All right, welcome everyone to the Novato City Council meeting.

It's nice to have a full crowd here.

Um this is Tuesday, April 28th, and I'll ask you all to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all.

Laura, can you take roll call?

Councilmember Eklund.

Councilmember Carkle?

Councilmember O'Connor.

Here.

Mayor Pertim Jacobs.

President.

And Mayor Farrakh and I'm here.

And we did have closed session.

Gary.

Yes, thank you, Mayor and Council.

There's no reportable action from closed session.

All right.

So moving on to ceremonial matters, I'd like to invite my colleagues up to the front to give these awards.

Traffic.

Yes.

Everyone's calling the way.

Hello?

Okay.

All of us?

Yeah.

Come on up.

Anybody welcome to come up?

Welcome.

Very excited to honor you with this proclamation.

All right.

So American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month, whereas the City of Novato takes great pride in supporting individual religious freedoms, whereas over 2,000 Muslims live in Marin County and make contributions to the cultural, political, and economic fabric, well-being of California, whereas the City Council acknowledged the importance of local government in advocating for peace and justice, understanding that Muslims everywhere deserve to live in peace and safety.

Now, therefore, be it resolved, the City Council of the City of Novado, on behalf of the citizens, proudly proclaims April 2026 as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month.

Congratulations.

Would you like to say a few words?

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much for your appreciation.

We'd have we are here to support.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

And if you guys want to go underneath the Novato crowd to take a picture, we would love that.

Yep, under the Novato front.

Thank you for being here.

Everybody up?

Alright, I'm gonna just hand it over to CND.

All right.

This is a proclamation recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Ignacio.

And we have a number of uh members from the Rotary Club of Ignacio that uh I'm also proud to be a member of.

So um here we go.

We're asked the City of Novato is proud to recognize organizations whose work supports and enriches their entire community.

And we're asked the Rotary Club of Ignacio is found on April 12th, 1990 1976, as part of Rotary International, and we're asked in June 1987, one month after Rotary International voted to accept women as rotarians.

The Rotary Club of Ignacio inducted its first female member.

And we're asked during its 50 years, the Rotary Club of Ignacio has supported a number of local organizations with funding and participation.

And we're asked during its 50 years in existence, the Rotary Club of Ignacio has supported various international humanitarian projects in Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, as well as international projects, polio plus and rise against hunger.

Now therefore be resolved that the City Council of the City of Nevada on behalf of the residents of Nevada congratulates the Rotary Club of Ignacio on its 50th anniversary, commends the club for its extensive and excellent work over the last 50 years, and looks forward to the club's continuing support of all people locally and internationally.

So there you go.

Thank you very much.

And this is Charlie Woke, the president, uh the chair of the Rotary Club of Ignatius.

And would you like to say a few words?

Just a few.

Just a few.

Okay.

Sandy, very good.

Sandy is also a member of our club, so I have to say we know him a little bit.

Here's our little delegation today.

We have 54 members.

Very excited to be a longstanding club in Novato.

It's a great place.

We have four clubs, Rotary Clubs in Nevada.

And ours started 50 years ago.

So we're some of our are wearing our 50 European.

Very proud.

We're looking forward to another 50.

Thank you.

Great.

Thank you, Charlie.

And then sorry, I was following my notes.

And then we do have the San Marin High School Boys' Varsity Basketball team.

But they're not here yet, so we're going to move on to our agenda, and then when they arrive, we'll come celebrate them.

All right.

So moving on to item D approval of final agenda.

Do I have a motion?

I'll make a motion to approve.

I'll second.

Laura, can you take a vote?

Councilmember Eklund.

Aye.

Councilmember Carkle.

Hi.

Councilmember O'Connor.

Aye.

Mayor Pro Tem Jacobs.

Aye.

And Mayor Farrak.

Aye.

All right, that passes.

We're going to move on to reports from the City Council.

I know we wanted this at the end, but since we're waiting for the boys basketball team, let's just do this quickly.

Councilmember Carkel.

Yes.

For reports.

Oh, yes, I have no reports.

Thank you very much.

Councilmember O'Connor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just a couple of things I wanted to mention.

The opportunity to attend the Spectrum Safety event this weekend.

It's the fifth annual one.

It's probably the best attendance yet.

I just want to congratulate and thank the Parks and Recreation Team and all of the event organizers.

They do a terrific job every single year with it.

I also had the opportunity to attend the Furnish Hope event at Make It Home, it's a new Bell Marin Keys location, where designers competed to create functional living spaces for families using donated furnishings.

It's a new nonprofit in Novato.

They focus on recycling, repurposing, and curating gently used items to transform empty spaces into comfortable homes at homes, rather, and they do a lot of terrific work.

And then finally, I just wanted to mention that at the opportunity to attend the Measure G kickoff for Novato Unified School District.

This is a 249 dollar parcel tax that would generate about four million dollars a year to support programs in math, science, reading, and writing, and to attract and retain teachers and counselors.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor Proton Jacobs.

Thank you.

I attended the strategic plan workshop with my associates right here in Council Chambers on the 17th.

Looking forward to what's happening in the future here.

I also attended the TAM board meeting on the 23rd and today attended North Marin Community Services.

Hope is in full bloom.

The keynote speaker was Dr.

Lisa Centora, who is the Marin County Public Health Officer, and Diane Asher received the Heart of the Community Award.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Eklund.

Thank you very much.

First of all, I attended the Marin County Sea Level Rise Committee meeting, which is very insightful.

I also volunteered at the Hamilton Museum, and if folks haven't been there, I encourage you to come.

It's in the old firehouse out at Hamilton.

And I also participated in the Rotary Speaker Service Speaker, which was a guy from the Blue Angels.

I have to tell you it was really inspiring a presentation.

And also participated in welcoming some new employees of the City of Nevada, which was a lot of fun to see.

The white-eyed folks that are just really excited to be able to work for the city.

And they do this for all the volunteers in their various museums.

And so it was really a great opportunity to reconnect with all of the volunteers.

I also participated in the League of California Cities Veterans and Military Officials Roundtable.

Even though I'm not a military official or a veteran, I am very involved with the League of California Cities.

And so this is just one of the things that we try to do is to recognize all of those elected officials that are former or veterans or former uh military officials.

I also um participated in the Bay Conservation and Development Commission meeting back on April 16th.

I too uh participated in the uh Novato Spec uh the Novato Spectrum Safety event, which was held at the Pocket Park on Grant Avenue.

If you haven't been there, highly encourage you to go.

It's really kind of cute um as a as a park for for folks.

And um I also uh wanted to point out too that the city council did have a uh retreat um talking about the Nevado Strategic Plan, um, which was um about about a week ago.

And uh last but not least, um just want to wish everybody a happy April for what's left with it.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Um I attended the North Marin Community Service Fundraiser today with Councilmember Carkle and uh Pro Jacobs.

I also participated on uh the Marin Mayor's panel for the youth town hall, which was really amazing.

Um attended the Marin Mayors and City Council meeting along with some of uh my colleagues.

Um I had meet a meeting with uh two supervisors, Rodoni and Lucan, um just to inline on priorities, uh attended Soroptimus annual fundraising event, uh, which they give scholarships to women and children.

Um, and then I read to three and four-year-olds at uh NBECC.

Um and then I also attended the North Bay Leadership uh Council meeting.

Um so it was a busy busy couple weeks.

Um lastly I want to ask uh if City Manager Cunningham uh has any report she liked to report out on the we do have a number of things going on in anticipation of this being a long meeting.

I didn't bring them all.

The one thing that I did want to announce, however, was that um the farmers market season is opening next week, next Tuesday at 4 p.m.

right here on Sherman.

So we hope to see everybody there.

Thank you.

All right, so um moving on to general public comment.

So um this is items that are not on the agenda or on the consent, and there's a um since we have a lot of people, I'm gonna make it a two-minute uh time limit.

Um if you would like to talk tonight, please fill out a card here.

I believe they're here.

Okay, well, I'm gonna finish this and then we'll see them.

Just telling you.

Thank you.

Um so the first person I'd like to invite up is Alexander Ardenis.

No.

Welcome.

Hi.

Hi, everybody.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Hello, my name is Alexander Ordonius.

I'm nervous, okay.

I'm sorry.

I'm the parents of the freshman students.

And I want to express my deep concept above to the congregation of the three marijuana and dispenser in the city.

Marine country ranks in the Joe Conception, and as your parents, that's very alarming to me.

This is not Jews, economic or administrative decision.

Is this one that's can I have a real consequences for the development?

Health and well-being of the children's.

I also want to approach this.

That's I am not alone in our schools.

100 families have the present concern about this situation.

Of us are worried about the message.

This is what they send to our if access to this substance.

Because even easier.

Our children are the critical stage in their lives.

They need environment that protects and support them in our decision.

That may normalize it and increase it.

Be harvest.

That can come.

There's a grown-up.

I respect respectfully.

Ask you to consider the long term impact to the listen to the families who are deeply committed to their will become to the children's.

Thank you guys.

Thank you.

Next, Sophia Ocassi.

Hi Council, I'm Sophia Osodio here to remind everyone about Novato's Fourth of July Parade, along with Jennifer Goldfinger, who's also a chair of the parade committee.

As you know, Forth Nevada's Fourth of July Parade is the largest single day event in the city.

It is always an impressive site, so much community spirit and national patriotism.

Over the years, parade organizers have heard that people believe the parade is put on either by the City of Novato, the downtown Novato Business Association, the Novato Chamber, or other entities.

Actually, the parade is organized by an independent nonprofit group, the Nevado Fourth of July Parade Committee Incorporated, and is planned entirely by this 15-member volunteer committee.

Yes, it's only April or almost May, but the planning committee has been working on the 2026 parade since last October.

The theme of this year's Nevado Parade, not surprisingly, will be to celebrate our nation's quarter millennium milestone.

Those entering the parade will be encouraged to display their patriotic best.

Applications are now available to be to register online at NovatoParade.com.

The parade usually has 85 to 100 entries coming from Novato or neighboring communities and beyond, including this distinguished guests, school groups, sports teams, dance studios, and other organizations.

No doubt the parade couldn't happen each year without the support of the city of Novato, the County of Marin, and the generosity of many local businesses.

Speaking for the parade's board of directors and its larger planning committee, we are extremely concerned we won't be able to hold the parade without at least 50 to 60 volunteers.

Volunteers are needed to ensure a safe and smoothly run celebration, um handling duties such as placing barricades and assisting participants um staging before the parade.

Helps us keep organized for such a large event.

We're asking school PTAs and groups to sign up online, Nevada Parade.com.

Thank you.

Hi again.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Good afternoon, me, your council members.

As you know, my name is Samaranta Silva.

I'm the community organizer with Prime Voices Marine.

I've worked very closely with the tenant families at Walmart Court since the very beginning of this process.

Today I want to start by thanking you for the approval of the tenant for the textures ordinance.

This is a very important step for our community and reflects months of organizing, testimony, and collective effort from many families who raise their voices through this time.

We witnesses unacceptable living conditions and the real impact that a lack of protections had on families.

That is why this achievement is not just a policy.

It is a step forward dignity and safety for the people who call Novato home.

I also want to recognize the leadership of the community.

Many families despite the fear and hardship came together, share their stories, and fought to change what will protect others.

While today we celebrate this progress, we also know the work it is not done and it is not end here.

It is critical that we continue working together on education and implementation of this ordinance.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your support.

And also I just want to ask to the people who was doing the work during this 12 months to just stand up.

That is the real heart.

That is the real heart of the community, and that is what is sure like be on your heads when you are making decisions.

So I just want to put that on your heads.

Thank you.

Hi, good afternoon.

My name is Veronica Hernandez, and I'm a member of Parent Voices Marin, one of the founders of the group of folks that was affected at Romar Court and a tenant that was affected as well.

So I'm here uh principally uh primarily to say thank you for uh hopefully the passage of this ordinance of a just cause.

Um this achievement represents a uh major step, a really important step to protect all of the tenants in our community.

Uh and lived some very difficult moments.

It's because of that that we want that we see now this this measure that looks to make sure that we don't have to live something like that again.

I want to recognize all the work uh that all of you and the whole community have done to make sure that uh today has been made possible.

This is a big step forward to make sure that our community is more just and that uh everyone has a home that is uh safe and stable.

It's more important that training la implementation de esta ordenances para familias conoscan sus derechos y que las protection realmente se cumplan.

Gracias por I also want to express uh that we are uh ready uh to continue collaborating.

Uh it's really important that we work together uh to continue educating and uh support the implementation of this ordinance uh to make sure that all the families know their rights, that they understand the protections are real uh and that they're enforceable, and just want to thank you for listening to us uh and uh for continuing to walk on this path of justice for our community.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Uh I'd like to invite Robert Boeero up.

And then next will be Jason Petch.

Welcome.

Hi, thank you.

Uh good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Robert Bivero.

I am an ISA certified arborist and tree risk assessment qualified arborist working for Marin County Arborist.

I'm here tonight to speak about the Mediterranean oak boar, an invasive ambrosia beetle that has now become a serious threat to our native oak trees.

This insect is very small, roughly one in one-eighth of an inch.

It primarily attacks white oaks, especially bally oaks, and has also been documented in blue oaks.

Here in Marin, the beetle was confirmed in Navado in 2025 and has already been found in multiple Northern California counties.

This is not a distant threat anymore.

It is here.

The Mediterranean Oak Boar is an ambrosia beetle.

That means it tunnels into wood and carries fungus with it.

The beetle does not simply chew the tree and leave.

It creates galleries inside the xylem, grows fungus inside those galleries, and can reproduce inside those trees for multiple generations.

As the infestation progresses, it can start in limbs and then move into major branches in the trunk.

Once it is established in the trunk, the tree often declines rapidly and may die within a year or so.

