unavailability to attend a meeting or agreement to cancel a meeting. If needed, cancelled public hearings shall be re-noticed in accordance with applicable law.
6.4.2 Continuing a Meeting. The City Council may also open a public hearing at a meeting, take testimony, leave such hearing open, and continue it to a certain date without re-noticing, upon a majority vote of the City Council, or by the mayorMayor at the request of the City Manager or City Attorney for good cause.
6.5 Special Meetings.
a) A special meeting may be called at any time by the mayorMayor or by a majority of the City Council in accordance with state law. Written notice of any such meeting must specify the purpose of the meeting and the identities of members making the call. Notice of the meeting must be given in accordance with law. Public comments at special meetings shall be limited to only those items described on the special meeting notice. b) The City Council may hold study sessions or joint meetings with other boards, commissions, committees, or agencies as deemed necessary to attend to City business. These meetings will be coordinated by the City Clerk. Study sessions, which are special meetings, are scheduled to provide Council Members with the opportunity to better understand a particular item.
6.6 Quorum.
a) Three (3) members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum and shall be sufficient to transact business. If less than three Council Members appear at a regular meeting, the Mayor, or Vice Mayor, in the absence of the mayorMayor, or any Council Member in the absence of the Mayor and Vice Mayor, or in the absence of all Council Members, the City Clerk or Deputy City Clerk, shall adjourn the meeting to a stated date and time. b) City Council business may be conducted with a quorum; however, pursuant to the California Government Code, matters requiring the expenditure of City funds and all resolutions and non-urgency ordinances may require a higher vote threshold for approval.
6.7 Minutes. The City Clerk shall prepare minutes of all public meetings of the City Council.
6.7.1 Action Minutes. The City Council will use action minutes, which, at the discretion of the City Clerk, will contain either very little, if any, narrative content or a light summary to record their proceedings both during open session and closed session discussions. Action minutes will include final motions and will note for the record each Council Member’s vote. The minutes will also reflect the names of public speakers, if stated, and may contain brief summaries of the comments, and in public hearings, whether they spoke in support or opposition to the agenda item at issue. The City Clerk will have exclusive responsibility for preparation of the minutes, and any corrections to the minutes will be made by majority vote of the City Council.
6.7.2 Reading Not Required. Unless the reading of the minutes of a Council meeting is ordered by a majority vote of the Council, the minutes may be approved without a reading if the City Clerk has previously furnished the draft minutes in the City Council agenda packet.
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6.7.3 Draft Minutes. Draft minutes of meetings are generally submitted to the Council for approval with the agenda packet. Any Council Member who was absent from the prior meeting may participate and vote on the approval of the minutes and need not abstain on the approval of the minutes for that meeting.
6.9 Adjourned Meetings. The City Council may adjourn any regular, adjourned regular, special, or closed session meeting to a time and place specified in the order of adjournment and permitted by law.
6.10 Emergency Meetings. The City Council may hold an emergency meeting as defined in state law without complying with either the 72-hour notice requirement, or the 24-hour posting requirement, or both.
6.11 Study Sessions. The purpose of work/study sessions is to assist the City Council with the analysis and development of policy matters. When a work/study session is held, Council Members will meet in the Council Chambers unless otherwise notified according to state law. Members of the public are encouraged to attend work/study sessions. Comments on an item appearing in the work/study session section of the agenda will follow the staff presentation and Council discussion.
6.13 Teleconferencing by the City Council. City Council Members may participate in meetings via teleconference only when authorized by state law, as may be amended. (Presently authorized by Gov. Code 54953(b), 54953(e), and 54953(f)–(k). The City Clerk will track tTeleconferencing by the City Council Members to ensure thethat the teleconferencing participation does not exceed the Brown Act’s “Just Cause” and “Emergency” limitslimits are not exceeding when using Just cause and emergency provisions of the Brown Act. When posting required at a teleconference location, the Council Member will be responsible for ensuring the agenda has been posted as required by law.
6.14 Technology Disruption Policy.
6.14.1 Purpose. This section establishes procedures for responding to disruptions in telephonic or internet services used to provide two-way remote public access to City Council meetings, consistent with the Ralph M. Brown Act and Government Code section 54953.4. These procedures are intended to maintain transparency, continuity of government operations, and meaningful public participation during technology disruptions.
6.14.2 Applicability.This policy applies to all open and public meetings of the City Council and any legislative body of the City of Mountain House when remote public participation or observation is provided or required by state law.
6.14.3 Definitions.For purposes of this section:
a. “Disruption” means any interruption, outage, or technical failure that prevents members of the public from remotely hearing, observing, or participating in a meeting through the City’s designated remote access platform.
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b. “Remote access services” means the telephonic, internet-based, audiovisual, or other electronic platform used by the City to provide two-way real-time remote access to public meetings.
6.14.4 Procedures During a Technology Disruption.
a. If the City becomes aware of a disruption to remote access services during a meeting, the Presiding Officer, or City Clerk shall announce the disruption, if possible. The meeting ed shall be recessed while staff attempts to restore service. The City Council may meet in closed session during this period, if permissible under the Brown Act.. b. City staff shall make reasonable, good-faith efforts to restore remote access services.
Such efforts may include troubleshooting software or hardware issues, restarting equipment, contacting technical support providers, utilizing backup systems, or switching to an alternate meeting platform.
c. The meeting mayshall remain in recess for up toat least one hour while restoration efforts are underway or until service is restored, whichever is sooner. The recess may be extended if active restoration efforts continue and the City Council determiness additional time is appropriate.
6.14.5 Reconvening the Meeting.
a. If remote access services are restored, the meeting may reconvene and continue. b. If remote access services cannot be restored after reasonable, good-faith efforts have been made, the City Council may:
1. Adjourn the meeting to a future date and time, or
2. Continue the meeting in open session accordance with Government Code section 54953.4 after adopting,, by roll-call vote, the following, or substantially similar,a finding that:
“The City of Mountain House has made reasonable, good-faith efforts to restore telephonic or internet-based remote access services, and the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in providing remote access under the circumstances.”
6.14.6 Recordkeeping. The City Clerk shall document the following in the meeting minutes:
a) The nature and approximate time of the disruption;
b) Actions and restoration efforts taken to restore service; c) Whether the meeting was recessed, adjourned, or reconvened; and d) Any findings adopted pursuant to this section.
6.14.7 Authority to Amend. This policy may be amended by the City Council at a duly noticed public meeting in accordance with applicable law.
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SECTION 7. CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA: PREPARATION, POSTING, AND
CONTENTS
7.1 Preparation of Agenda. The City Manager or designee, and the City Clerk shall be responsible for preparing the agenda.
7.2 Placing Items on the Agenda.
7.2.1 City Manager. The City Manager may place such items on the agenda that are routinely scheduled for Council consideration including but not limited to:
a) Discretionary permits; budget appropriations, amendments, and expenditures b) Items related to adopted Council goals and priorities, c) Routine, generally non-substantive matters determined by the City Manager or City Attorney to be appropriate for immediate consideration by the Council, d) Items which require immediate action by the City Council due to an emergency, the request of another governmental agency, or other matters which in the judgment of the City Manager or City Attorney would disadvantage the city if a delay were to occur.
7.2.2 City Council. Any member of the Council may request that an item be added to a future agenda following the procedures outlined below.
a) Submission of Written Requests: A Council Member may request that an item be placed on an upcoming agenda by submitting to the City Manager and City Clerk a written request, not exceeding one page, in conformance with the timelines set forth within the agenda deadline rules contained herein. The City Manager will place the item under the “Future Agenda Items” section of the agenda. A majority of the Council present must approve the placement of the item on a future agenda for discussion.
b) Request at a Regular Meeting. During the Council comments section of the agenda, any member of the Council may make a request to add an item under “Future Agenda Items” on an upcoming agenda. The City Manager shall agendize the item for the earliest possible date depending on staff workloads and other Council priorities. A majority of the City Council will then consider whether to place the item on a future agenda for discussion.
c) Staff responsibilities. Staff shall not be required to prepare a report or any analysis of the item unless deemed necessary by the City Manager.
7.2.3 Public. During the general public comments period or by prior correspondence with a Council Member, a member of the public may request that the Council consider an item on a future agenda. Any Council Member can request the item be agendized following the procedures outlined in Section 7.2.2.
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7.2.4 Urgency Matters. If the City Manager, City Attorney, or a Council Member desires to bring an item that was not noticed on an agenda, then the person making such a request shall provide a detailed account that the need to take action on the item came to their attention after the agenda was posted and sufficient information regarding the need to take immediate action. The Council should then consider the matter if the Council by 2/3 vote (or unanimous vote if less than 2/3 are present) makes the required findings in accordance with the provisions of the California Government Code.
7.3 Agenda Item Submission Deadline. All items to be included on the agenda noticed shall be submitted to the City Clerk. The agenda meeting with the mayorMayor and staff shall take place after the deadline.
7.4 Written Communications for Council Meetings. Generally, correspondence relating to a specific City Council agenda item shall be distributed with the agenda report. Correspondence received after the publication of agenda packets is to be compiled and distributed to the City Council prior to the City Council meeting as outlined below.
a) The deadline for the receipt of written communications for inclusion in the agenda packet shall be determined by staff on a project-by-project basis. This is to allow for adequate staff review and analysis, and to ensure public access to information, plans, correspondence, and other supporting documents to an item being heard by the City Council.
b) Materials distributed to Council Members during the meeting shall be available for viewing by the public during the meeting if the materials were prepared by the City or a Council Member, or at the conclusion of the meeting if prepared by another person.
Documents (six (6) copies are recommended) that members of the public submit to the City Council at the meeting shall be given directly to the City Clerk for distribution and shall not be given directly to the City Council. The documents will be available to the public on the City’s website within 48 hours of the conclusion of the meeting. c) If a Council Member receives materials regarding an agenda item, they shall forward it to the City Clerk and the City Manager as soon as possible. d) If late correspondence is received, the City Council will determine at the meeting whether to continue or refer the item to the appropriate commission if significant changes to a project, or significant new information has become known. e) Except for records exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act or otherwise law, agendas or any other writings distributed to all or a majority of the members of a legislative body for discussion or consideration at a public meeting are disclosable to the public upon request.
7.5 Posting of Notice and Agenda. For every regular, special, or study session meeting, the City Clerk or other authorized person shall post a notice of the meeting, specifying the time and place at which the meeting will be held, and an agenda containing a brief description of all items of business to be discussed at the meeting. This notice and agenda may be combined in a single document. Posting is to be in accordance with state law.
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7.6 Distribution of Agenda. The agenda for the following meeting shall be prepared and distributed by the City Clerk in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. The distribution shall be to each Council Member and shall be made available to the public at the City Clerk’s office and the City’s website. The City Clerk shall post the agenda at least 72 hours in advance for a regular meeting, and at least 24 hours in advance of a special meeting, in a location freely accessible to the public, indicating the time and place of the meeting.
7.7 Request to Move an Agenda Item. Council Members may request that one (1) item be moved to a different agenda if they are absent from a particular meeting, and only where the item is not time sensitive.
7.8 Description of Matters. All items of business to be discussed at a meeting of the City Council shall be briefly described on the agenda. The description should set forth the proposed action to be considered so that members of the public will know the nature of the action under review and consideration.
7.9 Availability to the Public. The agenda for any regular, special, or study session meeting shall be made available to the public as required by law.
Where state law requires that the City provide a means by which the public may remotely hear and visually observe the meeting, the agenda shall include a description of how members of the public may, in addition to attending in person, access the meeting and offer public comment.
7.10 Order of Agenda. So far as practical, the business meetings of the Council shall include all the following items.
7.10.1 Regular Meetings.
1) Call to Order and Roll Call
2) Pledge of Allegiance
3) Moment of Silence
4) Approval of Agenda
5) Public Comment
6) Recognition, Announcements, or Presentations
7) Committee/Commission Reports
8) Consent Calendar
9) Policy and Action Items
10) Discussion Items
11) City Manager Update
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12) Future Agenda Items
13) City Council Comments
14) City Attorney Comments
15) City Manager Comments
16) Adjournment
7.10.2 Adjourned, Special or Other Council Meetings.
1) Roll Call
2) Agenda items in the order listed
3) Agenda items continued from regular meeting
4) Special items not on the agenda which the Council determines to call within the categories listed in the Ralph M. Brown Act
5) Adjournment
7.10.3 Public Hearings. All matters set for public hearing shall be heard or continued with the hearing open at the date and time set regardless of any business thean before the Council.
7.11 Changes to the Order of the Agenda. Changes to the order of the agenda may occur under “Approval of the Agenda.” The Mayor, Council Members, and/or City staff may request a change to the order of the agenda items. The Mmayor will ask if there are any changes to the order of the agenda. Any changes requested will be made in the form of a motion and a vote will be taken.
If there are no requests for changes, the agenda will be taken in the prescribed order.
