City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 1 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
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City Council Meeting: Mayor's State of the City Address & Volunteer Recognition
City of Lafayette
City Council Minutes
Lafayette Library and Learning Center – Don Tatzin Community Hall July 20, 2026 3491 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, California 7:00 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 State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 2 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
1. CALL TO ORDER – 7:00 P.M.
Mayor Anduri called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 7:18 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Anduri; Councilmember Candell, and Cervantes
Absent: Vice Mayor McCormick and Councilmember Wotherspoon Staff Present: Niroop Srivatsa, City Manager; Greg Wolff, Planning and Building Director; Mike Moran, Engineering and Public Works Director; Jonathan Katayanagi, Parks and Recreation Director; Lt. James Williams; Stefanie Cervantes, Assistant Planning and Building Director; Arly Cassidy, Senior Planner; Danielle Wishon, Crime Scene Investigator; Heather Ward, Management Analyst, Jenny Rosen, Public Arts Staff Liaison; Tim Przybyla, Financial Services Manager; 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/Cervantes) to adopt the agenda. Roll Call Vote: 3-0-2 (Ayes: Anduri, Candell, Cervantes; Noes: None; Absent: McCormick, Wotherspoon).
5. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Mayor Anduri led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
6. MAYOR ANDURI
A. State of the City Address
Recommendation: Receive and file.
Mayor Anduri thanked everybody for joining in this special evening when talking about the City of Lafayette and recognize and honor the volunteers who contribute so much to the community. This will be the second year the State of the City Address has been given in the Don Tatzin Community Hall. Last year, Mayor Candell pronounced the State of the City to be outstanding. It is hard to disagree with that and it is still outstanding and it will continue to be.
Yes, Lafayette sometimes has problems and challenges, but Lafayette will meet those challenges and solve those problems because their civic life is supported by four strong pillars--City staff-led by City Manager Niroop Srivatsa and their five Department Heads; Jamie Williams, Chief of Police; Tracy Robinson, Assistant City Manager/Administrative Services Director; Greg Wolff, Director of Planning and Building; Mike Moran, Director of Engineering and Public Works; and Jonathan Katayanagi, Director of Parks, Trails and Recreation. He marvels at the level of talent of such a small city of 25,000 people.
City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 3 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
The second pillar is the talent residents who step forward to serve on City Commissions, Committees, and Task Forces.
The third pillar is the deep web of partnerships and collaborations the City has built over the years with elected officials representing them, with regional entities, and utilities, and with many local organizations—collaborations that help strengthen the fabric of their community.
He would like to give representatives of their partners in this room an opportunity to identify themselves so they can see the scope of these relationships. In the interest of time, he asked members to give their name and organization and thanked each member.
The fourth pillar is the benefit they receive from the examples set and the high standards established by all those who have proceeded them. Past volunteers and City staff have built a tradition and a model of excellence in public service, financial responsibility and transparency that guides and motivates each of them.
For challenges, each year around February the Council has an all-day special meeting to set the goals and priorities for the next fiscal year. They identified three priorities for the fiscal year that just ended (2025/26) and they stuck to the same number for this fiscal year (2026/27). One major priority for the fiscal year that just ended was to focus on fiscal sustainability. In providing some context, last year Mayor Candell reminded us of Lafayette’s unique financial qualities. The City has no debt. If they had debt, it would be rated AAA. They have no unfunded pension obligations because they have no pensions. Their only unfunded obligation relates to a retirement medical benefit and that is easily covered on a steady basis over the next 15 years.
Even though they have all this going for them, in 2022, they saw the City was facing a $2.2 million structural deficit that would begin in FY 2025/26. The City continued its efforts to find cost-efficiencies and the City took steps such as freezing hiring for vacant staff positions. But, it was even clearer by 2024 that the City faced a choice between raising revenues and cutting services. The Council placed a half-cent sales tax on the November 2024 ballot. It was expected to raise the $2.2 million necessary to fund the services in the budget approved by the Council. Their residents chose to maintain services. The measure passed with 64% approval and their one-half cent sales tax went into effect on April 1, 2025.
As part of the focus on fiscal sustainability during the past fiscal year, the Council called for six things to be done. First, they would provide the services called for by the 2025/26 budget that they had approved at the time of the sales tax vote and they would not add new services or programs. Second, they would establish the Measure H Citizens Oversight Committee and they did. Third, they would see how much the half-cent sales tax actually brought in. Now that they have a full year of experience, they know it is more than they thought. They expected $2.2 million. They received $3.23 million; a million dollars more thanks to differences in how their allocated sales tax revenue and their new half-cent sales tax are calculated.