The signs people should be trained to look out for include crown dieback, declining limbs, boring dust or frass and bark cracks, small entry or exit holes, and internal staining or trellis-like galleries in the wood.

But is it also important to say that these symptoms can look similar to other diseases or boring insects?

So suspected cases need to be evaluated by a qualified professional.

The problem is that our response has been far too reactive.

Waiting until these trees are heavily infested, hazardous, or already dying means we lose more canopy, spend more money, and create more risk to homes, streets, parks, and public infrastructure.

A proactive response would be much more effective.

That proactive response includes public education, early detection, proper reporting, and a clear city protocol for handling infested material.

This insect can spread with inf can spread with infested wood if infested wood is moved.

Stopping human movement of firewood, logs, and green waste is one of the most preventable pathways.

Thank you, Robert.

Oh, that's already it.

Oh, darn.

Thank you.

You can send us an email.

Uh Jason.

I'll send the rest.

Okay, this is kind of the part two to that.

Um good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Jason Petch, and I am a local business owner here in the Novato in Novado with My Climate Tree Service.

I work hands-on with trees in our community every single day.

You just heard Robert from Robert about what the Mediterranean oak bore beer beer bore is and how it operates.

What I want to talk about is what we can do right now before this becomes something much bigger.

We are already seeing signs that this is an this infestation has reached Novato, and based on what we know from other areas, once it established itself, it is spreads quickly and aggressively.

So tonight we are asking the city to take early action.

First, we need awareness.

We're asking the city to consider hosting informational sessions for homeowners and business owners so people know what to look for, how to respond, and most importantly, what not to do.

Because improper handling can actually accelerate the spread.

Second, we need guidance and infrastructure around disposal.

Wood from infested trees cannot be cannot just be chipped and spread or transported like normal green waste.

These chips need to be isolated for at least a year.

One solution would be to designate a controlled chip drop or containment site here in Nevado so material is handled properly and doesn't spread beyond our area.

Thirdly, we asked the city to explore funding support.

For many homeowners, removing an infested oak tree is a major unexpected cost.

If there are grant programs, partnerships, or future funding opportunities, we'd ask the city to look into those.

Early assistance could make a big difference in slowing this down.

And finally, this is about containment.

At the county level, we should be thinking about how to keep this localized because if this spreads beyond control, the potential impact to our valley oaks and our local ecosystem is extremely high.

We've seen something like this before with live oaks, and we know how quickly this these issues can escalate when action comes too late.

So we're asking for attention, coordination, and early steps before this becomes a crisis instead of a concern.

This is why I'm here.

Over the weekend, I had to tell two separate clients that they each need to remove three mature valley oaks on their property.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh bringing it back to council.

Um I'm gonna ask Mayor Pro Tem to uh make a motion regarding consent.

I'll make a motion we approve the consent calendar.

Do you have a second?

I'll second, thank you.

Laura, can you take a roll?

Councilmember Eklund.

I'm going to uh vote yes, except I'm gonna abstain from item number G4.

Councilmember Carkle.

Hi.

Councilmember O'Connor.

Aye.

Mayor Pro Tem Jacobs.

And Mayor Farak.

I am refusing myself as well for G4.

All right.

Um I'm gonna ask the council to meet me up front to celebrate San Marin's varsity basketball team.

Yeah.

Does the basketball want team want to come up?

Hi, welcome.

Um got the trophy, the stage championship trophy year.

Woo!

Well, thank you all for coming.

This is actually exciting for me because I did play basketball, even though I'm short in high school and it was my favorite sport ever.

So big congratulations to all of you.

Um you've really demonstrated teamwork and camaraderie, and this is a huge deal for Novato.

Um tonight we're recognizing San Marin High School varsity basketball team as part of Novato Proud program.

This team is historic, winning the first state championship in basketball in school history.

Woo.

The team came together and played its best basketball when it counted most when the playoffs began.

Their incredible journey demonstrates hard work and determination.

Congratulations to the San Marin High School varsity basketball team and their coach on their well-deserved win.

Let's give them a big round of applause.

Congratulations.

Does anyone want to say anything?

No, I'll know.

All right.

Well, if you're trying to encourage these guys to get better at public speaking.

They're a little shy, but they're a very proud group, and uh it was a wonderful season, and things just came together at the right time, and it's a testament to their determination, especially the seniors to leave a lasting legacy.

We talked about that.

These guys delivered unbelievable, unbelievable journey for these boys, and uh very happy for them and our school and our community.

So thank you.

Congrats.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, thank you guys.

Really exciting.

We put our name on the map.

If you do want to make a public comment for anything on the agenda, please fill out a yellow card.

Um moving on to general business.

Um a couple of rules here.

We do have quite a lot of speakers.

Um I'm going to limit it to two minutes, which I feel is a lot for the amount.

Um at the two-minute mark, I'm going to cut you off.

Um please be respectful.

Um if you do agree with a comment being said, you can go like this instead of clapping because that takes up a lot of time, and we have about 30 cards to get to.

Um and then I'll also uh hold call you uh if you're on deck as well.

So let's uh make this a uh good process with the public comment uh and looking forward to hearing everyone.

Uh so moving on to uh J1.

Uh like to invite uh Claire up to give that presentation.

Uh like to invite uh Clara to give that presentation and uh Lily Thomas from the County of Marin.

So this is uh regarding the C B C D B project funding.

Welcome.

Yeah, I'd like to kick off the uh item if I could, Mayor.

Uh this item is one of the joint partnerships that we have with the county of Marin.

Um, and this is with the Marin County Community Development Agency, and specifically the housing and grants division.

Um so the city is allocated federal funds, um, but we work with the county, they are the administrator of those funds.

Um, and it is a partnership.

So Lily Thomas is going to present tonight.

Um she is the deputy director of that division.

Um, but I also want to do a shout out to Chris Miranda.

Um he's our uh senior program coordinator at the county, and he did a lot of the uh work for this program.

And also a thank you to Councilmember O'Connor who sits on the review committee and helps support this work.

Um so Lily, I would love to introduce you, and there is a clicker up there if you want to move on to the next one.

Thank you very much.

Um good evening, Mayor and Council members.

Um I'm Lily Thomas with the Marin County Community Development Agency, and as um Claire mentioned, I'm joined on Zoom by Chris Miranda, our lead on the program.

Um and thank you for having me here tonight.

Um the community development block grant is a federal program administered by HUD that supports local efforts to improve community conditions, primarily for low and moderate income residents.

It funds projects such as affordable housing, capital improvements, and public services.

Funding priorities that align with federal goals and local priorities are developed by the countywide priority setting committee, which is made up by representatives from throughout the county, including Navado Councilmember O'Connor and Nevada resident Crystal Lewis.

The CDBG funded projects must meet one of the of HUD's national objectives, such as benefiting low and moderate income households.

Staff also evaluates each proposal for readiness, long-term sustainability, organizational capacity, and overall community impact.

And even with all of these kind of guidance on priorities, the recommendations are extremely difficult to make.

Each of the organizations that applied for funds provides really critical important services that you know, and this year, as in the past, there just isn't enough funding to go around.

So I would just note that if you're not recommended for funding, it's not any reflection on the value of the services that are provided.

Um as Director Hartman mentioned, the program is administered under our cooperation agreement between the cities, towns, and counties.

And we um staff and administer the program on your on your behalf.

And under the co-op agreement, there are three planning areas.

One is Navado, one is San Rafael, and the other is the rest of the county.

And on the right, you can we've outlined the decision making process, which goes through a number of different um this decision-making bodies.

And in this year, um Novato's allocation is a little over 305,000.

Good news is it's up from about 289,000 last year.

So we we got a little extra funds.

And you can see that on attachment two of your staff report.

The funding um guidelines specify that about 122,000 can be spent on housing activities.

Um, about 125 can be either capital projects that are um benefiting low and moderate income communities or housing, and no more than 15% or about 50,000 7,000 can support services like child care or staffing.

Um just want to highlight um an issue that we have with timeliness.

One of the requirements is that we can't um, you know, HUD is really interested in us spending the funds in a timely way and that we're not sitting on them.

And so when there's delays, some of our projects get have delays and that can impact the whole um the whole program.

So we're not we we can't have more than about 1.5 times our total grant allocation.

And we did not meet that timeliness test last year, it's every spring, and we don't expect to do it again this year.

So we're highlighting that because the programs or the projects that we're recommending are really have to meet that threshold of being ready to go.

And so that has, you know, because we one of the concerns is that we haven't ever had this happen before, but there is an option where HUD can kind of claw back some of the funding.

So we want to ensure that they're available.

Um so the funding recommendations that we have in front of us.

We are recommending two different um housing programs.

And one of them is Eden Housing's Oak Hill Project Um project, and the other is Habitat for Humanities Home Rehab Program.

And I'll note that the Eden Housing, although it's a countywide program, um, they'll be doing affirmative marking within the city of Novato, and Novato residents can benefit from it.

And it has received its tax credit allocation, so it'll be breaking ground this fall, so it really met the readiness threshold.

Um and the other program, the Habitat for Humanity Home Rehab, they provide rehab loans as you can see in the attachment to low-income homeowners throughout the county, including many in Novato, particularly folks who are living in um mobile home parks who qualify as low-income homeowners.

The second category is our community infrastructure.

Um, and we can spend a maximum of about 125,000.

And we have two projects that we're recommending.

Um, Homeward Brown's New Beginning Center, some improvements to their project, and community action Marin's Hamilton Children's Center also renovating their project.

Um finally a note on public services.

Public services are funded on a two-year cycle so that we the public service um don't have to reapply every single year.

And this is the second year of the two-year cycle.

So the application was open last year for public services.

It wasn't for this year, so we are just recommending the same organizations that were funded last year, as long as they are meeting their guidelines that they've been able to provide the services and meet their reporting requirements.

We just continue those.

So those include, as you'll see, legal aid, fair housing, North Marine Community Services, which is mentioned earlier, and the North Bay Children's Center child care scholarships.

So that concludes my presentation for the rec funding recommendations.

The next step is that it will go to the countywide priority setting committee who will review your recommendations as well as the city of San Rafael and for the rest of the county and make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

And Chris and I are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

If you have uh questions, council, let me know.

You have questions.

All right, no questions, gonna open it to public comment.

I don't have any cards, Laura.

Do you have any?

No?

All right.

Uh can I so I'll move the resolution of the city council of the city of Novato recommending the community development block grant project funding for the program year 2026-27 to the Marin County Board of Supervisors.

I will second that.

Laura, can we take real call?

Councilmember Eklund.

Aye.

Councilmember Carkle?

Aye.

Councilmember O'Connor.

Aye.

Mayor Pratem Jacobs.

All right.

And Mayor Farack.

Hi, Pases.

Thank you.

All right.

So moving on to item uh J2, we're gonna receive a presentation and continue the study session from last meeting and provide direction to staff regarding commercial cannabis retail storefronts.

Um I'd like to invite Claire Hartman, the community development director, and Katie Skirking Sherping, uh the economic development manager to present the item.

Great, thank you.

This is a continuation from uh the previous city council meeting, and I'll go over uh where we are at.

This item is brought to you.

Um cannabis look considering cannabis retail storefront.

Um this is brought to you because it's part of our city council strategic plan.

This is from the strategic plan that covered 2023 to 2025.

Um we did start this effort um in that time period, but as some of these more complex initiatives, they require more time, and so we are still in the consideration process.

This slide goes over the um work that we've done to date.

Uh there is a bit of uh research and uh outreach and consideration that takes place uh when you do consider an initiative to consider cannabis retail storefronts.

And so we started in the fall of 2024, but really we were receiving direction, our first direction from the city council last year.

And the direction was to continue the work and specifically to start to collect information that might inform next steps and uh in the policy itself.

And so last uh city council meeting on April 14th, um Katie and I presented uh the findings of two items that were requested by the council, and that was to conduct a market study on cannabis retail storefronts in Marin.

Since uh if the city was to move forward with such a policy, we would be first in Marin County.

Um, and so we wanted to study the market context that would be in.

Um and then secondly, um uh of a lot of importance uh by the council was to conduct a community survey.

So we put that together.

It was a month-long survey, um, actually one of the most responded to surveys that we've um put out there uh and received some findings from that, and that was presented at the council meeting.

Um we also presented what the next steps would look like, what the engagement plan would be and the timeline.

Um at that council meeting uh there was a motion um to uh uh call the question of the work itself that uh we had considered it thus far, and that uh that would conclude that consideration would conclude.

But that motion did not pass.

Um and then there was a motion to continue the item because there was a council member that was absent and uh wanted the what the council wanted the benefit of a full council to really consider this type of work.

Um it's important to to have the full council weigh on something that's complex like this.

Um and so it was continued to tonight uh to complete that discussion.

Uh so should the can uh should the council move to um uh direct staff to continue our work?

Um our work plan would include uh preparing of draft policies uh and conducting the community engagement on such policies before bringing it back to public hearing and action and recommendation by the planning commission and then to the city council for action and consideration by September of this year.

Uh and that is really the summary um presentation I have tonight since it is a continuation.

Thank you.

Um if you have questions, council, you can let me know.

No question.

I guess I do have a question, but I'll wait.

Uh okay.

Um my question is um Claire, if the council directs staff to continue working on this project, um, are you going to be addressing how we're going to enforce it?

Yeah, absolutely.

Um enforcement uh what I always say is the the policy is only as good as the enforcement mechanism, and so it would certainly be part of that process.

We'd look we'd look at um best practices, we'd vet those best practices with the community and see what the fit would be for Novato.

Um we'd also look at enforcement of our community partners and agency partners in the enforcement process.

I I think that's really important because when we pass the uh tobacco uh storefront, you know, for tobacco sales, um I thought we were going to be enforcing that, but unfortunately we're leaving the enforcement to the tobacco sales to the sheriff's office.

So do you happen to know how often the sheriff's office does enforce the tobacco sales in Novato?

