1 San Anselmo Approved Council Minutes
Regular Meeting
Town Council Chambers and via Zoom
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Tarrell Kullaway (Mayor)
Steve Burdo (Vice Mayor)
Eileen Burke
Yoav Schlesinger
Chantel Walker
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Dave Donery, Town Manager
Serge Avila, Town Clerk
Heidi Scoble, Community Development Director
Sean Condry, Public Works Director
Jeff Zuba, Finance Director
Scott Schneider, Assistant Public Works Director
William Messinger, Assistant Engineer
Matthew Ferrer, Assistant Engineer
A. 6:00 PM Call to Order
B. Mayor Kullaway announced that item B.1 will be discussed in Closed Session Conference with Labor Negotiators (Gov. Code Section 3540) Agency Designated Representatives: Christopher Boucher, David Donery, Jeff Zuba Employee Organization: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1021 C. Public Comment on Closed Session Items
There were no comments.
D. Council adjourned to Closed Session.
7:00 PM Town Council reconvened at Town Hall Council Chambers.
Optional Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor Kullaway stated there was nothing to report from Closed Session.
Open Time for Public Expression
Ms. Sue Ream talked about the pride of living in San Anselmo and its thriving business community and generous citizens.
Mr. Guy Meyer stated we are all connected by life itself and our magical biosphere.
Mr. Jackson Dobronyi, Mr. Chris Poppy, Mr. Will Messinger, Mr. Jordan Wright, Ms. Jenny Waskie, Mr. Kurt Reis, Town employees and members of SEIU 1021 (Si, Se Puede!), urged the Council to support the Union in the upcoming contract negotiations. 2 Ms. Dawn Jones, retired Town employee, asked the Council to increase the Town’s contribution to the Post-Retirement Health Benefit.
Ms. Kyle Reis asked the Council to increase the salaries of the Town’s employees, in particular the pre-school staff.
Mr. Todd Greenberg supported giving raises to Town employees but was not sure how this could be accomplished since Town expenditures seem to exceed revenues.
Ms. Sue Saunders stated the Town would save money in the long run by retaining existing employees and not delaying maintenance to the infrastructure.
Council requests for future agenda items; Committee liaison reports; questions and comments to staff; miscellaneous items
Vice Mayor Burdo reported he attended the Fire Board meeting; the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) will be meeting this Thursday night; attended the Flashlight Egg Hunt and the Saturday morning Egg Hunt; the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) 25th Anniversary.
Councilmember Burke reported she attended the Safe Routes to Schools meeting; watched the Flood Zone 9 meeting video.
Councilmember Walker reported there will be a virtual Fair Housing Conference tomorrow; she attended the Fire Board meeting; the meeting held by the Town Manager with the business community; the Sip and Stroll will be held on May 10th.
Councilmember Schlesinger reported it was Earth Day; he attended the Flood Zone 9 meeting regarding Building Bridge 2; May is Small Business Month.
Mayor Kullaway reported she attended both of the Egg Hunts; asked the Council to review Policy 1778 at a future meeting.
Special Presentation
There were no Special Presentations.
1. Consent Agenda
1.1 Approve the Draft Minutes of the Town Council Meeting- March 25 and April 8, 2025
1.2 Receive and File the 2024 Traffic and Crimes Statistics Report
1.3 Adopted Resolution No. 2025-4573 in Recognition of National Small Business Week and San Anselmo’s Small Businesses and Proclaiming the Month of May as Small Business Month
1.4 Receive and File the Financial Report on Recreation Fund ending March 31, 2025
1.5 Receive and File Revenue and Expenditure Reports, March 2025
1.6 Adopted Resolution No. 2025-4574 establishing a Rotation Process for Town Council Committee Assignments
3 1.7 Adopted Resolution No. 2025-4575 Endorsing the Ross Valley School District Parcel Tax Measure E
Mayor Kullaway opened to Public Comment.
Mr. Todd Greenberg asked the Council to pull items #1.5 and #1.6 Ms. Catherine Phillips, Ms. Nova Goff (6th grader at White Hill Middle School), Ms. Rachel Black, Ms. Ana March, and Ms. Kate McLaughlan supported item #1.7.