7.12 Removal of Items from Consent Calendar. A Council Member may remove an item from the Consent Calendar. At the Mayor’s discretion, items removed from the Consent Calendar may be considered immediately after approval of the balance of the Consent Calendar or elsewhere in the agenda. Council Members shall be given the opportunity to ask a clarifying question about a consent item or make a brief comment about an item without having to remove the item from the Consent Calendar.
7.13 Suspension of Order of Agenda. The regular order of business may be suspended at any time with the consent of a majority of the members of the Council to consider any matter agendized for Council consideration.
7.14 Limitation to Act Only on Items on the Agenda. No action shall be taken by the City Council on any item not on the posted agenda, subject only to the emergency or urgent exceptions permitted by state law and set forth herein.
7.15 Referral to Staff. The Mmayor may refer any item raised during Public Comment that is not listed on the posted agenda to staff for follow-up.
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SECTION 8. PROCEDURES FOR THE CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS
8.1 Council Member Preparation for Meetings.
8.1.1 Prior Review of Agenda Materials. Prior to attending Council and committee meetings, study sessions and/or workshops, Council Members shall read or otherwise familiarize themselves with each agenda and support documentation for the items therein.
8.1.2 Seek Prior Clarification of Agenda Materials. In respect for everyone’s time and to help ensure that individual Council Members may be equipped to make informed decisions and move meetings forward in a meaningful way, it is incumbent upon each Council Member to promptly seek answers to questions they may have about the posted agenda items and agenda-package materials for the immediately pending meeting.
8.1.3 Advise City Manager of Questions. Council Members should advise the City Manager in advance of issues or questions they intend to bring up at a public meeting. This refers to issues and questions that City staff would not normally anticipate or have researched for that particular meeting.
8.1.4 Report on Possible Absences. Each Council Member shall report immediately to the Mayor and City Clerk any likelihood of absence to ensure the most effective facilitation of City Council meetings. To the extent that any Council Members are absent or going to be absent for two (2) or more consecutive regular council meetings, that Council Member should seek the consent of the City Council to excuse such absence either prior to the absence, or immediately upon return, which consent shall require majority vote of the quorum.
8.2 Parliamentary Rules of Order. The City Council adopts no specific rules of order except those listed herein. The City Council shall refer to Rosenberg’s Rules of Order contained in the Appendices, as a guide for conducting meetings, with the modifications below. The mayorMayor has the discretion to impose reasonable rules at any meeting based upon facts and circumstances found at any meeting. These latter rules will be followed unless objected to by a majority of the Council Members present.
a) The mayorMayor may make motions and may make second motions. b) Although permitted, a motion is not required prior to a general discussion on an agenda item. A pre-motion discussion allows the members to share their thoughts on the agendized item so that a motion can more easily be made that considers what appears to be the majority position.
c) All motions, except nominations, require a second.
d) A motion may be amended at the request of the maker and the consent of the person who seconded the motion. Such a procedure is often used to accommodate concerns expressed by other members.
e) A motion to amend may still be used.
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8.3 Public Hearing Procedures. All land use public hearing items shall follow the following procedures:
a) The Presiding OfficerMayor shall introduce the item. b) Staff presentation and/or report followed by clarifying questions from the Council. c) The Presiding OfficerMayor shall open the public hearing. d) The applicant and/or appellant have the opportunity to present his/her comments, testimony, or arguments. Each applicant or appellant will be allotted ten (10) minutes to present his/her case unless additional time is granted by a majority vote of the Council. e) The Council shall take public comments, subject to a three (3) minute time limit or as established by the Presiding Officer.
f) The applicant and/or appellant will have the opportunity to present his/her rebuttal comments, testimony, or arguments. Each applicant or appellant will be allotted five (5) minutes to present his/her rebuttal case unless additional time is granted by a majority vote of the Council. If the applicant and appellant are different persons, the applicant and appellant should each be given equal time to present his/her views. g) The Presiding Officer shall close the public hearing. h) Council discussion, consideration, and decision.
8.4 Appeal Procedures. Appellants shall be given the opportunity to speak first. Appellants and applicants responding to appeals may be given a total of up to ten (10) minutes each to present their positions to the City Council prior to hearing public comments. Appellants shall be given up to five (5) minutes of rebuttal time after public comments are heard.
8.5 Staff and Consultant Reports. The council is expected to have read all materials contained in the agenda packet prior to the meeting. Therefore, staff and consultants will endeavor to limit their reports and presentations to a maximum of ten (10) minutes, except for special circumstances. In such cases staff should inform the Council of the need for additional time. At the conclusion of the report/presentation the Council shall be given an opportunity to ask questions of staff prior to hearing public comments
8.6 Public Comment. Persons present at the City Council meetings, either (in person or via teleconference, may comment on individual agenda items and items on the consent calendar agenda. During regular City Council meetings, public comments may be offered on non-agendized items, if the comments fall within the City Council’s subject matter jurisdiction. The following time limits and rules will be strictly enforced by the City Council and/or City staff as set out herein, in order to ensure equal opportunity and equal treatment of all speakers:
8.6.1 Time Limits.
a) Unless otherwise set forth in this manual, any public comment speaker on any item/segment either on an agenda or a public comment on an item not on the agenda, shall be limited to three (3) minutes of public comment time. The City Clerk shall be responsible for managing the time limits for all speakers. At the Item 8.6
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expiration of three (3) minutes, a buzzer shall indicate the end of the period. The mayorMayor shall then inform the speaker that they have fifteen (15) seconds to wrap up their comment. If the Mayor does not do so, any other member of the City Council and/or City staff present may also make this reminder. The mayorMayor has the right to ask a member of the public to step down if over the allotted time or if comments are not germane.
b) If a public comment is interrupted by a member of the City Council, City staff, or member of the audience, the City Clerk shall pause the timer in order to ensure the member of the public is entitled to their allotted time without interruption. c) On closed session items, all public comment speakers shall have only three (3) minutes to speak on all items, regardless of the number of items on the closed session agenda. For example, if a closed session agenda includes four (4) items, a public comment speaker may address all four (4) items, however, the speaker may only speak once for up to three (3) minutes. During their lone three (3) minute comment, they can speak only on closed session items.
d) To ensure the orderly conduct of business, the Mayor may reduce the allotted public comment time based on the number of speakers and length or complexity of the agenda.
8.6.2 Speaking Protocols.
a) In order to facilitate an orderly meeting, anyone wishing to address the City Council will be asked to fill out a speaker’s card, indicating their name, address, and agenda item number/topic. A separate card is requested for each item. The cards shall be turned into the City Clerk before the item is heard by the City Council. Speaker cards must be submitted to the City Clerk no later than the conclusion of staff’s presentation on the agenda item.
a)b)Members of the public participating via teleconferencing platform must indicate their intent to speak by “raising their hand” in the platform no later than the conclusion of staff’s presentation (except at the discretion of the Mayor); or as the announcement is made for the Public Comment section of the agenda. b)c)A member of the audience must come forward to the lectern so that their remarks may be accurately recorded. Upon addressing the Council, each speaker is requested, but not required, to first state his or her name, whom they represent and/or city of residence.
c)d)All speaker remarks shall be addressed to the Mayor, except that answers to questions posed by a City Council Member recognized by the Mayor may be addressed to the questioner. No person other than a member of the City Council and the person having the floor shall enter any discussion, either directly or through a Council Member, without the permission of the Mayor. d)e)Speaker comments must be pertinent to the agenda item under discussion.
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e)f) A member of the public may not ask a question of a Council Member or staff member, except through the mayorMayor.
f)g) Speakers are urged to avoid unnecessary repetition in their remarks and instead simply indicate agreement with previous speakers.
h) Speakers will be muted at the expiration of their timer. g)i) If a meeting is willfully interrupted by any speaker to render the orderly conduct of the meeting unfeasible, the Presiding Officer shall invoke the Rules of Meeting Decorum set forth herein.
8.6.3 Public Use of Visual Aids at Council Meetings.
a) Members of the public who desire to provide information to the City Council shall provide hard copies of their materials and present the copies to Council during their presentations.
b) Members of the public shall not be permitted to connect equipment, devices, or storage media directly to the City’s computer system during a live Council meeting. c) Members of the public shall not be permitted to access the internet from the City’s computer equipment.
d) Nothing in this Policy is intended to warrant or otherwise guarantee that visual aids will successfully display at a City Council meeting.
8.6.4 Limitations on Supplementary Comments. A speaker may not receive time from another speaker or additional time from the City Council. In addition, no Council Member may call on a member of the public to provide additional comments once the communication ends. Once a public comment speaker ends the communication, the speaker may not return to speaking on that specific item/segment. A public comment speaker may only speak once on any item/segment of the meeting; on a discussion item; presentation; public hearing; an appeal; an informational item; and/or an item pulled from consent. For instance, they may only speak once on a specific discussion item. However, while a speaker may be able to speak only once on Discussion Item “A”, they may also speak on Public Hearing “B” or in the general public comment period.
8.6.5 Limitations on Virtual Public Comments.
a) Unless required by law during a specific meeting, the City of Mountain House does not permit Ppublic comments during a City Council meeting provided via two-way telephonic service or a two-way audiovisual platform, are subject to the rules stated above. .
b) The City shall continue to accept “other forms of public comment” in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and procedures of decorum as established by the City Council. “Other forms of public comment” shall include the submission of written comments to the City Clerk in advance of public meeting.
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c) The use of video/teleconferencing for receiving or making presentations, or otherwise conducting City business, is permitted as deemed necessary and appropriate by the City Manager.
8.7 Rules of Discussion and Debate.
8.7.1 Procedure. While discussing any question under consideration by the Council, it shall be the duty of the members thereof to remain seated and address their remarks to the Presiding Officer and their fellow Council Members. Any remarks or orders to the audience shall be addressed by the Presiding Officer, or with his/her permission, by members of the Council.
8.7.2 Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer shall have the authority to prevent the misuse of the legitimate form of motions, the abuse of the privilege of renewing certain motions, or the obstruction of City Council business. The Presiding Officer may preserve orderly business by ruling such motions out of order. In so ruling, the Presiding Officer shall be courteous and fair and shall presume that the moving party is making the motion in good faith. The Presiding Officer may move, second, debate, and vote from the chair. The Presiding Officer may also adjourn a meeting by making a simple declaration thereof in the absence of a protest by any Council Member.
8.7.3 Council Members to Address Presiding Officer. Every Council Member desiring to speak shall first address the chair, gain recognition by the Presiding Officer, and confine themselves to the subject matter, item, or motion being currently considered by the Council, avoiding personalities and crude language.
8.7.4 Communication with Members of the Public Addressing the Council. a) The mayorMayor shall open the floor for public comment as appropriate. b) Members of the public shall direct their questions and comments to the Council through the Mayor.
c) Council Members may question a person addressing the Council at the conclusion of the person’s comments or upon expiration of the person’s time to speak, but only after being recognized by the mayorMayor.
d) Council Members shall not engage in debate with a member of the public at Council meetings.
e) Any staff member with an item on the agenda will be available to the City Council to answer questions arising during discussions between Council Members and among Council Members and members of the public.
8.7.5 Questions to Staff. Every Council Member desiring to ask questions of city staff shall, after recognition by the Presiding Officer, address his/her question to the City Attorney or the City Manager, who shall be entitled either to answer the inquiry themselves or designate a member of the staff for that purpose.
8.7.6 Relevancy of Discussion. All discussion must be relevant to the issue before the City Council. A Council Member is given the floor only for the purpose of discussing the Item 8.6
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pending question; discussion which departs is out of order. Council Members should avoid repetition and strive to move the discussion along. Arguments, for or against a measure, should be stated as concisely as possible.
8.7.8 Interruptions. A Council Member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless: 1) called to order by the Presiding Officer, 2) a point of order or point of privilege is raised by another Council Member, 3) the speaker chooses to yield to a question by another Council Member, or 4) for such other reasons as set forth in Rosenberg’s Rules of Order or this Manual, including, but not limited to, a Council Member’s right to call the question in order to terminate debate. If a Council Member while speaking is called to order, he/she shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined; and if interpreted to be in order, may proceed. Members of the City staff, after recognition by the Presiding Officer, shall hold the floor until the completion of their remarks or until recognition is withdrawn by the Presiding Officer.
8.7.9 Point of Order. When a Council Member believes a breach of the Council’s parliamentary procedural rules is occurring, he/she may raise a Point of Order to call upon the Presiding Officer to make a determination and enforce the rules of the Council. The Point of Order shall be ruled upon by the Presiding Officer, subject to the right of any Council Member to appeal the ruling to the City Council through a valid motion. If a motion to appeal the ruling is seconded, the question shall be, “Shall the decision of the Presiding Officer be sustained?” A majority vote shall conclusively determine the question of order. The motion is debatable, and the Presiding Officer may participate in the debate.
8.7.10 Point of Privilege. Any Council Member can raise a Point of General or Personal Privilege. a) Point of General Privilege. Appropriate points of general privilege relate to anything that would interfere with the normal comfort of the meeting, such as the temperature of the room or a malfunctioning microphone. If raised, the Presiding Officer would then ask the interrupter to “state your point.” b) Point of Personal Privilege. The right of a Council Member to address the 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 welfare of the Council is concerned. A Council Member raising a point of personal privilege may interrupt another Council Member who has the floor only if the Presiding Officer recognizes the privilege.
