The council held its final regular meeting of 2025 on December 9, 2025. The meeting featured presentations of community service awards, the swearing-in of two new police officers, proclamations for the outgoing poet laureate and retiring administrative services director, a centennial planning update, the year-in-review video, and several actions including appointment of the 2026 vice mayor, adoption of intergovernmental assignments, and reappointment to the vector control district.
Good evening, welcome to the City of Belmont, City Council regular meeting. It is December 9th, 2025. We're here in Council Chambers, and this is our last city council meeting for 2025. Um, we have our posted agenda both online and in all the um exterior places we're supposed to um post. So we can go ahead and start the meeting. Item one is a call to order. We can we please have roll call. Yes, good evening. Council members Jordan here, Laudamarlo? Here, McCune. Vice Mayor Pang McGonaris, President and Mayor Maids. Here, all present. Thank you. Great, thank you. Uh, we have some items um before 7 p.m. This is uh agenda item number two. Uh we do not have a closed session today, nor do we have a study session. So that brings us to item two C, special session, other topics. And our first is a uh community service award presentation. Hello. We're gonna do beautiful Belmont first. Okay, so we'll just jump right in. Um C1, which is our Community Service Award presentation. We're excited to honor the recipients of our beautiful Belmont and Community Service Awards for 2025 tonight. Since 2007, the Beautiful Belmont program recognizes property owners who have enhanced our community by making noticeable exterior improvements that have a positive impact on the surrounding area. Our first and only residential nomination is for Jonathan Penn and Lisa Meltzerpen and their property located at 1010 Notre Dame Avenue. If you're the owners, can you just stand or raise your hands so we can see? There you go. Yay! 1010 Notre Dame underwent a complete garden overhaul. They replaced their lawn with natural stone, integrated native plants, and planted a meadow of grasses along with a curving walkway for a more natural look that requires less water and is more eco-friendly. Neighbors continue to comment on the improvements and enjoy seeing the new garden. Jonathan and Lisa have been Belmont residents for over 25 years and take pride in contributing to the well-being of the neighborhood. They love so much. And if you want to just wave or stand up when I call your commercial property, the first is Jolly's Old Fashion Teas Ice Cream. Dolly's old-fashioned teas cream is a new business tucked into a quaint small wood structure that is one of the last surviving pieces of Belmont's original main street. It was initially built in 1910, and is where the former Chanticlair Ice Cream and Candy Shop once delighted this neighborhood over a century ago. Now in 2025, ice cream has returned to this beloved space, and the new owners are delighted to carry on its sweet tradition. From the exterior paint color to the entry planters, exterior signage and attention to detail in all interior finishes. Jason Herrick and Vanessa Green were careful to preserve and complement the original and essential elements of this existing building. So congratulations. The salon takes pride in creating an inviting presence for our community with a focus on healthy hair, exceptional service, and a warm, inclusive atmosphere. The team's dedication is reflected in glowing reviews across Google, Nextdoor, and Yelp. Salon 1322's consistent efforts to care for its space and its clients truly beautify Belmont. Thank you. Do we have anyone from Salon 1322? All right. Well, we will be sure to um their award. AJ and Rena, owners of Amara, created a Mediterranean oasis in the heart of Belmont. Inspired by their family travels across the Mediterranean, AJ and Rena carefully curated both the menu and the restaurant's aesthetic to reflect the colors, flavors, and warmth of the region.