Mr. Doug Kelly, representing the Coalition of Sensible Tax Payers, stated item #1.7 is not in the Council’s “lane”. The coalition is opposed to Special Taxes.
Mayor Kullaway closed Public Comment.
Vice Mayor Burdo stated he would like to pull item #1.6 for discussion.
Councilmember Burke stated she would like to pull item #1.7 for discussion.
M/s, Burke/Walker, Motion to approve Consent Calendar items #1.1 through #1.5.
AYES: Burke, Schlesinger, Walker, Vice Mayor Burdo, Mayor Kullaway
1.6 Adopt a Resolution Establishing a Rotation Process for Town Council Committee Assignments
Vice Mayor Burdo stated he supported two years as the rotation time and was in favor of eliminating the seniority preference.
Councilmember Burke stated she was happy with the draft but did not think alternate assignments should count towards the three years. Town Attorney Acevedo suggested the following language under Section 2(c): “Service as an alternate would not count towards the years of service on a committee”.
M/s, Burke/Schlesinger, Motion to approve Consent Calendar item #1.6 with the language suggested by Town Attorney Acevedo.
AYES: Burke, Schlesinger, Walker, Vice Mayor Burdo, Mayor Kullaway
1.7 Adopt a Resolution Endorsing the Ross Valley School District Parcel Tax Measure E Councilmember Burke stated it was not the job of the Council, as a body, to endorse candidates or ballot measures. It is not within the Council purview.
Councilmember Schlesinger discussed the pros and cons of supporting ballot measures.
Vice Mayor Burdo noted Town Attorney Acevedo did not tell the Council that they do not have the authority to endorse such a ballot measure. However, this is not something they typically do.
M/s, Burdo/Walker, Motion to approve Consent Calendar item #1.7.
AYES: Walker, Vice Mayor Burdo, Mayor Kullaway
ABSTAIN: Burke, Schlesinger
4 2. Public Hearing Items
2.1 Public Hearing and Adoption of an Ordinance Designating Fire Hazard Severity Zones In Local Responsibility Area
Mayor Kullaway stated this item would be continued due to a lack of proper notice.
2.2 Public Hearing and Adoption of a Resolution Vacating a Portion of the Public Right-of- Way Adjacent to 11 Sunnyside Drive in San Anselmo
Assistant Engineer Messinger presented a PowerPoint presentation. Staff answered a question from the Council regarding the staff’s lukewarm recommendation on this item.
Mayor Kullaway opened to Public Comment.
Mr. Guy Meyer had a question about the location of the abandonment.
Mayor Kullaway closed Public Comment.
M/s, Burke/Walker, Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 2025-4576 Vacating a Portion of the Public Right-of-Way Adjacent to 11 Sunnyside Drive in San Anselmo AYES: Burke, Schlesinger, Vice Mayor Burdo, Mayor Kullaway ABSTAIN: Walker
3. Council Business Items
3.1 Adopt a Resolution Approving the 2025-2026 Senate Bill 1 (SB1) Gas Tax Funding Project List
Assistant Public Works Director Schneider presented the staff report. Staff answered questions from the Council regarding whether the Town owns the portion of the road above and below those that are slated to be repaved; how staff determines what streets to repave and whether or not to repave the entire street or just a portion; if all the streets that are going to be repaved are owned by the Town; if any of the streets are getting speed cushions.
Mayor Kullaway opened the meeting to public comments.
Mr. Todd Greenberg complimented staff on their transparency and asked for a complete list of funds that the Town brings in designated to be used on roads.
Mayor Kullaway closed the meeting to public comments.
M/s, Walker/Burke, Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 2025-4577 Approving the 2025-2026 Senate Bill 1 (SB1) Gas Tax Funding Project List.
AYES: Burke, Schlesinger, Walker, Vice Mayor Burdo, Mayor Kullaway
3.2 Approve the 2025 Street Resurfacing Project and Authorize Staff to Advertise for Construction Bids
Assistant Public Works Director Schneider and Finance Director Zuba presented the staff report. Staff answered questions from the Council regarding the Request for Proposal (RFP); the notification process to residents.
