Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

State of the City Address 2025-04-24: Novato's Progress and Future Plans

City Council — Thursday, April 24, 2025

BodyNovato, California

SessionCity Council

DateThursday, April 24, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 48:23

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

0:04

All right.

0:05

Well, good evening, everyone, and welcome to this year's State of the City Address.

0:09

We want to thank you guys all for coming out tonight.

0:13

My name is Christina Menges, and I am the CEO of the Nevado Chamber.

0:16

And while I have come to many of these, this is my first time hosting, so I want to give a special welcome to all of you.

0:25

Thank you.

0:27

So our mission at the Nevado Chamber is to build a strong economy where our business and community can thrive.

0:33

And a couple of values, um, a couple of our values include being a leading voice for Novato's business community.

0:41

And we accomplish this by working together to influence positive political action.

0:46

This year we are celebrating our 100th year at the Novato Chamber.

0:51

That's something to celebrate.

1:02

For that.

1:04

Go ahead and give yourselves a hand.

1:06

Thank you so much.

1:09

I do have a couple elected officials that I would like to acknowledge tonight.

1:12

And I want to start with our county supervisor, Eric Lucan, who's here tonight.

1:20

And we have our current mayor, uh, Tim O'Connor.

1:27

As well as Council members Eklin, Jacobs, and Milberg.

1:31

So thank you so much for being here tonight.

1:36

And I also want to acknowledge we have a few past mayors here tonight, Jean McLeamy, Madeline Kellner, and Denise Athis, who go ahead, give them a hand.

1:49

People who who, even though they're not still on city council, continue to make a difference in our community.

1:55

So thank you guys all for being here tonight.

1:57

I also want to thank our board of directors and our ambassadors for being here tonight.

2:02

And our board of directors this year is led by Dale Klein.

2:06

No stranger to anybody.

2:11

And also want to acknowledge our premier annual sponsors.

2:14

Our premier annual sponsors help us accomplish events like this throughout the entire year.

2:19

So thank you.

2:22

Anne Rogenbuck.

2:26

The others couldn't be here tonight, but we're gonna thank two men in a truck, Orbis Payment Solutions, FinFit Life, and the Marin IJ.

2:34

Thank you.

2:39

And I want to share with you guys a couple of upcoming events here at the Nevado Chamber.

2:43

We are a busy chamber, and um I expect all of you to remember all of this.

2:48

Um, but if not, if if you can't, uh we do have social media, so Facebook, Instagram, our e-blast are great ways to stay connected with the chamber.

2:57

Um Tuesday, May 6th, right here, 5 to 7 p.m.

3:01

We are partnering with the City of Nevado and um DNBA to host a small business event.

3:07

Um, this is a great way to uh take your business to the next level.

3:10

It's a free event.

3:11

We hope to see you there again, right here in this room on May 14th.

3:16

Our leadership nevado graduation, 5 to 7.

3:18

Just curious how many of you are leadership grads in the house.

3:22

That's a good amount.

3:24

So thank you guys for supporting.

3:26

We hope to see you there.

3:27

Thursday, May 15th.

3:29

Uh, we're having our annual chamber mixer.

3:32

You guys, our monthly chamber mixer.

3:33

You guys are all welcome to come.

3:35

Summer wins, uh nursery from 5 to 7 p.m.

3:38

If you didn't get the theme, that's when we do things.

3:40

And then we are having a ribbon cutting.

3:42

We are helping host a ribbon cutting for community action Marin, who has recently moved from Santerfell to Nevado at 4 p.m.

3:50

Um at their new location.

3:51

And lastly, our Nevado Art, Wine and Music Festival, our highlight of the year, June 7th and 8th, right downtown.

3:58

Plenty of ways to get involved, and um, we are very, very thankful to all of you for being a part of that event.

4:06

Um, so thank you, City of Nevada, for providing the space that we're holding tonight's event, and our presentation will be available to watch online for people who may not have been able to come today.

4:16

And at this time, I would like to introduce our city manager, Amy Cunningham.

4:20

She's gonna be presenting tonight, and I'm gonna read her bio as she makes her way.

4:25

Amy Cunningham has over 30 years of experience in local government.

4:30

She has worked with several cities in the San Francisco Bay Area, starting as a high school recreation leader in Pacifica and working her way up through positions of increasing responsibility in the communities of Dublin, Moraga, Walnut Creek, and here in Novado.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement████████████████████20%

Procedural██████████10%

Affordable Housing█████████9%

Economic Development████████8%

Public Works████████8%

Community Engagement██████6%

Fiscal Sustainability█████5%

Public Safety█████5%

Housing█████5%

Summary of Proceedings

State of the City Address 2025-04-24

City Manager Amy Cunningham delivered the annual State of the City address on the evening of April 24, 2025, in the Novato Council Chambers, hosted by the Novato Chamber of Commerce. The presentation highlighted achievements from 2024, including the passage of Measure M, infrastructure projects, community events, and public safety initiatives, and outlined key priorities for the coming year, such as economic development, housing, and park improvements. A question-and-answer session followed the presentation.

