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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-15-2020 City Council Special Meeting MinutesMINUTES WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING Mayor Miller called the virtual Special Meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. via teleconferencing through Zoom. Prior to Roll Call, the Mayor and City Clerk explained that the City Council meeting was conducted pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act and a recent Executive Order issued by the Governor to facilitate teleconferencing to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at public meetings. Ordinarily the Brown Act sets strict rules for teleconferencing. The Governor's Executive Order has suspended those rules. The Executive Order does require that public agencies continue to notice meetings in advance and provide members of the public an opportunity to observe the meeting and offer public comment. The City Council met all of the applicable notice requirements and the public is welcome to participate in this meeting. Information on how the public can observe the meeting and provide public comment was also shared. Additionally, the Mayor explained that votes would be taken through roll call. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Mayor Howard A. Miller, Vice Mayor Mary -Lynne Bernald, Council Members Yan Zhao, Rishi Kumar (All Council Members appearing via teleconference) ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: James Lindsay, City Manager Richard Taylor, City Attorney Crystal Bothelio, Assistant City Manager Debbie Bretschneider, City Clerk Mary Fury, Administrative Services Director Debbie Pedro, Community Development Director John Cherbone, Public Works Director (All staff members appearing via teleconference) City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider confirmed all City Council members could hear the meeting proceedings and no doubts were expressed regarding the identities of the individuals representing themselves as City Council Members. REPORT ON POSTING OF THE AGENDA City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider reported that the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on December 10, 2020. Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 1 of 10 AGENDA ITEMS 1. Declaration of Results of November 3, 2020 General Municipal Election Recommended Action: Approve resolution declaring the results of the November 3, 2020 General Municipal Elections. City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider presented the staff report. Mayor Miller invited public comment on the item. Aarti Awasthi spoke Peter Mara spoke Andrey spoke Ray Froess spoke Hubert Roberts spoke No one else requested to speak. RESOLUTION 20-083 ZHAO/ MILLER MOVED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE CANVASS OF BALLOTS OF THE NOVEMBER 3, 2020 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. MOTION PASSED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: MILLER, BERNALD, ZHAO, KUMAR. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ;. Remarks from Outgoing Mayor and Council Member Recommended Action: Hear remarks from outgoing Mayor Howard A. Miller, Council Member Manny Cappello, members of the City Council, and public. Mayor Miller invited public comment on the item. The following people requested to speak: Rod Sinks spoke Supervisor Joe Simitian spoke Assembly Member Evan Low spoke Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 2 of 10 Tylor Taylor spoke Reverend Kathleen Crowe spoke Emily Lo, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke David McIntyre spoke Shozo Kagoshima spoke Captain Rich Urena, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, spoke Chuck Page, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke Stephanie Kashima spoke Hubert Roberts spoke Mountain View Council Member John McAlister spoke Girish Balachandran spoke Anjali Kausar spoke Gay Crawford spoke No one else requested to speak. Members of the City Council commented on the service of outgoing Council Member Manny Cappello and outgoing Mayor Howard Miller. A video about Council Member Cappello and Mayor Miller's service on the City Council was shown. Council Member Cappello spoke about his two terms on the City Council. Mayor Miller spoke about his three terms on the City Council and presented his wife, Sandy Miller, with a commendation. Mayor Miller called for a recess at 9:56 p.m. Vice Mayor Bernald resumed the meeting at 10:03 p.m. Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 3 of 10 3. Oath of Office for Newly Elected Council Members Recommended Action: Direct City Clerk or designees to administer the Oath of Office to newly elected Council Members. Designee Sandy Reed administered the Oath of Office to Tina Walia, newly elected to the City Council. City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider administered the Oath of Office to Kookie Fitzsimmons, newly elected to the City Council. 4. Remarks from Newly Elected Council Members Recommended Action: Hear remarks from newly elected Council Members, City Council, and public. Members of the City Council commented on the newly elected Council Member Tina Walia and newly elected Council Member Kookie Fitzsimmons to the City Council. Vice Mayor Bernald invited public comment. The following people requested to speak: Sue Ziegel spoke Ann Waltonsmith, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke Tylor Taylor spoke Stan Bogosian, former Saratoga Council Member, spoke Chuck Page, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke Bill Cooper spoke Anjali Kausar spoke Manny Cappello, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke No one else requested to speak. Council Member Walia provided remarks on her election. Council Member Fitzsimmons provided remarks on her election. Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 4 of 10 5. Appointment of Mayor & Vice Mayor Recommended Action: Appoint Mayor and Vice Mayor: 1. City Clerk declares the offices of Mayor and Vice Mayor to be vacant; 2. Nomination of the Mayor; 3. Administer Oath of Office to New Mayor; 4. Nomination of the Vice Mayor; and 5. Administer Oath of Office to New Vice Mayor. City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider declared the office of Mayor and Vice Mayor to be vacant and called for nominations for the position of Mayor. KUMAR/ZHAO MOVED TO CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF TIME PER THE PUBLIC SPEAKER FROM THREE MINUTES TO ONE MINUTE. MOTION PASSED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: BERNALD, FITZSIMMONS, KUMAR, WALIA, ZHAO. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider invited public comment on this item. The following people requested to speak: Naresh Makhijani spoke Rajat spoke Sean Halasz spoke Toby Fernald spoke Emily Lo, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke Kristin Ficovich spoke Andy & Diane Carter spoke Desdra spoke Peter Marra spoke Leonard Almalech spoke Ray Froess spoke Andrey spoke Annette spoke Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 5 of 10 Rick Werk spoke Pragati Grover spoke Arindam Guhu spoke Dimitry Bobroff spoke Janice Down spoke Amit Seth spoke John Shapiro spoke Mona Vijaykar spoke Bill Cooper spoke Manoj Goel spoke Charlotte Sparajino spoke Lisa Oakley spoke Mike Ziegel spoke Sandhyaspoke Megha Manohar spoke Keshav Narayan spoke Priya Shatri spoke Eric C spoke Asif Kauser spoke Kalpana spoke Siavash Yaghoobi spoke Katherine Tseng spoke Pravin Madhani spoke Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 6 of 10 Liz Gibbons spoke Paul Hernandez spoke Mona Kaur spoke Aarti Awasthi spoke Chuck Page, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke Barry spoke Sue Ziegal spoke Dharma spoke Rajat Roy spoke Hubert Roberts spoke Ram spoke Byron spoke Mfan spoke Diane Carter spoke Mrs. Bobroff spoke Sath Nelakonda spoke Manisha spoke Vicki Selig spoke Jeff C spoke Priscilla Ho spoke Antoinette Romeo spoke Bala spoke No one else requested to speak. Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 7 of 10 City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider called for a recess at 11:45 p.m. and resumed the meeting at 11:50 p.m. City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider called for the nominations for the position of Mayor. KUMAR/ZHAO MOVED THAT THE COUNCIL SUSPEND THE RULES OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE TO CONSIDER EACH OF THE FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS A NOMINEE FOR THE POSITION OF MAYOR, CONDUCT A ROLL CALL VOTE ON EACH NOMINEE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, AND DECLARE THAT THE NOMINEE THAT RECEIVES THE MOST VOTES (AND AT LEAST 3 VOTES) WILL BE THE MAYOR, PROVIDED THAT IF THERE IS A TIE VOTE ON THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES THE COUNCIL WILL CONDUCT ANOTHER VOTE ON THE HIGHEST VOTE RECIPIENTS. MOTION PASSED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: FITZSIMMONS, KUMAR, WALIA, ZHAO. NOES: BERNALD. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. The City Clerk called for votes on each of the nominees for the position of Mayor in alphabetical order. NOMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER BERNALD TO THE POSITION OF MAYOR. MOTION FAILED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: BERNALD, ZHAO. NOES: FITZSIMMONS, KUMAR, WALIA. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. Council Member Fitzsimmons withdrew from consideration for the position of Mayor. NOMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER KUMAR TO THE POSITION OF MAYOR. MOTION FAILED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: KUMAR, WALIA. NOES: BERNALD, FITZSIMMONS, ZHAO. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. NOMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER WALIA TO THE POSITION OF MAYOR. MOTION FAILED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: WALIA. NOES: BERNALD, FITZSIMMONS, KUMAR, ZHAO. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. NOMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER ZHAO TO THE POSITION OF MAYOR. MOTION PASSED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: FITZSIMMONS, WALIA, ZHAO. NOES: BERNALD, KUMAR. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider administered the Oath of Office to Mayor Zhao. Mayor Zhao called for nominations for the position of Vice Mayor. BERNALD/ZHAO NOMINATED MARY-LYNNE BERNALD TO THE POSITION OF VICE MAYOR. Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 8 of 10 FITZSIMMONS/WALIA NOMINATED TINA WALIA TO THE POSITION OF VICE MAYOR. MOTION PASSED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: BERNALD, FITZSIMMONS, WALIA, ZHAO. NOES: KUMAR. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. As per City of Saratoga Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, the second motion made was voted on first. Since that was approved, no action was taken on the first motion for the Office of Vice Mayor. City Clerk Debbie Bretschneider administered the Oath of Office to Vice Mayor Walia. 6. Remarks from New Mayor & Vice Mayor Recommended Action: Hear remarks from newly appointed Mayor, newly appointed Vice Mayor, members of the City Council, and public. Mayor Zhao provided remarks on her appointment as Mayor. Vice Mayor Walia provided remarks on her appointment as Vice Mayor. Members of the City Council spoke about the appointment of Mayor Zhao and Vice Mayor Walia. Mayor Zhao invited public comment on this item. The following people requested to speak: Anjali Kausar spoke Andrey spoke Mona Vijaykar spoke Chuck Page, former Saratoga Mayor, spoke Paul Hernandez spoke Nancy Kirk spoke Seiko spoke Gilbert Wong spoke David McIntyre spoke Tylor Taylor spoke Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 9 of 10 Malka Kausar spoke Rina Shah spoke Herman Zheng spoke Eric C spoke Priscilla Ho spoke No one else requested to speak. ADJOURNMENT BERNALD/FITZSIMMONS MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 12:57 A.M. MOTION PASSED BY VERBAL ROLL CALL. AYES: BERNALD, FITZSIMMONS, WALIA, ZHAO. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: KUMAR. M' resp submitted: 115iieB�retsch`neider, City Clerk City of Saratoga Saratoga City Council Minutes — December 15, 2020 — Page 10 of 10