Walnut Creek City Council Regular Meeting – June 16, 2026
Walnut Creek City Council Regular Meeting – June 16, 2026
The Walnut Creek City Council met on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The meeting began at 6:00 p.m. following a closed session at 4:00 p.m. and adjourned at 9:11 p.m. The council issued a Juneteenth proclamation, approved consent calendar items with separate votes on two pulled items, heard public comments, received councilmember reports (including Mayor Pro Tem Francois’ announcement that he will not seek re-election), and considered three major agenda items: an I-680 ramp metering MOU, the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) annual assessment, and a presentation of the draft Economic Development Action Plan for FY27-28.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (5-0) items a–e: minutes of June 2, 2026; warrant registers and payroll transfers; Resolution 26‑37 (Salary and Wage Plan effective June 21, 2026); Resolution 26‑38 (utility easement for the New Aquatic and Community Center at Heather Farm Park); and a Master Consultant Services Agreement amendment with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc. (increasing maximum compensation from $300,000 to $600,000).
- Item 2f (Lifetime Tennis contract extension) was pulled by Councilmember DeVinney for clarification. Staff explained that the 5% profit share above $700,000 excludes shared overhead, and the city will explore internal operation during the upcoming RFQ/RFP process. Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Item 2g (Chick‑fil‑A traffic calming funds) was pulled by Mayor Wilk. The $30,000 payment from Chick‑fil‑A will be used for vertical delineators, crosswalk improvements, and safety near the school. Approved unanimously (5-0) to accept the payment, appropriate a total of $60,000 in the Traffic Impact Mitigation Fees Fund, and transfer $60,000 to the Traffic Calming Improvements Project.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Alex Williams (Walnut Creek resident) spoke during Public Communications, asking the council to bring back “King Walnut” as a civic symbol and to revive the Walnut Festival Parade. The City Manager noted the Walnut Festival Association is an independent entity that has not recently organized the parade but could be contacted by the public.
- Ed Del Beccaro spoke during the Economic Development Action Plan discussion, praising staff for improving permit processing and concierge services, and noting that Walnut Creek’s office vacancy rate (20%) should be compared to other Bay Area cities (e.g., San Francisco 30%, Oakland 35%, Concord 28%).
Discussion Items
- I‑680 Corridor Ramp Metering MOU (Item 5a): Traffic Engineer Matt Redmond, Caltrans, and CCTA presented a partnership to deploy ramp metering on northbound I‑680 (CARM coordinated adaptive system on a 3‑year demonstration from Alcosta to Burnett) and on southbound ramps (Caltrans ARM). The MOU establishes goals, performance metrics, and governance. Councilmembers asked about arterial impacts, queue detection, and the Lawrence Way on‑ramp. Public outreach will include videos and community events. Construction is expected to be complete by 2028, operational early 2029. Approved unanimously (5-0).
- TBID Annual Assessment and Intention to Levy (Item 5b): Economic Development Manager Mike Nimon and Interim Chamber CEO Nicole Hankman presented the FY25‑26 report. The district includes 8 hotels (1,311 rooms) funded by a 3% assessment on transient occupancy tax. Highlights included an AI‑powered visitor guide, a new “Always in Season” brand, and the GFNY international cycling race scheduled for April 18, 2027 (3‑year deal). Council debated whether the district is spending down reserves (about $1.2 million) and whether the budget deficit is sustainable. Treasurer Anthony confirmed reserves were COVID-restricted and now being spent intentionally. Council adopted Resolution 26‑39 (approving the annual assessment report) and Resolution 26‑40 (declaring intention to levy assessments for FY26‑27) and set a public hearing for July 21, 2026. Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Draft Economic Development Action Plan FY27‑28 (Item 5c): Mike Nimon and Cassava Washington presented a two‑year plan building on the 2024‑25 action plan. Six strategies focus on promoting Walnut Creek as an economic hub, retaining and attracting businesses (including auto and healthcare), downtown vitality, land‑use alignment with the General Plan, auto industry support, and serving as a business resource. Performance metrics include local unemployment rate (currently below 5%), business license growth, sales tax growth, and vacancy rates (office 20%, retail strong). Council provided feedback—noting the importance of healthcare and auto industry jobs, the need for exit interviews with departing businesses, and the inclusion of short‑term rental policy. No formal action was taken; staff will incorporate input.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous votes (5‑0) on all action items: consent calendar (items a‑e, f, g), I‑680 ramp metering MOU (Item 5a), and TBID resolutions (Item 5b).
- Public hearing set: July 21, 2026 for the TBID annual levy.
- Policy direction given: Council directed staff to refine the Economic Development Action Plan based on comments, with no formal action taken.
- Closed session: Council convened in closed session at the end of the meeting to discuss existing litigation (Hanely v. City of Walnut Creek, Case No. MSC23‑01901).
- Mayor Pro Tem Francois’ announcement: He will not seek re-election in November 2026 but will serve the remainder of his term and support the transition.
Meeting Transcript
I'm Kevin Wilk, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the regular meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council. The City Council is conducting this meeting from 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 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 Communications, which is for public comments for items not on the agenda. Any comments during public communication should not relate to an item that is on the agenda this evening. 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 at the end of the open session portion of the meeting if necessary. 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 then when you approach the lector, please state your name and city of residence for the record. You will have two minutes to address the city 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 council meeting. Again, each speaker will have two minutes to make your remarks. 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 separately read into the record. I'm Kevin Wilk, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, June 16th regular meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council. And if I could now ask if the British please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Whereas on June 1st, I'm sorry, January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation officially ending slavery, changing the status of more than three and a half million enslaved African Americans in the Confederate States of America. However, over two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 to inform enslaved African Americans of General Order No. 3, the people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection between existing between then becomes that between employer and hired laborer. And so Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day, emancipation day, emancipation Celebration, freedom day, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It's a painful chapter in American history that also serves as an opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to combat all forms of modern day slavery, human trafficking, and racial injustice, as well as to continue to fight for freedom. And whereas the city of Walnut Creek commemorates the anniversary of Juneteenth in recognition and celebration of the great contributions that African Americans have made to the United States, California, and the City of Walnut Creek, and therefore I, Kevin Wilk, mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, on behalf of the Walnut Creek City Council to hereby proclaim June 19th, 2026 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day, and encourage the community to honor and reflect on the significant role that African Americans have played in the history of the United States and how they have enriched society through their steadfast commitment to promoting unity and equality. And well, I think that just deserves a round of applause right there. So and Nicole, if you'd like to say a few words on behalf of uh yourself, the chamber, and what June 17th is. Yes, absolutely. Thank you, Mayor Wilk and City Council members. Thank you very much for this pro proclamation. I brought some supporters here. I brought um my cousin Aaron Robertson, who does business in Walnut Creek. So welcome, Aaron, and uh Wilson Stevens, who also is an entrepreneur in Walnut Creek and a new business owner in Walnut Creek, tell me your name. And her your business. Absolutely. So they showed up here very happy for the proclamation, and we welcome all of them as chamber members, and we're just excited to be here to receive this. Wonderful. Well, thank you, and thank you for attending. Well, why don't we take a picture to make sure that we get this word out? You didn't know you guys are going to get remote. Right, you go to oh, there's a mighty amount of that one. I only call out all the media, don't worry. I'm usually a little bit of a little bit of a yeah, right here. Okay. I think you're kind of lost. Okay, one, two, and I got one.
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