1 CITY OF MILL VALLEY
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
ACTION MINUTES
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
26 CORTE MADERA AVENUE, MILL VALLEY
April 15, 2024
5:30 P.M.
Mayor Urban Carmel – Present
Vice Mayor Stephen Burke – Present
Councilmember Max Perrey – Absent
Councilmember Caroline Joachim – Present
Councilmember Jim Wickham – Present
City Staff Present: City Manager Cusimano; City Attorney Khalsa; Director of Planning and Building Kelly; Principal Planner Staude; and City Clerk/Management Analyst III Politzer.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Carmel called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM and noted Councilmember Perrey was absent.
ACTION OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
None.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA ORDER
Agenda_240415
It was MOVED by Councilmember Wickham and SECONDED by Vice Mayor Burke to approve the agenda order. The Motion was carried by a 4-0 vote. Councilmember Perrey, absent.
PRESENTATIONS
None.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Carmel asked if any Councilmember or member of the public wished to pull an item from the Consent Calendar. There were no requests.
It was MOVED by Councilmember Wickham and SECONDED by Vice Mayor Burke to adopt the Consent Calendar, Items #1-3. The Motion was carried by a 4-0 vote. Councilmember Perrey, absent.
2 1. Consideration of a Resolution Approving the Plans, Specifications, and Estimate for the Molino Avenue Storm Drain Improvements Project; Approving the CEQA Notice of Exemption; and Authorizing the City Manager to Award a Project.
Recommended Action: Adopt Resolution No. 24____.
Item 1_Reso Molino Avenue Storm Drain Improvements Project_240415
2. Consideration of a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with CSWIST2 for the 2024 Pavement Preventative Maintenance Project.
Recommended Action: Adopt Resolution No. 24-____.
Item 2_Reso Awarding Pavement Preventative Maintenance Project_240415
3. Consideration of a Resolution Accepting as Complete Work Under a Contract to Maggiora & Ghilotti, Inc. for the 2023 Frontage Road Force Main Improvement Project.
Recommended Action: Adopt Resolution No. 24-____.
Item 3_NOC 2023 Frontage Road Force Main Improvement Project_240415
PUBLIC OPEN TIME
Mayor Carmel opened Public Open Time. Seeing no one who wished to speak, Mayor Carmel closed Public Open Time.
COUNCIL/STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS Mayor Carmel said he and City Manager Cusimano were invited to the Parks and Recreation Commission’s offsite retreat and gave a “This is What is Going on in the City” talk. Topics of discussion were Mill Valley’s potential sales tax, Parks and Recreation Commission priority projects such as the Boyle Park Master Plan, sand volleyball, transportation, and getting kids to and from sports practices. Mayor Carmel also noted Mill Valley applied for and received funds through the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to electrify its bus fleet. Additionally, he announced Sustainable Mill Valley met last week, where Sustainability Coordinator Grace Ledwith presented and fielded questions. Mayor Carmel continued by noting the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) will present to the City Council on May 20th on the nine-county affordable housing parcel measure. BAHFA will form a steering committee with two people from the Board of Supervisors and two Councilmembers. Mayor Carmel announced that he had volunteered to be part of that team, because the committee must get a planning commissioner, which he was before joining the City Council. He noted how important this committee would be because it would set the stage for how they do financing for affordable housing in Marin County. He also announced that Corner Bar is opening up next week, in time for the Council’s next meeting, and will be open late. The day prior, Mayor Carmel said he had provided a presentation to the Tam Methodist Church, with Vice Mayor Burke in attendance, and had lunch with the church members. He noted that the Tam Methodist Church is part of the Marin Organizing Committee (MOC), has advocated for affordable housing, and is very interested in Front Porch. Other topics of discussion included traffic and Richardson Terrace. Mayor Carmel and Councilmember Perrey will present on sustainability on Earth Day at the Community Center. There will be a neighborhood chat with the Greenwood Way neighborhood on April 22nd. Mayor Carmel will attend a youth town hall on 3 April 28th in San Rafael. Mayor Carmel and Principal Planner Danielle Staude will be at the Outdoor Art Club on May 2nd discussing all things related to housing with Bruce Dorfman and will talk about what Mill Valley and private investors are doing with respect to housing in Mill Valley. Old Mill Elementary School is coming to City Hall to visit with Mayor Carmel on May 3rd. Mayor Carmel will be back at Scout Hall to meet the Scouts on May 8th. The Mill Valley Music Festival will be held May 11-12.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
City Manager Cusimano gave a report/update on the following topics:
• Earlier in the day, City Manager Cusimano and City Staff, along with Dick Spotswood, Peter Schumacher, and Southern Marin Fire, attended a demonstration of a “terrain hopper,” put together by aging and ADA advocate Richard Skaff. The terrain hopper vehicle allows people who are aging or disabled to be able to access Mill Valley’s trails. It costs approximately $15,000 and goes 2-5 miles per hour. There are grants available for this vehicle, and the City is working with state, local, and federal parks to do something in the Mill Valley greater area. The City is now partnering with Max Korten with the county, and others across multiple agencies, to educate people on the terrain hopper and find opportunities for people to use it.
NEW BUSINESS
4. Consideration of the General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report for Calendar Year 2023; Annual Adjustment of the Construction Valuation Threshold for the Affordable Housing Impact Fee; Review of the Housing Element Work Plan for 2024; and Authorizing the City Manager to Amend the Professional Services Agreement with Front Porch for the Home March Program in an Amount Not to Exceed $30,000 per Fiscal Year (2024/2025 and 2025/2026).