Mayor Kullaway opened the meeting to public comments.
5 Mr. Todd Greenberg stated the staff report does not discuss who will receive bids or how contracts are awarded.
Mayor Kullaway closed the meeting to public comments.
M/s, Burke/Burdo, Motion to Approve the 2025 Street Resurfacing Project and Authorize Staff to Advertise for Construction Bids and find this item exempt from CEQA.
AYES: Burke, Schlesinger, Walker, Vice Mayor Burdo, Mayor Kullaway
3.3 Town Hall Resilience Hub Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) review and update to Resilience Hub Project
Assistant Engineer Ferrer presented the staff report and a PowerPoint presentation. Staff answered questions from the Council regarding the proposed height above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE); how the determination was made about the charging power levels.
Mayor Kullaway opened the meeting to public comments.
Mr. Guy Meyer stated the community does not know what is going on and there are some legitimate questions. He was concerned about lithium batteries and CEQA issues.
Mr. Todd Greenberg stated a resilience hub is a great idea. He was concerned about flooding and asked about the height of the structure.
Ms. Sue Saunders discussed the issue regarding the safety of batteries. She supported the project.
Mayor Kullaway closed the meeting to public comments.
The Council took a break at 9:02 PM
The Council reconvened in the Council Chambers at 9:11 PM
3.4 Adopt Resolution Establishing Job Description and Pay Range for Community Development Director and Principal Planner
Finance Director Zuba presented the staff report. Staff answered questions from the Council regarding how to broaden the candidate pool; minimum qualifications; if the proposed salary is in line with other communities.
Mayor Kullaway opened the meeting to public comments.
There were no comments.
Mayor Kullaway closed the meeting to public comments.
M/s, Walker/Burdo, Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 2025-4578 Establishing Job Description and Pay Range for Community Development Director and to Adopt Resolution No. 2025-4579 Establishing Job Description and Pay Range for the Principal Planner.
AYES: Burke, Schlesinger, Walker, Vice Mayor Burdo, Mayor Kullaway
3.5 Receive an Overview Report of the Town Depositories, Investment Accounts, and 6 Investment Practices and Provide Direction to Staff
Finance Director Zuba presented the staff report and a PowerPoint presentation. Staff answered questions from the Council regarding whether there are any banks that do not invest in fossil fuels; if staff thinks this discussion merits a larger conversation; what are the Town’s investment goals; if staff has looked at the cyber security and technology infrastructure with respect to credit unions.
Mayor Kullaway opened the meeting to public comments.
There were no comments.
Mayor Kullaway closed the meeting to public comments.
Councilmember Burke supported the priority of “safety, liquidity, and yield”. She was concerned the Council is micro-managing. Councilmember Burdo agreed.
Councilmember Schlesinger stated he would like the Council to craft a statement about investment values.
Finance Director Zuba stated the policy could be discussed by the Infrastructure and Fiscal Monitoring Committee and then the Council. He would also investigate Redwood Credit Union.
3.6 Receive the Fiscal Year 2025-2027 Draft Work Plan Priorities Report and Provide Feedback to Staff
Town Manager Donery and Librarian Kenton presented the staff report and a PowerPoint presentation. Staff answered a question from the Council regarding activities and programs for teens.
Mayor Kullaway opened the meeting to public comments.
Mr. Todd Greenberg complimented the staff for setting priorities and asked if they were ranked and if there is a methodology to determine whether the priorities have been met.
Mayor Kullaway closed the meeting to public comments.
Councilmember Burke suggested adding “Police Enforcement”, “Community Policing”, and “Maintaining Parks and Facilities Infrastructure”.
Councilmember Walker advocated for paring back on the priorities so the remaining ones can be done more easily.
Mayor Kullaway stated she would like to see lots of bike counters.
The Council thanked staff for the great work!
M/s, Burke, Motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:16 p.m.
AYES: Burdo, Colbert, Fineman, Vice Mayor Kullaway, Mayor Burke Respectfully submitted,
Toni DeFrancis,
Recording Secretary