DocuSign Envelope ID: 3360F8A3-58F3-439E-A208-530CF5458AAD
TOWN OF WOODSIDE
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Independence Hall, 2955 Woodside Road, Woodside
March 26, 2024
7:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Wall called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Councilmembers Brown, Dombkowski, FLuet, Goeld, Shaw, and Mayor Wall Staff Present:
Kevin Bryant, Town Manager
Jean Savaree, Town Attorney
Kai Ruess, Deputy Town Attorney
Sage Schaan, Planning Director
Yazdan Emrani, Town Engineer/Public Works Director
Jennifer Li, Town Clerk
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Two students from the Woodside Elementary School led the Pledge of Allegiance.
COMMUNICATIONS
Sue Poletti, Raymundo Drive, thanked the Council for recommending that AT&T keep landlines, and asked about the efforts to expand internet for the Raymundo and Marva Oaks areas.
Councilmember Shaw stated: unfortunately, there are no updates; at some point, there will need to be a project like the one that brought internet to the Old La Honda neighborhood.
PRESENT ATION
Francoise Decatrel, Environment and Open Space Committee, presented the Environmental Champion Award to the late George Offen, which was accepted by Karen Offen.
Mayor Wall thanked Ms. Offen for her donation of the 2017 Earth Fair poster to the Town.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
Mr. Bryant stated: the third draft of the Housing Element was submitted to HCD on March 15, 2024; the adoption hearing is tentatively scheduled for June 11, 2024; on April 3, 2024, the Planning Commission will begin work on zoning changes and design standards for multi-family sites, which is the most critical implementation piece of the Housing Element; the Woodside Fire Protection District is re-introducing their ordinance tonight, removing the requirement that adjacent properties would be responsible for any part of the 100-foot area that is on a neighboring property; five unique subscribers to the website were added since the last meeting bringing the total to 612 unique subscribers; the next Town Council meeting on April 9, 2024, will be cancelled.
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Approval of Waiver of Full Reading of Ordinance, per Government Code Section 36934.
2. Register of Demands Against the Town of Woodside from March 1 through 15, 2024.
3. 2023-24 February Monthly Investment Activity Report.
Town Council Meeting Minutes March 26, 2024 Page 1
DocuSign Envelope ID: 3360F8A3-58F3-439E-A208-530CF5458AAD 4, Annual Progress Report (APR) for the Housing Element (2023).
5. Adoption of (1) Ordinance Amending Title Ill, Administration, Chapter 34, Finance, Article I (Purchasing of Supplies, Equipment, and Services) of the Woodside Municipal Code; and (2) Ordinance Amending Title Ill, Administration, Chapter 38 (Bidding Public Projects) of the Woodside Municipal Code.
Ordinances No. 2024 - 635; No. 2024 - 636
6. Resolution Authorizing the Town Manager to Execute a Contract Amendment with ClientFirst Technology Consulting in the Amount Not-to-exceed 585,000 to Support the CentralSquare Migration and Implementation.
Resolution No. 2024 - 7669
7. Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting of February 13, 2024.
Councilmember Shaw pu(led Items 3 and 4 for discussion.
Councilmember Brown pulled 6.
Councilmember Dombkowski moved approval of the Consent Calendar Items 1, 2, 5, and 7.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Fluet and approved by roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
Councilmembers Brown, Dombkowski, Fluet, Goeld, Shaw, and Mayor Wall None
Regarding Item 3, Councilmember Shaw asked for clarification about the asset allocation portfolio change.
In response to Council's question, Mr. Bryant stated: after successfully executing an aggressive investment strategy, the Town can now take a more conservative approach that is also aligned with other agencies that have money in these types o( Funds.
Councilmember Dombkowski added: these are the funds for pension and benefits for staff; post-pandemic, the markets were down, interest rates were low, so there was not much of a return in bonds; now, interest rates are at 5% and the market has fully recovered, so it is an opportunity to moderate the allocation a bit with a long-term horizon in place; it remains a balanced portfolio, 60% stocks and 40% bonds, which is only a 10% reduction in risk from its prior allocation.
In response to Councilmember Goeld's question about being in balance before the pandemic, Mr. Bryant explained funding Other Post-Employment Benefits (retiree health benefits) since 2010/2011 and combining Other Post-Employment Benefits with pension prefunding in 2020.