8.7.11 Move or Call the Question. Any Council Member may move to immediately bring the motion/question being debated to a vote, suspending any further debate. Such motion shall not be made in a manner that prevents a Council Member from voicing an opinion or providing brief, concise, and relevant information with respect to the item being considered. To close off debate pursuant to a motion to move or call the question, said motion must be seconded and passed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting. The motion is not debatable. If the motion to move or call the question passes, a vote on the motion/question on the floor is taken. If the motion to move or call the question fails, discussion on the motion/question on the floor continues.
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8.7.12 Motion to Reconsider. A motion to reconsider may be made only by a member who voted in the majority on the original motion. Such a motion may only be made at the same meeting as the original item, and then only to correct inadvertent errors or to consider new information not available at the time of the vote. If the motion to reconsider passes, then the original matter is back before the Council, and the matter may be discussed and debated as if it were on the floor for the first time. After the reconsideration of the item has been acted upon, no other motion for reconsideration thereof will be made without the unanimous consent of the Council Members present. Matters that are quasi-judicial in nature or matters that require a noticed public hearing cannot be reconsidered.
8.7.13 Failed Motions. Failed motions shall not be brought up at a subsequent meeting unless the Council suspends the rules as provided for in these rules. However, the effect of such action will not adversely affect individual rights that may have been vested in the interim without notice and an opportunity to be heard having been given to the affected party or parties.
8.7.14 Remarks of Council Members and Synopsis of Debate. A Council Member may request through the Presiding Officer the privilege of having an abstract of his/her statements on any subject under consideration by the Council entered into the minutes. If the Council consents thereto, such statements shall be entered into the minutes.
8.7.15 Suspension of the Rules. Any of the rules related to parliamentary procedures in these Policies and Procedures (to the extent not governed by state law, such as Government Code section 36936, the provisions of the Political Reform Act, or the Fair Political Practices Commission regulations, may be suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.
Such suspension may be moved at any time by a Council Member.
8.7.16 Protest Against Council Action. Any Council Member dissenting from or stating his/her protest against any action of the Council may request to have such dissent or protest entered into the minutes. Such dissent or protest to be entered into the minutes shall be in the following manner: “I would like the minutes to show that I am opposed to this action for the following reasons . . .”
8.7.17 Seconding of Motions Required. A motion by any Council Member, including the Presiding Officer, may not be considered by the Council without receiving a second.
8.7.18 Rules of Voting.
a) Vote Unless Disqualified. All Council Members present at the meeting should vote either for or against the question unless he/she is disqualified from voting because of a conflict of interest and abstain because of such disqualification. A Council Member stating disqualification will not be counted as a part of a quorum and will be considered absent for the purpose of determining the outcome of a vote on the matter. Any Council Member who abstains for reasons other than disqualification, in effect consents that a majority of the quorum may decide the question being voted upon. Any Council Member so abstaining will be counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum. Such an abstention will be counted 1) as neither an affirmative nor a dissenting vote and 2) as if it did not exist. The “present and voting” rule as described in Rosenberg’s Rules of Order applies.
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b) Silence During the Vote. Unless a Council Member states that he/she is abstaining, silence shall be recorded as an affirmative vote.
c) Call for the Vote. The Presiding Officer or the City Clerk shall call for the vote, which, at the Presiding Officer’s discretion, shall be taken by either voice affirmation or roll call unless a recorded (roll call) vote is required by law.
According to Government Code section 36936, a recorded majority vote of the total membership of the City Council is required for resolutions, orders for the payment of money, and all ordinances. In addition, some types of resolutions and ordinances may require a supermajority vote. Absent other specific state law requirements, a motion carries with a majority vote of a quorum of the City Council.
d) Tie Votes. Tie votes are failed motions but may be reconsidered at a subsequent meeting upon a motion passed by the Council to reconsider the item at a future meeting. If the matter involves an appeal and an affirmative vote does not occur, the result is that the decision appealed stands as decided by the decision-making person or body from which the appeal was taken.
e) Changing a Vote. A Council Member may change his/her vote only if he/she makes a timely request to do so immediately following the announcement of the vote by the City Clerk and prior to the time that the next item in the order of business is taken up. Prior to the time that the next item in the order of business is taken up, a Council Member who publicly announced that he/she will abstain from voting on a particular matter shall not subsequently be allowed to withdraw his/her abstention.
8.7.19 After Council Vote. Once a majority of the Council has approved of a motion, no further discussion shall be made unless the item is brought up for reconsideration as described herein.
8.7.20 Individual Council Member Adherence to Council Decisions. Council Members shall abide by the majority decision of the Council, even if in the minority. Council Members appointed to serve on regional boards and committees shall represent the Council’s position on an item, even if the Council Member disagrees with that position.
8.7.21 Rules Not Exclusive. The rules set forth in this Section are not exclusive and do not limit the inherent powers and general legal authority of the Council, or of its Presiding Officer, to govern the conduct of City Council meetings as may be considered appropriate from time to time or in particular circumstances for purposes of orderly and effective conduct of the City.
8.8 Consent Calendar. Items on this portion of the agenda include matters considered to be of a routine, administrative, or non-controversial nature, such as approval of the minutes for a prior meeting(s), approval of the register of demands, and second readings of ordinances. Any discussion shall be limited in nature, and those items listed shall be approved and adopted by one motion of the Council and a roll call vote.
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8.8.1 Clarification or Comment. Council Members may comment on Consent Calendar items or ask for minor clarifications without the need to pull the item for separate consideration.
To do so, Council Members must gain the Presiding Officer’s recognition immediately after the cConsent cCalendar is announced and before a vote is invited.
8.8.2 Pulling Consent Calendar Items. Only those items that require detailed deliberation should be pulled for separate consideration by Council Members. This must be done by making a request immediately after the cConsent cCalendar is announced by the Presiding Officer.
8.8.3 “No” Vote Without Pulling Item. It is acceptable to register a “no” vote on an item on the Consent Calendar without pulling the item for separate consideration. The Council Member would state that he/she wishes to vote “no” on the item before the Presiding Officer or City Clerk calls for the vote. After the vote, the City Clerk will announce the outcome as: “Motion carries unanimously with the exception of Council Member A voting ‘no’ on item x.
8.9 Closed Sessions
8.9.1 Purpose. It is the policy of the City Council to conduct its business in public to the greatest extent possible. However, state law recognizes that, in certain circumstances, public discussion could potentially jeopardize the public interest, compromise the City’s position, and could cost the taxpayers of Mountain House financially. Therefore, closed sessions shall be held from time to time as allowed by law. The procedures for the conduct of these meetings shall be the same as for public meetings, except that the public will be excluded from the closed session portion of the meeting.
8.9.2 Convening a Closed Session. Prior to convening the closed session portion of the meeting, the Mayor or City Clerk shall publicly announce the closed session items and ask for public input regarding any items on the closed session agenda. City Council Members shall keep all written materials and verbal information provided to them in closed sessions in complete confidence to ensure that the City’s position is not compromised. No mention of information in these materials shall be made to anyone other than Council Members, the City Attorney or City Manager, except where authorized by a majority of the City Council.
8.9.3 Rule of Confidentiality. The City Council recognizes that breaches in confidentiality can severely prejudice the City’s position in litigation, labor relations and real estate negotiations. Further, breaches of confidentiality can create a climate of distrust among Council Members and can harm the Council’s ability to communicate openly in closed sessions, thereby impairing the Council’s ability to perform its official duties. The City Council further recognizes that confidentiality of discussions and documents are at the core of a closed session. Confidentiality is essential if the closed session is to serve its purpose. Therefore, the City Council will adhere to a strict policy of confidentiality for closed sessions.
8.9.4 Breach of Rule of Confidentiality. No person who attends a closed session may disclose any statements, discussions, or documents used in a closed session except where specifically authorized by state law. Any authorized disclosure shall be in strict compliance Item 8.6
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with these rules and state law. Violation of this rule shall be considered a breach of this rule of confidentiality.
8.9.5 Meeting Protocols.
a) The mayorMayor will call the closed session to order promptly at its scheduled time. b) The mayorMayor will keep discussion focused on the permissible topics. c) The use of handouts and visual aids such as charts is encouraged to focus debate and promote understanding of the topic. All such materials are strictly confidential and will be returned to staff at the completion of the closed session. d) If the City Council in closed session has provided direction to City staff on proposed terms and conditions for any type of negotiations, whether it be related to property acquisitions or disposal, a proposed or pending claim or litigation, or labor negotiations, all contact with the other party will be through the designated City person(s) representing the City in the handling of the matter. A Council Member, not so designated by the Council, will not under any circumstances have any contact or discussion with the other party or its representative concerning the matter, which was discussed in the closed session, and will not communicate any discussions conducted in closed session to such party.
8.9.6 Public Disclosure After Final Action. State law requires that, as a body, the City Council make certain public disclosure of closed session decisions when those actions have become final. Accordingly, the Mayor or the City Attorney shall publicly report any final action taken in closed session, and the vote, including abstentions, as directed by state law. The report may be oral or written. The report will state any reportable action taken by the Council and how each Council Member votes, if applicable. All other closed session discussions will remain confidential. Unless authorized by the majority of the City Council and if permitted under applicable law, the report will not state the debate or discussion that occurred.
8.10 Council/Staff Comments and Direction on Future Agenda Items. Council and staff comments at the end of Council meetings shall be limited to announcing Council, outside organizations activities on which Council Members serve, City and City-sponsored activities, and requests to add items to a future agenda. Community groups may announce their activities during Public Comments at the beginning of Council meetings.
8.11 Conflict of Interest. If a Council Member becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest that would prevent the Council Member from participating in a discussion or voting on an agenda item before the City Council, the Council Member should discuss it with the City Attorney prior to the agenda item being heard by the City Council. If the Council Member decides to request an opinion from the California Fair Political Practices Commission (“FPPC”), the Council Member shall disclose at the next scheduled Council Meeting that such a request has been made. If the Council Member is still waiting for the FPPC opinion at the time the agenda item will be heard by the City Council, the Council Member may abstain from participating until the FPPC opinion is received. Upon receiving the FPPC opinion, the Council Member shall share the opinion with the City Council and the public at the next scheduled Council meeting.
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8.12 Use of Electronic Devices during Council Meetings. The City Council permits and promotes the utilization of technology to ensure efficient and effective conduct of the people’s business, in accordance with applicable open meetings and records laws, due process rights of interested parties, other applicable law and City policies and the rules specified herein. a) Council Members’ use of electronic communications and data devices (including, but not limited to, laptop computers, cell phones, tablet computers, pagers, wearable technology, and similar devices), at a meeting during which the Council Member is subject to the provisions of state law shall be limited to personal use (note taking, etc.) and to access documents only available to the member (e.g., personal files stored on the cloud) or documents available to the public (e.g. documents on the City’s website, websites available to the public, etc.).
b) At a meeting during which a Council Member is subject to the provisions of state law, the Council Member may not use electronic devices to read electronic communications from, or send electronic communications to, members of the public, other Council Members, and parties to City proceedings.
8.13 Rules of Meeting Decorum. Meetings of the City Council shall be conducted in an orderly manner to ensure that the public has a full opportunity to be heard and that the deliberative process of the Council is always preserved. The City Council values and recognizes the importance of the trust invested in them by the public to accomplish the business of the city. The Presiding OfficerMayor shall be responsible for maintaining the order and decorum of meetings while any meeting of the City Council is in session, observing the following rules of order and decorum.
8.13.1 Members of the City Council:
a) Shall accord the utmost courtesy to each other, staff, and the public appearing before the City Council. When speaking, a Council Member’s tone should remain neutral and non-verbal communication aspects should be considerate and polite. b) Shall confine their remarks to the agenda item under consideration and speak only when recognized by the mayorMayor, except as otherwise provided in these rules. c) Shall neither by conversation or otherwise 1) delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the Council, 2) disturb or disrupt any Council Member or member of the public while speaking, or 3) refuse to obey the orders of the Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer and Council shall address disruptions in a consistent, transparent, and viewpoint-neutral manner.
d) During discussion it is never permissible to attack the motives, character, or personality of a member either directly or by innuendo or implication. It is the duty of the Presiding Officer to instantly rule out of order any Council Member who engages in personal attacks. It is the motion, not its proposer, that is subject to debate. It is the responsibility of each Council Member to maintain an open mind on all issues during discussion and deliberation.
e) To preserve the orderly, effective, and efficient conduct of the meetings and the peace of the Council, Council Members shall not audio record, video record, live Item 8.6
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stream, or broadcast during any City Council meeting or position thereof, including recesses and adjournments, from a position located on or behind 1) the dais, or 2) any table serving as the dais.
f) Shall not leave their seats during a meeting without first obtaining the permission of the Presiding Officer.
8.13.2 Members of City Staff. Members of the City staff shall observe the same rules of order and decorum applicable to the City Council. City staff shall always act in a business and professional manner towards Council Members and members of the public.
