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Agenda

Monte Sereno City Council
August 18, 2026

Document
Agenda
Meeting
August 18, 2026
Body
Monte Sereno City Council
Pages
138
Original file
43.7 MB
Text extracted from the city's file for reading and search. Open the original on montesereno.civicweb.net. That file is the official record.

AGENDA
City of Monte Sereno
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
City Council
7:00 PM
Monte Sereno City Council Chambers - 18041 Saratoga -
Los Gatos Road, Monte Sereno, Ca 95030

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ATTEND IN-PERSON

OR UTILIZE THE VIRTUAL OPTION
How to Participate
To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can access and participate in the meeting as follows: To listen (only) by telephone dial US: +1 669 444 9171 or +1 720 707 2699 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 689 278 1000 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 305 224 1968 or +1 309 205 3325 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 360 209 5623 or +1 386 347 5053 or +1 507 473 4847 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 646 558 8656 When prompted by the system enter participation Webinar ID:
892 3149 4047
and Password: 062841.

To attend the meeting webinar with a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89231494047?pwd=wYfnPYF5USTa7UY2iKb6T57l3voefi.1 Passcode: 062841
Or iPhone one-tap (telephone connection) : US:
+16694449171,,89231494047#,,,,*062841# US
+17193594580,,89231494047#,,,,*062841# US
Passcode: 062841.

You will be prompted to install the webinar client appropriate for your device. Attendees are encouraged to install the needed software in advance at the following locations depending on the device being used. If you are unable to participate in real-time, you may email to the City Clerk at [email protected] with the subject line "Public Comment Item #__ " (insert the item number relevant to your comment) or "Verbal Communications - Non Agenda Item."
Any member of the public who needs accommodations should email or call the City Manager who will use their best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety in accordance with the City procedure for resolving reasonable accommodation requests. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Manager at 408-498-5285 or [email protected]. If requested of the City Manager, agendas and documents in the agenda packet can be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability.

Page

CALL TO ORDER

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Page 1 of 138 ends

ROLL CALL

ORDERS OF THE DAY
The Mayor, or a majority of the Council by vote, may change the order of business, except for public hearings on the agenda for a set time.

ANNOUCEMENTS

PRESENTATIONS

1. Presentation by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Presentation
5 - 21

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Persons wishing to address the Council on any matter of City business not listed on the agenda may do so at this time. Each speaker will normally be allotted three minutes, subject to the Mayor or a majority of the Council’s ability to limit the amount of time allocated to speakers based on the number of speakers and the need for expedient administration of City business in light of the number and length of items on the agenda.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
Copies of communications have been provided to Council for review prior to this meeting. Council Members desiring to read or discuss any written communication may do so at this time. No action may be taken except to place a particular item on a future agenda for Council consideration.

CONSENT CALENDAR
It is recommended that all items listed below be acted on simultaneously unless separate discussion and/or action is required by a Councilmember. One public comment period will be provided, although speakers speaking on more than one item may be allocated additional time by the Mayor or a majority of the Council.

2. Approve the Minutes of the August 4, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting
Staff recommends approval of the Minutes of the August 4, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting.

Staff Report -SR-22-148 - Pdf
22 - 28

3. Approve Warrant List Dated August 18, 2026 in the Amount of $36,115.68
Staff recommends the City Council approve the Warrant List.

Staff Report - SR-26-136 - Pdf
29 - 36

PUBLIC HEARINGS

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

4. Discuss Climate Resilience District
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss Climate Resilience Districts and their potential applicability to Monte Sereno.

Staff Report - SR-26-128 - Pdf
37 - 49

Page 2 of 138 ends

5. Consideration of a Resolution to Support to Remove Eucalyptus Trees In the Highway 9 Median Due to Potential Fire Hazard
Staff recommends that the City Council consider adoption of a resolution supporting the removal of eucalyptus trees in the Highway 9 median due to potential fire hazard.

Staff Report - SR-26-135 - Pdf
Public Comments Received
Public Comments Received 8.18.2026
50 - 89

6. Discuss Communications with the Community
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss methods the City uses to communicate with the community.

Staff Report - SR-26-120 - Pdf
90 - 93

7. Discuss How the City Uses Volunteers for Commissions and Committees
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss how the City uses volunteers for commissions and committees.

Staff Report - SR-26-127 - Pdf
94 - 95

8. Consider and Adopt a Resolution Canceling the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election and Appointing the Nominated Candidates to the City Council
Staff recommends that the Council adopt a resolution canceling the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election and appoint nominated candidates to the City Council.

Staff Report - SR-26-111 - Pdf
96 - 100

9. Consider Adoption of a Resolution to Amend the City of Monte Sereno Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings to Change the Regular Council Meeting Start Time to 6:00pm and Other Administrative Clarifications
Staff recommends that the City Council consider adoption of a Resolution to Amend the City of Monte Sereno Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings the regular Council Meeting start time to 6:00pm and other administrative clarifications Staff Report - SR-26-129 - Pdf
101 - 130

COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REPORTS
This time is set aside to allow Councilmembers serving on Council committees or appointed by the City to serve on the boards, commissions or committees of other agencies to present a verbal report on the activities of the respective boards, commissions or committees on which they serve. No discussion or action may be taken other than to place the matter on a future agenda.

Toren

Page 3 of 138 ends

Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority
Cities Association – Board of Directors
Cities Association – Legislative Action Committee
Valley Transportation Authority Policy Advisory Committee

Mekechuk
West Valley Stormwater Authority
West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority Board
Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority
Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission Craig
Monte Sereno Youth Commission
Santa Clara County Library JPA
Shannon
Santa Clara Valley Water Commission
West Valley Sanitation District Board
Cities Association - Cities Selection Committee
Allan
Association of Bay Area Governments
League of California Cities Peninsula Division
West Valley Mayors & Managers
Mayors of Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County Mayors Group

COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS
This time is set aside to allow Councilmembers to make brief announcements or reports on the Councilmember’s own activities. No discussion or action may be taken other than to place the matter on a future agenda.

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
This time is set aside to allow Councilmembers to make a specific request for an item to be placed on a future agenda. No discussion or other action may be taken.

10. Council Tentative Council Meeting Calendar 2026 131 - 138

ADJOURN
* All items on the agenda are subject to action/or change by the City Council In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk (408) 354-7635. If requested of the City Clerk, agendas and documents in the agenda packet can be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability.

Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II]

Page 4 of 138 ends

Russian Ridge, Judith Zimmermann

PRESERVE PROTECT RESTORE EDUCATE ENJOY
District Introduction and
Update
Craig Gleason, Board Member, Ward 1
August 18, 2026
Midpen’s Mission(s)
2 Midpen’s mission: to acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity, protect and restore the natural environment, and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education.

On the Coast, Midpen has an expanded mission to acquire and preserve agricultural land of regional significance, preserve rural character and encourage viable agricultural uses of land resources.

Page 5 of 138 ends

Lands We
Protect
3 Midpen’s Board of Director Wards
4

Page 6 of 138 ends

5 Protected by Midpen to date:
• 7,400 acres of redwood forests
• 6,900 acres of grasslands
• 40 acres of serpentine grasslands
• 288 special status species (87 wildlife, 201 plants)
• 23 threatened or endangered species
• 77 miles of perennial creeks; 1,400 ac. riparian veg
• 103 water bodies …….. AND GROWING!!
Some Midpen Facts
• Public agency, created in 1972 by a grassroots
voter ƐƲƐǷƐŀǷƐȖū
• ͻͺͷϺʹʹʹёŜƼƲǪǷƐǷǿūƲǷǪёЕͶʹͶʹЖ
• ƧūŜǷūţёƼŀǢţёȗƐǷƋёǪūȖūƲёţƐǢūŜǷƼǢǪ
• ǿƲţūţёǟǢƐưŀǢƐƧȝёǷƋǢƼǿƄƋёǟǢƼǟūǢǷȝёǷŀȜ
• 27 Preserves in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa
Cruz ŜƼǿƲǷƐūǪ
• ǢūǪūǢȖūţёƼȖūǢёͻͶϺʹʹʹёŀŜǢūǪёӏёͶͺʹёưƐƧūǪёƼƃёǷǢŀƐƧǪ
 Over 15,000 acres of grazing land on the San Mateo
Coast
• ǢūǪūǢȖūǪёŀǢūёƃǢūūёŀƲţёƼǟūƲёǷƼёǷƋūёǟǿśƧƐŜёūȖūǢȝё
day of the year
• ŀƐƲёƼƃƃƐŜūёƐƲёƼǪёƧǷƼǪё҈ёƃƐūƧţёƼƃƃƐŜūǪ
• ҔͶ͹ʹёūưǟƧƼȝūūǪϺёҔ͵ʹʹʹёȖƼƧǿƲǷūūǢǪ
• Measure AA: $300 million voter-approved general
obligation bond passed in 2014 to support public
ǟǢƐƼǢƐǷƐūǪ 6

Page 7 of 138 ends

Nearby Preserves
Photo: Erica Namba 7
El Sereno Open Space Preserve
Photo: Todd Ditchendorf 8

Page 8 of 138 ends

Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
Photo: Lubor Ptacek 9
St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve
Photo: Peter Reinold 10

Page 9 of 138 ends

11 Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
Photo: Mark Hehir
Long Ridge. Charles Tu
Program & Project
Updates
12

Page 10 of 138 ends

Wildland Fire Resiliency Program
Implementation
Cherry Springs Prescribed Burn, 2024
Photo: Michael Gorman 13
Wildfire Resiliency Program:

Santa Clara County
14 For more information, please visit
www.openspace.org/fire

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Prescribed Burns
• Benefits of Prescribed Burns
 Reduces wildfire risk and intensity
 Helps preserve grassland habitats by
burning encroaching shrubs and trees
 Cycles carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
through the ecosystem
 California’s native plant community is
adapted to and dependent on periodic
fires sweeping through the landscape
• Burn Goals
 Training for Midpen staff
 Ecosystem restoration
 Fuel reduction
15 Midpen Staff at Prescribed Burn, 2024
Photo: Michael Gorman
Ranger Training
16 CZU Lightning Complex Fire, 2020 g Comple
Photo:
plex Fire, 2020
: Brad Pennington
Wildland Fire Training dland Fir
Photo:

Fire Training
: Chris Barresi

Page 12 of 138 ends

Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative
For more information, please visit www.lgwatershedhealth.com 17 Enhancing ADA Accessibility within Preserves
18

Page 13 of 138 ends

Conservation Career Fair 2026
19 Interpretation & Education Programs
20 Daniels Nature Center Daniels Nature Ce
Photo: John Green
Spaces & Species Field Trip Spaces & Species Field
Photo: Anouchka Gaillard
Docent-Led Hike Led Hike
Photo: Karen DeMello

Page 14 of 138 ends

Docent Naturalist Program
• ~100 Docent
Naturalists (DNs),
who lead guided
activities
on preserves
• Activity topics are
diverse, creative,
intentionally
thematic, and
place-based
21 Photo: Dave Kocsis
Photo: Catherine Photo: C
Crawford
Cath
datherine-Swent
Photo: Joyce Tang Photo: Lindsay Joye
22 2025 Highlights: Partnership Program
“As we reflect on our work in 2025, it is clear that our impact is a direct result of the collaborative
partnerships we share with organizations like yours.”
-Aurora Cortes, SF Bay Area Regional Coordinator
Latino Outdoors
Student Conservation Association at Los Trancos Preserve Latino Outdoors at Bear Creek Preserve
Saved by Nature at El Corte de Madera Preserve

Page 15 of 138 ends

Critical Wildlife Linkages
Interconnected habitat
is essential
• Supports species with
large home ranges
• Facilitates animal
movement in response
to changes in habitat
(e.g. wildfire, pollution,
or changing weather
patterns)
• Promotes gene flow to
keep wildlife populations
diverse and healthy
23 Highway 17 Undercrossing
Photo: Ken Hickman 24

Page 16 of 138 ends

Highway 17 Overcrossing
25 Current Status & Next Steps
Date Task
2024-2026 Caltrans Plans, Specifications, & Estimates
(Final Design)
Fundraising!
2027 &
Beyond
Bidding & Construction (funding dependent)
VTA is the project delivery partner
Current target groundbreaking – 2027
26 Key Partners:

Page 17 of 138 ends

27 Rodenticide Outreach
For more information:
openspace.org/rodenticides
The choices you
make at home affect
open space.

Rodenticides impact
the very wildlife that
already naturally
control rodent
populations.

Santa Cruz Kangaroo Rat
• Assess Santa Cruz Kangaroo Rat
habitat and support genetic
research to inform the
development of a Habitat and
Population Management Plan to
increase species resilience.
 5.5 acres of Kangaroo Rat
habitat enhancement completed
in March of 2025
 Habitat and Population Management
Plan expected in July of 2026.
28

Page 18 of 138 ends

Long Ridge. Charles Tu
Visit a Preserve &
Get Involved
29 Join Us! Midpen Events Calendar
30 Find us at
openspace.org/events

Page 19 of 138 ends

Get Involved!
31 Subscribe to Midpen’s newsletter! Join an event or activity! Join a volunteer project! Follow us on social media
@midpenopenspace
32 We are Midpen!

Page 20 of 138 ends

Questions?
openspace.org
[email protected]
Los Trancos, Thirumalai Suresh
Sign up for eNews at:
openspace.org/subscription-interests

Page 21 of 138 ends

STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: CONSENT CALENDAR
Staff Contact: Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk
Department: City Clerk
Title: Approve the Minutes of the August 4, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends approval of the Minutes of the August 4, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting.

Fiscal Impact:

There are no unbudgeted fiscal impacts with this agenda item.

Public Noticing:

The City Council’s agenda was posted at City Hall and the agenda and this report appear on the City’s website.

Attachments:
08-04-26 Regular Meeting Minutes DRAFT

Page 22 of 138 ends
Page 1 ends

MONTE SERENO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

REGULAR MEETING
7:00 p.m.

August 4, 2026

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
At approximately 7:00 p.m., Mayor Allan called the meeting to order.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Council lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL
Present – Chambers: Councilmember Toren, Councilmember Craig, Councilmember Mekechuk, Vice Mayor Shannon and Mayor Allan
Present – Remote: None

Absent: None
Staff: City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica, City Attorney Powell, City Manager Perkins
Staff – Remote: None

ORDERS OF THE DAY
Councilmember Mekechuk requested to move item #8 under New Business before the Consent Calendar in consideration to one of the nominees being present at today’s Council meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
None.

PRESENTATIONS

1. Presentation by San Jose Water
Presentation by President of San Jose Water, Tanya Moniz-Witten, Vice President of Operations, Colby Sneed and Vice President of Engineering, Jake Walsh. They spoke on some of the infrastructure projects they’ve worked on and some specifically in the Monte Sereno area.

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS

Page 23 of 138 ends
Page 2 ends

None.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
None.

NEW BUSINESS

8. Discuss and Consider the Nominees for Monte Sereno Citizen of the Year and Make an Appointment
City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.

Discussion ensued.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Mekechuk to appoint Javed Ellahie as the Monte Sereno Citizen of the Year effective Sunday, August 23, 2026 .

Seconded by Mayor Allan.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)
Council went into a 5-minute break

CONSENT CALENDAR (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)

2. Approve the Minutes of the June 16, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting and the June 30, 2026 Special City Council Meeting

3. Approve Warrant List Dated August 4, 2026 in the Amount of $203,164.50 and Review Warrant List Dated July 17, 2026 in the Amount of $307,957.10

4. Consideration to Authorize the City Manager to Execute the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Maze and Associates Accounting Corporation for Accounting Services.

5. Establishment of Non-Voting Youth Commission Members and Appointment of Eight Non-Voting Youth Commission Members
Councilmember Mekechuk requested Items #3 and #4 be pulled.

Mayor Allan opened the Consent Calendar for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Craig to approve Items #2 and #5 on the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Vice Mayor Shannon.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)

3. Approve Warrant List Dated August 4, 2026 in the Amount of $203,164.50 and Review Warrant List Dated July 17, 2026 in the Amount of $307,957.10 Councilmember Mekechuk made some comments on this item.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

Page 24 of 138 ends
Page 3 ends

MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Mekechuk to approve Item #3 in the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Councilmember Toren.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)

4. Consideration to Authorize the City Manager to Execute the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Maze and Associates Accounting Corporation for Accounting Services.

Councilmember Mekechuk made some comments on this item.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Mekechuk to approve Item #4 in the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Vice Mayor Shannon.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)

PUBLIC HEARING

6. Consider Objections to the 2026 Weed Abatement Program Assessment Report and Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Report and Authorizing Collection of the Assessment Charges City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.

Weed Abatement Manager, Garik Losievsky, with the County of Santa Clara Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency, was available to assist with answering any questions from Council.

Discussion ensued.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Hearing. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Hearing.

MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Craig to approve a resolution confirming a weed abatement report and assessment list filed by the County Fire Marshal and remanding the same to said Fire Marshal to be entered on the tax assessment roll. Seconded by Councilmember Toren.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)

7. Receive and adopt the General Plan Update
M-Group provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.

City Manager Perkins was available to assist with answering questions from the Council.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Hearing. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Hearing.

Discussion ensued.

MOTION: Motion by Vice Mayor Shannon to adopt a resolution adopting the Monte Sereno General Plan update in compliance with State Law. Seconded by Councilmember Toren.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)

Page 25 of 138 ends
Page 4 ends

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

9. Consideration of Applications and Appointment to Fill One (1) Vacancy on the Monte Sereno Site and Architectural Commission for an Unexpired Term Ending December 31, 2027 City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.

Applicant David Propach introduced himself and answered questions from the Council.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

Discussion ensued.

MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Mekechuk to appoint David Propach to the Site and Architectural Commission for an unexpired term ending December 31, 2027. Seconded by Councilmember Craig.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)

NEW BUSINESS

10. Designation of Voting Delegates and Alternates for the 2026 League of California Cities Annual Conference
City Clerk Gonzalez-Langarica provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.

Discussion ensued.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

MOTION: Motion by Councilmember Craig to appoint Councilmember Mekechuk as the voting delegate and Councilmember Toren as the voting alternate to attend the League of California Cities 2026 Annual Conference. Seconded by Vice Mayor Shannon.

VOTE: Motion passed. (5-0-0)

11. Consideration of Support for the Diablo Canyon 2045 Coalition City Manager Perkins introduced the item.

Councilmember Mekechuk provided a report and answered questions from the Council.

Discussion ensued.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

No action is required.

12. Discuss How the City Uses Volunteers for Commissions and Committees Councilmember Toren requested a continuation of this item at the next City Council meeting.

13. Consider and Accept the City Manager's Quarterly Report Covering April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026

Page 26 of 138 ends
Page 5 ends

City Manager Perkins provided a staff report and answered questions from the Council.

Discussion ensued.

Mayor Allan opened the Item for Public Comment. With no one wishing to speak, Mayor Allan closed Public Comment.

No action is required.

COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REPORTS
Councilmember Toren reported there were no meetings. The last meeting the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority had was back in June. The Cities Association and the Valley Transportation Authority Policy Advisory Committee have meeting in the upcoming week.

Vice Mayor Shannon stated she had nothing to report.

Councilmember Craig stated he had nothing to report.

Councilmember Mekechuk reported that both West Valley Stormwater Authority and West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority Board are scheduled to meet in September. The Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority has a meeting in the upcoming week. The Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission is scheduled to meet this month.

Mayor Allan had nothing to report.

COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS
Councilmember Mekechuk commented that he believes it would be beneficial for the City to continuously review and identify its goals to ensure they are being met.

Councilmember Craig commented that he, Councilmember Toren, and Mayor Allan attended a presentation by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District regarding binge drinking in the area. He noted that the presentation shared survey results indicating that Los Gatos students reported consuming five or more drinks in a two-hour period at a rate approximately 400 percent higher than Saratoga students.

Mayor Allan commented that the City of Monte Sereno will be well represented tomorrow at the home of Citizen of the Year Carol Guardino, with Congressman Jimmy Panetta, who will also be in attendance as a guest.

Vice Mayor Shannon commented that she hoped everyone had a nice summer break. She also shared that she attended the Annual Night Out event in the Town of Los Gatos. She described the event as very nice and noted that it had a good turnout.

CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
City Manager Perkins shared that last Friday, the City of Monte Sereno distributed soccer balls donated by FIFA to members of the public. The giveaway was a tremendous success, with approximately 150 of the 200 soccer balls received distributed that same day. As of today, only six soccer balls remain. The opportunity to receive the soccer balls came to the City through an email from Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga’s office informing the Mayor that FIFA was offering soccer balls to communities throughout the area. The Mayor forwarded the information to the City, and City staff subsequently signed up to receive the donation.

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Page 27 of 138 ends
Page 6 ends

Councilmember Mekechuk would like to see an agenda item update on the green stormwater infrastructure.

ADJOURN
Mayor Allan adjourned the meeting at approximately 9:40 p.m.

Lionel M. Allan, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________________
Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk

Page 28 of 138 ends

STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: CONSENT CALENDAR
Staff Contact: Diana Perkins, City Manager
Department: City Manager
Title: Approve Warrant List Dated August 18, 2026 in the Amount of $36,115.68 Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends the City Council approve the Warrant List.

Analysis:

The Warrant List includes payments to be made to vendors for goods and services procured by the City. The attached report lists each payment to be made by vendor, amount, and by accounting fund. Also, attached to the Warrant List is a listing the automatic payments made through electronic bank transfers as well as a detailed break down of the charges to the City’s credit card.

California Environmental Quality Act:

The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.

Public Noticing:

The City of Monte Sereno's Council meeting agenda was posted on the bulletin board outside of Monte Sereno's City Hall and the agenda with this staff report can be accessed on the City of Monte Sereno's website located at www.montesereno.org.

Attachments:

Warrant List 8-18-2026

Page 29 of 138 ends

  

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8/11/2026 11:08:17 AM Page 1 of 2
7/25/2026 Warrant List - Credit Card Charges
City of Monte Sereno, CAPacket: APPKT00125 - 7-25-26 Warrant List - Credit Card Charges Vendor Name Payable Number Post Date Description (Item) Account Number Amount Fund: 100 - General Fund
Zoom Communications Zoom 6/27/26 06/27/2026 Zoom Subscription 6/27/26-7… 100-000-6350 98.97 Constant Contact Constant Contact 6/29/26 06/29/2026 Constant Contact Service 5/2… 100-000-6350 119.00 Crystal Springs Water Crystal Springs 7/7/26 06/30/2026 City Hall Bottled Water - June… 100-800-6040 8.28 City-County Communications… 3CCCMA 6/25/26 07/01/2026 Membership for 2026-2027 … 100-220-6130 400.00 Brooks San Jose Brooks 7/1/26 07/01/2026 Pest Control 100-800-6400 69.00 Liquid Web Liquid Web 7/10/26 07/10/2026 Web Hosting Monthly Servic… 100-230-6320 356.24 Amazon Amazon 7/14/26 07/14/2026 Supplies 100-800-6040 45.87 Amazon Amazon 7/14/26 07/14/2026 Supplies 100-800-6060 8.99 Digium Cloud Services Digium Cloud Services 7/20/… 07/17/2026 Digium Cloud Monthly Servic… 100-800-6650 319.53 Safeway Safeway 7/2/26 07/02/2026 Refreshments for City Hall 100-800-6040 53.38 Home Depot Home Depot 7/23/26 07/23/2026 Supplies 100-800-6060 17.56 Interstate Traffic Control Pro… Interstate Traffic Control Pro… 07/06/2026 Street Signs 100-600-6505 272.25 Fund 100 - General Fund Total: 1,769.07
Grand Total: 1,769.07

Page 33 of 138 ends

7/25/2026 Warrant List - Credit Card Charges Packet: APPKT00125 - 7-25-26 Warrant List - Credit Card Charges 8/11/2026 11:08:17 AM Page 2 of 2
Fund Summary
Fund Expense Amount
100 - General Fund 1,769.07
Grand Total: 1,769.07
Account Summary
Account Number Account Name Expense Amount
100-000-6350 Communications 217.97
100-220-6130 Memberships and Assoc… 400.00
100-230-6320 Web Site Hosting 356.24
100-600-6505 Street Maintenance 272.25
100-800-6040 Refreshments 107.53
100-800-6060 Office Supplies 26.55
100-800-6400 City Hall Maintenance a… 69.00
100-800-6650 Utilities, Telecommunica… 319.53
Grand Total: 1,769.07
Project Account Summary
Project Account Key Expense Amount
**None** 1,769.07
Grand Total: 1,769.07

Page 34 of 138 ends

  

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STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: NEW BUSINESS
Staff Contact: Diana Perkins, City Manager
Department: City Manager
Title: Discuss Climate Resilience District
Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends that the City Council discuss Climate Resilience Districts and their potential applicability to Monte Sereno.

Background Information:

Climate Resilience Districts (CRDs) were authorized through Senate Bill 852 and are a specialized form of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFD). A CRD is a separate public agency that may be established by a city or county to fund and implement projects intended to improve climate resilience, mitigation, and adaptation.

Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to:
 Wildfire risk reduction and vegetation management
 Flood protection and stormwater improvements
 Drought resilience and water reliability projects
 Extreme heat mitigation
 Emergency preparedness and resilience infrastructure
 Other climate-related capital and operational projects authorized by law Unlike traditional City departments or special programs, a CRD operates as a separate governmental entity with its own governing board, budget, reporting requirements, and financial responsibilities. This discussion is intended to provide an overview of the CRD framework.

Attachment 1 is a white paper prepared by the City of Saratoga which provides information on CRD formation, governance, funding mechanisms, and potential implementation considerations.

Analysis:

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Formation of a CRD is authorized under State law and may be initiated by a city through adoption of a resolution of intent. A CRD may be established as a single-jurisdiction district or a multi-jurisdiction district and may be expanded over time to include additional jurisdictions.

If Monte Sereno were to establish a standalone CRD, the governing board would consist of three City Councilmembers and two public members appointed by the City Council. The CRD would be responsible for its own governance, budgeting, reporting, and regulatory compliance.

Similar to other Joint Powers Authority’s, funding required would need to include support staff for the board (Brown Act compliance for opening meetings, agendas, minutes, public noticing, web site maintenance, etc.), finance operations (i.e. budgeting, accounting, financial statements, etc.), technical expertise (wildfire preparedness initiatives, emergency resilience infrastructure, project management, etc.).

While the legal process for creating a CRD is relatively straightforward, the long-term viability of a district depends largely on identifying projects, funding sources, and administrative capacity.

Potential Applications
A CRD could potentially serve as a mechanism for planning, funding, and implementing climate-related projects that align with community priorities. Depending on future Council direction, projects could include wildfire preparedness initiatives, emergency resilience infrastructure, or other eligible activities.

At this time, the City has not identified a specific project list, funding strategy, or implementation plan for a potential CRD.

Funding Mechanisms
CRDs may use multiple financing tools that may be combined to support eligible projects.

Potential funding sources may include:
 Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
 Grants and external funding opportunities
 Contributions from participating agencies
 Benefit assessments
 Special taxes
 Property-related fees
 User fees
 Bonds and other financing instruments
A CRD does not automatically generate revenue upon formation. The availability and effectiveness of any funding source would depend on future analysis, project selection, market conditions, legal requirements, and community support.

California Environmental Quality Act:

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The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.

Fiscal Impact:

No fiscal impact is anticipated with this discussion. Based on direction from Council, additional consulting services would be needed to further study a potential CRD.

Conclusion:

CRDs represent a relatively new financing and governance tool available to local governments seeking to fund climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation projects. While CRDs offer access to a variety of financing mechanisms and implementation options, their effectiveness depends on project needs, available revenues, administrative capacity, and long-term community support. This discussion provides the City Council with an opportunity to evaluate whether additional analysis of a CRD would be beneficial and to provide direction regarding potential next steps.

Potential next steps could include retaining a consultant to provide a feasibility analysis including an analysis of climate resilience needs, project opportunities, governance considerations, and funding strategies.

Public Noticing:

The City of Monte Sereno's Council meeting agenda was posted on the bulletin board outside of Monte Sereno's City Hall and the agenda with this staff report can be accessed on the City of Monte Sereno's website located at www.montesereno.org.

Attachments:

1. CRD Formation Funding Operation White Paper

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Community Resilience Districts – Formation, Funding & Operation Introduction
SB 852, or the Climate Resilience Districts Act (Gov. Code §§ 62300–62312) allows cities and/or counties to create independent districts to raise funds and implement projects that address climate change mitigation, adaptation, or resilience. For a district created by Saratoga on its own, the governing board would be comprised of three Councilmembers and two members of the public chosen by the City Council. Once a district is created, its governing board is responsible for all district funding and operations. However, the City Council may choose to contribute City funds or provide staff to the district as a contribution or on a fee-for-service basis.

Climate Resilience Districts (CRDs) have authority to raise funds from a broad set of financing tools that include tax increment revenue via approval of an Infrastructure Financing Plan (IFP), benefit assessments, special taxes, property/user fees, and public or private grants. The legislature gave CRDs these powers by making them a specialized type of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) – a local government finance tool created after dissolution of the State’s redevelopment agencies.

Since SB 852 passed in 2022, one CRD has been formally created (the multi-jurisdiction Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority) by way of the establishing statute. The City of Inglewood and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolutions of Intent to form and participate in a CRD in September 2024. The resolutions make formation of the CRD contingent on Inglewood’s City Council approving an IFP, which is still pending. If the City of Saratoga decided to form a CRD, it would be the second in the State, the first independently established CRD, and the first single jurisdiction CRD.

This white paper discusses CRD formation, funding, and operations, including rough estimates for the costs and timeline for beginning operations.

Formation
A CRD is formed by adopting a Resolution of Intent (ROI). That resolution must address the following points:

1. Determine Sponsoring Entity
a. A CRD may be sponsored by a single jurisdiction or by multiple jurisdictions acting together. Saratoga may form a single jurisdiction CRD immediately. A multi-jurisdiction CRD would require consultation with other cities or counties and would take more time.

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2. Determine Boundaries
a. A Saratoga-only CRD may have jurisdiction throughout Saratoga or just in a portion of the City. The ROI must state the boundaries of the CRD. A multi-jurisdiction CRD could include all or a portion of the land within the boundaries of the sponsoring jurisdictions.

3. Eligible Projects
a. The ROI must state the “type of eligible projects” that the CRD is being formed to fund. The statute specifies a range of eligible projects (see Attachment 1). The ROI could simply list some or all of these project types.

Having a broad list will give the CRD flexibility in deciding the types of projects it wishes to pursue. There is no mandate that the CRD actually complete the types of projects specified.

4. Needs and Goals
a. The ROI must include a statement regarding the need for the CRD and the CRD’s goals. The statute does not set standards for this statement. b. The City could build upon findings and language from existing plans and other policy documents (e.g., Safety Element, Hazard Prevention Plan, etc.).
c. The following is an initial draft as a starting point for discussion:

The CRD is necessary to address growing climate hazards that threaten public safety, property, and community resilience. These include increased temperatures and extreme heat days, changes in precipitation, sea level rise, more prolonged droughts, and changes in the size and frequency of wildfire incidents. The Saratoga CRD will provide a dedicated district to fund and implement climate resilience efforts, including wildfire prevention, vegetation management, home hardening, stormwater infrastructure improvements, and drought resilience measures.

5. Governing Board
a. The statute provides that the CRD governing board has the same membership, powers, and requirements as a public financing authority (“PFA”).
b. For a single jurisdiction CRD, the Board would consist of 3 Councilmembers and 2 members of the public appointed by the Council.

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The rules are more complicated for multi-jurisdiction CRDs but any board would include at least 2 members of the public.
c. Neither the CRD law nor the PFA law address the terms of CRD Board members or set a process for Board member removal or replacement.

However, like City Commissions, the PFA law provides that appointment of public members is subject to the Local Appointments List that the City Council prepares annually for City Commissions (Gov. Code § 54972 – here is a link to the 2025 Local Appointments List). Beyond that requirement the City Council would have broad discretion in setting term lengths and the process for Board member removal or replacement. d. The ROI should include wording that designates members of the governing board by position (e.g., “3 members of the City Council”) and sets either a fixed term for appointments and/or that all appointees “serve at the pleasure” of the City Council. The City Council would then name appointees to the Board by separate resolution.

Funding
The CRD is responsible for obtaining funds for its operations. Sources of funds could include:

1. Contributions from Saratoga General Fund approved by the City Council.

2. Grants from federal, state, or local agencies and from private philanthropy.

3. Tax Increment
a. Tax increment financing (“TIF”) is property tax revenue generated above an established “base year” value. EIFDs are a tax increment financing district that captures the incremental growth in property tax revenue relative to property values prior to the improvements built by the entity receiving the tax increment. This incremental revenue is typically used to pay debt service for bonds issued to fund the capital improvements. b. CRDs are a special type of EIFD authorized to collect TIF from any affected taxing entity within the district that agrees to participate in sharing tax increment revenue.
c. If a CRD intends to collect TIF to fund an eligible project, it must follow a complex set of procedures to form an EIFD. This includes preparing a detailed Infrastructure Financing Plan, conducting three noticed public hearings and a protest process, and requiring all participating agencies to adopt the IFP.
d. Unlike traditional EIFDs, the CRD law caps the amount of tax increment that can be used for administration costs at 5 percent. e. More information on TIF is available in the California Association for Local Economic Development’s Primer on California’s Tax Increment

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Financing Tools (2025). Page 8 includes a description on how tax increment is generated.

4. Assessment Districts – The CRD may propose assessment districts to fund projects conferring specific benefits on the properties being assessed (similar to the City’s Landscaping and Lighting Assessment District.). Landowners have the same notice/protest/approval rights that they would have for an assessment district proposed by the City.

5. Special Taxes – The CRD may propose special taxes within the boundaries of the CRD. These are subject to the two-thirds voter approval requirement established in the State Constitution.

6. User Fees – The CRD may establish fees to be paid by residents and business that use CRD services.

Operations
Once established, the CRD operates as an independent legal entity. The CRD is authorized to:

1. Hire staff.

2. Use interim or temporary staff provided by local agency members.

3. Sue and be sued.

4. Engage district counsel and retain other professional services.

5. Enter into contracts, including joint powers agreements.

The CRD’s ongoing obligations are to:

1. Prepare and adopt an expenditure plan, operating budget, and capital improvement budget annually.

2. Carry out the plans.

3. Produce annual financial reports and make them available to the public.

4. Comply with all relevant state laws such as the Brown Act, Public Records Act, California Environmental Quality Act, Political Reform Act, Public Contract Code, etc.

Ongoing Staffing
Although the CRD has hiring authority, it cannot hire full-time staff without funding.

Absent available funding, the CRD may use temporary staff provided by the City if approved by the City Council.

The staff time needed once the CRD is formed will depend on the CRD’s planned scope of work. At a minimum, staff will be needed to manage the Board, prepare for Board

Page 43 of 138 ends

meetings, ensure compliance with relevant state laws, and follow up on action items.

Staff will also be needed to prepare (or manage consultants to prepare) annual planning, budgeting, and reporting requirements that all CRDs must comply with.

The following is a very rough initial estimate of the time required to carry out basic Board operations. This does not include time required for special projects such as investigating public financing options, preparing complex or multi-jurisdictional grant applications, conducting environmental review when required by CEQA, etc.

Task Annual Hours
Prepare and adopt an expenditure plan, operating budget, and capital improvement budget
65-260
Produce annual financial reports and make available to
the public
65-130
Establish and maintain a website 65-130
Quarterly newsletter 35-70
Four meetings per year (preparation/posting of agendas, simple staff reports, meeting time, preparation of
minutes)
400-1,200
Public Records Act and Political Reform Act
Compliance
60-300
Prepare standard contracts and administer contracts with third parties
320-630
Total 1,010-2,720
At an average rate of $200 per hour, this would be in the range of $224K - $604K for the first year of operations.

Startup Costs and Timeline
Costs and the time needed by the City to launch the CRD will vary based on several factors. These include (a) the extent to which the City wishes to update existing research on the City’s vulnerability to climate risks and the potential projects to address these risks prior to CRD formation (this work could be conducted by the CRD after formation); (b) whether the CRD is formed as a single or multi-jurisdictional district; (c) what funding source(s), if any, will be pursued concurrently with CRD formation; (d) and the level of public outreach and engagement before establishing the CRD.

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The City may wish to retain one or more consultants familiar with the various parts of the CRD process described above. This would increase startup costs, but likely streamline the time to CRD formation and initiation of specific projects due to the dedicated resource.

Below we summarize what would be involved with a low, high, and medium cost scenario.

Lowest-Cost Scenario
In this scenario, the City would forgo revisiting its climate risk assessments, updating its priority climate resilience projects, and identifying available funding sources until after the CRD is formed. The City would also delay public outreach about the CRD and identification of potential city and/or county partners, establishing the CRD as a single jurisdiction. City staff and the City Attorney’s office would undertake the necessary formation steps, including drafting the Resolution of Intent and process for forming the governing board. The City Council could authorize City staff to staff the CRD during its first year up to a “not to exceed” amount determined by the Council. The lowest-cost scenario also has the shortest timeline to formation because most operational steps are delayed until after the CRD launches.

Highest-Cost Scenario
In this scenario, the City would conduct a comprehensive feasibility study before forming the CRD. This would include: (i) assessment of climate vulnerability risks and prioritization of resilience projects based on the vulnerability assessment; (ii) evaluation of financial tools to fund the priority projects, including their projected revenues and costs; and (iii) convening City Council meetings and/or public workshops on the study findings. This would allow the CRD to launch with a Council-approved work plan based on a comprehensive study and public input.

