Clayton City Council
December 2, 2025

Jeff Wan, Vice Mayor Jim Diaz, Councilmember
Holly Tillman, Councilmember Richard G Enea, Councilmember

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

3. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

4. CONSENT CALENDAR
(a) Approve November 18, 2025 Minutes
(b) Approve and Authorize the Posting of the Local Appointments List Pursuant to the Maddy Act

5. RECOGNITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2025
7:00 PM
Hoyer Hall, Clayton Community Library
6125 Clayton Road, Clayton, CA 94517
Kim Trupiano, Mayor
Members of the public may address the City Council on non-agendized items within the Council’s jurisdiction. To ensure an orderly meeting and an equal opportunity for everyone, each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes, or the time established by the Mayor. In accordance with State Law, no action may take place on any item not appearing on the posted agenda. The Council may respond to statements made or questions asked or may at its discretion request staff to report back at a future meeting concerning the matter.

Public comment and input on other agenda items will be allowed when each item is considered by the Council.
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Agenda December 2, 2025
1 (a) Presentation Certificate for Unsung Hero for the Month of November 2025, Clayton Theatre Company

6. REPORTS
(a) City Manager's Report
(b) City Council/Committees Reports

7. PUBLIC HEARINGS

8. ACTION ITEMS
(a) Further Discussion on Creating a City of Clayton Flag (b) Future Revenue Options – Part 4: Landscape Maintenance District (LMD), General Fund Revenue Options, Recommendations, and Next Steps

9. ADJOURNMENT
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No Items scheduled.
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The next regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council will be December 16, 2025. For meeting information and materials, please visit the City’s website at www.claytonca.gov Agenda December 2, 2025
2 Meeting Information and Access
A complete packet of information containing staff reports and exhibits related to each public item is available for public review in City Hall located at 6000 Heritage Trail and on the City’s website at www.claytonca.gov
Agendas are posted at: 1) City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail; 2) Library, 6125 Clayton Road; 3) Ohm’s Bulletin Board, 1028 Diablo Street, Clayton; and 4) City Website at www.claytonca.gov Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council after distribution of the agenda packet and regarding any public item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s office located at 6000 Heritage Trail during normal business hours and is available for review on the City’s website at www.claytonca.gov If you have a physical impairment requiring special accommodation to participate, please call the City Clerk’s office at least 72 hours (about 3 days) before the meeting at (925) 673-7300.

E-mail Public Comments: Public comment may also be sent to the City Clerk at [email protected] by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. All e-mailed public comments will be forwarded to the entire committee and made part of the official meeting file.

Each person attending the meeting who wishes to speak on an agendized or non-agendized matter (within the council’s jurisdiction), shall have a set amount of time to speak as determined by the Mayor.

Agenda December 2, 2025
3 TO: CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Leticia Miguel, City Clerk
DATE: December 2, 2025
SUBJECT: Approve November 18, 2025 Minutes
Agenda Item: 4.a

STAFF REPORT

RECOMMENDATION
Approve by Minute Order

BACKGROUND
Does not apply to this item.

FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact associated with this agenda item.

ATTACHMENTS
Att A - DRAFT CC MIN 2025-11-18
4 MEETING MINUTES - DRAFT

REGULAR MEETING

CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
______________________________________________________________________ Tuesday, November 18, 2025 7:00 PM
*Indicates the item was discussed out of agenda order

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Mayor Kim Trupiano at Hoyer Hall, in the Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton, California

ROLL CALL

Present: 4 Councilmember Jim Diaz, Councilmember Richard Enea, Councilmember Holly Tillman, and Mayor Kim Trupiano

Absent: 1 Vice Mayor Jeff Wan
Staff Present:

City Manager, Kris Lofthus
Administrative Services Director, Dennis Bozanich
City Attorney, Mala Subramanian
Police Chief, Jeremy Crone
City Clerk, Leticia I. Miguel

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Trupiano led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mayor Trupiano announced revisions to the agenda order and outlined the updated sequence in which items would be addressed.
*

3. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Public Comment was received by Gary Hood.
*

4. CONSENT CALENDAR
No public comment was received.
5 City Council Meeting Minutes November 18, 2025
City of Clayton Page 2 of 6
A motion was made by Councilmember Diaz, seconded by Councilmember Enea, and approved by a vote of those present to adopt all items in the Consent Calendar.

The motion passed as follows:

Aye: 4 – Diaz, Enea, Tillman, and Trupiano
Absent 1 – Wan
(a) Approve October 21, 2025 Minutes
Approved as Submitted on the Consent Calendar.
(b) Approve and Submit Letter of Support for Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s (MDUSD) CEC GFO-25-301 (EPIC) DRIVES Grant Application, including School Bus Charging Infrastructure Storage and Solar Microgrid integration Approved by Minute Order
(c) Consider Adopting Resolution 43-2025 of the City of Clayton Reappointing Eric Hinzel as Representative to the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District
Adopted. Enactment No. RES 43-2025
*

5. RECOGNITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
(a) Certificates of Recognition to Public School Students for Exemplifying the "Do the Right Thing" Character Trait of "Responsibility" No public comment was received.

Presented.
(b) Certificates of Recognition to Public School Students for Exemplifying the "Do the Right Thing" Character Trait of "Respect"
No public comment was received.

Presented.
(c) Presentation Certificate for Unsung Hero for the Month of October 2025,Clayton Valley Village
No public comment was received.

Presented.
6 City Council Meeting Minutes November 18, 2025
City of Clayton Page 3 of 6
(d) Presentation Regarding Military Equipment Use in Accordance with Ordinance No. 495, AB 481, and Clayton Police Department Military Equipment Use Policy Pertaining to the 2026 California State Homeland Security Grant Program – Consideration of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Equipment
No public comment was received.

Presented.

6. REPORTS
(a) City Manager's Report
City Manager Lofthus made the following announcements:
o Reported that the City of Clayton fountain, is now operational and was running for Veteran’s Day.
o Provided updates to the recruitment process for the Community Services Coordinator and Community Services Leader positions.
o Announced the promotion of Zacary Richardson to Senior Maintenance Worker.
o Noted the city has opened recruitment for a Maintenance Worker I/ II position. o Shared positive community feedback regarding the Mayor’s and staff’s presentations at the State of the City event on November 5, 2025. o Highlighted Climatec’s “Flip the Switch” event 0on November 17, 2025.

No public comment was received.
(b) City Council/Committees Report
City Council reports were included in the agenda packet.

No public comment was received.

7. PUBLIC HEARINGS
No items scheduled.

8. ACTION ITEMS
(a) Consider Adopting Resolution 44-2025 Approving the Reclassification of the Job Description of Public Works Director/City Engineer to Public Works Director, Resolution 45-2025 Amending the Management Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) related to the Public Works Director, and Resolution 46-2025 Amending Clayton’s Salary Schedule Effective November 18, 2025 to include the Public Works Director, in Conformance with CalPERS Requirements to Provide a Publicly Available Salary Schedule 7 City Council Meeting Minutes November 18, 2025
City of Clayton Page 4 of 6
City Manager Kris Lofthus, presented the item to the City Council and responded to questions.

No public comment was received.

A motion was made by Councilmember Enea, seconded by Councilmember Tillman to approve Resolution 44-2025.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: 4 – Diaz, Enea, Tillman, and Trupiano

Absent: 1 – Wan
Adopted. Enactment No. RES 44-2025
A motion was made by Councilmember Tillman, seconded by Councilmember Enea to approve Resolutions 45-2025 and 46-2025.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: 4 – Diaz, Enea, Tillman, and Trupiano

Absent: 1 – Wan
Adopted. Enactment No. RES 45-2025
Adopted. Enactment No. RES 46-2025
(b) Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Civic Plus for website American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and redesign, 311 support, online facility rentals, permit and form handling, Public Records Act Request tracking, agenda management, and video streaming for City meetings for a Total Contract Authorization Not to Exceed of $165,000 over two years.

Administrative Services Director, Dennis Bozanich, presented the item to the City Council and responded to questions.

No public comment was received.

A motion was made by Councilmember Tillman, seconded by Councilmember Enea to approve and authorize the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Civic Plus for a Total Contract Authorization Not to Exceed of $165,000 over two years.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: 4 – Diaz, Enea, Tillman, and Trupiano

Absent: 1 – Wan
8 City Council Meeting Minutes November 18, 2025
City of Clayton Page 5 of 6
(c) Consider Selecting a Holiday Banner with Alternative Versions of the City of Clayton Logo
City Manager Kris Lofthus, presented the item to the City Council and responded to questions.