Councilmember Shaw moved approval of Consent Calendar Item 3.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Fluet and approved by roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
Councilmembers Brown, Dombkowski, Fluet, Goeld, Shaw, and Mayor Wall None
Regarding Item 4, Councilmember Shaw noted a high accessory dwelling unit (ADU) production total in 2023, and asked what staff predicts for this year.
In response to Council's question, Mr. Schaan stated: the Town may be on track for at least 20 ADUs; removal of the discretionary process is helping; staff is working on ideas for a Planning Commission study session that would provide more flexibility to promote more ADUs in Town.
Councilmember Shaw moved approval of Consent Calendar Item 4.
Town Council Meeting Minutes March 26, 2024 Page 2
DocuSign Envelope ID: 3360F8A3-58F3-439E-A208-530CF5458AAD Motion seconded by Councilmember Brown and approved by roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
Councilmembers Brown, Dombkowski, Fluet, Goeld, Shaw, and Mayor Wall None
Regarding Item 6, Councilmember Brown asked: about the justification for an over 50% increase; whether more is expected to be requested in the future.
In response to Council's question, Mr. Bryant stated: the scope did not change; this is in support of updating the permit tracking software (CentralSquare) that is close to 15 years old; the staff member with ClientFirst has been instrumental in supporting the update efforts; there is more work that needs to be done to get the new version live; staff is mindful of scheduling timeappropriately; this will serve theTown's functions into thefuture; he does not expect needing to spend all 585,000.
CounciLmember Fluet moved approval of Consent Calendar Item 6.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Shaw and approved by roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
Councilmembers Brown, Dombkowski, Fluet, Goeld, Shaw, and Mayor Wall None
NEW BUSINESS
A. Study Session Regarding Potential Amendments to Woodside Municipal Code Section 153.500, Signs.
Ms. Savaree presented the staff report.
Council questions included: why the Town does not leave the topic undefined; how a public nuisance would be handled; whether the fact that political banners are eight feet by two-and-a half feet (i.e., 20 square feet) was considered when setting the eight square foot limit for commercial signs and four square foot limit for residential signs; whether the eight foot height limit needs to remain since the existing commercial and residential buildings have been built according to the Town's established limits; how to differentiate between a political sign and a sign stating the position of an advocacy group; how highly offensive signs that are not violating size or location requirements would be treated; could the Town ban any and all temporary signs; whether anyone has challenged the ordinance regarding political signs in the public rightof-way and on public property; does a resident have another legal recourse to get a sign removed; clarification about setting time limitations; nuances between a permanent and temporary sign; whether the Town of Atherton's ordinance distinguishing commercial signs from temporary commercial signs from non-commercial signs might help solve the permanent versus temporary issue; the rationale for a larger size allowance for a commercial sign; are flags considered to be ideological.
In response to the Council's questions, Ms. Savaree stated: the sign ordinance can be left alone, however, the hope is to be informative and answer questions about professional, temporary, and political signs; a public nuisance determination is not subjective in nature; if the sign violates any provisions in the ordinance, it becomes a code enforcement issue; one problem with the sign ordinance is the time frame to deal with a public nuisance is extensive and does not set the stage for effective enforcement in a timely manner; the actual size of political banners was not considered when carrying over Legacy language; size regulation is something the Council can discuss as there are competing interests (e.g., disseminating information versus maintaining the rural character of Woodside); the eight foot height limit could be removed; the goal is not to think about the message of the sign, but rather whether the sign is temporary in nature, the right size, and in the right place; enforcement on public property is easier than on private property; offensive signs would be an ideological sign problem that the Town would not be able to remove; regarding banning all signs, there are some State regulations for real estate signs; nobody has challenged the ordinance about prohibiting political signs in the public right-of-way or on public property; private individuals can file whatever they choose to file and the Town would have no place in that action; it is a risk to place time limitations on certain type of signs as there is subjectivity, and it is better to place time Town Council Meeting Minutes March 26, 2024 Page 3
DocuSign Envelope ID: 3360F8A3-58F3-439E-A208-530CF5458AAD limitations on all signs; permanent signs are affixed to the ground or structure; ideoLogicaL signs are problematic because they may be as applicable today as they were 50 years ago; she is not sure that the Town of Atherton's ordinance addresses the issue of permanent versus temporary, however, staff can bring back appLicabLe ordinance language regarding commercial signs from the Town of Atherton and the City of Redwood City; in commercial zones, there are fewer concerns about preserving the rural beauty of Woodside; there is greater visibility and a message that could be conveyed more broadly, so a larger sized sign would be more appropriate; the number could be debated; yes, flags could be ideological and convey a message whether there are words or not; in addition, there are different sets of regulations for flags on public versus private property.