The highest-cost scenario has the longest timeline to formation due to the number and breadth of studies that would be conducted before the CRD is formed. The timeline to formation would also be extended if the City seeks to establish a funding mechanism (e.g., tax-increment financing) alongside CRD formation.

The highest-cost scenario involves hiring an outside consultant to assist in the process. To date, the City has received two proposals (Ascent/Keyser Marston Associates and Kosmont Financial Services) to perform all or some of the tasks outlined above. We briefly describe the scope and estimated costs of each based on the current proposals. Of course the City could prepare a formal request for proposals and obtain additional proposals.

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Estimates for Highest-Cost Scenario (Based on Consultant Proposals) (i) Climate vulnerability assessment: A multi-phased, multi-hazard analysis. Identifies City’s current vulnerabilities and capacity to inform prioritization of resilience projects.

Cost: $100,000.

Based on Ascent proposal only; Kosmont proposal assumes some version of assessment and project prioritization has occurred before they are engaged. (ii) Financial tools feasibility: Evaluation of multiple CRD-eligible funding mechanisms, including their revenue capacity, cost considerations, and requirements for formation and ongoing governance.

Cost: $20,000 (Kosmont) - $100,000 (Ascent; All of this task is subcontracted to Keyser Marston Associates in their proposal).

The Kosmont proposal is heavily weighted towards TIF and establishing an EIFD, but also includes reviewing “complimentary economic development tools and funding resources”; Ascent’s proposal is intended to present a menu of options analyzing up to three potential funding mechanisms, with TIF as potentially one option. (iii) Public outreach: One or multiple meetings with City Council and community stakeholders to share findings and receive input on CRD study.

Cost: $7,500 (Kosmont) - $30,000 (Ascent).

The Kosmont proposal includes one combined Council and stakeholder meeting. The Ascent proposal includes up to three Council presentations and two stakeholder workshops.

None of the above estimates include the cost of implementation. Kosmont includes a partial implementation phase in their scope of work. This future implementation phase is focused on: (a) the formation documents for establishing a CRD and (b) the required steps for establishing an EIFD, including preparing an IFP plan and supporting the City in mandatory hearings. These two tasks are estimated to cost between $35,000 and $45,000.

Ascent’s scope of work does not include (or estimate costs for) an implementation phase.

The projections above are based on a broad request for proposals and only reflect estimates from two consultants. The City could refine the scope of work it seeks support on and request other proposals.

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Middle-Cost Scenario
The middle-cost scenario involves the City taking a blended approach between the tasks identified in the lowest and highest-cost scenarios. For example, the City could leverage its existing climate risk analyses and potential projects list, but hire a consultant to evaluate a narrow universe of CRD-eligible funding tools.

Time to formation—and the extent to which it follows the lowest or highest-cost scenarios—depends on which task(s) the City chooses to prioritize before forming the CRD.

Additional Resources
City of Inglewood’s Resolution of Intent to form a CRD (Sep. 2024):
https://www.cityofinglewood.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/17702?fileID=25051 CRD feasibility study for the County of Los Angeles (prepared by AECOM) (Oct. 2023):
https://rcpa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/County-of-Los-Angeles-ClimateResilience-Districts-Report-2024.pdf Primer on California’s Tax Increment Financing Tools (2025). Includes section on CRDs:
https://caled.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TIF-Primer-Revised-web.pdf

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Attachment 1: Types of Eligible Projects

1. Eligible projects are projects, including a capital project, that is designed and implemented to address climate change mitigation, adaptation, or resilience, including, but not limited to, all of the following (Gov. Code § 62304(b)(1)):
a. A project that addresses river, bay, or sea level rise, or rising groundwater, including wetlands or marsh restoration, vegetated dunes, living shorelines, erosion control, or levees.
b. A project that addresses extreme heat or the urban heat island effect, including increasing shade, deploying cool building and surface materials, using cool pavements; constructing, improving, or modifying new or existing facilities; or increasing access to cooling opportunities. c. A project that addresses extreme cold, rain, or snow, including constructing, improving, or modifying new or existing facilities. d. A project that addresses the risk of wildfire, including establishing fire breaks, prescribed burning, structure hardening, or vegetation control. e. A project that addresses drought, including multiuse land repurposing, groundwater replenishment, groundwater storage, or conjunctive use. f. A project that addresses the risk of flooding, including structure elevation or relocation, wetlands restoration, flood easements or bypasses, or levees. g. A project that intends to improve air quality.

2. A CRD is required to give priority to projects that either “utilize[] natural infrastructure” or that “address[] the needs of under-resourced communities” or “vulnerable communities.” Gov. Code § 62302(b)(2)(A)-(B). Regardless of the project, the CRD is required to seek the input of under-resourced or vulnerable communities “in the planning, development, and implementation of projects.” Gov. Code § 62302(b)(4).

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2079263.1

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STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: NEW BUSINESS
Staff Contact: Diana Perkins, City Manager
Department: City Manager
Title: Consideration of a Resolution to Support to Remove Eucalyptus Trees In the Highway 9 Median Due to Potential Fire Hazard
Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends that the City Council consider adoption of a resolution supporting the removal of eucalyptus trees in the Highway 9 median due to potential fire hazard.

Background Information:

As part of the City Council’s goals for current year as well as last year, the Council has prioritized a goal to Improve Wildfire Prevention and Preparedness (Attachment 1). This goal includes maintaining evacuation routes and efforts to reduce the fire hazard risks on Highway

9. As Highway 9 would likely serve as a main evacuation route for many Monte Sereno residents in the event of a wildifre, reducing risks that may prevent the roadway from being used as an evacuation route has been identified as a priority for the City Council.

Highway 9 is a State route and Caltrans is responsible for maintaining the roadway and median landscaping.

The City Council and community have worked extensively to raise awareness of the potential fire danger of trees, particularly in the median along Highway 9. The City Council authorized the Mayor to send a letter to the Assemblymember Pellerin regarding this topic. And, the Santa Clara County Fire Department Fire Chief sent a letter expressing concerns about Highway 9 fire safety to Caltrans. Additionally, Santa Clara County Supervisor Abe-Koga reached out to Caltrans about this issue. These letters and the response from Caltrans are included in Attachment 2.

Over the summer 2025, a Caltrans maintenance crew trimmed crowns and canopies, lifted limbs, and removed 13 eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9. Caltrans has noted that the remaining trees are healthy and well-maintained.

Analysis:

Eucalyptus trees can be problematic for several reasons, including the following:

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 Fire Hazard
 Hazardous Limbs
 Shallow Roots
Eucalyptus trees are prone to fire as their bark and oil make them highly flammable. As noted by the National Park Service publication:
“Constant shedding of bark is part of what makes these trees a fire hazard. The bark catches fire readily, and the loose strips tend to carry fire up into the canopy, casting embers outward. Despite the presence of volatile oils that can produce a hot fire, leaves of blue gum eucalyptus are classed as intermediate in fire resistance when green, and juvenile leaves are highly resistant to flaming. . It is the litter—the accumulation of dead, dry, oily leaves and debris—that is especially flammable. Carried by long swaying branches, fire spreads quickly in eucalyptus groves. When there is sufficient dead material in the canopy, fire moves easily through the tree tops.” (https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/upload/firemanagement_fireeducation_newslett er_eucalyptus.pdf).

Fire Safe Marin notes:
“You can make a eucalyptus tree much more resistant to ignition during a wildfire.  Remove vegetation around the base of the trees
 Remove small-diameter lower limbs up to at least one-third of the tree’s height  Remove limbs within 10 feet of the ground
 Remove all dead wood, peeling bark, and twiggy growth REGULARLY  Provide canopy separation so that no limbs touch nearby trees or plants  Remove all “ladder fuels“
(https://firesafemarin.org/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-eucalyptus-trees/) Eucalyptus trees can also drop limbs without warning. This can happen for several reasons including Sudden Branch Drop, which is a natural self-pruning process to help the tree conserve water during droughts or extreme heat.

Additionally, eucalyptus trees have shallow and widespread roots which can make them prone to uprooting and falling in high winds, particularly if the soil is wet from rain.

If the Council adopts a resolution in support of removal of these trees, it could be used to further such efforts with elected officials and State agencies.

Town of Los Gatos Input
Staff contacted staff from the Town of Los Gatos to seek their input on this issue. Following is professional opinion provided by the Town of Los Gatos' Emergency Manager (not an official Town of Los Gatos policy):

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Regarding the proposed removal of eucalyptus trees along Highway 9 within Monte Sereno, my professional opinion is that removal would be expected to improve wildfire safety by reducing the potential for windborne firebrands and helping protect the reliability of a primary evacuation route. As seen during the Oakland Hills Fire, the substantial flammable litter and loose bark produced by eucalyptus trees can contribute to ember-driven fire spread. I have reviewed the Santa Clara County Fire Chief's assessment of the eucalyptus along Highway 9 and concur with that analysis.

Highway 9 is an important evacuation route and must remain passable for residents leaving the area while fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and public works resources are entering. During an incident, usable roadway capacity could be reduced by:
 Fire or heavy smoke in or adjacent to the median
 Windborne bark and embers crossing travel lanes or starting spot fires  Falling trees or limbs obstructing the roadway
 Firefighting operations occupying lane space
Any of these conditions could reduce or close lanes when the route is needed most.

From an emergency-management perspective, removal would be expected to provide the greatest benefit at locations where firebrand production, roadway encroachment, or tree or limb failure could most directly affect roadway operations. Coordinated roadside vegetation management could offer additional safety value by reducing roadside fuels and maintaining appropriate clearances. Because the affected trees are within State highway right-of-way, any work undertaken by the City would require Caltrans authorization. If the City is asked to assume any ongoing maintenance responsibility, that obligation should be clarified and documented through the applicable permit or project-specific agreement. In considering whether to proceed, the Council may wish to weigh the safety benefits described above alongside project costs and any ongoing maintenance obligations.

City of Saratoga Position
The City of Saratoga does not have a formal position on removal of these trees.

California Environmental Quality Act:

This is not a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment (CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5)).

Fiscal Impact:

No fiscal impact will occur in reviewing the status of this City Council goal and providing direction to staff.

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Public Noticing:

The City of Monte Sereno's Council meeting agenda was posted on the bulletin board outside of Monte Sereno's City Hall and the agenda with this staff report can be accessed on the City of Monte Sereno's website located at www.montesereno.org. Notification of this item was also posted on the City’s social media accounts and emailed to interested parties how have signed up for notifications from the City.

Attachments:

1. Council Adopted Goals for Fiscal Year 2026-2027

2. Correspondence Regarding Highway 9 Safety

3. Draft Resolution to Support Removal of Eucalyptus Trees in Highway 9 Median

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Council Goals for Fiscal Year 2026-2027

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Goals
I. Provide Quality Public Service

1. Plan the Green Stormwater Infrastructure project required by State law. (STATE MANDATE)

2. Review and amend City of Monte Sereno Financial Policies:
a. Develop and implement timely updates to the financial transparency system for residents.

3. Implement a cloud-based, fully integrated financial reporting and human resource information system for government entitiesto:
a. Improve financial reporting and human resources management at the City of Monte Sereno. b. Utilize time reporting functionality for all personnel and support human resources requirements. c. Address and resolve internal control weaknesses.
d. Develop, document, and implement financial accounting policies and procedures with the new financial reporting system. e. Convert and migrate minimal, yet sufficient, data to the new financial reporting system and human resources information system.

4. Review and improve the City of Monte Sereno website with easier access to historical minutes and recordings.

5. Determine the population of the City.

II. Maintain Community Character

1. Update the General Plan. (STATE MANDATE)

2. Continue to implement programs in the adopted Housing Element. (STATE MANDATE)

3. As in 2025, the City continues to advocate and encourage new residents to participate in City Commissions and on the City Council.

III. Maintain Community Safety

1. Improve wildfire prevention and preparedness:

A. Establish evacuation routes, inform the community of these locations, and plan for their maintenance. Page 54 of 138 Council Goals for Fiscal Year 2026-2027

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Goals
B. Increase awareness of fire danger due to poorly maintained vegetation and promote the importance of defensible space around structures.

C. Work with Saratoga, Los Gatos, and elected officials to coordinate efforts to reduce fire hazard risks on Highway 9. And consider requiring any eucalyptus trees on a property to be removed when an application for a new house is received D. Adopt an updated Annex to the Santa Clara Wildfire Protection Plan to plan for programs in Monte Sereno.

E. Determine level of support for a parcel tax measure on the November 2026 general election to support the cost of police services.

2. The City advocates and supports a special mobile collection of household hazardous waste. Page 55 of 138 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road
Monte Sereno, California 95030-4299
Telephone: (408)354-7635
Fax: (408)395-7653
www.cityofmontesereno.org
City of Monte Sereno
March 20, 2025
Honorable Assemblymember Gail Pellerin
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0028
Re: Wildfire Safety along State Route Highway 9
Dear Assemblymember Pellerin,
The horrific events in Southern California have once again highlighted the dangers many of us in California are exposed to every day. Wildfires are a constant danger throughout large parts of the State, and the Bay Area is no exception. It is impossible to prevent all fires, but we, as elected officials, can take action to improve the safety of our residents if a fire occurs in our area.

One of the main concerns is that a major evacuation route for the City of Monte Sereno could become impassable during a wildfire. State Route Highway 9 (Saratoga-Los Gatos Road) is one of the main evacuation routes for thousands of residents of Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Monte Sereno, and for many it is the only evacuation route.

The section of Highway 9 between Los Gatos and Saratoga, and through Monte Sereno, has approximately 80 eucalyptus and other flammable trees in the median, which in case of a major fire could turn this road into a blazing inferno. Several other cities in the Bay Area have removed eucalyptus and other flammable trees along their evacuation routes or are considering removing them.

As the Mayor of Monte Sereno, I respectfully request your help in addressing this issue. As a State Route, Highway 9 is in the jurisdiction of Caltrans. We have contacted Caltrans but have not been able to convince them to remove these trees due to the serious risk to our residents.

Please let us know what other information would be helpful to start this effort.

We would appreciate your help in convincing Caltrans to remove the eucalyptus and other flammable trees along the section of highway 9 in the median between Fruitvale Avenue and Viewfield Road.

Best regards,
Burton Craig, Mayor
[email protected]

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RESOLUTION NO. 26-###

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MONTE SERENO SUPPORTING REMOVAL OF THE EUCALYPTUS TREES IN THE HIGHWAY 9 MEDIAN
WHEREAS, State Route Highway 9 is a state highway which is managed and maintained by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and WHEREAS, State Route Highway 9 would likely serve as a main evacuation route for Monte Sereno residents and residents from neighboring cities in the event of a wildfire, and
WHEREAS, providing clear evacuation routes in the event of wildfire is a priority for the City in order to reduce the time needed for residents to evacuate, and WHEREAS, eucalyptus trees are prone to fire as their bark and oil make them highly flammable, and
WHEREAS, eucalyptus trees can be subject to Sudden Branch Drop, which is a natural self-pruning process to help the tree conserve water during droughts or extreme heat, and
WHEREAS, eucalyptus trees have shallow and widespread roots which can make them prone to uprooting and falling in high winds, particularly if the soil is wet from rain, and
WHEREAS, removal of the eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9 would potentially reduce spread of wildfire and reduce the risk of downed trees blocking a major evacuation route.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MONTE SERENO the eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9 are a potential hazard for the residents of Monte Sereno and neighboring cities and supports efforts for removal of these trees.

REGULARLY ADOPTED AND PASSED this 18th day of August 2026, by the following roll call vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

APPROVED:

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Lionel M. Allan, Mayor
ATTESTED:
__________________________
Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk

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GloisyGonzalez-Langarica
From: Sohnet ~ Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2026 7:11 PM
To: CityHall
Cc: Lon Allan
Subject: Re: EucalyptusTrees on Highway9
Last so many decades, our town environment has changed: the population of our neighborhood towns as well as ours, traffic along HWY9 has changed in their patterns and volumes.

The original design of the road, HWY9 may have been satisfied with their serene and quieter life. Now the original intention and purpose of the road, HWY 9 doesn't satisfy current exploded changes in our neighbor towns as well as Silicon Valley.

Therefore consequently the perspective of the road has to be reevaluated to meet current and new demands. And also the trees have grown over many many decades. Eucalyptus are grown and to be potential fire as the city council recognized, which we agree with. When we visited the down south some years ago, we learned of the danger of the grown trees with bark and oils making them highly flammable.

In case, when the disaster occurs (which pray, never happens), the heavy traffic through escape route, fire caused by nature, we need to prepare for the worst case of scenario.

We would support Monte Sereno city council to adopt a resolution of removal of the Eucalyptus trees in the median of HWY9 through Monte Sereno Cho &Jin Soh
meebree Lane
PS: This memo replaces our participation on city meeting.

On Fri, Aug 14, 2026 at 4:32 PM City of Monte Sereno <cityhallQtygmmtesereno,bu;MIed1.ccsend,.gom> wrote:

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Eucalyptus Trees on Highway 9
At the August 18, 2026 City Council meeting the Council willconsider whether or not to adopt a resolution to support the removal of the eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9 through Monte Sereno.

Eucalyptus trees are known to be a potential fire hazard as their bark and oils make them highly flammable. They also have shallow and widespread roots which can make them prone to uprooting and falling in high winds, particularly ifthe soil is wet from rain.

More information is available in the staff report, which is available in the City Council meeting agenda (item #5) online at:
httpszllmontesereno.civicweb.net/Portal/Meeting|nformation.aspx?Org=Cal&ld=7472 The City is seeking resident feedback and comments on this issue. Comments can be made at the meeting (in person or remotely by signing on with the Zoom linkat the top of the agenda). Comments can also be emailed ahead of the meeting to the City Manager at: [email protected]
City Website News and Events City Services Residents
City of Monte Sereno | 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road | Monte Sereno, CA 95030 US Unsubscribe | Update Pro?le | Constant Contact Data Notice @ Constant
, Contact
Try email marketing for free today!

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GloisyGonzalez-Langarica
From: Steve Jackson
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2026 4:20 PM
To: CityClerk
Subject: Route 9 sidewalk completion
To: City Council of Monte Sereo
From: Stephen Jackson
August 24, 2026
item # 5 New Business
Iwant the Monte Sereno Council Members to bear in mind that the pedestrian sidewalk along Route 9 has not been completed. In particular, the section of sidewalk between Grandview and Viewfield has never been completed. This poses a safety hazard forthe pedestrian attempting to walk along Route 9, a section encompassing the entrance/exit of Grandview and a short-but-significant distance south of Grandview, where there is no protection from motor vehicles. This is a clear and present safety issue for school—aged children who want to walk from Grandview to Rose Avenue and then onto Daves Avenue SchooL
This well-intentioned sidewalk project allegedly was not completed forfinancial reasons, but has not been remedied and remains a dangerto pedestrians. In order to traverse this dangerous location, one always has to take on a life-threatening challenge from Route 9 motor vehicles.