I do not have that information.

And and enforcement of uh local cannabis retail storefront policy would be uh coordination across agencies, so there would be county um there would be uh public safety enforcement, uh a role for them, local and county, and as well as land use enforcement.

So there would be a collaboration of enforcement.

Okay.

So if the council decides tonight not to continue with this, then um would uh staff uh be able to cease their work on it.

If we directed you to the opposite um if the council directed us to not continue, we would not we would not continue working on this initiative.

That's correct.

Because we are working on this to in pursuit of a council goal.

Okay, great.

It's actually not necessarily a goal to do it, it's a goal for us to discuss it.

Absolutely, yeah.

The the way it's worded is to consider it.

That's right, thank you.

Uh Councilmember Kirkle, your question.

Uh yes, actually, it's not a question, it's more of a comment.

Uh and I just wanted to uh comment on um basically I don't really have any specific comments at this time, but I'm really looking forward to uh the upcoming public comments and also I wanted to uh acknowledge uh basically all the input and the feedback I've received over the last few days, both uh uh email and phone.

And I know I haven't been able to just as a practical matter of being able to get back to everyone that uh emailed or called me, but I do want to express my appreciation to everyone that made the effort to reach out to me.

That's uh been quite helpful, so thank you.

Thanks.

Um I have a question.

Um has any jurisdiction in Marin put uh cannabis storefront on the ballot?

Put it on the ballot?

No, I'm not aware of anything.

Okay.

Um I did did some research.

Um so Salito actually put it on the ballot in 2022.

And um 77% of them voted no against it.

Um in 2016 for Prop 64, 74, or I think I got my number switched, sorry.

74 voted no in 2022, and then 77 voted for Prop 64.

So where like where my concern is coming from is does the public really want it if you're using 2016 numbers.

Um I thought that was relevant information because another jurisdiction um did do did survey, a proper survey, um, of their population if they wanted storefront recreational cannabis stores.

So um that's just something.

So um, so I have no more questions.

Um so I'm gonna open up to public comment.

Um I'm gonna have a very strict two-minute policy on this because we have tons tons of comments, and I didn't want to reduce it less than two minutes.

So if I cut you off, please stop.

There is a timer here.

If you do want to make a public comment, um please uh submit your yellow cards.

Um first we have Dale Klein, Todd, Mick.

Thank you.

Um and then Tony Vargas are the first three.

So um welcome.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

Those of you that know me know that I've been a con a consistent and passionate supporter of the children in our community, and especially education in our community.

I see this as a personal responsibility, one that I take very seriously, and anybody that knows me knows how serious that is.

In the 28 years I've been engaged in this community, many of the people in this room I've never seen them.

So I don't know where they're from, but you know where I'm coming from.

To be clear, I voted against the legislation of recreational cannabis use, specifically because of the impact it might have on our youth.

That said, the public has spoken.

We did legalize it.

There's a recent survey.

Whether or not it's a legitimate survey or not, is something for you to decide whether or not we should have another survey.

But the outcome of that survey to me seemed pretty clear that this community wants it.

I was against it.

The community has spoken.

That's why I want to speak very plainly tonight.

First, it's important to be clear about what you're actually deciding tonight.

Cannabis is already legal in California.

It already exists in Novato through delivery through neighboring communities that do sell it, even though not in Marin, but in very, very close proximity to us.

And through unregulated market that operates regardless of local policy.

The only question before you is whether we continue the discussion on how if we should do it and how to regulate it if we do it, or continue to outsource it elsewhere and leave gaps in local policy and local control.

I fully respect the public health concerns that have been raised or will be raised tonight.

We should all care about youth access, consumption patterns, and community impacts, as I do.

But those concerns don't change the reality we're dealing with.

If youth exposure is the concern, then we should focus on where that exposure actually is coming from.

Cannabis, as I said earlier, is already present in the vault present in Novato today.

Thank you.

Todd.

And then John Wright.

Thank you, Council.

Hi.

And I'm a Navado camera for the past 20 years, and I have my shop store with USCW.

I'm here in support of our local cannabis.

Would make a great community, great revenue NER in unions, or I understand not you, but they will follow all laws and rules and get the proper training.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Tony Vargas, and then we'll have John Wright and John Lewis, or Josh Lewis.

Some people in a line up.

Good evening.

My name is Tony Vargas.

I am a union rep with UFCW Local Five.

And so in Marin County, I represent about 1,100 workers in our grocery stores and pharmacies.

I'm here in support of retail cannabis.

UFCW thought the country represents thousands and thousands of workers in the manufacturing, retail, delivery, dispensing, and the uh growing of cannabis.

Um it's good for communities.

There is the tax and the sales provisions and um most companies that work with USCW are labor friendly.

So they are good union jobs.

They get the trainings they need.

Um we even are have um an apprenticeship council that we are starting to evolve into.

So we are here to support cannabis workers, and uh we know the companies they support us.

We've been working together for many years.

Embark is one of them.

We have Ease, which um is a delivery slash retail storefront in certain cities.

Um, and we have companies like Medmen and uh Canacraft up in Sonoma County.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh John Wright and then Josh Lewis and Robert Visconti, please get in line.

Welcome.

Good evening.

Um my name's John Wright.

I've been resident of Novato for five years.

I previously lived in San Ansamo, serving on the town council for seven years.

Prior to that, I spent 17 years on school boards.

In short, I've had experience weighing costs and benefits of local government decisions, especially as to Marine youth.

The primary, if not only, public benefit of allowing retail cannabis sales is potential increased tax revenue.

That revenue is speculative and estimates should be closely scrutinized.

Strongly weighing against this benefit are significant costs, some quantifiable and some not.

If sales are allowed, the city will incur costs for law enforcement, administrative oversight, and compliance.

You have already consumed significant city time to study this issue, and given increasing community opposition, considerably more time will be needed to produce a workable ordinance if that is even possible.

Equally important are the broader public health costs of making it easier to buy cannabis in Novato, thereby normalizing its use and signaling to youth that cannabis is safe.

You would be sending a message of city approval for a drug that is harming young brains.

Per a recent UC study, cannabis users experience impaired brain development compared to non-users.

The city government itself will not see the inevitable medical, psychological, and social costs to individuals, families, and the community of increased cannabis use.

Yet a decision to allow sales here is highly likely to create those costs throughout the county.

All Marin communities currently limit non-medical cannabis sales to delivery only.

These policies were not accidental.

They reflect a shared effort across Marin to limit youth access and exposure, given that the county has among the highest rates of cannabis use among 11th graders in the state.

Once one city breaks from that framework, it will create pressure for others to do the same, effectively shifting policy across the entire county.

In short, I believe the cost of allowing retail sales significantly outweigh the benefits.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Josh?

And then we have Robert and Jennifer Hinn.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor, members of the City Council, Josh Lewis.

Uh I am government relations manager for Embark here tonight just to encourage you to move forward with this process and want to acknowledge at the jump that this is a conversation where feelings have played a large role in the dialogue here.

And I think that's totally fair.

Cannabis is new to this community.

Um, but I do want to offer some perspective.

Uh I actually approached my hometown about opening one of our stores, uh, and that is from a firm belief that well-regulated cannabis retail can be a force for good.

Um, as a longtime defender of my community, um, I encourage you all to reap the same benefits that we see elsewhere.

My community is one that struggled with youth drug use.

I saw communities around the state see declining youth drug rates uh when welcoming legal cannabis access.

My community is one that struggled with underfunded nonprofits, municipalities that uh had to decide between policemen and firefighters and all the same questions that you all face.

I saw communities around the state uh maximize cannabis revenue through a well-regulated industry uh and get the resources they needed to not have to make those tough decisions.

Um I think most importantly, I saw communities uh who are really skeptical about cannabis, like many of the folks that you're gonna hear from tonight.

Um, those community members are now some of our most ardent supporters across the state because they see what well-regulated retail can do.

They see how it can impact youth use rates, they see uh how it can bring resources to bear that otherwise would not be available.

Uh and I come from a really small town up in the Sierra Foothills, walking around downtown here, it feels uh identical, uh, if not a little bit bigger.

Um, and I just know that the neighborhood character concerns are something that can be looked at and explored, but at the end of the day, uh this is a policy decision that will yield dividends for your residents for years to come.

Um, as a firm believer in the power of cannabis policy, uh, just wanted to impart that and uh share my perspective.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Robert Esconti, and then if Michael Michael Clarkson wants to get in line.

Good evening.

I started as a frontline cannabis worker, greeting customers, answering questions, learning products.

It wasn't glamorous, but it was honest work that paid fairly and came with real benefits.

Over time, I took more responsibility, eventually got promoted, and eventually moved into a corporate role at my company.

That kind of trajectory from entry-level cannabis employment to leadership doesn't happen everywhere.

Cannabis companies, especially those committed to developing their communities, actively invest in their people.

For a lot of us, this industry opened a door that others had closed.

Many dispensaries come from uh dispensary workers come from backgrounds where stable career track employment wasn't easy to find.

And as Novato considers the future of cannabis retail in this city, I ask you to think about what it means to have jobs that are good.

Jobs where growth is available and jobs that will create opportunity.

We're not just selling a product.

We're supporting families, community uh contributing to this local community and supporting local businesses alike.

I hope that you keep that in mind, and thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

Uh Jennifer Hinn and then Alexander uh Peterson can get in line.

Welcome.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Jen Hinn, and I work at a licensed cannabis dispensary.

I want to speak tonight about something our industry takes very seriously.

I know there's sometimes a perception that dispensaries are indifferent to youth access, but the opposite is true.

Every person who walks through our doors is ID'd, no exceptions.

Our staff is trained extensively on this, and we take it personally when someone tries to circumvent those rules.

We operate under strict state regulations that require age verification at every point of sale.

We've turned away adults who couldn't produce valid IDs, and we've declined sales when something doesn't feel right.

That's not just compliance, that's our culture.

When I asked what I'd asked this council to consider is that license-regulated dispensaries are actually part of the solution when it comes to youth access, not the problem.

When cannabis is sold through legal, accountable businesses, there are real consequences for violations.

The licit market has no such accountability.

Supporting our ability to operate in Novato means supporting a system with T, one that protects kids far better than Prohibition ever could.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Michael Clarkson and then John Zulley can get mine.

Hello, everyone in the city council.

Um my name is Michael Clarkson and I'm from Velvet Fog, and I've spoken to most of you about this over the last maybe half a more than half a decade now.

And so I'll make this quick.

Um I'm coming here today because I just want to make sure that if you guys do go forward with determining the process to create the framework for storefront retail, that we ensure the operational license entities of the city that have been here and have paid their dues have a seat at the table and their voices are heard during this next process.

I feel like that part gets like pushed out of the way because that we don't make a lot of noise coming to these meetings because we're busy working from like 9 a.m.

to 9 p.m.

every single day.

Um we just uh want to make sure that that's like known that we would like to do that, and then we want to make sure the city council and staff take into account our unique circumstances holding a micro business license instead of a delivery license or a manufacturing license.

A micro business license offers very unique opportunities that I don't feel like ever get addressed.

And exploring them seems to be kind of like we're the odd man out, but it is very crucial to, I feel like moving this forward in a way that's politically expedient for all parties and all stakeholders in the city.

Um and we would like to have a fair and transparent process and criteria during the RFP application process.

We've heard horror stories from other locations where people aren't told why they weren't allowed to go forward in the process or why they weren't chosen, or just it was like behind closed doors, and regardless of what happens if it does move forward, we would really like that to be a transparent process.

Um I wanted to show you real quick.

These are all the rules that I have to assemble from the state.

I have to compile this.

Sorry.

I have to compile this, and it's a lot of work.

It's hundreds and hundreds of hours of going through the state rules and then creating a like SOPs and processes that we have to follow and enforce every day.

Part of that to prevent diversion and youth access.

We understand and are very motivated to prevent that because we understand that's like a death sentence to us, our industry, and our perception in our community.

I just want to show you we're you know problem solvers.

This right here is a mobile ID scanner that we have to use as a delivery company if we feel that a customer is using a fake ID.

Thank you, Michael.

Thank you.

Uh Alexandra Peterson and then Melissa Wallstrom, please get ready to speak.

Welcome.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Alexandra, and I'm a Novato resident.

I'm here to speak honestly about what I've witnessed in our community when it comes to youth access to marijuana and why this decision feels personal to me.

Early exposure matters.

And my experience, starting with substances like marijuana or nicotine can lead to a pattern of continued use and in many cases cases, progression to harder substances.

I've lived this myself and I've watched it happen to people I love.

I have lost friends, including Trevor Leopold at a young age.

These are not statistics.

These are real people, real lives and real consequences.

That personal is experience is why I want to be honest about the gaps I've seen in commercial in how commercial cannabis actually reaches young people.

I personally personally witnessed 18-year-olds using medical marijuana cards and 21-year-olds buying legally, then turning around and selling to high school students.

It stops being casual sharing and becomes a business.

Something bought for $20, flipped for $40, creating a profit-driven cycle that actively distributes to minors.

Fake IDs add another layer, making it easier for underage teens to buy cannabis or nicotine products directly.

The closer a point of sale, the easier the access.

If Novato approves its first recreational cannabis storefront, the high THC commercial products sold there will more readily reach the teens and young adults who live there.

That is not a hype hypothetical hypothetical.

It is a pattern I've seen play out.

Young adults who don't yet have a boat and are relying on the adults in this room to protect them from unnecessary risk.

We do not have the enforcement infrastructure in place to close these gaps.

I've described.

Adding a new point of access without stronger oversight.

Thank you.

John Zuly and then Sarah Swarmson, please get in line.

Good evening.

Thanks for having me.

I appreciate your time.

I think it's a very important factor that you're scrutinizing this issue.

I have a uh doctorate in holistic health, and I was a peace officer in the state of California for 10 years.

