Menlo Park City Council
January 27, 2026

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov City Council

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Date: 1/27/2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.

Locations: Teleconference and
City Council Chambers
751 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025
Regular Session
A. Call To Order
Mayor Nash called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.

B. Roll Call

Present: Combs (exited the meeting at 8:45 p.m.), Nash, Schmidt, Taylor (remote – Brown Act), Wise

Absent: None
Staff: City Manager Justin Murphy, Assistant City Manager Stephen Stolte, City Attorney Nira Doherty, Assistant to the City Manager/ City Clerk Judi A. Herren C. Agenda Review
None.

D. Public Comment
• Virginia Chang Kiraly spoke on the upcoming San Francisquito Creek JPA (Joint Powers Authority) meeting.
• Naji Ali spoke on services provided by Race Swami and on concerns with the Belle Haven pool services (Attachment).

E. Presentations and Proclamations
E1. Presentation: HIP Housing annual calendar contest (Attachment) HIP Housing Board Member Brian Perkins made the presentation (Attachment).

E2. Proclamation: Black History Month (Attachment)
Mayor Nash introduced the proclamation.

Library and Community Services Supervisor Rondell Howard accepted the proclamation (Attachment).

F. Consent Calendar
F1. Accept the City Council meeting minutes for December 16, 2025 (Attachment)

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov F2. Award a construction contract to Medallion Landscape Maintenance for the Smart Irrigation Infrastructure project and determine this action is categorically exempt pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines §§15301 for existing facilities (Staff Report #26-009-CC) ACTION: Motion and second (Schmidt/ Wise), to approve the consent calendar, passed unanimously.

G. Study Session
G1. Provide direction on the City’s Middle Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Rail Crossing project (Staff Report #26-010-CC)
Public Works Director Azalea Mitch made the presentation (Attachment). • Sue Kayton spoke in opposition to the project and provided additional projects and programs to fund.
• Michael Barclay spoke in opposition to the project and provided a cost analysis. • Adina Levin spoke in support of the project and staff recommendations. • Katie Behroozi spoke in support of the project.
• Ken Kershner spoke in support of the project and to pursue the lowest construction cost option. • Lesley Feldman spoke in support of the project.

The City Council received clarification on city design funding costs, phasing approach and costs, federal funding, depth of the tunnel, funding sources assurance, applying for additional funding or grants, Stanford University funding source and One Bay Area Grant fourth cycle funding application opportunity.

The City Council discussed funding sources, C/CAG advocacy, design and construction timeline, funding strategy and timeline, construction estimates options and an additional staircase on El Camino Real side of the project.

The City Council directed staff to move forward with finalizing design, provide funding strategies with assessments, pursue Option 4 and return with an MOU (memorandum of understanding) for advancing the design and funding strategy.

H. Regular Business
H1. Receive and file the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 (Staff Report #26-008-CC)
Assistant Administrative Services Director Fenny Lei made the presentation (Attachment).

The City Council received clarification on the city’s net position.

ACTION: Motion and second (Wise/ Combs), to receive and file the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, passed unanimously.

H2. Consider and adopt a resolution approving a City Council Policy for public meeting accessibility (Staff Report #26-011-CC)
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov City Clerk Judi A. Herren made the presentation (Attachment). • Charlotte Reed spoke in support of multilingual, location and written material meeting access and the proposed policy.
• Will Oursler spoke in support of the policy and requested the inclusion of city commissions. • Adina Levin spoke in support of human interpretation and requested the option for written comments in the submitters primary language and to allow native language comments to be uploaded to request forms.

The City Council received clarification on Spanish closed captioning and the interpretation form option.

The City Council discussed more meetings at the Belle Haven Community Campus and usage of services offered.

The City Council directed staff to begin implementation of the policy and pursue low and no cost accessibility options for submitting native language written comment.

ACTION: Motion and second (Taylor/ Wise), to adopt a resolution approving the public meeting accessibility policy, passed unanimously.