This concern of mine interfaces with item #5 (New Business) which, as I understand, is to have Monte Serene support the proposed elimination of the fire hazards posed by the trees in the existing Route 9 median. While Isupport this fire safety project, i remain concerned with the continuing safety hazard posed by the absence of a safe walkway/sidewalk for the pedestrians who dare to traverse the undeveloped stretch of Route 9.
| thankyou for your kind attention and consideration of this repeated safety request of mine, which has gone unanswered for an unacceptably long length of time.

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Diana Perkins
From: Vesta Walker—
Sent: Monday,August 17, 2026 10:59 AM
To: City Manager
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Eucalyptustrees on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road
To City Manager, Monte Sereno
From Lee and Vesta Walker
-Twin Creeks Road
Monte Sereno, CA 95030
Re: Removal of eucalyptus trees on Los Gatos—Saratoga Road Please be advised that we do NOT support the removal ofthe eucalyptus trees.

We have lived at our Monte Sereno home on Twin Creeks since 1972, which is Over 54 years. Duringthat time, there has never been an incident of fire or any Other situation that brought imminent danger and distress to the Monte Sereno Residents because ofthe eucalyptus trees.

One ofthe factors in our selection of Monte Sereno as our forever hometown, has Been the enchanting and unique character of Monte Sereno which includes the Beautiful and inviting ambiance of the eucalyptus lined corridor between Saratoga And Los Gatos, along the Monte Sereno portion of the highway.

Myfamily has lived in California since the 1920’s, over 100 years, and eucalyptus trees Have been present and thriving throughout the State even before that time.

They are close to being “native trees” as seen in our home living spaces.

Native Californians can envision these trees as “belonging” here.

The trees are part of Monte Sereno’s heritage.

Let’s work to preserve the wonderful heritage of Monte Sereno. We have the unique Opportunityto live within this historic setting.

With the fire station located at Austin Way and Highway 9, we are the custodians

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- we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror - which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." Thank you for your assistance in this mattér‘i Presen/eour unique heritage. Vote NO! Lee and Vesta Walker — Residence for 54 years.
£9st

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Diana Perkins
From: RuchiRaiSent: Friday,August 14, 2026 4:44 PM
To: City Manager
Subject: Eucalyptus Trees
Hello,
Mayl e request you to please not cut the trees?
Monte Sereno has changed so much and is losing its green and rural look that set it apart from the rest of the Bay Area.

The eucalyptus trees and several others weee cut and / or ‘fell’ the turn on Ridgecrest and the creek there around 2021.

While the City ordered palms to be planted along the side on the left as one goes from 9 to Hernandez, the landscape and the fauna (there weee hawks and owls) changed entirely.

All of us in this area still moan that change.

Please do keep the city green and special.

Thank you!
Respectfully,
A lot of residents and neighbors
Sentfrom Yahoo MailforiPhone

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Diana Perkins
From: Dan Mennel_
Sent: Friday,August 14, 2026 4:49 PM
To: City Manager
Subject: Trees on highway 9
Team,
Might it make sense to cut the tress way back but not remove them as they could prevent head on Collisions? Shortertrees with the top out much shorter are much less prone to being knocked over . This is true of all trees. This also could save money.

Perhaps planting other trees close by and in 20 years we could remove them once the other tress are larger
IFthe trees are removed Iwould ask you consider the need for metal rails to mitigate head on collisions — which may not look pleasing Thanks
At the August 18, 2026 City Council meeting the Council willconsider whether or not to adopt a resolution to support the removal of the eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9 through Monte Sereno.

Eucalyptus trees are known to be a potential fire hazard as their bark and oils make them highly flammable. They also have shallow and widespread roots which can make them prone to uprooting and falling in high winds, particularly ifthe soil is wet from rain.

More information is available in the staff report, which is available in the City Council meeting agenda (item #5) online
at: httpsz/lmontesereno.civicweb.net/Portal/Meetinginformation.aspx?Orq=Cal&ld=7472 The City is seeking resident feedback and comments on this issue. Comments can be made at the meeting (in person or remotely by signing on with the Zoom link at the top of the agenda). Comments can also be emailed ahead of the meeting to the City Manager at:

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Diana Perkins
From: Grady Gerade *
Sent: Friday,August 14, 2026 5:39 PM
To: City Manager
Subject: Eucalyptustree removal
Iagree with the plan to remove these. Hopeful some native species will be planted to replace them.

Graham Gerade
-E Vineland Ave

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Diana Perkins
m
From: Zafar Randawa_
Sent: Friday,August 14, 2026 8:00 PM
To: City Manager
Cc: Zafar lQBALRandawa; Sima Schrope
Subject: Eucalyptustrees cutting on Hwy9
Hicity manager, love to see a practical proposal of cutting trees. With global warming, we envision more unwelcoming weather which has potential to create new ?res. Please go ahead & cut all of eucalyptus trees on Hwy9. Thanks, Zafar Randawa, PhD& Sima Schrope, owners resident of
Address:- Saratoga Los Gatos rd. MS
Phone:—
Sent from my iPhone

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Diana Perkins
From: Mark Smith—
Sent: Friday,August 14, 2026 8:34 PM
To: CityManager
Subject: EucalyptusRemoval on Highway9
Hello,
I'm a resident of Monte Sereno, at.— Belmont Ct.

Ifully supportthe removal of the Eucalyptus on Hwy 9. These trees are not well suited for being at a roadside due to dropping branches and toppling, or in an area prone to wildfire because oftheir noted propensity to burn, and burn hot.

Generally speaking, lsupport the removal of this tree from our fire-prone area as much as possible.

Sincerely,
Mark Smith

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Diana Perkins
From: Ron Hess_
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2026 8:37 AM
To: City Manager
Subject: resolution to support the removal of the eucalyptus trees Isupport the removal of non—native Eucalyptus trees
Ron Hess
Bruce Ave, Monte Sereno.

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Diana Perkins m
From: Sumathi D — Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2026 8:40 AM To: City Manager
Subject: Support for Resolution to Remove EucalyptusTrees on Highway9 Median Dear City Manager,
lam writing as a Monte Sereno resident to express my support forthe resolution the City Council will consider on August 18, 2026, regarding removal ofthe eucalyptus trees in the Highway 9 median.

While I understand the appeal of mature trees and the “green” character they lend to the corridor, I believe removal is the right call for two main reasons:

1. Fire risk: Eucalyptus trees are widely recognized as one ofthe more hazardous species in California from a wildfire standpoint. They contain volatile, oil—richleaves and bark that burn hot and readily, they shed large amounts of debris that accumulates as fuel, and they are prone to producing firebrands (burning bark fragments) that can carry embers well beyond the tree itself, spreading fire to new areas.

Given our region’s increasing wildfire risk and the proximity of this median to homes and roadways, keeping this stand of eucalyptus in place seems like an avoidable liability.

2. Non-native species: Eucalyptus is not native to California and offers limited ecologicalvalue compared to native trees. Replacing them with fire-resistant, native, or climate-appropriate species would better support localwildlife and be more consistent with the natural landscape of the area, while still preserving a green, tree-lined feel along Highway 9.

Iwould encourage the Council to move forward with removal and to pair it with a replanting plan using native, lower—riskspecies so the corridor retains its greenerywithout the associated fire danger.

Thank you for considering resident input on this important safety issue.

Sincerely,
Sumathi

Page 72 of 138 ends

Diana Perkins
From: Ruchi Rai_
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2026 9:30 AM
To: City Manager
Subject: Corrected - EucalyptusTrees
Hello,
Mayl request you to please not cut the trees?
Monte Sereno has changed so much and is losing its green and rural look, that set it apart from the rest of the Bay Area.

The eucalyptus trees and several others were cut and / or ‘fell’ at Scott and Hillvale in Ridgecrest and the creek — around 2021.

While the City ordered oak trees to be planted along the side on the left (as one goes from 9 to Hernandez), the landscape and the fauna (there were hawks and owls) changed entirely.

Allof us in this area still bemoan that change.
lfyou feel you need tocut the eucalvptus. please replace them with other mature trees.

Please do keep the city green and special.

Thank you!
Respectfully,
A lot of residents and neighbors on Bancroft and Ridgecrest Sent from Xahog Mailfor iPhone

Page 73 of 138 ends

Diana Perkins
From: Allison Zeidler_
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2026 11:43 AM
To: City Hall;Lon Allan;LisaShannon; Ken Toren; Bryan Mekechuk; Burton Craig Cc: Diana Perkins; KirstenPowell;GloisyGonzalez-Langarica Subject: Re: EucalyptusTrees on Highway9
City Council,
lam writingto express my strong support for a Council resolution to support the removal of the eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9 through Monte Sereno. These trees present a mortal danger, due to their extreme flammability, placement down the center of our evacuation route and high ember-cast risk in Monte Sereno. NASA research identifies the Highway 9 corridor through Monte Sereno, Los Gatos and Saratoga as a high ember—cast risk area. hm?wiwwime[cu[mews.,com[2,025/06/07/tlyi[1ng[gmttgdd?w—imap-bay—area—jighes:
risk»firebrand—wildees/. (Note - on the linked map the bottom freeway arc represents Highway 85. The dark red are area below aligns with the Highway 9 corridor.).

Seventy plus Eucalyptus line the median in just three miles between Monte Sereno and Saratoga. Eucalyptus are highly flammable and non—native. In a fire, Eucalyptus explode and cast embers due to their high oil content, unlike oaks and other native trees. They're a hazard, which is why communities all across the state are removing them from roadways for public safety. Embers landing in the median could create a row of 70 plus burning torches, directly over the heads of residents trying to evacuate. Highway 9 is the only evacuation route for families on Viewfield, Grandview, Lexington, and many other cul—de—sacneighborhoods on both sides. It's the only way out. Even for residents in other parts of town, Highway 9 is one of only two evacuation routes. We need it usable. CalTrans must be compelled to fire-harden Highway 9 for the safety of our community.

The Eucalyptus need to be removed and replaced with a moderate amount of native vegetation, preserving the beauty of our roadways while giving us the best chance to evacuate safely in a wildfire. This is CalTrans' obligation, but the activation energy needs to come from our City and residents. Let's be one of the forward—thinking communities that reduce risk before a fire disaster happens. As we‘ve seen from multiple tragedies within California, keeping evacuation routes open is the key to saving lives.

Regards,
Allison Zeidler

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Eucalyptus Trees on Highway 9
At the August 18, 2026 City Council meeting the Council willconsider whether or not to adopt a resolution to support the removal of the eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9 through Monte Sereno.

Eucalyptus trees are known to be a potential fire hazard as their bark and oils make them highly flammable. They also have shallow and widespread roots which can make them prone to uprooting and falling in high winds, particularly ifthe soil is wet from rain.

More information is available in the staff report, which is available in the City Council meeting agenda (item #5) online at:
https://montesereno.civicweb.net/Portal/Meeting|nformation.aspx?0rg=Ca|&ld=7472 The City is seeking resident feedback and comments on this issue. Comments can be made at the meeting (in person or remotely by signing on with the Zoom link at the top of the agenda). Comments can also be emailed ahead of the meeting to the City Manager at: [email protected]
City Website News and Events City Services Residents
City of Monte Sereno | 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road | Monte Sereno, CA 95030 US Unsubscribe gpdate Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice El
::.,t-.s____

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Diana Perkins
From: Lee Walker — Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2026 1:09 PM To: City Manager
Subject: 15965 Grandview Ave
Hello
For the last 27 years My wife and Ilive at- Grandview Ave. We are in strong support of NOT REMOVINGthe Eucalyptustrees down the medium on highway 9. These trees are very aesthetic and pose no risk to any one. As a child I grew up in Monte Sereno and these trees have never presented a risk to anyone. Moreover, those trees provide an important sound buffer for traffic’s noise and a safety barrier from cars crossing into head on traf?c.

DO NOT REMOVEthe trees.

Lee
Lee walker
Lee Walker
Sent from my iPhone
CONFIDENTIALITYNOTICE:This e—mailmessage, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipientls) and may contain con?dential or legally privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. Ifyou are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of this original message.

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Diana Perkins
From: Ruchi Rai— Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2026 3:57 PM To: cityclerk@monteserenoorg; City Manager
Subject: Cutting Trees
Hi,
Something similar was required by the City of?ce in ’21-22,many of us willrecall, when the bend on Ridgcrest was altered.

The 100+ old tall eucalyptus trees, that formed a magni?cent corridor, needed to be cut down for projects.

The City, it was Jeanie and Rob Queirolo at that time, had understood the concern about shallow roots and the infamous Oakland fires. However, it was very ?rm about no deforestation and had demanded that several oaks be planted as a replacement.

The owners complied and planted the multiple trees required, and the city signed it off.

The same can be done when removing trees is the prudent thing to do - as in this case.

Regards,
RuchiRai
Sent from my iPhone

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Diana Perkins
From: Jimphunter — Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2026 7:35 AM To: City Manager
Subject: EucalyptusTress on Hwy9
To Whom It May Concern,
My wife and l have lived in Monte Sereno for nearly 50 years. The eucalyptus trees on Saratoga—LosGatos Road are a beautiful addition to our neighborhood. Cutting them down is a serious overreaction to something that has not even happened and probably never willhappen. We implore you to consider this before pursuing this drastic action.

Thank You,
Jim & Jennifer Hunter

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Diana Perkins m
From: Evert Wolsheimer_
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2026 2:04 PM
To: City Manager
Cc: Evert Wolsheimer; Lon Allan
Subject: Eucalyptustrees resolution
Dear Mayor, Council Members, City Manager and Staff,
The eucalyptus trees along highway 9 present a true danger to Monte Sereno, Los Gates and Saratoga residents, and to everyone traveling along that road.

Ipersonally experienced some of that danger a few years ago during a winter storm, when one ofthese trees fell over about 100 yards in front of my vehicle. As a result the road in the direction of Los Gates was closed off for most ofthe morning, and traffic had to be rerouted to a lane in the opposite direction.

Ifully support a resolution requesting the removal of these trees, but Iquestion the impact it will have.

During my time on the Council and as Mayor I have had numerous discussions with local (Santa Clara County) and Statewide (Sacramento) and Caltrans officials. The result has always been a deafening silence. Pointing out the devastating fires in Southern California and Hawaii did not help.

The danger is actually not limited to Highway 9. There are many huge eucalyptus trees along Winchester Boulevard (which is also a major evacuation route) and along Daves Avenue. Monte Sereno residents need to be involved, and should be incentivized to remove the trees from their properties. Many cities in California (including Los Gatos) have active eucalyptus tree removal programs - and Monte Serene should have one too.

Summarizing - Isupport the resolution, but 1question the impact it will have - Santa Clara County and Statewide organizations and officials need to make this a priority, otherwise we'll still have this discussion ten years from now.

Best regards,
Evert Wolsheimer
Former Mayor and City Council Member

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Diana Perkins
From: Sohnet—
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2026 7:11 PM
To: City Hall
Cc: Lon Allan
Subject: Re: EucalyptusTrees on Highway9
Last so many decades, our town environment has changed: the population of our neighborhood towns as well as ours, traffic along HWY9 has changed in their patterns and volumes.

The original design ofthe road, HWY9 may have been satisfied with their serene and quieter life. Nowthe original intention and purpose of the road, HWY9 doesn't satisfy current exploded changes in our neighbor towns as well as Silicon Valley.

Therefore consequently the perspective of the road has to be reevaluated to meet current and new demands. And also the trees have grown over many many decades. Eucalyptus are grown and to be potential fire as the city council recognized, which we agree with. When we visited the down south some years ago, we learned of the danger ofthe grown trees with bark and oils making them highly flammable.

In case, when the disaster occurs (which pray, never happens), the heavy traffic through escape route, fire caused by nature, we need to prepare for the worst case of scenario.

We would support Monte Sereno city council to adopt a resolution of removal ofthe Eucalyptus trees in the median of HWY9 through Monte Sereno Cho &Jin Soh
-Seebree Lane
PS: This memo replaces our participation on city meeting.

On Fri, Aug 14, 2028 at 4:32 PM City of Monte Sereno <cityhall[email protected]> wrote:

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Eucalyptus trees are known to be a potential
fire hazardas their bark and oils make
them highly flammable. They also have“shallowandwidespreadroots which can make them prone to uprooting and falling in high winds particularly ifthe soil is wet from rain.

More information is available in the staff report, which is available in the City Council meeting agenda (item #5) online at:
httpsz/lmontesereno.civicweb.net/Portal/Meeting|nformation.aspx?Org=Cal&ld=7472 The City is seeking resident feedback and comments on this issue. Comments can be made at the meeting (in person or remotely by signing on with the Zoom linkat the top of the agenda). Comments can also be emailed ahead of the meeting to the City Manager at: CitvManager@cityofmonteserenoorg
City Website News and Events City Services Residents
City of Monte Sereno | 18041 Saratoga—Los Gatos Road | Monte Sereno, CA 95030 US Unsubscribe Update Pro?le I Constant Contact Data Notice l may

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Diana Perkins
From: Deborah
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 5:34 PM
To: CityManager
Cc: Deborah; EdRossi
Subject: Removalof H9 Eucalyptustrees
Dear City Manager,
We had hoped to attend the meeting live tonight but will not arrive back home in time.

As residents of View?eld Rd in Monte Sereno, we are extremely concerned about the risk of ?res in our neighborhood.

Our cul-de-sac does not allow for other options to exit in the case of a ?re or emergency. Highway 9 is our one option and ifthe trees lining the highway explode in ?re it will be like an inferno.

Traf?c is already an issue and when everyone tries to ?ee, it willbe complete chaos and homes and lives willbe lost.

Please put the pressure on CalTrans and the appropriate agencies to remove these trees before tragedy strikes! Now is the time to act!
Respectfully,
Deborah Rutlen & Ed Rossi
-Jiew?eld Rd
Monte Sereno, Ca. 95030
Sent from my iPhone

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Diana Perkins
From: DordtaD'Amato -_‘
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 5:19 PM
To: City Manager
Cc: Mauro D'Amato ‘
Subject: EucalyptusTrees on Highway9 —- Comment
Dear City Manager:

Please find below our comment regarding the Eucalyptus Trees on Highway 9. We would appreciate it it it could be considered during today’s meeting.

Thank you.

Dorota and Mauro D’Amato
********‘k*********
' Dear Monte Sereno Council Members:

The risks of Eucalyptus trees, both in general and specifically regarding those along Highway 9, have been clearly presented.

We ask theCouncil consider the benefits provided by these trees and options to preserve such benefits forMonte Serenoresidents, our neighbors and ecosystem when the resolution to support the removal of the Eucalyptus trees in the median of Highway 9 through Monte Sereno' Is adopted In particular:

1.The Eucalyptus trees have made Highway 9 a scenic route for many years. The trees on Highway 9 have brought beauty and joy to our community. Ifthe Eucalyptus trees are removed, the Council should consider approving the planting of native species, thereby providing current and future Monte Sereno residents and neighbors continued benefits, conserving the route’s natural setting, and preserving Highway 9’s legacy as a one-of—a—kindscenic pathway.