Fourth, they asked the City Manager to explore additional sources of revenue. This is an on-going process, but there are several things they have done or that are underway. For example, the City has contracted with an investment management company to help manage the investment of their City funds .They have also initiated several new fee studies to update their development and other fees in order to ensure growth pays for itself and funds the necessary infrastructure and services. Fifth, they asked the City Manager to explore additional efficiency measures. In the past year, they have invested in software City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 4 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
solutions that increase the efficiency of staff so they would be able to absorb more work with the same staff.
Sixth, they carried out an assessment of all the City’s physical assets to see if they were putting aside enough in sinking funds to be able to replace or repair their existing assets over the next 20 years. They learned that they were not. In fact, they learned that they would need to contribute an additional $1 million per year and increase that by 3.5% each year. The Council decided to make that additional $1 million per year investment and, fortunately, the additional $1 million brought in by their half-cent sales tax enabled them to do it. So now, unlike most other cities in California, they are putting away the funds they need to repair and replace their physical assets over the next 20 years.
As part of the assessment, they were advised that the original Community Center building—not the Jennifer Russell Building—is at the end of its useful life. While they could use $500,000 per year to keep it repaired and functional, that might not be the best use of our funds. That takes them to the Council’s goal-setting meeting this year when they decided that this priority—focusing on fiscal sustainability— should shift to planning for the development and financing of the City’s recreational needs. This means during the next fiscal year they will do the following:
1. They will take a hard look at the original Community Center building and determine the best course of action. They will continue to repair and maintain the existing building at a cost of $500,000+ per year and find themselves 20 years from now with a patched up building from the 1950’s or replace the existing building with a new building planned for today’s activities or a new building in a more central location or some permutation of these options.
2. They will undertake a short, medium, and long-term recreational needs assessment to ensure there are facilities to keep pace with their growing and evolving community.
3. They will carefully assess the cost of meeting their community’s needs, explore fiscally responsible options for funding those investments, and recommend a path that balances long-term financial sustainability with their commitment to serving the community.
But, in the meantime, they are in active discussions with their partners and others to obtain land for a playing field, land for a dog park and possibly a mountain bike pump track, land for one of the possible downtown parks called for in their Downtown Specific Plan, and additional space for indoor recreation programs. The year ahead promises to be an exciting one in the area of recreation. They have important work underway, big opportunities on the horizon and plenty to look forward to. We will provide regular updates as these efforts move forward.
A second major priority last fiscal year and again this year is wildfire prevention, preparedness and responsiveness. This year, the Council has six tasks under this priority:
1. Facilitate community engagement and public education efforts, particularly with respect to vegetation clearing, home hardening, and Firewise neighborhoods. Last year, they added 10 new Firewise neighborhoods, bringing Lafayette’s total to 35, representing more than 3,000 homes.
2. Work with Con Fire and other partner agencies to reduce the risk of wildfires, including through fuel reduction and shaded fuel breaks, methods for early detection of ignition, and methods for rapid response to ignition.
3. Develop an evacuation time study either through CCTA or their own means.
City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 5 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
4. After the study is completed, consider developing objective standards for wildfire evacuation risk to use when making land use decisions.
5. Work on evacuation route hardening.
6. Take steps to ensure wildfire risk is considered during the 2031/38 RHNA process.
The City has also joined Senator Tim Grayson’s Wildfire Task Force and they thank him for bringing so many entities together to focus on this challenge. The third major priority is listed in their official documents as Mt. Diablo Corridor Planning. He thinks of it as implementing their Housing Element.
Last year, Mayor Candell announced that their Housing Element had just been approved but the City has been sued. Last month, they entered into a settlement agreement that calls for the city to consider rezoning certain downtown areas. If those zoning changes are made, the lawsuit will be dismissed.
The big picture with the City’s Housing Element is that they currently have around 10,000 housing units in Lafayette. A RHNA calls for the City to make it possible for an additional 2,114 units to be built during the current cycle. Our Housing Element calls for most of those units to be built along Mt. Diablo Boulevard which will double and possibly triple the number of units in their downtown and along the corridor. They need to plan for the impact of those units. That is the most important task under this third major priority.
