Town Council Meeting Minutes February 11, 2025 Page 1
TOWN OF WOODSIDE
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 11, 2025
Independence Hall, 2955 Woodside Road, Woodside 7:00 p.m.
Councilmember Wall’s Teleconference Location: 70 Pine Street, New York, NY 10005, Rm 532
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Dombkowski called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Councilmembers Aburish, Brown, Goeld, Wall (arrived at 7:07 p.m.), and Mayor Dombkowski
Staff Present:
Kevin Bryant, Town Manager
Kai Ruess, Deputy Town Attorney
Sage Schaan, Planning Director
Yazdan Emrani, Town Engineer/Public Works Director
Melissa Cardinale, Interim Town Clerk
Jennifer Li, Town Clerk
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Goeld led the Pledge of Allegiance.
COMMUNICATIONS
Thalia Lubin, History Committee, suggested recognizing Bob Mullen’s achievements.
Mayor Dombkowski asked her to send a list of Mr. Mullen’s accomplishments to include in a Proclamation.
Tom Johnson, Arts & Culture Committee, reported on the Committee’s activities.
Councilmember Goeld asked Mr. Johnson to provide offline any issues with attendance and thoughts about succession planning.
Christin New, spoke of: the safety and integrity of Town roads, specifically Highway 84; maintenance is left undone; there are multiple blocked culverts; Caltrans neglects obligations.
Mr. Bryant stated that Senator Becker’s office, Assemblymember Berman’s office, and a Caltrans’ legislative liaison have received Ms. New’s comments, and staff is awaiting information on their maintenance plans and programs.
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Mayor Dombkowski thanked Ms. New for her citizen-led initiative.
Kim Hansen spoke of: the State’s homeowner’s insurance crisis; a request for the Council to agendize for discussion the difficulty and time-consuming process of permit processing in Town; the lack of an administrative citation ordinance to fine for non-compliance.
REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION
Mr. Ruess stated: on January 28, 2025, the Council, by a vote of 4-0 with Councilmember Wall absent, approved a settlement agreement resolving two claims for property damage filed by Peter Mason and Virginia Dare.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
Mr. Bryant stated: The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) found the Town’s Housing Element in substantial compliance with State Housing Element Law on January 29, 2025; permits have been issued for solar on Independence Hall and Town Hall; Cal Fire will release an updated Fire Hazard Map on February 24, 2025; he and the Mayor continue to talk to other elected officials on the Town’s fire prevention efforts.
Mayor Dombkowski added: he and Mr. Bryant met with the Fire Marshal, Fire Chief, and Deputy Fire Chief last week to discuss capabilities, infrastructure, and resources; the Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) is working on land management initiatives for open space; WFPD is planning a Townwide evacuation drill in 2026 by neighborhood; he spoke with County Supervisor Ray Mueller and the Department of Emergency Services last week to get a preview on the County’s plans to combat wildfire (e.g., a sales tax, access to Crystal Springs reservoir to refuel water needs, work with parks and open space associations).
Council and staff discussion included: the approved Housing Element was submitted in July 2024; Council adopted an implementation ordinance in September 2024; HCD noted the Government Code which requires the low and very low-income properties to be zoned for a minimum of 20 units per acre; Council adopted the language on an urgency basis on January 14, 2025; the item tonight is private property and designated in the Housing Element for moderate income, which is distinct from low and very low and does not have the same Government Code requirement to be a minimum of 20 units per acre; regarding the Fire Hazard Map, the Council could only increase recommendations rather than decrease; the Town adopted a Cal Fire map in 2007; in 2008, a new section of the Building Code, Chapter 7A, required ignition-resistant type enhancements (e.g., siding, windows, roofs) to buildings in high-fire severity zones; the 2007 map did not identify the entire Town as a very high-fire severity zone, however, the Town elected to apply those Building Code standards throughout Town; from a regulatory standpoint, Woodside has been ahead of where it needs to be so there is no anticipation for many changes with this new update; reroofing Independence Hall and Town Hall cost around $85,000.
APPOINTMENTS
Town Council Meeting Minutes February 11, 2025 Page 3
Report and Recommendation from the Town Council Committees Appointments Subcommittee:
a. Arts and Culture Committee
b. Circulation Committee
c. Climate & Sustainability Committee
d. Emergency Preparedness Committee
e. Environment & Open Space Committee
f. Livestock and Equine Heritage Committee
g. Recreation Committee
h. Trails Committee
i. Volunteerism Committee
j. Woodside History Committee
Councilmember Goeld stated: action on the Arts & Culture Committee is deferred to the next Council meeting; for the other Committees, the Chairs have reviewed the new applications; his recommendation to accept all requests for reappointments and new applications.
Mayor Dombkowski commented that the President of the PTA wondered if the Recreation Committee could take the lead in organizing the annual May Day parade.
Councilmember Goeld deferred the question to the Chair of the Recreation Committee.
