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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSIGNED April 17, 2025 Regular Meeting MinutesApproved June 26, 2025 Town of Los Altos Hills City Council Regular Meeting Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 6:00 P.M. Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California Present: Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, Council Member George Tyson Absent: None Staff: City Manager Peter Pirnejad, Deputy City Manager Code Einfalt, Public Works Director WooJae Kim, Community Development Director Jay Bradford, Finance Director Thomas Leung, Parks and Recreation Supervisor Emina Mahic, and City Clerk Arika Birdsong-Miller CALL TO ORDER (6:00 P.M.) Mayor Tankha called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M. ROLL CALL Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok, Council Member Linda Swan, and Council Member Tyson were present. 1.AGENDA REVIEW Mayor Tankha stated that Item 9C has been removed from the agenda and requested that Public Comments for that agenda item be made under Item 3. City Manager Pirnejad requested that Item 2B be moved to the bottom of Presentations and Appointments, after Item 2H, to allow students more time to arrive at the meeting. 2.PRESENTATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS A.Accommodation Recognizing the Los Altos Hills 2024 STEM Winners – Marcus Blennemann, Vivienne Hollenbeck, Tohar Markovich, and Liv Weiner Mayor Tankha called upon former City of San Jose Council Member and current member of the Santa Clara Valley Science and Engineering Association, Forrest Williams, to recognize the Los Altos Hills 2024 STEM Winners. Mayor Tankha and Mr. Williams presented the certificates to the winners in attendance. Each was able to speak about their winning project. B.Appointment to the Los Altos Hills Youth Committee Council Member Swan motioned to appoint Ayaan Dhruv to the Youth Commission. Vice Mayor Bhateja seconded. Approved, Vote 5-0 2 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes C. Appointment to the Los Altos Hills Youth Committee City Clerk Miller invited Jeremy Yu to speak on his behalf of his request to join the Los Altos Hills Youth Commission. He introduced himself and shared highlights of his academic and personal background. Council Member Swan motioned to appoint Jeremy Yu to the Youth Commission. Vice Mayor Bhateja seconded. Approved, Vote 5-0 D. Proclamation Recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Council Member Mok noted some Los Altos Hills residents were members of AAPI. He read an overview of the organization and noted some challenges in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Mayor Tankha proclaimed the month of May 2025 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month for the Town of Los Altos Hills. E. Proclamation Recognizing Mental Health Month Council Member Mok noted that the Cities Association created a video about Mental Health Awareness Month. He noted that many folks who have mental health issues suffer alone. He read a brief statement on the importance of creating a supportive community for those seeking assistance. Mayor Tankha proclaimed the month of May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month for the Town of Los Altos Hills. F. Proclamation Recognizing International Dark Sky Week Mayor Tankha introduced this topic and noted that the Town of Los Altos Hills had no streetlights, which was by design. She invited City Clerk Miller to read the proclamation. Council Member Swan made a brief statement in support of the Dark Skies of the Town of Los Altos Hills. G. Proclamation Recognizing Bike Month Mayor Tankha introduced a special guest, Ella, to accept and read the proclamation recognizing May as Bike Month. H. Appointment to the Los Altos Hills Finance and Investment Committee City Clerk Miller introduced Dominiqu Grau and noted he was interested in an appointment to the Finance & Investment Committee. He introduced himself and shared some of his experiences that were relevant to serving on the committee. Vice Mayor Bhateja motioned to appoint Dominique Grau to the Finance & Investment Committee. Council Member Swan seconded simultaneously. Approved, Vote 5-0 3 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes 3.PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR Bridgett Morgan, a resident of Los Altos Hills, spoke about her area of the Town and the history of its annexation. Jill Grunwald, a resident of Los Altos Hills, requested to modify the Town’s travel policy regarding international travel and other details for staff and the Council. Bud Cristal, a resident of Los Altos Hills, spoke about the LAHMC regarding trees and views. He asked that the Council to consider placing this issue on a future agenda to facilitate a resolution on the issue. Gerda Cristal, a resident of Los Altos Hills, spoke about the LAHMC regarding trees and views. She asked the Council to consider placing this issue on a future agenda to facilitate a resolution on the issue. Gautham Agarwal, a Los Altos Hills resident, provided an update on the Los Altos Hills fiber project. Ayaan Dhruv, recently appointed to the Youth Commission, introduced himself and commented on his motivation to be appointed. John O’Connell, a resident of Los Altos Hills, commented on the issue of communications and his civic efforts. Lanvi Evans, a Los Altos Hills resident, spoke about the contradiction of the Dark Sky Ordinance and the development agreement that would allow developers to build on steep slopes. She urged the Council to halt conversations with the developers and work on adopting the amendment shared by Michael Baker. Mayor Tankha responded to her comment by stating that the City Council has approved an amendment effort, but noted if a better option became available, then it would be in the best interest of the Town for the Council to explore that option. 