NOVATO CITY COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
901 SHERMAN AVENUE
NOVATO, CA 94945
March 11, 2025 – 6:00 PM
A. CONVENE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND ROLL CALL
The City Council meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m., with Mayor O’Connor leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Tim O’Connor, Councilmember Pat Eklund, Councilmember Kevin Jacobs, and Councilmember Mark Milberg COUNCIL VIA TELECONFERENCE: Mayor Pro Tempore Rachel Farac Mayor Pro Tempore Rachel Farac announced there was no one over the age of 18 present in the room with her.
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Amy Cunningham, Community Development Director Clare Hartman, Senior Planner Brett Walker, Management Analyst I Miguel Perez, City Attorney Gary Bell and City Clerk Laura McDowall B. CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
The City Council met in closed session prior to the open session; they would be returning to closed session upon adjournment of the open session.
C. CEREMONIAL MATTERS/PRESENTATIONS
C.1. Citizen of the Year and Sprit of Novato Proclamations Citizen of the Year award winner Bill Long and Spirit of Novato award winner Zachary Griggy were present to accept the proclamations.
D. APPROVAL OF THE FINAL AGENDA
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember Milberg, 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. Dale Kline
2. John Hansen
3. Dean Moser
4. Steve Plocher
5. Susan Meyer
G. CONSENT CALENDAR
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember Milberg, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to approve the Consent Calendar.
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 was a standard procedural action so that the City Council did not have to read ordinances aloud in their entirety.
G.2. Approve the closed and open session meeting minutes of February 25, 2025 The City Council approved the closed and open session meeting minutes of February 25, 2025.
G.3. Adopt ordinance 1722 approving a master plan for the Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church located on an approximately 5-acre site at 1110 Highland Drive, APNs 160-150-03 and 160-920-24
The City Council adopted Ordinance 1722.
G.4. Receive and file the 2024 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 Land Use and Climate Innovation (CLI) The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-019.
G.5. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an Amendment to an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) by and between the City of Novato and The Sherman Group for City-Owned Properties at 900 Sherman Avenue (APN: 153-063-14) and 908 Sherman Avenue (APN: 153-063-15) The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-020.
G.6. Adopt a resolution directing the City Manager to transfer permanently unclaimed funds related to deposits in trust to be retained in the amount of $213,647 to the City’s General Fund
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-021.
G.7. Receive and file the Quarter 2 Fiscal Year 2024/25 Budget Performance Report
The City Council received and filed the report.
G.8. Adopt a resolution approving updated, competitive pay ranges for the vacant Director of Public Works, Deputy Director of Public Works, and Chief Building Official classifications
The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-022.
H. UNFINISHED AND OTHER BUSINESS
There were no items listed for this section.
I. PUBLIC HEARINGS
I.1. Hold a public hearing and consider introducing an ordinance amending Chapter XIX (Zoning) of the Novato Municipal Code regarding emergency shelters, community care facilities, residential care facilities for the elderly, and alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities, and finding the amendments to be exempt from additional California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 and Section 15061(b)(3)
Senior Planner Brett Walker gave the presentation.
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 introduce the ordinance amending Chapter XIX (Zoning) of the Novato Municipal Code regarding emergency shelters, community care facilities, residential care facilities for the elderly, and alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities, and finding the amendments to be exempt from additional California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 and Section 15061(b)(3) AYES: EKLUND, JACOBS, MILBERG, FARAC, O’CONNOR
NOES: NONE
Motion carried. The City Council introduced Ordinance 1723.
J. GENERAL BUSINESS
J.1. Consider and possibly take action to adopt a resolution approving a request from Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco (HGSF) to provide grant funding not to exceed a total of $1,000,000, with $800,000 from the City’s Affordable Housing Fund (210) and $200,000 transferred from the General Fund (101) to the Affordable Housing Fund (210), to be used for payment of processing fees required for an 80-unit, affordable residential project, subject to execution of regulatory agreements ensuring affordability levels as required in the project entitlements and authorizing the City Manager to enter into any funding agreements relating thereto
Community Development Director Clare Hartman and Management Analyst I Miguel Perez gave the presentation and responded to Council questions along with Maureen Sedonaen, CEO and Sidney Stone, VP of Real Estate Development from Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Milberg and seconded by Councilmember Eklund, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to adopt the resolution approving a request from Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco (HGSF) to provide grant funding not to exceed a total of $1,000,000, with $800,000 from the City’s Affordable Housing Fund (210) and $200,000 transferred from the General Fund (101) to the Affordable Housing Fund (210), to be used for payment of processing fees required for an 80- unit, affordable residential project, subject to execution of regulatory agreements ensuring affordability levels as required in the project entitlements and authorizing the City Manager to enter into any funding agreements relating thereto
AYES: EKLUND, JACOBS, MILBERG, FARAC, O’CONNOR
NOES: NONE
Motion carried. The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-023.
J.2. Consider providing direction to staff regarding “motions to reconsider” and whether to amend the Council Policy Manual or use existing procedures to suspend the rules
City Attorney Gary Bell gave the presentation and clarified that there were two options proposed to address potential motions to reconsider; the first would be to amend the City Council policy manual and the second would be to use existing procedures to suspend the rules when a motion to reconsider is desired.
It was generally felt that the City Council Policy Manual should be updated to amend Section 3.02 to state: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Policy Manual, a Councilmember may add an agenda item to the very next meeting after a matter is decided to consider a motion to reconsider and, if the motion passes, to reconsider the matter, provided all other requirements for such motion are satisfied. The request must be sent to the City Manager by 9am on the second day after the meeting during which the matter was decided.” PUBLIC COMMENT: None
COUNCIL ACTION: Upon motion by Councilmember Eklund and seconded by Councilmember Milberg, the City Council voted 5-0 via roll call to support the first proposal where the request to reconsider must be sent to the City Manager by 9am the second day after the meeting.
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 7:39pm, the City Council adjourned the meeting in memory of Ed Schulze.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and adopted at the Novato City Council regular meeting of March 25, 2025.
/Laura McDowall/
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Laura McDowall, City Clerk