ACTION
MINUTES
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 6:00 P.M. Open Session
SPECIAL MEETING
CITY COUNCIL
THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY (HYBRID).
Council Chambers
211 Hillcrest Avenue
Marina, California
AND
Zoom Meeting URL: https://zoom.us/j/730251556
Zoom Meeting Telephone Only Participation: 1-669-900-9128 - Webinar ID: 730 251 556
1. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:01 PM
2. ROLL CALL & ESTABLISHMENT OF QUORUM: (City Council, Airport Commissioners, Marina Abrams B Non -Profit Corporation, Preston Park Sustainable Communities Nonprofit Corporation, Successor Agency of the Former Redevelopment Agency Members and Marina Groundwater Sustainability Agency)
MEMBERS PRESENT: Jenny McAdams, Brian McCarthy, Kathy Biala, Mayor Pro- Tem/Vice Chair Liesbeth Visscher, Mayor/Chair Bruce C. Delgado
3. MOMENT OF SILENCE & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (Please stand)
4. FUNDING ALTERNATIVES AND STRATEGIES FOR CONSTRUCTI NG CITY
FACILITIES
a. Review and discuss funding alternatives and strategies for constructing critical city facilities including police and fire stations; civic center including city offices, city council chamber and community center ; and p rovide direction identifying next steps for development and construction of new city facilities.
Public Comments:
• May Dungo thanked everyone who works for the city. Spoke about getting 66% threshold on the ballot is very difficult to achieve. We need to consider building sooner than later as the cost of building is increasing in both labor and materials. We need to consider building on the main roads, Marina is the only city that is hiding inside the residential area. We need to be proud of our city and fix all the buildings.
• Denise Turley commented on the rooftop meeting held at the Springhill Suites by a group of citizen who opposed Measure U where the Mayor and Council Member Visscher attended.
Notes were taken but not provided to the public. Will these notes be published? Encourage council to be open and honest with the public. When asking for public comments please do not cut them off, it’s your de facto policy, and it's very discouraging.
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• Grace Silva-Santella if there was a way to make sure the taxes collected from a UUT would be placed in a fund dedicated strictly for Buildings versus going into the General Fund and being used for something else? Asked about a time period for the UUT, how long would it be enacted? What utilities are to be included in the UUT? Hope the council will not postpone what we're doing with the Aquatic Sports Center.
The City Council had brief discussions on: current monies allocated in FY 25 -26-26-27 budget for City Hall and Chambers upgrades; extra costs associated with public safety staff and equipment; Measure U opponents and their “Plan B for Measure U” and getting community support for another ballot; place a UUT Tax measure and a bond on same ballot; locations of new facilities; Marina Station’s 50% payment for new fire station; city’s public outreach via meetings and more public process; Measure U’s opponents reasoning for voting no; creating citizens advisory committee and open application process ; path forward with and without new tax; UUT exemptions/exclusions; 4 -minute response map; Preston/Abrams Park refinancing; voter breakdown by districts on Measure U votes; layout of other cities’ facilities.
Public Comments, Second Round
• Steve Lee commented on the percentage of property taxes that actually go to the city. Asked not to delay the Rec Center and Aquatic center, that is going to be the biggest, uh, advertisement for Marina. The Aquatic center is going to be a regional. Construction. People will come from all over the peninsula to see and share that. • May Dungo commented on the opportunity to build the biggest and the best brand -new city, together. Lots of beautiful housing being built and if everyone works together and not be negative it can be done.
• Denise Turley asked councilmember Visscher to email her the notes from the rooftop meeting.
• Grace Silva -Santella hopes council will start moving on the Citizens Advisory Committee asap, that was what you were missing in your Measure U. Asked not to limit staff time to just four hours when the citizen advisory committee meets, it’s not enough time. Stated the reason she voted NO on Measure U, because there was not a site location for the city center.
Pick the site first, then do the measure. Spoke about the Library Bond and the process to achieve the required votes. Spoke about co-locating facilities.
DELGADO/BIALA: THAT WE DIRECT STAFF TO:
1. ESTABLISH A CITIZEN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OR WHATEVER THEY
WANT TO CALL IT, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HOPEFULLY WITHIN A
MONTH OR TWO, AND THAT THAT BODY OF PEOPLE MEET WITH
TRIPEPI SMITH, AND OTHER CONSULTANTS AND STAFF THAT STAFF
FINDS APPROPRIATE
2. STAFF SPEND A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME LEANING TOWARD THE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF TIME TO LOOK OVER THE 10 -PAGE
DOCUMENT AND PROVIDE SOME KIND OF RESPONSE TO IT, AND COME
BACK TO COUNCIL AFTER A REASONABLY SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME,
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WITH A SUMMARY, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT
THEY SPENT ON IT AND HOW MUCH TIME IT WOULD TAKE THEM TO DO MORE THAT THEY THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE WITH THAT 10- PAGE DOCUMENT.
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3. GET TOURS GOING AS SOON AS STAFF FINDS IT APPROPRIATE.
4. WE LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, WHAT THEY HAVE AS FAR AS THESE
FACILITIES DISCUSSED TONIGHT AND HOW THEY GOT THEM AS FAR AS FUNDING.
5. THAT WE GET VOTER BREAKDOWN PER DISTRICT, HOW A MEASURE U WENT, AND THEN SOME BRIEF ANALYSIS OF IF THERE'S ANY.
6. THAT WE DON'T DECIDE ON COMMUNITY, CITY HALL SITE BUT THAT
WE GET A SUMMARY, AN UPDATE ON THE FIVE DESIGNATED SITES
7. THAT WE CONTINUE RESEARCH INTO THE UUT AND THE BOND
8. THAT WE GET A COMMUNITY MEETING GOING AS SOON AS,
REASONABLY POSSIBLE, AND WE MAKE IT ENGAGING AND THAT THAT
COMMUNITY MEETING BE IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS, NOT AT THE
END AND NOT AT THE START, BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
APPLICATION PROCESS, TO FILL THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
9. THAT WE RESEARCH INTO THE POTENTIAL EXEMPTIONS THAT CAN BE OFFERED WITH THE UUT OR THE BOND.
10. THAT THE CITIZENS ADVISORY, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL
THAT, BE GEOGRAPHICALLY BETWEEN THE FOUR DISTRICTS AND
REPRESENTATIVE OF A DIVERSE GROUP OF CITIZENS FOR THE
COMMITTEE. 5-0-0-0 Motion Passes.
5. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM
Anita Sharp, Deputy City Clerk
ATTEST:
Bruce C. Delgado, Mayor