OF
CORPORATED
MARIN CALA
C9
CITY OF SAUSALITO
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Cox at 5:33 p.m. and the following members were present:
Councilmember Blaustein (Arrived at 7:45 PM)
Councilmember Hoffman (Arrived 5:34 PM)
Councilmember Sobieski
Vice Mayor Woodside
Mayor Cox
II. CLOSED SESSION
C1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION (Government Code Section 54956.9(d) (1))
Name of case: Yes In My Backyard v. City of Sausalito, Marin County Superior Court Case No.
CV2300652
C2. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR
(Government Code Section 54957.6)
Agency Designated Representative: Kathy Nikitas, Human Resources Manager and Charles Sakai, Sloan Sakai
Employee organization: Sausalito Police Association
C3. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY
NEGOTIATORS (Government Code Section 54956.8
Property: MLK Site Bus Barn, 610 Coloma Street, Ste. 723 Agency negotiator: City Manager, City Attorney and Maximiliano A. Huff, Kimber Companies Negotiating parties: Marin City Sausalito Football Club Under negotiation: Price and Terms of Payment
C4. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (Government Code Section 54956.9(d) (2))
Significant Exposure to Litigation (One Case)
The City Council adjourned to Closed Session at 5:37 p.m.
III. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
Mayor Cox reconvened at 7:03 p.m.
Mayor Cox announced that she recused herself from Item No. C3 due to the proximity of her residence.
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Vice Mayor Woodside made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to approve the agenda.
1. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS/MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.A Budget Presentation from Community Services (Library & Parks) Jeffrey Jackson, Acting City Librarian, and Bryan Vitale, Acting Community Services Director, made a presentation and responded to City Council questions.
1.B Budget Presentation from Human Resources
Katherine Nikitas, Human Resources Manager, made a presentation and responded to City Council questions.
1.C Budget Presentation from City Clerk
Walfred Solorzano, City Clerk, made a presentation and responded to City Council questions.
David Lay, Babette McDougal, Sandra Bushmaker, and Sybil Boutilier provided public comments.
2. COMMUNICATIONS
Zach Monsees, David Lay, Charles Milton, and Laurette Rogers provided public comments.
3. CONSENT CALENDAR
By consensus, the City Council moved item 3.E. to Business.
Mayor Cox recused herself from Item No. 3l.
Laurette Rogers, Babette McDougal, and Judy Wetterer provided public comments.
Vice Mayor Woodside made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Hoffman, and unanimously carried, to approve the following consent calendar items:
3.A Adopted the Meeting Minutes of April 15 and May 6, 2025.
3.B Adopted the Jewish Heritage Month Proclamation.
3.C Adopted the San Francisco Zoo and Garden Proclamation.
3.D Received and Filed the Treasurer's Report for FY 2025 - Quarter 3.
3.E Waived the Second Reading and Adopted of Ordinance No. 05-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Chapter 10.44 Section 10.44.010 ("Purpose and Applicability") and Section 10.44.190 ("Residential Uses in Commercial Districts") of Title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code.
3.F Received and Filed the Shoreline Adaptation Plan Update. 2 of 5
3.G Authorized the City Manager to Execute the First Contract Amendment with WRT Consulting to Provide Additional Planning Services for the Shoreline Adaptation in the Amount of $40,000 Supported by the Sea Level Rise Planning Grant.
3.H Authorized Staff to Proceed with Soliciting for Construction Bids for the Bridgeway Safety Improvement Project, Napa to Johnson Street Project.
Councilmember Blaustein made a motion, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried (Mayor Cox being recused), to approve the following consent calendar item:
3. Authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Marin City Sausalito FC for lease of property at Martin Luther King Park, 610 Coloma Street Suite 723 beginning at $700 per month, plus utilities and escalator tied to the San Francisco/Bay Area Consumer Price Index.
4. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS - NONE
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
3.E Waiver of Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 05-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Chapter 10.44 Section 10.44.010 ("Purpose and Applicability") and Section 10.44.190 ("Residential Uses in Commercial Districts") of Title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, responded to City Council questions.
