CITY OF PACIFICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
Council Chambers
2212 Beach Blvd
Pacifica, CA 94044
Mayor Mary Bier
Mayor Pro Tem Tygarjas Bigstyck
Councilmember Mike O'Neill
Councilmember Sue Vaterlaus
Councilmember Sue Beckmeyer
City Council Regular Meeting 1 December 12, 2022
SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETING
December 12, 2022 (MONDAY)
www.cityofpacifica.org
Mayor Mary Bier called the meeting to order on December 12, 2022 at 5:30 PM 5:30 PM - CLOSED SESSION
00a. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR. Pursuant to Government Code section 54956.8. Property: 1220 Linda Mar Boulevard, Pacifica (APN 023-281-130). Agency negotiator: Kevin Woodhouse, City Manager. Negotiating parties: City of Pacifica and Art Guild of Pacifica. Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment of lease. 6:00 PM - OPEN SESSION - SPECIAL MEETING
Mayor Bier called the open session special meeting to order at 6:12 p.m.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
A. Proclamation - In Recognition of Kevin Mullin, California State Assemblymember Mayor Bier read a proclamation in recognition of Mr. Kevin Mullin.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck stated that Mr. Mullin spent his career being a friend to Pacifica, noting that and thanking him accordingly. He acknowledged that Mr. Mullin worked tirelessly cultivating the spirit of democracy in California, which he will bring to Washington, DC, to strive to protect it nationwide. He mentioned spending personal time with Mr. Mullin discussing the greater gravity of rising to a national level representative and he is grateful that someone filled with thought will be one of the people casting votes to make decisions that are remarkably difficult for anyone to have to make. He could not think of another person who is more deserving of making such decisions. He stated, while he appreciated Anna Eshoo, he was mildly annoyed that he won’t be able to vote for Mr. Mullin any time soon due to redistricting, but Mr. Mullin has remained open to his voice and the voice of our community and he asked that Mr. Mullin continue to remember us as he moves forward in his career and he is sure he will do amazing things.
Commissioner Vaterlaus stated that she has known Mr. Mullin for many years and always appreciated how he was willing to listen to everything they have to say. She is sorry that he won’t be representing us, and while she also appreciated Anna Eshoo, she was sorry they redistricted but they will still have a relationship. She thanked him for everything he has done for Pacifica. She referred to when his dad was running and stated that she has seen him City Council Regular Meeting 2 December 12, 2022
forever and she thanked him.
Councilmember O’Neill stated that the Mullin family represented North County and supported Pacifica for decades. He stated that he always ran into Mr. Mullin’s father at different places and he was always near to his heart. Now Mr. Mullin is going on an adventure with two preschoolers, going to Washington and living coast to coast. He was sure Mr. Mullin’s kids were similar to his in that they watch videos and memorize it. He referred to his kids liking a song about friends, one is silver, one is gold, and he considers Mr. Mullin their gold friend in Washington and Anna Eshoo will be their silver friend in Washington to help Pacifica through the capital and what we need now. He thanked Mr. Mullin for taking on this challenge. He stated that Mr. Mullin was in the majority in Sacramento and definitely in the majority in Washington. He wished Mr. Mullin the best of luck for the rest of San Mateo County that is fortunate to have him as their rep. He thanked Mr. Mullin’s wife and children as well.
Councilmember Beckmeyer thanked Mr. Mullin for what he has done for her personally to get her to this point. She remembers asking him specific questions trying to imagine herself in that chair and trying to understand how all the pieces fit together. She has learned from him the value of integrity, being true to your word, straight and following through. She stated that is what he will bring with him to Washington and represent us all so well. While she is sad that they aren’t going to have him here, she knows he is ready for this. As a freshman congressman, he knows how to build relationships and she has no doubt that he will blast off when he gets to Washington. She remembers about a year ago when they were talking about redistricting and he explained to her that it was happening and she recognized that it doesn’t matter because we have him anyway. She referred to the relationships with Jackie Speier, and Anna Eshoo, and stated that they are all a team and representing San Mateo County, and they will have his expertise in Washington. She was looking forward to working with him as they move forward.
Mr. Mullin is deeply grateful for such generous words. He stated that it has been an honor representing Pacifica for the past decade. He stated that he was surprised and moved that we would take time on a special day to say those kind words and honor him on his way out the door. He stated that we are in outstanding hands with Anna Eshoo as our congresswoman.
