CITY OF FOSTER CITY/
ESTERO MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF APRIL 10, 2023
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER OF CITY COUNCIL/EMID BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The duly called and noticed special meeting of the City Council of the City of Foster City (City), sitting as said Council and as ex officio the Board of Directors of the Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID) of April 10, 2023 was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Mayor/President Froomin.
The meeting was held as a hybrid meeting.
ROLL CALL
The Communications Director/City Clerk/District Secretary called the roll:
PRESENT: Councilmembers/ex officio EMID Directors Stacy Jimenez, Art Kiesel, Patrick Sullivan, and Mayor/President Jon Froomin.
Councilmember/Director Hindi arrived at 6:32 p.m.
ABSENT: None.
STAFF PRESENT: Stefan Chatwin, City/District Manager, Denise Bazzano, Assistant City Attorney/District Legal Counsel; Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager; Edmund Suen, Finance Director; Julie Paping,
Administrative Services Director; Sofia Mangalam, Community Development Director; Tracy Avelar, Police Chief; Ray Towne, Interim Public Works Director; Derek Schweigart, Parks and Recreation Director; Martin Ticas, Police Captain; Laura Galli, Engineering Manager; Tiffany Oren, Recreation Manager; Thai-Chau Le, Planning Manager; ‘Andra Lorenz, Senior Management Analyst; Zaheed Danish, Public Works Superintendent; Oz Jimenez, Recreation Coordinator; Rob Lasky, IT Manager; Shuli Chen, Video Technician and Priscilla Schaus, Communications Director/City Clerk/District Secretary.
PUBLIC
Archana Bhuta, representing Foster City Sports Leagues (Foster City Chinese Church, Foster City Tournament Baseball, PenCities, AYSO, Peninsula), addressed the City Council in person regarding the sports fields’ usage fees.
STUDY SESSION
Mayor/President Froomin recessed the meeting into Study Session for the following:
1. Cost Allocation Plan and User Fee Study and City Council Direction Regarding Proposed Changes to the Master Fee and Service Charges Schedule for Fiscal Year 2023-2024
2. Updates for CalOpps Fees and Service Charges for Fiscal Year 2023-2024
3. Updates for Parks and Recreation Department Fees and Service Charges for Fiscal Year 2023-2024
4. Updates for Public Works Department Fees and Service Charges for Fiscal Year 2023-2024
5. Updates for Community Development Department Fees and Service Charges for Fiscal Year 2023-2024
6. Updates for Police Department Fees and Service Charges for Fiscal Year 2023- 2024
Motion by Councilmember/Director Hindi, seconded by Vice Mayor/Vice President Sullivan, and carried, 5-0-0, Minute Order No. 1911 was adopted as follows:
1. Proceed with current methodology of seeking reimbursement at the consultant’s rate/fees charged to the City plus 15% for administrative cost recovery;
2. Proceed with adjusting fees annually using the December San Francisco Area (San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward) Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI- U) cost inflator after fiscal year 2023-2024;
3. Proceed with 5% increase to the CalOpps annual membership fee and 5% increase in the per-posting fee for FY 2023-2024;
4. Proceed with Parks and Recreation Fee Schedule based on the recommendations and allocations contained in the staff report with guidance to hold off on finalizing sports fields user fees until Parks and Recreation Director Schweigart meets with youth sports groups;
5. Proceed with Public Works Fee Schedule based on the recommendations and allocations contained in the staff report except with direction to incorporate an administrative fee for sidewalk repair of $150 if property owner repairs sidewalk within the time frame allotted by City policy, and if property owner does not respond to City notifications regarding sidewalk repair and a lien is issued, proceed with administrative fee of $419;
6. Proceed with Community Development Fee Schedule with recommendations to a 45% increase for building fees over a three-year period based on Building Cost Index (BCI), and implement a new flat fee of $161 for Express Plan Checks. The increase in building fees will only apply to those fees that need to catch up to the full cost recovery For Planning fees, proceed with recommended increase in certain flat fees and deposits except for Sign Review. For Code Enforcement, proceed with recommended increase to the second letter/inspection fee, when staff is able to recover the associated costs; and
7. Proceed with Police Department Enforcement Vehicle Tow and Staff Billing Rate Fee Schedules based on the recommendations and allocations contained in the staff report with guidance to review Municipal Code enforcement fee and consider its deletion and revisit at the May 1, 2023 Regular Council Meeting. Keep no fee for 1st false alarm; incorporate the suggested fees for the 2nd through 4th false alarms, false alarms 5th through 7th will be full cost recovery, and for 8 or more false alarms the fee will be $324.71 each time.
Meeting recessed into study session at 6:35 p.m. and reconvened at 9:47 p.m.
CLOSED SESSION
Mayor/President Froomin recessed the meeting into Closed Session for:
1. Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation- Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9: (One potential case); and
2. Report Out from Closed Session.
Meeting recessed into closed session at 9:47 p.m. and reconvened at 10:07 p.m.
City Attorney/District Legal Counsel Bazzano reported that no action was taken in Closed Session.
ADJOURNMENT
Hearing no objection from the City Council/EMID Board, Mayor/President Froomin adjourned the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 10:07 p.m.