The Novato City Council met on March 11, 2025, for a regular meeting that included ceremonial recognitions, a public hearing on zoning code amendments, and several general business items. Key actions included approving a $1 million grant for an 80-unit affordable housing project by Habitat for Humanity, adopting zoning updates for emergency shelters and care facilities, and providing direction on the process for motions to reconsider.
The council approved the consent calendar unanimously (5-0), which included:
Staff introduced an ordinance (Item I.1) to update the zoning code for consistency with state law under Housing Element Programs 4A and 4E. Key provisions:
Staff presented a request from Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco (HGSF) for $1 million in grant funding to cover processing fees for an 80-unit affordable for-sale residential project at Redwood Boulevard. Funding would come from the City’s Affordable Housing Fund ($800,000) and a transfer from the General Fund ($200,000 from unclaimed funds).
City Attorney Gary Bell presented two options to address the narrow gap between meetings where a motion to reconsider could be brought. Option 1: Amend Council Policy Manual Section 3.02 to allow a councilmember who voted in the majority to request reconsideration at the next regular meeting, with notice to the City Manager by a specified deadline. Option 2: Use existing rules to suspend the rules (requires supermajority and agenda placement).
The meeting adjourned in memory of Ed Schultz, a longtime Novato volunteer and community leader, with plans for a formal recognition at a future meeting.
There we go. Good evening and welcome to the City of Novato City Council meeting for Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic of Richard Stands. Thank you. Laura, if you'd call roll, please. Council Never Eckland. Mine works. Councilmember Eklund. Present. Councilmember Jacobs. Present. Councilmember Milberg. Present. Mayor Pro Tem Frack. Present. And Mayor O'Connor. Present. And the council did meet in closed session before this evening's meeting. Uh turn it over to the city attorney for any report out. We did. Mayor and Council members. There was a closed session. The council did authorize by unanimous vote the initiation of litigation. Once the parties have been served, the details of that suit and the parties will be disposed disclosable upon request. Thanks. And did you need to speak to the Zoom attendance this evening? Yes, happy to. And I will note that the um uh mayor Pro Tem um does appear to be frozen, so hopefully she can start that. Oh, great, she's waving now. That's good. Um so you'll notice that uh the Mayor Pro Tem is um attending this this evening's meeting by Zoom. Um she's doing so under doing so under AB 2449 due to a just cause. So as a result, all votes taken at the meeting this evening will be by roll call, and the public can also participate through Zoom. That zoom link has been made publicly available and is posted on the agenda for tonight's meeting. Uh before we start, AB 2449 also requires that we ask uh Mayor Protem, is there anyone over the age of 18 in the room with you? No. All right, you may proceed. Thank you. Um first item up this evening is a couple of ceremonial matters. We're going to recognize the 2024 Citizen of the Year and the 2024 Spirit of Novato award winner. I'd like to invite the City Council to join me at the front of the room, and I'd like to invite Bill Long and Zach Grigie to join us as well. Again, there we go. All right, we're recognizing the 2024 Citizen of the Year, Bill Long, whereas each year the City of Novato is proud to recognize one distinguished individual who embodies the spirit of community volunteerism and beyond, and is selected by a committee made up of former citizens of the year. And whereas this year, the committee has chosen a valued community leader and passionate advocate for volunteerism. And whereas after receiving his BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering at MIT in 1969, Bill became a resident of Novato. And since 1969, has raised three children along with his wife. And whereas since moving to Novato, Bill has served on the County Planning Commission in the early 70s, followed by serving for 10 years on the Marin County Parks and Open Space Commission, and whereas Bill was elected to the Novato Sanitary District Board in 1976 for four years, working on developing a single stream recycling service for the Novato area. Bill was then elected again in 2001, serving until 2022, supporting the district creating facilities to provide recycled water for landscaping the Novato area.