1. CITY OF SAUSALITO
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
DECEMBER 16, 2025
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Cox at 4:03 p.m. and the following members were present:
Councilmember Blaustein
Councilmember Hoffman
Councilmember Sobieski
Vice Mayor Woodside
Mayor Cox
CLOSED SESSION
C1, PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957) Title: City Manager
C2. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (Government Code Section 54956. 9(d)(2))
Significant Exposure to Litigation: One case
Councilmember Sobieski recused himself from Closed Session Item C2.
Babette McDougal provided public comments.
The City Council adjourned to Closed Session at 4:05 p.m.
RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
The City Council reconvened at 5:04 and stated that there was no reportable action.
Councilmember Sobieski spoke with staff regarding Item Nos. 5A and 5B and requested that Item No. 5B be moved to the Consent Calendar.
Vice Mayor Woodside moved, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, and unanimously carried, to approve the agenda as amended.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS/MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS — NONE
COMMUNICATIONS
Babette McDougal, Jack Burrows, Lorna Newlin, and Jack Carlson provided public comments.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilmember Blaustein recused herself from Item No. 3F. Councilmember Sobieski pulled Item No. 3C and Councilmember Hoffman pulled Item No. 3G for further discussion.
Peter Van Meter and Babette McDougal provided public comments.
Chris Zapata, City Manager, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, and unanimously carried, to adopt the following items:
3.A
3.B
3.D
3.E
5.B
3.F
Adopted the Draft Meeting Minutes of December 2, 2025.
Adopted Resolution 77-2025, Certifying the Results of the Special Municipal Election Held on November 4, 2025, declaring the result and such other matters as provided by Law.
Adopted Resolution 78-2025, Approving the Request for Fee Reimbursement by Galilee Harbor for reimbursement of the 2025 Maritime Day Event in the Amount of $2,287.00 for a Minor Use Permit and $154.00 for a Banner Encroachment Permit.
Adopted Resolution 79-2025, Approving a Job Description for Interim Professional Temporary Staff.
Authorized 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.
Approve the 300 Spencer Fire Station Lease Agreement with Southern Marin Fire District Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Woodside, and unanimously carried (Councilmember Blaustein being recused), to approve the 300 Spencer Fire Station Lease Agreement with Southern Marin Fire District.
PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS - NONE
BUSINESS ITEMS
5.A 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 Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, and Andrew Davidson, Senior Engineer, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Mark Palmer, Carolyn Revelle, Meg Fawcett, Christopher Benjamin, Kieran Culligan, Babette McDougal, Jack Burrows, Aaron, Sybil Boutilier, Justine, and Lorna Newlin provided public comments.
Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, and unanimously carried, to 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.
5.C
3.C
3.G
The City Council also directed staff to include as bid alternates: a four-way stop at Coloma and Olima (while staff researches whether warrants and other legal criteria allow it); a speed bump/table as an alternative to the currently proposed flashing beacon; a tabletop (raised) crosswalk and mid-block stop sign at Tamalpais and Olima, with staff to report back on any legal or other barriers; repair of the adjacent fencing; and in-pavement lights as an additional alternative to the flashing beacons.
Receive and File Update on Implementation of Landslide Task Force Recommendations including Status Report on Development of Geologic Hazard Monitoring Plan
Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, and Mike Jewett, Associate Geologist for Miller Pacific Engineering Group, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Sandra Bushmaker provided public comments.
The City Council Received and Filed the Update and directed staff to reconvene the Landslide Task Force at an appropriate point to work with Miller Pacific on the monitoring plan and draft hillside ordinance; bring the hillside ordinance and related work to the Planning Commission for review and recommendations before returning to Council; continue outreach and engagement with affected neighbors and stakeholders, including specifically Lorna Newlin, the schools, and other previously involved community members; and revisit implementation of the remaining Landslide Task Force recommendations through the upcoming strategic planning and budget process.
Cancel the Regular Meetings of August 4 and 18, 2026; and Call for a Special Meeting on January 31 at 9:00 a.m.
Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, and unanimously carried, to Cancel the Regular Meetings of July 7, August 4, and 18, 2026; and call for a Special Meeting on January 31, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. and June 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Approve the Letter to Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments Providing Feedback to Plan Bay Area 2050 Environmental Impact Report
Adrian Brinton and Babette McDougal provided public comments.
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, and Brandon Phipps, Assistant City Manager, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
The City Council directed staff to add an additional final paragraph drawn from the 2:11 pm letter from Sandra Bushmaker, but with the phrase referencing “RHNA numbers” removed.
Mayor Cox moved, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, to Approve the Amended Letter to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments Providing Feedback to Plan Bay Area 2050 Environmental Impact Report by the following 4-1 vote:
AYES: Hoffman, Sobieski, Woodside, Cox
NOES: Blaustein
5.D Presentation to Outgoing Mayor
Carolyn Revelle, Lorna Newlin, and Babette McDougal provided public comments.
Chris Zapata, City Manager, made a presentation, along with City Councilmembers, honoring the service of outgoing Mayor Joan Cox.
5.E City Council Selection of Mayor
Mayor Cox nominated Councilmember Woodside as Mayor and the City Council unanimously approved her nomination.
5.F City Council Selection of Vice Mayor
Mark Palmer, Sonja Hanson, Courtney Goff, Kay Mitzel, Mary Goff, Hanne Borton, Carolyn Revelle, Babette McDougal, Adrian Brinton, Gillian Curran, Lucinda Eubanks, Shannon Stone, Peter Van Meter, Andy Greer, Sharna Brockett, Gail Schell, Sybil Boutilier, Beth Swierk, Sandra Bushmaker, Laurette Rogers, Julia Harbaugh, Lorna Newlin, Samantha Schubert, Aaron Nathan, and Charles Melton provided public comments.
Mayor Woodside nominated Councilmember Blaustein to be Vice Mayor.
Councilmember Hoffman nominated herself to be Vice Mayor.
Councilmember Hoffman left the meeting at 8:24 p.m.
The City Council unanimously (Councilmember Hoffman being absent) selected Councilmember Blaustein as Vice Mayor.
CITY MANAGER REPORTS, COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS, CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS, OTHER COUNCIL BUSINESS 6A. City Manager Information for Council
Chris Zapata, City Manager, provided an End of the Year Report. 6B. City Attorney Information for Council — NONE
6C. Councilmember Committee Reports — NONE
6D. Appointments
Mayor Woodside appointed former Councilmember Cox and Vice Mayor Blaustein to continue serving as Council liaisons for housing development on the two city-owned housing sites (MLK/Site 84 and the Corporation Yard); appointed former Councilmember Cox as the City’s liaison to the Southern Marin Fire Protection District regarding the reactivation and operation of the Spencer Fire Station; and appointed Councilmember Sobieski and Vice Mayor Blaustein to work on the Marinship planning roadmap, including bringing back a framework for the planning effort in early 2026.
6E. Future Agenda Items
Councilmember Sobieski asked that the Program 8 schedule table (RFP/NOFA timing for MLK/Site 84 and the Corporation Yard) be agendized for the first meeting in January, to consider compressing the schedule and potentially releasing draft RFPs for both sites earlier and together, with public review.
Councilmember Cox requested that 27 Central hearing remain on the radar and come back so Council can stay abreast of and conclude the remaining issues (primarily regarding fines). She also reiterated that the RFPs for MLK/Site 84 and the Corporation Yard developers should stay on the future agenda list and be tracked closely as upcoming 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
Lorna Newlin, Cindy Rose, Sybil Boutilier, Michelle Mokalla, and Aaron Nathan provided public comments.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Woodside had Vice Mayor Blaustein adjourn the meeting at 8:47 p.m. in honor of the lives unjustly lost to recent gun violence, specifically referencing the shootings at Brown University and in Bondi, and closed with an Elie Wiesel quote (“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference”) to emphasize rejecting indifference to such events.
Respectfully submitted,
WAN obey
Walfred Solorzan&
City Clerk