Regular City Council Meeting May 7, 2024

0:00:34Good evening, everyone.

0:00:35The May seventh, 2024, regular City Council meeting is called to order at 6 Pm. Will the city clerk please call Roll Mayor Redneck present. May I pretend we singer, present council, member Fideli Council, member muchiama here? Council member Kunto. Yep, we have a quorum, all right, and we do not have any requests for Ab. 2, 4, 9. So let's move on to the pledge of allegiance to the flag for an observation of a moment of silence

0:01:03I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which Canada.

0:01:10one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:01:17Alright, thank you so much.

0:01:22alright. Our next item is teleconference and public comment instructions.

0:01:27pretty quick, thank you, mayor. This hybrid meeting provides an option to participate in person, or via Zoom with closed captions. Available meetings of the City Council are subject to the Brown act, and are held for the purpose of conducting city business.

0:01:39The Brown Act also ensures the public's right to be heard, and while city council is not able to respond to comments directly your comments will be heard prior to council taking action for members of the public who wish to provide oral testimony. The mayor will announce the time for public comment on each applicable item. Public comments will only be taken in person, and a request to speak can be submitted to the city clerk by completing a Speaker card.

0:02:03The Council's adopted rules of order and procedures specify that public speakers address the city Council in an orderly and respectful manner, proceed their comments with their name and city of residence, and be respectful of time limits.

0:02:15Time may not be yielded from one speaker to another disruptive behavior, such as shouting, applause, booze, speaking out of turn, or approaching the dais or podium without consent, is also prohibited. We ask that everyone be respectful in observing these rules, so that all speakers feel comfortable providing their comments. Thank you, Mayor. That concludes my instructions. Thank you so much. Next item on the agenda is Council Staff Communications city manager. Do we have any staff communications?

0:02:41Yes, thank you, your honor. Again, I'm city manager, Karen Pincus. I have a few announcements first, what you've all been waiting for, or at least a whole significant number of our community have been waiting for the city and the school district have been able to finalize our maintenance and agreement with respect to Castro Park, and so very soon we will be putting out a bid for upgrading the tennis courts to pickle courts.

0:03:09Wow! Not a giant round of applause. Okay, this has been a big big of request in the community, and we're very grateful to There, there's a lot of group of residents out there who have been fundraising and very excited about this amenity coming to our city, so that will be coming very soon.

0:03:28Another thing. A couple of things I wanted to announce on May fourteenth, from 6 to 7 30 pm. At Hannah, Senior Center. There will be a presentation on the Bay Area Housing Finance authority. Re Bay Bay Area regional bond. It's a proposed 10 to

0:03:4420 billion regional bond that will be on is planned to be on the November 2024 ballot. So if you are interested in learning about that again, that's May fourteenth, from 6 to 7, 30 at Hannah Gardens.

0:03:57and then finally, on May sixteenth, Thursday, May sixteenth, is bike to wherever day the former bike to work day. But a lot of people work from home. So now bike to wherever it's Thursday, May sixteenth.

0:04:09thousands of bicyclists will be around the Bay area working on participating in this day there will be an energizer station along the Aloni Greenway at the El Cerrito Plaza Bart station. They'll have snacks. There'll be refreshments, giveaways and information, and you can be cheered on by your fellow participants, so we invite everybody to participate on bike to wherever day on Thursday, May sixteenth, 2024,

0:04:33and that's all I have, your honor. Thank you right, thank you so much do any of my colleagues have any announcements?

0:04:38Bit of announcement?

0:04:39Oh, you do. Alright! Yes.

0:04:41Quinto, good evening, everybody. Wanna let folks know that at the last Mayors Conference in panel. I was appointed to be on the Bay Area Quality

0:04:54Air Quality Management Board. So I believe I'm the first else written to be on this board, but hopefully, not the last, and look forward to my colleagues them stepping up, and and we all are doing something. So I'm just so proud of this council, and I will be joined by

0:05:16A council member

0:05:17in Martinez. Supervisor John Joy and Supervisor Ken Carlson, representing Contra Costa on the air board. So with what I do on mce as vice chair, and what I do with Cal, cities and environmental policy goes hand in hand with the what we do here in West County for clean air and working on Ab, 6 17 is a very, very important for this region. So

0:05:47look forward to working on a regional level to make sure we have clean air and

0:05:55and looking at a carbon neutral future. So

0:06:00like. Okay. Thank you.

0:06:02Thank you so much. Yeah. Council member. Wy singer or mayor pro tem. Oh, yes, please. I wanted to first thank the parents and teachers from Fairmont elementary, who had an amazing annual Fairmont rocks, black Party. We know that it rained all day on Saturday, so we were happy that the sun came out on Sunday for their black party, also the parents and teachers from Harding, who had their annual silent auction fundraiser even though they invited me, I wasn't able to make it. It's just good to see them doing what they need to do to make sure that our students

0:06:29have what they need. But also Fairmont has their teacher appreciation banquet or luncheon that's coming up on Friday, so I don't know if it's an open invitation, but if it is, you should follow up and find out, because we do wanna make sure that we're supporting. And, you know, appreciating our teachers here in Oserito

0:06:48and Council. Member Motoylma.

0:06:50Thank you. Mayor. Just to follow up on that. It is teacher Appreciation week

0:06:55in all of else, Rideau for West Contra Costa, unified school district. So appreciate your teachers this week.

0:07:03I also want to point out that on May eighteenth the Recreation Department is doing their spring tea party. It's $10 a person at the community center, and it's bring your own teacup and saucer, so that should be a lot of fun. I also wanna just touch on

0:07:19to follow up what? Councilmember, Kinto said. I serve on the A. Bag Executive Committee as the representative for the Mayors Conference, and we did vote to move forward the Bathabon, the Bay Area Housing Finance Agency bond, so that will be moving towards the Baffa Board in June to be put on the November ballots.

0:07:38And I just wanna make that tie back to why is it matter that I'm on that board? And why is it important to El Cerrito that bond is purported to be up to 20 billion dollars for the 9 County Bay area. Each county will decide what they will do with their portion of the dollars, which is 80%, divide per capita across each county. So what that means for us in El Cerito is that we have the opportunity to apply for funding, which will we be competitive for

0:08:06for developments along San Pablo Avenue, following our San Pablo Avenue specific plan, but also for the El Cerito Plaza transit oriented development, where we hope to have our library. So these are all really important and good things for El Cerrito. And I hope that you attend the study session, or learning session for the Bayer Housing Finance Agency bond.

0:08:30May, coming up on May fourteenth, as city manager mentioned, it is important for us to have that funding source in order to move forward all the programs that we'd like to see regarding housing in our city. So thank you.

0:08:43Alright, thank you so much. And last month. On April fifteenth I issued a mayoral proclamation, recognizing April as sexual assault awareness month I also issued a Mayor proclamation, and we're going to give that one tonight, since we have someone to accept it, recognizing April nineteenth as education and sharing day. And we have Rabbi Yankee Bell.

0:09:04you're in the audience. So if my colleagues would like to.

0:09:07And for picture.

0:09:14okay.

0:09:52Twist.

0:09:57Oh, I understand.

0:10:02Yes, I'd love to invite Rabbi Bell if you'd like to say a few words.

0:10:08Thank you.

0:10:09Thank you, Mayor Rodnick and City Council members for your proclamation.

0:10:13marking education, education, and sharing day, and honoring one of the greatest

0:10:17and education, sharing day in El Cerrito, which was actually last month.

0:10:21and honoring one of the greatest Jewish and world leaders of our time, the Lababit Sherevi, now by Menaka. Mendel Schneerson, who is 100 and 120 s birthday

0:10:30anniversary, was marked last month.

0:10:33that we would constantly appeal to those in positions of influence and leadership. To recognize a central role. Education plays in forming the character of our youth and shaping, shaping the destiny of our country.

0:10:44Education must not only impart knowledge, the ever would say, but also teach students how to live productive lives based on moral principles and ethical values that have been the bedrock of functional societies since the dawn of civilization.

0:10:59Looking around at today's world and the tremendous access everyone, including young children, have to everything and anything. It is imperative that we change the paradigm of how we view the education of our children on the spiritual, moral, emotional, and psychological fronts.

0:11:14Young people need to know that they possess the God-given potential to make this world a better place, that every action has consequences, not just for bad, but more importantly for good.

0:11:24They need to feel a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives, so they will not seek out in the wrong places to fill the voids they might otherwise feel within their souls.

0:11:33Each year the human day marking Gabba Sharabi's birthday, which coincided this year with April, April nineteenth last month.

0:11:40has been observed as national education and sharing day in the United States Declaration is signed by the President, including a beautiful one by President Biden. This year can be found on the White House website, and proclamations are issued in halls of government, including the US. Congress urging Americans to focus collectively

0:11:57on the importance of providing our youth with the foundations necessary to lead lives rich in purpose, fulfillment, and service to others. I'm deeply grateful to the city for once again, having adopted the seventh annual education and Sharing Day proclamation, and on behalf of El Cerillo.

0:12:15I'll just conclude that in a world filled with confusion and cynicism is imperative that our children are equipped.

0:12:21the tools to distinguish between, but between right and wrong, good and evil, sacred and profane, but only by infusing the world with more light, more acts of goodness and kindness, and we look with hope and optimism towards a time when all God's children will live side by side in harmony and tranquility, without violence or conflict, strife or despair.

0:12:43May that error, when nations shall no longer lift a sword against another nation.

0:12:48and should no longer. We should no longer learn of rule. The area of redemption happens speedily in our days. Thank you very much.

0:13:00Alright.

0:13:01Next we're going to move on to item 5 oral communications from the public. City clerk, how many speakers do we have

0:13:11at this time? Here we have 15 requests to speak right. Now is the time for members of the public who wish to provide public comments regarding matters not on the agenda. Consent items and presentation items request to speak can be submitted to the city clerk by completing a speaker card. Public comments will be taken in person. Only please remember to identify yourself and your city of residence at the beginning of your comments. City clerk, please proceed.

0:13:36And if we can set it to 2 min, thank you, Mayor, thank you.

0:13:46Okay. Our first speaker tonight is Ryan Lau, followed by D. Bruce and Aol Shah.

0:13:56Good evening, Mayor. Mayor pro tem Council staff and members of public. My name is Ryan Lowe. External Affairs representative at A/C transit here to provide an update on our realign initiative, just as a reminder

0:14:09realign is a review and update of our entire bus network working within our existing operator, count and budgetary constraints with the intent of meeting meeting meeting the needs of our riders in the post pandemic era.

0:14:22So we're just set to launch. Our next round of outreach starting the formal window is starts in May fifteenth, through June fifth

0:14:33which will have a entire suite of different tools that you can do trip planning with a new network and figure out exactly how it's gonna affect your day to day. But we will go live later this week. With some additional.

0:14:49The items like proposed bus route changes, and that sort of thing. But again, the full suite will be available. May fifteenth.

0:15:00So in in that outreach window we're going to be making council announcements such as this one. We're going to be out in the community like bike to work day at Elsrida Plaza.

0:15:14As well as at bus stops, high ridership bus stops to collect feedback from riders in the field.

0:15:21We're also partnering with community based organizations to reach out to their network and get feedback that way.

0:15:29We'll also be holding 2 public workshops, one on May 20 third, which is virtual. 6 Pm. And then June fifth, at 5 Pm. We'll have a board workshop, which is a hybrid. So in person at our downtown Oakland

0:15:43offices, and then remote as well, so I encourage you all to review the plans as well as your staff.

0:15:51Provide whatever input that you you have so that we can make sure that it works for your constituents and your you and your employees. Thank you. Your time has ended.

0:16:02Our next speaker is D. Bruce, followed by Al Shahan, followed by BL.

0:16:142. You have 2 min, sir.

0:16:18Okay, everyone.

0:16:20Yeah. Basically a

0:16:22being African-american male in 2,008

0:16:25in front of Starbucks. I was hit by a USUV.

0:16:30And a

0:16:31spraying my ink, I mean spraying my wrist being hidden, locked into the car to walk a man.

0:16:36the owner of a high tech stereo over there, named Gonzalez.

0:16:40came out and struck me in. My heart hit me, knocked me out.

0:16:44Officer Alvarez

0:16:45got him off by falsifying the police report. I wrote, you guys all letter. None of you guys responded back, which is why I'm here.

0:16:53But anyway, I got over it in 2020,

0:16:55after doing a 16 h shift of community patrol, where I at other nails patrol the area at Berkeley, I came home to

0:17:03Walgreens, and as I left a man that everybody nailed you to council, knew police Department, everybody knew, followed me, screamed and followed me.

0:17:12eventually caught up to me, and right before he attacked me I

0:17:18open my arms and stopped him.

0:17:21The guy called the police on me for because he fell down when he tried to attack me because something fell out of his hand. I didn't wait wait to see what he was, anyway. So it

0:17:31of to this day no one's gotten back with me. I tried to get a copy of the video again. I sent you guys all complaint about this elsewhere. Please said I don't have any right to Officer Jacqueline, who wrote the second report, officer, Alvarez, 2,008, officer, Jacqueline, in 2020.

0:17:47They said I had no right to the officers

0:17:50Video, which I went to get to show you how abused I was by the officer, and I was wondering why none of nobody responded to my emails and my letters that I sent certify receipt

0:18:04no response. You glad you didn't respond.

0:18:08I do not have a response or something like that.

0:18:13So, Claire, I wanna make sure you give your time

0:18:16to clarify. We can't respond directly to public comments. Okay, well, you could.

0:18:21It'd be nice to send me a letter, or

0:18:23thank you, but if you can leave your information with the city clerk.

0:18:27thank you. I do have it. Thank you. Our next speaker is Aol Shahan, followed by Bl, followed by Lucinda Cassin.

0:18:35Hi. My name is the Al Shaha. I am a persuader, resident. I am Israeli in origin, and I I didn't come here to talk to you about a a priest will cease fire resolution. I think it's meaningless. And I I did want to come here to say thank you for being a voice for for reason

0:18:52and for sanity, and for unity.

0:18:54and and I know what you've been through in this process. I know you've experienced, all of you anti-semitism firsthand. I've heard you've been

0:19:01blamed for for taking a position because you got money which the classic antisemitic trope. So so now you know how we feel, and sorry you had to go through this

0:19:11anti-semitism is so prevalent these days in so many forms.

0:19:18One classic example is, you hear people say, never again means never again for any anybody or for everyone.

0:19:25And

0:19:26I understand where this is coming from, but never again was used

0:19:30to talk about the holocaust.

0:19:31And you never, when when people say said

0:19:34black lives matter, our response like well, all lives matter. That was not okay.

0:19:39We all agreed on that. So how come now that people are

0:19:42owning that and taking ownership of saying, Well, now, when when I say never again. That means something else. That is anti Semitism. That is, something that was is never done for any other ethnic group or for any other religion. But somehow it's okay that it's done to us.

0:19:57so I didn't write it down. I just took bullet points.

0:20:02another thing, I haven't been able to come here every time I I wanted to. But I'm watching the videos of these meetings. And I saw people

0:20:08telling you guys about Jewish values, people who are not Jewish. In what religion does that make sense? And that? And what other culture would that be? Okay for people to tell you what what Jewish values are. Well, I happen to be Jewish. So I know a couple of things about Judaism and

0:20:21I see I see some spiritual videos here, and I'm hoping I'm not overstepping them. But we just we just celebrated Passoville.

0:20:29Passover is all about telling a story. God said, tell the story to your children about how we got here, how I got to Israel. And we Jews take things like this very seriously. So half of the night of the letter said, there we spend about what it means to tell a story.

0:20:43This is a wall about narrative, about how people got to this point, and until we get to a point where we

0:20:49talk honestly and recognize each other's narrative, we're never going to get get to anything. So

0:20:55my plea for this, for the citizens of Australia is is to listen to each other narrative, and accept them, and recognize that both

0:21:03Israelis and Palestinians have a claim to this to this land, and we need to live together both there and here.

0:21:10and I yield my 5 s. Thank you.

0:21:14Our next speaker is BL. Please, please.

0:21:17I will ask the audience again to please refrain from any audible disruptions. We want everyone to feel comfortable providing their comments tonight.

0:21:24Our next speaker is BL. Followed by Lucinda Caston, followed by Raya.

0:21:29Good evening, CS. Lewis, wrote. One of the most cowardly things people can do is to shut their eyes to facts, facts.

0:21:38rabid Jew and Israel. Hatred is spreading like wildfire. We see it in those asking for ceasefire resolutions. A ceasefire with Hamas still in place could threaten the very existence of Israel. Fact, most people know nothing about Israel. In the Middle East endless lies abound. Qatar, Iran, and others have invested billions for decades in propaganda against Israel.

0:22:02We see the fruits of those investments today in people pushing for ceasefire resolutions, pushing for Israel to lose this war. A war savagely started in October seventh by Hamas when it broke the ceasefire that was already in place.

0:22:17Fact, a ceasefire now is asking for Israel to not defend herself against well funded Islamist supremacists and be destroyed after endless bombings and the greatest atrocities perpetrated against Jews. Since the holocaust thousands of people were slaughtered in the most grotesque and sadistic ways imaginable. No response is allowed

0:22:39fact. Hamas is a death cult, and in its holy war is intent on destroying Israel and killing every Jew on the planet. It's written in its charter, and the spokesman say so themselves. They promise many more October seventh fact

0:22:55only when hostages are returned and Hamas destroyed, will there be a ceasefire fact? We will not be exterminated by anyone. Israel will survive and prosper and continue contributing to the world. Whether these local activists like it or not, Israelis, more than any others, have long hoped, prayed, and worked for a true peace with her neighbors.

0:23:19Please ignore irrelevant ceasefire resolutions. Your attention is much needed on El Salvador City business. Thank you.

0:23:27Our next speaker is Lucinda Castone, followed by Raya, followed by Miguel

0:23:39Mayors, City Council members.

0:23:42Hopefully. I can read this with my own broken glasses here.

0:23:47As an officer of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth Hallel West, contra Costa counties only reform synagogue.

