Solana Beach City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 15, 2025 Page 1 of 6
CITY OF SOLANA BEACH
SOLANA BEACH CITY COUNCIL, SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY, PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY, & HOUSING AUTHORITY
ACTION MINUTES
Joint REGULAR Meeting
Wednesday, January 15, 2025 * 6:00 p.m.
City Hall / Council Chambers, 635 S. Highway 101, Solana Beach, California Action Minutes contain formal actions taken at a City Council meeting. City Council meetings are video recorded and archived as a permanent record. The video recording captures the complete proceedings of the meeting and is available for viewing on the City's website. Posted Reports & Supplemental Docs contain records up to the cut off time prior to meetings for processing new submittals. Complete records containing meeting handouts, PowerPoints, etc. can be obtained through a Records Request.
CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
Lesa Heebner
Mayor
Kristi Becker
Deputy Mayor / Councilmember District 2
Jill MacDonald
Councilmember District 4
David A. Zito
Councilmember District 1
Jewel Edson
Councilmember District 3
Alyssa Muto
City Manager
Johanna Canlas
City Attorney
Angela Ivey
City Clerk
SPEAKERS:
Please submit your speaker slip to the City Clerk prior to the meeting or the announcement of the Item. Allotted times for speaking are outlined on the speaker’s slip for Oral Communications, Consent, Public Hearings and Staff Reports.
READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:
Pursuant to Solana Beach Municipal Code Section 2.04.460, at the time of introduction or adoption of an ordinance or adoption of a resolution, the same shall not be read in full unless after the reading of the title, further reading is requested by a member of the Council. If any Councilmember so requests, the ordinance or resolution shall be read in full. In the absence of such a request, this section shall constitute a waiver by the council of such reading.
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL:
Mayor Heebner called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Present: Lesa Heebner, Jewel Edson, Kristi Becker, Jill MacDonald, David A. Zito
Absent: None
Also
Present:
Alyssa Muto, City Manager
Johanna Canlas, City Attorney
Angela Ivey, City Clerk
Dan King, Assistant City Manager
Rachel Jacobs, Finance Dir.
Dan Goldberg, Acting Dir. Engineering/Public Works
Solana Beach City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 15, 2025 Page 2 of 6 Joseph Lim, Community Development Dir.
CLOSED SESSION REPORT: None
FLAG SALUTE:
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Motion: Moved by Deputy Mayor Becker and second by Councilmember Zito to approve.
Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None. Motion carried unanimously.
PRESENTATIONS: Ceremonial items that do not contain in-depth discussion and no action/direction. • Santa Fe Irrigation District
Al Lau, General Manager, and Seth Gates, CFO, presented a PowerPoint (on file).
Fire Chief Josh Gordon shared additional information on Fire Preparedness ORAL COMMUNICATIONS:
Comments relating to items on this evening’s agenda are taken at the time the items are heard.
This portion of the agenda provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the City Council on items relating to City business and not appearing on today’s agenda by submitting a speaker slip (located on the back table) to the City Clerk. Pursuant to the Brown Act, no action shall be taken by the City Council on public comment items. Council may refer items to the City Manager for placement on a future agenda. The maximum time allotted for each presentation is THREE MINUTES. No donations of time are permitted (SBMC 2.04.190). Please be aware of the timer light on the Council Dais.
Diana Kutlow – Legislative Update from Senator Blakespear CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS - COMMENTARY:
Mayor provided an update on Streetscape project on South Sierra/Acacia; Martin Luther King Closures for January 20th, 2025.
CITY MANAGER / CITY ATTORNEY REPORTS:
City Manager provided an update on the SANDAG LOSSAN Rail Realignment Project A. CONSENT CALENDAR: (Action Items) (A.1. - A.5.)
Items listed on the Consent Calendar are to be acted in a single action of the City Council unless pulled for discussion. Any member of the public may address the City Council on an item of concern by submitting to the City Clerk a speaker slip (located on the back table) before the Consent Calendar is addressed. Those items removed from the Consent Calendar by a member of the Council will be trailed to the end of the agenda, while Consent Calendar items removed by the public will be heard immediately after approval of the Consent Calendar to hear the public speaker.
All speakers should refer to the public comment section at the beginning of the agenda for details.
Please be aware of the timer light on the Council Dais.
Solana Beach City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 15, 2025 Page 3 of 6 A.1. Minutes of the City Council.
Recommendation: That the City Council
1. Approve the Minutes of the City Council meetings held on December 11, 2024.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Edson and second by Deputy Mayor Becker to approve. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None.
Motion carried unanimously.
A.2. Register Of Demands. (File 0300-30)
Recommendation: That the City Council
1. Ratify the list of demands for November 16, 2024 – December 13, 2024.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Edson and second by Deputy Mayor Becker to approve. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None.
Motion carried unanimously.
A.3. Successor Agency Administrative Budget and Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule. (File 0115-30)
Recommendation: That the City Council
1. Receive the Successor Agency’s enforceable obligations payment information and administrative budget for the period July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
2. Adopt Resolution SA-033 approving the SA Administrative Budget for July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
3. Adopt Resolution SA-034 approving the ROPS 25-26 for July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Edson and second by Deputy Mayor Becker to approve. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None.
Motion carried unanimously.
