Mountain View City Council Special Meeting - December 16, 2025
Mountain View City Council Special Meeting - December 16, 2025
The Mountain View City Council held a special meeting on December 16, 2025, starting at 6:30 PM and adjourning at 12:30 AM on December 17. The meeting included presentations honoring retiring Fire Chief Juan Diaz, updates on Super Bowl and World Cup activations, approval of the consent calendar, a public hearing on housing element rezoning, and a study session on a low- and middle-income homeownership strategy. Key decisions included approval of zoning amendments to implement Housing Element Program 1.1G, with a modification to exclude certain Evandale parcels, and direction to staff on the homeownership strategy scope.
Presentations
- Fire Chief Juan Diaz Retirement Proclamation: The Council recognized Chief Diaz for his 40-year fire service career, including nearly 12 years with Mountain View (10.5 as chief). Accomplishments included three consecutive ISO Class 1 ratings, implementation of advanced life support, diversity initiatives (first female battalion chief, fire marshal, Chinese American battalion chief), and expansion of CERT training to over 1,000 residents. Representatives from state and federal offices presented resolutions. Chief Diaz expressed gratitude to the department and council.
- Super Bowl and World Cup Activation: Ruth Shikata (Bay Area Host Committee) and Amanda Rotella (Economic Vitality Manager) outlined regional plans for Super Bowl LX (Feb 8, 2026) and FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. Mountain View will focus on branding, placemaking, and business promotion, with a $295,000 budget for city activations and a $30,000 grant to the Chamber of Commerce. A discount code (PARTNER15) was offered for Super Bowl Experience tickets.
Consent Calendar
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously (7-0) after items 4.2, 4.3, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, and 4.9 were pulled for discussion. Item 4.7 (Investment Review Committee annual report) sparked debate on expanding social responsibility criteria. Council voted 5-2 to accept the staff recommendation without additional study, but directed staff to provide a memo on current social responsibility policies and to flag any future investments that might trigger concerns.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Oral Communications (Non-Agenda): Steven Goldstein raised concerns about city housing records and his homelessness experience. Bruce England praised the city's "Community for All" policies. Hala Alshawani requested full disclosure of historic property ownership benefits. Sophie Yit supported the investment policy direction.
- Public Hearing on Housing Element Rezoning: Over 30 speakers addressed the proposed rezoning of 1702-1704 Miramonte Ave and 777 Cuesta Dr. Most opposed the rezoning, citing traffic safety (especially for children walking/biking to nearby schools), loss of dental and medical practices, inadequate outreach, and the site's physical constraints. A petition with 1,134 signatures was presented. A few speakers supported the rezoning, emphasizing the need for housing and local control. Speakers also commented on other sites, including Evandale and Grant Road.
Discussion Items
- Housing Element Program 1.1G – Zoning and General Plan Amendments: Staff presented amendments to align zoning with the housing element, including mixed-use village center designations for several sites. Key discussion focused on 1702 Miramonte/777 Cuesta, where state laws (AB 2011, SB 6) already allow 30 du/acre residential. Council debated whether to remove the site, but staff noted risks of non-compliance and loss of local control. Traffic concerns were addressed with near-term (left-turn restrictions, signal timing) and long-term (Miramonte Corridor Study) strategies. Councilmember McAllister expressed concerns about small business preservation and traffic. The motion to approve staff recommendations with an amendment to exclude three Evandale parcels (to preserve neighborhood-serving businesses) passed 6-1.
- Low and Middle Income Homeownership Strategy (Study Session): Staff presented a scope of work to study income ranges from 50% to 200% AMI, including market analysis, stakeholder outreach, and policy options. Council unanimously supported the framework and scope, with suggestions to consider higher AMI limits, focus on condominium barriers (construction liability), and explore pilot projects. No formal vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Housing Element Program 1.1G zoning amendments (6-1), with modification to exclude Evandale precise plan parcels (830, 835, 850, 859, 870, 889, 897 Leong Drive) to preserve small businesses. The remaining sites (1702 Miramonte, 777 Cuesta, 677-699 Calderon, 1949 Grant Road, and others) were rezoned as recommended.
- Directed: Staff to proceed with near-term traffic improvements at Miramonte/Cuesta/Sladky intersection (left-turn restriction evaluation, signal timing) and to include long-term study in the CIP process.
- Directed: Staff to provide a memo on current social responsibility investment policies and to flag any future investments that may trigger concerns.
- Study Session Feedback: Council supported the homeownership strategy scope and income range (50-200% AMI), with emphasis on condominium barriers, ADU sales (AB 1033), and pilot projects. Staff will return with a final strategy in December 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Start the meeting on time, but here we are. All right, it's 6.30, so I'd like to call the meeting to order. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the special meeting of the Mountain View City Council of December 16, 2025. Please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. All right, great. We'll move on to roll call. The City Clerk will take attendance by roll call. Council Member Clark. Here. Council Member Hicks. Here. Council Member McAllister. Ho, ho, ho. Council Member Ramirez. Here. Council Member Showalter. Here. Vice Mayor Ramos. Here. Mayor Kamei. Here. Mayor McCormick. Great, thank you. So tonight we get to begin with a festive occasion. We have our presentations. Please note that the areas are presentations only. The City Council will not take any action. Public comment will occur after the presentation items. If you'd like to speak on these items in person, please submit a blue speaker card to the City Clerk now. And we will begin this evening with our proclamation in recognition of Fire Chief Juan Diaz on his retirement. So I will come down to the podium and ask the chief to join me. I see a lot of people for you, so I want you to stand here so everyone can see you. So before we start tonight, I just want to say it's an honor and pleasure to recognize our outgoing Fire Chief Juan Diaz tonight. Chief Diaz has served our city for nearly 12 years. During that time, he has provided our community with steadfast and innovative leadership of our top-notch fire department. I'm going to read Chief Diaz's accomplishments shortly, which will be in his proclamation, but before I do so, I just wanted to add my own personal thanks to Chief Diaz. Chief Diaz is a proud immigrant and has shared his story as a refugee to the United States openly. And I think this really ties into our Mountain View culture of being a community for all. And I will say this has been his superpower. Over the last four decades, through resilience, perseverance, and a deep commitment to service, Chief Diaz has built a distinguished career, centering all of that on his lived experiences. And yo quiero decir algo sobre el jefe, right? Que fue una inspiración para mí y yo sé para la comunidad aquí en Mountain View. Que cuando tiene un deseo, tú puedes hacerlo. So, this isn't goodbye. This is We Will See You Around. And being that Cuba and Puerto Rico, we are cousins, right? We're in the Caribbean Sea together.
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