Davis City Council Meeting Summary – July 30, 2024

The Davis City Council met on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, beginning at 6:31 p.m. Mayor Chapman presided, with Councilmembers Arnold, Partita, and Neville present and Vice Mayor Vitla joining by phone. No agenda or minutes were available for this summary, which is based solely on the meeting transcript. The council approved the agenda and most consent items, held public hearings on water conservation and LED lighting, adopted objective design standards, and made commission appointments.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved 5-0.
• The consent calendar, minus item 3G, was approved unanimously (5-0). Public comment on consent items included support for direct city employment and fair pay for janitorial workers, support for the California task force on reparations, and support for a city land acknowledgement. Councilmember Partita said she would like the Human Relations Commission to continue discussing more meaningful, policy-level actions beyond the acknowledgement.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Molly Hillis, speaking for St. Martin's Episcopal Church's Social Justice and Outreach Committee, urged the council to prioritize air conditioning and insulation upgrades at the Davis Respite Center, citing heat exhaustion cases and noting the center closes at 4 p.m. and on holidays.
• Steve Streeter and a second Heart of Davis speaker supported the respite center upgrades, noted recent CDBG funding, and asked that ADA and cooling-room work proceed concurrently. They also described volunteer training and a shade structure installed on July 19.
• John Lee Slater spoke about applying a Bible-system model to local government and using daily indicators to analyze UC Davis' impact on the city.
• Jordan Riley raised wide-ranging allegations involving police harassment, surveillance, and human experimentation.
• Alan Hirsch emphasized protecting democratic processes, urged participation in a Yolo election training on August 25, and raised concerns about commission transparency and lost I-80 survey responses.
• A speaker, Victor, thanked the council for considering a land acknowledgement and asked that it lead to ongoing education and support for local tribes.
• Gaina Lambang, calling in, said 21 of 27 days from July 1-26 reached 100 degrees or higher, that the respite center closes at 4 p.m. and on holidays, and that the July 4 high was 108 degrees with only the Veterans Memorial Center open as a cooling center. She demanded immediate extension of respite center hours and faster upgrades.
• Ellen Kalaric, co-chair of Faith Housing Justice Davis, spoke as an individual, expressing concern about heat stroke risks for unsheltered residents, urging climate-controlled cooling capacity, and commenting on consent items involving janitorial services, reparations, and the land acknowledgement.

Discussion Items

• City Manager announcements: The city launched pre-designed accessory dwelling unit (ADU) plans funded by a SACOG grant. G Street construction between Second and Third streets is expected to begin at the end of August, with a fall grand opening planned.
• Legislative calendar (item 3G): The council considered the annual legislative calendar with meetings on the first and third Tuesdays, an exception for November 5, and a proposed July recess instead of August. Councilmember Partita raised concerns that county and other boards recess in August, which could eliminate an actual break. After discussion, the council voted 5-0 to adopt the calendar as presented.
• Commission appointments: The council made appointments to four advisory commissions. Public commenter Alan Hirsch criticized reduced public participation on commissions, and Mark Heising sought appointment to the Transportation Commission. The subcommittee recommendations were approved 5-0. Fiscal Commission: Mitchell Maribayashi appointed. Senior Commission: Marsha Coop (regular) and Thomas Roast (alternate) appointed. Social Services and Transportation Commission slates were also approved. Vice Mayor Vitla had said he would recuse from social services and transportation votes, though the announced vote was 5-0.
• Water shortage contingency plan update: Staff presented proposed updates to the city's water shortage contingency plan, including making three-days-per-week sprinkler irrigation limits permanent in Stage 1, moving two-days-per-week limits to Stage 2, limiting all sprinkler irrigation to two days per week in Stage 3, and moving vehicle-washing restrictions to Stage 3 with low-water home washing allowed. Public comment included Alan Hirsch's call to prioritize irrigation for playground and downtown trees, and Dylan's questions about enforcement and outreach. Staff said enforcement is education-first and outreach uses Greener Davis, utility bill inserts, and renter/landlord resources. The council approved the resolution 5-0.
• LED lighting project: Staff presented the third public hearing for the city facility LED lighting project at corporation yards, City Hall, and the Senior Center. Annual PG&E costs at the four sites are about $260,000; the project would save about $45,000 per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Alan Hirsch supported the project and noted the estimated 99 metric tons of GHG reduction is equivalent to about 10 households' annual energy use. Pre-recorded caller Connor Warman broadly supported it while also advocating for public power and municipalization of PG&E. The council authorized the zero-percent on-bill financing agreement with PG&E by a 5-0 vote.
• Objective design standards: The Community Development Director presented an ordinance and resolution adopting objective design standards required by state housing laws such as SB 35. Planning Commission recommended approval with changes, including removing the 'earth tones' color requirement, requiring painted or color-coated block, and allowing matte white and vegetative roofs. Council discussion clarified when the standards apply, their relationship to ministerial review, and that affordable-housing projects may seek waivers or concessions. The council amended the motion to remove the front-entry-facing-the-primary-street requirement and to use neutral color language instead of 'earth tones,' then approved the item 5-0.
• AB 1234 and long-range calendar: No council members reported meetings attended at city expense under AB 1234. Staff reported no substantive changes to the long-range calendar and said the calendar would be populated using the newly adopted legislative calendar in late August.

Key Outcomes

• Approved agenda 5-0.
• Approved consent calendar minus item 3G 5-0; adopted the legislative calendar 5-0.
• Made commission appointments 5-0, with Vice Mayor Vitla's stated recusal from social services and transportation votes.
• Approved the water shortage contingency plan update 5-0.
• Authorized the LED project and PG&E on-bill financing agreement 5-0.
• Adopted the objective design standards ordinance and resolution with amendments 5-0.
• No AB 1234 reports were filed; council adjourned after receiving the long-range calendar update.