No public comment was received.

A motion was made by Councilmember Enea, seconded by Mayor Trupiano to approve Holiday City of Clayton Logo, Option 3 (Oval Shape), for the holiday banner.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: 3 – Diaz, Enea, and Trupiano

Absent: 1 – Wan
Abstain: 1 –Tillman
(d) Discussion of Current and Ongoing Goal for Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and Additional Road Maintenance Funding Options
Administrative Services Director, Dennis Bozanich, presented the item to the City Council and responded to questions.

Public Comment was received by Lauren Kindorf.

Received and Filed.
(e) Consider Receiving Reports on the FY2024-25 Year End Budget Status and the FY2025-26 First Quarter Budget Status as well as Consider Adopting Resolution 47-2025 of the City of Clayton Approving FY2025-26 Budget Revisions
Administrative Services Director, Dennis Bozanich, presented the item to the City Council and responded to questions.

No public comment was received.

A motion was made by Councilmember Enea, seconded by Councilmember Diaz to approve this Resolution.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: 4 – Diaz, Enea, Tillman, and Trupiano

Absent: 1 – Wan
Adopted. Enactment No. RES 47-2025
9 City Council Meeting Minutes November 18, 2025
City of Clayton Page 6 of 6

9. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Trupiano adjourned the meeting at 9:46 p.m.

Please note the Minutes of this meeting set forth all actions taken by the City Council on the matters stated, but not necessarily in the chronological sequence in which the matters were taken up.
10 TO: CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Leticia Miguel, City Clerk
DATE: December 2, 2025
SUBJECT: Approve and Authorize the Posting of the Local Appointments List Pursuant to the Maddy Act
Agenda Item: 4.b

STAFF REPORT

BACKGROUND
The Maddy Act (Government Code Section 54970) was enacted to promote maximum public awareness of appointments to be made by the Governor, the City Council, or other legislative bodies (Government Code section 54970).

In accordance with the provisions of the Maddy Act, on or before December 31 of each year, the legislative body -- the City Council for the City -- must cause to be prepared and posted a list of appointments to all ongoing boards, commissions and committees that are appointed by the City Council. This list must include which terms will expire during the next calendar year with the name of the incumbent appointee, the date of appointment, the date the term expires, and the necessary qualifications for the position (Government Code Section 54972).

Accordingly, the List of Appointments was posted in the City of Clayton; City Hall, Ohm’s Bulletin Board, Clayton Community Library, and City web site.

The notice will remain posted for one (1) day following the meeting date, after which it will be removed in compliance with posting regulations.

CEQA
CEQA: This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA.

FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact associated with this agenda item.

ATTACHMENTS
Att A - 2025 Local Appointments List 20251202
11 Local Appointments List
Local Appointments List – Maddy Act Govt. Code Section 54970 Page 1 of 4

CITY OF CLAYTON
LOCAL APOINTMENT LIST (MADDY ACT) GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54972 2026 BOARDS AND COMMISIONS VACANCIES
In compliance with California Government Code §54970, the City publishes a Local Appointments List at the end of each year showing all appointive terms which will expire during the next year.

The following is a complete list of upcoming vacancies for 2026:

CITY OF CLAYTON APPOINTMENTS MADE BY THE CITY COUNCIL
PLANNING COMMISSION (5 members)
Meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Clayton Community Library Meeting Room at 6125 Clayton Road at 7:00 p.m. The meeting locations do occasionally change.

The Planning Commission is a five-member advisory board whose members are appointed by the City Council.

The Planning Commission makes decisions and/or recommendations to the City Council on development proposals and land uses within the City of Clayton. All Commissioners must be registered voters and live within the City of Clayton. The term of office is two years, and Commissioners may not serve more than eight consecutive years.

Name of Incumbent Date Appointed Term Expires
*Term is 2 years
Daniel Richardson 07/21/2024 06/30/2026
Joseph Banchero 06/20/2023 06/30/2027
Maria Shulman 07/21/2022 06/30/2026
Bretten Casagrande 06/20/2023 06/30/2027
Nate Brzovich 07/21/2024 06/30/2026
Current Vacancies – None
Upcoming Vacancies – Three

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Meets as needed typically 4 times annually
The Community Financial Sustainability Committee shall include five Clayton residents as voting members, appointed by the City Council. All members shall possess a background in finance, accounting auditing or related field. The Council Budget and Audit Standing Committee will be responsible for screening applications and interviewing candidates for the Committee.
• The Community Financial Sustainability Committee shall hold at least four meetings per year. All meetings of the Committee are open to the public.
• The term of service for each member shall generally be two years. The initial term of some members may be less or more than two years so that the expiration dates are staggered. 12 Local Appointments List
Local Appointments List – Maddy Act Govt. Code Section 54970 Page 2 of 4 Name of Incumbent Date Appointed Term Expires
*Term is 2 years
Hank Stratford 12/02/2022 12/31/2026
Howard Kaplan 12/02/2022 12/31/2026
Frank Gavidia 04/16/2024 12/31/2026
Brian Mayhew 08/19/2025 08/31/2027
VACANT
Current Vacancies – One
Upcoming Vacancies – Three

TRAILS AND LANDSCAPING COMMTTEE
Meets as needed typically 3 to 4 times annually
In 2007, the City Council appointed a Trails and Landscaping Committee to serve as the Citizens’ Oversight Committee to the Citywide Landscaping Maintenance District (CFD 2007-1).

The “Trails and Landscaping Committee,” comprised of up to 11 members, is appointed by the Clayton City Council. This citizens committee meets periodically to advise the City Council and City staff on maintenance, improvement and financial matters related to the 2007 Citywide Landscape Maintenance District (a community facilities district). The District has a separate annual budget to maintain and enhance: public landscaped areas along roadways and in medians, public open space/hillsides of the City, annual weed abatement, and seasonal fire break tasks, the Clayton Fountain, and the Trails System of the City.

Name of Incumbent Date Appointed Term Expires
*Term is 2 years
Erin Bennett 03/2021 09/30/2026
Kate Happy 03/2021 09/30/2026
Patti Pratt 03/2021 09/30/2026
Allison Snow 03/2021 09/30/2026
Joyce Wells 03/2021 09/30/2026
Stephen Rossi 03/2021 09/30/2026
Mike Wells 12/01/2023 12/31/2025
Nat Aycox 08/19/2025 09/30/2026
Dan Buchanan 08/19/2025 09/30/2026
Charlie Schmidt 08/19/2025 09/30/2026
Vacant
Current Vacancies – One
Upcoming Vacancies – Nine
13 Local Appointments List
Local Appointments List – Maddy Act Govt. Code Section 54970 Page 3 of 4

LOCAL APPOINTMENTS TO REGIONAL BODIES

CONTRA COSTA ADVISORY COUNCIL ON AGING
Meets the third Wednesday of each month, 9:30 a.m.; 500 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill The City of Clayton is authorized to have a representative serve on the Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging (ACOA) through the approval of the County Board of Supervisors. Typically, this representative has been a member of our Commission on Aging, selected by consensus of his or her peers.

The Contra Costa County ACOA advises the Area Agency on Aging on all matters related to the development and administration of senior programs for compliance with the mandates of the Older American Act. The Council is comprised of 40 members, each appointed by the County Board of Supervisors in partnership with the member recommendations made by other local agencies, commissions, and advisory groups.

The Area Agency on Aging has clarified that upon the confirmation of the member appointment by the Board of Supervisors for an initial two-year term, members continue consecutive terms until the member resigns, fails to fulfill their responsibilities, or notification is received from the designating City recommending appointment of another individual.

Name of Incumbent Date Appointed Term Expires
*Term is 2 years
Mary Sheila Driscoll 08/19/2025 08/31/2027
Current Vacancies – None
Upcoming Vacancies – None

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY LIBRARY COMMISSION
Meets third Thursday of every other month, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; 1025 Escobar Street, Martinez The Contra Costa County Library Commission was established by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in March 1991. The Commission was created to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors and the County Librarian. As a member of the commission, appointed residents provide a community link to the County Library and are encouraged to express views regarding the goals and operations of the County Library for the betterment of the library system.

