City Council, Planning Commission and Design
Review Commission Page 1 of 10 May 26, 2026
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City of Lafayette
City Council
Minutes
Lafayette Library and Learning Center – Don Tatzin Community Hall May 26, 2026 3491 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, California 6:15 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, Planning Commission and Design
Review Commission Page 2 of 10 May 26, 2026
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1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:15 P.M.
Vice Mayor McCormick called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: City Council: Vice Mayor McCormick; Councilmember Candell, Cervantes, and Wotherspoon
Absent: Mayor Anduri
Present: Planning Commission: Commissioners LaBonge, Mason, Salimi, and Snyder Design Review Commission: Stanton, Cass, and Gray
Staff Present: Tracy Robinson, Assistant City Manager; Stefanie Cervantes, Assistant Planning and Building Director; Lara Chamberlain, Public Works Services Manager; Kira Tannlund, Recreation Coordinator; Mala Subramanian, City Attorney; Joanne Robbins, City Clerk
Disclosure and/or Take Action on Remote Participation due to Just Cause or Emergency Circumstances Pursuant to AB 2449 (Gov. Code section 54953(f).)
3. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Candell/Wotherspoon) to adopt the agenda. Roll Call Vote: 4-0-1 (Ayes:
McCormick, Candell, Cervantes, and Wotherspoon; Noes: None; Absent: Anduri).
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS (Closed Session Items only) – 6:15 P.M.
There were no public comments.
5. CLOSED SESSION
A. Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation
(Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1)
Bruce S. Osterman and Carolyn Osterman v. City Council of Lafayette Contra Costa County Superior Court Case No. N26-0603
B. Conference with Real Property Negotiators (Gov. Code section 54956.8) Property: 986 and 990 Moraga Road, Lafayette, CA
Agency Negotiators: Tracy Robinson, Assistant City Manager; Negotiating Parties: John Richman, Buyer
Under Negotiations: Price and terms of payment
Mayor Anduri announced there were no reportable actions taken in Closed Session.
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6. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Vice Mayor McCormick led I the Pledge of Allegiance.
7. PUBLIC COMMENTS (For items not on the agenda) – 7:00 P.M. – None.
8. CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE
Assistant City Manager Tracy Robinson gave the following report on behalf of City Manager Srivatsa:
From the Parks, Trails, and Recreation Department:
• In response to the community need for afterschool care, the PTR Department has worked closely with the Lafayette School District to add additional care for TK-5 th grade students at Burton Valley
Elementary. This is in addition to Afterschool Awesome at the Community Center, Club Yoshi at Lafayette Elementary, and enrichment programs on site at each elementary school in the fall. The application for cap care at Burton Valley opens on Friday. • Summer camps start next week. Beyond traditional options like Camp Awesome and Tiny Tots, campers can learn new skills such as archery, disc golf, video game design, and sewing. Those interested can register on the City’s website.
• They are looking forward to celebrating 20 years of the Spirit Van program at their event at the Community Center tomorrow. Residents can learn more about the senior transportation program on the City’s website.
From the Engineering and Public Works Department:
• With schools letting out this week, both PG&E and EBMUD will be expanding their working hours on their downtown projects. Our crew is working hard on weed abatement as fire conditions intensify and the City’s large paving project is planned to start on June 8th.
From the Planning Department:
• All three Lamorinda Planning Departments issued a joint RFP to prepare pre-approved ADU plans that the public can use free of charge, the goal being to reduce costs and accelerate the production of ADUs in Lamorinda. Proposals are due this Friday followed by selection of a qualified consultant to prepare the plans which should be made public later this year. • Temple Isaiah has filed an application to construct a 16,000 square foot, two-story building to serve as the new focal point for the campus. The building will house a café with a lounge area, flexible spaces for classes, lectures, and small meetings, a re-imagined multi-media library and multi-purpose room for tutoring, small groups or larger events. The application will have its first public hearing before the PC on July 6th.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
9. PRESENTATIONS
A. Tracy Robinson, Assistant City Manager
Introduce Fiona Mallon, Assistant Recreation Coordinator Recommendation: Receive and file.
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Assistant City Manager Tracy Robinson introduced Fiona Mallon, Assistant Recreation Coordinator. She joined the City in late April and she will support operations at the Community Center, including customer service, recreation programs, community events, and communications and outreach efforts. She described her educational and professional experience and welcomed her to the City.
Ms. Mallon said she is happy and excited to be part of the department, and Councilmembers welcomed her to the City.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the pubic comment period, and there were no speakers.
B. Justin Bodily, Recreation Coordinator and Staff Liaison to the Youth Commission Recognizing and Thank Graduating Senior Youth Commissioners Recommendation: Receive and file.