0:23:55I implore you

0:23:57to

0:24:00not put a ceasefire resolution on the agenda.

0:24:05Doing so would most certainly open this Council chamber doors to more hate

0:24:11and fuel. Verbal attacks on Jews, particularly in light of the student protests. Things are very divisive right now in this country, growing more divisive, and I applaud you for not feeding into that and doing another dev doing a divisive act like putting a resolution like this on the

0:24:35on the agenda.

0:24:37I don't believe there's widespread support among the residents of El Cerrito for such a resolution, and I thank you for not doing so. Thank you very much.

0:24:49Our next speaker is Raya, followed by Miguel, followed by Julia Beck.

0:24:57We east see? Yeah, ulcer for ceasefire resolution. Supporters have participated and organized many beautiful events for Palestinian solidarity, from cedars to iftars, to processions. Pilgrimages teach ends that empower us, and led led by Jewish and Palestinian people, as we learn, mourn and heal together.

0:25:18This morning I awoke to images of Israeli tanks entering Rafah, destroying humanitarian supplies and storehouses, and killing innocent Palestinians as an elected official, you had an opportunity to say something.

0:25:29but to do something. But you didn't. Hundreds of residents begged you to at a minimum consider a resolution for a ceasefire, but you refused. For months. Residents wrote to you, appeared at city council with facts about the genocide in Gaza, but you had other priorities.

0:25:43The mayor wanted to wanted to maintain the decorum of the Council. The mayor thought that the call for peace was dangerous and would flame the fans of hate speech, and you all lined up behind her, complicit in a profoundly immoral silence as you wrap yourselves in civility and enjoy the unfettered calmness of your city council. Remember, it is at the cost of over 40,000 Palestinian lives, and over 15,000 Palestinian children. I think about the 2,000 children amputees, like the 6 year old, with athletics amputated, or the young boy shot by an Iolf soldier with a Us. Bullet.

0:26:13both forced to undergo surgery without any anesthesia, I think about the American Israeli Zionists coming settlers in Israel, taking on the Ios uniform, picking over homes, killing Palestinian farmers, blocking and destroying aid to refugees and Gaza. I think about your willingness to stand up against Tate, waver, rainbow flag, mark, black black lives matter on the green way. Issue proclamations and resolutions for Ukraine, and then silence the community. When we ask that we go on record to end the genocide of the Palestinian people.

0:26:37this council, by virtue of squatching discourse, aided in the Conflation and the criticism with Israel and Zionism as anti-semitic to the Mayor. Clearly you have disregarded your commitment to free speech and full public participation in an effort to follow your own agenda and your misguided notions of your authority as an elected official to the city Council members. You are complicit. I can safely say you do not represent me, nor the community that I know and love. You have forfeited my trust in my vote, and I am resolved to hold you accountable for your being carried out. Take care.

0:27:07please take your seat.

0:27:14please.

0:27:15Your time has ended. Thank you, Miguel

0:27:19Miguel. I believe I also have your wallet

0:27:22the shirts.

0:27:25Miguel is our next speaker, followed by Julia Beck, followed by faith, M.

0:27:32Thank you for that. Well, that I appreciate it.

0:27:35Your council members. I'm regret to inform you that you have all lost my vote on any future offices that you run for.

0:27:43Furthermore, organizations that I volunteer for who advocate for the equal rights of all humans, whether they live in Palestine or Israel.

0:27:52We'll use our first amendment rights to educate the public about your record. Every time that you do seek office I can promise you this. Your future political careers will be marred

0:28:02by your abysmal record on Palestinian human rights, and how you supported the genocide in Ghaza.

0:28:08You'll be defined by making Jewish people Arab people and Muslim people less safe

0:28:13by refusing to act on the repeated Jewish Arab and Muslim calls from El Cerida residents

0:28:18to create greater safety for everyone

0:28:21by engaging in dialogue regarding a ceasefire resolution that dispels the far right myth.

0:28:27that all Jewish people support Israel, which has led to greater antisemitic hate crimes by these far right hate groups

0:28:35your council members, you council members, have failed to heat the voices of those standing for equal rights of all peoples and Palestine and Israel.

0:28:43Instead, you choose to only listen to the voices of those community members that spoke against a ceasefire while spewing Islamophobia and anti-airpate speech.

0:28:51These community members denied Israel's colonization of 90% of historic Palestine and occupation of the remaining 10% of historic Palestine in

0:29:01Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, which is a historical fact.

0:29:05Furthermore, these community members defended the ethnic, cleansing, apartheid.

0:29:11myriad human rights violations, war crimes, and Gazan genocide against the people of Palestine, being committed by the government of Israel, and funded by

0:29:20this government of the United States.

0:29:24You have chosen to side with racism and systemic oppression.

0:29:29Once your future constituents learn this, I wonder if they will still choose you. Thank you. If I presented.

0:29:36Our next speaker is Julia Beck, followed by Faith, M. And Nancy. A

0:29:48good evening. El Cerrito City Council, and my name's Julie Beck. I live in El Cerrito. I'm Jewish. My family is Jewish, and we have lost relatives in Hitler's Holocaust

0:30:02and I mean tonight to ask you to implore you to adopt a resolution for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine.

0:30:12I, as a Jewish person, and appalled by what I am seeing.

0:30:18This does not represent me what Israel is doing, nor has there decades long occupation of the Palestinian people and land

0:30:27as a Jewish person who follows the Jewish tradition of fighting for racial equality.

0:30:33human rights, and social justice. I am opposed to this horrific war in Gaza that the world is now witnessing. As I speak, humanitarian aid is being blocked from reaching a million civilians. Children in Rafa who are on the brink of starvation.

0:30:48Israel's carbon bombing campaign has obliterated every school, every university, every library and hospital in Gaza.

0:30:57Palestinian home, mosque, marketplace, museum raised to the ground.

0:31:03schools of doctors, joins, humanitarian aid workers in Gaza. So

0:31:09this does not speak for me as a Jewish person, and every Jewish person should be ashamed to be supporting this over 40,000 innocent civilians, mostly women and children. Many women and children, anyway, have been killed in this scorched Earth policy. This is not a war against Hamas Hamas. It is a war against the Palestinian people, and I agree with Senator Bernie Sanders, who said this recently, as a Jew, I say not in my name.

0:31:36I have a couple more things to say tonight, the UN. Said recently, for the first time in history, and I quote, the world is witnessing genocide in real time.

0:31:49Oh, please take your seat. Your time has ended. Our next speaker.

0:31:53Please take your seat. Your time has ended.

0:31:57Our next speaker is Faith. M.

0:32:01Our next speaker is Faith M. Followed by Nancy A. And Yoko Yoko M.

0:32:09Today marks 7 months since the single largest loss of Jewish life. Since the holocaust. There are 132 hostages held in captivity in Gaza, denied visits by the American International Red Cross. I want to take this morning to honor one of the hostages. First, Colin Goldberg, raised in Berkeley, who was recently forced by Hamas to create a propaganda video appearing terrified with his arm amputated.

0:32:38In the past 7 months thousands of rockets have been launched, not only by Hamas, but by Hezmara. In the north there have been scores of attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis on maritime travel in the Gulf. These groups are Iranian proxies, dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

0:32:57American Jews, including those of the Bay area are also being targeted. Students on campus report increasing levels of harassment. A local synagogue schools and community centers are hiring guards

0:33:10who are afraid.

0:33:11Extremist rhetoric has created an intolerable atmosphere for your neighbors. There is no genocide in Rwanda. 800,000 were killed in 3 months. That's what a genocide looks like. No, this is a war. When the Hamas started, Hamas is losing, and Hamas can end tomorrow. If it cruises, there is no starvation. Humanitarian aid continues to flow into Gaza.

0:33:36Over a half 1 million tons of aid has entered Gaza since the start of the war, including 384,000 tons of food arriving by land, sea, and air.

0:33:49According to the Pew research poll, 82% of American Jews view Israel as an important or an essential part of being Jews. Jewish.

0:33:59Please respect your dear neighbors. Do not agendize this issue. Thank you.

0:34:04Our next.

0:34:05Our next speaker is Nancy A, followed by Yoko, M. And Samaya Nessef.

0:34:16Good evening. My name is Nancy. I'm a resident of El Cerrito. For over 20 years. I'm here to support a ceasefire resolution over the past 5 months. I've heard folks saying that if a ceasefire resolution was passed they would feel afraid

0:34:32as a black female immigrant who was once undocumented for over a decade, I understand fear intimately, yet it pales in comparison to the horse face by those having to flee their homes. Constant bombing, seeing loved ones be killed, no medicine, no food.

0:34:47But it's in my own experience of fear that I that helps me connect with the suffering of others.

0:34:53Yesterday I woke up to see folks celebrating what he looked like was a ceasefire. Soon after Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal by Egypt and Qatar, Israel Israel rejected and escalated bombing raids in Rafa, where more than 1.4 million people are being told they have to leave

0:35:10today. I saw a nurse midwife that is currently in Raqqa share. Now that Israel has taken over the borders border crossing, nothing comes in or out of Gaza, meaning that no access to medical supplies, fuel or humanitarian work workers.

0:35:25This resolution talked about the release of all the Israeli hostage.

0:35:30Sounds to me, Natana, who does not care about the hostages to me. It doesn't even feel like it's about hunting Hamas, but a cruel desire to destroy, to displace and murder Palestinians.

0:35:40Leslie. I wanted to to address the notion that this issue is divisive. Yes, but honestly, that's on all of you to create, to help create a solution. I've had an incredible, profound experience. I've met remarkable group of citizens with amazing heart. They tireless, tirelessly educate, fundraise, and raise awareness all rooted in our share humanity.

0:36:03These are people from all backgrounds. And together we're forging a stronger and more compassionate community. People say that we do what we do here have no impact. Please don't believe that every cause has an effect. Even our lack of action also has an impact.

0:36:22Our next speaker is Yoko M. Followed by Samaya, Nacef and Leslie Adams.

0:36:37My name is Yuko and I live here in El Cerrito. I am not an outside agitator.

0:36:43This council wishes to go about business as usual, without disruptions from us to your conscience. But disrupting the status quo is the whole point of protest. In a democracy

0:36:54you demand decorum, but there is nothing decorous about participating in genocide

0:36:59while you refuse to discuss Palestine Israel in a ceasefire resolution.

0:37:03Other cities have long moved ahead to the next real issue of divestment from the war machine.

0:37:09Richmond was the first city in the country to approve a ceasefire resolution, and last week became the second to divest from Israel, and one council member said that her eyes were open to the realities of Israeli occupation back when she was a student in the 1970. S.

0:37:24And I can't tell

0:37:26if you're getting wrong information, or you're just cynical. Most Western media outlets are extremely biased and racist towards Palestinians. A very few, like democracy now directly amplify Palestinian voices.

0:37:39On Sunday Israel shut down one of the only international outlets covering the news from inside Gaza, so that they can hide the truth of their crimes. They've now seized and closed the Rotha crossing. So no aid or people can pass, and they're bombing the tents of the 1 point

0:37:534 million refugees in Rafa and ordering those in East Rafa to evacuate.

0:37:57And while you pretend that this issue doesn't touch our city, we continue to fund the bliteration of Palestinians.

0:38:04This is why our brave youth are putting their futures and bodies on the line, demanding that their schools divest from this machinery, just like youth did to protest a racist, Vietnam war, and as older adults we should be putting ourselves on the line, especially if you hold office.

0:38:20People like you are allowing police and Zionist mobs to brutalize them, and you should be ashamed that you care so much about your political ambitions, and I sincerely hope that unless you change course that you lose your seats this November. Thank you.

0:38:33Our next speaker is Samay Nsf. Followed by Leslie Adams and Zanab. H.

0:38:44Good evening.

0:38:46So the situation in Gaza is extremely dire. I'm showing you now

0:38:50it is. We're so beyond

0:38:53the basic call for a ceasefire. It's really unbelievable that we still have to be here asking you for one.

0:38:59But the city Council has repeatedly decided to look away while the situation in Gaza continues to get more, and an unimaginably horrific.

0:39:07just like with any social movement, though there will always be people who continue to support oppression because their own political gains for their own political gains. And it's clear which side this council has chosen.

0:39:19So the call for a free Palestine, free of Israeli colonialism, occupation and violence is now a global movement. Over 2,000 students, and faculty in this country alone have been arrested for protesting the genocide. Universities and cities are divesting. Countries are cutting ties with Israel

0:39:39in the face of all this, Israel continues its onslaught, creating a famine in in the North after decimating it.

0:39:46And now it's bombing the rof, and where it has dropped over a million people.

0:39:50So every reason you've given us to refuse the ceasefire resolution up until now has been a lie.

0:39:56If this resolution doesn't have an impact. I wonder why you're doing everything in your power to block one.

0:40:02So if you choose the side of genocide.

0:40:05that is your right. You can choose whatever vio political ideology you want to choose. But it is not your right to suppress our voices

0:40:15and pretend that this city supports the genocide. We do not.

0:40:19You have failed to silence us, though.

0:40:21and our numbers are only growing, and we will all remember your stance when, 20 years from now it will inevitably be in vogue

0:40:30to say that you stood with the plight of the Palestinians.

0:40:35Just remember.

0:40:37we won't forget, and we have these recordings.

0:40:41Our next speaker is Leslie Adams, followed by Zanab H. And Dean Cortezi.

0:40:53Good evening.

0:40:55My name is Leslie. I've been living in El Suito since 2,006, and I am here

0:41:00again to ask that the ceasefire resolution is added to the city agenda.

0:41:05What a tiny request given all the suffering in Gaza

0:41:09we all know the devastation and death.

0:41:12Did you know that to date more than 100 American communities have passed ceasefire resolutions representing millions of constituents in America.

0:41:22and nor are passed every day. Why does this matter? You asked.

0:41:28This amplifies the voices of the majority of Americans who do not support US. Funding of the Israeli army, or the war that is being waged in Gaza.

0:41:37This in turn reflects the majority of El Cerrito residents, too, and I still cannot believe that our city council members continue to refuse to agendize this matter after so many outcries. Why is that?

0:41:51You must know that after hearing from their residents Albany City Council, right next door, added this item to their agenda.

0:41:59educated themselves

0:42:01to what matters to their residents. What is happening with our tax dollars, and then crafted and passed a resolution.

0:42:08I have not heard of any hate coming since Albany passed a resolution.

0:42:12Divisiveness, in fact, continues in El Cerrito.

0:42:16Richmond went farther recently and added divestment language to how they invest their money.

0:42:22We're surrounded by progressive and bold leadership. Yet El Cerrito once again lacks clarity

0:42:28and leadership, and does. It's best to delegitimize those that they vowed to represent.

0:42:34I must say shame, shame that Elsa Rito residents are not represented shame that personal agendas supersede doing what's right by us and not speaking up for Gaza.

0:42:47It saddens me that I live in a city that does not represent my voice.

0:42:51which is a voice of the majority. The voice of peace. Time has ended. Our next speaker is Zanab H, followed by Dean Kortezi

0:43:01and Tamiko Penzilla.

0:43:06Hi! I'm Zane Abbam, and Albany Resident, and, as was just mentioned, I'm sure you already know our city council passed a ceasefire resolution. I want to share with you how it went with our city council members. They engaged with us. We showed up to city council meetings, and they were attentive to what we had to say.

0:43:23We wrote emails and they responded.

0:43:26We asked to meet with them, and they met with us. Not only is it basic human courtesy which seems to be lacking here by some individuals more than others.

0:43:34but they also did their jobs and engaged with their constituents, listening to their concerns.

0:43:40So what's going on here?

0:43:42Albany City Council saw how this crisis was affecting their constituents' mental wellbeing. They saw how their constituents were grieving, and how they were turning their, how they were turning their collective grief into collective action.

0:43:54and they responded. They saw how we are all complicit in Israel Israel's war crimes that the US. Is funding and supplying the weaponry to kill children

0:44:02to kill children.

0:44:04and our city council responded. They acted, they did what was right.

0:44:09and what happened after Albany passed their ceasefire resolution? Was there an increase in hate? Crime?

0:44:15Was there a rise in anti-semitism?

0:44:17Is the city engulfed in hatred, chaos, and violence.

0:44:21So I turned to you.

0:44:24especially to you, Mayor, as the leader of this council.

0:44:27What is going on? Why the silence!

0:44:31Why aren't you doing your jobs and engaging with your constituents?

0:44:35Why aren't you responding?

0:44:39Are you even doing your jobs?

0:44:41Do what is right?

0:44:44Do your hearts not feel?

0:44:47And I'm going to stay here for the remainder of my 18 s.

0:45:07Our next speaker is Dean Cortezi, followed by Tamiko, Penzella, and Dee Weiss.

0:45:16Before we start the time. I would like to remind folks to not have any audible sounds in between, so that everyone can feel open for speaking. Thank you.

0:45:26Hi. My name is Dean Kerase. I'm a lifelong Al Cerrito resident.

0:45:33I want to address something that I didn't want to speak about, but I have to. Yesterday was holocaust remembrance Day.

0:45:40Israel's being accused of genocide on a regular basis. In 1 67 there were 200,000 Palestinians living in the Gaza strip.

0:45:49and 380,000 living in the west bank

0:45:52today. There are 2 million in Gaza

0:45:56and 4 million in the west Bank. If Israel is committing genocide. It is the most incompetent genocide in the history of genocide.

0:46:05I also want to say, despite what speakers are saying.

0:46:10the majority, we don't know what the majority of Al Cerrito residents want.

0:46:15And if you have come to these meetings for a while, you know

0:46:18that there's a lot of division here, both in written comments and in the comments made here.

0:46:25Has there been polling done that I'm not aware of?

0:46:28Or are we just listening to our own echo chambers when we talk about sides, when we just try to blame one side, we're not invoking dialogue or solutions. We're trying to win a political fight.

0:46:42Every city that's put a resolution on the agenda

0:46:46has seen

0:46:49an orgy of hate speech.