Councilmember Goeld moved approval of the appointments.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Brown and approved by roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aburish, Brown, Goeld, Wall, and Mayor Dombkowski NOES: None
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 January 16 through 31, 2025.
3. Approval of Minutes: Regular Meetings of July 9, 2024, July 30, 2024, and Special Meetings of August 22, 2024, and December 10, 2024.
4. Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Section 30.01, Regular Meetings of Council, to Remove the Prohibition of Holding Council Meetings Between a General Municipal Election and the Canvassing and Certification of Election.
Ordinance No. 2025 - 645
5. Resolution Increasing Membership for the Woodside Recreation Committee.
Resolution No. 2025 - 7728
Town Council Meeting Minutes February 11, 2025 Page 4
6. Resolution Authorizing the Town Manager to Execute a Contract with NV5 for Undergrounding Master Plan Study Services.
Resolution No. 2025 - 7729
Councilmember Brown pulled Item 6 for discussion.
Councilmember Goeld pulled Item 4 for discussion.
Councilmember Goeld moved approval of the Consent Calendar Items 1, 2, 3, and 5.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Aburish and approved by roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aburish, Brown, Goeld, Wall, and Mayor Dombkowski NOES: None
Regarding Item 4, Council welcomed any public comments.
There were no comments.
Councilmember Goeld moved approval of the Consent Calendar Item 4.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Aburish and approved by roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aburish, Brown, Goeld, Wall, and Mayor Dombkowski NOES: None
Regarding Item 6, Councilmember Brown asked for clarification on the proposal and cost per mile.
In response to Council’s questions, staff stated: this master plan is in the budget for this year; staff occasionally gets questions about undergrounding utilities (i.e., PG&E) in their neighborhoods; the final product would be used as a road map for the entire Town over a 10 to 20-year period; the plan would provide guidance on assessment districts, public/private partnerships, geography, and funding mechanisms for residents to understand their options; undergrounding reduces fire hazards; assessment districts would be a vote for homeowners to tax themselves; an added bonus would be receiving all the GIS files from PG&E for the Town; it is expensive to underground utilities, however, exact numbers are unknown at this time; this is separate from the Town Center Area Plan update.
In response to Council’s question of whether the plan would include a pros and cons analysis, Mr.
Emrani stated: yes.
David Mittelman, Grandview Drive, asked if the plan will include SLAC lines, which would be a source of fire in the Western Hills.
In response to Mr. Mittelman’s question, staff stated: SLAC lines are separate from the PG&E system, so they do not believe those are included.
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Councilmember Wall stated that this would be important information to have for fire mitigation.
Councilmember Wall moved approval of the Consent Calendar Item 6.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Goeld and approved by roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aburish, Goeld, Wall, and Mayor Dombkowski NOES: Brown
PUBLIC HEARING
A. An Ordinance of the Town Council of the Town of Woodside Amending Chapter 153 of the Woodside Municipal Code to Create the Multi-Family-20 District (MF-20) and Rezone a Portion of APN 068-100-220 (773 Cañada Road) from MF to MF-20 to Align the Allowable Density Under the Zoning Code with the Cycle 6 Housing Element.
Ordinance No. 2025 - 646
Mayor Dombkowski stated: there is no subdivision or project to review or discuss tonight; this is technical clean up for the Housing Element.
Mr. Ruess presented the staff report.
Council’s questions included: would HCD accept this change; what exactly is changing; if this is not approved, would the Housing Element still be in substantial compliance with Housing Law; what the size of the parcel is being zoned MF-20.
In response to Council’s questions, Mr. Ruess stated: this change would not be proposed if HCD would have a problem with it; HCD clearly expressed concern with the two Town-owned sites designated as low and very low-income housing; 773 Cañada is not projected to yield any low and very low-income housing units in the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) plan; it is not so much a change as it is an addition of a new zone; that zone will have its own designation in terms of density; this change would not affect the Town’s compliance status; the portion being zoned MF-20 is one acre in size.
The Public Comment Period opened at 8:01 p.m.
Stephanie Discher, Glencrag Way, asked: how HCD would know that the units built at 773 Cañada are moderate income; whether privately developed units are deed restricted at other municipalities.
In response to Ms. Discher’s questions, Mr. Schaan stated: the Housing Element provides targeted housing numbers and income levels; if, for any reason, any of the sites do not get developed exactly as they were targeted to be in the Housing Element, the Town may need to look for other sites to make up that difference; if one site develops more units than originally targeted, those would count; any units would be deed restricted if they were to be counted towards a specific income level; deed restrictions are commonly used for exacting certain income levels at other
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municipalities.
Mr. Bryant added: early in the Housing Element process, the property owner expressed interest in doing multi-family development on their property; HCD, the property owner, and Town staff met to discuss the potential for a 16-unit type of development on 773 Cañada; the Zoning and Housing Element allow for that to happen; it becomes affordable during the tentative map and subdivision approvals moving forward.
Steve Lubin, Palm Circle Road, expressed concern about the private property owner gaining the proposed zoning while leaving the Town without the minimum number of units for the RHNA plan.