The Library Commission is comprised of 24 voting members and 4 non-voting (ex-officio) members serving four-year term:
• Eighteen members representing the cities/towns in Contra Costa County - these Commissioners are appointed by the city/town councils (Richmond does not participate) • Five members represent Contra Costa County - each member of the Board of Supervisors appoints one Commissioner
• One member representing the Central Labor Council
• Four Ex-Officio members representing the College District, East Bay Leadership Council, Office of Education and the Friends Council
Name of Incumbent Date Appointed Term Expires
*Term is 4 years
Amit Prayag 10/15/2024 06/30/2026
Current Vacancies – None
Upcoming Vacancies – One
14 Local Appointments List
Local Appointments List – Maddy Act Govt. Code Section 54970 Page 4 of 4

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MOSQUITO & VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICT
Meets second Monday of every month at 7:00 PM, at the District office, 155 Mason Circle, Concord, CA The Clayton City Council appoints a representative to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District. The Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control is a public health agency that strives to keep the public healthy by preventing the transmission of diseases and improving the quality of life. Consistently at the forefront of mosquito and vector control, the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District has added programs over the years to meet the needs of county residents. Programs and services are available for yellow jackets, Africanized honeybees, ticks, rats, mice, skunks, mosquitoes, and West Nile virus.

Additional information regarding this District is available at www.ccmvcd.dst.ca.us.

The Board of Trustees are officials appointed by their respective city councils to govern the Mosquito and Vector Control District knowledgeably and effectively. They serve without compensation for a term of two to four years and are dedicated to this community service.

Name of Incumbent Date Appointed Term Expires
*Term is 4 years
Eric Hinzel 12/03/2023 12/31/2029
Current Vacancies – None
Upcoming Vacancies – None

CONTRA COSTA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Meets the fourth Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority Committee has requested that each city and the County appoint a citizen to serve on the Authority Citizen Advisory Committee (Citizen’s Advisory Committee). The Citizen’s Advisory Committee is comprised of the nineteen (19) City/County appointees and six (6) members appointed by the Authority. The Citizen’s Advisory Committee serves the Authority by reviewing and commenting on transportation policies and issued broadly affecting Contra Costa County. Their role includes reviewing compliance checklists submitted by the jurisdictions in fulfillment of growth management requirements, and advising the Authority on strategic policy issues pertaining to the ongoing business of the Authority.

Name of Incumbent Date Appointed Term Expires
*Term is 4 years
Edward L. Miller 02/5/2019 02/28/2023
Current Vacancies – One
Upcoming Vacancies – None

APPLYING FOR POSITIONS
All positions are volunteer and appointed by the City Council. You must be a Clayton resident.

To apply, please submit your application by mail, email or in person, please contact the Office of the City Clerk, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton CA 94517 or call (925) 673-7300.

This list is subject to change due to unanticipated departures during the year. For current boards and commissions rosters please visit our city website
For further information, please contact City Clerk Leticia I. Miguel at [email protected] Dated: December 2, 2025
15 TO: CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Leticia Miguel, City Clerk
DATE: December 2, 2025
SUBJECT: Presentation Certificate for Unsung Hero for the Month of November 2025, Clayton Theatre Company
Agenda Item: 5.a

STAFF REPORT

BACKGROUND
Does not apply to this item

FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact associated with this agenda item.

ATTACHMENTS
Att A - Unsung Hero Award 20251202
16 Unsung Hero for the Month of November 2025 December 2, 2025

Clayton Theatre Company
For the month of November, we are honored to recognize Roxanne Pardi, Managing Director of the Clayton Theatre Company, as our Unsung Hero of the Month! Clayton Theatre Company (CTC) was founded in 2012 to bring the live theatre experience to the greater Clayton community. A community-based, non-profit organization CTC’s mission is to entertain, educate, and enrich our community. An allinclusive and diverse production company with non-traditional and color-blind casting, CTC produces a wide variety of plays and musicals. Through their Summer Stage program they strive to instill a love of theatre in local youth. A 2-week summer camp for children ages 7-14, Summer Stage introduces all aspects of singing, dancing, acting, and the many components of putting on a musical. The camp culminates with a final musical performance.

This is not their first award. They have been honored to be a recipient of numerous Shellie Awards for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Choreographer, Best Lighting, and Special Contributions to the Performing Arts.

Roxanne Pardi, Managing Director
Roxanne’s husband’s family moved from Pittsburg to Clayton in 1960. She and her husband, Herc, and daughter Meghan, moved to Clayton in 1986. Roxanne taught music, drama and dance at Pittsburg High School and there she met her business partner and friend, La Tonya Watts, CTC’s Artistic Director. She was one of Roxanne’s students at PHS and always said to reach out to her if Roxanne ever wanted to start a theatre company….cut to 15 years ago, starting the nonprofit paperwork and today CTC is in its 14th season.

Why did they choose Clayton? The only previous theatre company existed back in the late 60’s/early 70’s and they performed summer melodramas, but Roxanne wanted to bring live theatre to Clayton and so she did.

It takes a village to run a theatre company: the CTC Board, La Tonya Watts, the actors, tech crew, volunteers, her husband and family, plus the financial support from the City of Clayton and the Clayton Business & Community Association (CBCA).

They sold out 7 out of the 9 shows for “Tootsie” and while it is a challenge to turn Endeavor Hall into a theatre, they do it! If you have not seen a production at Endeavor Hall, you would be astounded with what they do in that space. Their dream is to build a 350-seat theatre in Clayton. Anyone interested in helping them with this dream? Visit their website at www.claytontheatrecompany.com to learn more about them and upcoming productions. It is now my honor to introduce Clayton’s own Roxanne Pardi and the staff at CTC.
17 TO: CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Leticia Miguel, City Clerk
DATE: December 2, 2025
SUBJECT: City Manager's Report
Agenda Item: 6.a

STAFF REPORT

BACKGROUND
Does not apply to this item

FISCAL IMPACT
Does not apply to this item
18 TO: CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Leticia Miguel, City Clerk
DATE: December 2, 2025
SUBJECT: City Council/Committees Reports
Agenda Item: 6.b

STAFF REPORT

BACKGROUND
The City Council provides a report of activities that took place between the city council meetings.

CEQA
This item is not a project as defined by CEQA.

FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact associated with this agenda item.

ATTACHMENTS
Att A - City Council Committees Reports 20251202
19 City Council/Committees Reports December 2, 2025

Jim Diaz, Councilmember
• 11-20-2025: Attended County Connection Board Meeting. • 11-20-2025: Attended C.B.C.A. General Membership Meeting / Volunteer Appreciation Event.
• 11-22-2025: Attended/ Decorated Downtown Clayton for the Holidays. • 11-27-2025: Celebrated Thanksgiving.
20 City Council/Committees Reports December 2, 2025

Richard G Enea, Councilmember
• Went to the TRANSPAC meeting
• Attended Elks Club dinner
• Attended Italian American dinner
• Attended Climatic Ceremony ( flip the switch)
• Attended Retired Public Employee Association meeting
• Met with City Manager
• Contact with business owners, residents, and phone contacts. 21 City Council/Committees Reports December 2, 2025

Holly Tillman, Councilmember
• November 11: Attended the VFW Post 1525 Veterans Day event at Todos Santos Plaza, commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the end of WWII, and the 250th Birthdays of the US Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.
• Attended a Clayton Pride Board meeting.
• November 14: Attended the Cal Cities virtual League Leaders briefing webinar to prepare for our Annual planning meeting in December in Rancho Mirage. This meeting will help shape policy for the coming year.
• November 17: Attended the Climatec “Flip the Switch” celebration. • November 20: Attended the CBCA Member/Volunteer Appreciation dinner at the Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church where we had food catered by Clayton’s newest restaurant, Vinny’s Taqueria. I also had the honor to present to Tamara and Bob Steiner a proclamation from Supervisor Carlson and Congressional Record from Congressman DeSaulnier thanking them for their dedication to the Clayton community.
• November 22: Attended the Clayton Ranch Regional Preserve Walk and Talk event with the Mayor and East Bay Regional Parks District.
22 City Council/Committees Reports December 2, 2025

