CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES
September 16, 2025
CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN HONOR OF THE US MILITARY TROOPS
The City Council Meeting was held in a hybrid format (in-person and via Zoom videoconference and broadcast) from the Pinole Council Chambers, 2131 Pear Street, Pinole, California. Mayor Sasai called the Regular Meeting of the City Council to order at 5:00 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Before we begin, we would like to acknowledge the Ohlone people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respects to the Ohlone elders, past, present and future, who call this place, Ohlone Land, the land that Pinole sits upon, their home. We are proud to continue their tradition of coming together and growing as a community. We thank the Ohlone community for their stewardship and support, and we look forward to strengthening our ties as we continue our relationship of mutual respect and understanding.
ROLL CALL, CITY CLERK'S REPORT & STATEMENT OF CONFLICT
An official who has a conflict must, prior to consideration of the decision; (1) publicly identify in detail the financial interest that causes the conflict; (2) recuse himself/herself from discussing and voting on the matter; and (3) leave the room until after the decision has been made, Cal. Gov.
Code § 87105.
A. COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT
Cameron Sasai, Mayor
Anthony Tave, Mayor Pro Tem
Norma Martinez-Rubin, Council Member
Devin Murphy, Council Member
Maureen Toms, Council Member
B. STAFF PRESENT
Kelcey Young, City Manager
Heather Bell, City Clerk
Eric Casher, City Attorney
Lilly Whalen, Community Development Director
Heba El-Guindy, Public Works Director
Chayne Zavisza-Hollis, Housing Development and Outreach Interr Raim Arellano, GIS & Urban Planning Intern
Jared Murti. Housing Fellow
Roxane Stone, Deputy City Clerk
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
City Clerk Heather Bell announced the agenda had been posted on September 11, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. with all legally required written notices. Written comments had been received in advance of the meeting, distributed to the City Council and staff, posted to the City website and made available to the public to view in the Council Chambers.
Following an inquiry, the Council reported there were no conflicts with any items on the agenda.
4. CONVENE TO A CLOSED SESSION
Citizens may address the Council regarding a Closed Session item prior to the Council adjourning into the Closed Session, by first providing a speaker card to the City Clerk.
A. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS
Gov. Code § 54956.8
Property: APN: 2101 Pear Street, Pinole, CA 94564-1797/APN: 401-163-004-5 Agency representative: City Manager Kelcey Young
Negotiating Party: American Postal Infrastructure Partners, LLC
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
City Clerk Bell reported there were no comments from the public.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
5. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION TO ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF CLOSED SESSION At 6:17 p.m., Mayor Sasai reconvened the meeting into open session. There was no reportable action from the Closed Session.
CITIZENS TO BE HEARD (Public Comments)
Citizens may speak under any item not listed on the Agenda. The time limit is 3 minutes and is subiect to modification by the Mayor. Individuals may not share or offer time to another speaker.
Pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act, no action may be taken on a matter unless it is listed on the agenda, or unless certain emergency or special circumstances exist. The City Council may direct staff to investigate and/or schedule certain matters for consideration at a future Council meeting.
Dan O'Shea, a retired teacher from Pinole Valley High School (PVHS), reported PVHS would host the Wall of Fame Committee, which had not been held for the past 13-years for a number of reasons, and he hoped Pinole Community Television (PCTV) would tape the event as it had in the past. The Wall of Fame recognized the great history of the athletes who had come through PVHS and he asked whether that request could be granted by the City Council.
Mayor Sasai advised he would follow-up with the speaker personally.
Council member Toms asked where tickets were available for the event and who would be honored for this year, and Mr. O'Shea reported a flyer had been posted with an updated QR code.
Anyone may contact him for tickets or the current PVHS Athletic Director Tiffany Valdehueza may be contacted. Twelve athletes and three coaches would be honored this year.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
7. REPORTS & COMMUNICATIONS
A. Mayor Report
Announcements
Mayor Sasai reported he had attended a WestCat Board of Directors meeting with the community survey initiative, WestCat Evolution discussed and with the presentation available on the WestCat website or he could be contacted for a copy. The consultant recommendations about adjustments to WestCat routes had also been made available with more information to come.
Mayor Sasai also reported the City of Pinole had recently been awarded the Clean California Designation, one of 30 cities to receive the award, and he thanked everyone involved in the various cleanup events in the City.
B. Mayoral & Council Appointments
1. Community Services Commission
City Clerk Bell presented the staff report dated September 16, 2025. She recommended the City Council approve the recommendation of the Interview Subcommittee and appoint Romilda Avila, Lil Milagro Henriquez and Nataliah Cornejo-Ayers to the Community Services Commission, for a term of two years.
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Rafael Menis, commented the application for Lil Milagro Henriquez had a few parts that seemed to be missing but what was there appeared to be well written. The résumé for Romilda Avila had been very impressive and he had not seen that level of professionalism previously for the Community Services Commission.
Mayor Pro Tem Tave thanked all of the candidates who applied and who had taken their time to interview. There had been seven people interested in serving on the Community Services Commission with good backgrounds and professional experience and he encouraged those who had not been selected to consider applying to other City Commissions/Committees.
Council member Martinez-Rubin was pleased to be a part of the Interview Subcommittee and pleased to see the level of commitment the candidates selected had prior to their interest in being involved in the City. She looked forward to their contributions to the City as volunteers, and she appreciated their enthusiasm that would add a new dynamic on the Commission that would inspire Mayor Sasai thanked the Interview Subcommittee for its work. He appreciated the recommendations.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
ACTION: Motion by Council members Toms/Murphy to approve the recommendation from the Interview Subcommittee and appoint Romilda Avila, Lil Milagro Henriquez and Nataliah Cornejo-Ayers to the Community Services Commission, for a term of two years.
Vote: Passed 5-0
yes. Sasai, Tave, Martinez-Rubin, Murphy, Toms
Joes None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
C. City Council Committee Reports & Communications
Mayor Pro Tem Tave reported football season was in full effect at PVHS. He had attended a recent game and encouraged the community to attend a home game. He also reported the PVHS band program had some funding issues with the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) and he encouraged people to reach out to Ward 1 Trustee Jamela Smith-Folds, the City of Pinole's representative to the WCCUSD to have a conversation if there were any opportunities to partner with the WCCUSD to keep the music program running. He also understood there had been some issues with accessibility for the elderly to use the restrooms at the soccer fields and he asked the City to consider exploring Porta-Potties during game time. He had spoken to the City Manager about this issue and had discussed possible solutions.
