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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Novato City Council Meeting, February 11, 2025: Sustainability, Camp Closure, and Cannabis

City Council — Tuesday, February 11, 2025

BodyNovato, California

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, February 11, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 4:18:44

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Good evening and welcome to the NOAA City Council meeting of Tuesday, February 11th.

0:04

Please stand Pledge of Allegiance.

0:10

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:15

To the Republic for which it stands undervisible for all the questions.

0:26

Thank you.

0:27

Laura, if you take roll call, please.

0:28

Councilmember Eklund.

0:31

Here.

0:31

Councilmember Jacobs.

0:33

Here.

0:33

Councilmember Milberg.

0:34

Present.

0:35

Mayor Pro Tem Farak, present, and Mayor O'Connor.

0:38

Present.

0:39

Thank you.

0:39

The council did meet in closed session.

0:41

I'll go to uh City Attorney Bell for a report out.

0:44

Thank you, Mayor and Council members.

0:46

There's no reportable action from closed session.

0:48

Thank you.

0:48

The first item on our agenda this evening is a ceremonial presentation of the sustainability dashboard.

0:55

I'd like to invite Gretchen Schubeck, our sustainability coordinator to give a presentation.

0:59

Welcome, Gretchen.

1:01

Thank you.

1:01

Good evening.

1:02

Good evening, Mayor O'Connor and members of the council.

1:06

I'm pleased to be here this evening to share Novato's Sustainability Action Dashboard, which is now live on the city website.

1:13

Production of the dashboard meets the objective of strategic plan work plan item number six.

1:19

And the dashboard will be used to track both city and community progress on a set of success indicators over time.

1:26

Staff will be updating the dashboard throughout the year and as additional or new data becomes available.

1:37

And I need to figure out how to use the clicker.

1:41

There we go.

1:43

Okay.

1:44

So I invite everyone to check out the dashboard and please do provide feedback.

1:49

This is going to be a living uh a living dashboard, so definitely interested in hearing your feedback.

1:54

Um and I'd like to give you a quick overview of the dashboard this evening.

1:58

Uh this slide features a couple of images from the dashboard landing page, which can be found at nevado.org forward slash sustainability dashboard.

2:07

The landing page provides a high-level snapshot of both greenhouse gas or GHG emission trends in Nevada over time as well as emissions by sector.

2:18

Novato's emissions reduction goal aligns with the state of California's target of reducing emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, as established by Assembly Bill 32, also known as the Global Warming Solutions Act.

2:33

As of 2022, the most recent year for which data is available on Novato's emissions, our community achieved an 18% reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels.

2:44

Data on Novato's emissions by sector shows that 92% of our emissions stem from two primary sources.

2:52

These are vehicle exhaust at 64% and natural gas used in homes and businesses for heating, cooling, and hot water at 28%.

3:02

Achieving the Novato 2030 climate uh emissions reduction goal will require significant efforts to reduce emissions from these two sectors.

3:13

Uh just a quick uh overview of the landing page.

3:16

So, in addition to the information that you'll find on the previous slide I just showed with the kind of the high-level snapshot, um, you'll find you'll find four gray bars uh shown here.

3:26

Uh each of these sections can be expanded.

3:29

You can either click on the bar itself or the plus sign on the right, and the section will be expanded to reveal data related to that specific topic.

3:38

Most of the data visualized in the dashboard is for a six-year period from 2018 to 2023, although some of the data goes back as far as 2005.

3:49

So this slide features an initial set of indicators on transportation related emissions, including the percentage of emissions by vehicle type, uh, whether it's a passenger and or light vehicle, commercial or public transit, vehicle registration numbers for both electric and gas-powered vehicles, and also vehicle miles traveled.

4:13

This slide features indicators from the energy section and includes data on community-wide natural gas and electricity use, as well as the number of solar arrays installed in Novato.

4:26

This next slide features indicators from the waste section and includes data on the volume of materials landfilled as well as recyclable and organic materials recovered.

4:37

And finally, the city buildings and operations section visualizes data related to electricity and get natural gas use and costs at city-owned buildings, as well as data on the fleet-owned charging stations and the city's fleet.

4:51

As mentioned earlier, as new data becomes available, existing graphics will be updated and new visor visualizations will be developed.

