October 12, 2021 Regular Meeting of Mountain View City Council

Video

Transcript

[00:00:03] (archive recording) Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to our study session for October 12, 2021. I'm going to read the usual announcement as required. This meeting will be conducted in accordance with city of Mountain View city resolution number 18603 in accordance with assembly bill 361. All members of the city council are participating in this meeting by video conference with no physical meeting location. Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting live, may do so at mountain view.legistar.com. On YouTube at mountain view.gov slash YouTube and on Comcast channel 26. As noted on the meeting agenda, members of the public may provide oral public comments during the public comment period by visiting mountain view.gov slash cc underscore speakers to enter the zoom meeting or by phone by dialing 669-9009128 and entering webinar ID 819-9554 4029. Any emails received by 430 PM today were received directly by the city council. We'll move on to item 2 which is our roll call. The city clerk will take attendance by roll call.

[00:01:33] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council number Hicks.

[00:01:35] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Here,

[00:01:36] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: counts from reliever.

[00:01:37] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Here.

[00:01:38] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Counts my room at a check.

[00:01:40] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Here,

[00:01:40] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: cancel member show alter.

[00:01:42] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Here.

[00:01:43] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[00:01:45] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Here.

[00:01:46] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Mayor Kmei.

[00:01:47] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Here.

[00:01:48] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Thank you.

[00:01:49] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. So we'll move on to item three, which is our study session. Item 3. is the Castro Pedestrian Mall feasibility study and future of the 100 through 300 blocks of Castro Street. The purpose of this study session is to receive city council input and direction regarding the Castro Pedestrian Mall feasibility studies, high-level concept alternatives for the 100 block of Castro Street. The potential inclusion of the 20300 blocks of Castro Street into the pedestrian mall concept, and the continuation of the interim closure of the 100 to 300 blocks of Castro Street to vehicular traffic beyond January 2022. After the staff presentation, the council will take public comment, and then we'll answer the following 3 questions. Question one, does counsel support the staff recommendation to further develop a pedestrian mall concept for the 100 block of pasture street based on alternative B, with the planning and design work, considering the alternate C concept as a potential future phase. Question two, does council support the staff recommendation to include the 2300 blocks of Castro Street in the pedestrian mall concept? And question three. Does council support the staff recommendation to extend the temporary closure of the 3 blocks through January 2023 and to develop a plan for low cost improvements to be made for the interim closure period. Transportation planner Aruna Boduna will present the memo. Economic vitality manager John Lang, public works director Don Cameron, and Blaine Merker from Dell Consultants will be available for questions. So 1st we'll start with the staff presentation, and then we'll go to public comics. And I'll turn it over to you, Aruna.

[00:03:45] Transportation Planner Aruna Boduna: Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, mayor, and honorable members of the council. I am Arunabodina transportation planner. I'm here to present the Castro Pedestrian Mall feasibility study. The scope of the pedestrian mall project is to conduct a feasibility study for the 100 block of Castro and develop high-level concept alternatives. This is a feasibility study that focuses on the extent of potential pedestrian mall area. Planning and design would be a future phase. The study was proposed when council reviewed, the design plans for the transit center, creates separation and access project, which included closing of Castro Street crossing of the train tracks, and constructing a pedestrian and bicycle under crossing of the tracks on Central Expressway. The idea was for a complementary study to explore a pedestrian plaza or mall, that would link into the new bike that under crossing. Under existing conditions, Castro has 3 lanes, one traveling in each way, and a turn lane at Villa. Alternative A proposes to gain additional public use space by removing parking and turn lane, restricting southbound left turns onto Villa. This will allow for additional public use space along this block. Under concept alternative B proposes to create pedestrian mall between villa and east leg of Evelyn by closing this area to vehicle traffic. Evelyn is retained along its current alignment. Alternative C proposes to create a pedestrian mall between villa and best leg of Evelyn. Under this alternative, Evelyn is realigned to the east to align with Blossom Lane. This allows for a larger contiguous open area for the 100 block, connecting with the centennial plaza. This alternative requires relocating or replacing the station building, impacts Caltrane property, requires modification of the proposed staircase, constructing a new road segment and moving utilities, all of which make the implementation much more complex, has a much higher cost and will take longer to implement. Here is the property ownership map for the area which shows moving Evelyn realignment to the east would affect the Caltrain property. Here is a summary and comparison of the 3 concept alternatives, all alternatives enhance pedestrian space to varying degrees, as noted earlier, alternative C would be higher cost, more complex, and take longer to implement than the other alternatives. The concepts that are presented to the community and businesses for input, outreach and engagement activities include, included business and public open houses, online survey and presentations to the BPAC and the downtown committees. Over 20 businesses attended the business open house, and over 40 attended the public open house, nearly 1500 responses were received via the online survey. Notifications for the open house and the online survey included email class to the neighborhood groups, the neighborhood associations, emails to the project subscription list, newspaper apps, social medias, yacht signs, etcetera. Feedback received from the public and businesses showed strong support for alternative C concept for the 100 block, followed by alternative B. There was also support for including 2300 blocks in the pedestrian mall concept, and extending the closure beyond January 2022 until permanent closure. Can be designed and implemented. It should be noted that despite extra efforts by staff, not all affected businesses responded to the survey. If we move forward, more extensive efforts will be needed to engage both businesses and property owners for the 100 to 300 blocks. The current closure of Castro is temporary as a result of the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is based on the California vehicle code. In order to make this a permanent closure and establish a pedestrian mall, the city will need to comply with the pedestrian mall law process. The key steps include council adoption of a resolution of intent, a public hearing, and council adopting an ordinance. Since the current arrangement could be in place for a few years, before design and construction of the permanent improvements can be completed, there are interim low cost improvements, staff can develop working in conjunction with the businesses. Examples of these interim improvements include a more permanent and attractive signage that using clutter, improving pedestrian space, and reviewing and improving the delivery zones. Because alternatives B and C are not mutually exclusive. Staff recommends alternative B, with alternative C concepts as a potential future phase. Alternative C is to be tied into the redevelopment of the full transit center, working in partnership with Caltrane and VTA. Staff also recommends adding 20300 blocks to the mall concepts. And continue closure beyond January 2022 and develop a plan for the low cost interview improvements until the permanent mall can be designed and constructed. The immediate next steps include coming back to the council for resolution to extend temporary closure, work through a pedestrian mala process, develop recommendations and budget for entertain improvements. The planning and design of a pedestrian mall. Will require a significant commitment of staffing resources in time. This process will involve extensive public engagement and visioning. This concludes my presentation, staff has the 3 questions that Mayer read earlier and are listed on this slide. I could bring this up. I can bring this back up again. With that I conclude, and staff can respond to any of your questions.

[00:10:33] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you so much. So since this is a study session, I think we're gonna go to public input 1st unless staff has anything else they'd like to add before we go to public input. Okay, so seeing none, I'd like to move it to public input. So if we don't mind, we can set a 2 minute timer, please. Great. And our 1st speaker is Nazanine. Go ahead and unmute, please.

[00:11:26] Nazanine: Hello, mayor, come, come. Um, yeah, I, you know, I looked at um, the drawings and, and, uh, option A, B, and C, and, you know, the drawings are great, but they're so small in, in, you know, what we look at, it's such a, um, you know, small scope, and, you know, as someone who lives in downtown, I kind of get concerned of how, how, you know, these these bypasses, these Evelyn bypasses would work with either option. So I would really like to see a study to see how this impacts neighborhood and where are the cars coming from that would get onto Evelyn to go through onto Shoreline. There are spots that Evelyn is not directly accessible, um, in the neighborhood, um, and also, um, there's other places that the cars are coming, uh, from. So that's something that, you know, as someone who lives here, you know, is this going to be bottlenecked somewhere, you know, I would really like to understand that, better, um, from the city and, um, you know, like for where I live, I cannot go straight up and access this very expensive plan to access Shoreline and with the downtown, being, um, closed, you know, going straight through. Uh, is zigzagged and it's, you know, just a different, um, kind of um, access point. So I would really like to understand better from, you know, living here and driving around and trying to access shoreline and getting onto Evelyn. I would like to use it. So, um, that's something I would request.

[00:13:16] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Bruce England?

[00:13:24] Bruce England: Thank you. Um, Bruce England, Wisman Station Drive, um, speaking for Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning, and um, Green Spaces MV. So we just want to say yes to all of the questions that are being posed to counsel at this point. Um, saying that alternative B would be okay in the short run, but it uses a lot of um, the 100 block for an Evelyn pass through. So alternative C is better. And even more so, if the right turn jaw could be moved further east, such as in line with Hope Street. If alternative V is selected, we'd want to see alternative C kept alive somehow, not dependent on someone remembering it some period of time in the future. And we're wondering why alternative C, why the timeline is so much longer, you know, the estimate, the 5 to 10 years, is a lot longer than for the other two. That was interesting. Um, There was also an idea that came up at the BPAC meeting about having traffic on Evelyn in that area reduced to just transit and emergency vehicles. I like that idea. Um, It would help reduce the level of interference with pedestrian movement around there. There's an assertion in the staff report that says if property owners representing a majority of the frontage of budding the proposed mall submit written objections, the city can't move forward with them all. I realize that's in the code from 1960, and I hope that the city would consider maybe pressing on that a little bit at the state level so that there's more flexibility. And lastly, there are a variety of projects tied to this. I don't know if I'm going to run out of time, but great separation, Moffatt Boulevard Precise Plan, Transit Center, Master Plan, Public Safety Building, on Ramp, Evelyn, or from Evelyn to Shoreline, and the path on Shoreline, going, connecting villa. So, right. And we feel that all these should be considered together after this study session. Thank you.

[00:15:24] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Robert Cox.

[00:15:30] Robert Cox: You hear me?

[00:15:32] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[00:15:33] Robert Cox: Okay. Thank you. My name is Robert Cox. I'm speaking as a member of the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View. I'm in favor of the pedestrian mall alternative, because it allows us to move forward with the pedestrian mall without encroaching on a comprehensive plan for our transit center. Plan for the transit center should follow the process already set forth by the council, which prescribes a comprehensive, publicly reviewed design. I'm also in favor of prioritizing that process, so that we in Mountain View will see the results of all the work that has been accomplished so far before the end of this decade. This new transit center will be our downtown's last major base for public use, as we are yielding most others for hotels, office projects, and affordable housing. Let's work together to get it right. Thank you for...

[00:16:28] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Ed and Mary?

[00:16:36] Mary Hodter: Hi. Um, this is Mary Hodter, and thanks for the opportunity to um, speak on this issue. Um, I, um, submitted a letter from a group of us in Livable Mountain View, and so I don't want to reiterate those points. I assume you all have seen them. But I did want to emphasize the idea that, um, we have mentioned to the city and council for the last 3 plus years, which is that we would like to see a larger design competition. So that, uh, when the all of these pieces are coming together that we're not doing them piecemeal. We definitely support option B because it's, um, it would keep the most options open, but we like to ultimately see something like option C. Um, but there are many ways that that could be, um, uh, implemented and we'd like to see a cohesive plan that coordinated all the different needs and requirements that the city has the residents have and Caltrain has in terms of the use of these spaces. Um, for example, uh, one idea that I thought of yesterday when I walked past it to Neil Park was that, um, the bus passed through in option C and in some of the Caltrade, um, renderings about possible ways that they could use what is currently the parking. Um, you know, could allow for a bus pass through that went directly to the ramp, the shoreline ramp. And maybe we just don't let cars up the ramp. Um, I don't know, but that's something that a designer could explore. Another idea is that we could have a bike pass through that went below the ramp to the bike lane. But again, these are all things that need to be explored, and I worry that if we choose an option now, um, that precludes those things, we won't have that larger design piece. And so I really want to emphasize that that having a design competition with an architect that could pull these pieces together, I think would give us the best option for world-class transit experience and castro experience. Thank you.

[00:18:49] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Louise Katz.

[00:19:03] Louise Katz: Thank you, Mayor. Yes, on behalf of yours, we have joint development with Caltrain, as they are the owners of the property. And that, at the same time, we would like to see a timeline for the public so that we know what is going on, full transparency, as to what is being discussed with Caltrain. However, all of this would be moot if we don't have an understanding of how our Transit Center Plaza Centennial Plaza is supposed to function. It is the last basically open space in our downtown. For example, if we want our farmer's market to be there, there needs to be a place for ingress and egress of trucks, for garbage removal, for perhaps lighting. for all of these functions, if it's going to be, perhaps, for concerts or festivals. How do we move thousands of people in and out within short periods of time? And so, if we don't have a world class design that we know, we haven't decided how our plaza is going to function, we can't know how to design it. And if we don't know how to design it, then what do we bring to the table for Caltrain? Because otherwise, what do we end up with? We end up with another, basically, a paved space for commuters to go in and out. We haven't done anything to enhance and revitalize our downtown. So this is our one opportunity. Thank you very much.

[00:20:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Ronique Bryant.

[00:20:43] Ronit Bryant: Yes, thank you. As a 30 year plus resident of downtown, I'm so glad that you're discussing the visibility of turning costume to a pedestrian mall. The pandemic made it possible to envision new possibilities. The city and you, its leaders, are to be congratulated on how you returned Castro Street or Community Center, to vibrant life in the midst of a crisis, made it, in fact, even better than it was. Today, please continue being bold and flexible. Of the 3 concept alternatives for Caster Street, the preferred concept is clearly concept C. It's more expensive, it's more complicated, it will take longer to implement, but it represents what the community wants. It reflects the vision that you yourselves defined just recently. Please go on with the wish. Alternative C should not be a potentially future phase, as that describes in question one. Planning should be based on alternative C as the final expected result, with the flexibility to make changes as needed. The implementation can be broken into phases is appropriate, but please today instruct staff to work to implement the vision we have of a vibrant, resident friendly, sustainable custer street that is the heart of our community. Thank you.

[00:21:57] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you Tim Mackenzie.

[00:22:02] Tim McKenzie: Hi, Tim McKenzie, be him pronounced, resident of the Monteloma neighborhood for about half a dozen years. I just want to express my extreme support for the existing pedestrian ball. I love what we've been able to do with Castro during the pandemic, but also sort of echo what some of the other speakers have said about, it took a once in a century pandemic for us to get to the place where we turned it into a pedestrian mall. God willing, none of us will ever see another disruption to our lives quite like this. So this is a unique opportunity. We're not gonna have another chance in 15 or 20 years to be able to rethink this. So I want to really echo what has been said and push for option C. This is something that not only does it make it more vibrant and pedestrian friendly, also maybe move away from car travel, or distance, make it so that that's not, we're not building our cities around single occupancy, vehicle travel. Just really, want to emphasize that this is really, not even a once in a lifetime. This is less than a once in a lifetime opportunity, and hope that we can use option C moving forward. And thanks, staff, for all the work that they put in on this presentation and scoping out the different options. Thanks.

[00:23:23] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Yonitin Shamgar?

[00:23:30] Yonatan Shamgar: Yes, um, as a multi-decade resident of uh, old mountain view. Um, I'm so happy to see a council moving towards a, you know, the pedestrian mall concepts, uh, Castro is more vibrant now during this unprecedented time than it has been in decades. Um, and it's so wonderful to see. And I really hope that Council will also push towards option C or something akin to that, depending on how things interact with grade separation and all the plans that have already been decided upon. for that. But we have a chance to make major changes, let's be bold, let's do them and let us make Castro into the crown jewel of, uh, this area. And continue making it the place that everyone wants to come to to have a good time. Thank you very much.

[00:24:47] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Valerie F.

[00:24:53] Valerie Fenwick: Hi, this is Valerie Fenwick. I am on the BPack, but I am not representing the BPack this evening. I want to really say that this intersection, an area, pre-pandemic was already unsafe. with 100s of people jaywalking every few minutes across this intersection, running across the street, particularly even at Evelyn and Castro. So the pandemic and electrification of the train coming through here has really given the city a Mountain View, a gift, what this might look like and given us an opportunity to revisit this whole area. Um, I am in love with alternative. See, um, it's really ideal, but anything that prioritizes pedestrians over automobile traffic in this gem of our downtown city. I would love to see this extended, of course, for the 1st 3 blocks. I think with the traffic improvements, We'd be able to get some really great flow for both vehicles and pedestrians through this area and bicyclists. But I would love when SAF presents these projects, in general, and I think this was mentioned by some others, to show how this is going to intersect with, like, the great separation project. Also where Evelyn is going to cross Shoreline and the Shoreline Boulevard Trail project that is happening as well. There's lots of intersection points that make that maybe what's gonna happen with Evelyn a little less than ideal. Think about, I would appreciate the city, would consider other routing options for vehicular traffic or reducing vehicular traffic on that, as there will still be a place where pedestrians and cars are going to have to interact with each other on Evelyn with all 3 current designs. And, of course, I support improved programming here. And I'm really looking forward to what the city can do in the future, in this space with this opportun- once in a life of time opportunity. Thank you so much for your consideration today.

[00:26:45] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Paula?

[00:26:51] Hala: Yes. Thank you, mayor. Um, and thank you, city council and city staff, for, uh, preparing all, uh, all this. Um, actually, I was one of the people that attended the, um, the gathering, uh, in front of City Hall at the City Hall Plaza, uh, to to look at the concepts, um, and uh, had asked city staff, uh, questions about it. Uh, so thank you for doing that. That made it a little bit easier. So I supported both concept B and concept C. But unfortunately, it wasn't very clear to me how much time and money concept C would take compared to B, and I think if that's put out a little bit more clearly to the public. Maybe that, you know, then I think a better decision can be made because if it takes 5 and, you know, 5 to 10 years, I think is what I heard. For C compared to B, which I wasn't sure how long it would take and a lot more money. And also the possibility of losing the historic station building. I think I would stick to option B at this point. So it's good to clarify these details to the public, make it very clear so that we can make a better choice to inform the city what we would like to see. Also, please include blocks 20300, so we don't have a piecemeal, you know, precise plan for that historic part of downtown and definitely include the Centennial Transit. Station, the, you know, that's an essential part. That's just a natural extension of that. Um, again, so we don't uh, see piecemeal plans and we have a more cohesive, um, working plan for that area. Thank you.

[00:28:54] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Peter Katz.

[00:28:59] Peter Katz: Good evening, thank you, Mayor May. And thank you, city council. I am Peter Katz, CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, representing about 750 of our local businesses. A few weeks ago, the Downtown Business Association sent a letter to counsel in support of option C, with some important areas of focus. The Chamber's Chamber of Commerce wishes to join the DBA, and its emphasis that placed on addressing the following elements that are also included in the full proposal proposed by the city, improving arrival access, including keeping our cross streets, and providing better signage and wayfinding capabilities. Surveys have consistently shown that patrons and merchants alike have been in favor of this transformation to a more engaging, attractive, and welcoming environment. Downtown is a destination, benefits, everyone. We agree with comments noted earlier, that in a phased approach, C should be the destination, not an option. But whether B or C is selected, we need to consider the extremely disruptive environment. The multi-year project will take and work with our merchants to ensure that foot traffic is still maintained and encouraged during this construction period. Thank you very much.

[00:30:15] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Alex Brown.

[00:30:20] Alex Brown: Ew. Uh, I like what Ronnie said, and several others now. I'd also like to see the pedestrian mall go all the way down to California. I don't think we need to worry as much about having a world class design in place before continuing. I think that each step towards a more walkable downtown is valuable as long as it doesn't foreclose on future improvements. And just we all agree the concept A is silly, right? It's just there to be ignored. I'm sure. Anyway, can we also get somewhere sub protection downtown, keep it cooler in the summer? Maybe some sunshades, some trees planted where the street is now, taller buildings. Thanks.

[00:31:00] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. So does anyone else have any other public comment they'd like to provide before I close public comment? All right, I am not seeing any other hands so we can bring it back to council. So, colleagues, maybe we'll start with questions. And then, once questions are over, we can go into answering the 3 questions for staff, and I'll try my best to keep track of everything. Um, so do any council members have questions first. Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[00:31:36] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. A couple of questions. Um, there were several members of the public who reached out, I'm pretty sure to the full council, expressing concerns about access, uh, or disabled or elderly residents. And, um, it wasn't, very clearly described in the staff report, what types of accommodations or accessibility enhancements might be included in the improvements if we were to proceed with the pedestrian mall, and I think that's something that we ought to better understand. So, from staff's perspective, what are, what are ways we can ensure that the pedestrian mall remains accessible to disabled and elderly residents.

[00:32:27] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Thank you, Vice Mayor, is Don Cameron, public works director. So, in terms of the actual pedestrian mall, when it's time to design and constructed, it would be designed to be fully compliant with the Americans with Disability Act. That's the minimum standard. We would see that the potential for the permanent mall would be to do things like raise the street level to be the same level as the sidewalks, for instance. So you have now a completely even surface. That's what you see in other well established, successful pedestrian malls. That already then opens up the accessibility of the entire mall area. So these are the types of things that we would look at to ensure that it is also very attractive and accessible by our elderly, and people with disabilities. In terms of the interim improvements, you know, we have mentioned that it will be a number of years. It just takes time to work your way through design and construction, where we will have these interim improvements. So we will continue to strive to make sure that we leave all the ramps at the corners open, accessible, available along the sidewalks. As we study other interim improvements, to create new public spaces in the street and reconfigure the uses of the street. We can explore, maybe putting in a few more midblock ramps that help deal with the differential in the elevations between the sidewalks and the street. So these are all concepts will continue to look forward to keep it fully accessible.

[00:34:03] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you. That's helpful. Um, and along those similar lines, uh, I've heard suggestions that we explore opportunities to, um, to improve the alleyways also, uh, and and maybe the, um, uh, the intersections, uh, as opportunities or designate areas where, um, folks who are driving can drop off, someone with a disability, for instance, Is there, is that something that staff is also exploring?

[00:34:37] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Yes. I'm going to keep it short and say, yes, we agree, and we'll add it to our list.

[00:34:45] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you. and then last question. Um, the other, um, major concern that I hadn't fully appreciated was, uh, we have a significant historic resource in the station. Um, and alternative C could, well, I think the staff report says, uh, could result in the relocation or demolition of that resource. And, uh, I'm curious to know whether there are ways we can achieve the goals of alternative see without damaging or or altering that historic resources. Is that, I, I, I don't have great solutions, but I think it is something that we ought to be mindful of as we decide which alternative to proceed with. So the staff have preliminary thoughts about how we can preserve or protect that resource.