0:46:51I witnessed what happened in Richmond.

0:46:54I wasn't able to go to the Richmond meeting on

0:46:57last week, because it was the last day of Pesoch.

0:47:01and

0:47:02I also want to say one final thing.

0:47:05I always thought that those advocating for a ceasefire resolution.

0:47:10We're sincere in their beliefs and their ideals.

0:47:14But since they didn't, and even though I disagreed with them, but since they didn't come to the meeting when the mayor was absent.

0:47:21but are present again today. I'm beginning to think this is personal, and about your time has ended. Our next speaker is Miko Penza Penzella, followed by D. Weiss and Nina Joe.

0:47:39Hello! My name is Tomiko. I'm a resident of Albany, but I spend about 5 weeks 5 nights a week in Al Cerrito, taking care of my grandmother. She just turned 95 on May first, and every night, when I brush our teeth. I spend 2 min thinking about how lucky we are to have this time. And how everyone on earth you know Israelis, Palestinians. Everyone deserves a chance to grow old and to grow old, surrounded by the love of their families, in a safe home, with food, with care, with access to medical care.

0:48:09and

0:48:10the reason that we're here in El Cerrito is when my grandparents went to buy a house in the seventies they initially were going to move to another city, but in that city they had to get a petition from the neighbors signed, allowing a Japanese American family to move in. So obviously it. They don't want to live there. They came here to El Cerrito, where they felt welcomed. And

0:48:29You know, this was a city that was committed to justice.

0:48:31And so it's just so disappointing now to see that

0:48:35this beautiful community that wants to speak up for justice and support each other is being ignored by the Council.

0:48:44You know what you do now will reverberate throughout the community. We're still here. 50 years later, my family so I'd hate to see what the city will look like in 50 years. If this Council can't listen to your constituents, and can't speak up for what is now an embarrassingly inadequate request of a ceasefire resolution.

0:49:03I'll just close with a quote. I don't know who said it. I'm sorry, but I think of it every time I see these images of children.

0:49:09you know, skinned alive by bombs, crushed by rubble, missing chunks of their bodies.

0:49:14and

0:49:16I screamed out, God for this starving child

0:49:19until I realized that the starving child was God screaming at me.

0:49:25Our next speaker is Dee Weiss, followed by Nina. Joe.

0:49:34Thank you. Thank you.

0:49:42So what does a ceasefire call actually mean?

0:49:46If Israel stops the military action that they're right. Now, then, then, what happens? What's next? What does Hamas do.

0:49:54Really, I don't know what my other esteemed speakers here today. Think, what does Hamas do?

0:50:00A terrorist organization sworn to kill all Jews and wipe the country of Israel off the face of the map.

0:50:06partnering with Lebanon and with big backing of funding from Iran what what really happens in a ceasefire? The the wording is a misinterpretation and misunderstanding.

0:50:18No one wants to see

0:50:20the terrible occurrences, but we want people on all sides to be safe.

0:50:26This is, I don't know my fourth or my fifth City Council meeting at this point. And I've come tonight really to say Thank you.

0:50:33Thank you for being an example in this hotbed of the East Bay, of how to have this very uncomfortable, divisive

0:50:40conversation, but to keep it contained in a civil.

0:50:44respectful environment.

0:50:46I live in the El Cerrito border, and I've also been going to meetings in Albany and in Berkeley and Oakland, and we've been using this meeting here as the example to the other city councils of this

0:50:57is how you can keep the decorum of respect

0:51:01and security for everyone. So thank you so much. I've been here with you. It's been miserable.

0:51:08Thank you for keeping the focus off international politics, trying to get back to the business that the city has so much to do of governing what you are actually elected for local politics

0:51:20and to our other speakers here tonight I would just ask, Where is the outrage for countries like Sudan, Darfur, Yemen, Myomar, Ethiopia, Sudan alone has 5 million people actually starving. 18 million people actually at the threat of starving New Year time has ended. Our next speaker is Nina Joe.

0:51:47Good evening, Council members. My name is Nina, and I grew up in Richmond, and I own a home in El Cerrito.

0:51:53I'm so proud of my hometown of Richmond for passing a ceasefire resolution, and more recently, a divest divestment from apartheid

0:52:01I came to ask you to pass a ceasefire resolution just like Richmond, Oakland, Albany, San Francisco, Sacramento, etc.

0:52:09When I was here last month, I heard a lot of comments about how this is not a local issue, but I don't think that's the truth.

0:52:17The first time I came to a local council meeting last month was because I felt strongly about our city supporting a ceasefire.

0:52:24A 100% of the people having a public comment at that meeting was about this resolution. I have read all the comments from the past few months for all of our council meetings. 99% of them spoke about the genocide

0:52:37right now on the Cal campus. There's a gathering. Look at everyone here. This seems like a local issue to me.

0:52:45Why is there no movement on trying to bring a resolution to the table when so many of your constituents are here every month asking you for some sort of just acknowledgement, as some speakers has spoke before Albany has done it. Why can't we?

0:53:01I know in my heart that you know the facts.

0:53:05the stats.

0:53:06the stat that states 40,000 Palestinians have been murdered.

0:53:11that Rafa is being invaded where 600,000 children and their families

0:53:16are in encampments.

0:53:18I want to thank everyone for speaking. It's not easy to be an activist. It's not easy to be here. You are allowed to take breaks. You're allowed to rest.

0:53:28but just know that we aren't going away.

0:53:32If you can't feel for the Palestinian children. What about us? What about our Palestinian neighbors, and what about our Muslim neighbors here in El Cerrito?

0:53:42Thank you.

0:53:45Thank you, Mayor. That conclusive request for public comment. Right? Thank you so much.

0:53:54We're going to move on to presentations. We have 2 presentations. We're going to start with. Item A, which is the Contra Costa County local hazard mitigation plan, also known as LHMP.

0:54:23Alright.

0:54:25Good evening, honorable Mayor, council members, staff and members of the public. My name is David Chapar. I am one of the captains here in the El Cerrito Fire Department.

0:54:34and one of the individuals chosen to help represent the city when it comes to updating the Contra Costa County, a local, hazardous, hazardous mitigation plan.

0:54:47What I'm gonna be talking about tonight is a brief overview of the plan, how it came to be

0:54:53different county hazards, and then more specific hazards dealing with El Cerido, as well as how the community can be involved.

0:55:01and prepare for emergencies in in a very general way.

0:55:08the hazardous, the hazard mitigation plan is updated every 5 years. It is a multi-jurisdictional approach, where? Up to 40 different jurisdictions, agencies, and county departments come together

0:55:23to identify hazards. And and again, these are hazards that continue as well as new ones. So things like earthquake and wildfire are ever present. But then again, things such as Active Shooter bec have become more prevalent in in the recent past.

0:55:41And basically, what happens is these different strategies and mitigations are prioritized. And basically we come up with a plan. And within this big plan

0:55:54we have a very consistent format, but yet annexes that are specific to each agency jurisdiction. So on so forth.

0:56:04Okay.

0:56:07this actual part that we're in right now, which is why I'm here in front of you today is the public outreach part of it.

0:56:14And speaking at the these meetings, as well as other community meetings, are ways that we are using public outreach to get people informed about the local hazard mitigation plan as well as have them provide feedback and comment.

0:56:29Okay, so this slide right here is kind of a general slide, and it is a synopsis of of 28, of over 28 separate 1 billion dollar weather and climate events that happen in 2023 throughout the United States.

0:56:43In a more microcosm way of looking at it. If you think of the big rains of January, those county hazards were identified previously through the hazard, mitigation plan, and different strategies for mitigating that thing were applied at that time. So that's kind of the big picture all the way to the small picture here in El Cerrito.

0:57:05Okay, now, when we're looking at the hazard mitigation plan. There are a number of different county wide hazards, as you can see up here. The requirement that is necessary in the hazardous mitigation plan are natural hazards. So things that you see, like climate change, levy failure, wildfire earthquake things like that, but it also encompasses other threats

0:57:28that deal with human caused issues as well as technological hazards. Okay.

0:57:35the big part of participating in this

0:57:37is that once you part. Once you participate in this and have an annexe within the the hazard mitigation plan, you become eligible for fema grants

0:57:47and and that is why the State Oes and the county oes come together to present this. So that is in a format that is acceptable

0:57:58to be eligible for the for these types of funds.

0:58:03Okay, now, let's look at a little bit more specific to us. Okay.

0:58:08in El Cerida, when we put together this plan, there were 11 different priority, local hazards.

0:58:15the number one and number 2, one were earthquake and wildfire. Then there were several other different ones. Now you may say to yourself, well

0:58:23active. What? Why is not active shooter on this list?

0:58:26The active shooter applies to all county agencies and jurisdictions. Similarly so, it's not specific to el Cerrito. Now, you would say, well, Wildfire would seem to kind of affect everyone in the county also. But why is it special in El Cerrito? Because most of our city is in very high fire, hazard, severity zone. So that's the specialty.

0:58:50all in all, there were 32 mitigation strategies identified

0:58:54across all across 6 of the 7 City Departments building, city administration, community development fire information, technology and public works. We're all we're all represented and different with different numbers of mitigation strategies. Obviously the fire department had, you know, one of one of the greatest numbers of those, but it basically affects effects. Everyone.

0:59:21now, general overview on preparing for disasters. There's 3 phases. Phase number one is learning what your hazards are.

0:59:30There is a

0:59:32website that's listed here. In addition to that

0:59:36we also offer cert classes through the city. You can access throws through the city website as well as

0:59:45the fire department page on the city website. And even the Cal Oes website has access to those things. Phase 2 is making a kit.

0:59:53Once you access the Cal Oes website, they can tell you all the different things you could use and need in your kit, so that you can be self sustained for a given number for a given amount of time.

1:00:04and then the last phase is practicing the plan.

1:00:07So it's one of those things where you have your plan, and you have your obviously your family or your members of your household, and you want to practice what to do in the case of disasters, and everybody has their priorities or different hazards that are even applicable in their own home. That that their kit is meant to address.

1:00:27Okay?

1:00:29Information. The the point of this presentation is to get feedback from the community. There's various ways that we can do it. Obviously here, I'm here to educate the public as well as as the the rest of the audience. But

1:00:42we have printed a trifold that is, in 4 different languages. They're in the lobby area for for people. There's the the QR code. But you can also even do something as simple as an Internet. Search for the for Contra Costa County hazard mitigation plan.

1:01:00That simple search will will lead you right to the website on that website. You can go down. You can see all the jurisdictions, and especially El Cerito,

1:01:11and and take a look at that. And this public prom comment period is open through the end through the end of May.

1:01:17Okay.

1:01:20so in conclusion, thank you very much for your time. I have 3 different points of access for questions and information. Here. Your first email here is the oes

1:01:33email address. That's kind of more of for overarching big picture type things. Here locally in the city you have Shawn Shawn Moss as well as myself. That can answer anything and specifics. It is a pretty extensive document. I wasn't gonna try to go over it all all now. But but it literally addresses all different kinds of vulnerabilities.

1:01:55mitigation, strategies, the plans that are put forward by by the city and by members of different departments.

1:02:01In the hopes, again, that

1:02:03should funds be needed for these kinds of thing, they can be applied, applied for and qualified for through this plan.

1:02:09And I'm available for any other questions you may have.

1:02:12Thank you to any

1:02:14council members. Have any questions.

1:02:16Councilmember. Fideli.

1:02:19Yes, thank you, Dave. Pretty important stuff.

1:02:22In addition to answering questions from our residents. Is there a call for volunteers to assist the city or the county that people can really

1:02:30join in and be involved?

1:02:33No, at this at this phase, in the, in the hazard mitigation plan. It's more feedback on the plan that's already been put together.

1:02:39That that's what what the real call is for now is to try and reach out and tell people, hey, there's this plan.

1:02:46Take a look at it. See if there's something you see that we haven't addressed

1:02:50and and give your feedback on it? However, there are things like cert which can get them and get them involved in hazard preparedness and self reliance

1:03:01to

1:03:03Mayor protein. Just a quick question. What has been the strategy or the campaign for the general public. I know we're you're out talking to the different councils. But what is the strategy? Is there a social toolkit where we can share it to the public, or what's been the strategy for that?

1:03:21The current, the current phase. So in working with representatives from

1:03:26county oes as well as a consultant is that it's it's very individual based. So the county has done a really great job in providing some materials like like the the trifles and the flyers. Even parts of this presentation were provided to us. So that's kind of a consistent message.

1:03:44That that's pretty much what we're doing. But it's really up to the individual partners to go out and to kind of seek different meetings and opportunities to have this put out there so that people can take a look at it.

1:03:59Council member Motiama. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for the presentation. I have a question about the California Geological Survey is putting out new seismic hazard maps. And I know that one of the things that's different is that before we had no liquefaction zones

1:04:17identified on our map.

1:04:20which was not that they weren't there. They were just not mapped for us. But now the new maps will have that. Does that automatically get included into our hazard mitigation plan? Do we have to do something differently because liquefaction is different from the

1:04:35previously considered earthquake hazards. Kind of

1:04:38if those plans were on a county wide basis. Then it would be part of the General County plan.

1:04:45If it's specific to else Rito, then we'd have to input, it as well. But that's why we go through things with the building department. It's not just, only

1:04:54don't only fire. So so those kinds of things are updated. When the when the plan comes out and those mitigation strategies that apply to those different departments are sent out to be updated in terms of their progress, need for additional information funding sources. Things like that.

1:05:11Thank you.

1:05:14It. We have a quick question in your slide about how to prepare for disasters. A lot of that work is very individual preparedness. What has been the outreach as far as community groups. So whether you know

1:05:27all the different community groups that are in town.

1:05:30And you

1:05:31should someone be

1:05:33in a public place as a disaster happens, and having this making a kit also be thought about in schools or in, you know, religious organizations, or in some of the other places around town where folks

1:05:45well, I I think that a lot of the outreach outreach in in, in this particular part of it is aimed at really individual type things. It's it's there also to spur more questions. So a lot of the things, especially through Al Cerrito. And the resource we have

1:06:01cert is a big thing, because cert kind of is that encompassing whole community, whether you're at a school, or whether you're at your home kind of helps, you get an idea of of what you can do, because the concepts are pretty much the same like, for in an example, for in the school, yes, it's it's more of a numbers thing. So so you think of okay. So if you need water for X amount of days. You're talking about all these people, things like that. And then again, schools are also used

1:06:28as shelters in in some of these things. So I, I think it varies. But I think you you take this, and when when we get the questions about it.

1:06:37we? We apply it that that way. And and again, like I said, we as a city, are looking at different communities, different meetings and different things, where we can go and and and talk about this, but it's also under

1:06:52the general guise of the Hazard mitigation plan.

1:06:55One of it has that component to it, but it's not as prevalent. I'd say one of just the challenges overall with local hazard. Mitigation plans is just kind of like the universal thing is when members of the public who, while they're not written necessarily, I think that's not their the target audience. But if members of the public are going to these. It's very hard for folks to see. Where do I fit in? Aside from kind of individual preparedness?

1:07:19I think that it's just something that I'm hoping that they're getting better and better, and I'm really excited to see the outcome of this process. I think that our county is really doing the best that it can, but also recognizing that we're a huge, huge county, and there's a lot of moving parts to it. So

1:07:36so yes, individual responsibility is important. But there's that weird kind of missing middle, almost of what is it that organizations that aren't affiliated with

1:07:44local government or at the individual level? How folks can be able to participate and plug into the process and and learn these lessons. I say, Anna and I will take that back to to the consultants, and see and see what they say about that.

1:07:57Because because right now the focus is on the plan, the overarching plan again, because the big thing about. This is not just mitigation strategies, priorities, and things like that, but also being eligible for the funds to have fema pay for all of this, because, as we know, the cost for mitigating a lot of things these issues are is pretty tremendous. So that's the main goal.

1:08:20The preparedness is more on the individual level. But I see what you're saying that there's there's that there's a middle level where it's just above

1:08:26individual, like household, and and from there, so I will go forward and bring that up to the consultant and see where we are. With that. Thank you. Anything else.

1:08:37Alright.

1:08:39I thank you so much. We need to take public comment on the presentations.

1:08:45Thank you.

1:08:46Thank you.

1:08:47All right. So the next item is, item B, local measure, renewal feasibility, survey results.

1:08:53May we please have a presentation?

1:08:56Are you gonna run the Powerpoint as Brian? Brian will be. But I'll just introduce briefly while you pull it up. Good evening, Mayor and City Council. My name is Will Provis, assistant to the city manager. I'm here today just to quickly introduce Brian Godbe of Godbe research.

1:09:10As you know, when you talked about at city Council before measure R is a really important measure for us transactions and use sales tax.

1:09:18It's a one cent tax in El Cerrito. That actually expires in 2027 and generates actually nearly 10% of our general fund revenues. So it's very important to the city of Alterio, and being able to offer and provide the services that our community expects. And so we engaged Godbe research to study the feasibility of the renewal this calendar year. And so God, Brian Godbey of Godbey. Research is here to present.

1:09:41and the results of that study.

1:09:43Thank you.

1:09:45Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): Great. Thank you will. Thank you, members of the Council. I think you should all be able to see the presentation now, so I'll jump in.

1:09:55So to begin with, in terms of the methodology, this was an online and phone survey online meaning text invitation and email invitations to the online version phone meaning landline. Yes, there's still some people that have landlines and do answer them. And we want to make sure that everybody gets an equal chance depending on their technology and cell phones as well. Of course.

1:10:19the universe was likely. November 2024. Voters. We were in the field. At the end of March the average survey was 22 min long, the sample size. Our goal was 400. We completed 425 interviews, which gives us the margin of error, plus or minus 4.6 9

1:10:38moving into the key findings. We'd have quality of life in l. 30, for several years, as you can see from the slide when we add the vary and somewhat satisfied together, like, you see, we're at 89, in round numbers. Satisfied in this survey.