Kim Trupiano, Mayor
• Weekly meetings with City Manager, Kris Lofthus
• November 17th: Flip the Switch event with Climatec, Council and local government representatives in honor of the conclusion of our two-year energy saving/infrastructure improvement project.
• November 19th: Dedication of Daffodil Hill with CBCA in honor of their project to plant 1,500 bulbs in December for next spring
• November 19th: East Bay Economic Development Alliance Board Meeting, presentations by Tracy Hernandez, New California Coalition (NCC), and Daniel Payares-Montoya of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) reporting on the Economic Milestones of Young Californians.
• November 20th: Walk and Talk, hosted by me and East Bay Regional Park District Director, John Mercurio. We had about 40-45 attendees, who hiked along the Black Diamond Mines Trail to the entrance of the soon-to-be new EBCRP, Clayton Ranch Regional Preserve. It was a beautiful day, very educational and great to hear about the latest updates on the park, which is tentatively scheduled to open in 2027. • December 1st: Meeting with Assemblywoman Avila Farias and Kris Lofthus, at City Hall.
23 TO: CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Kris Lofthus, City Manager
DATE: December 2, 2025
SUBJECT: Further Discussion on Creating a City of Clayton Flag Agenda Item: 8.a

STAFF REPORT

RECOMMENDATION
Further discussion on creating a City of Clayton Flag

BACKGROUND
On October 1, 2024, the City Council received a presentation from Ted Kaye, a member of the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) and is a published author on the subject.

The council and the community showed support for the endeavor, and this is a follow up discussion to determine the next steps.

ANALYSIS
Having a city flag is important because it gives a community a strong sense of identity and pride. A flag serves as a visual symbol of who the people are and what their city represents.

Much like a sports team’s logo, it allows residents to rally around a common emblem and express love for their hometown. Seeing the flag displayed across the city can remind people that they are part of something larger than themselves. A city flag also promotes unity and belonging. It brings together people from different neighborhoods and backgrounds under one shared symbol. When citizens fly the same flag, it reinforces the idea that everyone contributes to the same community, no matter their differences. In many cities, flags appear at schools, public buildings, and community events, strengthening that collective identity.

Beyond pride and unity, a flag helps with recognition and branding. A well-designed city flag can make a place stand out both nationally and internationally. Cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C. have flags so iconic that they appear on clothing, artwork, and business logos. This kind of recognizable imagery can boost tourism and give the city a consistent visual identity. City flags also carry historical and cultural meaning. Their colors, symbols, and patterns often tell stories about a city’s past—its founding, geography, or key industries. This helps preserve local heritage and ensures that future generations understand where their city came from.
24 A strong city flag can inspire civic engagement and pride in action. When residents feel connected to their city’s identity, they are more likely to get involved in community activities, volunteer, or vote in local elections. In this way, a flag is more than just a piece of fabric—it’s a powerful emblem that unites people, celebrates history, and strengthens the bond between citizens and their city.

Staff is seeking directions on next steps in the process of design, final selection, and procurement of the manufacturing of the flag. Staff would also like to determine the purpose of the flag in terms of where the flag will fly, will smaller flags be available for purchase, and other recommendations that council would like to explore.

Possible processes for the selection of the city flag are:

Option A: Open Design Competition
Invite submissions from anyone (local residents, artists, students, etc.) Offer clear design specs and deadlines
Select finalists, then hold public voting or community feedback sessions Pros: Inclusive, builds civic pride
Cons: Harder to ensure design quality without expert screening Option B: Commission a Professional Artist/Designer
Solicit portfolios or proposals from qualified artists
Review them based on experience and style
Select one to develop the final design in consultation with the committee Pros: Higher design quality, efficiency
Cons: Less community involvement
Option C: Hybrid Approach
Hold an open call for concepts or themes
Select a professional designer to refine and finalize the winning concept Pros: Balances public input and professional design quality 25 CEQA
This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA.

FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact associated with this agenda item.

ATTACHMENTS
Att A - Flag Design Process from Ocotber 2024 City Council Meeting.pdf Att B -FLAG_DESIGN_CHOICES
26 ൡ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye CITY FLAG REDESIGN PROCESS thoughts by Ted Kaye
A flag is an emblem of a place’s people, spirit, land, and history. It is imbued with meaning and, when executed tastefully, creates a sense of pride and respect in the community. It is not only a symbol for its people, but a representation of the city to the rest of the world. [Citizens for a Minneapolis Flag Redesign] Keep in mind: While flag design is an artistic process, flag adoption is clearly a political process. Most find the process 10% design and 90% politics/PR.

Initial Steps
Lay adequate political groundwork, otherwise the effort is doomed to failure.

Secure political and public commitment for a new flag BEFORE sharing any of the proposed new designs. And it cannot be the “mayor’s pet project”—it needs broad political support.

For successful flag-change to occur, it is imperative to separate two concepts:
a) The current flag should be replaced/updated.
b) Here is a design for a new flag.

If they are combined, the forces of inertia and apathy tend to support the current flag and focus criticism on the new design. Better to fight battle (a) and win it, before proceeding to (b). [Some who lose battle (a) decide to proceed anyway, seeking a “people’s flag”. That very rarely succeeds in the goal of a new, adopted city flag. Better to rejoin the fight and win the battle.] Decide how the flag will be used: in city council chambers only, or on city buildings, in schools, sports venues, uniforms, vehicles. Of course it could be flown widely by residents, businesses, etc.

Understand that a good/pleasing/simple design will tend to be used more broadly by the public.

Educate the public and decision-makers about the benefits of having a well-designed flag represent the city: “A great city deserves a great flag”. Use the Roman Mars TED Talk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_mars_why_city_flags_may_be_the_worst_designed_thing_yo u_ve_never_noticed?language=en
[It’s not enough to point out that it is a bad design. There needs to be an opportunity as well.] Engage other organizations, such as the chamber of commerce, convention/visitors bureau, historical society, school district, design community.

If a flag exists already, characterize the effort with words such as “redesign”, “facelift”, and “upgrade” rather than “change” or “replace”. [This can reduce prospective opposition.] (Back to Agenda)
8a Attachment 1
27 ൢ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Understand the likely objections to flag change:
 This is a waste of time; we have more important problems to deal with.  There’s no compelling reason for change—no one has complained about this.  We don’t have the money/resources for this.
 The current flag is part of our history; it has represented us for a long time.  I like the flag (usually meaning “I’m accustomed to the flag”).  My father fought/died under that flag [for national flags] o Sometimes…My grandmother designed that flag.

Rochester, Minnesota, council member Sandra Means said she doesn’t want to see the flag changed unless someone brings forward a compelling reason or there is a strong push for it by the public. “I like the flag. It’s my personal opinion,” Means said. “I’ve seen it for so long.” Counters to those objections:
 The effort spent on creating a new flag creates a banner under which to rally and face those more important problems.
 A great flag represents an opportunity for the city—no one has complained because few have noticed.
 Replacing the current flags is not expensive—there are few of them, and outdoor flags wear out anyway. Simpler designs are often less expensive to make.  We honor the role the current flag has played—it will always be part of our history. o [sometimes…a grace period (e.g. 2 years) during which both flags can fly.]  Perhaps you like it because you’re used to it—You will get used to the new flag and like it too.
 The sacrifices/history made under that flag will never be forgotten. [Note also that if a city’s poorly-designed flag is little-used, the city’s branding is ceded to others, primarily sports teams.]
Summary: Arguments for a well-designed city flag:
 Civic pride / cohesion [internal]
 Branding / promotion [external]
 Better flag = lower cost and more accessibility
An effective marker of the people’s embrace of a city flag is when it starts showing up as a tattoo…
8a Attachment 1
28 ൣ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Talking to officialdom
Don’t start with public venues—the “open mike” session of a city council meeting is the wrong way to approach the decision-makers. Rather, find the “who knows whom” contacts, get an audience with key staff members supporting elected officials, talk to those officials.

Don’t surprise them with media mentions (keep those in reserve for promoting the concept publicly or working to get the public to contact their representatives).

Meet with staff/elected privately.

Make the case (outlined above) by using examples of good and bad city flag designs. Emphasize “peer” or “rival” cities, if useful. If the rival has a good flag, note how “we’re behind”. If the rival has a bad flag, note how “we can beat them”. Don’t propose new designs in the first approach. Talking point: “A great city deserves a great flag”.

Understand that this is likely a low-priority item. Politicians will often say “I haven’t heard my constituents complain about this”, and therefore will think it’s not worth expending political capital on.