[00:35:39] Public Works Director Don Cameron: So one of the fundamental concepts behind alternative C is to move the Evelyn connection, alignment, and no matter how we move that alignment, that building would be in the way. Now, one of the reasons we say, you know, let's say a demolition or move it is we would like to leave that on the table as planning work and future plans are made for alternative C. If all, you know, stats recommendation is the trigger for alternative C, and really moving forward with the design work and the planning for it is when Caltrain and BTA are also have the resources and they're prepared to make it a priority to come to the table, to plan for a complete redesign of the transit center. Because that's what's going to create us the opportunity to also find a new home for that building and maybe position it in a way that really works well for an expanded plaza area, that type of thing.

[00:36:43] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Great, thank you.

[00:36:46] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Council member Abi Koga?

[00:36:50] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Um, I just wanted to uh, continue along the lines of, you just mentioned the transit center and some of the, um, members of the public who commented, um, were, um, asking about like a more comprehensive view. Um, and yes, I see this project, the transit center, and even the hotel project is all kind of interconnected, and wondering if we could get that more holistic perspective of how all of these, um, pieces are gonna fit together in the, in this puzzle.

[00:37:30] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Thank you, Councilman Rabbit Koga. I'll start to mention that, um, the city did start to put together how, at least on the transit center side, the puzzle starts to fit together by doing the transit center master plan, which was approved by the city council in May of 2017. It's what led to the definition of what we want to do about the great separation at Castro and that decision to close the Castro road crossing at the tracks, and instead focus on a bike and pet connection from the other side of Central Expressway from Movitt, Moffitt Boulevard that connects into Castro and led to that decision, you know, the decision and what we're moving forward with now to add that ramp from Evelyn up the shoreline. to help handle the diverted traffic that can't cross the train tracks and Castro any longer at Castro. And it also started the engagement of discussion with Caltrain and VTA for what the future potential is for the full transit center property in terms of Caltrain's desire someday to do a joint development out there that could generate revenue for themselves, but which also created the opportunity to look at reconfiguring how the bus and shuttle areas are to totally reconfigure them. They're way too small. We have far more bus and shuttle demand that can fit. So by a complete redesign and reconstruction of the transit center. We could then start to meet more of those needs about the bus, you know, the primary need of the transit center is people to access it, buses, shuttles, yes, steal some cars, bike, and pedestrian, but also take advantage of that then, to create the plaza we would really like to see, and it's interface with Castro Street. And as we talked about previously, what we can do with the building to preserve it and still put it in a place that people can enjoy it. But the key for this, um, key part of this is Caltrain as the major property owner out there, and their desire to make sure whatever happens with the property could also generate revenue for themselves. And that's going to be a bit of a long extensive process. And this is one of the reasons I know the question came up earlier, why does alternacy have to take so long? That's a big part of it, is a major project, 3 major jurisdictions involved, and we have to work through a lot of details on this.

[00:40:09] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: So, um, again, some of the public comments, um, referred to, you know, B and C and how does it work? Like, can, can we do, be, be, with C as our ultimate goal? I think that was how I was looking at this, um, new recommendation. Like, is there anything we have to be, you know, concerned about that, like, if anything an alternative B that would have to, like, be redone, um, to get to see or is it pretty, you know, sequential and, um, Smooth.

[00:40:48] Public Works Director Don Cameron: We feel that alternative B could be, um, done 1st and build, you know, alternative C can build on alternative B without having to undo things from alternative B. Um, I will say, and as was mentioned, the great separation project does include um, a grand staircase to connect from Castro uh, to lead under the train tracks and so on. It's one of many staircases and the ramps that are involved in that. And it's currently located, you know, it would currently be built based upon the existing alignment of Evelyn. And since alternative B is based upon the existing alignment at Evelyn. That's what makes it simpler and more quickly to put that in place. Then with alternative C, as part of realigning evolution that, you know, get to occur, we can move the staircase entrance. That's actually going to be a relatively small cost compared to the overall alternative C cost. So we feel that it is all doable and feasible. I'll just add on, because I think I might hear this from others. When we talk about proceeding with alternative B, and alternative C is a future phase. We can definitely, when we move into the planning phase, because we haven't started actual planning for this. Right now, we're just talking about, the potential of the extent of the mall area, what the configuration might look like, but we haven't started the planning. When we start into the planning phase, We can think in terms of both B and C. And we can engage Caltrain and BTA and get general agreement of that in destination goal where we want to get to of C. And then, but we are recommending that when we're ready to start actual design, final design, that leads to construction, that we phase it, and we focus on alternative B 1st, rather than making the one in 20300 blocks of cash treat wait until we're ready to do a full rebuild of the transit center.

[00:42:58] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you.

[00:43:01] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Council never matter, check.

[00:43:04] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. So, um, Ms. Cameron, you talked a little bit about Caltrain's desire to have something that is revenue generating at that location. Um, was wondering if you could comment on what they can and can't do, um, without the city's involvement.

[00:43:26] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Thank you very much for asking that question. So Caltrain has authority to use their property for transportation purposes, and when it's for transportation and transit rail line purposes, they do not need any approvals from the city. However, to put housing or office or mixed use development on their property, that is, again, not, it's not, that's not a transportation purpose. They are now subject to all the same city, land use, planning, and development approvals as any other developer in the city. So therefore, um, they would have to put in a, you know, actually want to work with them jointly, not say they should just put in a proposal, but they have to work with this in terms of what they want to do with that site, and they are going to require planning approvals, building permits, all of that from the city.

[00:44:26] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Great. Thank you so much. Um, the other question I have, um, and I want to give a little bit of background on this. Um, a resident happened to mention to me that there was a pedestrian mall that, um, was not successful and it was reversed. And I couldn't remember where that was. So I did a quick search online the other day, and much to my surprise. Um, you know, I was expecting to just see, oh, you know, here's the city where that happened. But instead, I found all this information about pedestrian walls, and one that really, um, caught my attention was a study done, um, Granted, it was a little bit dated, but, um, it said that, um, 87% of pedestrian walls failed. And I thought, wait, this can't be. Um, and so I, I guess, you know, since that was dated, what I'd like to know is what's more recent research on this topic, and what makes for a successful pedestrian mall, and do we have the characteristics that would lend itself to a successful pedestrian mall?

[00:45:42] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Thank you for that question. I am going to request that Blaine Merker from Gil Consulting help respond to that question.

[00:45:52] Blaine Merker: Thank you. Um, that's a terrific question and it's good. It's good to ask that, I think, at the beginning of a big project like this because it is true that, you know, the kind of earlier era of pedestrian malls had pretty mixed success. And I think it's important to put in context what was happening in cities during that time. So I think I'm not sure when the research that you were looking at was from, but, you know, during the, uh, 50s, 60s, and 70s, there were quite a few pedestrian miles built. It was really a reaction to the suburbanization of retail in large malls competing with downtowns. And, uh, residential exodus from city centers. So people moving to the to the outskirts. So what you had was both uh, competition for retail, for malls, and fewer residents to enjoy and frequent the downtown core. And you could think of those first wave of pedestrian models as sort of a last ditch effort to try and save a lot of those downtowns that we're trying to compete. Um, So for, you know, for obvious reasons, not all of them succeeded, and many of them were reversed. What were, seeing now is, is a very different time, we're seeing residents wanting to, you know, come back to the core. We're seeing reinvestments in downtown, and we're seeing the drivers of footfall being generated by other things, you know, besides big, you know, like your Macy's and your sort of destination retail. You're seeing smaller scale retail and food and beverage really driving the experience. And it's more of an experienced economy rather than a, you know, just a retail economy. So I think the dynamics are quite different. And in fact, more recent research shows that the case, there's some research from 2020 that, um, is showing actually the ones that have succeeded, have succeeded for these, for these reasons. And there's a few other factors, like, the age of the city's population, the weather, and a few other factors that are strong predictors of success, which Mountain View has quite a few of. So my quick response is that I think we're in a very different situation than the research that you looked at. It's good to be aware of it. And I think really invest in the things that make pedestrian models successful today, like smaller scale, experience destinations, and a lot of active programming. But I think for all those reasons, this project has all the ingredients to succeed.

[00:48:40] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Is there, um, a rule of thumb in terms of like the number of blocks, um, or the length that is optimal for a pedestrian wall?

[00:48:51] Blaine Merker: There is a negative correlation in the research between the length when it's quite long and success. So area, you know, pedestrian miles that were quite long had a harder time succeeding. So generally, the shorter has been more successful. I think since, you know, the link that we're talking about between, you know, one, two, or maybe 3 blocks, you're well within the kind of the lowest end of that positively correlated with success.

[00:49:26] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. And when you mentioned the age of the population, I wasn't sure if it was meaning you have younger folks or older folks.

[00:49:34] Blaine Merker: Right. Uh, the research, and we can provide the link, but I believe, uh, in in the research, younger, younger population was correlated with, with more success.

[00:49:50] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. Great. Um, I so appreciate an add, and I would absolutely love the link, um, because I really, when I came across that study, I was like, what? This can't be. And I thought, I'm not the expert, I'll ask you all. Um, You know, um, uh, some members of the public raised the, uh, issue potential issue of kind of, um, planning piecemeal and doing a design competition. And if you could refresh my memory. I know we allocated some resources to an urban planner to help with the transit center. But what specifically would that urban planner do, what would be the scope?

[00:50:37] Public Works Director Don Cameron: So I'll note that the actual, the transit center master plan, as well as the grade separation and access project did include urban planner on the consulting team. And it was Terry Bottomley and Associates was included. And for the great separation project, in particular, they've, you know, their planners really help to start setting some basic expectations and standards as, you know, we get ready to hand this off to Caltrain in terms of the look and feel the types of materials we're looking for, uh, key standards like, uh, as you, as you know from the undercrossing, we want it wide, we want it full of lots of light, we want it to be open and inviting. So we're, all of that is being, you know, considered and built into the design guidelines that are being prepared. For, again, in the transit center, since that was just a basic concept plan with some general layout. Again, the urban planner role at that point was just looking at how the pieces can come together from both a land use perspective, transit center operations, uh, pedestrian, bicycle interface, um, so those pieces started to come together. But there's a lot more work to do with it. And we do see that as part of the next step for the transit center. It needs a planning stage. And the planning stage includes land use planning. So it would be, um, something that the city, when working with cowchain, would make sure happens is that we go through a very thoughtful, engaging, planning process that also takes in, um, urban planning perspectives.

[00:52:36] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Um, let's see. I think that's all my questions for now. Thank you.

[00:52:44] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you, council member Hicks.

[00:52:48] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Since we've, um, started talking about the replica train station. I'm wondering if you can clarify a little, my understanding is that, um, even if we went with option B and, um, stopped there, that there would still be questions about the long term viability of the replica station, because it's half on Caltrain BTA land, and that that's something that council has discussed, needing to rethink, in the past. I've read something like that, but maybe you can clarify that, um, that question.

[00:53:31] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Certainly, Council member X. You are correct that the train station spans both city owned property and Caltrain owned property, before the city built the station building. We entered into a long-term ground lease with Caltrain that allowed us to have that building on their property. So that was a 35 year lease with 210 year options. So um, based upon that lease, if it's not terminated for any reason, it's still good through, I think it's 2055. The lease terms are very generous to the city, it's $one a year to lease the property to have the building on it. So there is no actual um, deadline or consideration that the building has to be removed for any reason whatsoever. It can stay there. What was mentioned earlier is that as part of the transit center master plan in 2017 and now is what's coming up as part of alternative C. is that the building may meet, as we were talking about, being moved or changed to accommodate that. And in 2017, when the council adopted the master plan, they said that they were open to changes to the building or having it moved in the future.

[00:54:54] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Thank you. Yeah, that was my understanding that it's always rethinking that building has always been part of the long-term planning. Um, planning with Caltran and so forth. Um, so a 2nd question, what is the timeline right now with the grade separation and the electrification, and then with the, um, also with, uh, Caltran and the VTA for the larger transit center, what are timelines, if, if there are any, because I've been hearing that they've been moving out.

[00:55:31] Public Works Director Don Cameron: That is correct. Caltrain moved out the completion of their electrification process project by two years. They were originally planning to be complete in 2022. They're now saying it's going to be 2024. Now, the key thing about the electrification project was Calchain said that once they were complete, they would start adding more service along the Caltrain line. And immediately, and that would bring the gates down more frequently and for much longer periods of time. Now, the interesting thing is Caltrain did not wait until completion electrification. They've actually already added those trains. So there's already a lot more frequent service, the gates are coming down a lot more. Castro has not really been affected by it because of how we have it closed off right now from the train and central ringstarface far more affected by it. So Caltrain is no longer letting electrification drive as they add service. They are working to add service. Now, electrification finishes in 2024. They would prefer that no work construction work begin on grade separation before they finish electrification. So that's when we are targeting to start construction of the bicycle and pedestrian undercrossing of Central Expressway and the train tracks is around 2024 as soon as they finish the electrification process. That will take, um, that element of the project would take 12 to 18 months to construct. So we, you know, if everything kept moving along, we could expect to see that done by 2026, which is approximately 5 years from now.

[00:57:17] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Thank you.

[00:57:18] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Oh, and I'm sorry, the final question. Um, we have no timeline right now for when Caltrain and VTA, because VTA does have some easement rights on the transit center, so they're directly involved in this as well. We have no timeline for when they're ready to engage talking about a complete redesign of the transit center. Who would fund it? I know they're looking to the city to provide quite a bit of the funding. They've been very clear about that, so I just want to forewarn you, these are all part of the discussions. But they're in the same boat we are. Their staff are stretched very thin. They're focused on what it takes to keep their transit service successful. So we do know that they're not ready to engage in this for another year or two.

[00:58:06] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, thank you. Thanks, council member show Walter.

[00:58:15] Councilmember Pat Showalter: You. Yeah, this is a fascinating discussion. Um, It's really exciting that we're working on this, um, and making making progress. Um, I, uh, I was involved when we passed the transit center, and it seemed to me that there was discussion of the uses of the pedestrian mall. One of our speakers indicated that we hadn't figured that out yet. Now, granted, I remember it was sort of a long list of things we wanted it to be able to do. But I just wanted to ask that. Is there a, um, sort of a plan for what we're going to use this pedestrian mall for?

[00:59:07] Public Works Director Don Cameron: I I think I could use some clarification. Are you, when you say pedestrian, are you talking again about the 100 to 300 blocks of Castro Street or you, which was not envisioned when we did the transit center?

[00:59:21] Councilmember Pat Showalter: No, no, no, I'm talking about the Centennial Plaza.

[00:59:23] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Oh, Centennial Plaza?

[00:59:25] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Yeah.

[00:59:26] Public Works Director Don Cameron: As I recall, the master plan really focused on the desire to activate the plaza, not just have it be kind of a dead zone, people are just walking through as quickly as they can to get from the train to wherever they're going. So, I know a lot of that was, was, was kind of envisioned in the master plan of what can we do to enliven it, add a little bit more, maybe a little more uh, dining experience or or social activity, opportunity. And it did envision, as part of the redesign of the transit center, making the plaza larger to accommodate that.

[01:00:11] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Oh, it's my dog. I also remember discussions of things like having performances, like dances and the farmer's market potentially, and, you know, there were really discussions of, I mean, there were quite a lot of possibilities. We didn't narrow it down a lot. Um, but, uh, there were a lot of possibilities, and there were certain things that we were interested in. You know, one of them was making sure that we had room for the farmer's market and all of this. And then, another one was public performances. And we have had some of them on the existing, uh, um, plaza there, not, you know, not a lot, but there have been some. They've been fun. Um... Okay, I also wanted to talk about the development of the alternatives. And, you know, we have alternative C, which essentially aligned the curve of Evelyn with Blossom Valley, the Blossom Valley. And I just wondered, um, if we had considered making that, or if we could consider, in the future, making it even further, um, uh, toward Hope Street. Um, it seems like that is another logical place where it could turn. And I wondered if that had been considered and rejected or, you know, what were the thoughts related to that?

[01:01:38] Public Works Director Don Cameron: That could definitely be considered and could be part of the ultimate development of different alternative C concepts. That the more further east we go, though, makes it even more imperative that it would be part of an overall transit center redesign.

[01:01:54] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. But it is really, you know, important that all of these things mess together. And then, um, And then, I guess this is, We talk about the nexus of projects in this area. I'm presuming that the public safety complex update, um, is kind of on the laundry list of all of the projects that we're working on together. Is that true?

[01:02:23] Public Works Director Don Cameron: It is one of our capital projects, yes.

[01:02:26] Councilmember Pat Showalter: But we're working on, when we think of how this whole area is going to work together, that's, you know, the physical barrier of the area. I think there's been some discussion in the public that we were too narrowly focused, and that hasn't been my impression and discussing this with staff. So I'm trying to just confirm that for the public record. And in fact, you really are looking at the, the, um, footprint of these projects that are geographically close together. That's part of the deal, right?

[01:02:58] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Yes, it is.

[01:02:59] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Definitely, thank you.

[01:03:01] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Very good. All right. Thank you. Council member Lieper.

[01:03:08] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, Mayor. Well, it's great to go last, because you actually hear a lot of, um, uh, good ideas here, and, um, I'm, I'm very much, um, Councilman Romantics, um, uh, train of, having concerns about the history of, um, pedestrian malls that have gone away. I'm very happy that we didn't move towards the destruction of the 100 block in the 80s when there was a really strongly supported proposal to do what Sunnyvale did and, um, knock down those historic blocks and put a shopping mall, uh, anchored with the JCPenney there. Um, and I think that, you know, you only have to look at what the recent development in Sunnyvale has been, where they've replaced kind of that, um, that, uh, centralized non-street area, with more traditional streets with bicycle flow, car flow, pedestrian flow, um, to shops and, and spaces for doing things. Um, so I want to make sure that we're looking at the lessons learned by the, um, you know, some over 80% of pedestrian malls that have gone away. And in my reading of the articles about it, the 2 strongest indicators of success are being proximate to a college or university. And uh, or being proximate to the beach. And so we don't have either of those conditions, um, in downtown Mountain View. And I do think just looking at, um, how folks have kind of grouped themselves on Castro Street, in, uh, the recent time. It definitely, there are stronger blocks coming from, you know, 100 is probably the strongest block in terms of participation, then 200, and then 300. So I think that people like to normally go to a place where they are grouped pretty tightly together. Um, so I hope that we can really, uh, pay attention to that. Um, I am very much, and this won't come as a surprise the staff, um, sold on really working on the aesthetics and the disability, um, issues. And I'm not sure who owns the aesthetics of the current, part of, Castro Street, the street beats, um, because it really seems like from the aesthetic viewpoint in the disability access viewpoint, that kind of everything is gone out the window. And I know that, from a, a formal ordinance kind of perspective, some things have been suspended over these months. Um. But it um, I think over the long term, it would really behoove us to pull up on the rudder. Um, on that and, um, You know, we do compete with other downtowns. It's just, it's just reality. Um, I am really eager to see what is the situation with a bicycle flow? And parking. Um, and with the flow of, uh, buses and shuttles. And, um, you know, we have long-standing, um, neighborhoods and small homes that are very close to the areas that when there's a shift, and even with the increased flow right now, um, it's very impactful in terms of buses, which tend to be gigantic. And, um, so I'm really eager to, um, see, see a lot more, um, about that. But if I had a wish list and a wand. I would say that if we can converge on, um, less of an ad hoc feel. to the downtown, less strings coming from tent poles and, um, stanchions with nightclub style, waiting lines that cross the, the access points for people with disabilities and, um, you know, dealing with the, the storefronts that are empty in in an aesthetic way, and I know that's something that we're gonna, uh, that the chamber is intending to to really work on. Um, pulling up on the rudder in terms of the building facades. Um, I know that staff is is getting down into the downtown. Um, in a really intensive way to deal with the garbage and that kind of situation. Um, But I would say that just, uh, making it look like we're open for business and a little bit less like a, uh, The circus has come to town. Um, would be would be a great thing. So, just, uh, appearances are everything and especially in connection with food and, um, going out for a night out and things like that. So, um, I really appreciate what I heard in the staff report about, you know, staff's commitment to really working on that. I think that's very well placed.

[01:09:22] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. So I think, um, we're still in the question. So I just have a couple, um, thanks to my colleagues for asking such great ones. Um, you know, I think mine is, I think there's been quite a few, quite a few questions about how the different agencies will work together. Um, and how the phasing might work. I was wondering, um, about the um, next layers of community outreach. So, um, you know, I think that, um, part of part of what I, what I, we heard in the public comments were some really great ideas and I know community members have reached out, hoping to, to know what the next steps are there. Maybe staff could help illuminate what you're thinking in terms of, um, that public engagement piece both with the residents and the business community. Um, and then also perhaps how, um, you know, uh, input could be given to the city as well as as Gel, Gel.

[01:10:24] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Thank you, mayor. I'll go ahead and start this one out and then invite John Lang if our economic vitality manager to see if he wants to add anything to this. But, you know, our next steps, and as we pointed out, our focus in 2022 will need to be on 2 pieces. One is compliance with the pedestrian mall law, in order to continue the closure on a permanent basis, if that's what the council wishes. And in order to prepare for that, we feel it's very important that we do more extensive re-engagement with the businesses and the property owners. Because they will have an important role to play as we go through the pedestrian mall law process. And as part of that engagement also is the other piece that we want to work on in 2022 that we've heard a little bit more about tonight, which is the concept of the interim improvements. You know, what we set up out there today was in response to the pandemic, doing everything possible to help those restaurants survive, giving them as much space on the street as we could while maintaining pedestrian walkways, which is why we could not even maintain areas for bicyclists. But we're moving, we're starting to move beyond that. They can have full in-house in restaurant capacity. Um, so there could create new opportunities for reconfiguring the use of the space to support both outdoor dining and other uses. So we want to work closely with the businesses and the community in terms of defining what those interim improvements should look like, that could get us through the next few years so we can put something more permanent in. So we see that as our next level of engagement. In terms of further engagement with the community, for the design of a pedestrian mall, both alternative B and C, you know, if we're heading in that direction, um, Once it's on the work plan and we have the staffing resources, the budget to pursue this, we feel that there will be very extensive community engagement, visioning. I really like what everyone has said about a visioning process that we would use, because we're going to want to hear a lot from the community and the businesses of, what do they really want to see this look like? What kind of activities would be important to them? Um, and just overall the look and feel of it. So we would like a very extensive, thoughtful process, and we put some real time into it too. We don't rush it. I'll leave it at that and just see if John want to add anything more about engaging our Castle Street community.