In response to the Council's question about enForcing sign violations in the public right-of-way, Mr. Bryant stated: people do call about them; there was at least one election cycle where staff removed illegal signs; the right-of-way is inconsistent throughout Town, and the administrative burden of discovering the actual right-of-way is too high; the suggestion is to have a set distance (e.g., five feet) from the paved roadway for clarity and uniformity; it is also important to have language that allows the Town to remove a sign that is a safety hazard (e.g., limiting sight lines or path of travel).
In response to Council's question about whether real estate agents apply for permits For their open house signs, Mr. Schaan stated: it has occurred on very few occasions.
The Public Comment Period opened at 8:09 p.m.
Steve Lubin, Palm Circle Road, expressed support for: enforcing a sign ordinance; eliminating the eightfoot height limit; specifying time limitations.
Sue Poletti, Raymundo Drive, asked if the American flag is a sign.
In response to Ms. Poletti's question, Ms. Savaree stated: the United States of America and State of California flags are explicitly allowed.
The Public Comment Period closed at 8:13 p.m.
Council discussion included: needing to eliminate subjectivity; support for free speech and candidates who have a finite period to get their message out; disagreement about the size limitations; a request to eliminate the eight-foot height limit because it is redundant to the existing height limits around Town; it is unrealistic to enforce signs in the right-of-way, unless it is a safety or visibility issue; a suggestion to keep the public property language and strike the right-of-way language; the Town should enforce regulations regarding signs on public property.
In response to Council's clarifying question about the Highway 84 median near Highway 280, Mr. Bryant stated: the median is in the public right-of-way, so allowing signs in the right-of-way would allow signs in the median.
Additional Council discussion included: the ordinance could be clarified with "right-of-way connected to private property"; the State already has regulations on time limitations; even with a well-written ordinance, it would be pointless without enforcement; support for eliminating subjectivity by folding political signs into temporary signs; a suggestion to have a maximum four square foot size limit on al( temporary signs; support for signs on private property to be set back one foot from the paved roadway so it does not become litter or a safety hazard; agreement to avoid content-based regulations for temporary signs; interest in studying the Town of Atherton's method of differentiating commercial signs.
Ms. Savaree stated: staff can bring back additional options for deliberation.
REPORTS
B. Volunteer Committee Updates.
Ehsan Farkhondeh, Chair of Circulation Committee, spoke of: recommending that the Town conduct a Town Council Meeting Minutes March 26, 2024 Page 4
DocuSign Envelope ID: 3360F8A3-58F3-439E-A208-530CF5458AAD circulation/traffic study so there is data to support the issues they come across; working on options for making Highway 84 safer; improvement options for Albion Avenue (e.g., widen the road or install pullouts).
Council discussion with staff included: the traffic study could be discussed during review of the budget; the other issues would be further discussed with Mr. Emrani before coming forward to the Council.
Sue Sweeney, Chair of Environment and Open Space Committee, spoke of: appreciation for staff and Council for their support (or their programs (e.g., poison-free mailer, Heritage Tree Award).
C. Mayor and Councilmember Communications.
In response to the Council's question about the Planning Commission meeting next week, Mr. Bryant stated: the discussion will not be about the Town's status with HCD, and will focus on zoning.
Councilmember Goeld spoke of an article in the "Almanac" about a new State bill addressing pay caps for City Councils on the Peninsula.
Councilmember Fluet spoke of the Council of Cities meeting hosted by the City of Redwood City, and asked about SB272 (sea level rise).
Mayor Wall said that will be reviewed for any necessary action.
Councilmember Dombkowski spoke of a recent Landscape Committee meeting and Volunteerism Committee meeting.
Councilmember Brown spoke of a recent C/CAG meeting.
Councilmember Shaw spoke of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program, and the continuous conflict between the State requesting communities increase housing and various insurance companies refusing to insure them.
Councilmember Goeld spoke of the California Fair Plan.
Mayor Wall spoke of the history of Raymundo, Manuella, Miramontes, Greer, and Martin.
COMMUNICATIONS
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Wall adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m.
Clerk of the Town of Woodside
APPROVED:
Mayor of the Town of Woodside
Town Council Meeting Minutes March 26, 2024 Page 5