1:10:56it was 87. In the survey we conducted back in October of 23

1:11:02it going back to May of 23. It was 87 as well. But pre pandemic it was a little higher at 93 most cities have taken a hit during the pandemic in these kinds of measures. However, else Rios is relatively modest compared to what we've seen elsewhere. So people are still and really happy with quality of life in the city bell. Sr.

1:11:28the next third question asked about a hypothetical measure, which is the sales tax renewal that will was talking about you see the wording that we asked on the right hand side of the slide. This meets all of the the statewide legal requirements that has a tax rate of one cent it until ended by voters. It raises 4 million dollars annually and it would

1:11:54have an independent citizens oversight the rest of the words are basically up to us to decide.

1:12:02But those that I mentioned, or the legal requirements. This was also vetted by your city attorney as something that could be on the ballot, as is

1:12:12when we add the definitely and probably yes, together, as we do for feasibility analysis. You see that we're at 75 in round numbers. Support. That's a really really good place to be. There is still work to do, and that the probably yeses are part of that and they need to stay on board

1:12:32now. We asked a variety of other questions which are summarized in the next couple of slides in the middle of the survey and the first of those was really a list of different kinds of services that you might use the money to maintain, including maintaining fire, protection and emergency medical maintaining rapid 911 emergency response. Maintain city parks and path and play fields, maintaining after school programs for children and teens.

1:13:00library programs for children, adult and family

1:13:05maintaining wild fire prevention programs, maintaining it and improving open space, maintaining crime prevention and investigation resources and maintaining library hours all of which were

1:13:18important to respond. And

1:13:21we also have a very a variety of pieces of information what the voters would like to see included in the measure, and that includes, preventing across the board. 10% cuts in city programs and staff

1:13:37local control over local funds is important to the respondents. No funds that can be taken by Sacramento. So that kind of accountability provision maintaining rapid 911 response times obviously continues to be important.

1:13:51and the the point that extending the

1:13:54tax is not an increase is obviously something that they were interested in. And then the fact that there would be again an independent citizens oversight.

1:14:04effort for the measure

1:14:06not only those kinds of informational statements, but we also identified some of the negatives. And there's a variety of those, including the fact that there will be an affordable housing measure on the ballot. Throughout the Bay area in the fall.

1:14:22The L. El Ceritos bail tax rate will continue to be 10 and a half

1:14:28and the the money would be used to solve some general fund issues

1:14:34it would also be until ended by voters, and that there's no guarantee that the funds would be spent as promised, which is true, and that's part of what a general tax

1:14:44is ultimately, at the end of the day this Council has authority every year to decide how the money is going to be spent.

1:14:53So, after we provided all that information to people. We did come back

1:14:58to our ballot question a second time, and you see, we started at 74.5 rounding to 75. And we're now at 74.8 so basically, it's the exact same level as we were before, both round to 75, there's no real statistical difference, although it is a little bit softer after people hearing the the pro and con

1:15:24of the

1:15:26of of the measure. But we're still in a pretty good place. There's certainly work to be done.

1:15:33and

1:15:34With that I will see if there are any questions. If you want

1:15:39would like me to answer.

1:15:41Thank you, Mr. Godbe. Any questions.

1:15:44Councilmember Motoma.

1:15:46I just had a question about that reduction indefinitely. Yes, in the last

1:15:51slide. What accounts for that? I I think you mentioned that it may not be statistically significant. But can you? Is there any explanation for that? Or.

1:16:02Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): Well, we, as you saw in those intervening slides there were both pro and con discussed, and that's what happens in the real world. And I think the initial test is before people think about

1:16:15both sides of the coin. And this reflects what happens after there is that debate.

1:16:22It does get a little softer, but it is still 75. At the end of the day.

1:16:28Thank you very much.

1:16:31Councilmember. Fideli. Yes, thank you.

1:16:33Yes, thank you for this. On the last slide where you mentioned the negatives, you said, or the

1:16:40the most problematic items you didn't mention

1:16:43will never end.

1:16:46Can you talk about? This is a new item, right? That the city of El Cerrito doesn't have. Now, obviously, we're voting on this again. Can you give us a little more detail? Was that privately, I mean, separately pulled.

1:16:59Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): Yeah. So we'll never end is the opposite way of saying until ended by voters.

1:17:05Right.

1:17:06Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): So in the ballot question we use the until ended by voters, which is the norm for cities across California to explain.

1:17:16That it is in perpetuity.

1:17:18However, if there are opponents of the measure, they won't say it that way, they'll probably say it will never end. So we're just using the opponents language

1:17:28to describe the same same situation.

1:17:32My question is, did you pull that specific point.

1:17:35Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): Yes, yeah. Both of them were Paul.

1:17:37You tell? Tell me what it was, what, how to pull.

1:17:41Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): Well, so it here's it's it's part of the ballot question and so it is built into that 75. I don't recall off the top of my head, but let me look and see where never end was.

1:17:57Bigger ballot question, and not independently bold.

1:18:00Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): Not until ended by voters, but will never end, was

1:18:05independently pulled.

1:18:07So hang, give me just a second to find that one in my other

1:18:13data here

1:18:19the until never end is just 41 more likely to vote now. So while it is a negative, it's not a huge negative, because to defeat this measure would require it to be over 50,

1:18:33because this requires a simple majority to be successful.

1:18:36Thank you.

1:18:39Alright.

1:18:40Another. Alright! Thank you so much, Mr. Godbe. Appreciate the presentation.

1:18:45Brian Godbe (Godbe Research): Sure my pleasure.

1:18:47Have a good evening.

1:18:48Take care of you

1:18:50all right. Next is item 7, which is adoption of the consent calendar.

1:18:54We have multiple items tonight. So pardon me as I read the title to all of them.

1:19:02We have, item, a approval of minutes. Item B. Boards, Commission Committee, Work Plan and accomplishments.

1:19:08The Crime Prevention Committee. Appointment of Rosa Escovell.

1:19:11d. Monthly disbursement and Check Register Report for March 2024

1:19:16E. Asian, American, Native American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, proclamation.

1:19:22national towns, cities and villages, month proclamation, G. Affordable housing, month proclamation in which we do have someone who will be accepting this

1:19:32item. H. National Public Works Week Proclamation. Item I, the El Cerino, Hillside festival, tenth anniversary proclamation. We also have someone here to accept that item.

1:19:43Item J. Bike to wear every day. Proclamation.

1:19:46Item K. Extension of services. Agreement with child care Careers, Llc.

1:19:52L. Reject construction bids for the miscellaneous storm, Drain, repair, project City project number c. 56, 10.

1:20:01Item M.

1:20:03Adoption of resolution authorizing the purchase of 3 hybrid Ford explorer, police vehicles, and the amount not to exceed 174,000.

1:20:11Item N. Adop. Landscape and lighting assessment, lad, for fiscal year 2024, 2025, and adopt resolution of intent to order improvements and set the public hearing as May 20. First, 2024.

1:20:25Item O. The final one resolution authorizing amendments to the Disposition and development agreement in affordable House. Regulatory agreement with Mayfair affordable Llc. At 1 1 6, 9 0 San Pablo Avenue.

1:20:42We will,

1:20:44We will invite representative to speak on behalf of the proclamations after we adopt the consent. Calendar. Are there any brief questions or requests by the Council to pull items off the consent? Calendar

1:20:56Council, Member Motoyama. I have a brief questions on 7 d. He hasn't boy or d, as in dog he is in dog.

1:21:05I have questions on item 7 M.

1:21:09And 7. Oh.

1:21:12alright! Any other kind may I pretend

1:21:16you have? Yeah. I have on 7 a the minutes, a couple of corrections, and on 7 LA correction, I think.

1:21:26and then a comment on

1:21:29on I

1:21:33you think.

1:21:35All right. Let's start with. Item A, what is the edit that you have for edits plural. I'm not sure if the mayor caught this, but on the minutes you we have up on the top previous mayor, and

1:21:46on the various minutes from previous meetings.

1:21:51Page of each of our place. I usually read the Content at the top hand corner. We've got Mayor Motoyama on there with.

1:22:00Thank you. Do you? Okay, thank you. I will check all of them and ensure that the final version has the appropriate header

1:22:09in the background. On the last paragraph before the analysis. It says it was advertised in the East County Times. I believe that was probably the Eastbape.

1:22:22It it goes by many names. But yes, it over here. It is the East Bay times. Yes.

1:22:28thank you. Alright. Go to Item d

1:22:32campaign.

1:22:34I had just a couple of questions about some of the the checks. First, I had a question about

1:22:41the Ccta check for a hundred $1,792, and I was wondering what that was for.

1:22:48Yes, crystal reams finance director. The Ccta. Check was per the Council. Resolution 2023, 59. It is the local match to the Ccta. For the smart signals project. The total cost for the design and construction of the improvements in El Cerrito is $878,915 which required the local match of 170,000 792.

1:23:14And this is part of our complete streets for a Del Norte Bart. Station.

1:23:19I don't believe so.

1:23:22This is also funded by measure. J. Return to source. Okay, thank you. And then I had a question about universal building services. It said, library supplies of

1:23:35one carton, one case of tissue, and 2 cases of paper towels for $7,900. Yes. So unfortunately, the way that the report is pulled it pulls the first. If there's multiple checks on or multiple invoices on a check. It pulls the first invoice description. So that check actually had

1:23:548 different invoices. There was library custodial

1:23:59monthly cleaning. There's monthly cleaning for the courtyard, city Hall swim center and the recycling center, and then a couple of small purchases.

1:24:08Okay, thank you. I just wanted to make sure that that was not the case. Okay? And then my third question is, at and T. Copper land phone lines for city staff.

1:24:17Why do we have to pay at. And T for landlines, don't they exist already?

1:24:24Yes, so these are the monthly bills, and this is again was 4 different invoices for different various landlines and fiber data lines. Okay? So that calling out the copper landline is just not that we pay to have copper installed, that that's how you identify the line. Correct. Okay.

1:24:41thank you very much.

1:24:43Alright. And then.

1:24:45item, L,

1:24:48you had. Alright. You did, Elle, you're right.

1:24:50Well, we'll skip. I we're gonna get to? I, yeah, yeah, I don't have Al

1:24:55an item. L,

1:24:57we have that one

1:24:59L was just the correction for the publication. I believe publication. Got a thing? Yeah.

1:25:04Item, M.

1:25:06Thank you, Mayor.

1:25:12I'll let Chief come up to the podium

1:25:15before I ask my question.

1:25:20Thank you, Chief. I wanted to know why, if we were placing 2 cars, why are we buying 3 vehicles?

1:25:27Leading counsel? I'm Paul Keith, your chief of police.

1:25:30So we have 2 vehicles that we identified as a hundred percent being replaced. Those are 2 vehicles that are approaching 20 years of service.

1:25:38Reality is right. Now we have 8 vehicles with greater than 10 years of service in our administrative fleet.

1:25:43So, because the fleet is so old, we do plan to retain one of those 3 vehicles as a pool vehicle and as a backup. We've had some catastrophic failures in some of our port explorers lately.

1:25:55so it is nice to have a backup vehicle for that

1:25:58so the purpose of a pool vehicle is to provide transportation to officers or other non sworn staff that need to attend training or the need to run errands for the police department. If we don't provide them with a vehicle, then they can submit for mileage, reimbursement and gasoline costs, etc. So is to provide a additional vehicle available for officers if they have to attend training in Sacramento, say, or Alameda county.

1:26:22So but I will say that the

1:26:25the needs of the fleet far outstrip the the 3 vehicles that we're currently asking for cost on these vehicles has gone up

1:26:33radically

1:26:35in the last 4 years.

1:26:37and even with 8 vehicles at greater than 10 years. It's going to take multiple budget cycles to start making a dent in the age of our administrative fleet.

1:26:46And I guess we I do appreciate that the vehicles are now hybrids.

1:26:53So I I really appreciate that. You guys looked into that and followed through on that. I was wondering. We do focus a lot on cars. How are we doing on bringing bicycle patrol to the green way.

1:27:05Well, bicycle patrol is one of those deployments that you tailor to crime trends.

1:27:11So just as an example in the past we used bicycles to patrol the Olony Greenway.

1:27:18and prior to 2020 we used to have a lot of commuter activity on the green way. So people riding Bart to and from work walking home from Bart or riding bicycles home from Bart. That behavior has dropped off significantly on the Bart path, and the violent crime that was connected with that with commuters has dropped off significantly as well. Just as an example. In the first 4 months of this year we've had one crime incident on the Bart.

1:27:42It involved a person on an electric scooter who ran over a 5 year old on accident.

1:27:47and the mother of the 5 year old started punching him in the head for doing it. So we had an assault on the part, pat technically. But it's probably not. Gonna finally charge us against the mom on. That is my guess.

1:27:58So what we, the reason I bring that up is we try to tailor our deployment to the crime trends. We're seeing so one of the big deployment, one of the great trends we're seeing that our deployment is directed towards is retail. Theft.

1:28:09and retail theft can happen at any point on the

1:28:13on Sample Avenue mostly has to do with our businesses. The vehicles provide us additional visibility that our officers are out there. They also provide additional tools at our officers disposal for de-escalating incidents or using other force options that are beyond what an officer carries on their person.

1:28:30I'd love to get to the point where we can get bicycles out again. It is gonna take some stabilizing of staffing. I know I talked about this last year. We got to a full staff moment in December of 2023, and now we have

1:28:435 vacancies and 2 people in training. So I made a big shift in some personnel changes in December. So we're kind of working on getting back there.

1:28:53All these new officers they have a basic training to go through before we start adding advanced stuff like bicycle patrol.

1:28:59Thank you.

1:29:01I do hope that we do get back there.

1:29:04It's bicycle control.

1:29:07anything else.

1:29:08I'd like to move adoption of the consent. Calendar a through. O,

1:29:12I still have one question left. Oh, okay, I'm sorry

1:29:15for item. O yes.

1:29:19So I have a question about item

1:29:217 point. Oh.

1:29:23good evening.

1:29:24hey? Thank you. I did see that it said in the beginning of the staff report that it was 67 units, but in the body it says 69, and in the resolution. It's kinda not clear if it's 67, or 69 units for the Mayfair affordable family development. So can you just tell me how many

1:29:42units. It really is. Yeah. Happy to answer that. When the project was initially entitled in 2,018, it was for 67 units, but due to financing the developer entitled reentitled it in 2,020, with 2 options.

1:29:5869 family, or 72 senior. So it's actually 69 units. But there's one manager's unit. So it's a 69 unit project with 68 restricted units. One set aside for the managers unit.

1:30:13Great. Thank you. That's it's better to have more. Yeah.

1:30:17so thank you for your support. And we're happy to be bringing this project to a groundbreaking this summer.

1:30:22Thank you. Congratulations. Yeah. Congratulations.

1:30:26Alright. I heard a movement of adopt the consent. Calendar, seconded by Weissinger.

1:30:32All those in favor, please say, aye, any opposed motion carries.

1:30:38Yeah. Some of the good stuff I'm gonna start with. Item G, which is the affordable housing month proclamation.

1:30:43Do we have a representative

1:30:46for this proclamation? We do. We have a represented. With us on zoom.

1:30:51Jeff, you should be able to unmute.

1:30:54Jeff Levin, EBHO: Great. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Jeff Levin. I'm the senior director of policy with East Bay housing organizations or epo as well as a 35 year resident of El Cerrito as Epo celebrates its fortieth anniversary. This year we continue to mobilize the power and wisdom of our members to produce, preserve and protect affordable housing opportunities

1:31:15for low income communities in the East Bay to meet our mission epo partners with our members, to deepen our impact in local communities, fortify the Housing Justice movement and advance systemic policy change.

1:31:28I wanna thank you for once again recognizing affordable housing month and affirming your commitment to affordable housing. We greatly appreciate the city's efforts over the years. We applaud you on your pro housing designation from the State, and we look forward to development of transit oriented housing at the Plaza Bard station, where half the apartments will be offered at below market rents for low and moderate income, families and individuals which is quite an achievement

1:31:54throughout May Ep. Home members and staff are organizing over 30 affordable housing month public events to educate our community about key aspects of affordable housing and Housing justice.

1:32:06Our programming this year includes a great lineup of events. We have community celebrations, days of action, panel discussions, housing workshops, community trainings, and more. There are grand openings and groundbaking breakings of new affordable housing communities that showcase and celebrate what is possible when community members, nonprofits and local government come together. Some of these are in person events. Some of them are virtual online.

1:32:33You can view a full list of our events at our website@ebho.org slash events.

1:32:39we celebrate affordable housing month to call attention to the housing affordability crisis to lift up solutions and celebrate our achievements, and we need you with us this November, as several people have mentioned this evening already, we have a chance to make a real difference with the Bay Area Housing Finance Agency's regional Housing bond measure across all 9 Bay Area counties.

1:33:02If approved, it could unlock 10 to 20 billion dollars for affordable housing and homelessness solutions at a minimum. That means up to 45,000 new affordable homes, jobs for 29,000 people every year, and a big boost to our local economy, and a 20 billion dollar measure would double this impact.

1:33:23Many of you have supported this measure individually. We hope that all of you will. And in a time of political division and distractions, we can all work together to ensure a racially and economically just East Bay, where everyone has a safe stable and affordable home.

1:33:40We hope you join us this month to strengthen old and build new relationships on our journey of Housing justice. So again on behalf of East Bay Housing Organization and all of our members. I want to thank you very much for this honor, and we hope to see you at some of our affordable housing events this month. Thank you.

1:33:58Thank you, Mr. 11. You are.

1:34:00I've a real rock star in this, so we're lucky to have an El Cerrito resident.

1:34:05Jeff Levin, EBHO: Thank you.

1:34:07The proclamation are. Should we take a

1:34:09picture?

1:34:33I think so. Hold on.

1:34:37I just think.

1:34:42but it's limiting it to me

1:34:44now. We can do fine.

1:34:48Who? Where?

1:34:50I can't get it to switch.

1:34:52You bet

1:34:55that's the best I can do. Sorry

1:35:03I don't know.

1:35:04Everybody doesn't do it that way.

1:35:09Thank you, Jeff, for being here. We appreciate it.