He was consulting with her about a vote they were having in changes to caucus rules and was getting her advice on some things and she has three decades of knowledge and experience that she is sharing with him and reiterated that we are in good hands. He stated that this is a special community, unlike any other in San Mateo County, with breathtaking views and distinctive characters in each neighborhood. He has a lot of history working in this community and he has always been taken by Pacifica. Shortly after he took office ten years ago, he scheduled a tour of the assembly district for his capital staff and the first place they visited was Pacifica, specifically Nick’s at Rockaway Beach, to give them a feel for what Pacifica was about and the beautiful coast we have. He enjoyed hosting neighborhood coffees at local venues. He stated that Pacifica has weathered literal storms over the past decade and he was pleased to offer assistance with various storm damage repairs and infrastructure projects, especially proud of the $7.75 million from the state budget to assist with the Esplanade Infrastructure Preservation Project to prevent ongoing cliff erosion. There is much more to come on that front. He shared with his staff on that trip a little bit about the real independent political streak that Pacificans have that he has always admired, and democracy feels alive and well here in Pacifica. He referred to the challenge of climate change that Pacifica is dealing with front and center, and there is so much work to do in addressing the coastal district. He stated that firsthand knowledge was helpful in advocating for the funds in the state budget. He is deeply disappointed that Pacifica is not in the 15th Congressional District which he will be representing City Council Regular Meeting 3 December 12, 2022
as of January 3, but the coastal issues will continue to be in the forefront as he takes on a new role and natural resources issues will be in his portfolio and he will be working with the Congresswoman on this side of the hill to advocate for Pacifica. He stated that Assemblymember Mark Berman is another champion of democracy in voting issues and a real leader on environmental issues and he will be proud to represent Pacifica. Mr. Mullin will miss participating in the Fog Fest, especially now that his boys enjoy riding in parades, but he will look for an opportunity down the road to bring them over and pay a visit. He will be a constant visitor with his wife and he will continue to be what he does to find a sense of peace, comfort, purpose, solace in this community. He looks forward to the redistricting process in ten years when Pacifica is added to his district. He stated that he wanted to introduce Mario Rendon, a coastal resident, as he is his district director and always has his eyes and ears open for opportunities to help Pacifica and has been his No. 1 confidant and will continue to be his district director serving San Mateo County. He has been inundated with so many kind messages and he sees Horace Hinshaw who is one of his favorite people. He thanked him for his kindness and message and all he does for this community. He thanked them all and wished them a productive evening and week as they go through their reorganization activities. He asked that they consider him a lifelong friend of Pacifica and is grateful for their kindness.
Mayor Bier opened public comments.
Cindy Abbott, Pacifica, thanked him for everything he has done for democracy, as well as the community. She also thanked him from Sanchez Art Center where he was one of their champions for art by funding the California Arts Council from which Sanchez Art Center has received many grants for their program at Sunset Ridge. She also appreciated the local focus he has done to share the artwork of local coastside artists in Pacifica in their offices in Sacramento.
Horace Hinshaw, Pacifica, thanked him for all the times he has called his office. He stated that they are a great family and he appreciates knowing them. He shared a positive situation during a previous Fog Fest parade when his wife appreciated his kindness in talking to her.
Mayor Bier closed public comments.
7:00 PM OPEN SESSION - REGULAR MEETING
Call to Order
Mayor Bier reconvened the regular meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Mary Bier Mayor Present
Tygarjas Bigstyck Mayor Pro Tem Present
Mike O'Neill Councilmember Present
Sue Vaterlaus Councilmember Present
Sue Beckmeyer Councilmember Present
City Clerk Coffey took a verbal roll call.
City Council Regular Meeting 4 December 12, 2022
Staff Present: Kevin Woodhouse, City Manager; Denise Bazzano, Asst. City Attorney; Lisa Petersen, PW Director; Yulia Carter, Asst. City Manager; Christian Murdock, Planning Director; Lawrence Henriquez, Assoc. Civil Engineer; Bob Palacio, incoming PB&R Director; Michael Perez, outgoing PB&R Director; Tommy Yu, IT Manager; Sarah Coffey, City Clerk, Emily La, Dep. City Clerk.
Reading of Land Acknowledgment
Mayor Bier read the Land Acknowledgment.
Salute to the Flag led by Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck
Closed Session Report
Asst. City Attorney Bazzano stated there was no reportable action.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
B. Proclamation - In Recognition of Tom Piccolotti, North Coast County Water District Board Member
Mayor Bier stated that Tom Piccolotti could not be present due to a board meeting, and then read a proclamation in recognition of Tom Piccolotti, North Coast County Water District Board President.
C. Announcement / Introduction of New City Employees
Mayor Bier stated that City Manager Woodhouse will introduce new city employees.
City Manager Woodhouse gave brief background information and a presentation on new employees who were present.
Bob Palacio, Incoming PB&R Director, stated that this was his first day, and he was grateful for the opportunity to serve people of Pacifica.
Mayor Bier stated that they are happy seeing all the new employees present and thanked them for choosing Pacifica.
City Manager Woodhouse then introduced new employees who were not able to be present.
Mayor Bier referred to all the new employees, pointing out those were all positions that were not filled before.
Councilmember O’Neill thanked them for joining the city.
Mayor Bier opened up public comments and, seeing no one, closed public comments.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Bier opened up public comments and, seeing no one, closed public comments.
City Council Regular Meeting 5 December 12, 2022
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Mike O'Neill, Councilmember
SECONDER: Sue Vaterlaus, Councilmember
AYES: Bier, Bigstyck, O'Neill, Vaterlaus, Beckmeyer
1. Approval of Disbursements for Dated 10/16/22 through 10/31/22.
PROPOSED ACTION: Move to approve attached lists of disbursements for 10/16/22 through 10/31/22.
2. Approval of Minutes
PROPOSED ACTION: Move to approve the minutes of the City Council Meeting held on November 28, 2022.
3. Continuation of Proclamation of Local Emergency of the Pacifica Coastline from Westline Drive to the End of Beach Boulevard.
PROPOSED ACTION: Accept report and make a determination that conditions of local emergency continue to exist within the Pacifica Coastline from Westline Drive to the end of Beach Boulevard.
4. Continuation of Proclamation of Local Emergency at the Anza Pump Station.
PROPOSED ACTION: Accept Report and Make a Determination that Conditions of Local Emergency Continue to Exist at the Anza Pump Station at the Pacifica State Beach.
5. Continuation of Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency Regarding Novel (new) Coronavirus ("COVID-19”).
PROPOSED ACTION: Accept report and make a determination that conditions of local emergency continue to exist regarding Novel (new) Coronavirus ("COVID-19”).