4.NEW BUSINESS A.Discussion and Consideration of Adopting Amendments to the California Fire Marshall's Fire Hazard Severity Zone Base Maps in Los Altos Hills (Staff: J. Bradford) Mayor Tanka recused herself from this agenda item to avoid a conflict of interest since she lives within 500ft. of the proposed area. Vice Mayor Bhateja led this portion of the meeting. Mayor Tankha noted that she spoke with the City Attorney, and he advised her to recuse herself. City Attorney Mattas clarified that her property had a differential effect on her property compared to anyone else’s property and cited an excerpt from the conflict-of- interest law. Director Bradford presented the staff report, which was prompted by the State Fire Marshal's release of updated FHSZ maps on February 24, 2025. These maps classify areas into "Moderate," "High," and "Very High" fire hazard zones based on factors such 4 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes as vegetation, slope, and fire weather conditions. The Town is required to adopt, at a minimum, these updated base maps within 120 days of their release and may consider additional amendments to increase fire hazard severity zones within Town limits. Dr. Steve Quarles, an expert on wildfire building science, spoke to the Council to explain the importance of home hardening and defensible space in wildfire-prone areas. His insights supported the Town’s consideration of local amendments to the Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. A question-and-answer between the Council and staff ensued prior to the continuation of Director Bradford’s staff report, which presented several amendment options, and then resumed at the conclusion. PUBLIC COMMENTS. Allan Epstein, a resident of Los Altos Hills, stated the reason why that area of the map was red was because they were next to a state-responsibility area, and that residents were not protected from fire hazards in the red area. He also stated that he felt coding that area would have an adverse effect on the insurance rates and resale values of those properties. He suggested the residents should take steps to harden their properties against fire hazards. John O’Connell, a resident of Los Altos Hills, agreed with Mr. Epstein’s comments and stated he was opposed to adopting anything but the state maps. Birgitta Indaco, a resident of Los Altos Hills, agreed with the previous speakers’ comments and noted that there was a conundrum between alerting the insurance companies regarding fire hazard by adopting certain maps and keeping risky development at bay using the same maps. She noted that code enforcement was a big issue. Melanie Anderson, who lives in a “red zone” due to being adjacent to a high-fire risk property, stated that no matter what measures or requirements they took, the insurance companies would find reasons to uninsured her property. She shared her concern over the unmaintained property next to her home. Betty Kayton, who lives in a “red zone” and Pyrologix CFO, which is the company that built all the maps that CalFire uses for severity zones. She stated that the maps her engineering team gave to CalFire were a lot less red than the maps they circulated. She suggested they asked why CalFire did not use the maps they were hired to create. She also stated she was working with Lloyds of London to underwrite special policies for insurance. She also mentioned that Rancho was a problem and asked if there could be an effort to clear a perimeter to protect Los Altos Hills residents. Dave Stewart, a Los Altos Hills resident attending via Zoom, complimented Director Bradford’s work with the alternate maps. He suggested they decouple the wildfire 5 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes hardening and regulations from the maps. He recommended that the Town accept the maps as is and make the fire safety codes more stringent and enforceable. Martha Bowden, a Los Altos Hills resident attending via Zoom, recommended that the Town stay with CalFire’s base map. Paul Marcos, a Los Altos Hills resident attending via Zoom, echoed John O’Connell’s comments about communication. He wanted to know why they should choose to override CalFire’s base maps. Joanna Young, a Los Altos Hills resident, shared her wish that the Council and staff could convince the state to change the high-density housing requirements and address her other concerns. Hari Sankar, a Los Altos Hills resident attending via Zoom, commented that he did not wish the Town to change the CalFire base map. Rajiv Patel, a Los Altos Hills resident attending via Zoom, advised the Council that the speaker who talked about Pyro Logix had very valuable information, and they should allow her more time to comment. Vice Mayor Bhateja invited Betty Kayton to speak again Betty Kayton continued her comments regarding explaining risks to fire and suggested that the Town make fire hardening a requirement. Council Member Tyson commented that he placed some information regarding fire hardening at the back of the council chambers. He noted he felt that the entire town was within a moderate fire zone. Council Member Swan commented that the LAHCFD was doing some clearing in Hidden Villa and suggested the Town look