1:35:11Jeff Levin, EBHO: Thank you so much.

1:35:18And don't get too comfortable in your seats, because we're gonna be getting up one more time for very good reason. We'd like to recognize the Else trail trackers for their tenth anniversary of the Elserito Hillside festival. I was able to attend one of the events on Sunday, and I'm always impressed with the passion of these community members. A real connection to the land here, as well as

1:35:43a thought process around how to engage community members of all age categories, and make sure that it is accessible for young children to understand. I heard that one of the most popular events at this most recent weekend was the insect walk.

1:35:57and that some of the local preschool communities heard about this, and they all brought their little children, and how cool. That is that we

1:36:04we have this amazing community resource. And the trail trackers here. So we're really excited to provide this proclamation. I'd love to invite Dave Weinstein to come up. If you'd like to say a few words, and then we'll give you this proclamation.

1:36:20Our mayor and members of council, Dave Weinstein, representing Ellis, Arito trail trekkers. Well, the tenth annual

1:36:27Hillside festival came up a lot better than it

1:36:30looked like it would Saturday morning when the ring was pouring down.

1:36:34and we had to cancel 2 events because of the rain

1:36:37the first time we had to do that.

1:36:39But still

1:36:40numbers may have been down this year, but the enthusiasm

1:36:43was really high, and the level of erudition I mean, we had the head of the lichen lab from Cal Lidus. You wouldn't believe this. I we have little children

1:36:55with, you know, little

1:36:56eye pieces examining like it really closely.

1:36:59and the members of the public who come to these events. They're pretty knowledgeable, too, as you know, there's a lot of naturalists.

1:37:07geologists, people who really care about

1:37:10the natural environment

1:37:11in the city.

1:37:13and I think that the Hillside Festival has emerged as a kind of

1:37:17focal point for for a lot of them as has trekkers in general.

1:37:22Over the years we've worked hard at trackers and the Environmental Quality Committee, which

1:37:28he's our partner here

1:37:29to put on the festival without hitting up city resources particularly much. We're doing it

1:37:35a whole heck of a lot less now than in the old days when the festival used to feature

1:37:40bands and speakers and tables, and even a poet dressed up like a scrub jay. Now we're just doing hikes and children events. We had a great art in the trees event that was great. About 40 people.

1:37:53but I still would like to thank

1:37:55city staff and and the city in general for all the help they did. When I noticed, for example, that the area devoted to the children making art

1:38:04was covered with

1:38:06thick strands of grass, including poison, hemlock. The city crews really did a good job of getting rid of that stuff.

1:38:13So everybody helped a lot. Stephen pray, is always great leading his tree hike, which which people love. And so I think this is a really great example

1:38:22of cooperation between trekkers and and the city, and and the people in in town, and we're looking forward to doing it.

1:38:29Many more years, of course. So

1:38:32thanks everybody who helped, and and we really we were really glad to see you there, Mayor, at at the event, and added a lot

1:38:39to the festival. Thank you.

1:38:41Thank you. It was an incredible potluck

1:38:44there. There was some really really good snacks, and there were real wine glasses. That was impressive. We know we know how to live. We don't, we? Don't. We don't love it.

1:38:55Oh, yes, yeah, it in

1:38:57apologies, because Council Member Fideli did have on there that he wanted to give a note about. Item I and I said, We'll get to it. So I just want to applaud David for his hard work or happy 10 years. My God! It's evolved into a great, great event. I love the science aspect of it.

1:39:14I just love meeting the people.

1:39:17Saturday was my day to do 2 things, and you're saying it.

1:39:22You only canceled 2 things.

1:39:24We I just said this, can't.

1:39:26It can't be going on on the hills, I mean. So we we went into the the idea with the rain. We said, we will all show up on site, but it will cancel only if we absolutely have to.

1:39:36We canceled the morning bird I I showed up there. There were no birds showed up. That was 8 in the morning. On Saturday it was really coming down, and then we were going to do an arts and crafts in nature that involved using grasses and leaves. Well, grasses and leaves were so, you know, stopping wet, you know, Saturday. So we dropped that. But the geology walk and the history walk.

1:39:58We held Saturday in steady rain, and we got people out there in there. Okay, I just wasn't quite up to it. That was my day, and I I couldn't do it Sunday. But thank you for being persistent and keeping this going. I know you're retiring, so it sounds like you're gonna still be part of. Well, my plan, my hope, is not to retire from trail trackers. Okay, but to retire from the Presidency. I I still want to do I I told the rest of the trekkers I would still be in charge of doing events.

1:40:25Wonderful. Thank you. Alright.

1:41:46Alright. We are onto item 9 policy matters. Item 9. A construction contract award for Ada. Modification per ramp and sidewalk project, city project number B, 30, 24, 7. Can we please have a staff report.

1:42:05Good evening, Mayor Council members. I am Yvette Ortiz, the city's public works. Director

1:42:10tonight. City staff requests that council take several actions to

1:42:16as listed in the Agenda Bill to award a construction contract

1:42:20to FJ. And I. Engineering, Inc.

1:42:22The lowest, responsive and responsible bidder for the Ada modification curb and sidewalk project.

1:42:29The project will improve Ada accessibility and safety by replacing placing damaged sidewalks that have been damaged by street tree routes at 22 locations within the city.

1:42:40Additional Ada. Improvements will also be made at the Community Center driveway and the corner of Ashbury and Waldo.

1:42:48We began development of this project in 2022, and prioritized locations for permanent repair, based on several factors, including severity of the sidewalk damage requests made by persons with disabilities.

1:43:01locations on streets identified as high priority, high volume, pedestrian routes consistent with the Ada transition plan, proximity to schools and other public facilities, and the type of repair.

1:43:13The city takes responsibility for permanently repairing sidewalk displacements that create tripping hazards or barriers to accessibility if they are being caused by a city owned tree tree or other city facility.

1:43:27Otherwise the Pro. The front and property owners is responsible for their sidewalks

1:43:32for bidding purposes, and to allow flexibility of award within the available funding. The work was divided into a base bid, and 3 additive bids.

1:43:40The notice invited bids for the project was advertised in the East Bay Times, and posted on the city's website, and 6 bids were received by the advertised bid. Opening day of April second.

1:43:51based based on the base bid, as specified in the contract documents. Fj. And I submitted the lowest bid.

1:43:58and it was 7% below the engineer's estimate.

1:44:01Fj, nice total of the base bid, plus the 3 additive bid items, and the amount of $371,923 is also slightly below. The engineers. Estimate

1:44:13city staff recommends that the City Council award the construction contract in this amount to Fj. And I, and approve potential change orders in the amount of $37,200.

1:44:24The current fiscal year adopted budget and capital improvement program includes 395,000 in funding for the project under the SB. One fund.

1:44:33Additional funds are needed to cover all project expenditures in the fiscal year.

1:44:39which are estimated to be $507,000. This includes costs for final design and bidding the construction contract the potential change orders

1:44:48tree planting and establishment construction, inspection and related cost as noted in your agenda Bill

1:44:55City Staff request that the Council amend the adopted budget and capital improvement program to appropriate the additional funding and the amount of 112,123

1:45:05dollars from the SP. One fund balance, which has sufficient funds for this purpose.

1:45:10I am happy to answer any questions from the Council. Thank you. Any questions from the council

1:45:18councilmember? Fideli. Yes.

1:45:20event. So I was just wondering if you mentioned trees calling causing problems.

1:45:26Does every project that this money will pay for have to do deal with Ada? Or can it just be a curve that's been wrecked.

1:45:35caused by the city tree.

1:45:37So we are prioritized, Ada accessibilities as part of this project, but it's and the Ada accessibility includes street tree sidewalks that are displaced by street trees, and then it can also include other Ada improvements, such as curb ramps, or relocating signs that may narrow the sidewalk too much as part of this project we prioritize sidewalk displacements and curb at a couple of locations

1:46:07and and curbs

1:46:08disrupted by trees curbs that are part of like the sidewalk that the the street tree has both displaced the sidewalk and the curb and gutter. We prioritize the sidewalk itself, because that's the primary path of travel for pedestrians. But in order in a lot of these cases, when the sidewalk is displaced, the curb and gutter is also displaced, so we'll go ahead and replace those together. Thank you.

1:46:34Question. Yep. Nope, question.

1:46:36Not a question. Just a comment. There's some really fantastic construction firms that do this work in the region in the Bay Area. But I I am appreciative that the one that selected was the only West County.

1:46:48So I I know that those things are not necessarily things that are decided upon. But it is nice that we are helping our local economy.

1:46:55When selecting a vendor that is close by. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Actually, before we do anything.

1:47:03there's any

1:47:04now is the time for members of the public who wish to provide public comments regarding this item

1:47:09request to speak can be submitted to the city clerk by completing a speaker card. Were there any request to speak on this item. No, May. I do not have any requests? All right.

1:47:18I'll move alright. So, moved by Motoyama, seconded by Quinto, all those in favor, please say, aye, aye, any opposed motion carries. Alright. Thank you so much.

1:47:27Moving out to item B. Fiscal year 2024, 2025 budget study session.

1:47:35Please have a staff report.

1:47:38Sure I will.

1:48:01Thank you.

1:48:03Alright. I will kick this off again. I am Karen Pincus, your city manager. We have a our whole team here to to

1:48:11to walk through sort of a preliminary

1:48:15budget session, but sort of also that kicks off like our budget. Hearing process. Now that we are at this point in our year to date budget process. So

1:48:25and go to the first slide with tonight's agenda.

1:48:28So this study session, as you can see, will continue our year to date budget process. We're moving toward completing and releasing this year's budget within the next few weeks. So tonight is a check in on where we are what we've heard from the community, a preview of the preliminary budget, including some updated revenue projections confirming the councils and the community's priorities, and lastly, the City Council will discuss your division budget.

1:48:54So before we begin the presentation, you can do the next slide if you like. I would just like to take a moment to center us on where we are.

1:49:02So we have already known that these next 2 years will be extremely tight. We have discussed this during the Council's budget retreat during the midyear process and in the community workshops revenues have been flat and costs are increasing. Thanks to

1:49:18what's happening in the world, a lot of which is out of our control. High inflation, high interest rates, high gas and energy prices, and still some recovery mode from the pandemic.

1:49:27So our finance team and our department directors have been working extremely hard over these past couple of months looking at data going through the budget line by line, looking at where we can make adjustments where we can raise revenues, can we save on expenses.

1:49:43So we want to bring a budget that reflects the community's priorities while being, we're fiscally responsible. So we will be outlining to you in this presentation. What we've learned. The budget is indeed balanced but very tightly, using a combination of strategies, revenue enhancements, one time savings some expenditure, reductions with the goal of providing a level of service that our community expects. We want to be straightforward and transparent and providing these facts and this data to you.

1:50:10and as long as we're in this environment, we're going to need to continue to right size our budget and come up with additional strategies to ensure our long term sustainability. So we'll go through this in detail later on. But I do also want to be very clear while we've had to seriously sharpen our pencils. We're doing so from a place of strength because of what this Council has done to ensure our high level of reserves, our emergency funds, and everything that we have.

1:50:34that we have saved.

1:50:36Section 1, 15. All of the actions that you have all taken and put us most place to strength, and we don't want to touch those reserves. So while these next fiscal years do present a challenge, this is a challenge we're in a very good position to face. We're prepared to tackle these challenges in the same way we did before, and the same way we will in the future. So with that intro, I will turn it now over to assistant to the city manager. Will provost to go through. The first part of representation.

1:51:02Great. Thank you. Karen. And yeah. So before diving into the study session itself and the discussion and the budget numbers that the preliminary budget numbers we have to share, I just wanted to quickly walk you all through our process to date, and and the community share with the public as well. So really, the budget process really stems back to mid to late last year, with the development of our strategic plan, as you know, and to develop the strategic plan, we did ample and robust community engagement.

1:51:27We did public workshops. We did cabling outreach. We did focus groups. We did a data analysis of all of these different indicators and ultimately to develop a new mission vision and value statement for the community as well as goals and strategies that were adopted by the city Council for the next 5 years

1:51:45following that in January there's a budget priority setting workshop with the Council, and that really reaffirmed. You know, we heard from you all the the word that I remember was onward, you know, move forward with these priorities and these strategies to reach the goals that we just identified through this public process.

1:52:03And so that was the foundation for us in setting out to conduct public outreach and engage with the community. Knowing that we had this foundation from the strategic plan.

1:52:13We also at that time launched an online survey that has a hundred 75 responses. We did

1:52:18financial updates to the community. And you all, including the midyear budget update and the annual audit. We had a department head strategic planning retreat which tied the strategic plan to department activities to to the activities and budget lines and departments, thinking about, how can we can better align the vision of the strategic plan with the work being done in each department. And then last month, we held 2 public workshops around the budget.

1:52:42We provided updates on the latest projections, the latest numbers and then sought input from the community about that what they would want us to prioritize.

1:52:51And so stepping back to the strategic plan. Here again, this was based in a lot of community input and then reaffirmed by the City Council largely at that kickoff meeting. But the 5 goals just to touch on that were adopted were for the city to be a high performing organization, to prioritize community safety, livability and belonging infrastructure and amenities and environmental sustainability.

1:53:17And so those were the that was the framework we used going into the public outreach, as mentioned.

1:53:23and so to touch on what we heard. At the first April workshop. On April sixth we asked, What would you like the city of El Cerrito, to prioritize the next 2 budget years.

1:53:33And so again, using this framework, we we also asked residents, you know. Tell us what you you want to see, but tell us also you try and make the link and tell us where you think it best fits within the framework within the strategy is adopted by Council. And so what we heard for high performing organizations with things

1:53:51like financial sustainability and financial stability being a primary focus, assessing staffing levels, financial transparency, doing a better job at highlighting measure R and the services that it provides.

1:54:03Starting the budget process earlier and new revenue opportunities and things like grants. So a lot of this is stuff we've heard before, but is again is helpful to rehear from the community. That, and for them to re-articulate those things, and especially how they relate to the strategies in this and goals in the strategic plan.

1:54:22We also heard a lot on community safety, but not just police and fire things like road safety bicycles and pedestrians, road safety, wildfire, preparedness, hazardous intersections and traffic

1:54:34things like using community service officers more and offering services to the unhoused

1:54:40under infrastructure and amenities. We heard streets and roads, paths, sidewalk repairs.

1:54:47Do more bicycle safety

1:54:50phones, telephone poles and lines and street sweeping. Also being a priority and environmental sustainability. We heard, of course, about the recycling center, but also about how sustainability overlaps really, with all the different goal areas. So sustainability as it relates to infrastructure and amenities or sustainability as it relates to finances or livability and belonging. So there was some interconnectedness that was identified between the different goal areas.

1:55:16And then, lastly, we heard also about liveability belonging to keynotes that stood out were on improving San Pablo Avenue and economic development, and also meeting accessibility which has to do with making all our meetings accessible electronically and virtual. And that was the comment we heard.

1:55:34We also at the same time did the online survey, as mentioned, with 175 responses. You'll see the we asked a similar question, and you'll see the outlier here with the pickle ball, and they were really able to, you know, get their community out there to participate in our survey, but otherwise this, too, really does, you know, affirm and resonate with past surveys we've done and past work that's been done in the community.

1:56:00And I should note here, actually jumping back. That

1:56:04we had an activity at the end of the first workshop in April, where we gave each of the participants or attendees $500, and asked them, How would you allocate your $500 across these goal areas. And so it was a fun activity. But we actually saw that community safety came out on top of that, followed closely by infrastructure and amenities.

1:56:23and so that, too, you know the small sample, only 10 people stuck around to the very end to participate in that activity to be clear, but it does affirm kind of the relative stature of the various priority areas that we've seen in survey after survey over the years.

1:56:39And again. This is true here in this survey, this electronic survey, which is also not statistically significant, but it shows safety, comes up repeatedly, not just safety, but road, safety, fire, safety, police and crime prevention. So really, that being a priority for the community.

1:56:56you can also see parks and Recreation Economic Development Library. But services for the unhoused. All, all were.

1:57:04you know, receive lots of entries here. So it's just another data point for us getting in 175 responses. It's not statistically significant, but it does provide another data point, just like the workshops and in person outreach that we're doing.

1:57:20But fortunately we also have the National Community Survey, which is statistically weighted. And so what that means is that

1:57:28the national community survey what they try and do is they try and make sure that they wait the responses to reflect the demographics of our community. And so that gives us a little bit more confidence, and you know not. Everybody comes to council meetings on a Tuesday night. Not everybody comes to the the workshops on a Saturday morning, and not everybody fills out our online survey that we blast out in all our channels. But so what these are, these

1:57:50statistically weighted surveys try and do is they try and match up, wait responses so that they flex reflect the ages and demographics of our community, so we can be a little bit more confident in the results.

1:58:02And what you see here from the National Community Survey, again asking a similar question, was that Parks had 90% of respondents believing it's a medium or high priority and public safety had 88%. So again, consistent.

1:58:15And all of these listed here, I won't read them all, but they they all show.

1:58:20you know, high support. But I it's just also an interesting data point to see the relative support. So something like climate action, 76% medium or high priority. But when you think about it relative to that, parks and public safety got close to 90%, it's just an interesting additional data point.

1:58:37And then the last thing I want to note is just in relation to the research done by Godbey research and presented to you earlier this evening is that is also statistically weighted to to represent El Cerito voters. So he

1:58:49the work they do is is

1:58:51doing a survey of the whole community and waiting it based on our population. And that, too, as you saw, 74% for of people are in support of a potential renew of a measure that pays for these same things identified here. So public safety parks, fire police response times. So very much all consistent. What we're hearing in the workshops.

1:59:14And what the serve even are not statistically weighted surveys. But certainly the National Community Survey, and what the work that Brian Gotby did.

1:59:23So all of that to say, you know, we have had a public process started stemming back to the strategic plan

1:59:29and the National Community Survey, but also including our April workshops and our online survey all to help inform this budget process. And at the end of this presentation we'll talk.

