OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lafayette City Council Meeting – November 12, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, November 12, 2025
BodyLafayette, California
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, November 12, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:30:27

Transcript — Verbatim
4:51

Uh good evening.

4:52

I'll be calling the city council meeting to order on uh Monday, November tenth at six o'clock.

5:18

Mayor Candel, we have no speakers in the Don Tatson Community Hall, and we have no hands raised in our virtual audience.

1:08:21

Well, it does get driven.

1:08:24

Suzanne, we're ready.

1:08:37

Mayor, you're good.

1:08:40

You're the steward.

1:08:52

Yeah.

1:08:52

I am another one that sets in our flying house on cylinder bubble wrap, literally.

1:09:06

I would put it over.

1:09:13

Good evening, everybody.

1:09:15

We're back into the city council meeting tonight, and we were back from close session with no reportable action.

1:09:22

So now we will go to the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:10:01

They stewarded it and shaped this land for hundreds of generations.

1:10:05

We express our appreciation and gratitude for this profound legacy, which enhances and contributes to our lives to this day.

1:10:13

We will strive to honor this land and strengthen our ties with the indigenous communities that continue to live in our East Bay region as our neighbors and community members.

1:10:22

We acknowledge and honor them and their ancestors, elders, and the next seven generations.

1:10:28

Thank you.

1:10:30

All right, now go for public comment for items not on the agenda.

1:10:35

Mayor Candell and the city council will be taking comments first from persons in the Don Taxon Community Hall for items not on the agenda, and then for persons in our Zoom audience.

1:10:47

Our first speaker is Brian Parsons, to be followed by Jean Fulmer.

1:11:00

Hello, and thank you so much.

1:11:03

Appreciate everything you all are doing.

1:11:04

I'm Brian Parsons.

1:11:05

I live at 878 Santa Maria Way in the Trails neighborhood.

1:11:10

I'm representing a group called Vibrant Lafayette today.

1:11:13

It's a group of parents mostly in the downtown area who want safer streets, better biking and walking for for kids.

1:11:23

What I want to talk about today is I just want to show my support for what I believe is the transportation, active transportation plan coming up.

1:11:31

And all the parents are very excited about that, and we want to do whatever we can to help support that.

1:11:37

We also want to see that it takes into account parks, recreation, schools, all that stuff, so our kids can get around independently and selfishly as parents, we don't have to drive them everywhere.

1:11:47

So thank you so much for your time.

1:11:52

Wait, one second.

1:11:52

We have a question.

1:11:53

Yeah, with which organization did you say you're representing?

1:11:56

Vibrant Lafayette.

1:11:58

Thank you.

1:11:58

Thank you.

1:12:01

Jean Fulmer.

1:12:07

Hi, I'm Jean Fulmer.

1:12:09

I live at 1477 Release Valley Road.

1:12:12

Thank you for being here tonight and thanks for your service.

1:12:15

I'm I actually went to Transirc and offered a similar message last week.

1:12:21

So I just want to share that I'm seeing a need to train our school crossing guards to cue pedestrians at busy intersections, like the one at Pleasant Hill and Spring Hill slash Quant Road.

1:12:35

I I raised this concern last in 27-2018.

1:12:40

Um I'm going to share it with the Lafayette School District as well.

1:12:44

It's not surprising that traffic is congested doing during peak morning rush hour.

1:12:49

Uh, but looking ahead toward the terraces building that's supposed to start uh next year.

1:12:55

I'm really hoping we can consider these suggestions and maybe get ahead of of what's coming.

1:13:03

So, you know, a quick search turned up a few um points and suggestions that have been implemented in other cities.

1:13:10

Um so when pedestrians wait to cross as a group, they all cross uh during the same signal phase.

1:13:16

Uh this minimizes lingering pedestrians in the roadway after the signal changes, which can delay vehicles or block intersections.

1:13:25

Vehicle throughput improves when there are fewer interruptions to vehicle green phases, resulting in a smoother flow and less stop and go traffic, and this also decreases driver frustration.

1:13:38

Cuing or group crossing is particularly important for traffic flow on busy arterials like Pleasant Hill Road and near intersections with coordinated signal timing like Spring Hill Road.

1:13:50

When a crossing guard is properly trained in queuing, they're able to activate the crossing signal at an optimal moment that balances both pedestrian safety and efficient vehicle flow.

1:14:02

I was disappointed that the signaled crosswalk was reinstalled at the intersection of Pleasant Hill and Release Valley Roads when the walkway was redone a few summers ago.

1:14:11

And I recall sharing my concern, I don't know, I think with a couple members of uh the circulation commission at that time.