[01:13:15] Economic Vitality Manager John Lang: Thank you, Don. I will just add just a very little bit to this. I think you did an excellent job communicating the approach. I think what we have ahead of us is really to do a much thorough job, much more thorough job connecting with the property owners. Uh, we've been doing this as part of this process, um, but we need to go a little bit deeper, uh, and do a deeper dive and trying to really connect with the property owners. As Don mentioned, this is kind of critical to making sure we're in compliance with the law. Um, But this goes part and parcel to some of the council member comments. We can also use this opportunity to really engage property owners on some of those vacancies, and really what's behind those vacancies? Is it? They just don't want to fill the spot or is there some other fundamental element that is, um, maybe inhibiting that. So we can certainly do this as a tofer. We have had, we've been working in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce to do a lot of the business outreach and owner outreach. We will look to their partnership as well as we endeavor down this again. Um, but it's a great opportunity to kind of get it both. And, um, one, to try and comply with the law, um, the pedestrian law law, as well as trying to engage in more fruitful conversations around, uh, some of those tenant spaces that are, have been lingering on the market for a while.

[01:14:50] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. I just kind of to dovetail off that question. So my understanding too is that we're trying to engage our different neighborhood associations, so it's also, we're seeking input beyond just the downtown, and then, um, I'm assuming this is also being done in multiple languages and we'll continue to happen. Is that my understanding is correct?

[01:15:13] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Yes, that's correct.

[01:15:15] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. And then with this also, as this is going forward, You know, I think that the input from our BPAC and our downtown committee was quite helpful. This is also going to be, um, coming back to them. Will they see this again for their input?

[01:15:31] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Yes.

[01:15:32] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, wonderful. So I think there, it sounds like there's multiple different entry points in ways that we can, we can talk about this. And, um, I think just to, to make sure I, I heard this correctly. So it sounds like the city may be ahead of where VTA and Caltrain is in terms of being able to talk about the future. But we are working to engage with them. Is that what I heard?

[01:15:58] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Yes, and and we, We will definitely can engage with them as we're ready to get going on the planning for the pedestrian wall.

[01:16:11] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Wonderful, perfect. All right, well, I, those are my questions. Um, and I know we have 3 that we need to be answering 1st staff. So, um, maybe, um, do you want to pull those up just in case so that, um, colleagues can just see those briefly before we ask, so if, um, colleagues don't mind, um, raising your hand and answering all three. Um, and then, um, shall we take comments at that time too, Ms. Cameron, or if people, or would you, is that okay if they, if they also have additional comments as well?

[01:16:45] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Yes. Well, we're happy to take all comments.

[01:16:48] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, great. Thank you. All right. So, um, just to review. So the questions I think are, are here. Does council support the staff recommendation to further develop the industrial concept for the 100 block of Castro Street, based on alternative B, with the planning and design work, considering alternate concept C, as a potential future phase 2, does council support the staff recommendation to include the 20300 blocks, the Castro Street and the Pedestrian Mall concept. And then item 3 does council support the staff recommendation to extend the temporary closure of the 3 blocks through January 2023, and to develop a plan for low cost improvements to be made for the interim closure period. Wonderful And I think we'll just take that down because I think if that's up and colleagues are talking, people on YouTube cannot see their faces. So I want to make sure that that can happen. All right, wonderful. Council member Hicks.

[01:17:44] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Well, I want to start off by saying I'm really excited that we've gotten to this topic. I think that since I've been on council, this is one of several topics that I've heard, really a lot of feedback from residents on, and I was happy to see. I think I'm going to answer the questions in reverse order, 3 and 2 first, which I enthusiastically say yes to. Um, that's about, uh, keeping the 20300, various aspects of keeping the, the, uh, blocks car free. And I was, I was just really delighted to see both, um, the petition from the public, uh, expressing that they wanted those blocks car free, and then also the the public gathering, the community outreach that staff did, um, that all the staff did at our civic center outdoors, that that was also something that the public really embraced. And then lastly, the downtown business association, which is, I think, really important to me and embracing me and being afraid to see that so many of our businesses thought that that was a good idea. I realize there's furthering engagement that's necessary with all of the businesses, but that was a good 1st step, and I really liked the letter from the downtown Business Association to council. And since I know all the members of the public didn't get the opportunity to read that letter, the sense I got from that letter was that many of the businesses thought they would do better, if it was a pedestrian environment, and that it would allow us to do other things, possibly, such as outdoor music, art, other things, other activities, that would make the downtown an even more special place to visitors. So, I'm enthusiastic about an enthusiastic yes, to questions two and three. To question number one, I would say, Yes, but I would like to, um, tweak it a little. The question I would be saying yes to is, does council support developing a pedestrian mall concept for the 100 block of Castro Street? an alternative B, but with planning and design work for alternative C, or a greater public space in the future. I would take out what I'm saying yes to takes out the word potential, and doesn't marry us exactly to, um, concept C, it could be, as council members show Walter said, expanded to Hope Street, or some other expanded configuration. But the important thing to me is that I think the way Centennial Plaza is now, and the way it's envisioned in alternative B, we have a public space that's completely surrounded by some very heavy transportation uses. You know, buses, cars, trains. It's not the kind of place that I would go to hear a concert, because I probably wouldn't be able to hear it very well. So, I understand that an expanded concept costs more, but, but I think the wasted space costs us even more than that. And I do understand and sympathize with the idea that we can't move in that direction very quickly, and that there are a lot of other things that the public brought up and spoke to very well that we need to coordinate with. But I think eventually we need to move Evelyn away from, you know, not so close to some of those restaurants on the end of the 100 block, and not carve out a, I don't think it's a good public space when it's completely surrounded by, you know, polluting and noisy traffic uses. So eventually, I would like, uh, I would like counsel to commit to eventually, uh, configuring a better public space. Let me see if I have any... And I just wanted to say this. To me, this is all about sustainability and enabling people to get out of their cars and healthy cities. You know, a great outdoor public space for better mental and physical health. And I think even our, um, environmental sustainability task force recommended something like this as a part of their, one of their suggestions for making us become a more sustainable city. So those are my answers. Thank you.

[01:22:24] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Council member Abbe Koga.

[01:22:28] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Mayor. I just want to thank staff for all of their hard work on this project. I'm very pleased with, um, really comprehensive, um, staff report, the outreach that's been done. Um, very, very rarely do we see many different, um, groups come together and consensus right away. Um, but I see that here and um, I'm very pleased with that. Um, so thank you for the work, um, that's been done to get us here. Um, for question one, um, I agree. I, with uh, council member Hicks says, uh, said, um, and and I, I looked at this as, you know, really about a timing issue and what the city has control over versus what, um, we have to work with other agencies on. And so B, I think, you know, timeliness is important, so B gets us there. Um, but I would agree that, um, we should look at alternative C as the final, um, project or final concept that we would like to to reach. pending timing. I totally understand with Caltrain and BTA, frankly, is, you know, in a pretty dire situation right now, just trying to get their service back. So, um, since we're at the whim of these agencies, you know, I think it's, I would say, I know everybody wants some, you know, I, I, some sense of time, but, um, I'm not sure how doable that is. So, um, I, I think this, I, I'll call it phasing, but I think that phasing makes a lot of sense. Um, 2 uh, definitely, uh, I guess, um, adding the 2, 2300 blocks. And three, um, yes, to that as well. Um, I, I would just, um, emphasize the low cost improvements. I don't know what how low cost they have to be, frankly. Um, you know, I think, um, yeah, Castro Streets has been, uh, successful, and I know some folks said, well, it's a pandemic to do so. Do this. Um, but that, I think, you know, there's a silver lining to the pandemic and this was one of them. Um, and so what I would like to see is, um, you know, if we can have more uniformity in terms of the look. So, um, and this is something that, uh, whenever I go downtown and a frequent or a business, um, sometimes, you know, the owners will talk and they, they would actually, they've told me they'd like to see, like, all the tents, the uniform, and, um, just aesthetically having more, um, continuity or organize organization. Um, and also just looking better, frankly. Um, so, I hope, I'm assuming those are the types of low cost, um, improvements that we're looking at as well as like the ballards and and the, to make those a little bit, um, more aesthetically pleasing, I guess, would be the word. Um, and then, um, I know, counselor, and labor touched on it, but, um, I think that what the pen, with Castro Streets, there, you know, certainly was a, um, loosening of some of our downtown guidelines and regulations, and it's something that I've been mentioning over the years that, um, you know, as I've taught to downtown businesses, they've shared with me that, sometimes the challenges of opening a new business or keeping when, you know, when operating because of some of our, um, I'd say outdated regulations. Um, for instance, and how expensive it can get, for instance, like, the facade improvement, if you're gonna go from retail to restaurant, can cut, because you can't, you don't just do your own facade, you do the whole building. Um, sometimes that can cost 250 to $500,000 for a business to do. So I'm hoping, and in our briefing, we talked about this, and it sounds like either it might be here or the economic vitality plan that we're gonna be voting on later on consent. Um, so that, in one of these plans, we can actually start tackling some of those, um, outd- I call them outdated or arcane, uh, regulations specific to our downtown um, businesses. So I look forward to that. conversation. Um, and so, yeah. Thank you very much.

[01:27:09] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Council member Mattachek.

[01:27:12] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thanks. Um, so 1st I do want to thank everyone who provided, um, additional information for us tonight. It was incredibly helpful. I found it really interesting to hear about the history of pedestrian malls and hear about how they have changed, and it's reassuring to hear that, um, given what pedestrian malls currently are, that we're in a good position to have a successful one. So thank you for all that great information. Um, I'm gonna answer these in, um, a different order as well. I want to start with number three. And, um, I do support the continued uh, closure of the 100 block. I'm sorry, the 3 the 3 blocks, 3 Yeah, the 3 blocks. Um, And um, I agree with the um, comments that um, council member Abbe Koga made about that. Um, I think it is important to have greater consistency. I don't think we want them to all look exactly alike. But I think some level of consistency is good, and some level of quality. And I think right now we have, and we have had for quite some time, especially um, plants and planters, that have probably seen better days. And so I'd kind of like to make sure we've raised the quality, and, um, again, have a little bit of consistency there. I think it would really improve the atmosphere. Um, in terms of, um, question one. Um, I, I do agree, um, with the pedestrian model concept for the 100 block. Um based on an alternative B. And I guess the way I would characterize what I would like to see beyond that, might be, if I understood this correctly, similar to what council member Hicks said. So, I um, I do think it's important to expand the public space, but I am concerned about what happens to Centennial Plaza. You know, that was something that was built not too long ago, relatively speaking. And I think, um, most people intended for it to always be there, as opposed to it being changed, you know, 20 years later. And so when I think about, um, how this would expand, uh, I think about, um, alternatives that I'd like to see, um, one of which would be nothing changes at Centennial Plaza, um, but we figure out a different way to address the other challenges. Um, and What I would like to see is options that were considered that were not recommended and why they were not recommended as well as options for things that could potentially work. Um, I agree with the comment about, you know, I'm not sure a public space next to lots of trains and lots of buses is going to be the most pleasant experience. Um, but, um, certainly expanding the public space is important. So, um, I feel like I'm, uh, supportive of exploring this. But I'm not sure I'm to the point where I would say, yes, we're absolutely going to do this because I do want to see alternatives. Um, and it might be that we can't find a great alternative. that we all can agree to. So yes, to exploring it. And then, um, obviously question two, yes, um, I'm open to exploring, um, adding the 20300 block, um, but I think there is a lot to do, um, before we do any of this. Some of that was mentioned. Um, certainly more outreach to the businesses as well as the property owners. Um, I also feel like I would like to, um, see how this fits together with the transit center master plan. And I feel like, You know, I do appreciate the comment about we should have a design competition because this is our one chance to make this really great. And um, maybe somebody has other ideas that we should consider. And so if there's other council members that would be open to that. I think maybe we should have a design competition between, um, this and, you know, any changes to the transit center and then future development at the transit center. What could that all look? Um, let's, let's make it really unique and interesting and coordinated. Um so that we don't do something now that precludes something fabulous later on. Um, and let's see. I think I've mentioned everything else. in my notes here. Um, yeah, that's it. you.

[01:32:47] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Counselor Marshall Walter.

[01:32:50] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Hi, yeah, I, I, um, would kind of just add on a little bit to what everybody has said. Fundamentally, I really agree with what council member Hicks said. Um, I, I do think that, that having the, um, pedestrian space, um, connected to, uh, the 100 block and not surrounded by, um, not separated by, um, a street is really important. So I think that getting there should be our goal. And, of course, there'll be lots of phases that will come back. and plans and how to do that. But, you know, I think that's gonna be our goal. And I firmly support two and three, particularly dittoing all the requests to make it more aesthetic and have a little bit more consistency. And, you know, when somebody's sort of, if somebody was blindfolded and plot down there, we should have enough sense of space that just from the furnishings and the way this is set up. They'll know they're in downtown Mountain View. It should be really, you know, characteristic in a nice way. And then the other thing I was just gonna do is share an experience. I know, there was an area in Richmond, Virginia, in the '90s that was called Chaco Bottom, which is down where Lincoln gave his speech a few days before he was assassinated, actually, to the troops. But anyway, they put in this wonderful pedestrian mall. And it had all these high level, high, high end stores in it, and I remember visiting it and thinking, Oh, this is gorgeous. This is gonna do great. But it didn't. It bombed. And the reason it bombed is because, you know, the people who could afford to go to all those high end stores didn't live anywhere near there. The people who lived in that area were all poor. So, you know, I think that having a, um, you know, having a shops that, um, are match with the, um, with the base of people who are gonna shop there is just vital. And really, you know, we've been working on that in Castor Street for many years. So, um, that is my, you know, it was really a stark example of how, you know, somebody with just wonderful design abilities put something in the wrong place. And it didn't work. Um, but, uh, because it, you know, economically, it just didn't mesh with the reality of the geography. So we got to make what we do mesh with the reality of the geography. But I think we have, you know, we have very talented people working on that, and it'll, it should be, we should be able to do that fine. Thank you.

[01:35:46] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you, Council member Leaper.

[01:35:50] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, Mayor. Um, well, in terms of the questions, um, uh, keep, keep the pedestrian mall, as it is in the short term going, yes, obviously I'm in favor of that. We're still battling COVID. Um, Including the 20300 block for the longer term. Um, I feel more secure about the 200 block than I do about the 300 block being included because when you look at the the quality of the participation in the blocks, you know, it's it's 10200 that are stronger. Um, and I think that, um, we, Like, the, the uses in the 300 block, um, a little bit more, uh, can benefit from cars, um, being able to get to them. And, uh, alternative B, yes, definitely. Um, and then I know that we're going to have uh, an item later about the economic development and I'd like us to think about saving some money from some other uses and developing a fund for some nicer looking pavilions, um, rather than just putting it on the the businesses to have whatever tent they can afford. Because those tents are not inexpensive in, um, it, it is hard for businesses when they're hit with multiple forces to afford a tent that looks aesthetic and doesn't droop and, um, isn't just brown. And, um, so a nicer kind of a pavilion, there's some good examples, um, out there. And I think, um, maybe, uh, looking at the businesses that are on the corners and have bled over, um, to using the, um, the ramps and the sidewalk space is part of their, their business and their waiting areas, and places where they have rope lines and things. Maybe we could do something where, um, we had a fund to do an upgrade, um, platform for the flexible zone. Um, adjacent to just those very few businesses that are really impactful on the flow through the downtown. Um, and I, I think his, uh, Council member Manachek said, uh, I think was Council member Manachek about the the planters and such. I, I, I think that we could easily have a fun within the city to help with something that looks a little bit more, um, uniform, um, I noticed that. Los Altos seems to have converged on the wine barrels that have been very attractive and, um, Just, uh, I, I think that we could really help in this, um, particular time and that, um, if we save a little bit of funding from some of the things that aren't as important to us maybe right now in this emergency situation. Uh, we could very quickly pivot on creating a pool of money to be able to help in that way. So those are my thoughts. Thank you.

[01:39:46] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[01:39:49] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you. 1st quick question. And Seth, clarify or provide examples of anticipated low cost improvements, uh, to benefit the interim closure.

[01:40:06] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Thank you, Vice Mayor. We are thinking in terms of removing a lot of that temporary signage and putting in more permanent, attractive signage. There's less of it, less clutter. working with the businesses as being discussed of how we can, um, help, kind of clean it up, more consistency, more aesthetically pleasing, and I think it's definitely on the table that maybe the city does help fund or support. Uh, you know, whether it be the canopies, pavilion tents or the the, you know, the stanchions, removing those and putting better separators in. I think these are all on the table towards more consistent design guidelines and helping get that implemented. We also we're talking about, again, improved drop off delivery zones. Is there more we can do with the alleyways to make them more accessible? All of these are on the table for interim improvements.

[01:41:12] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: That's fantastic. And that's, I'm assuming with stakeholder input. So, reaching out to the businesses and the chamber and, okay, fantastic. Thank you. Um, I, I love broadly supportive of the staff's recommendations for all 3 questions. Um, I uh, don't mind exploring the 200 and 300 blocks because I think there's a significant check in that we will need the property owners and the business owners to agree to a permanent closure. Um, so I, I have a great deal of comfort in knowing that they know their economic realities. very well. And we know that there's substantial community support to explore the concept. So if it does happen, it will be with the consent of the business owners and property owners, and uh, and I think we will have the comfort of knowing that the community really wants us to explore this. So absolutely comfortable with that. Um, I think, um, Alternative C as a desirable endpoint is a great idea. I like that concept. I do think, I'm sensitive to, um, some of the concerns that, uh, council member Mattachek had identified. And I guess I'm, I'm coming to a conclusion that maybe one way, I don't know if there's a support for this, but I, I, doing a robust traffic analysis to determine whether the Evelyn realignment is really necessary, because I think it's the rerouting of the road that causes us a lot of problems. Do we demolish or relocate or substantially modify the depot in Centennial Plaza? Um, there's a significant cost in, in rerouting and, you know, addressing the, there, there will, there will, there will still remain some pedestrian traffic or uh, vehicle conflicts. Um, if we don't really need to do the realignment that saves us a lot of trouble and they think spares us the need of figuring out how to address, um, or or mitigate impacts to the historic resources. So I would like to consider exploring that as, um, as another alternative. Um, you know, years ago. It made a lot of sense. Um, and the, the ramp from Evelyn to Shoreline, you know, I think was, was important to help, uh, mitigate concerns about the traffic impacts of closing Castro, uh, with a great separation project. But I feel like we've got a fundament- a fundamentally different reality we're contending with, and maybe some of those assumptions are no longer relevant. Um, so I like alternatively. I don't like substantial impacts to the depot and the plaza, uh, and if there are ways, uh, that we hadn't been exploring. Um, you know, including reconsidering whether that alignment, realignment needs to occur, uh, or whether we could just eliminate that entirely or reduce the, um, the width of the roadway and maybe consider, uh, one way traffic, you know, if that's important. I don't really know. Um, but that would, that would be, I think, worthy of exploration. And then the only other thing, um, is, uh, being mindful of, uh, the accessibility concerns, um, for for disabled and and elderly, um, patrons of the downtown. And it sounds like you've, you've already been very thoughtful about how we can incorporate some of those accommodations. So I, I think that's a, that's, that's phenomenal. Um, on the, uh, gosh, the, uh, what was the term that was used? The design contest idea. I think I like that concept. Um, I feel like if we pursue something like alternative C, we have the time. Uh to do something like that. Uh, so count me in as a supporter of that concept, uh, and and open-minded on how we how we achieve that. So those are my comments. Thank you.

[01:45:26] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Hi, Don, I see you. Go ahead.

[01:45:30] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Thank you. I need to ask for clarification. Um, design concepts are definitely something, you know, we do. When we proceed with design of a project, we go through an RP selection, we select a consultant, we ask them to develop different concepts and alternatives, working and engaging, the community, all of that, eventually bringing it forward for the council's consideration. That's our typical, um, you know, process for developing all of our projects, parks, transportation, so on. Um, are you referring to the uh, concept that was mentioned of a design competition, which is, okay, alrighty. Um, There's a lot of questions about that. I don't think tonight's a night we can engage in that, and we would also need to know if, and it would be fairly staff intensive, so we would need to know, you know, whether there's 4 saying they want us to come back to you in the future, to talk to you about what that, what that involves. Thank you.

[01:46:50] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thanks, Ms. Cameron. So just to clarify, do you need that direction tonight? If there, do you need to know if there are 4 people who support the design competition? Or is that something that might come back to us when the item comes back? Just to clarify for my purposes. Do I need to give a shophole for you or?

[01:47:10] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Well, it's fundamentally a different approach to how we would normally conduct our planning and design for our project. So, And we, as staff, have a lot of questions about how that would even work. And are there other jurisdictions to have done that? And how do you actually run a competition and consultants willing to put the time and effort in if they're not compensated? So is there something we have to do to compensate them to put the time in? And how is that fundamentally different or an improvement over our more traditional process? So these are all questions, staff would have to spend some time exploring and then bring it back to you for consideration of, is this really how you want to proceed or, you know, and and I don't know how quickly we'd come back to you because that's really part of the long term planning for it. So um, We're not even, you know, we 1st question I would have is what our jurisdictions have done this and how have they done it and how they assured that they actually, it's a competition. How are you running a competition? Versus a more traditional approach of hiring a consultant after a process and notting the consultant develop alternatives and concepts working with the community in the council?

[01:48:36] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. So we see two colleagues, hands up. I still have an answer to the three questions. So are these, are these comments?

[01:48:44] Councilmember Alison Hicks: It's just a question.

[01:48:46] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: It's just a question of clarification that I have.

[01:48:49] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. So maybe we'll do the clarification of questions, and I'd love to be able to give my input on the 3 questions and knowing that we are a bit behind. Council member Hicks. Go ahead. What's your question?

[01:49:02] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yeah, so my question of clarification, I guess I'm definitely for good design. And I've heard a lot of interest from residents on design competition, the piece that I, the process piece that I need clarification on is, since the difficulty with going beyond alternative B is, uh, involves engaging with Caltrain and VTA, how we get, uh, competition when the very, it seems to me, but maybe I'm thinking about this wrong. It seems to me the various competitors would have to engage with Caltrain and BTA in some way, or not. That's the piece that I, how do you, I guess, Ms. Cameron, I'm asking, how you see that, or maybe you're saying you would need to explore that a little more and come back to us. That's question one. And question two, was the vice mayor? I didn't quite understand the not needing realignment of Evelyn, did you mean, um, not needing to the connection to shoreline anymore? Because I have heard people say that. Or were you talking about something else? Those were the two things I became unclear on as we were discussing this.

