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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Walnut Creek City Council Special and Regular Meeting - April 1, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, April 1, 2025

BodyWalnut Creek, California

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, April 1, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:57:06

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

0:08

Good afternoon.

0:09

I am Cindy Darling, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, April 1st, 2025 special meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council.

0:17

For the record, I would like to note that Councilmember Francois is absence due to a work conflict.

0:22

The special meeting is called for the purpose of holding a closed session related to the following.

0:27

We have three existing litigation course class.

0:33

We're having a conference with legal counsel on existing litigation on three different cases.

0:39

Does any member of the public wish to comment on a closed session item?

0:42

As a reminder, each speaker will only have two minutes to make their remarks.

0:47

Okay, seeing no speakers in the room, the city council will reconvene in closed session in the second floor conference room.

0:53

Thank you.

0:58

All right, good evening.

1:00

I'm Cindy Darling, the mayor of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, March, April 1st, or Tuesday, March, April.

1:06

I think that would be the Tuesday, April 1st, regular meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council.

1:11

I guess I should read these notes once before.

1:13

It is April Fools, is it?

1:14

My kids got me this morning.

1:16

The City Council is conducting this meeting in the City Council chamber.

1:19

This meeting is being video streamed and can be viewed live or later on the city's website.

1:24

As some attendees may be participating in their first Walnut Creek City Council meeting, I wanted to welcome everyone and talk briefly about the public comment process.

1:33

For each agenda item, there will be an opportunity for public comment on the item.

1:37

Thus, if you desire to speak to us on an item on the agenda this evening, please hold your comments until the city council considers that item.

1:45

Additionally, we have a section on the agenda titled Public Communication, which is for public comments for items that are not on the agenda.

1:52

Any comments during public communication should not relate to an item on the agenda.

1:56

Consistent with section 9.5 of the City Council Handbook, 30 minutes will be initially allocated for public communications for items not on the agenda.

2:04

Additional time for public communications for items not on the agenda will be provided again at the end of the open session.

2:11

If you desire to provide a public comment, please complete a speaker identification card and line up behind the lectern at the appropriate time.

2:18

Wait your turn, and when you approach a lector and please state your name, City of Residence.

2:22

You'll have two minutes to address the council.

2:24

Please keep in mind that this is a city business meeting.

2:27

The City Council has adopted rules of decorum to ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently and effectively and that all members of the public have a full, fair, and equal opportunity to be heard.

2:38

The City Council handbook outlines decorum expected in the council chamber and can be found on our website.

2:44

All remarks should be addressed to the City Council.

2:46

Please do not use threatening, profane, or abusive language which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting.

2:54

Again, each speaker will have their two minutes to make your remarks.

2:58

And the written comments submitted and received up to two hours before the meeting have been posted to the city's website for public review and are included in the meeting record, but will not be read separately into the record.

3:10

So now let's all stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

3:22

And to the Republic for which it stands.

3:25

One nation under God.

3:29

Liberty and justice for all.

3:33

Thank you.

3:34

City Clerk Susie Martinez, would you please call the roll?

3:37

Councilmember DeVinny.

3:39

Here.

3:39

Councilmember Silva here.

3:40

Mayor Pro Temwelk.

3:41

Here.

3:42

Mayor Darling.

3:43

Here.

3:43

And Councilmember Francois is absent due to a work conflict.

3:47

Okay.

3:48

And now for our first proclamation, I will go ahead and introduce it and then I will call our friends from the library up to do their presentation for us.

3:56

So this is National Library Week, which is a fun week because libraries spark creativity, fuel imagination, inspire lifelong learning, offer space where individuals of all ages can explore new ideas and be drawn to new possibilities.

4:13

Their vibrant community hubs, connecting people with knowledge, technology, and resources while fostering civic engagement, critical thinking, and lifelong learning, which are sometimes important civic skills.

4:25

Their free and equitable access to books and digital tools and innovative programming.

4:29

My sister taught me about Libby this weekend, so I'm all getting on top of that.

4:33

Ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background, have the support they need to learn, connect, and thrive.

4:38

They partner with schools, businesses, organization, connecting the dots to maximize resources, and empower job seekers, entrepreneurs, lifelong learners, providing access to resources, training, and opportunities.

4:52

They nurture young minds through story time, STEAM programs, literacy initiatives, fostering curiosity and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.

5:01

They protect the right to read, think, and explore without censorship, standing as champions of intellectual freedom and free expression.

5:09

Another thing that is very important in this democracy.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Parking Management██████████████████████████████30%

Arts And Culture█████████████13%

Public Engagement█████████9%

Public Safety█████5%

Housing█████5%

Public Transit█████5%

Zoning and Planning█████5%

Housing Development Considerations█████5%

Procedural████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Walnut Creek City Council Special and Regular Meeting – April 1, 2025

This meeting consisted of a 4:00 PM special closed session and a 6:00 PM regular session. The Council approved consent items (including a $800,962 slurry seal contract and a $187,500 theater production), held a public hearing to levy annual assessments for two downtown business improvement districts, and directed staff to bring forward a revised parking ordinance (Option C: Flexible Demand) for a future public hearing. Councilmember Francois was absent due to a work conflict.

Consent Calendar

The consent calendar included approval of March 18, 2025 minutes; acceptance of warrant registers and payroll transfers; acceptance of work for the Lesher Center Automation System Replacement project; authorization of a $157,302 engineering agreement for Ygnacio Valley Road Rehabilitation; and acceptance of the December 2024 investment and pension trust report. Items 2c (2025 Slurry Seal project) and 2e (Pemberley Productions agreement for "The Woman in Black") were pulled for separate discussion.

