02 Staff Report.Minutes
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 10/20/2020 ITEM NO: 2
DRAFT
Minutes of the Town Council Meeting
October 6, 2020
The Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a regular meeting via teleconference via
COVID-19 Shelter in Place Guidelines on October 6, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Marcia Jensen, Vice Mayor Barbara Spector, Council Member Rob Rennie,
Council Member Marico Sayoc. (All participating remotely).
Absent: None
COUNCIL/TOWN MANAGER REPORTS
Manager Matters
- Announced ballot drop off boxes are available in front of the Library and in front of Town
Hall.
- Announced adult Commissioner recruitment is open, and applications are due November 6,
2020 by 4:00 p.m. and interviews are scheduled November 17, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.
- Announced the Inclusive Los Gatos Workshop series continues on October 22, 2020 with a
virtual Community Culture Workshop and invited the community to participate.
Council Matters
- Vice Mayor Spector stated she attended the West Valley Sanitation District (WVSD) Board
of Directors meeting, two General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) meetings, the Town’s
Affordable Housing Community Workshop, and Santa Clara County Health Department
COVID-19 phone conferences.
- Council Member Sayoc stated she and Council Member Rennie attended the League of
California Cities Peninsula Division Prop 15 meeting.
- Council Member Rennie stated he chaired the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
Congestion Management Program Committee meeting; attended the VTA Board
workshop, Board meeting, and Governance and Audit Committee meeting; participated in
Economics of Energy courses offered to the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority (SVCEA)
Board and Legislative and Regulatory Committee meetings; and attended the Town’s
Affordable Housing Community Workshop, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban
Research Association (SPUR) Transit Agency Workshop and Virtual Conference, and
Housing Trust Silicon Valley “On the House” Conference.
PAGE 2 OF 7 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Meeting of October 6, 2020 DATE: October 7, 2020
Council Matters - continued
- Mayor Jensen stated she attended the Town’s Affordable Housing Community Workshop
with the other Council Members, West Valley Mayors and Managers meetings, and the
GPAC meetings.
CLOSED SESSION REPORT - Robert Shultz, Town Attorney, stated Council met in closed session as duly noted on the
agenda and that there is no reportable action.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) 1. Approve Minutes of the September 15, 2020 Town Council Meeting.
2. Adopt Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Annex to the Town Emergency Operation Plan
(EOP).
3. Approve the Mayor’s Recommendation to Create and Appoint a Town Council Ad Hoc
Committee to Study Wildfire Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).
4. Authorize the Following Actions for the Local Roadway Safety Plan (PPW Project Number
812-0132):
a. Review and Approve the Scope of Services for a Request for Proposals (Attachment
1) to Prepare a Local Roadway Safety Plan.
b. Authorize the Town Manager to Negotiate and Execute a Consultant Agreement for
Preparing the Local Roadway Safety Plan with the Highest Scored Proposer in an
Amount Not to Exceed $80,000.
5. Accept the Completion of Work Performed by Syserco Energy Solutions, Inc. for PPW Job
No. 411-821-2008 Energy Efficiency Upgrades.
MOTION: Motion by Vice Mayor Spector to approve the Consent Items. Seconded by Council
Member Sayoc.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS No one spoke.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
6. Consider Approval of Amendments and Introduce the Draft Ordinance by Title Only to
Amend Chapter 29 (Zoning Regulations) of the Town Code Regarding Outdoor Lighting and
Modifications to the Residential Design Guidelines, Town-Wide. Town Code Amendment
Application A-20-005. Applicant: Town of Los Gatos. RESOLUTION 2020-039
Jennifer Armer, Senior Planner, presented the item.
PAGE 3 OF 7 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Meeting of October 6, 2020 DATE: October 7, 2020
Public Hearing Item #6 - continued
Opened public comment.
No one spoke.
Closed public comment.
Council discussed the item.
MOTION: Motion by Council Member Sayoc to make the finding that there is no possibility
that this project will have a significant impact on the environment; therefore, the
project is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act [Section 15061 (b)
(3)] (Attachment 1); make the required finding that the amendments to Chapter 29
of the Town Code regarding outdoor lighting are consistent with the General Plan
(Attachment 1); and make the required finding that the modifications to the
Residential Design Guidelines are consistent with the General Plan (Attachment 1);
adopt a Resolution to modify the Residential Design Guidelines (Attachment 2); and
introduce the Ordinance of the Town of Los Gatos effecting the amendments of the
Town Code regarding outdoor lighting A-20-005 (Attachment 3), by title only; and
direct staff to explore the Planning Commission’s recommendation on numerical
standards for lighting intensity under a separate and subsequent Code amendment.
Seconded by Vice Mayor Spector.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
Shelley Neis, Town Clerk, read the title of the ordinance.
7. Consider Approval of Amendments and Introduce the Draft Ordinance by Title Only to
Amend Chapter 29 (Zoning Regulations) of the Town Code Regarding the Below Market
Price Program and Adopt a Resolution to Modify the Below Market Price Housing Program
Guidelines. Town Code Amendment Application A-20-004. Applicant: Town of Los Gatos.
RESOLUTION 2020-040
Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planner, presented the item.
Opened public comment.
PAGE 4 OF 7 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Meeting of October 6, 2020 DATE: October 7, 2020
Public Hearing Item #7 - continued
Amy Nishide
- Commented that she thought part of the intent of the program was to make the Town
more inclusive and increase racial diversity; and inquired if the something could be added
to the Purpose Part A about increasing socio-economic and racial diversity, if the purpose
of the point system could encourage diversity to bring people into Town, and if the in lieu
fees were changed and could be raised.
