SULPIT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MILPITAS
CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
CALIFORNIA
JANUARY 1T,1614 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2025
The City Council of the City of Milpitas convened in a Special Meeting on February 11, 2025, in the Barbara Lee Senior Center, 40 N Milpitas Blvd, Room 140/141, Milpitas, CA and via teleconference/Zoom webinar.
CALL MEETING TO ORDER by Mayor and ROLL CALL by City Clerk Mayor Montano called the Special City Council meeting to order at 5 PM. Roll Call was taken by City Clerk Guzzetta.
PRESENT: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo (5:12 PM), Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam, Councilmember Lien
ABSENT:
The City Council adjourned to Closed Session at 5:02 PM.
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION
(a) PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RESIGNATION AND HIRING
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b)(1):
Employee Position: City Manager.
CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT:
The City Council reconvened at 5:54 PM
Acting City Attorney Creech reported that the City Council unanimously voted to accept the letter of resignation from City Manager Ned Thomas and convened a subcommittee to support a search for the next City Manager and identify an Interim City Manager.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Chua led the pledge of allegiance.
PUBLIC FORUM
There were the following public speakers:
1. Sujee Maniyam
2. David Hohl
3. Prashanth Kumar
4. Van Leong
5. Stephen Balsbaugh
ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS Acting City Attorney Creech asked the Mayor and City Councilmembers if they had any personal conflicts of interest. By roll call, there were no conflicts of interest. Acting City Attorney Creech asked the Mayor and City February 11, 2025 Milpitas City Council Minutes Page 1
Councilmembers if they had any reportable campaign contributions. By roll call, there were no reportable campaign contributions.
READING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CODE OF CONDUCT
Vice Mayor Barbadillo read the City Council Code of Conduct.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
After discussion, motion: to approve the agenda.
Motion/Second: Councilmember Chua / Vice Mayor Barbadillo Motion carried by the following:
AYES: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam, Councilmember Lien
NOES: None
AGENDA ITEMS
Receive Presentation on Proposed Five-Year 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Program and Provide Feedback to Staff (Staff Contact: Christian Di Renzo, Public Works Director, 408-586- 2602; and Michael Silveira, City Engineer, 408-586-3303) City Manager Thomas and Public Works Director Di Renzo introduced the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) study session, after which CIP Manager Eam and City Engineer Silveira presented the five-year CIP plan for FY 2026-2030. The presentation outlined major projects, funding sources, and anticipated challenges.
Regarding library signage, Assistant City Manager Cano noted that unless the Council provided feedback regarding Option 2, the City could proceed with Option 1 under the City Manager's authority.
Option 1 consisting of a monument sign on Main Street and two bronze plaques at the library entrance for $17,000, rather than the more expensive Option 2, which would replace three existing signs and cost $268,000. No objections were raised, allowing the City to proceed with Option 1.
Mayor Montano questioned why developers were not covering the costs for undergrounding utilities.
Acting City Attorney Creech responded that he could brief the City Council separately on this issue.
Councilmember Chua asked about the feasibility of solar-powered outdoor lighting, to which City Engineer Silveira responded that a pilot project was in progress. She requested that staff report back within 3-6 months on the results of the project.
Councilmember Chua then asked about pickleball facility improvements and expansion, referencing her previous request for a study and asking for a pilot project to evaluate potential locations. She also noted community requests for benches, bag hooks, and sturdier nets at Hall Park. Mayor Montano supported the proposal, suggesting the City identify a site for dedicated pickleball courts. Vice Mayor Barbadillo added that the City should consider partnerships with private entities to help fund the facilities.
Next, Councilmember Lam raised concerns about street lighting inconsistencies, noting that some streets remain too dim while others are overly bright. Public Works Director Di Renzo explained that all streetlights were converted to LED two years ago, but vandalism, such as wires being pulled from poles, had led to outages. Councilmember Lam noted that he had observed lighting inconsistencies firsthand. Assistant City Manager Cano requested that Councilmember Lam provide specific streets February 11, 2025 Militas City Council Minutes Page 2
with dim lighting, if possible, as examples for staff follow up. Councilmember Chua proposed a pilot project for solar-powered streetlights, pointing out that Fremont had already implemented them successfully and requested a follow-up report in the coming months.
Councilmember Chua inquired about the Urban Search and Rescue Vehicle, asking Fire Chief Schoonover how it would be used and whether additional staff would be required to operate it. Chief Schoonover explained that the vehicle would enhance the department's response capabilities and confirmed that no additional staffing was necessary.
The conversation then moved to funding gaps and prioritization of new projects. Councilmember Chua asked whether the cost-benefit of new projects had been evaluated. Councilmember Lien sought clarification on whether the funding gap included the nine new projects proposed in the CIP. City Engineer Silveira confirmed that there was a $57 million funding gap and outlined key unfunded projects, including the pedestrian overcrossing project, community center roof replacement, and Sandoval Park renovations. Councilmember Barbadillo suggested looking into private partnerships to help offset costs.
Mayor Montano then addressed flooding on Main Street near the library, asking about potential solutions. City Engineer Silveira explained that creek maintenance, storm drain expansion, and upstream water storage improvements could help mitigate flooding. Councilmember Chua asked when cost estimates for potential solutions would be available, and staff responded that a clearer assessment would be provided within 3-6 months.
Councilmember Chua then requested a detailed list of all consultants working with the City in 2024, asking for project descriptions, budgets, and actual expenditures. She also requested statistics on the MyMilpitas App, specifically how many service requests were received and how many were resolved.
Mayor Montano followed up by asking whether ADA improvements were funded by state or federal sources, to which City Engineer Silveira confirmed that ADA projects were primarily funded through gas tax revenue. Montano suggested hiring a full-time grant writer, but ACM Cano clarified that the City currently relies on a consultant for grant writing.
Mayor Montano raised concerns that the City lacked sufficient funds to cover all projects and suggested seeking VTA grants for public art projects and emphasized the importance of the Main Street Lighting Project and urging staff to explore whether PG&E could contribute financially.
Councilmember Chua reiterated her requests for a solar streetlight pilot project, a formal study on pickleball facility expansion, and a cost-benefit analysis for new CIP projects.
Councilmember Lam requested a review of streetlight replacements and an update on pothole repairs.
Councilmember Barbadillo reiterated the importance of securing additional funding sources for key projects, particularly those facing budget shortfalls and emphasized the need to explore private partnerships as a potential solution for funding pickleball facilities and other infrastructure improvements. Additionally, he weighed in on the Main Street lighting and undergrounding projects, urging the City to ensure that these improvements were implemented efficiently.
In conclusion, City Engineer Silveira provided an overview of the CIP timeline, explaining that he would solicit feedback from the Planning and Parks Commissions, followed by a final public hearing on April 15 for CIP adoption. Mayor Montano concluded the discussion by reiterating that not all projects could be funded and encouraged staff to pursue additional grant opportunities.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
February 11, 2025 Militas City Council Minutes Page 3
Councilmember Lien asked for a minute of silence in memory of Mike Mendizabal for his contribution to the community.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Montano adjourned the meeting at 8:36 PM.
The foregoing minutes were approved by the Milpitas City Milpitas City Clerk
February 11, 2025 Milpitas City Council Minutes Page 4