Mayor Pro Tem Tave also reported the community had enjoyed Art Walk, an event he hoped would be considered again in the future, with a suggestion for a Chalk Walk, with murals on the sidewalk, which was another idea to enhance the downtown area.
Council member Martinez-Rubin reported she had attended the WestCat Board meeting and had the pleasure to hear the findings from the survey, open houses and other means of input the consultant had facilitated over several months in an effort for more responsive and efficient operations given the level of current funding and uncertainty around future transportation funding A copy of the presentation was available on the WestCat website, or anyone could made a request for a recording of the meeting. She highlighted the findings from the survey, open houses and the like at this time. More information would be made available as the consultant provided additional information and incorporated WestCat Board feedback into another service scenario, and there would be continued efforts to seek feedback from the public. More information on Dial- A-Ride, micro transit, school service and how WestCat planned to inform the public of any forthcoming changes whether in the routes or otherwise would also be provided. WestCat met on the second Wednesday evening of each month at 6:30 p.m.
Council member Martinez-Rubin reminded everyone that at the prior City Council meeting, Council member Murphy announced the links bus line that ran from the City of Hercules into the City of San Francisco from one transportation hub to another would offer free service between now and September 29, 2025 in celebration of 20-years of link services.
Council member Murphy thanked Communications Director Fiona Epps and the Mayor for the Memorials Subcommittee meeting with a discussion on how to best honor and preserve the legacy of some important individuals in Pinole.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
The Committee would provide suggestions to the City Council on the Memorials Policy that would help the City remain inclusive and intentional about recognizing individuals and events that shaped Pinole.
Council member Murphy also reported the WCCUSD had recently held Listening Sessions to share ideas, feedback and priorities with WCCUSD leadership, and with discussions on school climate around campuses specific to the cities of Pinole and Hercules and a bit of Richmond, local site priorities/development of community gardens at each site and enhancement of pedestrian and safety measures, with a number of representatives from the WCCUSD, cities of Hercules and Pinole leadership and representatives from local schools having attended the listening sessions.
The new WCCUSD Superintendent was desirous to maintain school and City partnerships and ensure families remained safe and supportive in enriching educational environments.
Council member Murphy also attended the Firefighter Memorial Ceremony at the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFDP) City of Clayton Fire Station, with the gathering having recognized firefighters past and present who had given their lives in the line of duty. Further, he recognized many in the community had provided feedback to staff and the City Council, which collaboration should be valued and shared and with many opportunities for the public to communicate with the City Council.
Council member Toms reported she had attended the Mayors Conference with a presentation from Bike East Bay about programming and education advocacy who reached out to the City of Pinole requesting an opportunity to provide education. At the same meeting, she had been selected as one of three members of the conference to serve on the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority (EBRCSA) Joint Powers Authority (JPA). She had also attended the Ellerhorst Elementary School Student Council Election speeches and met those who were running for office and provided comments. She also reported there would be a pop-up event, Street Eats in the downtown on September 26, 2025, and October 10 and October 24, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
D. Council Requests for Future Agenda Items
ACTION: Motion by Mayor Sasai/Council member Toms for a proclamation recognizing local restaurant Thai Spice, which would celebrate its 25-year of business in the City of Pinole.
Vote: Passed 5-0
Ayes: Sasai, Tave, Martinez-Rubin, Murphy, Toms
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
E. City Manager Report / Department Staff
City Manager Kelcey Young announced the Coastal Cleanup, September 20, 2025 and Pinole Staff and Community Blood Drive, September 18, 2025 at Pinole Youth Center, with 100 percent of the sign-up goals met and with the City Clerk thanked for putting the event together.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
Other events were Coffee with the City Manager, September 26, 2025 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at City Hall and Pinole Street Eats, September 26, 2025 in Old Town Pinole. A 24-hour drive-through walk up ballot box would be located outside of City Hall and open to the public on October 3, 2025 for the Special Election on November 4, 2025, with mail-in ballots to be mailed to voters the same week. Additional events included the Special Olympics Bike the Bridges, October 4, 2025, with interested volunteers being sought to help with the event asked to contact Pinole Police Officer Jennifer Witschi; Halloween National Night Out, October 7, 2025 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Fernandez Park with Pinole Police Officer Louis seeking volunteers to assist with setting up and participating in the haunted house, and PCTV would have a booth at National Night Out. The Floating Pumpkin Patch on October 18, 2025 was officially sold out and a waiting list was available on-line at pinolerec.com and donations were welcome that could expand capacity. Dumpster Day would be on October 24, 2025 and the Annual Veterans Day event, November 11, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Fernandez Park. The City was also working on a webpage as a central location for people to find the most current information on road repairs and previous information and plans on the same webpage, scheduled for publishing by the end of the month, with the webpage to be shared on the City's channels.
On November 20, 2025, a Roads Information Town Hall would be held and cameras had been installed at the Corporation Yard surveilling Bayfront Park to increase security, with multiple City departments thanked for getting the work done. Patrols had also been increased in the area.
Further, Kapil Amin, the City's Sustainability Project Manager was congratulated for his nomination and Council member Murphy for winning the Leadership in Sustainability Award for 2025 for Sustainable Contra Costa.
F. City Attorney Report
City Attorney Eric Casher reported during a Closed Session on September 2, 2025 that the City Council had approved the City's participation in a settlement related to the national opioid ligation involving claims against pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma, certain Purdue Pharma affiliates and eight other opioid manufacturers. The settlement arose from the consolidated multi-state litigation brought by several states and municipalities throughout the country aimed at holding opioid manufactures and distributors responsible for their role in the national opioid crisis. Those participating in the settlement, including the City of Pinole, would receive a share of the settlement award without expending any time, expenses and resources to directly pursue litigation against the defendants.
