Belmont City Council Regular Meeting - September 10, 2024
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Belmont City Council Regular Meeting - September 10, 2024
The Belmont City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included proclamations, a new citizen reporting app launch, adoption of the revised Housing Element, a solid waste rate increase, certification of an EIR for a stormwater detention basin, and employment agreement amendments for the City Attorney and City Manager.
Consent Calendar
- Items A-E Approved with Recusal: The council approved minutes, a Banking Services Contract Amendment with Wells Fargo Bank (Councilmember McHugh recused), a Demolition Notice of Completion ($106,390), and a Measure A fund appropriation ($28,990) for the Ralston Avenue Adaptive Signal Control Technology System Project.
- Item C (0 Longfellow Drive Permanent Encroachment Agreement): Initially pulled for further discussion after two residents spoke in opposition. Staff explained the encroachment is within unused public right-of-way and does not affect the roadway. The motion passed 5-0.
- Item F (Belmont Library Exterior Improvement): Pulled from consent by staff; not voted on.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Consent Item C (0 Longfellow Drive): Two Longfellow Drive residents opposed the permanent encroachment of a retaining wall into the public right-of-way, citing narrow streets, safety concerns for emergency vehicles and school buses, and disruption to the neighborhood. Staff responded that the wall is 7 feet 5.5 inches into the right-of-way but not into the roadway, leaving 4 feet 5.5 inches to the curb, and all operational departments approved access.
Discussion Items
- Adoption of the Revised Housing Element 2023-2031 (11A): Deputy Community Development Director Laura Russell and Assistant City Manager Cathy Kleinbaum presented. After state review and a July 2024 letter deeming the revised element compliant, the council repealed the January 2023 version and adopted the revised element, including new policies to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH) and more conservative site inventory assumptions. The planning commission had unanimously recommended approval. The council voted 5-0 to adopt.
- Solid Waste Rate Application for 2025 (12A): Public Works Director Nisha Patel and HDR consultant Sean Korn presented. The maximum rate increase for regularly scheduled services (Schedule L) is 2.04%, with a $0.82-$2.89 monthly increase per cart size depending on cart size. Additional services (Schedule Q) increase by 3.77%. The formula is CPI-driven with pass-through disposal costs. The council set a public protest hearing for November 12, 2024, and adopted the resolution 5-0.
- Twin Pines Park Stormwater Detention Basin EIR Certification (12B): Project manager Sean Rose, design manager Meryl Taylor, and environmental scientist Darcy Kramman presented. The project involves an underground detention facility (up to 9 acre-feet) to reduce downstream flooding on Belmont Creek. The EIR identified a significant unavoidable impact on tribal cultural resources (Muakma tribe) but includes a mitigation monitoring plan and statement of overriding considerations. Phase one (5 acre-feet) has a $2 million funding shortfall; phase two (9 acre-feet) has a $10 million shortfall. The council certified the EIR, adopted mitigation measures, and approved the project 5-0.
- First Amendment to City Attorney Employment Agreement (12C) and Second Amendment to City Manager Employment Agreement (12D): The council adopted resolutions establishing new compensation retroactive to October 2023 and October 2024 for the City Attorney and to September 2023 and September 2024 for the City Manager, based on subcommittee review of surveys and CPI. Both motions passed 5-0.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Consent Calendar items A-E (with recusal on B and separate discussion on C).
- Adopted: Revised Housing Element 2023-2031 (5-0).
- Adopted: Resolution stating intent to revise solid waste maximum rates for 2025, setting public hearing for November 12, 2024 (5-0).
- Certified: Final EIR for Twin Pines Park Stormwater Detention Basin, adopted Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring Program (5-0).
- Approved: Employment agreement amendments for City Attorney Scott Rennie and City Manager Afshin Oskoui (both 5-0).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. This is the City of Belmont City Council regular meeting. It is Tuesday, September 10th, 2024. We are in council chambers. Welcome back from our break from the summer for August, that is. It's we are about to go into closed session, but first uh can we have a roll call, please? Yes, welcome back, Councilmembers. Um Councilmember Peng Menganares. Present. Councilmember Hurt? Present. Councilmember McHugh. Present. Madam Mayor Mains. Present. Absent today is Councilmember Lattermanlow, and that will be a quorum for today. Great. Thank you very much. Moving on to public comment on the closed session. We have two items this evening on closed session. And if you have a public comment on closed session, now is the time to either fill out a comment card or raise your virtual hand via Zoom. Do we have any comments today? Comments? No comments on Zoom and no comments in house. Okay, great. Then we will go to our closed session. Two A is conference with labor negotiators. And two B is also conference with labor negotiators with our two reports for our two representatives, Avchinus Guey and our um and our city manager city attorney. So we will uh be back after our closed session. Okay. All righty. Good evening. Welcome to the City of Belmont City Council and Belmont Fire Protection District Board of Directors meeting. It is September 10th, Tuesday, 2024. It is seven o'clock. We are in the City Council Chambers. Council meetings, unless otherwise noted, are broadcast live to Belmont residents on Comcast Cable Channel 27. Stream live streamed live via the city's website at Belmont.gov and on Zoom. And of course, you can attend it here in person on the second floor in our council chambers. Our published agenda has the various ways that you can make a public comment. And there is a three-minute time limit unless otherwise determined by the chair. And our published agenda also has the protocols for making a public comment, which I encourage everyone to read. Comment cards. If you're in the chambers and would like to make a public comment, public comment cards are in the back there. And you can go ahead and give it to our clerk. And tonight we have Deputy City Clerk Marla Perez with us. So thank you very much for stepping in for Josie. And let's go ahead and have item. What is item four on our agenda? Call to order roll call, please.
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