In the 1930s, the Hearst Corporation and the Seagram's family got together and created a movie called Ree for Madness.

Their goal was to demonize cannabis as much as they possibly could, and they did a good job, became a Schedule 1 uh narcotic.

Uh the bottom line is that for the last 5,000 years, humans have been consuming cannabis, and its benefits are widely known.

It's certainly not a panacea.

It certainly doesn't fix everything for everybody, but for a significant portion of the population, it does help lower stress, lower anxiety, and deal with pain.

I think that the question that really we hear a lot of impassioned people talking about youth.

Uh the speaker just before me talked about illegal aspects of uh cannabis.

Um and obviously you're the question in front of you all is will we be safer in a regulated environment or people selling it out of the back door of their home?

So I appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Um Melissa Wolstrom and then Ryan Ease.

Welcome.

Yes.

Hi, thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Melissa Walstrom.

I'm speaking tonight as someone who grew up in Navado, and I've been a Marine resident all my life.

I have three kids here in Marin.

And I just want to call out first that today's cannabis is not 30 years ago cannabis.

It is high THC, very potent and very dangerous.

A major study published in JAMA Health Forum this past February, just this February, followed nearly half a million adolescents, found that any past year cannabis use was associated with more than double the risk of developing a psychotic disorder and double the risk of bipolar disorder.

These were not marginal findings.

The study followed young people through age 25 and a large, diverse Northern California, right here population, our population.

And for me, it's personal.

My nephew experienced this firsthand.

He experienced a psychotic break due to his cannabis use.

This is, I'm not just a skeptical resident.

I've experienced this in my own family.

If there was an alcoholic beverage on the market that doubled a teenager's risk of psychosis, we would not be debating whether to open a retail store selling it in our community.

We'd be demanding it people from the shelves entirely.

You have heard heartbreaking testimonies about local kids who are part of these statistics.

The impact on our community is real.

And the risks extend even to our youngest children because edibles resemble ordinary, sweet treats, young children frequently consume them unknowingly, and exposure to high THC cannabis can cause severe life-threatening symptoms, including seizures, respiratory failure, and coma, often requiring emergency medical interven intervention.

I share this because I believe this council genuinely wants to protect the health and well-being of Nevada residents, including its youngest and most vulnerable.

And we know that access follows retail availability.

As we have seen with tobacco, alcohol, and now cannabis.

And I'm asking this council to weigh that evidence carefully and consider whether proving the storefront is consistent with the commitment to the community health.

And this this is candy.

This is cannabis candy.

Looks the same.

All right, Sarah Swanson and then Thadis Duncan, if you could get ready to speak.

Welcome.

The medical benefits of marijuana are profound and well documented.

Its health benefits are numerous from reducing chronic pain to helping people manage numerous illnesses, including PTSD and cancer.

It can be used for seizures, muscle spasms, and can help improve sleep and appetite.

Besides the medical benefits, the psychoactive properties of weed can be transformative for many.

It is known that alcohol is a far more dangerous drug than weed.

If alcohol is safe enough to sell in our retail stores, then marijuana should be no different.

Of course, improper use of anything leads to negative outcomes.

This is true about nearly everything, even over-the-counter prescription medications.

Let us choose a safer substitute like marijuana.

The bottom line is the statistics show that the constituency of Novato is in favor of approving storefront cannabis shops in Novato.

As the city council, this is a great opportunity to show the people that their voice matters and that Novato will listen and implement new legislation accordingly.

Thank you for your time and consideration and for all you do to the City of Novato.

Thank you, sir.

I have one last thing about that lady's sign.

There has never been one single recorded case of an overdose by cannabis.

And the fact that you're blaming marijuana for someone's suicide is just beyond me.

No comment, please.

Thank you.

Ryan and then Laura Bonnet.

Hello, cannabis.

Welcome.

Um good evening.

My name is Ryan, and I manage a cannabis dispensary.

I like to take a moment to talk about what dispensaries actually do in the communities where we operate.

Because I think that often gets overlooked.

Our dispensary has participated in neighborhood cleanups.

We've donated to local nonprofits and schools.

We've held educational seminars, and we've really shown up for the community events, not because we're required to, but because we are part of the community as well.

Cannabis businesses, when done when they're uh good operators, behave like any other community-minded business.

We want the neighborhood to thrive.

We want to be kind, we want it to be the kind of place where people are proud to have nearby.

And that means going beyond just opening the doors.

It means giving back.

I've seen our team members volunteer their personal time.

I've seen donations made without any expectation or recognition, and that's the culture of the people in the cannabis industry.

People who live and work to care about the place.

People who live and work care about this area.

Novato has opportunity to partner with businesses that are already showing up.

And I hope this council will recognize that and welcome us as the neighbors we tried to be.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

That is Duncan and then Felicia Akamazo.

Please line up.

Welcome.

Good evening, uh, Council members.

My name is Thaddeus, and I worked at the cannabis license industry for quite a long time.

I want to address something that comes up often in conversations about cannabis retail, which is security.

I understand the concern, but I'd like to ask have we looked at licensed dispensaries and what they actually bring to neighborhoods from a security standpoint.

We have professional security personnel on site.

We have cameras, interior and exterior that are maintained and monitored.

We have strict protocols for opening and closing, for cash handling, and for responding to incidents.

In many ways, we are one of the amongst one of the most security conscious businesses in the commercial corridor.

And that infrastructure doesn't just protect our store, it protects the block.

Our cameras have captured have captured activities that had nothing to do with our business.

Our security staff had de-escalated situations on the sidewalk that warrant our responsibility, but were our problems to help solve.

We have called in suspicious activity and work cooperatively with local law enforcement.

The presence of a well-run dispensary can actually make an area safer, not less safer.

I like to encourage the council to look at the data from other cities that have licensed cannabis retail and speak with the law enforcement partners who have worked with compliant operators and think I think what you will find is that security is taken seriously at our in um in our industry.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Uh Laura Bonnet and then Craig Litwin, please get in line.

Welcome.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Laura Bonnet.

I'm a Navado homeowner, a mom of two young boys, one of whom will be starting at San Ramon in the fall.

My husband is a therapist at a treatment facility on San Marin Drive, where he works with individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder, many of whom are teens.

Professionally, I serve as chief of staff at a global cannabis brand, and I sit on the board of the California Cannabis Industry Association.

I share this context because I want to be very clear that no one in this room cares as deeply as I do about simultaneously getting cannabis policy right and protecting a community and our youth.

And to be equally clear, no one, not a single parent and not a single operator, wants kids to have access to cannabis, period.

The question before you isn't whether to allow cannabis in Novato because it's already here.

The question is whether it's better off being regulated, controlled, and kept out of the hands of minors or left to the illicit market where there are no rules at all.

Licensed retailers are required to verify ID for every transaction, full stop.

In California, compliance checks have shown more than 99% adherence to age restriction laws.

That's higher than alcohol and higher than tobacco.

When you allow rate regulated access, you also reduce the illicit market, as you've heard from many others today.

The data is very clear, and while this is an emotional conversation, policymaking has to be data driven.

I also want to address that Saucelito, and thank you for bringing that up, actually failed because it was sponsored by an operator trying to get around the public process, which is the complete opposite of what we're trying to do here in Navado.

And finally, it's important to acknowledge where we are as a country.

The federal government now recognizes that cannabis has accepted medical use.

It was just rescheduled last week to schedule three.

Millions of adults, including patients, are choosing this as part of their lives.

As a mom, I think about constantly what the right way is to integrate cannabis into communities and keep everyone safe.

Protecting kids is not just a talking point.

It's very, very personal.

The data is clear.

While regulated markets with licensed retailers are safer.

And I urge you to uh pursue a system that reflects nobody.

Thank you.

And then please, Alex Alex uh Revelli.

Get mine.

Thanks.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Felicia Accamazo.

I'm a brain cancer survivor in cannabis saved my life.

After my diagnosis in 2013, I began using Rick Simpson oil, better known as RSO.

At that time, I had to drive to Oakland just to access my medicine.

It was a strain on my body, budget, and time.

That changed when I found Mercy Wellness.

Not only did it save me gas, it saved my sanity.

I believe in this medicine so deeply that I left my career in real estate to work full-time for Mercy, where I proudly served for the past ten and a half years.

I'm also a parent to a 14-year-old son.

In fact, half of our staff, including our CEO, Brandon Levine, are all parents.

We take our responsibility seriously, especially because we work in this industry.

Let me be clear, no child should ever have access to cannabis.

At Mercy, no child enters to make purchases.

We strictly enforce ID checks.

We turn away grown adults who forgot the identification, even regulars we know personally.

We are committed to safety, accountability, and our community.

As a parent, I urge you to direct staff to determine the best ways to keep cannabis out of the hands of youth.

Mandate that every operator follow these rules.

Regulation is how we can control the substance in ways prohibition cannot.

Please move this process forward to best protect our youth and provide needed medicine to local adults so they don't have to travel the way I did.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Uh Craig Litwin and then Kellyn Castor.

Get mine.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Mayor, council members and staff.

My name is Craig Litwin.

I'm the community relations director with Mercy Wellness, and I've decided to work with them because I found a group that actually gives back to the local community.

And Brandon, as I mentioned last time, the CEO is an advisor on the Department of Cannabis Control.

But I'm going to put all that aside.

I'm going to put all of the benefits of cannabis aside and the medical stuff aside.

And I'm just going to talk policy wonky stuff for a second.

As a former council member who went through these sorts of processes and co-authored one of the earlier dispensary ordinances, I've watched this process not just in my city, but across the state for years now.

And I'd like to say trust the process, trust the staff, trust your citizens.

You have a majority of your voters who approve this.

You have a majority of people who took a poll, a survey who support this.

You have a council who directed staff to move this forward.

And you have staff who've worked very hard to present the best foot they can.

We're not debating yes or no tonight.

What we're asking is to have a process that moves forward.

And I would ask you to trust your staff, trust the process, push for what you want later if you want something different, but really let this thing develop.

I think that's very important.

I also would like to reiterate what two speakers before said.

The saucelito ballot measure was an absolute flaw.

It was put on by a citizens' initiative and it was a fix to make sure that they got the or they got the actual permit.

They were the only ones who would qualify.

The voters saw right through that.

Trust that process too.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Alex and then Kristen Heidelbach.

Welcome.

Good evening, council.

My name is Alex, and I want to discuss some things that have been overlooked.

Teens and Marins are accessing cannabis through older siblings and through connections.

We can because cannabis is becoming more visible and more normalized.

When cannabis is sold in storefronts, and when it's openly advertised, it sends a message to susceptible teens that this is something routine and low risk.

And dispensaries can contribute to the perception that cannabis is harmless.

Normalization shifts the perception of cannabis from something dangerous to something integrated into normal consumer culture.

Now let's talk about plugs.

A plug is a drug dealer who sells to high schoolers for huge profit.

Teens connect with plugs through social media apps, and if these plugs can buy cannabis products in storefronts in Novato, it becomes increasingly easier for plugs to buy and resell to kids throughout Marin.

It's just that easy.

When the current policies were being developed, the high potency products that exist today were not part of the discussion.

This is very important because as we know, the high potency products are not the same like it was mentioned 20 years ago.

The market has evolved quickly, but the safeguards and regulations haven't kept up the same pace.

At the end of the day, this isn't just about legalization.

It is about whether we are prioritizing public health or whether we are allowing convenience and corporate greed to shape outcomes that affect young people's futures and lives.

Thank you, Alex.

Thank you.

And then it's uh Kyle Lane Castor and then uh Janet Connley.

Get ready.

Hi.

Yes.

Thank you.

So you wrote like one big word.

Oh, this is all the version of the.

My name is Kylancaster, and I would like to thank you for this opportunity.

I am a longtime Novato resident, business owner, and homeowner.

Um, I would like to talk specifically about the advantage to a storefront.

When my father was in his 80s, he developed significant pain issues, and the doctors kept prescribing opiates.

My 85-year-old father was now a drug addict because of legal drugs.

But it numbed him.

So I spoke with his doctor, I got a medicinal cannabis card.

I had to go to Oakland to one of the dispensaries that had been around for a long time.

The advantage was I could go in with a list of my father's needed medications and talk with someone and say these are his symptoms.

This is what we're experiencing, and I could speak with someone that truly understood the different strains, the different strength, etc.

I know nothing.

But these people are trained to know the advantages and disadvantages.

We got exactly what he needed.

He took a little tinture at night and his pain went away.

So thank you for this opportunity.

Thank you for doing your due diligence.

Hi, Dale.

Thank you.

Thank you, Kai.

Kristen and then Claire Firestone.

Welcome.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Kristen Heidelbach.

I was gonna actually read to you from my phone, but I think I'm just going to give you some of my thoughts.

I am a mother of three.

I have three children who are 17, 16, and seven.

I spent the last 24 years of my career in labor.

So 20, 19 of those with the Teamsters and then with UFCW.

So I feel for these parents and these folks who are talking about youth access.

I myself had a very embarrassing moment where my 16-year-old purchased hemp cigarettes, but she purchased them off Amazon.

What did I do?

I actually passed a bill last year that creates a private right of action for parents so that they can sue and go after people who are selling illegal cannabis and also intoxicating hemp, which is arguably worse.

I am here representing Embark.

I left labor to work for Embark because I believe in this company.

I've spent the last 10 years cannabis adjacent, working both with the advisory committee, uh working on regulations here in California, and I truly feel that if it's done right, then you're serving your community.

I think that you have enough of a blueprint.

Your staff has done an incredible job really highlighting your community is supportive.

Uh, and I think that not a lot of resources can be pulled from staff because we have the ways that it's been done right in California and the ways that it's been done wrong.

And finally, I just want to make one point.

Uh we just recently passed 420, which is uh the largest cannabis holiday, and I had the pleasure of for the first time working inside of one of our retail stores.