5:00

Once again, the sustainability action dashboard can be found on the city's website at nevado.org forward slash sustainability dashboard.

5:09

That concludes my very speedy presentation.

5:12

And I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.

5:15

Thank you, Gretchen.

5:15

I'll bring it back to council.

5:16

If you have any questions, please raise the use the raise hand button.

5:19

Councilmember Aklund.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Homelessness████████████████████████████████████36%

Cannabis Regulation█████████████████████21%

Procedural█████████9%

Public Safety████████8%

Affordable Housing█████5%

Community Engagement█████5%

Public Engagement████4%

Technology and Innovation███3%

Land Use Policy██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Novato City Council Meeting, February 11, 2025

On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, the Novato City Council met at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting covered a sustainability dashboard presentation, public comments on various topics, approval of the consent calendar (with one item pulled for future discussion), a resolution to permanently close the temporary camp in Lee Gerner Park (with a modified timeline), and a work study session on commercial cannabis retail storefronts.

Consent Calendar

Approved unanimously (5-0) the consent calendar after pulling item G.6 (FY 2025/26 budget calendar) for discussion at a future meeting. The consent calendar included routine approval of minutes, contracts, and reports.

Public Comments & Testimony

Dean Mozier (55-year resident) presented background on Marin Valley Mobile Country Club, arguing that Section 16 of the rental agreement is obsolete because the bonds have been paid off.
Bill Davis (retired RN, Novato Fire District board member) requested $75,000 for tree pruning at Marin Valley to mitigate wildfire risk, citing $8 million in reserve funds generated by resident rents.
Helen Faust (resident) asked what happened to Measure M funds for road repairs and expressed opposition to closing the homeless camp without alternatives.
Lauren Freeland Long (Age and Disability Friendly Novato) announced a community survey on inclusiveness and accessibility, open until March 21, 2025.
Jeremy Hogan (United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay) invited the council to a thrift store ribbon-cutting on February 18, 2025.
Jason and Robbie criticized the city’s approach to homelessness, citing a preliminary injunction in Vallejo and questioning the cost of legal advice.
David Ferriello and Will Meitam (Housing and Homeless Committee) expressed frustration that their tiny home proposal has not received a formal response from the council.
Lovely shared personal experiences of homelessness and urged compassion, noting that New Beginnings shelter failed her.
During the Lee Gerner Park discussion, numerous speakers (including Bambi Kleis, Addie, Arthur Bruce, Jason Saras, Delmas Suarez, Jim Current, Sarah McAvoy, Delilah Harris, Robbie Carlson, Tara Evans, Pat Langley, Jason Clymer, Lucy Hollingsworth, Heidi, John Fitzgerald, Jen Mallow, Gino Meyer, Joyce Rhodes, Paula Nees, Craig McCurdy, Sherry Graham, David Tillotson, Mike Little, James Stiles, Regina Bianucci Russ, Michael Williams, Jessica Page Schneider, and Martina Kokritz) voiced strong opposition to the 72-hour notice, arguing the camp is a successful housing model and closing it without an alternative is inhumane. Some speakers raised concerns about fire danger and crime, supporting closure. Councilmember Eklund acknowledged that 72 hours was insufficient.

Discussion Items

Sustainability Dashboard Presentation (Item C.1): Sustainability Coordinator Gretchen Schubeck presented the dashboard, now live at novato.org/sustainabilitydashboard. Key data: Novato’s greenhouse gas emissions are 18% below 1990 levels as of 2022, with 64% from vehicles and 28% from natural gas. The goal is to reduce emissions 40% below 1990 by 2030. Council discussed transitioning the city fleet to cleaner vehicles and requested a future presentation on fleet compliance with state rules.
Lee Gerner Park Temporary Camp Closure (Item J.1): City Manager Amy Cunningham presented two resolutions: one to permanently close the camp and one to authorize a construction contract ($83,942.16) to remediate the original burn site. Background: The camp was established in 2022 via a settlement agreement with the Marin County Homeless Union. An arson fire in July 2024 destroyed part of the camp; 24 of the original campers were placed in housing. Seven authorized campers remain. The council discussed the 72-hour notice requirement. Councilmember Eklund proposed a motion to close the camp in 60 days, with a possible 30-day extension at police discretion, limited to the seven authorized residents, and directed staff to work with the county to find housing. The motion passed 5-0. The construction contract was also approved 5-0.
Commercial Cannabis Retail Storefronts (Item L.1): Community Development Director Clare Hartman presented a study session on allowing recreational cannabis retail storefronts. Key policy questions: number of permits (council leaned toward 1-2), zoning (commercial industrial, light industrial, general commercial, but not downtown core), community benefit fee (discussed 5-6% vs. a business tax), on-site consumption (not supported currently), and process (merit-based RFP). Staff will draft policy for public review and return to council.