2. Eucalyptus trees, which bloom in the winter, provide a notable food source for our local ecosystem (as one example, Anna’s hummingbirds, as outlined in this article: named/WWW.npsgoviartistes/anna—shummingbirdhtm). Other wildlife is known to derive benefits from Eucalyptus trees as well (as outlined in this summary: httpsziisftorestcrg/Zm4/07/1Wuriderstanding-eucalyptus~in-thebay—areadr-joe-r« mcbridef). As mentioned above, ifthe Eucalyptus trees are removed, the Council’s adoption of a plan to plant native species would bring numerous benefits to our ecosystem, including wildlife sharing our environment which will continue to be supported.

3. Supporting our community and small businesses is another priority enabled by the recommendation above. The replanting efforts involving native species would create an opportunity for community i
i
I
I

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volunteering and engagement. This effort could be supported by families coming together as volunteers, local non—profits, and benefit small businesses.

The adoption of the resolution Show e Eucalyptus trees. Considering alternatives for preserving the outlined benefits enjoyed by Monte Sereno residents, our neighbors and wildlife has strong merit. Finally, replanting native species, as one recommendation for your evaluation, would both resolve the concerns addressed by the resolution, conserve benefits outlined, and provide our community economic and volunteering opportunities.

Thank you foryour consideration.

Dorota and Mauro D'Amato

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GloisxGonzalez-Langarica
From: Steve Jackson n
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 2:25 PM
To: City Clerk
Subject: trees in Route 9 median
To: Council Members of Monte Sereno:

From: Stephen Jackson
Date: August 18, 2026
This is an updated modification of a recent email of mine regarding item 5 in New Business. it appears that the Route 9 center median contains several species of trees that do not pose a problem for fire safety: these include the red ironbark trees. These ironbark trees do NOT require removal for fire safety purposes. So, there is no need to remove these ironbarks.

On the other hand, the Tasmanian blue gum eucalyptus trees on the south side of Highway 9 do pose a well established serious fire hazard. Initially, they should have the debris/litter surrounding them removed as soon as possible. Then it would be prudent to prune and/or remove the several groves of the Tasmanian blue gum eucalyptus trees. if pruning is chosen as a first step, then following this urgent pruning, Monte Sereno should reevaluate how to further dealwith the fire danger that they pose to the only majorfire evacuation route for many inhabitants of Monte Sereno, as well as for citizens from Los Gates and Saratoga.

Ithank you for your kind attention to this modified and more informed request of mine.

Stephen Jackson
randview Avenue, Monte Sereno

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Diana Perkins
From: Jim Foley ,
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 1:57 PM
To: City Manager
Subject: EucalyptusTrees in the Highway9 Median
Honorable Mayor and City Council —
Please do NOT remove our Eucalyptus Trees in the Highway 9 median.

I have lived in this area since the mid 19503 — before there even was a Monte Sereno. Those trees are part of our heritage and have always been well maintained by Caltrans. I have probably driven between Los Gatos and Saratoga over a thousand times and have never observed a problem with them. I may have seen the occasional fallen limb but never anything of consequence.

Is this recommendation for removal predicated by an over-reaction from newbie citizens who have no appreciation of our heritage? I really don’t see a great ?re hazard when compared to the adjacent vegetation on private property that needs maintenance. And since they are not the Blue Gum variety of Eucalyptus I really don’t see them falling over anytime soon. I have driven that stretch in the middle of the night in very violent rain/wind storms and I am still here to bear witness.

Is thisjust a concern looking for a place to happen?
Please do NOT remove our EucalyptusTrees in the Highway 9 median.

Thanks,
Jim.F013 ‘

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STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: NEW BUSINESS
Staff Contact: Diana Perkins, City Manager
Department: City Manager
Title: Discuss Communications with the Community
Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends that the City Council discuss methods the City uses to communicate with the community.

Background Information:

At the June 3, 2026 City Council meeting, Councilmember Toren requested this item be placed on a future City Council meeting agenda to discuss additional communication opportunities for the city.

Currently, the main methods that the city uses to communicate with residents are as follows:
 City’s web site
 EBlast emails (emails sent to a list of approximately 739 community members who have signed up to receive information from the city)
 Social Media posting (Next Door, Facebook, Instagram)  Semi-Annual Peaceful Mountain Monitor Newsletter (Mailed to approximately 1,250 households in the city)
The EBlast and social media post communications are used most frequently and a list of the topics emailed/posted in the first half of this year is attached to this report.

The writing, formatting, and posting of these communications are mainly the responsibility of the City’s Management Analyst staff person. Communications is a portion of this staff member’s responsibility as she also staff’s the front office of City Hall, serves as the main answer point for phone calls and general emails, completes administrative/technical tasks for building permit and encroachment permits, and is the only administrative support for the other city staff.

This agenda item provides an opportunity for the Council to discuss these communication methods and provide any direction to staff.

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California Environmental Quality Act:

The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.

Fiscal Impact:

No fiscal impact is anticipated with this discussion. Based on direction from Council, additional staffing impacts or consultant services may be needed to increase the frequency or change the format of communications with the community.

Public Noticing:

The City of Monte Sereno's Council meeting agenda was posted on the bulletin board outside of Monte Sereno's City Hall and the agenda with this staff report can be accessed on the City of Monte Sereno's website located at www.montesereno.org.

Attachments:

1. Listing Social Media Posts from January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026

2. Listing of Eblast emails from January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026

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DATE TITLE/TOPIC
1/13/2026 Ordinance SB10 Back Before Site & Architectural Commission 1/14/2026 2026 CERT Academy
1/14/2026 Reusable Bags
1/15/2026 Third and Final General Plan Survey Is Live!
2/2/2026 2026 Summer Youth Leadership Academy
2/2/2026 New Monte Sereno Office Hours
2/4/2026 Watershed Watch Earth Day Poster Challenge
2/12/2026 Safe Fish Guide for San Francisco Bay
2/27/2026 Santa Clara County District Five Summer Internship 3/2/2026 Trash Capture Devices
3/6/2026 Notice of Unscheduled Commission Vacancy
3/11/2026 Green Stormwater Features
3/12/2026 Are You Ready for Wildfire?
3/16/2026 Santa Clara County District Five Summer Internship 3/16/2026 Valley Water Commission Video Contest
3/17/2026 Notice of Unscheduled Commission Vacancy
3/30/2026 Spring 2026 Edition of the Peaceful Mountain Monitor Newsletter 5/11/2026 National River Cleanup Day
5/12/2026 Are You Ready for Wildfire?
5/15/2026 Notice Temporary Change in Office Hours
5/16/2026 Santa Clara County District Five Summer Internship 5/16/2026 Valley Water Commission Video Contest
6/2/2026 Notice of Unscheduled Commission Vacancy
6/2/2026 Water and Wastewater Services Community Workshop 6/5/2026 Coffee with a Cop
6/5/2026 Increased Rebate Amount for Heat Pump Water Heaters 6/22/2026 Citizen of the Year Nomination
6/22/2026 National Night Out
6/22/2026 Community Police Academy
6/24/2026 Celebrate the 4th of July Safely

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DATE TITLE/TOPIC
1/8/2026 Notice of Silicon Valley Clean Energy Recruitment 1/13/2026 Ordinance SB 10 Back Before Site & Architectural Commission 1/14/2026 2026 CERT Academy Schedule
1/15/2026 Third and Final General Plan Survey Is Live!
1/15/2026 1/20/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 1/28/2026 2/3/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 1/28/2026 2/4/2026 Regular Meeting of the Site and Architectural Commission Agenda 2/2/2026 2026 Summer Youth Leadership Academy
2/12/2026 2/17/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 2/26/2026 3/3/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 2/27/2026 Santa Clara County District Five Summer Internship 3/6/2026 Notice of Unscheduled Commission Vacancy
3/12/2026 Are You Ready for Wildfire?
3/13/2026 3/17/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 3/13/2026 Notice of Unscheduled Commission Vacancy
3/16/2026 Valley Water Commission Video Contest
3/16/2026 Santa Clara County District Five Summer Internship 3/17/2026 Notice of Unscheduled Commission Vacancy
3/30/2026 Spring 2026 Edition of the Peaceful Mountain Monitor Newsletter 4/2/2026 4/7/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 4/15/2026 2026 Wildfire Workshops
4/23/2026 Notice of Recruitment for VTA BPAC
4/24/2026 Notice of Recruitment for Youth Commission
4/28/2026 Ice Cream Social
4/29/2026 5/5/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 4/30/2026 5/5/2026 Special Meeting of the City Council Agenda 5/18/2026 5/18/2026 Special Meeting of the City Council Agenda 5/18/2026 5/19/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 5/18/2026 5/18/2026 Special Meeting of the City Council Agenda.v2 5/29/2026 6/2/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 6/2/2026 Notice of Unscheduled Commission Vacancy
6/5/2026 Increased Rebate Amount for Heat Pump Water Heaters 6/5/2026 Coffee with a Cop
6/12/2026 6/16/2026 Regular Meeting of the City Council Agenda 6/22/2026 Citizen of the Year Nomination
6/22/2026 National Night Out
6/22/2026 Community Police Academy
6/24/2026 Celebrate the 4th of July Safely

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STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: NEW BUSINESS
Staff Contact: Diana Perkins, City Manager
Department: City Manager
Title: Discuss How the City Uses Volunteers for Commissions and Committees Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends that the City Council discuss how the City uses volunteers for commissions and committees.

Background Information:

At the June 3, 2026 City Council meeting, Councilmember Toren requested this item be placed on an agenda to discuss how the City uses volunteers in the community and how the City engages the community for various commissions and committees.

Currently, the city has three commissions – the Site and Architectural Commission, Youth Commission, and Better Streets Commission. Additionally, the City Council has appointed residents to represent the city on the VTA Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and as an alternate on the Silicon Valley Clean Energy board. The City Council has also established special committees for specific purposes and limited duration, most recently the Community Center Committee.

Any commission or committee appointed by the City Council is required to follow the open meeting requirements of the Brown Act. This requires public notice of meetings, posting of agenda, open meetings, preparation of meeting minutes, and limitations on commission/committee members communication outside of meetings.

When there is an open seat on a commission or committee, staff posts a notice on the city’s social media sites, emails a list of interested parties (over 700 emails are on this distribution), and puts the information on the city’s web page. Also, an article is placed in the Peaceful Mountain Monitor newsletter when timing allows. Once the application period has ended, the applications received are considered by the City Council at a City Council meeting and the Council selects and appoints applicants to the open seats.

California Environmental Quality Act:

The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that

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it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.

Fiscal Impact:

No fiscal impact is anticipated with this discussion. Based on direction from Council, additional staffing impacts or consultant services may be needed.

Public Noticing:

The City of Monte Sereno's Council meeting agenda was posted on the bulletin board outside of Monte Sereno's City Hall and the agenda with this staff report can be accessed on the City of Monte Sereno's website located at www.montesereno.org.

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STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: NEW BUSINESS
Staff Contact: Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk
Department: City Clerk
Title: Consider and Adopt a Resolution Canceling the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election and Appointing the Nominated Candidates to the City Council
Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends that the Council adopt a resolution canceling the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election and appoint nominated candidates to the City Council.

Background Information:

At the June 16, 2026 City Council meeting, the Council adopted Resolution No. 26-3960 calling for the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election and requested that the County consolidate the General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election.

The Municipal Election is for the election of three Councilmembers for full four-year terms. The initial nomination period ran from July 13, 2026, through August 7, 2026.

At the close of the regular nomination period, one eligible incumbent did not file nomination papers. In accordance with California Elections Code Section 10225, the nomination period was extended for five (5) calendar days for individuals other than the incumbent to file nomination documents.

At the conclusion of the extended nomination period, the total number of qualified candidates did not exceed the number of offices to be filled. Additionally, no petition requesting that the election be conducted has been filed.

California Elections Code Section 10229 authorizes the City Council to cancel the election and appoint the nominated candidates in lieu of conducting an uncontested election.

As of the close of the extended nomination period, Ken Toren, Burton Craig and Allison Zeidler filed nomination papers, which were reviewed by the City Clerk (as the City’s elections official) and determined to meet the requirements for submission.

Analysis:

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Elections Code Section 10229 provides that where offices are elected at large (i.e,for the City Council) and the number of candidates does not exceed the number of the offices to be filled, then the City Council may consider one of the following courses of action:

1. Appoint to the offices the persons who have been nominated.

2. Hold the election.

The Elections Code requires that the City Clerk present a statement that there are not more candidates than offices to be elected and outline the courses of action available to the City Council. A notice was also published in the San Jose Mercury News on August 13, 2026, as required pursuant to Elections Code Section 10229(a)(3). A decision to cancel the election and make the appointments must be made 5 days after publication but also must be made by the 75th day before the election (i.e., August 20, 2026); otherwise, the election must be held. (Elections Code Section 10229(a)(3)).

If the Council makes appointments pursuant to Elections Code Section 10229, the City Clerk shall not accept for filing any statement of write-in candidacy, which is submitted after the appointments are made.

Should the Council decide to cancel the election, a resolution must be adopted canceling the election and appointing Ken Toren, Burton Craig and Allison Zeidler as Councilmembers. If appointed, they would serve as though elected at the General Municipal Election. The resolution would need to be delivered in person to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

Fiscal Impact:

The City budgeted $15,000 for the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election in FY 2026-

27. The only expenses incurred so far for this budget line item is for the County of Santa Clara Register of Voters minimum fee of $4,892 for not going into election and the Certification of Facts fees published in the San Jose Mercury News on August 13, 2026 and in the Los Gatos Weekly Times on August 14, 2026. The cost for the notices are $1,206.40 and $436.80, respectively. If the Council decides to cancel the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election, the City will have a savings of $8,464.80 from the budgeted amount.

Public Noticing:

The City Council’s agenda was posted at City Hall and the agenda and this report appear on the City’s website.

Attachments:

City Clerk's Certification of Facts
Draft Resolution

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CITY OF MONTE SERENO
CITY CLERK’S CERTIFICATION THAT THERE ARE NOT MORE

CANDIDATES THAN OFFICES TO BE ELECTED
I, Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk of the City of Monte Sereno, do hereby certify pursuant to Section 10299 of Elections Code of the State of California, to the following facts relating to the General Municipal Election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026:

As of the close of the nomination period on August 7, 2026, and the close of the extended nomination period of August 12, 2026 there are not more candidates than offices to be elected.

The persons so nominated are:

KEN TOREN

BURTON CRAIG

ALLISON ZEIDLER
Section 10229 of the Elections Code allows one of the following courses of action to be taken by the City Council:

1. Appoint to the office the persons who have been nominated.

2. Hold the election.

A notice of these facts will be published on August 13, 2026 in a newspaper of general circulation in the City pursuant to § 6061 of the Government Code. After the fifth day following the date of publication, the City Council will meet to either make the appointments or direct an election to be held. If the appointments are made, the persons appointed shall qualify and take office and serve exactly as if elected at a municipal election for the office.

If, by the 75th day before the municipal election, no person(s) have been appointed to the offices pursuant to (1) above, the election shall be held.

If the City Council makes the appointments pursuant to § 10229 of the Elections Code, the City Clerk shall not accept for filing any statement of write-in candidacy which is submitted after the appointment is made.
____________________________________
Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk
August 12, 2026
Docusign Envelope ID: 2410F2E9-419D-8642-8158-C946CC5E9B04

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RESOLUTION NO. 26-XXXX

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MONTE SERENO CANCELLING THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND APPOINTING NOMINATED CANDIDATES TO OFFICE PURSUANT TO ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 10229 WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code § 10229, as of the close of the nomination period on August 7, 2026, there were not more candidates than offices to be elected; WHEREAS, only three candidates were nominated for the three City Council seats to be filled at the November 3, 2026 election; and
WHEREAS, there are no other city offices to be filled at the November 3, 2026 election, and no city measure has qualified to be submitted to the voters at that election; and WHEREAS, Elections Code §10229 allows the City Council to take one of the following courses of action to be taken by the City Council:

1. Appoint to the office the person(s) who have been nominated.

2. Hold the election.

WHEREAS, the City Clerk delivered to the City Council the certificate required by California Elections Code Section 10229, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A; and WHEREAS, the City Clerk has, on August 13, 2026, published the notice required by California Elections Code Section 10229; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that by appointing the officers as permitted by Elections Code Section 10229 the General Fund of the City of Monte Sereno will save approximately $8,464.80 from the budgeted amount; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 10229 of the Elections Code of the State of California the City Council now desires to appoint the three person’s nominated for office of councilmember, Ken Toren, Burton Craig and Allison Zeidler to four-year terms as if they were elected at the November 3, 2026, general municipal election; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 10229 of the Election Code, the appointments are made by the 75th day before the municipal election.

NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Monte Sereno does hereby RESOLVE, DECLARE, AND DETERMINE as follows:

1. That pursuant to §10229 of the Elections Code of the State of California, the following action is being taken:

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a. The following persons are being appointed to the offices for which they were nominated and are considered to be the same as being elected, pursuant to §10229(a)(3) of the Elections Code.

Ken Toren, Member of the City Council for a Four-Year Term Burton Craig, Member of the City Council for a Four-Year Term Allison Zeidler, Member of the City Council for a Four-Year Term

2. The election scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is now canceled.

3. The people appointed shall qualify and take office and serve exactly as if elected at a municipal election for the office.

4. The City Clerk shall certify the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.

5. The City Clerk is authorized to transmit a certified copy of the Resolution and all necessary documents to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters and Board of Supervisors.

6. The City Clerk shall not to accept for filing any statement for write-in candidacy after the appointments are made.

7. This Resolution will become effective immediately upon adoption.

This Resolution was PASSED and ADOPTED on the 18
th day of August, 2026 at a Regular
Meeting ofthe City Council ofthe City of Monte Sereno, California, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

BY: _______________________________
Lionel M. Allan, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________________
Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk

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STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Aug 18 2026
Agenda Heading: NEW BUSINESS
Staff Contact: Diana Perkins, City Manager
Department: City Manager
Title: Consider Adoption of a Resolution to Amend the City of Monte Sereno Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings to Change the Regular Council Meeting Start Time to 6:00pm and Other Administrative Clarifications
Recommendation(s):

Staff recommends that the City Council consider adoption of a Resolution to Amend the City of Monte Sereno Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings the regular Council Meeting start time to 6:00pm and other administrative clarifications Background Information:

The Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings policy includes procedures for setting Council meetings and agendas, rules for Addressing Council, selection of Mayor and Vice Mayor, Rules of Procedure and Debate, Minutes, and Disciplinary Procedures. The City of Monte Sereno’s Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings was last updated June 16, 2026 to include changes that had previously been directed by Council as well as those required for compliance with SB 707 legislation.

Analysis:

A suggestion was recently made to consider changing the start time for City Council meetings to 6:00pm from 7:00pm. Many cities’ public meetings have traditionally started at 7:00pm in order to allow residents and the public participating in the meeting sufficient time to travel home after work and then to the meeting. However, with more people working remotely from home and remote participation options for the public, the later meeting start time may no longer be necessary or desirable. The draft policy update would change the start time for regular Council meetings to 6:00pm.

