Belmont City Council Regular Meeting – June 23, 2026
Belmont City Council Regular Meeting – June 23, 2026
The Belmont City Council held a regular meeting on June 23, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the council chambers with hybrid participation via Zoom and phone. The meeting included special presentations, a consent calendar, public comments, and several general business items. The council adopted the Safety Element update and the Brown Act protocol updates, and gave direction on proposed zoning text amendments. All votes were unanimous where taken.
Special Presentations
- Proclamation – 250th Anniversary of American Independence & Belmont Centennial: Recognized the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and Belmont’s centennial year, encouraging residents to reflect on shared history and civic engagement.
- Proclamation – Parks Make Life Better Month: Celebrated Belmont’s recognition (with San Carlos) for the 2026 National Recreation Park Association Innovation in Health and Wellbeing Award for the Teen Wellness Retreat, which has served over 130 teens since 2024. Parks staff Danielle Giuliacci and Emma Lico were honored.
- San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) – 101 Corridor Connect Mini-Grant Program: Marissa Matthias presented a $4 million grant program for priority projects identified in countywide multimodal strategies and Active 101. Eligible Belmont projects include El Camino Real multimodal improvements, Old County Road, Belmont Village bike share, and Marine Parkway. Applications are due in July 2026; no local match is required.
- Mid-Peninsula Water District – 2025 Urban Water Management Plan: General Manager Kat Wolfing and Water Resources Coordinator Drew Bost presented the plan. Belmont’s water supply is 85% from Hetch Hetchy and 15% from Bay Area sources, serving about 31,000 people through 8,200 connections. Under normal conditions, supplies are sufficient for projected demand (1,300 million gallons/year) through 2050, but the unresolved 2018 Bay-Delta Plan amendment could cause 30–50% dry-year shortfalls. The district will hold a public hearing on July 23, 2026, to adopt the plan.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved the consent calendar (5 items) on a 4–0 vote, with Councilmember Latimerlow recused from Item A.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 7 – Matters Not on the Agenda: Trina Patton and Michelle Lepitis, volunteers with Fixed in San Mateo County, spoke in support of transparency and accountability in the Sheriff’s Office. They noted that county taxpayers have paid over $13 million in settlements related to sheriff’s cases and face at least $48 million in pending litigation. They urged the council to support an independent inspector general and ongoing civilian oversight.
Discussion Items
- 11A – 2026 Strategic Communications Update: Communications Officer Elizabeth Charas reported on progress since adoption of the 2025–2030 Strategic Communications Plan. Highlights included a 66% increase in website users (412,000 new users) and 14% increase in page views, 72% increase in Instagram views, 448% increase in Facebook link clicks, and 54,000 email subscribers with a 73% engagement rate. A new website is launching by year-end, and a chatbot (“Lizzie”) will debut in summer 2026. Council praised the work and encouraged deeper measurement of resident understanding, especially for complex topics.
- 11B – General Plan Safety Element Update: Principal Planner Adrian Smith and consultant Eli Crispy presented revisions responding to April council comments and planning commission feedback. Changes included expanded coordination with neighboring jurisdictions, explicit policies for cascading/compounding disasters, monitoring of novel threats, and updates to data tables. The council adopted the resolution (5–0) amending the General Plan.
- 11C – Zoning Text Amendments (Residential Additions, Plan Developments, Airport Safety Zones): Senior Planner Gil presented proposed amendments to streamline single-family addition reviews (increase Tier 1 threshold to 500 sq ft, shift larger additions to Tier 2 zoning administrator approval, reserve Tier 3 for new homes), align plan development (PD) zone reviews with standard residential tiers, and update airport safety zone language for state law compliance. Council expressed support, requested staff to bring back one-year implementation data, and directed that the staff report to the Planning Commission include background and council discussion points. No vote was taken; the item will proceed to the Planning Commission for formal consideration.
