MINUTES
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL - MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2026
REGULAR MEETING AT 6:00 P.M.
San Rafael City Hall, Council Chambers
1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
Watch Online:
Watch on Webinar: https://tinyurl.com/city-council-1
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This meeting will be held in-person. This meeting is being streamed to YouTube at www.youtube.com/cityofsanrafael.
How to participate in the meeting:
• You are welcome to come to the meeting and provide public comment in person. Each speaker will have 2-minutes to provide public comment per agenda item. • Submit your comments by email to [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.
If you experience technical difficulties during the meeting, please contact [email protected].
Present: Vice Mayor Kertz
Councilmember Llorens Gulati
Mayor Kate
Absent: Councilmember Bushey
Councilmember Hill
Also Present: Acting City Manager Paul Navazio
City Attorney Robert Epstein
City Clerk Lindsay Lara
Mayor Kate called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. and invited City Clerk Lindsay Lara to call the roll.
City Attorney Robert Epstein announced that no reportable action was taken in Closed Session.
Mayor Kate provided opening remarks which included gratitude to City Staff, reporting potholes, subscribing to Snapshot, and a land acknowledgment.
City Clerk Lindsay Lara informed the community that the in-person meeting would also be recorded and streamed live to YouTube and through Zoom. She noted the two-minute timer for public comment and closed captioning on Zoom.
OPEN TIME FOR PUBLIC EXPRESSION – 10 MINUTES
• Wayne Rayburn addressed public comment regarding the City of Milpitas’s free wireless doorbell camera program.
CITY MANAGER AND COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS:
2 (including AB 1234 Reports on Meetings and Conferences Attended at City Expense)
1. City Manager and Councilmember Reports:
Acting City Manager Paul Navazio provided the following announcements and updates:
• Lincoln Avenue Crosswalk Improvement Project Update
• Finance Subcommittee meeting to be held Tuesday, April 14, City Hall, 10 a.m. • Police Advisory & Accountability Committee (PAAC) meeting to be held Wednesday, April 15, City Hall, 6 p.m.
• Red Cross Blood Drive to be held Wednesday, April 15, B Street Community Center, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Downtown Cleanup Day to be held Wednesday, April 22, City Plaza, 10 a.m. - noon • Prescribed Burns Update
City Councilmember Reports:
• Vice Mayor Kertz reported on a Bahia Vista School reading, Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) Board and Executive meetings, a Cal Cities Policy Meeting on community services, a San Rafael Federation of Neighborhoods meeting, and a Kaiser Executive Team meeting.
• Councilmember Llorens Gulati reported on a San Pedro School reading, a Cal Cities Environmental Quality Policy Committee meeting, a Chamber of Commerce East San Rafael Working Group meeting, a Marin Transit meeting, and a Marin Clean Energy Executive Committee meeting.
• Mayor Kate reported on a San Rafael Sanitation District meeting, an Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee meeting, a Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) Board meeting, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), Police Captain McElderry’s retirement, and neighborhood association meetings.
Mayor Kate invited public comment; however, there was none.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
Mayor Kate invited public comment.
Speakers: Name Withheld, Rika Gopinath, Debbie Raphael
Councilmember Llorens Gutati moved and Vice Mayor Kertz seconded to approve the Consent Calendar.