Presentation Highlights

Measure M Success: Voters approved a three-quarter cent sales tax increase, projected to generate $10 million annually. The City Council approved placing $2.4 million of initial funds into emergency and insurance reserves, and allocated $200,000 for maintenance priorities like pothole filling and weed abatement.
Infrastructure Projects: Completed Grant Avenue Bridge (ahead of schedule and under budget) and the Diablo/DeLong Corridor Enhancement Project. The Novato Boulevard Improvement Project is set to begin with PG&E undergrounding in May 2025. Annual street paving program will start soon.
Economic Development: Council approved reinstating an economic development manager position (eliminated due to budget cuts). The city launched the Novato Permit Connections center (first and third Thursdays) and express permit service for minor residential projects. Small business visits and workshops are planned.
Public Safety: Use of force incidents decreased due to de-escalation training. The city welcomed the SAFE team (Specialized Assistance for Everyone) in partnership with Petaluma People Services Center, a mobile crisis response team. Canine Coda was introduced.
Homelessness and Housing: The temporary camp at Lee Gurner Park closed permanently in February 2025; a survey for new park amenities will be released in May. The city approved a 55-year lease for Homeward Bound's veteran housing. Council adopted the revised Housing Element. Habitat for Humanity Redwood Boulevard project will create 80 affordable homes. Several AB 2011 projects are in the pipeline, though the city expressed concern about loss of local control over parking and design.
Parks and Recreation: New adaptive playground at Pioneer Park, improvements at Hogue Community Park, and upcoming Hamilton Amphitheater playground upgrades. Concerts, camps, and events were well-attended.
Transparency and Engagement: The city increased outreach via council meetings, farmers market, and online surveys. Council is revising the Climate Action Plan and updating the General Plan Safety Element.

Key Outcomes

Council Actions (April 22, 2025 meeting, referenced in transcript): Approved $2.4 million of Measure M funds for reserves, $200,000 for maintenance projects, and reinstated the economic development manager position. Directed staff to proceed with additional community outreach on Grand Avenue lane changes and parking.
Ongoing Projects: Novato Boulevard Improvement Project (PG&E work begins May 2025), Costco Fuel Station (EIR in progress), and several housing developments (Village at Novato, Valley Oaks, Lodge at Novato Creek) are moving forward.
Community Input: City will seek input on Lee Gurner Park amenities and continues to engage residents on budget and policy priorities.

Public Comments & Questions

A resident expressed hope that the former Marine Museum of Contemporary Art building at Hamilton could be repurposed for a community cultural arts center. City Manager acknowledged the city's strategic plan to evaluate city-owned property for best use.
Sheryl Paddock (North Marin Community Services) raised concerns about landlord accountability for health and safety regulations, citing the displacement of low-income households at 6 Walmart Court. City Manager noted a May 13 presentation on displacement and thanked the organization for partnership.
Kylancaster (Classic Pipes Plumbing) thanked staff for the permit center but noted that staff are overworked. He also asked how to support local control in state housing legislation. City Manager suggested engaging with council members.
A resident asked about the status of cannabis dispensary licensing. City Manager stated the council has a strategic plan initiative to review storefront cannabis opportunities, with public outreach to come.
A question about Grand Avenue lane changes and parking. City Manager said council directed further community outreach to balance interests, and the pavement rehabilitation program will proceed.
Dale Klein (Chamber President) commended the city's transparency and positive direction.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Well, good evening, everyone, and welcome to this year's State of the City Address. We want to thank you guys all for coming out tonight. My name is Christina Menges, and I am the CEO of the Nevado Chamber. And while I have come to many of these, this is my first time hosting, so I want to give a special welcome to all of you. Thank you. So our mission at the Nevado Chamber is to build a strong economy where our business and community can thrive. And a couple of values, um, a couple of our values include being a leading voice for Novato's business community. And we accomplish this by working together to influence positive political action. This year we are celebrating our 100th year at the Novato Chamber. That's something to celebrate. For that. Go ahead and give yourselves a hand. Thank you so much. I do have a couple elected officials that I would like to acknowledge tonight. And I want to start with our county supervisor, Eric Lucan, who's here tonight. And we have our current mayor, uh, Tim O'Connor. As well as Council members Eklin, Jacobs, and Milberg. So thank you so much for being here tonight. And I also want to acknowledge we have a few past mayors here tonight, Jean McLeamy, Madeline Kellner, and Denise Athis, who go ahead, give them a hand. People who who, even though they're not still on city council, continue to make a difference in our community. So thank you guys all for being here tonight. I also want to thank our board of directors and our ambassadors for being here tonight. And our board of directors this year is led by Dale Klein. No stranger to anybody. And also want to acknowledge our premier annual sponsors. Our premier annual sponsors help us accomplish events like this throughout the entire year. So thank you. Anne Rogenbuck. The others couldn't be here tonight, but we're gonna thank two men in a truck, Orbis Payment Solutions, FinFit Life, and the Marin IJ. Thank you. And I want to share with you guys a couple of upcoming events here at the Nevado Chamber. We are a busy chamber, and um I expect all of you to remember all of this. Um, but if not, if if you can't, uh we do have social media, so Facebook, Instagram, our e-blast are great ways to stay connected with the chamber. Um Tuesday, May 6th, right here, 5 to 7 p.m. We are partnering with the City of Nevado and um DNBA to host a small business event. Um, this is a great way to uh take your business to the next level. It's a free event. We hope to see you there again, right here in this room on May 14th. Our leadership nevado graduation, 5 to 7. Just curious how many of you are leadership grads in the house. That's a good amount. So thank you guys for supporting. We hope to see you there. Thursday, May 15th. Uh, we're having our annual chamber mixer. You guys, our monthly chamber mixer. You guys are all welcome to come. Summer wins, uh nursery from 5 to 7 p.m. If you didn't get the theme, that's when we do things.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com