Other proposed changes are administrative clarifications and updates which do not change any policy or current practices of the City. A redlined version of the proposed changes which clearly shows the revised wording is included in Attachment 1 to this report.

California Environmental Quality Act:

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The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.

Fiscal Impact:

No fiscal impact is anticipated with the adoption of the updated policy.

Public Noticing:

The City of Monte Sereno's Council meeting agenda was posted on the bulletin board outside of Monte Sereno's City Hall and the agenda with this staff report can be accessed on the City of Monte Sereno's website located at www.montesereno.org.

Attachments:

1. Council Meeting Policy Proposed Changes in Redlines

2. Draft Resolution to Update Council Meeting Policy 8-18-2026

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CITY OF MONTE SERENO

REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES

FOR THE CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS
A. MEETINGS

1. Regular Meetings
Council of the City of Monte Sereno shall hold regular meetings in Council Chambers at 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road in said city on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 76:00 p.m. (Council Meeting).

2. Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called at any time by the Mayor, or by two Council Members or by the City Manager. The City Manager will inform each Council Member of the special meeting. The City Clerk will prepare the agenda, provide the agenda to each Council Member, and provide public notice as required by State law. by delivering personally, or by mail or electronic mail, written notice to each Council Member, and by posting notice in accordance with State law and by providing written notice to each local newspaper of general circulation, radio station and television station which has made written request for such notice. Such notice must be delivered and posted at least twentyfour hours before the time of such meeting as specified in the notice. The notice shall specify the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted. No other business shall be considered at such meetings. Such written notice may be dispensed with, as to any Council Member who, at or prior to the time the meeting convenes, files with the City Clerk a written waiver of notice.

3. Place
All regular and special meetings of Council shall be held in the Council Chambers, except that any such meetings may be adjourned to such other location as Council may from time to time determine.

4. Meetings to be Public
All regular, adjourned, and special meetings of Council shall be open and public; provided, however, Council may hold closed session from which the public may be excluded for the consideration of those matters permitted by the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code §§ 54950 et seq) to be held in closed session. No Council Member, employee of the City of Monte Sereno (City), or any other person present during a closed

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session of Council shall disclose to any person the content or substance of any discussion which took place during said closed session without prior authorization by a majority vote of Council. A Council Member who is found by Council to have made disclosure in violation of the foregoing provisions shall be subject to either or both (i) a motion of censure, or (ii) removal from any one or more of the offices which he or she holds by reason of election or appointment by Council, such as Mayor, Vice Mayor, representative of Council on an outside board or commission, or membership on a Council committee, and/or (iii) any other remedies available by State law.

5. Chamber Preparation
The City Manager Clerk shall cause the Council Chamber doors to be unlocked at 6:45 p.m. forfor a minimum of 15 minutes prior to Council Meetings. In addition, the City Manager Clerk shall cause all preparations of the Council Chambers and of all available public facilities for the general comfort of the audience and efficiency of the meetings.

6. Quorum
Three members of Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Motions may be passed by a majority if only three attend, but ordinances, resolutions granting franchises and payment of money require at least three affirmative votes. Where there is no quorum, the Mayor, Vice Mayor, or any Council Member shall adjourn such meeting, or, if no Council member is present, the City Clerk shall adjourn the meeting.

7. Agenda
An agenda shall be prepared for each Council Meeting containing the specific items of business to be transacted and the order thereof. Items of business may be placed on the agenda by request of a Council Member, the City Manager, or the City Attorney.

The Mayor shall determine the scheduling of such items and in good faith will make every effort to place a Council Member requested item on the first available Council agenda in consultation with the City Manager. The City Manager may advise on the placement of items for consideration and has discretion to adjust scheduling or add items if necessary to mitigate an operational, financial, or compliance-related impact.

In addition, a Council Member may request that an item be placed on a future agenda during the future agenda portion of a Council Meeting as outlined in Section 9 below. A complete copy of the agenda shall be addressed to each Council Member and delivered to each Council Member at City Hall and each department head so as to reach the recipient notno later than 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday Thursday preceding each regular Council Meeting or a minimum of 24 hours before any Special Council Meeting.

All reports, ordinances, resolutions, contract documents, or other matters to be submitted to Council at the Council Meeting shall be delivered to the City Clerk no later

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than 5:00 p.m., on the Monday preceding the Wednesday Thursday on which the agenda is delivered to Council. The City Clerk shall prepare the agenda of all such matters according to the order of business, numbering each item consecutively. The agenda shall be available to the public in accordance with State lawin the office of the City Clerk and posted at the prescribed places no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding each Council Meeting and in the Council Chambers during each meeting. During the day of the Council Meeting, the City Manager Clerk shall also cause to be available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk one or more copies of all written materials concerning the agenda items, such as is also routinely made available to Council Members. The City Manager may exclude any materials that would not be a public record under applicable law, including, but not limited to, closed session materials.

8. Additions to Agenda
No matters shall be finally acted upon by Council other than those on the agenda; provided, however, items of business not appearing on the posted agenda may be considered in accordance with Government Code section 54954.2 and as it may be amended from time to time.

9. Order of Business – Regular Meetings
At the hour set by law on the day of each Council Meeting, the Council Members, City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk and such department heads as have been requested to be present, shall take their regular stations in the Council Chambers, and the business of Council shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following orderFollowing is the order of business for Council meeting agendas:
a. Call to Order
b. Pledge of Allegiance
c. Roll Call
d. Orders of the Day
e. Announcements (Council Member announcements or individuals invited by Council to make announcement)
f. Presentations
g. Oral Communications from the Public
h. Written Communications
i. Consent Calendar

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j. Public Hearings
k. New Business
l. Unfinished Business
m. Special Set Items
n. JPA/Committee/Commission Reports
o. Council Member Comments
p. City Manager Report
q. Future Agenda Items
r. Adjournment
The Mayor or a majority of Council may change the order of business under Orders of the Day. Council may set hearings for a specific time and, in that event, such hearings shall begin at no earlier than the stated time, regardless of the order of business; otherwise, business shall be considered in the order shown above.

10. Council Member Absences
In the event a Council Member is unable to attend a Council Meeting, such Council Member shall so inform the City Manager Clerk no later than 12:00 p.m. on the Friday before the Council Meeting, unless such absence is due to an unforeseen circumstance beyond the Council Member’s control, in which case the Council Member shall inform the City Clerk as soon as possible.
.

11. Remote Participation of Council Members
Council Members may participate in a regular or special meeting from a remote location if they meet the requirements of California Government Code section 54953. In the event a Council Member desires to participate in a regular or special meeting from a remote location, such Council Member shall so inform the City Clerk as soon as possible but in no event later than 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Inin order for the City Clerk to determine if remote participation is permissible. The,, the Council Member shall provide the City Clerk with any information necessary to comply with the requirements of California Government Code section 54953 for remote participation in regular or special meetings.

Traditional teleconferencing is allowed for any reason and requires the Council Member to be in a location open to the public. The teleconferencing location shall be posted on the meeting agenda a minimum of 72 hours prior to the meeting for regular

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meetings and 24 hours prior to special meetings. Members of the public shall be allowed to speak and comment from the teleconferencing location.

Just Cause and emergency exceptions allow remote participation by a Council Member for specific reasons and under specific conditions. This type of remote participation does not require the remote location to be posted on the agenda nor available to the public. Qualifying reasons for this type of remote participation include as needed for childcare or caregiving, due to contagious illness, medical emergencies, military service, or official travel for City business. This type of remote participation is limited to a maximum of five meetings per year for each Council Member. The Council Member participating remotely must use audio and visual technology to participate during the meeting and also disclose if any adults are present in the room. For any Council Member to participate under these provisions, a quorum of the Council must be physically present at the meeting location.

Disability accommodation is available for Council Members who need remote access as reasonable accommodation for a disability. This type of remote participation does not require the remote location to be posted on the agenda or available to the public. The Council Member participating remotely must use audio and visual technology to participate during the meeting and disclose if any adults are present in the room.

12. Hybrid Meetings
All regular and special meetings of the Council shall include an opportunity for the public to attend via two-way telephonic or two-way audiovisual platform, unless adequate service is not operational in accordance with California Government Code section 54953.

13. Disruption of Remote Participation During a Council Meeting In the event of a disruption in two-way remote participation prevents members of the public from remotely attending or observing the meeting, the City Council shall recess for no less than one hour, during which time staff shall make good faith efforts to restore service. Following such efforts, the City Council shall adopt, by roll-call vote, a formal finding affirming that reasonable efforts were made to resolve the disruption and that resuming the meeting serves the public interest more than further delaying the meeting to seek a resolution or may adjourn the meeting.

B. ADDRESSING COUNCIL

1. Right to Address Council

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Every agenda for regular Council Meetings shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to address Council on any item of interest to the public not on the agenda that is within the jurisdiction of Council. And, also on any matter on the agenda.

An opportunity shall be provided for public comment at any special meeting on any matter noticed to be heard at that meeting.

2. Addressing Council at Other Times
Any interested person may request permission from the Mayor to address Council relevant to the subject matter under consideration. The granting or denial of such a request may be appealed to Council by a Council Member. In the event that more than one person makes such a request on any one item of business, the Mayor may forthwith designate and declare a period of time for such addresses and set a reasonable time limitation for it.

3.2. Manner of Addressing Council
As directed by the Chair, (see section D.1 below), any person wishing to address Council shall submit a written request, stand and approach the podium, or raise their hand and wait to be recognized by the Chair. Once recognized, he/she shall stand at the podium, if able, state his/her name for the record and proceed to address Council. All remarks and questions shall be addressed to Council through the Chair and not to any member thereof or the public. No question shall be asked of a Council Member or a member of the City staff without first obtaining permission of the Chair. Any member of the public shall request the Chair’s permission to approach the dais and may only do so after being granted such permission.

4.3. Time Limitation
The Mayor or a majority of Council may limit the time speakers may have to make oral communications to Council. Speaker time limit shall be three minutes for members of the public and five minutes for applicants of a Planning Department development application. Such time limitation may be modified by the Mayor or a majority of Council..

When any group of persons wishes to address Council on the same subject matter, it shall be proper for the Chair or Council to inquire whether or not the group has a spokesperson, and if so, that the spokesperson be heard, with following speakers in the group limited to facts not already presented by that spokesperson.

5.4. Inclusion of Public Correspondence and Presentations in Agenda Materials Any person wishing to make an audio/visual presentation on any agenda item must submit the presentation electronically, either in person or via email, to the City Clerk no later than 2:00 p.m. on the day offour hours prior to the regular or special meeting.

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Persons wishing to submit written comments to be included in the agenda materials for a regular or special meeting provided to Council must provide the comments as follows:

For inclusion in the regular packet: by one week11:00 a.m. the Wednesday prior to the Council Meeting.

Items received after this time will be added to the agenda and provided to each Council Member.

For inclusion in additional post packet correspondence addendum: by 11:00 a.m. the Monday prior to the Council Meeting
For inclusion as a desk item: by 11:00 a.m. on the day of the Council Meeting For a special meeting, for materials to be included in additional post packet correspondence addendum, they must be submitted by 11:00 a.m. the day before the meeting. For inclusion as a desk item, materials must be submitted no later than one hour prior to the special meeting.

This section shall not prohibit members of the public from directly presenting prepared written materials to Council during public comment. Copies of such materials shall be made publicly available after the meeting for public inspection by the City Clerk in accordance with applicable law.

6. Removal of Individuals for Disruptive Behavior.

In order to ensure that meetings of the Monte Sereno City Council are conducted in an orderly, safe, and respectful manner while preserving the public’s right to participate in local government, individuals who engage in disruptive behavior during public meetings may be removed in accordance with the Government Code section 54957.95. ‘Disruptive behavior’ means conduct that actually disrupts, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting. Examples include, but are not limited to:
• Speaking out of turn after being asked to stop
• Continuing to exceed allotted speaking time
• Yelling, profanity, or personal threats
• Preventing others from speaking or addressing the Council • Interfering with the Council’s ability to conduct business • Use or threat of physical force
These standards apply equally to individuals participating in person or through remote/teleconferenced platforms.

Before an individual may be removed, the Mayor or presiding officer shall issue a clear warning that the behavior is disruptive and must cease immediately. For both in-person attendees and remote participants, the warning will be delivered verbally.

If the individual does not promptly cease the disruptive behavior after the warning, the presiding officer may order the individual removed from the meeting.

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An individual who has been removed may be permitted to return to the meeting if the presiding officer determines that doing so will not disrupt the meeting.

C. MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR

1. Appointment of Mayor and Vice Mayor
The Council shall conduct a yearly reorganization at its first regular meeting of December, unless otherwise designated by the Council. At the time of the yearly reorganization of the Council, the Council shall elect one of its members to serve one year as Mayor and one of its members to serve one year as Vice Mayor. The election of Mayor and Vice Mayor shall be placed at the end of the agenda. The Mayor will ask Council for nominations for Mayor. Any Council Member wishing to make a nomination may do so. A Council Member may nominate himself or herself. Nominations do not require a second. Council will vote on the nominations in the order that the nominations were made. The Mayor shall be appointed by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of Council Members present. If no Mayor is chosen through the first nomination and voting process, the process shall be repeated. After the Mayor is appointed, the nomination process will be repeated for the selection of a Council Member to serve as Vice Mayor.

2. Term of Office
The Mayor and Vice Mayor shall each hold office until his/her successor is elected appointed and qualifies.

3. Qualifications
Any Council Member is eligible to serve as Mayor or Vice Mayor who has not served in that position the previous year. In casting their votes for Mayor and Vice Mayor, Council Members may consider the candidate's leadership qualities, his/her ability to conduct meetings of Council expeditiously and fairly, and his/her willingness to represent and implement positions adopted by Council when such positions are at variance with his/her personal views, as well as other factors as they deem pertinent, including seniority, rotation, or prior service as Mayor or Vice Mayor. In making the selections, Council will also consider the principle of rotation to allow each of its members an opportunity to serve as Mayor provided that the Council Member has the time to fulfill the duties of Mayor.

4. Mayor
The Mayor, or in his/her absence the Vice Mayor, shall be the presiding officer of the Council, chair all regular and special meetings and shall assume his/her place and duties as such immediately following his/her election. If the Mayor is absent or unable to act as Chair, the Vice Mayor shall serve until the Mayor returns or is able to act. During

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such periods, the Vice Mayor has all of the powers and duties of the Mayor. In the event the Vice Mayor is absent, the Mayor shall have the right to name any Council Member to perform the duties of the Mayor, but such substitution shall not extend beyond adjournment.

5. Authority
As Chair, the Mayor shall preserve strict order and decorum at all regular and special meetings of Council and announce its decisions on all subjects, and decide all questions of order, subject, however, to an appeal as herein as described. The Mayor shall sign all ordinances and resolutions adopted and contracts approved by Council at Council Meetings at which he/she is in attendance. In the event of his/her absence, the Vice Mayor shall sign such documents as have been adopted during the meeting at which he/she presided.

6. Joint Powers Authority, Council Committee and Commission Assignments The City is a member of various joint powers authorities (JPAs), committees, and commissions and often has the ability to have a Council Member on suchthe boards of such JPAs. The Mayor recommends representatives on such JPAs, various standing committees and commissions to Council for approval. Council will vote on such appointments no later than the second Council Meeting in January each year. When making JPA, committee and commission assignments, the Mayor should consider the interest and knowledge of each Council Member in such JPAs, committees and commissions while balancing shared responsibilities and opportunities among Council Members. Upon approval of the assignments, the City Clerk shall notify the JPAs, committees and commission of such appointment by Council.

D. RULES OF PROCEDURE AND DEBATE

1. Call to Order
The Mayor, or in his/her absence, the Vice Mayor, shall take the chair at the appointed hour for the meeting, and shall call the regular or special meeting to order. In the absence of the Mayor and the Vice Mayor, and the failure of the Mayor to appoint a temporary Chair, the City Clerk shall call Council to order, whereupon a temporary Chair will be elected by the Council Members present. If the Mayor or Vice Mayor should arrive after the meeting is called to order, the temporary Chair shall serve until the disposal of the item during consideration of which the Mayor or Vice Mayor arrived. In no event shall the temporary Chair serve beyond adjournment.

2. Roll Call
Before proceeding with the business of the Council, the City Clerk shall call the roll of the Council Members, and the names of those present shall be entered in the

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minutes. Subsequent roll calls throughout the meeting shall be made in the same order except that the Mayor shall always be called last.

3. Reading of Minutes
Unless the reading of the minutes of a regular or special meeting is requested by a majority of Council, such minutes may be approved without reading if the City Clerk has previously furnished each Council Member with a copy.

4. Chair May Debate and Vote
The Chair may move, second and debate as Chair, subject only to such limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed on all Council Members by these rules. The Chair and shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of Council Members by reason of his/her acting as Chair.

5. Getting the Floor
Every person desiring to speak shall address the Chair, and upon recognition by the Chair, shall confine him/herself to the question under debate.

6. Meeting Decorum
While Council is in session, Council Members and members of the public (whether appearing in person or virtually) must preserve order and decorum. No, and no person shall, by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of Council, nor disturb any Council Member while speaking, or refuse to obey the orders of Council or of the Chair, except as otherwise herein provided. Equitable access to the democratic process is essential. To ensure all members of the public feel free to participate, disruptive conduct is prohibited and may be grounds for removal from a meeting if it directly interferes with the conduct of proceedings. Disruptive conduct includes any conduct that directly interferes with the ability of the Council to deliberate and take action on agenda items, which may include addressing the Council without first being recognized, interrupting recognized public speakers, Council Member, or City staff, continuing to speak after the allotted time has expired and being requested to stop or failing to relinquish the podium when directed, and continuing to cheer, boo, jeer, clap, or repetitiously address the same subject in a manner that significantly interrupts or interferes with the Council’s ability to deliberate or act on an agenda item after being asked to stop.

When necessary to enforce decorum, the Chair, subject to Council appeal, or Council itself may order a person removed from the public meeting (whether appearing in person or virtually), or the public meeting may be closed pursuant to State law. In the event members of the public participating in the regular or special meeting virtually desire to address Council, they shall raise their virtual hand and wait to be called on by the City Clerk before speaking.

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7. Interruptions
A Council Member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless called to order by the Chair, unless a point of order or personal privilege is raised by another Council Member, or unless the speaker chooses to yield to a question by another Council Member. If a Council Member, while speaking, is called to order, he/she shall cease speaking until the question or order is determined and, if determined to be in order, he/she may proceed.

8. Points of Order
Only a Council Member may raise a point of order. Points of order shall be limited to cases where the discussion or debate on the floor does not pertain to the item of business before Council at the time or is in violation of any of the provisions of this resolution.