into similar efforts. She also noted that she felt code changes did not seem to be an option. Council Member Mok thanked Director Bradford for his work on this matter and suggested that they not change the maps. He noted that this needed to be treated as a long-term goal. He also mentioned that there was an upcoming meeting scheduled to take place at Gardner Bullis School. Vice Mayor Bhateja agreed with the previous council members’ comments and noted that communication of Town issues was a complex issue and noted all the methods engaged by staff. He commented that he felt there was merit to sticking with the state maps, and amending the local ordinances would be helpful. City Manager Pirnejad noted that staff would place an ad in the newspaper to advertise for future meetings related to this issue and thanked Chief Estrada of the Santa 6 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes Clara County Fire District (SCCFD) for attending their meeting to be available to answer questions. He also stated the upcoming meeting schedule for this topic and outlined the required actions. The meeting recessed at 9 PM for 10 minutes. The meeting was reconvened around 9:10 PM. B.Consideration to Establish an Ad Hoc Committee Tasked with Discussing Options for the Expiring Law Enforcement Agreement with the Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff Deputy City Manager Einfalt noted that they were currently under a 2-year contract. He recommended that the Council form an ad hoc committee to assist with planning to determine budget impacts. Mayor Tankha agreed with this assessment and asked which council members would like to volunteer to be on the ad hoc committee. Vice Mayor Bhateja volunteered and Council Member Swan stated that she would also volunteer. Council Member Mok volunteered to be an alternate. Council Member Swan motioned to form an ad hoc committee consisting of Vice Mayor Bhateja and Council Member Swan to look at the expiring law enforcement agreement to determine the resources needed by the Town. Council Member Mok seconded. Approved, Vote 5-0 C.Receive the Town-wide Compensation Study and Accept Findings for the FY 2025- 26 Proposed Salary Schedule Finance Director Thomas Leung presented the FY 2025–26 Compensation Study, explaining that Town management had investigated the root causes of high staff turnover and implemented strategies to address them. A key finding was that salary competitiveness played a significant role in retention challenges. To assess this, the Town conducted a market comparison with similar municipalities to identify compensation gaps across various roles. Based on the findings, adjustments to salary ranges were proposed to make the Town’s compensation more competitive, with changes set to take effect on July 1st, pending adoption. Director Leung emphasized that these adjustments would not impact on the current fiscal year’s budget. He then introduced Brendan Hellweg, who presented the detailed salary study conducted using Holly, an AI-powered platform designed for government hiring and workforce analysis. Council Member Tyson commented that he thought the methodology was interesting and noted that the workforce rules appeared to have changed after the pandemic. He inquired how varying work-from-home policies between municipalities affected their results. City Manager Pirnejad responded that staff appreciated the flexible work-from-home policies, and the current staff were responsible for their use of that policy. He noted that 7 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes staff are required to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday; however, there is flexibility on occasion. Council Member Swan commented that she was happy to see the employee turnover rate go down and thanked City Manager Pirnejad for his policies that contributed to that. Council Member Mok asked how the cities were chosen for the study. He mentioned that Cupertino, Los Gatos, and Campbell were different from Los Altos Hills. City Manager Pirnejad provided a partial answer, which was based partially on geography. Finance Director Leung also contributed to the response, which also gave the commutable distance as a parameter, even if those cities were not similar. However, he did choose some cities that were similar in terms of being contract cities. Council Member Mok also asked how Holly was chosen, and Director Leung noted that Holly had reached out to Peter through professional circles. He also noted that since the company used AI-based research, it allowed for a less expensive study. Vice Mayor Bhateja asked Brendan about the source of Holly’s data, and he responded that they used public sources and matched duties, not titles. Vice Mayor Bhateja also noted that the population data for this report appeared to be incorrect, and he questioned Brendan on the source of their data. Mayor Tankha expressed her appreciation for the valuable services provided by Holly. PUBLIC COMMENTS. Allan Epstein, a resident of Los Altos Hills, noted that proximity was an important issue and noted that population should not be a factor; it was the services that the city provided. John O’Connell, a resident of Los Altos Hills, noted that he favored people with growth potential because they were cheaper vs. experienced. He also agreed that the Town should not base pay on standard job titles. Dominique Grau, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented that he felt the analysis was pretty good. He further commented that focusing only on salaries was only a small part of the equation, and benefits should also be considered. Rajiv Patel, a Los Altos Hills resident attending via Zoom, noted that it was good to hear that there was a lower turnover rate with staff overall; however, he felt that that was not the case with the Planning Department. He hoped that there would not be further negative impacts on this area. Mayor Tankha asked Director Leung about the next steps, and he responded. 