Novato Planning Commission Meeting: CIP & Climate Action Plan – May 12, 2025
Novato Planning Commission Meeting – May 12, 2025
At its regular meeting on Monday, May 12, 2025, the Novato Planning Commission considered two main items: a General Plan consistency report for 16 new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects for Fiscal Year 2025/26, and a public hearing to recommend approval of the City's new Climate Action Plan 2030 (CAP2030), associated General Plan text amendments, and a CEQA addendum. The Commission approved the CIP report unanimously and voted 4 – 1 to recommend the CAP2030 and related amendments to the City Council, with one commissioner dissenting citing concerns about regulatory layering.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Meeting Minutes (January 27, 2025): The Commission unanimously approved the minutes as presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Climate Action Plan (Item F.2): Silka Valentine, a Novato resident for over a decade and a member of 350 Marin, expressed strong support for adopting the CAP2030, praising the two-year community process and urging the Commission to recommend the resolution to the City Council. No other public comments were offered on either agenda item.
Discussion Items
F.1. General Plan Consistency Report – Capital Improvement Program FY 2025/26
Tim Burke, interim Public Works Director, presented 16 new proposed CIP projects, identified based on assessments, master plans, and funding availability. Under California Government Code Sections 65401/65402, the report to the City Council must find the projects consistent with the Novato General Plan. Projects include: City Hall workspace reconfiguration; police department water infiltration investigation; striping/ signage upgrades; ADA accessibility improvements (annual pavement rehab, parks master plan phase 2, Hamilton Amphitheater playground, Miwok Park fencing phase 2); quick-build traffic calming; Sutro Avenue sidewalk gap closure; HVAC replacements (Margaret Todd Senior Center, Police Dept., Hamilton Community Room); a new financial system study; and a security hardware refresh. Commissioners questioned staff about the Novato Boulevard sidewalk gap project (between 7th and DeLong) near Sinaloa Middle School, noting it is not explicitly listed but is part of a larger Novato Boulevard project (PG&E undergrounding, sewer/water work) scheduled to go to bid in early 2026. Staff explained some projects are for initial assessment/design only and will take multiple years. The Commission unanimously approved the resolution of consistency.
F.2. Climate Action Plan 2030, General Plan Amendments, and CEQA Addendum
Gretchen Schubeck (Sustainability Coordinator) and Christina Rourke (Aurorkin Associates) presented the CAP2030, a standalone five-year plan replacing the climate elements embedded in General Plan 2035. Key points: 2022 community greenhouse gas emissions were 18% below 1990 levels; the state target is 40% below 1990 by 2030, and net-zero by 2045/2050. The plan includes state/regional actions (vehicle fuel standards, building codes, ban on gas-powered landscape equipment) accounting for ~45% of expected reductions, and local actions (75% of local reductions from mobility/ land use, 12% from buildings/energy, 13% from materials/waste). Development of the plan involved 10 Sustainability Commission meetings, four community workshops (81 participants), and 161 survey responses. The plan also proposes text amendments to the Environmental Stewardship chapter of GP 2035 and repeal of Appendix E (which is now an appendix to the CAP). A CEQA addendum found no new significant impacts. Commissioners asked about implementation: staff clarified the CAP is a policy document, not an ordinance; specific ordinances may come back to the Commission later. Commissioner Derby expressed concerns that some actions felt aspirational and could add regulatory hurdles, potentially conflicting with housing goals; he indicated he would vote no. Other commissioners supported the plan, emphasizing incremental progress and flexibility. Commissioner Stuckenbrocker inquired about smart growth, urban forest viability, and tree management. Staff noted that the Fireman’s Fund redevelopment site was included in CAP calculations. After closing the public hearing, the Commission considered two resolutions.
Key Outcomes
- F.1. CIP Consistency Report: Motion to approve the resolution of consistency for the 16 new CIP projects (Fiscal Year 2025/26) carried unanimously (5 – 0).
- F.2. CEQA Addendum to GP 2035 EIR: Motion to adopt Resolution No. 1 (CEQA Addendum) passed 4 – 1 (Commissioner Derby dissenting).
- F.2. CAP2030 Adoption and GP 2035 Amendments: Motion to adopt Resolution No. 2 (approving CAP2030, amending GP 2035 Environmental Stewardship chapter, and repealing Appendix E) also passed 4 – 1 (Commissioner Derby dissenting).
- Next Steps: Both resolutions will be forwarded to the City Council for final action. The Commission will next meet on June 9, 2025, to consider an SB9 (duplex/ lot split) ordinance update.
Meeting Transcript
25 Planning Commission meeting to order and uh our first order of business is uh roll call. I'm gonna welcome two members to the uh to the proceedings. So uh commissioner Derby here, Commissioner Roche here, Commissioner Stokenbroker here. If you can recognize your own name from the way I pronounce it, yeah, and Commissioner Chairman here and Bill Crockett here. Um we will um stand for the uh Pledge of Allegiance, please allegiance and to the Republic for which you stand one nation under God individual with liberty for all okay. So our um first order of business is uh approval of the final agenda. So moved. The second second. Um commissioner Derby. Aye. Roche, aye. Second order. Aye. Aye. Um motion passes. Motion passes. The eyes have it. I think we the eyes definitely have it. Thank you. Now we um can open the meeting. This is a portion to uh, and I apologize for my voice for public comment. If there's anyone uh any member of the public that is here that would like to speak to some item that is not on the agenda, now's the time where we're open for that. And seeing none, we do have some members of the public, but they're here for the items on the agenda. So we thank you for that. Um we do have one consent item that I will look for a motion on, and that is to approve the meeting minutes of the January 27th hearing. Move to approve the minutes as presented for January 27th. Uh let's see, we'll ask for uh confirmation, Commissioner Derby. Aye. Commissioner Roche. I he should abstain. No, it just wasn't present. Was I not there on the January? You're okay. No, me. Oh, for you know that's right. You guys can't second. I thought it was and I will jump past and then ask Commissioner Tiernan. Aye. And I will also say aye. So the eyes have it again in this case. So thank you for that. The um we don't uh let's see, are there any other unfinished or other business items? As I'd say none of the listed other items. So let's move right into the first item on our agenda, which is the next item, the general plan consistency report uh to be presented by staff. Uh good good evening. Uh this evening we have Tim Burke, uh, the city's interim public works director, who will be uh presenting the capital improvement program update for the fiscal year 25-26 program. And with that, I'll let Tim go into his presentation. Thank you. So good evening, Commissioners. Um yes, I am the interim director of public works.
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