6. Consideration of a Resolution Making Findings as Required by AB 361 to Continue to Permit the City Council and City Commissions and Committees to Conduct Teleconferenced Meetings Due to Health and Safety Concerns Relating to COVID-19 PROPOSED ACTION: Move to adopt a Resolution making findings pursuant to AB 361 to authorize the City Council and City Commissions and Committees to conduct teleconferenced meetings due to health and safety concerns relating to COVID-19.
7. Quarterly Financial Report for the Quarter ending September 30, 2022.
PROPOSED ACTION: Review and accept the Quarterly Financial Report for the Quarter ending September 30, 2022.
8. Adoption of a resolution of the City Council of the City of Pacifica to enter into an agreement with the California Department of Education and the California Department of Social Services for the purpose of providing Child Care and development services and to authorize the designated personnel to sign contract documents for fiscal year 2023-24, the Continued Funding Application, and all related contract documents.
PROPOSED ACTION: Adopt a Resolution entitled "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pacifica Approving an Agreement with the California Department of Education and the California Department of Social Services for the Purpose of Providing Child Care City Council Regular Meeting 6 December 12, 2022
and Development Services and to authorize the Designated Personnel to Sign Contract Documents for Fiscal Years 2023-24.”
9. 2021-2022 Mitigation Fee Act Development Fee Review
PROPOSED ACTION: Adopt a resolution entitled "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pacifica Approving 2021-2022 Mitigation Fee Act Annual Report of Development Fees June 30, 2022.
10. Letter to the Governor Regarding Net Energy Metering 3.0 PROPOSED ACTION: Authorize the Mayor to send a letter to Governor Newsom expressing concerns about the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Net Energy Metering (NEM) proposal.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Anita Rees, Pacifica Resource Center, provided an update on their Thanksgiving donations and Christmas program, as well as hiring/recruitment, and stated the tax season starts for them on January 28. She reported on the safe parking program and where those people lived prior to their present situation and how they became unhoused.
Nina Phillips, HIP Housing, thanked the Mayor and Pacificans for their support of organization and affordable housing solutions. She gave them HIP Housing’s 2023 calendar, described the calendar’s art work, and briefly explained the HIP Housing program.
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
Councilmember Vaterlaus stated she went to the Fog Fest distribution where they gave the checks to the community and each group got $2,200 per segment. She attended an electrification meeting, Beach Coalition’s 25th anniversary, the labor lunch, the City Tree lighting and the Elf Market. She went to the castle with the Historical Society. She tried to go to Holly Jolly-Palooza but it was packed and she couldn’t get it. Rockaway Tree lighting was a success and the kids had a great time even though it rained in the middle of it. She attended a leadership conference and met a reporter regarding short-term rentals who had a lot of interesting additional information about short-term rentals. She attended Mike Perez’s retirement and the CCAG’s legislative, which was fascinating as they don’t have any legislative items yet, and the regular meeting where they gave presentations. She stated that the Recovery Coordination Council is still happening and there are a lot more cases of COVID-19 as well as RSV. She stated the most interesting she learned was that they have learned a lot from sewage and finding additional diseases they can find out through sewage and they would never have done that without Covid. She worked at the PCT table TV auction. She attended the Sanchez Art Center ‘s arts and craft show.
Councilmember O’Neill attended the same events, such as the tree lighting ceremony and the parade on Palmetto. He stated that a couple of notable figures passed away this week in Pacifica, Fr. Lahey who was the former pastor of Good Shepherd, and an elected school board official, Jerry Trecroci. He stated that Fr. Lahey was a nice guy and walked with his dog all over the hills of Pacifica. Councilmember O’Neill attended the Airport Roundtable and they have implemented a new kind of reporting that will be sent out. He stated that the public will be able to see report specific flights and airlines to be specified in the report. He attended the PCT City Council Regular Meeting 7 December 12, 2022
auction which raised over $4,000, excluding their ongoing online auction.
Councilmember Beckmeyer stated she didn’t have many meetings. She thought the tree lighting in Rockaway was very festive with a long line for Santa and she was most taken by was the Holly Jolly-Palooza as the amount of people who turned out made it clear that the community was ready to reengage with each other and at the same time they are hearing about increasing COVID-19 rates, as well as RSV and flu circulating. She stated it was important to test, wear a mask indoors when around a lot of people and stay healthy. She stated that, despite the rain, people were dancing in the streets and it was fun and well-executed. She attended one meeting of the Coastal Cities group sea level rise planning group and looking at anticipatory meetings preparing for the January 27 meeting in Santa Barbara. They are working with small groups and interviewing key stakeholders in advance to help shape the agenda for that night. She sat in on two meetings last week and one more this week, meeting with Don Schmidt and two others from Smart Coast which was a productive meeting and was interesting to hear their perspectives and she was looking forward to some data they are bringing forward from a study, mentioning some of the details regarding the impacts of sea rise and coastal erosion. They will be looking at the key issues they are addressing. She met with Dr. Charles Lester, who is the former executive director of the Coastal Commission, and is presently a professor at UC Santa Barbara, and probably be presenting part of the agenda on the 27th. She stated that he looked at things from a big perspective and he brings a wealth of on the ground experience and understands the Coastal Commission is trying to make policy decisions for the entire coast of California and he recognizes the concerns and interests that individuals have regarding what will happen with their property and their worries regarding how policy will be developed and implemented. She stressed the importance of how they address these issues and she will share future information with them.
