City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 1 of 18 December 11, 2023 7 City of Lafayette
City Council
Minutes
Lafayette Library and Learning Center – Don Tatzin Community Hall December 11, 2023 3491 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, California 6:30 p.m.
As a courtesy, and technology permitting, members of the public may participate virtually. However, the City cannot guarantee that the public’s access to teleconferencing technology will be uninterrupted, and technical difficulties may occur from time to time. Unless required by the Brown Act, City Council/Board meetings will continue despite technical difficulties for participants using the teleconferencing (Zoom) option. To participate virtually in the City of Lafayette’s public meetings and provide public comment, please follow these steps:
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City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 2 of 18 December 11, 2023 Mayor Anduri called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: City Council: Mayor Anduri; Vice Mayor Dawson; Councilmembers Candell, Gerringer, and Kwok
Absent: None
Present: Senior Services Commission Vice Chair Conrad Breece, Commissioners Stephanie Carrasco, Carol Federighi, Ruth McCahan, and Dorothy Walker. Absent: Chair Terry Ann Black and Commissioner Michael Kern
Staff Present: Niroop Srivatsa, City Manager; Tracy Robinson, Administrative Services Director; Jonathan Katayanagi, Parks and Recreation Director; Mala Subramanian, City Attorney; Joanne Robbins, City Clerk
3. Disclosure and/or Take Action on Remote Participation due to Just Cause or Emergency Circumstances Pursuant to AB 2449 (Gov. Code section 54953(f).)
4. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Candell/Dawson) to adopt the agenda. Vote: 5-0 (Ayes: Anduri, Dawson, Candell, Gerringer, and Kwok
; Noes: None).
5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – (For Closed Session items only)
None
6. CLOSED SESSION
A. Conference with Labor Negotiators Gov. Code Section 54957.6 City designated representative: Niroop Srivatsa, City Manager Employee organization: Association of Lafayette Employees (ALE) B. Conference with Labor Negotiators Gov. Code Section 54957.6 City designated representative: Niroop Srivatsa, City Manager Unrepresented employees: All employees, excluding the City Manager and those within ALE C. Conference with Labor Negotiators Gov. Code Section 54957.6 City designated representative: Mayor Anduri
Unrepresented employee: Niroop Srivatsa, City Manager
OPEN SESSION – 7:00 p.m.
Mayor Anduri reconvened the regular meeting and announced there was no reportable action taken in Closed Session.
7. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Former Mayor Erling Horn led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 3 of 18 December 11, 2023
8. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT
A. Mayor Anduri
Land Acknowledgement Statement
We acknowledge that Lafayette is part of the unceded, ancestral homeland of the Bay Miwok people. The Bay Miwok and neighboring Ohlone people have lived in and moved through this place for thousands of years. They stewarded and shaped this land for hundreds of generations. We express our appreciation and gratitude for this profound legacy, which enhances and contributes to our lives to this day. We will strive to honor this land and strengthen our ties with the Indigenous communities that continue to live and work in our East Bay region as our neighbors and community members. We acknowledge and honor them and their ancestors, elders, and next seven generations.
9. PUBLIC COMMENTS – (For items not on the agenda)
ROBERT FELLOWS said he is speaking regarding the issue of establishing an historical marker for the events of 1797. This is a battle between the Spanish military and the Saklan residents of the Lafayette area. It was the most significant event to occur in Lafayette and it would be appropriate in conjunction with the Acknowledgement Statement just read that the City create a more permanent marker easily available to the public to educate them on the local history. This is supported in academic research, the Lafayette Historical Society’s own publication, and other sources of information. The exact location is not needed to recognize the event and might cause issues regarding the exposure of archaeological sites.
He originally made an inquiry in 2022 and was referred to the Lafayette Historical Society, and they have not been able to move forward on the establishment of a physical marker by the recognition of the event on the Historical Society’s website. He requested the Council establish a process and a person responsible for accomplishing the goal of setting up a physical marker in 2024, which would include selecting appropriate language for the plaque including descriptions and historical sources such as Randall Milliken’s work, a time of little choice, that introduced him to his research and to the Spanish journals documenting the history of the area. It would also include finding a suitable public location such as Lafayette Plaza Park or the Library and, if there is an issue of funding, there could be a funding drive to reach out to various sources. He asked if the Council had any questions and asked to contact him regarding the request.
10. CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE
City Manager Srivatsa provided the following year at a glance:
• From Administration, the City Clerk notarized 117 documents, recorded 79 documents, prepared 27 agendas and minutes of the Council meeting, and responded individually to thousands of emails.
• From Communications, they have expanded their sources. Most popular is the Weekly Round Up email where they have close to 2,000 subscribers followed by Instagram, Facebook, Twitter X, general news email, Almost Daily Briefing which gets around 1,100 subscribers, and 367 on LinkedIn.com.
• From their Banner Program, this year they installed 7 different banners representing various aspects of the season and of Lafayette.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 4 of 18 December 11, 2023 • From Finance, they issued 4,860 vendor payments and made 2,128 payroll payments. • From Engineering, they installed used or issued 20 new ADA ramps, 557 linear feet of guardrail, 2,310 square feet of retaining wall, 28,258 square feet of ADA-compliant pathway, used over 2,000 tons of asphalt for paving, striped 18,000 linear feet of road, issued 575 encroachment permits, took 1051 Public Works orders, and issued almost 3,000 underground service alert tickets. In addition, Engineering staff was successful in securing $4.1 million in transportation grant funding this year.
