$a67192fdca41$3F166B9D2BC944DEB616DF6D7C07E56B.docx
MONTE SERENO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
7:00 p.m.
May 16, 2023
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
At approximately 7:02 p.m., Mayor Mekechuk called the meeting to order.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Youth Commissioner Stauch conducted the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL
Present – Chambers: Councilmember Craig, Councilmember Ellahie, Councilmember Turner, Vice Mayor Wolsheimer and Mayor Mekechuk
Absent: None
Staff: Assistant City Attorney Bazzano, City Planner Perkins, City Manager Leonardis and City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica
Councilmember Craig spoke on the passing away of Former Mayor Mark Brodsky earlier this month.
He shared that Former Mayor Brodsky was a great asset to the City and cared deeply for the City. He took part in City projects and was supportive to new incoming Councilmembers. Former Mayor Brodsky did what he could to make the City a better place.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
None.
PRESENTATIONS
None.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT CALENDAR (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approve Warrant List May 16, 2023 in the Amount $165,194.26
2. Authorize the City Manager to hire Bob Murray & Associates to conduct an executive search for DocuSign Envelope ID: 7DE74CDC-0D5B-49E0-8FE8-AA0A439D44AD $a67192fdca41$3F166B9D2BC944DEB616DF6D7C07E56B.docx
the next Monte Sereno City Engineer/Public Works Manager Mayor Mekechuk opened the item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Mekechuk closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Ellahie to approve the Consent Calendar.
Seconded by Councilmember Craig.
VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)
PUBLIC HEARINGS
None.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Consider and Confirm the 2023 Monte Sereno Social Justice Award Winner Selected by the Monte Sereno Youth Commission
City Manager Leonardis provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.
Discussion commenced.
Mayor Mekechuk opened the item for Public Comment.
Applicant Adam Sayed spoke.
With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Mekechuk closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Craig to Confirm the 2023 Monte Sereno Social Justice Award Winner Selected by the Monte Sereno Youth Commission.
Seconded by Vice Mayor Wolsheimer.
VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)
2. Consider and Appoint Members to the 2023-2024 Monte Sereno Youth Commission City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.
Discussion commenced.
Mayor Mekechuk opened the item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Mekechuk closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Ellahie to Appoint all 14 Applicants to the 2023- 2024 Monte Sereno Youth Commission. Seconded by Councilmember Craig.
VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)
3. Evaluate, Consider, and Accept Community (CBO) Grant Application Submittals Councilmember Craig and Councilmember Ellahie abstained their votes on KCAT under Government Code Section 1091.
City Manager Leonardis provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.
Discussion commenced.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 7DE74CDC-0D5B-49E0-8FE8-AA0A439D44AD $a67192fdca41$3F166B9D2BC944DEB616DF6D7C07E56B.docx
Applicant Melissa Toren with KCAT spoke.
Mayor Mekechuk opened the item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Mekechuk closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Turner to award the CBO Grant to KCAT in the amount of $5,000. Seconded by Vice Mayor Wolsheimer.
VOTE: Motion passed. (3-0-2 Abstain: Craig and Ellahie) MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Ellahie to award the CBO Grants as follows:
Safe Worldwide $1,000
Art Docents of Los Gatos $3,500
Los Gatos Community Concert Association $3,000
Los Gatos Education Foundation & One Community $4,000
Los Gatos Music in the Park $3,500
Provided Safe Worldwide does something with the Community Schools of Los Gatos or Monte Sereno.
Seconded by Vice Mayor Wolsheimer.
VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)
4. Study Session - Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024 Proposed Budget City Finance Officer Samoranos provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.
Discussion was held on the proposed Fiscal Year 2023-2204 Budget.
Mayor Mekechuk opened the item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Mekechuk closed Public Comment.
5. Consideration of and Appointment to a City of Monte Sereno Council Ad Hoc Committee for Daves Avenue S-Curve
Vice Mayor Wolsheimer recused himself as he lives within 500 feet of the street under discussion.
City Manager Leonardis provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.