1:59:39reflect more about what we heard from the community and the priorities that we're hearing and using to inform this budget.

1:59:46But but that's that this these last few slides really call out what we heard in in this April outreach.

1:59:52So with that I'll stop there and I'll hand it over to Claire Coleman, our budget manager, to walk through our preliminary estimates.

1:59:59Thank you. Well, I'm just gonna

2:00:02unless

2:00:03good evening, Marin Council. I'm excited to talk with you today. I think we'll be seeing rather a lot of each other over the next couple of months as we move towards the end of June and budget adoption is our of course, our primary goal by June thirtieth.

2:00:17So this evening we're excited to share with you some of our preliminant. Well, our our first round budget. We've got some high level information, and we can delve into more details in in future meetings. Our goal this evening is to provide a high level overview of the budget. And then give, of course, have time for you to discuss your division budget as well as the City council.

2:00:40For fiscal year 2425, because this is a biennial but biennial budget. So for both years of the budget, we are currently estimating that revenues are stable cities. While our revenue structure is quite limited, we are very lucky that it is very stable. We else are, like most of our peers, is.

2:01:00primarily funded by property taxes and a few other sources. But property taxes in particular, are remarkably stable source they very rarely go down the most recent example, of course, was in the great recession in 2,008 and the subsequent years, but in general, property taxes provide us an incredibly stable base for our revenues. And we're expecting the revenues.

2:01:19My, too quiet. I can. Okay, we're expecting the revenues to continue to be stable also in areas like property taxes and other things, and I'll get into a little more detail of the major types shortly.

2:01:30Our biggest challenge is that costs are

2:01:33outpacing. Revenues. Costs are increasing in a variety of different areas. And as Karen, as our city manager, noted before, they're increasing in ways that are often outside of the city's control. And I'll touch on a few of those major items as well. But those are things like insurance costs. Those are things like inflation. Interest rates remaining high, so those are very much affecting the city's operations, as our revenues are stable, but they have a limit to how much they increase while our expenses are increasing very quickly.

2:02:03So departments have proposed adjustments that are that result in a balanced budget. Where revenues exceed expenditures in the short term. But many of these are short term adjustments. And so as we talk today, and you'll see the the current forecast as it looks, we'll be talking about finding that balance between short term and then ongoing changes to ensure that the city is structurally and entirely sustainable over the long term.

2:02:29So, firstly, property tax. So the city has historically seen strong property tax growth, of course, staying within the prop, 13 restrictions. We're estimating 5 in fiscal 2425, and 4% in 2526. And these are forecasts that are provided for us by Hdl, who are property tax consultants. They are experts in this area, and they track property tax markets and property markets extremely closely. So we are lucky to use their numbers.

2:02:55Because it provides a higher level of analysis, because that is their primary focus.

2:03:00We also include the impacts of the Successor agency dissolution in fiscal year 2526, and that is estimated to add about 650,000 to our property tax total. In that year.

2:03:13On the property transfer tax side. We are still seeing a very volatile property market. Things are very low, and then they're very high, and so it's a little it's a little bit like a roller coaster. And so we are currently budgeting for a 10 increase.

2:03:28In fiscal year 25 above what we're projecting to end this current fiscal year. So it's an optimistic but a reasonable assumption. With the assumption that property markets are likely to improve, but also conservative assumption, knowing that it may be a slower ride than we had hoped, it would be given the Fed's recent announcements on their

2:03:49low likelihood of increasing, of decreasing interest rates in the current calendar year.

2:03:56one thing to note. There was a great article in the New York Times, with some fascinating visuals about the number of homeowners who are locked in at rates under 3, and as a result, the difference between their low mortgage rates and the rates of the market are making it very difficult for many people to move, even if they want to. And so those are some of the complicated dynamics as we're looking at property markets.

2:04:17Can I ask, can I ask you a question? Are we waiting? Or

2:04:20it's quick when sure.

2:04:23So the the change. Can you go back. Yeah, you you changed the for the property transfer tax. Didn't we change the our projected thing? So which which number are you talking about?

2:04:36projections for the current year which are based on the amended budget. So the the lower, the amended budget. And this is 10 above that. Yes, it.

2:04:46Yes, it's

2:04:47yeah. It's focusing on as cause. The amended budget was based on our knowledge from a few months ago. So as we're getting updates every single month. We're adjusting our projections for this year, so trying to ensure that it's a reasonable, but

2:05:00we're not trying to sandbag things, but want to make sure it's well, there were 2 numbers I just didn't know. So it's moving target. Sometimes.

2:05:10On the sales tax side, we are currently projecting a 15% increase above 2324. It sounds rather large, but these are numbers provided to us also by Htl in their expertise as sales tax consultants. Else sales tax revenues continue to be very strong. There was a decline statewide in a recent quarter report from Hdl. Most agencies statewide saw a decrease. And Elsa Rita saw about a 10% increase. And so we continue to have very robust

2:05:39sales and transactions and use tax revenues. Due to our very diverse portfolio of businesses in El Cerrito, also due to some of the nuances of transactions and use tax, and how that's calculated, based on sidest, which I will not bother you with today. On the utility users tax side. We are seeing a stable revenues we are expecting about a 10 increase in energy cost over the next 2 years, and that affects our budget on both sides.

2:06:06As our utility cost increase. We also see an increase in our utility tax revenues.

2:06:12that's energy costs, I think, are going to continue to be a large discussion statewide. I know there's some major legislation in Sacramento that's under discussion. But our best estimate from a few different experts we spoke with is about 10 over the next 2 years.

2:06:26We are seeing we are budgeting a decrease in telecom u ut. The reason for that actually dates back to around 2,017 when the Fcc reclassified broadband

2:06:36and as a result, the city has had lower telecom U uts, because we no longer receive that on broadband categories.

2:06:43If that were to change, then we would have an opportunity to revise those revenue numbers

2:06:48on the fee side. Next meeting on the 20. First, you will get a presentation. Probably from me again. About the master fee schedule, and we will be presenting a few different recommendations from departments. Overall. Most fees are around a 4% increase. We're allowable. And we're justified by costs.

2:07:06And a few fees. Will be higher or lower, depending on the type of fee and we'll give you more information on that. But the budget will adjust, based on the fees that are adopted by counseling at that meeting.

2:07:18Other than that. We don't budget for grants unless they're actually awarded already. But once those grants are awarded, we bring them back to you for budget for adoption and appropriation. It's also a really great way for us to celebrate the grants that we receive as a city and make sure that you and the community are aware of the great things that are happening.

2:07:35And business taxes remain stable, and we'll be proposing an increase based on Cpi, which is as main as included in the city's municipal code.

2:07:45So on the expenditure side, we are budgeting for the personnel costs and the Colas that are included in our labor agreements. Several bargaining groups are currently under negotiations, and those costs will be included in the budget.

2:08:00Our pension costs are increasing quickly. These are pension costs that are outside largely outside of the city's control. The funds are managed by calpers, and there are often changes that we are unable to

2:08:13dispute

2:08:15and so we are seeing that 1 million increases both the normal cost that staff are paying on a regular basis. And the city's ual. And we know this, and we're planning for it. That's part of the purpose of the section 115. Should we need to use it? And all the different ways that the council and staff are looking at and planning for our long term pension liabilities.

2:08:34We are now budgeting for one time payouts. These are things like vacation accruals when staff retire or depart.

2:08:41Historically, we have not budgeted for those, but we are averaging about 400,000 a year for those costs. So we want to make sure that we're budgeting as accurately as possible.

2:08:50We are also seeing a large increase in medical costs

2:08:53and so in fiscal 25, we're estimating a 15 increase. So that has a large impact on our budget as well

2:09:00on the non-personnel side. As I mentioned before, insurance costs are increasing very quickly. We're seeing a 24% increase in our insurance other than workers compensation workers. Comp, we're seeing a 10% increase in fiscal fiscal year 25 those numbers

2:09:16represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance increases. And these come from Mpa. For example, our general liability insurance has tripled in the last 5 years from about 600,000 in fiscal year 2021 to almost 1.9 million dollars projected for fiscal year 25. So they're enormous increases. And this is consistent with most of our peers. Every other city I've spoken with is seeing massive increase in insurance costs.

2:09:40I'm sure. Many of you are experiencing this in other forms of insurance markets. Whether that's homeowners insurance for people who live in wildfire risk areas. Insurance markets are upside down and very, very turbulent. And so we are weathering that storm. I don't know if Assistance city manager or Logos, if you want to add anything on that.

2:10:00Thank you, Claire. I know that I've addressed this before to the Council about the variety of ways of of why insurance is the way it is. I'll just repeat a few of those and give the floor back to Claire. You know it is regarding, you know, just in the presentation that we heard earlier from the fire department, a lot of it has to do with the national, the natural disasters that have occurred in the last few years, rising inflation.

2:10:26also international conflicts that have been affecting the markets as well as legal judgements in case law that have been occurring. That has provoked an increase in claims nationwide. So insurance is a really complicated market right now. And, like Claire, said, we have spoken to our peers. And it's not just cities. And Mpa. It's literally nationwide.

2:10:57So in addition to insurance. We have contracts for several critical services. Those include animal control and dispatch. As our costs are increasing, the peer agencies that we work with their costs are also increasing. And so those contracts are increasing for us as well.

2:11:12We're seeing increasing costs for software. Some of those are things like cyber security and ensuring the safety of our technology systems. Some of those are increases in cost for existing software and some new software as well. So I believe department directors will be providing presentations at the next meeting, so they will likely get into a little bit more detail for what each of these things mean for their department respective departments. But this is a high level of some of the major impacts that we're seeing.

2:11:40So a brief review of the forecast. I know many of you seen this quite a few times. It's based now. It is now rolled forward, and it's based on the fiscal year 25 and 26 budget.

2:11:51We are estimating moderate revenue growth. Expenditure. Growth includes all of the things that we've spoken about so far.

2:11:58It does not currently include the use of the section 1, 15. Trust. So those funds are available to use towards pensions, but if we use them immediately it. Then we have to figure something else out. So, being very prudent in the ways and the opportunities that we use for when we use those funds. It does not include issuance of new debt.

2:12:15It does include our current debt schedule, but it does not include issuance of new debt for things like major vehicle purchases, building repairs any our new facility construction. So things that would require the city to issue debt isn't are not included in the forecast

2:12:30and it does not include the establishment and funding this really the funding of internal service funds to plan for long term expenditures so focuses primarily on our current operating budget. But we don't currently have the plans and the numbers and the level of detail to be able to include those asset plans in the forecast

2:12:48can I ask? But

2:12:51so I have a question about the Ut study. So is there any assumption about increased revenue from that study in the current budget forecast. Yes, so we are assuming a small or moderate increase in ut revenues.

2:13:09yes, in short, yes, it's it's a little hard for us to know exactly how much that would be. If at mid year we find that there's a pretty significant amount, then we would, of course, come back to council with that update.

2:13:22at this time. It's a moderate increase. Just because we're we're not quite certain exactly what that will look like yet.

2:13:29Thank you. Yeah.

2:13:32So this is the current forecast. I typically, I think I say this every time that the forecast is a point in time. It's not a prediction of the future, but it's our projections of the data that we currently have and our current operations.

2:13:46You can see the impact of the one time.

2:13:50Changes that are balancing the budget. And that's because our fiscal 25 and 26 stay significantly, and they stay well above that 10% reserve

2:14:01that as a reminder, the blue line is the 10% reserve policy. So for as long as a green line is above that we're the city staying well above its 10% unrestricted reserve policy. But on the left side that dark blue section is the Edrf.

2:14:15So, as you can see on the left side graph.

2:14:18The city never dips into its Edrf based on the current forecast. But the city does start to dip below its 10% reserve policy. So as the city our city manager mentioned earlier, the city has very robust revenues, and we're in a very stable financial place.

2:14:33But this budget would force the city to go below its 10% reserve policy. If nothing changes beyond this year.

2:14:42ongoing structural changes of approximately 1 million dollars would balance this and really change that and have that graph tick quite up in the out years. The reason that you have the dip going down and then coming back up. That's the impact of paying off some significant debt.

2:14:56It's also the impact of our Ual starting to decrease where it peaks in around fiscal 2032

2:15:03or fiscal year 2033.

2:15:06So things start to improve before that midterm. That's where we start to see a little bit of a challenge.

2:15:14So some strategies for long-term fiscal sustainability.

2:15:17One of the very core things of ensuring the city remains stable is to maintain reliable revenue sources, and that includes placing a renewal of the sales tax measure R on the ballot in 2024. It is an incredibly core component of our services that allows us to provide excellent services to the community every single day. So about 8% of the city's budget. So it's I cannot overstate how important those revenues are to the city's operations.

2:15:43staff are also evaluating ongoing structural changes to ensure fiscal sustainability. And one of those processes is initiating studies, using independent experts to collect data, to provide the Council with insight and

2:15:57options, to evaluate city services and opportunities for efficiencies. So some of these things include a citywide cost, allocation, plan, and fee study, to really understand our true costs, and to make sure that

2:16:08The city is being intentional with what fees we choose to subsidize and make sure that people are paying the full costs for individual benefit services where appropriate. And so this Council has that full discretion through the master fee study. But to ensure that we have the full scope and the full understanding of our costs, including things like vehicle replacement like technology replacement and building maintenance that are those more difficult costs to include in a fee structure.

2:16:33We also plan to conduct a service delivery study to understand all the services that we provide to evaluate efficiencies, opportunities to improve the ways that we provide services to the community in a way that also ensures that the city can continue to be fiscally sustainable.

2:16:48These studies aim to provide information, strategies, and options to the city council for future fiscal years.

2:16:58This is a brief reminder of the Council budget priorities that were discussed in January at that first meeting that week had to kick it off. I think it was kind of a rainy day. At the Community Center. It seems like it was a very long time ago. But also yesterday.

2:17:14So this is a reminder of some of the core priorities that are embedded in the budget. The bud, the strategic plan, and the priorities guide every part of our spending. And so all of the maintaining reserves and ensuring a balanced budget. Main, maintaining our parks and open spaces. Ensuring community safety. All of those components are woven into the budget.

2:17:34So that concludes my portion of the presentation. And then, thank you, will. And Claire and I would note that again, looking at these budget priorities, you know, it's important to note that our budget is a reflection of the values of our community. And while we're again fiscal sustainability certainly is, you know, from the team you're hearing. It's it's the biggest focus that we have

2:17:56have been conducting ourselves and developing this budget. But at the same time recognizing that you know what we have been able to do.

2:18:04And and it's not even just measure R. Thanks to the voters for the real property transfer tax as well as measure. R. Again, even with the volatility that we're seeing.

2:18:14you know it is, it is absolutely due to the due to those major taxes that have been able to provide a lot of stability. And again, as the Council has taken the actions to provide even further stability with our reserves, with the 1 15 trust and all of the options that we have. So

2:18:33where we have had a lot of conversations back and forth among our staff about the challenges that we're facing, trying to avoid any Ptsd. From the past 4 years.

2:18:45because we have been in recovery mode no question. But at the same time this is exactly what our responsibility is is to bring all of this to the Council, to discuss again to confirm these priorities. So as we come back in the next 3, you know, while the next meeting next at the next meeting with departments, and then the

2:19:04the when we start to have the actual budget hearings in June, the the Council is aware of everything that we've looked to put into this budget and that we've focused again on the values and the priorities of the community to do that in the most fiscally responsible way, as that is indeed one of the values that we have as well.

2:19:23So

2:19:25so at this point I'd like to pause and ask if you have any questions on the previous slides before we get into the Council discussing its own budget, but also and we can put the priorities back. To confirm once again that these are indeed the priorities that we're moving forward. If the Council has any different direction. But if there's any questions we're all available. At this point before we move on to the next part of this study session.

2:19:53Thank you so much, Staff, for a great presentation Council Member Quinto. Yeah, thank you. Mayor. I I'm looking at what we have here under budget priorities. And and one thing that I'm very, very concerned about, because really, on every level of government, we're not prepared for this, and this is

2:20:12I'm I'm looking at liveability and belonging, and the doubling of our senior population 2028, 2029 that has not been mentioned

2:20:24looking at.

2:20:26yeah, truly. And and I've talked to our our members of Congress and spoke to the Governor about this and spoke to but

2:20:37John Joy about this, our county supervisor, we're not prepared for the onslaught of the doubling of our population, especially here in El Sped, where you have baby boomers and Gen. Xers retiring, and we have the obligation to pay for

2:20:56retirement and and the retirement of our city employees and public employees.

2:21:04so this is to the the city manager. What? Yeah, what do you see in the future? You know, I've been talking to folks that deal with senior programs, such as senior pace programs. And I wanna make sure that we truly look at this because, you know, cities like Elsa Rita, we're very, very small. We don't have the means or

2:21:33the the budget to take care of people that are dealing with memory, loss and memory care. So I wanted to check in with the city manager. Sure, and I can. when we go into more detail with all of the departments at the next meeting. I can also ask the recreation director to

2:21:52to talk a little bit about this. But I mean, first and foremost, that's why that is one of the called up bullets there under liveability and belonging. If you recall, there are a lot of bullets in the actual strategic plan. These are the ones that we elevated to the forefront. Because

2:22:09this is what we heard from you. This is what we heard from the community, so no question that, you know, continuing to provide the senior services that we have been, how we can enhance those if possible. But also, as you know, I mean, we have offered a lot of of different programs that do deal with things like respite care, and how we work with the county to provide those services. So I'll definitely make ask the recreation director to to go over in some, you know, in a little bit more detail about.

2:22:38you know, the senior services and programs at the next during the department presentations. But I agree with you. That is something we're we're we've been focusing on. And and actually, if you saw in the

2:22:50in the previous presentation by Brian. God be that that is actually one of the things that was called out as well. So it is, it is certainly, you know, that's what we've heard is that it's a high priority, and that we want to continue to produce the programs we have and see how we can enhance the services. Certainly in partnership with the county. Yeah, yeah, definitely, geriatric care and professionals that deal with memory care. That that's number one. And I'm looking at cities like Fremont, San Francisco, San Jose.