I. Informational Items
I1. City Council agenda topics: February 2026 (Staff Report #26-012-CC) I2. Communitywide electrification project grant spenddown progress report (Staff Report #26-014-CC) • Brian Schmidt spoke in support of Menlo Spark continuing to support the Home Upgrade Program, requested information on knob and tube replacements and requested clarification on why electrified homes have opted out of solar and storage.

I3. Update on the Belle Haven Pool hybrid model community task force (Staff Report #26-013-CC) • Meredith Rohr requested a future regular City Council agenda item about the task force and to include their report on the item.

J. City Manager Report
City Manager Justin Murphy reported out on the Kelly Park parking lot closure for solar carport construction and upcoming solar carport construction at the Burgess campus.

K. City Councilmember Reports
City Councilmember Schmidt reported out on Connect Bay Area Transit Senate Bill 63 kickoff event, ReThinkWaste board meeting and Assembly Bill 762 update.

Mayor Nash reported out on the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), C/CAG Resource Management and Climate Protection Committee and Peninsula Clean Energy meetings and the JobTrain and Per Scholas graduation ceremony.

City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.gov L. Adjournment
Mayor Nash adjourned the meeting at 8:52 p.m.

Assistant to the City Manager/ City Clerk Judi A. Herren These minutes were approved at the City Council meeting February 24, 2026.

City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

D-PUBLIC COMMENT
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January 27, 2026

Race Swami Belle Haven's swimming and enrichment program is specifically geared to serve marginalized families from the Belle Haven, East Palo Alto and neighboring communities, making competitive swimming accessible for all. Any child is welcome to join the team, regardless of ability to pay, and the team typically supplies the gear they need. The program also offers free tutoring support and other educational opportunities for its members. Currently, there is no other peninsula-based USA Swimming program dedicated specifically to meet the needs of economically disadvantaged kids in the Belle Haven and East Palo Alto communities.

City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

AGENDA ITEM E-1
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

Proclamation
BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2026
WHEREAS, during Black History Month, we celebrate the many achievements and contributions made by African Americans to our economic, cultural, spiritual and political development; and WHEREAS, Black History Month grew out of the establishment, in 1926, of Negro History Week by Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History; and WHEREAS, the 2026 theme, "Century of Black History Commemorations” marks 100 years of national observances dedicated to honoring the lives, struggles and achievements of African Americans; and WHEREAS, the observance of Black History Month calls our attention to the continued need to battle racism everywhere, including in our own city, and to build a society that lives up to its democratic ideals; and WHEREAS, the City of Menlo Park continues to work toward becoming an inclusive community in which all people - past, present, and future – are respected, valued equally, and recognized for their contributions and potential contributions to our community, the state, the country and the world; and WHEREAS, February 7 all are invited to attend the City of Menlo Park’s fourth annual Black Liberation Month Celebration at the Belle Haven Community Campus, which will include a walkthrough of Black history decade by decade, food, cultural entertainment and more; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, that I, Betsy
Nash, Mayor of the City of Menlo Park, on behalf of the City Council and City, do hereby proclaim and celebrate February 2026 as Black History Month in Menlo Park.

Betsy Nash, Mayor
January 27, 2026
AGENDA ITEM E-2
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

MIDDLE AVENUE PEDESTRIAN AND

BICYCLE RAIL CROSSING PROJECT STUDY SESSION
Azalea Mitch, Public Works DirectorJanuary 27, 2026
G1-PRESENTATION
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

AGENDA
 Project background and
history
 Status Costs Options Seek City Council’s
direction on the next steps
2 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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2012 El Camino Real and
Downtown Specific Plan  Includes the development of
grade separated bicycle / pedestrian crossings at the Caltrain station and Burgess Park.  Objective - improve east-west
bicycle / pedestrian connectivity and safety.
3 PROJECT BACKGROUND
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

