OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Monterey City Council Meeting - March 18, 2025: Rental Registry Approved, Housing Element Reviewed

City Council — Tuesday, March 18, 2025
BodyMonterey, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, March 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Good afternoon and welcome to this council meeting on September 19th.

0:08

Um, we'll go ahead and start with calling the meeting to order and pass to Clement time for a roll call and um announcements for how the public can participate in public comment.

0:19

Councilmember Barber, present councilmember Garcia.

0:23

Here.

0:23

Councilmember Hoffa.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Councilmember Smith.

0:26

Present.

0:27

Mayor Williamson.

0:28

Here.

0:29

And for the safe attendance of our public meetings, wearing a mask is recommended and encouraged.

0:34

Please keep your phones and devices in the chamber muted to prevent audio interference with our meeting.

0:39

And there are two ways to participate remotely in today's meeting.

0:42

You may join us using the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device.

0:46

And you can also call in to the Zoom meeting.

0:48

To join the meeting on Zoom on your computer, smartphone, or telephone, use the link or phone number on the agenda at iSearch Monterey.org.

0:56

An up-to-date version of Zoom software must be used.

0:59

To call in by telephone, dial toll-free 833 568 8864, then enter meeting ID 16072 9333 pound.

1:11

And if prompted to enter a participant ID, press pound.

1:14

Detailed instructions on using and updating Zoom are available at Monterey.org/slash public meetings.

1:19

To make a public comment using the Zoom app, you can virtually raise your hand by pressing the raise hand button at the bottom of your screen.

1:26

If you dialed in by phone, raise your hand by dialing star nine and then unmute yourself when called upon by dialing star six.

1:32

You must do both.

1:33

Public commenters will be muted until it is their turn to speak and will be called on in the order of their hands raised.

1:39

Please stay within the time limit that's established for today's meeting, and a countdown timer will be shown on the screen.

1:44

If you're connected live on Zoom, the timer is accurate with no delay.

1:48

Today's meeting is also streamed live on the city's YouTube account at YouTube.com/slash city of Monterey with about 10 seconds delay and on Comcast Channel 25 with up to 90 seconds delay.

1:59

And as always, we look forward to receiving your public comments.

2:02

Thank you, Clementine.

2:04

And with that, we will go to public comment for items that are not on today's agenda.

2:09

So for non-agendized items, we'll open the floor for each person that wishes to speak for three minutes.

2:18

Hi.

2:20

Gene Rash, Monterey Vista.

2:23

I just want to clarify.

2:25

I don't want to pull number four from the consent calendar.

2:29

So I'm just making a general statement about it that's applying to the ordinance for procedures for board and commissions and committees.

2:41

I've said it before.

2:42

It's very important that it not be just one person that interviews the candidates.

2:48

And it's very important that it not be just one person, even our beloved mayor who sends a nomination up to council.

2:56

And I've said this before, and I know you've all thought about it.

2:59

And I think you probably agree, but every time we talk about it, it gets very burdensome.

3:04

How do you stretch even farther?

3:06

How do we organize this?

3:07

And I have an idea that probably could be very improved upon.

3:11

And if we had a link on the website where where all the committees are listed and where the public gets information about the vacancies, if there could be a link that um someone keeps up, I'm sorry, Clementine.

3:25

Um might have to be you that says Jean.

3:28

I apologize.

3:29

I should I have to stop you because you are commenting on something that's on the agenda.

3:33

So what we'll do is we'll go ahead and pull it so that you can finish your comments.

3:36

Okay.

3:36

I apologize for that.

3:40

Anybody else wishes to speak on items that are not on this evening's agenda?

3:45

Yeah.

3:57

Chair Rowland, Citizen of Marina.

4:01

My subject is the MST project surf passenger ridership figures taken from MST's 2022 annual report indicating 880,000 passengers will use the new bus lanes one year after construction is completed.

4:22

MSC will not provide me with 2,022 passenger ridership figures for the number 20 bus express between Marina and Sand City, since the stop level data does not exist.

4:36

The Tamsi exact executive director states the 880,000 passenger ridership will be from citizens without vehicle transportation.

4:47

Elderly students working and so forth.

4:55

880,000 per year equals 2410 passengers each day of that year.

5:03

To transport these passengers, you would need every day 60 scheduled trips of full capacity, 40 seat buses moving between the marina busin city transit stations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Public Engagement████████████12%
Procedural████████8%
Zoning And Land Use███████7%
Housing Element Planning██████6%
Community Engagement█████5%
Public Safety████4%
Environmental Protection███3%
Homelessness██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Monterey City Council Meeting - March 18, 2025

The Monterey City Council held a regular meeting on March 18, 2025, starting at approximately 10:06 PM (after a closed session earlier in the evening). The meeting included approval of the consent calendar (with three items pulled for separate discussion), public comments on non-agenda items, and major discussions on a rental registry ordinance and the draft 2023-2031 Housing Element. The council approved the rental registry with amendments and voted to authorize funding for iHelp homeless services. The housing element was reviewed in a joint session with the Planning Commission, but no final vote was taken; the item was tabled along with other agenda items due to the late hour and disruptive public comments.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar was approved unanimously minus items #4, #6, and #7, which were pulled for separate discussion. Item #14 (agreement with C Monterey for $1.8 million in services) was included in the consent approval.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Non-agenda items: Several residents spoke on various topics, including:
    • Jean Rash (Monterey Vista) urged that board/commission interviews not be conducted by a single person (the mayor).
    • A resident from Marina criticized MST's Surf Project ridership projections as misleading.
    • A landscaper reported ongoing gang activity and drug sales at the MST center, requesting a city ordinance against panhandling and stolen carts.
    • Bob (owner of Canary Row Plaza) requested a city letter of support to the Coastal Commission for his development project.
  • Rental registry: Over 20 public comments were heard, both in favor and opposed. Supporters argued it would provide data to address the housing crisis and help tenants. Opponents (including landlords, realtors, and the Chamber of Commerce) argued it would increase costs, reduce rental inventory, and lead to rent control. Many requested exemptions for small 'mom and pop' landlords. Some tenants expressed fear of retaliation if they spoke in support.
  • Housing element (public comment period): Over 77 letters were received. During the meeting, many online commenters made antisemitic and hateful remarks, which the mayor condemned. Other commenters (including representatives from the Chamber, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, and LandWatch) offered substantive feedback.

