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City Council
Agenda
901 SHERMAN AVENUE
NOVATO, CA 94945
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 - 6:00 PM
Mayor
Mark Milberg
Mayor Pro Tempore
Tim O’Connor
Councilmembers
Pat Eklund
Rachel Farac
Susan Wernick
Interim City Manager
Amy Cunningham
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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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
A. CONVENE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND ROLL CALL
B. CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
C. CEREMONIAL MATTERS/PRESENTATIONS
C.1. Proclamation: Marin Humane
Proclamation: Marin Humane - Better City for Pets
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 Meeting Minutes of March 12, 2024 Staff Contact: Laura McDowall, City Clerk, 899-8986
Minutes - March 12, 2024
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G.3. Receive the 2023 Annual Progress Report of the Novato Housing Element and adopt a resolution directing staff to file the Report with the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR)
Staff contact: Steve Marshall, CDD Deputy Director, 899-8900 Staff Report - 2023 Annual Housing Progress Report
Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
G.4. Extend the City Council Marin Valley Mobile Country Club Ad Hoc Committee for up to an additional six (6) months
Staff contact: Stacey Hoggan, Management Analyst I, 899-8900 Staff Report - MVMCC Ad Hoc Committee Extension
Attachment 1 - City Council Meeting Minutes of September 26, 2023 Attachment 2 - City Council Committee Assignment List
G.5. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute a utility easement grant deed and agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for the purpose of installing, operating, and maintaining underground utility infrastructure on three city-owned parcels located at the Homeward Bound of Marin - Workforce and Veteran Housing Project, 826 State Access Road (APN 157-970-05, 157-970-06 and 157-970-07) Staff contact: Nicholas Nguyen, Director of Public Works, 899-8900 Staff Report - Homeward Bound Workforce & Veteran Housing PGE Utility Easement Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 - Draft PG&E Easement
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 possibly introduce an ordinance amending Novato Municipal Code Chapter XIX (Zoning) to allow check cashing services as an accessory use to travel agencies and grocery stores and clarifying the treatment of prohibited land uses and accessory land uses; and (2) finding the amendments exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)
Staff contact: Steve Marshall, CDD Deputy Director, 899-8900 Staff Report - Check Cashing Services & Accessory Uses
Attachment 1 - Draft Ordinance
Attachment 2 - Planning Commission Resolution No. 2024-001 Page | 4 Phone No. (415) 899-8900
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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. Receive the Building Division Organization Assessment report prepared by Baker Tilly US, LLC and direct staff to implement the report’s recommended action items to address service improvements in the areas of customer service, communication, plan review processes, organization and staffing, and the use of technology; and
Consider adopting a resolution amending the City of Novato Authorized Position Allocation Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 by adding a 1.0 FTE Senior Building Inspector (aka Plan Check Coordinator) and 1.0 FTE Management Analyst I/II, which will be funded from vacancy savings in FY23/24, and direct the Interim City Manager to take actions necessary to enact approved personnel modifications
Staff contact: Clare Hartman, Community Development Director, 899-8900 Staff Report - CDD Assessment and Personnel Modifications Attachment 1 - Marin Builders Customer Satisfaction Assessment - March 2020 Attachment 2 - Building Division Organization Assessment - March 2024 Attachment 3 - Building Division Organization Assessment Summary of Recommendations Attachment 4 - Draft Resolution
Presentation
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
There are no agenda items.
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 March 26, 2024, 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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