1 BURLINGAME CITY COUNCIL
Approved Minutes
City Council Annual Goal Setting Session on January 28, 2023
1. CALL TO ORDER
A duly noticed meeting of the Burlingame City Council was held on the above date via Zoom Webinar at 9:00 a.m.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
The pledge of allegiance was led by Councilmember Beach.
3. ROLL CALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Beach, Brownrigg, Colson, Ortiz, Stevenson MEMBERS ABSENT: None
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
5. CITY COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENT HEAD HIGHLIGHTS
Mayor Brownrigg asked each Department Head and Councilmember to state something that they are proud of from last year and what keeps them up at night.
Fire Chief Barron stated that what he is proud of is the collaborative nature of his department in assisting the public during COVID. He explained that what keeps him up at night is that CCFD just sent out their “standards of cover,” which reviews the locations of stations, number of trucks, personnel, etc. to ensure that the department is properly sized for the population it serves.
Police Chief Matteucci stated that he is proud of the hires he has made in each division at the Police Department in the past few years. He explained that what keeps him up at night are videos like the recent incident in Memphis, Tennessee. He stated that although he trusts his officers, it angers and frustrates him to see these videos as there is no excuse for that behavior.
2 DPW Murtuza stated that he is proud of City staff and the team that the City has been able to build. He discussed how well staff worked during the recent storms. He explained that what keeps him up at night are storms, water main breaks, and the Broadway railroad crossing.
CDD Gardiner stated that he is proud of the projects that staff has been working on. He discussed the hard work of staff. He explained that what keeps him up at night is State legislation that requires expedited implementation.
Parks and Recreation Director Glomstad stated that she is most proud of her staff and their can-do attitude.
She explained that what keeps her up at night is staff retention and management of large trees.
Finance Director Yu-Scott stated that she is proud of her staff’s teamwork over the past year while facing significant turnover in Finance. She explained that what keeps her up at night is how to balance the City budget with limited resources and staff retention.
City Librarian McCulley stated that he is proud of his staff’s hard work while undergoing staff turnovers. He explained that what keeps him up at night is potential flooding issues at the Library. He noted that there were some leaks during the past storms.
HR Director Saguisag-Sid stated that she is thankful for how welcoming everyone has been in the City. She explained that what keeps her up at night is staying on top of everything.
City Attorney Guina stated that he is most proud of getting the Topgolf Ground Lease signed. He discussed the coordination with the different departments to get that agreement across the finish line. He explained that what keeps him up at night is claims against the City.
City Manager Goldman stated that she is proud of the Department Head team and thinks it is the best she has worked with. She added that she is also very proud of the business license tax and the work staff did to assist the Council on getting this placed on the ballot. She explained that what keeps her up at night is the City’s finances. She discussed the City’s infrastructure needs and how the City hasn’t been able to put money in its Capital Reserve as a result of COVID.
Mayor Brownrigg stated that he is proud of the Town Square project. He noted that he thought the project was shaping up to add a lot of benefit to the community. He explained that what keeps him up at night is staff retention. He discussed inflation and his concern about how this is hitting staff during a time when the City has also run down its reserves as a result of COVID.
Vice Mayor Colson stated that she is proud of the Rollins Road Specific Plan. She noted that she thought this neighborhood was demonstrative of the City’s commitment to providing realistic and diverse solutions to the City’s housing issues. She explained that what keeps her up at night is staff retention and the City’s vulnerability around sea level rise and storms.
3 Councilmember Beach stated that what she is proud of is the passage of the Reach Codes. She added that she is also proud of staff and Council’s commitment and work behind the scenes to obtain State and Federal grants for the Broadway grade crossing. She explained that what keeps her up at night is safety at the Broadway grade crossing and tree safety during storms.
Councilmember Ortiz stated that he is proud of the new Community Center. He explained that what keeps him up at night is tree safety during storms and the Broadway grade separation.