• From Planning, it is clear that interest rates which are rising, and cooler lending markets have impacted development activity. They had 255 development applications submitted this year as compared with 322 last year, 30 applications for ADUs as compared to almost 60 last year, and they received 16 SB 9 applications compared to 6 last year. • From Police, from January through October the Police Department took 11,218 calls for service, investigated 163 separate crimes, and arrested 258 individuals. • From Parks, Trails, and Recreation, there were 8,307 class enrollments in 2023 which is up by almost 400 since last year, 268 families benefitted from the Tiny Tots Preschool programs, 90 kids per day take the school bus from Burton Valley to their afterschool programs at the Community Center, 595 kids enrolled in afterschool enrichment programs in elementary schools, 1,300 enrolled in summer camp programs, 296 camp connections for morning and afternoon programs, 623 Pickleball class enrollments, and countless participated in the Age-Friendly drop-in, 340 joined the Senior Service membership, and 3,500 drives were provided by the Lamorinda Spirit Van.
None of this would not have been possible without the support of the community, the leadership of this Council, and the hard work and dedication of City staff. On behalf of staff, she thanked everyone for their support and wished them a happy holidays.
Mayor Anduri opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
11. PRESENTATIONS
A. Don Tatzin
1. Update from the CCCTA – County Connection
Recommendation: Receive and file.
2. Update from Senator Glazer’s Office
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Don Tatzin, CCCTA, Chair, County Connection Board of Directors and representative of Senator Glazer’s Office, provided an update from CCTA County Connection, providing statistics on ridership, Route 6 system and its use to BART and Miramonte High School, retirements of and hiring of operators, paratransit service, the one seat ride program, establishment of transit signal priorities along heavily used routes so buses get priority, bus on shoulder along I-680 during congested periods, testing autonomous vehicles around Martinez, a potential future ballot measure that could resolve financial issues, need for a BART Board member representing Lafayette, bills to be signed and as authored by Senator Glazer, and asked for any and all ideas for legislature.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 5 of 18 December 11, 2023 Mayor Anduri opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
B. Senior Services Commission
Update on Goals and Accomplishments
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Vice Chair Conrad Breece first introduced Commissioners present as Stephanie Carrasco, Carol Federighi, Dorothy Walker, and Ruth McCahan, and said Chair Terry Black sends her regrets as she is recuperating from surgery. He reported that Commissioner McCahan was awarded last week the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club for her involvement with Lamorinda Village and its founding.
Vice Chair Breece gave a presentation on the Senior Services Commission’s goals and accomplishments, stating they have been working on Lafayette Age-Friendly Community under the auspices of AARP, working on domain tables, outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and inclusion, civic engagement, employment, communication and information, community and health services, and emergency preparedness.
He presented highlights of the Commission which include the domain tables, planning of a Town Hall meeting in 2024 to review tables, the Lamorinda Spirit Van receipt of a $20,000 contribution from the Town of Moraga, active senior services programming particularly Pickleball and the Hockey Rink, work on supporting memberships of the Lamorinda Village, and he introduced Kathryn Ishizu, Director of Lamorinda Village and Suzy Pak to provide a presentation.
Kathryn Ishizu, Executive Director, Lamorinda Village, said she is deeply grateful for the opportunity to come before the Council on behalf of their organization and express appreciation for the trust and partnership extended to them through the Lafayette Senior Services Commission and the City of Lafayette.
They have embarked on a mission to support older adults and collaboration has been remarkable. The City of Lafayette’s commitment to the well-being of their elderly population has seamlessly aligned with their organizational goals, enabling them to make a significant impact.
Ms. Ishizu spoke on their progress, as follows:
• In March 2023, the Council approved and allocated up to $60,000 a year to pay membership dues for qualified Lafayette seniors. As of December, Lamorinda Village now has 338 total members. • They added 67 Lafayette members which is a 24.7% increase to their overall membership and a 115% increase to their supported memberships from last year. • As of today, they have received just over $30,000 in funds from the City and they used these funds to retain an exceptional individual deeply committed to community engagement, Suzy Pak, their part-time Community Outreach Coordinator.
Suzy Pak, Community Outreach Coordinator, provided direct statements from their LamorindaVillage.org website, and said the key theme is about connections. They are a non-profit, made up of residents and members from Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga and also have members from outside the area who love their values. Members only need to be 55 years old, and part of their goal is to help create those connections that their community may not find as easily as they did when they had children in school or if they were in the workplace. In addition to providing opportunities to meet neighbors and make new friends, they also provided a number of services for members who need them.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 6 of 18 December 11, 2023 With their partnership with the city, they talked about what Lamorinda Village wants to do to uphold their part of this deal and how they will do it and be successful. They first needed to build awareness of Lamorinda Village, wanted to increase their membership, do have a number of programs, activities, and resources already available and wanted to improve on that. In addition to taking care of members, they wanted to encourage new and existing volunteers and they also wanted to provide some opportunities for the community at large. They ask people what they want, add value to members and the community, integrate new things at a steady pace, and evaluate their work, adjust, make tweaks, and uncover new information.
