11/19/2024 City Council Minutes Page 1 of 4
MINUTES OF THE DAVIS CITY COUNCIL
Meeting of November 19, 2024
The City Council of the City of Davis met in regular meeting session beginning at 6:39 p.m. in the Community Chambers, 23 Russell Boulevard, Davis, California. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Josh Chapman.
Roll Call: Councilmembers Present: Will Arnold, Donna Neville, Gloria Partida, Bapu Vaitla, Josh Chapman
Councilmembers Absent: None
Other Officers Present: City Manager Mike Webb , City Attorney Inder Khalsa, City Clerk Zoe Mirabile
Approval of
Agenda
W. Arnold moved, seconded by D. Neville, to approve the agenda.
Motion passed unanimously.
Ceremonial
Presentations
A. Recognition and Proclamation Honoring Police Chief Darren Pytel on His Retirement from the City of Davis, presented by J. Chapman.
City staff and public officials and representatives spoke and pre- sented commendations:
1. Jean Lyon, Deputy Director of Police Services
2. Lucy Brazil, representing Congressman Mike Thompson, pre- sented a Congressional Records Statement.
3. Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar -Curry, presented an Assembly Resolution.
4. Lizette Marshman, representing Bill Dodd
5. Tara Thronson, representing Supervisor Lucas Frerichs
6. Oliver Stone , representing Supervis or Jim Provenza , presented Yolo County Resolution
B. Swearing in Ceremony for Police Chief Todd Henry
Police Chief Todd Henry was sworn in by Police Chief Darren Pytel.
Public comments:
• Norbie Kumagai: Personal experience receiving extraordinary police service with compassion.
• Rochelle Swanson: Thank Pytel for service and welcome Henry. • Robert Canning: Representing Police Ac countability Commission .
Thank Pytel for support of commission and willingness to answer questions and entertain ideas.
• Joe Farrell, UC Davis Police Chief: Congratulate Pytel and thank for support and advice over the years. Welcome Henry.
11/19/2024 City Council Minutes Page 2 of 4
City Council recessed at 7:47 p.m. and reconvened at 7:57 p.m.
City Manager
Announce-
ments
M. Webb: November 19 -21—Quarterly downtown streets pressure washing, D to G Streets and Second to Third Streets. November 22 — Unveiling public art in honor of Karim Abou Najm. Ceremony will meet at Willett Elementary due to anticipated rain. November 28-29—City offices will be closed for Thanksgiving holiday. December 5—annual candlelight parade and tree lighting downtown.
City Council
Announce-
ments and Li-
aison Reports
None
Public Com-
ments
• Alan Hirsch: Booth at Farmers Market featur es signs for community members to display in yards with peaceful and loving messages. • Alan Miller: Support peaceful transition of power and democratic pro- cess. Oppose Measure J/R/D – leads to car centric planning. Need to plan for urban limit line and development with full connectivity. • Antonio de Loera -Brust: Compassionate leadership is important to reassure immigrant community. Focus on local issues such as afford- able housing so that all people can afford to live in the community. • Norbie Kumagai: Thank ed Will Arnold for service during tenure as councilmember.
• Connor Gorman: UC Union representing service workers will be strik- ing over the next two days. Encourage community to support workers.
Public Hear-
ing:
Wastewater
Local Limit
Discharge
Daily Maxi-
mums – Spe-
cific Pollutant
Limitations
Public Works Utilities & Operations Director Stan Gryczko: Current local limits were developed in 1993 and last modified in 2013. Wastewater treatment plan process upgrades were completed in 2017 and impact how pollutants are removed from wastewater. Proposed changes include removals, additions, and relaxing limits for pollutants of concern due to WWTP upgrades and/or changing source conditions.
Mayor Chapman opened the public hearing, and after no comments, closed the public hearing.
D. Neville moved, seconded by B. Vaitla, to introduce Ordinance Amend- ing Section 33.03.080 of the Davis Municipal Code Relating to Sewers and Sewage Disposal, and Making a Determination of Exemption Under CEQA Pursuant to Sections 15263 and 15308 . Motion passed unani- mously.
11/19/2024 City Council Minutes Page 3 of 4
Village Farms
Davis Project
Update –
CEQA Docu-
ment and En-
titlements
Status Report
Principal Planner Dara Dungworth: Overview of original project proposal submitted in April 2023. Revised proposed project includes same num- ber of dwelling units, modified groundwater recharge.
The Biological Resource Assessment prepared for the project identified the habitat resource area as an alkali playa (type of jurisdictional wet- land). The applicant determined that the previously conceptualized bio- logical resource avoidance alternative would be the project they wished to bring forward and seek approval of. The EIR was prepared with an equal weight alternative (EWA) for the Biological Resource Preservation Alternative (BRPA). An EWA is a modified project design that substan- tially lessens or eliminates the significant environmental effects of a pro- ject, while still achieving most or all of the project objectives, and has been analyzed at the same level of scrutiny as the proposed project. An- ticipate draft EIR released for public review in January 2025.
Rochelle Swanson, representing Village Farms Davis: Project was de- layed from March to November in order to have a robust environmental assessment process. Revised project retains commitment to provide 1,800 housing units. Large focus on missing mi ddle and affordable by design.
Public comments:
• Patrick Huber: Thank applicant team for working diligently to redesign proposal. Support BRPA as preferred project.
• Alan Miller: Prioritize connection via bike loop. Plan for a transit cor- ridor instead of individual project proposals.
• Norbie Kumagai, Mike Eamiss, and Connor Gorman: Support project.
Support additional housing in city, especially affordable housing. • Eileen Samitz: Project has major design flaws—200 acre flood plain, history of toxic contaminants from immediate adjacent former landfill site. North Davis is a highly congested traffic area already. Fire sta- tion not needed because most calls are for medical services. • Leeland Lochland: Oppose project. Site next to former landfill. Water waste treatment will impact ability of city to accommodate any future development projects.
• Suzanna and Heather Caswell: Support project. Enlightened housing development and ecological stewardship.
• Ron Ortell: Oppose project. Flood plan, will interfere with habitat, traf- fic congestion. Infrastructure costs will fall on city. Site next to former landfill.
• Elizabeth Reyes: Dangerous traffic conditions—unsafe for children to commute to schools across Covell and no overpass or underpass planned for project. Site on 200 acre flood plain. Don’t need another fire station.
11/19/2024 City Council Minutes Page 4 of 4
• Douglas Sheck: Support project. Provide opportunities for more fam- ilies to move to Davis. Support down payment assistant program and smaller affordable by design housing.
• Nancy Price: Oppose. Very large project with issues. Sited next to former landfill. Impact of toxic contaminants must be investigated to confirm if PFAS forever chemicals are leaching into ground water. • Victor Lagunes: Support project revisions that results in more uni ts more accessible to greater number of people.
City Council recessed at 8:58 p.m. and reconvened at 9:06 p.m.
R. Swanson: Project is capturing the entirety of its stormwater and build- ing resiliency. Circulation plan connects to existing bikelanes and green- belts. Extensive research and reports and testing on Channel A drainage channel, project is designed to not interfere with ground water. Project is within capacity of water supply and W astewater Treatment Plant. Fire station response times necessitate a fire station in north Davis, it is a need identified in the current General Plan.
AB 1234 Re-
porting
None
Long Range
Calendar
M. Webb: November 20 —council special meeting with agenda topic homeless services ecosystem. December 3—anticipate adding Fire Sta- tion 31 discussion item.
Adjournment Meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.
Zoe Mirabile
City Clerk