Councilmember Stevenson stated that what he is proud of is all the hard work of the City staff and Council on behalf of residents. He added that he was also proud that he got to work on the funding for the new Community Center. He explained that what keeps him up at night is traffic and safety.
6. FINANCIAL REVIEW
City Manager Goldman stated that on June 6, 2022 the City Council adopted the $129.11 million FY 2022-23 Operating and Capital Improvement Budget. She reviewed the breakdown of the budget:
• General Fund -$67.60 million
• Capital Improvements - $21.91 million
• Utilities (Water and Sewer) - $27.75 million
• Other Funds - $11.85 million
City Manager Goldman reviewed a chart depicting the City’s FY 2022-23 adopted General Fund revenues:
Property Tax $28,298,000
Sales and Use Tax $17,116,000
Transient Occupancy Tax $12,975,000
Other Taxes
Franchise Tax
Business Tax
Real Property Transfer Tax
State HOPTR
$1,590,000
$800,000
$800,000
$62,000
Licenses and Permits $86,000
Fines, Forfeitures, and Penalties $653,000
Use of Money and Property $200,000
Charges for Services $6,356,225
Other Revenues $32,000
State Subventions $163,000
Interest Income $1,500,000
Total General Fund Revenues $70,633,225
She noted that up until COVID, the City’s main revenue source was Transient Occupancy Tax (“TOT”).
However, as a result of COVID, TOT dropped and property tax has become the City’s largest revenue source. She noted that the year prior to COVID, the City generated $29 million in TOT.
4 City Manager Goldman stated that the City’s top three revenue sources (TOT, property tax, and sales and use tax) account for approximately 83% of the City’s revenue. She noted that the new business license tax isn’t included in the above chart.
City Manager Goldman stated that pre-COVID, the City’s revenues were approximately $84 million.
City Manager Goldman reviewed a chart depicting the FY 2022-23 adopted General Fund expenditures:
General Administration $7,555,604
Public Safety
Fire and Disaster Preparedness
Police and Dispatch
Parking Enforcement
$14,072,647
$17,902,932
$708,248
Public Works $7,791,188
Community Development $2,238,960
Leisure and Culture
Aquatics Center
Library
Parks and Tree Maintenance
Recreation
$474,000
$5,870,691
$6,288,120
$4,700,850
Total General Fund Expenditure $67,603,240
She noted that the City’s expenditures are up a bit due to personnel expenditures such as step increases and cost of living increases.
City Manager Goldman reviewed the following chart:
General Fund FY 2022-23 (in millions)
Total Resources $70.63
Total Requirements ($75.79)
Resources (Under) Requirements ($5.16)
She noted that the City’s resources are not meeting the requirements for the year.
City Manager Goldman stated that the Finance Department completed an audit for FY 2021-22. She reviewed the following good news that was included in the audit:
• Property tax revenue at $27.7 million, came in at 3.3% more than the budgeted amount and nearly
14.4% over prior year. This is due to an unanticipated ERAF refund and Property Tax in Lieu of VLF distributions
o ERAF Refund - $0.9 million more than prior year
o Property Tax in Lieu of VLF - $1.6 million more than prior year
5 • Sales and use tax revenue sources have recovered more than anticipated. Including the Measure I transactions tax, a total of $17.6 million in sales and use tax revenue went to the General Fund. • The City collected $12.4 million in transient occupancy tax (TOT), which was more than double the prior year’s $5.7 million of revenue.
City Manager Goldman reviewed a chart that depicted the City’s General Fund balance from FY 2018-19 through FY 2022-23. She noted that at the end of FY 2018-19, the City had an unassigned fund balance of $20,371,309. She added that for FY 2022-23, it is projected that the balance will be $7,537,924. She discussed some payments that were made out of the unassigned fund balance including the finalized Washington Park tree claims. She noted that payments from the unassigned fund balance would be presented to Council at the mid-year budget review.