Councilmember O’Neill referred to the study she mentioned, and he thought there was a concern that, with the data broken down to the parcels, they could start getting back into a redlining format regarding housing. He thought there needs to be caution regarding privacy rights as if the extrapolate that, some hazards can be mitigated through engineering measures, but are they going to be charged a higher interest rate, insurance premium, and he asked if the fair plan will have to be sorted out to cover sea level rise and flooding or will that be left to FEMA. He would be concerned about a form of redlining that could be developed by the insurance and bank lending industries of it breaks down into parcels, as they are already seeing that with fire danger.
Councilmember Beckmeyer stated she will bring that forward. She asked that they share any other thoughts on those kind of things.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck mentioned Ukraine is still on his mind. He met with some of the candidates for city selection from councilmembers of municipalities around us. He had the opportunity of meeting with Cub Scout Pack 216, a group of fifth graders, who were working on their building a better world badge and answered some questions from them. He wanted to say hello to several members of the pack and thanked them for inviting him to spend some time with them. He stated that the Beach Coalition held their 25th anniversary party and was happy to attend that with Councilmember Vaterlaus. He stated that our new county supervisor, Ray Mueller, was also in attendance and he was happy to see that he was participating robustly after the votes had been counted and showing that he is a partner going forward. He had the opportunity to meet with Marlena Sessions from Novaworks, which is a job training and job placement service that is funded primarily through the federal government and foundation support. He stated that they have various workshops and one of their members, Kim Pham, City Council Regular Meeting 8 December 12, 2022
shows up at the Sharp Park Library on Wednesdays and, if you are trying to figure out your next career step or they know someone who needs help figuring out their next step, it could be as simple as just showing up at the Sharp Park Library on Wednesday. He attended the tree lighting with fellow councilmembers and he had the opportunity to attend the labor council lunch.
He stated that one of his constituents wanted him to let people know that she is quite proud of the holiday lights they have at 35 Humboldt Court as they go on about 5:30 and go off at 10 pm, and on the weekends, the neighbors have hot chocolate and cookies and are willing to share.
He thanked the Public Works department with all they did in helping with the storms over the weekend. He stated that Ryan Marquez is the employee of the quarter from PW Department and he would appreciate staff elaborating on that.
Councilmember Vaterlaus shared that on Saturday, 17th, from 12-5 pm, Merry Manor art walk is having their second annual market and to bring your own mug for refreshments. They have a map with 13 houses you can visit where each crafts person has their artwork for sale.
Mayor Bier went to the building lighting and the Elf Market at the Community Center which was wonderful to see all those young people singing. She was behind them looking at all the parents watching their kids and everyone was so happy. She talked to the vendors in the Elf Market. Holly Jolly in Eureka Square was off the hook. It was a great event and she hopes they continue it as there were so many happy people there. She got to be the elf with Santa at the Rockaway tree lighting. She thanked everyone who worked on those events. She attended the surprise party for Mike Perez as the outgoing director of PB&R. She attended the Coast Pride board meeting where they talked about the pride events in Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, and Pescadero. She attended the PCT auction where she got to work with Jonathan Markham and Cheryl, and the girl scout troop that was there for about two hours answering the phones. She thanked them. She attended the Cal Cities peninsula division executive committee retreat where they are planning their 3-4 events they will be having over the next year focusing on housing elements, economic development, and discussions about the Brown Act with regional meetings. She thought it was good to know those from Santa Clara County and San Mateo County coming together to work on these things. She wanted to give an update on the Pacifica Collaborative, as she was proud that they have agreed to come together to respond to the acts of hate in our community. They had a planning meeting, the Pacifica collaborative meeting where they have three work groups, one working on events, another researching best practices from other communities, and a media and messaging group. She was happy to have a wonderful group of people who are willing to step up and take leadership. She thanked the collaborative. She attended the Fog Fest distribution and looked forward to the Merry Manor this weekend. She stated that the Pacifica Hotrods have their holiday toy run this Friday in the Park Mall.
STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
City Manager Woodhouse mentioned that they have the information on the social media and the website on the upcoming holiday closure starting Friday, 23rd, through Monday, 2nd. He stated that the Transit Authority officially approved our two project applications totaling $783,504 for the 2022 bike ped program and $583,000 for the Esplanade/Palmetto project and $200,000 related to school crossings which are significant grant awards. In addition to those grants, they just finished an effort to apply for the next round of the building resilient infrastructure and communities federal grant for our Beach Boulevard infrastructure resiliency project which is a significant grant undertaking to put it together; they learned and got lots of feedback from Cal OES and FEMA about last year’s application to improve upon for this year’s cycle. Ryan Marquez did the bulk of the work on that with our consultants. He then referred to his City Council Regular Meeting 9 December 12, 2022
recognition as the Public Works Employee of the 4th Quarter of 2022 and read Mr. Marquez’ accomplishments since being hired.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck asked if he or PW Director Lisa Petersen could talk a little bit on the work Public Works did on the storms this weekend.
City Manager Woodhouse stated that they were proactive in reaching out to Caltrans prior to the storm and they were working on the area underneath the Manor Overcrossing but there was still some flooding there so they will continue working with Caltrans on that. Public Works did respond and cleared grates during the storm.
PW Director Petersen stated when they do the Manor Overcrossing, they will be looking at all the infrastructure in that area as well as the storm drainage. They have been in constant contact with Caltrans regarding the flooding that has been happening under the overcrossing.