8.13.3 Members of the Public Addressing the City Council. a) The right of members of the public to address the City Council includes their right to criticize the policies, procedures, programs, or services of the City, or of the acts or omissions of the City Council and members of the City Council. However, while the City Council meeting is in session, and while exercising these rights, all persons must preserve order and decorum as set forth in these rules. b) A person who addresses the City Council may not engage in speech or conduct which willfully disrupts and disturbs the peace and orderly conduct of the meeting including, but not limited to, the following actions or behavior:
1. Making loud and unreasonable noise, which is irrelevant or repetitive;
2. Addressing the City Council without first being recognized;
3. Persisting in addressing a subject or subjects other than that or those before the City Council; repetitiously addressing the same subject;
4. Continuing to speak after the allotted time has expired;
5. Failing to relinquish the podium when directed to do so;
6. Failing to sit down when directed to do so;
7. Interrupting or attempting to interrupt members of the City Council or City staff.
8.13.4 Members of the Audience. No person in the audience at a Council meeting, whether in the Council Chambers or lobby, shall engage in disorderly or boisterous conduct that disturbs, disrupts, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of any Council meeting, including but not limited to:
a) Interrupting or attempting to interrupt a speaker, members of the City Council, or City staff;
b) Utterance of loud, threatening, violent, or abusive language; c) Shouting or attempting to shout over a speaker, members of the Council, or members of City staff;
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d) Displaying such as excessive clapping, stamping, loud talking, hissing, booing, whistling; or stamping of feet.
8.13.5 Other Prohibited Activities During Council Meetings. a) All cellular phones and other consumer electronic devices shall be muted while in the Council Chambers.
b) Council Members and members of the public are prohibited from using non-Cityprovided microphones or other amplifying instruments (loudspeakers, megaphones, sound/voice amplifiers) during meetings, recess, or adjournments.
Moreover, absent permission from the Presiding Officer, no Council Member shall use or attempt to use a City-provided microphone behind the dais other than the one specifically reserved for his/her assigned seat.
c) No person shall distribute flyers, leaflets, placards or other literature or circulate any petition within the Council Chambers other than City staff pertaining to City business. Such other literature may be displayed or distributed outside the Council Chambers area.
d) All cellular phones and other consumer electronic devices shall be muted while in the Council Chambers.
e) The consumption of controlled substances prohibited under federal law, tobacco, and alcohol is prohibited in the Council Chambers.
8.134.6 Enforcement of Rules of Decorum. If any person conducts themselves in the aforementioned manner, the Presiding OfficerMayor or a majority of the Council may enforce the rules of decorum as authorized by Government Code section 54957.9, in a consistent, transparent, and viewpoint-neutral manner as set forth below. a) Warning; Removal.. The Presiding OfficerMayor shall request that a person who is breaching the rules of decorum be orderly and silent. If, after receiving a warning from the Presiding OfficerMayor, a person persists in disrupting the meeting, the Presiding OfficerMayor shall order such person to leave the Council meeting. If such a person does not remove himself or herselfobey the order, the Presiding OfficerMayor may order any law enforcement officer who is on duty at the meeting as sergeant-at-arms of the Council to remove that person from the Council ChambersChambers or order the City Clerk to mute or remove that person from the teleconferencing platform..
b) Procedures for Removal.
1. Participating in Person: Any law enforcement officer who is serving as sergeant-at-arms of the Council shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the Presiding OfficerMayor for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Council meeting. Upon instruction of the Presiding OfficerMayor, it shall be the duty of the sergeant-at-arms to remove from Item 8.6
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the Council meeting any person who is disrupting the proceedings of the Council.
b)2.Participating via Teleconference: The City Clerk will mute speakers violating rules and await further direction from the Mayor. c) Motion to Enforce. If the Presiding OfficerMayor fails to enforce the rules set forth above, any member of the Council may move to require him or her to do so, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the Council shall require him or her to do so. If the Presiding OfficerMayor of the Council fails to carry out the will of a majority of the Council, the majority may designate another member of the Council to act as Presiding Officer for the limited purpose of enforcing any rule of this section it wishes to enforce.
d) Adjournment or Recess. If a meeting of the Council is disturbed or disrupted in such a manner as to make infeasible or improbable the restoration of order, the meeting may be temporarily recessed, adjourned, or continued by the Presiding Officer or a majority of the Council, and any remaining Council business may be considered after the recess or at the adjourned or next meeting.
8.134.7 Crowd Control in Council Chambers. If the City Manager, or designee, anticipates in advance a crowd larger than the maximum number of attendees allowed in the Council Chambers, he or she shall provide for appropriate crowd control.
SECTION 9. CITY COUNCIL RELATIONSHIP AND CONDUCT WITH STAFF.
9.1 Relationship and Conduct with the City Manager.
9.1.1 Council-Manager Form of Government. The city has adopted a Council-Manager form of government. This structure reflects the City Council’s role in establishing City policy and priorities. The City Council appoints the City Manager to act as the Chief Administrative Officer of the City. The City Manager’s specific duties are spelled out in the Mountain House Municipal Code, the City Manager position description, and in an employment contract. The City Manager implements Council policy, enforces laws, directs the daily operations of city government, and prepares and monitors the municipal budget. The City Manager is responsible to the City Council as a body rather than to individual Council Members.
9.1.2 The City Council and City Manager Work as a Team. The City Council establishes policies for the overall operation of the City. The City Manager has been appointed by the City Council to enforce its laws, to direct the daily operations of City government, to prepare and monitor the municipal budget, and to implement the policies and programs initiated by the City Council. The City Manager is responsible to the City Council rather than to individual Council Members and directs and coordinates the various departments.
9.1.3 Communication. Regular communication between the Council and City Manager is important in maintaining an effective working relationship. It is important that the City Manager keep the Council informed. The City Manager respects and is sensitive to the Item 8.6
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political responsibility of the Council and acknowledges that the final responsibility for establishing the policy direction of the City is held by the Council. The City Manager encourages regular one-on-one meetings with Council Members to provide information on various City issues.
9.1.4 Noninterference with City Manager’s Administrative Role. The City Manager’s administrative role is distinct and separate from the City Council’s role. Neither the Mayor nor any Council Member shall interfere in the execution of the City Manager’s powers and duties. Except for purposes of inquiry, the Mayor and Council Members shall deal with the administrative services of the City solely through the City Manager. The City Manager shall take his orders and instructions from the City Council only when sitting in a duly convened meeting of the City Council, and no individual Council Member shall give any orders or instructions to the City Manager.
9.1.5 Requirements for a Productive Relationship. The employment relationship between the City Council and the City Manager honors the fact that the City Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of the City. To facilitate a productive work relationship with the City Manager, consistent with the policy and administration roles of each, the City Council and/or individual members shall do each of the following:
a) The Council as a whole and individual Council Members shall make requests for work to be done through the City Manager. Individual members of the Council shall make no attempt to pressure or influence staff decisions, recommendations, workloads, schedules, or departmental priorities.
b) Direct the City Manager to implement the Council’s policy decisions through the administrative functions of the City.
c) Treat City staff professionally, and refrain from publicly criticizing, embarrassing, or belittling individual employees. Personnel issues are managed through established channels and procedures.
d) Avoid involvement in personnel issues related to City Council-appointed staff, i.e., the City Manager and City Attorney, except during City Council closed sessions, when issues of hiring, firing, promoting, disciplining, etc., may be addressed appropriately.
e) Discuss directly and only with the City Manager regarding any displeasure with a department or staff member.
f) Refer to complaints to the City Manager regarding further processing. Staff shall be given adequate time to investigate and respond to such complaints. g) Receive from the City Manager or designee timely information regarding unusual events that the public would be concerned about, e.g., anyone wounded by gunfire, an area cordoned off by police or fire, a significant event, etc.
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h) Include the City Manager in follow-up meetings where a Council Member has first met with an individual or company representative regarding the official business of the city.
i) Request answers to questions on City Council agenda items from the City Manager, City Attorney, or department heads prior to the meeting whenever possible. j) Understand that all written informational material requested to be prepared for individual Council Members shall be submitted to all Council Members. k) Avoid communicating with persons or parties in litigation with the City [or any of the entities for which the City Council sits ex-officio as the governing board] in a manner that compromises the City’s or other entity’s position in such litigation.
9.2 Relationship and Conduct with the City Attorney.
9.2.1 Legal Advisor to the City. The City Council appoints the City Attorney to serve as the legal advisor for the Council, City Manager, and City staff. The City Attorney’s specific duties are spelled out in the Mountain House Municipal Code, the City Attorney position description, and in an employment contract. The general legal responsibilities of the City Attorney are to 1) provide legal assistance necessary for formulation and implementation of legislative policies and projects; 2) represent the City’s interests, as determined by the City Council, in litigation, administrative hearings, negotiations, and similar proceedings; 3) prepare ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and other legal documents; and 4) to keep City Council and staff apprised of court rulings and legislation affecting the legal interest of the City.
9.2.2 Requests for Information. Since the City Attorney is responsible directly to the Council, Council Members may contact the City Attorney directly to ask questions or to request information. A Council Member shall not direct the City Attorney to initiate any action, change a course of action, or prepare any report that is significant in nature without the approval of a majority of Council and notice to the City Manager.
9.2.3 Does Not Represent Individual Council Members or Staff. It is very important to note that the City Attorney does not represent individual members of the Council, but the city and the City Council as a whole.
9.3 Relationship and Conduct with Staff
9.3.1 General Considerations. Governance of a city relies on the cooperative efforts of elected officials, who set policy and priorities, and City staff, who analyze problems and issues, make recommendations, implement and administer the City Council’s policies. The City Council recognizes the primary functions of staff are to execute Council policy and actions and keeping the Council informed. To ensure the proper functioning of these cooperative efforts, Council Members must avoid intrusion into those areas that are the responsibility of staff. This is necessary to protect staff from undue influence and pressure from individual Council Members and to allow staff to execute priorities given by management and the Council as a whole.
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9.3.2 Staff Cooperation. Individual Council Members, as well as the Council as whole, shall receive full cooperation and candor of staff when requesting information. Requests of the City Attorney‘s office are to be submitted directly to the City Attorney. All other requests for staff are to be submitted through the City Manager’s office as set forth herein.
9.3.3 Council Conduct with Staff. Only a majority of the City Council in an open meeting, as a matter of policy, may influence the actions, decisions, recommendations, workloads, work schedule, and priorities of staff through the City Manager. Individual City Council Members shall not direct, command the services of, or assign work to any subordinates of the City Manager, either publicly or privately, nor intervene in staff decision-making, development of staff recommendations, scheduling of work, and executing department priorities. Staff are directed to reject any attempt by individual members of the Council to unduly direct or otherwise pressure them into making, changing, or influencing recommendations, or making business decisions in any manner.
9.4 Requests for Research or Information.
9.4.1 General Considerations. Council Members should inform the City Manager prior to communicating in an official capacity with any employee below the senior management level. A Council Member may request directly from department heads answers to routine questions or information on a given topic when it will require little or no research and have little or no impact to City operations as defined below. Council Members shall notify or “cc” the City Manager on such requests for information from staff. City staff shall inform the City Manager of all Council contact.
9.4.2 Responses to Requests. Requests made by individual Council Members for information or assistance shall be for the sole purpose of fulfilling his/her responsibilities as delineated throughout this Policy and not for any private or personal interest. Requests will be addressed as quickly as possible by staff based on the circumstances at the time, providing that in the judgment of the City Manager (or the City Attorney, as appropriate), the request is not of a magnitude, either in terms of workload or policy, that would require more than thirty (30) minutes of time in which to respond or is of such a nature that it would be more appropriately assigned to staff through the collective direction of the City Council. If the individual Council Member request goes beyond these parameters, or in the judgment of the City Manager, is not within the scope of City policies or business, the City Manager will bring the request to the full Council for consideration. The method by which responses are delivered to Council Members shall compart with the City’s routine business practice.
9.4.3 Policy-Related Requests. All Council requests dealing with policy and such other requests that may be construed as direction shall be directed to the City Manager, except for routine general inquiries or questions that will not disrupt city operations, in which case, Council Members may approach senior management staff with their requests. Council Members may also contact the City Attorney or City Clerk. All Council requests dealing with policy and those requests which may be construed as directions shall be directed to the City Manager, except for routine, general inquiries, or questions that will not disrupt city operations, in which case the City Council may go to the department heads or the City Manager’s Office.
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9.4.4 Funding Requests. Any request from the City Council requiring funding must be addressed with the City Manager. The City Manager shall respond in a timely manner.
9.4.5 Written Requests Preferable. To assist the City Manager, requests for information are best tracked if submitted in writing, either in memorandum form or through e-mail. And to ensure proper responsiveness, Council Members are asked to copy both the department head and the City Manager in all correspondence with staff.
9.4.6 Restrictions on Release of Certain Information: There are some circumstances in which information cannot be provided to Council Members. Draft documents under review are not available for release until complete and after review by City management (e.g., staff reports in progress, administrative draft EIRs). In addition, there are legal restrictions on the City’s ability to release certain personnel information. Certain aspects of law enforcement affairs (e.g., access to restricted or confidential information) may not be available to Council Members.