Matthew Hudes
- Commented that raising the amount by 120% may have a consequence of low and very low
applicants competing with a larger pool of applicants and proposed giving low and very low
applicants extra points.
Jeffrey Suzuki
- Commented that we should strongly de-emphasize home ownership in the future and
emphasize rental housing; inquired why the word “shall” was changed to “should” in
Section C.1 and why are we raising the income level; and stated there should be some
mechanism in place to raise money to purchase market rate housing and convert it to BMP
housing, and to disapprove developments that are not meeting their BMP obligations.
Maria Ristow
- Commented in support of an emphasis on rental units to increase the Town’s socio-
economic and racial diversity.
Lee Quintana
- Commented in support of an emphasis on rental units, that the BMP program doesn’t meet
the housing needs in Town, that requiring BMPs to be the same size as market rate units is
a hindrance to developers, and that she is concerned with raising the rate to 120%.
Mayor Jensen closed public comment.
Council discussed the item.
PAGE 5 OF 7 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Meeting of October 6, 2020 DATE: October 7, 2020
Public Hearing Item #7 – continued
MOTION: Motion by Mayor Jensen to 1) make the finding that there is no possibility that this
project will have a significant impact on the environment; therefore, the project is
not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act [Section 15061 (b) (3)]
(Attachment 1); 2) make the required finding that the amendments to Chapter 29 of
the Town Code in the Draft Ordinance are consistent with the General Plan
(Attachment 1); and 3) make the required finding that the modifications to the BMP
Housing Program Guidelines are consistent with the General Plan (Attachment 1);
and 4) introduce the Ordinance of the Town of Los Gatos effecting the amendments
of the Town Code regarding BMP regulations A-20-004 (Attachment 2), by title only;
and 5) adopt a Resolution approving modifications to the BMP Housing Program
Guidelines (Attachment 3). AMENDMENT by Council Member Sayoc: Amend the
Guidelines to include additional points for low income applicants for-for-sale units.
Seconded by Council Member Sayoc.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
Shelley Neis, Town Clerk, read the title of the ordinance.
OTHER BUSINESS
8. Provide Specific Direction to Modify the Town’s Pilot Parklet Program and Economic
Recovery Initiatives:
a. Discuss Town’s Pilot Parklet Program (established pre-COVID), and Consider
Extending the Parklet Duration for a Minimum of Five to Seven Years; and
b. Determine the Duration of the Temporary Economic Recovery (Krail) Parklets
Located on Public Property in Downtown and Consider Phasing Options to Facilitate
Outdoor Seating and Business Activities; and
c. Discuss Options for Businesses to Implement Platforms, Ramps, Overhead Coverage,
and Other Modifications Within the Economic Recovery Parklets to Continue to
Support Outdoor Business Services Through the Winter; and
d. Discuss Other Elements of the Economic Recovery Initiatives and Provide Further
Direction as Appropriate.
Monica Renn, Economic Development Manager, presented the item.
Mayor Jensen opened public comment.
PAGE 6 OF 7 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Meeting of October 6, 2020 DATE: October 7, 2020
Other Business Item #8 – continued
Sue Farwell
- Commented in support of long-term parklets and continuation of krail parklets until the
pandemic is over, encouraged Council to make the parklets permanent, and suggested if a
grant program in instituted that it be retroactive to those who put in parklets before the
pandemic.
Matthew Hudes
- Suggested reallocating 1.9 million dollars from beautification budget to put toward
recovery for small businesses to be used for projects across Town, exploring funding
options, creating a standing economic recovery board, accelerating parking improvements
identified in the Dixon report, developing new configuration from N. Santa Cruz, and
making Los Gatos easy to do business with.
Randi Chen, Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce
- Commented in support of continuation of krail parklets through at least March 31, 2021
and not make any permanent decisions regarding the krail parklets now; agreed that all
krail parklets should have floors to make them even with the sidewalks and that the Town
needs to address what type of roof construction is allowed; supported extending the semi-
permanent parklets for 5 to 7 years and a grant program; suggested forgiving business
license fees for businesses that meet certain parameters; and thanked the Town for
funding the Los Gatos Lights.
Donna Novi, Pastaria
- Commented in support of continuation of krail parklets through the fall of 2021 and long-
term parklets.
David MacGregor-Scholes, Redemption and Chamber Board
- Commented in support long-term parklets.
Catherine Somers, Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce Executive Director
- Commented in support of krail parklets through the pandemic, suggested exploring flooring
ideas for parklets, and hiring a professional consultant to present a future plan for
downtown streets.
Mayor Jensen closed public comment.
Council discussed the item.
PAGE 7 OF 7 SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Town Council Meeting of October 6, 2020 DATE: October 7, 2020
Other Business Item #8 – continued
MOTION: Motion by Mayor Jensen to continue parklets through at least March 2021 where
existing krail may stay in place, remove unused krail, and use the space for bicycle
parking, curbside pickup, and ride share drop-off/pick-up; all parklets should be ADA
compliant and fire safe compliant; continue streamlining permits and processing
fees; not allow pop-ups in existing krail parklets on public property. Seconded by
Council Member Rennie.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
MOTION: Motion by Council Member Sayoc to move forward with a matching grant program
to incentivize ADA and drainage compliance for the krail parklets and return in
January to the Town Council with a grant program to incentivize the creation of
more permanent parklets. Seconded by Council Member Rennie.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 10:07 p.m.
Submitted by:
_____________________________________
Jenna De Long, Deputy Clerk