Page | 1 City Council Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2023)
CITY OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
CITY COUNCIL
UNOFFICIAL MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 14, 2023
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Jordan called the special meeting to order at 5:06 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Second Street, San Juan Bautista California.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Morris-Lopez led the pledge of allegiance.
ROLL CALL Present:
Councilmember Scott Freels
Mayor Pro Tem John Freeman
Councilmember Jackie Morris-Lopez
Councilmember EJ Sabathia
Mayor Leslie Q. Jordan
Absent:
Staff Present:
Don Reynolds, City Manager
Jon R Giffen, City Attorney
Brian Foucht, Assistant CM/Community Development Director Elizabeth Soto, Deputy City Clerk
2. CLOSED SESSION – 5:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.
a. Public Employee Performance Evaluation – (California Government Code section §54957(b)(1)) – the City Manager.
No public comment received.
Adjourned to closed session at 5:08 p.m.
City Attorney Giffin announced that there no reportable action.
Open Session was reconvened at 6:15 p.m.
3. CONSENT
A. Approve the Affidavit of Posting Agenda.
B. Waive the Reading of Ordinances and Resolutions on the Agenda Beyond the Title.
C. Approve a RESOLUTION Authorizing a Street Closure for Special Events.
Page | 2 City Council Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2023) D. Approve a RESOLUTION Extending Ridgeline Agreements for the Force Main project.
E. Approve a RESOLUTION Awarding Landscaping Contract in Three Special Districts to Smith and Enright.
F. Approve a RESOLUTION Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract with Paperless Solutions (CPS) for the Purchase of Laserfiche Cloud Municipality Site License for Records Management System.
G. Approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 19, 2023.
H. Approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of October 17, 2023 Consent item H was tabled to next meeting.
No public comment.
MOTION:
Upon motion by Councilmember Sabathia, second by Mayor Pro Tem Freeman, Consent Agenda, items A, B, and D-G, was approved.
AYES: Councilmembers: Freels, Freeman, Morris-Lopez, Sabathia, and Mayor Jordan; NOES:
None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None
Mayor Jordan pulled item C for correction. The event is on May 23-24,2024.
MOTION:
Upon motion by Councilmember Morris-Lopez, second by Sabathia, Consent Agenda, items C, was approved as amended.
AYES: Councilmembers: Freels, Freeman, Morris-Lopez, Sabathia, and Mayor Jordan; NOES:
None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None
4. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
A. Treasurer’s Report and Monthly Financial Statements
City Treasurer Michelle Sabathia provided the financial information for October 2023.
The following member of the public commented on the report:
Michael Ponce
B. Reports from City Council Representatives to Regional Organizations and Committees
Councilmembers reported on meetings they attended. No public comments were received.
Page | 3 City Council Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2023) C. City Council Announcements
Councilmembers reported on upcoming events happening in the city. No public comments were received.
D. City Manager’s Report
City Manager Don Reynold presented the report followed by a PowerPoint presentation.
The following members of the public commented on the report:
Michael Ponce
a. Fire Department Update –
Fire Marshal/Deputy Fire Marshal Charlie Bedolla provided an update on calls received and incidents that happened for October 2023.
b. Sheriff Department Update –
Sergeant Penney is out of the office cost of project / water
5. ACTION ITEMS
A. Draft Parklet Resolution Extending Existing Food and Beverage Parklets to June 2026 Consistent with State Law AB 1217 Signed October 8, 2023 City Manager Don Reynolds provided the report and fielded questions from the Council. The current Parklet Policy allows both retail and catering businesses to use parklets until the deadline January 1, 2024. This was the State deadline established for the sale of alcohol on catering parklets by the previous law AB61. If the City Council wishes to modify the policy consistent with AB1217, a resolution has been drafted to make this policy change for catering businesses only. It can be further modified if the Council deems this to be appropriate. If the Council does not act, all parklets will end January 1, 2024.
Mayor Jordan in favor of extending food and beverage until June 2026.