[01:50:21] Public Works Director Don Cameron: So, uh, to answer your 1st question, it's an excellent question and one of the challenges that we would face with the design competition is, um, again, it's how would we get anybody to submit for competition if they're not being compensated in some way or another. How would we get our partner agencies and all of this, to be willing to put in time with, who knows how many applicants we're going to get and how productive that would be? And staff would have to explore that. And again, the more usual approach where we do, go through a process of hiring a consultant, Sometimes we would actually involve our partner agencies on the consultant selection and evaluation, so that they have buy in from the beginning in terms of the scope, the process being used, developing the different concept alternatives that they can weigh in on. Um, so there are a lot of, you know, Again, a design competition is something brand new. We're not sure how it would work. We, as staff, don't necessarily recommend it. Uh, we would recommend that we would have more success if we follow our usual process, but ensure that we bring on excellent consultants that we'll look at a wide range of alternatives, listen to the community, listen to our partner agencies, and help guide us through with great alternative concepts so we can get to where we want to go.

[01:51:58] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. Um, Vice Mayor, I think that Council member Hicks had a clarifying question for you on what you meant, and then Council member Matachek, is this also a question for staff?

[01:52:10] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: It was just a clarification of my comment about design competition.

[01:52:15] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. So, Vice mayor, did you want to answer council member Hicks question, I'd love to answer the 3 questions after.

[01:52:28] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Sure, thank you, mayor. I'm open-minded on how exactly we choose to pursue this? One option would be to just, um, vacate that, what is currently the right of way that you would use, to get, um, across Evelyn and turn that into pestrian space or, or, or, you know, an additional plaza, uh, another option maybe to retain the existing right of way and configuration and reduce the roadway by having maybe Uh, like a transit only access or one way traffic. I don't really have a strong preference one way or the other, it would really depend on the traffic analysis. But the overriding consideration is how do we achieve the objective of alternative C without, uh, disturbing the depot and the plaza as it exists now.

[01:53:36] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. Does that answer your question, Council member Hicks? Does I clarify things for you?

[01:53:41] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes, it does. Thank you.

[01:53:42] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thanks. Okay. So I think for myself. Um, I just, I want to be able to, to be able to get an edgewise here. So, um, the answers to 2 and 3 are yes and yes. I think, um, one of the things I tried to do over the summer in relation to question 3 was, um, go with Mr. Lang and Mr. Katz from the chamber to ask our our downtown businesses what improvements they would like to see. And so, I think this is something that they were actively asking for. So, um, I'm heartened to see that staff is is moving in this direction to kind of create that, um, kind of cohesive nature that that colleagues have already mentioned that's warm and welcoming and inviting. Um, I think for question number one, um, I appreciate the comments from the community and from the VPAC and the downtown committee. I think they were really useful in terms of, you know, B is where the city can can make some improvements now and then perhaps, you know, looking at alternative C as a phased approach for the future. I think the only thing that gives me pause is, um, you know, mentioned by some colleagues in terms of how the different plans that we're working on interface, how do all the puzzle pieces fit together? And so, um, that is just something that I'm hoping staff will kind of continue to get the community engagement on and engagement from our businesses. Um, but also thinking about the, um, the Centennial Plaza, I believe, was a, you know, nearly $2000000 investment that the city put forward 20 years ago. Um, and is such a historic, I think, part of our downtown. And so how do we make sure that we preserve that? I think that's kind of of interest, at least to myself. So want to make sure that we, um, have all that engagement as well as being able to share, share this with all of the different partners. We're not going to be able to do this ourselves, but we can get some of it started. Um, and how do we make sure that we bring everybody, um, along the way in terms of making sure that the communication is there and the the touch points for engagement? So, um, those are my comments. Um, Council member Matachek.

[01:56:11] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thanks. So I just want to comment on the design competition. Um, so, the reason I'm interested in it is because, I think you will get vastly different perspectives on what's possible from different firms. Um, we do this in my work, uh, where we will engage with multiple agencies on a particular topic, um, and, um, because they come from different perspectives and different experience and have different visions, um, the range Options they present to us are much broader than I believe one firm could do on their own. Um, and while one firm could come up with several options. Um, I do believe you'll get more variety with multiple firms. I get that it could be challenging to do, and obviously we'd have to figure out how a lot of the details. Um, but that's what's driving me to be interested in it. Um, and when I said I was interested in exploring, um, a variety of options for C that would include things like the items the vice mayor mentioned, about maybe revisiting some of the decisions we made before, if it results in a better, um, solution for, um, the downtown area. Thanks.

[01:57:38] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Um, Miss Cameron, do you have what you need in terms of, um, answers to the 3 questions and some general direction.

[01:57:51] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Yes, in terms of answering the 3 questions in general direction, um, I would like to invite the city manager to speak to, um, the issue of the design competition, possible next steps, if that's something that a majority of the council is interested in.

[01:58:12] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Thank you, Mayor, may I? Um, as public works director, Cameron said, this is a significant undertaking that we don't know, uh, whether it would pan out, so the the 1st thing is that we would need to add this to the work plan. And, um, as as you all know, there are a number of projects on the work plan, which we're going to have to assess timing for them and what may have to be pushed back if staff needs to engage in this design competition. I also want to make sure that I'm hearing 4 votes to move forward with the design competition, so perhaps we can also take a straw pull on that, um, after this, and then I just wanted to note that the way we would have to probably look at this is firms who have no guarantee of getting paid would have to be interested enough to spend a lot of time and effort into submitting a design. that we or would possibly only pick one or none if it's a design that council isn't interested in. So, just in thinking through just the most simplistic way about how a competition would work. I think it's gonna involve a lot of staff, time and effort in figuring this out, as well as probably hiring a consultant to help us. So, um, just wanted to have counsel note that and then also find out if there are 4 council members interested in staff moving forward and exploring it.

[01:59:43] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you for that, um, clarification council member, show Walter.

[01:59:47] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Now, I think the important thing that the city manager has said is interest in moving forward and exploring. I don't think we have, we know, nearly enough at this point to make a decision one way or the other, whether we want to do a contest. But I, I, I would be interested in a fairly short memo about, kind of, what are the pros and cons, um, that staff could write, that maybe they could get to us in the next, you know, uh, three or four months. Um, because it seems to me that this design competition, if we were to do it, would be quite a bit down the road. So we have some time to consider it. We just don't have the information to, um, make this decision in my viewpoint right now.

[02:00:34] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, so I think, um, rather than get into comments, I I would just like to, for the, just looking at the time, if I just like to call the question, if people are interested or not. So, um, if council member Hicks, you have a question, happy to take the question, but I think at this point, Ms. Cameron and Ms. McCarthy have kind of clarified for, you know, from the staff perspective. So is that a question that you have there?

[02:01:04] Councilmember Alison Hicks: I was just gonna go with what council member show Walter said of a memo before taking a straw vote.

[02:01:13] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Does staff prefer that route or Ms. McCarthy, would you like to answer that question?

[02:01:19] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Um, I would like to ask Miss Cameron if that's more feasible and just within the time timing of when we were planning to come back to council anyways in the spring. So, I would ask our public works director to comment about the workload and timing of that.

[02:01:37] Public Works Director Don Cameron: I think a short memo that, you know, explores a little bit about what this means and what it may involve, um, how it might work could be quite useful. We actually have several touch points planned with you next year. Uh, that, you know, at the appropriate time, we can check back in with you after we have the memo done. I can't commit to a specific time. As council member, Sher Walter says, even if we were to do this, it still would be 2 or 3 years away in terms of what we're looking at right now. So, Yes, let's do an off agenda memo that explores some of this stuff and then check back with you doing one of our times we're back on this topic with you in 2022.

[02:02:20] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. I see people's heads nodding. Does that, does that work or would you like me to do a straw pull on this? I think that we've come to a good place on this? Is that okay, Ms. Cameron? We'll just move forward with the off agenda memo in the future. Miss McCarthy,

[02:02:36] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: that works. Thank you.

[02:02:37] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes. Okay, great. All right. Anything else that people would like to add to this item? All right. Okay, so this is gonna conclude our study session. I would ask colleagues if we can just move on to the regular session. Um, mostly because we have a very special guest today. We are gonna have our guest, Mayor Fred Day, who's in Jose Antonio Vargas elementary school, and it is already 7 o'clock. So I want to make sure that we keep things moving. My suggestion would be moving forward with regular session. And then we could take a break after the presentation items right before consent. So we could go through items one, two, three, take a 10 minute break after the presentation items. Does that work? Because we have about 4 different presentations we're trying to get through. Lovely. Thank you so much, colleagues. Okay. So, I'd like to call our regular meeting to order. Um, so welcome to the city council regular meeting of October 12, 2021. I'm going to read the usual announcement as required. This meeting will be conducted in accordance with the city of Mountain View. City council resolution number 18603 in accordance with assembly bill 361. All members of the city council are participating in this meeting by video conference, with no physical meeting location. Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting live may do so at mountain view.legistar.com on YouTube at mountain view.gov slash YouTube and on Comcast channel 26. As noted on the meeting agenda, members of the public may provide oral public comments during the public comment period by visiting mountain view.gov slash cc underscore speakers to enter the zoom meeting or by phone by dialing 669-9009128 and entering webinar ID 819-9554-4029. Any emails received by 430 p.m. today were received directly by the city council. And as I mentioned, we're joined tonight by a very special guest, our mayor for a day elementary school contestant winner, Anya Rai Cho Theri. Anya, will you please lead us in item number two, which is the pledge of allegiance?

[02:05:07] Aanya Raychaudhuri: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[02:05:22] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yay, thank you so much. So we'll move on to item two, which is our roll call, and our city clerk will take the roll call.

[02:05:32] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member, Adoca,

[02:05:34] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: here,

[02:05:34] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Hicks.

[02:05:36] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Here,

[02:05:37] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: council member leader.

[02:05:38] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Here.

[02:05:39] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Mattachek,

[02:05:40] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: here,

[02:05:41] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Michelle Walter,

[02:05:43] Councilmember Pat Showalter: here,

[02:05:43] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[02:05:46] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Here.

[02:05:46] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: And Mayor Canay?

[02:05:48] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Here. Well, I guess not mayor. Well, not right now. Cool. Great. So we'll move on to item three, which is our presentations. So we'll take public comment for all of the presentation items. Would any member of the public on the line like to provide comment on any of the presentation items listed on the agenda? If so, please click the raise hand button in Zoom or press star 9 on your phone. All right, I am not seeing any, which means we get to get to the good part, which is item three, which is our recognition to Anya, who's our elementary school mayor for a day. Our mayor for a day contest ran throughout the month of September, and elementary and middle school age Mountain View residents wrote about Mountain View. And what it would be like if they were our mayor for a day. An elementary school and middle school winner were selected by me. And we're going to be joined by our middle school winner at our October 26th meeting. But this evening, we're really lucky to have Anya joining us as our elementary school winner. And she attends Jose Antonio Barbers Elementary School and is in the 3rd grade. And Anya, will you share your essay with the rest of the city council and the community?

[02:07:15] Aanya Raychaudhuri: Um, my, um, my essay is called if I were mayor for a day. Did you know that there are a lot of things the local government can do to fight climate change? This includes researching to learn more. Learning about this stuff is something everyone can do. If I were mayor for a day, I'd help the environment. First of all, I create a raffle where anyone can get one ticket by showing a picture of themselves using public transportation, and 2 tickets for walking or biking. This helps because it lowers carbon emissions by creating a reason not to release carbon into the air by walking and biking and use public transportation. The way we get the prize money is by tax and cars. That is why I'd make this raffle. Secondly, I'd start building houses near schools and businesses. By doing this, I lower carbon emission sends us a short drive to school or work. Also, since schools and businesses are so close to the homes, some people just walk to school at work. Those are my reasons for wanting to start building houses near schools and businesses. Finally I'd start building houses near public transportation. This lowers carbon emissions by making it easier to get around using public transportation. Another thing is, a train uses the same amount of fuel no matter how many people are in it, so a full train means less carbon emissions, because then there are less cars on the road. That is my reasoning for wanting to do this. There are so many ways local governments can help fight climate change. That is what I do if I were mayor for a day. I'd help fight climate change.

[02:08:56] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you so much for sharing with all of us. Your passion for fighting climate change and participating in this essay contest. You'll be receiving a certificate of recognition in the mail very soon. And Anya, is there anything you want to share with the rest of the city council? Or I know that, um, that you've probably been learning about local government at school, what got you interested?

[02:09:25] Aanya Raychaudhuri: Well, I don't really know because it's, um, for as long as I can remember, I wanted to help the environment.

[02:09:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: That's so great. And I think the city has been trying a lot. We have a sustainability, action plan, and we're working really hard on a lot of these, but I really liked all of your ideas. And so I think we're just gonna give you a big round of applause. Thank you so much for participating and leading our pledge of allegiance and being our mayor for a day. And what I'm gonna do is ask my colleagues if they have anything that they want to say to you, um, right now. So colleagues, do any of you have anything to share with Anya? Okay, council member Abi Koga.

[02:10:13] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Mayor Anya. It's really great to have you here and I really appreciate your comments. Um, I, I really am, uh, really touched or struck by how, I'm sorry, my dog is playing right here, but, um, let's say, you might hear, but, um, just you, you and your generation really taking climate change or the climate crisis seriously, and, you know, I really look to your generation to lead us, um, through that, and, um, you, you know, you are all, like, great examples of what we need to do to to really address this, um, crisis that we have. So thank you. Thanks for all that you, um, shared and, um, Thanks for being our mayor for the day.

[02:11:04] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yay, thank you. Council member Hicks.

[02:11:09] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Well, I just wanted to say that I really love that you, that you ran for mayor, because, uh, you have some real impactful policy ideas, not just because you wanted to be a big shot, with, with no ideas behind that. And I encourage you to run for mayor. When you're of age, so you can actually implement those. So thank you again.

[02:11:32] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, Council member Shelter.

[02:11:34] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Now, I was going to thank you for all those great ideas that you put forward and say that you potentially have a great career ahead as an environmental engineer.

[02:11:47] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Calvin Berlieber.

[02:11:50] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Miranya, I want to join my colleagues in congratulating you and thanking you for being mayor for a day here in Mountain View. I hope that you'll keep working on your platform. It's very important, all the things that you mentioned. And I think it's only gonna get stronger over time. So I'm looking forward to your public service continuing.

[02:12:12] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yay. Thank you, everyone. So I think what we're gonna do is we're gonna take a quick Zoom picture. So if you don't mind, everybody smile. Say cheese. Alright, ready? One, two, three. Okay, I got it. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Anya, thank you for waiting for us. Sorry we talked too long.

[02:12:33] Aanya Raychaudhuri: Thank you. Bye.

[02:12:37] Mayor Ellen Kamei: All right. So we'll move on to item number 3.2, which is our welcoming week proclamation. Paris, Moha, Moha, Gigi. will join us this evening to accept the proclamation, and the proclamation reads, whereas Mountain View's success depends on ensuring all Mountain View residents feel welcome as new residents are a vital part of our community, bringing fresh perspectives and new ideas, starting businesses and contributing to the vibrant diversity we value. And whereas during welcoming week, we honor the spirit of unity that brings neighbors together across the city. And whereas all residents of Mountain View are invited to join the movement of communities nationwide by renewing our commitment to core American values and by taking action in the spirit of welcoming. And whereas by working together, we can achieve greater prosperity and make our city a place where diverse people from the around the world feel valued. And whereas regardless of our birthplaces or appearances, we are all mountain view residents, united in our efforts to build a stronger city, and we make our community more prosperous and more inclusive to all who call it home when we recognize the contributions we all make to create a vibrant culture and a growing economy. And whereas let us come together to build communities, where every resident has the opportunity to contribute at their best, to create more prosperous communities, and to reinfirm that mountain view steel stands as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. Now, therefore, I am a mayor of the city of Mountain View, along with my colleagues on the city council, do hereby proclaim the week of October 10th, through October 16th, 2021 as a welcoming week. Hi Harris, thanks for your patience with us. Would you like to say a few words and maybe introduce yourself to the council?

[02:14:26] Harris Mojadedi: Thank you, Mayor Kamai. members of the city council, Harrismoji Didi. I am a proud son of Afghan refugees, born here in the United States in Fremont, California, and I'm with the Afghan coalition, the oldest direct service provider in the San Francisco Bay Area. For those of you that don't may not know, the San Francisco Bay Area is home to the largest concentrations of Afghans outside of Afghanistan. And I'm going to be very honest with you, the past 2 months have been extremely difficult for our community. We have had, I, the son of refugees have had to witness, you know, what I couldn't imagine, what my parents experienced 40 years ago when they fled their homeland. I have family members who I wasn't able to evacuate, who whose lives are still at risk every day who I am trying so desperately to bring here. And my story is not unique, countless members of our community right here in Mountain View, across the Barrier and across this country are experiencing this, but I'm so grateful for this proclamation for welcoming week. These refugees that we have now in this country. They share our values, they share our ideals. These are folks, these are people that have protected our armed service members. They share the same values. They've supported our institutions. And so it's so incredibly important that we welcome these new arrivals. I think about Mountain View. I think about Silicon Valley and its immigrants that makes this country great. And so I'm so, again, honored to be here this evening to, you know, it's virtual, accept this proclamation and really accepting it on behalf of the Afghan-American community, the refugees that are not yet here yet, who desperately just want freedom, who just want to have the opportunity for life and the pursuit of happiness. And so I'll accept this proclamation on their behalf and really thank you for just allowing me to be here tonight and yeah, thank you.

[02:16:27] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you so much, Harris, for joining us, and I know that cities across the Bay Area have been recognizing welcoming week and the African community, and so the city of Mountain View is happy to do the same. Would any member of council like to say a few words? Okay, see, oh, council member Hicks, go ahead.

[02:16:50] Councilmember Alison Hicks: I was I was gonna say no more than welcome. Just welcome to all of you. Thank you.

[02:16:56] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes, I love that. Mountain View, we call ourselves a community for all, and this really fits into our values and vision. Thanks so much, Harris. It's great to see you. All right. Thank you. Right. Next, we have item 3.3, which is our national breast cancer awareness month proclamation, and I believe we have police chief Christian and Fire Chief Juan Diaz to join us to accept the proclamation. The proclamation reads, whereas breast cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in women, and one of the leading causes of cancer related death. And whereas doctors estimate that about 5% to 10% of breast cancers are hereditary, and individuals who family history puts them at increased risk for breast cancer, should discuss with their doctor or qualified health professional, proper prevention and early diagnosis strategies. And whereas during the month of October, with bold pink ribbons displayed proudly in the community. Family, friends, and neighbors stand in solidarity with breast cancer survivors, and reaffirm our commitment to raising awareness of this disease. Whereas national breast cancer awareness month serves as an opportunity to increase awareness of the disease and encourage individuals to have a plan to detect the disease in early stages. For these individuals and for their loved ones who give their unwavering support during the most trying times. We recommit ourselves to the essential and necessary work. Of forging a future free from cancer in all forms. Now, therefore, I, Ellen, command mayor of the city of Mountain View, along with my colleagues on the city council, to hereby proclaim the month of October, as national breast cancer awareness month in the city of Mountain View, and ask the community to join in activities that will increase awareness of breast cancer or prevention. Police achieve Shang and Fire Chief Diaz. Would you like to say a few words?

[02:18:58] Fire Chief Juan Diaz: one VS Fire Chief. We're honored to partner with the city council and bring this important attention to this very deadly disease for early detention and treatment. During the month of October, you will see our firefighters wearing this shirt. I have a, there's some of you are wearing tonight also. And also behind me, that's what it looks like from the back. But thank you very much, very much for bringing attention to this cause. And the proceeds of the t-shirts that we say, we'll go to nonprofit, uh, cancer prevention, breast cancer prevention entities. Thank you very much.

[02:19:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thanks so much, Chief Diaz. Chief Sean?

[02:19:38] Police Chief Chris Hsiung: Thank you, mayor and members of council, um, echoing the fire chiefs statements. This is a topic that has hit us close to home as we have had staff in the past, who've had to deal with this. And so very much in support of this, for the month of October as well, we have pink versions of our police patch that the police officers association sells for $10 each and all of the proceeds for that go to cancer care point. So, again, something we're very happy to be a part of.

[02:20:08] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you so much. Would any member of council like to say a few words? Council member Abi Koga?

[02:20:16] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Mayor. I just want to offer my thanks to both our fire and police departments for their support in the city, for their support of best cancer awareness month, as a survivor who just reached my five-year milestone. Um, it, um, it, um, means a lot to me to have the support. Um, definitely, you know, asset, uh, folks go out and get screened because that's really the best way to, um, to, to detect. And early, early detection, I think, is the key to, um, being cured. Um, so I think, um, or again, our departments and our entire city for raising that awareness and ask our community to, um, definitely be sure to get your appointments done and get get screened. Thank you.

[02:21:11] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Congratulations on your 5 year mark. Council member Hicks.

[02:21:19] Councilmember Alison Hicks: I was just gonna echo what council member Ebekoga just said as a almost one year survivor. Um, and it really is important, early detection is important. Thank you.

[02:21:33] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. And I couldn't, couldn't let it go without us trying to take another screenshot photo. People don't mind. I know it's hard to see the shirts. We're all strategically trying to wear them. Um, but I'm going to, if folks don't mind, take a quick, uh, take a quick photo. Um, of our of our support for breast cancer month. All right, ready? Okay, one, two, three. Okay. Got it. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Chief Diaz. Thank you, Chief Sean. And thank you to Council member Hicks and Council member Robbe Hoga for sharing their personal stories with us as well and reminding us to get screened. Thank you everyone. All right, so we can move on to item 3.4, which is our compassion week proclamation. Yvonne Murray, compassion week program manager for the Los Altos United Methodist Church, joins us this evening to accept the proclamation. The proclamation reads. Whereas Los Altos, Mountain View Community Foundation, Fremont Bank, Los Altos, United Methodist Church, St. Nicholas and St. William, Catholic Parish, St. Nicholas Catholic School. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Shabbod of Los Altos, Congregation, Coal Ameth, Congregation at Haim, and the Pacifica Institute have joined together to sponsor Compassion Week 2021. And whereas the vision of Compassion Week is to build a strong, compassionate, and empathetic community by creating service and learning opportunities for volunteers to expand their understanding of local and global needs. And whereas the purpose of compassion week is to build community, bridge devise, and promote understanding and healing through acts of social justice. And whereas all members of the Mountain View community, regardless of age, ability, or skills, are invited to contribute their talents and energy to participation in compassion, weak projects, and activities help make Mountain View a more caring and just community. Now, therefore, I, Ellen Kumay, may have the city of Mountain View, along with my colleagues on the city council, to hereby proclaim the week of October 11th through October 17th, 2021, as Compassion Week. And um, I encourage all residents to unite together to in service to our community through participation in compassion week activities. I acknowledge and appreciate the sponsors of our compassion week for their efforts to bring community members together in service to others, and offer thanks to every volunteer whose efforts strengthen our city, and improve the lives of our neighbors. They think to hear more about what Compassion Week is all about and the activities and the events we have Yvonne. Would you like to say a few words?

