ALBANY CITY COUNCIL – MINUTES
1000 San Pablo Avenue
Albany, CA 94706
Monday, October 06, 2025
1 REGULAR MEETING: 7:00 PM
1. CALL TO ORDE
R / LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Mayor López read the Albany Land Acknowledgement Statement as adopted by the City Council per City of Albany Minute Action, November 15, 2021.
2. ROLL CALL
Pr
esent: Council Members Hansen-Romero, Jordan and Miki, Vice Mayor McQuaid, Mayor López
Absent: None
3. REPORT O
N ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION, IF ANY
4. CEREMONIAL
MATTERS
4-1. Proclam
ation – National Fire Prevention Week
Mayor López
presented the proclamation to Sparky the Fire Dog and Fire Chief James Boito.
5. CITY MANAGE
R REPORT
City M
anager Nicole Almaguer reported approximately 2,000 people attended Dinner with Albany, where participants painted murals on canvas and enjoyed dinner . Plans for a sand volleyball court at Ocean View Park are on hold while staff analyze additional locations. The Albany Police Department (APD) has completed crisis intervention training.
The Association of Bay Area Government s Executive Board approved the four Priority Conservation Areas proposed by staff and the Council . The Albany Fire Department (AFD) is conducting a community survey by postcard of residents and property owners of Albany Hill. October is Crime Prevention Month, and safety tips can be found at albanyca.gov/news. AFD’s Pancake Breakfast and a City Hall Open House will be held on October 11, 2025. Waste Management’s textile collection program was well received in the community.
6. GOOD OF THE
CITY / PUBLIC COMMENT
Mayor López opened the Good of the City.
A summary
of public comment is as follows: a request to expand the notification area for development projects; opposition to the sand volleyball court at Ocean View Park; interest in a community resilience hub and electric vehicle charging stations.
A summar
y of Council comment is as follows: state law prohibits the City from considering subjective standards for development projects.
7. CONSENT CAL
ENDAR
Date approved: October 20, 2025
ALBANY CITY COUNCIL – MINUTES
1000 San Pablo Avenue
Albany, CA 94706
Monday, October 06, 2025
2 7-1. Minutes – September 15, 2025
Staff R
ecommendation: Approve
7-2. Ratif
ication of Payroll – Date Paid 9/19/2025: Net Amount $530,658.62, Taxes/Benefits/Deductions $582,162.34, Total Payroll $1,112,820.96 Staff R
ecommendation: Ratify
7-3. Ratific
ation of Bills, Claims and Demands - Ratification of bills, claims and demands against the City of Albany in the amount of $595,749.32 (9/12/2025), $234,837.16 (9/19/2025), $195,635.13 (9/26/2025)
Staff R
ecommendation: Ratify
7-4. Letter
to Alameda County Board of Supervisors
Council
Member Jordan Recommendation: That the Council authorize the submission of a letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors concerning the Registrar of Voter’s (ROV) election charges and associated issues 7-5. Annual
Sewer Rehabilitation Program (CIP No. 32000)
Brighton Avenue Sewer Rehabilitation Project: Authorization to Bid Contract No.
C25-43
Staff
Recommendation: That the Council adopt Resolution No. 2025- 64, authorizing the City Manager to approve a Call for Bids for the Brighton Avenue Sewer Rehabilitation Project (Contract No. C25-43)
CALIFO
RNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
The project is Categorically Exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 “Existing Facilities” of the CEQA Guidelines, which exempts the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing sewer with negligible expansion of use.
Mayor L
ópez asked if anyone wished to remove items from the consent calendar. Council Member Miki and Mayor López removed Items 7-5 and 7-4 respectively. A member of the public removed Item 7-5.
Item 7-4: T
hanks to Council Member Jordan for initiating the letter.
Item 7-5
: A member of the public suggested to include bioswale in the sewer rehabilitation project.
CIP M
anager Allison Carrillo advised that the project does not include a bioswale because of space constraints and complexity of the undergr ound system . The project must be ALBANY CITY COUNCIL – MINUTES
1000 San Pablo Avenue
Albany, CA 94706
Monday, October 06, 2025
3 completed by the end of the year to comply with the EPA Consent Decree mandates to improve the sewer system network.
MOTION:
Moved by Vice Mayor McQuaid, seconded by Council Member Jordan, to approve the consent calendar.
AYES: Council Members Hansen-Romero, Jordan and Miki, Vice Mayor McQuaid, Mayor López
NOES: None
Motion carried and so ordered.
8. PRESENTATION
9. PUBLIC HEARING
9-1. Amendments to Albany Municipal Code Chapter 20 §20.08.020, §20.12.040, §20.12.050, §20.16.020, §20.16.050, §20.20.020, §20.20.080, §20.28.030, §20.100.010 and §20.100.030 to Implement Adopted Housing Element Programs and Reflect Changes to State Law – First Reading
Planning & Zoning Commission and Staff Recommendation: That the Council introduce and waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 2025- 07, amending §20.08.020 (“Definitions”), §20.12.040 (“ Permitted Land Uses by District”), §20.12.050 (“Residential Districts”) §20.16.020 (“Residential Use Classifications”), §20.16.050 (“Public and Quasi -Public Use Classifications”), §20.20.020 (“Community Care Facilities”), §20.20.080 (“Accessory Dwelling Uni ts”), §20.28.030 (“Citywide Parking Space Requirements”), §20.100.010 (“Common Permit Procedures”) and §20.100.030 (“Use Permits”) related to residential uses and residential care facilities
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
Consideration of the ordinance amendments is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because the scope of this ordinance is limited to minor updates to zoning and development standards. It does not change land use or increase building density and therefore qualifies as a Class 5 Categorical Exemption (Minor Alterations in Land Use Limitations, CEQA Guidelines § 15305) and is also covered by the general exemption for projects with no potential for significant environmental impact (CEQA Guidelines § 15061(b)(3)).