And I will tell you that the community, the people who showed up covers every single demographic.

But what I enjoyed the most was really interacting with our seniors, interacting with the people in our community that did not know how to buy it online, wanted to ask questions, wanted to find out what the right product was and how to take it.

And I hope that this moves forward in your community.

I appreciate your time.

Thank you, Kristen.

Uh Janet and then Dawn Carney.

Good evening.

I'm Janet Conley.

I'm a Novato resident.

I didn't see the survey.

Uh if I had, I would have voted against it.

I don't think we can scientifically say that the majority of Novado residents are in favor of opening a storefront.

I think if we're going to go on that basis, we need a much better way to represent the community's point of view.

There are a lot of representatives of the industry here tonight.

But I would just like to agree that uh have opening a storefront will normalize this.

It'll be like buying an ice cream cone, a cup of coffee.

It's not a message we need to send our children.

If it's medically useful, it should be medically supervised.

The folks in the stores are not medical people.

I don't know that it's proper for them to be giving medical advice.

Um I don't know if the council has had much input from scientists or medical industry, but I have been reading about these um studies that show links to psychosis, dementia, depression.

I personally have been impacted by a young family member who had a psychotic break and was hospitalized in a locked psychiatric facility for 30 days.

An older friend, my age, a healthy woman, who five years ago talked about the little buzz she got from her cue uh chewables and now can't drive a car, can't manage her email, and can't uh go online to register for events that she wants to attend because her brain is too foggy.

I don't think it's great for seniors if they want to have a long clear life.

And in terms of depression, another family member, a young man in his 50s who has been unemployed for several years, uses marijuana every day and depends on the family and just thinks it's a great day if he can get out and give his dog a walk.

So I think we need more input, we need more science, and um, I think we need to consider the long-term effects.

Sorry to be nervous about this, but it's hard for me.

Thank you.

Good night.

Thank you, Janet.

Uh Claire and then Elizabeth O'Donnell, please get in line.

Hi, Claire.

Hello.

Uh good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Claire Firestone, and I'm the founder of Farmhouse Artisan Market, a licensed cannabis business based in Petaluma.

We've been operating for eight years and currently run both a delivery service and retail storefront.

We serve customers across Marin and Sonoma counties, including many from Navado.

I wanted to speak briefly, especially to the concerns of her tonight.

First, as a business owner, but also as a mother of young children, issues like youth access and community safety are incredibly important to me.

In reality, licensed storefronts are among the most tightly regulated retail environments.

Every customer is ID checked, security is present, and all the products are tested and tracked through the state system.

In our experience operating storefront, these the structure creates a more oversight and accountability, not less.

Second, I understand the hesitation around being the first in Marin.

One approach that works well is starting with a limited number of operators and clear standards that allows the city to stay in control, evaluate how it's working, and adjust over time without overextending staff or resources.

And finally, I'd like to encourage you to think about the broader economic impact, not just tax revenue, but activity.

Customers don't just come from one city.

A well-placed storefront in Nevada would draw people from across Marin who already who are already seeking these products, and those visits often include stops at nearby restaurants, coffee shops, and other local businesses.

We've seen firsthand in Petaluma how a well-run storefront can integrate into the community and support surrounding businesses.

This isn't about intro introducing something new, it's about shaping something that already exists in a way that reflects your community's values and priorities.

Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.

Thank you.

And then we just have Ben.

Welcome.

So I'm I'm really pleased that this opened up with the laws only as good as its enforcement.

That's why Youth Transforming Justice has joined the lawsuit against the California Department of Cannabis Control for not enforcing Prop 64 tax policy.

In 2016, Prop 64 promised voters a tightly regulated industry with up that would operate responsibly as well as fund youth programs that protect children.

That promise has been broken.

The elimination of the cultivation tax in 2022 and the reduction of the excise test in 2025 have slashed the funding for youth programming by 130 million dollars annually.

And it's forced groups like mine to engage in a suit against cannabis control.

And I want to bring up uh our youth today.

We're sitting in front of uh an illegal ham shop on Fourth and Lincoln that has been running illegally for about a year on and off.

They're shut down, they open back up, they shut down.

The enforcement of cannabis control is a mess.

So to talk about the enforcement locally when the state is not enforcing it in a statewide is ridiculous.

I suggest you talk to any vice principal in any middle or high school and ask them what they think a legal shop will do to their students' perception and access to marijuana.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Elizabeth O'Donnell, and then we have Carn D.

Hi.

Some residents are saying that because cannabis storefronts check IDs, they would have no effect on youth cannabis use in Marin.

But respectfully, that conclusion is based more on belief than on research.

The best current evidence actually shows the opposite.

Large longitudinal studies, including research done right here in Northern California by Kaiser Permanente, but also in other states, have found that increased cannabis access and storefront availability are linked to higher rates of youth use.

And it matters here because Marin already has some of the highest youth cannabis use rates in California.

So adding storefronts is another form of access, and it's going to make an already serious problem worse.

Our currently current delivery only system reflects a long-standing countywide effort to balance adult access with protecting teens from increased normalization and access.

So I respectfully ask you not to be the council that changes that approach.

Adults already have access, and we understand that some people use cannabis for medical conditions, including cancer related pain and chemotherapy.

In fact, a co-founder of our organization used cannabis herself while battling breast cancer.

So we genuinely understand why some people value access to cannabis.

However, balance is the public in public health policy is key.

It is no longer the low potency marijuana that many people remember.

The industry has dramatically increased THC potency.

Thank you, Elizabeth.

Okay, thank you.

And I'd also like to just pass around something that uh is sold at Mercy Wellness.

Thank you.

Uh Ben and then Grizel or Tiz.

Laura, can you reset the time?

He's hasn't walked up yet.

Thank you for that.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

I am coming from a picketing event held in youth with by Youth Transforming Justice in Center Rafael that is currently spreading awareness for the use of fake THC products.

The business that is supposed to be hemp only is selling synthetic weed and in their sole products.

We have found that they are distributed among the school districts in San Rafael.

Cannabis use among the youth, whether it's synthetic or not, can interfere with the brain development, memory, attention, and learning, and can contribute to mental health issues among the youth, such as anxiety and depression.

The consumption of cannabis among the youth can lead to them presenting risky behavior, which affects their decision making and results in them making poor decisions.

In my own personal experience at Youth Transforming Justice, I've been able to observe the youth and their drug experimentation.

They have listed cannabis as one of their main experimentational drugs.

And can it can lead to more exposure among the youth if we open another cannabis store.

Overall, limiting store expansion will aid in the protection of the development of the youth, and we should advocate for reduced cannabis usage in the county of Marin.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Ben.

Incarnite, you're next.

And then Tyler, please get in line.

You can move the mic down.

Oh, yeah.

Good evening, Council members.

I'm Karen Deep.

I also come with Youth Transforming Justice.

And I also want to talk about how drug usage has affected our community.

Oh, my fault.

Cannabis usage has been skyrocketing since these past 10 years due to a variety of reasons.

A major reason being is access and um the advertisement of uh drugs like cannabis or even vaping.

Uh drugs have been easy to get a hold of in the past 10 years.

And um the way uh cannabis has been being advertised, it makes the youth more intrigued and want to try cannabis.

Like uh Ben has said that cannabis has been really um experimented upon with the youth.

And we also know it can affect the mental state of the youth.

Like um bringing like mental disorders, suicide thoughts, and from my personal experiences, I have seen people go down like dark paths and how they have really messed up their lives and how they really can't recover.

And I've been trying to make people aware on how like dangerous youth is when they come with um cannabis or even vaping.

So overall, I would just make sure that we limit how we advertise drugs or cannabis or even vaping, because it's just really well known upon the youth.

Thank you.

Uh Grisal Ortiz and then Ali.

Welcome.

Yeah, thank you.

Um, yeah, my name is Chris Saltiz, and I've been a resident of um Novato uh living here more than 40 years, and I have three sons.

And um I just know that it does help me.

And you know, it just it's relaxing and it helps me sleep, and it even gives you an appetite.

Um, and I know that it helps a lot of people with cancer and all that stuff.

So I really think that I would love to have one here.

I I have to go to Ronald Park to buy something too, you know.

So I just um I I think it it'll be good for for the people that really need it.

So that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Tyler and then Sylvia Berry, please get mine.

Hello, City Council members.

My name is Tyler Williams.

And I've lived in Marin County for my entire life, and have recently joined an organization called Youth Transforming Justice.

During my training at this program, I was put in a group of people that were referred to our program about drug usage and safety.

And there were about 10 to 15 kids in the group, and all of them had access to cannabis, and I've previously used it.

And I know cannabis is legal for people over the age of 21, and adults can get it through delivery, so there shouldn't be a need to open up more stores and lounges here in Novato.

Especially when it could risk public health of the youth.

Cannabis has also been increasing on popularity, even more so among teens.

Things like vapes and cards are also much stronger than what was previously sold.

And if we're getting specific, it's about three or four times stronger.

The amount of THC in these devices can be detrimental to young people whose brains are still developing.

Marin County already has one of the highest rates in California of cannabis use.

Adding more stores in Novato would allow more youth to get their hands on cannabis and opening up more stores would do more harm than good for our community.

Thank you for listening.

That is all.

Thank you.

Uh Ali Bear and then Katie Everle.

Please get in line.

No, it's Allie and then you, Sylvia.

Hello, I'm Allie.

Thank you again for this opportunity to state my strong opposition to the city, considering allowing retail cannabis stores.

I work at a residential treatment center here in Marin where we treat patients with cannabis use disorders and cannabis-induced psychosis.

I work in this field because I myself developed my own cannabis use disorder when I started using cannabis more frequently when it became legal through Prop 64.

Basically, I became one of the first early guinea pigs for cannabis vapes as a cannabis industry sold vapes with higher and higher potency, which can increase our tolerance and addiction can lock in, whether you're a teen or an adult.

Now I've been sober for seven years, and I've shifted my whole career towards prevention and recovery treatment.

So when Saucelino residents had the opportunity to vote for or against cannabis retail in Sau Salito on the on a ballot, given my experience with modern cannabis, I became part of a massive growing grassroots movement to educate our town so they can make an informed decision at the ballot.

We learned an incredibly important distinction as Mayor Farrakh thank you for doing your research.

You showed um 77% of Sauce Lido residents voted for Prop 64 to legalize cannabis.

But then Sasle residents voted 74% against cannabis retail stores.

So 77 for Prop 64 and 74 against cannabis retail.

And this 74% vote against retail was actual data on the ballot, not the results of the HDL survey that the real data analysis, a real data analysis, has written into the city stating his concern for the lack of serious validity and reliability.

The whole process was also extremely expensive for the city in terms of resources and hours applied to this.

And they also had to contend with multiple lawsuits by the cannabis corporations pushing for the retail.

Residents had a whole range of reasons for voting against the stores.

Thank you.

Sylvia Berry and then Kelsey Fernandez, please get in line.

Yeah.

Two minutes, huh?

Talk fast.

Okay, thank you.

Hello, my name is Sylvia Berry, and I'm a Nevada resident.

I'm here to come and ask you to take commercial cannabis retail storefront to be put to rest once and for oh.

I don't drink or smoke, not out of judgment, but because I don't like how they make me feel.

As a young professional and a newer immigrant, I was open to new experience.

And once I agreed to try cannabis, I would never forget the moment.

Appetite just went puff.

I burst out laughing and I could not stop.

I know that I would never want to put something so powerful into my body again.

And that was many years ago.

I was fortunate to have the awareness and self-discipline to make that choice, but not everyone, especially impressionable use of those who might be under difficult times for various reasons, may have the same ability to stop or set the boundaries.

But a potential for dependency and the gradual need for stronger products to achieve the same effects or to fit in socially.

For some, this can be a slippery slope.

250,000 a year or otherwise, or the convenience of consumers not have to drive to other cities to get a product can justify even one person losing a year or many years of their life to substance dependency.

In more serious cases, individuals may turn to stronger substance, experience declining mental health, and face consequence that are difficult or impossible to reverse.

And what can affect.

Thank you, Sylvia.

Okay.

So um thank you.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Kate.

Good evening.

Thanks for the chance to speak on this again.

Um you know me well.

This is my third time being here.

Um my name is Kate Rowley.

For those of you who don't know, I am a suicide loss survivor, a child suicide law survivor.

Um I am founding member of the local outreach to suicide survivors, and I work for the local outreach.

Um I work for the local outreach to suicide survivors, and I am also a founding member of the Marin County Suicide Prevention Collaborative.

Um I come to you tonight, not just as a grieving mother.

Um, and I'm not going to go into the research or the studies because that information has been given to you already.

I'm here to speak to your hearts.

I implore you to consider the actual human lives that have been lost, and that are behind the statistics that you have heard.

And you've heard about the boys, the two brothers.

Um, Lucas, actually Jackson was the first to die.

He had cannabis use disorder.

Um, and um he died by suicide 2017, and his younger brother, um Lucas, who you've heard had a psychotic break after ingesting a whole package of candy.

Um cannabis, high potency THC candy jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge and died by suicide.

I did not, the sign does not say that they died by cannabis overdose.

I am angry that thank you, Kate.

The world has we live in as for profit above human lives, and I urge you to vote no.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Kelsey Fernandez and then Jeremiah Mock.

Good evening, Kelsey Fernandez.

I'd like to briefly address foreign misconceptions that I've heard at these meetings.

The first one is that legal cannabis is safe because it's tested.

In an LA Times investigation, 25 of 42 licensed cannabis products had pesticide concentrations either above California's own legal limits or at levels that exceeded federal standards for tobacco.

They also found California's top stelling brand STISE was distributing a product with pesticide levels 60 times the US federal limit for tobacco products due to outdated state regulations.

Misconception number two is that cannabis products have real consumer protections.

