Belmont City Council Special Meeting – December 3, 2024
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Belmont City Council Special Meeting – December 3, 2024
The Belmont City Council held a special meeting on December 3, 2024, at 6:30 PM in City Council Chambers. Three council members were present (Mayor Mains, Councilmember Hurt, and Councilmember McCune), with two members absent (Vice Mayor Latermillo and one other). The meeting addressed routine consent items and two general business items: a residential chipping services agreement and a signage and wayfinding program.
Consent Calendar
- Revised Master Employee Pay Schedule – December 2024: Adopted unanimously (3‑0) via resolution approving revisions to the City’s Master Employee Pay Schedule to comply with CalPERS regulations.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made on non‑agenda items or on the chipping services item.
- For the signage and wayfinding item, the Community Development Director noted two written comments received prior to the meeting: one requesting corrections to listed destinations (which were addressed in the presentation) and one expressing concern about the color brightness and a specific sign placement on El Camino Real. No live public comments were offered.
Discussion Items
- Agreement with Bay Area Tree Service, Inc. for Residential Chipping Services: Staff presented an overview of fire‑safety efforts, including a residential chipping program funded by grants. The program will cover four service areas west of Alameda de las Pulgas, each serviced twice in March/April 2025. The proposed agreement authorized up to $30,000 (plus 10% contingency, not to exceed $33,000) for up to 10 days of chipping. Council expressed support and asked about grant amounts (CalFire grant ~$350,000; FEMA grant shared with San Bruno, total ~$385,000). The motion passed 3‑0.
- Signage & Wayfinding Program: The consultant from Hunt Design presented a family of directional signs, monument signs, and banners designed to create a cohesive system for visitors and residents. Key destinations include parks, schools, civic buildings, and main corridors. The presentation included color palette options (blues, greens, orange) and design choices such as historic photos and gradient backgrounds. Council discussion focused on the logo (a modernized version of the city’s seal) and design elements. Councilmember McCune criticized the logo as unclear and lacking positive imagery, and objected to the gradient on signs as non‑functional. He indicated he could not support the program without logo redesign. Other council members and the city manager noted the logo was not the focus of the subcommittee’s work and that the program was intended as a framework for future implementation. The motion to approve the program passed 2‑1 (Councilmember McCune dissenting), with two members absent.
Key Outcomes
- Consent item: Resolution approving revised Master Employee Pay Schedule adopted 3‑0.
- Item 5A: Motion authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute a service agreement with Bay Area Tree Service for residential chipping services (up to $33,000) passed 3‑0.
- Item 5B: The Belmont Signage & Wayfinding Program was approved by a 2‑1 vote. Staff will prepare a capital improvement project detailing sign types, locations, and costs, to be returned to the Council for approval in conjunction with the FY 2025‑26 budget.
- The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:45 PM, with the next regular meeting (reorganization) scheduled for December 10, 2024, at 6:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Of Belmont special meeting agenda. Today is Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024. It is 6 30 p.m. and we're in our city council chambers at City Hall 1 Twin Pines Lane here in Belmont. Public in the council chamber can present the clerk with a request to speak slip, which is found at the table at the rear of the chamber, along with rules and protocols as to how to make a public comment. If you are participating virtually, use the raise hand feature to request to speak if you are on Zoom. And if you are dialing in, call star 67169-900-683. And then the meeting ID, which is also in the public published agenda. All public comments are subject to a three-minute time limit. And if you wish to submit a written public comment, go ahead and send that email that to our clerk before the council considers the item. Our first agenda item tonight is roll call. Can we please have roll? Good evening. Present. Present. Madam Mayor Mains. Present. Absent today is um Vice Mayor Latermillo and Pang McNaris. Great, thank you. Um item two is Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise if you're able. Okay, thank you. Item three, public comments on items not on the agenda. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the body on any city matter not on the agenda. The period for public comment is limited to 15 minutes with a maximum of three minutes per speaker. And speakers who requested but did not receive an opportunity to speak during this comment period will be given an opportunity to address the body later in the meeting. Um state law prohibits the body from acting on non-agenda items, but we will be able to listen to your comments. There are no current speakers in house and no comments on Zoom. Okay, great, thank you. So moving on to item four is the consent business. These items are considered to be routine in nature and will be enacted by one motion with no separate discussion on these items unless a board member or staff requests specific items to be removed. Uh looks like we just have one. A revised matter employee pay schedule December 2024. Do um council members or like members of the staff ha want to I'd like to discuss this. Second, do we have any public comment on this item? No public comments in house or on Zoom. Okay, great. We have a moment, a motion, and a second. Yes. Umember Hurt? Aye. Councilmember Markhew? Aye. Madam Mayor Mains? Aye. Motion passes three to zero with two absent for the revised master pay schedule, December 2024. Great, thank you. Moving right along to item five, general business. These items are considered separately, typically in the order listed, and the chair will call for public comment on each item when the body considers them. 5A is an agreement with Bay Area Tree Service Incorporated for Residential Chipping Services.
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