HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-27-2023 City Council Special MeetingSaratoga City Council Minutes – March 27, 2023 – Page 1 of 4
MINUTES
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
Mayor Fitzsimmons called the Special Meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Mayor Kookie Fitzsimmons, Vice Mayor Yan Zhao, Council Members
Belal Aftab, Chuck Page, Tina Walia
ABSENT: None
ALSO PRESENT: James Lindsay, City Manager
Richard Taylor, City Attorney
Britt Avrit, City Clerk
John Cherbone, Public Works Director
Crystal Bothelio, Consultant
Kristin Borel, Administrative Analyst II
Emma Burkhalter, Associate Civil Engineer
Nicole Johnson, Senior Planner
Heritage Preservation Commission Work Plan
Recommended Action:
Meet with Commission, discuss priorities and approve FY 2023-2024 work plan with input
provided by the City Council.
Heritage Preservation Commission Chair Sharon Boyce-Bender introduced Vice Chair
Margarete Minar and Commissioners Zhen Li and Priya Shastri. The Commission then presented
its proposed FY 23/24 work plan.
Mayor Fitzsimmons invited public comment.
The following individual spoke at this time: Bill Dalton
ZHAO/AFTAB MOVED TO APPROVE THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION
COMMISSION FY 23/24 WORK PLAN AND THE REQUESTED ALLOCATION OF
$11,000 IN THE FY 23/24 BUDGET. MOTION PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: AFTAB, PAGE, WALIA, ZHAO, FITZSIMMONS. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE.
RECUSED: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
Saratoga City Council Minutes – March 27, 2023 – Page 2 of 4
Library & Community Engagement Commission Work Plan
Recommended Action:
Meet with Commission, discuss priorities and approve FY 2023-2024 work plan with input
provided by the City Council.
Library and Community Engagement Commission Chair Victoria Zhang introduced Vice Chair
Cristina Meiser and Commissioners Robert Gulino, Valerie Nygaard and Eric Lewis as well as
Acting Saratoga Librarian Saralyn Otter. The Commission then presented its proposed FY 23/24
work plan.
Mayor Fitzsimmons invited public comment.
No one requested to speak.
WALIA/ZHAO MOVED TO APPROVE THE LIBRARY & COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION FY 23/24 WORK PLAN. MOTION PASSED BY THE
FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES: AFTAB, PAGE, WALIA, ZHAO, FITZSIMMONS. NOES:
NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. RECUSED: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
Parks & Recreation Commission Work Plan
Recommended Action:
Meet with Commission, discuss priorities and approve FY 2023-2024 work plan with input
provided by the City Council.
Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Badri Sridharan introduced Vice Chair Renee Paquier
and Commissioner Jim Cargill. The Commission then presented its proposed FY 23/24 work
plan.
Mayor Fitzsimmons invited public comment.
No one requested to speak.
PAGE/AFTAB MOVED TO APPROVE THE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
FY 23/24 WORK PLAN. MOTION PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES:
AFTAB, PAGE, WALIA, ZHAO, FITZSIMMONS. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE.
RECUSED: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
WALIA/PAGE MOVED TO REORDER THE AGENDA AND CONSIDER THE
REOLUTION PROCLAIMING A LOCAL EMERGENCY AT THIS TIME. MOTION
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES: AFTAB, PAGE, WALIA, ZHAO,
FITZSIMMONS. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. RECUSED: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
Resolution Proclaiming a Local Emergency (Added 03/23/2023)
Recommended Action:
Approve the resolution confirming and ratifying the proclamation of a local emergency issued
by the City of Saratoga Director of Emergency Services on March 23, 2023 resulting from severe
storms.
James Lindsay, City Manager presented the staff report.
Saratoga City Council Minutes – March 27, 2023 – Page 3 of 4
Mayor Fitzsimmons invited public comment.
No one requested to speak.
RESOLUTION 23-016
WALIA/PAGE MOVED TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION CONFIRMING AND
RATIFYING THE PROCLAMATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY ISSUED BY THE
CITY OF SARATOGA DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES ON MARCH 23,
2023 RESULTING FROM SEVERE STORMS. MOTION PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING
VOTE: AYES: AFTAB, PAGE, WALIA, ZHAO, FITZSIMMONS. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN:
NONE. RECUSED: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
The City Council provided direction to staff to bring an Urgency Ordinance related to suspending
certain requirements for tree removals for eucalyptus trees for consideration at the April 5, 2023
City Council meeting.
Mayor Fitzsimmons requested a 15-minute break at this time.
Mayor Fitzsimmons reconvened the meeting at 7:43 p.m.
Public Art Commission Work Plan
Recommended Action:
Meet with Commission, discuss priorities and approve FY 2023-2024 work plan with input
provided by the City Council.
Public Art Commission Chair Ramya Vasu presented the Public Art Commission proposed FY
23/24 work plan.
Mayor Fitzsimmons invited public comment.
The following individual spoke at this time: Bill Dalton
WALIA/PAGE MOVED TO APPROVE THE PUBLIC ART COMMISSION FY 23/24
WORK PLAN AS AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE ‘PROJECTION ART’, ‘ARTWORK
EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES’, ‘SARATOGA LOVES POETRY’, ‘PAINT THE CITY’
AND ‘SARATOGA ROCKS’ PROJECTS. MOTION PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING
VOTE: AYES: AFTAB, PAGE, WALIA, ZHAO, FITZSIMMONS. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN:
NONE. RECUSED: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
Traffic Safety Commission Work Plan
Recommended Action:
Meet with Commission, discuss priorities and approve FY 2023-2024 work plan with input
provided by the City Council.
Traffic Safety Commission Chair Jason Mount introduced Vice Chair Robert Eng and
Commissioners Alec Gulesserian, and Stephen Li. The Commission then presented the proposed
FY 23/24 work plan.
Saratoga City Council Minutes – March 27, 2023 – Page 4 of 4
Mayor Fitzsimmons invited public comment.
No one requested to speak.
PAGE/AFTAB MOVED TO APPROVE THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION FY
23/24 WORK PLAN AND ENGAGE IN A STUDY SESSION TO FURTHER DEVELOP
PROCESSES, IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES AND DEVELOP MATERIALS FOR
RESIDENTS. MOTION PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES: AFTAB, PAGE,
WALIA, ZHAO, FITZSIMMONS. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. RECUSED: NONE.
ABSENT: NONE.
ADJOURNMENT
PAGE/WALIA MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8:44 P.M. MOTION PASSED
BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES: AFTAB, PAGE, WALIA, ZHAO, FITZSIMMONS.
NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. RECUSED: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
Minutes respectfully submitted:
Britt Avrit, City Clerk
City of Saratoga