Mayor Councilmembers
Lisa Motoyama Paul Fadelli
Mayor Pro Tem Gabriel Quinto
Tessa Rudnick AGENDA Carolyn Wysinger
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2023
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING (9:00 AM)
Arlington Clubhouse - 1120 Arlington Ave El Cerrito, CA 94530 This meeting will be held in-person only with no remote participation.
Accommodations: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 510- 215-4305. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable accommodations. Closed Captions available via zoom.
Conduct: This meeting shall be conducted pursuant to the El Cerrito City Council Rules of Order and Procedure.
Public Comments: For items on the special meeting agenda only
1. In-person by submitting a request to speak to the City Clerk.
2. By Email to [email protected] identified in the subject line as Public Comments – Agenda Item #.
Written comments received by 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 2, 2023 will be provided to the City Council and posted online in advance of the meeting. Comments received after the deadline will be provided to the City Council and will be posted after the meeting.
9:00 AM ROLL CALL - CONVENE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
1. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
All persons wishing to speak should sign up with the City Clerk. Remarks are typically limited to 3 minutes per person and to items on the special meeting agenda only.
2. CITY COUNCIL RETREAT
Conduct a facilitated City Council retreat focused on the following areas:
• Council teambuilding and best practices in governance • Council administrative policies and rules of procedure • Planning next steps for updating the City's Strategic Plan Contact: Karen Pinkos, City Manager, City Management; Nancy Hetrick, Facilitator, Baker Tilly
3. ADJOURN REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
The City of El Cerrito serves, leads and supports our diverse community by providing exemplary and innovative services, public places and infrastructure, ensuring public safety and creating an economically and environmentally sustainable future.
Agenda Packet Page 1 of 4
CITY HALL 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Telephone (510) 215-4305 Fax (510) 215-4379 http://www.el-cerrito.org
SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA MATERIALS
PUBLIC COMMENT INDEX
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
February 4, 2023
The following Public Comments were received by 2:00:00 p.m. 2/2/2023, were provided directly to City Councilmembers in advance of the meeting, and were posted online as supplemental materials at www.el-cerrito.org/CouncilMeetingMaterials
Agenda Item 2 – CITY COUNCIL RETREAT
1. Howdy Goudey
Agenda Packet Page 2 of 4
From: Howdy Goudey
To: City Clerk
Subject: Public comment - Feb 4 Council retreat - agenda item 2 Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023 1:55:47 PM
Caution! This message was sent from outside your organization.
City Clerk, please include the following comments for Council to their Feb. 4th Council Retreat.
Dear Mayor Motoyama, and Council Members,
Please consider the following comments regarding the direction you will be discussing and setting for governance, administrative policies, procedure, updating the Strategic Plan, etc., as part of your Council Retreat.
1. In addition to the city-wide electrification ordinance "early win" proceeding the CAAP completion, implement as much operational climate action into the routine business of the city as possible in parallel with the CAAP process.
Create an interdepartmental task force of City staff to regularly meet and collaborate on the integration of climate action into routine business practice and work planning processes in all areas of the City
Change the Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT) rebate so that it no longer offers heavy subsidies for efficient gas appliances. Do not qualify any gas appliances for the rebate.
combine with other potential updates to qualifying work for RPTT rebates (resilience, batteries, wildfire hardening etc.)
perhaps this can be included as part of the gas-ban ordinance Update Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy
Add “Climate” language to the title and incorporate GHG reduction considerations into all purchasing policies
Establish a city purchasing policy to prohibit purchase of gas appliances for city facilities (including the replacement of existing gas appliances).
Begin planning ahead to facilitate the transition, such that no future building City facilities fall back on gas appliances for lack of planning.
Start planning now for electric replacements to make it more seamless at the time of replacement.
For instance: plan now for the next pool heater to be a heat pump and the next maintenance replacement of a furnace or hot water heater in any City building to be a heat pump.
Adopt a strict fleet vehicle policy that transitions as quickly as feasible to an all-electric fleet, or at least significantly lower GHG emissions with each vehicle purchase for challenging vehicle types
exceptions for vehicle classes for which there are no market available options at a feasible life-cycle price
require factoring in life-cycle fuel and maintenance costs in the cost comparison analysis of electric versus fossil fuel vehicles at the time of purchase
As a short-term interim measure, procure renewable diesel for the central tank supplying all diesel fleet vehicles
Agenda Packet Page 3 of 4
Use only for existing vehicles and replacement vehicles without feasible electric options
Set a target GHG equivalence factor for a high quality (low GHG) renewable diesel fuel
2. Address the comments from the EQC about Staff and Council interactions with advisory bodies
Several efforts have been made by the EQC as a body, and EQC members as individuals, to engage Staff and Council about ways to improve communication with our advisory bodies, but there has been no response or dialog offered.
3. Allow youth (under 18 participation) on advisory committees like the EQC Albany's Climate Action Committee has an explicit position open to youth participation.
4. Maintain virtual access for public viewing/comment to all public meetings (including advisory bodies)
Recent communication indicated that there is no intention to continue to offer virtual access to the public for advisory body meetings The work necessary to administer this is overstated
All staff liaisons have already been doing this work for more than 2 years and not much changes to do it from an in-person meeting of the body Failing to offer the virtual public option reduces transparency and participation as well as removes the option of body members to occasionally use remote participation as allowed by AB2449
5. Improve public input process for the city budget
Consider a more public integrated participatory budget process Thank you for your time and consideration,
Howdy Goudey
El Cerrito
Agenda Packet Page 4 of 4