Use natural allies (e.g., convention/visitors bureau, arts commission, service organizations—any group with a stake in the branding/image of the city) to help get officials’ attention and make flag-change a priority.

Be ready to propose a process for flag development and adoption, with adequate details, but remaining willing to change it based on officials’ input.

If rebuffed, THEN go to the media, to drum up support and get the citizenry to contact the elected officials.

Be ready for a long haul…these things can take time—up to several years.

Once the political will is in place for flag-change
Choose among alternatives:
1) Accept an initial proposal.
2) Develop a design internally with current staff.
3) Hire a design professional.
4) Conduct a public competition.
8a Attachment 1
29 ൤ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Understand that the flag represents the entire city—not just city government. [This is a common blinder for those who serve in city government. This also can lead to the default design of placing the city seal on the flag—but the seal represents the government; the flag represents the people. This also applies to the city government’s logo.] A vote of the people on the flag is unnecessary and relatively uncommon. Notable exceptions include New Zealand (the only national flag referendum ever, change failed in 2015), Georgia (voted yes to change in 2004), and Mississippi (voted no to change in 2001, voted yes to change in 2020). Elected representatives usually make such decisions for the people.

Feedback from the public is enough. (That said, a vote relieves elected officials of responsibility—they can point disappointed constituents to the “will of the people”—so they might favor that.)
There is no need to copyright the design or place restrictions on it. Some cities mistakenly believe that the flag can only be used by government—instead, it should be an open-source asset of the community. [That is, some well-intentioned but misguided communities attempt to control flag use by limiting its sales and display. The American tradition holds that the flag belongs to the people—discourage copyrighting, trademarking, and limited sales channels.] Still, it is good to make sure the designer does not retain copyright—but instead transfers it to the city through a disclaimer. (This is not a legal opinion, but if the flag is adopted through some ordinance or resolution, that clearly creates ownership by the city. That may be why other cities (or states) don't seem to see this as an issue. That should prevent some business from trying to copyright the flag.)
If (4), Getting Started
Name competent and committed employees or volunteers to staff the effort; perhaps utilize an existing commission or name a special oversight committee (this is not usually needed, but this can provide some political cover). (Existing commissions/boards which might have jurisdiction and provide oversight/guidance/staff/funding include arts, culture, landmarks, history, tourism/business development, transportation, parks.)
Sometimes flag-change starts with activists or designers proposing a new design—some cities just accept that and are done.

Once in while city staffers develop the design.

Professional designers are sometimes commissioned to design the flag (at times this is part of a larger branding effort). Caution: Some understand flag-design principles, some do not (get them a copy of Good Flag, Bad Flag).

Public competitions are the most common. They feel “democratic” and build consensus for flag-change. They deliver the widest range of potential designs (some “outside the box”). The people have a stake in the flag when it is adopted.
8a Attachment 1
30 ൥ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Think through and define the entire process before starting it. Consider the effort as a publicrelations campaign. Remember: “Designing the flag is the easy part”—Peter Ansoff, NAVA President.

Plan what will happen after adoption—the “roll-out” of the flag: city buildings (inside and out), city vehicles, schools, uniforms, letterhead/website, pins, table flags. Some cities (e.g., Chicago) have city code language requiring that the flag fly on all municipal buildings.

Be aware of the school calendar, to allow teachers to plan their students’ participation. [That is, don’t launch in July with deadlines in September!]
Perhaps aim for an appropriate anniversary or event for the flag’s unveiling/adoption (e.g. the city’s incorporation day).

Use the local media to make the case and promote the effort (newspaper, radio, TV, social media). Note there are two forms of coverage: news and opinion. News simply reports the facts—about your effort to adopt/change the flag—reporters handle that. Opinion provides the thoughts of a pundit or opinion-maker, usually in a regular item—columnists handle that.

Determine what the winning designer will receive—cash prize, a plaque, a flag, publicity.

Decide how to split winnings if designers share credit.

If non-residents are allowed to submit designs, and one of those wins, spin that as “our city attracted worldwide design talent” and emphasize the local focus of the committee that chose the design.

Do NOT have a committee design the flag (although a committee might be empowered to alter/combine designs).

Understand that a benefit of public involvement/feedback and a representative flag-selection committee is providing political cover to the officials who will vote on the flag—they can point to the process when the inevitable minority objects to the result.

Perhaps involve service organizations (e.g. in one city the Lions Club took on the project of promoting the competition and publicizing the results by selling flags—at a profit).

Reach out to the professional design community. Understand that some will object to “an attempt to get services for free”. However, typically the majority of professional designers understand the need to democratize the process, enjoy the challenge and opportunity to contribute, and secretly hope for the bragging rights that winning will bring.

8a Attachment 1
31 ൦ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Competition “Rules” (recommended)
 Require entries come in a consistent format/size (paper or electronic) and proportions (e.g. 3”x5”). Aim for a small size. Perhaps provide a template. Specify the file format if digital (.jpg or .png—and from professionals, Illustrator-editable PDFs or .eps files). [This has several benefits: a) it made the size and proportions of entries consistent and comparable, b) it forced most designers to “think smaller” and thus perhaps simpler, and c) it helped with the physical management of the entries.]  Call for solid colors and no graduated colors. [This is important in an age when many designers use computers and can easily create difficult-to-manufacture designs.]  Request an explanation of the design—its symbolism and relation to the city.  Ask for submitter’s name / age / contact info (address/phone/email; perhaps school).  Decide who can submit designs (is there a geographic limitation?) and how many a single designer can submit (perhaps 3–5). [Limitations might be those who live or work in the city, or own a business there, or come from the city.]
 Note that the judges/committee will be empowered to make changes to designs, including combining elements of different designs.
 Make a disclaimer: “By entering this contest, you release all rights to the design (if accepted) and agree to let us submit it to the Legislature/City Council for consideration as an updated flag.” [That avoids potential copyright and legal issues.]  Determine the “prize”: sometimes cash (it need not be a lot; $50–$250),sometimes a flag; often the prize is only glory. [Some professional designers hate this, believing they are being asked to work for free, but they are in the minority among their peers.]  Announce other “rules” (see Appendix 1).

Flags are meant to be seen, not flat and immobile, but hanging from a flag pole or waving in the wind. Designs may appear quite different when viewed that way. To get an idea of how a design would look flying, copy the image into this online flag waver. https://krikienoid.github.io/flagwaver/

A flag is a visible symbol of an invisible bond.
—Lee Herold
8a Attachment 1
32 ൧ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Process
Announce the entire process with appropriate fanfare (media relations—the press can be your friend throughout).

Budget for all the aspects of the project, including staff, travel, conference space, workshops, marketing/PR, website work, events, prize money, and initial run of flags and flag-related items.

Provide the guidelines from Good Flag, Bad Flag, and a link to NAVA’s site, to help direct flag designers. Important: Provide examples of highly-rated comparable flags. [optional: hold public workshops on flag design.]
Line up a vendor for test flags and the eventual full run of flags. There are good sources in the U.S.; some overseas vendors are significantly less expensive.

Create a formal archiving and tracking process so that submissions can be organized, replicated, and shared.

Plan to render children’s primitive art into graphics consistent with other entries—to create a level playing field and help judges view comparable images.

Choose a committee of judges whom the public will likely to consider that represent its preferences/feelings. That may mean diversity in ethnicity, gender, politics, religion, geography, age, and institutional affiliation. This provides a range of perspectives, as well. (Design experts need not be on the committee—they can “throw their weight around”—but they can advise the committee.) Having a vexillologist to consult can help the committee’s work. Obtain commitment of confidentiality from the judges—an agreement not to reveal the discussion outside of the room and not to pre-announce winners.

Have the committee, staff, or impartial flag-design experts cull down the submissions to a manageable number, screening out obviously poor designs. (NAVA has a pool of volunteers available to help—they can rate designs, suggest improvements, and even create designs—and they work fast.) Doing so in advance of the committee work can speed and simplify its deliberations.

Train the judges/committee on flag design principles. This is vitally important. They need to know what they are aiming for, and to understand the severe constraints of flag design.

Otherwise they may be attracted to pretty pictures that won’t work well as flags. (NAVA can help with this as well.)
Have a graphics-software expert on hand to allow the judges to make and review real-time changes to submissions. Use flag-waver simulation software to test submissions.