[02:24:31] Yvonne Murray: Sure, I would love to. Um, I would start by saying that we started Compassion Week a little bit early on Saturday with a faith and blue event with in partnership with the Mountain View Police Department where we packed hygiene kits and we had an opportunity for the kids who were a little too young to pack hygiene kits to put cards of care into those kits. We had 31 people show up for that event. So that was awesome. We have events going on all through the week. We expect to have about 3500 volunteers over the course of the week. We've had people from our community going out to Half Moon Bay and cleaning the beaches. We have playhouses being built. We have little pantries being built to be able to feed people who are experiencing food insecurities. There are a lot of great events and we have a lot of opportunities. It's happen in place in Mountain View this weekend, where the community is really coming out to support each other.

[02:25:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. And if people want to find out more about Compassion Week, is there a website or something we can go to?

[02:25:42] Yvonne Murray: Of course there's a website. It's really easy to remember. It is Compassion Week Los Altos.org.

[02:25:48] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. Appreciate it, and thanks for leading and being the Compassion Week ambassador for this. Would any members of council like to say a few words or have any questions for Yvonne? All right. I'm not seeing any, but I know that we're all really grateful for everything that you're doing particularly in the city of Mountain View. So thank you so much.

[02:26:13] Yvonne Murray: Okay, thank you.

[02:26:14] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. All right, colleagues, thank you so much for getting through those 1st 3 items. I know that we've been going since five, so perhaps we'll use this opportunity to take a quick break. So why don't we take a 10 minute break, um, and come back at 7.36. Does that work for colleagues? Okay, great. See everyone in 10 minutes.

[02:27:06] (archive recording) Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, everyone, welcome back. Thank you so much. So we'll move on to item four, which is our consent calendar. These items will be approved by one motion unless any member of the council wishes to remove an item for discussion. The reading of the full text of resolutions and ordinances will be waived unless a council member requests otherwise. As a reminder, the purpose of the consent calendar is for the council to efficiently and quickly consider a high volume of routine, or administrative business items with one motion. Although council members may remove items, it is generally not intended for the council to have a lengthy substantive discussion on consent calendar items. Would any member of the council like to pull an item? Council member leave her.

[02:37:34] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, mayor. I'd like to pull 4.5.

[02:37:38] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. 4.5. Great. Counselor Manachek.

[02:37:44] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. I also was interested in pulling 4.5 as well as 4.4 and I have a comment on 4.6.

[02:37:54] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Would you like to do your comment now or later?

[02:37:57] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: I can do the comment now. Um, I really appreciate um, the public art that we will have at the park, but going forward. I would love it if the visual arts committee, um, and staff could also consider functional art instead of as one person called it, plop art. Um, I think functional art really adds to the character of, especially a park, and so I'd like to see more of that going forward. Thank you.

[02:38:32] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Okay. All right. Would any member of the public on the line like to provide comment on any item on the consent calendar? If so, please click the raise hand button in Zoom or press star 9 on your phone. We'll display a 2 minute timer on the screen. Robert Cox.

[02:39:02] Robert Cox: Hey, should I just start with whichever item?

[02:39:06] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Sure, if you want to list them as your 4.4 and 4.5.

[02:39:13] Robert Cox: Okay, so my clock's running, so I guess I have to do them both. in one, 2 minute period. 4.4. 4.4. I'm speaking as a member of the steering committee of Little Mound View. We already sent a letter to the cop. counsel on this topic, indicating our support. moving forward staff proposal. We are also asking the selection of a consultant via separate consent calendar items of the public and weigh in on the choice of the consultant. We had a livable amount, you were asking for someone with a proven track record for preserving historic buildings and places, and we are happy to talk to staff about this outside our council session. We also request a broad outreach to all residents of Mountain View, not those who just live a few feet away from our historic downtown retail district. And now for 4.5. While I generally support the scope of services outlined in the staff report, I am concerned about the line item, which suggests that we make an active effort to attract biotech companies to our city. If there is one thing our city has done, well, is the track tech companies, to Mountain View. So well, in fact, that we have been left with a host of other problems, to solve, like, income, inequality, and housing, on affordability. So let's concentrate on the areas that we have a defined need for intervention, travel industry, retail, and small business. Thank you. I yield my time.

[02:40:37] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. Peter Katz.

[02:40:43] Peter Katz: Thank you, Mayor Kme. I'm Peter Cat, CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce, which is the voice. support of engaging professionals to develop a comprehensive vitality strategy. Our businesses are dying, and we need serious and thoughtful long term thinking, not just short term decisions, to turn things around. The past year has fundamentally changed the way the world does business, and we need to adapt. Key elements to address include how to activate bacon storefronts, the look, feel, attractiveness of our shopping districts, things like lighting, music, artwork, and a significant analysis of our permitting process. Making Mountain View an easier place to open a new storefront, to pivot operations, and to conduct commerce, especially amidst volatile conditions, is a complex task, and will require time and integrated planning to succeed. The chamber stands ready to actively work with the city on this essential endeavor. Thank you.

[02:41:49] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. Ed and Mary.

[02:41:57] Mary Hodder: Yes, uh, this is Mary Hodter, and again, thanks for the opportunity to speak. Um, so I wanted to speak on 4.4 and 4.5. First of all, very short on 4.4.4. I just want to 2nd everything that Robert Cox mentioned and say that as I speak with our neighbors. And folks who use the downtown a lot. Uh, they have very similar sentiments and I hear this all the time on a daily basis, especially as we do work on our house with contractors and construction folks that come over and say, oh, mountain views downtown is fantastic. And the historic nature of it. They may not use that term, but they that's what they're responding to. And they love the charm. So, everything Robert said. 4.5. I too want to call out the biotech reference. I am very concerned about the notion that we would hire somebody whose position, I think, in the past when Alex Andrade and others were either slated or set up to do it. Um, was focused on the small business in particularly the, you know, I look at the 200 block of our Castro Street, which has many vacancies and struggling businesses, um, that we would put any focus at all on attracting any tech business. We are overwhelmed with tech. That has created a housing problem, a transit problem, a park problem. We don't have enough parks for the number of people that are here is mandated by the state. We've got all sorts of issues that, um, offices bring. And so I would prefer that we have no emphasis at all on offices and tech, and instead that we really focus on enhancing our downtown and the small businesses that are there that desperately need our help. And so that is where I would prefer that position really spend their time. Uh, emphasizing. Thank you.

[02:43:59] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Alex Brown.

[02:44:03] Alex Brown: Hey, I just wanted to say how excited I am to see that the La Vanita housing project is moving forward as a neighbor. I'm very excited to have more neighbors up here. especially affordable housing. So we can make sure that people have a place to live. Thanks.

[02:44:23] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Sophie Alcorn?

[02:44:29] Sophie Alcorn: Thank you, Mericame. My name is Sophie Alcorn. I am a small business owner in Mountain View of Alcourt immigration law. I'm a resident. I'm a mom of 2 kids at Landl's, and I serve on the board of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, and I wanted to speak to 4.5. Um, as a small business owner and somebody who works with startups. I'm seeing the cracks in our city. As a small business owner. It's very difficult for me to hire. I've been looking for somebody with college level background entry level experience for over a year for an office job, and I can't find anybody. And I see that startup founders are no longer interested in coming to Mountain View. I support top global talent from all over the world who are creating startups, and they're flocking to other parts of the United States. And I think it's very important for the consultant to explore the role of all startups in our community, not just biotech, so that we can take an affirmative stance about how much we want that in our community, in the future. If we take, if we continue to take a passive approach, innovation is definitely flocking elsewhere, and Mountain View will probably not continue to benefit in the long term from a continued passive approach. Thank you so much. I yield my time.

[02:46:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. All right, and I think that could, oh. And I have Bruce England.

[02:46:14] Bruce England: Thank you. Uh, Bruce England, Wisman Station Drive for Mound Due Coalition for Sustainable Planning and Green Space is MV. On 43, just want to voice our support for the La Bonita project as well. And on item 45, uh, to express concern about the focus on, um, on downtown necessarily that there are businesses all over Mountain View, potential businesses that could appear in Mountain View, and if we want to promote village centers and 15 minute cities, which we do. We need to focus on businesses throughout the city. And also thinking beyond high tech, as it's been said before, and think about all kinds of other business interests that need to be promoted within our city. Thank you.

[02:47:00] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. All right, that looks like it concludes public comment. So we will bring, um, item 4, um, the consent calendar back to council. So, um, this now requires council action, and note that a motion to approve the consent calendar should include reading the title of the resolutions attached to items 4.one and 4.2 and we note that item 4.4 and 4.5 were pulled. Council member Abecoga.

[02:47:38] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to go ahead and make a motion to approve the balance of the consent calendar, excluding 4.4 and 4.5, and that includes 4.one, adopting a resolution of the city council, the city of Mountain View, approving the final map of track number 10567, 851 and 8 oh, I'm sorry, 10567, which is 851 and 8530 Vista Avenue, accepting dedications and making findings as required by the city code. In 4.2, adopted resolution of the city council, the city of Mountview, approving master agreement, administrating agency. State agreement for state funded projects number 04 dash 5124 S21. Thank you.

[02:48:24] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you, Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[02:48:28] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: All 2nd the motion.

[02:48:29] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, so we have a motion by council member Abe Koga, 2nded by Vice Mayor Ramirez. We'll do the roll call book, please.

[02:48:38] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Abbe Koca. Vice may Ramirez.

[02:48:43] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Yes.

[02:48:44] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Hicks?

[02:48:47] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes.

[02:48:47] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Liever?

[02:48:49] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Oh yeah.

[02:48:50] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Manachek?

[02:48:51] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes.

[02:48:52] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Shelter?

[02:48:54] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Yes.

[02:48:54] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Mayor, can I?

[02:48:57] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[02:48:58] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Ocean Carries 70.

[02:49:00] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. So, um, if council members don't mind, I'm just going to do them in um, numerical order. Is that okay? Even though they got pulled in different orders. I figure it's easier to just go down. Okay. So we'll start with item 4.4, which was council member Mattachek.

[02:49:16] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. So, um, I appreciate that this is, this topic is coming to us, um, because I'm anxious to get going on this one. Um, but I, uh, do want to suggest a couple of tweaks to what's being proposed. And the 1st one is, I think it's really important to have a consultant that has a track record of, um, working to preserve historic resources in the Bay Area, as members of the public said. Um, I think, um, going to be very candid here. The last consultant we had. Didn't hit the mark for me. And so I want to make sure that, um, we, make sure that the folks who would be maybe a better fit for this, uh, project, are contacted, and to that end, I would like the folks from Livable Mountain View to provide a list of folks they recommend to staff. There might be others as well that staff recommends, but I want to make sure that we cast the net more widely. Um, before we decide, um, on who will work on this important project for us. And um, I also agree with the 2nd comment that I think we need to cast uh, the net wide when it comes to public input. We have historic resources primarily in the downtown area, but, um, The downtown area is important to everyone who lives in Mountain View. And so I want to make sure everyone has a say. So those are the 2 modifications I would add to what staff is proposing.

[02:50:59] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, and I think we have staff available. Um, Mr. Vastava.

[02:51:08] Aarti Shrivastava: Yes. Mayor Kamei, I'm happy to respond to that. We had actually plan to include both items. Um, and, uh, you know, we were gonna cast a net wide. We had planned on connecting with livable Mountain View and other people who had come forth with some recommendations so that we could expand our list of consultants. And we do intend to do citywide public outreach on this because the list of historic structures that could be on the register is citywide. And so both of those are already included in the in the scope of work.

[02:51:49] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: That is very good news. Thank you.

[02:51:54] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Wonderful. Thank you. Council member Hicks.

[02:51:59] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So I strongly support both of those modifications, or maybe they're not modifications, maybe they were foreseen. Um, in addition, I think that, uh, Mr. Cox and maybe Ms. Hadra also spoke about, um, no, wider noticing than we've done in the past for, uh, historic, potentially threatened historic structures, um, in part because of what speakers have been saying about people citywide and being concerned, uh, about them as part of the city's identity. So I would like to ask for wider noticing than has been done in the past as well.

[02:52:40] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Mr. Vasso, did you want to respond?

[02:52:43] Aarti Shrivastava: Yeah, in response, we do plan to cast on that citywide to start. And then as structures are identified, um, we can do one more sweep of citywide, but we'll certainly be, um, contacting, um, any other property owners whose properties are on the register. or propose to be on the register.

[02:53:06] Councilmember Alison Hicks: I guess I was speaking in terms of a threatened structure, noticing more than just the usual number of feet around that so that people who were in a wider vicinity could come and speak at council meetings.

[02:53:21] Aarti Shrivastava: Um, if you are um, talking about potential changes to the historic coordinates, we could certainly incorporate some of that, but, um, this project um, would have 2 big changes. One is, it would update the historic ordinance, and secondly, it would look at updating the register. Um, and so we would certainly cast the net citywide to get public input on both of those. And then when the ordinance amended, it could be amended to reflect what you suggest.

[02:53:52] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Okay, one of the options. Okay, thank you.

[02:54:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[02:54:06] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. I am happy to 2nd the motion that either council member Mattachek or council member Hicks makes. Thank you.

[02:54:14] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Counseling or how to check.

[02:54:18] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: I wasn't sure if you were going to take these both at the same time when it came to the motions or not, but I'm happy to make the motion. Um, but to approve the staff recommendation on 4.4.4. Because it sounds like it incorporates everything we wanted anyway. So, no tweaks needed.

[02:54:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Okay. And I guess, I had hoped to take them at the same time. So perhaps we can go to item 4.5 and and Vice Mayor, you can, um, you can 2nd whoever makes the motion for the 2 items. How about that? Does that work? Okay. Um, Item 4.5 council member leader.

[02:55:07] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, Mayor. Um, well, I I pulled this item, um, hoping to see if we can, um, make some additions and some deletions. Um, council has put uh, a very great emphasis on an equity lens during this year. And I would like to see some inclusion in this plan of, um, micro enterprise for uh, underrepresented community members. Um, and what the opportunities would be there, what the best practices are. Um, I'd also like to see us. put an emphasis on uh, business retention. Uh, for underrepresentative community members um, and businesses. And, um, then really working to identify what are the residents' needs and desires in terms of uh, retail and and the future, um, evolution of our mini malls. And then also, um, a study, um, question in terms of the availability and cost of childcare in our community. And this is probably one of the the foremost issues that is, um, impacting the ability of of individuals to, uh, go back to work in, um, the environment that we're in right now. Um, is just strictly the the expense of childcare and the difficulty in in finding quality childcare. And then as many of the speakers have, um, indicated, uh, I am not in favor of seeing how we can, um, uh, recruit biotech and more high tech into our community. Um, we are a community that is under a lot of pressure right now. We don't have housing for the businesses that we have here. Um, And so I think that we should, we should work on the issues that we have before really engaging in recruiting, um, in that sense. And, um, then in terms of the the piece about, um, business and visitor, travel, tourism, et cetera. I don't feel like we need a paid consultant to study that at this time. I think we all know what the conclusions are there. And, um, it's it's very easy to foresee that it's going to take some time for conference type business to come back. Um, for real business travel, uh, to be a part of things. And I would like to, um, keep that money in our pocket, um, however much of the pie that is. Um, I think that if we already know the answer to a question, then we probably don't need to pay someone to answer it. Um, but I would like to, um, really see what are the possibilities for, um, micro enterprise and for, um, uh, equity, uh, based, uh, business development and retention. Um, how can we meet our residents needs? What can the evolution of our, um, parking lot mini malls be? And, um, how can we look at, uh, the situation of childcare in our community and start to develop some, um, policy around that and, um, maybe pick up on best practices from other communities.

[02:59:09] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Hey, thank you, council member Hicks.

[02:59:13] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So I strongly support the modifications that council member Liber just made. I think every single one of them. I don't think I disagree with any of them. I also agree with many of the speakers that, you know, we, at this point, don't need to attract more jobs and more big businesses. Um, but that we do. Also, the Chamber, Mr. Katz, the Chamber Speaker. I do think we need to look at business retention at some of the things like, and I think council member Abbe Koga spoke about this also when we were talking about the pedestrian mall and said maybe it would come up under this item, and for me, it does. You know, things like permit streamlining, the downtown businesses have said they would do for if they could have pop up events and have the permitting for that streamlined, improve. I know sometimes this word just looked down on, but attractiveness, if you're talking about restaurants and entertainment, the attractiveness of the downtown, and, yeah, and focusing on filling vacancies and particularly anchor vacancies. And as other people have said, not just in the downtown, but kind of looking at the village centers that are envisioned in the general plan, and looking, are there vacancies in those areas, and also the some of our shopping plazas, like the one that formerly had REI, bedbath, and beyond, um, that, some of those, um, shopping plazas have really been impacted by both COVID and online shopping. And I think they're ready for, you know, possible reconfiguration. And I would like to know, I would like to know more about that. You know, maybe mixed use, some of them may be appropriate for mixed use with differently configured parking and housing in the mix. So those are the kinds of things along with the things that council member Lieber, the Micro Enterprise, and enterprises for underrepresented groups, and daycare. those are the kinds of things that I would like to see this study focus on. Or this study, this person focus on.

[03:01:41] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Bye, Mayor Ramirez.

[03:01:44] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. I think, in some respects, hindsight is 2020, and if we could go back in time, we probably would have had a study session to flesh out some of the concepts in the scope of services. This is a really big and meaty item. And I think all of us have a lot of interesting ideas to contribute to it. And so I, um, don't envy whoever takes on the task of making the motion to approve the scope because it will probably include, include a lot of other stuff. Um, so I, I like a lot of the, uh, suggestions that, um, council member Lieber made and, and in particular, the, um, childcare component. I think that's, uh, some, something that's desperately needed in our community and it would be helpful to understand, uh, what we can do to incentivize, um, the creation of additional space and, um, you know, ways to attract businesses that provide that service, um, the one area. I think we might want to. Maybe, uh, focus on a little bit is, uh, we have a lot of industrial land that promotes a certain type of buildings, um, that attracts certain types of tenants. And I totally understand the office fatigue in our community. But, nevertheless, we have, you know, many, many acres of land that are zoned for offices. And maybe instead of thinking about it as how do we attract, um, you know, uh, bio, I forgot what the term that was used is, uh, biotech and medical and that kind of thing. We might want to think about what type of building, um, does, does the industrial zoning districts, or do the industrial zoning districts tend to promote what types of tenants, tend to occupy those buildings, and are those industries or or sectors that we want to incentivize or promote in Mountain View? I do think at some point, um, uh, in a valuation of the development standards, in the commercial, in industrial zoning districts, will be necessary. Um, we have a lot, not only the conventional zoning districts, but precise plans that were adopted 15, 20, 30 years ago, may have made sense at that time, but don't make as much sense now. Um, and it would be good to think about what types of businesses do we want to attract in those areas. So if it's not biotech specific, at least, um, including, uh, some direction to evaluate the zoning districts and the precise plan that focus on commercial and industrial uses, and seeing what types of businesses go into those areas now, and whether that's congruent with our vision for those areas. Um, and I don't have great language for that. But I do think some zoning analysis will be helpful. The only thing I would like to add, the ornament on this Christmas tree is an exploration of a vacancy tax, because what we've observed, especially in downtown, but also in my neck of the woods, the San Antonio area, is there are a lot of perennially vacant storefronts. This is an idea that I learned about from, um, planning commission share Cranston, who has a business in San Francisco, um, who uh, was able to benefit from a commercial vacancy tax up there. that incentivized the property owner who had kept an area vacant to allow him to expand his business because now there was a financial incentive to fill that vacancy. Um, I don't have strong feelings about how it's structured, whether we give folks a few years, you know, to to make good faith effort to fill, um, their, their, um, you know, their commercial property, but I do think it could serve as a powerful tool to fill, um, blighted and perennially vacant commercial area. So that's, if there's anything that we add, that's the one thing I would like to suggest.

[03:06:09] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Council member Mattachek?

[03:06:12] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thanks. So, um, the reason I wanted to discuss this one, hold it, um, along with others, is because, um, I feel, like, it, um, is really important that we address helping the businesses that are here, survive and also retain those businesses. More so than how do we attract additional businesses or future things. And so I was thinking more of phasing this project. Um, because the length of time that it's estimated that this is going to take is quite long. And I feel that we need to do something sooner than that. And so, you know, I'm open to a lot of the things that were discussed here, but in the end, I feel like I want to focus on, right here and now, how do we help our businesses recover and how do we retain what we have. And a lot of the things we said we would look at, I think, fall into that category. Um, I don't mind looking at future stuff because we don't really know what the future holds. And so we might be in a position that we need to attract companies. Um, I don't feel compelled to do that right now. Um, maybe a year or 2 years from now we do that. Um, Because I also think things might change in that period of time. And, um, we might need something different in a couple years if we want to do that. So I'd like to break it into 2 phases if folks are open to that. Thanks.

[03:07:49] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you, Councilman Abi Koga.

[03:07:52] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Mayor. Um, I certainly appreciate and support council member Metachek's um, comments about, um, how to help, uh, retain, uh, and, um, our, our existing businesses. Um, I, I, I think, um, I also, um, appreciate, uh, vice mayor's comments, um, I think a lot of this, uh, land use has a big place in, in what we're talking about. Um, and I mentioned, um, I think at our last meeting, I report out from the Cal Cities conference, and I attended the workshop on retail businesses, and, um, you know, the thing there was retail is still here, and it's here to stay, but it's gonna be in a different form. And, um, you know, one example they, they provided and I, I know this one might be a little controversial from the sustainability or um, sustainability standpoint, but, um, you know, they were talking about a lot of these order online, but pick up locally type of businesses. That's what's starting to appear more. And, you know, drive-throughs, which we sort of banned because of the car issue, but it's like, well, maybe with more EVs that's more acceptable. I don't know, but I think we have to be. I think we should be looking at that, the changing face of retail, and how we can adapt to that, how we can adapt, you know, our zoning, our land use, um, um, guidelines to to the change in, uh, face of retail. So that's what I'm hoping that we can look at. Um, I appreciate the phasing. My only thought is that this retail component, it's already happening. So I don't know if like waiting, you know, before the next phase. I don't, if that'll take a few years, we might miss the boat, so I would say, you know, we should probably start looking at at that. now. Um, in terms of, um, the, um, equity piece. I certainly support that. One thing about childcare, to say is that, um, we've looked at childcare over the years. Um, there was a, we actually made some changes to our, um, zoning and requirements to make it easier for daycares to open up. And we actually had quite a few, open up since then. We've also looked at daycare, affordable daycare. From the perspective of our child care facility. And there's just a lot of challenges there because basically there's just not enough funding, um, to provide subsidized childcare. So, I don't know how much more there is to see, look at that at this point in time. You know, I can't remember what we did with, um, in terms of like companies and I get, you know, requiring companies of certain size to have childcare. I know like the big companies do. So I'm not really sure how much more there is to do there. You know, certainly we can do a review, but I feel like we've done that quite a bit over the last 10 years or so. So that would just be my comment. Thanks.

