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City Council
Agenda
901 SHERMAN AVENUE
NOVATO, CA 94945
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 - 6:00 PM
Mayor
Tim O’Connor
Mayor Pro Tempore
Rachel Farac
Councilmembers
Pat Eklund
Kevin Jacobs
Mark Milberg
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: National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
C.2. Proclamation: Novato Police Department Response Recognition Novato Police Department Response Recognition
D. APPROVAL OF THE FINAL AGENDA
E. REPORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL & CITY MANAGER
E.1. Councilmember Farac Proposed Agenda Item - Economic Development and Grant Funding Initiatives
Proposed Agenda Item - Econ Dev & Grant Funding Initiatives E.2. City Council and City Manager Reports
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.
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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 closed and open session meeting minutes of March 25, 2025 Staff Contact: Laura McDowall, City Clerk, 899-8986
Minutes - March 25, 2025
G.3. Adopt a resolution approving an updated City Council Policy Manual adding procedures for “motions to reconsider”
Staff contact: Gary B. Bell, City Attorney
Staff Report - City Council Policy Manual Update
Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 - Updated City Council Policy Manual
G.4. Receive and file a letter of opposition to Senate Bill 79 (Wiener) signed by the Mayor sent in response to a League of California Cities Action Alert Staff contact: Amy Cunningham, City Manager, 899-8900
Staff Report - Letter of Opposition to SB 79
Attachment 1 - SB 79 Opposition Letter
Attachment 2 - Full text of SB 79
G.5. Adopt a resolution approving the Finance Advisory Commission’s Workplan for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2024/25
Staff contact: Carla Carvalho-DeGraff, Finance Director, 899-8215 Staff Report - FAC Annual Workplan
Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 - Finance Advisory Commission Workplan
G.6. Receive and file the City of Novato's third quarter payment register report for the month of January, February, and March 2025
Staff contact: Polo Lopez-Carrasco, Accountant II, 899-8215 Staff Report - 3rd Quarter Warrant Report
Attachment 1 - 3rd Quarter Payment Register
G.7. Adopt a resolution amending and restating Resolution 2022-093 to update the responsibilities and composition of the Housing and Homeless Committee
Staff Contact: Amy Cunningham, City Manager, 899-8900
Staff Report - Housing and Homeless Committee
Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 - Resolution 2022-093
Attachment 3 - Post Advertising CCB Recruitments
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H. UNFINISHED AND OTHER BUSINESS
There are no agenda items.
I. PUBLIC HEARINGS
There are no agenda items.
J. GENERAL BUSINESS
There are no agenda items.
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
L.1. Receive information and provide recommendations on the Fiscal Year 2025/26 operating budget and capital improvement program Staff contact: Carla Carvalho-DeGraff, Finance Director, 899-8900 Staff Report - Operating Budget & CIP Study Session
Attachment 1 - 2023-2025 Strategic Plan
Attachment 2 - Budget Planning Community Survey
Attachment 3 - Community Budget Priorities Survey Results Presentation
M. ADJOURNMENT
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 April 8, 2025, 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