Ms. Pak then described some of the things they engaged in which include figuring out how to reach target numbers and seniors that may no longer be driving, not hear about them, are not on-line, and much of the ideas came from medical organizations and businesses. One of the very fun activities is Golden Happy Hour which is free and sponsored either by businesses or individuals. They are very popular, and they must cap out at 50 participants. This provides a great opportunity for folks to socialize, and they met and talked with Merrill Gardens about how they could support the senior community who may not live at Merrill Gardens. They are very willing and helped them provide an amazing happy hour with over 150 people last month. They provided live entertainment, wine, appetizers, desserts and this provided a chance to reconnect with some of their old neighbors and friends or colleagues. As a result of this collaboration, they have agreed to make this an annual tradition every November. They are also talking with them about possibly using some of their space for classes and programs.
One long term partner and supporter has been the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation.
Through their support, Senior Swell takes place at the café every Tuesday morning from 10-12, a monthly sing-a-longs, a movie matinee, and financial support with senior transportation which will help boost the Spirit Van. In addition, they also want to provide opportunities for the community to volunteer and she presented and described pictures of some of the opportunities. They also are expanding community services open to anybody, which she presented and described.
What they learned over the six to seven months together is Lamorinda Village is hard to explain to someone who does not know about it. They found the best form of actually sharing what Lamorinda Village is word of mouth. It takes time, but this has developed the most loyal and enthusiastic participants.
She invited some folks to share some of their thoughts, and they can speak under public comment.
In conclusion, they believe this has been highly successful and on behalf of Lamorinda Village, she thanked the Council and the community for allowing this to happen.
Vice Chair Conrad Breece concluded the presentation and echoed the sentiments of how popular Lamorinda Village is and its programs.
PTR Director Jonathan Katayanagi added that they have Ricki Juster in the audience who is the coordinator for the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program and those in need of a ride can email [email protected] or anything regarding Age-Friendly, questions about the Village, access to the supportive membership, emailing [email protected]. It has been a wonderful collaboration and he thanked everyone for being part of this.
Mayor Anduri opened the public comment period.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 7 of 18 December 11, 2023 BETH BROWN, Senior Swell, said she is a new volunteer and said in 2021 they held the vaccination clinic.
She loves to volunteer and when Suzy Pak asked her about Senior Swell, and she right away agreed to be involved. It has been amazing because she has met many amazing people and thinks it is a place for people to connect. It gets very lonely when kids are out of school, maybe someone does not have a partner anymore, and they play games, have food, and have a lot of fun conversations. Their goal was to have 2 people and that day there were about 5 or 6 visitors, and their greatest was 11 people which was recently.
It is drop in, and she loves volunteering.
THEODORE MULLIN, Service Coordinator for Belle Terre which is one of the buildings that Lamorinda Village comes to. He began working with seniors over the past 10 years and it is remarkable to see people bounce back after COVID. He learned that a high percentage of seniors want to live at home because they have roots. He thanked the City for their gracious work. When Kathryn Ishizu was introduced to him as a partner through Eden Housing, they talked and provided outreach to their community. She then met Suzy Pak and began brainstorming ideas for outreach to seniors. They saw a great success with the Movie Matinee. Residents are getting out and about in the community after COVID, make connections, volunteer, and as someone who loves serving people, it just melts your heart to hear testimonies from the young to the old. The connection through Lamorinda Village has been a great impact at Belle Terre, and he thanked the Council.
JUDY HATZ said she is also a resident of Belle Terre. Recently she was asked what the best time of her life was by Suzy Pak. She thought long and hard and as a senior she was suddenly in a position to rent rooms in other people’s houses. Suddenly, after 6 years of waiting, she got in at Belle Terre and it was probably 6 or 8 months after she moved in that Ms. Ishizu make a presentation at one of their meetings, and she signed up immediately. She is an introvert, so it took her a while to do anything, but it has made a huge difference in her life. She also knows that it is not the way a person should be living. She has no family here and her one child lives in Italy. There will come a time when she needs help, and Lamorinda Village will be there for her. She worried at first that they might be treated differently being from Belle Terre, but it has never been the case. This organization has allowed her to loosen up her introversion, do volunteer work, and meet so many nice people. Her calendar is full, and it is amazing. So, the best time of her life is right now at 82 years old. She finally has a very nice life. She is around fabulous people, and she thanked the Council especially for the Spirit Van because she could not do without it.
Mayor Anduri thanked the Senior Services Commission for all they do and thanked Lamorinda Village for making a presentation and report. The collaboration of both bodies is one of the most significant things that they have done this year. He also recognized Sharon Iverson, President of the Lamorinda Village Board and Gordon Chong who is a Lafayette who is also on the Board. He thanked them for their service.