9.4.7 Dissemination of Information. In cases where a staff response to an individual Council Member involves written materials that may be of interest to other Council Members, the City Manager will provide copies of the material to all other Council Members. In making this judgment, the City Manager will consider whether the information is significant, new, or otherwise not available to the Council.
9.4.8 Disclosure of Information. Council Members shall maintain the confidentiality of all written materials and verbal information provided to them that are protected under state law, including but not limited to those not subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Confidential information includes, but is not limited to, attorney-client privileged communications, attorney work product, and personnel or medical information, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Council Members may not disclose such information without prior formal authorization of the City Council, nor may they use or permit the use of confidential information to advance any personal or financial interest. Confidential information shall not be shared with anyone other than fellow Council Members, the City Attorney, or the City Manager.
All written confidential materials should be returned to the City Manager after consideration for appropriate disposition.
SECTION 10. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
The following section addresses communication of the City Council and observes the City Council’s procedures for formal and informal business-related communications and representation.
Communication from the City Council includes personal appearances, written communications, letters, email, and social media postings.
10.1 All Communications are Public Records. All letters, memoranda, e-mail communications, texts and other social media platform writing involving City Council Members and members of boards, commissions, committees, and task forces, the subject of which relate to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental function, with a few exceptions, as outlined in the California Public Records Act, are public records.
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10.2 Compliance with Ralph M. Brown Act. Each Council Member should be mindful of all the requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act in communicating with each other. A majority of the Council shall not use a series of telephone calls, a conference call, mass e-mailing or any other informal communication to discuss or decide matters before the City Council. This type of communication would be considered a “serial meeting” in violation of the law. The Council, in adopting this policy, does not waive attorney-client privilege or any other privilege associated with a closed session authorized under the Ralph M. Brown Act.
10.2.1 Contacts with Fellow Council Members. Serial meetings may occur from direct contacts with fellow members of the same legislative bodyCity Council concerning local City agency business, whether through face-to-face or telephonic conversations, notes or letters, electronic mail, or staff members, are the most obvious means by which an illegal serial meeting can occur. A member of the Council may discuss items of agency business with another member of the body outside of a meeting if the communication does not involve a quorum of the body. However, there is always the risk that one participant in the communication will disclose the views of the other participant to a third or fourth member, creating a serial meeting. Therefore, it is recommended that Council Members avoid discussing local agency business with a quorum of the body or communicating the views of other members outside a meeting.
10.2.3 Contacts with Staff. To avoid a serial meeting through a staff briefing, individual briefings of a majority of Council Mmembers of a legislative body should be “unidirectional.” This means that information should flow from staff to the member and the member's participation should be limited to asking questions and acquiring information. Council Members should not ask staff to describe the views of other members of the Council, and staff should not volunteer those views if known. Staff may present their viewpoint to the members but should not ask for the Council Member's views, and the member should avoid providing his or her views unless it is clear that the staff member is not discussing the matter with a quorum of the legislative bodyCity Council.
10.2.3 Contacts with Constituents, Bargaining Unit Representatives, Developers, and Lobbyists. A constituent, bargaining group representative, developer, or lobbyist can inadvertently become an intermediary among a majority of Council Members, creating a serial meeting. To avoid serial meetings via contact with constituents, it is recommended that Council Members:
a) Establish the ground rules - Ask if the individual has or intends to talk with other Council Members about the same subject; if so, make it clear that the constituent should not disclose the views of other members during the conversation. b) Explain to the individual that you will not make a final decision on a matter prior to the meeting, as state law prevents elected officials from giving commitments outside a publicly noticed meeting.
c) Do more listening and asking questions than expressing opinions. d) If you disclose your thoughts about a matter, counsel the constituent not to share them with other members of the City Council.
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e) For meetings with a developer regarding a potential project, a Council Member should notify the City Manager and when possible, have staff attend the meeting.
The staff’s role will be to answer any process or technical questions, but not the merits of the project. If any materials are provided by an applicant, they should be provided to the City Manager, who will forward copies to each of the other members of the City Council.
10.3 Correspondence Received.
10.3.1 Processing and Delivering of City Council Mail. The city maintains a mailbox at Town Hall for each Council Member. The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to receive and open all mail addressed to the City Council as a whole, the mayorMayor and/or individual City Council Member, and will be processed as follows. a) Said mail shall be opened and date stamped the day it was received. Letters addressed to the mayorMayor and/or individual City Council Members will be copied to the full Council. Letters received which include issues directly related to a particular department shall be copied to the City Manager and the Department Director. Mail relating to a legal issue shall also be forwarded to the City Attorney. b) Notwithstanding mail that is time sensitive needing immediate attention, all other mail that is not picked up at Town Hall will be delivered to the Council at every Council meeting.
c) All correspondence, including e-mail addressed to the City Council or to individual Council Members relating to the conduct of the City’s business, is a public record as defined in State law and will be retained by the City in accordance with its Records Retention Policy.
10.3.2 Correspondence Received on Council Non-Agenda Items. The City Manager or designee is authorized to receive and take administrative action on all correspondence directed at the City Council. The City Manager or designee may also respond to correspondence submitted to the full City Council on non-agenda items or authorize a staff member to respond. A courtesy copy is provided to each Council Member.
10.4 External Communications. The Mayor and Council Members may communicate on behalf of the city through speaking engagements, media interviews, letters, and newsletters. They may also be quoted in City issued press releases. Although the Mayor and Council Members can express individual opinions, any communication made on behalf of the City shall be aligned with Council adopted policies, programs, priorities. The Council Member should be clear about whether comments represent the City’s position or a personal viewpoint.
10.4.1 Representing the City Council’s Official Position or Policy. a) The mayorMayor is authorized to send letters on City letterhead stating the City’s official position to appropriate legislators as long as it is consistent with the City Council’s legislative policies.
Item 8.6
Mountain House Page 952 of 984 Amended November 2025
b) If a Member of the City Council appears before another governmental agency organization to give a statement on an issue affecting the City, the City Council Member should indicate the majority position and opinion of the City Council. c) Personal opinions and comments may be expressed only if the City Council Member clarifies that these statements do not reflect the official position of the City Council.
10.4.2 Speaking Engagements. When Council Members are requested to speak to groups or are asked about the City Council’s position on an issue, the response should reflect the position of the City Council as a whole. When representing the city at meetings or other venues, it is important that those in attendance gain an understanding of the City Council’s position rather than that of an individual member.
10.4.3 Written Correspondence. Members of the City Council will often be called upon to write letters to citizens, businesses or other public agencies. Typically, the Mayor will be charged with transmitting the City’s position on policy matters to outside agencies on behalf of the City Council. Individual members of the Council will often prepare letters for constituents in response to inquiries or to provide requested information. City letterheads are available for this purpose, and staff can assist in the preparation of such correspondence, subject to the following protocols.
a) City letterhead may be used by City Council Members only for official City business and/or to represent a policy action taken by the City Council, as a body.
City letterhead may not be utilized for personal or campaign purposes, or to convey a position that is not the collective position of the Council. A request for correspondence shall be submitted to the City Clerk who will prepare the correspondence and ensure it complies with City policy. All Council Member correspondence using City letterhead shall be copied to the full Council, the City Manager, the City Attorney, and the City Clerk.
b) When a Council Member wishes to transmit correspondence on an issue upon which the City Council has yet to take a position or about an issue for which the City Council has no position, members should clearly indicate in their communications that they are not speaking for the City Council as a whole, but for themselves as an individual member of the Council.
c) After the City Council has taken a position on an issue, official correspondence should reflect this position. While members who may disagree with a position are free to prepare correspondence on such issues as private citizens, City letterhead, official Council title, and staff support shall not be utilized d) Council Members may utilize City letterhead and their Council titles for letters of thanks or congratulations, to respond to inquiries or complaints related to City issues, or to provide recommendations for students, and others seeking employment or appointments. Such letters should be written in such a manner as to make it clear that they are not being written on behalf of the entire Council.
Item 8.6
Mountain House Page 953 of 984 Amended November 2025
e) The City seal and logo are considered symbols of the authority and jurisdiction of the City and, as such, are valuable assets of the City and its citizens. The City seal and logo shall be used for official purposes only and according to policies and guidelines developed by the City Manager or designee, or as authorized by the City Council.
10.4.4 Media Relations. All inquiries from the media shall be handled in accordance with the City Council’s Communication Plan (Appendix D)
10.4.5 Responses to Citizen Inquiries. Often a constituent will call a Council Member with a question or a complaint about a particular problem or issue. Sometimes the complaint is related to not understanding why a particular action is taken and sometimes it relates to how a service has been provided or not provided. The most effective way to ensure a prompt response is for the Council Member to contact the City Manager's office to relay the question or complaint. Staff will take the information, coordinate with the appropriate department, follow up with the citizens directly or provide information back to the Council Member, whichever is preferred.
10.6 Local Ballot Measures Affecting Council Policies. Measures that affect City Council policy may be placed in the ballot. There are restrictions regarding what actions a City Council or individual Council Members may take on ballot measures. Guidelines as to what is permissible are available from the City Clerk or City Attorney upon request.
10.7 Legislative Requests from City Affiliated Organizations. From time to time, the city is asked by the League of California Cities (League) or other organizations to support and/or oppose a position on a particular piece of legislation and/or proposal. The mayorMayor, or designee, on behalf of the City, may sign and submit the requested communication so long as the position is consistent with the position taken by the League and/or other City-affiliated organizations and previous positions, if any, taken by the City. A copy of the communication shall be provided to the City Council and reported on as an informational item under City Manager Comments or Council Comments at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting.
10.8 Electronic Communications Using City-Issued and Personal Devices. Council Member communications regarding City business are potentially subject to disclosure via a Public Records Act (PRA) request, regardless of the medium used to send, receive, or store the records. To minimize potential risk, embarrassment, or awkward situations for themselves and the City, Council Members shall consider the following guidelines when using various electronic communication methods:
10.8.1 Use City Devices and Accounts Whenever Possible. All city business should be conducted using city communications equipment and accounts to the greatest extent feasible. Conducting work communications in this way assures that the city has a record of communications, which can then be searched and produced in a non-invasive manner should a public records request be received. If a Council Member should need, under limited circumstances, to use personal devices and/or personal accounts, such as text messaging, e-mail, applications, or social media, to communicate with others regarding City business, please be prepared to timely search for and provide copies of work-related communications if the city receives a related PRA request. After a Item 8.6
Mountain House Page 954 of 984 Amended November 2025
reasonable search on personal accounts or devices by a Council Member, that Council Member may be asked to confirm whether there are responsive records located on such personal devices or accounts
10.8.2 Be Thoughtful with Written Communications. Exercise tact and caution when communicating in writing regarding City business, regardless of the medium or recipient. While the PRA's definition of work-related “records” is essentially limited to communications relating to actual conduct of the City’s business by an individual in their official capacity, there is no guarantee that any personal or seemingly incidental workrelated communication will ultimately be deemed exempt from production or disclosure.
10.8.3 Understand Disclosure Limits and Legal Review. While the law attempts to strike a balance between the public's interest in disclosure and the official’s personal right to privacy, permitted exemptions from production and disclosure are rather narrow, and the City Attorney must act impartially when determining whether a record is exempt.
Factors such as potential embarrassment cannot be accounted for in determining what to produce, and the city is obligated by law to err on the side of disclosure.
10.8.4 Be Aware of Broader Legal Requirements in Litigation. Additionally, bear in mind that in the event of litigation, a subpoena for records may compel the city to produce a broader array of records, including those that may be exempt from disclosure under a PRA request.
10.8.5 Choose the Right Communication Method. Consider the appropriate platform for all work-related communications. As always, a good rule of thumb before hitting “send" is to consider how it would look if the communication were to be reprinted in the newspaper. If communication is sensitive enough to not want it to be reprinted, consider using the telephone and personal visits to communicate instead, when appropriate.
SECTION 11. CITY COUNCIL CODE OF ETHICS
11.1 Purpose. The purpose of this policy is to formally adopt a Code of Ethics promoting and maintaining the highest standards of personal and professional conduct in the City’s government.
All elected and appointed officials, as well as executive management staff, hereinafter referenced as “City Officials”, are required to subscribe to this Code, understand how it applies to their specific responsibilities, and practice its core values in their work. Public confidence in City’s services and public trust of its decision- makers is critical, therefore, decisions and work efforts must meet the most demanding ethical standards and demonstrate the highest levels of achievement.
11.2 Policy. Local officials already must comply with an extensive set of laws that govern ethical aspects of public service such as disclosure of personal economic interests; receipt of loans, gifts, travel payments, and honoraria; campaign contributions; conflicts of interest; incompatible offices; and criminal misconduct in the office. The Mountain House City Council adopts this Code of Ethics as a supplement to the above laws assuring that all City Officials, while exercising their Item 8.6
Mountain House Page 955 of 984 Amended November 2025
office, conduct themselves in a manner that will instill public confidence and trust in the fair operation and integrity of Mountain House’s City government.