Consider splitting the committee into two groups: community and design. The community group should focus on how proposals represent the place and will resonate with its residents; the design group should focus on making proposals the best possible designs. Both groups must approve the final proposal(s).
8a Attachment 1
33 ൨ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Have judges/committee narrow down the submissions to 3–5 finalists (could be more—we’ve seen up to 24) for public feedback. [A key aspect, often overlooked, is the extent to which interpersonal dynamics and group decision-making affect the process of selecting the winning design. It pays to agree on a process ahead of time, and enforce it.] Combine or alter designs as they deem appropriate. The point of the exercise is to create a flag for the city, and if that means drawing inspiration from or changing designs, so be it. [Note:
some think that the submitter of a design must be consulted—but in no case has a “winner” objected to changes which led to his/her design being selected! Better to just disclose up-front that the designs may be combined/altered.]
Assure colors come from the standard color set manufactured by flag fabric mills—that is, adjust the colors of the finalists to conform, and specify Pantone numbers if possible. https://www.glasermills.com/color_card.html
Create a public-response mechanism (paper ballots, website) to gather feedback on finalists. [Find ways to keep people from voting more than once, but understand this may still happen.] When consulting the public on more than 3 designs, use a rating scheme rather than voting.

That is, instead of simply having people vote for their favorite, ask them to give a score to each design (e.g. from 0 to 10). That way they rate the relative value of each design, rather than not hearing from them at all on the designs they didn’t vote for. [The overall ranking of the designs is based on the average rating of each design (total rating scores divided by total number of scores given that design). This avoids the problem of “splitting votes among good designs”, and gathers richer data on the public’s preferences. Using a 0–10 scale allows comparison to NAVA’s past surveys and city ratings.]
Take public input with a grain of salt. Members of the public are not experts in flag design, and often will prefer too-complicated designs.

When sharing finalists with the public for a response, explain the designs’ process and meaning, but do NOT disclose information about the designer as well. [There can be a bias inherent in choosing a flag when the voter knows the designer’s name, gender, age, school, ethnicity, or location.]
Determine who can rate/vote on flags (only residents?). [This is difficult to control, and it’s usual to just accept that some “outsiders” will weigh in, but their responses will be diluted by a vast majority of locals.]
While public response is under way, do not disclose the results so far. [People may tend to favor a “winner”, that can easily skew the voting.]
Sometimes the result of a competition and public response is to deliver a short list, rather than one finalist, for the elected government to choose among.

Consider having inexpensive versions of the final designs made up as actual flags—they are great props and can be tested in the breeze and indoors. 8a Attachment 1
34 ൩ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Spend the time to train the ultimate decision-makers—mayor, city council members, etc.— in good flag design, otherwise they, too, may base their decisions on uninformed preferences.

Draft the ordinance (often a city code amendment) and understand the legal process ahead of time—everything but the image and textual description can be arranged in advance. Plan the web presence. Create formal specifications for the flag to guide manufacture and reproduction.

Write full explanations of the design and symbolism.

Formally adopt the flag (e.g. by city council vote—this sometimes takes two meetings).

After adoption, post images, descriptions, specifications, symbol explanations, and vector files on the city’s website). Coordinate media coverage—flags are eye candy (depict the “Betsy Ross of Xxxxxx, making the first flag).

Arrange for the initial production run of flags, cost/quantity/distribution. Determine where city government will fly the flag beyond city hall, such as fire stations, city offices (indoors and outdoors), as well as the livery of government vehicles (civilian, police, fire) and the uniforms of public safety members.

Consider ordering 4”x6” table flags and lapel pins, provide opportunities for the public and businesses to buy the flag and fly it. Order postcards with the flag and provide them to city offices, libraries, tourist center. Order vinyl stickers and put them on all city vehicles.

Hold an appropriate public celebration: unveiling the flag and honoring the designer; plan for initial display and eventual full use. Perhaps tie this to an important date/anniversary/event.

Provide information and artifacts to the local historical society. Write up a “case study” documenting the process, to share with vexillographers/NAVA and other cities. [Capture the process followed, how the design and political challenges were handled, and key learnings—the more facts and figures, the better.]
***Note: these thoughts are U.S.-oriented; Canada has some differences in municipal government, a stronger connection to heraldic traditions that influence flag design, and the Canadian Heraldic Authority as an excellent resource.

Vexillology is the study of flags; the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) is the world’s largest flag-studies organization.

Ted Kaye compiled Good Flag, Bad Flag, the NAVA guide to flag design. He consults broadly on city, state, and national flag-design efforts and speaks frequently in the media.

Currently NAVA’s secretary, he edited its scholarly journal, Raven, for 17 years. 2235 NW Aspen Ave., Portland, OR 97210 [email protected] 503-223-4660 8a Attachment 1
35 ൡൠ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye

LESSONS LEARNED
Here are twelve lessons learned from examining over 100 flag redesign efforts begun between 2015 and 2018 in the United States:

1. Advance approval of the concept and process from elected officials greatly increases the likelihood of the successful adoption of a new flag design. Without it, the likelihood of success is significantly lower.

2. Although this may be obvious, attempts to create a flag for a city without a flag fare better than efforts to replace an existing flag. (There is one fewer obstacle to overcome.)

3. It is counterproductive to propose a new design before obtaining agreement to change the current flag. Most efforts that began with asking a city to adopt a single proposed design have not proceeded past the idea stage.

4. Providing guidance on flag design principles leads to better designs and stronger winners—nearly all efforts cite the basic principles presented in Good Flag, Bad Flag.

5. Organizations can be more successful than individuals acting alone—creating a group to promote flag change, or recruiting existing organizations to sponsor the effort, significantly increases the chances of success. (This is a natural reflection of the political process; it demonstrates to city decision-makers that there is broader support for flag change.)

6. Involving students advances the cause—whether they drive the effort or are simply assured inclusion in it, their involvement can induce political support.

7. Public voting is not always necessary—half of the flags were adopted by city councils without a public consultation or vote, relying instead on committees or the council itself to decide.

8. Smaller cities seem to have more success. Nearly all of the cities adopting new flags have populations of fewer than 150,000. Perhaps the complexity of politics in larger cities makes flag change more difficult, or maybe there are just more small cities in the universe considered.

9. It helps to consider the process from a public-relations perspective, and to plan a campaign to build public support—first for flag change and then for the design adopted.

10. Most contemporary flag-change efforts employ social media to reach, influence, and hear from the public, actively using websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, scribd, change.org, Straw Poll, and SurveyMonkey.

11. City officials must be prepared for negative reactions (to flag change, to proposed designs, and event to the final flag chosen). They are often surprised by the volume and magnitude of criticism.

12. The process can take much longer than people expect. (While some efforts have taken as little as two months from start to finish, most take much longer and some have gone on for more than three years.)

8a Attachment 1
36 ൡൡ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye APPENDIX 1: Competition—Key Decisions / Alternatives [with comments] Who can participate?
 Anyone
 Only residents (how to control this—check box?)
o e.g. resident, worker, business owner, from there…
[Open participation delivers better designs. Odds are a local will submit the winner. But if an “outsider” wins, that can be finessed (“we rate global interest!”).] How many entries per participant?
 Any number
 Limited number (e.g. 5)
 Only one
[Any of these work. Limitations (5 or 1) can serve to reduce the workload of staff and judges. They also force designers to focus on their best ideas.] Prize offered?
 Dollar amount ($50 to $5,000)
 One flag
 To 2nd & 3rd place too
 Glory
[There’s no evidence that prize money is a significant motivator. Bragging rights and contributing to the city seem to be greater incentives. Recognition and a flag are enough. A small prize amount might actually diminish the perceived importance of the effort.]
Sort into categories of designers?
 Professionals
 Adults
 Children—various age groupings
[This is unusual. Partitioning entries allows for some after-the-fact recognition (e.g., “children’s honorable mentions”); but the consideration of the submissions should be blind to the categories—all judged equally.]
Allow judges to change designs?
 No changes at all
 Alter design, color, components
 Combine different designs (honor both submitters)
[This allows designs that otherwise would lose to compete fully. Judges will often say “if X changed, I would vote for it”.]
8a Attachment 1
37 ൡൢ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye Ask to assert copyright?
 Formal disclaimer
[Making the transfer of copyright a condition of submitting a winning design is easy if done up-front.]
On-Line Public Feedback
 Comments (can be requested alone, or as part of other options).  Voting
 Rating
 Ranking
[Voting is not necessary, and if done should only happen when there are just 2 or 3 finalists. It might take place after a preliminary feedback round with more designs to consider. Rating 0–10 is preferable than ranking (as it provides richer data on public opinion, and can be converted to ranking—but not vice versa), and can be conducted on 3, 5, 10, up to 20 designs. Ask for comments, too.] On-Line Submissions
 Show submissions as they come in
 Wait until competition closes
 Don’t show the entire group
[IF the plan is to show the public all the submissions (not necessary), it is much better to wait until the competition closes—that way there is no “he stole my design” and submitters are not influenced by others.]
On-Line Public Response
 Show votes/ratings/comments as they come in
 Wait
[IF voting/rating on-line, it is much better to wait and NOT show partial results— the public may simply vote for the current “winner”.]
On-Line Description
 Give designer name, age, location
 Hide designer name, age, location (only disclose after the final is chosen) [IF voting/rating on-line, don’t disclose designer information—the public may be swayed by favoring a designer, rather than a design (e.g. “I want the kid to win”).]