[03:11:01] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you, council member, show Walter.

[03:11:05] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Yeah, I'm really concerned about helping the businesses that are here now. And also, um, uh, helping to fill those, uh, vacancies, um, that, that, that, you know, apparently 30% of the downtown stores are vacant. And I'm not sure what it is along San Antonio, but, um, it's not healthy to have 30% vacant. And I understand the downtown committee has put up a great exhibit in one about, um, the new play at theater works. That's great. I mean, there's, you know, there's some things that can be done, um, on a, um, you know, on a temporary basis to vitalize those, those storefronts that are really attractive, and that's great. But I think, really, the, um, the point of the matter comes that we need to, um, what the city can do is help, um, our businesses work through any, any roadblocks, we are, or permitting processes that we are putting in the way. And one of the things that was brought up in our small business plan was sort of a one stop shop, uh, place for businesses to go to to help to get help. And I understand that that's being worked on, and we're not quite there yet. But I think emphasis on that. What really are the helps we can give business owners as they work through whatever project they're working on. Um, that's very important. We wanna change... I mean, Mountain View has now gotten a reputation in being one of the hardest places on the peninsula to business. We want to reverse that. We want Mountain View to be an easy place, a pleasant place to do business. And I think part of that is making our city processes work better. So that's what I hope, that one of the things that I hope that this, um, you know, this project is going to, um, really narrow in on, is one of the things that can be done to help our small businesses, um, get through city processes, and identify, maybe some that are antiquated, that we need to get rid of or change. Thank you.

[03:13:28] Mayor Ellen Kamei: So, um, hearing a lot of, oh, Council member, Lieber, go ahead. Sorry.

[03:13:36] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Well, I was just gonna attempt to motion.

[03:13:39] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. Yeah, I was gonna, I was gonna, um, give Mr. Lang an opportunity to provide some feedback or maybe if he has anything. I think we've given him a lot of different comments before we went into emotion, I just wanted to give him the opportunity. as well as a city manager to maybe weigh in and maybe similar to item 4.4 kind of here if certain things are already down the path or already being thought of. Um, Ms. McCarthy, Mr. Lang, do you have anything you'd like to add? Oh, Mr. Basar, are you going to be answering this one as well?

[03:14:09] Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Aarti Shrivastava: Yes, please. Mayor Kame, um, uh, I just wanted to, I think listening to the council has been extremely helpful and useful. And I'm happy to report that a lot of what the council has said is already included in the scope, the one piece that we had not factored, which is a great idea, is the equity lens. And that would be a good motion to make with a modification. But I wanted to go through some of the items that were brought up, just to assure the council that, um, our goal really was to do, to bring data and research, um, uh, to the project so that the, the 1st touch point that the council saw, was the data and research that showed, um, examples of very much what the council was talking about, which is what's going on with retail today. How should we be looking at this? Um, you know, what are the land uses, um, you know, should we update our land use tables to reflect today's businesses versus the ones that were in place 50, 60, 70 years ago? Um, also talking about, um, how the city's vision and goals play into the economic vitality of businesses are existing businesses. How do we treat or not, not just our vacant storefronts, but also vacant buildings or big boxes. What are the interim uses that would help, um, until bigger a permanent change takes place? All of these would be, this would be data that we'd provide to the council, and then the council can then make policy choices. So our recommendation wouldn't be to limit the data and research, but to allow that to move forward, and then the council can make policy choices about the where they want to go with some of this. The strategy is actually a framework for how the city should be looking at economic vitality. In the long term. And then in the short term, we can address a lot of the items that the council brought up, which is do we want to focus on the downtown? Do we want to look at how we activate village centers? Um, you know, how do we address the bed bath and beyond, um, you know, buildings that are lying fallow, um, until bigger change happens? So all those are folded into the current scope of work, the only piece that we don't have right now is the equity lens. Um, I'm happy to answer all the questions, but, um, really, that was, I wanted to convey that a lot of what the council is talking about has been included, but we would want to do the data and research, so the council can make some informed decisions about, you know, what does the landscape for business look like in the future?

[03:17:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, thank you. I think I think that's helpful. Um, Council member Lieber, would you kind of hearing from Mr. Vastava, would you like to go forward and try to make the motion or get more questions or?

[03:17:15] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Well, um, I can, uh, go ahead and and, um, uh, try emotion here, and I think that if we, um, err on the side of providing, you know, maybe additional input that is already in what staff is intending, then, um, that will just be to the good. Um, I, I do think that it sounds like there's a majority of council that is, is, um, would, would put the brakes on the biotech recruitment and, and some of the other, um, items in favor of, uh, retention of the existing businesses and put the emphasis there. So I'll go ahead and attempt a emotion. Um, I'd like to move that we approve the scope of services for the economic vitality strategy professional services request for proposal. And that we delete, um, from this, what's in the staff report, the, um, business and visitor travel tourism item, uh, the biotech recruitment. And that we, um, put an emphasis on, uh, current business retention, uh, micro enterprise, and other strategies for, um, under representative, community, underrepresented community members. Um, and that we, um, also put an emphasis on, um, in terms of retail, uh, residents needs, and commercial transition, um, that we, uh, explore uh, vacancy tax and other vacancy strategies. And that we have a report on best practices. In terms of more childcare availability and affordability in the community as a business issue.

[03:19:39] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[03:19:44] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. So I appreciate the motion. I'm uncomfortable with fully deleting the business and visitor travel and biotech items, I would be okay with deprioritizing them, but I do think that there might be some valuable data collection. We don't have to explicitly pursue a strategy to, you know, encourage biotech companies to come here. But I do think it would be helpful to understand what do our current zoning standards facilitate and encourage because it might already be biotech. I don't know. But if we don't want it to be, then an evaluation of what is the industrial zoning districts in particular, say, or what, what are, what are they telling the business community, and is that really what we want would be valuable? And I don't think there's harm in understanding biotech. I don't think we necessarily need to if promote it, but I do think getting some data would be comfortable. So would, Sounds member reliever, would you be comfortable with, with including those, but just deprioritizing them?

[03:20:57] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Um, Well, given that we're talking about, not about what's on staff's work plan or or what might be on the docket informally, what we're talking about, what to put in a request for proposal. So we're actually talking about what we're willing to spend money to develop information on. Um, so I I would be, uh, okay with looking at the zoning side of that. But, I don't want to, I would rather keep money in our pocket. than spend it on finding out how we can chase biotech. Um, because, right now, our community is a balloon, that's full of just about as much water as it can hold. And, um, I, I, I think that this is a relatively small RFP for us, 200 grand. But 200 grand is 200 grand. Um, you know. I really think that any money that stays in our pocket is good money. And, um, so I, I, I think it would be okay, but we, I, I'd appreciate it if we move forward with something like that, if staff really figures out how to deprioritize that so that it's very, very clear on the RFP. Um, Because, uh, I, I, I just, I, I think that the, the value of the taxpayer's money is, you know, I'm, I'm only willing to request information that I actually want. and need at some level. So I see, um, Mr. Vastova's hand up, so I'm gonna give her the opportunity to, to respond.

[03:22:59] Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava: Um, this may, if I'm hoping my input may help a little bit. Um, I, I, I think.

[03:23:15] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Oh, no, did we lose you? Oh, there you are.

[03:23:17] Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava: I believe I've joined as a panelist, so sorry for the little blip, but... Um, I just wanted to assure the council that, um, honestly, the 1st sweep is to do data and research that we bring back to you, and that 1st point is when the council can delete priorities, look at other things. We show you opportunities. And and I don't think we intended to do a separate study on biotech. It was intended as an example of things. So there's no money saved by not specifically studying biotech. It's to look at where is the industry going. What are the opportunities? What's going on around us? And then the council can make decisions on, wait a minute, we're not interested in going in this direction. We want to go in that direction. Um, and it brings together everything we've been doing, including as council member Abbe Koker brought up very, um, uh, very succinctly, that land use is a big part of decision making. And as, as, as Vice Mayor Ramirez said, you know, we need to be looking at how we are acting on all levels to, um, you know, to realize the vision, right? And the 1st thing starts with data and research. So that's all we ask for. I don't think we intended to go down only biotech path at all or make any recommendations. Um, so if, um, I think the balance of it is good, good for us, Um, and maybe you could just acknowledge that we would do overall data and research and bring it back to the council.

[03:24:54] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Okay. You know, I can certainly accept that and any free information that we're given. I don't mind taking it, but I just don't want to pay for it if it's not something that isn't useful.

[03:25:10] Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava: It would just be part of the whole, whole package, you know, the data part.

[03:25:16] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. So, um, I see city manager McCarthy's handup, so I'm going to go to her, and then council member, I'll go to you, but I think we have maybe some clarification here. So, really hoping, um, that we can get emotion. uh city manager McCarthy.

[03:25:36] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Thank you, mayor. So if I could just provide just further context and a suggestion maybe for a path forward on this, excuse me. So as assistant city manager, Mr. Vastava just detailed, really this scope is intended to give the consultant a kind of a wide breath to go look at what is out there, what is happening, bring you all back data, bring you all back research, so then you can react to that and make those policy decisions, as she said. From what I'm hearing, in terms of the interest, the two things that's missing, beyond what we've already included in the scope, and what she just detailed to you, that we will already be doing, are the equity lens piece, and looking at those businesses that have the underrepresented, you know, community members or businesses. So adding that equity lens piece, and then the possibility of a vacancy tax. So those are the 2 overarching things, I think, that aren't already in the scope now, but everything else that's been mentioned. So prioritizing small businesses, looking at permitting, looking at our processes, the future of what's happening, with the mini malls, and the village centers, all that will be incorporated as part of what's happening now, and what you all may be able to react to when you bring when we bring something back to you all. So I would suggest adding those 2 items to the scope, because we do have everything else covered. I would also say that, um, it will be important for counsel to get the information and data about business and visitor travel, especially as we consider a potential TOT revenue measure down the road. We also have various hotel developments in the pipeline right now. So it will be good for us to just ascertain what's happening in Mountain View and what the future may hold. So I would just, um, make sure that we still include that as part of the data and research. Then again, you all can react to that when we bring you back the information from the consultant. So I would just suggest adding those 2 things. And then moving forward on the recommendation from counsel, unless, or excuse me, from staff, unless there's something that I'm missing.

[03:28:00] Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava: I mean, no city manager. I think that that's a good idea, and we we will include everything else. All the other comments are in the scope.

[03:28:08] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Great, thank you.

[03:28:09] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Council member, Matt, check.

[03:28:13] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: So, I'm happy to make a substitute lotion or, um, you know, actually, I always thought that you had to have a 2nd on the 1st motion before you could make a substitute. But then one council meeting. We didn't do that. So now I'm not really sure what the rule is, but, um, what I could do is 2nd council member labor's motion and then do a substitute motion of my own. Which would be the staff recommendation. Um, plus the 2 editions, um, looking at all this through an equity lens and then including the vacancy tax. as well as item 4.4 the staff recommendation.

[03:28:54] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thanks, Counselor. So we're gonna turn to city attorney Chopra for the point of order.

[03:28:59] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, that's fine. Either way, would be fine in terms of the substitute motion. I just wanted to, uh, suggest or recommend that, since there have been substantive recommendations changed, uh, to what was presented to counsel, if the mayor could ask for public comment, uh, on just 4.5 with these revisions, um, that would be, uh, advisable.

[03:29:23] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. So, to clarify, City Attorney Chopra, the procedure that Councilman Mattachek just did is fine.

[03:29:31] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, yes.

[03:29:32] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. And conclude, and I can still take item 4.4 and 4.5 as one motion, or should I separate them, since you're asking for public comment on only 4.5?

[03:29:44] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: You can take them as together. Uh, just, we just need to call for public comment on 4.5 as revised.

[03:29:51] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Appreciate that clarification. All right. Um, Counselor Walter's handup was up 1st and then customer really well, go to you.

[03:29:58] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Just like to 2nd council member Mattachek's motion.

[03:30:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Council member Lieber.

[03:30:10] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, Mayor. a little bit of technological trouble here. Um, I, I, I think that that sounds fine in terms of um, the motion. Um, I would like to, um, really ask that we include the childcare piece and what we're looking at as a jobs issue. Um, it's, it's been identified now as one of the, um, the premier issues that is, um, leading to an equity gap in terms of employment and also affecting, um, the ability of businesses to literally stay open. Um, on many days. And, um, I think it's something that, while it's been studied in the past, um, merits, uh, sometime and energy at this juncture because there has been a very real and meaningful and measurable, loss in childcare, um, during the COVID pandemic. And, um, We know that if, um, childcare is not part of the recovery, that opportunities will not be there for women, um, 1st and foremost. And, um, this, uh, Unfortunately, is is a very gendered issue, and it's something that has changed over time. Um, since the last time that childcare was studied, there has been a reduction in the availability of quality childcare. And I think that, um, if we can, you know, manage to shoehorn biotech in there and and many other things that we can have a very small slice of the pie, uh, for childcare, which has been identified by, uh, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and just about everybody as really being impactful, including, um, uh, employers who have said that they, are having difficulty, um, you know, keeping business open on a day to day basis, um, because of that factor and because of how much it has changed, uh, during the COVID pandemic. So I'd like to ask the, the, uh, maker and seconder if they would consider, um, including the childcare, um, in their their motion and their second.

[03:32:57] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Council mayor Magic.

[03:32:59] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thanks. So I guess I, I'm wondering if Steph has any comments on that. Um, You know, I heard, um, council member Abigail was saying we recently have done a study and do we have data to say that it is an issue in Mountain View and how would, including that impact this project? So I see Ms. Travasov his hand up.

[03:33:24] Assistant City Manager Aarti Shrivastava: Um, we had, I think having heard, um, all the items about the equity lens, we certainly were intending to include that as part of the equity line, so we could look at best practices, for what's being done today, there might be new sources of funding or, um, you know, something that we could study, new, um, uh, resources. Um, and it would just be a sweep of best practices um, to look at options. Again, the strategy is broad. It doesn't go and implement everything. The strategy lays out a framework for implementation. Um, so we, we, it was included in the equity lens, that was our understanding.

[03:34:12] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Oops, sorry about that. So, Council member Matachek. I think the question is still with you, um, about, it sounds like it's included in the equity lens, so I don't think we need to specifically add it.

[03:34:24] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay, great. Thank you. Appreciate that.

[03:34:26] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Councilman, really, where I see your hands, still have art. Okay, are you good? All right. So we, um, have a motion by council member Mattachek. And now I'm forgetting who's 2nd it. Was it you, counselor or show Walter?

[03:34:38] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Yes,

[03:34:38] Mayor Ellen Kamei: okay. I got it right. Um, for this, but I think what we'd like to do is take it as a, as both items, so 4.4 and 4.5. So I think 4.4. Um,

[03:34:55] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Air.

[03:34:56] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Hmm?

[03:34:57] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: If I may, do you want to take public comment on 4.5 before we move forward?

[03:35:03] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yeah, I just wanted to clarify because we had substantive conversation on 4.5. I'd like to take the 2 of them together. I just don't know if we need a single motion.

[03:35:16] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Because if the if the maker of the motion council member Mattachek and council member Showalter would just add, uh, the staff recommendation for 4.4 to their motion, that would that would cover it.

[03:35:29] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Perfect. Thank you. That was the clarity I wasn't eating.

[03:35:32] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: So sorry, I did include 4.4 in my mom.

[03:35:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Oh, Okay, perfect. Sorry. Very good. Okay, perfect. All right, thank you. Now I will go to public comment about 4.5 only. All right, so we'll have the 2 minute timer, and we have, um, Mary Potter, I believe. Go ahead, Mary.

[03:35:56] Mary Potter: Sorry, the onion just came on. Um, so, again, just to confirm, uh, the motion is to, uh, to expand the scope of research about the job description for the guy we're going to eventually hire, I think, um, but maybe you could read the motion in full. Um, but my overall feeling about this is, is that in 2 years or 5 years or if the tech landscape changes, we still are going to have an affordable housing crisis, we're still not going to have enough parks, schools, we're still going to have a transit crisis. I mean, it's, you know, I have to say, I mean, it's nice to collect data, but if the scope of services for collecting the data about the guy's job description is 200 grand. Even $10,000 on exploring getting new tech companies here or where is the tech market going just to be seems like a waste. I would really rather spend $10,000 trying to figure out how we get more affordable housing in our city or other things that the tech companies who are here now have brought us. To me, that's critical. And knowing what's coming in the future, whether it's biotech or something else, like, I don't care. We have people who don't have housing who need to send their kids to school. We have critical issues that the current tech companies have brought us and I just want to see us. doing the right thing. Anyway, that's uh, that's the extent of my comments. Thank you.

[03:37:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. William Lambert.

[03:37:44] William Lambert: Hello, can you hear me?

[03:37:46] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes, we hear you.

[03:37:47] William Lambert: So this is Bill Lambert. I'm a resident of Mauna Loma neighborhood. Um, so I wasn't prepared to speak on this, but I listened to your conversations about uh, sort of the tech industry or the biotech industry and uh, other, um, you know, other businesses of the future, if you want to call them that. Um, I highly encourage you to at least, um, do an assessment of these companies. And they're, uh, how they would help Mountain View. You know, I think it's very important that we have a diversified business community, certainly having more biotech, having alternative energy companies, material science companies, chemistry, and pharmaceuticals, would really help provide a good balance. One thing that's really great about these industries. And I do work in this area, is that they require long term investment. You're going to attract employees and businesses that are going to be here for a long time, and that work with the investment community, work with a lot of other, uh, interact with a lot of other, uh, businesses. And, you know, I think they're, they provide a really strong basis for any, um, any community and, you know, sort of long term growth strategy. And they definitely are, uh, industries of the future that, um, I really would like the, uh, city staff to take a look at. when they think about the future of Bound View. Thank you.

[03:39:21] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Alex Brown.

[03:39:24] Alex Brown: I was just gonna say how excited it was, but the idea of a vacancy tax, and that I think we should extend it, not just to commercial properties, but to all properties, because I think that any land that we have that's going unused or underutilized is a waste that the city has every interest in rectifying. But also, yeah, no, everything Mary said. I think we're in a housing crisis and that a focus on housing and trying to get take care of the people first. And then, you know, like allowing for the rest of the city to function with the people who are secure in it, is a better order of priorities. But yeah, vacancy decks. Let's do it.

[03:40:11] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you, Peter Katz.

[03:40:14] Peter Katz: I Peter cats at the chamber again. At its heart, the motion calls for an assessment, so that deeper investigations and direction can be determined later by the council. The chamber supports the motion, as we will benefit from more data and research to inform our direction and our areas of focus and our future decisions. And it's important to employ professionals to perform these actions. Additionally, attention must be given to keep our existing businesses. Here, we note that there is a sense of urgency, especially amongst our small businesses, as well as a need to chart a longer term course. Thank you.

[03:40:53] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you, Tim Mackenzie.

[03:40:58] Tim McKenzie: Hi, I just want to thank counsel for, or specifically, counsel member Lieber, for bringing up the question about childcare, that's a hugely important issue, and also want to echo the calls for a vacancy text. Uh, I live, uh, block or 2 away from what was once the location of Taqueria La Bamba, not the original place at the corner of Franksdorfen Middlefield, but a place that they were at for several years. They've been making burritos in Mountain View longer than I've been alive. But that building has been empty for months, and it's just sort of sitting there, and before La Bamba turned into a food truck, they said, yeah, we're gonna have to move, 'cause rent's too expensive, and apparently the owner of the place decided that it was better to kick out an institution in mountain view that has been around longer than I've been alive, to let it sit vacant for a while. So, vacancy packs sounds like a great idea.

[03:42:03] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Robert Cox.

[03:42:08] Robert Cox: Oh, thanks. I want to echo the call for the vacancy tax. I remember when we were looking at buildings in the downtown. I had asked city staff about new China delight that it's been bacon for several years and the response that I got that, but, um, we're the owner is not personally engaging with us. They just have their property taxes on auto pay, and we're not even really sure. where they are. So, I mean, I don't think that, you know, holding up faith in our downtown for someone that's, uh, not engaging with us about what we want for our future is the right thing to do. at least if we raise the cost of their current behavior, we might be able to get a response. So please go ahead with that.

[03:43:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, thank you. All right. So this concludes public comment on item 4.4. We have a motion by council member Mattachek, um, 2nded by council member Show Walter. I think we can do a roll call vote.

[03:43:19] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: From Romana check?

[03:43:21] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes,

[03:43:21] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Shelter. Councilformer Shelter?

[03:43:28] Councilmember Pat Showalter: sorry I'm sorry. Yes.

[03:43:33] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Abbe Koca.

[03:43:35] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Hi.

[03:43:36] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Hicks?

[03:43:37] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes.

[03:43:38] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Lieber.

[03:43:40] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Hi.

[03:43:41] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Nice, Mayor Ramirez.

[03:43:43] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Yeah.

[03:43:44] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Mayor, can I?

[03:43:45] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[03:43:46] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Motion case 70 for both items.

[03:43:48] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. Thanks, everyone. So we'll move right along to item five, which is oral communications. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the council on any matter not on the agenda. Speakers are allowed to speak on any topic for up to 3 minutes during collection. State law prohibits the council from acting on non-agenda items. Would any member of the public on the line like to provide comment on this item? If so, please click the raise hand button in Zoom or cross star nine on your phone. Alright, I am not seeing any hands, which means we can move on to item six, which is our public hearing. Item 6. is a public hearing on downtown business improvement areas. Economic vitality manager, John present the report. And Mr. Lange, are you here? Wonderful. welcome back.