Associate Planner Mira Hahn presented the staff report. The proposed amendments are intended to implement achievable Housing Element programs and to align the Albany Municipal Code with state law. The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) reviewed the amendments, proposed revisions, and recommended the Council adopt the amendments with revisions on September 10, 2025. Because of pending state legislation, staff recommends the Council approve the proposed amendments except for references to ALBANY CITY COUNCIL – MINUTES
1000 San Pablo Avenue
Albany, CA 94706
Monday, October 06, 2025
4 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) and §20.20.080 . Staff will return to the Council with comprehensive updates to the ADU Ordinance in the future.
The proposed amendments support Housing Element Program 1.A by allowing a greater mix of housing types and increasing access to affordable housing opportunities; Program
3.D by lowering regulatory barriers for large residential care facilities and recognizing group homes as an allowed use in residential zones; Program 3.H by changing policies about Low Barrier Navigation Centers (LBNC), Single Room Occupancy Housing (SRO), and employee housing; and Senate Bill (SB) 234 by addressing the shortage of childcare facilities.
A summary of Council comment is as follows: appreciation for staff’s ongoing efforts to align the Municipal Code with state law.
MOTION:
Moved by Council Member Jordan, seconded by Vice Mayor McQuaid, to introduce and waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 2025- 07, amending §20.08.020 (“Definitions”), §20.12.040 (“Permitted Land Uses by District”), §20.12.050 (“Residential Districts”) §20.16.020 (“Residential Use Classifications”), §20.16.050 (“Public and Quasi-Public Use Classifications”), §20.20.020 (“Community Care Facilities”), §20.28.030 (“Citywide Parking Space Requirements”), §20.100.010 (“Common Permit Procedures”) and §20.100.030 (“Use Permits”) related to residential uses and residential care facilities with the removal of §20.20.080, Section 7 and references to Accessory Dwelling Units.
AYES: Council Members Hansen-Romero, Jordan and Miki, Vice Mayor McQuaid, Mayor López
NOES: None
Motion carried and so ordered.
10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
10-1. Potential Revenue Measures for Funding Core City Services
Staff Recommendation: That the Council receive a report from staff regarding a potential ballot measure to update the real property transfer tax to help support core services and address unmet needs and provide feedback to staff on prioritization and next steps
Finance Director Reina Schwartz presented the staff report. The real property transfer tax is a general tax that Albany voters increased in 2020 to a rate of $15 per $1,000 of value.
The tax provides approximately $2.5 million annually to the City; however, the amount of revenue is volatile. Jurisdictions near Albany have implemented either a flat tax rate or a tiered tax rate. A ballot measure being circulated for signatures proposes to eliminate any charter city-only real property transfer tax greater than $0.275 per $500 of value and prohibit charter cities from imposing new charter city-only transfer taxes.
ALBANY CITY COUNCIL – MINUTES
1000 San Pablo Avenue
Albany, CA 94706
Monday, October 06, 2025
5 A summary of Council comment is as follows: a proposal to change the rates to 1% for the first quartile of sales, 1.5% for the second quartile, 2% for the third quartile, and 2.5% for the fourth quartile; condominiums are quickly moving out of the affordable category because of monthly association fees; the real property transfer tax is usually split 50/50 between the buyer and seller; the tax could be based on number of dwelling units; concern about increasing the cost for transferring property between family members; a tiered rate with a significant rate increase for values over a specific amount would likely generate less revenue than the revenue from staff’s scenarios; concern about the quartiles, particularly the break between the 3
rd and 4th quartiles; suggested a 0.5% discount for
first-time and low -income buyers and a one- time discount for a property with an ADU; interest in keeping the approach simple; a question of whether the tax rates should apply to both residential and commercial property or be different for residential and commercial property.
City
Manager Almaguer noted Goal 5 of the City Council Strategic Plan, increase revenue and economic development to sustain City services. Staff could return with scenarios and analyses based on the discussion.
11. NEW BUSINE
SS
12. COUNCIL S
UBCOMMITTEE REPORTS, COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS ON
APPOINTED REPRESENTATION OF ALBANY, AND OTHER MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Council
Member Hansen- Romero encouraged the public to learn about StopWaste programs and events at stopwaste.org.
Council
Member Jordan reported the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) approved actions to advance the East Bay Greenway.
Council
Member Miki attended Dinner with Albany and a League of California Cities division meeting where he was re-elected to the Board of Directors and received financial projections.
Vice M
ayor McQuaid attended the League of California Cities division meeting, a memorial service for the former AC Transit Director, the Verana Hills opening, Coffee with a Cop, the Alameda County Library Advisory Commission meeting and tour, Celebración Latina, and the Albany Unified School District (AUSD) Hispanic Parent Engagement Group meeting.
Mayor López
reported attending the Verana Hills opening reception and Dinner with Albany and reading to the TK class at Ocean View Elementary.