Mayor Anduri said he and Councilmember Gerringer attend the Afternoon of Gratitude that Lamorinda Village celebrated on Friday, and he and Councilmember Gerringer attended. There are many volunteers, and each year the Lamorinda Village recognizes one individual and gives them the Don Jenkins Lamorinda Village Service Award. He read the proclamation into the record to this year’s award winner, Ruth McCahan. Photos were then taken with Commissioner McCahan and the Council.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 8 of 18 December 11, 2023 C. Council Reorganization
Remarks by Mayor Anduri
Mayor Anduri stated it has been a real privilege serving as Mayor. He thanked his wife, Sharon for her support, thanked his fellow Councilmembers for being such collaborative colleagues, thanked the City Manager and all City staff for all they have done over the past year. He acknowledged and thanked the hundreds of volunteers on the City’s commissions, committees, and task forces, and volunteers at the Chamber of Commerce, the Library Foundation, the Lafayette Community Foundation, the Park Theater Trust, Lamorinda Village, LPI, the homeowner associations, Lafayette Historical Society, and so many other community organizations that have contributed so much to the City. It is the volunteer spirit of this community that sets us apart.
Working together, City staff and City volunteers accomplished quite a bit this past year. First and foremost, there is the important on-going work of the City. This work includes enforcing the law and keeping us safe, providing recreation programs and recreation venues, developing, improving, and maintaining their infrastructure, maintaining a healthy General Fund Reserve through fiscally prudent practices, generally providing all services to which residents have become accustomed.
During her City Manager’s update, Ms. Srivatsa provided some of the highlights and the vast numbers involved in this on-going work. What surprises him is how much their staff and volunteers are able to accomplish each year above and beyond this very important on-going work. It is useful to look back on what everybody accomplished this past year:
• In January, the Council approved an updated Housing Element for the General Plan and submitted it to the State prior to the January deadline;
• During the year, staff, residents, and the Council have spent thousands of hours working on the revised Housing Element Update which is now out for public comment; • All year they have been celebrating 175+ years of Lafayette history which has given them a better understanding of their past, particularly the City’s pre-European past and a better understanding of the inevitability of change and how change has shaped their present. It has also raised awareness of the value of a group that helps us learn lessons from our past, the Lafayette Historical Society;
• As part of their celebration of 175+ years, they installed 7 Lafayette History-themed utility box wraps along Mt. Diablo Boulevard;
• The City also adopted its Land Acknowledgement Statement and related protocols; • The City adopted and implementing the safe firearms storage ordinance; • In April they opened the First Street Rain Garden;
• Their Creeks Committee installed new signs along the creeks. They have 16 miles of creeks in Lafayette and the committee wants to make residents more aware of them; • They purchased the Campagna property on Moraga Road and the Police Station property on Mt.
Diablo Boulevard;
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 9 of 18 December 11, 2023 • They opened the new Children’s Deck at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center; • They have been collaborating with Lamorinda Village to provide services to older adults in Lafayette;
• They approved a $1.5 million loan to Sunflower Hill to help finance construction of 38 residential units for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; • In June, they co-hosted the second annual Community Day; • They began a partnership with Sustainable Contra Costa and launched the Lamorinda Sustainability Challenge, which he described and said they were very successful in spurring their neighbors onto greater sustainability. As of this morning, Lafayette scored 119,000 points, Moraga scored 197,000 points, and Orinda won the challenge with 276,000 points; • The City’s Environmental Task Force and their Recreation Department initiated and loaner program for residents to try out electric induction cooktops and electric leaf blowers. The Council adopted an ordinance upon recommendation of the Task Force banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers beginning July 1, 2024;
• Councilmembers and City staff collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce on the outreach to downtown businesses;
• They extended the authority for outdoor dining until January 2025 and made improvements to the traffic barriers along Lafayette Circle. The orange barriers are now a distant memory; • In September, they launched a new Lafayette Business Promotion website; “Experience Lafayette”. They used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to develop the website; • The Public Art Committee developed a downtown mural program that was approved by the City Council in June which calls for the installation of 4 new murals in the downtown over the next 4 years;
• A group of residents who are experts in their fields came together to help preserve our iconic Reservoir Tower. That effort is still on-going, but EBMUD has decided not to begin work in 2024; • They approved an updated Safety Element of the General Plan; • They installed street safety improvements around all schools; • They adopted a new Traffic Calming Program, updating the existing 20-year-old program; and • They approved a Local Roads Safety Program (LRSP) as part of their commitment to Vision Zero.
In August they launched the Slow Down Lafayette campaign again as part of their commitment to Vision Zero.
Each of these accomplishments involved some measure of change. They have been reminded by the celebration of the City’s history that Lafayette has always been changing. They know that Lafayette will continue to change, and it is up to everybody to work together to create the change that makes Lafayette an even better place to live. He thanked each Councilmember for doing just that during 2023.
Presentation to Mayor Anduri by Vice Mayor Dawson
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 10 of 18 December 11, 2023 Vice Mayor Dawson stated there has been so much work and wonderful things that have come to fruition under Mayor Anduri’s leadership. Not so long ago, Mayor Anduri served on the Planning Commission before serving 10 years on the City Council, twice acting as Mayor during that time. Then, he took a break to focus on his day job, just some work leading a multi-national network of law firms. This community and Council are so fortunate he chose to return and that the community elected Mayor Anduri again to the Council. They have had the benefit of Mayor Anduri serving a third term as Mayor and it has been an amazing year filled with many accomplishments and it had its challenges, ranging from making the transition from virtual to in-person public meetings and getting the Housing Element adopted.