A.4. La Colonia Tot Lot Replacement Project Notice of Completion. (File 0730-40) Recommendation: That the City Council
1. Adopt Resolution 2025-002:
a. Authorizing the City Council to accept, as complete, the La Colonia Tot Lot Replacement, Bid No. 2023-08, constructed by Western Rim Constructors, Inc.
b. Authorizing the City Clerk to file a Notice of Completion. c. Authorizing the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 5 to the Professional Services Agreement with Van Dyke Landscape Architects for the La Colonia Tot Lot Project.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Edson and second by Deputy Mayor Becker to approve. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None.
Motion carried unanimously.
Solana Beach City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 15, 2025 Page 4 of 6 A.5. Climate Action Commission Name Change. (File 0120-65) Recommendation: That the City Council
1. Adopt Resolution 2025-003 to change the name of the Climate Action Commission to Climate & Resiliency Commission.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Edson and second by Deputy Mayor Becker to approve. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None.
Motion carried unanimously.
B. PUBLIC HEARINGS: (B.1. – B.2.)
This portion of the agenda provides citizens an opportunity to express their views on a specific issue as required by law after proper noticing by submitting a speaker slip (located on the back table) to the City Clerk. After considering all of the evidence, including written materials and oral testimony, the City Council must make a decision supported by findings and the findings must be supported by substantial evidence in the record. An applicant or designee(s) for a private development/business project, for which the public hearing is being held, is allotted a total of fifteen minutes to speak, as per SBMC 2.04.210. A portion of the fifteen minutes may be saved to respond to those who speak in opposition. All other speakers should refer to the public comment section at the beginning of the agenda for time allotment. Please be aware of the timer light on the Council Dais.
B.1. Fee Study and Cost Allocation Plan Updates. (File 0390-23) Recommendation: That the City Council
1. Conduct the Public Hearing
a. Open the Public Hearing
b. Report Council Disclosures
c. Receive Public Testimony
d. Close the Public Hearing
2. Consider the adoption of Resolution 2025-001 updating the 2025 Fee Schedule.
Mayor Heebner opened the public hearing.
Council disclosures.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Edson and second by Councilmember Zito to close the public hearing. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito.
Noes: None. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Zito and second by Councilmember Edson to approve with modifications. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito.
Noes: None. Motion carried unanimously.
Mayor Heebner recessed the meeting at 7:50 p.m. for a break and reconvened at 7:58 p.m.
Solana Beach City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 15, 2025 Page 5 of 6 B.2. Public Hearing: 701 Valley Ave., Applicant: Witcher and Peterson, Case:
DRP22-010, SDP22-008, APN: 298-131-14 (File 0600-40)
The proposed project meets the minimum objective requirements under the SBMC, is consistent with the General Plan and may be found, as conditioned, to meet the discretionary findings required as discussed in this report to approve a DRP and SDP. Therefore, Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Conduct the Public Hearing: Open the public hearing, Report Council disclosures, Receive public testimony, Close the public hearing.
2. Find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15303 of the State CEQA Guidelines.
3. If the City Council makes the requisite findings and approves the Project, adopt Resolution 2024-120 conditionally approving a DRP and SDP for a Mixed-Use Development, Solana Beach.
Tiffany Wade, Assistant Planner, presented a PowerPoint (on file).
Mayor Heebner opened the public hearing.
Council disclosures.
Applicant
Daniel Witcher, Applicant, and Jenny An, project manager, presented a PowerPoint (on file).
View Assessment Claimant
Chad Arendsen spoke in opposition.
Speakers in Support:
Lisa Montes
Billy Rendler
Eric Jauch
Christina Jaeschke
Benjamin M. Dickson
Meredith Priestly
Paul McEneany
Kevin Sotelo
Speakers in Opposition
Danny Hernandez
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Zito and second by Councilmember MacDonald to close the public hearing for the SDP. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Zito and second by Councilmember MacDonald to approve the SDP only. Approved 4/1 (No-Edson). Ayes: Heebner, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: Edson. Motion carried.
Solana Beach City Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 15, 2025 Page 6 of 6 Motion: Moved by Councilmember Zito and second by Councilmember Edson to re-open the public hearing for the DRP. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion: Moved by Councilmember Edson and second by Deputy Mayor Becker to continue the item to March 26, 2025. Approved 5/0. Ayes: Heebner, Edson, Becker, MacDonald, Zito. Noes: None. Motion carried unanimously.
WORK PLAN COMMENTS:
Adopted June 26, 2024
Councilmember Zito stated, that related to B.1. and how much fees are increasing, to consider reviewing the building permits to analyze how long they are taking to get to the Coastal Commission to see if we should consider extending the permit length, so applicants do not have to come back to Council for an extension, due to the potential delays occurring at the Coastal Commission.
COMPENSATION & REIMBURSEMENT DISCLOSURE:
GC: Article 2.3. Compensation: 53232.3. (a) Reimbursable expenses shall include, but not be limited to, meals, lodging, and travel. 53232.3 (d) Members of a legislative body shall provide brief reports on meetings attended at the expense of the local agency “City” at the next regular meeting of the legislative body.
COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS: Council Committees
REGIONAL COMMITTEES: (outside agencies, appointed by this Council) STANDING COMMITTEES: (All Primary Members) (Permanent Committees)
CITIZEN COMMISSION(S)
ADJOURN:
Mayor Heebner adjourned the meeting at 10:10 p.m.
Approved: January 29, 2025 Angela Ivey, City Clerk