The settlement funds were restricted and must be used for specific opioid abatement activities aimed at prevention, intervention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services. The exact settlement amount was not certain, but it was estimated the City would receive approximately $46,000 from the proposed Purdue manufacturer settlement. The exact amount to be determined when all eligible settlement participants had been identified and confirmed participation. The City Council had previously authorized the City's participation in similar settlements with other pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers in 2021. To date, the City has received approximately $89,000 in settlement funds for those prior settlements. Staff was currently assessing community needs and evaluating potential uses of the settlement funds.
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED (Items 7A through 7F)
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
Deputy City Clerk Roxane Stone reported there were no comments from the public.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
8. RECOGNITIONS / PRESENTATIONS / COMMUNITY EVENTS
A. Proclamations
National Punctuation Day
The City Council read into the record a proclamation recognizing September 24, 2025 as National Punctuation Day, which was presented to Council member Martinez-Rubin who thanked the City Council for the proclamation. In keeping with the interest in keeping proper punctuation and serve the City, she commented that a former National Punctuation website had identified improper punctuation on city signs. If someone saw something that was mispunctuated on a City sign, she encouraged it to be brought to the attention of the City.
2. Fire Prevention Week
The City Council read into the record a proclamation recognizing October 5 through 11, 2025 as National Fire Prevention Week, with the proclamation presented to representatives from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD) present in the audience.
CCCFPD Chief Lewis Broschard recognized the proclamation had outlined the steps each resident should pay attention to given an increase in fires related to lithium-ion batteries, not just from Tesla's but in garages and where housing was tight and compact, with severe consequences from such fires in London and New York. This was an emerging issue for the CCCFPD since those types of batteries posed a significant threat to the occupants of a home or residence, and present significant threats to the health of firefighters due to toxic gases. The CCCFPD had fire personnel who worked on Statewide Task Forces given the importance to educate CCCFPD personnel, and also working with the public on local legislation and controls to keep everyone safe. He thanked the City Council for the proclamation and the specificity included in the proclamation and hoped people would heed those words to keep themselves and their families
3. California Firefighters' Memorial Day
The City Council read into the record a proclamation recognizing October 4, 2025 as California Firefighters' Memorial Day.
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED (Item 8)
CCCFPD Chief Broschard thanked the City Council for the proclamation and emphasized the difficulty of having a firefighter lose their life in the line of duty and the effort to honor those fallen in various ways and in various locations. He had visited the annual California Firefighters' Memorial Day ceremony in Sacramento, which was located on the east side of the State Capital It was a stirring and moving monument recognizing the names of those fallen, whether on-duty at a fire scene or having succumbed to the number one killer of firefighters; cancer.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
Chief Broschard highlighted his attendance at the ceremony in 2024, and reported there would be no names added to the wall this year, but he encouraged everyone to visit the memorial. He thanked the City Council for recognizing Pinole firefighters. At this time, he invited CCCFPD Chief Jim Brooks and the crew from Fire Station #73 to accept the proclamation.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
B. Presentations
1. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District - Chief Lewis Broschard CCCFPD Chief Broschard provided a PowerPoint presentation that included an overview of the Rodeo-Hercules Protection District Annexation as of July 1, 2025, and which consisted of 37 fire stations including Byron Wildland Fire Center, 41 companies and over 670 firefighters and professional staff. He also highlighted the Fourth of July CCCFPD statistics for 2024 and 2025; Copter 1, Aerial Firefighting efforts from June 1 to July 31, 2025; the work of the Type 6 Engine, a four-wheel drive, which could support remote areas, use 400 gallons of water and a 170 GPM pump; total calls for service from January to July 2025 and the City of Pinole Call Types for the period of June and July 2025. Also highlighted was September National Preparedness Month.
In addition, the CCCFPD Annual District-Wide Open House would be held on October 11, 2025 at the CCCFPD Training Campus at 2945 Treat Boulevard, Concord, with everyone welcomed and with a pancake breakfast to kick-off the event.
Responding to questions from the City Council, CCCFPD Chief Broschard clarified the following:
• The CCCFPD did not attempt to recoup costs from insurance companies for response calls to car accidents but if it involved a known Driving under the Influence (DUI) arrest they may, but for their regular systemic process they did not. (Toms) • Confirmed he had visited the Eaton Fire community and had been floored by the devastation to the community. The wind from the event enabled the fire to destroy what it wanted due to the hot embers lodging in targets of opportunity. He detailed two success stories from the Eaton Fire; one involved a new home built to Chapter 7A standards of the California Building Code (CBC), (which was due to change in January 2026) and a smaller home built in the 1950s or 1960s, which had been landscaped entirely with concrete and designed equivalent to Zone Zero standards. Everything around the two homes had been lost. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave)
Clarified executive orders from the Governor to the State Board of Forestry about new regulations on Zone Zero and new hardening, with the agency to meet soon to discuss the status of the deliberation process of new regulations. It was hoped the agency would consider a package of necessary regulations. Detailed travels across the country and attendance at Webinars to become educated on these matters and attendance at a recent Town Hall with Congressman Mark DeSaulnier and discussions of how one's home must stand on its own, be a fortress from embers cast about and without firefighter intervention given the limited resources, which was true for many wildfires occurring across the state and the country. Also detailed the efforts to secure grants for low-income households to be able to participate and adhere to regulations. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave) Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
• Recognized concerns with the insurance quagmire, understood Firewise communities offered discounts and enabled homes to be insured rather than canceled. Suggested if proposed steps were taken and followed through on defensible space, including Zone Zero and home hardening regardless of the insurance issue, a home had a very high likelihood of surviving a wind driven ember cast event. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave) • Acknowledged appreciation for the transparency in the data. (Murphy) • Highlighted the resources available to educate the public on what people should be doing to protect one's home from wildfire, but acknowledged there was little enforcement unless property was located in a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. While most recommended regulations were not enforceable, it was hoped new regulations would be closer to what insurance companies were requiring and it was important to provide education that was consistent with accurate information, which was important on the part of the CCCFPD and its partners. If the Board of Forestry did not consider a new package of regulatory regulations, an educational campaign on Best Practices could be started, and while it not be enforced under the current standards, Fire Chiefs sought regulations consistent across the state to ensure everyone was doing the same thing. (Mayor Sasai) • Clarified there may be potential new regulations in the CBC that would become effective January 1, 2026, with the other regulations to be add-ons for the already built environment.
