Sand City Council Special Meeting – December 17, 2025
Sand City Council Special Meeting (December 16–17, 2025)
The City Council of Sand City held a special joint meeting with the Successor Agency on December 16, 2025, adjourning to closed session and reconvening at 5:43 PM. The meeting was held virtually and in person, with all members present. The council approved a consent calendar, adopted building code amendments, declared a vacancy on the council, established a process to fill it, approved the Successor Agency’s Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule (ROPS) for FY 2026–27, and authorized an additional police officer position.
Consent Calendar
- Approved 13 items (items 5A–5E) including: approval of meeting minutes; a resolution providing $10,000 to the Food Bank of Monterey County (with $2,000 already contributed by council); a resolution authorizing the Successor Agency executive director to execute a professional services agreement with RSG (up to $25,000) for the FY 2027–28 ROPS; and acceptance of financial reports for October and November 2025.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Brian Clark (resident, 430 RP) thanked the council for the holiday party, thanked Councilmember Libby Sofer for her service, and urged the council to consult the Arts Committee on filling Sofer’s seat and to consider appointing Luke (a prior candidate) as a replacement.
- Tom Jacobson (representing Sand City Marriott) reported that the hotel will go live on the Bonvoy app December 24, 2025, with a soft opening January 12, 2026, and a grand opening January 21, 2026. He noted 64 full-time equivalent employees hired, mostly local, and encouraged the council to use the hotel for events.
- Richard Dole (resident, Ocean View Avenue) thanked Councilmember Sofer for her service.
- Kim Scudder (resident) also thanked Sofer and noted she would miss her.
- Rick Kilpatrick (public comment on police staffing) argued that with 25,000–40,000 daily visitors the city is understaffed (needs around 18 officers) and urged allocating 20–25% of new hotel revenue to policing.
- Warren Rallett (public comment) described the burden of overtime on officers and praised the department’s service, supporting the additional officer.
- Kim Scudder (nurse) spoke in favor of adequate police staffing, drawing parallels to understaffed hospitals.
Discussion Items
- Closed Session (Item 3): The council adjourned to closed session regarding anticipated litigation (six cases). The city attorney reported no reportable action taken.
- Public Hearing (Item 8A): Second reading of an ordinance adopting the 2025 building code amendments. John Keel presented, noting no changes from the first reading. The council adopted the ordinance unanimously.
- Vacancy Declaration (Item 9A): Councilmember Sofer’s resignation effective December 31, 2025. The city manager recommended a process: accept statements of interest until January 14, 2026, with candidate presentations and selection at the February 3, 2026 council meeting. If no agreement within 45 days, the mayor would appoint. The resolution passed unanimously.
- Successor Agency ROPS (Item 9B): Jillian Glickman (RSG) presented the ROPS for FY 2026–27, requesting $2.1 million for enforceable obligations, including $857,000 for bond debt service, $250,000 for administrative costs, and $650,000 for a city loan repayment (which the Department of Finance had previously denied, but included to preserve litigation rights). The council approved the resolution unanimously.
- Police Staffing (Item 9C): Chief Dave Honda requested authorization to add one full-time police officer position (lateral hire) to address staffing shortages driven by the new hotel and development. The fiscal impact is up to $198,000 annually (top step). The department will also apply for a COPS grant. The council approved the motion unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
- Building Code Amendments: Adopted on second reading, effective in 30 days.
- Vacancy and Appointment Process: Resolution passed declaring a vacancy and setting the process; statements of interest due January 14, 2026; selection on February 3, 2026.
- Successor Agency ROPS 26-27: Approved unanimously.
- Additional Police Officer: Authorized budget amendment for one full-time officer, approved unanimously.
- Note on Date: The meeting was called to order on December 16, 2025, but the timestamp provided (2025-12-17 21:44:45+00:00) indicates the summary was generated on December 17, 2025. The meeting content pertains to December 16, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Oh please snap jobs, yeah. Maybe the microscope or uh is Adam on here. I see him over there. Okay. Okay. With that, I'll I would like to go ahead and call the city council special meeting. Joint SAN City Council and Successor Agency for the redevelopment meeting of December 16th to order it is 430. And at this time, Carrie, can uh you call roll, please. Mayor Carbone here. Vice Mayor Blackwell. Councilmember Adams present. Councilmember Diaz here. Thank Council Member Sofer. Here. All present. Okay. Wonderful. Um with that. This meeting is being held, by the way, uh, via Zoom and here in the council chambers. Uh we'll move on to item two communications. At this time, members of the public may address the city council on any matters not appearing on the city council successor agency at this time for up to three minutes. And there's no one in the chambers. No one online. No one online. Um we'll go ahead and uh it has been open to public comment. We'll go ahead and close public comment and we will go on to uh item three, uh closed session, and the city uh council will uh be uh ready to adjourn to closed session regarding conference with legal counsel, anticipated liquid litigation significant exposure to litigation pursuant to government code section 549 by 6.9. Uh two, there are two uh number of cases there are six, and uh with that we will take the first one. Um first item first will be uh with um Stephen Milton. And uh before we go into closed session, I will open it up once more the vote for public comment, just in case anyone joined. Public comment is open on this item. No one online okay public comment is closed, but that will uh excuse the public, which there aren't, and then we probably could go ahead and see and city city council and successive agency meeting of December 16th. The time is 5 43. Thank you for uh being so patient as we finished up that closed session. Uh this meeting is uh being held virtually and in person and is compliant with Assembly Bill 2449 signed into law September 13th, 20 of 2022, which demands government code section to provide authority for public agencies to continue to hold virtual meetings. So this meeting is being broadcasted via Zoom. Uh you may also phone in or is everyone here in the council chambers attend in person. With that, I'll ask our uh city clerk carry if she could fold roll, please. Mayor Carbone here, Vice Mayor Black Boulder here, Councilmember Adams present. Councilmember Diaz here, council so far. Here, all present. Thank you. With that, uh Councilwoman Diaz, would you leave us in the budget for lease? Ready? Under God with Perl. With that announcements by Mayor and City Attorney and City Manager. I just had uh a couple uh quickly um just a couple of the boards that I'm sitting on. So uh our water master board has successfully recruited a new executive director of administration, and over the past several months. I have been uh in continuous meetings on the recruitment of the next CEO uh for community human services. That's a joint uh JPA, so it's all the cities and schools um uh that provide counseling for drug uh train at uh homelessness, uh counseling and the schools, and I'm happy to say we will be interviewing uh very shortly over the next few days of the finalists as we uh replace our current uh CEO, Robin McCray, he will be leaving after 33 years of services. Uh retirement party will be held on March 14, 2026, and uh I'll probably be bringing a um uh resolution to the city uh so that we may give some kind of celebratory certificate for her or her service.
openpublica.com