Discussion Items

  • Item #7 – iHelp funding ($29,874): Tony Finnegan, board chair of iHelp, explained the organization provides emergency homeless shelter (men and women) and is facing a funding shortfall after FEMA funds were redirected to South County flood recovery. The council unanimously approved the contribution.
  • Item #4 – Board/commission procedures: The second reading of an ordinance updating procedures passed unanimously. Jean Rash commented on the need for more than one council member in interviews.
  • Item #6 – Rental registry ordinance: Staff presented a revised ordinance incorporating amendments from the September 5 meeting: 50/50 fee split between landlord and tenant, exemptions for ADUs/JADUs and owner-occupied rentals, and no criminal penalties. Council debated:
    • Exempting 'mom and pop' landlords (3 or fewer units, self-managed).
    • Adding a 5-year sunset.
    • Requiring a 30-day notice from tenants before civil action for non-registration.
    • The role of the registry in data collection vs. rent control fears. After a substitute motion to remove the exemption failed, the main motion passed 4-1 (Councilmember Smith dissenting).
  • Housing Element (Joint Session with Planning Commission): Consultant Andrew Hill presented the draft housing element, including site inventory, community feedback, and recommended revisions (e.g., reducing Fort Ord capacity from 2,100 to 1,660 units due to feasibility constraints; adding three new sites; removing Heritage Harbor). Key themes included parking reductions, permit streamlining, employer-sponsored housing, and moderate-income capacity. Planning Commission members asked questions about density, water supply, and traffic. The council did not take a final vote due to late hour and disruptive public comments; the item was tabled until a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Rental registry (Ordinance) passed 4-1 with the following amendments:
    • Five-year sunset.
    • Exemption for self-managed properties with 3 or fewer rental units within the city (landlords must claim the exemption).
    • Tenants must give a 30-day notice to landlords before filing civil action for non-registration.
    • The ordinance will return for a second reading at a future meeting.
  • iHelp funding approved unanimously ($29,874).
  • Board/commission procedures ordinance approved unanimously.
  • Housing element discussion was tabled (along with items 19 and 20) due to late hour and after the council took a recess. No vote was taken. The item is expected to be reconsidered at a later date.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon and welcome to this council meeting on September 19th. Um, we'll go ahead and start with calling the meeting to order and pass to Clement time for a roll call and um announcements for how the public can participate in public comment. Councilmember Barber, present councilmember Garcia. Here. Councilmember Hoffa. Here. Councilmember Smith. Present. Mayor Williamson. Here. And for the safe attendance of our public meetings, wearing a mask is recommended and encouraged. Please keep your phones and devices in the chamber muted to prevent audio interference with our meeting. And there are two ways to participate remotely in today's meeting. You may join us using the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. And you can also call in to the Zoom meeting. To join the meeting on Zoom on your computer, smartphone, or telephone, use the link or phone number on the agenda at iSearch Monterey.org. An up-to-date version of Zoom software must be used. To call in by telephone, dial toll-free 833 568 8864, then enter meeting ID 16072 9333 pound. And if prompted to enter a participant ID, press pound. Detailed instructions on using and updating Zoom are available at Monterey.org/slash public meetings. To make a public comment using the Zoom app, you can virtually raise your hand by pressing the raise hand button at the bottom of your screen. If you dialed in by phone, raise your hand by dialing star nine and then unmute yourself when called upon by dialing star six. You must do both. Public commenters will be muted until it is their turn to speak and will be called on in the order of their hands raised. Please stay within the time limit that's established for today's meeting, and a countdown timer will be shown on the screen. If you're connected live on Zoom, the timer is accurate with no delay. Today's meeting is also streamed live on the city's YouTube account at YouTube.com/slash city of Monterey with about 10 seconds delay and on Comcast Channel 25 with up to 90 seconds delay. And as always, we look forward to receiving your public comments. Thank you, Clementine. And with that, we will go to public comment for items that are not on today's agenda. So for non-agendized items, we'll open the floor for each person that wishes to speak for three minutes. Hi. Gene Rash, Monterey Vista. I just want to clarify. I don't want to pull number four from the consent calendar. So I'm just making a general statement about it that's applying to the ordinance for procedures for board and commissions and committees. I've said it before. It's very important that it not be just one person that interviews the candidates. And it's very important that it not be just one person, even our beloved mayor who sends a nomination up to council. And I've said this before, and I know you've all thought about it. And I think you probably agree, but every time we talk about it, it gets very burdensome. How do you stretch even farther? How do we organize this? And I have an idea that probably could be very improved upon. And if we had a link on the website where where all the committees are listed and where the public gets information about the vacancies, if there could be a link that um someone keeps up, I'm sorry, Clementine. Um might have to be you that says Jean. I apologize. I should I have to stop you because you are commenting on something that's on the agenda. So what we'll do is we'll go ahead and pull it so that you can finish your comments. Okay.

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