The City has now retained consultants to carry out what they are referring to as the Mt. Diablo Boulevard Corridor Multi-Modal Mobility Study. The purpose of this urban planning and transportation study is to figure out what they can do to reimagine or reconfigure their downtown and the entire corridor so residents moving into new units and currently residents alike can minimize their use of personal automobiles when carrying out their daily activities. The work on the study began earlier this month and they anticipate it will be completed by the end of next year.
Several complimentary projects are underway to improve mobility and access along the corridor, from better connections to BART and a new Aqueduct bike and pedestrian trail to parking management and ultimately, protected bike lanes connecting each neighborhood to downtown, all guided by a new sevenmember advisory committee.
There are three other tasks relating to the Mt. Diablo Corridor planning or implementing the Housing Element. The first is preparing and adopting objective design standards for multi-family commercial and mixed use residential development. This should be completed by the end of the year. The second is facilitating the development of a 100% affordable housing project on City-donated land at 949 Moraga Road. The City has approved Sunflower Hill’s plans for 48 housing units for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The third is working with the owner of the DeSilva property across from Oakwood to explore opportunities to incorporate a recreational facility alongside new housing. These are the three major priorities established by the Council for this fiscal year and the tasks to carry them out. There are many other things that the City does in addition to the top priorities. In fact, 90% of what the City staff and volunteers alike do is carry out the basic functions of the City.
Then, there are projects that do not come within the top three priorities that are far more than basic. For example, during the past fiscal year, they launched the City’s downtown mural program with the unveiling of a vibrant Matilija Poppy mural by Lafayette native Rachel Pearls. They launched a program to make City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 6 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
Lafayette even more welcoming to newcomers. The Lafayette juniors have taken the lead in collaboration with the Library Foundation in the City to host Hello Lafayette gatherings for newcomers in this room.
They enhance safety for their youngest students by adding a new pathway on Pleasant Hill Road near Springhill School. They took a proactive approach to E-bike safety through education, targeted enforcement and legislative advocacy to promote safer streets for everyone. There is a lot more to do in this area and they are trying to do it.
They celebrated the Lamorinda Spirit Van’s 20th anniversary and they expanded partnerships with Lamorinda Village and other community organizations to provide more transportation, wellness programs, educational opportunities, volunteer activities and social connections for older adults.
Coming up during the current fiscal year, they plan to:
• Work with the Park Theater Trust toward the opening of the renovated Park Theater in 2027. • Support the Cancer Support community and their goal of opening their new regional center in early 2027.
• Deepen the City’s collaboration with Lamorinda Village in order to provide more services to older adults in Lafayette.
• Construct the new walkways along Topper Lane and along School Street from the Lafayette/Moraga Trail to Moraga Road.
• Complete the BART bikeway and pathway connection to downtown which will make the transition from BART to downtown much more welcoming.
• Complete at least one more mural in the Downtown Mural Program, ideally by October 4th. • Continue the City’s Slow Down Lafayette campaign to make streets safer by making observing the speed limit a Lafayette civic value. There will be education, engineering and enforcement. Last year, there was a 39% increase in traffic citations and they had a 28% reduction in traffic collisions. • They will launch a new user-friendly City website with improved search capabilities and expanded on-line services.
• They will make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to add ADUs by offering free preapproved ADU plans that simplify the design and permitting process. • They will complete the Lamorinda Smart Signals Projects.
In summary, they have a lot on their plate. They have challenges but they will face them and come out a better community because of our incredible staff, our dedicated volunteers, our deep collaborative relationships with their community partners and a tradition established over the decades by those who have proceeded us.
In closing, he acknowledged that facing challenges and pursuing goals will bring change. Lafayette's history demonstrates that the community has always evolved and will continue to do so. He emphasized that it is up to everyone to work together to create positive change that makes Lafayette an even better place to live. A round of applause followed.
B. Appreciation for All City Commission, Committee, and Task Force Members Recommendation: Receive and file.
Mayor Anduri said the most important part of the evening is when they honor their volunteers.
Councilmember Candell and Councilmember Cervantes will introduce their commissions, committees, City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 7 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
and task forces in alphabetical order. When they name the commission, they ask that present and past commissioners and staff liaisons to stand.
Councilmember Candell recognized the following volunteer bodies and their liaisons and she provided an overview of each:
1. Banner Advisory Committee
The Banner Advisory Committee oversees the City's street banner program, ensuring the banners are attractive, colorful, and reflective of our community. They may not build roads or approve development projects, but they help create something just as important - a downtown that feels welcoming, vibrant, and unmistakably Lafayette. While the rest of us drive down Mt. Diablo Boulevard and think, “Those banners look great,” this committee is the one behind the creativity, design, and decisions that make our downtown shine.
