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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-04-19 City Council Summary MinutesCITY COUNCIL SUMMARY MINUTES Page 1 of 30 Special Meeting April 19, 2021 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in virtual teleconference at 5:00 P.M. Participating Remotely: Burt, Cormack, DuBois, Filseth, Kou, Stone, Tanaka Absent: Special Orders of the Day 1. Presentation by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Karen Holman, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen), reported the first 25 years of Midpen's existence focused on land acquisition. Midpen preserved more than 65,000 acres of open space in 26 preserves. In 2014, voters approved Measure AA, a $300 million general obligation bond to support public priorities identified by a broad-based working group. Preserves were free and open to the public every day of the year. Visitation increased 88 percent during the beginning of the pandemic. Yoriko Kishimoto, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, advised that the Ravenswood Bay Trail was complete. The Highway 17 Crossings Project linked the Santa Cruz Mountains with ranges to the south. The preferred location was identified, and a biomineral review was underway. Lehigh Quarry presented a mining expansion project to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The Midpen Board of Directors was concerned about the expansion, particularly protecting the scenic easement. Brian Malone, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, related that the Wildland Fire Resiliency Program expanded the number of acres subject to fire management and ecosystem resiliency. The Grazing Program was an essential element of the fire program by reducing fuels and preserving critically important grasslands on the San Mateo Coast. NO ACTION TAKEN 1A. Proclamations Honoring Stanford's NCAA National Champion Women's Basketball Team and Head Coach Tara Vanderveer. Council Member Cormack read the team Proclamation into the record. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 2 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Council Member Filseth read Tara Vanderveer’s Proclamation into the record. Council Member Cormack thanked Coach Vanderveer for her service to the community and the Olympic team. The championship was a team effort with 11 of 12 players participating in the final game. The Arizona Wildcats played a remarkable game. Council Member Stone congratulated the team and appreciated a win during the pandemic. Mayor DuBois thanked Coach Vanderveer and the basketball program for working with local basketball teams. Council Member Kou noted Coach Vanderveer espoused equity and teamwork. She thanked the team for setting an example and leading with sportsmanship. Council Member Tanaka congratulated the team and looked forward to seeing the players' future accomplishments. Vicki Veenker thanked Coach Vanderveer for mentoring young women in the community. Tara Vanderveer, Stanford Women’s Basketball Coach, thanked the Council for the Proclamations. She was exceedingly proud of the team working together all season. Anna Wilson appreciated the community's support and was grateful for the opportunity to play basketball. Ms. Vanderveer hoped to be able to invite the Council to a game next season. NO ACTION TAKEN 2. Selection of Applicants to Interview for the Human Relations Commission, Public Art Commission, Storm Water Management Oversight Committee, and the Utilities Advisory Commission. MOTION: Council Member Kou moved, seconded by Council Member Cormack to interview all candidates. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 SUMMARY MINUTES Page 3 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions Ed Shikada, City Manager, noted that there were questions and answers regarding Agenda Item Number 4 and an at-places memorandum for Agenda Item Number 7. Oral Communications Sonja Trauss, speaking on behalf of Robin Pugh, Belen Chavez, Kelsey Banes, Marie Wolbach, Evan Adams, and Danny Allen, indicated that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) did not delineate rental and owner housing. She reviewed national vacancy rates from the 1950s to 2020. While the real estate industry preferred a vacancy rate of 2 to 4 percent, that was not beneficial to renters. Rebecca Eisenberg remarked that an overabundance of housing benefited the community and renters. The City needed to loosen height and parking requirements and tax large businesses in order to build more housing. Minutes Approval 3. Approval of Action Minutes for the April 5, 2021 City Council Meeting. MOTION: Mayor DuBois moved, seconded by Council Member Kou to approve the Action Minutes for the April 5, 2021 City Council Meeting. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 Consent Calendar MOTION: Council Member Cormack moved, seconded by Council Member Kou to approve Agenda Item Numbers 4 and 5. 4. Approval of: 1) Professional Services Agreement With Blue Rhino Studio, Inc. in the Amount of $214,706 for Dinosaur Exhibits for the Junior Museum and Zoo (JMZ); 2) Accept a $14,325 Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Grant for Adult Changing Tables at the JMZ; 3) Approve a Budget Amendment in the Capital Improvement Fund; 4) Resolution 9949 Entitled, “Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto for the Final Naming Recognition for the JMZ” ; and 5) Approve a License Agreement With Stanford University for Research Space at the JMZ. 5. Ordinance 5520 Entitled, “Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto for Renovations at Ramos Park (FIRST READING: March 22, 2021 PASSED 7-0).” SUMMARY MINUTES Page 4 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 MOTION PASSED: 7-0 City Manager Comments Ed Shikada, City Manager, reported Santa Clara County remained in the Orange Tier but moving to the Yellow Tier was possible if progress continued. The County of Santa Clara (County) received a significant supply of vaccine doses and added thousands of appointments. A new blog was released the prior week to answer questions about the vaccine and provide details of vaccination clinics. COVID-19 testing was scheduled for Tuesdays at Michell Park Library, Wednesdays at City Hall, and May 7 and 21, 2021 at Mitchell Park Community Center. A recent blog by Utilities Director Batchelor provided details of recent power outages, improvements, and staffing. The Uplift Local check-in was scheduled for April 20, 2021. Wellness Wednesdays topics were earthquake preparedness in April 2021, mindfulness for teens in May 2021, senior wellness in June 2021, and art therapy in July 2021. The community was encouraged to participate in the Budget discussion through a May 6, 2021 Town Hall and the survey scheduled for release on May 5, 2021. Upcoming Agenda Items included grade separations on April 26, 2021, Human Relations Commission recommendations for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding on May 3, Housing Element discussion with the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) on May 10, 2021, and land use items on May 18, 2021. Action Items 6. PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 640 Fairmede Avenue [20PLN-00203]: Request for Council Approval of a Preliminary Parcel Map With Exceptions to Divide an Existing 23,000 Square Foot Parcel Into two Approximately 11,500 Square Foot Lots, Larger Than the Maximum Allowed by the Zoning Code, to Facilitate Construction of two new Single-family Residences. Environmental Assessment: Exempt per California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 15303 and 15061(b)(3). Zoning District: R-1 (Single Family Residential). Jonathan Lait, Planning and Development Services Director, reported the applicant requested a parcel map with exceptions, which were required because the subdivided parcels were larger than allowed by the single-family (R-1) zone for the neighborhood. The lot contained about 22,000 square feet but was too narrow to be divided into three lots. Staff anticipated a single-family home was going to be built on each subdivided lot. The Council needed to make findings for the subdivision and exceptions. Mayor DuBois requested Council Members disclose ex parte communications. There were none. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 5 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Public Hearing opened at 5:57 P.M. Michael Ma, Applicant architect, advised that he and the property owner were available to answer questions. Public Hearing closed at 5:58 P.M. Council took a break at 5:58 P.M. and returned at 6:10 P.M. Council Member Cormack inquired about the references to gas service in Condition of Approval Numbers 20, 21, and 25 when gas service was not permitted in new residential construction. Mr. Lait indicated Staff needed to review gas service for accessory dwelling units (ADU) and agreed to modify the conditions of approval as necessary. Council Member Stone requested the definition of "necessary" in Condition of Approval Number 2. Molly Stump, City Attorney, advised that the meaning of "necessary" varied depending on context. The Council could define "necessary" as "convenient and appropriate." MOTION: Mayor DuBois moved, seconded by Council Member Cormack to adopt a Record of Land Use Action (RLUA) approving the request for a Preliminary Parcel Map with Exceptions based on findings and subject to conditions of approval, and as recommended by the Planning and Transportation Commission. Mayor DuBois remarked that the proposal did not cause consternation in the neighborhood. The project was located in an area where the average lot size was greater than the maximum lot size. The sizes of the subdivided lots were going to align with the typical lot size. Council Member Cormack noted the Planning and Transportation Commission's (PTC) vote to recommend approval. The Applicant and Staff appropriately explained the small discrepancy in lot size. Council Member Kou asked if Staff explored subdividing the parcel into more than two parcels with the Applicant. More lots resulted in more single-family homes. Mr. Lait related that the Applicant was aware of options. A third lot required additional exceptions. The Applicant determined the number of subdivided parcels. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 6 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Council Member Kou asked if it was possible for the frontage to accommodate three or four subdivided lots. Mr. Lait answered that three lots were not possible. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 7. City Council Review of the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) Update Report; Provide Feedback on Policy Tools; and Direction to Staff to Implement an S/CAP Engagement Strategy for Three S/CAP Engagement Tracks That Includes Outreach to Council, Commissions, and the Community. Brad Eggleston, Public Works Director, reported in 2016, the Council adopted a goal to reduce the 1990 level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2030 (80 by '30). For the next stage in developing the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP), Staff proposed focusing on technical analysis review and comments, review and feedback on the S/CAP climate policies, and development of proposals for shorter-term programs to be implemented in 2021 to 2024. Outreach and engagement were going to be aspects of all three focus areas. Christine Luong, Management Analyst, advised that in 2019, Palo Alto emitted an estimated 482,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) from residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, wastewater, and municipal sectors. Compared to 1990, that was a 38.2-percent decrease in total community emissions despite a population increase of 23.6 percent during the same period. Additional existing emissions sources, such as the airport and Caltrain, were added for the first time. A total of about 23,000 metric tons of CO2e were added from emission sources not previously included. Because of these additional sources, a direct comparison of the current inventory with previous inventories was not possible. To achieve the 80 by '30 goal, Palo Alto had to meet an emissions target of approximately 156,000 metric tons of CO2e. The main sources of Palo Alto's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were one-third natural gas consumption and two-thirds gasoline and diesel fuel. Road transportation represented Palo Alto's largest source of GHG emissions at approximately 65 percent. A third of road transportation emissions was caused by residents, a third by commuters, and a third by visitors. The "business as usual" forecast for the City was defined as Palo Alto's projected emissions by 2030 if Staff implemented the policies and plans adopted by the Council as of 2019 and followed statewide goals and regulations. Emissions were projected to decrease 52 percent in 2030 and 56 percent in 2040 relative to 1990. Palo Alto needed to reduce total emissions by 218,000 metric tons of SUMMARY MINUTES Page 7 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 CO2e beyond the business as usual projections. The goals and key actions that Staff analyzed achieved a 72 percent reduction, leaving an 8 percent gap. Staff anticipated conducting additional studies to determine methods to close the gap. Staff forecast achieving a 78-percent reduction by 2035 and 80 percent by 2036 or 2037 without closing the 8-percent gap. Jonathan Abendschein, Assistant Director, Utilities Resources, indicated Staff and AECOM modeled the outcomes needed to achieve the 80 by '30 goal. The scenario focused on reducing vehicle travel through telecommuting and alternative commute modes, expanding electric vehicle (EV) adoption, increasing commuter and visitor trips via EVs, and increasing building electrification. Alternative commute and EV programs provided a net savings. The cost of building electrification was lowest for single-family space and water heating and commercial rooftop heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) units. Converting gas appliances in single-family residences to electric was more expensive but provided other savings. Other commercial and multifamily actions analyzed so far were expensive. The spectrum of tools that achieved climate goals ranged from voluntary market- driven solutions to government-driven solutions. Potential short-term actions included expanding residential emissions reductions programs to promote building and transportation electrification, enhance programs with technical assistance, direct installation, incentives, and/or on-bill financing, provide additional services to low-income households, assist with certain types of business electrification and workplace EV charging, expand availability of alternative transportation modes, expand the scope of the Transportation Management Association (TMA), and expand Reach Codes. Potential mid-term actions included end-of-life mandates to replace gas appliances, expansion of bicycle infrastructure, and exploration of more impactful policy measures. Another option was adoption of a carbon neutrality goal. Mr. Eggleston reviewed Staff's proposals to obtain community input regarding the climate action modeling, climate projections for 2030, climate policies, and programs that were implemented through 2024. Staff proposed to continue presenting items to the Council, create a Council Ad Hoc Committee to assist Staff, or provide status reports to the Finance Committee. Community engagement was possible through the City's Boards, Commissions, and Committees, stakeholder-specific roundtables, community-driven working groups, community meetings, an online survey, and a community summit series. The proposed timeline for community engagement resulted in a final draft of the S/CAP being presented to the Council in December 2021 with adoption and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review in the spring of 2022. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 8 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Council Member Kou requested the specific stakeholder groups Staff planned to work with. Mr. Eggleston noted the list included large and small businesses, residents, realtors, nonprofits, and school-age groups. Ed Shikada, City Manager, added that the Council needed to provide some direction regarding stakeholders. Council Member Kou expressed concern that the list of actions did not include the natural environment, trees specifically. Mr. Shikada stated the Urban Forest Master Plan was a separate body of work. It was possible to integrate it within the S/CAP. Mr. Eggleston explained that Staff did not include that topic because it was not controversial and pertained to work already underway. Council Member Kou stated there were huge links between the natural environment and reducing GHG emissions. Residents contacted her about their inability to find contractors willing to convert electric appliances or knowledgeable about the process. Mr. Eggleston advised that departments were collaborating to improve the permitting process. Council Member Kou asked if Staff was going to conduct outreach to building contractors. Mr. Eggleston believed contractors were an important stakeholder group. Vice Mayor Burt requested the scope and necessity for a CEQA analysis. Ms. Luong reported the scope included analysis of all of the final goals and key actions in the draft S/CAP. Molly Stump, City Attorney, advised that the definition of CEQA required analysis of proposed discretionary actions that could have a significant impact on the environment. Vice Mayor Burt noted Joint Venture Silicon Valley's initiative to measure transportation impacts through gasoline sales. A reduction in gasoline sales was going to be a key metric. Mr. Shikada indicated Staff met with representatives about the initiative. The metric may fit well in the S/CAP Implementation Plan. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 9 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Vice Mayor Burt stated fugitive natural gas emissions were not included in the analysis. He asked if a review of the value and importance of that was conducted. Mr. Abendschein related that fugitive emissions within the City's boundaries were included in the GHG inventory. Vice Mayor Burt inquired whether Staff reviewed best practices for low- carbon construction materials. Mr. Eggleston reported Staff received and was reviewing information regarding Marin County's program as a possible Reach Code item. Low- carbon construction materials did not directly reduce the numbers discussed in this Agenda Item. John Kelley urged the Council to reaffirm the 80 by '30 goal and to direct Staff to develop an aggressive plan to meet that goal and to consider a municipal carbon tax. Short-term approaches included creating meaningful subsidies for specific measures and better detection and control of fugitive methane emissions. Rebecca Eisenberg suggested the Council ask Tesla to donate electric shuttles to the City for public transit and locate homes near jobs. Staff's approaches were not going to work. Andrea Gara, 350.org, remarked that Staff was going to have to work really hard to engage the community. Many Palo Alto groups were willing to help. She hoped the community continued to work toward the City's climate goals. Kevin Ma proposed community engagement occur neighborhood by neighborhood as current outreach mechanisms were lacking. Staff needed to focus on non-car alternatives to transportation and improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Dashiell Leeds, Sierra Club, supported incentives for building electrification and suggested the Council form a climate advisory group. Staff needed resources to investigate multifamily and commercial electrification retrofits. Keith Bennett noted emissions from concrete were not included in the inventory or in the proposals to reduce emissions. Emissions from concrete were too significant to ignore. Stephen Rosenblum believed the City needed to attack transportation and methane as the primary sources of emissions. The City was not going to SUMMARY MINUTES Page 10 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 reach its goal if business as usual continued. Incentives and penalties were needed. David Coale encouraged the Council to move on Staff's recommendations as quickly as possible. Alternative modes of transportation were the cheapest way to achieve reductions. Bret Andersen remarked that the easiest way to achieve reductions in the building side of emissions was to replace gas appliances at the end of their lives. It was possible to reduce the cost by negotiating guaranteed volume installations. Julia Zeitlin supported the S/CAP and taking bold actions right away. To achieve the 80 by '30 goal, the City needed to implement mandatory programs focused on building electrification and EV purchases. She proposed including a wildfire preparedness plan within the natural environment section of the S/CAP. Gail Price, Palo Alto Forward, supported expansion of building electrification opportunities, use of incentives, and additional partnerships to increase EV purchases. The Council needed to identify aggressive funding and measurable actions to create a sustainable future for the community. Saman de Silva urged the Council to reaffirm the 80 by '30 goal and continue to further Palo Alto's environmental progressivism. Katie Rueff commented that implementing the S/CAP was going to increase the number of biking, walking, and public transit opportunities. With denser housing, residents were going to live closer to services and utilize public transit. Justine Burt stated the replacement of gas lines meant gas service was going to continue for decades into the future. Money for that project was better spent on incentivizing building electrification. Electric bikes were good for running errands around town. Olivia Musill noted climate change was the most pressing issue for her generation. She urged the Council to prioritize walking and biking options that connected cities and high-density affordable housing near transit. Council Member Stone felt it was time for the world to address climate change. It was time for Palo Alto to reclaim its role as regional, state, and even national leaders on bold climate change actions. The City was moving in the right direction with Staff's proposals. There seemed to be a lot of legal uncertainty regarding the medium and high-intervention strategies. He SUMMARY MINUTES Page 11 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 inquired about anticipated roadblocks and legal fees that increased the cost of implementing the strategies. Molly Stump, City Attorney anticipated the City incurring legal costs to evaluate and chart a strategy and mechanisms for priority projects. The Council was likely to find the legal costs manageable over time. The bigger concern was that some of the actions had a medium to high risk of a legal challenge. Potential adverse outcomes were an injunction and a requirement for the City to compensate people who were harmed. Concerns varied widely because the proposed actions varied. Staff needed to evaluate a series of rules and requirements as the Council provided priorities and details of actions. Council Member Cormack remarked that the strategies and cost estimates provided some hope. She inquired about the intent of Palo Alto adopting a goal for 2030 rather than 2050. Mr. Abendschein explained that at the time it was adopted, the goal was viewed as above and beyond the norm. Recent climate science talked about actions needed to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Centigrade in conjunction with carbon neutrality actions. Council Member Cormack asked if 80 by '30 continued to be the right goal. Mr. Abendschein noted uncertainty about the number needed to achieve specific outcomes. Clearly, aggressive emissions reductions were needed to achieve carbon neutrality, and carbon neutrality was needed before mid- century. The 80 by '30 goal was consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's pathways to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Centigrade. Council Member Cormack inquired about unexpected results from the analysis. Mr. Eggleston indicated the surprise was learning that all the pathways needed to be implemented. Mr. Abendschein added that the scale of savings provided by alternative modes of travel was stunning. Council Member Tanaka supported an aggressive push for micro mobility. He inquired about the pilot program for scooter sharing. Mr. Shikada suspected that the pandemic prevented the industry from moving forward with the pilot program. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 12 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Council Member Tanaka noted wind and solar renewables were getting cheaper all the time. He inquired about nuclear energy. Mr. Abendschein advised that Staff was not exploring any nuclear projects. The State imposed a moratorium on nuclear energy until a federal storage facility was built. Council Member Tanaka asked if there was a strategy to become more green and reduce or eliminate power outages. Mr. Shikada referred Council Member Tanaka to the blog by Utilities Director Batchelor. The electric utility's reliability was critically important as sustainability planning progressed. Council Member Filseth wanted to know what the estimated $750 million was going to be spent on and the source of the projected savings. Mr. Abendschein indicated most of the funds were going to be spent on building electrification, and EVs and alternative commutes provided most of the savings through avoided maintenance and gasoline. Savings were also provided by avoided natural gas spending. For a variety of reasons, natural gas rates were expected to increase while electric rates were expected to remain stable. Council Member Filseth noted that residents who purchased EVs saved the money provided by avoided maintenance costs. He did not understand how that amount was applied to the City's savings. Mr. Abendschein explained that $740 million was the cost. There was no mention of who paid the cost. The Staff Report was inaccurate in that the $740 million did not include the utility cost. Utility costs were in the $40 million to $120 million range. Council Member Filseth asked about the legal latitude for the City to use natural gas pricing as a price signal to encourage people to consume less natural gas. Ms. Stump advised that it was subject to legal challenge. Proposition 26 constrained the setting of electric and natural gas rates as well as the cross- sharing of revenues and expenses. Council Member Filseth asked if the City was allowed to charge a carbon tax on one utility and provide a rebate on the other utility. Ms. Stump refused to speculate as the topic was subject to ongoing litigation. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 13 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Mayor DuBois inquired about the programs needing a CEQA analysis. Ms. Stump stated the whole plan needed a CEQA analysis. It was possible to adopt components of the plan under CEQA exceptions. Mayor DuBois asked if some of the short-term strategies were allowed without a CEQA analysis. He wanted an explicit statement that the City was going to continue to look for options to address multifamily and commercial building electrification. Economies of scale were possible by converting all units in a building simultaneously. The Council may want a policy to align programs so that the person who made the payment experienced the savings. He inquired about the concepts of carbon neutrality versus carbon reduction and about the City setting a carbon neutral target date. Ms. Luong reported benefits of a carbon neutrality goal were utilizing a single methodology and being able to compare to a baseline. A carbon reduction goal was embedded within the carbon neutrality goal. Vice Mayor Burt remarked that the 80 by '30 goal was going to result in significant global warming. In 2015, an 80 percent reduction was the largest reduction that the Council was able to conceive. A climate leader recently stated that a climate protection plan needed a series of different initiatives. Climate change was occurring faster than anticipated. Mega wildfires were threats to the economy, public health, and public safety. The consequences of climate change far exceeded the needed investments. Council Member Stone commented on the responsibility of providing future generations with a planet where they could thrive. He requested a comparison of Palo Alto's gains with other cities' gains. Ms. Luong reported the City was doing quite well in comparison to other Bay Area cities. Other cities achieved reductions of 15 percent to 20 percent. Council Member Stone inquired about the impact of achieving the City's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) targets on GHG goals. Sylvia Star-Lack, Transportation Planning Manager, related that the provision of housing resulted in lower Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) per person. Council Member Stone inquired whether the number of Palo Alto residents who worked in Palo Alto was likely to remain constant despite housing production or population growth. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 14 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Ms. Star-Lack encouraged the Council to view it from a regional perspective. Over the region, it was better for people to live near their work. Christine Tam, Senior Resource Planner, added that new housing was required to have all electric appliances. Mr. Abendschein suggested an additional focus on land use may provide more clarity. Staff did not run transportation models for different land use assumptions because of the expense. Council Member Cormack wanted more information regarding infill housing and commuting. She requested potential details of a municipal carbon tax. Mr. Abendschein reported the simplest tax was an increased cost on the use of natural gas. A carbon tax on vehicles was more complicated. Council Member Cormack asked if the Council was allowed to tax vehicle fuel. Ms. Stump advised that Staff did not explore that. Carbon taxes were usually pitched with a great deal of generality. State and federal laws were likely to pre-empt a local ordinance. Council Member Cormack stated the actual cost of the externality was not built into energy usage. She inquired whether the data captured air travel by Palo Alto residents. Ms. Luong answered no. Air travel was captured in a consumption-based inventory that the City did not utilize. Council Member Filseth related that RHNA projects were based on adding population to the Bay Area. Nobody had figured out how to add people without adding GHG emissions. The City's targets were based on absolute emissions rather than per person emissions Council Member Kou inquired about the integration of equity into sustainability. Mr. Shikada reported specific policies needed to be evaluated in terms of unintended social impacts. Council Member Kou remarked that population increased, but affordable housing production never kept pace with the demand for affordable housing because of the jobs multiplier. Remodeling was a greener use of a building than demolition of an existing building and construction of a new building. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 15 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 That needed to be tracked. The City needed to build the community's confidence in the electric grid. Mayor DuBois expressed concern about Staff responsibility for individual strategies. Some of the strategies needed to begin in 2021. The electric utility needed to champion many of the strategies. There were many community experts in the City, and they had to be leveraged for these strategies. This may be a primary focus for the Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC). Wholesale changes in behavior were going to be huge. Staff's strategies were too conservative. Vice Mayor Burt indicated 90 percent of the work was reducing the use of fossil fuel in transportation and buildings. A robust and reliable electric utility was essential to the whole program. Staff did not have the bandwidth to implement many of the strategies. Leveraging community experts was necessary. The Council needed to authorize additional expenditures for Staff to have dedicated resources focused on the bulk of the strategies. The community was not sold on some of the strategies, and they needed to be differentiated. The community was likely to support a new Palo Alto Green program and devoting those resources to the strategies. Council Member Filseth believed the Staff Report was clear about the actions needed. Council Member Cormack felt the community was having a really hard time converting to electric appliances. Regional alignment of standards and implementation of basic conversions were going to help. The Council was not able to engage in detailed work on strategies but needed regular updates. An Ad Hoc Committee was not right either. The Finance Committee needed to participate in the work. A stakeholder group, a Board or Commission, or a Blue Ribbon Committee was best able to assist the Council with this work. She recommended the City Manager appoint members to the group. She requested the top two things the City needed to advocate for at the State level. Mr. Shikada felt it was premature to remark on State advocacy. Mr. Abendschein wanted to discuss the issues with the City Attorney and conduct additional internal investigations. Vice Mayor Burt expressed concern regarding all Boards, Commissions, and Committees providing input to the strategies but not taking responsibility for implementation. If Council Members were not the center of a stakeholder group, the group was not going to be focused. The Council Members were not domain experts but political leaders for moving this forward. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 16 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 MOTION: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Mayor DuBois to: A. Direct the Mayor to appoint two or more Council Members to lead a community stakeholder group of domain experts and community activists; B. Support the policy framework in Attachment A and ask Staff to further develop and return to Council as needed with the following changes: i. A plan for an earlier adoption of commercial electrification retrofits; ii. Evaluation of sale of gasoline within the city limits as a key metric; iii. Evaluation of a best practice standard for low carbon construction materials; iv. A proposal for a Palo Alto Green equivalent voluntary surcharge program to help fund electrification initiatives; v. An evaluation of public health and public safety risk and benefits from climate protection; vi. Move forward with an on-bill financing program for residential building electrification; vii. Evaluate a supplemental carbon neutrality goal; and viii. Return with recommended electric utility capital and personnel investments required to enhance reliability and staffing resources necessary for the Climate Action Plan. Vice Mayor Burt commented that an on-bill financing program was innovative, held a lot of promise, and addressed potential impacts on climate change. Mayor DuBois did not believe the Council had sufficient time in the meeting to address strategies listed in 2021-2024. INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to change Motion Part B to “Support the policy framework in Attachment A and ask Staff to pursue the actions that are listed from 2021-2024 and further develop and return to Council as needed.” SUMMARY MINUTES Page 17 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Mayor DuBois liked the proposal for a Palo Alto Green program. Staff needed to interpret the direction as exploring voluntary surcharges. Mr. Shikada acknowledged Staff's belief that they needed to do their part to advance this program. Staff was discussing a new performance measure for their ability to bring items to the Council. The Motion overall reflected a design-thinking perspective of specific elements with an overall approach that involved additional stakeholders in decision-making. Ideally, the subject matter experts and stakeholders were going to help Staff evaluate the items in Part B of the Motion and then prioritize the items with existing near-term actions. Vice Mayor Burt concurred with the suggestion. Mayor DuBois noted several of the items in Part B of the Motion were listed in Attachment A. Ms. Stump advised that if the Council created a body of outside experts, the body was going to be subject to the Brown Act. If the Council created an Ad Hoc Committee composed of two Council Members and no outside people and empowered the Ad Hoc Committee to consult with small groups or individuals as needed in its work, the Ad Hoc Committee was not subject to the Brown Act. INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to change the Motion Part A to “… an ad hoc climate action committee that would engage with community stakeholders, domain experts, and community activists … .” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion a new Part B ix “evaluate income-qualified incentives to support low income households.” Council Member Cormack inquired about the manner in which the Ad Hoc Committee reported to Council and reviewed Part B and Attachment A. Vice Mayor Burt explained that the Ad Hoc Committee was going to seek the input of different community stakeholders, domain experts, and community activists in small group settings. The mission of the Ad Hoc Committee was to gather input and make recommendations to the Council. Mayor DuBois asked if the Ad Hoc Committee was going to work with Staff to refine the S/CAP and return that to Council. Vice Mayor Burt replied yes. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 18 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Council Member Cormack was more comfortable with forming a Commission given the importance of the S/CAP. Vice Mayor Burt indicated the Council was allowed to convert the Ad Hoc Committee to a Standing Committee at a later time. INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion Part B iv “… on power utilities … .” Council Member Cormack requested clarification of Part B v. Vice Mayor Burt explained that floods and wildfires were dimensions of climate impacts that were important beyond environmental changes. Council Member Cormack asked if a consultant was needed to perform the evaluation. Mr. Eggleston was not aware of this type of work being done by a municipality, but hiring a consultant depended on the level of detail and precision needed in the analysis. Vice Mayor Burt did not believe the public health impacts of climate change were within Staff's expertise. Community experts were available to help with the analysis. Council Member Cormack felt the analysis was going to entail a great deal of work. Part B viii was one of the most important elements. She proposed adding to Part B for Staff to evaluate land use and zoning changes that reduced GHG emissions. Mayor DuBois indicated those changes were not included in the list, even in the outer years. He requested clarification. Council Member Cormack reported the work was going to include reducing VMT and commute travel. INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion a new Part B x “evaluate land use and zoning changes that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Council Member Tanaka inquired whether the Motion captured his suggestion to provide incentives for the purchase of used micro-mobility vehicles. Vice Mayor Burt related that Council Member Tanaka's suggestion was potentially an initiative in Part B iv and addressed in Part B ix. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 19 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Mayor DuBois added that the suggestion was listed in Attachment A. Vice Mayor Burt did not wish to predetermine any initiatives, but it was a good idea. Council Member Kou asked if Part B iii addressed construction and demolition. Vice Mayor Burt indicated the City had a strong demolition recycling program. Part B iii was in addition to the program. INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion Part B x “… and development changes.” INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion a new Part B xi “integrate urban forestry into the S/CAP policy framework.” Mr. Shikada commented that calling out urban forestry was not in and of itself a major change. However, it was symptomatic of the Council increasing Staff's workload. Significant resources were going to be required to document the work and organize communication and interaction among stakeholders. Vice Mayor Burt indicated Parts B iv and viii added resources to accomplish the work. Important elements needed to be included in the Motion. Mr. Shikada advised that Staff needed to implement Council direction, help the Ad Hoc Committee assess how to involve stakeholders, and create documentation for the Council as a whole. Council Member Filseth supported Part A. Part B included a lot of good stuff, but Staff's capacity was not sufficient for all of it. Vice Mayor Burt clarified that as much work as possible was to be outsourced to domain experts in the community. Council Member Filseth asked how the Ad Hoc Committee was to report to the Council. Vice Mayor Burt advised that the former Rail Ad Hoc Committee reported to the Council periodically, when there was substantive progress, or when it needed Council's guidance, authorization, or endorsement. The Climate Action Ad Hoc Committee was going to work the same way. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 20 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion Part A “and that the committee would periodically report back to Council.” Council Member Filseth hoped the Budget included funding for this effort. Council Member Tanaka requested Staff's opinion of the items they were likely to accomplish. Mr. Shikada answered establish an Ad Hoc Committee. Staff needed help identifying subject matter experts who were willing to work on Part B and identify gaps. Council Member Tanaka inquired whether prioritization of items in Part B was going to help Staff. Vice Mayor Burt indicated prioritization was part of the process. Mr. Shikada reported acknowledging the work as the start of a process would be helpful. Vice Mayor Burt reiterated that Part A and Parts B iv and viii added resources for Staff. Mr. Shikada indicated that the work was likely to require six to nine months. MOTION AS AMENDED: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Mayor DuBois to: A. Direct the Mayor to appoint two or more Council Members to an ad hoc climate action committee that would engage with community stakeholders, domain experts, and community activists; and that the committee would periodically report back to Council; B. Support the policy framework in Attachment A and ask Staff to pursue the actions that are listed from 2021-2024 and further develop and return to Council as needed with the following changes: i. A plan for an earlier adoption of commercial electrification retrofits; ii. Evaluation of sale of gasoline within the city limits as a key metric; iii. Evaluation of a best practice standard for low carbon construction materials; SUMMARY MINUTES Page 21 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 iv. A proposal for a Palo Alto Green equivalent voluntary surcharge program on power utilities to help fund electrification initiatives; v. An evaluation of public health and public safety risk and benefits from climate protection; vi. Move forward with an on-bill financing program for residential building electrification; vii. Evaluate a supplemental carbon neutrality goal; viii. Return with recommended electric utility capital and personnel investments required to enhance reliability and staffing resources necessary for the Climate Action Plan; ix. Evaluate income qualified incentives to support low income households; x. Evaluate land use, zoning, and development changes that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and xi. Integrate urban forestry into the S/CAP policy framework MOTION AS AMENDED PASSED: 7-0 Council took a break at 9:43 P.M. and returned at 9:55 P.M. 8. Consideration of Actions and Direction to Support Community and Economic Recovery by: 1) Adoption of a Resolution to Extend the City Manager's Authority to Close Portions of University Avenue, California Avenue, and Surrounding Streets for the Uplift Local Streets Program Until September 7, 2021; and 2) Provide Direction to Staff on the Extension, Discontinuance, or Efforts to Develop a Permanent Parklet Program. Rachel Tanner, Planning and Development Services Assistant Director, requested the Council provide direction regarding extending the Uplift Local Streets Program beyond May 31, 2021, and the Temporary Parklet Program beyond September 7, 2021. The State's tiered opening system was scheduled to end on June 15, 2021 if certain conditions were met. Thirty- four permits for at-grade and platform parklets were issued or pending. Sixty-three encroachment permits were issued for sidewalk dining, and 31 encroachment permits were issued. Staff recommended extending the City Manager's authority to close streets to vehicular traffic from May 31, 2021, to September 7, 2021. The City Manager's authority included reopening streets prior to September 7, 2021. An online survey received 1,147 SUMMARY MINUTES Page 22 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 responses, 96 percent of which supported an extension of the Uplift Local Streets Program on California Avenue and 97 percent of which supported an extension of the program on University Avenue. In addition, 286 email communications supported an extension of the program. Parklet permits expired on September 7, 2021, and removal of parklets was required on that date. Parklets expanded outdoor dining and enhanced the pedestrian environment. Current parklet designs were likely to need significant remodeling to be more durable and to prevent flooding. Some patrons and business owners preferred proximate car parking over dining. Any conflicts between neighboring businesses needed to be addressed. In the online survey, 97 percent of respondents supported extending the Temporary Parklet Program, and 94 percent supported development of a Permanent Parklet Program. Thirty-four email communications supported extending the Temporary Parklet Program. Rebecca Eisenberg remarked that the City needed an economic development manager. Other cities were doing much more than the City to support small businesses. John McDowell noted public support for the programs was widespread. He encouraged the Council to direct Staff to consider the best aspects of the Temporary Parklet Program and build a long-term program. Michael Stone, Mollie Stone's Market, supported the Temporary Parklet Program and opposed extending the closure of California Avenue. The closure of California Avenue caused a 20-percent decrease in his sales. Charlie Weidanz shared the Chamber of Commerce's efforts to support businesses during the pandemic. The closure of University Avenue supported restaurants but did not necessarily support all businesses on University Avenue. He asked the Council to consider all aspects of the University Avenue closure and the impact on all businesses. Boaz Maor commented that the two programs provided much needed relief for residents and businesses. He hoped the Council made the programs permanent. Steve Sinchek indicated opening University and California Avenues to vehicular traffic reduced restaurant seating and staffing to less than pre- pandemic levels. Rob Fischer opposed extending the street closures because they pushed traffic into neighborhoods and prevented customers from accessing some businesses. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 23 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Jessica Roth noted street closures did not benefit all businesses. She proposed changes to the Uplift Local Streets Program. Council Member Filseth inquired whether Staff determined that the survey respondents were Palo Alto residents. Many of the emails to the Council were not from Palo Alto residents. Ms. Tanner indicated the survey did not obtain the respondent's address. More than 1,000 of the respondents identified themselves as community members. Council Member Filseth noted that if the emergency order was lifted, the Uplift Local Streets Program was going to turn into a long-term outdoor dining strategy for Downtown and California Avenue. Mollie Stone's Market was an important business in the California Avenue corridor. The City's adventures with grocery stores in that area were mixed. Council Member Cormack asked if Staff received any information about changes in revenue for Country Sun. Kara Apple, Police Lieutenant, reported no information about Country Sun's revenues, but Country Sun supported street closures and allowed the farmers market to set up adjacent to the business. Council Member Cormack requested the conditions for ending the City's emergency order. Ed Shikada, City Manager, advised that the Council was allowed to rescind its emergency order at any time. The City Attorney, Director of Emergency Services, and he were listing actions needed when the local emergency order was rescinded. Council Member Cormack inquired about lessons learned with respect to circulation along California Avenue. Ms. Tanner indicated the public complained about circulation multiple times. Staff considered various alternatives. Staff was concerned that California Avenue sidewalks were going to be too crowded during busy times. The aisles allowed emergency vehicles and first responders to traverse California Avenue. Staff planned to direct bicyclists to walk their bikes in the center of California Avenue. Council Member Cormack asked if there was going to be a gap between Temporary and Permanent Parklet Programs or if Staff planned to present a SUMMARY MINUTES Page 24 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 different rationale to continue the Temporary Parklet Program until a Permanent Parklet Program was adopted. Ms. Tanner indicated both scenarios were possible. An interim measure was needed if the Council did not want businesses to remove parklets during the gap. Council Member Cormack was open to extending the programs beyond September 2021. Council Member Stone concurred with extending the programs. Unfortunately, the pandemic was not over, and the programs were going to help keep people safe and encourage people to dine and shop locally during the summer. When balancing public safety and economic recovery, extending the programs was logical. He requested the City Manager's bases for deciding to close streets. Mr. Shikada recalled Staff's experimentation with street closures prior to the holidays. The experimentation was done in consultation with adjacent businesses in order to assess their interests and priorities and the level of consensus. In Downtown, the variety of perspectives was greater than on California Avenue. Council Member Stone noted the City Manager was authorized to end the Uplift Local Streets Program prior to the sunset date but not the Temporary Parklet Program. Mr. Shikada added that Staff also received significant community input regarding street closures. Council Member Stone requested the date of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Public Safety Building (PSB). Mr. Eggleston advised that some work was underway, but full-scale excavation was scheduled for late May or early June 2021. Council Member Stone asked if construction of the PSB and extending the Uplift Local Streets Program was going to create unmanageable traffic congestion. Mr. Eggleston answered no. Birch Street and Jacaranda Lane were going to remain open. Council Member Stone requested clarification of the number of encroachment permits. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 25 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Ms. Tanner explained that encroachment permits for parklets, seating located in the street, and seating located on the sidewalk were different. Vice Mayor Burt believed street closures were beneficial. Access to Mollie Stone's was difficult, but it was a treasured institution in the neighborhood. The Council needed to help Mollie Stone's if it extended the Uplift Local Streets Program for California Avenue. The Architectural Review Board (ARB) and the Santa Clara County Chapter of the American Institute of Architects were interested in developing design standards for outdoor dining and parklets. Small stages at either end of University Avenue and California Avenue for music, art, or other performances were likely to attract visitors. Speed limit signage for bikes was needed immediately. Council Member Kou noted retailers along California Avenue supported the programs even though they were not allowed to open. Retailers deserved the same consideration as restaurants. Waitstaff observed outdoor tables from the sidewalk and restricted access to the sidewalk to one person at a time. The Council had to consider more than just support for the programs. The community needed more information in order to support the whole effort. Residents did not appear to be participating in Uplift Local discussions. She supported extending the programs but not creating permanent programs. Council Member Tanaka believed the programs created both challenges and benefits for the community and businesses. The Temporary Parklet Program seemed to make sense; although, some restaurants did not get parklets for some reason. The parklet needed to occupy only the space adjacent to the business. He inquired about data for business closures. Mr. Shikada reported Staff had anecdotal information only. Council Member Tanaka felt Staff needed to collect data on business closures in order to figure out ways to improve the programs. The Uplift Local Streets Program seemed to be more successful on California Avenue. The farmers market booths needed to be placed back-to-back in the center of California Avenue. Another option was to allow one lane of one-way traffic. Ms. Tanner indicated the current layout of the farmers market was successful, but Staff could discuss his suggestion with the farmers market. Ms. Apple related that social-distancing requirements were in force for the booths. If booths faced the businesses, queues were going to form in front of the storefronts. Council Member Tanaka suggested the queues were potential customers. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 26 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Mayor DuBois asked if Staff had any traffic flow information. Ms. Tanner reported traffic counts were not conducted for the Staff Report. As restrictions decreased and traffic increased, traffic counts were going to be conducted. Mayor DuBois wanted Staff to conduct a census of Downtown and California Avenue businesses. Many businesses did not attend meetings with Staff. He inquired about the possibility of lifting the emergency order in the June 15, 2021 timeframe. Mr. Shikada advised that June 15, 2021 was a likely target date. Mayor DuBois felt businesses were going to try to come back as soon as possible and proposed tying some of the decisions to the removal of State tiers. Mr. Shikada explained that tying removal of the local emergency order to June 15, 2021, also removed the City's authority to close streets. Mayor DuBois needed more information before deciding to make these programs permanent. If streets remained closed, they needed to be restricted to pedestrians. The Staff Report contained little hard data. He preferred to allow the Uplift Local Streets Program to expire on May 31, 2021. If the Temporary Parklet Program continued, the City needed to place a value on the land. MOTION: Council Member Cormack moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Burt to: A. Extend the City Manager’s authority to close portions of University Avenue and certain intersecting streets, and to close portions of California Avenue and certain intersecting streets as part of Uplift Local to October 31, 2021; i. Consider providing performance space; B. Direct Staff to return with a Resolution extending temporary parklets to December 31, 2021; C. Develop a permanent parklet program with the input of the Architectural Review Board; and D. Request Staff to review and pursue additional measures to support business negatively impacted under the current program SUMMARY MINUTES Page 27 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Council Member Cormack remarked that the Motion provided the City Manager with the authority to make changes to the Uplift Local Streets Program as necessary. Vice Mayor Burt agreed with Mayor DuBois' comments about businesses trying to return to normal as quickly as possible. Council Member Kou asked if Staff planned to engage residents and businesses about these changes and development projects in the affected areas. Brad Eggleston, Public Works Director, answered yes. INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add to the Motion, “Request Staff to coordinate impacts of construction projects in the California Avenue and Downtown areas with street closures, and continue communicating with residents and businesses.” (New Part E) Molly Stump, City Attorney, advised that Staff needed to review the authority for taking the action in Part A of the Motion and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for the changes provided in the Motion. AMENDMENT: Council Member Tanaka moved, seconded by Council Member XX to direct Staff to gather census data from businesses Downtown and on California Avenue. Ms. Tanner indicated more than 80 percent of businesses supported extending the Uplift Local Streets and Temporary Parklet Programs and creating a Permanent Parklet Program. She proposed Staff conduct a formal business-by-business query because limited resources were available for a census of businesses. Council Member Cormack inquired whether the Council previously eliminated one of the business fees if businesses provided information. Ms. Tanner related that the Council eliminated the Business Registry fee. Mr. Shikada noted the Council increased Staff's workload with each Agenda Item. Obtaining information from businesses was extremely difficult. He encouraged Staff to speak up or accept the work. Ms. Apple advised that businesses provided the City with a notice of layoffs but were not required to notify the City of closures. Property owners advocated for one proposal, and tenants advocated for an opposing SUMMARY MINUTES Page 28 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 proposal. She was the sole Staff member assigned to deal with all business sectors. Mr. Eggleston reported Staff was already coordinating construction projects and street closures. Tracking Action Items from the Council added to Staff's workload. Mr. Shikada noted the farmers market operated on Sundays for a long time. Therefore, the farmers market did not impact Mollie Stone's revenues on Sundays. The Municipal Code specifically prohibited offsite signage. Staff installed temporary pedestrian-scale signage along University Avenue to direct people in various directions. Meghan Horrigan-Taylor, Chief Information Official, stated additional direction to support businesses was not necessary as Staff was supporting and would continue to support businesses. Vice Mayor Burt suggested referring some of the tasks to the Chamber of Commerce. Some of the directions to Staff emphasized the need for Staff to continue previously direction. AMENDMENT WITHDRAWN BY THE MAKER Council Member Tanaka suggested the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) review the Uplift Local Streets and Permanent Parklet Programs and propose changes. Mr. Shikada noted the Council previously referred it to the PTC as urban design work. Mayor DuBois related that City communications did not address detours in the neighborhoods. Survey data was difficult to interpret because of the lack of specific information. He inquired whether the City Manager's authority was tied to the emergency order. Mr. Shikada answered yes. Ms. Stump concurred. Mayor DuBois asked if parklets were intended to be public or private property. Mr. Shikada advised that parklets remained public property. Control was the question. SUMMARY MINUTES Page 29 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 Vice Mayor Burt preferred to leave a designation of public or private property open. Council Member Cormack wanted to obtain public input. Mayor DuBois asked if Staff interpreted Part C of the Motion as including leasing rates, a process to determine the space for which a business was eligible, and a process to handle conflicts between businesses. Mr. Shikada responded yes. Mayor DuBois inquired about obtaining public input for extending the Temporary Parklet Program and developing a Permanent Parklet Program. Mr. Shikada indicated the extension of the Temporary Parklet Program was going to return on the Consent Calendar. The ARB and PTC were going to review the Permanent Parklet Program. Mayor DuBois did not support a Permanent Parklet Program at the current time or the lengthy extension of the Temporary Parklet Program. MOTION AS AMENDED SPLIT FOR THE PURPOSE OF VOTING Council Member Filseth supported providing the City Manager with the authority to end the Uplift Local Streets Program. He hoped Staff contacted Mollie Stone's Market. MOTION AS AMENDED RESTATED: Council Member Cormack moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Burt to: A. Extend the City Manager’s authority to close portions of University Avenue and certain intersecting streets, and to close portions of California Avenue and certain intersecting streets as part of Uplift Local to October 31, 2021; i. Consider providing performance space; B. Direct Staff to return with a Resolution extending temporary parklets to December 31, 2021; C. Develop a permanent parklet program with the input of the Architectural Review Board; D. Direct Staff to review and pursue additional measures to support businesses negatively impacted by the current program; and SUMMARY MINUTES Page 30 of 30 Sp. City Council Meeting Summary Minutes: 04/19/2021 E. Request Staff to coordinate impacts of construction projects in the California Avenue and Downtown areas with street closures, an continue communicating with residents and businesses MOTION PARTS A-B PASSED: 5-2 DuBois, Kou no MOTION PART C PASSED: 5-2 DuBois, Kou no MOTION PARTS D-E PASSED: 6-1 Filseth no Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements Council Member Cormack reported the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) requested a 10-percent voluntary reduction in irrigation from retail customers. Mayor DuBois noted the Cities Association general meeting was scheduled for May 20, 2021, and all Council Members were invited. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:50 P.M. in honor of Bill Busse.