Recommended Action: Receive the report and authorize the City Manager to execute the budget adjustment.
Item 4_Housing Element Implementation Update_240415
Item 4_Communication No. 1_240415
Director of Planning and Building Patrick Kelly gave the initial report and introduced Principal Planner Danielle Staude, who gave the presentation.
Principal Planner Staude focused on the Housing Element General Plan. Topics included the importance of the annual report in identifying numbers of permitted units and progress toward meeting Housing Element programs; new approved and newly constructed housing units; progress towards RHNA; implementation of Housing Element housing programs; Housing Element implementation; 2024 work plan priority items; impact fee and trust fund; and extending the Home Match contract. She said staff recommends that Council accept the annual progress report that went to HCD, accept the work plan, approve the Home Match contract extension, and acknowledge the adjustment in the affordable housing impact fee.
Principal Planner Staude responded to questions from the City Council. 4 Mayor Carmel opened public comment.
Speakers: Tammy Edmonson, Luke Barnsmoore.
Communications (via eComment): None.
Mayor Carmel closed public comment.
It was MOVED by Vice Mayor Burke and SECONDED by Councilmember Joachim to approve and adjust a construction valuation threshold associated with affordable housing impact fee as established by the Municipal Code. The Motion was carried by a 4-0 vote. Councilmember Perrey, absent.
It was MOVED by Vice Mayor Burke and SECONDED by Councilmember Joachim to authorize the City Manager to execute a budget adjustment to extend Front Porch Home Match through 2025/2026 in an amount not to exceed $30,000 per fiscal year. The Motion was carried by a 4-0 vote. Councilmember Perrey, absent.
PUBLIC HEARING
5. Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance to Amend the Mill Valley Municipal Code (MVMC) to Update Definitions and Regulations, as Identified in the General Plan Housing Element Programs 5, 6, 16, 18, 27A, 30, and 31; and Add Certain “Additional Development Standards” Identified in Chapter 3 of the Adopted Multi-Family Residential, Downtown Residential, and Mixed-Use Design Guidelines and Development Standards to Reflect the New MVMC Text Amendments and Establish an Addendum Containing Objective Development Standards for Qualifying Development Projects.
Recommended Action: Hold a public hearing, make findings, and introduce and waive First Reading of Ordinance No. ____.
Item 5_Ordinance Amending Multi-Family Residential, Downtown Residential and MixedUse Design Guidelines_240415 Principal Planner Danielle Staude provided a presentation on the draft ordinance to amend the Mill Valley Municipal Code. Topics included an overview of the amendments, the multifamily/mixed-use guidelines and standards, modifications focusing on commercial areas, allowed mixed-use in commercial areas, refinements to the C-L zoning district, mixed-use development standards, definition of “family,” modification of the Source of Income Ordinance, updating the Reasonable Accommodation Ordinance, homeless and housing assistance, and design standards addendum. Recommendations: adopt the ordinance; approve Attachment 2, the addendum for the design standards.
City Attorney Inder Khalsa, Principal Planner Staude, and Director of Planning and Building Kelly responded to questions from the City Council.
Mayor Carmel opened the Public Hearing. Seeing no one who wished to speak, Mayor Carmel closed the Public Hearing.
5 Councilmember Wickham supported the modifications.
Councilmember Joachim supported the approach.
Vice Mayor Burke echoed Councilmember Joachim’s comment that the amendments are being done thoughtfully and appreciated staff’s work.
Mayor Carmel said when going through individual reviews of properties it would be important to keep in mind what they are trying to accomplish and to make quick adjustments to keep the projects moving. He encouraged amendments to the standards as needed so they are constantly evolving. Mayor Carmel asked staff to consider modifying page 8 of the ordinance to reduce interior setbacks from 10 feet to 5 feet.
It was MOVED by Vice Mayor Burke and SECONDED by Councilmember Wickham to introduce and waive full reading of an ordinance of the City Council of the City of Mill Valley amending Title 20 zoning and Title 5 licensing and taxation; to incorporate text amendments identified in Housing Programs 5, 6, 17, 18, 27A, 30, and 31 of the General Plan 2023-2031 Housing Element; and add and incorporate additional development standards identified in Chapter 3 of the adopted Multi-Family Residential Downtown Residential and Mixed-Use Design Guidelines and Development Standards with the change dictated to staff with respect to reducing interior setbacks from 10 feet to 5 feet. The Motion was carried by a 4-0 vote. Councilmember Perrey, absent.
COUNCIL REQUESTS AND IDEAS FOR DISCUSSION
City Clerk/Management Analyst III Politzer introduced new Intern Natalie Alberto, who is helping in the City Manager’s, Finance, and Human Resources departments.
Intern Natalie Alberto said her father, Roberto Alberto, has worked for the City of Mill Valley for 30 years in parks maintenance, and spoke of her excitement to be working with the City of Mill Valley staff.
Councilmembers welcomed Ms. Alberto to the team.
ADJOURNMENT – The Council ADJOURNED at 6:58 p.m. to the next Regular City Council meeting to be held on Monday, May 6, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Mill Valley City Council Chambers.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
MILL VALLEY ON DECEMBER 8, 2025
___________________________
Stephen Burke, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Risa De Ferrari, City Clerk