Committee will focus on economic aspects of the General Plan, and the General Plan Advisory Committee is transitioning from existing conditions analysis to future visioning ▶ 📄. Councilmember Susan reported on the MCCMC Legislative Committee meeting, discussing bills including AB 3162 (regulating concentration of recovery facilities), AB 1775 (opposing new offshore oil/gas leases), and AB 2268 (vehicle license fee allocations) ▶ 📄. She will forward legislative reports to council. The Mayor noted no board/commission appointments were made, but Patricia Pigman's resignation from the Bike and Pedestrian Committee will be addressed at the next meeting ▶ 📄.

Councilmember Susan Cleveland-Knowles discussed a tobacco retail licensing ordinance as a future agenda item. She suggested referring it to the city attorney and legislative committee to review existing ordinances in Fairfax and other jurisdictions ▶ 📄. There was brief discussion about expanding the scope to include cigarette butts and smoke ▶ 📄. Cleveland-Knowles also requested the city clerk contact two young women who had spoken previously to inform them of the council's action based on their comments ▶ 📄.

Councilmember Susan Cleveland-Knowles reported that Superintendent McCoy of the Sausalito Marin City School District announced his resignation, effective in approximately 90 days, allowing him to remain through the end of the current school year before taking another position ▶ 📄. Following this report, the council moved to adjourn the meeting in memory of Sierra Summer Russell, a former associate planner for the city from February 2007 to July 2008, who passed away unexpectedly on February 22, 2018, at age 35. She was described as bright, kind, warm, powerful, and exceptional in her work, later becoming a real estate attorney after leaving the city to pursue a law degree. She is survived by her husband and 11-month-old daughter. The city clerk was asked to notify her family of the adjournment in her honor ▶ 📄.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 PM as indicated by the agenda item title. The transcription provided only shows a timestamp and an unclear comment ('Somebody fork.') which does not relate to any formal presentation, discussion, or councilmember comments regarding adjournment. No substantive discussion or presentation on the adjournment item is captured in the given transcript snippet.