2:23:18and they're actively looking at these nonprofits that that that deal with that and and peace programs are the way to go. Because really we don't have

2:23:28the means to ever pay for a huge bureaucracy like this. So that's why you know the importance of looking ahead and working with our partners on the Federal State and county level, so connecting people with resources that we can't provide as well absolutely cause we cannot do that. So, Council Member Fideli.

2:23:51thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Staff, for the presentation. I think the budget priorities are pretty spot on what we should be focusing on. I do wanna go back to what you said Miss Coleman about that. You know, if we had that 1 million dollar differential that line our projections would be going pretty much straight up. So I I do want to bring back. You know

2:24:16the idea that it is a 1 million dollar target to have that differential between our revenues and our expenses, and I think that kind of bears out why we need to do that. I think we've always kind of hewn to like the break, even budget. And I think

2:24:33because of the volatility having more of a cushion between our revenues and expenses is going to be really important. I appreciate, the focus on really looking at structurally, what we can change to create that difference. And I think that's going to be really important. I really appreciate that. That's where the focus is going to be in, in really to to help us even all this out. Because I I really don't want to have

2:24:59you know, the same discussion of what are we going to cut. What kind of breezes can we do in 2030?

2:25:06One fiscal year 2031 cause that's that's that's horrendous for for staff. It's horrendous for services. It's horrendous for all of us. So I I think whatever we can do to kind of even it out. Starting now cause we can. You're seeing the future. We know what's coming if we don't act responsibly now. So I think that's kind of the the watchword for for all of us as we. You know, we wanna do all these fun, great things.

2:25:35And we I think we're doing a fairly good, pretty good job because people are satisfied. But I think the idea that you know now we're done and we can just spend is is unfortunately not the case, and

2:25:48and I really look forward to seeing the the details, particularly on the art in the real property transfer tax of kind of, you know, it was really helpful to understand, month by month, what we're expecting so we could look at and go. Do we really think this? There's going to be 17 home sales every month, or 10 or 5, or whatever is going into factoring into like what we're what we're estimating.

2:26:10And I do. I know that you know department heads have not had an easy time this year, and I really appreciate everyone, you know, understanding and trying their best to to to help us get there collectively. So

2:26:24you know. Not. Not a fun budget

2:26:27budgeting exercise year. But I think it's it's it's critical. And clearly, you know, from the public

2:26:34understanding of what we do. It's one of the top things that we're supposed to do to make us sustainable and keep us going and be transparent about it. So thank you.

2:26:46Councilmember Fideli. Yes, thank you. I really appreciate this high, level view of the budget priorities for the next budget year coming up.

2:26:54and I look forward to the department heads coming to talk to us.

2:26:58I also just want to say, I appreciate the additional information that we're getting on the budget. This is something the State auditor said we should have, and I appreciate the workshops, the various stages that we have that help us understand the budget.

2:27:12And it's been a lot easier than just

2:27:15having one meeting and big Budget put before us. So I'm thanking Staff very much on that. And the city manager, you know, and with the caution that we've heard tonight about what's ahead

2:27:26and what our city needs to do. As far as being frugal.

2:27:30This is what cities do.

2:27:32And they deal with the ups and downs, and they respond to the economy.

2:27:36And as long as we have reserves and we do.

2:27:40this is what we are paid to do is is Lisa Motiama says so. Thank you very much. We're doing what we need to do.

2:27:48I thought my colleagues all made excellent points. I really appreciate that.

2:27:52Our budget priorities were organized with our strategic plan. That's really helpful. The framing for both us as the decision makers and the public whom we represent.

2:28:03I also really appreciate the very sobering reality that this is not, you know

2:28:09we in the past, or at least the 4 years that myself and Cal and Counselor Mosiamma have been on council, and I know that these 2 folks here have been all a bit longer. We've put in so much work to get us to where we are. And the last thing we wanna do is stumble now and and rest in this space of oh, we did it. This is great, because we will fall right back down. You know, there's been a lot of very hard conversations internally, we've also listened to the public, and I think that that's, you know. Sometimes it's hard

2:28:38as a member of the public, because it's they're not hearing me. They're not listening to me. We are listening. We're listening to every word that is said. We are doing our best to balance

2:28:48things that we are contractually obligated to do things. We need to do that as a decision as a city. And these are hard decisions to make because we want to make everyone happy. It would be great to sit in this seat and give every every request, but we also recognize that you know there

2:29:07that these projections are showing us very clearly that

2:29:11you know expenditures are going up and revenues are staying flat.

2:29:16So I really appreciate this honesty because whoop! My my gavel fell. That that was a gavel drop moment.

2:29:26But again, I really appreciate

2:29:28that we're having this conversation because it's tough.

2:29:32but it's also what is right. And it is what our fiduciary duty to this community is is to make sure that we are making decisions that are thinking about kind of the short term. But then also the long term. So again, I I appreciate all of the work. I know how hard you guys have been working to get us up to where we're going to

2:29:50see the actual draft of the budget at the end of this month. So it's coming right up. And also, I've heard from members of the community that they're really appreciative, that the engagement on this budget cycle started in January, and I think that that's a Testament to what it is that we've heard, and learning the lessons of the past.

2:30:11So

2:30:12thank you for that

2:30:13alright. Well, then, at this point I thank you for confirming these priorities. We are happy that that is true. We'll continue to again, sharpen our pencils and and bring you numbers soon. And at this point I will turn it over to the city clerk who actually is responsible for preparing the city Council's budget, and she can go over

2:30:37that with you.

2:30:38City click. Thank you. You really do get to hear from everyone tonight. So the estimated Council budget before you, just as a quick refresher, the Council's budget primarily is comprised of the salaries for the council members.

2:30:53Travel and training for the members.

2:30:57transparency efforts when it comes to city council meetings and making sure that that information is accessible to the public as well as the agencies, that the city as a whole is a member of so things like Cal cities, the National League of Cities and things like that.

2:31:12So the estimates that we have just a couple of quick things that I want to point out. Most of this is kind of carrying forward just looking at a expected 4% inflation cost or contract inflaters that we know are coming anywheres from 3 to 5 for some of the contracts that we have in place

2:31:30one note on this salary, so you will note that there was an increase to your salary that was effective. In January, however, the proposed or projected cost for 25 and 26 actually have gone down a little bit, that is, as a result of finance doing a closer look at our the Ual u Al right the ual allotment. So there was a a bit of an adjustment there to that. So that is why you see that dollar amount go down. However, the salary has been increased.

2:31:59For mobile and wireless expenses. There is a $5,000 budget in there to upgrade the ipads for the council members, because that is the maintenance and upgrade schedule that was provided by our it.

2:32:13There is a

2:32:15I'll talk about travel and training in a little bit more detail on the next slide. But the

2:32:21one other.

2:32:24The one other thing just to note is on events and field trips. So here we have in the first fiscal year. There isn't any costs for hosting the Mayors Conference, because else. Rita is not expected to host again until September of 2025, which will fall in fis the second fiscal year. So that's why you see that increase there.

2:32:42But one of the things that was reduced in our budget reductions during the covid process was our annual recognition for advisory bodies, and there is an expense attached to that, and that has

2:32:55been included in here for Council's consideration. To continue to moving forward, start bringing that annual event back we feel that we can probably get it done around $7,500 to provide a dinner event, to recognize those that have served elsewhere, to onboard commissions and committees.

2:33:13So if you can go to the next slide, please. So then, just drilling down a little bit more into the travel and training budget. As this is a big chunk of the Council's budget. What we have, what we've estimated is just to carry forward of the current amount that is budgeted for this current fiscal year, but we've included a snapshot here for you to see the

2:33:34the allocations per member

2:33:36for the last 3 fiscal years since Council has started doing that where there is a set allocation for each Council member, there is now, in the last 2 fiscal years an additional allocation for the person who's in the role of the mayor. We also set aside some money for new Mayor and Council Academy, and that is budgeted based on the number of seats that are up that year, so that we can accommodate if we have new members coming onto the council, or someone new into the role of mayor or mayor pro that we have the funds to make sure that they can attend that academy.

2:34:06So the one thing to note here on the numbers just in the current year spending that highlighted number 14,000 you see there the bulk of those expenses is actually not for the Numeraire Academy. It is a small $2,000 library technology fee. That was a new cost this year that was not previously paid for, but has been incorporated into the budget for non-departmental, where we budget for the additional library hours.

2:34:34So this was a one time allocation this year for that. But that will be allocated with the library hours next year, and then the Mayors Conference. The cost was a little higher than anticipated. The out of pocket costs, for the Ca. The city was about $6,000 after we recouped fees for dinner

2:34:52the meal costs that were paid to the city, but the full $12,000 was also paid for out of this fund. So those are just a couple of notes on that total to take into consideration when you look at the amount that was spent on travel and training.

2:35:07With that this is just to provide you estimates and the information that we have, so that the Council can have a discussion and provide staff direction on any modifications they may want to make. To this information.

2:35:19alright, I saw hand from Council Member Quinto, and then we'll go. Council member for Delhi, and then councilmember Motama.

2:35:25Thank you, Mayor. You know, with with my up

2:35:29my incoming new duties.

2:35:31You know with. I will probably be doing travel

2:35:35with on the Air District Board

2:35:38so I and that was not included. So I want to include that on the budget, and then also

2:35:45you know, with the first vice President of Lego cities does not win her election. I'll be president next year.

2:35:51I don't think that's gonna happen, but we need to prepare for that. So just I don't know how that works, Karen. If if the League takes care of that when we're the host, city, and all of the board of directors

2:36:05will be coming to El Cerrito either next year or the year after. Okay? So to the first part, do you anticipate that the Air District Board will be able to pay your costs for any travel related to them? I'm hoping, because that's what marine clean energy and Lafco they pay for all of that. And

2:36:26Cal City is there instead of the city paying now they are paying for everything. So what Holly included in the budget or Holly anticipated in the budget, correct me if I'm wrong, Holly includes the fact that Cal cities would be in in marine clean would be that the other agencies would be paying for

2:36:45actually, quite a bit of your conferences, which you know, helps obviously helps the city out. I think that once we have an understanding, if there is any additional travel required because of your appointment on the air Board that isn't covered by the air board. You know. Perhaps we can take a look at that. Find out how much that is, make an adjustment if necessary, or if it can fit, within the current allotment, then I think you should be okay.

2:37:11Very good. Thank you. So we'll we'll just have to continue to monitor that. And in the process of getting information from all of you about what your expected travel was when I was looking at what your expected expenses were, you were fairly under the current year allotment, at least in terms of your expenses, because of those other entities paying a lot of that travel. So even if some of this was at our expense, depending on what the allotment is, you you likely would probably be covered. Okay, yeah.

2:37:39Councilmember. Fideli. Yes. Can you go over again? Are the library hours still in here? I lost it, or have you put them somewhere else? The library hours were removed from the Council's budget in 2,019 or 20. No, it was oh.

2:37:59I wanna say 2022, 2021 or 22 that we created a non departmental expense line for the library hours. And so the additional we've been discussing the agreement with the with the county library. They have asked

2:38:20all of the cities that own buildings to contribute to

2:38:24their technology fees because the technology fees are considered a part of the infrastructure of the building. And so again, as Holly said last year, it was about $2,000. It's not a huge, significant increase.

2:38:36It doesn't pretend to be a significant increase over what we're expecting to pay for library hours. So next year. Yes, that will be moved to the non-departmental so that we're consistent with all the library hours being paid out of it. This was an unexpected, non budgeted expense that we had room in the Council budget to

2:38:54general fund. It's all general funds. So we had room to do that. So

2:38:58essentially, we moved money out of that to your library. Hours are not in this. What you correct? Okay, correct.

2:39:06But it will be in the budget it

2:39:08unless you really want it, and we'll move it back. Council member Motoyama.

2:39:16Thank you, Mayor. So I have a

2:39:19couple of questions. One is just sort of logistic. There is a office equipment

2:39:26under 5, 6,

2:39:284, 1 0. That's $10,000. But that kind of goes away. And I just want to confirm that that then goes into mobile wireless expense, or

2:39:40that $10,000 for the current year, in part paid for some of the technology upgrades and chambers, including updates to the microphones at the dais. The charges just haven't hit the account yet, but it was one time expenses budgeted in the current year. That's why you don't see any budgeted funds in the the upcoming years.

2:39:59Okay? And then I was wondering if the West County mayors and supervisors costs were in here, cause they were not called out, and is there a rotation where that comes back again in 2026? So that should that be included

2:40:14as well, the West County mayors? The hosting agencies responsible, providing staff

2:40:21to host those. But other than that, there are no additional expenses to hosting those meetings. So it's not something that's been, I thought, generally we provide refreshments and things like that we have in the past. But we made the conscious it made. I made the call that yes, folks can have breakfast before coming to the event that we're not going to be feeding them. Breakfast.

2:40:42Thank you. That's that's that clarifies that. And then, just overall in the totals. It looks like we're going from fiscal year 2024 to 25. That's a almost an 8% increase. And I was wondering

2:40:58no

2:40:59why?

2:41:00Why such a big increase

2:41:04cause? It gets 80%. Then it kind of stays, and then it goes back down again. And it and that that seemed kind of strange, too. So in the in the total totals we're going from 178,000 to 191,000, and it seems to stay stable there at 191,000 for the 2 years

2:41:22I see the one time costs for the upgrade of the devices in the next fiscal year. Again, depending upon, you know, looking at the travel and training. And also, well, you guys got a big raise

2:41:36that's sarcasm. Couldn't help it. But you did get. I mean, that is actually goes from 47 down to 43. Yeah, that's the Uav calculation. Yes. So there are a couple of things. So the one time cost for the ipad replacement is one expense which is about $5,000

2:42:00the Mayor's Conference expenses. The addition of the advisory body recognition event is an additional expense, and then the breakdown for the individual memberships. Some of those are going up the fees the dos are going up on some of those

2:42:17one of our products for our civic clerk suite of products. We did get a 18 increase on that contract for all services. So our live stream, our agenda management, our advisory body management module. All of those, unfortunately, did go up a little bit more than anticipated. At least we got it in before the adopted budget. But typically that's only a 5 increase per year. And then there is also

2:42:45there's about 13,000 in council. Retreat facilitation costs that was, I believe, previous in some previous years, was budgeted and paid out of the city managers

2:42:57budget, but is more appropriately residing and get Council budget where it should be.

2:43:02Thank you. You're welcome.

2:43:05Any questions.

2:43:06Okay, I have. I have a question. And again, these are

2:43:10to be? Very. I'm being very respectful in these questions that there's nothing personal about these questions. It's just curiosity that is coming up. I do see that in the mobile and wireless expense that there is a Quinto phone service.

2:43:24Yes, currently the Council members are all issued. An ipad and Council member Quinto also has been issued an iphone. So he has 2 devices. Is there a reason why

2:43:38I get more phone calls

2:43:40dealing with the regional boards that I belong to, and that's why we did that. And is that something that has been offered to the other council members? And I actually didn't know about that, and I didn't know until I saw

2:43:52the item come up. We so Kenz, remember, Kintu has had that phone for some time, and and prior to my coming on to the city. The council budget kind of carried forward, but there wasn't a lot of evaluation done on it, and the city manager and I actually had a conversation about this, and we made the conscious decision to encourage that the members only have one type of device, either a ipad or a cell phone.

2:44:17We certainly aren't gonna take anything away from someone. But that was something that we had looked at when we purchased the ipads for everyone and incorporated into the orientation of our new members. Yeah, in previous years. It was a choice

2:44:30for a phone or an ipad. Now that we're really encouraging all of our council members to use our ipad, and so that we don't have to print out paper packets anymore. Again, I think you know. No, no disrespect. Council Member Quinto, you were grandfathered in a bit on that one. I think that again. Of course that's up to the city council how they would like to handle their devices, but certainly from our perspective, making sure that everybody gets.

2:44:57and then a new addition ipad, or a a good solid, new addition, ipad, so that we can start to really go paperless. That would be that. That's where that kind of comes from. So in the past. It was a choice between an ipad or an iphone.

2:45:12Okay, just I. I wanted to be

2:45:14transparent about it because I can recognize that there's a grandfathered in phone service in addition to an ipad. But it does create, at least from the outside perspective of why does one have it and not everyone. But I just want to have really clear conversation about that.

2:45:32And then also, we talked about this last year. And again, I'm approaching this with a lot of respect

2:45:38given the conversation that we also just had around.

2:45:42But

2:45:43travel and expenses. It's I'm assuming that

2:45:45our departments are going to be coming to us with budgets on their own trainings, and I feel really challenged in, if we are maintaining our level of trainings and travel budget when our staff are the ones who are going to be making cut potentially, going to be making cuts on this.

2:46:05That's something I want to be really clear about with my colleagues in the conversation that we have about

2:46:09our existing travel budgets, and when I've asked around, it really varies among different councils. I know some councils that don't give any travel budget at all. I know some councils that give a lot of travel budget. So it's about finding what is right for our community. But I do recognize the difference between

2:46:29having our staff trained

2:46:32versus us networking.

2:46:34because, you know a lot, there is certainly training that happens. And then there's really critical training that we're getting for new members academies, and and especially some of the policy committees. That is really valuable for El Cerrito. But I also recognize that

2:46:47I don't want to do it in spite of Staff not being able to do it. It's kind of like when you're a parent. You feed your kid first before you feed yourself. And that is something that I'm thinking a lot about, which is, are we going to be maintaining our level of travel expense

2:47:02when our staff are potentially going to have to cut

2:47:05their training abilities.

2:47:15And this one there's no motion to. I just I was gonna say, this is a council discussion. I I have no recommendation on this from staff level. I I do have a follow-up question on that.

2:47:27So is, is, are we expecting to see departments cutting back on that training budget. We have really took a deep dive into looking at our training, making sure that you know some departments have some vacant positions, some departments have some, I mean, we have absolutely been looking at that very closely to ensure that all the training is covered at the very bare minimum and that any additional, I mean, certainly for the next couple of years. That we're just being very. We are being very mindful and cautious about it.