Kira Tannlund, Recreation Coordinator and staff liaison for the Youth Services Commission recognized and honored the graduating seniors of the Commission and invited Vice Mayor McCormick to congratulate commissioners Addison Stevens, Co-Chair; Miela Hsu, Co-Chair; Lily Courter; Audrey Parkin, Treasurer; and Commissioners Amelia Tantameng; and Marley Oh, who each provided remarks about their experiences while on the Commission.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
Councilmembers thanked all Commissioners for their leadership, volunteer services, work through the pandemic, and for their enthusiasm and production of excellent activities and wished them well in their future endeavors.
C. Design Review Commission and Planning Commission
Annual Update and Workplan
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Richard Stanton, Chair of the Design Review Commission, gave a PowerPoint presentation and overview of the role of the Commission, members, guiding policies and documents, meeting statistics, accomplishments from 2025, and goals for 2026.
Councilmember Candell thanked the Commission for its work on the Objective Design Standards and asked if there is an opportunity to bifurcate the standards. City Attorney Mala Subramanian said this is not on the agenda, but staff is bringing this back at the next meeting to discuss.
Councilmember Cervantes cited the changes in State law over the last 5 years, particularly with respect to housing, and he asked what challenges they see moving forward for the DRC and matters they think they might want to pay attention to in terms of quality development.
Chair Stanton said he thinks the Council also is aware of the same issues and deals with them. Wildfire is an issue for much of the housing sites for new single-family homes and the ability to build multi-family residential in the core of the City and how this will play out.
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Commissioner Cass said one concern is inconsistency in how the fire agencies enforce. They enforce renovations of new homes, but the next door neighbor does not have to comply. Also, when looking at their documents of what they are asking for, they ask for no vegetation within 10 feet of the road, but they approve projects that have bark within 10 feet of the road. Additionally, he does think Con Fire is not doing anything near what Orinda and Moraga are doing.
Commissioner Gray added that what he finds challenging is what are density bonus projects going to do to the City’s downtown and how do they work with the public to help them understand what they can and cannot do to influence that. There is strong opposition from the community but they also have an obligation to provide housing. So, as the DRC and other City regulators, he questioned how they can influence that to make it as good as it can be.
Councilmember Wotherspoon thanked the DRC for their work in reviewing the Objective Design Standards with the City’s consultants and giving time to being part of study sessions with developers and receiving feedback.
Vice Mayor McCormick said he agrees with comments regarding educating the community and asked that the DRC forward any ideas and concerns to the Council and staff.
Vice Mayor McCormick called on the Planning Commission for their presentation.
Commissioner Stephen LaBonge gave a PowerPoint presentation and overview of the role of the Commission, its members, guiding policies and documents, meeting statistics, accomplishments from 2025, and goals for 2026.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the pubic comment period, and there were no speakers.
Councilmember Candell said she is hearing that it would be nice to have some standard or “canned” language in staff reports that explain the limitations of housing laws as it applies to applications.
Commissioner LaBonge agreed and added that concessions and waivers also needs to be explained further.
Commissioner Mason referred to the Palisades fire of 2,200 homes and the fact that Lafayette does not have anything in place to process applications for that many homes if a fire were to affect the City. He suggested getting people thinking about some sort of framework when someone declares emergencies so they can process these things more quickly. He also referred to the Santa Rosa fire and the nearest affordable housing they could get that their insurance covered was Walnut Creek which led to them having to commute daily.
Councilmember Cervantes thanked Commissioner Mason for this fact and suggestion, noted wildfires are a priority for the City and the Emergency Preparedness Commission is working on this, working on mobility issues, and he thinks it is important to think this through ahead of time, acknowledging they are in a world of uncertainty.
Vice Mayor McCormick suggested the idea of a joint PC Commission and Emergency Preparedness Commission meeting to look at this.
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Councilmember Cervantes said currently it is a difficult market to develop in, construction and interest rates are all higher, and he asked what the PC is hearing, noting that many projects have gone sideways.
Commissioner LaBonge said his day job is development but it is retail commercial and he also interfaces with a lot of residential. Now is the time to buy land when demand is low given the ability to negotiate.
But, what usually happens is anyone that owns land and has attracted a housing developer remembers the highest offer they ever got so they do not see anything short of that. It takes a long time to break that cycle. He noted two large housing developers in the Wall Street Journal were talking about merging and there is consolidation in the industry. The things they keep implementing are for safety, efficiency, and electrification or solar, but they just add a lot of cost. From the other side, there is only the land, what people will pay, and how much profit they will make.
Vice Mayor McCormick and Councilmembers welcomed Commissioners Salimi and Snyder for joining the Planning Commission and thanked the Commission for its service.
10. CONSENT CALENDAR
Vice Mayor McCormick asked if the Council or the public wished to remove any items, and there were no requests or public comments.
A. May 11, 2026 Minutes
Recommendation: Approve.
