OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Half Moon Bay City Council Regular Meeting - July 15, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, July 15, 2025
BodyHalf Moon Bay, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, July 15, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
2:56

Of the Half Moon Bay City Council.

2:58

Welcome everybody, and thanks for coming this evening.

3:03

Um we are going to start with a roll call, please.

3:10

Councilmember Johnson.

3:11

Here.

3:12

Councilmember Nagangast.

3:14

Here.

3:14

Councilmember Penrose.

3:16

Here.

3:16

Vice Mayor Ruddick.

3:18

Here.

3:18

Mayor Brownstone.

3:19

Here.

3:20

We have a quorum.

3:21

Thank you.

3:22

If you at all please join me by standing, and we will have the Pledge of Allegiance.

3:55

We have a second.

3:56

So moved.

3:58

Second.

4:00

So moved.

4:02

All those in favor, say aye.

4:05

All those against we have an approved agenda.

4:18

And I am delighted to start with our first.

5:00

Tonight we're very proud to recognize one of the most longstanding and impactful organizations in our community, the IDES Society of Half Moon Bay.

5:10

Founded by Portuguese immigrants in 1871, the IDES Society has served as a cultural and civic cornerstone for more than 150 years.

5:23

Thanks to a generous, generous land donation in 1898 by the Dutra family.

5:30

The Society built its first hall in 1911.

5:34

The current hall, built in 1928, remains a vital gathering place today, nearly 100 years later.

5:43

The Society continues to host its signature event, the Festa de Espírito Santo, or also known as Chamarita, every year on Pentecost Sunday.

6:00

This celebration is central to Portuguese American culture in the region.

6:05

The hall is also home to many beloved community events, including the Pumpkin Festival, Fourth of July Festival, Night of Lights, the Mel Mellow Farm Day luncheon, and Crab Shipino dinners.

6:22

But beyond celebration, celebrations, the IDES Hall has opened its doors for moments of real community need.

6:51

The Society also gives back through scholarships and student service opportunities, and many of its members serve in civic leadership roles throughout the half throughout Half Moon Bay.

7:05

Most recently, on July 4th, they unveiled a beautiful and stunning new mural by local artist Julie Engelman.

7:16

It beautifully honors the Azorian heritage of many Portuguese residents and celebrates their cultural contributions to our community.

7:27

On behalf of the City Council, we are deeply grateful to the IDES Society for their enduring service, cultural leadership, and commitment to the Half Moon Bay community.

7:42

So here's to more than 150 years of impact and many more to come.

7:48

Thank you.

7:58

So with that, I'm going to bring this proclamation over to our guests.

8:03

And City Council will join in for a couple of photographs, okay?

8:08

Thanks.

9:12

Would anyone from IDS like to say anything on our podium?

9:16

Any comments?

9:25

Well, first off, Mr.

9:26

Mayor, members of the council, we like to thank you for this honor.

9:30

We really uh appreciate it, and we are thrilled that the community has embraced our newest part of our our facility, the beautiful mural that Julie Engelman did.

9:41

But we hope we we we love the support that we've got from the community, and um we love all our events that we do, and just want to say thank you very much for this acknowledgement.

9:53

Thank you.

9:54

Thank you.

10:02

Next, we will have a presentation about our Half Womb Bay's age-friendly initiative.

10:10

Mr.

10:10

Mayor, I'll make a quick quick introduction introduction as uh Sandy comes to the podium.

10:17

Um Sandy Winter, uh, most people know her.

10:20

She is the executive director of senior co-siders, and and what an impact she and her organization have on our community as well.

10:28

Uh, we work very closely with them on a lot of issues, and they're such a a great resource, especially as we have an aging population.

10:36

Um, in 2022, they uh, along with the county and the city and others spearheaded the um age-friendly communities initiative through AARP, um, and they've shown incredible leadership throughout that process.

10:52

And as kind of an extension of it, they had an intern this summer who is a candidate at Stanford University for a master's in community health and prevention who wanted to look at our community and look at our policies as a city and how they affect an aging population.

11:11

Um, with gratitude to our department heads who worked with her and I had the chance to meet with her and Sandy a couple of times.