Councilmember Freels asked for clarification regarding the new regulations.
The following members of the public commented on the report:
Wanda Guibert in favor of food and beverage parklets if Council decide to extend Dr, Mary Bains in favor of extending all parklets
Margaret Galvan in favor of removing all parklets
Jose Aranda in support of all parklets
Professor Bains in favor of extending all parklets
Chris Martorana parklets should be limited to food and beverage Dan DeVries
Luke Kerbs in support of parklets for food and beverage Councilmember Freels stated that he was in favor of keeping the food and beverage parklets per the state law extension and eliminating the retail parklet at the end of the year and keeping the street to a one way.
Page | 4 City Council Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2023) Mayor Pro Tem Freeman support the law as it states
Councilmember Morris-Lopez stated the bakery owner reached out to express concern with the with loss of business from having one-way streets. Councilmember Morris-Lopez stated that she would like to see a master plan that looks at outdoor dining.
Councilmember Sabathia stated that he would like to see a fee schedule in order for the city to recuperate what it has lost.
Mayor Jordan supports the resolution and is in favor of the city recuperating fees for those parklets that are taking up some of the parking spaces.
MOTION:
Upon motion by Mayor Jordan, second by Mayor Pro Tem Freeman, RESOLUTION Extending the Existing Food and Beverage Parklets to June 2026, Consistent with State Law AB 1217, was approved.
AYES: Councilmembers: Freels, Freeman, Morris-Lopez, Sabathia, and Mayor Jordan; NOES:
None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None.
B. Notice of Intention to Amend the General Plan by Accepting Urban Growth Boundary Ad Hoc Committee Recommended Sphere of Influence, Urban Growth Boundary, and Planning Area (Continued from October 17, 2023)
Receive Report from City Manager Don Reynolds and Ad Hoc Committee Chair Martorana The UGB Ad Hoc Committee reviewed the Greenbelt model established in 2022, considered property owner input and established a draft Sphere of Influence and Greenbelt. The Committee also reviewed resource and constraints maps including soils, slopes, fire, flood and geologic hazard areas. The Committee concluded that many areas of the Sphere of Influence depicted in the General Plan are areas of prime soils, constrained by Agriculture Land Conservation Contracts or were areas of steep slopes, very high fire hazard, flood hazard, and geologic hazards.
A sphere of influence is a planning boundary outside of an agency’s legal boundary (such as the city limit line) that designates the agency’s probable future boundary and service area is reviewed every five years.
The Committee’s recommended UGB is an area that coincides with the City Limit on the North, South and West, and is within the City Limit on the East. The recommended UGB is intended to prohibit urban development and the extension of services to lands outside that boundary. The following General Plan policies would apply to this area. restrict urban development to those areas so delineated.
Page | 5 City Council Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2023) Three key features underly the Planning Area concept: 1) Information from the County regarding policies, programs, regulations, and development within the recommended area and 2) Mutual consideration by SJB and County input; and 3) Concerted City and County action.
Implementation methods, timing and anticipated results are proposed to be determined within a MOU or MOA between SJB and the County. The Planning Area is intended to offer a similar level of assurance as the Area of Concern expressed in General Plan Policy 4.4.1, referenced below, with the effective influence of this area determined solely through agreement with the County.
The following members of the public commented on the report:
Rosa Loayza thanked the Council for adding the property Phil Esparza is pleased to see that the Loayza property was added to the map Bob Fulton asked the Council to consider adding the Chritopher Ranch project MOTION:
Upon motion by Mayor Jordan, second by Mayor Pro Tem Freeman, RESOLUTION Accepting the Urban Growth Boundary/Sphere of Influence Committee’s Recommendation; State the Intention to Amend the 2035 General Plan; and Direct the Urban Growth Boundary Ad Hoc Committee to work with San Benito County to establish a Planning Area and related Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding, was approved.
AYES: Councilmembers: Freels, Freeman, Morris-Lopez, Sabathia, and Mayor Jordan; NOES:
None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None.
