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City Council
Agenda
901 SHERMAN AVENUE
NOVATO, CA 94945
Tuesday, September 26, 2023 - 6:00 PM
Mayor
Susan Wernick
Mayor Pro Tempore
Mark Milberg
Councilmembers
Pat Eklund
Rachel Farac
Tim O’Connor
City Manager
Adam McGill
City Attorney
Gary Bell
City Council meeting are usually held each month on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at (415) 899-8986. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable accommodation to help ensure accessibility to this meeting.
The agenda is divided into three main sections and includes other categories covering routine business.
All references to “City Council” include those other agencies which may be listed at the top of the Agenda.
The City Council may discuss and/or take action on any or all of the items listed on the agenda irrespective of how the agenda items are described. The Council may establish and make appointments to a Council committee (made up of two Councilmembers) with respect to any item appearing on this agenda.
Supplemental Materials
Public Participation Options
Members of the Public may participate and provide public comments for the City Council as follows:
• Written public comments may be submitted via eComment. Written public comments received more than 3 hours before the start of the meeting will be distributed to the Council prior to the meeting.
Written public comments will not be read during the meeting. • In-person public comments may be made at the meeting, which are held in the Novato City Council Chambers located at 901 Sherman Avenue.
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• Virtual & Telephone comments may be made by using the following instructions:
1. Join the meeting at: https://bit.ly/3LvGBEN
or
Join at Zoom.com
Meeting ID: 829 8815 0034
Password: 1960
Should the links above not work, please go to www.novato.org/agendas for updated information a. You will be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you when it is your turn to speak. b. When the Mayor calls for public comment on the item on which you wish to speak, please use the “Raise Hand” feature by clicking on the hand icon at the bottom of your screen to notify the Host that you would like to speak. In-person comments will be taken first. c. The Host will unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified when it is their turn to speak. d. When called upon, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted by the Mayor or as specified on the agenda. Speakers will be muted when their time is up.
2. Join the meeting via telephone by calling (669) 444-9171.
Meeting ID: 829 8815 0034
Password: 1960
a. When the Mayor calls for public comment on the item on which you wish to speak, press *9 to activate the “Raise Hand” feature to notify the Host that you would like to speak. In-person comments will be taken first.
b. The Host will unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified when it is their turn to speak. c. When called upon, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted by the Mayor or as specified on the agenda. Speakers will be muted when their time is up.
The Mayor has the authority to rule any speaker out of order, including speakers during the Public Comment period, if the subject raised is not within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, or during a public hearing or a general business item if the speaker is not presenting testimony or evidence relevant to the matter or if the speaker becomes disruptive to the proceedings and conduct of the meeting.
The Mayor also has the authority to order any person who willfully interrupts the meeting to be removed.
All persons are expected to conduct themselves with civility and courtesy at all times. All persons giving comments shall speak directly to the Council and address issues, not individuals. Personal attacks, cursing and outbursts from the audience in support or opposition to a speaker are not tolerated in order to foster an environment where everyone feels welcome to speak
Closed Captions
Live closed captions are available. To access closed captions during the meeting, click on the CC icon.
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A. CONVENE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND ROLL CALL
B. CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
C. CEREMONIAL MATTERS/PRESENTATIONS
D. APPROVAL OF THE FINAL AGENDA
E. REPORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL & CITY MANAGER
F. PUBLIC COMMENT
All members of the public wishing to address the City Council are requested to submit a speaker card in advance to the City Clerk. (Please remember that all comment cards are PUBLIC RECORDS).
The Mayor will call the names of speakers from the cards. In addition to receiving comment from the public during the Public Comment period, the Mayor will recognize persons from the audience who wish to address the City Council on a particular agenda item at the time that item is considered by the City Council.
There is a three-minute time limit to speak although the Mayor may shorten the time based on the number of speakers or other factors. A speaker may not yield his or her time to another speaker.
For issues raised during Public Comment that are not on the published agenda, except as otherwise provided under the Ralph M. Brown Act, no action can legally be taken. The City Council may direct that the item be referred to the City Manager for action or may schedule the item on a subsequent agenda.
G. CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters listed on the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and will be enacted by a single vote of the Council. There will be no separate discussion unless specific items are removed from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion and action. Any Councilmember may remove an item from the Consent Calendar and place it under General Business for discussion.