11:19

Um, what we've got, I think is a really really great resource that's going to help us make better decisions going forward and make sure that we are taking care of our aging population.

11:29

With that, I'll turn the time over to Sandy, who can really dig in and hopefully I didn't say too much of what you were already going to say.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████15%
Fiscal Sustainability███████████11%
Procedural██████████10%
Environmental Protection███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Senior Services██████6%
City Council Priorities██████6%
Solid Waste Management█████5%
Immigrant Affairs█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Half Moon Bay City Council Regular Meeting - July 15, 2025

The Half Moon Bay City Council met on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at 7:00 PM in a hybrid format at the Adcock Community Center. The meeting included proclamations, presentations, city manager updates, public forum, consent calendar, and several resolutions. Key topics included the recognition of the I.D.E.S. Society, an age-friendly initiative presentation, updates on the .gov transition, a DoorDash reusable foodware pilot, a tenant workshop, Republic Services trash delays due to a strike, and the formation of two ad hoc committees.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 1.A: Waived reading of resolutions and ordinances.
  • Item 1.B: Accepted the warrants list for June 2025.
  • Item 1.C: Approved minutes from May 6, 2025 to June 17, 2025 City Council meetings.
  • Item 1.D: Adopted a resolution approving changes to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee By-Laws.
  • Item 1.F: Approved a professional services agreement with Caselle Inc. for $50,856 through June 30, 2026. (Item 1.E was pulled for separate consideration.)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Valerie Dubois (Moss Beach resident, board of Sea Hugger) spoke in support of the Plastic Free Coastside initiative and the reusable foodware pilot, noting that 90% of survey respondents support local plastic reduction efforts.
  • Juliet Applewhite echoed support for reducing plastics.
  • Susan Quaglietti (resident downstream of Rocket Farms) alleged that Rocket Farms discharges polluted floodwaters into Pullman Watercourse without a required waste discharge report, requesting enforcement of municipal code and cleanup abatement.
  • David Rokoski (Coastside Faith in Action) urged the city to distribute ICE hotline information and know-your-rights cards, citing fear in the immigrant community.
  • Norm Picker (Arieta Park resident) raised concerns about erosion at the Myrtle Street ditch, asking Public Works to address tire tracks causing water diversion.
  • Evelyn De Sauza requested stronger traffic enforcement, particularly at stop signs, citing a near-hit of an elderly pedestrian.
  • Olivia Perez advocated for farm worker affordable housing, referencing the 555 Kelly housing project and the need for safe, stable housing.
  • Alison Williams (landscape designer) offered expertise on safer alternatives to pesticides and expressed interest in working with the city.
  • Rocio Adila Garcia (via translation) asked the city to protect undocumented workers, urging compassion and non-cooperation with ICE.
  • Graham Brown thanked staff for trash mitigation efforts but noted his complex had no pickup in two weeks; urged contingency plans.
  • Akin promoted Vaquero Days, a free community equestrian event.
  • Harvey Warback encouraged distributing red cards and holding a rally to support immigrants.
  • Councilmember Deborah Penrose (speaking as a citizen) delivered an impassioned speech against the Trump administration's policies, urging elected officials to defend the Constitution.

Discussion Items

1.E – Grant Application to California Coastal Commission for Local Coastal Program Update

  • Staff presented a grant application for $500,000 to update the Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan, with an additional $200,000 for associated code updates. Councilmember Jonsson inquired about integration with the Housing Element. Staff confirmed coordination with Coastal Commission staff and expressed confidence in approval. The item passed unanimously.

3.A – Purchase of an All-Electric Ford Transit Van

  • Todd Seely (Public Works Superintendent) recommended purchasing a 2025 Ford e-Transit van for $57,935.89 to replace a 2005 Ford Ranger. Benefits include zero emissions, reduced staff time (200 hours/year saved from Public Works supporting Recreation), and helping meet state EV mandates (currently at 10%, would rise to 18% with this purchase). Discussion centered on sole-source justification (only one bid), potential leases, and local dealership options (James Ford). Council opted to defer to August 19, 2025 meeting to obtain lease pricing and explore other dealerships.