AYES: Councilmembers: Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: Bushey & Hill
2. Consent Calendar Items:
a. Approval of Minutes
Approve Minutes of the Special Closed Session and Regular City Council Meetings of March 16, 2026 (CC)
Approved Minutes as submitted
b. Establish Electronic and Paperless Filing for FPPC Campaign Disclosure Statements Final Adoption of Ordinance 2061: An Ordinance Adding Chapter 2.09 to Title 2 3 (Administration) of the San Rafael Municipal Code to Require Electronic and Paperless Filing of Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Campaign Disclosure Statements (CC) Final Adoption of Ordinance 2061
c. Fire Commission Reappointment
Reappoint Stan Burford to Fill One Four-Year Term to the End of April 2030 on the Fire Commission (CC)
Reappointed Stan Burford
d. Authority for Claims/Litigation Settlement and Legal Expenditures Resolution to Increase the Settlement Authority of the City Manager for Claims and Litigation from $20,000 to $50,000, to Authorize the City’s Finance Director or Designee to Pay Allowed, Settled or Compromised Claims, and to Authorize the City Manager to Exclude Legal Costs Paid from the City’s Liability Fund from the Contract Not to Exceed Amount in Contracts for Legal Services (CA)
Adopted Resolution 15528
e. Proclamations
Proclamations Supporting Week of the Young Child and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Heritage Month (LR/CM)
Received and filed
f. Integrated Pest Management Policy Update
Resolution Adopting an Updated Integrated Pest Management Policy; CEQA Determination: Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(b)(3), 15301, 15304 (PW)
Adopted Resolution 15529
g. Lincoln Avenue Bridge Preventative Maintenance Project Funding Agreement Resolution Authorizing the City Manger to Execute a Program Supplement Agreement with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for $173,600 in Federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP) Funds for the Lincoln Avenue Bridge Preventative Maintenance Project (PW)
Adopted Resolution 15530
h. Pickleweed Childcare Replacement Portable Buildings Procurement Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Class Leasing, LLC for the Procurement and Installation of Portable Buildings for the Pickleweed Childcare Replacement Portables Project, City Project No. C661145010, in the Amount Not to Exceed $849,606; CEQA Determination: Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15302 (PW) Adopted Resolution 15531
OTHER AGENDA ITEMS
3. Other Agenda Items:
a. Economic Development Strategic Plan Update
Economic Development Strategic Plan Update (CED)
Community and Economic Development Director Micah Hinkle introduced Economic Development Program Manager Stacey Laumann who presented the Staff Report. 4 Staff responded to questions from the City Council.
Mayor Kate invited public comment; however, there were none.
Councilmembers provided comments.
Vice Mayor Kertz moved and Councilmember Llorens Gulati seconded to accept the Economic Development Strategic Plan Update
AYES: Councilmembers: Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: Bushey & Hill
Accepted the Economic Development Strategic Plan Update b. New Main Library and Community Center Project Delivery New Main Library and Community Center Project Update and Evaluation of Alternative Project Delivery Methods
Assistant City Manager John Stefanski and Gary Chubb, Griffin Structures presented the Staff Report.
Staff responded to questions from the City Council.
Mayor Kate invited public comment.
Speakers: Ken Dickinson, Dan Mcculloch, Carpenters Union, Chris Palomo, Carpenters Union
Staff responded to questions from public comment.
Councilmembers provided comments.
Councilmember Kertz moved and Councilmember Llorens Gulati seconded to receive Staff’s analysis of alternative project delivery methods; Authorize Staff to proceed with the Progressive Design-Build (PDB) project delivery method; and, direct Staff to initiate Project Labor Agreement negotiations with the North Bay Building and Construction Trades Council and Northern California Carpenter’s Regional Council.
AYES: Councilmembers: Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: Bushey & Hill
Receive Staff’s analysis of alternative project delivery methods; Authorized Staff to proceed with the Progressive Design-Build (PDB) project delivery method; and, directed Staff to initiate Project Labor Agreement negotiations with the North Bay Building and Construction Trades Council and Northern California Carpenter’s Regional Council
c. Appointment of Interim City Manager
5 Resolution Appointing Paul Navazio as Interim City Manager and Authorizing the Mayor to Execute an Employment Agreement with Paul Navazio (HR) City Attorney Robert Epstein presented the Staff Report.
Mayor Kate invited public comment.
Speakers: Ken Dickinson, Marianne Nannestaad, Wayne Rayburn Staff responded to questions from public comment.
Councilmembers provided comments.
Vice Mayor Kertz moved and Councilmember Llorens Gulati seconded to adopt the Resolution appointing Paul Navazio as Interim City Manager and authorizing the Mayor to execute an Employment Agreement with Paul Navazio.
AYES: Councilmembers: Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate NOES: Councilmembers: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: Bushey & Hill
Adopted Resolution 15532
OPEN TIME FOR PUBLIC EXPRESSION CONTINUED
None.
ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor Kate adjourned the meeting at 8:26 p.m.
__________________________
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
APPROVED THIS _____DAY OF____________, 2026
_____________________________________
KATE COLIN, Mayor