Enforceability would likely fall onto the fire jurisdictions. (Mayor Sasai)
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Rafael Menis, referenced the PowerPoint presentation and commented on the cross comparison of the Pinole Call Types between June and July 2025, with almost the same range on the extract axis for the number of events but with the data appearing slightly different between the two charts.
Asked in the future that the information be such that it would be easier to make a direct one to one visual comparison. Also referenced the enforceability of regulations in the High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and asked why all of the City of Pinole had been shifted from the Very High to the Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
CCCFPD Chief Broschard expressed the willingness to look at the data and how it was being presented for the next presentation. With regards to communities being up or downgraded with respect to the Fire Hazard Severity Zones, he stated that was a CAL FIRE methodology, which looked at fire history, newer modeling technology, and in some cases a determination was made that the risk was not as advertised, and in some cases that the designation had gone up or down The CCCFPD was not allowed to opine whether it agreed with the CAL FIRE determination and therefore had not entertained that process.
Anthony Vossbrink, suggested the City and the County should be more transparent with each other and the community. Over the past month if not longer there had been several issues raised by seniors and other members of the community about dangerous fire hazards that presented themselves in the community and were public safety issues. As an example, the Pinole Creek Restaurant near Fire Station #73 and located in the center of town, had issues which had been raised with City staff and members of the CCCFPD by the senior community and a member of the Planning Commission, who had pushed for the City to red-tag the property.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
Mr. Vossbrink asked why it had taken so long before the property was red-tagged and the property owner held responsible for dead trees on the property. Also, there was a dead tree on City property, another dead tree on the fire access road on Galbreth Road and dead trees on the Adobe Road Trail behind the caretaker's house that were all fire hazards and needed to be remediated. Although issues had been brought to the attention of the City and members of Fire Station #74, both parties had stated it was not their department/job.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
The City Council thanked CCCFPD Chief Broschard for the presentation.
CCCFPD Chief Broschard stated in response to Council member Martinez-Rubin that there was some misconception that a property was "okay" if located in a Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone, but that did not mean one should not follow Best Practices. He strongly encouraged following through with Zone Zero and home hardening methods even if a property was located in a lower zone such as a Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
Council member Martinez-Rubin reported she had the opportunity to visit Southern California and the Altadena area. Having viewed some of the streets that were open to the public, she saw some homes had been completely missed by the fire and she could see why that had been the outcome because of aesthetics and landscaping and she understood why changes needed to be made given the shift in climate conditions. She also recognized that the wind was challenging for fighting fires. As such, encouraging people to shift from the use of bark/mulch to stone in front yards and/or encouraging Homeowner's Associations (HOAs) to do the same should be done in an effort to save lives and homes.
CCCCFPD Chief Broschard again thanked the City Council for the proclamations and the partnerships.
2. Community Development Department Intern Presentation Community Development Director Lilly Whalen introduced two of the three summer Community Development Interns who would make a presentation on the Community Development Department. She commented on the strong interest in the intern positions with over 150 applications received. There had been a focus on seeking students currently in a college program or graduate of a college program, who had a focus on urban studies or city planning with a focus on housing. She commended the work of the three interns as thoughtful, independent, collaborative and innovative and she found each individual displayed wonderful public service traits.
Chayne Zavisza-Hollis, Housing Development and Outreach Intern, provided a PowerPoint presentation which included an overview of her background studying urban studies at U.C.
Berkeley and the creation of a Housing Development Outreach Toolkit, with the toolkit to simplify future outreach and where staff could copy, paste, send, print or mail to track interest and responses for each for future research. Another project highlighted was the Comprehensive Property Database of City-owned properties in Pinole, with an interactive web mapping application displayed along with the highlights of the key features of the database.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
The advantages of the database would provide easy navigation and use for a wide variety of audience and purposes and would enable future development to increase Pinole's housing supply and vibrancy. The toolkits would allow the City to fill vacancies and underdeveloped spaces to create a bustling and vibrant cityscape for all to enjoy.
Responding to questions from the City Council, Intern Zavisza-Hollis clarified the following:
• Detailed attendance at a summer course in three-dimensional modeling to create some of the visuals where one could imagine what a site could be and outlined work for the cities of Richmond and Berkeley and experience in advertising and outreach. Acknowledged appreciation for using this skill set in the City of Pinole. (Martinez-Rubin) • Acknowledged appreciation to City staff for the intern program. Clarified the work load working two days a week. Acknowledged a recommendation to expand the program and appreciation for the mapping tool. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave) • Unfamiliar with the database from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the Surplus Lands Act, with Council member Toms to provide a link to the Community Development Director, but noted an interested developers list from the City was available. (Toms)
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Deputy City Clerk Stone reported there were no comments from the public.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
The City Council thanked staff for the presentation and looked forward to future accomplishments.
Raim Arellano, provided a PowerPoint presentation on the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) & Urban Planning Internship, with an overview of his background in Urban Studies with GIS Specialization, Event Coordinator with Club Rambutan Magazine and a San Ramon Planning Academy Member with the hopes of moving toward Urban Design. The following projects were highlighted: 1) Pinole Address Verification - conduct field verification at commercial and multi- family residential sites to confirm address and unit data, creation of a Survey123 application for on-foot verification, adjustment of exact locations of units and addresses and GIS database management; 2) ADA Map - Senate Bill (SB) 9 allowed homeowners to split single-family lots and build up to four housing units to address the housing crisis, with the creation of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Map; 3) Collision Dashboard - advocacy for roadway safety in Pinole with the creation of a Pinole Traffic Collisions Dashboard; and 4) Pinole Streets Map with Public Works - creation of a public facing map with specifications of roadways in Pinole, which included road types, (public, private, internal, arterial, etc.) moratoriums, names, starts and ends. The ADU Map and Pinole Traffic Collisions Dashboard were both displayed.
Responding to the City Council, Intern Arellano and Public Works Director Heba El-Guindy, clarified the following:
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
• The Road Rehabilitation Plan, which was a five-year plan, would be completed in October.
The status of when certain City streets would be rehabbed was not currently available for the Pinole Streets Map but that information could be added to the map in the future.
Acknowledged appreciation for the visuals and interactive activities proposed. (Martinez-
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Deputy City Clerk Stone reported there were no comments from the public.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
Mayor Sasai again thanked the interns for the presentations and the work being done for the City of Pinole. He looked forward to future presentations.
CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and noncontroversial. These items will be enacted by one motion and without discussion. If, however, any interested party or Council member(s) wishes to comment on an item, they may do so before action is taken on the Consent Calendar. Following comments, if a Council member wishes to discuss an item, it will be removed from the Consent Calendar and taken up in order after adoption of the Consent Calendar.
A. Approve the Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting on September 2, 2025.
B. Receive the August 30, 2025 - September 12, 2025 List of Warrants in the Amount of $1,458,486.37 and the September 12, 2025 Payroll In the Amount of $581,665.66.
C. FY 2024/25 Fourth Quarter Investment Report. Action: Receive Report (Markisha Guillory)
D. FY 2024/25 Fourth Quarter Financial Report and Year-End Adjustments. Action:
Receive Report and Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Markisha Guillory)
E. Adopt a Resolution to Amend the Pension-Investment Policy. Action: Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Markisha Guillory) F. A Resolution of the City Council of Pinole Authorizing the Receipt and Expenditure of $50,000 in California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Grant Funds to Facilitate the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) #26-006945. Action: Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Melissa Klawuhn)
G. Adopt a Resolution Accepting the Clean California Designation and Directing the City Manager to Accept Funding from CalTrans. Action: Adopt a Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Lilly Whalen)
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
H. Updated Resolution Authorizing Examination of Sales or Transactions and Use Tax Records. Action: Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation. (Markisha Guillory)
1. Recommendation (Stacy Shell)
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Rafael Menis offered the following comments on the Consent Calendar which comments had been submitted to staff in writing during the meeting:
- Item 9A, Page 58 of 322 of the agenda packet, request to revise the third sentence of the first paragraph to read: He [Prem Pariyar] spoke to caste discrimination as the oldest and harshest form of exclusion in the world, which had dictated who may marry, where one may live, what jobs could be held and whether one could have dignity in public life. - Item 9B, Page 75 of 322 of the agenda packet, asked why there were three separate line items for Fire Protection Services.
- Item 9D, Page 94 of 322 of the agenda packet, requested the second paragraph of the September 16, 2025 staff report, under the Section Review and Analysis be revised to read: The adopted General Fund budget included revenues totaling $28.2 million and expenditures totaling $37.2 million and the use of unassigned fund balance of $9 million to fund several Council-directed initiatives as well as several capital improvement projects.
of the unit types and what two meant, whether two percent or otherwise. Page 107, asked whether the City had mean and median sales data for houses from prior years for comparison. Page 110, the waste franchise fee did not yet reflect the new franchise agreement. Page 111, the City was pursuing an outstanding payment from a hotel and asked how long the City expected it would take to recover the balance and whether it would be an ongoing issue. Page 112, there was a five percent increase in business license tax revenue and asked if the City knew the cause. Page 115, City Attorney expenditures were 115% of the amended budget primarily due to reimbursements from other funds for legal services being lower than the projection, asked if those meant funds used less services than the General Fund. Page 116, debt service was 101% of the amended budget due to the administration costs exceeding the projection and he asked why. Page 119, Professional and Administrative Services costs increased by five percent and asked if that was due to Information Technology (IT) contract changes or other reasons. Page 122, an increase had been shown for the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Grant revenue and he asked why. Page 125, interest revenue for the Housing Assets Resale Fund seemed higher than normal and he asked the cause. On the same page, the Landscape and Lighting District revenue was 7 percent below amended and he asked the reason. Page 127, the Information Services Fund had a positive fund balance and for an internal services fund asked if that meant there were unmet expenses.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
- Item 9E, objected to the item as a Consent Calendar item, and suggested the City shifting how it structured its Section 115 Fund and how it was making the investments in that fund, was a matter that was sufficient to warrant a discussion by the City Council. Page 138 of 322 of the agenda packet, states the time horizon for the 115 Trust should shift to the medium term and asked how the fund would have income and withdrawals structured to support that given the increased costs demands created by adding Other Post- Employment Benefits (OPEB) to the 115 Trust. Read into the record, the footnote information and the section shown on Pages 154 and 155 of 322 of the agenda packet regarding Rule 144A, and commented the statement, as written, would have significant potential increase in risk the City would be taking on and asked if the City had any plans to mitigate or account for that risk.
- Item 9F, pleased the City had received the grant and asked if the City would be able to renew the grant in future years.
- Item 9G, it was fantastic the City earned back the recognition for being a Clean California Community. Congratulated the City and Friends of Pinole Creek Watershed, who were a significant reason why the City received the recognition in the first place.
Item 9l, noted one of the things mentioned in the staff report was that managers in the Non-Executive/Head of Department category had been shifted out of the at-will status and asked if that had any contract or union effects.
Mr. Menis confirmed, when asked by the Mayor, that he had emailed his comments to staff.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
ACTION: Motion by Council member Martinez-Rubin/Mayor Pro Tem Tave to adopt Consent Calendar Item 9A, as amended and Items 9B through 9l, as shown.
Vote: Passed 5-0
Ayes: Sasai, Tave, Martinez-Rubin, Murphy, Toms
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Conduct Public Hearing and Adopt a Resolution Confirming the Annual Assessments and Ordering their Collection for the Pinole Valley Road Landscape and Lighting Assessment District for Fiscal Year 2025/2026. Action: Conduct Public Hearing and Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation. (Heba El- Guindy)
Public Works Director Heba El-Guindy provided a PowerPoint presentation for the public hearing to adopt a resolution confirming the assessments and ordering the collection for the Pinole Valley Road Landscape and Lighting Assessment District (LLAD) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26, which included the background of the LLAD located on Pinole Valley Road. inole City Council Regular Meetin
Minutes - September 16, 202:
The LLAD consisted of two separate commercial zones; Zone A (North of 1-80) and Zone B (South of 1-80) and the assessment summary for FY 2025/26
Public Works Director El-Guindy also made the following corrections to the September 16, 2025 Pinole Valley Road Landscape and Lighting Assessment District, Engineer's Report, FY 2025/26:
• Page 2 [Page 264 of 322 of the agenda packet], revise the last sentence of the last paragraph to read: The Contra Costa County Auditor/Controller APN and specific fund numbers to identify properties to be assessed for the District assessments, and the end of the tables shown on Pages 10 and 11, [Pages 272 and 273 of 322 of the agenda packet] and correct the fiscal year to read 2025/26.
