MINUTES OF THE
REGULAR MEETING – CITY COUNCIL
March 16, 2026
City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1 March 16, 2026
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Shess called a Regular Meeting of the City Council to order at 7:00 PM, in the Council Chambers, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA, complete proceedings of which were electronically recorded. The meeting agenda was posted on the City Hall outdoor bulletin board at 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA on March 13, 2026, by City Clerk Lyone Conner.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Shess invited the Council and Public to join him in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. ROLL CALL
Attendee Name Title Status
Zac Shess Mayor Present
Andrei Obolenskiy Vice Mayor Present
Belle La District 1 Councilmember Present
Sue Noack District 2 Councilmember Present
Amanda Szakats District 5 Councilmember Present
4. CLOSED SESSION REPORT
Mayor Shess reported that there was no closed session and nothing to report.
5. PRESENTATIONS
5.1 Award of Appreciation to Michael Griffitts for Service on the Civic Action Commission from 2021 to 2025
Mayor Shess presented a plaque to Michael Griffitts and offered remarks regarding his impact to the Commission and community.
Michael Griffitts expressed his gratitude for the time served and shared stories from his journey.
5.2 Presentation from the Every 15 Minutes Program
Annie LeClaire, Coordinator of the College Park Every 15 Minutes program, gave a presentation regarding the structure of the two-day program and the impact the events have on the students, staff, and families.
Annie emailed the City Clerk on March 17, 2026 to amend a statement from her presentation: the improvement in the “every 15 minute” statistic is now 28 minutes, not 28 seconds.
5.3 Commission on Aging Annual Report
City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2 March 16, 2026
Bret Sweet, Economic Development Manager and Staff Liaison, introduced Vicky Pease, Chair of the Commission on Aging, who shared data around the aging population in Pleasant Hill, the programs of the Commission, and data regarding the Senior Van Service.
6. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS
Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager, reported that:
• The City will host a public meeting for the pedestrian crossing enhancements project. • The Local Government Academy registration is open through May 22, 2026. • The Civic Action Commission is seeking sponsorships for the 2026 Summer Concert Series
• The second annual Earth Day celebration will be at City Hall on April 23. • City news, information, and event updates is available online, via email, social media, and in the Outlook Newsletter.
7. COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS
7.1 Reports from Councilmembers on Meetings or Conferences Attended at City Expense
Mayor Shess reported that he and his fellow Councilmembers attended the Mayors Conference hosted by the City of Hercules on March 5, 2026.
Councilmember La reported her attendance at the California League of Cities Planning Commissioners Academy.
7.2 Announcements from Councilmembers
Councilmember Szakats reported her attendance at the Wolf Renovations ribbon cutting, the Coffee Chat she hosted, the Pride Summit in Clayton, the Rotary Club St. Patrick’s Day dinner, a Drag Queen brunch for the Providing Easier Access to Care Everywhere (PEACE) organization, and three fundraiser galas for the Monument Crisis Center, Hope Solutions Ruby Red Slippers, and one additional agency.
Councilmember Szakats announced that the Diversity Commission will have an upcoming Pride event and that the Clayton Pride Parade is scheduled for May 31, 2026.
Councilmember Noack reported her attendance at Opening Day for the Pleasant Hill Baseball Association (PHBA), the Rotary St. Patrick’s Day event, and board meetings for the Assistance League of Diablo Valley.
Councilmember La reported her attendance at the DVC Women in Leadership Panel, where she was a speaker.
Vice Mayor Obolenskiy reported his attendance at an International Women’s Day meal with his family, the Young Professionals Group meeting, the Government Affairs Committee meeting, the
City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3 March 16, 2026
680 Business Club networking event, the Wolf Renovations ribbon cutting, the Minute Man Press Chamber mixer, the Hope Solutions Gala, and the St. Patrick’s Day event.
Mayor Shess reported his attendance at the PHBA Parade, the Rotary St. Patrick’s Day Fundraiser, the Opening Night of the Jewish Film Festival, where he provided opening remarks, the State Senate Meeting in Sacramento, where Pleasant Hill Officer Stephen Vuong was recognized, and the Grand re-opening of the Safeway on Contra Costa Blvd. where he provided opening remarks.
8. PUBLIC COMMENT
The following members of the public provided a comment:
• Joseph York
• Donna Gilliam
9. CONSENT CALENDAR
Before seeking a motion, Mayor Shess invited City Clerk, Lyone Conner, to explain the memo provided for the Consent Calendar.
Clerk Conner clarified that there was a correction to the vote listed on item 10.1 of the March 2 meeting minutes. Amended minutes were made available for Council and at the public counter.
Motion (Noack/La) to Approve consent items 9.1 – 9.9, with amendments to the minutes of item
9.1, carried unanimously as follows:
AYES: La, Noack, Obolenskiy, Szakats, Shess
9.1 Approve Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of March 2, 2026
9.2 Approve Checks Dated: February 27, 2026; March 06, 2026
9.3 Approve Appointment Recommendation to the Civic Action Commission, Diversity Commission and Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control Board
9.4 Adopt Ordinance No. 981 Amending the Composition of the City of Pleasant Hill Civic Action Commission
9.5 Adopt Resolution No. 17-26 Designating Authorized Agents For Disaster Emergency Reimbursement Claims
9.6 Approve Letter of Support for AB 1708 (Solache) HHAP Pathways for Cities Act
9.7 Approve letter of support for AB 1761 (Rogers) Rate calculation methodology and data disclosure
9.8 Adopt Ordinance No. 982 Amending Chapter 15.05, Stormwater Management and Discharge Control, of the City of Pleasant Hill Muni Code to Add a
City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4 March 16, 2026
Requirement for Installation and Maintenance of Devices to Capture Trash from Entering the City's Storm Drain System
9.9 Adopt Resolution No. 18-26 Accepting the Subdivision Improvements for Subdivision 9520 (401 Taylor Boulevard) as Complete
10. ACTION CALENDAR
10.1 Study Session to Invite Public Input and to Provide Direction to Staff Regarding Potential Additional General Plan Amendments Beyond what was Recently Completed as Part of the General Plan 2040.
Haley Croffoot, Senior Planner, provided a summary of the status of the General Plan, Land Use section, requested direction from Council and responded to questions.
Troy Fujimoto, City Planner, and Bret Gibbons, consultant from Mintier Harnish, were also available to respond to questions from Council.
Mayor Shess called the meeting to recess at 8:40 p.m.
Mayor Shess called the meeting back to order at 8:47 p.m.
Mayor Shess opened public comment, and the following members provided a comment or a comment card:
Albert Franco Amanda Booth Chris Tipton
Christine Will Cindy Walker-Sayles Courtney Coon
David Kaye David Mullenkampp Donna Gilliam
George Gordon Swidler Harriet Buckley
John Dailey Karen Heffern Kenji Yamada
Laura Kinney Leslie Altman Mark Maeyama
Marshall Lewis Matt Regan Melissa Hagen
Melissa Maeyama Patrick Kinney Phil Altman
Quy Tran Ryan Guest Susan Dailey
Tara Legaspi
Mayor Shess closed public comment and invited additional discussion from Council, including recommendations for staff.
This was a Study Session, and no motion or vote was needed.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Shess adjourned the meeting at 10:46 p.m. The next Regular City Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 6, 2026, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
City Council Meeting Minutes Page 5 March 16, 2026
______________________________
LYONE P. CONNER, CITY CLERK