Through this and all matters in between, Mayor Anduri has led with constant statesmanship, bringing to bear his wealth of professional and public service experience that we only greatly benefit from. He has set a high bar for Mayorship, running efficient, coherent, productive Council meetings even when they might go to the wee hours of the morning. He guided deliberation, looked for consensus, were always respectful of the Council’s thoughts and votes. His manner of considerate listening and deliberation and fair informed decision-making is exemplary.
There are many great things she can talk about that Mayor Anduri has had a part in, but she wanted to mention her favorite which is Lafayette celebrating 175+ years. She appreciates the entire effort and collaboration with the Lafayette Historical Society and all the great people involved for awareness and appreciation of our history. It resonates with her as poet Maya Angela said, “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” Our history helps set direction and the knowledge is important to have as they continue to work on the new General Plan. She is sure she speaks for the community to say the experience was fun, entertaining, and an amazing addition to their public art.
She thanked Mayor Anduri for all he has done and said it is a great pleasure, honor, and education to work with him. She then gave him a token of appreciation which is a very fancy pen.
Election of Mayor and Vice Mayor
Mayor Anduri opened the public comment period.
CANDACE ANDERSON, Contra Costa County Supervisor, said she wants to take the opportunity to honor out-going Mayor Carl Anduri. As she listened to the Lamorinda Village presentation, and she is a big fan, she was thinking about driving her 93-year-old father to get a shot in the eye for his macular degeneration.
She was explaining to him where she was going tonight to honor Carl Anduri and explained to him his career. Her father is an attorney and is aware of the great career when working for a large firm. He looked at her and asked why he was just serving on a City Council. She said it is because he cares about his community. With his earlier years and then coming back, Mayor Anduri’s handprint is throughout the community and his influence on all the great and wonderful things that took place because of his and others’ leadership. She then provided a certificate of appreciation thanking him for his service.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 11 of 18 December 11, 2023 MARY ANN HOISINGTON, said she is so glad she lives in her little neighborhood because they care about each other and respect each other, watch out for one another, and they are lucky they live in Lafayette.
Two of the reasons why Lafayette is so wonderful are the City Council and City Staff members. The way Mayor Anduri has done his job wonderfully. He did everything he had to do but when reading through the many things, they would not have happened if he had not suggested them or if all of the Councilmembers had not followed through with them. She thanked him for all the time spent for the community, and she presented him with a celebratory bottle of bubbly to share with Sharon, his wife.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Anduri/Gerringer) to nominate and appoint Vice Mayor Dawson as Mayor for 2024 and Councilmember Kwok as Vice Mayor for 2024. Roll Call Vote: 5-0 (Ayes: Anduri, Dawson, Candell, Gerringer, and Kwok, and Anduri; Noes: None).
Remarks by new Mayor and Vice Mayor
Mayor Dawson said it is a pleasure and honor to serve with Councilmembers. She thanked her husband, Michael, from campaign manager to first gentleman, she appreciates his support. She is fortunate to have served as Vice Mayor alongside Mayor Anduri who has been an inspiring guide of professionalism, preparedness, civility, and fairness. Former Mayors Gerringer and Candell are exemplary leaders. She is humbled to take on this role and, as a daughter of a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, she feels honored and uplifted to become the first Lafayette Mayor of Asian-American decent. She is also proud to follow her father’s example of service to the community. Her father was a surgeon and appointed by the California Governor to serve on the State Medical Board and did so for over 15 years. She is proud to serve this community, is ready to serve as Mayor and get to work.
This coming year, the City will face challenges, some known and some unknown, yet she is optimistic. She prefers to think of challenges as opportunities for coming together, building connections, and knowledge base to come up with inclusive, innovative, and collaborative solutions. The Council is a strong team, and she is confident they will navigate challenges and turn them into opportunities that will best enable us to meet our goals. And they are fortunate to have an incredible staff. The great work they do is reflected in the quality and number of services the City offers and so much more and they outperform the lean budget they operate on. The Council is deeply grateful for their work.
During this current fiscal year from July 2023 to the end of June 2024, the Council is focused on 4 priorities:
1) wildfire prevention and utility safety; 2) safe multi-modal transportation; 3) a new framework for a vibrant, balanced downtown; and 4) a fiscal sustainability for the short and long-term. The Council will meet early in the new year to discuss their progress and set priorities, and they will adopt new ones for the new fiscal year starting in July 2024. They welcome and encourage community input into this process.
As she looks to the new year, her focus will be to leverage the investment of time and efforts that staff, the many volunteers, and community members have made towards current commitments and priorities, and the knowledge gained from these efforts. They have a lot to do this year and this list is rife with challenges and opportunities—opportunities to make connections and build strong ones with community stakeholders and potential partners who also need to get things done. Opportunity lies in discussing their objectives, capabilities, their willingness to work together so they can collaborate on innovative solutions and efficiencies to get as close as they can to their goals and accomplish them.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 12 of 18 December 11, 2023 A good example is attaining affordable housing goals set forth in the Housing Element. They cannot meet these goals alone. We need to hit the ground running and engage with fellow housing stakeholders to make the connections that will facilitate commitments and investments to get housing planned and built.
