MONTE SERENO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
7:00 p.m.
Spetember 16, 2025
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
At approximately 7:01 p.m., Mayor Craig called the meeting to order.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Council lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL
Present – Chambers: Councilmember Shannon, Councilmember Mekechuk, Vice Mayor Allan and Mayor Craig
Present – Remote: None
Absent: None
Staff: City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica, City Manager Perkins and City Attorney Powell
Staff – Remote: None
ORDERS OF THE DAY
None.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Craig shared that newly appointment Councilmember Toren will be joining the Council at the next City Council meeting.
PRESENTATIONS
1. Impact of Federal Budget Cuts and the County’s Response Kasey Halcon, Deputy County Executive in the Santa Clara County Office of the Executive, spoke about the impact of recent federal budget cuts through HR1 and what this means for the community and the County operated healthcare delivery system and how the County is attempting to respond.
Mayor Craig opened the item for Public Comment.
Public Comment
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Resident Goyle spoke in interest of the presentation.
With no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Craig closed Public Comment.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT CALENDAR (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
2. Approve the Minutes of the September 2, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting
3. Approve Warrant List Dated September 9, 2025 in the Amount $189,298.93 Mayor Craig opened the Consent Calendar for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Craig closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Motion by Vice Mayor Allan to approve Item #2 on the Consent Calendar.
Seconded by Councilmember Shannon.
VOTE: Motion passed. (4-0-0)
MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Shannon to approve Item #3 on the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Vice Mayor Allan.
VOTE: Motion passed. (3-0-1 Abstain: Mekechuk)
PUBLIC HEARING
None.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
4. Adopt a Proclamation Declaring September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Monte Sereno
City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica provided a staff report.
Discussion ensued.
Mayor Craig opened the item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Craig closed Public Comment.
MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Mekechuk to Adopt a Proclamation Declaring September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Seconded by Councilmember Shannon.
VOTE: Motion passed. (4-0-0)
COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REPORTS
Councilmember Mekechuk reported at the West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority Board, they received a report on the Mil Pilot for multi-family that is for a container that will essentially dehumidify and reduce organic waste. The Board also approved a public outreach program.
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Councilmember Mekechuk reported that the West Valley Stormwater Authority is working on the annual report. Councilmember Mekechuk shared that at the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority meeting they approved a $33 million bill credit for customers, approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year and reviewed the decarbonization road map. Councilmember Mekechuk shared that the $500,000 grant that was previously assigned to the City was divided by the 13 agencies. The City of Monte Sereno received a grant for approximately just over $38,000. Lastly, Councilmember Mekechuk shared the Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission is trying to do a mobile hazardous waste drop off locally and is working on the cooperation across agencies and jurisdictions.
Vice Mayor Allan reported he is looking forward to attending his first meeting with the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority tomorrow.
Councilmember Shannon reported that the search for a new District Manager for the West Valley Sanitation District Board has begun with the assistance of a search firm.
Mayor Craig reported that the Santa Clara County Library JPA gave their strategic vision at their last meeting. There was also discussion about HR1 and how that is affecting everyone. Mayor Craig encourages the public to explore the library, if they haven’t yet. Mayor Craig shared the Youth Commission held its first official meeting of the year. Mayor Craig shared Youth Commissioner Jacob was voted as Chairperson again. Mayor Craig expressed he is looking forward to great things from the Youth Commission.
COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS
Councilmember Mekechuk shared he will be attending the Wildfire Summit at Stanford University that is being sponsored by Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga. Councilmember Mekechuk shared he will be carpooling with Town of Los Gatos Mayor Matthew Hudes.
Vice Mayor Allan shared he, too, would be attending the Wildfire Summit.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
City Manager Perkins reported that as of today, the Tyler System for the finance department has gone live. The next warrant list will be in a different format, as it will be an automated report from the system. Once this is done, they will be moving straight into implementing the HR module that will include payroll and timekeeping for employees. City Manager Perkin followed up by also sharing that this year’s Christmas parade is scheduled for Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 11 a.m.
Councilmember Mekechuk suggested that the Citizen of the Year be invited to the Christmas parade with the City Council.
Councilmember Mekechuk shared that with the Tyler System going live, that means that the system has migrated across all of the June 30, 2025 accounts. Things are being redone to ensure the system is running with full functionality. Training will be offered after this phase. Councilmember Mekechuk stated they are addressing all to the extent possible of the concerns raised in the memorandum on internal control.
