Belmont City Council Regular Meeting - July 9, 2024

The meeting was held at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers with Councilmember Davina Hurt participating remotely due to a family emergency, approved by the council (5-0). The agenda included special presentations, consent calendar, two general business items, and council announcements.

Special Presentations

• Public Works APWA Accreditation: Assistant Public Works Director Tracy Scrimalli announced the department received accreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA). APWA Region 8 Director Yuban Pakpoor presented the award, noting a 97% passing grade and that two practices (orientation checklist and budget process) will be adopted as national model practices.
• National Night Out: Police Captain Armando announced National Night Out will be held on August 6, 2024, at nine locations across the city, including a barbecue at the Belmont Library. He thanked the council for their participation last year.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Juliano Carlini (on non-agenda items): Expressed support for a transit policy, stating the city lacks multimodal policies (GHG, VMT, safe routes to schools) and urged adoption to prioritize trips within Belmont over through-traffic.
• Juliano Carlini (on Traffic Calming): Raised concerns that the process gives no meaningful input to cyclists and that enforcement and education are less effective than engineering. He asked that safety be prioritized over convenience.
• Mary Morrissey-Pardon (on Business License Tax): Noted that only 129 of 2,296 active business license holders responded to the survey (less than 2%). She questioned the fairness for residential landlords, particularly those with five or fewer units, whose taxes would increase, and called for better code enforcement and an amnesty period.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of June 11 and June 25, 2024, City Council and BFPD meetings.
• Approved May 2024 Monthly Financial Reports.
• Motion carried 5-0.

Discussion Items

Traffic Calming Program (TCP)

Staff presented an updated TCP, including a five-E approach (Education, Enforcement, Engineering, Emergency Response, Emerging Technology). The program establishes a process for residents to request traffic calming measures via a petition and trial period. Changes from the 2000 program include replacing speed bumps with speed cushions (vetted with fire department), adding high-visibility crosswalks, and including education/enforcement alternatives. The program allows expedited installation if residents fully fund it.

Council discussion: Councilmember Pang Manganaris asked about the Parking and Traffic Safety Committee; staff noted it meets quarterly and is open to the public. Councilmember McCune asked about eligibility of major collector streets for speed cushions; staff clarified that each request is evaluated but arterial streets are not eligible. Councilmember Hurt asked about integration with bike planning; staff explained that TCP focuses on vehicular traffic calming, while broader multimodal planning is addressed in separate documents. Councilmember Davina Hurt supported the program. The council adopted the resolution approving the TCP and delegating authority to the City Engineer for minor amendments. Motion carried 5-0. Staff will return with a one-year update.

Business License Tax Update Ballot Measure

Management Analyst Karen Clark presented the recommended gross receipts by category model: base tax of $25, rates from 0.05% to 0.25% depending on business category, revenue-neutral, projected to decrease rates for 63% of Belmont businesses. Outreach included five business forums, three focus groups, 129 survey responses, and a public opinion poll showing 65% support. The council was asked to adopt a resolution calling a municipal election on the measure and appoint a subcommittee to draft the argument in favor.

Council discussion: Councilmember McCune asked about audit procedures; staff described self-reporting with audits (approximately 10% sample) and a process to identify unlicensed businesses. Councilmember Hurt noted that the council has discretion to lower rates in the future. Conflict of interest: City Attorney Rennie advised that Councilmember McCune and Vice Mayor Latimerlow could vote because their businesses fall into categories representing more than 25% of businesses, and the rate differential is small (0.25% vs 0.05%). Councilmember Pang Manganaris supported placing it on the ballot.

Public comment: Mary Morrissey-Pardon raised concerns about low response rate and impact on small landlords.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution adopted (5-0) to approve the Traffic Calming Program and delegate authority to the City Engineer for minor amendments.
• Resolution adopted (5-0) to call a municipal election on November 5, 2024, for a measure to update and simplify the Business License Tax program. The measure will be placed on the ballot for voter approval.
• Subcommittee appointed: Councilmember Pang Manganaris and Vice Mayor Latimerlow were appointed to develop the argument in favor of the business license tax measure and any rebuttal.
• Councilmember Davina Hurt’s remote participation was approved (5-0).
• The meeting was adjourned in memory of three community members: Reverend Christy Denham, former Mayor Anthony Rodriguez, and Community Service Officer Brian Redell (28 years of service).