Council Meeting Date: May 17, 2023 (full Agenda link)
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TownOfAtherton/featured
Details of each item can be found via the links to Staff Reports within the narrative and meeting videos are uploaded once they are fully compiled.
The City Council met for the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, May 17 at 6 pm. Following the Roll Call the Council began moving through the Agenda beginning with Public Comments and Presentations. The City Council adopted a Proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month.
Next, the Council moved to Departmental Reports (~6:13 pm). The Departmental Reports are prepared monthly as part of the City Council's Regular Agenda. In addition to current reports from the City Manager, it typically includes departmental updates on the various happenings around Town such as reports from Administration, Community Services, Planning, Police, and Public Works. Staff answered a couple of questions regarding reconciling the numbers of permits for single-family residences and articulation of the numbers of entitlements, permits, and completions for ADUs.
Following Departmental Reports, the Council moved to the Consent Agenda consisting of Items 1 through 6 (~6:21 pm). Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine in nature and are generally considered in one motion and adopted by a single vote of the Council. Included in this month's Consent Agenda were bills and claims, minutes, and Approval of Scopes of Work for the Safety Element Update, a Report from the Goals Workshop, a Resolution setting the time of Regular Meetings to 6 pm, and the 2nd Reading of the Leaf Blower Ordinance. Following a brief comment on the Safety Element Update, the Council approved all items on the Consent Agenda.
Next was Public Hearings.
Public Hearings are typically held for Ordinances, Budget Adoption, Fee Adoption, and Land Use approvals. There were two scheduled Public Hearings.
Item No. 7 was Introduction of an Ordinance setting the meeting location for Regular Council Meetings. (~6:24 pm) Following brief Q&A and opportunity for public comment, the Council introduced the Ordinance for 1st Reading. 2nd Reading and Adoption is scheduled for June 21, 2023.
Next up was the Regular Agenda. The Regular Agenda is reserved for items that require more deliberation and discussion by the City Council and items that are not routine in nature.
Item No. 8 was consideration of approval of the Housing Opportunity Site Criteria. (~6:27 pm) Following a brief staff report and public comment, the Council discussed the criteria, potential modifications, interpretation of the criteria and applicability of the criteria. Following discussion, the Council opted to table the discussion of the criteria until further needs are identified for the Housing Element.
Item No. 9 was a summary of the Department of Housing and Community Development Response Letter (April 4, 2023) and Next Steps with the Town's 2023-2031 Housing Element. (~6:56 pm) Following a PowerPoint presentation by staff and public comment, the Council discussed issues related to SB9, Unit Yield, ADU Strategy, ADU letter to the community, milestones, timing, process, and the Town's commitment to achieving a compliant Housing Element. Some of the issues discussed involved the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process and updates to the Town's General Plan. The Town's website includes a webpage called "Local Government 101". The website has a variety of information about local government and how it operates, to include a summary of the General Plan, what it entails, and how it works; as well as a summary CEQA and how it works and applies. There are links within the Local Government 101 site that will take the reader to the Town's General Plan webpage as well as the State Office of Planning and Research that provides a detailed overview of CEQA and more.
The last items on the Agenda were Council Reports and final Public Comments.
Having cleared the entire Agenda, at approximately 8:08 pm, that as they say - was a wrap!
The next meeting of the City Council will be a Study Session on Wednesday, June 7 at 4 pm. The Agenda includes the full FY 2023/24 Budget Operating and Capital Improvement Program Review. This is a Joint Meeting with the Audit and Finance Committee.
Thanks for reading!
George Rodericks
City Manager
Town of Atherton
grodericks@ci.atherton.ca.us