The FDA has approved four cannabis-related medications, all by prescription, none sold in recreational stories.

What's on shelves in California has no FDA review, no clinical trials, no verified dosing standards, and no proof of efficacy.

The DCC's regulatory framework has significant gaps and has largely failed to enforce the standards that it does have.

Misconception number three is that legal cannabis is safe because it's safer than illegal cannabis.

Safer does not mean safe.

We know a prescription opioid is safer than a street pill.

But the legal opioid industry still faced billions in settlements for not being honest about the risks.

Misconception number four is that only adults 21 plus will have access to storefront products.

It is well documented.

It is because of the products.

So thank you, Kelsey.

Thank you.

And then Jeremiah.

I'm a professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

I spent the last 30 years studying the tobacco industry and the last ten years studying the cannabis industry.

In other words, we are a county that has a huge market potential.

And I have uh stood before all of the city council members members in the period of two thousand eighteen and nineteen when all of the jurisdictions decided unanimously to adopt one countywide policy.

We recognize that there are people that feel they have legitimate needs to use medical uh cannabis, and that was allowed.

It was allowed through delivery.

Anybody who wanted those products could get them.

There's no reason for Novato to break ranks now based on a pact that was made by all of the other jurisdictions, including County or Unincorporated under the Board of Supervisors.

It's really incumbent on you to hold the line because we simply don't need these products in our county.

They're available in a way that's convenient for people who need them, and that's fine.

The reality is that we have the highest cannabis use rates of young people of any county in the country.

And this decision is consequential because if you allow storefronts, that allows for the normalization.

It makes it more convenient for young people to get access.

And for adults, frankly, who may not otherwise use the products, and the products are very harmful.

They have significant cardiovascular and respiratory harm risks associated with them.

So Novato can hold the line.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh that concludes our public comments.

Um we're gonna take a uh seven-minute break.

Um, so we'll return at eight o'clock.

I just want to thank everyone for showing up and sharing their opinions and being respectful.

Okay, so first I'm gonna bring it back to counsel for uh questions.

So just questions.

Did you have a question?

No.

Any additional questions?

No, from okay.

Um council member O'Connor, do you have some comments?

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

So we've discussed this in depth at our last meeting, and we're continuing this conversation tonight.

The issue in front of us is whether or not we want to proceed studying allowing storefronts and drafting of policy and controls around that or to discontinue the du the discussion.

For that reason, I'd like to directly just ask that question and make a motion to receive the report.

I think I want to uh just have comments right now.

I believe I can make a motion.

If no one wants to second it, that's okay.

For that reason, I'd like to directly ask the question and make a motion to receive the report and direct staff to proceed with the work plan.

Do you have a second?

I will second that.

I'd like to make uh a motion.

Um I think we've talked about this for a long time.

I think the distance of twelve minutes driving to Petaluma.

Um that does have a storefront is not a barrier.

We also have sixteen delivery uh options in Novato.

Um the projections at other local jurisdictions for s uh revenue um are a lot lower than expected.

So if we are doing this for revenue intentions, um it's not coming up as high as uh they projected.

Um also too, cannabis is a business, so they are gonna sell it like a business.

Um people are directly affected, our children are affected, and I do not want to live in an environment where we do not put our people first.

They have access if they want it.

So I'm gonna make the motion that we do not continue looking at commercial cannabis retail storefronts.

Do I have a second?

I I'll second that motion and I would like to make some comments as well.

All right.

Councilmember Ul.

Uh thank you very much, Mayor.

And first of all, I want to thank everybody who spoke tonight.

And I want to thank all of those who did not speak that have a an interest in this issue.

Um I need to tell you before this meeting.

Um we typically receive comments on email.

We received twenty emails of people who were against marijuana or cannabis storefronts.

We received four emails for people who were against uh that were for it.

So when I was coming into this, uh I was very clear to me and reading all of these emails with some of them with very personal stories about the loss of their son or their loss of their daughter.

And these are from Novato residents.

And uh many of which I knew the names.

Um I've lived in Novato for uh a long time.

So I am not supportive of having a cannabis storefront, obviously.

There's no other city in Marin County that has supported this.

But Novato was one of the first to do delivery.

And we did delivery specifically for those people who have medical conditions that want and are recommended by their medical prof uh doctors to use cannabis.

So we we did delivery, and it's working.

And so a storefront, in my opinion, would only entice the youth to go in.

And this has happened with tobacco as well.

And um and alcohol.

And so we continue to work on tobacco and alcohol, but now we're gonna have to work on another one, and that's marijuana, cannabis.

Uh, because there's gonna be an increase in the youth use, and it's not gonna be legal, but there's not much that we can do.

So um I asked earlier who enforces our tobacco ordinance.

Well, it's not Novato, it's the sheriff's office.

I'm not convinced that they're going out every week or every month and and checking to make sure that they're only selling to folks that are eligible to buy tobacco.

And um I think in if the council decides to go ahead with this, we need a very strong enforcement program.

And where our police are going out on a very frequent basis, and we're gonna have to make sure that the cost of that is put on any of the fees associated with um any company that we that wants to be able to have a storefront.

But I think it's just gonna really make our um youth more at risk.

That's why I'm not for it.

I am in retrospect, I really think we did some damage to this issue by listing cannabis as a quote economic vitality issue for our plan.

Because it's just just this is not just economics, it's about people's health.

And um that we we we totally missed and where we put this item on our work plan.

So no other city in Marin has down a storefront.

We're the last to have this on our agenda, and um I really do not want Novato to be the first, because we have worked really hard to be able to make sure that Novato is the best city in Marin, and um that has been very difficult because Novato has always been a stepchild in Marin County because of the fact that the city was incorporated in 1960, which is after all the other cities were incorporated.

So there was, oh, there's Novato way up there.

Well, Novato is a vibrant community, it's a community filled with people who care about other people.

And uh again, my concern is gonna be that marijuana storefronts are going to change this town, and I do not want to see that, and I hope that each council member that makes a decision tonight looks at that.

It's not just medical, you know, and in talking with some folks, they said, well, we need it for medical where where you can get it through delivery for medical use.

So you have access to it.

You don't need a storefront to do that.

So in my opinion, this should never have gotten this far.

Um really plead to my colleagues, think about the youth, think about the fact that there already is a way to get cannabis by delivery, it's safe.

They can check both points when you open up a storefront, it's just like gonna be tobacco and alcohol, where they're gonna be fake IDs, and um I was told that oh no, that it's they really really scan them.

But look at we have been fooled before by youth, you know, saying that you can't buy alcohol, you can't buy tobacco, but it happens when they show their IDs.

So I don't care how good the the checking of the containers, and I know we're gonna we were gonna take a look at that, um, but I don't care how the good that is, because there's always gonna be way around it.

Um I hope I just pray that we can make sure that Novato is going to be a safe community, especially for our youth.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Do you have any other comments?

Um actually I don't have so much of a comment as uh a question uh to the city attorney.

So we seem to have a couple of motions on the on the floor here.

I'm just wondering about the logistics of how we process those motions.

Yeah, sure.

So there are two motions on the floor, both of them received a second.

Um so when discussion is ended, the second motion will be taken first.

And then you if that fails, you'll go back to the first motion.

Thank you.

So no other comments.

Alora, can you call vote?

Okay, so to clarify, this is on the substitute motion to do not continue looking at storefront retail.

Councilmember Eklund.

Aye.

Councilmember Carkell?

No.

Councilmember O'Connor?

No.

Mayor Pro Tem Jacobs?

No.

And Mayor Frack.

Aye.

All right, that does not pass.

Can you go for the second one?

The main motion.

Um which was Councilmember O'Connor's motion.

Councilmember Eklund?

No.

Councilmember Carkle?

Aye.

Councilmember O'Connor.

Aye.

Mayor Pro Tem Jacobs.

Aye.

And Mayor Farack.

No.

All right.

So that passes, so we'll continue with this.

Moving on to work study session, L1.

I'd like to invite Chris up, our public works director, to present the item to council.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council members.

This item is to uh the study session for the fiscal year 2026-27 Capital Improvement Program.

Uh today's presentation is going to be a high-level uh discussion on the 2026 fiscal year CIP.

Uh as you see, we're going to talk about the capital program as an overview.

Ongoing projects, new projects, and then a continuous program projects.

Uh staff will take council direction from this presentation.

We will be returning on May 12th for more in-depth discussion for the budget workshop, which will include both the operational budget and the capital improvement projects, uh program budget.

So starting off with our overview of the CIP.

In broad brushstrokes, our CIP program is a roadmap for funding major infrastructure projects.

Uh it's typically set out in a five-year, it's a five-year planning tool.

It's a dynamic document.

We revisit it every single year.

We update it to reflect new mandates, uh, safety needs, uh, council goals, and other you know, current events that are impacting our infrastructure across the city.

Um so typically from year to year, we identify and reprioritize there's a long list of items that we look at, but it's uh vetted across multiple departments and multiple community agencies throughout the city.

And um this year specifically, uh we had several program adjectives and goals.

And um really our focus is prudent financial or fiscal management, matching our to-do list with our actual capacity uh to get the work done.

Um really the third bullet point uh just to highlight uh the presentation I had during last council meeting.

Our HR department has been very successful.

Our engineering team finds itself more staffed and more able to take on projects now than we have in years.

So we're excited to get working, we're excited to get projects rolling out.

And uh this was a consideration as we're planning and programming out our projects.

Uh we also focus on consolidating related projects.

Uh in prior years, there was a lot of related projects that would be independent programs, independent projects that uh we focused on bringing them together for efficiencies and uh focused a lot on closing out completed projects, reprogramming unneeded funds to where they could be used better uh for this year and future years.

So just to talk about the CIP funding sources.

And in the capital program, we look at them in three different buckets.

So for streets and pathways, you see all the different tax measures that we have here locally in the county and federal and state regional grants.

Park and rec facilities have their own bucket of fund sources, and the same goes for municipal buildings.

And when it's a restricted revenue fund, those funds cannot go to the general fund.

So we take a hard look at all of our sources, take a hard look at what projects fit where in which buckets can fund them, and uh that's what we use to move them forward.

And this table represents uh the outlook for uh funding sources for this coming fiscal year, 2627.

And it is a substantially larger number than what we see annually.

Um the reason being uh we've had some major wins here in the city.

Uh this is a long-term project, but if you look towards the middle, eight million three hundred thousand dollars is coming from TAM measure A, which is uh tax measure that has since gone away, but the major streets category uh was dedicated to large projects such as our Nevado Boulevard Improvement Project.

Um we have so eight million three hundred thousand coming from county tax measures that has been put aside.

So we'll be uh collecting and spending that this coming fiscal year for the Nevada Boulevard Widening Project.

Um additionally uh we have grants, the $2.8 million is we're very excited to be partnering with the Historic Guild.

They gave us a donation of $3.2 million.

It's not up to 3.2 in there because we're already spending it.

We're already uh awarding contracts to get pre-construction going on that project, but more about that to come.

But this gives you a breakdown of what we're planning on um expending in the coming fiscal year, and really uh this is a much larger number than you usually see, but it's been planned out and set up well.

So to explore a little bit more about the CAB grant funding, uh, what we're doing in the city are actively exploring a lot of notice for funding opportunities, uh, and we're strategically selecting uh individual grants to pursue.

Uh takes a lot of staff time, a lot of capacity issues to pursue grant funding.

Um, but the last bullet point, uh, we are planning to bring an item to you in a future council meeting to request permission to pursue an active transportation grant uh to do sidewalk now closures along Redwood.

So all the way from uh close to uh south of Diablo all the way up to the smart uh train station at uh San Marin.

So it's a lot of good work that can be coming from outside funding sources.

So we wanted to take a moment and highlight a few of our current initiatives.

Uh you've heard a lot about Novato Bodalard Widening.

Uh we are at 100% design.

So when we manage a project, a lot of times you have planning, then you move from design uh to construction, and and then you can close out a project.

So we are ready to go to the construction stage.

It's a partnership that we have uh partnered with in the Novato Sanitary District and North Marin Water District.

Uh so we're gonna have a collaborative three-party uh contract, and uh we are working towards awarding a construction management and inspection contract right now, and uh looking to start the actual construction later this summer.

It's gonna be a 24-month process.

Um, we we understand that it's been difficult watching PG ⁇ E and the other private uh utility companies turning up the road, working on their schedule.

We've been trying to learn from their mistakes, trying to learn how to communicate better, and we want to move this project forward in a way that's uh much more habitable and much more accommodately accommodating to our transportation uh users in the county and the city.

Another ongoing project, the Hamilton Amphitheater uh restoration and uh improvements.

We are currently working towards uh finalizing design.

We're doing this in-house, and just to give you a little bit of uh the secret sauce behind the scenes, that image on the left is you know, when you do a playground design, you want to look at if you put a slide up, if you put a swing up, there's fall zones.

There's design specifications that say, okay, we don't want you know our youth falling into each other, running into each other, and you know, there's many, many iterations of this.

And this is one of many possibilities of what the Hamilton amphitheater new playground structures will look like.

Uh so there's going to be new place structure, there's going to be a new place surface, and a lot of ADA improvements in the general grounds.

Another roadway widening project that's happening and going to construction this summer is the Olive Avenue roadway phase three project.

So this would start at the intersection of Redwood at Olive Avenue, and it goes to Railroad Avenue on the other side of the railroad tracks.

And this picture is just a uh one tiny little spec into a very complex set of plans to highlight how much detail and how much planning goes into just the striping of a railroad crossing and a couple of intersections, let alone all the utilities underground and everything that's been moved out of the right-of-way.

So we're excited to be having this moving forward.

We have all the permitting necessary.

We are going out to bid for construction.

There's going to be two construction contracts, and we're really excited to start it as close to June 15 as possible, which is when the permit is uh clear to go.

