January 13, 2025 1
San Carlos City Council/Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency/Housing Authority Regular Meeting
Council Chambers, City Hall
600 Elm Street, San Carlos, CA 94070
January 13, 2025 7:00 PM
MINUTES
ROLL CALL
City Council Present: Sara McDowell, Mayor
Pranita Venkatesh, Vice Mayor
John Dugan, Councilmember
Neil Layton, Councilmember
Adam Rak, Councilmember
Staff Present: Nil Blackburn, Assistant City Manager
Greg DaCunha, Deputy Fire Chief
Hanieh Houshmandi, Senior Traffic Engineer
Steven Machida, Public Works Director
Jeff Maltbie, City Manager
Rebecca Mendenhall, Administrative Services Director
Crystal Mui, City Clerk
Amy Newby, Parks and Recreation Director
Gregory Rubens, City Attorney
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor McDowell called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
2. ASSEMBLY BILL 2449 TELECONFERENCE REQUESTS
None.
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor McDowell led the Pledge of Allegiance.
4. CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA
None.
5. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councilmember Rak promoted the upcoming activities for Week of Family.
Councilmember Dugan thanked the community for their participation in the listening session on the Holly 101 overpass.
Mayor McDowell shared that she attended the City’s centennial kick -off luncheon at the Adult Community Center . She promoted various upcoming centennial events and encouraged the
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community to visit the City’s website to learn about the other events throughout the year, including Week of the Family activities.
Mayor McDowell notified the community that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will be holding two public meetings to discuss CalWater’s proposed water rate increases.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mike Swire thanked the City for hosting the listening session on the Holly 101 overpass. He praised the City's proactive approach in seeking solutions to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
John Hoffman, resident, addressed the Council regarding the poor condition of local streets, urging that repairs be prioritized. He also proposed that, during the next update of the City logo, the image of black smoke emanating from the house be eliminated.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
MOTION: Adopt City Council Consent Calendar items ‘a’ through ‘f’.
MOVER: Adam Rak
SECONDER: John Dugan
AYES: Dugan, Layton, Rak, Venkatesh, McDowell
NAYS: None
RESULT: Motion Passed 5 – 0
a. Motion to Waive Reading of All Ordinances.
b. Approve the November 25, 2024 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes.
c. Accept the Quarterly Reports from City Commissions and Boards.
d. Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Sign an Amendment to Extend the City of San Carlos and San Carlos School District Field Maintenance Agreement from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025. Resolution 2025-001
e. Adopt a Resolution Adopting the Countywide and City of San Carlos Local Roadway Safety Plan and Accompanying Vision Zero Goals. Resolution 2025-002
f. Appoint Ron Collins to the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s Board of Trustees for a Term Expiring December 31, 2028.
8. REPORTS TO COUNCIL
a. Receive an Update on Fire and Emergency Services.
Deputy Fire Chief Greg DaCunha provided an update on fire and emergency services from fiscal year 2022-2024, highlighting their key accomplishments and efforts in public education and community outreach. He then outlined their goals for the coming year and responded to questions from the Council.
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9. NEW BUSINESS
a. Consideration of Adopting a Resolution Approving the Second Revised and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for the San Mateo County Operational Area Emergency Services Council.
Deputy Fire Chief Greg DaCunha provided background on the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement governing the Emergency Services Council and discussed the necessary updates to the agreement. He then presented on wildfire preparedness resources available to the community and, together with City Attorney Greg Rubens, responded to Council questions.
Council discussed the need for hosting another community meeting on wildfire preparedness and emphasized the importance of having it recorded. They requested further discussions on emergency preparedness and outreach at the strategic retreat.
MOTION: Adopt Resolution 2025-003 Approving the Second Revised and Restated Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for the San Mateo County Operational Area Emergency Services Council.
MOVER: Adam Rak
SECONDER: Neil Layton
AYES: Rak, Dugan, Layton, Venkatesh, McDowell
NAYS: None
RESULT: Motion Passed 5 – 0
b. Consideration of Appointments to the City Council Subcommittees and Ad Hoc Committees for 2025.
City Manager Jeff Maltbie outlined the annual process for appointing assignments to subcommittee and committees of outside agencies.
The following additions were made to the proposed assignments list:
- Councilmember Rak will serve as the alternate representative on the Caltrain Modernization Local Policy Maker Working Group.
- Vice Mayor Venkatesh will be the primary representative on the Grand Boulevard Initiative.
- Councilmember Layton will join Mayor McDowell on the Childcare Subcommittee.
MOTION: Approve the Updates to the City Council Subcommittees and Ad Hoc Committees for 2025.
MOVER: Pranita Venkatesh
SECONDER: Adam Rak
AYES: Venkatesh, Rak, Dugan, Layton, McDowell
NAYS: None
RESULT: Motion Passed 5 – 0
10. AGENDA SETTING
a. Consideration of Agendizing an Item to Sponsor the Community Foundation of San Carlos’ 2025 Annual Awards Banquet.
Mayor McDowell provided an overview of the Foundation’s Awards Banquet, previously known as Citizen of the Year, and requested Council sponsorship in the amount of $5,000.
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The Council agreed with the sponsorship and instructed staff to proceed.
11. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:09 PM.
Crystal Mui,
City Clerk