3.B – Fiscal Year 2025-26 Sewer Service Charges and Assessments

  • Staff presented the annual sewer assessment resolution totaling $7.3 million, with no rate increase due to expiration of the previous rate study. A new rate study is planned for the coming year. Council approved the resolution unanimously.

3.C – Formation of Temporary Ad Hoc Committees

  • Committee on Staffing and Structure: Council established an ad hoc committee (Councilmembers Jonsson and Nagengast) to evaluate city organization and staffing, given a 15-20% vacancy rate. Council debated the use of a consultant; staff will bring a scoping item to the August 19 meeting.
  • Committee on Expiring Golf Facilities Fee: Council established an ad hoc committee (Vice Mayor Ruddock and Councilmember Jonsson) to explore options for the non-resident golf fee set to expire September 2026, which generates ~$650,000/year for general fund. Councilmember Nagengast recused himself (abstained from vote) due to employment with Ocean Colony Partners.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar: Approved items 1.A, 1.B, 1.C, 1.D, 1.F by roll call vote (5-0). Item 1.E approved separately (5-0).
  • Electric Van Purchase: Deferred to August 19, 2025 meeting; staff to gather lease options, pricing from other dealerships (including James Ford), and cost-benefit analysis.
  • Sewer Assessments: Resolution adopted unanimously (5-0) to approve charges, file assessment roll, and direct billing.
  • Ad Hoc Committees: Both committees formed – first (staffing/structure) with Councilmembers Jonsson and Nagengast; second (golf fee) with Vice Mayor Ruddock and Councilmember Jonsson.
  • City Manager Performance Evaluation: Scheduled for September 2025.
  • Republic Services Trash Strike Update: City Manager reported ongoing strike; sporadic pickups; dumpsters available at three locations; liquidated damages will be pursued against Republic. Residents urged to leave bins out.

Meeting Transcript

Of the Half Moon Bay City Council. Welcome everybody, and thanks for coming this evening. Um we are going to start with a roll call, please. Councilmember Johnson. Here. Councilmember Nagangast. Here. Councilmember Penrose. Here. Vice Mayor Ruddick. Here. Mayor Brownstone. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. If you at all please join me by standing, and we will have the Pledge of Allegiance. We have a second. So moved. Second. So moved. All those in favor, say aye. All those against we have an approved agenda. And I am delighted to start with our first. Tonight we're very proud to recognize one of the most longstanding and impactful organizations in our community, the IDES Society of Half Moon Bay. Founded by Portuguese immigrants in 1871, the IDES Society has served as a cultural and civic cornerstone for more than 150 years. Thanks to a generous, generous land donation in 1898 by the Dutra family. The Society built its first hall in 1911. The current hall, built in 1928, remains a vital gathering place today, nearly 100 years later. The Society continues to host its signature event, the Festa de Espírito Santo, or also known as Chamarita, every year on Pentecost Sunday. This celebration is central to Portuguese American culture in the region. The hall is also home to many beloved community events, including the Pumpkin Festival, Fourth of July Festival, Night of Lights, the Mel Mellow Farm Day luncheon, and Crab Shipino dinners. But beyond celebration, celebrations, the IDES Hall has opened its doors for moments of real community need. The Society also gives back through scholarships and student service opportunities, and many of its members serve in civic leadership roles throughout the half throughout Half Moon Bay. Most recently, on July 4th, they unveiled a beautiful and stunning new mural by local artist Julie Engelman. It beautifully honors the Azorian heritage of many Portuguese residents and celebrates their cultural contributions to our community. On behalf of the City Council, we are deeply grateful to the IDES Society for their enduring service, cultural leadership, and commitment to the Half Moon Bay community. So here's to more than 150 years of impact and many more to come. Thank you. So with that, I'm going to bring this proclamation over to our guests. And City Council will join in for a couple of photographs, okay? Thanks. Would anyone from IDS like to say anything on our podium? Any comments? Well, first off, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, we like to thank you for this honor. We really uh appreciate it, and we are thrilled that the community has embraced our newest part of our our facility, the beautiful mural that Julie Engelman did. But we hope we we we love the support that we've got from the community, and um we love all our events that we do, and just want to say thank you very much for this acknowledgement. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we will have a presentation about our Half Womb Bay's age-friendly initiative.

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