8 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes Council Member Tyson noted that they should be more careful about considering compensation based on “company size” and that smaller organizations tended to require more flexibility in roles. Council Member Mok commented that he did not wish to take any action that would cause further loss of staff. He felt that the Town staff worked harder than the staff in other jurisdictions, and they should be compensated for that extra effort. Vice Mayor Bhateja commented that, in general, he felt that a salary study was a good idea, and that a salary schedule for the high-level positions was not comparable because the Town was small. He was in support of the current staff and their work efforts and recommended compensating for above-average work efforts. Mayor Tankha commented that she also supported the above-average compensation for above-average performing staff. Before the roll call vote, Vice Mayor Bhateja requested an addendum to the motion (in italics) and Council Member Tyson seconded again, since the request reorganized the existing data, requiring minimal staff efforts. Council Member Swan motioned to receive the Compensation Study and accept the findings, adding a request for a reference for the smaller towns for the higher positions. Council Member Tyson seconded. MOTION PASSED: 5-0 AYES: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson NOES: None RECUSE: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None Council Member Tyson moved that the meeting extend beyond 10 PM. Vice Mayor Bhateja seconded. Approved, Vote, 5-0 D.Receive a FY 2025-26 Budget Update Finance Director Leung provided an informational update on the FY 2025-26 budget. His presentation included itemizing CIP and Operational Budget adjustments and outlined a 3-tiered model. He shared that most expenditures were allocated to Tier 1 items. His presentation included past, present, and projected revenues and expenditures details, highlighted long-term fiscal sustainability proposals, and noted the fiscal impact. Council Member Mok expressed concern about the spending on certain items. Vice Mayor Bhateja asked to view the General Fund Revenue slides again so he could ask questions about some of the data. A question-and-answer session between the Council members and staff ensued regarding expenditures and the source of their funding. 9 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes PUBLIC COMMENTS. Rajiv Patel, speaking as a resident of Los Altos Hills, shared that during the most recent Planning Commission meeting, commissioners expressed concerns about the Planning Department being understaffed and unable to complete the tasks required by the Housing Element. As a result, they agreed to add an agenda item to address the issue and bring it to the Council’s attention. He also pointed out that the Town, especially the Planning Department, is not fully staffed. Additionally, he suggested that increased revenue could be generated through the enforcement of code violations. City Attorney Mattas noted that the Planning Commissioners should not comment in the Council meeting on Planning Commission issues. 5.INFORMATIONAL REPORTS (ITEMS PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES) A.Treasurer's Report B.Disbursement Report This was an informational item only, but public comments were heard. PUBLIC COMMENTS. Allan Epstein, a Los Altos Hills resident, stated that he would like to see a final report of the state of the refunds that were issued from the overcollection of fees. 6.CONSENT CALENDAR A.Approval of the City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of March 20, 2025 PUBLIC COMMENTS. Michael Grady, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented on the issue with the reporting related to the development agreement. He felt that the motion for Item 6A should be clarified. City Attorney Mattas noted that there were 3 motions that were acted on and reiterated each motion, second, and vote. He then addressed Mr. O’Connell’s concerns, read the motion, and noted that his and possibly Council Member Tyson’s recollection was to proceed with ordinances for both options. He then suggested amending minutes to state the motion was, “directing staff to prepare the Zoning Ordinance for lots in compliance with the proposed development agreement terms and the Michael Baker terms.” And with that change, the minutes would then be ready for action. Council Member Tyson motioned to approve Item 6A with the amendment stated by Attorney Mattas regarding both items in that final motion. Council Member Swan seconded. 