B. Adoption of Ordinance 701, readopting Chapter 6-6, Section 6-604 (e) regarding charging station requirements for certain project types of the Lafayette Municipal Code (LMC) and updating references. Exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) §15061(b)(3)
Recommendation: Waive second reading and adopt Ordinance 701 readopting Chapter 6- 6, Section 6-604 (e) of the Lafayette Municipal Code (LMC).
C. Approval of a 60-Month Renewal Agreement for Bigbelly Trash and Recycling Receptacles in the Lafayette Core Area
Recommendation: Authorize the City Manager to submit an application for the withdrawal of RecycleSmart diversion funds in the amount of $215,469.90 to finance the upfront costs associated with the five-year lease of Bigbelly trash and recycling receptacles serving the Lafayette Core Area.
D. Resolution 2026-39 Amendment to Resolution 2026-03 Regarding SB 827 Fiscal and Financial Training
Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2026-39.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Candell/Wotherspoon) to approve Consent Calendar Items A, B, C and D. Roll Call Vote: 4-0-1 (Ayes: McCormick, Candell, Cervantes, and Wotherspoon; Noes: None; Absent: Anduri).
11. OLD BUSINESS – None.
12. STAFF REPORTS – None.
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13. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Lara Chamberlain, Public Works Manager
1. Core Area Landscaping and Lighting District 1979-1 - Approving the Preliminary Engineer’s Report and Announcing the City’s Intention to Levy and Collect Assessment for Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Recommendation: Conduct public hearing and adopt Resolution 2026-33 Confirming the Engineer’s Report, Diagram and Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Core Area Landscape and Lighting District 1979-1.
Vice Chair McCormick opened the public hearing and deferred to Public Works Manager Lara Chamberlain for a presentation.
Public Works Manager Lara Chamberlain gave the staff report and overview of the request for the Council to conduct a public hearing and adopt Resolution 2026-33 Confirming the Engineer’s Report, Diagram and Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Core Area Landscape and Lighting District 1979-1.
Councilmember Cervantes said he noticed that with respect to the Core Downtown District, the General Fund is covering some of the costs. He asked and confirmed with Ms. Chamberlain that the revenue generated by the Core Area Assessment District does not pay for existing services and the City has made up the difference with the General Fund. The assessments have not increased since 1994 when the State Proposition 218 passed requiring a vote of affected property owners rather than Council action alone to approve any new or increased assessments before it could be levied. The City’s last effort to modify that was in 2007 but it did not receive sufficient votes to pass.
Councilmember Cervantes confirmed that staff assumes they would have the same outcome if it pursued a vote again, and Ms. Chamberlain said the vote is weighted by the amount a parcel would pay so it could easily be outweighed in the voting process.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Cervantes/Candell) to adopt Resolution 2026-33 Confirming the Engineer’s Report, Diagram and Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Core Area Landscape and Lighting District 1979-1.
Roll Call Vote: 4-0-1 (Ayes: McCormick, Candell, Cervantes, and Wotherspoon; Noes: None; Absent:
Anduri).
2. Residential Lighting District 1979-2 - Approving the Preliminary Engineer’s Report and Announcing the City’s Intention to Levy and Collect Assessments for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Recommendation: Conduct public hearing and adopt Resolution 2026-34 Confirming the Engineer’s Report, Diagram and Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Residential Lighting District 1979-2.
Public Works Manager Lara Chamberlain gave the staff report and overview of the request for the Council to conduct a public hearing and adopt Resolution 2026-34 Confirming the Engineer’s Report, Diagram and Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Residential Lighting District 1979-2. She noted there are no contributions from the General Fund.
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Councilmember Wotherspoon said she was not aware of the way the program is set up and she asked for the process if a neighborhood wants streetlights and make themselves a district.
Ms. Chamberlain said this has not happened in any residential area which has been added in a long time.
She believes the neighborhood would have to get together, decide, and notify staff they want to do this.
As far as moving forward, she would have to verify the overall process but could follow-up.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Cervantes/Candell) to adopt Resolution 2026-34 Confirming the Engineer’s Report, Diagram and Assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Residential Lighting District 1979-2. Roll Call Vote: 4- 0-1 (Ayes: McCormick, Candell, Cervantes, and Wotherspoon; Noes: None; Absent: Anduri).
14. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT – None.
15. COUNCIL / COMMISSION REPORTS
A. Councilmembers report on activities and consideration of matters a Councilmember wishes to initiate for placement on a future agenda.
Councilmember Wotherspoon reported and described her participation in Bike to Wherever Day on May 14th, held in Plaza Park. Afterwards, she attended the CCTA Board Workshop in Orinda on the Transportation Expenditure Plan which will be an effort over the next year and a half to renew Measure J, a sales tax measure in 2028, which she briefly described.
Vice Mayor McCormick recommended the CCTA Director come and give a presentation to the Council.
