NOVATO CITY COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
901 SHERMAN AVENUE
NOVATO, CA 94945
September 12, 2023 – 6:00 PM
A. CONVENE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND ROLL CALL
The City Council meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m., with Mayor Wernick leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Susan Wernick, Mayor Pro Tempore Mark Milberg, Councilmember Pat Eklund, Councilmember Rachel Farac, and Councilmember Tim O’Connor
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Adam McGill, Interim Public Works Director Chris DeGabriele, Principal Management Analyst Sullina Sanchez, Sustainability Coordinator II Gretchen Schubeck, City Attorney Gary Bell and City Clerk Laura McDowall
B. CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
There was no closed session.
C. CEREMONIAL MATTERS/PRESENTATIONS
There were no items for this section.
D. APPROVAL OF THE FINAL AGENDA
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember Farac, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to approve the Final Agenda.
AYES: EKLUND, FARAC, O’CONNOR, MILBERG, WERNICK
NOES: NONE
Motion carried.
E. REPORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL & CITY MANAGER
City Manager McGill reported had no report. The City Council gave reports on meetings and events they had attended.
F. PUBLIC COMMENT
1. Sandy Agajan
2. Suzanne Crow
3. Silke Valentine
4. Alex
G. CONSENT CALENDAR
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Mayor Pro Tem Milberg and seconded by Councilmember Eklund, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to approve the Consent Calendar.
AYES: EKLUND, FARAC, O’CONNOR, MILBERG, WERNICK
NOES: NONE
Motion carried.
G.1. Waive reading and authorize introductions and/or adoption of ordinances by title only this was a standard procedural action so that the City Council did not have to read ordinances aloud in their entirety
G.2. Approve the City Council Special Meeting Minutes of August 4, 2023, and August 5, 2023
The City Council approved the Special Meeting minutes of August 4, 2023 and August 5, 2023.
G.3. Receive and file a letter in support of ACA 13 signed by the Mayor in response to a League of California Cities Action Alert
The City Council received and filed the letter.
G.4. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Purchase and Sale Agreements and the Acceptance of the Grant Deeds for right-ofway acquisition for the Novato Boulevard Improvement Project, CIP #01-004 The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-087.
G.5. Adopt a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a second amendment to the 2020 Cooperation Agreement with the County of Marin for funding and administration of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-088.
G.6. Adopt a resolution to accept a $119,000 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS); authorize the City Manager to execute grant agreement and related operating budget adjustments; and authorize the Police Department to utilize the grant to continue its education and enforcement of traffic related laws to reduce injury and fatal traffic collisions
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-089.
G.7. Approve the Recreation, Cultural and Community Services Advisory Commission’s recommendation to approve final designs for the Scottsdale Pond Wayside Signage artwork created by scientific illustrator Emma Oyle, for the previously approved public art installation at Scottsdale Pond located at Redwood Blvd and Rowland Blvd in partnership with the Rotary Club of Novato
The City Council approved the Recreation, Cultural and Community Services Advisory Commission’s recommendation to approve the final designs for the Scottsdale Pond Wayside Signage artwork.
H. UNFINISHED AND OTHER BUSINESS
There were no items listed for this section.
I. PUBLIC HEARINGS
I.1. Hold a public hearing to evaluate a commercial cannabis business proposal; and adopt a resolution awarding a Conditional Certificate to Medela Power Corporation (formerly Marin Connection Corporation) to establish a 1,450 square foot indoor cannabis cultivation business located at 22 Commercial Boulevard – portions of Suites A & B; and find that the certificate is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Guidelines sections 15268(a) and 15301(a)
Principal Management Analyst Sullina Sanchez presented the item.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember O’Connor, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to adopt the resolution awarding a Conditional Certificate to Medela Power Corporation to establish a 1,450 square foot indoor cannabis cultivation business located at 22 Commercial Boulevard – portions of Suites A & B; and find that the certificate is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Guidelines sections 15268(a) and 15301(a)
AYES: EKLUND, FARAC, O’CONNOR, MILBERG, WERNICK
NOES: NONE
Motion carried. The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-090.
J. GENERAL BUSINESS
J.1. Receive the Sustainability Commission Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Annual Report and consider approving the Sustainability Commission FY 2023-24 Workplan
Sustainability Coordinator II Gretchen Schubeck opened the item. Former Sustainability Commission Chair Nicole Tai and current Commission Chair Bob Brown presented the workplan.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember O’Connor, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to approve the Sustainability Commission FY 2023-24 Workplan.
AYES: EKLUND, FARAC, O’CONNOR, MILBERG, WERNICK
NOES: NONE
Motion carried.
J.2. Discuss and provide direction regarding the proposed exclusive negotiating agreement by and between the City of Novato and the Novato Historical Guild for the potential relocation of the Novato History Museum to the Scott House (917 Sherman Avenue, APN 153-062-16)
City Manager Adam McGill presented the item and Novato Historical Guild representative Patrick MacLeamy made a statement that while the Guild would be withdrawing from the agreement, they encouraged the City Council to consider moving the Museum to the Scott House at a future time.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
1. Jeanne MacLeamy
It was generally felt that the City should not proceed with the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with the Guild and to instead work with the Guild on a funding or other agreement to proceed with the first phase study regarding the feasibility of moving the museum to the Scott House.
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember O’Connor, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to work with the Historical Guild to develop a written agreement on the first step of the process which is for us is to go ahead and evaluate the Scott house on the feasibility and identify improvements that are needed and their estimated costs for relocating the Museum from across the street to the Scott House.
The agreement would identify that we have to enter into with the Historical Guild, would have to include the funding that they would be paying for this, except for staff time, and discussion about how we would be repaid, and then go ahead and proceed with the evaluation of the Scott House. It would be the agreement to do it but also to execute the agreement which would include the evaluation as well. The Guild would advance the funds necessary to complete the work and any remainder of the money would be returned back to the guild upon completion, and the City Council would appoint Councilmember O’Connor to work with a representative of the Guild.
AYES: EKLUND, FARAC, O’CONNOR, MILBERG, WERNICK
NOES: NONE
Motion carried.
The City Council took a brief recess at 7:33 p.m. and returned at 7:43 p.m.
J.3. Consider and introduce an ordinance amending Novato Municipal Code Chapter XVIII (“Traffic”) to add subsection 18-16 (“Median Regulations”) to provide rules for the use of medians to promote traffic safety and find the amendment exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)
Interim Public Works Director Chris DeGabriele presented the item.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember Farac, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to introduce the ordinance amending Novato Municipal Code Chapter XVIII (“Traffic”) to add subsection 18-16 (“Median Regulations”) to provide rules for the use of medians to promote traffic safety and find the amendment exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)
AYES: EKLUND, FARAC, O’CONNOR, MILBERG, WERNICK
NOES: NONE
Motion carried. The City Council introduced Ordinance No. 1704.
K. COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND BOARDS (CCB’S) APPOINTMENTS There were no items for this section.
L. WORK STUDY SESSION
There were no items for this section.
M. ADJOURNMENT
At 7:51 p.m., the City Council adjourned the meeting in memory of Will Noonkester and the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and adopted at the Novato City Council regular meeting of October 10, 2023. /Laura McDowall/
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Laura McDowall, City Clerk