9. Personal Privilege
The right of a Council Member to address Council on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which his/her integrity, character or motives are questioned or where the comfort or welfare of Council, City staff and audience are concerned. A Council Member raising a point of personal privilege may interrupt another Council Member who has the floor, subject only to the power of the Chair to call him/her out of order.

10. Call for the Question
A call for the question is a motion to halt debate on a motion before Council. A Council Member calling for the question must receive a second to his/her motion. A properly moved and seconded call for the question must be voted on immediately and is not debatable. If the motion calling for the question passes, then the motion before Council on which the question was called must be voted on immediately without further debate.

11. Recognition of City Staff
Members of City staff, after recognition by the Mayor or Chair, shall hold the floor until completion of their remarks or until recognition is withdrawn by the Mayor or Chair.

12. Conflict of Interest
Any Council Member who has a direct personal financial interest in any matter coming before Council shall disclose said interest, and shall disqualify him/herself from discussing or voting on such matter. Where it is not clear whether such interest is of a

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disqualifying nature, the affected Council Member may request the opinion of the City Attorney. A Council Member who is disqualified by reason of a conflict of interest in any matter shall step down from the dais during the debate, leave the room, may not participate or vote on the matter or attempt to influence the decisionmakers as defined in the Fair Political Practices Commission.

13. Failure to Vote
A Council Member who fails to vote without stating his/her abstention or without being disqualified shall be deemed to have cast a "yes" vote.

14. Change of Vote
A Council Member may change his/her vote only if he/she makes a timely request during the regular or special meeting providing said change does not affect the outcome of the vote.

15. Reconsideration of Prior Action
A motion to reconsider a vote on a prior action shall be in order at the same meeting or the next following regular or special meeting. Any final action taken on a quasijudicial matter shall not be subject to a motion for reconsideration. Such motion may be made only by a Council Member who has previously voted with the majority on the matter. Tie votes shall be lost motions and may be reconsidered.

16. Robert's Rules of Order
The Council may elect, by majority vote, to adopt Robert's Rules of Order as a guide to matters of procedure and rules of debate, provided, however, that no provision of Robert's Rules of Order shall be construed to supersede any provision herein or in any other ordinance of the City, if the two provisions are in conflict. If the Council so decides, the Mayor or Chair shall designate a specific edition of Robert's Rules of Order to be used throughout his/her term, provided, however, that said edition is economical and readily available.

17. Failure to Observe Rules of Order
Rules adopted to expedite the transaction of the business of the Council in an orderly fashion are deemed to be procedural only, and the failure to strictly observe such rules shall not affect the jurisdiction of the Council or invalidate any action taken at a meeting that is otherwise held in conformity with law.

E. MINUTES

1. Preparation of Minutes

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The minutes of regular and special meetings shall be made and kept by the City Clerk, with a record of each particular type of business transacted, with proper sub-heads; provided that the City Clerk shall be required to make a record only of such business as was actually passed upon a vote of the Council, and shall not be required to make a verbatim transcript of the proceedings, provided further that a record shall be made of the names of persons addressing the Council, the title and the subject matter to which their remarks related and whether they spoke in support of or in opposition to such matter.

2. Remarks of Council Members
A Council Member may request, through the Mayor or Chair, the privilege of having an abstract of his/her statement of any subject under consideration by Council entered into the minutes. If the Council consents thereto, such statement shall be entered into the minutes.

3. Protest Against Council Action
Any Council Member shall have the right to have the reasons of his/her dissent from or his/her protest against any action of Council entered in the minutes.

4. Synopsis of Debate
The City Clerk may be directed by the Mayor or Chair, with the consent of Council, to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion on any question coming before Council.

5. Delivery of Minutes
As soon as possible after each regular or special meeting, but no later than the second Council Meeting following the regular or special meeting, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the City Clerk shall cause a copy of the minutes thereof to be forwarded to Council Members, the City Manager, City Attorney, and such other city agencies or persons as may be designated and posted on the City’s website. The minutes shall be deemed to have been forwarded to the Council Members, the City Manager, and City Attorney and such other city agencies or persons when they are published in the agenda of a regular or special meeting.

6. Meeting Recordings
The City Clerk shall electronically record all regular and special meetings, when possible, to assist the City Clerk in preparation of minutes, and will retain recordings in accordance with the City’s record retention schedule. Council may order full recordings or portions thereof retained for longer periods. Said recordings shall not be an official city record but shall be available to the public.

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7. Public Access to Minutes and Recordings
At least one copy of the approved minutes of each regular and special meeting, and at least one copy of the recordings of each meeting shall be maintained by the City Clerk in such a manner as to be readily available for inspection by members of the public, subject only to whatever reasonable conditions the City Clerk may require to avoid excessive interference with city business or misuse and destruction of City property.

F. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

1. Considerations in Determining Disciplinary Action
Disciplinary action may be imposed by Council upon Council Members who have violated the Code of Ethics. Disciplinary action or sanctions are considered when a serious violation of City policy has occurred by a Council Member. In determining the type of sanction imposed, the following factors may be considered:

a. Nature of the violation
b. Prior violations by the same individual
c. Other factors which bear upon the seriousness of the violation.

2. Type of Sanctions
At the discretion of Council, sanctions may be imposed for violating the Code of Ethics or engaging in other misconduct. These actions may be applied individually or in combination. They include, but are not limited to:

a. Public Admonishment- A reproof or warning directed to a Council Member about a particular type of behavior that violates City policy. b. Revocation of Special Privileges- A revocation of a Council Member’s JPA, committee or commission assignments, including standing and ad hoc committees, regional boards and commissions, and community generated board/committee appointments. Other revocations may include temporary suspension of official travel, conference participation, and ceremonial titles.
c. Censure - A formal statement or resolution by the Council officially reprimanding a Council Member.

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RESOLUTION NO. 26-###

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MONTE SERENO AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 1691 TO CHANGE THE TIME FOR REGULAR

MEETINGS, MODERNIZE SOME PROCEDURES, AND MAKE OTHER

MODIFICATIONS
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Monte Sereno has adopted regulations and guidelines for the conduct of public meetings in Resolution No.1691; and
WHEREAS, the guidelines for the conduct of public meetings were amended in October 2008 by Resolution No. 1691.1, in September 2010 by Resolution No 1691.2, in July 2012 by Resolution 1691.3, in March 2014 by Resolution No. 1691.4, in February 2019 by Resolution No. 1691.5, In August 2019 by Resolution No. 1691.6, on February 4, 2020, by Resolution No. 1691.7, on December 5, 2023 by Resolution No. 1691.8, on January 16, 2024 by Resolution No. 1691.10, and on June 16, 2026 by Resolution No. 1691.11; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to further amend the guidelines to change the time of regular City Council meetings to 6:00pm and make other administrative clarifications.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MONTE SERENO that the revised document entitled "Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings" attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference is hereby approved.

REGULARLY ADOPTED AND PASSED this 18th day of August 2026, by the following roll call vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

APPROVED:

Lionel M. Allan, Mayor
ATTESTED:
__________________________
Gloisy Gonzalez-Langarica, City Clerk

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CITY OF MONTE SERENO

REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES

FOR THE CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS
A. MEETINGS

1. Regular Meetings
Council of the City of Monte Sereno shall hold regular meetings in Council Chambers at 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road in said city on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:00 p.m. (Council Meeting).

2. Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called at any time by the Mayor, by two Council Members or by the City Manager. The City Manager will inform each Council Member of the special meeting. The City Clerk will prepare the agenda, provide the agenda to each Council Member, and provide public notice as required by State law. Such notice must be delivered and posted at least twenty-four hours before the time of such meeting as specified in the notice. The notice shall specify the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted. No other business shall be considered at such meetings.

3. Place
All regular and special meetings of Council shall be held in the Council Chambers, except that any such meetings may be adjourned to such other location as Council may from time to time determine.

4. Meetings to be Public
All regular, adjourned, and special meetings of Council shall be open and public; provided, however, Council may hold closed session from which the public may be excluded for the consideration of those matters permitted by the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code §§ 54950 et seq) to be held in closed session. No Council Member, employee of the City of Monte Sereno (City), or any other person present during a closed session of Council shall disclose to any person the content or substance of any discussion which took place during said closed session without prior authorization by a majority vote of Council. A Council Member who is found by Council to have made disclosure in violation of the foregoing provisions shall be subject to either or both (i) a motion of censure, (ii) removal from any one or more of the offices which he or she holds by reason

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of election or appointment by Council, such as Mayor, Vice Mayor, representative of Council on an outside board or commission, or membership on a Council committee, and/or (iii) any other remedies available by State law.

5. Chamber Preparation
The City Clerk shall cause the Council Chamber doors to be unlocked for a minimum of 15 minutes prior to Council Meetings. In addition, the City Clerk shall cause all preparations of the Council Chambers and of all available public facilities for the general comfort of the audience and efficiency of the meetings.

6. Quorum
Three members of Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Motions may be passed by a majority if only three attend, but ordinances, resolutions granting franchises and payment of money require at least three affirmative votes. Where there is no quorum, the Mayor, Vice Mayor, or any Council Member shall adjourn such meeting, or, if no Council member is present, the City Clerk shall adjourn the meeting.

7. Agenda
An agenda shall be prepared for each Council Meeting containing the specific items of business to be transacted and the order thereof. Items of business may be placed on the agenda by request of a Council Member, the City Manager, or the City Attorney.

The Mayor shall determine the scheduling of such items and in good faith will make every effort to place a Council Member requested item on the first available Council agenda in consultation with the City Manager. The City Manager may advise on the placement of items for consideration and has discretion to adjust scheduling or add items if necessary to mitigate an operational, financial, or compliance-related impact.

In addition, a Council Member may request that an item be placed on a future agenda during the future agenda portion of a Council Meeting. A complete copy of the agenda shall be delivered to each Council Member no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding each regular Council Meeting or a minimum of 24 hours before any Special Council Meeting.

All reports, ordinances, resolutions, contract documents, or other matters to be submitted to Council at the Council Meeting shall be delivered to the City Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m., on the Monday preceding the Thursday on which the agenda is delivered to Council. The City Clerk shall prepare the agenda of all such matters according to the order of business. The agenda shall be available to the public in accordance with State law. During the day of the Council Meeting, the City Clerk shall also cause to be available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk one or more copies of all written materials concerning the agenda items, such as is also routinely made available to Council Members.

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8. Additions to Agenda
No matters shall be finally acted upon by Council other than those on the agenda; however, items of business not appearing on the posted agenda may be considered in accordance with Government Code section 54954.2 and as it may be amended from time to time.

9. Order of Business – Regular Meetings
Following is the order of business for Council meeting agendas:
a. Call to Order
b. Pledge of Allegiance
c. Roll Call
d. Orders of the Day
e. Announcements (Council Member announcements or individuals invited by Council to make announcement)
f. Presentations
g. Oral Communications from the Public
h. Written Communications
i. Consent Calendar
j. Public Hearings
k. New Business
l. Unfinished Business
m. Special Set Items
n. JPA/Committee/Commission Reports
o. Council Member Comments
p. City Manager Report
q. Future Agenda Items

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r. Adjournment
The Mayor or a majority of Council may change the order of business under Orders of the Day. Council may set hearings for a specific time and, in that event, such hearings shall begin no earlier than the stated time, regardless of the order of business; otherwise, business shall be considered in the order shown above.

10. Council Member Absences
In the event a Council Member is unable to attend a Council Meeting, such Council Member shall inform the City Clerk no later than 12:00 p.m. on the Friday before the Council Meeting, unless such absence is due to an unforeseen circumstance beyond the Council Member’s control, in which case the Council Member shall inform the City Clerk as soon as possible.
.

11. Remote Participation of Council Members
Council Members may participate in a regular or special meeting from a remote location if they meet the requirements of California Government Code section 54953. In the event a Council Member desires to participate in a regular or special meeting from a remote location, such Council Member shall so inform the City Clerk as soon as possible in order for the City Clerk to determine if remote participation is permissible. The Council Member shall provide the City Clerk with any information necessary to comply with the requirements of California Government Code section 54953 for remote participation in regular or special meetings.

Traditional teleconferencing is allowed for any reason and requires the Council Member to be in a location open to the public. The teleconferencing location shall be posted on the meeting agenda a minimum of 72 hours prior to the meeting for regular meetings and 24 hours prior to special meetings. Members of the public shall be allowed to speak and comment from the teleconferencing location.

Just Cause and emergency exceptions allow remote participation by a Council Member for specific reasons and under specific conditions. This type of remote participation does not require the remote location to be posted on the agenda nor available to the public. Qualifying reasons for this type of remote participation include as needed for childcare or caregiving, due to contagious illness, medical emergencies, military service, or official travel for City business. This type of remote participation is limited to a maximum of five meetings per year for each Council Member. The Council Member participating remotely must use audio and visual technology to participate during the meeting and also disclose if any adults are present in the room. For any Council Member to participate under these provisions, a quorum of the Council must be physically present at the meeting location.

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Disability accommodation is available for Council Members who need remote access as reasonable accommodation for a disability. This type of remote participation does not require the remote location to be posted on the agenda or available to the public. The Council Member participating remotely must use audio and visual technology to participate during the meeting and disclose if any adults are present in the room.

12. Hybrid Meetings
All regular and special meetings of the Council shall include an opportunity for the public to attend via two-way telephonic or two-way audiovisual platform, unless adequate service is not operational in accordance with California Government Code section 54953.

13. Disruption of Remote Participation During a Council Meeting In the event of a disruption in two-way remote participation prevents members of the public from remotely attending or observing the meeting, the City Council shall recess for no less than one hour, during which time staff shall make good faith efforts to restore service. Following such efforts, the City Council shall adopt, by roll-call vote, a formal finding affirming that reasonable efforts were made to resolve the disruption and that resuming the meeting serves the public interest more than further delaying the meeting to seek a resolution or may adjourn the meeting.

B. ADDRESSING COUNCIL

1. Right to Address Council
Every agenda for regular Council Meetings shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to address Council on any item of interest to the public not on the agenda that is within the jurisdiction of Council. And, also on any matter on the agenda.

An opportunity shall be provided for public comment at any special meeting on any matter noticed to be heard at that meeting.

2. Manner of Addressing Council
As directed by the Chair, (see section D.1 below), any person wishing to address Council shall stand and approach the podium, or raise their hand and wait to be recognized by the Chair. Once recognized, he/she shall stand at the podium, if able, and proceed to address Council. All remarks and questions shall be addressed to Council through the Chair and not to any member thereof or the public. No question shall be asked of a Council Member or a member of the City staff without first obtaining permission of the Chair. Any member of the public shall request the Chair’s permission to approach the dais and may only do so after being granted such permission.

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3. Time Limitation
The Mayor or a majority of Council may limit the time speakers may have to make oral communications to Council. Speaker time limit shall be three minutes for members of the public and five minutes for applicants of a Planning Department development application. Such time limitation may be modified by the Mayor or a majority of Council.

When any group of persons wishes to address Council on the same subject matter, it shall be proper for the Chair or Council to inquire whether or not the group has a spokesperson, and if so, that the spokesperson be heard, with following speakers in the group limited to facts not already presented by that spokesperson.

4. Inclusion of Public Correspondence and Presentations in Agenda Materials Any person wishing to make an audio/visual presentation on any agenda item must submit the presentation electronically, either in person or via email, to the City Clerk no later than four hours prior to the regular or special meeting.

Persons wishing to submit written comments to be included in the agenda materials for a regular or special meeting provided to Council must provide the comments as follows:

For inclusion in the regular packet: one week prior to the Council Meeting.

Items received after this time will be added to the agenda and provided to each Council Member.

This section shall not prohibit members of the public from directly presenting prepared written materials to Council during public comment. Copies of such materials shall be made publicly available after the meeting by the City Clerk in accordance with applicable law.

6. Removal of Individuals for Disruptive Behavior.

In order to ensure that meetings of the Monte Sereno City Council are conducted in an orderly, safe, and respectful manner while preserving the public’s right to participate in local government, individuals who engage in disruptive behavior during public meetings may be removed in accordance with the Government Code section 54957.95. ‘Disruptive behavior’ means conduct that actually disrupts, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting. Examples include, but are not limited to:
• Speaking out of turn after being asked to stop
• Continuing to exceed allotted speaking time
• Yelling, profanity, or personal threats
• Preventing others from speaking or addressing the Council

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• Interfering with the Council’s ability to conduct business • Use or threat of physical force
These standards apply equally to individuals participating in person or through remote/teleconferenced platforms.

Before an individual may be removed, the Mayor or presiding officer shall issue a clear warning that the behavior is disruptive and must cease immediately. For both in-person attendees and remote participants, the warning will be delivered verbally.

If the individual does not promptly cease the disruptive behavior after the warning, the presiding officer may order the individual removed from the meeting.

An individual who has been removed may be permitted to return to the meeting if the presiding officer determines that doing so will not disrupt the meeting.

C. MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR

1. Appointment of Mayor and Vice Mayor
The Council shall conduct a yearly reorganization at its first regular meeting of December, unless otherwise designated by the Council. At the time of the yearly reorganization of the Council, the Council shall elect one of its members to serve one year as Mayor and one of its members to serve one year as Vice Mayor. The election of Mayor and Vice Mayor shall be placed at the end of the agenda. The Mayor will ask Council for nominations for Mayor. Any Council Member wishing to make a nomination may do so. A Council Member may nominate himself or herself. Nominations do not require a second. Council will vote on the nominations in the order that the nominations were made. The Mayor shall be appointed by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of Council Members present. If no Mayor is chosen through the first nomination and voting process, the process shall be repeated. After the Mayor is appointed, the nomination process will be repeated for the selection of a Council Member to serve as Vice Mayor.

2. Term of Office
The Mayor and Vice Mayor shall each hold office until his/her successor is appointed and qualifies.

3. Qualifications
Any Council Member is eligible to serve as Mayor or Vice Mayor who has not served in that position the previous year. In casting their votes for Mayor and Vice Mayor, Council Members may consider the candidate's leadership qualities, his/her ability to conduct meetings of Council expeditiously and fairly, and his/her willingness to represent and implement positions adopted by Council when such positions are at variance with

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his/her personal views, as well as other factors as they deem pertinent, including seniority, rotation, or prior service as Mayor or Vice Mayor. In making the selections, Council will also consider the principle of rotation to allow each of its members an opportunity to serve as Mayor provided that the Council Member has the time to fulfill the duties of Mayor.

4. Mayor
The Mayor, or in his/her absence the Vice Mayor, shall be the presiding officer of the Council, chair all regular and special meetings and shall assume his/her place and duties as such immediately following his/her election. If the Mayor is absent or unable to act as Chair, the Vice Mayor shall serve until the Mayor returns or is able to act. During such periods, the Vice Mayor has all of the powers and duties of the Mayor. In the event the Vice Mayor is absent, the Mayor shall have the right to name any Council Member to perform the duties of the Mayor, but such substitution shall not extend beyond adjournment.