11.3 Ethics. The Citizens and businesses of Mountain House are entitled to have a fair, ethical, and accountable local government. The public should have full confidence that their elected and appointed officials: 1) comply with the letter and spirit of the laws and policies affecting the operations of government; 2) are independent, impartial, and fair in their judgment and actions; 3) use their public office for the public good, not for personal gain; and 4) conduct public deliberations and processes openly, unless required by law to be confidential, in an atmosphere of respect and civility. Therefore, members of the City Council, City Manager, City Attorney, executive management staff, and all Commissions and Committees shall conduct themselves in accordance with the following ethical standards:
11.3.1 Act in Public Interest. Recognizing that stewardship of the public interest must be their primary concern, City Officials will work for the common good of the people of Mountain House and not for any private or personal interest, promoting the interests of the public and putting service to the public above service to oneself.
11.3.2 Comply with the Law. City Officials shall comply with the Constitution, Laws and Ordinances of the United States, the State of California and the City of Mountain House in the performance of their public duties.
a) Conduct of City Officials. The professional and personal conduct of members must be above reproach and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. City Officials shall refrain from abusive conduct, personal charges or verbal attacks upon the character or motives of other members of the Council, Commissions, staff, or the public.
b) Conflict of Interest. In order to assure their independence and impartiality on behalf of the common good, City Officials shall not use their official positions to influence government decisions in which they have a material financial interest, or where they have an organizational responsibility or personal relationship which may give the appearance of a conflict of interest. In accordance with the law, members shall disclose investments, interests in real property, sources of income, and gifts; and they shall abstain from participating in deliberations and decision-making where conflicts may exist.
c) Gifts and Favors. City Officials shall not take any special advantages of services or opportunities for personal gain, by virtue of their public office, that are not available to the public in general. They shall refrain from accepting any gifts, favors, or promises of future benefits which might compromise their independence of judgment or action or give the appearance of being compromised.
d) Proper Efficient Use of Public Resources. City Officials shall not use public resources which are not available to the public in general for private gain or for personal purposes not otherwise authorized by law.
Item 8.6
Mountain House Page 956 of 984 Amended November 2025
e) Promote Democratic Participation. Inform the public and encourage active engagement in governance. Be open, transparent and responsive, and respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations. f) Conduct of Public Meetings. City Officials shall prepare themselves for public issues, listen courteously and attentively to all public discussions before the body, and focus on the business at hand. They shall refrain from interrupting other speakers, making personal comments not germane to the business of the body, or otherwise interfering with the orderly conduct of meetings. g) Advocacy. City Officials shall represent the official policies or positions of the City Council and Commission to the best of their ability when designated as delegates for this purpose. When presenting their individual opinions and positions, City Officials shall explicitly state they do not represent their body or the City of Mountain House, nor will they allow the inference that they do. Council and Commission decisions shall receive the support of all City Officials. h) Decisions. City Officials shall base their decisions on the merits and substance of the matter at hand, rather than on unrelated considerations. i) Confidential Information. City Officials shall respect the confidentiality of information concerning the property, personnel, or affairs of the City. They shall neither disclose confidential information without proper legal authorization, nor use such information to advance their personal, financial or other private interests.
j) Strengthening Social Equality. Treat all people with fairness, justice, equality, and respect for individual differences, rights, and freedoms. k) Demonstrate Personal Integrity. Adhere to the highest standards of conduct to inspire public confidence and trust in public service.
l) Policy Role of City Officials. City Officials shall respect and adhere to the councilmanager structure of Mountain House City government as outlined by the Municipal Code. In this structure, the City Council determines the policies of the City with the advice, information, and analysis provided by the public, commissions, and City staff resulting in the City Manager implementing those policies. Except as provided by the Municipal Code, City Officials shall not interfere with the administrative functions of the City or the professional duties of City staff nor shall they impair the ability of staff to implement Council policy decisions.
m) Independence of Advisory Commissions. Because of the value of the independent advice of advisory commissions to the public decision-making process, City Officials shall refrain from using their position to unduly influence the deliberations or outcomes of boards and commission proceedings.
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n) Positive Workplace Environment. City Officials shall support the maintenance of a positive and constructive workplace environment for City employees and for citizens and businesses dealing with the City. City Officials shall recognize their special role in dealing with City employees to in no way create the perception of inappropriate direction to staff.
11.4 Implementation. The Code of Ethics is intended to be self-enforcing and is an expression of the City’s standards of expected conduct for City Officials. It therefore becomes most effective when Council Members are thoroughly familiar with it and embrace its provisions. For this reason, this document shall be included in the regular orientations for candidates for City Council, appointees to Advisory Commissions, and newly elected and appointed officials. Council Members entering the office shall sign a statement acknowledging they have read and understand the Code of Ethics and Conduct. In addition, the Code of Ethics shall be periodically reviewed by the City Council and updated as necessary.
SECTION 12. VIOLATION OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
Unless otherwise approved by at least a majority of Council Members or prohibited by law or due to circumstances beyond the City’s control, for example, a declared state of emergency, all Council Members are required to comply with these Policies and Procedures. Nothing in these Policies and Procedures shall invalidate a properly noticed and enacted action of the City Council in accordance with state law.
Violations of these Policies and Procedures may be subject to review under the City Council Accountability Policy contained in the Appendices of this Manual.
Item 8.6
Mountain House Page 958 of 984 TITLE: Preview of the Proposed Risewell Homes SP III RH-MX Project (TSM-26-001 and SPP-26-001)
MEETING DATE: June 9, 2026
PREPARED BY: David Niskanen, Contract Planner
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a preview of the proposed Risewell Homes SP III RH-MX Project and provide preliminary feedback to staff in advance of a future public hearing.
This is a discussion item only and no formal action is requested.
BACKGROUND
The Mountain House Master Plan was originally approved in 1994 and serves as the long-range planning framework for the community's growth and development.
Specific Plan III (SP III) was approved by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors in 2005 to implement the Master Plan for the College Park area, including the Delta College campus, and planned residential, commercial, and employment opportunities along Interstate 205 and Mountain House Parkway. SP III establishes the land use designations, development standards, design guidelines, circulation framework, and infrastructure planning necessary to guide future development within approximately 816 acres.
While SP III establishes the overall planning vision for the area, many of its diagrams, lotting concepts, and development illustrations are intended to be conceptual in nature. Individual development projects are evaluated for consistency with the broader goals, policies, and design standards established by the Master Plan and Specific Plan.
In 2022, San Joaquin County approved a series of amendments to the General Plan, Master Plan, and Specific Plan III that converted approximately 32.9 acres of industrially designated land along Interstate 205 to High Density Residential and Mixed Use designations. The approvals also included a Site Approval for a 338-unit luxury apartment project. While that apartment project was ultimately not constructed, the land use amendments remain in place and continue to guide future development of the site.
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 959 of 984 Portion of SP III Land Use Map
The Risewell Homes SP III RH-MX Project represents a new development proposal for the property and is one of the first major projects implementing the amended SP III land use designations approved in 2022.
As such, the project presents an opportunity for the City Council to review how the site is proposed to develop and how the project advances the long-term planning vision established for the College Park area.
DISCUSSION
Project Overview
The Risewell Homes SP III RH-MX Project is proposed on approximately 32.9 acres within Specific Plan III (College Park), located south of existing residential neighborhoods, east of the Delta College Mountain House Campus, and north of Interstate 205.
Project Site
The project site consists of approximately 16.8 acres designated High Density Residential (R/H) and 16.1 acres designated Mixed Use (M/X). The applicant is requesting approval of a Major Tentative Subdivision Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 960 of 984 Map (TSM-26-001) and Special Purpose Plan (SPP-26-001) to allow development of 334 residential units, a 1.5-acre commercial parcel, associated private roadways, landscaping, utility infrastructure, and open space improvements.
Staff is bringing this project forward as a preview item because it represents one of the first major implementations of the amended SP III land use designations approved in 2022 and raises several planning and design considerations related to housing density, mixed-use development, and the long-term vision for the Interstate 205 corridor. Early City Council feedback will assist staff and the applicant as the project moves toward formal public hearing consideration.
Project Summary
Item Proposed
Total Site Area 32.9 Acres
Residential Units 334
Triplex Units 128
Duet Units 80
Detached Units 126
Commercial Parcel 1.5 Acres
Potential Commercial Development Approximately 12,000 Square Feet Special Purpose Plan
In addition to the Major Tentative Subdivision Map, the applicant is requesting approval of a Special Purpose Plan (SPP). The SPP serves as the primary development framework for the project and provides a greater level of detail than the Mountain House Master Plan and Specific Plan III.
The SPP establishes the project's development standards and design requirements, including land use, lot configurations, architecture, circulation, parking, landscaping, lighting, signage, site furnishings, and other neighborhood design elements. It also addresses transportation improvements, infrastructure requirements, environmental mitigation measures, and the project's relationship to surrounding development.
Because the SPP establishes the long-term design and development standards that will guide implementation of the project, approval of the SPP is a significant component of the City's review process and requires City Council consideration at a future public hearing.
KEY DISCUSSION TOPICS
Residential Density and Housing Product Mix
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 961 of 984 The project proposes a mix of triplex, duet, and detached single-family homes across both the High Density Residential and Mixed Use portions of the site.
The General Plan allows residential densities ranging from 15.1 to 40 dwelling units per acre within the High Density Residential designation and 10.0 to 40 dwelling units per acre within the Mixed Use designation. Using the applicant's proposed methodology for calculating net density, the project would develop at 15.1 dwelling units per acre within the High Density Residential area and 10.6 dwelling units per acre within the Mixed Use area. Both calculations fall within the allowable density ranges established by the General Plan.
Site Plan Illustrating Proposed Residential Lots, Landscaping & Circulation Mixed Use Component
The project includes a 1.5-acre commercial parcel located at the northwest corner of the site along Central Parkway. Preliminary concepts provided by the applicant indicate the potential for approximately 12,000 square feet of future commercial development.
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 962 of 984 Commercial Site
While the project satisfies the Mixed Use designation by incorporating a commercial component, the majority of the site is proposed for residential development. As part of future consideration, the City Council may wish to evaluate whether the size, location, and visibility of the commercial component are sufficient to achieve the long-term mixed-use vision established in the Mountain House Master Plan and Specific Plan III.
Interstate 205 Edge Treatment
Specific Plan III establishes design standards intended to create an attractive and functional edge along the Interstate 205 corridor. Staff, the applicant, and Caltrans have worked collaboratively to develop an edge treatment that satisfies Specific Plan III requirements, provides appropriate noise attenuation, and creates a visually appealing freeway frontage.
The proposed design includes a landscaped setback adjacent to Interstate 205, a community wall and berm, a 10-foot multi-use trail, enhanced landscaping and tree planting, and ongoing maintenance responsibilities for the landscaped corridor. Staff believes the proposed treatment is generally consistent with the design intent established by Specific Plan III.
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 963 of 984 I-205 Edge Treatment Cross-Section
Architecture and Neighborhood Character
The project incorporates a combination of Farmhouse, Craftsman, and Mission-inspired architectural styles intended to create visual variety while maintaining a cohesive neighborhood character.
Single-Family Detached Residential Units
Duet Residential Units
Triplex Residential Units
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 964 of 984 Consistent with the goals and design principles of Specific Plan III, the project incorporates architectural elements intended to complement surrounding development and reinforce the character of the College Park area. Architectural renderings are included for City Council review and discussion.
Parking and Circulation
Access to the project is proposed from Central Parkway through three primary entrances connected to an internal private street network maintained by a Homeowners' Association.
A significant design feature of the project is the use of rear-loaded alley access for the triplex and duet product types. The alley system allows garages and vehicle access to be located behind the homes, reducing the visual prominence of garages along public-facing streets and creating a more pedestrianoriented streetscape. The detached single-family homes are served by wider private streets and more traditional driveway access.
Parking will be provided through a combination of two-car garages serving each residential unit, guest parking distributed throughout the development, on-street parallel parking in designated areas, and dedicated parking facilities serving the commercial parcel. The project currently includes approximately 265 guest parking spaces distributed throughout the site.
The applicant and staff have evaluated circulation and parking opportunities throughout the site to balance vehicle access, guest parking availability, pedestrian connectivity, and neighborhood character.
Major Tentative Subdivision Map
In addition to the Special Purpose Plan, the applicant is requesting approval of a Major Tentative Subdivision Map. While the Special Purpose Plan establishes the vision, design standards, and development framework for the project, the Tentative Subdivision Map translates that framework into a physical development plan.
The Tentative Subdivision Map establishes how the project will be laid out on the ground, including the location of residential lots, commercial parcels, private streets, landscape areas, utility corridors, open space features, and other site improvements. It also defines how the property will be subdivided and how future ownership and maintenance responsibilities will be allocated.
For the proposed project, the map would subdivide the approximately 32.9-acre site into 334 residential lots, a 1.5-acre commercial parcel, and associated roadway and landscape parcels necessary to support development.