- 11D – Updates to Brown Act & Local Agency Official Training Requirements: City Clerk Lisa presented new state laws effective July 2026, including expanded teleconferencing flexibility, mandatory remote public comment and automatic captioning, meeting disruption protocols, and new ethics/financial training requirements for department heads and council members. The council adopted the resolution approving amended council protocols and implementation procedures (5–0).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved 4–0 (Councilmember Latimerlow recused on one item).
- Safety Element Update: Adopted by resolution 5–0.
- Brown Act / Training Protocols: Adopted by resolution 5–0.
- Zoning Text Amendments: Council gave positive direction; staff will present to the Planning Commission and return with a formal ordinance for council adoption. Data will be reviewed one year after implementation.
- Public Comment: No council action taken; comments were received for the record.
- Adjournment: The council adjourned in memory of 30-year Belmont resident Tom Earlywine, who passed away unexpectedly.
Meeting Transcript
Alright, we'll call this meeting to order. This is the City of Belmont, City Council regular agenda meeting. It is June 23rd, 2026. We're currently in our city council chambers. You can also find us and participate online by Zoom or by phone. In person speakers should submit a speaker slip to the clerk and virtual participants may use the raise hand feature. Phone participants may press star nine to request to speak. And public comments are generally limited to three minutes unless otherwise determined by the chair. We will go ahead and move to item number two on our agenda tonight, which is our roll call. Maybe please have roll call. Rogue offer, Council Member McHugh. Present. Pang McGonaris. President, Latter Midlone. Here. Chair Jordan. Here. I'm sorry. Vice here. Vice Mayor Jordan. Mayor May. Here. All present. Alright, thank you. Item three is items before 7 p.m. We have none tonight. And so we will be moving on to item four this evening, which is our pledge of allegiance. Please rise if you're able. Thank you. That moves us to report from the closed session, which is item five. Mr. City Attorney. Good evening, Madam Mayor. We did not have a closed session tonight, so we have no report. Alright, thank you. We have four special presentations this evening, and the first is a proclamation recognizing the 250th anniversary of American independence. We have a nice long proclamation here regarding our celebration of independence, and I'll just go ahead and read a little bit of the proclamation, just the highlights. All right, recognizing the 250th anniversary of American independence. Whereas on July 4th, 2026, the United States of America commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking two and a half centuries of self-governance, civic participation, and the enduring pursuit of liberty, quality, and opportunity. And whereas from its early beginnings as a small peninsula community to the vibrant and diverse city it is today, Belmont's story reflects the broader American experience, one of growth, preserverance, opportunity, and the collective efforts of residents working together to build a stronger community. And whereas the City of Belmont is also proudly celebrating its centennial year in 2026, marking 100 years since its incorporation and honoring a century of community spirit, civic engagement, innovation, and public service. And whereas throughout 2026, Belmont residents, businesses, schools, community organizations, and volunteers have come together through centennial events, educational programs, public art, neighborhood gathering, and historical celebrations to honor the city's past while envisioning its future. And whereas the simultaneous celebration of America's 250th anniversary and Belmont's 100th anniversary offers a unique opportunity to recognize the important role local communities play in our nation's democracy and to inspire future generations to engage in civic life, serve their communities, and uphold the values that unite us. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the City Council of the City of Belmont hereby recognizes and celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States of America and Belmont Centennial Year and encourages all residents to reflect upon our shared history, celebrate our community's accomplishments, and look forward with optimism and purpose to the next century of Belmont and the continued promise of America. Alright, so uh happy birthday, Belmont and uh the United States of America. Uh our next proclamation 6B is a proclamation recognizing parks make life Make Life Better month. And uh again, I'll just read a couple of the um recitals from this proclamation. Whereas Parks and Recreation Programs promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being by providing opportunities for fitness, play, learning, and community connection. And whereas Belmont's Park and Recreation Department enhances quality of life through innovative programs, community events, youth and senior services, sports, enrichment opportunities, and stewardship of the city's parks, facilities, and natural resources. And whereas the cities of Belmont and San Carlos were nationally recognized with the 2026 National Recreation Park Association Innovation in Health and Wellbeing Award for the Teen Wellness and Retreat, a collaborative program created by the Belmont and St.
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