[03:44:46] Economic Vitality Manager John Lang: Good evening, Mayor. Members of council have a very brief update. And tonight we are holding the 1st public hearing in the annual renewal process for the downtown business improvement areas, BIAs, as they're known. The 2nd meeting will take place on November 16th, 2021 to approve the renewal. There are 2 business improvement areas. There's BIA number one, which includes all businesses along Castro Street and the side streets. BIA number 2 includes all businesses in the 100, 2300 blocks of Castro Street. The BIA assessments generated from the areas, the 2 areas, are used for specific programming and serve to support the downtown businesses. Any changes to the areas, including fee structure, or boundaries, do require a majority vote by the downtown businesses. In the annual report prepared by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, the 2022 projected revenues from both BIAs were, or are estimated to be $37,400. Tonight, city council may discuss the BIAs, receive comments and input from members of the public. There are three recommendations for counsel's consideration tonight, preliminarily approved the Mountain View Chamber annual report dated 2021. And then adopt resolutions, declaring intention to levy an assessment in the BIAs, number one, and number two. This concludes my presentation, and I'm available for questions.

[03:46:34] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Does any member of the council have any questions? All right, not seeing any, would any member of the public on the line like to provide comment on this item? If so, please click the raise hand button in Zoom or press start on it on your phone. All right, I'm not seeing any hands. So I'll bring the item back for council deliberation and action, and note that a motion to improve the recommendation should include reading the title of the resolutions attached to the report, which are adopt a resolution of the city council of the city of Mountain View, declaring its attention to levy assets for the downtown Mountain View Business Improvement area, number one, and adopt a resolution of the city council of the city of Mountain View, declaring its intention to levy assets. Assessments, sorry, for the downtown Mountain View Business Improvement area, number two. Vice Mayor Ramirez.

[03:47:28] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, mayor. I'll move the recommendation. I think you just read them, but just in case, uh, that it will include adopt a resolution of the city, Council of the city, city of Mountain View, declaring its intention to levy assessments for the downtown Mountain View Business Improvement Area number one, and adopt a resolution of the city council of the city of Mountain View, declaring its intention to levy assessments for the downtown Mountain View Business Improvement Area number two.

[03:47:54] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you, Council member Mattachek.

[03:47:56] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Second that.

[03:47:58] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Motion by the vice mayor, 2nd did by council member Matache. We'll do a roll call vote.

[03:48:03] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Nice near Ramirez.

[03:48:05] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Yeah.

[03:48:06] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Matichek?

[03:48:08] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes.

[03:48:08] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Abbe Koka?

[03:48:11] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: My

[03:48:12] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Councilman Marie X?

[03:48:14] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes.

[03:48:14] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Lieber?

[03:48:16] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Hi.

[03:48:17] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Shell Walter?

[03:48:18] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Yes.

[03:48:19] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: And Mayer Kmeik?

[03:48:20] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[03:48:21] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: The mission carries 7 zero.

[03:48:23] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you so much. All right, that concludes our public hearing. Thank you, Mr. Lang. So we'll move on to item seven, which is new business. Item 7.1. one is our public safety building design project, 20 dash 49 dash various action. Senior project manager David Printy will present the report. Finance and administrative services director Jesse Takahashi, Police Chief Chris Chung, Fire Chief, Juan Diaz, and Public Works director Don Cameron will also be available for questions. We'll turn it over to Mr. Printy to, uh, do the stop presentation.

[03:49:01] Senior Project Manager David Printy: Thank you very much, Amir, and thank you, counsel. going to share my screen now. Excuse me? Anything technical difficulties? Yes, my name is David Printy. I'm a senior project manager, the Department of Public Works, and here to discuss the Public Safety Building Project. So, uh, this project, or I should say the, um, facility that we're discussing today, was originally opened in 1980 and designed in the late 1970s, and as such, it does not currently meet, or does not meet the current seismic safety standards for central facilities, uh, such as police and fire buildings, and is somewhat inflexible for the to the evolving and changing needs of the police and fire departments. And it is also currently undersized for the current and future needs of our public safety facilities. We have been discussing this project for some time as far back as 2002 with multiple space needs studies and council study sessions. We recently concluded a new space needs study and an alternative scope study, which I'll share with you briefly. But first, let me describe a little bit more about what the project entails or what contain when completed. It is meant to house the police and fire administration, a new 911 call center, and an upgraded and expanded emergency operations center and other public safety elements. So to help us with our decision making, the consultants concluded a space needs assessment to evaluate the public safety needs through 2030. And it included that the project's sizing should be approximately 67,000 square feet in order to house the total personnel of about 198 and 270 vehicles, inclusive of staff, private vehicles, specialty, and public parking. So to give it a little more context for this growth is the corresponding growth of Mountain View, which I'm sure you're aware, since 1980, City Mountain View has grown considerably, and in the not too distant future is estimated to grow to approximately 109% of 1990 levels. And I should mention, the 2024 numbers are based on the approved developments that are essentially on the books or in process. So to orient, everyone, the project locations that we're under study are the existing police and fire administration building on Villa, 1000 Villa, at the corner of Villa and Franklin, and directly adjacent to it, was an alternative site at the corner again, Franklin and Villa, otherwise known as Lot 11. So after the space needs study was completed, consultants engaged in a process of evaluating 3 alternatives as to how to implement the requirements of our 2030 public safety needs. The 1st one was called alternative A, and it involved the retrofit modernization and expansion of the existing facility. And, um, alternative B was a construction of a new building on the existing site, an alternative C was construction of a new building on lot 11. And as noted it in staff report, the recommendation is to proceed with alternative B, a new building on the existing site, and it is estimated that that project will cost approximately 139 million. That is inclusive of all design, contingencies, and construction costs. I should also note that all the estimates in the report are based on an assumption that this project commences construction on or about March of 2024. It's a little more information about the recommended alternative scope. This would include a new building. You can see my cursor, facing a villa street of approximately 67,000 square feet. It would be between two and two and a half stories. It would be adjoined by a new two level parking structure. And would we use the, if possibly the new, or I'm sorry, reuse the existing communications tower that exists on site. This option also affords us the potential to have up to approximately 2 acres of the site available to for city, other city uses or redevelopment purposes. So the reasons for staff's recommendation is that this alternative meets all of these central facility seismic safety requirements. It also meets the 2030 projected space needs for the public safety facilities. It provides a greater value for future flexibility. And it allows for most of the public safety operations to continue on site while it's being constructed. The next item I'd like to touch on is the physical impacts, the final design construction phases are not currently fully funded. There is a plan funding of $40000000 in revenue from the Ameswell Development Agreement. Additional funding strategies will be required. And which is why staff is requesting direction to proceed with development of options for funding the design and construction to be brought back for council consideration at a later date. So as far as next steps, upon selection of the alternative scope, the consultant would proceed then to study multiple variations in building height, footprints, layouts, building massing, site layouts, and public amenities. So, uh, this would allow us to study the most efficient and cost effective options that also provide for future proofing for needs beyond 2030. So the main message here is that what we're presenting to you today is not a design, but a general direction for the project to proceed. So in conclusion, a staff recommendation that, uh, is to select alternative B, a new building on the existing site for a new public safety building, and to authorize city manager, to amend an existing consulting agreement, to expand services through to schematic design, and then also to develop to direct staff to develop options for funding the design and construction of the new public safety building for council consideration and approval. And at that, I'd like to open up for questions.

[03:56:33] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you so much. We'll now bring this back for council questions. Do any council members have questions? Council member Hicks?

[03:56:49] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Oh, no. Sorry, a little pro- my cursor, getting the unmute. I have a question about what the existing agreement, the agreement with the current architect is, and what the possibility of changing architects would be. Because you said, amend it to work with them. It sounds like, it sounds to me, from your saying that, that there's also the option of not amending it and working with someone else.

[03:57:20] Senior Project Manager David Printy: Well, um, I guess, to answer your question completely, when we uh, issued the request for proposals, and we did an outreach to to select the architectural team, um, that was with the intent for full services all the way from the programming and early phases all the way through design and construction. So they were selected with their skill sets and expertise in mind, for, again, full services. But you're technically correct. We're not required to keep using them if a different decision is desired.

[03:57:57] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Okay, okay. That is what I wanted to know. Thank you.

[03:58:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Any other questions for staff? Council member Lieber.

[03:58:11] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, Mayor. This may be a question for Mr. Takahashi. Um, in just comparing the prices of of buildings. are we self-insured in terms of city hall? Uh, like if City Hall hit a devastating. issue and the building got destroyed. But what's the replacement value of City Hall?

[03:58:39] Finance and Administrative Services Director Jesse Takahashi: Yes, uh, thank you for the question, uh, council member, labor, Jesse Takahashi, finance, um, and administrative services director. Um, the city does ensure uh, for major buildings, uh, including, you know, the city hall as well as um, our other major facilities. And so we would be able to ensure it at the replacement costs. That's typically what we've done for those facilities.

[03:59:06] Councilmember Sally Lieber: And how much would, what's the replacement cost for, say, city hall?

[03:59:13] Finance and Administrative Services Director Jesse Takahashi: I don't have that number off the top of my head, but it does go up and it does increase due to inflationary costs. And so, um, we do adjust that, um, uh, over, over time so that we are keeping up with uh, the actual costs, as you know, um, replacement costs continue to, to escalate over, over time.

[03:59:37] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Okay. And, um, if I may keep keep going with a couple of questions here. Um, this would be a question for for both chiefs. This is great to have you both here available to us. And um, what percent of the workforce from your department has worked, um, in person throughout the pandemic?

[04:00:04] Police Chief Chris Chung: And I guess I can go first. 100% of the patrol staff and detectives, and in our professional staff, Um, we've scaled back a little bit, I'd say, uh, I don't have an exact number, but 40 to 60%, um, in the early days of the pandemic, but most are back in the office now.

[04:00:24] Fire Chief Juan Diaz: And for the fire department, it's the same 100% of our suppression staff has been working in about probably 40 to 50% during the early part of the pandemic. We're working from home, but mostly everybody's back at work.

[04:00:39] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Okay, great. Thank you. And, um, I know that I had a chance to talk with the city manager about this a little bit, um, earlier, but do we have a target number for what percentage of our city staff, um, overall will, uh, be working remotely, for sustainability or cost, reasons in the future?

[04:01:07] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Council member labor. I'll handle that question. So, in terms of the overall workforce, as council knows, um, we have transitioned to right now a hybrid model of work where a significant percentage of our staff are currently working on site. So, as the fire and police chief just mentioned, Um, we are at about 100% in safety. But in the early months of the pandemic, there were some safety staff, around 40 or 50%, that may have been working hybrid. Now for other city operations. We are on a telecommuting schedule currently, just because of the Delta variant. We are expecting that some staff are going to continue to telecommute for the next 3 or 4 months. Um, but we are um, anticipating that in the long term, We will have staff coming back into the office where they may have a couple days where they work from home, but then the rest of the days they will be required to be on site in our offices.

[04:02:14] Councilmember Sally Lieber: And I wonder if you have a sense from other cities if there are other cities that have a goal. Um, in terms of what percentage of their workforce will be remote for environmental or other kinds of reasons that aren't, aren't related to just the necessity of the pandemic.

[04:02:35] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: So, council member, Lieber. I'm not aware of, um, specific percentages that that other cities may be targeting for environmental staff or other staff. Um, I can tell you, though, that every city in our region is looking at this hybrid approach of some telecommuting, some on site, um, the discussions that are being had now are really around what, uh, is happening, what the hybrid work environment, meaning, how well operations can continue, when staff is not physically on site and only works remotely. So, um, it's a great question, like all things with COVID. I just don't know that we have all that, the answers now and what the percentage or the goal should be. But right now, it is certainly something that not only we are doing in Mountain View, but other cities are. Although, I can't pinpoint specific percentages.

[04:03:39] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Council member Show Walter?

[04:03:42] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Yeah. I wondered, um, uh, if uh, serious consideration was given to, um, an alternative where the police building was built on the back of, um, the property against Evelyn Avenue and shoreline, um, instead of on the front of Villa and Franklin. And the reason I say this is because if we're gonna use part of that, um, facilit part of that land, and it's really prime land in our downtown, for another use, it seems like the, um, the primo real estate is on, uh, Villa Street and Franklin Street. So, um, I wondered what, you know, uh, Mr. Printy, if if that was considered, and why not? I think you're on mute still.

[04:04:40] Senior Project Manager David Printy: I think by now, I don't figure that out. Um, sorry. Um, so yeah, sorry, Counselor, thank you for the question. I think one of the primary reasons is because one of the goals of alternative B was to try to maintain operations to the extent feasible is to maximize the amount of operations that would not be interrupted. And by building on the front edge, were largely only impacting a select area of public parking and possibly the auditorium area in the front. So the rest of the operations and facilities, including storage of the marked vehicles, their emergency generator, and other, you know, critical elements, would not be impacted by the construction. So that is one of the reasons, um, you know, it's not to say that the alternative you're describing is not feasible. It's just it has certain drawbacks that we felt the version we're recommending would not have.

[04:05:40] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Okay, it just looked like there was quite a bit of property back there where the, um, you know, the surface parking is that, um, could be used for construction, and you could use the, um, lot 12 for the temporary parking while the construction was going on, as in, is described, you know, in the recommended one. Okay, thank you.

[04:06:03] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Any other questions from colleagues? All right. Seeing none. Um, I'll bring this um, to see if there's any public comment. Um, if you'd like to provide public comment, please click the raise hand button in Zoom or press stardine on your phone, and we'll display the 2 minute timer. Bruce England.

[04:06:28] Bruce England: Thank you, Mayor. Bruce England, Wisman Station Drive, speaking for Mountain Dew Coalition for Sustainable Planning. Almost all that I was gonna say has already been said. So, there'll be some repeats in here, but, um, we wanted to see some layout examples for the project. So one was shown tonight, and as has been discussed, it faces, uh, Villa, it's hard to tell from that what the design might look like. But given that they're residences across the street, and given that there's going to be an on-ramp to, uh, shoreline off of Evelyn coming up, having residences back there doesn't really seem to make a lot of sense, and understanding the logistics of why putting the buildings in front might make sense, ultimately. It seems to us it would be better to have the police and fire buildings towards the back, not towards the front, and then that, um, future use, which could be housing could go in the front facing Villa. Um, And also, uh, as council member Liber Rays, to help address climate change, we should encourage telecommunity to continue in the long run. For that reason, the total headcount could be less than anticipated in the current plans. And finally, We're not sure why the 911 call center needs to be so centrally located. It's not critical, seems to us, that it would have to be in that building. And so the building would necessarily have to be so large if the call center were to be located somewhere else. Thank you.

[04:08:00] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Robert Cox.

[04:08:07] Robert Cox: Yeah. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this item. The current site for our police station is a significant size parcel near the core of our downtown, and I think it behooves us to use it wisely. Um, while many of the aspects of the report were well thought out, what I think is missing is an evaluation of what I'd call off opportunity cost. So, I mean, the report talks about the idea that 2 acres would be free in the back of the property. And so I was disappointed not to see the possibility of putting parking underground and freeing up even more acres. You know, it will cost more money to put parking underground, but it will also free up more land for additional project use. And then I'd just like to echo what I've heard from Bruce England and Joe Walter. And that's just that, um, it seems that if we want to consider alternative, the better places for the alternative uses are in the front, and it makes more sense to move the police, uh, buildings, um, or toward the bat, and, uh, Um, and a parking lot. that way. But I really think we should look at it underground as well. Thank you.

[04:09:29] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Tim McKenzie.

[04:09:32] Tim McKenzie: Hi, often Mackenzie, the him pronouns, Montaloma neighborhood. It seems clear that this is kind of long overdue for building revamp. It's back in 1980 that the current one was made. and we need to retrofit for seismic activity. I also really like the planning for up to 2030 and even beyond. And just sort of, with regards to that, there's the recently created public safety advisory board that is looking into public safety needs, and I hope that there's some adaptability incorporated into the plan, so that things from the public safety advisor board could be, it could be brought to bear on the new public safety building. For example, there's new county programs about mental health that are just sort of just starting to roll out, and by 2030, hopefully they'll be up and running and expanding, and we may have some things in Mountain View, and maybe what public safety looks like will be a little bit different and won't necessarily be people in uniforms with guns. So I hope that, as this building sort of moves forward, there is that there's adaptability built in to the planning so that, as our collective shared vision of what public safety looks like, evolves. We can have a building that will fit the needs for that. Thank you.

[04:10:59] Mayor Ellen Kamei: You'll have time.

[04:11:01] Tim McKenzie: Thank you.

[04:11:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Alex Brown.

[04:11:04] Alex Brown: Hey, I'd just like to echo the calls to the other speakers to take a more holistic view of the land controlled by the city and consider the myriad uses that can be done. can be served by this land and what configurations make most sense for all the people instead of having just a narrow focus on replicating what we currently have with more space. Thanks.

[04:11:36] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. That concludes public comment. So I'll bring it back to Council, um, for deliberation and action, council member Hicks.

[04:11:47] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Um, I fully support a new public safety building and have long thought that we should build a multi-story police building, both to meet the growing needs of our staff, and also to free up some of what is, I mean, this is a huge super block, to so to free up some of the city on block for land uses that would serve our community. I can't support the layout is shown, in the staff report. It shows a large swath of land sort of landlocked between the Evelyn On ramp and police parking garage. And this is really, if configured right, this is really valuable land near, you know, near our downtown or in our downtown, that we could use for a number of communities serving purposes, whether it be housing in general, affordable housing, CSA is looking for a new building, um, we could, uh, it's villa is, along with Castro Street is one of our historic streets, we could use it to help, um, save and enliven, um, tide house and, hey, TJ through a land swap. There's just a number of community serving uses that we could put this land to, but not with the current layout. I mean, take housing, for example, the last place I would want to house people is between the Evelyn lawn lamp and the police parking garage. Um, in addition, this is, this is really a huge super block. And the block next to it is broken up by, I guess, what's a private road, but it seems like we could break this block, as well, into two or more smaller blocks. We could, you know, put a road through the middle of it, and then put housing or something else on villa, and make the road nice and put a really nice, you know, a really nice road for a police station. And then the parking is, the police parking would be perfect between the police station, and the Evelyn On ramp. So, you know, I fully support moving forward with this, but I can't support it with the current configuration as picture. Thank you.

[04:14:22] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you, Council member Abbe Koga.

[04:14:25] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Mayor. Um, thank you, Steph, for bringing this forward again for me. I've been looking at this since the 2010 study, so I've seen it several times. Um, I wish we had moved forward back in 2010 when the cost was, I think, around $65000000 mark. Here we are, and now it's double that. And that's my biggest concern is time is money, and the longer we wait, the more expensive it's going to be. Um, I will say, um, I support staff's recommendation, um, mainly because we have studied this several times and we've looked at other configurations. Um, you know, originally, I think it was 2010 when we couldn't afford a new building. So we said, let's go with the retrofit. Um, you know, quickly that we outgrew that. Um, I believe during that study or might be a subsequent one. Um, staff looked at somewhere off site, but it ended up, I believe, that um, using this land would be still more cost effective. Doing underground parking sounds great, but it would probably double the cost. So, um, you know, I trust, I mean, we have looked at those several times. Please trust me on that. And I think staff has come to, you know, what is the best conclusion at this point in time. Um, so I do support staff's recommendation. I will say in terms of, um, you know, my concern really is how to finance this because that's what prevented us from doing it before. Um, so I appreciate that staff is bringing some options back. Um, I don't know if we need to go into all those today. I do think that we should be, um, you know, taking the, um, the shoreline, uh, Bay Shore, Northeast Shore District into account, and, um, and, um, you know, applying the appropriate cost to to that district. Um, I, I think that, um, looking at, we are gonna look at the TOT tax, um, that's another option, but really, that's the key here is how are we gonna fund this? Um, I have always been looking at, you know, since we've been talking about this, and I also go back to, um, one of our previous city managers, uh, um, strategies of using our land to generate revenue. And, um, you know, I know that we have many competing costs, and we've focused on housing and affordable housing, but, you know, frankly, at this point in time, I think we need to go back to looking at revenue generation. And the downtown properties, frankly, are one of our most valuable properties. And so for me, lot 11, I think, is a, you know, also a possibility and a way to help finance, um, this and other facilities. I imagine our city hall is, I know that, you know, there's been some renovations that have been needed recently, and we probably will need to do more. We're definitely growing and I appreciate counseling and believers, questions about telecommuting. We did, I believe, adopt the policy of, um, flex your commute. This is something that we've been working at the air district. And there's a 25%, um, goal that we're trying to encourage. Um, but still, you know, our city has grown by 57% and uh, we're looking at over 100%. So we're gonna need more, you know, staff to service our city adequately public safety as, you know, our core service. It's our key core service. And I do appreciate, um, Mr. Mackenzie's comments. I was thinking that, that, as we look at different service models, we'll probably need to house that. So my key concern is how do we finance this, number one, number 2 is I want to make sure that the space that we are looking at is adequate even beyond 2030. So I actually would not want to make any decisions on that front 2 acres because, you know, as we look at this more closely, we may need that space for our operations. Um, so before we go into planning, you know, making building streets or creating new streets and whatnot, let's look at what our real needs are beyond 2030 because that's only, that's less than 10 years away. Um, and then we can decide, you know, what to do. But I really hope I want to, you know, ask my colleagues to look at revenue generation. We need to go back to that, especially at this point in time. Um, because our facilities are in need of, um, you know, renovation, remodel, rebuild, and we need a way to pay for that. So, um, that would be my request. Thank you.

[04:19:19] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you, Council member Lieber.

[04:19:23] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, Mayor. Um, I, I think the council number, Abbe Kogo really hit the, the nail on the head that, um, needing to have some facts about, um, how, how this would be paid for. Um, um, I saw the suggestions in the, the staff report. And I, I think that in a couple of the instances, um, they're, they're more wishful than actual. Unfortunately, our TOT is not where it was. And then I, I wish that, you know, the, uh, a fund had been created perhaps, um, you know, in 2010 when this became apparent as a, as a real priority. Um, But I'm, I'm wondering from staff, when would we get actual information about, what percentage of our workforce can work remotely, and I know that this proposal is intending that 100% of people must gather together, which, Traditionally, that's been the thought that we've had. But, um, you know, maybe it's something that, that we just can't afford for the future. Um, we can't afford it in terms of money. We can't afford it in terms of of space. So when could we get information about how many people can work remotely, what our goal is, and what we think that the funding strategies will actually produce. Because it sounds like right now, what we've got is, Uh, something like, 39000000 coming in over time. And we need 1370000 uh, to fund this thing. So that's, That's a pretty large gap right there. Um, and I'm, I'm not entirely sure, you know, I saw that, If we put it to the taxpayers to pay for a full boat proposal, Everything that's wanted, it's just $110 a year per 1000000 of the parcels value. And so for the average, Parcel and Mountain View. Well, I think I read the average home in Mountain View. is around one. 16 million. So that's not an overwhelming amount of money, but if we put that to an election of the taxpayers, Are they, are the people who vote actually going to agree to pay the freight for this thing? I think that that's really an open question. So how do we get that information back? To me, you know, I'd love to say yes to, to everything that's, um, that's needed. And I think that this clearly is. Um, and and 600,000 to go to the architectural and engineering design services is not an overwhelming amount of money. Um, but I'm not really prepared to, to make that move. Not knowing, uh, how will we pay for, uh, the full full boat that we're being asked for? So how do how do we get that information so that we have a little more surety of where we're going?