City Manager Goldman reviewed a bar chart that depicted the City’s assigned fund balance, unassigned fund balance, and the draw from reserves/other sources. She noted that the Catastrophic Reserve is always funded at $2 million, Contingency Reserve is funded at $500,000 and the Economic Stability Reserve is a percentage of General Fund revenues.
Councilmember Stevenson asked when the last time the City revisited the required level of funding for the Catastrophic Reserve. City Manager Goldman replied that approximately seven or eight years ago, the City hired the Government Finance Officers Association to review the City’s reserves and determine their appropriate funding levels.
City Manager Goldman reviewed the City’s Capital Investment Reserve. She noted that the budgeted balance of the Reserve on June 30, 2021 is $21,197,670. She explained that $15 million is being put towards the Broadway Grade Separation and $6 million towards the El Camino Real Underground Utility Project. She stated that in prior years, the City put funds in this reserve. However, due to COVID, the City was unable to continue funding the reserve. She added that in 2019, the City transferred $10.6 million out of the Capital Reserve to assist with the new Community Center Project.
City Manager Goldman showed a chart depicting the General Fund’s five-year revenue forecast. She noted that there is hope that TOT will continue to climb. However, she discussed the recent layoffs in the tech industry and how they may negatively impact the City’s TOT.
Vice Mayor Colson discussed the importance of investing in the Bayfront in order to assist with bringing the TOT back to pre-pandemic levels. She explained that the City shouldn’t create consistent expenses based on high TOT levels because it is a volatile revenue generator.
Councilmember Beach thanked staff and her colleagues for being fiscally responsible in order to build up the City’s reserves. She asked whether or not it is time for the City to consider another reserve study as a result of COVID. City Manager Goldman replied that she would talk with the Finance Director about the possibility of a new study.
Mayor Brownrigg thanked staff for the presentation.
6 City Manager Goldman opened public comment.
Jennifer Pfaff asked about auto sales and their difficulty getting inventory. Finance Director Yu-Scott stated that auto dealers are still the leader of sales and use tax.
City Manager Goldman closed public comment.
7. MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS UPDATE
CDD Gardiner showed a map of all the commercial development in the works on the Bayfront including:
• 1669/1699 Bayshore Highway – Office/Research and Development • 1499 Bayshore Highway – Office/Research and Development • 1200-1340 Bayshore Highway – Office/Research and Development • 777 Airport Boulevard – Office/Research and Development • 250 Anza Boulevard – Topgolf
• 620 Airport Boulevard – Office/Research and Development • 410 Airport Boulevard – Recreation Park
• 567 Airport Boulevard – Office/Research and Development
(a five-minute break was taken due to technical difficulties)
CDD Gardiner reviewed the list of projects that have been approved for the Bayfront but have not yet broken ground:
Address Square Feet Estimated
Completion
Information Page
Topgolf 84,140 sf
commercial
recreation
2025 www.burlingame.org/topgolf
777 Airport
Boulevard
403,400 sf
office/r&d
2025 www.burlingame.org/777airport
1699 Bayshore
Highway
431,000 sf
office/r&d
15,500 sf
commercial
2025 www.burlingame.org/1699bayshore
TOTALS 834,400 sf
office/r&d
99,640 sf
commercial
7 CDD Gardiner reviewed the list of projects under review:
Address Square Feet Information Page
State Lands
410 Airport Boulevard
9.4 acre park with 8,564 sf
interpretive center
www.burlingame.org/410airport
620 Airport Boulevard 484,000 sf office/r&d www.burlingame.org/620airport 1200-1340 Bayshore Highway 1,455,000 sf office/r&d
5,000 commercial
www.burlingame.org/1200-
1340bayshore
1499 Bayshore Highway 315,200 sf office/r&d
13,564 sf commercial
www.burlingame.org/1499bayshore
CDD Gardiner reviewed the total square footage of development proposed at the Bayfront Office/R&D Commercial
Under Construction 241,000 sf
Approved 834,400 sf 99,640 sf
Under Review 2,254,200 sf 13,564 sf
TOTAL 3,329,600 sf 113,204 sf
CDD Gardiner reviewed some of the City’s priorities when it comes to the Bayfront development:
• Open Space and Recreation – he reviewed the park that is proposed on the State Lands Commission site and how each private project includes some Bay Trail development or park creation • Transportation and Public Access – developers are working with Commute.org to assist with a shuttle system
• Affordable Housing – commercial linkage fees will assist the City’s Affordable Housing Fund • Sea Level Rise Resilience – utilizing information from One Shoreline to ensure that new development aligns with the needs of its particular “reach”
Mayor Brownrigg asked if the City learned anything from the storms in regard to the City’s ability to withstand sea level rise. DPW Murtuza replied that there were some breaches in the Easton Creek levee.