2. Capital Projects Assessment Committee (CPAC)
Want to know why Lafayette's streets are in such great shape? You can thank CPAC! Back in 1995, they successfully championed the Road and Drain Bond, which helped kick-start the reconstruction and resurfacing of nearly every public street in town. These days, they keep the momentum going by reviewing the City's Capital Improvement Program each year, helping ensure our roads, sidewalks, and infrastructure projects stay on track—so your daily commute is a little smoother, and your coffee has a better chance of staying in the cup.
3. Code Enforcement Appeals Hearing Board
The Code Enforcement Appeals Board provides a fair and impartial hearing process, ensuring that every appeal is considered carefully, property owners are treated fairly, and decisions are consistent with the Lafayette Municipal Code—all while helping protect the health, safety, and quality of life that make Lafayette such a great place to live.
4. Creeks Committee
The Lafayette Creeks Committee is dedicated to keeping Lafayette’s 16+ miles of creeks healthy, beautiful, and thriving. Through creek cleanups, native plant restoration, public education, and pollution prevention efforts, the Committee helps protect these treasured waterways while making them more enjoyable for everyone. One of this year’s standout projects was installing a wood duck nesting box near Leigh Creekside Park, giving hens a cozy and safer place to raise their ducklings.
5. Crime Prevention Commission
The Crime Prevention Commission helps keep Lafayette safe by partnering with residents and the Police Department on Neighborhood Watch, public safety programs, community cameras, and crime prevention outreach. Want a behind-the-scenes look at policing? The popular Citizens' Police Academy lets residents experience everything from investigations and the crime lab to jail tours and ride-alongs. It's about as close as you can get to being a police officer—without having to write parking tickets.
6. Design Review Commission
The Design Review Commission is one of the reasons Lafayette doesn’t just grow—it grows gracefully. These dedicated community volunteers are the thoughtful eyes behind the details, City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 8 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
helping ensure that new buildings, remodels, hillside homes, and commercial projects fit beautifully into the character of the community we all love. Their work may happen around a meeting table, but the results are seen every day—from the neighborhoods we walk through to the downtown spaces where we gather.
7. Emergency Preparedness Commission
The Emergency Preparedness Commission doesn't wait for disasters—they prepare for them. This powerhouse team helped increase Firewise-covered homes by 78%, strengthened our nationally respected Lamorinda CERT program, shared expert guidance on wildfire safety and emergency technology, and led the update of the City's Emergency Operations Plan. Their work may happen behind the scenes, but it helps keep all of Lafayette safer when it matters most.
8. Environmental Task Force
Lafayette's Environmental Task Force may be small, but it packs a mighty green punch. They've helped make our neighborhoods quieter and our air cleaner by advancing the transition to electric leaf blowers, tackled single-use plastics, and partnered with community organizations to keep sustainability moving forward. And they're just getting started, with their sights set on water conservation, more EV charging, and an updated Environmental Action Plan.
Councilmember Cervantes then introduced remaining volunteer bodies and their liaisons, and he provided an overview of each.
9. General Plan Advisory Committee
The General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) helps create Lafayette’s roadmap for the future.
Comprised of residents and community stakeholders, GPAC members bring local insight and community values to updates on housing, land use, transportation, safety, and sustainability.
Their work has helped shape the City’s Housing Element, Land Use updates, and Safety Element— ensuring Lafayette’s future is thoughtfully planned and community-focused.
10. Measure H Oversight Board
Since voters approved the half-cent sales tax in 2024, the Measure H Oversight Committee has been Lafayette's "show us your receipts" team—reviewing financial reports, following the money, and making sure every Measure H dollar is collected, accounted for, and spent exactly as voters intended. They willingly read the audit reports, proving once again that not all heroes wear capes.
11. Parks, Trails & Recreation Commission
If it’s a park, trail, field, playground, pickleball court, recreation program, or feral pig prevention, chances are the Parks, Trails & Recreation Commission has had a hand in it. These volunteers help plan, improve, and envision the spaces that make Lafayette such a special place to live, play, and connect. Their work helps ensure that future generations enjoy the same great parks, trails and recreation opportunities that residents treasure today.
