NEGRRORATED
CITY OF SAUSALITO
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2026
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Woodside at 4:02 p.m. and the following members were present:
Councilmember Cox
Councilmember Hoffman
Councilmember Sobieski
Vice Mayor Blaustein
Mayor Woodside
II. CLOSED SESSION
C1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION (Government. Code 54956.9(d) (1))
Name of case: Russo v. City of Sausalito, Marin County Superior Court CV008400 C2. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957) Title: City Manager
C3. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT (Government Code Section 54957) Title: Interim City Manager
C4. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government. Code 54956.9(d) (2): One Case The City Council adjourned to Closed Session at 4:03 p.m.
III. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
The City Council reconvened at 5:09 p.m. and stated that there was no reportable action.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS & CITY MANAGER REPORTS Tiffany Shlain made a presentation on Women's History Month.
Natalie Butz, Public Affairs Specialist for U.S. Small Business Administration, made a presentation regarding disaster relief loans.
Chris Zapata, City Manager, made a report regarding upcoming King Tides, mentioning Gate 5 road; report regarding safety related to Spencer Firehouse. Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Councilmember Hoffman reported on her recent visit to Sausalito's sister city Sakaide, Japan, undertaken in connection with a U.S.-Japan leadership tour. 1 of 5
COMMUNICATIONS
Michelle Mokalla and Elizabeth Haag Gohning provided public comments.
3. CONSENT CALENDAR
Vice Mayor Blaustein recused herself from Item No 3C.
Mark Palmer provided public comments.
Councilmember Sobieski moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to adopt the following items:
3.A Adopted the Draft Meeting Minutes of February 12 and 17, 2026.
3.B Adopted the Women in Construction Week proclamation.
3.D Adopted Resolution 08-2026, Authorizing the City Manager to Appropriate $170,439 of Tidelands Funds for the Turney Street Dock and Ramp Improvement Project to be Reimbursed from a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Grant.
3.E Waived the Second Reading and Adopted Ordinance No. 02-2026. An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Enacting Section 5.16.15 "Short-Term Rental Facilitator Collection and Reporting" of the Sausalito Municipal Code Pursuant to SB 346.
3.F Waived the Second Reading and Adopted Ordinance No. 03-2026, 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.
3.G Adopted Resolution 09-2026, Approving an Encroachment Agreement for a Driveway, Retaining Walls, Stairs, Landscaping, and Utilities in the Public Right-of-Way at 0 Crescent Avenue (APN: 065-223-32).
3.C Authorize Staff to Proceed with Soliciting for Construction Bids for Tenant Improvements at Fire Station 2 with an Engineer Estimate of $750,000 for Construction Councilmember Sobeski moved, seconded by Councilmember Cox, and unanimously carried (Vice Mayor Blaustein being recused), to Authorize Staff to Proceed with Soliciting for Construction Bids for Tenant Improvements at Fire Station 2 with an Engineer Estimate of $750,000 for Construction.
4. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS - NONE
5. BUSINESS ITEMS
5.A Appeal of Business License Tax Category Reclassification pursuant to Sausalito Municipal Code section 5.04.230 filed by KKMI Sausalito, LLC (KKMI) and waive penalties imposed on audit assessment in the amount of $29,920.80 pursuant to Sausalito Municipal Code section 5.04.210
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Angeline Loeffler, Finance Director, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council. Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
lan Davis, HdL Companies, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Paul Kaplan, CEO, and Cindy Revel, KKMI Sausalito, LLC, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Babette McDougal, John DiRe, Adrian Brinton, Kieran Culligan, and Lorna Newlin provided public comments.
Mayor Woodside moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Blaustein, and unanimously carried, to adopt as amended Resolution 10-2026, to overturn the Finance Director's reclassification of KKMI from Business License Tax Category 1 to Category 3, and classify KKMI n Business License Tax Category 1 pursuant to Sausalito Municipal Code sectio
5.04.230; and to waive the penalties imposed on the audit assessment in the amoun of $29,920.80 pursuant to Sausalito Municipal Code section 5.04.210.
The City Council also directed staff to re-examine the City's business license tax categories and code language, with particular attention to how maritime and similar service businesses are classified and how Category 3 is functioning as a de facto "catch-all". To return with options and recommendations for potential adjustments to the classification framework and for consistent treatment of similarly situated businesses on a prospective basis, including any legally permissible approaches to refunds or rate adjustments within the constraints of the voter-approved business license tax measure.
5.B Receive and File an update regarding the Coloma Street Sidewalk Project Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Sergio Rudin, City Attorney, and Andrew Davidson, Senior Civil Engineer, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Andrew Lee, Senior Traffic Engineer, Paramatrix, and Matt Barnes, Deputy Chief of Operations & Training, Southern Marine Fire Protection District, responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Mark Palmer, Carolyn Revelle, Babette McDougal, Lorna Newlin, and Kieran Culligan provided public comments.