However, he noted that there were no breaches near the lagoon.
Councilmember Stevenson asked for clarification on commercial linkage fees. CDD Gardiner stated an ad hoc committee was formed to address how to use linkage fees and develop a list of priorities. He explained that linkage fees come in project by project, and while it can be tempting to spend them as they come in, this committee is trying to prioritize the best use of the funds.
CDD Gardiner next discussed development in residential neighborhoods. He showed a map depicting the locations of projects in residential neighborhoods including:
• 1814-1820 Ogden Drive – 90 units
• 1868-1870 Ogden Drive – 120 units
• 1870 El Camino Real – 169 units
• 1875 California Drive – 69 units (100% affordable)
• 1855-1881 Rollins Road – 420 units
8 • 1 Adrian Court – 265 units
• 30 Ingold Road – 298 units
• 1766 El Camino Real – 311 units
CDD Gardiner reviewed a list of residential projects under construction:
Address Total
Units
Affordable
Units
Estimated
Completion
Informational Page
The Village at
Burlingame
132 132 2023 www.burlingame.org/villageatburlingame
1095 Rollins
Road
150 15 2024 www.burlingame.org/1095rollins
1 Adrian
Court
265 38 2024 www.burlingame.org/1adriancourt
1433
Floribunda
Avenue
8 2024 www.burlingame.org/1433floribunda
30 Ingold
Road
298 43 2025 www.burlingame.org/30ingold
TOTAL 853 228(27%)
CDD Gardiner reviewed the long list of approved projects:
Address Total Units Affordable Units Information Page
1418 Bellevue
Avenue
15 2 www.burlingame.org/1418bellevue
601 California Drive
(Live/Work)
25 Fee www.burlingame.org/601california
619-625 California
Drive (Live/Work)
44 Fee www.burlingame.org/619-25california
1214 Donnelly
Avenue
14 www.burlingame.org/1214donnelly
1128-32 Douglas
Avenue
27 2 www.burlingame.org/1128-32douglas
556 El Camino Real 21 www.burlingame.org/556elcaminoreal 1431 El Camino
Real
6 www.burlingame.org/1431elcaminoreal
1457 El Camino
Real
9 www.burlingame.org1457elcaminoreal
1766 El Camino
Real
311 22 www.burlingame.org/1766ecr
1870 El Camino
Real
169 17 www.burlingame.org1870elcaminoreal
9 128 Lorton Avenue 19 2 www.burlingame.org/128Lorton
1814-1820 Ogden
Drive
90 5 www.burlingame.org/1814ogden
1869 Ogden Drive 120 6 www.burlingame.org/1868ogden
21 Park Road 7 www.burlingame.org/21park
1855-1881 Rollins
Road
420 35 www.burlingame.org/1855rollins
TOTAL 1,297 91(7%)
CDD Gardiner reviewed the list of residential projects under review:
Address Total Units Affordable Units
1875 California Drive 69 69
1213 Capuchino Avenue 6
1200 Howard Avenue 61 6
123-135 Primrose Road 14
TOTAL 150 75(50%)
CDD Gardiner reviewed the total number of potential residential projects in the City:
Total Units Affordable Units
Under Construction 853 228
Approved 1,297 91
Under Review 150 75
TOTAL 2,300 394(17%)
Mayor Brownrigg asked if he was correct that the list doesn’t include the Peninsula Wellness Community project. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative.