The proposed subdivision layout reflects the planning concepts discussed above, including a mix of housing types, integration of a commercial component, alley-loaded housing products, enhanced landscaping along the Interstate 205 corridor, and a private internal circulation system maintained by a Homeowners' Association.
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 965 of 984
NEXT STEPS
City staff continues to process the proposed Major Tentative Subdivision Map and Special Purpose Plan applications. Remaining steps include completion of environmental review, public circulation of the Initial Study/Negative Declaration, public noticing, and scheduling of a future public hearing before the City Council.
The public hearing is currently anticipated to occur in July 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no specific fiscal impact associated with the processing of the proposed project. Staff costs are paid by the applicant via a Deposit Reimbursement Agreement (DRA).
STRATEGIC PLAN
The proposed project supports the City Strategic Plan, adopted April 9, 2025, by advancing implementation of the Mountain House Master Plan, supporting diverse housing opportunities, and promoting thoughtful growth consistent with the City's long-term land use vision.
CEQA
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), City staff is in the process of preparing an Initial Study to evaluate the possible environmental impacts associated with the proposed Project.
The Initial Study will include special studies prepared by the applicant including a Noise Study and Traffic Study. Prior to adoption by the City Council, the Initial Study will be released for a 30-day public review, consistent with Section 15073 of the CEQA Guidelines. A Notice of Intent (NOI) will also be published, providing notice of the City’s intent to adopt the Negative Declaration and the dates in which the Initial Study is available for public review.
ACTION FOLLOWING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL
This is a discussion item only and no formal action is requested of the City Council at this time.
As described earlier in this report, staff will continue processing the proposed Major Tentative Subdivision Map and Special Purpose Plan applications, complete environmental review pursuant to CEQA, and return to the City Council at a future public hearing for consideration of the requested entitlements.
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 966 of 984 The public hearing is currently anticipated to occur in July 2026 following completion of environmental review and public noticing requirements.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
Item 9.1
Mountain House Page 967 of 984 DISCUSSION ITEM | 1
TITLE: City Manager’s Update
MEETING DATE: [Will Auto Populate]
PREPARED BY: Steven J. Pinkerton, City Manager
COMMUNITY CONCERNS & CITY RESPONSE:
To ensure transparency and community engagement, staff provide responses to public comments and concerns raised during City meetings or through communication channels. We address key issues and provide updates or next steps. More details about follow-ups can be found at www.mountainhouseca.gov/PublicFollowUp .
E-Bike Safety and Local Regulations
A resident recently contacted the City Council regarding concerns about bicycle and e-bike operations on sidewalks, pedestrian safety, and potential local regulations.
As part of an ongoing effort to enhance safety, Public Safety staff met this week to discuss potential updates to the City's bicycle, e-bike, scooter, and related vehicle regulations. Staff is currently reviewing best practices and ordinances from other California communities to determine whether additional local regulations or clarifications would improve safety in Mountain House.
Staff anticipates bringing potential ordinance recommendations to the City Council for consideration later this summer, tentatively in August. Any proposed ordinance changes would be presented publicly and considered by the City Council before implementation. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to follow applicable California Vehicle Code requirements, local regulations, and the City's published e-bike safety guidance at https://www.mountainhouseca.gov/236/E-Rides or through the QR code below:
Open Gym Volleyball Request
A resident group requested that the City establish an indoor open gym volleyball program utilizing local high school facilities. Staff evaluated the concept and determined that the City does not currently have access to or control over school district facilities, which are generally heavily scheduled and would likely need to be rented directly through the school district. A response was provided on behalf of Mayor Su, and staff noted that the City's future Aquatics and Community Center, currently in design, is anticipated to include multi-use gymnasium space capable of supporting activities such as volleyball and other indoor recreation programs.
Arts Programming Inquiry
Item 9.2
Mountain House Page 968 of 984
2 A resident contacted the City Council expressing interest in expanding opportunities for arts programming in Mountain House, including comedy, poetry, music, and other community arts activities. Recreation staff followed up to discuss opportunities for resident-led events and shared that future arts programming opportunities may expand with the planned amphitheater project. Staff also noted that development of a broader public arts plan may be considered in the future as community needs and resources evolve.
LIBRARY UPDATES
Mountain House Library's Summer Reading Challenge kicked off on June 1 and continues throughout the summer. This year's theme, "Unearth a Story," features dinosaur-themed activities, prizes, and events for all ages.
The Summer Reading Challenge includes programs for children, teens, and adults. Children can participate by reading or being read 10 books, while teens and adults can participate by reading three books.
Participants can earn prizes, including books, themed items, and entries into raffle drawings for larger prizes such as bicycles.
The library is also offering a variety of activities and programs throughout the summer, with events scheduled nearly every day for a variety of age groups. These events can be found on the Library’s webpage: https://www.ssjcpl.org/your-library/locations/mountain-house Residents are encouraged to visit the library, participate in the Summer Reading Challenge, and take advantage of the many free educational and recreational opportunities available this summer.
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
Communications
The Communications Department continues to support city operations, community engagement, and public transparency across multiple platforms and projects. Below is a summary of recent activity.
Events and Ceremonies
The Communications Department produced the Veterans Liberty Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony on May 27, including full script development, run-of-show coordination, elected official logistics, and post-event social media content. Planning is actively underway for the State of the City 2026 event on July 1, themed "Stronger Foundation." Work completed to date includes a full program script, run-of-show document, video segment scripts for staff speakers, and program materials for print production.
Social Media and Digital Content
The department manages active content calendars across city and fire department social media channels. Recent content series covered Public Works Week, the Veterans Garden groundbreaking, Juneteenth, Memorial Day, and the Red-Light Camera Safety Program launch.
The department also produced a social media graphic campaign tied to the red-light camera program's first-month violation data, reaching residents with clear, factual information about the warning phase currently in effect. A fireworks safety awareness campaign is currently active across city channels.
Item 9.2
Mountain House Page 969 of 984
3 Public Information and Media Relations
The department issued communications supporting the Red-Light Camera Safety Program, including a web page update and coordinated public messaging aligned with program milestones.
Public-facing content was also produced in support of the General Plan Update and Housing Element update efforts.
Human Resources
The City has recently filled the position of Recreation Assistant. We are currently accepting applications for Engineer IV/V.
Regional Government Solutions (RGS) has completed the total Classification and Compensation study.
The results have been presented to staff and SEIU Local 1021. City representatives are currently engaging in the meet and confer process regarding the study and will bring the study to Council for approval once the process is complete.
Staff is also engaging in the meet and confer process with SEIU regarding the current Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) which expire on June 30, 2026.
Finance
The City conducted a budget study session on May 14 and the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026/2027 will be presented for adoption on June 9.
Parks and Recreation
Special Events:
Music in the Park – The City of Mountain House welcomed approximately 1,600 residents and visitors to the first Music in the Park concert of the season featuring Neon Velvet. The band energized the crowd with a mix of favorite hits from the 1980s, 1990s, and today, creating a fun and festive atmosphere that had attendees dancing and singing along throughout the evening.
Families and friends gathered to enjoy a beautiful spring night at Central Community Park, while food vendors experienced strong sales and a steady stream of customers.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Music in the Park series and enthusiastic feedback from concert attendees, staff will be extending future concerts until 9:00 p.m. While the community survey provided valuable input on programming, attendance and on-site feedback demonstrated a strong desire for more time to enjoy these summer evenings. Beginning with the July 25 Music in the Park featuring the Yacht Rockers, residents can look forward to an extra hour of live entertainment, dancing, and dining under the stars. In other words, come for the concert, stay for the encore! The additional hour will provide families and friends more time to connect, support local food vendors, and enjoy the vibrant community atmosphere that has made Music in the Park one of Mountain House's most popular summer traditions.
Event 2024 2025 2026
Bike Rodeo 225 250 325
Kite Festival 900 1,200 2,200
Music in the Park – May 2,700 1,400 1,600
Item 9.2
Mountain House Page 970 of 984
4 TOTAL 3,825 2,850 4,125
Tennis Court Reservations:
The following table provides a month-by-month comparison of tennis court reservation revenue collected at Mountain House High School (MHHS) and Central Park over the past twelve months.
The data highlights fluctuations in revenue at each location, including periods of growth and decline. Totals reflect net revenue and include refunds issued due to weather-related cancellations or instructor availability.
Monthly Tennis Court Reservation Revenues
Month MHHS Central Park Month MHHS Central Park %
Change
May 2026 $184.00 $2,798.00 May 2025 $352.00 $4,164.50 (34%) Apr 2026 $216.00 $2,436.00 Apr 2025 $448.00 $3,722.00 (36%) Mar 2026 $864.00 $2,030.50 Mar 2025 $372.00 $3,496.00 (25%) Feb 2026 $816.00 $3,300.00 Feb 2025 $636.00 $3,589.00 (3%) Jan 2026 $552.00 $2,750.00 Jan 2025 $452.00 $2,321.50 19% Dec 2025 $420.00 $1,090.00 Dec 2024 $224.00 $3,152.00 (55%) Nov 2025 $688.00 $2,190.00 Nov 2024 $328.00 $3,924.00 (32%) Oct 2025 $560.00 $3,816.00 Oct 2024 $573.00 $4,508.00 (14%) Sep 2025 $164.00 $4,336.00 Sep 2024 $565.00 $2,554.00 44% Aug 2025 $504.00 $4,440.00 Aug 2024 $219.00 $1,680.00 160% Jul 2025 $424.00 $3,134.50 Jul 2024 $103.50 $1,500.00 122% Jun 2025 $520.00 $4,192.00 Jun 2024 $426.00 $1,984.50 95% Total $5,912.00 $36,513.00 $4,698.50 $36,595.50 2.7%
Facility Usage:
Indoor Facility Use – The following table provides an overview of indoor facility usage at the Firehouse Community Room, Town Hall meeting rooms, and the Unity Center for the month of May 2026. Bookings include both internal reservations for City-sponsored programs and activities, as well as MHMA-sponsored activities held at the Unity Center. The data illustrates overall space utilization across facilities during May 2026.
Location Facility # of Bookings Total Revenue
Firehouse Community Room 15 $1,855
Town Hall Boardroom 5 $924.00
Town Hall TH-1 8 $1,045.00
Town Hall Town Hall Main Lobby 4 $1,703.25
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5 Unity Center Unity Center A/B 4 $1,707
TOTAL 36 $7,234.25
Park Use – The following table illustrates park usage for the month of May 2026, including rentals for organized sporting leagues and private use at Altamont Village Park, Central Community Park, Cordes Village Park, Hansen Village Park, and Wicklund Village Park. The data reflects overall park utilization across these facilities during May 2026.
Location Facility # of
Bookings Total Revenue
Altamont Village Park Baseball Diamond 31 $1,440
Altamont Village Park Field A 3 $180
Bethany Village Park Field A 5 $435
Central Community Park Field A 0 0
Central Community Park Field D - Cricket Pitch ONLY 0 0 Central Community Park Field D – Baseball Diamond ONLY 4 $320 Central Community Park Basketball Courts 1 $10
Cordes Village Park Softball Diamond 9 $860
Hansen Village Park Field A 12 $475
Hansen Village Park Softball Diamond 31 $1,430
Questa Village Park Field A 3 $180
Wicklund Village Park Baseball Diamond 25 $1,005
TOTAL 124 $6,335
Picnic Use – The following graph shows picnic usage for May 2026, including rentals for private use at Central Community Park, Cordes Village Park, Hansen Village Park, and Wicklund Village Park. The data reflects the overall utilization of picnic facilities during May 2026.
Location Facility # of
Bookings
Total
Revenue
Central Community Park Picnic Area A – Interactive Water Fountain 4 $1,000 Central Community Park Picnic Area B – Basketball Court 1 $130 Cordes Village Park Covered Picnic Area 0 $0
Costa Park Covered Picnic Area 1 $165
Hansen Village Park Covered Picnic Area 2 $245
Wicklund Village Park Gazebo 4 $385
TOTAL 12 $1,925
Item 9.2
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6 Community Development
Infrastructure and Civil Improvements
Neighborhood A7 – Tract 4040 (College Park Area)
Tri Pointe continues to construct civil, joint trench, streetlight, and corridor landscape improvements.
Construction of the main line pressure reducing valves in Neighborhood E has started.
Neighborhoods A5 – Tract 3609 and B1 – Tract 3610 (College Park Area) Grading, civil, joint trench, and streetlight improvement plans are approved and under construction. The A5 mini park plans, and the A5 landscape corridor plans have been approved, and construction has started on both of these projects.
Neighborhood B4 – Tract 4099 (Near Delta College)
Grading and civil improvement plans are approved. The large-lot final map has been approved and recorded. Joint trench and streetlight plans, along with remaining final map components, are currently under review.
Neighborhoods B6, B7, and B8 – Tract 3619 (College Park Area) Landscape corridor plans are approved and under construction.
Neighborhood B11 – Tract 3618 (South of Byron Road)
The Phase 2 final map has been approved, and improvements are currently under construction.
