City Council Meeting - September 24, 2019

The transcript provided is insufficient to determine any agenda item details, as it only contains a brief, incomplete statement ('you Thank you.') without context regarding presentation, discussion, or councilmember comments. No substantive content is available for summarization.

Mayor Jill Hoffman calls the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. Roll call is taken with all councilmembers present. ▶ 📄 Public comment on closed session items is opened, but no one speaks, so it is closed. ▶ 📄 The council adjourns to a closed session to discuss two items: D1 (conference with labor negotiators regarding the Sausalito Police Association) and D2 (conference with legal counsel on existing litigation, Gordon vs. Sausalito). ▶ 📄 The council announces they will return to open session at 7:00 PM. Following this, the transcript includes extended radio broadcast content (music and announcements from Radio Sausalito) until the open session resumes. Mayor Hoffman reconvenes the open session, welcomes the crowd, notes the date (September 24, 2019), and calls for the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Bill Sr. ▶ 📄

The open session began with Councilmember Jill Hoffman noting no closed session announcements and proposing to eliminate item 1B from special presentations for the meeting, to be rescheduled. A motion to approve the agenda as amended was made and seconded, passing unanimously. ▶ 📄 The session then moved to special presentations, starting with a recognition ceremony for Captain Bill Frost, introduced by Police Chief John Rohrbach.

Chief Adam Politzer introduced the promotion of Bill Frost from police lieutenant to police captain. Frost began his career with Sausalito in 1996 as a reserve officer, became full-time in 1997, served as detective (2003-2006), sergeant (2007), and lieutenant (2016). He holds a master's in criminal justice, is an FBI National Academy graduate, and has accomplishments including developing the Marine Patrol Unit, serving as emergency services manager, and creating the mobile shower program. As captain, he will serve as second in command. The city clerk administered the oath ▶ 📄, and Frost's wife Pamela pinned his badge ▶ 📄. Frost thanked his family, including his wife Pamela (a dispatcher with 34 years public safety experience), and the Sausalito police staff, emphasizing teamwork ▶ 📄.

Public comment period for items not on the agenda. Alice Merrill expressed appreciation for the City Council's work, stating 'What a great job you guys are all doing' and thanking them for their constant efforts ▶ 📄. Jerry Taylor announced the opening of the Ice House Plaza on October 26th, describing it as a 'Golden Spike Ceremony' to commemorate the historical significance of the site dating back to 1876 ▶ 📄. He thanked the city council, planning commission, and staff for their support. Mayor Jill Hoffman facilitated the comments and closed the communications period ▶ 📄.

The council quickly moved to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. A second was called ▶ 📄, followed by a voice vote where all councilmembers voted in favor, resulting in a 5-0 approval ▶ 📄. After the vote, Mayor Jill Hoffman transitioned to the next agenda item, council member committee reports ▶ 📄.

Councilmembers reported on various committee meetings and events. Sandra Bushmaker discussed a BCDC meeting where Sausalito's report on better management and services for people living on the water was well-received ▶ 📄. Jill Hoffman attended an RBRA meeting about an ecological mooring study, noting feasibility issues due to turgid waters ▶ 📄, and a GPAC meeting. Ray Withey reported on an MCE retreat highlighting emergency planning challenges from PG&E outages, including a life-threatening incident ▶ 📄, a League of California Cities meeting on Highway 37 infrastructure costs ▶ 📄, and a postponed BAC meeting. The Vice Mayor (Unknown) attended a Sustainability Commission meeting discussing EV charging grants and Art Festival recommendations ▶ 📄, and plans to comment on a proposed sales tax for Bay Area transportation funding. Jill Hoffman also reported on the Bike and Ped Committee's discussions with the city engineer, traffic issues, and Safe Routes to School updates including a walking school bus grant and crossing guards ▶ 📄, and emphasized commitment to a quality public school amid ongoing discussions and revenue needs ▶ 📄.

The consent calendar was opened for public comment at 7:35 PM. Jeff Jacob spoke about climate emergency, relating it to the bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee appointments and broader societal issues like money in politics ▶ 📄. No councilmember discussion occurred. The mayor moved approval, which was seconded and passed unanimously ▶ 📄.

Public Works Director Kevin McGowan presented an update on the Sausalito Ferry Landside Improvements project. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is replacing the ferry dock in phases, with a temporary dock installation in summer 2020, existing dock demolition and replacement in summer 2021, and temporary dock removal in 2022. The city's landside improvements are funded by a $2.5 million federal grant (with contributions from Golden Gate and the city) and must be completed concurrently with Golden Gate's project. The city received three proposals for design and visioning services, with a selection committee choosing Harris & Associates as the preferred consultant. However, their cost proposal of ~$1.4 million far exceeds the ~$230,000 design budget derived from the total grant. ▶ 📄 Council discussion centered on the procurement process, which under state law requires selection based on qualifications before cost negotiation. ▶ 📄 Councilmembers expressed concern over the high costs but reluctance to scale back the visioning component, which includes community ideas for improving circulation, parking, and wayfinding in the ferry landing area (yellow zone), with design focused on immediate improvements (red zone). ▶ 📄 The council supported staff's recommended approach to negotiate with Harris & Associates, then sequentially with the other proposers if needed, to try to align scope with budget, and to explore additional funding sources like parking funds or grants.