Another timely example is starting work on a new framework for their downtown to make it the most vibrant, inclusive, and safest place it can be. In planning, they will need input from all stakeholders including their downtown business community, valued partner, the Chamber of Commerce, and residents.
This also includes stakeholders making investments and building affordable homes downtown.
The Council is poised to address improving the City’s fiscal sustainability. Their 5-year fiscal outlook projects a decline in the City’s reserves. This challenge gives them opportunities to reach out to residents to find out what they value in the community and their satisfaction with the City services and amenities.
With this information, they in turn will provide revenue options that they can improve their financial position to best serve their community.
The Council priority in wildfire prevention and utility safety is another one that benefits from opportunistic thinking, specifically the collaboration with their energy provider, PG&E. This important collaboration has already produced measurable results to make their community safer and they have more to discuss as they implement programs from their recently adopted Safety Element. She can go on, but the message she wants to get across is that challenges they face equal opportunities to make Lafayette an even better place to be. She thanked Councilmember Anduri for putting forth the Slow Down Lafayette initiative.
Recent implementation has already helped decrease driver speeds and increase awareness. She would be glad to continue this effort and proposes an ad-hoc committee to do so.
As a reminder to us all especially as it is time when we could get distracted by or are part of this year’s hustle bustle, she asked people to slow down, be aware, commit to your personal safety and that of your neighbors by driving at or below speed limits. Finally, there is much going on in the world and in our country that may impact our sense of peace and well-being. She affirms Lafayette stands united against hate. In 2022, the Council adopted a new City mission statement. We are guided with that communitydriven vision to be a welcoming, inclusive, safe place for all. Let’s carry on in the respectful civil tradition that is the hallmark of their city. Lafayette is and will continue to be a wonderful, safe place to be. She thanked everybody for this privilege and looks forward to serving the community with Vice Mayor Kwok and fellow Councilmembers. They welcome and appreciate everyone’s engagement.
Mayor Dawson opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
Vice Mayor Kwok said he wanted to extend his thanks to Councilmember Anduri for an outstanding year as Mayor. He was truly a model of professionalism, diplomacy and representation of the community. He knows it has been because he has been Mayor twice and the third time was a charm. He thanked his wife, Sharon, because he knows how much time he prepared for meetings and leading them through some very difficult meetings. He came very prepared, led them capably and the Council was able to tackle the difficult issues of their City.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 13 of 18 December 11, 2023 On another note, he thanked his fellow Councilmembers for extending him the privilege to be Vice Mayor in 2024. He is very excited to work with Mayor Dawson. Mayor Dawson mentioned she is the daughter of immigrants, and he too is the son of immigrants. His parents fled communist China in the 1940’s and became grateful citizens here of the United States. It is in the Kwok family DNA to show their appreciation for America’s democratic system of government and to volunteer service to the community and, by extension, to our country. It is an honor to serve alongside this City Council and he looks forward to a productive year ahead in 2024.
Cake Break
12. CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Dawson asked and confirmed there were no requests for removal of items by Councilmembers and no public comments.
A. Minutes
November 27, 2023
Recommendation: Approve.
B. 2023 Paving Project, Final Acceptance of Construction Contract No. 014-9736 Recommendation: 1) Allocate approximately $70,000 of the 2023 Paving Project (014-9736) surplus to cover the overruns for the Mt. Diablo Court Signal Project (014-9723). The exact amount of the budget transfer will be included in the final report for the signal project. 2) Accept the 2023 Paving Project as complete, authorize staff to file a Notice of Completion, and allocate the surplus funds (minus the funds re-programmed for the signal project) to remain in Fund 014 to pay for future projects.
C. Resolution 2023-58 Appointing Standby Officers to the Lafayette City Council for 2024 Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2023-58.
D. 2024 City Council/Commission Meeting Schedule
Recommendation: Adopt the 2024 Meeting Schedule.
E. Maddy Act Local Commission/Committee Appointment List Recommendation: Receive and file.
F. Quarterly Investment Report – 4
th Quarter, Fiscal Year 22/23
Recommendation: Receive and file.
G. Resolution 2023-60 Accepting the FY2022/23 Development Impact Fee Annual Report for Compliance with AB 1600
Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2023-60.
H. Lafayette Library and Learning Center Children’s Activity Deck Remodel Completion, and final acceptance of Construction Contract No. 014-9731.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 14 of 18 December 11, 2023 Recommendation: Accept the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (LLLC) Children’s Activity Deck Remodel Project No. 014-9731 as complete and authorize staff to file a Notice of Completion.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Candell/Gerringer) to adopt Consent Calendar Items A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. Roll Call Vote: 5-0 (Ayes: Dawson, Kwok, Anduri, Candell, and Gerringer; Noes: None).
13. OLD BUSINESS – None.
14. STAFF REPORTS – None.
15. PUBLIC HEARINGS – None.
16. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT – None.
17. COUNCIL/COMMISSION REPORTS
A. Councilmembers report on activities and consideration of matters a Councilmember wishes to initiate for placement on a future agenda.