1:14:19

There is no crossing guard at that particular intersection.

1:14:22

And what happens sometimes is you'll have a single Okalane student instead of going down the pathway and crossing with the crossing guard at Spring Hill, they'll push the button and then you know it just further backs it up Pleasant Hill Road.

1:14:36

Um, and you know, kind of once you get through that intersection of Spring Hill Quant and Pleasant Hill, it really does open up quite a bit.

1:14:45

So I I love to see some attention given to, you know, maybe you know, training them to watch, oh look, it's it's turning over here, so now's the time to push the button instead of pushing it too often and backing it up unnecessarily.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████14%
Emergency Preparedness████████████13%
Active Transportation██████7%
Public Safety█████6%
Community Engagement██2%
Transportation Safety██2%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Fire Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Lafayette City Council Meeting – November 12, 2025

This regular meeting of the Lafayette City Council covered routine business, annual updates from commissions, a detailed presentation on the Connecting Lafayette pathway project, and several administrative approvals. The meeting included public comments on transportation safety and wildfire preparedness, along with unanimous approvals on consent items, a creek committee appointment, and a street closure permit.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the October 27, 2025 City Council minutes.
  • Received and filed the 4th Quarter Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2024/25.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Brian Parsons (representing Vibrant Lafayette) expressed strong support for the city's active transportation plan, emphasizing the need for safe routes so children can walk and bike independently.
  • Jean Fulmer urged the city to train school crossing guards in pedestrian queuing techniques at busy intersections (e.g., Pleasant Hill/Spring Hill) to improve traffic flow and safety, especially with upcoming development.
  • Brian Parsons (again) spoke during the Connecting Lafayette discussion, voicing full support for the project as designed; his son Hunter Parsons (age 7) noted that existing white posts on the trail are weak and supported a stronger barrier with plants.
  • Gary Risk (843 Topper Lane) acknowledged staff’s compromise on the pathway width (reduced from 10 ft to 4–6 ft) but expressed regret over the loss of trees; he said residents are “at the best of a bad situation” and appreciate the collaboration.
  • Andre Kisluk urged the council to consider the needs of school children and young adults, referencing the death of Ashley Diaz as a catalyst for pedestrian safety improvements; he asked for the project to be part of a larger network of active transportation.
  • Scott Ellis (821 Topper Lane) voiced dissatisfaction with the final tree loss (estimated ~50 trees) and argued that a six-foot width in some sections could have been narrower to save more old-growth oaks; he also requested an additional speed bump on Topper Lane to prevent speeding.

Presentations

  • New Hire Introduction: Assistant City Manager Tracy Robinson introduced Accounting Technician Ana Ponce, who previously worked at Acalanes Union High School District.
  • Crime Prevention Commission Annual Update (Chair Tracy Riley with commissioners Judy Peterson, Denise Brown, Cam Burgs): Reported a quieter year for crime; National Night Out was held at the Community Center and drew strong attendance; the Citizens Academy (now in its 12th year) will resume spring 2026; the commission shares a booth with Emergency Preparedness at community events.
  • Emergency Preparedness Commission Annual Update (Chair Duncan with Stephanie on Firewise):
    • Lafayette now has 30 fully recognized Firewise neighborhoods (largest in Contra Costa County), with 8 new in the past 12 months and a 20% increase in participating homes. Burton Valley (950 homes) expected soon.
    • The Commission completed a Community Points of Distribution (C-Pod) plan (federal requirement) and is working on a human waste disposal plan.
    • A joint project with the Senior Services Commission identified 20 locations for new fire hydrant reflectors.
    • 55 students attended two CERT basic training series in 2025.
    • The next edition of the regional emergency preparedness booklet is planned (estimated cost $19,000–$20,000 total for three jurisdictions, Lafayette share ~$6,700).
    • Recommendations for 2026: a dedicated Firewise booth at Art & Wine Festival and a pilot volunteer ambassador program with Contra Costa Fire.

Discussion Items

  • Connecting Lafayette: Downtown Pathways and Schools Safety Project (65% Design) – Transportation Program Manager Patrick Golier and Engineering Services Manager Matt Luttropp presented:
    • School Street: 10-foot pathway with bioretention basins (treats 1.1 acres of impervious surface as required by permit); drop-off zone preserved; fence relocation by school district; speed bumps will be removed and replaced.
    • Topper Lane: Pathway reduced to 4–6 feet after resident input and MTC grant flexibility; road alignment shifted ~2.5 ft to save a signature oak; new storm drain to replace existing ditch; existing parking spaces preserved; speed bumps replaced.
    • Budget: $4.6 million secured (Measure J, OBAG, federal earmark, LFFA development fees); estimated cost $4,364,000 including 10% contingency.
    • Timeline: Plans/ specs by end of January 2026; utility relocations by April; construction April–August 2026 (beginning before school lets out, with work hours 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m. during school days).
    • Council received the report; no action was taken. Further updates expected after bids are opened in March 2026.