10 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes MOTION PASSED: 5-0 AYES: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson NOES: None RECUSE: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None B.Vacating Appointment for the Parks, Recreation, and Community Events Committee - Kejun (Ben) Xu C.Resolution accepting the Los Altos Hills Three-Year Information Technology Strategic Plan FY26-28 Prior to consideration of the CONSENT CALENDAR, Vice Mayor Bhateja motioned to pull this item out of the Consent Calendar to discuss separately. Vice Mayor Bhateja led the discussion of this item, noting that the Technology Committee did not review this in detail, noted the cost, and recommended the Technology Committee do a deeper dive on this. Deputy City Manager Einfalt responded to Vice Mayor Bhateja’s concern, noting that this was not a financial planning document, but a project planning document, and stated those costs were rough estimates, and not based on any engineer’s estimate, statement of work, or bids. He noted that the Town would follow all the normal procurement processes for all these projects and cited an example. Vice Mayor Bhateja restated his request to have this item reviewed by the Technology Committee in detail. PUBLIC COMMENTS. Allan Epstein, a Los Altos Hills resident, directed his comments on the economics of the document, citing the high estimate. He agreed that another review by the Technology Committee would hopefully save the Town a lot of money. Council Member Mok noted that it was a lot of money, and he would like to know approximately what the real costs were and supported returning to the Technology Committee to determine the true costs. Deputy City Manager Einfalt asked if Council expected to have the true costs of all the projects, and Council Member Mok responded that no, he would prefer to see a better approximation of the costs. Vice Mayor Bhateja also noted that they should also revisit the priorities. Vice Mayor Bhateja motioned to send the Strategic IT Plan back to the Technology Committee for a thorough review and then bring it back to Council. Council Member Mok seconded. MOTION PASSED: 5-0 AYES: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson 11 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes NOES: None RECUSE: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None D.Resolution Approving the Corporation Yard Locker Room Phase 1 Final Plans and Specifications, and Directing Staff to Advertise the Project for Formal Bid E.Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Purchase Two Small Electric Vehicles Not to Exceed $80,000, Funded by the Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Reserve in FY204/25 F.Review of the 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report G.Review of the 2024 Housing Element Annual Progress Report PUBLIC COMMENTS. John O’Connell, a Los Altos Hills resident, congratulated Director Bradford for completing the Annual Performance Report and spoke about some of the calculations it contained that might be confusing and shared his calculations. H.Resolution Granting a Request for Extension of Site Development Permit for a New Residence, Pool, and ADU at 12355 Hilltop Drive, Los Altos Hills (EX25-0003) I.Resolution Authorizing the Extension of the Existing DKG Contract Term until June 30, 2026, and Expansion of the Contract to Include an additional $140,000 PUBLIC COMMENTS. Allan Epstein, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented about the DKG contract terms, noting that it stated a former Town employee was performing the work as an employee of the contractor, and he felt the description for work performed was not amended to reflect that fact, and that it was a strange arrangement. J.Approval of the City Council Special Meeting Minutes of March 4, 2025 Council Member Swan motioned to Approve the Consent Calendar, removing Items 6A and 6C for a separate discussion. Council Member Tyson seconded. MOTION PASSED: 5-0 AYES: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson NOES: None RECUSE: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None 7.ONGOING BUSINESS A.Resolution Authorizing the Extension of the Existing Michael Baker International Inc. Contract term until June 30, 2026, and Expansion of the Contract to include an 12 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes additional $256,000 appropriated from General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance to the Housing Element Capital Improvement Project Community Development Director Bradford presented the staff report. PUBLIC COMMENTS. Allan Epstein, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented first on the contract amount and the timeline for that contract. He noted that he has not seen any details on the project regarding payments, deliverables, and timelines. Mr. Epstein also noted that he would like to see some improvement in documenting the project. John O’Connell, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented that the residents of Saddle Mountain and other Town residents were, in general, not supportive of the current housing element agreement and expect Michael Baker to continue to be funded to get the work done on the amendment, noting he was stepping back his efforts. He also commented on the deliverables and past funding and agreed with Allan’s comments. Birgitta Indaco, a resident of Los Altos Hills, commented on the Objective Design Standards, asking if they were supposed to receive a draft from Michael Baker. Director Bradford responded to her inquiry regarding the deliverables of this contract, noting their efforts were focused on the engagement of the community. He then noted that Michael Baker was preparing several items to be addressed by the Planning Commission in upcoming meetings. Vice Mayor Bhateja noted his concerns with the Michael Baker contract, stating he attended several meetings, commented on the efficiency of Michael Baker’s approach and agreed with Allan’s comment that tighter project management should occur. Mayor Tankha asked Director Bradford if he’s seen a breakdown of billing from