[04:23:14] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Council member labor, if I may. So in terms of the actual information about the percent of our workforce that can work remotely, we are not at this point considering that we will have categories or positions that will be 100% remote. So we, we aren't looking at any positions that will be completely remote. What we are considering, though, is that employees, through our telecommuting policy, which has been rolled out, uh, may work 2 days a week off site, maybe three, which is really going to depend on their specific department, their division and their duties. But they would be in at the actual physical work site at least a few days a week. So, um, it's, it's going to take some time to determine how much of a percent of those folks might be working remotely 2 or 3 days. But we can certainly get that information to counsel, but I wouldn't be able to say that X amount will always be working remotely because that's not what we're considering right now.

[04:24:27] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Yeah, it seems like, you know, during the pandemic, I think both a chief set of the administrative staff and, um, you know, individuals, like, um, 40 to 60% of those folks were were remote. And the tradition of what we're used to is, you know, everybody comes into city hall or everybody comes into police and fire building and and everybody works together, but, I think that we just may not, they'll afford that in the future. And the building that's being presented here is a highly specialized technical building. And maybe it doesn't make sense to have the social media manager. Um, there, and the grant writer there. And the X and the Y and the Z there. Um, maybe some folks have to work in a normal office building. That's, um, someplace that's less impacted. Um, and cheaper or um, You know, a lot of people prefer to work from, from home. Um, but I think we have to be more flexible on those kind of, um, of, ways of doing things. Because right now we're just being said, you know, just, just go a full boat and, and we don't know how we'll pay 137 million, but fingers crossed, it'll all work out. I don't know. For me, I guess it's, it's kind of a no. Um, not having the, the information and, and I know that we have a lot of, um, folks in town who, um, have come in with more money than has been in Mountain View traditionally. But if you look at the core of the electorate, They are people who just lived regular normal lives and worked regular normal jobs and and bought their house for 37,000 or 65,000 and 137000000 sounds like an overwhelming amount of money to them. Um, So that's kind of where I'm at with things right now.

[04:27:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Also there, Michelle Walter?

[04:27:07] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Thank you. Um, Yeah, I, uh, I have a lot of thoughts associated with this as well. Um, I do I do concur that we need a new building. Um, the current one we have doesn't meet seismic safety um, standards. And we're supposed to have our emergency center there. So if there was an earthquake, This is supposed to function as the center. So it's got to be a really good structurally sound building. I think that's, you know, that's true. Um, but normally, I'm really impressed favorably by the quality of the work that I read in staff reports. And I was not in this one. I thought that the alternatives that were brought to us were really not particularly good. I mean, for instance, the land is one thing that we're just not producing anymore. You don't make any more land. And land in downtown. Oh, my gosh, that is, uh, kind of the crown jewel. We've been talking about downtown all night, and how wonderful the transit center is gonna be, and how, you know, we're gonna make this great pedestrian mall, and this is really, you know, just a hop, skip, and a jump from there. So the idea that we're going, you know, that somebody's proposing that we're going to put, uh, housing against this exit ramp, um, and against on two sides, I mean, that just seems, uh, crazy to me. Uh, really not thinking in the quality that we normally think of. So, as council member Hicks said, I am supportive of a new building, but I am not supportive of the layouts that are described here. I just don't think they make sense. And so I'd like those to be revisited. I also wonder if we, you know, if this is the architecture firm that's come up with these ideas. I'm not so sure we want to continue with them. But, um, you know, that's certainly something for staff to, uh, to, uh, advise us about. Um, I also, uh, one thing that I do think is really important. is making sure that this building is flexible for future needs. When I heard about what is wrong with the building, a number of people said that it was built in a manner that was really inflexible. You know, they couldn't move things around well inside. There were bearing walls that were in the way of, you know, making normal office changes, that kind of thing. So modernizing it, so it can be adjusted as needs in the future, is important, and that's something that we should strive for. And, um... So that's my thought right now, is that we really need to give consideration to a new alternative layout. Um, but we definitely need to go forward with the need for a new building. The truth is we're going to have an earthquake, a big earthquake. We just don't know when it's going to be. And then the other question that, um, uh, council member Abikogo brought up about, how are we gonna pay for this? Um, that's something I'm very concerned about, too, but what we're supposed to do now, um, tonight, is direct staff to go and, um, uh, look into options on that, and that's a great idea. Let's certainly do that. But I would be interested in having a proposal where we moved the layout, to the back of the parcel, and we consider whether we really want to go forward with this architectural form or not.

[04:31:04] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Council member Mattachek.

[04:31:07] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. So, uh, when I spoke with staff about this, um, I did ask them about the need for more space for city employees, and what are our different options, because, and I think there are, arguments that could be made that, uh, the, Land in back of the building, whether you're talking about the new one or the old one. Um, could be used for additional space for city employees, or if we have partners, uh, that we want to provide space for, such as the county. Um, I agree. I don't think the back of the parcel is a good use for housing, but I didn't envision it that way. Um, I think housing is more appropriate on other parcels that we might own. Um, I also, um, sent in the question about, um, the revenue stream from Aimeswell, and it's not like that revenue stream stops. And so, um, I appreciate staff saying, oh, yeah, we need to look at different options here and we'll bring it back to council. Um, so I think, you know, we give staff the opportunity to do that. Um, I'm actually okay with the staff recommendation. Um, as has been said, we absolutely need a new building. Um, public safety has changed over the years and the current building can't really accommodate that. And it will continue to change. And It's, um, It's really difficult, if not impossible, I would say, for public safety to work remotely. Um, public safety has to be here. There's, you know, there's not like, you know, 80% of their staff is administrative and can work remotely. You know, it's more like 80% has to be here. So, um, in this instance, I don't think it makes a lot of sense to plan for a large portion to be remote. So, um, as, uh, council member Abbe Koga said, you know, we've talked about this a number of times, some of you longer than I've talked about it. But I think it's time to move forward. Um, and so I'll make a motion to support the staff recommendation. Thank you.

[04:33:35] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you, Councilman Broadway Koga.

[04:33:38] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. I'd like to 2nd the motion.

[04:33:41] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. So we have a motion by council member Matachek 2nded by council member, Abe Hoga, for the staff recommendation by Samir Ramirez.

[04:33:52] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. I don't have a lot to add. I'm generally comfortable with the staff recommendation too. Um, I uh, I did want to ask staff, though, uh, since it's come up a few times, to what extent do we have leeway or discretion to consider alternative layouts?

[04:34:14] Public Works Director Don Cameron: Um, thank you, Vice Mayor, Don Cameron, Public Works director, uh, for asking that question, because we did want to make a clarification here. What you're being asked for tonight is to help us select the, um, between 3 concepts of more, the location of the building in terms of the idea of, do we try to find a way to make the existing building work through remodeling some type of expansion, which we've discovered would be pretty much infeasible to achieve what we need to achieve? Do we try for a new building on the existing location, or do we look at 11 for a new building? So those were the 3 that were studied. It was not designs, were not studied at this stage or any that kind of level detail. It was strictly where's the location? If council supports staff's recommendation for alternative B, which means build a new building on the existing site, you're not approving the actual layout tonight. And as um, Project, um, David Printy mentioned in his last slide, his next steps. The next step, and if you approve the additional money for the consultant agreement to go to the conceptual design phase, will be to now say, okay, here's the existing site, we've agreed we're gonna build a new building, and we can look at different footprints, different heights. We can look at placing the building towards the rear, as being suggested, and see what that means, not only for construction staging, but overall look and feel, and of, you know, how the land it could be parceled out or used. And the idea would be to develop a couple few concepts, study the pros and cons of them, and then bring those back to council with a, from stats perspective, a recommended alternative, but of course, all of them would be presented to council. Our recommendation is that since we do have the money in our CIP project budget to proceed with this next phase, for not needing to ask for additional money. That we, because time is money, that we move forward now on that, and we can start looking at these issues that are being raised about, is this the right location for the building on the existing site? And it's, you know, and those types of questions as part of the next step. And if we start that now, we can keep things moving along while in parallel, staff can further develop funding options for you and bring them back for your consideration.

[04:36:53] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you. That's very helpful and makes me even more comfortable and supporting alternative B. Um, I think the only other, uh, contribution I'd like to make is I share the concerns about how we're going to be able to pay for this, and I support, uh, the staff recommendation to pursue a variety of options. Um, uh, as I shared in the briefing, you know, I'm, I'm open to, um, revenue generating uses on public owned land. Um, but I do think that, um, that might be a hard sell with our community. I'm anticipating that the most profitable uses our office space and and hotel and office space is probably not going to be broadly supported by the community, not that we shouldn't do it, but that's a very difficult thing to do with the amount of office fatigue that we have. And I think, um, another member of the council had expressed that, uh, TOT is, is a, is a good thing, but I don't know realistically if we could count on a hotel use, even in downtown. Um, to, you know, to generate the revenue that we will need to to pay for this, um, this building. So totally open to, to, those options. But I think we should go in eyes wide open that no option is going to be easy. Um, but I do, uh, agree that it's really important that we begin planning for uh, for the replacement of the public safety buildings. Thank you.

[04:38:31] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. So, council member Hicks, I'd like to answer the questions, but do you have, you have a question or do you have?

[04:38:41] Councilmember Alison Hicks: I was I was gonna ask to make an amendment to the motion, but you can give your your views 1st if you'd like.

[04:38:49] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, why don't you see if the motion makers will?

[04:38:53] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So hearing that, that, um, this is maybe similar to, uh, amendments to previous motions tonight, um, hearing that alternative layouts, I would be willing to support this motion if it was just added explicitly that alternative layouts would be brought up, which it sounds like Ms. Cameron is saying they were going to be anyway, but I would like that to be to be explicit, and then I would feel comfortable supporting the motion.

[04:39:24] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, so the question is, do the motion maker? Councilman Romata check.

[04:39:28] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yeah, I mean, Ms. Cameron said it's included, so, um, it's included that alternate layouts will be explored.

[04:39:36] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. Does that answer your question, Councilman R Hicks?

[04:39:40] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes. As long as it's explicitly out there. Thank you.

[04:39:44] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yep, no problem. Okay. So, um, we have a motion by council member, Matachek 2nded by council member, Abe Koga. Um, I I don't have any questions. I just, uh, you know, I want to just thank staff. Not only Mr. Printing Mr. Chakahashi and Miss Cameron, but also our, uh, Chief Shang and Chief Diaz. Um, you know, I think that we've talked a lot about the last, gosh, 19 going on 20 months of the pandemic. And when we talk about people who are on the front lines, those are who are in public safety, have been on the front lines. Um, and it's a 247 job. And, um, you know, I think that tonight when I when I hear the discussion and I think about things, yes, Mountain View has changed and grown. Um, but the need is still there and here we are over a decade later talking about how we're going to, um, you know, address this great need, which we have, which is a public safety building that, you know, protects our public safety, who protects us because it's seismically not sound. I think that the, our city staff has also grown, so I'm heartened that the, um, fire staff that's currently in city hall will be able to be consolidated into a new building that our 911 dispatchers will have a, a safer place to be. Um, and so to me, this is almost a question of deferred maintenance and deferred cost. And the longer that we put that up, the more expensive it gets. And I think we see that with the example of the city of Palo Alto, which just has gone forward with the revision of the public safety building. So, um, to me, this is this process is going to have multiple touch points for council input, and this is the 1st step to get that done. Think that, um, in terms of looking at alternate, um, areas to get some general revenue generation. Um, you know, I think we've talked a lot about public benefit when we've been looking at the different precise plans and the different areas. And to me, this is a, this would be perhaps another maybe pool that we would like to put some funds in. Perhaps some of the public benefit that we get for throughout the city. We can start looking and seeing if we can put that towards our public safety building. And that was the only kind of additional comment that I'd like to make. So I'd like to turn it over to city clerk blazer and call a question.

[04:42:13] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Counseling my meta check?

[04:42:15] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes.

[04:42:16] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Abbe Koca? Council member Hicks?

[04:42:20] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yep.

[04:42:21] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member Labor?

[04:42:22] Councilmember Sally Lieber: No.

[04:42:24] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Council member, Walter?

[04:42:28] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Yes.

[04:42:29] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Spice Mir Ramirez.

[04:42:32] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Yeah.

[04:42:33] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: Mayor Komei?

[04:42:34] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[04:42:35] Interim City Clerk Silvia Vonderlinden: But she carry 61?

[04:42:36] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you. And thank you to staff. All right, so we'll move on to item eight, which is our council stuff and committee reports. Do any council members have anything to report by Samira Ramirez?

[04:42:50] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. I don't have anything to report, and actually, I was, um, ambivalent at best about bringing up this issue, but because it's relatively early. We didn't even need a motion to continue the meeting past 10 o'clock. I thought I would, um, seek uh, the council's uh, direction on this. Um, uh, the short context, uh, a resident reported a possible code violation and apartment complex used for short term rentals to me, uh, staff followed up and determined that in fact, the apartment complex was being used, uh, for short term rentals and was not permitted, uh, and so the apartment, um, uh, the person conducting the short term rentals was fined. But I learned the process that, uh, short term rental is a permitted use in apartment complexes, which I didn't think was the case. Um, so I, I looked through the zoning, uh, ordinance and found that, uh, there is some, uh, language, uh, in the R3 zoning district standards that, uh, prohibits, um, uh, rooming and boarding, um, in multifamily dwelling, um, and I, I feel like this is at best confusing and at worst, uh, uh, problematic. And I don't think there's any urgency here, but I did want to, uh, see if there was interest in the council and, um, uh, agendizing not anytime soon, maybe in the context of the R3 zoning district, district standards, update or, uh, you know, a routine zoning code, uh, update, we have those once in a blue moon. Um, some clarifications, um, do we actually want short, short term rentals, and apartment complexes? It feels like that's not really the intended purpose. Um, but, uh, I would be interested in, um, and seeing if that's something we can include as part of a package of updates in the distant futures.

[04:44:57] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Sorry about that. City manager McCarthy, shall we turn to Mr. Vastova or did you have comments on?

[04:45:07] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Mayor, I would defer to whether council has an interest in this, and then if so, what we would need to do is, as the vice mayor said, look at the timing of including it with other updates that we may be doing to our ordinances. Um, I definitely think that we wouldn't be able to turn this around anytime soon, but I'd have to discuss with, um, Mr. Vastova as to what we would be able to potentially include this with. But I would, um, need, you know, to hear feedback from the majority of council if they're interested in this.

[04:45:45] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. Um, I see Ms. Shavasova has joined us, but I'll turn it over to council member Hicks first.

[04:45:53] Councilmember Alison Hicks: And I go, I'm just like, I'm sorry. And Vice Mary Ramirez, is that a motion? Can we like, Can you clarify for us? I think rather than floating an idea, just maybe have a concrete,

[04:46:11] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Certainly. So I'm happy to move that we include, you know, based on fast recommendations, uh, either in a future routine zoning code, uh, update or, uh, as part of the R 3 zoning district standards update. Um, um, modifications that would prohibit short term rentals in multifamily dwellings on properties owned or three.

[04:46:44] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Council member Hicks.

[04:46:47] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So, I had a question of clarification. I wasn't quite sure when you said, uh, when you're talking about, um, short-term rentals in multifamily units, whether it was, uh, the owner of the, uh, multifamily unit renting out multiple units or renting out one temporarily or even doing, or whether it was a renter, because I've known people who are renters, who, um, you know, in particular, this was a divorced person short on money renting out one of the rooms as a short term rental. And to me, those are three different things. And I... so I'm just wondering, and I would support some of them and not others, and I won't get into detail now, but I'm wondering, which of those, if you were talking about all three of those, or one or two of those, I'd like a little more clarity on exactly what you're trying to agendize.

[04:47:47] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: Through the mayor, if it's okay. In this case, it was one person renting out multiple units in the same complex. So the owner of the complex, renting out multiple units. I'm guessing, but I don't know for sure.

[04:48:04] Councilmember Alison Hicks: I see.

[04:48:05] Mayor Ellen Kamei: I'm gonna turn it over to staff if that's okay, Council member Hicks, I think that they might be able to clarify too, because I think, um, hi, Mr. Abasava, welcome back. Um,

[04:48:15] Aarti Shrivastava: hello. I've been listening to the discussion, and I think a vice mayor, the intent is to, um, do a sweep of the short-term rental, ordinance to see where, in fact, they should be allowed and where they should not be allowed. And this may or may not affect more than one zone. Um, and so I'm not. I'm not necessarily suggesting, um, not to do the project, but, but I think it should be looked at as updating the short term rental policies to figure out where they should be allowed and should not be. Because you might need to go just beyond the R3, and we may not be able to include it. All the policies just within the scope of the R3. For example, R4, maybe another zone, you don't want to allow it or the RMH or mobile home. So, uh, you you might want to take a look at the whole policy and figure out what parts of which ordinances need to be updated, uh, as part of this project. That's just a suggestion.

[04:49:26] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great. Thank you for that, Mr. Mastova. Council member show Walter.

[04:49:32] Councilmember Pat Showalter: Now, I was just going to go ahead and, um, uh, second, uh, vice mayor's motion, because I think anytime that we identify a potential conflict between an ordinance and our zoning, it's a good idea to look into it and see, um, uh, whether or not it needs to be cleaned up, and, um, there are just things that we find over time that that should be evaluated and and, uh, cleaned up, and I think this is one of them. It's not obviously an emergency, but, um, as we do this cleanup, this one's appropriate.

[04:50:07] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, so we have a motion by the vice mayor, seconded by council member Show Walter, so we can do a straw motion after council member lever.

[04:50:18] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to make a similar observation to council member Hicks. Um, there are a number of people of modest means who are, uh, are in apartment buildings who are, um, renting out a room through the short-term rentals to be able to pay for the apartment overall, or, um, who have a condo that, um, they need to pay for and maybe they even have to decamp themselves. And, um, you have the condo on the, um, uh, on the short term rental to be able to, um, pay for it, not have to just simply walk away and lose their investment. And a heavy percentage of those individuals that find themselves in that predicament are women. And so I hope that we can construct something that won't inadvertently, um, uh, sweep up, um, people who are just trying to get through this economic crisis time and, um, you know, and also meet the needs of, um, uh, uh, post-divorce, um, part of life or uh, loss of a job, et cetera. Um, but I think that we can construct it so that it's not a situation as the vice mayor identified where, There's someone just, you know, uh, consciously keeping units off the rental market, um, and and offering them as, um, short term rentals instead when they really legitimately should be, um, offered to full-time tenants.

[04:52:02] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, thank you. So I think just for clarify. Oh, Councilman Robin Koga.

[04:52:08] Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga: Oh, thank you. I wasn't gonna comment, but I think just in response to, um, the current, the, uh, councilman reliever's comments. My, I guess I, I, my question is, how do you make the kind of determination as to who's, you know, ranting out for what reason and like what I, I just, what kind of, um, yeah, criteria do you put, uh, it just seems like we're getting really, you know, pretty deep. And I mean, I feel like, you know, people have different circumstances, and I'm not sure I'm really comfortable getting into like determining, well, this is a okay situation, and this isn't, and, you know, um, yeah, I, I, I just feel like maybe we're gonna get into more complications if we go down that path. So, yeah, I'm not really sure. I mean, we can definitely look at, um, changes. It's always good to review our current ordinances, I would say, but I wouldn't make, to be honest, I don't know if this is a real priority and I do also, um, think about, um, you know, our continual challenge to try to minimize more or, or limit more work for staff. So, um, perhaps in the next round when we do our review of goals or, you know, next year we can look at this. But at this time, I'm inclined to not put it on the docket just yet.

[04:53:40] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay thank you. Council member Lieber.

[04:53:43] Councilmember Sally Lieber: Well, I think a really good shorthand for, um, he's just doing it out of necessity versus who it's a business for is whether it's one unit or multiple units. And, um, I think that, um, We could let staff make the judgment call about how this, how this slots in with, um, you know, the revisions timeline, but I do feel like it's a legitimate issue. Um, particularly if people are just kind of, renting, renting multiple units, maybe in a rent controlled, um, building, and then, uh, putting them out to, um, uh, in a, in a way that they're, they're not really intending in the, uh, intended to be in the middle of a housing crisis. And, um, I think that staff can find a way to approach it. Um, sensitively and, um, I think it's a worthwhile issue. It's not something gigantic that rocks the boat either way. Um, and and it can be approached with a compassionate, common sense. Um, type of an approach that just says, is it one unit or 20. And that, that's a distinction that matters.

[04:55:12] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay, um, city attorney Chopra, can we just do a straw a straw poll on this item with like raised hands or do you need a voice vote?

[04:55:21] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Uh, I think you can do a show of hands, um, or, and I think we add a motion and a 2nd, uh, on, on council member Ramirez's, uh, motion, which I understand is, is directing staff to bring back when it's convenient, uh, no rush, uh, and it could be combined with the R3 review or a future update to his zoning ordinance, the parameters of the short-term rental ordinance and the applicability in this in this context, in no certain direction, but a review of the applicability in these circumstances.

[04:56:00] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yeah, I think I'm gonna ask for clarification from the vice mayor. So, is this going to just be for our 3 or do you want to go with a full review of the short-term rental ordinance in all zoning? Can you please clarify?

[04:56:14] Vice Mayor Lucas Ramirez: I, I, I think just our, our 3 specifically, um, in part because the R 3 Sony district standards already prohibit rooming and boarding, and I think that's where, uh, That's where probably we're going to see the most of this occur.

[04:56:32] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Okay. So it's the original motion. So it's looking into, um, short term rentals, in R3 zoning, as staff, see if they can bring it back. Okay. All right, so all those in favor, please feel free to raise your hand. Okay, I see one, two, three. Okay. So motion fails. All right. Anyone else have anything for council staff or committee reports? Okay. So we'll move on to item nine, which is our closed session report. City attorney interpret. you have a close session report?

[04:57:17] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: There's no close question report tonight, Mayor.

[04:57:19] Mayor Ellen Kamei: Thank you. Great. Thank you. All right. So that means that we, move on to item 10, which is our adjournment just under 10 o'clock, so that'll be, we don't need a motion to keep going. Thank you so much for joining us. Our next city council meeting will be on October 26, 2021. Until then, stay healthy and our meeting is adjourned at 9.57 p.m. Thanks, everyone.

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