ICORPORATOS
* CIT
MARIN
CITY OF SAUSALITO
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2025
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Cox at 3:35 p.m. and the following members were present:
Councilmember Blaustein
Councilmember Hoffman
Councilmember Sobieski (arrived at 3:58 p.m.)
Vice Mayor Woodside
Mayor Cox
II. INTERVIEWS
The City Council interviewed Jackie Winkel and Nan Farley for the Sustainability Commission; and Robin Wolaner and Dale Barnes for the Library Board of Trustees.
III. CLOSED SESSION
C1. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957) Title: City Manager
C2. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-EXISTING LITIGATION
(Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1))
Name of case: Andrew Sullivan v. City of Sausalito, Marin County Superior Court Case CV0004822
C3. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (Government Code Section 54956.9(d) (2)) Significant Exposure to Litigation: One Case C4. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION (Government Code Section 54956.9(d) (1))
Conn v. Sausalito, et al. CV0007657 and CV0007985
C5. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957) Title: Interim City Manager
Councilmember Sobieski recused himself from Closed Session Item No. C3.
The City Council adjourned to Closed Session at 3:57 p.m.
III. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
The City Council reconvened at 5:09 p.m.
There was no reportable action from Closed Session.
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Vice Mayor Woodside moved, seconded by Councilmember Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to approve the agenda.
1. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS/MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS - NONE
2. COMMUNICATIONS
Damian Morgan, Michelle Mokalla, Nicole Back, Lorna Newlin, Sandra Bushmaker, Babette McDougal, and Eva Chrysanthe provided public comments.
3. CONSENT CALENDAR
Kevin McGowan, Public Work Director, and Catie Thow Garcia, Sustainability & Resiliency Manager, responded to questions posed by the City Council on Item Nos. 3C and 3D.
By consensus, the City Council pulled Item No. 3C, 3D, and 3F. and moved them to follow the Business items.
Lorna Newlin, Sandra Bushmaker, and Aaron Nathan provided public comments.
Councilmember Blaustein moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried, to adopt the following consent calendar items:
3.A Adopted the Draft Minutes from the Meetings of November 18 and 21, 2025.
3.B Received and Filed the Current Local Appointments for Various Boards, Commissions, and Committees.
3.E Received and Filed the Annual Report on Construction Traffic Road Fee for FY 2024-25 under the Mitigation Fee Act and Adopted Resolution 76-2025, making findings pursuant to California Government Code 66001.
3.G Received and Filed the Status Report to City Council Regarding Development of 10-Year Financial Model Tool.
3.H Waived the Second Reading and Adopted Ordinance No. 06-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito, California, Amending The Official Zoning Map of the City of Sausalito and Adopting Various Textual Amendments to Title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code for the Implementation of the 6th Cycle Housing Element (CEQA: Analyzed Under Housing Element EIR, No Further Review Required Per CEQA Guidelines 15162).
3.1 Waived the Second Reading and Adopted Ordinance No. 12-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Chapter 10.44 Section 10.44.080 (Accessory Dwelling Units) of Title 10 of the Sausalito Municipal Code.
4. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS
4.A Appeal of Planning Commission Resolution No. 2025-21 approving a Design Review Permit with Heightened Review at 33 San Carlos Avenue (APN: 065-202-52) Mayor Cox opened the public hearing and confirmed that there were no disclosures of Ex- Parte communications.
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Matthew Mandich, Principal Planner, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Jason Nelson, counsel for the applicant, Catherine Casares, applicant, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Len Rifkind, counsel for the appellant, and Vicki Abeles, applicant, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Saga Perry, Adintha Padala, Jamey Abeles, Stacy Key, Erik Lundquist, Jeffrey Stafford, Colleen Hancock, Michelle Dumont, Olympia Kariakis, Jack Burrows, George Osterkamp, and Sisi Damner provided public comments.
Mayor Cox closed the public hearing.
Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried (Councilmember Sobieski being recused) to approve the project with modified conditions of approval as stated on the record, including relocation of the third-floor closets and bathroom out of the former tree canopy area, limiting finished roof heights to the story pole height, and requiring a geotechnical report and structural calculations at the building permit stage, with staff to administer the changes administratively.
4.B Public Hearing: Introduce by Title and Waive First Reading of Ordinance No. 14-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending to the Municipal Code to include a new Title 10A (Objective Design and Development Standards) Brandon Phipps, Assistant City Manager, Bob Brown, consultant, and Sophia Collier, consultant, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Mayor Cox opened the public hearing.
Jed Dempsey, Nicole Back, Lorna Newlin, Alice Merrill, Jonathan Hutchinson, Michael Rex, Babette McDougal, Cindy Rose, Laurette Rogers, Aaron Nathan, Sandra Bushmaker, Barbara Brown, Carolyn Revelle, Daniel Shegrue, Pat Zuch, and Art Giovara provided public comments.
Mayor Cox closed the public hearing
Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, and unanimously carried, to introduce by title only, and waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 14-2025, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending to the Municipal Code to include a new Title 10A (Objective Design and Development Standards), and to amend Section 10A. 03.050 to, "The view protection requirements of this chapter that depend on such software or method shall be suspended if determined by the Community Development Department that no software meeting the requirements of this chapter is available, and no alternative method is deemed acceptable to determine compliance with this chapter within the timeframe prescribed by the Permit Streamlining Act"; and to restore Mount Tamalpais as an iconic view in Section 10A.03.020, subsection 3 (where it had been struck out in redline).
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5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.A 480 Sausalito Boulevard - Administrative Hearing Before the City Council to Consider an Appeal of an Administrative Citation Issued for Failure to Obtain Administrative Design Review Permit, Failure to Obtain Building Permits Required, Failure to Comply with Stop Work Order, and Creation of Unsafe and Deficient Structures (APN: 065-222-45) Jonathan Pickett provided public comments.
Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried, to continue the item to a date uncertain.
5.B Discussion and direction regarding release of a Request for Proposals to develop a Specific Plan and Zoning Regulations Planning for Development of Housing and Preservation of Maritime Uses
Chris Zapata, City Manager, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Alice Merrill, Sandra Bushmaker, Craig Merrilees, Lorna Newlin, Fred Moore, Vicki Nichols, Aaron Nathan, Curtis Havel, John DiRe, and Cindy Rose provided public comments.
Councilmember Sobieski moved, seconded by Councilmember Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to not release the Draft RFP and instead return within 90 days with a roadmap document that informs the city of the steps needed to develop an urban plan for the area north of galilee harbor and east of bridgeway to the northern border of Sausalito.
The City Council directed staff that the future urban planning work for the Marinship should explicitly prioritize revitalizing the working waterfront (expanding maritime activity and boat-related jobs), protecting existing artisans and maritime businesses, maintaining and enhancing maritime uses, addressing sea-level rise and infrastructure needs, and exploring housing in ways that support those workers and uses, rather than displacing them, all within a framework that aims to strengthen the local economy and tax base without new taxes.
Additionally, the City Council directed that the roadmap and planning work should also look at funding and governance tools for the Marinship, including the option of creating another Business Improvement District (BID) or similar assessment/financing mechanism, as one of the options to help pay for needed infrastructure, sea-level-rise work, and improvements that would support both maritime uses and compatible development.
5.C Summary of Next Steps on Implementation of Housing Element Programs 4 and 8 Based on the Likely Passage of Measures J and K
Brandon Phipps, Assistant City Manager, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Justine Kahn, Aaraon Nathan, Lorna Newlin, Bora Han, Vicki Nichols, and Michelle Mokalla provided public comments.
The City Council received and filed the summary of next steps on the implementation of Housing Element.
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Councilmember Sobieski moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried, to direct staff to issue a report specifying which city-owned properties could have been considered for rezoning to meet the affordable-housing buffer if Measure K had failed, and to describe any legal barriers or hurdles associated with rezoning those sites.