Public Works Director El-Guindy asked the City Council to order the preparation of the Annual Assessment Report/Engineer's Report, receive and approve the Assessment Report, conduct a public hearing concerning the collection of assessments for the Pinole Valley Road Landscape and Lighting Assessment District, and consider any and all objections and set a public hearing on October 21, 2025 for the City Council approval of assessments per the Assessment Report and their collection for Fiscal Year 2025/26.
Public Works Director El-Guindy also explained that to meet the actual improvement needs in the commercial Pinole Valley Road LLAD, there was a need for a future comprehensive review of area deficiencies along with associated improvement costs, as well as a review of the assessment methodologies relative to requirements. There was also a need to establish a new/separate Residential LLAD for the Appian Village Development Project located on the east side of Appian Way north of Canyon Drive, as planned by the City and as conditioned on the Project.
Responding to questions from the City Council, Public Works Director El-Guindy and Community Development Director Whalen clarified the following:
• Establishment of a new/separate residential LLAD for the Appian Village Development Project would be subject to Certificate of Occupancy (COO). There were three buildings in the first phase of the project and annexation must be completed prior to occupancy of the three buildings, anticipated to run through escrow in February 2026. (Toms) • The Pinole Valley Road LLAD had no end but required annual City Council review to reflect changes in costs over the years. The LLAD methodology would be required to be reviewed in detail since the Parcel Maps were not up to date. Staff expected the maximum assessment rate would not be reached since the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or two percent, the higher of the two, would be applied to the proposed rate and the maximum rate of the previous year. As it stood now, the maximum assessment would not be reached. Given the timing and since they were already behind, the date of the LLAD had to be changed, with a decision made to be consistent with how the methodology had been done over the years. (Martinez-Rubin)
• There were two separate public hearings on the Pinole Valley Road LLAD, which provided property owners the opportunity to provide input and if property owners were unable to attend this public hearing they could attend the next hearing on October 21, 2025.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
Information would be published and the property owners notified via a public notice, but notice to the property owner on record could also be provided. Discussions about changes in methodology and needed updates would be for next year providing a sufficient time period for review and consultation. (Martinez-Rubin)
PUBLIC HEARING OPENED
Rafael Menis, commented on the new LLAD for the Appian Village development and asked if the planned assessment and methodology changes would be implemented for the new district or after it was created.
Anthony Vossbrink, commented on the issues with traffic congestion on Pinole Valley Road and ingress/egress from I-80. He asked whether there had been any consideration to add a cut in the second on-ramp traffic lane mainly traveling westbound towards Sacramento I-80, below the Jack in the Box and city corner, which he recognized would require work with Caltrans, but was long overdue to help the flow of traffic. As to the street lighting on Pinole Valley Road, he noted the former Public Works Director and City Manager had stated the cost for replacing six green lanterns along Pinole Valley Road would be $15,000 each. He asked how that cost had increased to $20,000 each, particularly since he understood the cost would be covered by insurance settlements. He also understood the lights had previously been ordered and he asked the status of that order. He added a former City Council stated the old telephone poles along Pinole Valley Road were to removed, but that issue got buried with the high school build out. In addition, the extra street lights that had been installed to reduce the flow of traffic and reduce carbon emissions should be adjusted with night blinkers. He asked that those items be discussed and considered as part of this agenda item.
PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED
Council member Murphy clarified the direction being asked of the City Council, as outlined in the PowerPoint presentation. No action was being taken on the LLAD for Appian Village at this time.
The information had been provided as a general note.
Council member Murphy wanted a better understanding of how the City was investing in future years, referencing the light poles that were to be replaced and which had been discussed in the past. He asked for clarity on the cost of that investment.
Public Works Director El-Guindy clarified the $20,000 cost per street light estimate and noted the actual cost in 2024 had been $16,000, but given inflation and tariffs, costs had increased from 2024 to 2025 by 25 percent, and the street lights were now $20,000 each. As a result, and for those street lights to be replaced, the City would need around $120,000 since the City would be replacing the street lights on the side of the roadway for better illumination for pedestrians and vehicle traffic in each direction. Even if the lights were staggered, more illumination than what the original four would have provided was needed and there would be less likelihood the lights Council member Murphy understood moving forward that staff would line item the infrastructure investment, although that was not part of the current report.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
Public Works Director El-Guindy advised the majority of the funds would be used for maintenance rather than capital infrastructure. She clarified the lights were not on order and based on her understanding of traffic collisions that had taken place in the past, affecting some of the lights, only one involved payment towards the replacement of a light. In that case, payment was made via insurance with the City receiving around $5,000, and given that limited amount the light would have to be replaced via the assessment.
Council member Murphy referenced the comments Mr. Vossbrink had made about the status of telephone poles related to the construction of VHS, which conversation had come up the last couple of years. He asked staff whether they were working on that issue or were aware of the issue.
Public Works Director El-Guindy was aware of the issue but noted that was one of the elements to be included in future upgrades. She explained that the City had a dedicated Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for street light upgrades. She also responded to the public comment, and advised an additional lane on the on-ramp to 1-80 was not part of the LLAD or part of the City's jurisdiction, but could potentially be reviewed by Caltrans through the City's collaboration with Caltrans.
Mayor Sasai understood there were more questions from the public and suggested the speakers could provide their comments in writing to allow staff to respond to any additional comments.
Public Works Director El-Guindy added with respect to a future LLAD for Appian Village that she understood it must be brought to the City Council by the end of the year, and she was hopeful staff would be able to analyze it differently.
ACTION: Motion by Council member Toms/Mayor Sasai to adopt a Resolution Confirming the Assessments as described in the Annual Assessment Report, for the Pinole Valley Road Landscape and Lighting Assessment District, levying assessments for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026.
Vote: Passed 5-0
Ayes: Sasai, Tave, Martinez-Rubin, Murphy, Toms
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
Public Works Director Heba El-Guindy clarified the staff recommendation had slightly changed from what had been shown in the staff report.