2020 Transportation Master
Plan (TMP) Sets vision for transportation
needs
 Includes critical infrastructure
projects to enhance safety on the City’s roadways
– Middle Avenue Pedestrian and
Bicycle Rail Crossing Project
4 SAFETY PROJECTS
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January 27, 2026

 Improve safety
 Promote multi-modal
transportation
 Reduce travel times Improve east/west
connectivity
 Provide alternatives to
busy streets, such as Ravenswood Ave. and El Camino Real 5 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
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January 27, 2026

 2016 – Measure A grant funding
for preliminary design and environmental documentation
 2023 – City Council approved
the proposed design
 2024 - Purchase of a portion of
700-800 El Camino Real
 2024 – Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with Caltrain to advance the design and develop federal environmental documentation 6 PROJECT HISTORY
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January 27, 2026

 Onboard
– Design team, TY Lin– Contractor – Myers and Sons, General Contractor (CM/GC) project delivery approach– Environmental documentation consultant– Independent cost estimator  Utility coordination: Cal Water, West Bay Sanitary District, PG&E and third party fiber companies
 Value engineering workshop
– Length of tunnel– Utilities– Caltrain construction windows  Design, updated 35% 7

PROJECT UPDATE
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

 Design: 88’ long tunnel (9’H x 20’W)
underneath Caltrain tracks with ramps, stairs, streetlights  Construction approaches:1) Support existing two tracks - box-jack installation of a precast concrete tunnel. Construction during 4 hr. non-revenue times or non and revenue hours with a single track in service. 2) Conventional cut-and-cover excavation -
involves removal of the two tracks for the placement of the tunnel over a weekend with bus service between the Redwood City and Palo Alto Caltrain stations. 8

PROJECT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS
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January 27, 2026

PROJECT UPDATE – COSTS

CALTRAIN CONSTRUCTION WINDOWS
 Construction window, significant key cost factor  Option 4 is fastest and least expensive 9 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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PROJECT UPDATE - COSTS
10 Include $5M for relocation of fiber lines
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11 FUNDING
Funding Source Amount Phase
$1,130,000 Design San Mateo County Transportation Authority Measure A/W Pedestrian/Bicycle Program $6,000,000 Construction Private, Stanford University Middle Plaza development agreement contribution Design, construction, right-of-way
Transportation impact fees City of Menlo Park $5,658,334 Santa Clara County $1,000,000 Construction Stanford University recreational mitigation grant $5,000,000 Construction
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
One Bay Area Grant – Third Cycle (OBAG-3)
USDOT $4,000,000 Construction Congresswoman Eshoo member designated project Total $22,788,334
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 Funding shortfall: approx.,
$34 to $43 million
 Options
– Finalize the design, staff’s
recommendation
– Phase the Project– Discontinue the Project
12 PROJECT FUNDING SHORTFALL AND NEXT STEPS
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 Complete design /environmental by March 2027
 Shovel ready - would be more competitive for
future grant funding opportunities
 Strategy
– Assess opportunities at both the state and federal levels – San Mateo County Transportation Authority – Caltrain’s Draft Corridor Crossings Strategy Program Initiation Report
 OBAG-3 grant and earmark
– Have three years to construct after obligation of funds, extensions
 Re-evaluate extension of the Stanford University
funding sources
 Caltrain MOU amendment, April 2026
– Approx. $5M additional needed to finalize the design – Negotiate project and construction management costs– Staff to assess budget– Fiber relocation – potential $5M construction cost savings– Operating construction window – potential $8M constructing cost savings
– Complete transfer administration of federal funding to Caltrain 13 FINALIZE THE DESIGN
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January 27, 2026

 Assess if the construction money available
could be sufficient for tunnel only
– Ramps, lighting, and remaining infrastructure for later phase
 Proceed with design of tunnel only and
environmental documentation
 More expensive due to additional
mobilization and cost escalation over time
 Completion of the Project would remain
uncertain and depend on the availability of future funds  Caltrain MOU amendment, April 2026
14 PHASE THE PROJECT
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