Bill Meeker presented the item, explaining that Amendment No. 2 is needed to cover additional costs for transportation analysis and other environmental analyses mandated by recent changes in CEQA guidelines. The amendment increases the budget by $33,205, bringing the total cost of the General Plan Update to $873,672. ▶ 📄 Mary Bean from First Carbon Solutions was available for questions. Council had no questions. Councilmember Jill Hoffman noted the amendment is justified due to CEQA guideline revisions and new TAM data for VMT analysis. ▶ 📄 Councilmember Ray Withey agreed it is necessary to avoid further increases from state changes. ▶ 📄

Bill Meeker and M-Group consultants provided a monthly update on the General Plan Update (GPU). The presentation covered the September 3rd GPAC meeting, which prepared for the Marinship Workshop, and highlighted upcoming issues and key resources for council review. The main focus was on the Marinship Workshop outcomes, where over 140 participants provided input. M-Group synthesized this into organizing themes (e.g., sea level rise resiliency, water-dependent uses, marine-related businesses) and presented three vision alternatives. The GPAC discussed these but did not reach consensus, instead suggesting a hybrid approach blending elements of all three, with stipulations like supporting the artist community and maintaining industrial uses. Council discussion revealed confusion about whether they were being asked to recommend a final vision tonight, with Councilmember Bushmaker expressing concern about proper noticing ▶ 📄. Consultants clarified they sought 'guardrail' direction, not a final decision, to inform the environmental review process. Councilmembers shared extensive feedback: Hoffman emphasized the need for a robust vision including public infrastructure and zoning clarity, expressed openness to limited affordable/senior housing, and noted concerns about the Fair Traffic Initiative's compatibility with modern goals ▶ 📄. Bushmaker raised environmental and seismic concerns about housing in Marinship ▶ 📄. Withey argued for retiring the Marinship Specific Plan for clarity, even if no changes are made, and suggested segmenting the area for planning, emphasizing the need for non-profit investment to address sea level rise ▶ 📄. Cleveland highlighted the GPAC's role as advisory, supported migrating the Specific Plan's content into the GPU, and stressed the need to consider climate change and enforcement of existing zoning ▶ 📄.

The Landslide Task Force, formed in June 2019, presented its final report titled 'An Opportunity for Sausalito to Take Proactive Steps.' The presentation covered the task force's creation, membership, and scope to assess Sausalito's vulnerability to mudslides and recommend preventive measures. Christine Feller discussed the geological context, noting Sausalito's location between fault lines with unstable 'chert' rock and the need for updated GIS/Lidar mapping, as current maps date to 1976 ▶ 📄. Steven Woodside explained the potential use of a Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD) to fund geotechnical studies through assessments, which can be established by council resolution without a full election ▶ 📄. The main recommendation is for council to direct staff to return with an RFP for a hydrologic and geologic assessment, starting with modern mapping ▶ 📄. Additional recommendations (2-12) include updating building codes and forming regional coalitions. Council discussion focused on prioritizing the mapping within the existing $50,000 budget and managing staff workload. Councilmember Hoffman emphasized moving forward with mapping as a priority ▶ 📄, while Councilmember Withey suggested integrating long-term planning into the upcoming strategic process ▶ 📄. The City Manager noted staff lacks in-house geotechnical expertise and will need to contract out ▶ 📄.

City Attorney Mary Wagner presented the item, explaining that Councilmember Jill Hoffman, a U.S. Navy Reserve captain, is being deployed effective September 27th and is expected to return by July 31st, with possible extensions. Under law, the council can appoint an interim member while she is on active duty. Hoffman recommended Tom Riley for the interim appointment, and his background materials were provided. Options included appointing Riley or another community member, leaving the seat vacant, or seeking additional information. ▶ 📄 Councilmembers expressed gratitude for Hoffman's service. Sandra Bushmaker (likely Hoffman, based on context) emphasized that it is her seat and she thoughtfully recommended Riley for his talent. ▶ 📄 Joan Cox supported Riley, noting his prior interest in volunteering. ▶ 📄 Ray Withey opposed leaving the seat vacant, citing past stress with a four-member council, and supported the appointment. ▶ 📄 Others echoed support for Riley and Hoffman's handling of the situation.

The item involves adjourning the meeting to attend a farewell celebration for Councilmember Hoffman. The transcript captures informal exchanges, thanks, and acknowledgments among participants, indicating a light-hearted and celebratory tone as the meeting concludes. Key moments include expressions of gratitude and farewells (e.g., at ▶ 📄, ▶ 📄, ▶ 📄. There is no substantive discussion or presentation on the item itself, as it is a procedural adjournment motion.