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Home My WebLink AboutCC Minutes 2025-11-03 MINUTES SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2025 REGULAR MEETING AT 6:00 P.M. San Rafael City Hall, Council Chambers 1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901 Watch Online: Watch on Webinar: https://tinyurl.com/city-council-1 Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/cityofsanrafael Listen by phone: (669) 444-9171 ID: 863-4489-1398# This meeting will be held in-person. This meeting is being streamed to YouTube at www.youtube.com/cityofsanrafael. How to participate in the meeting: • You are welcome to come to the meeting and provide public comment in person. Each speaker will have 2-minutes to provide public comment per agenda item. • Submit your comments by email to city.clerk@cityofsanrafael.org by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. If you experience technical difficulties during the meeting, please contact city.clerk@cityofsanrafael.org. OPEN SESSION – THIRD FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM – 5:00 PM 1. Mayor Kate announced Closed Session items. CLOSED SESSION – THIRD FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM – 5:00 PM 2. Closed Session: a. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL — ANTICIPATED LITIGATION pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) (1 potential case) Present: Vice Mayor Bushey Councilmember Hill Councilmember Kertz Councilmember Llorens Gulati Mayor Kate Absent: None Also Present: City Manager Cristine Alilovich City Attorney Robert Epstein Deputy City Clerk Brenna Nurmi Mayor Kate called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. and invited Deputy City Clerk Brenna Nurmi to call the roll. All members of the City Council were present. City Attorney Robert Epstein announced that no reportable action was taken in Closed Session. 2 Mayor Kate provided opening remarks which included gratitude to City Staff, the ongoing Federal Government Shutdown, Election Day and a land acknowledgment. Deputy City Clerk Brenna Nurmi informed the community that the in-person meeting would also be recorded and streamed live to YouTube and through Zoom. She noted the two-minute timer for public comment and closed captioning on Zoom. CITY MANAGER AND COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS: (including AB 1234 Reports on Meetings and Conferences Attended at City Expense) 3. City Manager and Councilmember Reports: City Manager Cristine Alilovich provided the following announcements and updates: • 350 Merrydale Project Update  Special City Council Meeting to be held Thursday, November 6, at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, 5-7 p.m.  Regular City Council Meeting to be held Monday, November 17, City Hall Chambers, 6 p.m.  Marin County Board of Supervisors Meeting to be held November 18 • Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update  Community Meeting to be held Wednesday, November 19, B Street Community Center, 5:30 p.m.  Community Meeting to be held Thursday, December 4, Virtual, noon • North Bay Business Journal’s Excellence in Construction Award given to the Library and Public Works Teams for the Downtown Library Renovation • Second Friday Art Walk to be held November 14, downtown, 5-8 p.m. City Councilmember Reports: • Vice Mayor Bushey reported on the Merrydale webinar and Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC) meetings. • Councilmember Kertz reported on a Housing Subcommittee meeting, a Ritter Center event with Sam Tsemberis, founder of Housing First, a MCCMC meeting, a First 5 forum on federal funding, the ELM Open House on Kerner, a MCCMC legislative meeting, the Merrydale community meeting, and the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative (MEHC) now called Marin Home. • Councilmember Hill reported on the Merrydale community meeting. • Councilmember Llorens Gulati reported on a Marin Sea Level Rise meeting, a Climate Change Action Plan meeting, a townhall meeting with the Bay Point neighborhood, a meeting with Spinnaker Point and Bay Point neighbors with The Canal Arts, the Canal Alliance Leadership Class graduation, the Día de los Muertos celebration in the Canal, a Marin Transit meeting and Halloween in the Bret Harte neighborhood. • Mayor Kate reported on the Ritter Center event with Sam Tsemberis, founder of Housing First, and the ELM Open House on Kerner, a Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) meeting, and the Veterans Day ceremony to be held on Tuesday, November 11, at Marin Exhibit Hall at 9 a.m. Mayor Kate invited public comment; however, there was none. CONSENT CALENDAR: Mayor Kate invited public comment; however, there was none. 3 Councilmember Llorens Gulati moved and Councilmember Kertz seconded to approve the Consent Calendar. AYES: Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None 4. Consent Calendar Items: a. Approval of Minutes Approve Minutes of the Special and Regular City Council Meetings of October 20, 2025 (CC) Approved minutes as submitted b. Establishment of Mobile Food Vending Program and Revised Ordinance Final Adoption of Ordinance 2053: An Ordinance Amending Title 10 (Businesses, Professions, Occupations, Industries and Trade) of the Municipal Code of the City of San Rafael, to Adopt Chapter 10.50, Mobile Vending Permit Program (CC) Final adoption of Ordinance 2053 c. Annual Winter Wonderland Event Street Closure Resolution Authorizing the Temporary Closure of Fourth Street (Between B Street and Lootens Place) and A Street (Between Julia Street and the Parking Entrance on A Street) in Downtown San Rafael on November 29, 2025, for the Annual Winter Wonderland Event (CED) Adopted Resolution 15471 d. Angle Street Parking on a