 Forgo $16 million of construction
funding (OBAG-3, earmark, Stanford funds)
– $7M approx. estimated expenses thus far
(preliminary/advanced design, ROW)
 On-going corridor-wide grade
separation challenges
– No San Mateo County funds are
available for the City’s grade separation project (Ravenswood, Oak Grove and Glenwood Avenues)  City would not have opportunities
for any grade separation project until funding is secured 15

DISCONTINUE THE PROJECT
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January 27, 2026

 Seek City Council’s direction on
options – Finalize the design, staff’s
recommendation
– Phase the Project– Discontinue the Project
16 NEXT STEPS
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THANK YOU!
17 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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FISCAL YEAR 2024-25 ANNUAL
COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORTFenny Lei, Assistant Administrative Services Director H1-PRESENTATION
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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 ACFR overview
 Financial reporting and fund accounting basics Revenues and expenditures Citywide financial overviewAGENDA 2 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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ACFR OVERVIEW
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ACFR OVERVIEW
 The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, or ACFR, provides a complete overview of the City’s financial operations and financial position  The ACFR is prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and follows the accounting and financial reporting standards established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). 4 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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ACFR OVERVIEW

1. Introductory Section
– Transmittal Letter

2. Financial Section
– Independent Auditor’s Report– Management’s Discussion and Analysis– Basic Financial Statements– Notes to the Basic Financial Statements– Required Supplementary Information– Supplementary Information

3. Statistical Section
5 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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6 PRIOR YEAR ACFR RECEIVED GFOA AWARD
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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’
REPORT
 After reviewing the City’s financial statements, the Pun Group rendered an unmodified or clean opinion that the financial statements… “present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position ofthe governmental activities, business-type activities, each major fund, andthe aggregate remaining fund information of the City, as of June 30, 2025,and the respective changes in financial position, and, where applicable,cash flows thereof….”  An unmodified or clean opinion is the most common and desirable opinion an auditor can render
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FINANCIAL REPORTING AND

FUND ACCOUNTING BASICS
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BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 Government-wide Financial Statements
– Statement of Net Position– Statement of Activities
 Fund Financial Statements
– Governmental Funds– Proprietary Funds– Fiduciary Funds  Notes to the Financial Statements
9 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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BASICS OF FUND ACCOUNTING
 Governments employ fund accounting and all funds are combined to create the City’s total budget
 Funds are separate “pots of money” set up to track resources for specific purposes  The source of money determines how it can be spent (i.e., whether it is restricted or unrestricted)
 Each fund is maintained individually with separate accounting 10 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
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OVERVIEW OF REVENUES AND

EXPENDITURES
 Revenue categories
– Taxes – Property tax, sales tax, transient occupancy tax– User fees / rates – Grants  Expenditure categories
– Current
• Personnel – Wages, retirement, fringe benefits• Operating – Materials / supplies, professional services, utilities, internal service fund contributions, etc.
– Capital outlay – Equipment purchases, construction costs, depreciation and amortization – Debt service – principal and interest, fiscal charges– Transfers to other funds 12 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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OVERVIEW OF REVENUES AND

EXPENDITURES
13 RevenueRevenue
ExpenditureExpenditure
<>
Deficit
decrease in
fund balance
Surplus
increase in
fund balance
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OVERVIEW OF REVENUES AND

EXPENDITURES
14 Assets
Ending
Liabilities
Ending
Fund
Balance
Beginning
(Income – Expense)
Ending Fund
Balance
Ending Fund
Balance
Balance Sheet Income Statement
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CITYWIDE FINANCIAL

OVERVIEW
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NET POSITION
 Overall indicator of the City’s financial health across all funds  Reflects the total revenues versus expenditures for the City – Includes increases in non-liquid assets and unrealized investment gains – Includes restricted revenues, such as special revenue sources  Net position as of a single point in time As of June 30, 2025, the City’s net position increased by $16.1 million to $613.2 million
16 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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GASB 31 COMPLIANCE AND