5. Authority
As Chair, the Mayor shall preserve strict order and decorum at all regular and special meetings of Council and announce its decisions on all subjects, and decide all questions of order, subject, however, to an appeal as herein as described. The Mayor shall sign all ordinances and resolutions adopted and contracts approved by Council at Council Meetings at which he/she is in attendance. In the event of his/her absence, the Vice Mayor shall sign such documents as have been adopted during the meeting at which he/she presided.

6. Joint Powers Authority, Council Committee and Commission Assignments The City is a member of various joint powers authorities (JPAs), committees, and commissions and often has the ability to have a Council Member on such boards.

The Mayor recommends representatives on such JPAs, committees and commissions to Council for approval. Council will vote on such appointments no later than the second Council Meeting in January each year. When making JPA, committee and commission assignments, the Mayor should consider the interest and knowledge of each Council Member in such JPAs, committees and commissions while balancing shared responsibilities and opportunities among Council Members. Upon approval of the assignments, the City Clerk shall notify the JPAs, committees and commission of such appointment by Council.

D. RULES OF PROCEDURE AND DEBATE

1. Call to Order

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The Mayor, or in his/her absence, the Vice Mayor, shall take the chair at the appointed hour for the meeting, and shall call the regular or special meeting to order. In the absence of the Mayor and the Vice Mayor, and the failure of the Mayor to appoint a temporary Chair, the City Clerk shall call Council to order, whereupon a temporary Chair will be elected by the Council Members present. If the Mayor or Vice Mayor should arrive after the meeting is called to order, the temporary Chair shall serve until the disposal of the item during consideration of which the Mayor or Vice Mayor arrived. In no event shall the temporary Chair serve beyond adjournment.

2. Roll Call
Before proceeding with the business of the Council, the City Clerk shall call the roll of the Council Members, and the names of those present shall be entered in the minutes. Subsequent roll calls throughout the meeting shall be made in the same order except that the Mayor shall always be called last.

3. Reading of Minutes
Unless the reading of the minutes of a regular or special meeting is requested by a majority of Council, such minutes may be approved without reading if the City Clerk has previously furnished each Council Member with a copy.

4. Chair May Debate and Vote
The Chair may move, second and debate as Chair, subject only to such limitations of debate imposed on all Council Members by these rules. The Chair shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of Council Members by reason of his/her acting as Chair.

5. Getting the Floor
Every person desiring to speak shall address the Chair, and upon recognition by the Chair, shall confine him/herself to the question under debate.

6. Meeting Decorum
While Council is in session, Council Members must preserve order and decorum. No person shall delay or interrupt the proceedings of Council, nor disturb any Council Member while speaking, or refuse to obey the orders of Council or of the Chair, except as otherwise herein provided. Equitable access to the democratic process is essential.

7. Interruptions
A Council Member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless called to order by the Chair, a point of order or personal privilege is raised by

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another Council Member, or the speaker chooses to yield to a question by another Council Member. If a Council Member, while speaking, is called to order, he/she shall cease speaking until the question or order is determined and, if determined to be in order, he/she may proceed.

8. Points of Order
Only a Council Member may raise a point of order. Points of order shall be limited to cases where the discussion or debate on the floor does not pertain to the item of business before Council at the time or is in violation of any of the provisions of this resolution.

9. Personal Privilege
The right of a Council Member to address Council on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which his/her integrity, character or motives are questioned or where the comfort or welfare of Council, City staff and audience are concerned. A Council Member raising a point of personal privilege may interrupt another Council Member who has the floor, subject only to the power of the Chair to call him/her out of order.

10. Call for the Question
A call for the question is a motion to halt debate on a motion before Council. A Council Member calling for the question must receive a second to his/her motion. A properly moved and seconded call for the question must be voted on immediately and is not debatable. If the motion calling for the question passes, then the motion before Council on which the question was called must be voted on immediately without further debate.

11. Recognition of City Staff
Members of City staff, after recognition by the Mayor or Chair, shall hold the floor until completion of their remarks or until recognition is withdrawn by the Mayor or Chair.

12. Conflict of Interest
Any Council Member who has a direct personal financial interest in any matter coming before Council shall disclose said interest, and shall disqualify him/herself from discussing or voting on such matter. Where it is not clear whether such interest is of a disqualifying nature, the affected Council Member may request the opinion of the City Attorney. A Council Member who is disqualified by reason of a conflict of interest in any matter shall step down from the dais during the debate, leave the room, may not participate or vote on the matter or attempt to influence the decisionmakers as defined in the Fair Political Practices Commission.

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13. Failure to Vote
A Council Member who fails to vote without stating his/her abstention or without being disqualified shall be deemed to have cast a "yes" vote.

14. Change of Vote
A Council Member may change his/her vote only if he/she makes a timely request during the regular or special meeting providing said change does not affect the outcome of the vote.

15. Reconsideration of Prior Action
A motion to reconsider a vote on a prior action shall be in order at the same meeting or the next following regular or special meeting. Any final action taken on a quasijudicial matter shall not be subject to a motion for reconsideration. Such motion may be made only by a Council Member who has previously voted with the majority on the matter. Tie votes shall be lost motions and may be reconsidered.

16. Robert's Rules of Order
The Council may elect, by majority vote, to adopt Robert's Rules of Order as a guide to matters of procedure and rules of debate, provided, however, that no provision of Robert's Rules of Order shall be construed to supersede any provision herein or in any other ordinance of the City, if the two provisions are in conflict. If the Council so decides, the Mayor or Chair shall designate a specific edition of Robert's Rules of Order to be used throughout his/her term, provided, however, that said edition is economical and readily available.

17. Failure to Observe Rules of Order
Rules adopted to expedite the transaction of the business of the Council in an orderly fashion are deemed to be procedural only, and the failure to strictly observe such rules shall not affect the jurisdiction of the Council or invalidate any action taken at a meeting that is otherwise held in conformity with law.

E. MINUTES

1. Preparation of Minutes
The minutes of regular and special meetings shall be made and kept by the City Clerk, with a record of each particular type of business transacted, with proper sub-heads; provided that the City Clerk shall be required to make a record only of such business as was actually passed upon a vote of the Council, and shall not be required to make a

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verbatim transcript of the proceedings, provided further that a record shall be made of the names of persons addressing the Council, the title and the subject matter to which their remarks related and whether they spoke in support of or in opposition to such matter.

2. Remarks of Council Members
A Council Member may request, through the Mayor or Chair, the privilege of having an abstract of his/her statement of any subject under consideration by Council entered into the minutes. If the Council consents thereto, such statement shall be entered into the minutes.

3. Protest Against Council Action
Any Council Member shall have the right to have the reasons of his/her dissent from or his/her protest against any action of Council entered in the minutes.

4. Synopsis of Debate
The City Clerk may be directed by the Mayor or Chair, with the consent of Council, to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion on any question coming before Council.

5. Delivery of Minutes
As soon as possible after each regular or special meeting, but no later than the second Council Meeting following the regular or special meeting, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the City Clerk shall cause a copy of the minutes thereof to be forwarded to Council Members, the City Manager, City Attorney, and posted on the City’s website.

The minutes shall be deemed to have been forwarded to the Council Members, the City Manager, and City Attorney when they are published in the agenda of a regular or special meeting.

6. Meeting Recordings
The City Clerk shall electronically record all regular and special meetings and will retain recordings in accordance with the City’s record retention schedule. Council may order full recordings or portions thereof retained for longer periods. Said recordings shall not be an official city record but shall be available to the public.

7. Public Access to Minutes and Recordings
At least one copy of the approved minutes of each regular and special meeting, and at least one copy of the recordings of each meeting shall be maintained by the City Clerk in such a manner as to be readily available for inspection by members of the public.

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F. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

1. Considerations in Determining Disciplinary Action
Disciplinary action may be imposed by Council upon Council Members who have violated the Code of Ethics. Disciplinary action or sanctions are considered when a serious violation of City policy has occurred by a Council Member. In determining the type of sanction imposed, the following factors may be considered:

a. Nature of the violation
b. Prior violations by the same individual
c. Other factors which bear upon the seriousness of the violation.

2. Type of Sanctions
At the discretion of Council, sanctions may be imposed for violating the Code of Ethics or engaging in other misconduct. These actions may be applied individually or in combination. They include, but are not limited to:

a. Public Admonishment- A reproof or warning directed to a Council Member about a particular type of behavior that violates City policy. b. Revocation of Special Privileges- A revocation of a Council Member’s JPA, committee or commission assignments, including standing and ad hoc committees, regional boards and commissions, and community generated board/committee appointments. Other revocations may include temporary suspension of official travel, conference participation, and ceremonial titles.
c. Censure - A formal statement or resolution by the Council officially reprimanding a Council Member.

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Monte Sereno City Council
2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

Page 1 of 8 ends

Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category
January 6, 2026 West Valley Recycles Presentation N Presentation Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Accept the Annual Approval and Signing of the City Council Code of Ethics GGL N Consent Calendar Supplemental Law Enforcement Service Fund (SLESF) GGL N Consent Calendar Revisions to City of Monte Sereno Council Ad-Hoc Committees DP N New Business Discuss Selection of Meeting Date for Strategic Goal Setting DP N New Business Consideration to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with CliffordMoss, LLC for Consulting Services for a Potential Police Services Parcel Tax Including Public Opinion Polling, Public Outreach, and a Prop 218 Compliant Ballot Measure for an amount not to exceed $84,850 Plus a 10% Contingency for Program Costs.

DP N New Business
January 20, 2026 Presentation of Certificates of Recognition to 2025 STEM Winners from the City of Monte Sereno
GGL N Presentation
Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Authorize the City Manager to Establish Automated Payments for City Hall Utility Bills
DP N Consent Calendar
Consider Establishment of an Appointment to the Monte Sereno City Council Financial Implementation Support and Audit Support Ad Hoc Committee DP N Consent Calendar
Application 2025-3089 for a Variance application for reduced rear yard setback of 25 feet where 30 feet is required at 18113 Bancroft Avenue. (CEQA: Exempt, Guidelines sections 15302, 15303)
DP Y Public Hearing
City Manager’s Quarterly Report DP N New Business
Consideration and Appointment to Fill One Alternate Representative Vacancy on the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority Board
GGL N New Business
February 3, 2026 Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department Semi-Annual Report Police N Presentation Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar

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Monte Sereno City Council
2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

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Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category
February 17, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Hold Public Hearing and Adopt a Reso Overruling Objections and Determining to Proceed with Weed Abatement
GGL Y Public Hearing
Discuss Hosting a City Picnic and Consider a Budget for the City Picnic GGL N New Business Discussion and Consideration of a City of Monte Sereno Community Grants Deadline, Selection Dates, and Budget Amount
DP N New Business
Discuss a Potential City Council Ad Hoc Committee to Analyze Existing City Hall Property
DP N New Business
Discuss the Creation of Leadership Monte Sereno DP N New Business March 3, 2026 Santa Clara County Fire Department Semi-Annual Public Safety Report Fire N Presentation Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the City Manager to Accept or Not Accept Applications for Annexation to the City of Monte Sereno DP N Consent Calendar
Adopt a Resolution to Extend the Memorandum of Understanding with the Monte Sereno Association of City Employees for One Year with an Expiration Date of June 30, 2027
DP N Consent Calendar
Discuss the Creation of Leadership Monte Sereno DP N New Business Council Goal Setting Session for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 DP N New Business Accept the Resignation of Council Member Mekechuk as Primary Director of the Santa Clara County VTA Policy Advisory Board and Appoint a New Primary Director
DP N New Business
March 17, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report DP N Consent Calendar Adoption of 2026-2027 City Council Goals DP N Consent Calendar Establishment of a City Council Ad Hoc Committee to Analyze Existing City Hall Facilities and Needs
DP N Consent Calendar
Discussion and Consideration of a City of Monte Sereno Community Grants DP N Unfinished Business

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Monte Sereno City Council
2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

Page 3 of 8 ends

Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category
April 7, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Review potential SB10 Multifamily Zoning Overlay DP Y Public Hearing Appointment to Fill One Vacancy on the Monte Sereno Site and Architectural Commission for an Unexpired Term Ending December 31, 2027 GGL N New Business
April 21, 2026 Meeting Cancelled
May 5, 2026
Special Meeting
General Plan Update Study Session DP N Unfinished
Business
May 5, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Adoption of Ordinance No. NS-247, an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Monte Sereno Amending Title 10, Chapter 10.05 by Amending Section

10.05.010 (Zoning District Designations) and Adding Section 10.05.044 (MultiFamily Residential Overlay Zone) and Chapter 10.06 by Amending Section

10.06.140 (Accessory Dwelling Units; Junior Accessory Dwelling Units; Standards And Requirements) and Chapter 10.08 by Amending Section 10.08.040 (Site Development Permit Required) and by Amending Section 10.08.050 (Permit Process); and Chapter 10.11 (Amendments, Annexations and Enforcement) By adding Section 10.11.016 (Multi-Family Overlay District Amendment Process).

DP N Consent Calendar
Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Second Amendment to the Agreement with the County of Santa Clara for the Countywide Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program.

DP N Consent Calendar
Application 2024-3066 for a Site Development Permit for a new approximately 4,915 square foot two-story house, a Tree Removal Permit to remove one tree, and a Variance for reduced front, side, and rear yard setbacks at 18571 Withey Road.

DP Y Public Hearing
Application 2026-3001 for a Variance for a detached Accessory Dwelling Unit DP Y Public Hearing

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2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

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Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category
(ADU) in the front yard that is 992 square feet in floor area where a maximum of 800 square feet in floor area is allowed at 15391 Winchester Boulevard.

City Manager’s Quarterly Report DP N New Business
Receive the report and provide feedback on the West Valley Homeless Services Feasibility Study and adopt a Resolution of Intent to support participation in a West Valley Homeless Services Implementation Task Force DP N New Business
May 18, 2026
Special Meeting
Receive an Informational Update on the Potential Police Services Parcel Tax and Provide Direction to Staff
DP N Unfinished
Business
May 19, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Adoption of a Resolution Declaring Hazardous Vegetation (Brush) a Public Nuisance and Set Public Hearing (SCCF)
GGL N Consent Calendar
Consideration to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with The Pun Group for Annual Financial Audit Services for Fiscal Year 2025/2026.

DP N Consent Calendar
First Study Session for Review of Proposed FY 26/27 Budget DP N New Business Discuss Monte Sereno Residents Participation in Leadership Los Gatos and Provide Direction for Next Year’
DP N New Business
June 2, 2026 VTA Local Investment Plan Presentation VTA N Presentation Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Accept a Report on the Status of the City’s Vacancies, Recruitment, and Retention Efforts Pursuant to Assembly Bill 2561
DP Y Public Hearing
Appointment of 2026-2027 Youth Commissioner GGL N New Business Discussion of Japan Friendship City DP N New Business
Consideration of a Letter of Opposition to SB 866 (Blakespear) Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program: Housing Element DP N New Business
June 16, 2026 San Jose Water Presentation by John Tang Water N Presentation Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar

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2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

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Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category
Adoption of Resolution Establishing and Fixing the Amount of Special Real Property Tax Levy for Police Protection Purposes for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 GGL N Consent Calendar
Calling of Election Resolution GGL N Consent Calendar
Updated Fee Schedule for User and Regulatory Fees DP N Consent Calendar Adoption of a Resolution Setting Appropriations Limit for Fiscal Year 2026-27 DP N Consent Calendar Annual Street Maintenance - Adoption of Projects FY 26/27 MW N Consent Calendar Consideration to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with Eide Bailly for Annual Financial Audit Services DP N Consent Calendar
Consider Terminating the Potential Police Services Parcel Tax Ad Hoc Committee DP N Consent Calendar Adoption of the FY 26/27 Budget DP Y Public Hearing
Accepting changes of the Council Policy for Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings with SB707 Updates
DP N Unfinished
Business
Appointment of a member to the 2026-2028 VAT BPAC GGL N New Business June 30, 2026
Special Meeting
DP N New Business
July 7, 2026
July 21, 2026
Meetings Cancelled
August 4, 2026 San Jose Water Presentation by Tanya Moniz-Witten Water N Presentation Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Consideration to Authorize the City Manager to Execute First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Maze and Associates Accounting Corporation for Accounting Services
DP N Consent Calendar
Youth Commission Non-Voting Members Resolution GGL N Consent Calendar Adopt a Resolution Confirming a Weed Abatement Report and Assessment List to be Entered on the Tax Assessment Roll
GGL Y Public Hearing
Receive and adopt the General Plan Update DP Y Public Hearing Consideration of Nominees Citizen of the Year Award GGL N New Business Appointment to Fill One Vacancy on the Monte Sereno Site and Architectural GGL N New Business

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2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

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Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category
Commission for an Unexpired Term Ending December 31, 2027 League of California Cities Annual Conference Voting Delegate GGL N New Business City Manager’s Quarterly Report DP N New Business
Adoption of Updated General Plan DP N New Business
How the City Uses Volunteers DP N New Business
Communications with the Community DP N New Business
Consideration of Support for the Diablo Canyon 2045 Coalition DP N New Business August 18, 2026 Midpen Presentation N Presentation
Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Discuss Communications with the Community DP N New Business Discuss How the City Uses Volunteers for Commissions and Committees DP N New Business Receive report from City of Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page on Climate Resilience Districts
DP N New Business
Consider Support to Remove Eucalyptus Trees in the Highway 9 Median Due to Potential Fire Hazard
DP N New Business
Consider Adoption of a Resolution to Amend the City of Monte Sereno Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings to Adjust the Council Meeting Start Time and Other Administrative Corrections KP N New Business
Consider and Adopt a Resolution Canceling the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election and Appointing the Nominated Candidates to the City Council GGL N New Business
September 1, 2026 Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department Semi-Annual Report Police N Presentation Finance Reports Warrant list DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Jury Response
Social Host ordinance
September 15, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar

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2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

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Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category
October 6, 2026 Santa Clara County Fire Department Semi-Annual Public Safety Report Fire N Presentation Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
October 20, 2026
Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
City Manager’s Quarterly Report DP N New Business
November 3, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
November 17, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
December 1, 2026 Youth Commission Report GGL N Presentation Finance Reports Warrant list N Consent Calendar
Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Better Street Commission & S&A Applicants GGL N New Business Council Nomination of Mayor and Vice Mayor DP N New Business Discuss Committee to Review Police Costs and Potential Revenue Sources DP N New Business December 15, 2026 Finance Reports DP N Consent Calendar Meeting Minutes GGL N Consent Calendar
Declaring Weeds a Public Nuisance GGL N Consent Calendar Consider and Set City Council Meeting Dates for 2027 GGL N New Business Recognition of Outgoing Betters Streets Commissioners and Site and Architectural Commissioners
DP N New Business
Consider and Approve City Committee/Commission Assignments for CY2027 DP N New Business Supplemental Law Enforcement Service Fund (SLESF) DP N New Business

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Monte Sereno City Council
2026 Tentative Council Meeting Calendar
Updated: August 13, 2026

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Council Meeting
Date
Agenda Item Staff Public
Hearing?
Agenda
Category

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