Last week they sent crews to check a couple of the storm drains that are north of the location that floods underneath the overcrossing and cleared them out. They had discussions today and she showed them pictures of what happened over the weekend; they said they are on it and showed her pictures of locations they felt were having some clogging issues that they were going to be clearing and felt the issue was going to get better after they took care of that. She stated that they are on it and have been extremely responsive and they will continue working with them on that issue. She stated that, related to the storm response this weekend, PW was out there doing what they do. She stated that they are a great staff and they were out there all night long. She stated that the Anza pump station is all manual and that is going to eventually be something that they will have automated but not currently so someone has to be there all night. They had a team of eight people on Saturday clearing drains, etc., and the Police helped shut down the freeway so they could get in the Caltrans right-of-way and clear that storm drain under the Manor Overcrossing and it was a team effort. She stated that at wastewater, they took care of the Linda Mar pump station and made sure the wastewater plant continued to run so they were out there in full force.
Councilmember O’Neill asked if we have used the retention basin yet.
PW Director Petersen stated there was no use of the retention basin and that was a good thing.
They had a lot of staff on the ground and the rangers were out there as well.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck didn’t think it was always the most obvious thing to an average citizen to know how much work PW does do in these sorts of circumstances to keep our community safe. He thanked her for highlighting how much work they do under storm conditions.
PUBLIC HEARINGS - NONE.
CONSIDERATION
11. 2022 Storm Drainage Master Plan
PROPOSED ACTION: Move to Adopt the Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pacifica adopting the City of Pacifica 2022 Storm Drainage Master Plan.
PW Director Petersen stated that she is joined by Assoc. Civil Engineer Henriquez who manages this project and Carollo Engineers consultant Ryan Orgill will be providing the presentation, as well as Paul Freelander who will help answer questions. She then began the City Council Regular Meeting 10 December 12, 2022
presentation of the staff report. She then passed it over to the consultant.
Consultant Ryan Orgill presented the staff report.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck referred to his mention of the need for a design for the project to stand a chance of using a funding route.
Consultant Orgill stated that would definitely put them in a much better position, considering the fact that they are not a disadvantaged community.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck asked, between passing this plan and having some level of design created, what sort of time and/or money is going to go into getting that design and then get funded for one of these projects.
PW Director Petersen stated that they should keep in mind that the city has been applying for grant funding for some of these storm drain projects, i.e., lower Linda Mar one was applied for in the 2012 master plan with an effort to try to get some funding. She stated we currently have a notice of intent filed and pending review for the hazard mitigation grant program or FEMA and is for the lower Linda Mar area. She stated that we have a conceptual design put together for that.
She agrees with what Mr. Orgill said, i.e., if you have a shovel ready project and they won’t have to wait for environmental which has been completed and those projects are often prioritized because they are projects where they don’t have to wait and find out if they have issues for environmental clearance, etc. These are large projects and they are talking about a significant amount of money for a complete design on them with a significant amount of time to get them completed. She stated that, for a total design, they are probably looking at a year and hundreds of thousands of dollars for the design itself because these are multi-million dollar projects. She stated that they are moving in the right direction and continue to put the effort out there. She stated that they do have California Consulting who is a group that looks specifically for grant funding and they were talking with them today about other possible opportunities. She stated that they will keep searching and one thing it says in the report is that so many of the grants go to a lot of disadvantaged communities, and that makes the one that do not go to those much more competitive. That’s where we are now and she wished she could give them better news.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck stated that he wanted to have a robust understanding. Given that ten years have passed and they haven’t been able to address the Linda Mar project, and wanting to get anything done in that direction, he thought she was telling him that we need a design. He asked if the next step would be putting the design phase onto the CIP list for the coming of that five-year cycle if not sooner.
PW Director Petersen thought, during Council’s goal setting session, they could discuss if this is an area they would like to advance, to front load the lower Linda Mar project, to put that funding in place to get the design completed, and that would be up to Council to determine how they want the priorities moving forward.
Councilmember O’Neill asked, with the majority of all these creeks empty into the ocean, if they will all have to go to the Coastal Commission for approval.
PW Director Petersen stated that the areas within the Coastal Commission’s jurisdiction will have to go through the CDP process but for those that are outside of it, they have other environmental agencies that we go through and ultimately have to get approval for but it would not be the Coastal Commission.
City Council Regular Meeting 11 December 12, 2022
Councilmember O’Neill stated that, on looking at the map, he thought all these projects look like they are going to go to the Coastal Commission.
PW Director Petersen confirmed if they are not doing actual infrastructural work within those areas, they wouldn’t need to get the CDP. The minute they cross Highway One, they would then start having to look at getting Coastal Commission permitting and there is a portion of the lower Linda Mar project that does have a connection in that location and that area would require the Coastal Commission to look at that.
Councilmember O’Neill stated that, previously, the City Manager has mentioned the frustration that public projects aren’t expedited at the Coastal Commission at all; at one point, he mentioned we were three years into getting the Anza pump or Linda Mar pump station’s Coastal Commission permission.
City Manager Woodhouse stated that the Anza pump station project is underway. He thinks each of these projects have slightly different circumstances, the Anza pump station project being an emergency project due to the fire. The Beach Boulevard Infrastructure Resiliency project might be an example of a complex project, and the work with the Coastal Commission will take a long time, and all the projects take a long time for design and then seeking the funding and construction. He stated that they need to build in early into the process consultation with the Coastal Commission.
Councilmember O’Neill understood and wanted to be sure he was correct.
Councilmember Beckmeyer stated that her questions were along the same line as Councilmember O’Neill, specifically wondering about the Monterey Road project and Nelson Avenue: It looks like there are two options of putting in the new storm drain line down Monterey Road or redirecting to Big Inch Creek.
Consultant Orgill explained that those two projects serve the same purpose. He also stated that, in terms of the master plan at this level of detail, he didn’t think they would be recommending a specific alternative over the other. They would carry them forward to be studied further when they actually go to the design level on their advantage and disadvantage.