8a Attachment 1
38 ൡൣ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye APPENDIX 2: Some Resources
NAVA
https://nava.org/flag-design-resources/
List of Cities undergoing flag-change:
https://portlandflag.org/municipal-flag-improvement/
Good Flag, Bad Flag http://nava.org/good-flag-bad-flag/ Roman Mars’ TED Talk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_mars_why_city_flags_may_be_the_worst_desi gned_thing_you_ve_never_noticed
Logan McDougall’s TED Talk on Pocatello:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FRTP1gqJro&feature=youtu.be Some groups promoting their cities’ flag-change:

Atlanta, Georgia: http://atlantacityflag.com/
Los Angeles, California: http://www.losangelesflag.org/ Miami, Florida: https://www.facebook.com/newmiamiflag
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: https://milwaukeeflag.com/
Rochester, Minnesota: https://www.rochesterflag.com/
Rockford, Illinois: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw5_6w6ezmU Salt Lake City, Utah: https://www.slc.gov/flag/
San Francisco, California: http://www.sanfranciscoflag.com/ Sioux Falls, South Dakota: http://www.siouxfallsflag.com/ Springfield, Missouri: http://sgfflag.org
Topeka, Kansas: https://www.visittopeka.com/topeka-flag/ Tulsa, Oklahoma: http://tulsaflag.com

8a Attachment 1
39 ൡ൤ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye APPENDIX 3: Flag Design
Designing a flag reflects “Form Follows Function”.

A flag’s usual purpose is to:
 represent a place, organization, or person,
 generally on a rectangular piece of cloth,
 to be seen at a distance, often moving, from both sides,  and reproduced in quantity, and in many sizes.

This drives the basic principles of flag design: simplicity, meaningful symbolism, few colors, no lettering or seals, and distinctiveness.

But flags are used in many ways. It is important to keep these in mind when considering designs.
 Fly on poles
 Hang limp indoors
 Hang downwards
 Uniform patches
 Lapel pins
 Ship ensigns
 Painted on buildings
 Cover caskets
 Sport celebrations
 Fly with other flags
 Adorn vehicles
 Template—other flags
 Stickers, T-shirts
 Graphic treatments
But another part of “Form Follows Function” is what flags actually do—their purpose.
(This is a higher calling than simply good design—it is good design with a mission.)  Communicate identity—this is us
 Distinguish from others—we are not them
 Show connections—we are similar to them
 Build commonality—we are together
 Stir emotions—this is ours
The fundamental function of a flag is signalling at a distance. Flags have other functions—ceremonial, ritual, etc.— but those are secondary.

For a design to succeed at that fundamental function, it must be discernible (the viewer can make out what's on it when it is flapping, backwards, far away) and memorable (the viewer should be able to recall what the flag represents, likely by associating some symbolism on the flag--images, colors, patterns--with the place, as taught to him already.
8a Attachment 1
40 ൡ൥ City Flag Redesign Process—DRAFT 4/27/2024 Ted Kaye APPENDIX 4: Technical Details
Advice to designers using design software. (courtesy of Brian Chan and Joe Gates):

When editing flag designs, use .ai files in Adobe Illustrator, so that you can change them later.

When creating the initial file in Illustrator, set the canvas size to 36x60” in CMYK. No need for bleed area. When saving, I like to do so either as an .ai or an Illustratoreditable .pdf. The latter tends to be best since you can send it direct to customers, as almost anyone and their grandmother can open a PDF.

Another piece of advice: embed Pantone colors, if possible. Unfortunately, in the very near future, Adobe will force you to pay for use of the Pantone Solid Coated color book and others. However, as long as you call out Pantone colors when submitting to the factory, they will be able to match them for you.

When sharing with a manufacturer, supply a .pdf or .eps file. They might have requirements about the canvas size or resolution but will usually scale your file appropriately.

When sharing online, I usually export as a lossless bitmap with a 600 pixel height, so for a 3:5 ratio flag, it would be a 600 x 1000 pixel .png file. Note that social media networks usually compress images heavily, leaving them as awful .jpg files with fuzzy edges and blotchy colors, but there's only so much you can do about that.

One workaround is to keep the high-res image file on your personal site and link to the page on social media instead of re-posting the image, so people have to view the full resolution.

Another workaround is to post a photo of a physical flying flag, so the image compression is not noticeable.
8a Attachment 1
41 DESIGN 1
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Att B
42 TO: CLAYTON CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Dennis Bozanich
DATE: December 2, 2025
SUBJECT: Future Revenue Options – Part 4: Landscape Maintenance District (LMD), General Fund Revenue Options, Recommendations, and Next Steps Agenda Item: 8.b

STAFF REPORT

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:

Receive the report outlining the status of the Landscape Maintenance District (LMD), General Fund (GF) long-term forecast, and available revenue options.

Provide direction on whether to pursue LMD renewal for the June 2027 sunset and whether the Council desires further refinement of rate-setting, governance, or termlength alternatives.

Provide direction on potential General Fund revenue-raising measures, including whether the City should prepare for a revenue ballot measure for the November 2026 election.

BACKGROUND
At the request of the City Council, staff has prepared Future Revenue Options – Part 4, which continues the multi-phased analysis of the City’s long-term fiscal challenges and potential options for stabilization.

This installment focuses on:

The City’s Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) and its scheduled June 30, 2027 expiration under Measure H.

The City’s General Fund ten-year structural gap, incorporating both essential operational needs and aspirational goals.

A detailed review of revenue-generation tools, including parcel taxes, sales taxes, utility users' taxes, documentary transfer taxes, and cannabis development agreements. 43 The analysis is built on multi-year projections, cost-inflation assumptions, and historical trendlines, as summarized throughout the attached presentation.

ANALYSIS

1. Landscape Maintenance District (LMD)
The LMD supports trails, open space, medians, landscaping, trees, and related infrastructure.

For FY 2025–26, the District budget is balanced at $1.409 million, with $336,188 in reserves. Under Measure H, the current LMD tax rate and its CPI escalator sunset on June 30, 2027, unless renewed by voters.

LMD Cost and Revenue Trends
The LMD ten-year projection shows that expenditures appear artificially elevated in FY 2020 and FY 2022 due to one-time uses of fund balance.

Revenue trends are comparatively stable, with a consistent CPI-based growth rate.

Renewal Options Presented
Three primary options are identified:

1. Maintain district purpose and set new “Year-One” rate based on April 2026 CPI plus estimated April 2027 CPI.

2. Apply a one-time 5% or 10% increase to build a more sustainable reserve for capital replacement (trails, trees, bridges, etc.). As an example, a 10% one-time rate bump is estimated to cost individual taxpayers approximately $30 in Year One, generating ~$127,000 annually in net new district-wide revenue beginning in 2028.

3. Modify structural elements, such as renewal frequency, base rate, or governance.

The ten-year revenue table shows that a one-time 10% increase produces a long-term stabilization path, with revenues rising from $1.4M in FY 2026 to $1.74M in FY 2037.

2. General Fund Structural Gap
The City’s long-term General Fund forecast continues to show significant annual shortfalls driven by:

Existing structural revenue gap of $0.6M–$1.1M per year Salary adjustments necessary to maintain at least 85% of median competitive pay Pavement Condition Index (PCI) funding needs, which require approximately $2.3M–$2.9M annually to avoid roadway network deterioration 44 Combining these factors, the City faces annual funding needs totaling $3.1M–$4.17M between FY 2027 and FY 2037.

