NOVATO CITY COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
901 SHERMAN AVENUE
NOVATO, CA 94945
January 14, 2025 – 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 O’Connor leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Tim O’Connor, Mayor Pro Tempore Rachel Farac, Councilmember Pat Eklund, Councilmember Kevin Jacobs, and Councilmember Mark Milberg
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Amy Cunningham, Deputy Community Development Director Steve Marshall, Senior Planner Vivek Damodaran, City Attorney Gary Bell and City Clerk Laura McDowall
B. CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
The City Attorney announced that the Council met in Closed Session prior to the open session and unanimously authorized initiation of litigation for three cases.
C. CEREMONIAL MATTERS/PRESENTATIONS
C.1. Retirement of Police K-9 Rookie and Introduction of new Police K-9 Koda The City Council recognized Officer Angel Macias and Police K-9 Rookie.
D. APPROVAL OF THE FINAL AGENDA
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Farac, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to approve the Final Agenda.
AYES: EKLUND, JACOBS, MILBERG, FARAC, O’CONNOR
NOES: NONE
Motion carried.
E. REPORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL & CITY MANAGER
City Manager Cunningham reported on various City matters and the City Council gave reports on meetings and events they had attended.
F. PUBLIC COMMENT
1. Robbie Powelson
2. Lauren Vreeland-Long
3. Pat Langley
4. Sean Fisher
5. Tara Evans
6. Heidi
7. Sara McEvoy
8. Dean Moser
9. Jason Sarris
10. Sarah Sorensen
11. Salamah Locks
12. Arthur Bruce
13. Sam Melito
14. John Sandfort
15. Jessica Page-Schneider
16. Bambi Klyse
G. CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Pro Tem O’Connor announced that he would be recusing himself from item G.7 due to the project’s proximity to real property that he owned.
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Jacobs and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Farac, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to approve the Consent Calendar with Mayor O’Connor recused from item G.7.
AYES: EKLUND, JACOBS, MILBERG, FARAC, O’CONNOR
NOES: NONE
Motion carried.
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 closed and open session City Council Meeting Minutes of December 3, 2024
The City Council approved the closed and open session minutes of December 3, 2024.
G.3. Approve the City Council Special Meeting Minutes of December 9, 2024 The City Council approved the special meeting minutes of December 9, 2024.
G.4. Adopt ordinance 1719 repealing Section 14-20.8 and Amending Section 7-
11.3 of the Novato Municipal Code Regarding Unlawful Camping; and finding the ordinance exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) The City Council adopted Ordinance 1719.
G.5. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or their designee to execute an agreement with Burke, Williams, and Sorensen LLP in an amount not to exceed $100,000 to provide professional services related to labor negotiations and collective bargaining agreement services for upcoming negotiations
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-001.
G.6. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or their designee to enter into a $311,250 Funding Agreement and sign all necessary documents between the City of Novato (City) and the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (District) for completing the 100% engineering design and environmental permitting of the Olive Avenue large full trash capture device project as part of MS4 Permit Trash Capture Devices, CIP 24- 003
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-002.
G.7. Adopt a resolution awarding the construction contract for the removal and replacement of the existing wooden streetlight poles in the Bahia neighborhood, CIP #23-003, for the base bid of in the amount of $365,900 to DC Electric Group, Inc. as the lowest responsible bidder, and authorize the City Manager to execute the construction contract
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-003.
G.8. Adopt a resolution formally updating the responsibilities of the Finance Advisory Commission to include its additional role as the oversight committee for revenues generated by Measure M, as required by Ordinance 1717, Section 16-7.14
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-004.
G.9. Receive and File Fiscal Year 2022/2023 Measure F Report The City Council received and filed the report.
G.10. Receive and file the City of Novato's second quarter payment register report for the month of October, November, and December 2024
The City Council received and filed the report.
H. UNFINISHED AND OTHER BUSINESS
There were no items listed for this section.
I. PUBLIC HEARINGS
I.1. Conduct a public hearing and introduce an ordinance:
A. Amending Novato Municipal Code Section 19.34.030 (Accessory Dwelling Units) to: 1) incorporate recent revisions to State law addressing accessory dwelling units (“ADU” and “ADUs”; 2) modify permitting requirements for certain types of ADUs; and, 3) modify existing and add new text to clarify various standards and regulations applicable to ADUs;
B. Amending Novato Municipal Code Section 19.34.032 (Junior Accessor Dwelling Units) to incorporate recent revisions to State law addressing the regulation of junior accessory dwelling units (“JADU” and “JADUs”); and
C. Finding the referenced amendments to be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15282(h) and Public Resources Code Section 21080.17 Senior Planner Vivek Damodaran presented the item and responded to Council questions along with Community Development Department Deputy Director Steve Marshall.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None.
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Mayor Pro Tem Farac and seconded by Councilmember Milberg, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to introduce the ordinance.
AYES: EKLUND, JACOBS, MILBERG, FARAC, O’CONNOR
NOES: NONE
Motion carried. The City Council introduced Ordinance No. 1721.
The City Council took a brief recess from 7:18 p.m. to 7:24 p.m.
J. GENERAL BUSINESS
J.1. Consider, review, assign, and/or reassign City Council members to serve on various regional, state and local commissions, committees and boards City Clerk Laura McDowall opened the item, and the City Council made the following changes to their appointments on various regional, state and local commissions, committees and boards:
Councilmember Jacobs: Regular Member: Marin Clean Energy Board of Directors, Marin Emergency Radio Authority
Governing Board
Alternate Member: Sea Level Rise Governance
Steering Committee, BayWAVE Executive Steering
Committee
Councilmember Milberg: Regular Member: Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Board of Commissioners, Sonoma/Marin Area
Rail Transit Board of Directors, Marin County Council
of Mayors and Councilmembers Homeless
Policymakers Committee Ad Hoc Committee
Alternat Member: Marin County Council of Mayors
and Councilmembers Legislative Committee
Mayor Pro Tem Farac: Alternate: Community Development Agency Countywide Priority Setting Committee
(CDBG/HOME Grants) and Transportation Authority
of Marin (TAM) Board of Commissioners
Mayor O’Connor Alternate: Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers Homeless Policymakers Committee
Ad Hoc Committee
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember Jacobs, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to approve the appointments.
AYES: EKLUND, JACOBS, MILBERG, FARAC, O’CONNOR
NOES: NONE
Motion carried.
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 7:37 p.m., the City Council adjourned the meeting in memory of Jimmy Carter and Joe Garbarino, Jr.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and adopted at the Novato City Council regular meeting of February 11, 2025.
/Laura McDowall/
___________________
Laura McDowall, City Clerk