Michale Baker and he responded. Council Member Swan made a motion to approve the Resolution Authorizing the Extension of the Existing Michael Baker International Inc. Contract term until June 30, 2026. Council Member Tyson seconded the motion. Approved, Vote 5-0 Vice Mayor Bhateja made a motion to expand the Contract to include an additional $256,000 appropriated from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance to the Housing Element Capital Improvement Project. Council Member Swan seconded the motion. Approved, Vote 5-0. MOTION PASSED: 5-0 AYES: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok, Swan, Tyson NOES: None RECUSE: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None 13 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes 8.PUBLIC HEARINGS City Council Ex Parte Contacts Policy Disclosure A.Resolution Adopting the 2024 Pathway Fee Nexus Study and the Pathway In-Lieu Fee to Replace the Current Pathway Development Impact Fee Starting FY2025/26; and Waiver of Reading and Introduction of an Ordinance Amending Article 6 of Chapter 2, Title 10 of the Los Altos Hills Municipal Code for the Pathway In-Lieu Fee Council members had no ex parte to disclose on this item. Public Works Director Kim presented the 2024 Pathway Fee Nexus Study, aiming to update the Town's pathway development impact fee structure. The proposed changes intend to replace the existing fee with a new Pathway In-Lieu Fee, effective in Fiscal Year 2025–26. A question-and-answer session between the Council members and staff ensued, which included defining habitable area, estimating square footage of homes in a subdivision map, and previously paid pathway fees—how far back do the records count, balancing the fees with varying lot sizes and discussion of in-lieu fees. PUBLIC COMMENTS. 1.Jim Waschura, a Los Altos Hills resident, stated his appreciation of the questions asked by the Council and recommended that this item be returned to the planning commission for further consideration. He also commented on the Ordinance language and proposed language amendments. 2.Allan Epstein, a Los Altos Hills resident, noted that the Council asked for this about 2 years ago. He also noted commented that he did not understand how the in-lieu fee would work equitably and agreed with Jim Waschura’s comment that the item return to the Planning Commission for further discussion. 3.John O’Connell, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented that he was at the Planning Commission meeting when it was discussed. He compared how the sewer fee and the pathway fee were considered. 4.Carol Gottlieb, a resident of Los Altos Hills, commented on the pathway building process. She also commented on certain pathways that should have been built but were not. 5.Alisa Bredo, a resident of Los Altos Hills, commented that she felt this issue should return to the Planning Commission for further discussion. She also commented on the pathway building process and other considerations. 6.Birgitta Indaco, a resident of Los Altos Hills, commented that she noted that the process seemed to require a lot of fees and suggested that the Pathway Committee review this item. 7.Nick, a resident of Los Altos Hills and a member of the Pathways Committee, commented on the current process and shared what he thought was the better option. Mayor Tankha commented that she remembered that this newer practice was supposed to be a temporary option for only a year to see if it worked and the Council did not revisit to evaluate. 14 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes Council Member Tyson commented that the Council should be more vigilant at keeping track of their decisions and consider allowing more time to consider this issue. Council Member Mok commented about the impact of delaying a decision on this item for several months. Director Kim expressed concern about delaying a decision on the matter, emphasizing the challenges involved in reaching this point. He also noted that significant time and financial resources had already been invested in the process. Vice Mayor Bhateja addressed Director Kim’s concerns in his comments and noted his agreement with the rest of the council members that this be returned to the planning commission for further discussion. Council Member Swan remarked that the proposal only required a few minor adjustments and should not take several months to finalize. She also expressed concern about losing momentum if the process were delayed. City Attorney Mattas advised that the Council should offer clear guidance to the committees to help ensure progress on this issue. City Manager Pirnejad also addressed the Council, emphasizing the importance of giving clear direction to the Planning Commission to support effective progress. Further discussion between the Council and staff regarding this issue ensued. After the motion was made but before it was seconded, City Manager Pirnejad pointed out that Director Bradford already had a demanding schedule with several upcoming deliverables and would need additional time to adequately address this item. Vice Mayor Bhateja amended his motion from June to September. Council Member Swan asked to modify the motion language to include, “based on the current nexus study,” so that they do not start over and Vice Mayor Bhateja opted not to. Vice Mayor Bhateja made a motion to receive input and suggested revisions from the Planning Commission, Finance and Investment Committee, and Pathway Committee before the 2024 Pathway Fee Nexus Study and the Pathway In-Lieu Fee is presented to Council for