GF Forecast Without New Revenue
The chart on Slide 8 shows the General Fund projections with the cost of the aspirational goals built into the widening gap between Total GF Sources and Total GF Uses over the next decade:

Uses grow at approximately 5% annually
Revenues grow at approximately 1.7% annually
The structural deficit reaches ~$3.5M by FY 2037
GF Forecast With $1M in New Revenue
Incorporating $1 million in ongoing new revenue (Page 10):

The gap is reduced materially, but significant deficits remain through FY 2037unless you remove enhanced roadway system maintenance and repair funding.

Additional measures would still be required to fund PCI goals and inflation-adjusted operating needs.

3. Revenue Options Summary
A consolidated revenue matrix on Slide Page shows estimated amounts:

Revenue Type
Estimated
Annual Revenue
Use
Category
Approval
Path
Parcel Tax
($400)
$1.7M Special Council →
Voters
Documentary
Transfer Tax
$60K–
$824K
Either Charter + Tax
measure
Sales Tax (1%) ~$1.0M Either Council →
Voters
Utility Users
Tax
~$1.0M Either Council →
Voters
Cannabis Retail
DA
$500K–
$750K General Council

4. Ballot Measure Timeline
45 If the Council wishes to pursue a November 2026 ballot measure, key deadlines include:

August 7, 2026 – Deadline to place measure on ballot
August 19, 2026 – Deadline to submit ballot arguments
September 24, 2026 – Mailing of Voter Information Pamphlet November 3, 2026 – Election Day
Work on polling, legal review, and drafting must begin in early 2026.

NEXT STEPS
Receive Council questions and direction following public comment.

Based on Council direction, staff will return with:

Detailed rate-setting scenarios for LMD renewal
Additional modeling for selected General Fund revenue options Public engagement plans and proposed timelines for any potential ballot measure
Updated multi-year projections reflecting Council direction No revenue decisions need to be finalized at this meeting.

CEQA
CEQA: This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA.

FISCAL IMPACT
Accepting the recommendations will not have a direct fiscal impact.

ATTACHMENTS
Att A - Future Revenue Options 4.0 - final.pdf
46 FUTURE REVENUE OPTIONS - PART 4: LMD,

RECOMMENDATIONS & NEXT STEPS

CITY OF CLAYTON

CITY COUNCIL
DECEMBER 2, 2025
1 47

LMD OPTIONS
2 48

LMD ACTUALS W/ BUDGET TEN-YEAR PROJECTION
Analysis:
• Use projection likely inflated
by 2020 & 2022 bumps from
use of fund balance
• Source projection is likely
accurate
3 49

LANDSCAPE AND MAINTENANCE DISTRICT (LMD)
• LMD revenue and expenditures are balanced this FY at $1,409,003; Reserve of $336,188 • LMD tax is sunsetting on June 30, 2027, per Measure H, unless extended by the voters • LMD renewal options:

1. Maintain the District purpose and set new “Year-One” Rate based on April 2026 CPI plus an estimated April 2027CPI, OR

2. Options for one time + 5% or 10% more to current base to create a LMD Reserve fund for replacement/enhancement of trails, trees, bridges., etc. Estimated cost to taxpayer would be $30 Year-One (w/10% 1x bump) would generate $127K net new revenue district-wide starting in 2028; CPI would be the same for following years, AND/OR

3. Change renewal frequency, and/or Change fiscal oversight structure, and/or base rate 4 50

LMD REVENUE OPTIONS W/ TEN-YEAR

PROJECTION
Individual Property Owner District Wide
Status Quo
One Time 5% +2%
CPI
One Time 10% +2%
CPI Status Quo
One Time 5% +2%
CPI
One Time 10% +2%
CPI
FY2026 $309.00 $324.45 $339.90 $1,273,389 $1,337,058 $1,400,728 FY2027 $315.18 $330.94 $346.70 $1,298,857 $1,363,800 $1,428,742 FY2028 $321.48 $337.56 $353.63 $1,324,834 $1,391,076 $1,457,317 FY2029 $327.91 $344.31 $360.70 $1,351,331 $1,418,897 $1,486,464 FY2030 $334.47 $351.20 $367.92 $1,378,357 $1,447,275 $1,516,193 FY2031 $341.16 $358.22 $375.28 $1,405,924 $1,476,221 $1,546,517 FY2032 $347.98 $365.38 $382.78 $1,434,043 $1,505,745 $1,577,447 FY2033 $354.94 $372.69 $390.44 $1,462,724 $1,535,860 $1,608,996 FY2034 $362.04 $380.14 $398.25 $1,491,978 $1,566,577 $1,641,176 FY2035 $369.28 $387.75 $406.21 $1,521,818 $1,597,909 $1,674,000 FY2036 $376.67 $395.50 $414.34 $1,552,254 $1,629,867 $1,707,479 FY2037 $384.20 $403.41 $422.62 $1,583,299 $1,662,464 $1,741,629 5 51

GENERAL FUND OPTIONS
6 52

NEEDS WITH ANNUALLY ADJUSTED COSTS
FY 27 FY 28 FY 29 FY 30 FY 31 FY 32 FY 33 FY 34 FY 35 FY 36 FY 37 Revenue Gap1 $0.70M $0.60M $0.70M $0.70M $0.70M $0.70M $0.80M $0.70M $0.80M $0.90M $1.10M Salary - 85%/median2 $0.10M $0.10M $0.10M $0.11M $0.11M $0.11M $0.12M $0.12M $0.12M $0.12M $0.13M PCI – Status quo-ish2 $2.30M $2.36M $2.42M $2.48M $2.54M $2.60M $2.67M $2.73M $2.80M $2.87M $2.94M Total $3.10M $3.06M $3.22M $3.29M $3.35M $3.41M $3.59M $3.55M $3.72M $3.89M $4.17M 1 Gap determined by linear projection analysis
2 Year-over-Year changes use a 2.5% cost inflation factor 7 53

GF BUDGET GAP PROJECTION W/ NEEDS AND

ASPIRATIONAL GOALS PRICED IN AND EXISTING

REVENUE AT PROJECTED GROWTH RATE - NO NEW

REVENUE ADDED
$6,059,807
$6,177,168
$6,000,000
$6,200,000
$6,500,000
$6,800,000
$7,100,000
$7,400,000
$7,700,000
$8,000,000
$8,200,000
$8,400,000
$8,600,000
$6,850,997
$6,258,549
$6,634,791
$9,694,469
$9,855,961
$9,918,990
$9,983,595
$10,049,815
$10,217,691
$10,187,263
$10,358,575
$10,531,669
$10,806,591
$-
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 FY 2030 FY 2031 FY 2032 FY 2033 FY 2034 FY 2035 FY 2036 FY 2037 Total GF Sources Total GF Uses Linear (Total GF Sources) Linear (Total GF Uses) Gap =
$3.5M
8 54

REVENUE OPTIONS SUMMARY
Revenue Source Estimated New
Revenue
General or
Special Purpose Path to Approval
Parcel Tax $1.7M @$400/parcel Special Council, then Voters Documentary Transfer Tax $60,000 - $824,000 General or Special Council, then Voters for Charter + Tax
Sales Tax $1,000,000 General or Special Council, then Voters Utility User Tax $1,000,000 General or Special Council, then Voters Cannabis Retail DA $500,000 - $750,000 General Council
9 55
GF BUDGET GAP PROJECTION W/ REVENUE GAP & 85%

OF MEDIAN GOALS PRICED IN AND EXISTING REVENUE
PLUS $1M IN NET NEW REVENUE
FY27-FY37 Forecast Assumptions:
• Use growth at 5.0%
• Total source growth at 1.7%
10 56

DECISION POINTS
• LMD Renewal
• Should the LMD be renewed?
• Should anything change? Base rate? Term? Governance?
• GF Revenue Options
• Is additional revenue needed before the next election in 2028? • If yes, which source of revenue works best for the amount needed? • If no, what future options exist for the aspirational goals? • How to program any new revenue does not need to be decided today 11 57

NEXT STEPS
• Answer any questions
• Receive feedback and direction on this report from Council after public comment
• Based on direction, return with additional information 12 58
THANKS
13 59