Neighborhood F – Tracts 4210 and 4211 (South of Town Center and Mountain House Parkway) Grading, civil, joint trench, streetlight improvement plans, and landscape guidelines have been approved, and construction is underway. The in-tract landscape plans are under review. The respective final maps and subdivision improvement agreements were approved by City Council at the May 27 meeting.
Neighborhood H – Tract 4212 (Questa Village Area)
Grading and civil improvement plans, and landscape guidelines are approved. Lennar has started construction on Tract 4212. The joint trench, streetlight and in-tract landscape plans remain under review.
The final map and subdivision improvement agreement were approved by City Council at the May 27 meeting.
Neighborhood H – Tract 4216 (Questa Village Area)
Grading, Phase 1 civil, joint trench, streetlight, and phase 2 civil plans are approved. The final map was approved by City Council on October 22, 2025. Phase 2 joint trench, streetlight, and phase 3 civil plans remain under review.
Neighborhood I (Lakepoint Area)
Rough grading, civil, joint trench, and streetlight plans for Tracts 4194 and 4200-4202 are approved and under construction. Staff is reviewing plans for the Lake I, neighborhood I sanitary sewer and storm drain pump station, along with civil and utility plans for Tracts 4191-4193, 4198, 4199, and 4265. Final maps are also under review, and staff is clearing conditions of approval and preparing improvement agreements.
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7 Neighborhood J (Lakeshore Area)
The neighborhood J off-site arterial landscape and railroad buffer landscape improvement plans have been approved. Phase 1 open space park plans, Neighborhood J park plans, and the neighborhood J mini park plans remain under review. Vertical construction and site development continue, with model homes open to the public. Full buildout is currently anticipated in 2027.
Neighborhood K (Lakeview Area)
In-tract landscape plans have been approved and are under construction.
Commercial and Community Development
Mountain House Shopping Center (Hansen Village – Neighborhood Commercial) All City reviews are complete. The applicant is coordinating with the San Joaquin County Building Division for permit issuance, as the project predates City incorporation. Site development activities commenced in February and are ongoing.
Wicklund Crossing (Wicklund Village – Neighborhood Commercial) Planning approval and Design Consistency Review Committee approval are complete. Civil and landscape plans have been approved and building plans have been finalized.
A Transportation Impact Fee (TIF) Deferral Program was introduced to the City Council on February 24, 2026, and adopted following second reading on March 25, 2026. The program became effective on April 24, 2026, and now the City’s first TIF Deferral Agreement was executed end of May 2026.
Mustang Square (Commercial Development)
Construction activities continue at the broader Mustang Square site under San Joaquin County Building Division oversight.
Confirmed tenants include Starbucks, Chipotle, Domino’s Pizza, Nékter Juice Bar, Wingstop, Vijithea Indian Super Market, and ARCO. Staff recently confirmed that Wingstop is now open for business.
Self-Storage Project – Neighborhood H (General-Commercial Zoning) U-Stor-It has proposed a three-story self-storage facility on a site zoned General-Commercial, which allows for a range of commercial and service-oriented uses. Design and entitlement materials are currently under City review, and revisions have been requested prior to completing the review.
Zaytech Academy – 230 S. Sterling Drive
The property owner is seeking Planning approval for the private school that is a primary tenant in the existing building on the site. The proposed project includes limited outdoor recreation facilities (playground structure), which are associated with the school operation, on the parcel located immediately to the north that is under the same ownership.
The application, originally submitted in early February, remains under active review as staff and the applicant continue to work through revisions and related planning comments. Staff anticipates completing final review and approval in the near term, subject to resolution of remaining comments.
Mustang-Central Retail
Item 9.2
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8 SRM Properties has proposed an approximate 45,000 SF commercial / retail development on the threeacre site that is located at the northeast corner of Central Parkway and Mustang Way. Related site improvements including parking and landscaping are included. The property is currently zoned P-F (Public Facilities) and the proposed project would change the designation to C-C (Community Commercial).
Public Works
Fire Station 1 Improvements
Exterior improvement work at Fire Station 1 is completed. Recent improvements include repainting of the building exterior, painting of access gates and walls, and re-staining of the courtyard trellis structures to refresh and protect the facility. This week, contractors also completed installation of a new epoxy floor coating in the apparatus bay, improving durability, appearance, and ease of maintenance. The improvements enhance both the functionality and overall appearance of one of the City's most visible public safety facilities.
Item 9.2
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9 Red-Light Camera System
All 14 red-light cameras are now online. To date, thousands of potential violations have been identified.
Staff is compiling additional data on total captured images and confirmed violations. Because the cameras were activated in phases, more comprehensive and accurate statistics for all 14 locations will be available in July.
On-Call Services – Design, Grants, Geotechnical, and Survey Following approval of the Master Consultant Agreement (MCA), Public Works has initiated task orders for several streamlined projects to support efficient implementation. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for survey services has been issued, and procurement of construction management services will follow.
Traffic Calming and Truck Routes
Staff continues to coordinate with developers to identify truck routes that minimize impacts to residents and existing roadways. Pre-construction roadway condition assessments are also being documented to establish accountability for any construction-related damage.
Grants
Staff is preparing an Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant application for Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) improvements. The application is scheduled for submission by June 22, 2026.
Utilities
Operational performance metrics for the City's wastewater, water, and solid waste systems are summarized below.
Wastewater
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10 Wastewater Treatment Plant operations remained in compliance with all permit requirements during the reporting period. Average daily flow was 1.65 MGD, approximately 41% of the plant's current treatment capacity. No violations or operational issues occurred.
Wastewater Operations May 2026
Average Daily Flow (MGD) 1.65
Peak Daily Flow (MGD) 1.79
Capacity Utilized 41%
Biosolids Removed (Wet Tons) 147
Sanitary Sewer Overflows 0
Permit Violations 0
Pathogen Monitoring
The City continues to participate in wastewater pathogen monitoring through state and regional public health reporting programs. Wastewater sampling provides a community-level indicator of the presence and relative concentration of certain viruses, including influenza, within the service area. The chart in Attachment A reflects Influenza A trends over the past 12 months and shows the expected seasonal increase during the winter months, followed by a significant decline in the spring. This information is provided for situational awareness and public health monitoring purposes.
Water
The water distribution system operated without any water main or service line failures during the reporting period. Staff completed one hydrant repair, exercised 51 valves, responded to 27 USA tickets, and investigated nine customer service-related concerns. No water quality, taste, or odor complaints were reported.
Water System Reliability & Maintenance May 2026
Water Main Leaks/Repairs 0
Water Service Line Leaks/Repairs 0
Fire Hydrant Repairs/Replacements 1
Water Valves Exercised 51
USA Ticket Responses 27
Customer Leak Investigations 4
Low Water Pressure Investigations 5
Water Quality Investigations 0
Staff completed 52 meter repairs and inspections, replaced 52 meter endpoints, conducted 592 manual meter re-reads, investigated six customer concerns, and replaced 34 damaged meter box lids. These activities support accurate water consumption measurement and customer billing reliability.
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11 Water Meter Operations May 2026
Meter Checks/Repairs 52
Endpoint Replacements 52
Manual Re-Reads 592
Customer/Irrigation Leak Investigations 6
Concrete Box Lids Replaced 34
Meter Turn-Ons 2
Active water accounts increased from 8,040 to 8,087 over the most recent three billing cycles, reflecting continued community growth. Water consumption also increased seasonally as irrigation demand increased during the spring months.
Water Utility Growth & Demand Jan/Feb Feb/Mar Mar/Apr
Active Accounts 8,040 8,066 8,087
Billed Consumption (cf) 98,095 124,769 190,337
Waste & Recycling
Waste and recycling services continued to operate without significant issues during the reporting period.
Customer complaint calls decreased from four in March to two in April, while 32 new residential accounts were established. No SB 1383 regulatory non-compliance complaints were received, and no waiver requests were submitted.
Waste & Recycling Operations March April
Incomplete/Missed Collections 4 2
New Residential Customers 39 32
New Commercial Customers 0 0
New Multi-Family Customers 0 0
SB 1383 Complaints 0 0
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – Pathogen Levels for City of Mountain House Wastewater Treatment Plant Item 9.2
Mountain House Page 978 of 984 Item 9.2
Mountain House Page 979 of 984 Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
Consolidation of the Election with SJ County
Public Hearing Budget Adoption and Policies
Planning RFP - Contract Award
LMAD Public Hearing
Lien Notices
Adopt SB1 RMRA Programming
Public Hearing: Assembly Bill 2561 Annual Status of Vacancies and Recruitments Solid Waste Ordinance
Additional Alternate for CalCities Central Division Voting Member Janitorial Contract
Land Use Update
Adoption of a technology disruption policy pursuant to SB 707 and updates to public comment procedures Wednesday, June 10, 2026 - Valley Link Board Meeting
2:00 p.m. at Board Chambers
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 - YAC
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 11, 2026 - CalCities Central Division General Membership Meeting Merced, CA
Friday, June 12, 2026 - City Event: Central Park Cinema 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. Central Community Park
Monday, June 15th - Friday, July 24th 2026 City Event: YAC Summer Camp 11:00 am - 2:00 p.m. - Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - Unity Center Sports Week: 6/15 - 6/19 (Mon, Wed, Thurs)
Health & Safety Week: 6/22 - 6/26 (Mon, Wed, Thurs)
Break: 6/29 - 7/3
Science & Innovation Week: 7/6 - 7/10 (Mon, Wed, Thurs) Arts & Crafts Week: 7/13 - 7/17 (Mon, Wed, Thurs)
Career Development Week: 7/20 - 7/24 (Mon, Wed, Thurs)
Saturday, June 20, 2026 - City Event: Juneteenth
Central Community Park - 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting - Canceled Thursday, June 25, 2026 - SJCOG Board of Directors
Item 10.1
Mountain House Page 980 of 984 555 E. Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202 at 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 - State of the City
6:00 p.m. - Reception 7:00 p.m. Presentation High School Theater Saturday, July 4, 2026 - City Event 4th of July Parade/Celebration 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Central Parkway and Central Community Park Tuesday, July 7, 2026 - YAC
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting - Canceled Friday, July 10, 2026 - City Event: Central Park Cinema 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. - Central Community Park
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - City Event: Dog Park Grand Opening 4:00 p.m. - Giotto Street - Central Community Park
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
5:30 PM - Rosenberg Rules of Order Training
CUPCCAA Resolution
SB 1 Project - Approval for CTC
Adopt a Resolution Approving the Project Acquisition Agreement No. PAA-6 Transit Feasiblity Study Adoption
Public Hearing Liens
Adoption of the 2025 Urban Water Management
Altamont Playground
Parks Restrooms – Policy and Action Item to Award Contract and appropriate funds Housing Element
MoreThanTalk agreement for communication services
Land Use Update
Saturday, July 25, 2026 - City Event: Music in the Park 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Central Community Park
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 - City Event: National Night Out 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Central Community Park
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 - YAC
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Item 10.1
Mountain House Page 981 of 984 Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 14, 2026 - City Event: Central Park Cinema 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. Central Community Park
Saturday, August 22, 2026 - City Event: Music in the Park 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Central Community Park
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
Closed Session: City Manager Annual Review
Thursday, August 27, 2026 - SJCOG Board of Directors
555 E. Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202 at 4:00 p.m.
Friday, September 4, 2026 - Tennis Center Grand Opening 4:00 p.m. Central Community Park
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 - YAC
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
Thursday, September 10, 2026 - CalCities Central Division General Membership Meeting Location/Time TBD
Saturday, September 12, 2026 - City Event: Multi Cultural Celebration 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Central Community Park
Saturday, September 26, 2026: City Event: Senior Health and Wellness Fair 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Central Community Park
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 - City Council Meeting - Canceled Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Item 10.1
Mountain House Page 982 of 984 Wednesday, September 23rd - Friday, September 25, 2026 CalCities Annual Conference Anaheim, CA
Thursday, September 24, 2026 - SJCOG Board of Directors 555 E. Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202 at 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - YAC
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 - Valley Link Board Meeting 2:00 p.m. Board Chambers
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
Thursday, October 22, 2026 - SJCOG Board of Directors
555 E. Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202 at 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
Friday, October 30, 2026 - City Event: Spooky Safety Stroll 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Town Hall Lobby/Board Chambers
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 - YAC
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 2026 - City Event: Veteran's Day Luncheon 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Town Hall Board Chambers
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Holiday No Meeting Scheduled Item 10.1
Mountain House Page 983 of 984 Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 3, 2026 - SJCOG Board of Directors
555 E. Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202 at 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 5, 2026 - City Event: Holiday Light Parade/Tree Lighting 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Central Park Way and Town Hall Plaza, Amphitheater Tuesday, December 8, 2026 - YAC
Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 9, 2026 - Regular City Council Meeting Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
ITEM
Election Certification
Selection of a Vice Mayor
ACFR
AB 1600 Report
Thursday, December 10, 2026 - CalCities Central Division General Membership Meeting Location/Time TBD
Saturday, December 12, 2026 - City Event: Breakfast with Santa 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Unity Center
Wednesday, December 23, 2026 - Holiday No Meeting Scheduled Board Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
Item 10.1
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