Councilmember Sobieski made a motion, seconded by Vice Mayor Blaustein, to install stop signs on Coloma and Olima. This motion was later withdrawn.
Councilmember Cox made an alternate motion, seconded by Councilmember Hoffman, to direct staff to conduct an engineering / Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warrants study for stop control at Olima/Coloma; and if the study does not support stop signs, staff must return to Council so Council can decide what to do.
Councilmember Sobieski added a friendly amendment that if the study finds stop signs are not warranted because of the built environment, staff should also bring back specific 3 of 5
recommended design/streetscape changes that would make stop signs warranted. The friendly amendment was accepted. The finalized motion carried out as follows:
Councilmember Cox moved, seconded by Councilmember Hoffman, and unanimously carried, to direct staff to conduct an engineering study, including MUTCD warrants analysis, for stop control at the intersection of Olima Street and Coloma Street, and, if the study concludes that stop signs are warranted, to proceed with installation; and, if the study concludes that stop signs are not warranted, to return to the City Council with the study results and with specific recommended changes to the intersection's design or streetscape that would make stop signs warranted, for further Council direction.
Councilmember Cox made motion, seconded by Councilmember Hoffman, and unanimously carried, to direct staff to include a linear tree-trench style bioretention system under or along the Coloma Street sidewalk as an add-alternate in the project plans and bid documents, and to return at contract award with pricing and information on existing stormwater filtration, if any, before discharge to the Bay so the Council can determine whether to include the bioretention feature within the project budget.
By consensus, the City Council further directed staff, prior to issuing the bid, to consult with Planning Commissioner David Marlott for landscape and architectural input that can be incorporated without delaying the bid, and to continue informal coordination with the Sustainability Commission chair on stormwater and planting concepts.
Vice Mayor Blaustein moved, seconded by Councilmember Sobieski, and unanimously carried, to install raised crosswalks at the mid-block crossing on Coloma Street serving the Tamalpais/Tomales path and at the New Village School entrance on Ebb Tide, with the crossings to be designed and implemented in coordination with Southern Marin Fire Protection District and the Police Department and with appropriate attention to drainage.
5.C Review and file a report regarding the Parking Lot 1 Reconstruction project and provide direction to staff on whether to proceed with the development of design documentation for the recommended alternative
Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Robert Stevens, President of CSW, and John Gibbs, WRT, made a presentation and responded to questions posed by the City Council.
Jacque Ullman, Carolyn Revelle, Charles Melton, Michelle Dumont, Sharna Brockett, Babette McDougal, Jeffrey Stafford, Kieran Culligan, and Lorna Newlin provided public comments.
The City Council reviewed and filed the report regarding the Parking Lot 1 Reconstruction project and directed staff to expand the scope of work consistent with Councilmember Sobieski's "option 2" concept and Councilmember Blaustein's request for a broader vision, explicitly including Anchor Street and Humboldt Street and looking at overall circulation and future plaza/event use. The City Council authorized the City Manager, within his contracting authority, to add SWA to the existing CSW/WRT team and asked the design team to return in about three months with revised conceptual alternatives for Parking Lot 1 that: (1) operates as a first step within a larger long-term plan for the downtown/waterfront area; (2) maintain at least 144 parking spaces; and (3) remain within the existing $2.5 million project framework.
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5.D Adopta Resolution Designating Rotating Board of Appeals for Appeals under Chapter 1.10 and 1.12 of the Sausalito Municipal Code and Authorizing Administration by City Manager
Fred Moore provided public comments.
The City Council continued this item.
6. COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS & OTHER COUNCIL BUSINESS
6A. Councilmember Committee Reports
Mayor Woodside reported that the Finance Committee met and will bring recommendations on a pension-obligation smoothing policy and related fiscal matters to the March 17 Council meeting Vice Mayor Blaustein reported that the MLK and Corporation Yard Visioning/Program 8 Task Force held its first workshop at the New Village School.
Councilmember Hoffman reported on the annual Sister City board meeting, noting that all three sister city organizations are financially strong, that the Japanese adult tour will occur in April and the youth sailing exchange is planned for this summer; she reported on the second annual Crab Fest and the announcement of the "fresh catch" program; she also reported from MCCMC at College of Marin on Assemblymember Connolly's legislative update.
Councilmember Cox reported that Southern Marin Fire Protection District Chief Chris Tubbs has submitted his resignation effective July 1 and that the Board will recruit internally and externally for a replacement while continuing work at Station 2, including vegetation management; and she made an announcement regarding a luncheon with Marin Women's Political Action Committee. 6B. Future Agenda Items - NONE
6C. Minutes from Boards, Commissions, and Committees - NONE 6D. Other reports of significance - NONE
6E. Public Comment on Items 6A-6D - NONE
6F. Appointments - NONE
7. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Woodside adjourned the meeting at 10:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Well solargen
Walfred Solorzano
City Clerk
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