Vice Mayor Kwok reported on the status of the Lafayette Reservoir Tower with EBMUD, stating there is a recommendation from EBMUD to remove or shorten the tower and there is a citizens’ group that has reviewed and offered other options to preserve its current height. The citizens’ group and EBMUD have met and most recently, the committee presented an alternative to EBMUD and their engineering firm that involved not removing the tower. EBMUD and the engineering team have been reviewing that, gave feedback in a meeting after Thanksgiving holidays, and now the ball is in the citizens’ court to review EBMUD’s feedback. He appreciated the group led by Gordon Chong who is accompanied by a half dozen of Lafayette residents who are civil, mechanical, structural engineers, architects, and an incredibly capable group working with EBMUD to try and find if there is a compromise that would involve retaining the tower at its current height. This will continue into 2024.
Councilmember Candell reported she and Councilmember Gerringer last Thursday went to the Town Hall on the School Street project and Topper Lane improvements around Stanley, including a new rendering of a drop-off on St. Mary’s Road. It was pretty well attended, and it was very well done. Staff did a tremendous job in the presentation and then everybody fanned out to go to different stations. They heard a lot from residents about the design and type of vegetation they want which is different from First Street.
They are in a very different place than 2 years ago. They have people working together to try to come up with viable solutions and they still have what is a gap on Topper Lane, but they are closing it, and she thanked staff for the amount of work, as well as the consultant.
Councilmember Gerringer acknowledged that their partner in transportation in getting students to and from school safety. A school board member and the Superintendent were able to attend as well. She also thought the process was very focused and everybody got to share their comments, and she looks forward to the reports that will come to the Council.
She also had the opportunity with former Mayor Anduri to the lighting of the Menorah which was well done. Also, the beginning of this meeting with Lamorinda Village and Don Tatzin’s report, she has good feelings overall about community.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 15 of 18 December 11, 2023 Councilmember Anduri said the Acalanes Dons Football Team won the 3 AAA California High School Championship, which is the first men’s team to win a state championship. There are 2 women’s teams including volleyball that have won in the past. At Councilmember Candell’s suggestion he wrote to the Neighborhood Council in Lake Balboa, which is where Birmingham High School is located and offered them a wager and heard nothing back, which he is surprised about. He congratulated the Dons, and they may want to get a representative of the team in January to honor them.
He also learned, thanks to former Mayor Horn, is that Norm Van Brocklin was an all pro for 6 straight years with the Los Angeles Rams and one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, particularly a star in the 1950’s, attended Acalanes High School for 3 years and was their quarterback in the 1940’s. So, they have the best quarterback on the team since Norm Van Brocklin.
Councilmember Anduri also reported that at the end of the Afternoon of Gratitude and leaving the Community Center, it was amazing Friday afternoon because there is the construction going on with the new playground, all classes in session, the big bus pulling up for people, 200 people spilling out of the Community Hall, and it was amazing to see all that activity out there, and he thanked Director Katayanagi for his leadership on it.
He also reported he and Councilmember Candell attended the Tree of Light ceremony in Orinda which is done there for all 3 Lamorinda towns which was a very meaningful experience.
Mayor Dawson reported last week she had the opportunity and honor to meet Attorney General Rob Bonta. It was a good experience. She was able to speak with him for a few minutes to let him know a little bit about Lafayette. In September, the AG filed a lawsuit against the big 5 oil companies, and he is calling it a crime that they knew what they were doing, knew the effects of climate change, and they were also aware of ways to reduce the damage. His lawsuit is about getting money back because the State of California has paid a lot to mitigate the effects of climate change and will into the future. The goal is to also have that come to cities that also have had impacts of climate change. Lafayette has as they are looking to where they can build their homes, changing the California fire maps, and other things so it will be interesting to follow this and keep in touch with his office.
B. Vice Mayor Dawson and Councilmember Gerringer
Solid Waste Rates for Rate Year 10 (March 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025 Recommendation: Discuss and provide direction to Vice Mayor Dawson and Councilmember Gerringer.
City Manager Srivatsa stated before the Council is the request to establish the solid waste rates for Rate Year 10, starting March 1, 2024. The representatives to the authority are Mayor Dawson and Councilmember Gerringer who met twice with the consultant and the Solid Waste staff and reviewed a variety of options. The staff report identifies the criteria with which they evaluated these scenarios and are recommending a rate increase of 7.25%. Much of that goes into the CPI of 4.8% and increases labor cost escalations and fuel cost increases.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 16 of 18 December 11, 2023 The staff report contains a list of jurisdictions serviced by Recycle Smart and Lafayette is somewhere in the middle of that range. Liaisons have continued to be mindful of the impacts of trucks on the City’s streets and to make sure vehicle impact fees are funded, and at this time they are recommending the Council support a 7.25% increase.
Mayor Dawson opened the public comment period.
ROB LAVOIE congratulated everyone on the Council reorganization. He looked at the proposed rates and noticed Danville is $38, Walnut Creek is $29, and Lafayette is $44 so he wondered why Lafayette is so much more expensive.