Another project we're very excited about is the donations from the, like I mentioned before, the Historic Guild.

Uh it was a $3.2 million donation.

And the city is coming forward with approximately $220,000 of our own money for managing the project.

Uh and you can see a little before and after of what we're hoping this will look like.

We're gonna have a great upgraded historic museum right next door, and uh and ideally a new stage uh for the green, and we're really really excited to be pushing it forward.

And also ongoing is the design uh for the Nevada Police Department HVEC replacement.

So we have awarded a contract for design services, and the consultant is starting with an Ash ray level two energy audit.

It's basically taking a hard look at the building, uh, the envelope, and all the different pieces of the facility to see okay when we do an HVAC upgrade, what should it be?

And then in the future, what other energy efficiency updates can we do uh to make this a better, more habitable uh building for our our officers and our staff over in the police department.

So we're excited that it's going.

Uh we'll be coming back to council with design recommendations from this consultant and then uh explore funding for construction at a later time.

And on the consent tonight, I'm happy uh that council approved the notice of completion for 25001.

So last year's pavement rehabilitation project is now closed out.

And uh you can see the lines on the left.

Uh it was several small stretches of road that were identified for full uh mill and overlay restoration.

So there are intense projects that involve a lot of construction.

Uh what we've done is for fiscal year 26, 27, or five, sorry, fiscal year 25-26, we will be focusing on Redwood Boulevard.

It's gonna be a mix of mill and overlay, but also slurry seal and restriping along Redwood, all the way from uh it's Roland to San Marin at Etherton.

And so our central corridor, our one of our main arteries for the entire transportation network in Nevado, it's gonna look great.

It's something that's gonna be a cohesive product.

There's gonna be uh a new bike lane going from Roulone to Diablo.

Uh it's class four, so it's gonna look a lot like Hamilton Parkway.

So separated, safer bike lanes uh for our pedestrians on Redwood.

And then next, going to our new programs and projects and uh also existing projects that have new funding.

So we talked a little bit about the current year's pavement rehab uh for fiscal year 27, 26, 27.

The budget for that pavement project will be roughly 2.6 million.

Uh over the summer, there's going to be uh inspections and scanning throughout our entire roadway system to get updated PCI uh ratings for all of our roads, and we're gonna base the roadway selection on the new data.

So, can't say exactly which roads we're gonna do next fiscal year, however, they're gonna have the data to back it to make a good decision.

Um we've already talked about the bottom of boulevard widening and the olive avenue winding projects, uh, but we're introducing a new storm drape pipe replacement project, and this is gonna be managed from our courtyard.

Uh this is to support our staff that are out there working on storm drains, working on pipes and giving them the capital funds to actually address you know, this would probably be one stretch of pipe across the road.

You know, they they worked with these things uh day in and day out.

A lot of times there's budget constraints.

They need to wait for the CIPs next year's CIP to address an emergency.

Uh we know this is something that we wanted to give them the capital to be able to do, identify the worst pipes and the worst drains to actually get stuff done uh in-house.

Um traffic, bike, and pet improvements.

This is an ongoing CIP that is going around the city identifying and actually addressing previously identified projects, such as uh uh last presentation that we gave was regarding the Measure M safety improvements, which is the next item on the list.

These are both directed at getting our roads safer, identifying whether it be sidewalk gaps or crossings that could be improved or intersections that could use new crossings.

Uh these types of projects are uh the traffic bike and pet improvements capital project is ongoing.

Uh and also to that end, Measure M, the pedestry and safety project really gives us that extra bit of funding to make progress on these, make real substantial improvements to our safety and many, many different places across the city.

Uh and then San Marin Drive quarter improvements.

I'm gonna explore this a little bit more on the next slide.

So there's been a lot of talk about San Marin Drive, and part of the capital improvement planning process this year, we decided to consolidate four independent and unique uh you know, well, unique in the fact that there are different locations, but there were there used to be four different CIPs for different spots on San Marin Drive.

Uh proper planning would include an entire quarter study, find out the interrelations between every single intersection, prioritize them, look at them from a holistic standpoint.

And so what we're uh planning on doing is doing a corridor study uh this next fiscal year, and uh then rolling out what the study says that is likely going to be alignment with what we've observed, these different intersections, whether it be uh at the high school, at Nevada Boulevard, at Simmons, um uh San Andreas, those large intersections do need reformatting.

They do need uh work and they need a lot of safety improvements.

Uh it's joining our process with the potential construction going in San Marin right away.

We're at a standstill.

Right now, we can't go to construction when we know that there could be a pipeline coming through and tearing up this roadway.

So the best thing to do is come up with a good plan, and that's what this is intending to do is coming up with a good plan to either join and work with Marin Water to have some of these projects added to their project or follow them shortly after with our own initiatives.

Another plan project is the Hamilton.

Oh, we're switching over to parks and rec.

Um, we just went through uh infrastructure and uh transportation.

We're switching over to parks, recreation, community services.

So we are excited to be working on the Hamilton community pool.

Uh we know that the play structure and the smaller pool is beyond its expected useful life.

Uh, and so $50,000 is going to be dedicated to doing a proper assessment and inspection of the pool and the infrastructure underneath the pool, the pumps, the entire system to come up with a new proposal to how to fix it, how to update it, and how to replace it with something that's compliant and it's gonna serve our community.

And part of that is going to be a lot of outreach over this summer during the pool season.

Uh the consultant, whoever we hire, will be spending a lot of time out there surveying and talking to our community members to see what we actually, you know, what our community members want.

Uh the downtown rec center turf, similar uh situation.

We need to take a hard look at what exists.

There's drainage problems uh after a rain, water pools in the turf area.

Uh the there's no more bounce, there's no more spring in the surface, and there's a lot of upgrades that we feel we can do, but we need to do a proper assessment to understand what's there, what's underneath the ground and the best way to address it moving forward.

Um Marin Highlands Park.

That is one that uh we have funds split across two different years for this.

So the funding right there says 300,000.

However, the total funding for it is roughly 500 or 450 or 550,000.

But the intent is to take the outdated structures, take the surface and replace it all, and address uh accessibility needs at the park.

Um down, Marion Park, those are fields that we are new know are used heavily.

We know that the it's everything from the portable uh restrooms that are rented by I think it's the Girl Softball League, they're not on ADA pads.

Uh we know that there is accessibility issues from a north entrance to the park that the local residents are using as a cut through.

We need to address that.

We need to address, you know, uh entering the park from the south.

So there's a lot of upgrades that we want to do, and there's a lot of gopher-related damage to the turf.

And um a lot of that is identified within this 200,000 dollars to be addressed.

And lastly, uh Miwok Fence Project, phase two.

This would be continuing uh a current initiative of adding fence along the creek and with Miwok Park.

And this is accessibility and preventing, you know, honestly, just preventing folks from falling into steep creek.

Moving on to municipal buildings.

We are focused on investing in critical systems.

Uh right now it's the Scout House renovations would be a well, we've talked about this already.

It's a new process, it's funded by grant or by donor donations.

Um but the DRC and gymnastics center HVAC replacement was a critical system that has had rising costs maintain.

And if that goes down and fails completely, then it shuts down the entire facility.

So it's a critical system that we want to keep running and operating at all times.

So we've prioritized that for this year.

Uh and another uh project, the rooftop solar module replacement.

Uh we have solar systems on Hill Gymnasium, Margaret Todd Center, and the downtown rec center, they're all aging.

Uh there are several electrical inverters that are out.

Uh and at this point in time, we need to have a consultant inspect the entire systems, look at their age, look at the expected useful life left, and we need to determine if it is actually worth investing the money to replace expensive inverters, or if we need to plan on redoing the entire system.

So this data-informed approach will be uh what we intend to prioritize future solar replacements.

And just a note on the bottom uh during the operating budget presentation, uh, there was mention of a facilities condition assessment uh moving forward, municipal buildings, facilities across the city.

We intend on using data collected this coming fiscal year to prioritize.

It'll look at everything from our downtown buildings to our rec centers to the Hamilton buildings, the arts uh facilities and in Hamilton, and it will tell us updated information.

It'll give us what we need to know because the last time a facility's condition assessment was done was 2013.

And so at this point we're working with outdated data.

And then continuous program projects.

This is a unique grouping because capital projects are typically you start a project, you do the project, you finish a project, and you move on.

Uh however, these are continuous.

Uh these are uh a collection of six different projects that are just ongoing.

It's you know our commitment to the community could is to can you continue doing these things.

So we know accessibility enhancements are always going to be critical.

Uh so 17002 and 03 uh that's facilities and parks, respectively.

Uh so we are always going to be focusing on improving accessibility across our facilities and parks.

So it's going to be a program that you're going to see for many years to come.

Uh pavement management space four, it's an agreement with uh the Metropolitan Transit Commission, MTC.

Uh, and it's how we get our roads scanned, it's how we use uh Street Saver, which is an online application that allows us to look at PCI and plan out our roadway rehab projects.

Um then the ongoing sidewalk repair program, it's uh a constant problem, and we always have to be updating uh repairing and uh this program is set up to be helping community members share the cost with the city for repairing sidewalks.

Uh next one replacing wooden street light poles.

Um this started back in 2023 when it was 1,400 wood poles that street lights exist on were logged, cataloged, and we found that out of 1,400 street lights that we uh are responsible for, a thousand of them are on PG ⁇ E poles.

400 of them are on wooden poles that we are responsible, responsible for owning and operating.

Uh and so we've replaced 65 of them so far, but we have 335 left.

So we need to get rid of wooden streetlight poles.

So it's everything from crash safety to fire safety, and so updating our street lighting infrastructure is just a program until we get through that 335 remaining polls.

Um then moving on to traffic, bicycle, and pet improvements.

We touched on that earlier, it's ongoing, it exists, and we're just going to continue improving safety throughout the city.

And lastly, the new storm drain pipe replacement, that will be a $50,000 a year program.

So that will continue on in years to come.

So as a reminder, uh staff will be returning on May 12 for the budget workshop with council to discuss both operating and capital improvement program budgets.

And staff is available for questions.

Thank you, Chris.

Thanks for the uh presentation.

And I think I'm speaking for all the council um for that thoughtful proposal.

Uh, do I have questions?

Yep.

I'm not seeing any.

I'm gonna open up public oh, sorry, it was very delayed.

Councilmember Eklund.

Um great presentation.

Um makes a lot of sense.

I have a couple of questions there, but before I do, um I volunteer at the Hamilton Museum, and um the I I noticed that in the budget we have a complete assessment of that building.

What we need and more immediately is redoing the entryway so that people have a safe entrance entryway into the museum.

Have you seen it?

Yes, ma'am.

You have?

Okay, great.

So um why can't we before we do a complete assessment?

Why can't we just make the improvements in the front so that people have a uh larger um pathway to get into the museum without um stumbling on bricks that have um sank in the in the dirt?

Which I think is a safety issue.

I mean, we've got it blocked off, but the problem is is that um every day that this continues, and it's been almost a year since uh we brought it to the city's attention, and nothing's been done about it.

And so why why because the way the current budget is being presented, it's like okay, we're gonna do a complete assessment, but we're not gonna do any of repairs until maybe a year a year or two beyond that.

That's something we're looking at two or three years beyond what it is now.

So can you help me to understand why we can't make the repairs in the front and make that a um a priority since it is a potential hazard?

We brought forward an item on March 24 uh that explored three different levels of uh repairs that we could do on the Hamilton Field History Museum.

That's right.

Um and at that time council elected to defer uh the project until later date.

Uh but what I'm hearing is that uh council would like to explore not deferring it.

I I would like to, because I have to tell you, all the volunteers are asking me, well, when is this going to be fixed?

You know, because people who have the uh baby strollers or something like that.

Um it's not uh it's um it's safe to come in, but it it really does not look good for the city.

I mean, tons of people are coming in and the city can't fix this.

And it's really and in my opinion, it's something that the city itself can do rather than contracting out.

But I guess I implore the council, if you haven't seen it, you need to see it because it is it does not look very good, and it is a danger if someone were to go around the um the uh borders or whatever we want to call it that are trying that are at least diverting people into the museum, but not necessarily preventing them from having access to that because they want to see their brick, for an example.

So is this something that we can do in-house?

I'm asking the public works directors.

So um Councilmember Eklund, as a public works director stated this was something that was brought to the city council last month, and the council did ask us to include it as part of the facility needs assessment.

That said, of course, if the council would like to move this project forward in a different way or in a different timeline ahead of the full facility needs assessment at that time, the council's direction was to understand what all the needs are, since this is general fund monies that would need to go towards these uh different projects.

So if that's something that the council's interested in moving forward more quickly outside of the facility needs assessment, we'll certainly take that direction.

Great.

Um so I really implore the council to do this fix.

I don't even know how much it would cost or whether we can do it in-house or not.

Um and that's something that I think the council would need to know whether or not that's possible before the decision is made.

Um so but we've gotten no information.

And the historical field has gotten no information either from the city.

So um yeah, certainly we can we can certainly um bring that information back to you again so that you can take a look at that.

So what you're saying is that you're gonna bring it back as a separate item to the council.

If that's council's direction, we can certainly do that.

If council would like us to include it in the May uh budget update, we can do that as well.

We did bring forth in March three different options for the council to consider for different ways that this um project could be addressed.

Um but again at that time council's direction last month was to include this in the facility needs assessment.

So we're happy to take council's direction.

I agree that the whole building should be looked at, but the building is very solid, but right the entranceway that needs to be fixed.

Councilmember Uckland, your five minutes is up.

Can we come back to you?

Well, we never were limited on how much time we ask questions of staff.

We've been doing that now.

I've got another budget questions as well.

Yeah, that's fine, we'll come back.

No problem.

Councilmember O'Connor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, regarding Nevada Boulevard, uh, it's great to see that's gonna start moving forward in the summer.

Have you a rough timeline in terms of how long you expect it to take to complete?