He answered further questions posed by Councilmember Beckmeyer about the issue of regulatory agencies, environmental impact, etc.
Councilmember Beckmeyer thought her next question was for Director Petersen, specifically to her knowledge, is there any possibility of funding through CCAG or the county in terms of the study to get to the 10% or the 30% readiness level.
PW Director Petersen said that they continue to look for these grant fundings. She stated that it was one of the great things about having California Consulting as they steered them towards a possible couple of additional grants they weren’t aware of. She stated that it wasn’t anything on their radar now but they continue to look and have our grant consultant help and do the research on that.
Mayor Bier stated she had a question about Rockaway. She stated she said it was important for us to make sure that we did the work around the same time they are doing the sewer project, and she asked if she understood that correctly.
City Council Regular Meeting 12 December 12, 2022
Consultant Orgill confirmed that there would be some cost savings by doing the projects at the same time.
Mayor Bier asked if we have a way of being in contact with the people who are going to do that work and be able to partner and have an open line of communication.
PW Director Petersen agreed that they have somebody on our staff, Nelson Slater, who is actually doing that work. She stated that we have already been in touch with him and he actually helped with Carollo in showing them the location where the sewer upgrades were going and they have been coordinating with wastewater on that.
Councilmember Beckmeyer referred to collaborating our sewer line and storm drain line, and asked if they can work in paving the road.
PW Director Peterson stated one of the things they will definitely be doing with that project, if they are cutting up the road substantially, they would also be looking at doing some sort of rehabilitation to the pavement in that area and that was the combination idea that there are a lot of issues out there and wrapping them into one project and taking care of all those issues at one time.
There were no public comments.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck moved to adopt the Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pacifica adopting the City of Pacifica 2022 Storm Drainage Master Plan; seconded by Councilmember O’Neill.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Tygarjas Bigstyck, Mayor Pro Tem
SECONDER: Mike O'Neill, Councilmember
AYES: Bier, Bigstyck, O'Neill, Vaterlaus, Beckmeyer
12. Public-Private Partnership Feasibility Analysis Next Steps PROPOSED ACTION: Hear a presentation on the results of a conceptual public-private partnership feasibility analysis involving the City’s corporation yard on Milagra Avenue and the Pacifica School District’s administrative offices on Reina del Mar Avenue, and provide direction to the City Manager about next steps.
City Manager Woodhouse stated that Asst. City Manager Carter and Willdan Financial Services consultant James Edison were here to help with the presentation, and he introduced the staff report.
Consultant Edison presented the staff report.
Councilmember Vaterlaus referred to one item in the report that said this hasn’t been discussed this with the school district yet and she thought that was a big factor, and asked if they have any input on this now.
Consultant Edison stated that they were involved in the meetings and they gave them information and they are aware of it. He thought their general attitude was that they were open to it and thought it was a generally a good idea and made sense. He thought they shared the concern about the access to the district site and they seemed to like the idea of the district City Council Regular Meeting 13 December 12, 2022
offices being in that location and appealed to them. He thought they were open to cooperating with the city which makes a lot of sense. They agreed that there are a lot of details to work out.
City Manager Woodhouse added that, in the early discussions about this, there were two trustees from the school district who were involved in the conversations along with Councilmember O’Neill and Mayor Bier as well as the superintendent from the school district and himself. He stated that in the report, whatever the Council direction is regarding the next steps, he recommended that it be contingent on the Pacifica School District’s superintendent getting direction from her board that they’re interested in this next step.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck thought there have been certain public/private partnership projects brought to Council’s attention that took upwards of ten years and when they say 2-3 years, within that context, he didn’t think it looks like the longest time frame. He asked staff’s perspective earlier in terms of parking and the Calera Creek on the other property, appreciating all the studies being recommending would actually tell them at the end of the day how they would adjust. He wanted a high level overview of what possible parking approaches might be if they were to do the Milagra site to enable them to use that site for affordable housing and how they might adapt for that 100 foot range from the creek on the school district site. His first thought was on ideas before getting the actual analysis down the road.
City Manager Woodhouse clarified if Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck’s question was about options for addressing parking at the Milagra site and about the 100-foot setback at the Reina del Mar.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck stated he was asking those questions this far from actual studies in order to see the low hanging fruit type solutions and the pertinent staff’s conceptions of how these might be dealt with before they go too far down the road. He wanted to see if there are some initial thoughts.
City Manager Woodhouse thought Planning Director Murdock could come up and elaborate a bit, but during the project approval process, Council could consider parking exceptions, specific ones or standards that relate to affordable housing projects.
Planning Director Murdock stated that, for a project like this where the city is the landowner and has a strong interest in supporting affordable housing, it is not uncommon for the city to take very specific land use actions, up to and including amending the zoning regulations as they relate to parking to ensure that the regulations apply to a project like this, specifically a high proportion or exclusively affordable housing project to make sure those parking standards are not unduly burdensome to the people, i.e. that could mean reducing the parking standard for affordable housing units. He stated that there are state laws that regulate the maximum amount of parking that might be attributed to an affordable housing project. The density bonus law is one of those examples where zoning waivers or concessions might be granted, including parking standards. He stated that there are a range of options, depending on the particulars of the project that is ultimately conceived. The Council could take one or more actions to address parking, height, or other zoning type regulations that might affect the feasibility of this particular project.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck referred to Calera Creek on the school district site and its 100-foot buffer seeming to be constraining in terms of what the city would have in mind in terms of using their site as a corporation yard.
