01 Staff Report - Draft Minutes
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 06/16/2020 ITEM NO: 1
DRAFT
Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting
May 26, 2020
The Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a special meeting via Teleconference,
due to COVID-19 Shelter in Place guidelines on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Marcia Jensen (remote participant), Vice Mayor Barbara Spector (remote
participant), Council Member Rob Rennie (remote participant), Council Member Marico Sayoc
(remote participant).
Absent: None
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Paulette Altmaier, Chamber of Commerce
- Read an open letter to Dr. Cody which challenged the directives of the Santa Clara
County Public Health Order in support of businesses and revitalizing the economy.
Heidi Owens
- Requested the Zoom Teleconference meeting links and password be put on meeting
agendas moving forward.
Silvana Casale
- Agreed with a previous speaker regarding the letter to Dr. Cody, expressed concern that
the Shelter-In-Place Order is a detriment to children’s health, and requested that the
Town convene a committee to discuss this.
OTHER BUSINESS
1. Consider Options and Provide Direction to Staff on Next Steps for Economic Recovery and
Community Vitality Opportunities.
Monica Renn, Economic Vitality Manager, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
PAGE 2 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of May 26, 2020 DATE: May 29, 2020
Item #1 continued-
Randi Chen, Chamber of Commerce
- Offered support to the businesses of Los Gatos, and requested that Council reallocate
funds to reopen the Town businesses and partner with the Chamber of Commerce to
support local businesses.
Jim Foley, Los Gatos Food and Wine Group
- Requested the Council to allocate funds to support local businesses and economic
vitality.
Maria Ristow
- Requested the Council implement the Dixon Parking Study by installing signage to
identify downtown parking lot locations and establishing an employee parking permit
program.
Mike Calise
- Requested the Council allocate funds to support economic vitality, supported
temporary parklets to encourage outdoor dining, requested the Town to partner with
the Chamber of Commerce, and commented that the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police
Department would play a vital role in enforcing physical distancing.
Kevin Youkilis, Loma Brewing Company
- Supported reopening businesses.
Michael Burke
- Opposed closing North Santa Cruz Avenue, and suggested using the parking spots along
North Santa Cruz as a pedestrian walkway instead of temporary parklets and utilizing
the sidewalk for restaurant tables.
Niki Jaimes, Vagabond Marketing and Engage Los Gatos
- Supported reopening businesses and suggested the Engage Los Gatos social media
campaign shift focus toward Engage Los Gatos Safely to encourage economic vitality.
David MacGregor Scholes, Redemption and Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce
- Supported reopening businesses and requested the Town allocate funds to support local
businesses and economic vitality.
Kristina Taroni
- Supported reopening business and temporary parklets suggested unified parklets,
supported closing North Santa Cruz on weekends as a trial period, and requested the
Council allocate funds for a long-term revitalization project.
PAGE 3 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of May 26, 2020 DATE: May 29, 2020
Item #1 Public Comment continued –
Catherine Somers, Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce
- Supported reopening businesses, suggested reallocating two million dollars to the
revitalization project by changing the 2020/2021 budget, requested the Council
prioritize the best ideas to reopen economy, and asked that staff partner with the
Chamber of Commerce to develop methods to implement ways to reopen the economy.
Ginger Rowe, Time Out Clothing
- Supported opening businesses, requested the Council contact the County of Santa Clara
to request the Town reopen, and commented that curbside pickup will not sustain
businesses.
Andrea Romano, Cin-Cin and Centonove
- Requested that the Town ease restrictions for the use sidewalks for restaurant dining,
supported the addition of outside seating in creative ways, hoped for a reduction of
beach traffic in the downtown area, commented that process streamlining is critical,
stated that curbside pickup is not sustainable, and encouraged the County of Santa Clara
to allow Los Gatos businesses to reopen.
Michele Jehenson
- Supports the business community, closing North Santa Cruz Avenue and closing the on-
ramp onto Highway 17 southbound to mitigate beach traffic during the warmer
weather.
Jennifer McRay, Kismet Boutique
- Suggested marketing Los Gatos as an outdoor shopping and dining environment and
reducing beach traffic in the downtown area not necessarily by closing North Santa Cruz
Avenue.
Lynn Kennedy
- Suggested the Town facilitate access to businesses without encouraging gatherings and
keeping all parking lots and streets open for regular traffic flow. Supported curbside
pickup and temporary parklets. Requested the Town discourage pop-up parks, not allow
amplified noise outdoors, and not allow North Santa Cruz to close.
Heidi Owens
- Suggested long-term strategy with short-term fixes to enable the Los Gatos business
community to allocate two million dollars for recovery through December 31, 2020, and
requested Council remain flexible and anticipate re-evaluating the budget and consider
business license waivers and/or refunds to provide business support.
PAGE 4 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of May 26, 2020 DATE: May 29, 2020
Item #1 Public Comment continued –
Katie Dhuey, Affordable Treasures
- Thanked the Town Council for holding this special meeting, and thanked the Chamber of
Commerce and the Los Gatos Business owners for participating.
Alex Hult, Flights Restaurant Group
- Supported closing North Santa Cruz Avenue on weekends beginning Saturday at 1:00
p.m.
Josh Allen, Sidecar Modern Tavern
- Supported sidewalk and temporary parklet seating.
Jill Milton
- Requested the Town encourage the County to allow Los Gatos businesses to reopen.
Brian Edwards, Hapa’s Brewing Company
- Requested the Town make the process of opening a new business easier by streamlining
the planning stage of the application process.
Lee Streitz
- Supported closure of North Santa Cruz Avenue.
Jennifer Croll
- Supported utilizing public outdoor spaces for businesses and closure of North Santa Cruz
to help mitigate traffic during the busy summer season.
Marsie Sweetland
- Supported small businesses.
Closed Public Comment.
Council discussed the matter.
Motion by Council Member Sayoc to
Repurpose $1.9 million from the Downtown Streetscape Capital Improvement Project towards
COVID-19 Economic Recovery to implement the ideas heard this evening, work with the
Chamber on outreach, and be adaptable and flexible to changing needs.
Seconded by Council Member Rennie.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
PAGE 5 OF 5 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Special Meeting of May 26, 2020 DATE: May 29, 2020
Item #1 continued –
Motion by Council Member Sayoc to
Approve process streamlining as outlined in the staff report and absorb Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) fees specific for businesses for one year and with a review at six months.
Seconded by Council Member Rennie.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
Motion by Mayor Jensen to
• Close on-street parking on North Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street in the C-2 district,
except for curbside pickup, to allow businesses in the area to use the space;
• Do not close North Santa Cruz Avenue;
• Be prepared to purchase planters to implement parking closures;
• Direct staff to move forward with implementing the Parking Study by installing signage
on North Santa Cruz Avenue identifying parking for curbside pickup and longer stay
parking; and
• Allocate funds from the repurposed Downtown Streetscape project for these items.
Seconded by Council Member Rennie.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
Submitted by:
_____________________________________
Jenna De Long, Deputy Clerk