Councilmember Shannon shared that now that the system is up and running, they have been figuring out how they want each type of transaction to be input. Items are starting to be identified by department and ensuring that they are going through the correct funds. The beginning is going to be slow as things are being figured out.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
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5. A copy of the Tentative 2025 Council Meeting Calendar was included on the agenda.
Councilmember Mekechuk would like an agenda item for the City to consider using something like Slack (Slack is used for team communication and collaboration, acting as a central hub for messages, file sharing, and conversations that can be organized into channels or direct messages.)
ADJOURN
Mayor Craig adjourned the meeting in honor of his and his wife’s 37th wedding anniversary at approximately 7:55 p.m.
Burton Craig, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________________
Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk
Docusign Envelope ID: D8E9716A-4AF1-4C8D-BE9C-C50B740DC721 September 10, 2025 Silicon Valley Clean Energy Board
Meeting Follow-Up
Meeting Snapshot
At the September Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Board of Directors (Board) meeting, staff shared that SVCE had begun issuing $33M in one-time bill credits to all customers in September. The Board also approved the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operating Budget and received a preview of the 2026 Integrated Decarbonization Roadmap.
High-Level Item Summaries
1. $33M in Bill Credits Issued to SVCE Customers
On September 2, SVCE began issuing $33M to its customers through a one-time, automatic bill credit. Residential customers will receive a credit of approximately $50, which is nearly 24% of the average monthly energy bill. Staff have been informing the community about this bill credit through direct mailers, emails, local news outlets (Mercury News - Community News “Credit is due”), and social media. To date, SVCE customers have saved over $141M since 2017 with SVCE’s electric generation discounts.
The bill credits going out in September will bring these savings to a total of $174M.
Please read the official announcement on our website and share widely!
2. Approval of Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operational Budget Update and Strategic Planning
The Board approved the SVCE Fiscal Year 2025-26 operational budget and the Fiscal Years 2025-27 strategic focus areas and strategic plan. No major changes to expenditures were proposed and customer discounts will continue as SVCE adjusts to anticipated falling energy prices over the next several years. Reserve funds, which have been conserved for several years, will be accessed to ensure that SVCE can continue to provide clean electricity while offering robust customer programs that reduce emissions.
The agency’s strategic focus areas and strategic plan will continue to emphasize energy affordability, grid stability, and customer programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Board Previews the 2026 Integrated Decarbonization Roadmap SVCE’s Board of Directors received an introductory presentation on the upcoming Integrated Decarbonization Roadmap (Roadmap), which will serve as a refresh of the original 2018 strategy with updated goals, a structured program evaluation framework, and targeted multi-year recommendations. The Roadmap will expand SVCE’s reporting to more directly track progress toward reaching greenhouse gas reduction targets and will help SVCE align investment decisions with future decarbonization priorities. The plan will be finalized after future Board engagement in 2026.
Docusign Envelope ID: D8E9716A-4AF1-4C8D-BE9C-C50B740DC721 Item Details
1. $33M in Bill Credits Issued to SVCE Customers
SVCE has begun distributing a one-time bill credit totaling $33 million across its customer base. Residential customers will receive around $50 on their upcoming electricity bill—roughly 24% of the average monthly energy bill—while nonresidential customers will receive credits based on their historical energy use. These credits will automatically appear on PG&E bills for electricity used in August, a period typically marked by heightened energy consumption due to summer heat. Notice of the bill credits was sent to all customers in the form of a postcard, emailed to all customers with an email on file, posted on SVCE’s website, and shared through SVCE’s social media channels. A banner will also be featured at the top of SVCE’s website throughout the month of September informing visitors of the bill credit.
This initiative aligns with SVCE’s ongoing commitment to affordability and community reinvestment. It follows years of stable savings generated via the agency’s four percent annual generation discount—bringing cumulative savings since 2017 to more than $141 million, and now $174 million with this one-time credit. In 2025, customers will benefit from savings totaling nearly 10% when including this new credit.
2. Approval of Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operational Budget Update and Strategic Planning
The fiscal year 2025-26 operating budget is balanced and presents SVCE in a stable financial condition. The SVCE budget is informed by the agency’s annual exercise to evaluate its risks in the market and to meet its strategic goals.
In previous Committee and Board meetings, staff discussed the high volatility in energy market prices, which adds additional uncertainty to financial projections. Staff also discussed that the prices that the California Public Utilities Commission will set for Market Price Benchmarks will substantially impact the budget and won’t be fully known until later in the year.