Planning Director Murdock stated that the simple answer is it potentially could. The policy City Council Regular Meeting 14 December 12, 2022
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck is alluding to is in the 2040 General Plan and falls generally for a 100- foot setback from creeks, with the logic being that stepping back from those creeks will help preserve the creek banks and improve water quality and all the natural riparian habitat that benefits the quality of that creek space. He stated that 100-foot distance does encroach some distance into the current corporation yard for the school district and it could affect the project in the future that involves significant redevelopment of that area. He thought it was unlikely as the policy is written now. It would have a direct impact on maintaining or improving the existing building that is in that footprint. The disclaimer is that it might be the case, at some point depending on when this project takes place, the city might implement more specific ordinance requirements with respect to the creek setback. He didn’t think it was something he would conceive happening over the 5-10 year horizon, and it could include more particulars that would affect feasibility management.
Councilmember O’Neill referred to the staff report stating we have three-quarters of an acre at the present corporation site and the school district needs 11,000, leaving 21,000 square feet.
He understood some has to be used for driveways and parking, but that gives an option for the city to meet some other critical needs such as a childcare center. He thought Redwood City had affordable housing and they had a huge daycare program. He thought it could be a Council Chambers when the present one is sold at some point. He wanted to be sure that they articulate that there is more than 11,000 square feet there. He got some guidance from San Mateo County regarding Section 8 housing and they would be very interested in family housing because they get a lot of projects for seniors but their Section 8, with a subsidy, would bring it up to market rate in terms of paying for the project for whatever developer they use. He also mentioned the idea as well as a link to the City Manager of a project where the fire house is on the bottom and senior housing is on top and there was a financing mechanism they use there.
He stated that is another option to look at the totality of the city’s project. He stated that there is a possibility they would help with some of the infrastructure for the firehouse if they replace it because it would be a shared facility, etc. He thought it would be good if they looked at this and at the totality of firehouse and corporation yard. He thought it would give more flexibility because that would be the majority of the block and would help take care of that 54-inch main underneath. He thought they also have to look at the fact that some of the equipment that the corporation yard has is big equipment and maybe that could be stored behind the Linda Mar fire station, and maybe the school district has equipment that could go there also. He is hoping to see down the road that maybe they get into some sort of joint agreements in regard to corporation yards and instead of 4 or 5 lawnmowers, we only need 3. He stated that, at lunch, they are cooking senior meals but in the morning the school district is cooking kids’ meals to be shipped out to the schools and maybe they can have a shared kitchen at the Community Center to look at greater efficiencies to the taxpayers down the road. He stated that they can each have their own separate employees go in and do the different things. He thought this was an opportunity for both governmental entities to save some money for taxpayers and this is an opportune time to study this as we are likely going into a recession next year where some materials and housing demand is going down and you might see a decrease in some of the cost of materials. He hoped, if Council proceeds with this, they would be looking at the end of next year when a lot of information is gathered to make a final decision at some point.
Mayor Bier opened up public comments and, seeing no one, closed public comments.
Councilmember O’Neill stated that he wanted to emphasize that they need to look at the total block. He stated that they have talked about that fire house needing some upgrades or replacements and he thought this was an opportunity to make that and see if that would save costs. He stated that a project in Belmont got $8 million from the county to build affordable City Council Regular Meeting 15 December 12, 2022
housing. He thought they should look at that as he didn’t know of any money that the county has given to Pacifica for affordable housing and he thought this was an opportunity to get money. He would like to see family housing because they have four senior housing projects in Pacifica but none for families, in addition to having daycare at the bottom, which is a critical need for our city.
Mayor Bier thanked him for thinking outside the box, bringing it forward, and involving the school district. She asked the City Manager what he needs in feedback and how she can steer that conversation.
City Manager Woodhouse stated that the recommended next step is do what is called a fit study, a potentially $5,000-$10,000 study depending on the variables involving an architect or similar professional to look at the site constraints. That will tell us a lot and it will inform affordable housing developers a lot about the potential for the site. He stated that, if there is something here that Council is interested in pursuing further, that is what they would recommend and they would want to get a high-level OK from the district superintendent that they are supportive of that. He stated Council can go whichever way they prefer, but his presumption is that the City would be funding that next fit study. He stated that direction about that would be very helpful. He stated that they can figure out the appropriate timing and talking with the school district. He stated that the alternative action mentioned in the report is that the second phase of this assessment is not currently in the Council’s priorities and Council could choose to talk about it at goal setting on whether to prioritize that or not. He also thought they should talk a little bit about the firehouse, as Mr. Edison has some experience with fire stations in California. He wasn’t suggesting that anything is off the table, but that might be a pretty high bar. He stated that some of the basic components of that because of their regulatory requirements are very expensive buildings to build. He referred to Councilmember O’Neill mentioning in Delaware, but it was a ten-story high building; the economies of buildings are different and the regulations may be different as well. He thought there might be some very practical components related to incorporating the fire station that they would want to make a judgement about whether to spend money on evaluating that or not. He stated that affordable housing developers are looking at maximizing as much space as possible for the units. He stated that Mr. Edison also has experience with family housing components.