consideration. Mayor Tankha seconded the motion. Approved, Vote 3-2 MOTION PASSED: 3-2 AYES: Tankha, Bhateja, Mok NOES: Swan, Tyson RECUSE: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None 15 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes 9.REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES, SUB-COMMITTEES, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ON OUTSIDE AGENCIES A.Update on LAHCFD (Mayor Tankha and Council Member Tyson) Council Member Swan noted that she requested that item and that she was willing to wait until next month’s meeting to discuss it. Council Member Tyson shared a presentation addressing public inquiries about the County Fire District and what they do. B.Discussion Regarding plans for the Town's 70th birthday (Council Member Swan) Council Member Swan led the discussion on the plans for the upcoming 70th Anniversary of the Town of Los Altos Hills. PUBLIC COMMENTS. 1.Carol Gottlieb, a Los Altos Hills resident, commented on past celebratory activities for the 25th, 30th, 50th, and other anniversaries. She noted that they often tied their celebrations to major milestones in the Town. She suggested that the Council consider concentrating on the 75th Anniversary since the schedule is busy with Housing Element items this year, offered suggestions for a smaller acknowledgement this year, and noted the Poor Claires would be celebrating their 75th Anniversary this year. Council Member Swan asked if they wanted to republish one of the booklets that were published in the past or publish an updated one. Mayor Tankha confirmed with Carol that the suggestion was to postpone a major celebration until the 75th anniversary. A discussion regarding the timing of the celebration of the Town’s anniversary ensued among the Council. City Manager Pirnejad asked if the Council required another staff report if this returned to a later Council meeting, and Mayor Tankha replied that that was not necessary. C.Update Regarding Status of Discussion with Property Owners Related to the Twin Oaks Parcels (APN Nos. 182-02-017, 182-02-018, 182-02-019, 182-02-020, 182-02-021, and 182-02-022) and separate discussion with Property Owner of the adjacent Parcel APN No. 192-02-016 (currently subject to a Williamson Act contract) and consideration of potential separate terms sheets related to the parcels and potential separate development agreements for the parcels (Vice Mayor Bhateja and Council Member Mok) Item 9C was removed from the agenda and was not discussed at this meeting. 10.STAFF REPORTS A.City Attorney Steve Mattas had no report. 16 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes B.City Clerk Arika Miller provided the upcoming City Council Meetings, which included: Joint City Council and Finance and Investment Committee Meeting on May 22, 2025 at 4 PM, Special City Council Meeting on June 18, 2025, at 5 PM, and Regular City Council Meeting on June 26, 2025, at 6 PM. C.Community Development Director Jay Bradford updated the Council on the following: • Fremont Hills Country Club: CDD provided an update to the City Council regarding the letter sent to the Fremont Hills Country Club about historic preservation of the Club’s water tower. The Club responded promptly and extended an invitation for staff to assess the structure. Upon inspection, staff determined that the tower does not pose a significant hazard in its current condition. • Expired Permit Management: The department will bring on two summer interns to assist with various tasks, including data research on existing expired permits. This research will form the basis for future analysis and recommendations for process improvements later this year. • Staffing Update: CDD is moving forward with second-round interviews for the Assistant Planner position. • Planning Commission Agenda: Zoning updates and the Multifamily Objective Design Standards are scheduled to return to the Planning Commission on May 1. D.Finance Director Thomas Leung provided a report that included: The Finance Department held the annual budget retreat on March 5th to go over the budget development process with departments. Department budget proposals are due this week, and all the departments will be meeting with the City Manager next week to go over their budgets. The Finance Department also implemented Gravity budget software, and it’s been going well. There will be a joint City Council and FIC meeting to discuss the FY 2025-26 Proposed Budget on Thursday, May 22 at 4 pm. On the technology front, Finance is continuing to work on the implementation of Tyler AP Automation to improve efficiency in accounts payable. Currently, Finance is testing it and expects to have it fully up and running by the end of the quarter E.Public Works Director WooJae Kim provided a report that included: Status of Speed Feedback Sign Purchase As recommended by the Technology Committee, staff is moving forward with the purchase of one mobile speed feedback sign on a trailer, which can collect speeding data. It may take approximately six weeks for the procurement and delivery. Once received, staff will place the feedback sign on streets where the Town has been receiving speeding complaints. The speeding data will be shared with the Sheriff for enhanced enforcement. The speed feedback sign would be moved to other locations on a periodic basis to collect speeding data. If this works out well, the Town can purchase two more to replace the ones on Fremont Road near Gardner Bullis Elementary School. Local Road Safety Plan The Town has been receiving more traffic safety and speeding concerns from Town