In response to Mr. Lubin’s questions, staff stated: this is going through the normal process; the property owner has applied for a concept map that has been reviewed; it includes R-1 Zoning for the balance of the property; staff is expecting a tentative map application, which will do the same.
David Discher, Glencrag Way, echoed the concerns expressed regarding the owner of 773 Cañada developing their property for moderate income housing.
The Public Comment Period closed at 8:16 p.m.
Council’s comments included: the Town can control the Town-owned properties, not private property; this action is not making the zoning more intensive or “upzoning”; it was overlooked, and this corrects it to what was originally represented to residents back in July; the Council has not made any deals; the property owner of 773 Cañada Road has been cooperative with the neighbors; support for this change; there are limiting issues (e.g., topography) that would make a higher number of units unlikely.
In response to Council’s question about the allowed number of units, Mr. Ruess stated: currently the site is allowed a minimum of 20 and maximum of 25 units. They would either need to fit in those parameters or meet affordability standards that are part of the carve out that has been built in for the Town-owned sites. This would reduce the allowed number of units.
Councilmember Goeld moved to introduce the ordinance.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Aburish and approved by roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aburish, Brown, Goeld, Wall, and Mayor Dombkowski NOES: None
NEW BUSINESS
B. A Resolution Amending the Emerald Lake Hills Specific Plan Associated with Amended Multi-Family-20 Zoning at a Portion of APN 068-100-220 (773 Cañada Road).
Resolution No. 2025 - 7730
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Councilmember Goeld moved approval of the resolution.
Motion seconded by Councilmember Brown and approved by roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aburish, Brown, Goeld, Wall, and Mayor Dombkowski NOES: None
C. Annual Report on Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs).
Ms. Cardinale presented the staff report. San Mateo County Sergeant Patrick Taylor was also present.
Council’s questions included: whether Sergeant Taylor could provide more details about serious incidents involving shots fired and another regarding a residential burglary; if there were any cases that occurred in Woodside that were solved or assisted by a license plate that was also captured in Woodside; how much he believes the ALPRs deter crime in Woodside; whether other San Mateo County municipalities have ALPRs; how long it takes to put together this annual report; whether this annual reporting process is common/standard.
In response to Council’s questions, Sergeant Taylor stated: those cases are still ongoing, so he cannot talk about them; he can follow up with an email if he has any conclusions; ALPRs help resolve cases county-wide more than deter crime; most cities on the Peninsula have some sort of license plate reader technology; for this annual report, it takes man hours of searching the system as well as the County Sheriff’s system; annual reports are common, however, Woodside’s audit is more robust.
In response to Council’s question about the Woodside cases, Ms. Cardinale stated: in Sergeant Taylor’s memo, Item C Page 6 of the staff report, there are three cases that have significant investigations for incidents that occurred in Woodside.
Ehsan Farkhondeh urged Council to remove ALPRs throughout Town, and asked how neighboring cities are abiding by Woodside’s unique prohibited uses.
In response to Mr. Farkhondeh’s question, Sergeant Taylor stated: the Flock system works oneway only; users cannot bypass or create a search without authentication; the Flock system is built with Woodside’s prohibited uses.
Council’s comments included: on balance, ALPRs are slightly useful for Woodside; they are a valuable investigatory tool, however, they are also easy to defeat by fake plates; ALPRs create a false sense of security; home security is what makes the biggest difference; Flock is collecting huge amounts of data which may not be used with full fidelity of the Town’s policy; robust audits are necessary; the data is stored by Flock, not by the Sheriff’s Department; per the Town’s policy, the data is erased every 60 days; crime has decreased; this is a cost-effective way to leverage the law enforcement budget.
Councilmember Goeld moved to approve the report.
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Motion seconded by Councilmember Brown and approved by roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Aburish, Brown, Goeld, Wall, and Mayor Dombkowski NOES: None
REPORTS
A. Volunteer Committee Updates.
Ms. Cardinale stated: the Environment and Open Space Committee will be hosting a bird event on March 2. The Climate and Sustainability Committee will hold a home electrification event on March 30, 5 p.m., in Independence Hall. There are several events organized by the Recreation Committee: W-Ball registration closes on February 23; Myofascial and Yin Yoga workshop on March 22; Cars & Coffee on April 12; May Day Parade and Fun Run on May 3; Soap Box Derby on May 4; and, there will be upcoming softball games, chess classes, and sound immersion sessions.
B. Mayor and Councilmember Communications.
Councilmember Brown announced that on March 20, 3:00 p.m., in Independence Hall, there will be Crime Prevention Workshop with Portola Valley residents.
Mayor Dombkowski spoke of a School Board meeting where he was asked if teacher housing could be included in the Housing Element.
COMMUNICATIONS
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Dombkowski adjourned the meeting at 8:54 p.m. _____________________________ Deputy Town Clerk of the Town of Woodside APPROVED: ________________________________ Mayor of the Town of Woodside