CDD Gardiner stated that some of the projects are creating low and very-low income affordable housing units.
CDD Gardiner discussed the Village at Burlingame project. He stated that the City provided the land for the project. The project includes:
• 132 Units (78 workforce units, 54 senior units)
• 82 units up to 50% AMI, 35 units up to 80% AMI, and 14 units up to 120% AMI • 6,750 square foot public park
• Replacement of existing parking in new parking structure • Estimated completion Summer 2023
CDD Gardiner reviewed the Eucalyptus Grove Apartments project. He noted that the project includes the following:
• 69 units up to 50% AMI
• $1,432,138 City contribution from commercial linkage/Housing Trust funds
10 • SB 35 project allowing streamlined administrative review
CDD Gardiner stated that each of the new developments includes a park, plaza, or dog park.
Mayor Brownrigg asked if there is a need for the City to budget for civic space/parks in new neighborhoods like North Rollins Road. He discussed the potential of opening a library branch in the North Rollins Road neighborhood.
Vice Mayor Colson stated that it is always nice to put aside funding for City parks and libraries. However, she explained that she thought the City did a great job partnering with private developers to obtain the amenities that the community needs.
CDD Gardiner stated that the City has been working on a park fee nexus study. He added that this will be part of the development impact fee study.
CDD Gardiner discussed the Peninsula Wellness Community. He noted that the project includes:
• 6.5 acres
• 404 units
• 175 affordable units (43%)
• 185,850 sf medical office building and community hub
• Publicly accessible open space
CDD Gardiner discussed the timeline of the Peninsula Wellness Community project. He explained that the project is hoping to break ground in 2025 and complete construction in 2027. He noted that if individuals want more information, they can go to www.burlingame.org/masterplan .
CDD Gardiner stated that a complete list of major projects in the City can be found at www.burlingame.org/majorprojects
.
Councilmember Stevenson stated that he would like to see residential project reports include a breakdown of the different levels of affordability that the proposed developments would offer.
Councilmember Beach asked if she was correct that part of the Peninsula Wellness Community was zoned institutional and therefore it would impact how it is classified in the Housing Element. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. He noted that a portion of the area would need to be rezoned.
Councilmember Ortiz stated that he thought CDD Gardiner’s slides went a long way to address concerns from the public. He asked if these slides would be made available to the public. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative and stated that staff would determine how best to share them with the public.
City Manager Goldman opened the item up for public comment.
11 Jennifer Pfaff stated that a lot of the projects create a patchwork that is not controllable by the City.
Therefore, she thought it would be important to keep in mind the end goal.
Jonathan Wan asked if any evaluations were done regarding the proposed projects’ impact on traffic.
Mayor Brownrigg responded to Mr. Wan’s comment that traffic management was included in the General Plan as the City considered expanding zoning.
Terry Nagel asked if the City shared its sea level rise zoning work with other cities. She noted that the cities on the Bayfront would need to work together. (comment submitted via [email protected])
Vice Mayor Colson responded to Ms. Nagel’s comment in the affirmative.
City Manager Goldman closed public comment.
8. CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Mayor Brownrigg introduced this item by stating that some of the Council’s former large priorities had been completed. He explained that he asked his colleagues to come to the meeting with one small idea and one big idea.
Mayor Brownrigg asked each of the Councilmembers to first share their small idea.
Councilmember Ortiz stated that there is a cyclone fence that runs between Trousdale and Murchison on El Camino Real. He explained that he would love for the City to work with Caltrans to fix this fence.
Councilmember Beach discussed inspiring people to proactively electrify their homes. She noted that she would like to see the City assist the public in how to navigate federal/state rebates and what the financial benefits are. She stated that she would like to see the City bring together points of contact to create a roadmap on what the most important thing to prioritize in electrification is and how to go about getting the rebate.