12. Planning Commission
The Planning Commission helps shape Lafayette’s future—one project, policy, and public conversation at a time. These dedicated volunteers serve as stewards of the community’s vision, carefully reviewing development proposals and advising the City Council on policies that guide City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 9 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
both the natural and built environment. Through their efforts, the Planning Commission helps ensure that Lafayette continues to grow thoughtfully, responsibly, and in a way that reflects the values of the community.
13. Public Art Committee
The Public Art Committee helps weave creativity into the fabric of our community, making Lafayette a more vibrant and inspiring place to live. They help turn everyday places into spaces worth stopping for—bringing murals, sculptures, and rotating art exhibits into our public spaces.
Thanks to their creativity, art isn't something you have to visit in a museum. It's around the corner, on your daily walk, and maybe even in the perfect selfie spot. They help make Lafayette more colorful, more welcoming, and a place where creativity sparks conversation and community.
14. Senior Services Commission
The Senior Services Commission is dedicated to helping Lafayette remain a great place to grow older. Through advocacy, planning, community partnerships, and a lot of Mah Jong and pickle ball, the Commission supports programs and services that keep older adults active, connected, informed, and independent. From transportation and volunteerism to lifelong learning and social engagement, they help ensure that Lafayette’s seniors continue to be a vibrant part of our community.
15. Transportation and Circulation Commission (TransCirc) Love talking about traffic? Have strong opinions about stop signs, crosswalks, bike lanes, or that one intersection everyone seems to mention? TransCirc might be your calling. The Transportation & Circulation Commission advises the City Council on how to keep Lafayette moving safely and efficiently—whether you're walking, biking, driving, rolling, or just trying to find a parking spot downtown. In recent years, TransCirc has helped bring traffic calming improvements to neighborhoods throughout Lafayette and has played a key role in the Safety Improvements Near Schools program.
16. Youth Commission
The Youth Commission gives Lafayette's young leaders a seat at the table AND occasionally a haunted house to run. From organizing the City's annual Haunted House and Tri-City Dance, to volunteering at community events and spreading holiday cheer through toy drives and Adopt-aFamily efforts, these dedicated students help make Lafayette a more fun, connected, and welcoming community while serving as the voice of local youth.
Mayor Anduri noted they also have residents who represent them on Countywide bodies. Their representative on the County Library Commission is Sarah Blumenfeld and Alternate Stuart Robinson.
Their representative on the County Connection Board is Don Tatzin. Their representative on the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District Board is Derek Seever. He thanked each of the members for representing the City of Lafayette.
Mayor Anduri said they have a small token of appreciation for each of their volunteers and this was put together by City Clerk Joanne Robbins. He said the gift has an emergency preparedness theme to it this year. He displayed mylar emergency blankets, stormproof matches, a battery-less flashlight and a beautiful branded bag. He thanked City Clerk Joanne Robbins and her team, Paris Hackett and Kyle Baarde for all they did to organize all aspects of tonight’s meeting.
City Council State of the City and Volunteer Recognition Page 10 of 10 July 20, 2026 and City Council Meeting
He said each year, a number of volunteers complete their service with the City and the Council would like to recognize them. He will name them in the order of their length of services. He asked them to raise their hand or stand and everyone else, not hold applause:
• Youth Commissioners: Addison Stevens, Lily Courter, Audrey Parkin, Lavonne Coupa, Zoe Bronstein, Davis Gidgell, Piper Duff, and Miela Hsu.
• Environmental Task Force: Christy Rodenbush, Janine Smith, Scott Minden, Maria Gastelemendi, Nancy Hu.
• Creeks Committee: Christine Lee and Peter Norton.
• Planning Commission: Gary Huisingh, Roger Deming and Kristina Sturm. • Public Art Committee: Carter Kosidine.
• County Library Commission and Senior Services Commission: Dorothy Walker. • Community Center Foundation: Brenna Shafasday, James Taylor. • Design Review Commission: Arman Hadilou, Jon Gray.
• Banner Advisory Committee: Judith Kline Flynn.
• Emergency Preparedness Committee: George Figone, Michael Melowicz. • CPAC: Gary Huisingh.
• Library Commission: MaryAnn Hoisington.
• Transportation Circulation Commission: Lynn Hiden.
• Erling Horn: Parking Commission, Planning Commission, Lafayette Representative to CCTA, DSIMPIC, Library Public Art Committee, Public Art Committee.
Mayor Anduri thanked everybody for attending tonight and he invited everybody to enjoy cake and ice cream with neighbors and friends.
7. ADJOURNMENT – 8:12 p.m.
APPROVED:
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Carl Anduri, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Joanne Robbins, City Clerk