Mayor Dawson said each city is unique in its terrain and layout. This is all factored in, and it depends on the weight of the product. It is not necessarily a comparison between the cities in setting the rate nor the rate charged. They were very cognizant in taking all cost considerations as well as covering the service charges. It is in line with the rate increase that those cities also went through.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Gerringer/Candell) to provide direction that the Council is in support of and accepts the recommended 7.25% rate increase pending approval by the RecycleSmart Board in January 2024. Roll Call Vote: 5-0 (Ayes: Anduri, Candell, Gerringer, Kwok, and Dawson; Noes: None).
C. Vice Mayor Dawson
Allocation of Funds for Employee Bonuses
Recommendation: Discuss and direct.
Mayor Dawson said the Council will be discussing the end of the year bonus for staff and there is a recommendation for an amount similar to what the bonus has been for the past 2 years. It amounts to about $225,000 and also a bonus for the City Manager at $10,000. She asked for discussion on the matter to move the item forward or adjust as appropriate.
Vice Mayor Kwok said they have had an annual bonus in the City for 20 of the last 24 years and what they should remember is their employees are unlike most other cities in that they do not have the same pension program and public sector incentives available. The City operates more as a private company and therefore bonuses are an important part of compensation for the City. In the past few years, they have had a bonus pool of $225,000 plus $10,000 or $11,000 bonus for the City Manager. There have been years where there was no bonus such as the COVID year of 2020 and in 2010 when the City was limited in its economic situation.
Councilmember Gerringer said she thinks they kicked off the meeting with the City Manager’s report that outlined in quantitative measures about how much the City has accomplished, as well as Mayor Anduri during challenging times. Staffing levels were not always up, and so making the choice not to fill some of those positions, which resulted in cost savings, also put more pressure on employees to ensure things got done. She is supportive of the recommendation for reasons staff has been doing so much more and have accomplished a lot this year, as well as the City Manager.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 17 of 18 December 11, 2023 Councilmember Anduri pointed out that during this past year, they had several positions authorized but they chose not to fill them, which put additional burden on existing staff. The workload on existing staff was at least as high as it has been in past years. They started out with severe weather at the end of December and early January which set the tone in Public Works, which bore the brunt of that for a few months, as well as Planning working heavily throughout the year, and there was record attendance at their recreation programs. So, the reasons there are bonuses to incentivize employees to increase morale it is fitting that they have the same level of bonus as they have had in the past 2 years, so he completely supports the proposal.
Councilmember Candell echoed Councilmember comments. She added that they know they are facing some financial hard times in the future, and she thinks all Councilmembers are in agreement that these bonuses are for the work done last year. It is not for next year and so while facing a different story in the future, they want to be sure this is rewarding employees for a job well done this past year.
Mayor Dawson echoed sentiments and said staff is incredible. They outperform the City’s budget and are amazing. This bonus is well-deserved and reflects the many hours of their work for the City.
Mayor Dawson opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Kwok/Anduri) to allocate $225,000 for employee bonus pool and a $10,000 bonus for the City Manager. Roll Call Vote: 5-0 (Ayes: Dawson, Kwok, Anduri, Candell, and Gerringer ; Noes: None).
City Manager Srivatsa thanked the City Council and on behalf of staff.
D. Councilmember Kwok and Mayor Anduri
Resolution 2023-59 Appointing one member to the Environmental Task Force Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2023-59 appointing one member to the Environmental Task Force.
Vice Mayor Kwok said there was a vacancy on the 7-member task force, and they were extremely fortunate to have 6 applicants for the one vacancy which were all exceptional. The decision was difficult, and he expressed his appreciation for those expressing interest in the City’s environmental work and the work of the task force. In the end, he and Councilmember Anduri propose appointing Jenean Smith to fill the vacancy, and he described her experience. He thanked the other 5 applicants for their interest and encouraged them to participate on ETF projects in 2024 as volunteers.
Mayor Dawson opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Anduri/Kwok) to adopt Resolution 2023-59 appointing Jeanean Smith to the Environmental Task Force. Roll Call Vote: 5-0 (Ayes: Dawson, Kwok, Anduri, Candell, and Gerringer; Noes:
None).
18. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
A. Letter from The Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center Board, with the 2023 Annual Review of changes made and activities at the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center located at 3932 Mt. Diablo Boulevard.
City Council & Senior Services Commission Meeting Page 18 of 18 December 11, 2023 Recommendation: Receive and file.
Mayor Dawson recognized Janet Thomas for the report and incredible work on the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center, which is a true gem in the City.
Councilmember Anduri emphasized this is a great part of the community. It provides a chance to garden and meet others who are interested in it. It looks great and it is a fantastic place. He received a comment from his wife during the cake break as to why he did not mention the Community Garden during his remarks, and he apologized.
Mayor Dawson opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Dawson/Gerringer) to receive and file letter. Roll Call Vote: 5-0 (Ayes: Dawson, Kwok, Anduri, Candell, and Gerringer; Noes: None).
19. ADJOURNMENT - 9:30 p.m., with congratulations to the Acalanes Dons on winning the CIF Division 3-AA Championship!
APPROVED:
__________________________________
Gina M. Dawson, Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________
Joanne Robbins, City Clerk