2:47:56I'm trying not to cut training as we have as we've done in the past. And as we did this during the recession with previous city manager. You know we we have a very lean staff, and we want them trained.

2:48:09you know. We don't want. That's that a lot of people tend to cut those things first. But having said that we do, we, we do want to make sure that the training and the travel that is approved is done so in a way that's consistent, and also that really does bring the very best to the table from from all of our staff who attend.

2:48:29Thank you. City management.

2:48:33How many folks?

2:48:36But I I yeah.

2:48:39So so is is.

2:48:42are is are we looking for a cut in the travel. Is that what we're? Is that? Why, this was generic? This is the opportunity for the city Council to have a discussion amongst themselves and give staff direction and what to include in that and anything in the budget. We just. The travel has been discussed in the past. We wanted to call that out because of the allocations that were done. So that was very clear. I'm just. I'm just, I mean, generally I think we're pretty lean and mean.

2:49:07or from other cities? I mean, maybe some I don't know generally.

2:49:12but we did get, I think, was it? Last year we raised the level, and then and then we had a caveat that if anyone needs to travel more they just come and ask.

2:49:22that is correct. So last year we increased from 5,000 to 6,000 for the allotment per member. We doubled the mayor's allocation, and I believe that was primarily to cover the cost of the Civic Wall Conference, which was had not been included in the previous year, and then, if there was a member who had utilized all of their funds, and wanted to request an additional allotment for that year that they would bring that forward, and the Council would make a decision at that

2:49:50on an individual basis.

2:49:52Well, if there's

2:49:54any idea of any action, maybe it's keeping that, you know. If anyone needs to travel, they come and ask us. And I think that's something we can

2:50:01discuss, but maybe cutting it back to the 5,000.

2:50:06It's not much of a cut, but it's you know what. There's not much of a budget here. Is that something that there's

2:50:12yes, I would if if you would, I would. Discussion. I I know I'm just. I'm

2:50:18I would support getting back to what we had last year, but keeping that critical thing about if you need, someone needs to travel, to come and talk to us, and let us know what the value is to, else

2:50:28that's your thing. The value to El Cerrito. Right? Yeah. To me. It's about the value to El Cerito. To me. It's also about making sure that our staff are

2:50:34are able to go to trainings. It's I. My perspective. Tess's perspective is that's more valuable for our staff to go to trainings than for us to go to trainings unless it's mission critical trainings, unless it has to do with. You know, new Mayors Academy, and that to me is really, you know.

2:50:52when you go to those, and just for for education, for the members of the public who don't know. When you go to these member academies you get signed off on Ab 1, 2, 3, 4 requirements, and some of the different state requirements that local elected need to have. So when you go to these sessions, not only are you meeting other council members and mayors, it's very valuable, but you're also getting these mandated trainings taken care of.

2:51:15So that's very valuable. I want to make sure that that is known. That also the other challenge that I've felt when looking at budget or budget for travel is, it has been framed in the past that this is one of the the benefits to being on council, that you get to go to these events and network and represent the city, and try to do what we can to to elevate, else Rio to build partnerships, and and these do bear fruit. So it's not that these don't bear fruit, but

2:51:43it is, if it's considered to be a part of

2:51:46kind of our our package as as council members to receive this benefit. It's an inequitable benefit, because some council members just don't have the ability to travel in the same way as other council members. So then, it's a benefit that is not benefiting all of us equitably.

2:52:04So.

2:52:07I know that when I you know the Council is active. Before, when I was mayor, we cut back by 10% those that wanted to on on council members.

2:52:15We got that back.

2:52:17But if if there's no going into a lean year, is what I'm hearing here, I would love council to have done, taken the first step into the pool.

2:52:26and to say that we're doing our part, and I would like to make that motion about the 1,000 less, and that we come back for additional funding?

2:52:34Without any kind of

2:52:37I mean, without any kind of bias toward that travel. But discuss it and see what everyone thinks, could I make a friendly amendment to that motion?

2:52:46So we have 5,000 allotment per councilman, when the mayor and the mayor, if we could also make it 5,000. So it'd be that whoever's in the mayor seat would receive 10,000 of travel.

2:52:56What cause it? So it's the mayor, so that we that way. The mayor now has 6. The mayor has 808.

2:53:03If we also make that 5,

2:53:05make the mayors 5, make the mayors 5, and make 5 for all the little bit more, I think. Well, that's in addition to not necessarily. In addition to the 5. Okay.

2:53:14okay?

2:53:15Yeah. And you mentioned the phone. And I'm willing to give up this phone to make that sacrifice and and making sure our budget stays lean. Yeah, we have 2 years that we need. I'm still using the a word austerity. And and it's about making sure that we live within our means. And and that goes with the council as well.

2:53:39You know you look at all the things that I'm doing, and these organizations that I belong to are paying for it. So my travel is very, very little. It's just, you know, just paying for miles and and plane, and yeah, and and as well as

2:53:56but but the traveling that I do the Lafco and League of Cities and the Nasal League of Cities. They they pay for everything, and hopefully, with the Air Board. I didn't attend my

2:54:08my orientation yet, but I I believe that they will pay for the trips

2:54:14if I get to go to Europe for or on something like for

2:54:20one of these world environmental things I know they get to attend, and I plan on as well. But I'm not going to put this on El Ceritos Dot, that's for sure. So I'd like to make that a motion, and with the friendly amendment that the mayor has that the mayor.

2:54:36all subsequent mayors will have a greater travel

2:54:39budget. Thank you.

2:54:43So just to clarify 5,000 per council member, plus an additional 5,000 for mayor. That is the motion on the floor.

2:54:53and if I could also clarify

2:54:55no change to the 5,000 or the allotment for the new Mayor and Council Academy. Correct? No change. Okay.

2:55:05Pay.

2:55:07I didn't hear a second anybody. I didn't know if my friendly amendment counted as a second.

2:55:13So yeah. Mayor Motama Council. Member Motoyama is second to move by Sally

2:55:19I I we do need to make sure there's no requests for public comment before you take action. Thank you. I wanted to just say one thing regarding our stipend, and and we are a charter city. And and we are making this sacrifice at 6 50, when all of the cities around us are making at least $1,100 plus to get the medical paid. So this is also a sacrifice.

2:55:45And I wanna make sure that we think about the future leaders that we get on this council, especially thinking about women and moms and folks that are doing, you know, 3 or 4 things that that

2:55:59at once. So I wanna make sure that we look at equity. And in order to look at equity and and inclusion. We take, in fact. You know, when and we look at each

2:56:13cancel seat, then know the importance of paying the stipend that the other cities are paying.

2:56:21and I think that that at least

2:56:23aligns with my concern or with my point about how, in order to make this equitable, it should be compensation, not benefit of travel.

2:56:32that theoretically, if

2:56:35the council or future counsel decides to increase it from 6 50, that that's the compensation that everyone receives for our service that we are here to do, which is what we've been elected to do. The other

2:56:47organizations. The other travel that is

2:56:50on top of this work. But people should be compensated for this work.

2:56:54So that's why, in

2:56:56going forward and just my perspective on it is that it should be in a comp. It should be in a actual compensation package versus a benefit.

2:57:06Oh.

2:57:07but yeah. So if let's, let's take some public comment. If there's any members of the public who wish to speak on this item.

2:57:14we have comment cards available. Has anyone

2:57:18signed up for public comment on this item.

2:57:21We do not have any request, Mayor. Thank you so much. All right. So we had a motion from Fideli, and seconded by Motoyama. All those in favor, please say, aye, aye, any opposed motion carries right?

2:57:34Thank you. Guys. It was great conversation. Okay, to wrap it all up

2:57:39next steps. And the next city council meeting. We will have the departments bring presentations to the city council. We'll also bring you our third quarter general fund update, and, as clear indicated, the master fee schedule will be that's a public hearing.

2:57:53On May 20 eighth the Financial Advisory Board actually in between all of this. Our plan is to provide the draft budget document to the City Council and to the Financial Advisory Board. Well, actually, to the public but specifically for the review of the Council and the Financial Advisory Board prior to the Budget. Hearing that'll be before Memorial Day. We're looking at the week of May 20 fourth.

2:58:17on May 28, the Financial Advisory Board will meet, so they will get sort of the first bite at the apple if you will when it comes to what the looking at the

2:58:26the draft budget document on June fourth, we'll have the first proposed budget, hearing where you will hear the whole the whole we'll go over the entire budget with all of you. I would anticipate, based on previous years, that in between June fourth, the 2 City Council meetings in June that the Financial Advisory Board will hold a special meeting in order to discuss

2:58:50the budget and come up with a hopefully a recommendation for the city Council again. We don't have that on there, because it hasn't been scheduled yet, but we will do that

2:59:00once. We will publish that as soon as they meet on the 20 eighth, and then on June eighteenth. This would be the first opportunity for adoption of the biennial budget. But, of course, if the Council needs additional meetings between June eighteenth and June thirtieth, those could be scheduled as special meetings, and then just a note again as we discussed the strategies for ongoing budget adjustments.

2:59:21We're gonna be doing that research and gathering data. Certainly over the next fiscal year next several months. But what we would plan to do is bring that back

2:59:32hopefully, before the second year of the biennial budget, but at least with enough data that we can provide, so that when we come to confirm the second year of the biennial budget in 2025, that all of that information be able to be presented to the Council, but that is stay tuned as we work through all of that. So those are all the next steps for the budget, and I just wanna say thank you to the Council for having a really great discussion about your own budget. Thank you for your support, and certainly your leadership.

3:00:02And again, as you said, a challenging budget year. But the actions you have all taken

3:00:08over the past 4 years have put us in a position where we can face this with very within a from a good position, with a lot of clarity. Finally, I'd like to thank the community. Everyone who answered a survey, even the pickleballers, and everyone who came to the community workshops and participated.

3:00:24Send us emails and all of you emails. We're listening. We hear you. And we really thank you for your feedback. Because again, a budget is a reflection of our values. And as we put all of this together. We want to give the community. We want to make sure that the quality of life that we know everyone appreciates continues. So with that, I'd like to say, Thank you.

3:00:44Please keep the slide up for a little bit longer. I want to highlight that website, else l dash cerito.org slash budget process

3:00:54alright.

3:00:56So next is, item 10

3:00:59coming around. We're on the final turn going towards home base. Or is that home? Hopefully.

3:01:04My sports analogies are not very good. Our city council and local regional liaison assignments. Do we have any reports? I'm going to start on this direction? Then I'll go over here. Look out, Council Member Motoyama

3:01:17on

3:01:19April tenth. I attended the a bag housing Committee on April eighteenth. I attended the a Bag Executive Committee, and on April twentieth I attended the Bart legacy ride, which was a really nice event to say farewell to the old Bart car. So that was it. Just it was really fun. And it was

3:01:40really nice to have be able to say goodbye to the cars and to know what's gonna happen to some of them? Some of them are going to a train museum outside of Sacramento. One is gonna turn into an Airbnb somewhere in the Sierra foothills, and one is gonna turn into a gardening center, a community focal point in East Oakland. So I think it's kinda nice to see them all retired, and and going to good uses. So

3:02:06that was a real privilege to attend.

3:02:08Thanks. Do you have any

3:02:10Council member.

3:02:11Quinto? And then Council Member Kelly.

3:02:14Thank you. So we did last month. This seems like a long time ago, but we did have the the calcity City leaders, Summit, and city manager. Karen Pincus was there with me, and we did have a good press conference on the Business Deception Act, which is also the business roundtable. And we all need to participate to make sure that we defeat this bill that this bill passes. That'll be the end of

3:02:43cities. That'll be end of this tax that we're trying to put through this year this cities who passed taxes the last 2 years. They would have to redo it so that would be the end of transit agencies and cities and school boards. So so we did have. Mayor Daryl Daryl Steinberg, who used to be

3:03:07the head of this, the chair of the Assembly as well.

3:03:11And he led the press conference, and we had scu

3:03:14our firefighters, our police, our teachers all of labor, were there, and it was a good event. And we're gonna take the show on the road, and we'll be speaking all over the East Bay. So it's important for us to get well versed on what this measure is. And

3:03:36on May eighth they are speaking about that on the Supreme Court. So we will find out,

3:03:47probably in June whether they will be able to put this on the ballot so hopefully, not. And hopefully the California California Supreme Court. They they will nix this ahead of time. We don't have to deal with it. But in the meantime we're we're preparing for this.

3:04:05And we will have to soldier on if this continues to be on the ballot in November. So found out today with my conversation with the Executive Committee, we might have a a

3:04:20our our budget deficit, our deficit for the State of California could be as high as 78 billion dollars. So a lot of the things that people are wishing for, for housing.

3:04:32for a.

3:04:34for schools.

3:04:35for the environment.

3:04:38We're probably gonna see a bond measures. We're gonna probably see a measure. Buffy Wix has a measure on a housing bond.

3:04:48I know Ben Allen on the environment will have something on the regarding climate bonds.

3:04:57because the first thing to go usually is housing and the environment legislation. So things that cost a lot of money forget it.

3:05:04You know. But we're gonna do. A governor wants to do a 17 billion dollar claw back.

3:05:10So he told us to let cities know that if you haven't spend any of those state dollars that you have. Make sure you spend it because it's going to be taken away. So we have to look at this closely the 17 billion dollar claw back is a lot of money.

3:05:28So yeah. But looking at public safety, the board of directors, we looked at that a lot of things that the Assembly and the Senate is looking at right now.

3:05:40Their prop. 47 is going to be on the ballot. They're checking on signatures.

3:05:46The governor likes 47 doesn't wants, doesn't want to make any fundamental changes. But there are add ons, there's about 30 bills on

3:05:56public safety, and that is going through all the different committees. So hopefully, we will to offset and make sure that prop 47 is on the ballot, which it probably will be. We'll see if the governor will support some of these changes that are some of these measures that is going through the assembly right now.

3:06:22So that's my update. Thank you.

3:06:26Thank you. Attended the Mayors Conference in Panol with the Mayor and Council Member Quinto, and also just to say that we had the the regional Mou, the East Bay Wildfire Prevention coordinating group. But it's first meeting right here in El Cerrito.

3:06:41and it brought together Oakland, Berkeley counties, fire chiefs, and

3:06:46so far, so good. It's the beginning of a whole process, and we'll see how it goes.

3:06:50Thank you.

3:06:52So. If you recall, I was sick for the first meeting of April, so I have a lot of different events, but not as long as our consent calendar tonight.

3:07:01So march 20. First, through Twenty-third, I was at the Cal Cities Public Safety Policy Committee meeting. I'm the Vice Chair there. It was very interesting conversation. On March twenty-seventh I met with the new contra cost of civic theater executive director, Joel Roster. I'm really excited for the type of events and programming that contra cost theater is doing. It is one of the most amazing

3:07:25spaces for culture here in El Cerrito they are doing their first full schedule of

3:07:32of

3:07:33plays, a production since 2,018. So it's a really big deal. On March 20 ninth I attended the Good Friday breakfast with our friends at St. Peter, Cme. It was fantastic. It was an honor to be asked to speak at that

3:07:48april the thirteenth. I was at the ribbon cutting for 100 chiropractic, which is the new chiropractic location that's next to

3:08:00Next to Trader Joe's and I was. It's such a cool facility. I really hope you guys check it out. And a really fantastic chiropractor is there?

3:08:10On seventeenth, I

3:08:12or should we been myself and Council Member Fideli have been members of a subcommittee that are looking to the Crime Prevention Committee kind of aligned with some of our boards, commissions, and committee updates what we could do around public safety. We met with both fire chiefs in the month of April, so it was very fruitful. Last night I was going to get to that 10, no, I'm just. I'm going in chronological order.

3:08:36On March eighteenth I attended the Contra Costa County realtors.

3:08:41Breakfast event, and we spoke all about the fantastic things in El Cerritos, myself and our assistant city manager, Alex Orlogus, had a great time, and hopefully more realtors are selling their clients on coming to El Cerrito. We don't know that that real estate property transfer tax very much benefits us.

3:09:01On April twentieth, myself and Council Member Fideli. We were not at the Bart

3:09:08event, because we were at Duceyle, the musical at Contra Costa Civic Theater, and it was very exciting. We we got to stand up and wave to all the kids and there's the character of Mr. And Mrs. Mayor there. Yeah.

3:09:26and then on April 20 fifth I attended the Cal Cities, East Bay Division meeting with Rob Banta and Alameda it was. It was a fantastic evening event, and heard a lot, especially when it came to housing. And what

3:09:41what Rob Banta's office is doing as Attorney General around housing? It was a hot topic for a lot of the folks there

3:09:49and on.

3:09:51Oh, on the second of this month I went to the Mayors Conference in Panol, as was mentioned on the next day.

3:09:58May third. It was the Elsrito Fire Department's graduation, and it was the Academy graduation with Richmond. We have 3 new fantastic firefighters who are joining our ranks.

3:10:11It was really amazing and inspirational to hear these young people enter into this service with so much passion and dignity. And there's definitely some, you know, some weepy, weepy moments there, because you can see how proud all these families are, and how us in our community to feel so honored that there are people who are risking their lives

3:10:33truly risking their lives to do this service.

3:10:36And then over this weekend, I was at the trail trekkers event, as was mentioned earlier at the top of this meeting. I couldn't have picked a better evening because I was there for the Sunday evening, the sundown, and we're on H. And A. And looking out to the beautiful bay area, and we are so lucky to be here

3:10:52and then last night myself and Council Member Fideli met with members of the Crime Prevention Committee with both chiefs, and had a really fruitful conversation around their proposed work plan, and what we can do to foster more engagement from the community on issues of public safety.

3:11:10Big breath! I know big breath got through it all.

3:11:13All right.

3:11:15Thou

3:11:16is now 9, 10, and we are adjourned. The next regular city council meeting is on Tuesday, May twenty-first, at 6 pm, thank you. All right.