Mayor Mekechuk opened the item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Mekechuk closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Ellahie to appoint an Ad Hoc Committee for Daves Avenue S-Curve and Mayor Mekechuk and Councilmember Turner to the Ad Hoc Committee for Daves Avenue S-Curve. Seconded by Councilmember Craig.
VOTE: Motion passed. (4-0-1; Abstain: Wolsheimer)
COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REPORTS
Councilmember Craig reported having just awarded the Social Justice Award and hosted the Ice Cream Social with the Monte Sereno Youth Commission this evening. The Monte Sereno Youth Commission will reform in August and will begin working on 2023/2024 with 14 Commissioners.
Councilmember Ellahie stated having nothing report.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 7DE74CDC-0D5B-49E0-8FE8-AA0A439D44AD $a67192fdca41$3F166B9D2BC944DEB616DF6D7C07E56B.docx
Mayor Mekechuk reported the Cities of Association will be trying to move forward to establish a JPA. This will be brought back to the Council for consideration in the future. On the Legislative Action Committee, Mayor Mekechuk reported that they solicited potential legislative items from the various members and the Chair of the Committee. Mayor Larry Klein from the City of Sunnyvale will be putting something together on this matter and circulating it.
Councilmember Turner reported residents from the City of Los Altos are up in arms because their sewer rates will be going up by 116% over the next 5 years. The good news is the West Valley Sanitation District is projecting not to raise rates in the next four years.
Vice Mayor Wolsheimer shared there were no meetings. The Animal Control meeting was cancelled as they only had consent items on the agenda.
Mayor Mekechuk provided City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica a hard copy of his Committee and Commission Reports but briefly highlighted the following items:
Mayor Mekechuk shared the Santa Clara County Peace Officers Memorial was held last week, an event attended by most of the Mayors and Councilmembers from across the County.
He shared attending the Los Gatos Little League ceremony at Baggerly Field. This was a makeup for their opening day being rained out.
Mayor Mekechuk mentioned he will be going tomorrow to San Diego to represent Silicon Valley Clean Energy at the California Community Choice Aggregator Conference. Mayor Mekechuk also shared the ABAG Conference Association of Bay Area Governments is coming in June.
Mayor Mekechuk stated another meeting will be held with the Community Center Committee to address the questions that were raised regarding funding and how it fits into the budget.
Lastly, Mayor Mekechuk shared he will not be able to attend the Better Streets Commission meeting in June due to a ribbon cutting of the first geothermal electricity generation plant to open in California in the last thirty years that he will be attending in Mammoth Lakes.
COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS
Vice Mayor Wolsheimer expressed he would like the Council to discuss the Better Streets Commission’s role and better define what the City Council expects from them and set some limitations. He stated there needs to be some focus on what is being achieved by this Commission.
Councilmember Ellahie spoke on the Turn-Around Scholarship Awards Luncheon he attended earlier this month. He mentioned perhaps Monte Sereno should have a similar scholarship as the TurnAround Scholarship.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
City Manager Leonardis was pleased to share the Ice Cream Social hosted by the Monte Sereno Youth Commission earlier this evening was a success and thanked everyone that participated. He followed up with using this time to inquire on the Council’s availability for a Special Meeting for Tuesday, May 30, 2023 for a closed session item. Everyone agreed for a Special Meeting at 7:00 p.m.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Vice Mayor Wolsheimer would like to have the discussion on the Better Streets Commission in a future meeting.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 7DE74CDC-0D5B-49E0-8FE8-AA0A439D44AD $a67192fdca41$3F166B9D2BC944DEB616DF6D7C07E56B.docx
Mayor Mekechuk would like to have a report on the City’s Investment Policy before the end of June.
ADJOURN
Mayor Mekechuk adjourned the meeting in memory of Former Mayor Mark Brodsky at approximately 9:19 p.m.
Bryan Mekechuk, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________________
Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk
DocuSign Envelope ID: 7DE74CDC-0D5B-49E0-8FE8-AA0A439D44AD