CORRECTION
 GASB 31 Audit Correction
– The City transitioned to proportional allocation of interest and unrealized gain/loss based on cash balances for each fund, replacing a previous method that restricted earnings to only eight specific funds.
 Prior Period Adjustments
– Restatements dating back to fiscal year 2021-22 resulted in a $2.0 million reduction to General Fund, restating beginning fund balance from $37.3 million to $35.3 million.  Fiscal year 2024-25 Revenue Reduction
– Reduction of $3.3 million in “Use of Money and Property” revenue ($1.6 million interest income/$1.7 million unrealized gains)
 Fiscal Position
– These adjustments created $1.6 million net deficit for fiscal year 2024-25, bringing the ending fund balance for General Fund to $33.7 million
17 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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GENERAL FUND
 As the City’s primary operating fund, it is helpful to look at the health of the General Fund as well
 General Fund
– $ 82.5 million in revenues – $ 84.1 million in expenditures– $ 1.6 million decrease to the fund balance  Fund Balance
– Starting fund balance (restated): $35.3 million– Ending fund balance: $33.7 million 18 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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FUND BALANCE OF THE

GENERAL FUND
19 Category Definition Amount
$ 0.6 million Items that are not able to be spent. Examples could include prepaid items, inventories, loans receivable, etc. Nonspendable --
Items that are subject to external legal restrictions. Examples could include debt covenants, grantors, other-governmental laws or regulations, etc.

Restricted
$ 25.9 million
Items that are constrained by governing body direction (i.e., by City Council resolution). The City Council has established three reserves that fall into this category: Emergency contingency, economic stabilization and strategic pension funding.

Committed
$ 1.3 million
Items that are intended for a specific purpose. The City Council and the City Manager are authorized to assign fund balance. Examples could include debt service, special projects, etc.

Assigned
$ 5.8 million The amount remaining that does not fall into one of the above categories. Unassigned City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

ONLINE ACCESS
Visit www.menlopark.gov/acfr to review the
Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025
20 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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THANK YOU
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

Consider and adopt the public
meetings accessibility policy
Judi A. Herren, Assistant to the City Manager/ City Clerk 1 H2-PRESENTATION
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026

Policy background
 July 8, 2025 – City Council received informational item Dec. 16, 2025 – City Council provided direction on policy 2 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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Policy context: Environmental Justice (EJ) Element
 Aligns with EJ Element
- EJ2.G
• Transportation services to encourage attendance and accessibility to public meetings
- EJ7.D.3
• Conduct City Council and Commission meetings in underserved communities - EJ7.D.8
• Incorporate multilingual outreach and offer interpretation services at public meetings
3 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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Current practices included in proposed policy
 Transportation offered for select meetings (EJ2.G)
- Annual City Council priority setting workshop - Annual budget public hearing- General Plan Elements  Meetings at Belle Haven Community Campus (BHCC) (EJ7.D.3) - Two City Council meetings- One Commission meeting, per Commission  Spanish interpretation provided (EJ7.D.8)
- On public request- Used for key topics
 Translation of select materials (EJ7.D.8)
- Police updates, Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) reports- General Plan items 4 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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New items included in proposed policy
City Council meetings only Transportation services upon request – pilot - 72-hour advance notice (online form or phone)- From Belle Haven neighborhood to Chambers OR- Chambers to BHCC  Interpretation services – pilot
- Virtual Spanish closed captioning for Zoom attendees- Online request form requiring the expectation of user  Translation services
- Web-based translation for other meeting materials
 Policy review
5 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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Fiscal impact
 Approximately $48,700 per calendar year Implementation begins upon adoption - Full implementation by July 2026
 Estimated costs:
- Transportation: $1,100- Interpretation: $32,800- Translation: $4,800- Wed-based ADA and translation tool: $10,000 6 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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Staff recommendation
 Adopt the resolution approving the policy:
- Transportation
• Including pilot
- Location- Interpretation
• Including pilot
- Translation
7 City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
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THANK YOU
City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2026