Portion of Fifth Avenue Near Sun Valley Elementary School Resolution Authorizing Angled Parking Along a Portion of Fifth Avenue Between River Oaks Road and Happy Lane; CEQA Determination: Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guideline Sections 15060(c)(3) (PW) Adopted Resolution 15472 e. Lincoln Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements at Wilson Court and Brookdale Avenue Project Resolution Rejecting All Bids for the Lincoln Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements at Wilson Court and Brookdale Avenue Project, City Project No. 11453 (“Project”), and Authorizing the City Clerk to Call for New Bids (PW) Adopted Resolution 15473 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 5. Special Presentations a. Presentation of Proclamation in Recognition of Native American Heritage Month (HR) Mayor Kate presented the proclamation and Tribal Councilmember Robert Stafford (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) provided comments. b. Presentation of Proclamation in Recognition of Jaimi Cortes, for her Service on the Board of Library Trustees (LR) Mayor Kate presented the proclamation and Jaimi Cortes provided comments. PUBLIC HEARINGS 6. Public Hearings 4 a. Triennial Fire Code Ordinance Amendments Adopt the Ordinance Amending Chapter 4.08 of the San Rafael Municipal Code to Adopt by Reference the California Fire Code 2025 Edition with Local Amendments Based on the International Fire Code 2024 Edition, and the 2025 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, Based on the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code and Adopting Findings of Fact Supporting the Amendments to Such Codes; CEQA Determination: Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15061(b)(3) (FD) Deputy Fire Chief Bob Sinnott presented the Staff Report. Mayor Kate invited public comment; however, there was none. Councilmember Kertz moved and Vice Mayor Bushey seconded to adopt the Ordinance. AYES: Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None Final adoption of Ordinance 2054 The Deputy City Clerk read the title of the Ordinance AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AMENDING CHAPTER 4.08 OF THE SAN RAFAEL MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADOPT BY REFERENCE THE CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE 2025 EDITION WITH LOCAL AMENDMENTS BASED ON THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE 2024 EDITION, AND THE 2025 INTERNATIONAL WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE BASED ON THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE AND ADOPTING FINDINGS OF FACT SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENTS TO SUCH CODES b. Smoking Ordinance Amendments An Ordinance Amending Chapter 9.04 of the San Rafael Municipal Code, the City’s Clean Indoor and Outdoor Air and Health Protection, to Prohibit All Smoking in Duplexes and Multi-Family Residences and to Allow Small Claims Courts to Grant Injunctive Relief; CEQA Determination: Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15061 (b)(3) (CA) City Attorney Rob Epstein introduced Deputy City Attorney Katherine Kasameyer, who presented the Staff Report. Staff responded to questions from the City Council. Mayor Kate invited public comment; however, there was none. City Councilmembers provided comments. Vice Mayor Bushey moved and Councilmember Hill seconded to introduce the Ordinance, waive further reading and refer to it by title only. AYES: Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None 5 Introduced the Ordinance, waived further reading and referred to it by title only The Deputy City Clerk read the title of the Ordinance AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AMENDING CHAPTER 9.04 OF THE SAN RAFAEL MUNICIPAL CODE, THE CITY’S CLEAN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR AIR AND HEALTH PROTECTION, TO PROHIBIT ALL SMOKING IN DUPLEXES AND MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENCES AND TO ALLOW SMALL CLAIMS COURTS TO GRANT INJUNCTIVE RELIEF OTHER AGENDA ITEMS 7. Other Agenda Items a. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report and Sustainability Priorities Progress Update Accept the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report for 2023, the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 Two- Year Sustainability Workplan Priorities Update, and the Countywide Building Electrification Roadmap (CM) Cory Bytof, Sustainability Program Manager and Christine O’Rourke, Marin Climate and Energy Partnership presented the Staff Report. Staff responded to questions from the City Council (during the staff presentation and afterwards). Mayor Kate invited public comment. Speakers: Bill Carney, Sustainable San Rafael, Ben Snyder, Sustainable San Rafael, Name Withheld, Belle Cole, Steering Committee Chair of the Marin Biomass Project Staff responded to questions raised during public comment. City Councilmembers provided comments. Councilmember Llorens Gulati moved and Councilmember Kertz seconded to accept the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reduction Strategy Annual Report for 2023, the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 Two-Year Sustainability Workplan Priorities Update, and the Countywide Building Electrification Roadmap. AYES: Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None Accepted report, update and roadmap OPEN TIME FOR PUBLIC EXPRESSION None 6 ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Kate adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m., in memory of Joan Thayer. __________________________ LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk APPROVED THIS _____DAY OF____________, 2025 _____________________________________ KATE COLIN, Mayor