Key highlights of the budget changes include:
x Withdraws $40.1 million from agency reserves set aside for challenging budget years;
x Maintains an average of four percent (4%) customer discount to comparable PG&E rates through December 2025 and assumes a reduction in the discount to one percent (1%) in January 2026;
x Continues to provide additional monthly dollar bill credit to California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) customers, which in the aggregate is equivalent to a one percent (1%) discount for all customers; and
x Proposes no changes to the current financial reserves targets and policy.
Annually, coinciding with the development of the operating budget, staff go through a process of reviewing external changes in the landscape, threats, opportunities, new directives, and priorities. Through this effort, a review of the current Board-approved Strategic Plan (including the agency’s mission) is conducted to ensure that priorities, goals, and resources are properly aligned. At its September 2024 meeting, the Board Docusign Envelope ID: D8E9716A-4AF1-4C8D-BE9C-C50B740DC721 adopted the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Strategic Plan (September 11, 2024 Board of Directors Meeting – Item 4). Given that these focus areas and goals remain relevant, it was suggested by the Executive Committee that the Strategic Planning process move to every two years as opposed to annually. The Strategic Focus Areas and Strategic Plan goals would remain the same, but the associated measures and workplans could change internally to adapt to the needs of the fiscal year.
The Strategic Focus Areas for Fiscal Years 2025-27 are as follows:
x SFA1: Expand Affordability Efforts
x SFA2: Expand Clean and Reliable Grid Actions
x SFA3: Expand Offerings to C/I Customers
x SFA4: Prepare Region for Electrification at Scale
x SFA5: Attract & Retain Employees
The 2025-27 Strategic Plan is as follows:
1. Advance policies which support SVCE’s mission to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
2. Long-term, target for 100% clean energy annually by building a balanced portfolio with consideration for both affordability and reliability while exploring long-term pathways to clean power supply.
3. Create a long-term decarbonization plan that integrates supply and demand changes, opportunities, and challenges.
4. Acquire power supply resources in a cost-effective manner to meet legislative and regulatory obligations, Board directives, and customer specific products.
5. Manage and optimize load and power resources to meet affordability, GHG reduction, and reliability objectives.
6. Maintain healthy financial position; avoid failures in management of market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, operational risks, and enterprise risks.
7. Support all SVCE communities to decarbonize through local investments that reduce barriers and demonstrate sensible, scalable, and equitable solutions.
8. Engage customers and community stakeholders to build trust of SVCE and advance decarbonization.
9. Implement industry best practices to enable data-driven decision making across the organization; enhance systems, standards and procedures to streamline business processes and improve operational effectiveness and reliability (aka SVCE 3.0).
10. Hire, retain, and develop high-performing talent via competitive benefits and a rewarding work culture.
3. Board Previews the 2026 Integrated Decarbonization Roadmap In 2018, SVCE published the “Decarbonization Strategy & Programs Roadmap”, a publicfacing document outlining SVCE’s goals, strategic framework, decarbonization strategy, programs roadmap, and reporting and review structure. This guiding document was created with input from the Board, Member Agency Working Group, and other stakeholders. Core to this document was the identification of greenhouse gas reduction targets and core program initiatives to help SVCE reach its own goals.
Docusign Envelope ID: D8E9716A-4AF1-4C8D-BE9C-C50B740DC721 Since 2018, the landscape SVCE operates within has changed – California has accelerated its carbon neutrality target, new technology has matured and come to market, and statewide regulatory requirements for Load Serving Entities have evolved.
The Integrated Decarbonization Roadmap (Roadmap) effort will serve as an update to the original 2018 Decarbonization Strategy & Programs Roadmap by refining goals, milestones, and strategic recommendations. Additionally, the Roadmap will help build upon SVCE’s current program reporting and tracking processes to connect more directly to greenhouse gas reduction targets. By incorporating power supply goals, constraints, and opportunities into programmatic decision-making, SVCE will be better positioned to make strategic investment decisions aligned with its future decarbonization goals.
The Roadmap effort will focus on three key components:
1. Updated roadmap document. This document will include refined electrification adoption scenarios, incorporating learnings into strategic guidelines, and strengthened connections between program metrics and greenhouse gas targets.
2. Program decarbonization evaluation framework. SVCE will develop a customized set of metrics to guide investment and track program performance toward SVCE’s goals. This will also include plans to grow capacity for internal reporting and ongoing planning.
3. Prioritized recommendations. Guiding principles to help adapt and scale decarbonization efforts over the next 3-5 years
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