Consultant Edison stated, regarding the family housing issue, one of the things the affordable housing developers told him was that it was very positive in terms of the competition to get funding; there is a lot of interest from the county in family housing and there are a lot of other types of housing and not a lot of 2- to 4- bedroom units and that would be advantageous. He stated that there is a tradeoff as, if you have larger units, you can’t have as many units in a given building. That is part of a fit study and understanding of how these pieces fit together. He referred to the fire station topic, stating that they do a lot of fire station work directly as they do impact fee programs all over the state and country. Fire stations are extremely complex and really expensive, $1,000 a foot to build. He stated that a lot of that has to do with the equipment in the middle and the seismic safety standards and he has never heard of a proposal to put a fire station underneath any other structure. He thought the fire chief would have some qualms about something over his fire station in the event of some kind of emergency. He referred to the City Manager stating that they won’t take anything off the table, but he stated that he thought the fire station in Delaware was $4 million and here it would be a minimum of $10 million and could be $15 million. He stated that it was something they can explore, but they would also want to check with the fire chief about how they would feel about having their fire station underneath a large residential structure. He stated that the advantage they get from having a bigger parcel is the complexity and expense of building a new fire station. He stated, if they City Council Regular Meeting 16 December 12, 2022
need a new fire station anyway and they have the money lined up to do it and want to save some money and combine the projects, that makes sense, but to build a new one, everyone is shocked about how much fire stations cost.
Councilmember Vaterlaus stated, to make it at all feasible, they would have to raise the height limit of the building and they couldn’t do it otherwise. She referred parking, daycare and district office, and stated that they are already over the height limit. She could see them raising the height limit.
Councilmember Beckmeyer agreed, as that was the question she had. She asked what the cost is for daycare center type costs.
Consultant Edison stated the only thing he knows about daycare is that they can’t afford to pay a lot of rent, but it is in demand all over the country.
Councilmember Beckmeyer agreed, stating that they had a report in the county demonstrating we are low relative to our population, projected growth, etc. She stated that she would like to know if, in the fit analysis, it would be part of that analysis or is it too detailed to tell Council about the stories, how many levels, in terms of feasibility. She thought, if they are looking at offices and childcare, what would the recommendation be in terms of the number of stories or size.
Consultant Edison stated that an important thing to know about construction is that there are two types: type 5 and type 1. Type 5 is basically wood frame, and type 1 is either steel or concrete. His lay person’s understanding was that with type 5 by standard building code, you get 4 or at the most 5 stories. If you go higher than that, you need to use type 1 which is either concrete or steel and your per square foot cost goes up a lot. To justify it, you are going to go from 5 to 8 stories, not 6. He stated that was simplistic and they need an architect to tell them exactly. He stated that you can ask a podium to add a bit of parking and other things, as you might have a concrete podium on the first story and have 4 or 5 stories of what is called stick above that. He stated that the fit study would tell you exactly that as they know how high everyone is and if part of it can be taller and another and deal with the space. He stated something else that came up with affordable housing developers on parking was looking at the site and the number of units, they said probably max one space per unit plus some onsite parking for the office and a bunch of it off site. That was a rough guess. He stated two spaces per unit would accommodate that. He stated that, regarding the affordable housing developers, things like district offices and childcare are not things that they can build with the affordable housing subsidy as it isn’t affordable housing and has to fit into the deal a different way. He raised them a lease back in recognition of the land, i.e., they would lease the land and for the same amount they would lease back the district space and come out even, but they would have to find some way to pay for it as they can’t just throw it in like private developers who have their pro forma, financing, a lot of flexibility and once the bank signs off they can do a lot of things.
Affordable housing developers are much more constrained as they are following the law about how the money gets used. He stated that it doesn’t rule anything out but a matter of all the constraints in the puzzle that they need to put together factoring in all the details and the next step of what is needed.
Mayor pro Tem Bigstyck stated that he was in favor of going ahead of the fit study and he would like more detail before taking anything off the table. He thanked Councilmember O’Neill for his thought process. He acknowledged that there hasn’t been any affordable housing projects here, and because of Councilmember O’Neill and his suggestions, we might have 50 units of City Council Regular Meeting 17 December 12, 2022
affordable housing and take additional steps past where they land at this meeting.
Councilmember O’Neill thanked him and mentioned that the district office and daycare could all be on the first floor but he thought it may be better to have all parking and pillars.
Councilmember Beckmeyer thought that was the concept of the fit study to look at what those options might be.
Mayor Bier was in favor of the fit study and she looked forward to hearing what the school district board has to contribute to the fit study.
Councilmember O’Neill didn’t think they were in a position to do that with their affordable housing fund. He stated that this is exploring the possibility of having affordable housing and that is a prudent use of the money.
Mayor Bier confirmed they have consensus.
RESULT: NO VOTE REQUIRED
13. Appointment of Ad Hoc Subcommittee for Pride 2023 Event Planning PROPOSED ACTION: Consider appointing a two-councilmember limited-term ad hoc subcommittee to work with Coastside Pride on the planning for 2023 Pride Celebration events in Pacifica.
City Manager Woodhouse presented the staff report. There were no public comments.
Councilmember Vaterlaus stated she would like to nominate Mayor Bier and Councilmember Beckmeyer to serve on the ad hoc committee.
Councilmember Vaterlaus moved to approve appointing Mayor Bier and Councilmember Beckmeyer to serve on the ad hoc subcommittee to work for the 2023 Coast Pride Celebration events in Pacifica; seconded by Councilmember O’Neill.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Sue Vaterlaus, Councilmember
SECONDER: Mike O'Neill, Councilmember
AYES: Bier, Bigstyck, O'Neill, Vaterlaus, Beckmeyer
ADJOURN
Mayor Bier adjourned the meeting at 9:29 p.m. in honor of Jerry Trecroci of the school board who passed away.
Transcribed by Barbara Medina, Public Meeting Stenographer.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sarah Coffey, City Clerk
APPROVED: 5 - 0; 01/09/2023
__________________________
Tygarjas Bigstyck, Mayor