G.1. Waive reading and authorize introductions and/or adoption of ordinances by title only this is a standard procedural action so that the City Council does not have to read an ordinance aloud in its entirety.
G.2. Approve the City Council closed and open session meeting minutes of August 22, 2023
Staff contact: Laura McDowall, City Clerk, 899-8986
Minutes - August 22, 2023
G.3. Adopt Ordinance 1704 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)
Staff contact: Theresa Brown, Assistant City Clerk, 899-8900 Staff Report - Median Safety Ordinance Adoption
Attachment 1 - Ordinance 1704
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G.4. Adopt the City Council meeting schedule for 2024, holding a regular City Council meeting every second and fourth Tuesday with certain exceptions Staff contact: Laura McDowall, City Clerk, 899-8900
Staff Report - 2024 Council Meeting Schedule
Attachment 1 - Draft 2024 Council Meeting Schedule
Attachment 2 - Resolution 2018-006
G.5. Adopt a resolution approving the revised Joint City of Novato and Novato Fire District Emergency Operations Plan
Staff contact: Hank Schreeder, Interim Chief of Police
Staff Report - Revised Emergency Operations Plan
Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 - Revised Emergency Operations Plan
G.6. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or their designee to execute a third amendment to the lease agreement with the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art for 6 months until March 31, 2024, and to make minor corrections to the lease agreement
Staff report: Sullina Sanchez, Principal Management Analyst; 899-8900 Staff Report - MarinMOCA Lease Extension
Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 - Proposed Third Amendment to Lease
Attachment 3 - Current Lease Agreement
H. UNFINISHED AND OTHER BUSINESS
There are no agenda items.
I. PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public Hearings are announced and advertised in advance to allow interested persons to make comments for, against, or otherwise, regarding a proposed project or decision. Anyone who challenges any hearing matter in court may be limited to only those issues raised at the public hearing described therein, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.
I.1. Hold a public hearing to consider and introduce an ordinance amending Novato Municipal Code Chapter XIX (Zoning) to establish Division 19.27 specifying objective architecture standards for residential and residential mixed-use developments and associated amendments noting the applicability of Division 19.27 and finding the amendments to be exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)
Staff contact: Steve Marshall, Deputy Director of Community Development, 899- 8900
Staff Report - Objective Design Standards
Attachment 1 - Draft Ordinance
Attachment 2 - Planning Commission Resolution No. 2023-007 Presentation
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J. GENERAL BUSINESS
These items include significant and administrative actions of special interest and will usually include a staff presentation and discussion by the Council. They will be acted upon by a separate vote.
J.1. Discuss and provide direction regarding the City’s ownership and management of Marin Valley Mobile Country Club (“MVMCC”); consider establishing a City Council ad-hoc committee to work with the Park Acquisition Corporation to address the long-term fiscal sustainability of the park and authorize the City Manager to enter into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with the PAC for the PAC to purchase MVMCC (if they desire to do so) from the City; consider and adopt a resolution authorizing a rent increase at MVMCC
Staff contact: Adam McGill, City Manager, 899-8900
Staff Report - MVMCC Discussion
Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 - Delegation and Management Agreements
J.2. Consider and possibly take action to adopt the updated City Council Policy Manual with or without further amendments or provide direction to staff on further amendments
Staff contact: Gary Bell, City Attorney
Staff Report - City Council Policy Manual Update
Attachment 1 - Updated City Council Policy Manual with Redline Attachment 2 - Updated City Council Policy Manual Clean Copy K. COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND BOARDS (CCB’S) APPOINTMENTS This section is used by the City Council to make appointments to fill vacancy/vacancies on their Commissions, Committees and Boards.
L. WORK STUDY SESSION
M. ADJOURNMENT
If urgent matters arise after the publication of the regular agenda, there will be an addendum. It will be posted at the referenced locations mentioned in the Affidavit of Posting by Friday at 5:00 p.m., the week before the meeting. Materials that are submitted to members of the City Council after the distribution of the agenda packet will be made available to the public at the time it is provided to the City Council.
AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING
I, Laura McDowall, certify that on the Thursday before the Council meeting of September 26, 2023, the agenda was posted on the City Community Service Board at 922 Machin Ave in Novato, California and on the City’s website at novato.org. /Laura McDowall/
Laura McDowall, City Clerk
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