Yes.

Um anticipated start being late summer.

Um the anticipated timeline is and the way that lines up, uh the Novato Sanitary District is going to start first.

Uh their pipes are the deepest, and um the project as they move forward, they will be followed by the North Brainwater portion of the project.

So it's an exercise in coordination and collaboration.

Uh as it's going to be one contractor working on it all simultaneously, but it's going to be separate and distinct um asset types.

So it's going to be two parallel projects happening.

But um one will follow the other, and then the city's portion of the project will be the final um stormwater and roadway um widening aspect of it.

So there's a lot that goes into it, and we know and realize that a lot can go wrong with that.

And the 24 month is a conservative estimate, estimating delays, estimating weather, estimating whatever might happen during normal construction.

Um we feel confident with that.

But as we know with construction, things can happen.

And so we will be continuing the mess on Navado Boulevard for 24 months.

But we're very excited about the outcome.

We're excited about the uh roadway widening and at one of our budget pop-up sessions.

One of our community members suggested we have a parade uh when we open it up for widening.

So that was probably one of my favorite suggestions uh that we received.

They weren't kidding.

And then uh same question for all of you.

Have you approximate timeline for the work that's going on there?

We are hoping and planning that this will all happen this summer.

Um, our window to work within the creek.

Uh it's a creek area.

Some could call it a Dutch, something to call it creek, but it's on the north side of all of Avenue uh between the Trader Joe's uh parking lot and that it will become a uh box culvert.

Uh we can only do that part of the construction uh during the summer months.

It's a four and a half month window, I believe.

And we it might be five months, but it starts on June 15th.

So our anticipation is starting that, getting that going, and we want to wrap that up as soon as humanly possible.

Uh and if we are successful, it will be done this summer.

Okay, thank you.

And then and I just want to compliment you on the roadward boulevard repaving project.

That'll be a significant improvement as well.

Thank you.

Mayor Pretem Jacobs.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you for the Redwood Boulevard.

I had some comments from somebody at one of the businesses here in town who said Edwood Boulevard near really needs an upgrade.

And I think this will make a dramatic impact.

Thank you.

I've got another question.

Marin Highlands Park, I used to live in that neighborhood.

That's the one pictured here.

Used to have three access points.

One of them being on Blanca.

There's an access point on Amber Court.

And there used to be two houses on Santa Maria, excuse me, two houses in Santa Maria that they had fencing which created a pathway.

So each house had a fence, and there was a pathway that went up to the park.

And recently, last time I saw it, that pathway's gone.

So I'm wondering, and I will send the information through Amy Cunningham to you so she can forward it.

I'll give approximate area, I'm not sure exactly where, because my question is did somebody move their fence and take some of our property, or was this something that was provided for the public by one of the neighbors or what?

So I don't want to because if I lived on Santa Maria, uh Mayor lives on I don't really tell another street near there, sorry.

And um on Santa Maria, you've got to walk all the way up to the top, go up Blanca, and come back down into the park, or up excuse me, or up Amber.

And this was just another access to the park.

So I'll look into that and send the information through the city manager.

Um Mewok Park fencing phase two.

Do you have an idea when that might be done?

Is that going to be along the creek?

Yes.

Yeah.

So it's good.

The fencing will be along the creek.

We are working with some cultural monitoring aspects of the phase one.

And we plan on uh working with an archaeological expert to tell us what we can and should do.

Okay, because there's some um temporary, it looks like temporary fencing there now, steel post, and it's really getting beat up pretty badly.

And it does in the summertime with the kids climbing over and everything.

Um it is temporary fencing, I see there.

We're very excited to use a new type of fence post.

It's a screw system, so it's less disturbing to underneath the surface.

So we're swerking through that to get phase one rolling, and then uh I think we could once we have phase one going, phase two can be backloaded right behind it.

Great.

Um storm drain replacement, 50,000.

When's the last time we've done some storm drain replacement?

So I know we've been tight for a few years with deficits and everything, and now we've got some funding.

Um do you know when the last time we've done any of that?

Been a long time.

I do not have that information on me, but Stephanie's we can easily look it up.

So that leads to my question.

Is 50,000 enough?

As a stormwater guy, that's that's my background in public work, started off in stormwater.

Um it's a lot of work to be done.

50,000 is not enough.

Um, but giving the operational boost uh would help our crews be able to address more needs easier throughout the year.

Um we do have some uh future major capital projects on the Storm Out Realm uh that's uh we will be coming back on May 12 with uh at least two with future funding uh laid out and um they're existing uh but it's just in the out years, not for the fiscal year 26-27.

Okay.

And then there's I believe there was a note in there about gas tax monies.

Yes.

So I know we get gas tax money from the state, and then I was reading that we get a hundred dollars registration, vehicle registrations.

Do we get any additional funds that people with EVs pay?

People with EVs pay an additional registration fee because they're not paying for gasoline that goes towards the streets.

Do we get any of that money from the state?

That I don't have the information on as well.

I've I've looked into it, tried to find out, and I cannot find it.

I uh council member sorry, Mayor Pro Tem Jacobs.

Um that does come through the VLF funding.

It does come through there.

Okay, great.

All right, good, then I feel better about that.

All right, thank you.

Councilmember Carkel.

Uh yes, thank you.

Um I wanted to bring up something that I think has come up before, and this is actually a project with Marin Water, um, their atmospheric river capture project.

And I know it's uh in uh councilmember Jacobs' district, but it's uh somewhat of interest to me.

And I just kind of wanted to uh get a sense of where you think the uh Marin Water um district is in terms of you know the the funding for this project.

I mean how how serious are they really about this this project because this is a project that's it's it's pretty it's a pretty broad project.

It's uh the scope is very large and it could impact obviously uh that part of town and actually you know spread its impact pretty much all over town um if it went forward.

So I was just curious about um you know how uh you know how we handled this and you know what the cost impacts are in the immediate uh sort of the initial phases uh of the project as well.

It's uh so this question is more to kind of get us thinking about that maybe a little bit uh rather than you know try to narrow down yeah what the scope of it or what the impact would be at this point.

So I'm gonna give you the rough answer, but I'm gonna ask the city manager to step in for me and clean it up in a second.

But um, you know, our we're in discussions with Marin Water meeting more and more, uh, and it seems as though their effort is increasing.

Uh they're uh committing a lot of effort to move this project forward.

However, uh we're still in the entry level asking for data phase.

Um we at this point in the city don't know exactly what the lines uh you know what the ley line is going to be of the pipes.

Is it north westbound traffic lanes?

Is it gonna be eastbound traffic lanes?

We're not even at that point.

So uh it's very early stages.

Um but as far as the overarching question of more is this happening, I think I might have to lean uh to our city manager to pitch in.

Sure, thank you.

Um so I think there's a couple things going on with this.

As you pointed out, this is having an impact on some of our uh long long-term plans that we've had for Sam Marin Drive, and so it is impacting our ability to make significant safety improvements there, particularly after the DUI that happened um last month.

Um so that's it's a little bit um concerning from just from a local level with the community.

Um we have been investing a lot of staff time in working with them to understand what the scope of their project is, what the impacts would be, and trying to explain to them what the impacts to the Novato community are.

Uh staff, we had a meeting with some of their uh more senior staff last week, and um I am meeting with the general manager tomorrow to have some additional conversations about what what this project is, what the timeline is, what the likelihood of it moving forward is, and um how we can work together to make sure that any impacts can be mitigated because this is a project that you know will will cause it a large long-term disruption to our community.

Um and it will be for um uh to benefit people not in the Novato area.

So we do have some significant concerns about it, but we are working with them to understand what that is, and I will certainly keep um myself and public works director will keep everybody updated on that so that you understand what's happening.

So just one quick follow-up.

One quick follow-up question on that.

Uh you know, we have uh as a city we have initial costs associated with coordinating with them and working with them and stuff.

So we're gonna be tracking them.

And um, is there a possibility that we would have a cost recovery on uh on that on those efforts?

Uh certainly, yes.

At some level, absolutely, yes.

And I think because of the level of disruption that this is causing, we're investing some time with them at the front end to make sure that they're understanding um what's happening and we're laying the groundwork for our expectations about how this could be rolled out uh more smoothly in our community.

Great, thank you.

Um and I just have one question before going back to Councilmember Eklin.

Um the San Marin and Sutro uh improvements that we're doing, that won't have any delay because of the larger San Marin project.

I know we're already a little delayed on that one, but like the sidewalk and that side of I guess San Marin.

I believe you're talking about a sidewalk gap closure on Citro.

Yep.

That is uh yeah, you are right.

We are delayed on that.

And I think prior staffing and capacity concerns, I think, have led to that, but our intent is to do that.

The sidewalk up closure.

And that won't have any impact too, or like it won't have an impact or anything on the greater of Sand Marin.

That will come first.

Correct.

Because it's doesn't really touch.

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

Councilman Bracklin.

Thank you.

On page 20 on your slide, you have that footnote of FY2627 facilities condition will inform future facility CIP project recommendations.

Is that also going to include parks as well?

Or just the CIP?

This will just be facilities.

That resulted in the parks master plan.

If you would like to talk about that, I could ask our parks director to come up.

But I if your question is just if it's different, the answer is they're different.

There's a facility study, and then there's a separate parks study.

Okay, so you're you're not um proposing to look at parks at all in this facility.

CIP project recommendations.

Correct.

So about um two years ago, the we went through well, actually three years ago, we went through a very extensive community engagement process and uh parks assessment process.

And two years ago, the council adopted the parks master plan, and that is what is informing our parks projects and has informed the priority of the park improvements that have been happening over the last couple of years.

And how old is that?

It was adopted in 2024.

2024.

Great, thank you.

And I'm sure it's on the website.

It's absolutely on the website.

Um on the chart um on the um staff report, you have measure M 1.25 million dollars.

What is that gonna be used for?

So measure M 1.25 million.

Um pardon me while I navigate the 1.25 million every year.

So for uh 10102, I guess.

This will vary over time.

For this coming fiscal year, one million of that is towards the pavement rehabilitation projects.

And 250,000 is for the measure M pedestrian uh and transportation safety projects.

Okay.

So pedestrian and then the million is for the streets.

Gotcha.

And then um on TAM measure A.

Um the 8.

Uh 360.

What is that for?

That entirety will be going to the Nevada Boulevard widening project.

And Novato Boulevard are is that gonna be three lanes or is it gonna remain two lanes there?

It will be a three-lane road.

There's going to be a center lane that's the alternate, you know, turn lane on both directions.

Uh and this is a multimodal uh project.

So you imagine the three lanes in the middle, there will be bike lanes just outside of that, and then student new sidewalks on both sides as well.

So is there gonna be any taking of um property?

There has been multiple uh properties where we have negotiated for front edge uh property acquisitions.

And that's so it's all done, all the negotiation of the properties, or is that still yet to be done on some portions of it?

Still yet to be done.

Okay, it still has to be done.

Okay.

So do you anticipate that this project is gonna be done this next fiscal year, or do you think it's gonna lapse over into two years?

We believe it will lapse into two years.

Okay, that's what I thought.

Okay.

Great.

Um the TAM measure AA, the 1.7 million.

It was 975,000 last year.

So it's um almost doubled.

Um can you explain to me what that money is going to be used for?

Yes.

Um so the measure AA funds go to a wide variety of transportation projects.

It is a transportation infrastructure uh restricted revenue.

So it would be uh partly paying for our annual pavement rehab projects.

There are the um I'm gonna go forward a couple of slides so we can actually look at them.

Um but the roadway safety improvements that are not the measure M funding.

So here we are.

uh restricted revenue so it would be uh t partly paying for our annual pavement rehab projects there are the um I'm gonna go forward a couple slides so we can actually look at them um but the roadway safety improvements that are not the measure M funding so here we are uh the what slide is that traffic bike and pet improvements 200,000 a year uh would be uh funded in part if not completely by the measure AA so which one do you say was gonna be funded by 1.7 million dollars the fifth bullet point traffic bike and pet improvements so that's 200,000 we still have one and a half million dollars left the we can look up the specific accounting for it but the slideshow doesn't have a comprehensive itemized list of which funds funds which projects um so this is the total rolled up amount for every CIP and based on this information I I cannot give an accurate answer but we can get you that information.

Okay that'd be great.

Because if you look at your projects or the bike pet bike traffic bike and pet improvements and then also the annual pavement rehab program so the total amounts in those two buckets in those two project buckets.

So if you look at fund number two fifty six where there's four point six million two point four point seven if you round up that also goes to streets and intersections too so if you could just uh identify um which streets and intersections um are is that fund gonna be um funding as well that's the diff fund so that would be Novato Boulevard also I just would like to see it so that we know which funds are for which this is you know when you look at measure M, Measure M may not supposed to be all for pedestrian or for streets.

Measure M was also supposed to be for other services as well.

So um that's why I was kind of concerned that it's that much money is being set aside for Measure M.

Yeah.

So um when we bring when we come back in May you'll see um the more detailed picture of it.

Again today we're looking at the higher level piece of it and you're absolutely correct we are putting a lot of money into completing Novato Boulevard it costs a lot of money we're putting we're putting the money there so that we can get that project done because it's been going on for so many years and uh PGE's pretty much done so it's our turn with with our local utility district so we're excited to deliver that project.

Yeah I would still highly recommend that we try to apply for as many grants as from MTC as possible and I know that you know how to do that so really appreciate that.

That's all if I have any other questions I'll send them on email.

All right thank you.

Um now I'm gonna open it for public comment I don't have any cards Laura doesn't either I'll close public comments are there any other questions or feedback from council all right do you have what you need then good to go awesome.

All right so moving on to item M adjournment so the next regular city council meeting will be held on May twelfth twenty twenty six if you if council has anyone they'd like to uh adjourn in memory of all right then I adjourn the meeting not bad