Councilmember Blaustein made an amendment, which was accepted, to document that the city council's outreach to affordable-housing developers, and to confirm that this outreach is part of their volunteer/public role, not the result of any private financial interest or conflict, so the public clearly understands why they are contacting developers and that it is authorized City business.
The City Council further directed staff to prepare an informational overview of 100% affordable housing providers the City might work with, which describes who those nonprofit developers are, what they typically require to make projects feasible (such as minimum unit counts), what "100% affordable" practically means, and to summarize any past or current conversations with such providers about Sausalito sites (including MLK and other city- owned properties). The goal is to give the Council and public clearer context for how affordable projects get built and which partners and options are realistically available.
3.C Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement in the Amount of $274,252 with Anchor QEA Consulting for the Turney Street Dock Improvement Project with $170,000 from State Grant Funds and $104,252 from the Tidelands Fund for Expanded Scope
By common consent, the City Council moved this item to the next meeting.
3.D Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment 2 to the Professional Services Agreement with BKF Engineers for the Coloma St. Safe Pathways to School Project in an amount of $49,866 for a total contract amount not to exceed $200,292 Sybil Boutilier, Al Spectrum, Lorna Newlin, and Aaron Nathan provided public comments.
By common consent, the City Council moved this item to the next meeting.
3.F Receive and File the Update on Imp/ementation of Landslide Task Force Recommendations including Status Report on Development of Geologic Hazard Monitoring Plan
By common consent, the City Council moved this item to the next meeting.
6. CITY MANAGER REPORTS, COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS, CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS,
OTHER COUNCIL BUSINESS
6A. City Manager Information for Council
Chris Zapata, City Manager, announced that the tree lighting ceremony at Viña del Mar Park. 6B. City Attorney Information for Council
There was nothing to report
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6C. Councilmember Committee Reports
Councilmember Hoffman reported that the EDAC meeting featured subcommittee updates on downtown and marketing efforts. She also reported on Marin Clean Energy and their "virtual power plant" concept, exploring how new Housing Element sites could be designed as highly energy-efficient, solar-and-battery-based, 100% electric developments that might even serve as a pilot project, combining affordable housing goals with innovative clean-energy infrastructure. 6D. Appointments
Councilmember Hoffman moved, seconded by Councilmember Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to appoint Dale Barnes to the regular Trustee seat and Robin Wolanor to the alternate Trustee position, with the understanding that the alternate is likely to move into a full Trustee role when a current member's term ends in April.
Furthermore, the City Council postponed making appointments to the Sustainability Commission so members could review all applicant materials at a future meeting. 6E. Future Agenda Items
Mayor Cox asked to have the city's opposition letter to Plan Bay Area 2050 (regarding MTC's population projections and related impacts) prepared for the housing element subcommittee and then placed on the consent calendar for a future council meeting.
Mayor Cox requested that the consideration of a four-way stop sign at the intersections of Coloma and Bridgeway, as well as Coloma and Olima, be added to future agenda items. 6F. Minutes from Boards, Commissions, and Committees - NONE 6G. Other reports of significance - NONE
6H. Public Comment on Items 6A-6C and 6E-6G
Sandra Bushmaker provided public comments.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Cox adjourned the meeting at 12:28 a.m. in honor of Agnes Kaprielian, who recently passed away. She was known for her long and outstanding service to the Sausalito Women's Club as well as other organizations in Sausalito, her contributions to the Sausalito Women's Club and other organizations are numerous and monumental. She exhibited an extraordinary passion, intelligence, and creativity. Everything that she engaged in will go down in history for her generosity and acute contributions over a lifetime. Sausalito will remain grateful and in awe of her many accomplishments. She was classy, gorgeous, refined, honest, upfront, and a truly legendary lady.
Respectfully submitted,
Walle
Walfred Solorzano
City Clerk
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