City Attorney Casher asked for clarity in the record and asked for a motion to schedule and set the public hearing for October 21, 2025 for the approval of the assessment.
ACTION: Motion by Council members Murphy/Martinez-Rubin to schedule and set the public hearing for October 21, 2025 for the approval of the assessment.
Vote: Passed 5-0
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Fage 19 - September 16, 2025
Ayes: Sasai, Tave, Martinez-Rubin, Murphy, Toms
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
11. OLD BUSINESS: None
12. NEW BUSINESS
Receive Update from City's Housing Fellow on Improvements to the Residential Health and Safety Rental Inspection Program, including exploration of software contract with OpportunitySpace, Inc. (d.b.a. "Tolemi"). Action: Receive Report (Lilly Whalen, Jared Murti, Housing Fellow)
Community Development Director Whalen introduced Housing Fellow Jared Murti who provided a PowerPoint presentation on the improvements to the Residential Health and Safety Rental Handbook and Rental Inventory; program timeline, existing protocols; update to the Residential Health and Safety Rental Inspection Program; program goals; why do we want this?; municipal engagement; real world impact with highlights from a Monterey Case Study; continued community engagement; implementation through the Tolemi software based on sole source justification and neighboring municipality recommendations; existing protocols and potential updates; implementation expenses and the next steps and implementation timeline. stakeholders and enforcement) and whether the Community Development Department should pursue a self-certification option for qualifying property owners.
Responding to questions from the City Council, Community Development Director Whalen and Housing Fellow Murti clarified the following:
The methodology and guestimate to determine the number of rental units not currently enrolled in the program (between 300 and 400 units) had been based on existing data. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave)
• The program initially started in 2006, but the recession occurred in 2008. The City had a dedicated Rental Inspector in 2006, but the position had been eliminated due to the recession and never put back in place. The City was operating with one Bullding Inspector taking care of the rental inspections every other Friday based on six units at a time, to be inspect a third of the rental units in the City on that basis. A Housing Inspector was needea complied with needed repairs and this person would also support Code Enforcement with substandard housing inspections and may be able to help in other areas of the City with regards to substandard housing. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave)
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
• Staff planned to return with a request to increase the fees for the program in November, which would fully fund the program with no other sources needed. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave) • Some jurisdictions had different ways to address self-inspection, which required a tenant to be in good standing in terms of tenant compliance. Some jurisdictions required 25 percent of the rental stock to be physically inspected by a Rental Inspector with the remaining 75 percent requiring the property owner to sign an affidavit with the same checklist an inspector would use. Staff had considered the affidavit approach with a copy sent to the tenant for verification. A virtual option could also be worth considering. An affidavit option was simple, straightforward and could be implemented seamlessly. (Mayor Pro Tem Tave)
• Clarified the potential software contract with OpportunitySpace, Inc. d.b.a., Tolemi, and again explained why collecting demographic data was not recommended given federal fair housing laws which prohibited property owners from asking tenants for demographic information given it was an avenue that could be perceived as discrimination against prospective tenants, and it was wise not to infringe on those fair housing laws or providing avenues for de facto discrimination. (Martinez-Rubin)
• Other municipalities had considered and developed a people's inventory, where a tenant could provide a city with their demographic or other information and that inventory could be used to streamline if there were any tenant complaints or issues with a rental unit. If the City Council was interested in that option, staff could explore the creation of such a program. (Martinez-Rubin)
• Acknowledged a suggestion to ask questions of the property owners about the demographics of the property owners and ask who was making the investment in Pinole, whether individual private small landlords or investment firms, and where those investment firms were located whether in California, national or outside the United States. Staff clarified the Rental Inventory Program was for the property owners of the rental properties, who on an annual basis would update the record and pay their fees and schedule inspections and provide the information about the unit, which was why staff determined it was not wise to collect demographic information since the property owner would have to ask the tenant for that information. Whether demographic information could be collected about the property owner legally, staff would have to clarify if that could be done. Staff was also desirous to track who the property owner was, whether an individual private small landlord or otherwise, with the system providing for a beneficiary to be identified, which would identify the personhood of the beneficiary or owner of the rental unit and which was something staff would look into further. (Martinez-Rubin) The rental units in Pinole Grove, Alvarez Court, and the East Bluff Apartments were required to go through the Rental Inspection Program and staff hoped to discuss during the stakeholder conversations this and next month about potentially exempting out affordable housing properties that had already been inspected by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) given the redundancy and challenges with a particular property in Pinole that was being inspected by the federal government and still needed to go through the City's program. (Toms)
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
• Acknowledged the County inspected homes related to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, tax credits, and the like, with property owners frustrated with inspections from multiple agencies, and acknowledged a request for some kind of coordination with those doing the inspections and possible exemption of some. (Toms) • Staff had hoped to have all rental units enroll in the program regardless of the inspection process for transparency and in terms of tracking the number of rentals in Pinole. (Toms) • Staff was targeting a $50,000 one-time technical assistance grant for bond counsel early next year as part of The Home Restoration Program for City Council approval. (Murphy) • The current eviction data was isolated to the Sheriff Department Lockout data. Clarified the Tolemi software program the City was considering would be able to ask for that information from a property owner, where the City could learn the number of people who may have been evicted but not necessarily reach a lockout procedure, which information the City did not previously have. (Murphy)
• The Tolemi software product included automatic notifications in the product that would automatically send email reminders, generate mailed notices and the like. The main service would be data scrubbing and the platform for the service program. Currently, staff was using a Microsoft bookings application for booking inspections, a Microsoft form for the application itself and Stripe for payment collection. This process had been a nightmare for staff and the public to navigate. Once the new software was available, staff hoped to show a cost recovery system that would not dip into the General Fund and sustain and pay for itself. A Housing Inspector could then be hired and launch the new product. The Housing Inspector would have to be trained on the use of the software as would all Planning and Building Department staff. (Murphy)
• Acknowledged appreciation staff was looking at the Monterey Case Study given it was a small city like Pinole and had a great product being used; Pinole proposed to copy that model. Clarified staff was uncertain why the cities of Salinas and Stockton had been highlighted as part of being in the Bay in the PowerPoint presentation. (Murphy) • Clarified the City's ordinance required an inspection every three years and the City collected fees at the time of inspections. The fee was divided into an annual basis cost per year, with staff recommending requiring property owners to reenroll each year, pay the annual inspection fee (a third of the total fee to be paid over the three years) and when reaching the third year, schedule the next inspection. (Murphy) • The Tolemi software would be able to track room rentals but that was not part of the subject program, with the rental program for properties being rented out and where the property owner was not living on the property. (Mayor Sasai)
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Rafael Menis, asked how many of the rental properties in the City fell under being owner-occupied with rooms being rented out category, which was something he personally fell under as a renter and possibly others did as well.