Councilmember Cervantes said Mike Moran had referenced the Aqueduct Trailway Plan and issues the City is having with EBMUD. He and Vice Mayor McCormick met with staff and last Friday went on a walk along the Aqueduct which he encouraged other Councilmembers do with trail guides. The potential and the challenges of the pathway are really striking. As you push further east, the engineering challenges are significant.
He reported that the Governor recently appointed Jonathan Kline, a Lafayette resident, to be the Chair of the California Housing Development and Finance Committee, which is the entity under the restructuring of the way California does affordable housing and its funding and financing.
Vice Mayor McCormick reported that he and Councilmember Candell attended the Memorial Day Vigil at the Crosses. They walked the Aqueduct also and said he is impressed by the enthusiasm of Engineering staff and suggested others go on the tour. He attended Taste of Lafayette last week which was a great event which sells out early. There were 500 people in the park and some restaurants ran out of food. Two weeks ago he attended Recycle Smart’s composing workshop at the Community Garden. Tomorrow he will be attending on the Mayor’s behalf, the 20th Anniversary of their Spirit Van.
B. Councilmembers Candell and Cervantes, Legislation Committee Bills of Local Importance: The committee recommends support:
1. AB 1821 (Pacheco): California Public Records Act: Agency Response Time Recommendation: Support.
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Councilmember Candell stated AB 1821 is the agency response time in responding to public records requests which has gotten very cumbersome in recent years, and this gives more time for agencies to response, and she voiced support. The bill included funds for cities to get paid back but that got pulled.
2. AB 2296 (Papan): Planning and Zoning: Housing Element: Regional Housing Needs Allocation
Recommendation: Support.
This is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation bill AB 2296. It is back on this year because the Governor vetoed a similar bill last year, so they are trying it again. It gives more time to cities to complete their Housing Elements and puts far more guidelines onto HCD itself in how they are dealing with cities to make it a better process from both ends.
3. AB 2724 (Bauer-Kahan): Catastrophe Modeling: Distressed Areas Recommendation: Support.
Councilmember Candell said AB 2724 is a good bill for Lafayette and Lamorinda in general because it changes the definition of cities who can be part of this modeling. It used to be that you had to be in a distressed zip code because the county is not all in high fire zones. They have specific zip codes in those high zones. So, “distressed” means at least 10% of the properties are insured through the California Fair Plan. She recalls the Assembly member had a comment about how it was better and she forgot what it was. Councilmember Cervantes said he forgets what the nuance was, but it helps the City because they are not included in the sustainable insurance strategy of the Insurance Commission.
Vice Mayor McCormick asked if the City qualifies and Councilmember Candell said she did not think Lafayette does but Orinda and Moraga do.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the pubic comment period, and there were no speakers.
Councilmember Wotherspoon asked about the Building Affordable California Act the City is watching.
Councilmember Cervantes said they had a good discussion on this with their lobbyist and it is a huge topic.
There is a lot of devil in the details, something that is worked out in the legislature with different parties weighing in for a compromise so it is better than it is now, but this is the BIA’s approach to it. They felt they should keep an eye on it because it might come to the ballot.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Candell/Cervantes) to support the three measures, as recommended. Roll Call Vote: 4-0-1 (Ayes: McCormick, Candell, Cervantes, and Wotherspoon; Noes: None; Absent: Anduri).
16. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
A. E-mail from Terry Pickering, on behalf of Lafayette Sunrise Rotary, requesting permission to use Lafayette Plaza for the 5th Annual Winter Workshop for Kids on Saturday, December 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. No road closures are required.
Recommendation: Discuss and direct.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
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ACTION: It was M/S/C (Cervantes/Candell) to approve permission to use Lafayette Plaza for the 5th Annual Winter Workshop for Kids on Saturday, December 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. No road closures are required. Roll Call Vote: 4-0-1 (Ayes: McCormick, Candell, Cervantes, and Wotherspoon; Noes: None;
Absent: Anduri).
B. E-mail from Erling Horn, resigning from the Public Art Committee Recommendation: Accept with regret and thank Erling Horn for 16 years of volunteer service on the Public Art Committee.
Vice Mayor McCormick and Councilmembers expressed their regret and thanked Erling Horn for his 16 years of volunteer service to the community on the Public Art Committee, stating he made countless contributions over the years in making Lafayette a better community.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
C. E-mail from Carter Considine, resigning from the Public Art Committee Recommendation: Accept with regret and thank Carter for 5 years of volunteer service on the Public Art Committee.
Vice Mayor McCormick opened the public comment period, and there were no speakers.
ACTION: It was M/S/C (Cervantes/Candell) to accept with regret and thank Carter for 5 years of volunteer service on the Public Art Committee.
17. ADJOURNMENT – 8:04 p.m.
APPROVED:
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Carl Anduri, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Joanne Robbins, City Clerk