City Council Special Meeting Page 1 of 4 January 24, 2024 7 City of Lafayette
City Council Special Meeting
Minutes
Lafayette City Offices January 29, 2024
3675 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Conference Room 240, Lafayette, California 6:00 p.m.
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.
Submit Comments Before the Meeting: Members of the public can provide public comment by sending an e-mail to [email protected] for City Council meetings no later than noon the day of the meeting. Those e-mails will be distributed to City Council, the City Manager, and the City Attorney, and will be posted as part of the public record.
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Dawson called the City Council Special meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Dawson; Vice Mayor Kwok; Councilmembers Anduri and Candell
Absent: None
Staff Present: Niroop Srivatsa, City Manager; Suzanne Iarla, Communications Analyst; Joanne Robbins, City Clerk
3. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Candell/Anduri) to adopt the agenda. Vote: 4-0 (Ayes: Dawson, Kwok, Anduri and Candell; Noes: None).
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS – (For Items Not on the Agenda) – None.
5. NEW BUSINESS
A. Mayor Dawson and Vice Mayor Kwok (6-7pm)
Interview Process and Questions
City Council Special Meeting Page 2 of 4 January 24, 2024 Recommendation: Discuss and finalize interview process and questions.
Mayor Dawson welcomed everyone and began the discussion on interview process and questions. The questions were agreed upon after a few edits and Mayor Dawson called for public comments.
JEAN FOLLMER, DAVID CLARK and JENIFER PAUL provided comments regarding the interview process and candidates.
6:40 pm Council took a dinner break and resumed at 7pm.
B. Interviews
Interview candidates to fill the vacancy on the Lafayette City Council created by the resignation of Councilmember Teresa Gerringer
Mayor Dawson began the interview session with the following interview schedule and Councilmember questions:
Time Candidate
7:00 Glenn Cass
7:30 Stella Wotherspoon
8:00 Shane Reisman
8:30 John McCormick
9:00 Janet Shahan
9:30 Alison Mary Collins
10:00 Vincent Salimi
1. Dawson - Why do you want to be a councilmember? Why should we appoint you to this position?
2. Kwok - Describe your vision for Lafayette and some of the steps you think are necessary to achieve that vision.
3. Candell - What do you think are the greatest challenges facing Lafayette over the next two years? What should be done to meet those challenges?
4. Anduri - Please list some of the past Council decisions that you like and do not like.
Please explain the reasons for your selections.
5. Dawson - How should Lafayette balance resident concerns about growth and related issues such as traffic congestion, parking and evacuation impacts with state housing requirements to allow more housing?
6. Kwok - The City is currently working on updating our General Plan, Plan 2040. We will begin the important work of updating the Land Use Element of this plan next month; City Council Special Meeting Page 3 of 4 January 24, 2024 which was last updated in 2002. What are your thoughts on updating our land use policies?
7. Candell - The City Council has a priority to update the Mt. Diablo corridor and Downtown Specific Plan. What do you want for our downtown of the future? What should we be doing now so that we can realize that vision.
8. Anduri - The January issue of VISTAS discussed City finances including our 5-year budget. The 5-year forecast shows a $2M deficit starting next fiscal year. What are your comments and suggestions on this situation?
9. Dawson - Before we close, are there any issues you would like to elaborate on or are there topics that we have not discussed that are important to you, that you’d like to speak about now?
At the conclusion of each interview, Mayor Dawson thanked candidates for taking time to apply and meeting with the Council. She said the Council will deliberate on the matter and City Clerk Joanne Robbins will be in touch with each candidate to inform them of their status in the selection process.
Mayor Dawson opened the public comment period.
JENIFER PAUL, STEVEN DORSEY AND GRACE DIXON provided comments regarding the candidates and the interview process.
C. Resolution 2024-07 Appointing a New Councilmember and Recital of the Oath of Office Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2024-07 appointing a new Councilmember and recital of the Oath of Office.
Council discussion ensued, Councilmembers provided comments on the top candidates they favored, agreed the group of candidates were impressive and after deliberation, the City Council voiced support for John McCormick as the Council’s appointed Councilmember.
Councilmember Anduri referred to the “THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED” paragraph and recommended it read, “…..as appointed to the Lafayette City Council, effective immediately to hold this position until the date the results of the next regularly scheduled Municipal Election has been certified and adopted by the City Council.”
City Council Special Meeting Page 4 of 4 January 24, 2024 ACTION: It was M/S/C (Anduri/Kwok) to adopt Resolution 2024-07, as amended, appointing John McCormick to the City Council. Vote: 4-0 (Ayes: Dawson, Kwok, Anduri and Candell; Noes: None).
6. ADJOURNMENT – 11:12 p.m.
APPROVED:
__________________________________
Gina M. Dawson, Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________
Joanne Robbins, City Clerk