residents. Staff will be proposing a new CIP for the next fiscal year for a Local Road Safety Plan to assess traffic safety in the Town to identify hot spot locations to 17 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes implement traffic safety and calming measures. Staff will apply for grants to fund this plan. Update on Ford F250 Truck Replacement While getting quotes for Ford F250 Truck replacement authorized by the Council, staff have received some favorable quotes for Ford F450 trucks. Although this would be an upgrade from the F250 with higher payloads and tow capacity, the quotes came in similar to the price of the F250. Staff is looking to finalize the P.O. for F450 procurement within the next month. Heritage House Upgrade Heritage House Upgrade is progressing. Most importantly, we are meeting CDBG deadlines for submitting reimbursement invoices. We are on track to submit invoices for the entire $400k by the end of the month. The county will hold back 10% retention until the completion of the project and until the first annual program reporting for Heritage House has been submitted. The project is still anticipated for completion by late summer or by fall. Rule 20A Progress PG&E is approximately a month behind completing its overhead conversion to underground. They are working with property owners on details to convert the overhead services to underground. Once that is completed, PG&E would still work out their overhead facilities. PG&E conversion work is anticipated to be completed by the end of April. Staff is also working with Comcast to finalize their encroachment permit application so that they can follow directly after PG&E. The full conversion to underground facilities would happen by the fall of this year. Page Mill Road Evacuation Route Hardening The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, with the Los Altos Hills County Fire District, will be starting the Page Mill Road Evacuation Route fire fuel reduction/roadway hardening project on April 28 and will take a week to complete. Please anticipate some traffic delays during the work F.City Manager Pirnejad shared with the Council information on the upcoming Wildfire Workshop and cited the agencies that would be there. He highlighted the upcoming annual State of the Cities luncheon and invited residents to attend. He suggested that the Council schedule August as their Dark Month so that staff would have time to accommodate time-sensitive items. And finally, he highlighted past and upcoming community events. 11.COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS A.Support for SB 457 – Builder’s Remedy Reform and Housing Element Compliance Fairness Council Member Swan noted that this bill was initiated by Senator Josh Becker to address the Builder’s Remedy projects coming between the time the plan was submitted 18 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes to HCD and the time they approved it, which was a 2-month period. She requested that they place this item on the next agenda for further discussion. This item will be presented on the Consent Calendar at the May 15, 2025, City Council Meeting. B.Bike Access and Pathways Safety Vice Mayor Bhateja highlighted some concerns raised by a former mayor regarding bikes using the pathways, which seem to be unsafe. He asked if staff would request the Pathways Committee to offer a recommendation. Director Kim noted that they could and highlighted that the area of concern was a private, unpaved road, with a pathway easement. He noted that the request for not allowing bikes to ride on this would require an ordinance change to make it enforceable. Vice Mayor Bhateja noted that safety issues should be addressed, even if they are not on the work plan. He directed the Public Works department to place a sign stating that bikes should proceed with caution on that road. A discussion about this direction between the council and staff ensued, and it was decided that this should be placed on the next agenda for further discussion. City Manager Pirnejad asked the council for staff direction regarding expectations and Vice Mayor Bhateja noted that he wished staff to take this issue of bike safety to the Pathways Committee to get their recommendations on which pathways should allow bikes and place signage on pathways they feel should not have bikes. Discussion continued regarding placing signage for bikes on pathways/gravel roads ensued and the size of that project. Vice Mayor Bhateja made a motion to have the Pathway Committee make recommendations to the Council on pathways in Town that may not be safe for bikes and possible wording for signs to be installed be added to the next Council agenda for consideration. Council Member Mok seconded the motion. Approved, Vote 3-2. MOTION PASSED: 3-2 AYES: Bhateja, Mok, Tyson NOES: Swan, Tankha RECUSE: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None 12.ADJOURN Before adjourning the meeting, Mayor Tankha recognized longtime resident Neal Rayborn, who passed away recently. Neal and his wife moved to Los Altos Hills in 1975, and he was well known for his lifelong passion for classic cars. Beginning in 2015, Neal played a key role in organizing the car show at the Town Picnic, eventually leading the effort and helping make it a beloved tradition. His dedication and community spirit brought joy to residents of all ages. 19 City Council April 17, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes The meeting was adjourned in his memory following a moment of silence at 12:43 AM. Respectfully submitted, Arika Birdsong-Miller City Clerk