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HEARIN
CITY OF SAUSALITO
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2025
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Cox at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting conducted via in person and Zoom and the following members were present:
Councilmember Blaustein
Councilmember Hoffman
Councilmember Sobieski
Vice Mayor Woodside
Mayor Cox
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
Significant Exposure to Litigation (Government Code Section 54956.9(d) (2): One case The City Council adjourned to Closed Session at 6:31 p.m.
Il. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
Mayor Cox reconvened the meeting at 7:06 p.m. and stated that there was no reportable action.
Councilmember Sobieski stated that he recused himself from the closed session discussion.
Councilmember Blaustein made a motion, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried, to move item 5D. to the February 18 council meeting.
Vice Mayor Woodside made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to approve the agenda.
1. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS/MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS - NONE
2. COMMUNICATIONS
Babette McDougal, Jeffrey Chase, Sandra Bushmaker, Fred, and Burt Drobnis provided public comments.
3. CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilmember Sobieski requested the following be inserted in Item No 3C: "City Council committed itself to identifying 3 million more in annual recurring revenue." Mayor Cox made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to approve the following consent calendar items as amended. 1 of 5
3.A Adopted the Black History Month Proclamation.
3.B Adopted the Meeting Minutes from January 21, 2025.
3.C Received and Filed the City of Sausalito City Council Strategic Planning Report submitted by Facilitator Amy Howorth of the Municipal Resource Group.
3.D Received and Filed the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Q2 Report from the Library.
3.E Adopted Resolution No. 09-2025, increasing the contingency for the Dorothy Gibson House Improvement Project located at 429 ½ Johnson Street by $ 100,000 funded by a State and County Grant and authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary change orders to complete the project.
3.F Received and Filed the Treasurer's Report for December 31, 2024.
3.G Approved the California Employers' Retiree Benefit Trust Program (CERBT) Agreement and Election to Prefund Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Through CaPERS, Authorize City Manager and Director of Finance to transfer the funds from Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS) to CERBT Program and Adopt a Resolution Delegating Authority to City Manager and Director of Finance to Approve Disbursements
3.H Waived the Second Reading and Adopted Ordinance No. 01-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of City of Sausalito Amending Section 10.44.080 Accessory Dwelling Units and Section
10.44.085 Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit Regulations of Title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code and Finding the Action to be Statutorily Exempt from CEQA Under Public Resources Code section 21080.17.
4. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS - NONE
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.A Study Session and Presentation Regarding Draft Amended 2023-2031 Housing Element, Including Draft General Plan Amendments, and Modified Amended Housing Element (Project Alternative)
Brandon Phipps, Community & Economic Development Director, and Beth Thompson, Principal, Denovo Planning Group, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, and Neal Toft, Principal Planner, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Mayor Cox would like to add HCD to page 13 "Additional refinements were made through a housing element amendment in 2025 to the opportunity sites as a result of community and design decision maker input during implementation of program four.
Rick Makdovich, John Story, Jim Madden, Jed Dempsey, Adriana Dinahanian, Babette McDougal, lan Sobieski, Michael Rex, Albert Strictman, Alice Merrill, Fari Tabatabai, Mark Coleman, Vicki Nichols, Joel Carr, Burth Drobnis, Justine Kahn, Sandra Bushmaker, Jennifer Nemmo, Aaron Natan, Carmela Davis, John, Ben Dean, Sybil Boutilier, and Nicole Belfoy provided public comments.
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Councilmember Hoffman made a motion to cancel the 3-minute comment time limit for the city council. The motion failed to get a second.
After discussion, the City Council requested a reduction in density at the Alta Mira site; hear from the consultant as to how the city could accommodate those units; reduce the buffer; evaluate the impact of reducing the buffer for moderate and above moderate units; consider taking off the Spencer Firehouse and City Hall off; evaluate the removal of MLK site and Bridgeway Sit; and look at a reduction of density of MLK to 29; consider an incentive program for ADUs and SB9s units and increasing numbers in a moderate manner, including numbers for enhanced residential over commercial pursuant to AB 2011 and SB6 to the furthest extent; explore potential development agreements within the Marinship; and have staff redline deletions as well as additions in the Housing Element.
5.B Study Session for Municipal Code Amendment: Adoption of More Comprehensive Objective Design and Development Standards (ODDS) and Form-Based Code Brandon Phipps, Community & Economic Development Director, and Bob Brown, ODDS Consultant, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Sophia Collier made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Neal Toft, Principal Planner, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Michael Rex, Vicki Nichols, Babette McDougal, Art Giovara, and Stacy Nimmo provided public comments.
After discussion, by common consent, the City Council directed staff to engage with ViewSync so that the council can confidently address the issues raised by HCD; and so that it can support the evaluation of a proposed site utilizing objective design standards.
5.C Study Session and Presentation on Draft Amendments to Municipal Code Title 10 (Zoning Ordinance), Draft Amendments to Zoning Map and Draft Resolution calling for ballot measure(s) for the rezone of Opportunity Sites subject to Ordinance Nos. 1022 and 1128 to implement Housing Element Programs 4 and 16 of the 2023-2031 Housing Element
Brandon Phipps, Community & Economic Development Director, and Beth Thompson, Principal, Denovo Planning Group, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Michael Rex, Linda Fotsch, Babette McDougal, Stacy Nimmo, and Nicole provided public comments.
The City Council directed staff to explore getting on the two ballot initiatives or one, depending on what is decided, but not at the cost of sacrificing the path the council has already aligned upon as it relates to the rezone of Opportunity Sites subject to Ordinance No. 1022.
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5.D Introduction by Title and Waiver of First Reading of Ordinance No. 02-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Section 15.04.060 To Prescribe Speed Limits Within the City of Sausalito
Councilmember Blaustein made a motion, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried, to move item 5D. to the February 18 council meeting.
6. CITY MANAGER REPORTS, COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS, CITY COUNCIL
APPOINTMENTS, OTHER COUNCIL BUSINESS
There were none.
6A. City Manager Information for Council
Request to Move the February 22nd Special Meeting on Bridgeway Grant to Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.
The City Council directed staff to hold the February 25 meeting at 4:00 p.m.
Chris Zapata made a report on the MTC timeframe.
By consensus, the City Council moved the Bridgeway Grant meeting to March 29, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. unless MTC declines the extension request.
6B. Councilmember Committee Reports
Mayor Cox attended the MCCMC Legislative Committee meeting on Zone Zero. Councilmember Hoffman reported that she has been nominated to become president of the North Bay Executive Committee.
6C. Appointments - NONE
6D. Future Agenda Items
Mayor Cox requested that the City Attorney disseminate any updates on executive orders.
Councilmember Sobieski Resolution to not lose undergrounding credits and bring back RFI topic Community Venture Partners.
Councilmember Blaustein asked staff to report back on speed bumps in school zones, Development on Bridgeway Marina, and a conversation on police data. 6E. Other reports of significance - NONE
7. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Cox adjourned the meeting at 12:29 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Walfred Solortano
City Clerk
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