Item 2c: Awarded to Pavement Coatings Co. for $725,962 plus a $75,000 contingency, total $800,962, with a $95,000 budget transfer. Motion passed 4-0.
Item 2e: Authorized an agreement with Pemberley Productions, LLC for up to $187,500 for a co-production of "The Woman in Black" at the 300-seat Margaret Lesher Theater. Motion passed 3-1 (Councilmember Wilk opposed, citing concerns about budget cuts and lack of local casting; other members noted the strategic plan and projected positive returns).

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were received during the public communications portion or on any individual agenda item.

Discussion Items

Closed Session Announcement: City Attorney Steve Mattas reported that by a 4-0 vote, the Council directed staff to resume litigation against Windsor Capital Group, Inc.
Proclamations and Presentations:
- National Library Week (April 6–12, 2025): Library managers shared statistics—countywide circulation up 4%, e-circulation up 18%, visits up 6%, virtual use up 22%. The Walnut Creek Library opened 15 years ago (July 2010); the Ygnacio Valley Library turns 50 in September 2025.
- Cleaner Contra Costa Month: The city recognized Sustainable Contra Costa; 930 Walnut Creek households have saved 350,000 lbs of GHG, 430,000 gallons of water, and $78,500 in energy costs since 2019.
- National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 13–19): Recognized dispatchers; the observance originated in Contra Costa County in 1981.
Councilmember Reports: Councilmember Wilk reported that County Connection’s zero-emission bus transition faces delays due to federal grant denials and supplier issues; the inductive charging system at Walnut Creek BART is non-functional. Councilmember Darling reported MCE kept electric rates flat for most customers but raised demand charges for medium-sized commercial accounts.
Public Hearing – Business Improvement District Assessments: The Council held a public hearing and adopted Resolution 25-13 (Downtown BID) and Resolution 25-14 (South BID) for FY 2026, each with a 3% assessment increase. No written protests were received; both passed 4-0.
Parking Ordinance Update (Rightsize Parking Study): Assistant Planner Henry Rood presented four policy options to reduce minimum parking requirements for new multifamily/mixed-use developments outside the ½-mile BART transit zone (where state law already eliminates minimums). The options ranged from the more flexible (Option A: North Downtown Specific Plan, averaging 72% of observed demand) to the most conservative (Option D: Meet Demand, averaging 104%). Council discussed trade-offs; a substitute motion by Councilmember Silva to include guest parking language died for lack of a second. The Council voted 4-0 to direct staff to bring forward Option C: Flexible Demand (0.5 space/studio, 1.0/1-bedroom, 1.25/2+ bedrooms) as the recommended policy for a public hearing and first reading of an ordinance.

Key Outcomes

Closed Session: Directed resumption of litigation against Windsor Capital Group (4-0).
Consent Calendar Items (2a,b,d,f,g): Approved unanimously.
Contract 24-14 (Slurry Seal): Awarded to Pavement Coatings Co. for $800,962 (4-0).
Agreement with Pemberley Productions: Authorized at $187,500 (3-1).
BID/SBID Assessments: Resolutions 25-13 and 25-14 adopted (both 4-0).
Parking Ordinance Direction: Staff to prepare a hearing and ordinance based on Option C: Flexible Demand (4-0).
Next Steps: The parking ordinance will return for a public hearing and first reading at a future meeting, allowing Councilmember Francois to participate.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. I am Cindy Darling, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, April 1st, 2025 special meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council. For the record, I would like to note that Councilmember Francois is absence due to a work conflict. The special meeting is called for the purpose of holding a closed session related to the following. We have three existing litigation course class. We're having a conference with legal counsel on existing litigation on three different cases. Does any member of the public wish to comment on a closed session item? As a reminder, each speaker will only have two minutes to make their remarks. Okay, seeing no speakers in the room, the city council will reconvene in closed session in the second floor conference room. Thank you. All right, good evening. I'm Cindy Darling, the mayor of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, March, April 1st, or Tuesday, March, April. I think that would be the Tuesday, April 1st, regular meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council. I guess I should read these notes once before. It is April Fools, is it? My kids got me this morning. The City Council is conducting this meeting in the City Council chamber. This meeting is being video streamed and can be viewed live or later on the city's website. As some attendees may be participating in their first Walnut Creek City Council meeting, I wanted to welcome everyone and talk briefly about the public comment process. For each agenda item, there will be an opportunity for public comment on the item. Thus, if you desire to speak to us on an item on the agenda this evening, please hold your comments until the city council considers that item. Additionally, we have a section on the agenda titled Public Communication, which is for public comments for items that are not on the agenda. Any comments during public communication should not relate to an item on the agenda. Consistent with section 9.5 of the City Council Handbook, 30 minutes will be initially allocated for public communications for items not on the agenda. Additional time for public communications for items not on the agenda will be provided again at the end of the open session. If you desire to provide a public comment, please complete a speaker identification card and line up behind the lectern at the appropriate time. Wait your turn, and when you approach a lector and please state your name, City of Residence. You'll have two minutes to address the council. Please keep in mind that this is a city business meeting. The City Council has adopted rules of decorum to ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently and effectively and that all members of the public have a full, fair, and equal opportunity to be heard. The City Council handbook outlines decorum expected in the council chamber and can be found on our website. All remarks should be addressed to the City Council. Please do not use threatening, profane, or abusive language which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting. Again, each speaker will have their two minutes to make your remarks. And the written comments submitted and received up to two hours before the meeting have been posted to the city's website for public review and are included in the meeting record, but will not be read separately into the record. So now let's all stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Liberty and justice for all. Thank you. City Clerk Susie Martinez, would you please call the roll? Councilmember DeVinny. Here. Councilmember Silva here. Mayor Pro Temwelk. Here. Mayor Darling. Here. And Councilmember Francois is absent due to a work conflict. Okay.

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