Vice Mayor Colson stated that her small idea is an internship program for the City. She noted that she wanted to ensure that the interns were paid positions in order to not limit who is able to take these positions.
City Manager Goldman noted that the City has interns. However, she noted space and staff time constraints limit how robust the program can be.
Councilmember Beach stated that her day job is in workforce development, and there are resources to assist youth involved in municipal work.
12 Councilmember Stevenson stated that his small idea is to promote culture, music, and other events at the new Town Square. He noted that the City might need to set aside funding for this.
Mayor Brownrigg stated that he liked Councilmember Stevenson’s idea as it would be important to activate the Town Square when it opens.
Mayor Brownrigg stated that his small idea was to add lights to the new sport court at the Community Center in order to allow members of the public, especially students, to use the court until 10:00 p.m.
Mayor Brownrigg asked each of the Councilmembers to share their big idea.
Mayor Brownrigg stated that he would like to see a robust shuttle system installed in Burlingame. He noted that the City will be transformed by all the development in the next ten years and wanted to see more members of the public utilize public transportation. He discussed the potential of having driver-less shuttles in the future.
Councilmember Stevenson stated that he thought “micro-transportation” for the City was important. He added that this might have the added bonus of helping TOT increase.
Vice Mayor Colson supported the idea.
Councilmember Ortiz stated that the City’s current shuttles are underutilized; therefore, he thought the City should focus on how to get more people on the shuttles by studying routes, times, etc.
Councilmember Beach stated that she thought it was a great idea. She added that she thought the Bayfront would be an important opportunity site for shuttles.
Councilmember Ortiz stated that he would like to see a storm water collection/retention project created at all levels in the City (i.e. resident program and City facility program).
Vice Mayor Colson stated that her big idea was water conservation and how to more efficiently collect and use recycled water. She noted that Redwood City and other cities have programs in place. She stated that she thought it would be important for the City to make a commitment to creating a recycled water program.
Councilmember Beach voiced her support for Councilmember Ortiz and Vice Mayor Colson’s big ideas.
Mayor Brownrigg stated that he thought it was important for the City to be leaders in this field.
Councilmember Beach stated that her big idea is for the City to consider Vision Zero as a policy. She explained that Vision Zero is a policy that legislative bodies can adopt where the city sets the goal to eliminate traffic fatalities or serious traffic injuries in a community. She noted that the policy has big
13 implications, and it impacts how the City, among other things, considers sidewalk repairs/construction, infrastructure needs, and the urgency around repairs/construction.
Councilmember Stevenson stated that he liked Councilmember Beach’s idea.
Councilmember Stevenson discussed the southern portion of Rollins Road. He added that he thought that when the City considers a project/plan for one area, it should be considered whether elements are necessary for the same reason in other areas. He gave the example of the City stressing the need for parks in the North Rollins Road neighborhood due to its high density, but noted that South Rollins Road also had high density.
Councilmember Ortiz concurred with Councilmember Stevenson and thanked him for his idea.
City Manager Goldman displayed the “infamous” iceberg slide. The slide depicts the fact that all the work that staff does during the day is below the water (the large portion of the iceberg), while the high visibility projects and Council ideas are above the water (the small portion of the iceberg).
City Manager Goldman opened public comment.
Sandra Lang stated that she loved all the ideas that were brought forth by Council. She added that if the public listened to the meeting, they would have a good understanding of all the factors that play into good governance.
Terry Nagel stated that she is proud of the City’s work on the storms. She encouraged the Council to help residents transition to clean energy.
Mike McCord thanked the City for the Reach Code amendments. He stated that he would like to see the City assist citizens with converting their existing natural gas appliances to electric.
Jonathan Wan stated that he would like to see the City focus on flood prevention, fire protection, and security systems.
City Manager Goldman closed public comment.
Mayor Brownrigg thanked his colleagues and staff all their ideas and the productive meeting.
14 11. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Brownrigg adjourned the meeting at 12:02 p.m. in memory of Mik Lowrie.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/
Meaghan Hassel-Shearer
City Clerk