Council / Commission Reports & Appointments

  • Councilmembers reported on activities: Councilmember McCormick attended a meeting with Berkeley councilmember Brent Blackaby on wildfire preparedness; Councilmember Anduri attended the Hamlin Parkland public workshop.
  • Creeks Committee Appointment: Vice Mayor Anduri and Councilmember Wotherspoon moved to appoint Christy Rodenbush to the Creeks Committee. The motion carried unanimously.
  • Future agenda items: Improvements to Upper Community Field requested for the next meeting; discussion on ABAG’s Plan Bay Area 2050 and transit-oriented development policies.

Written Communications

  • Approved a request from Rob Seitelman (Town Hall Theater) to close School Street from Moraga Road to the entrance driveway at 3511 School Street on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a community celebration and fundraiser. Police and fire had cleared the route. Resolution 2025-55 adopted unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar items approved (minutes, quarterly financial report).
  • Creeks Committee appointment: Christy Rodenbush appointed (unanimous).
  • Street closure permit for Town Hall Theater event on April 11, 2026, approved (unanimous).
  • Connecting Lafayette project: No decision required; staff will return with bid results in early 2026.
  • Closed session for City Manager and City Attorney performance evaluations and labor negotiations resulted in no reportable action.
  • The council will consider placing Upper Community Field improvements on a future agenda.

Note: The agenda listed the meeting date as November 10, 2025, but the transcript and the instruction provided for this summary specify November 12, 2025. This summary uses the date supplied in the instruction.

Meeting Transcript

Uh good evening. I'll be calling the city council meeting to order on uh Monday, November tenth at six o'clock. Mayor Candel, we have no speakers in the Don Tatson Community Hall, and we have no hands raised in our virtual audience. Well, it does get driven. Suzanne, we're ready. Mayor, you're good. You're the steward. Yeah. I am another one that sets in our flying house on cylinder bubble wrap, literally. I would put it over. Good evening, everybody. We're back into the city council meeting tonight, and we were back from close session with no reportable action. So now we will go to the Pledge of Allegiance. They stewarded it and shaped this land for hundreds of generations. We express our appreciation and gratitude for this profound legacy, which enhances and contributes to our lives to this day. We will strive to honor this land and strengthen our ties with the indigenous communities that continue to live in our East Bay region as our neighbors and community members. We acknowledge and honor them and their ancestors, elders, and the next seven generations. Thank you. All right, now go for public comment for items not on the agenda. Mayor Candell and the city council will be taking comments first from persons in the Don Taxon Community Hall for items not on the agenda, and then for persons in our Zoom audience. Our first speaker is Brian Parsons, to be followed by Jean Fulmer. Hello, and thank you so much. Appreciate everything you all are doing. I'm Brian Parsons. I live at 878 Santa Maria Way in the Trails neighborhood. I'm representing a group called Vibrant Lafayette today. It's a group of parents mostly in the downtown area who want safer streets, better biking and walking for for kids. What I want to talk about today is I just want to show my support for what I believe is the transportation, active transportation plan coming up. And all the parents are very excited about that, and we want to do whatever we can to help support that. We also want to see that it takes into account parks, recreation, schools, all that stuff, so our kids can get around independently and selfishly as parents, we don't have to drive them everywhere. So thank you so much for your time. Wait, one second. We have a question. Yeah, with which organization did you say you're representing? Vibrant Lafayette. Thank you. Thank you. Jean Fulmer. Hi, I'm Jean Fulmer. I live at 1477 Release Valley Road. Thank you for being here tonight and thanks for your service. I'm I actually went to Transirc and offered a similar message last week. So I just want to share that I'm seeing a need to train our school crossing guards to cue pedestrians at busy intersections, like the one at Pleasant Hill and Spring Hill slash Quant Road. I I raised this concern last in 27-2018. Um I'm going to share it with the Lafayette School District as well. It's not surprising that traffic is congested doing during peak morning rush hour. Uh, but looking ahead toward the terraces building that's supposed to start uh next year. I'm really hoping we can consider these suggestions and maybe get ahead of of what's coming. So, you know, a quick search turned up a few um points and suggestions that have been implemented in other cities. Um so when pedestrians wait to cross as a group, they all cross uh during the same signal phase.

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