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As to the gathering of demographic information, Mr. Menis suggested that should not necessarily be public facing, but understood some of the City's documents had demographic information that had been used to inform the City's decision making such as for the Environmental Justice Element, which he understood was now available to the public for review and which talked about environmental impacts and disparate communities.
Mr. Menis commented that when the Housing Element was created, it talked about the ethnic makeup of certain regions of the City and how that had changed over time. That data was available at least on the census level if not the house-by-house level and he asked whether it may be possible and helpful for the City to collect the demographic data to be able to track trends over time. As an example, more complaints were being seen with landlords primarily renting to members of a certain ethnic group, gender, age, or family type, and getting that data could potentially help the City identify the source of discrimination the Fair Housing Act was supposed to mitigate. Also, collecting that data directly from the tenant so the landlord did not need to ask could be helpful for the City to have that data as long as it was only available to the public in the aggregated level would be useful. He also asked about the sole sourcing claim that showed up a couple of times in the agenda packet, which included information about Artificial Intelligence (Al), how the system was complicated and fancy and no one else could do what they did, and asked what proof the City had the assertions made about the uniqueness and specialness of the system was, in fact, the case.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
Council member Murphy wanted more information on sole sourcing as well and asked for a brief explanation.
Community Development Director Whalen reported she had been looking for a provider like Tolemi since she had come to the City in 2021. She had a conversation with the provider in 2021/2022 and staff could not find anyone that did what the Tolemi firm did. Staff also communicated with other cities and had identified one other software provider that somewhat did what Tolemi did, but the reviews were not good, the software was not user friendly and would not do what the City of Pinole needed. As such, and based on the information they had, staff was of the opinion this was a good case for sole sourcing.
Mr. Murti added that based on his knowledge, the scrubbing of additional sites was something that Tolemi was exclusively qualified around and that would be beneficial for the City.
Council member Murphy thanked staff for the presentation. He recalled a past luncheon he and the Mayor had attended with a presentation from Partnership for the Bay's Future and a text message a realtor sent him that the City of Pinole was leaving money on the table by not tracking its rental units. He thanked staff for pushing the program forward. He understood there were more steps including the phased approach with the next steps. He suggested everything was climate oriented and in terms of what information should be gathered for enrollment, suggested climate, water efficiency, climate risk, resilient features of homes, and the like, and would love to figure out how to collect that data from utilities such as wastewater, PG&E, Marin Clean Energy (MCE), RecycleMore and Republic Services, and what information could be gathered to better understand homes more.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
In addition, in terms of the different demographic information, Council member Murphy understood the City Manager was working on a presentation from the California Reparations Task Force, and community advocacy organizations would be coming to make a presentation, and there were bills in the State Legislature and organizations that were encouraging the receipt of data, or gathering data about American descendants of slaves, which may be within the lines of the Fair Housing Act in terms of data that should be collected.
Council member Murphy also liked the verification from a tenant that would allow for a balance in a way of an approach that centered the tenant and homeowner and the self-verification option and how that fed in, and he loved any incentive structures that could be considered like fee waivers. He looked forward to future presentations.
Mayor Sasai thanked staff for the much-needed presentation and looked forward to learning more when it came back to the City Council.
13. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD (Continued from Item 6) (Public Comments) Only open to members of the public who did not speak under the first Citizens to be Heard, Agenda Item 6.
Citizens may speak under any item not listed on the Agenda. The time limit is 3 minutes and is subject to modification by the Mayor. Individuals may not share or offer time to another speaker.
Pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act, no action may be taken on a matter unless it is listed on the agenda, or unless certain emergency or special circumstances exist. The City Council may direct staff to investigate and/or schedule certain matters for consideration at a future Council meeting.
Rafael Menis, reported on the continued rise of COVID-19 levels in the state and in the local wastewater treatment plant. He strongly encouraged people to get the latest vaccine and flu shot.
He also spoke to the issue of immigration and ads on the radio about going after people who were accused of being horrible criminals and the use of the term "accused" or "charged," but that was not what was happening. He reported with respect to a recent raid in a factory plant in the State of Georgia that produced battery products, where different sources had reported the raid caught a number of people who were authorized to be at the factory anyway who had been subjected to the usual terrible treatment from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The raid had a massive negative impact on Korean willingness to continue its investment and support for building infrastructure that was not built in the United States.
Mr. Menis also read into the record a headline from a recent Fox news article, titled, "Community Rallies Behind East Bay Grandmother Detained by ICE Despite Compliance," and read into the record a segment of the article.
Anthony Vossbrink, thanked the City Manager and staff for taking care of business around City parks, with most of the water drinking fountains now working, doors repaired and bathroom timers having been adjusted to benefit the public. He asked the status of acknowledging the Ohlone, with the City of Pinole having yet to acknowledge the Ohlone with any historic site in Pinole, as compared to neighboring communities. While a City Council Ad Hoc Committee had been formed a year ago, comprised of the Mayor and another Council member who were to discuss the possibility of recognizing the Ohlone, nothing had been done. He suggested the Adobe Trail behind the dog park and caretaker's house be named the Ohlone Trail.
Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025
Mr. Vossbrink also asked the status of the Police Department hardening the security around the Bayfront Trail given a recent tragic incident. There were no cameras installed in the area other than inside the Senior Center.
ADJOURNMENT to the Special Meeting of October 14, 2025 in Remembrance of Amber Swartz.
At 9:42 p.m., Mayor Sasai adjourned the meeting to a Special City Council Meeting on October 14, 2025 in Remembrance of Amber Swartz.
Submitted by:
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Heather Befl, CMC
City Clerk
Approved by City Council: October 21, 2025
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Pinole City Council Regular Meeting
Minutes - September 16, 2025