Brandon Phipps, Director of Community and Economic Development, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Adrian Brinton, Sharna Brockett, Brian Powers, Laurette Rogers, Babette McDougal, Linda Fotsch, Joel Karr, Kieran Culligan, Bonnie McGregor, Eric McFarland, Sandra Bushmaker, Judy Wetterer, Scott Thornburg, and Charles Melton provided public comments.
Mayor Cox made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Hoffman, to bifurcate ordinance and that the first reading of the revised ordinance be a seconded reading, and to eliminate the revision to section 1044190c2 and eliminate the new phrase in section 10.44.190DA3 that says the Planning Commission "finds, based on substantial evidence, that the conversion of existing space to residential uses is physically or financially infeasible." To direct staff to return to the City Council in July with a proposed ordinance to address the section that was removed. The motion failed by the following 2-3 vote:
AYES: Hoffman, Cox
NOES: Blaustein, Sobieski, Woodside
Councilmember Sobieski made an alternate motion, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside to keep the Ordinance as is. The motion failed by the following 2-3 vote:
AYES: Sobieski, Woodside
NOES: Blaustein, Hoffman, Cox
Councilmember Blaustein made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, to approve the second reading and adopt the ordinance as it exists, and directed staff to come back with an affordability assessment of existing unit stock. The motion carried by the following 4-1 vote:
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AYES: Blaustein, Sobieski, Woodside, Cox
NOES: Hoffman
5.A Waiver of Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 03-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Chapter 10.44.240 "Formula Retail", Table 10.24-1 "Land Uses in Commercial Districts", and Chapter 10.24.040 "Special Requirements" of Title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code Matthew Mandich, Senior Planner, made a presentation and responded to City Council questions.
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, responded to City Council questions.
Vicki Nichols, Sharna Brockett, Alice Merrill, Yoshi Tome, Brian Powers, Adrian Brinton, Paul Geffner, Babette McDougal, Kieran Culligan, Laurette Rogers, Sandra Bushmaker, Bonnie McGregor, Judy Wetterer, Jacqueline Amrikhas, Joel Karr, and David Lay provided public comments.
Mayor Cox made a motion (with a friendly amendment from Councilmember Sobieski), seconded by Vice Mayor, and unanimously carried, to disallow additional formula retail in CC zoning district; redefine formula retail from 6 to 50 (in California); allow formula retail in the CR Zoning district; ban all formula retail over 50 establishments throughout town with the exception of one of the sites.
5.B Second Review of Draft Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Capital Improvement Program Chris Zapata, City Manager, Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, Jesus Nava, Interim Finance Director, made a presentation and responded to City Council questions.
Adrian Brinton, Vicki Nichols, and Babette McDougal provided public comments.
City Council under consensus directed staff to listen to all of City Councils comments and return with another recommendation.
5.C Launch a Local Employee Parking Program for Caledonia Businesses; Caledonia Parking Review; Park Revenue Report to City Council; Parking Policy for Economic Hardship
Paul Geffner, Yoshi Tome, Adrian Brinton, Vicki Nichols, and Babette McDougal provided public comments.
This item was continued.
6. CITY MANAGER REPORTS, COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS, CITY COUNCIL
APPOINTMENTS, OTHER COUNCIL BUSINESS
6A. City Manager Information for Council
Receive an Update on Pending Asset and Obligation Transfer Agreement with Sausalito Marin City Sanitary District
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Chris Zapata, City Manager, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
6B. City Attorney Information for Council
Nothing to Report.
6C. Councilmember Committee Reports
Mayor Cox announced there is no speaker for MCMC meeting, and the in-person meeting will need to be postponed for July.
6D. Appointments
Appointed Vice Mayor Woodside as the Liaison to Library Board and Marin Clean Energy Board.
Appointed Tricia Smith to Complete the Term of Edward Schultz on the Commission on Aging Ending on June 30, 2026.
6E. Future Agenda Items
Councilmember Blaustein asked to add Protection of Legacy Business Program. 6F. Minutes from Boards, Commissions, and Committees
There were none.
6G. Other reports of significance
There were none.
6H. Public Comment on Items 6A-6C and 6E-6G: limited to 2 minutes/person Babette McDougal provided public comments.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Cox adjourned the meeting at 12:11 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Walli
Walfred Solorzano
City Clerk
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