C. Fill a Vacancy on the Planning Commission / Historic Resources Board Receive Report/Recommendation from Ad Hoc Committee
Councilmember Sabathia reported out. No public comments were received.
MOTION:
Upon motion by Freels, second by Mayor Jordan, to appointed Iraida H. Pisano to serve on the on the Planning Commission / Historic Resources Board to fill one (1) vacancy for the remainder of the term, was approved.
AYES: Councilmembers: Freels, Freeman, Morris-Lopez, Sabathia, and Mayor Jordan; NOES:
None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None.
D. Approve a Resolution Seeking from Cal Trans, County, and CHP Increased Safety Measures on Hwy 156 during Construction
City Manager Don Reynolds provided the staff report and fielded questions from the Council.
Construction began on State Highway 156 between Hollister and San Juan Bautista transforming it a two-lane highway to a four-lane highway, several serious accidents have occurred. The worst Page | 6 City Council Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2023) accidents occur from drivers making left-hand turns from County roads onto eastbound Highway 156. This was also an issue on Highway 25, and measures were taken to prohibiting left turns during the hours of 3PM and 7PM. This was on the Agenda at the September Intergovernmental Committee meeting, then take up by COG at its October 11, 2023 meeting. Caltrans directed the County to send a request to them to include the State Highway Patrol requesting that additional safety measures be taken as soon as possible. At the November 1, 2023 Intergovernmental Committee meeting the cities were encouraged to support the County’s request to Caltrans.
The following members of the public commented on the report:
Margaret Galvan
Mikolai
Margot Tankersley
MOTION:
Upon motion by Mayor Pro Tem Freeman, second by Councilmember Morris-Lopez, RESOLUTION requesting the State, County, and CHP to implement increased traffic safety measures on State Highway 156 as soon as possible, was approved.
AYES: Councilmembers: Freels, Freeman, Morris-Lopez, Sabathia, and Mayor Jordan; NOES:
None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None.
E. Discussion and Direction to Staff: San Juan Bautista Economic Development Program
Recommendation: Discuss and provide direction to staff regarding the overall purpose, organization and staff support for San Juan Bautista economic development.
Brian Foucht, Assistant City Manager/Community Development director provided the report Councilmember Freels in favor of hitting pause and going to a more focus grass roots Focus on true economic development.
Mayor Pro Tem Freeman agrees with Councilmember Freels.
Councilmember Morris-Lopez stated attention should be focused on Third street; membership should be reviewed and is in favor of having the Committee be disbanded.
Councilmember Sabathia in favor of dissolving the committee.
Mayor Jordan thanked GoBiz as advisors and Renee Wells from Economic Development. In favor of dissolving the committee and move in another direction.
The following members of the public commented on the report:
Michael Ponce
Rhonda Io in support of dissolving the EDCAC
Page | 7 City Council Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2023) Margot Tankersley in favor of disbanding the committee
6. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. First Steps in Considering and Establishing a Golf Cart/Nev Transportation Plan in San Juan Bautista
City Manager Don Reynolds provided the report. Golf Cart/Neighborhood Environmental Vehicles (NEV)
B. City Council Rules of Civility and Decorum for Conduct of City Officials, Employees, and Members of the Public during Public Meetings City Attorney Jon Giffen reviewed the City Council Rules of Civility and Decorum for Conduct of City Officials, Employees, and Members of the Public during Public Meetings and fielded questions from the Council.
C. Consider Workshop on “Wedge Issues” with Special Speaker from California Intergovernmental Risk Authority (CIRA)
Item was tabled to the next regular meeting.
D. ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourned the meeting by Councilmember Sabathia, second by Mayor Pro Tem Freeman. All in favor.
There being no other business, Mayor Jordan adjourned the meeting at 10:30 p.m.
APPROVED:
_____________________
Leslie Q. Jordan, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________________
Elizabeth Soto, Deputy City Clerk