Key Outcomes

Closed Session: No reportable action.
Agenda Approval: Amended to move council reports to the end and remove item J.2 (motion to reconsider) to a future meeting. Passed 5-0.
Lee Gerner Park Closure: Approved with amendments: camp closes in 60 days (by mid-April 2025) with up to 30 additional days if needed, only seven authorized residents allowed to remain during that period; staff to seek county assistance for housing. Construction contract for remediation approved. Both resolutions passed 5-0.
Cannabis Retail Direction: Staff directed to prepare draft ordinances and zoning amendments allowing 1-2 recreational retail storefronts, with a community benefit agreement (not a tax), limited to commercial zones (general commercial, not downtown), no on-site consumption initially, and a competitive merit-based process. Public outreach and return to council for action.
Future Meetings: Next council meeting scheduled for February 25, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening and welcome to the NOAA City Council meeting of Tuesday, February 11th. Please stand Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the Republic for which it stands undervisible for all the questions. Thank you. Laura, if you take roll call, please. Councilmember Eklund. Here. Councilmember Jacobs. Here. Councilmember Milberg. Present. Mayor Pro Tem Farak, present, and Mayor O'Connor. Present. Thank you. The council did meet in closed session. I'll go to uh City Attorney Bell for a report out. Thank you, Mayor and Council members. There's no reportable action from closed session. Thank you. The first item on our agenda this evening is a ceremonial presentation of the sustainability dashboard. I'd like to invite Gretchen Schubeck, our sustainability coordinator to give a presentation. Welcome, Gretchen. Thank you. Good evening. Good evening, Mayor O'Connor and members of the council. I'm pleased to be here this evening to share Novato's Sustainability Action Dashboard, which is now live on the city website. Production of the dashboard meets the objective of strategic plan work plan item number six. And the dashboard will be used to track both city and community progress on a set of success indicators over time. Staff will be updating the dashboard throughout the year and as additional or new data becomes available. And I need to figure out how to use the clicker. There we go. Okay. So I invite everyone to check out the dashboard and please do provide feedback. This is going to be a living uh a living dashboard, so definitely interested in hearing your feedback. Um and I'd like to give you a quick overview of the dashboard this evening. Uh this slide features a couple of images from the dashboard landing page, which can be found at nevado.org forward slash sustainability dashboard. The landing page provides a high-level snapshot of both greenhouse gas or GHG emission trends in Nevada over time as well as emissions by sector. Novato's emissions reduction goal aligns with the state of California's target of reducing emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, as established by Assembly Bill 32, also known as the Global Warming Solutions Act. As of 2022, the most recent year for which data is available on Novato's emissions, our community achieved an 18% reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels. Data on Novato's emissions by sector shows that 92% of our emissions stem from two primary sources. These are vehicle exhaust at 64% and natural gas used in homes and businesses for heating, cooling, and hot water at 28%. Achieving the Novato 2030 climate uh emissions reduction goal will require significant efforts to reduce emissions from these two sectors. Uh just a quick uh overview of the landing page. So, in addition to the information that you'll find on the previous slide I just showed with the kind of the high-level snapshot, um, you'll find you'll find four gray bars uh shown here. Uh each of these sections can be expanded. You can either click on the bar itself or the plus sign on the right, and the section will be expanded to reveal data related to that specific topic. Most of the data visualized in the dashboard is for a six-year period from 2018 to 2023, although some of the data goes back as far as 2005. So this slide features an initial set of indicators on transportation related emissions, including the percentage of emissions by vehicle type, uh, whether it's a passenger and or light vehicle, commercial or public transit, vehicle registration numbers for both electric and gas-powered vehicles, and also vehicle miles traveled. This slide features indicators from the energy section and includes data on community-wide natural gas and electricity use, as well as the number of solar arrays installed in Novato.

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