[00:11] Speaker 1: Okay, Mayor, we are up and running.
[00:17] Speaker 2: Up and running. We're ready to go. Well, welcome back. Our second meeting, our regular council meeting this afternoon of October 6th. Call the meeting to order. Could we have roll call, please?
[00:28] Speaker 3: Council members Painter here, Leros here, Narvaez here, Vice Mayor Dina Talley here, Mayor Sedgley present.
[00:37] Speaker 2: And if you are able, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Are there any changes or supplemental reports for our agenda this afternoon?
[01:13] Speaker 3: There are no changes to the agenda, Mayor. We do have one supplemental report for 7A, which is the PowerPoint presentation from staff. And then just for public awareness regarding consent calendar item 6B, if anyone had read the ad that was published before agenda publication, although the published notice referenced an amendment to Napa Municipal Code Section 15.04130, staff is not presenting that amendment today.
[01:45] Speaker 4: Thank you.
[01:45] Speaker 3: as part of Item 6B, Section 15.04130, will be brought forward at a future date after contractor outreach. So the ordinance before council today includes all other noticed amendments except the one mentioned.
[01:58] Speaker 2: Thank you so much, and we will get to that item on the consent calendar. Tonight's special— this afternoon's special presentations. Our first is Item 4A, National Pedestrian Safety Month. Donal O'Brien, I think, is here with us tonight, the chair of that group. Thank you so much.
[02:22] Speaker 5: Hello.
[02:26] Speaker 6: Thank you, council members. My name is Donal O'Brien.
[02:31] Speaker 1: I'm the chair of the City of Napa Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and I'm here to accept and thank you for your proclamation declaring October to be National Pedestrian Safety Month. I want to thank you and city staff for the outstanding work and constant improvement to make Napa a friendlier, more comfortable, safer place to get around on foot, working towards the Napa countywide Vision Zero plans aimed to eliminate traffic collisions resulting in death or serious injury by the year 2030. We have seen several projects in recent years making our streets safer for all users, including the recent Coombe Street rehabilitation project, which installed curb bulb-outs, rectangular rapid flashing beacons, or RRFBs, and high-visibility striping, and also the installation of RRFBs at 8 school locations throughout the city, making it safer for students to walk to class. Ongoing projects to improve pedestrian safety in the Westwood neighborhood and also on high-traffic corridors like Browns Valley Road and California Boulevard. Looking forward, we're working to develop a safety and connectivity plan for the Jefferson Street corridor has begun. to identify access, mobility, and safety improvements for all users. And the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Commission has also provided letters of support and grant applications for the Active Transportation Program and the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program.
[03:54] Speaker 6: And if awarded, those funds will be used to enhance safety and Complete Streets programs along Imola Avenue.
[04:00] Speaker 1: These projects and many more like them serve to improve the connectivity, mobility, and safety for all residents of the the city of Napa, young and old, making our already wonderful town an even better place to live in.
[04:12] Speaker 3: And thank you.
[04:12] Speaker 2: We'll stay there. Thank you very much for that work and give you a little applause. We're going to read the proclamation now. Uh, took that a little out of order. Normally we'll read the proclamation first, but let the council present the proclamation while you're there, and then I will bring it out to you.
[04:25] Speaker 7: So, council members, this is a City of Napa proclamation for National Pedestrian Safety Month, October 2026. Whereas the U.S.
[04:33] Speaker 3: Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recognizes October as National Pedestrian Safety Month, and whereas on average a pedestrian is killed every 74 minutes and injured every 7 minutes in traffic collisions nationwide in 2024, and whereas the City of Napa General Plan Transportation Element identifies a policy to work towards safer streets to reduce and eventually eliminate fatal and severe injury collisions among vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles And whereas pedestrian transportation is an integral part of the multimodal transportation system planned for by federal, state, regional, and local government agencies, and pedestrian safety is an essential part of every roadway safety plan.
[05:18] Speaker 7: And whereas walking supports personal, physical, and environmental benefits such as increased health and fitness, reduced traffic congestion, and can foster vibrant and livable streets.
[05:29] Speaker 4: And whereas City Council has identified roads and traffic safety as a council— as a City Council focus area and supports the countywide Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic collisions resulting in severe injuries or fatalities in Napa County by 2030.
[05:45] Speaker 6: And whereas the City of Napa urges drivers to look for pedestrians, slow down, and incorporate pedestrian awareness into their driving routines, and encourages everyone to redirect themselves to enjoy the benefits of walking and ensuring the safety of pedestrians in our community.
[06:03] Speaker 2: Now therefore be it resolved that I, Scott Sedgler, Mayor of the City of Napa, along with the Napa City Council, do hereby proclaim October 2026 as National Pedestrian Safety Month in the City of Napa. Signed October 6th, 2026. So we'll want to get a picture, so let me present this. There is a lot of fantastic work going on around town considering pedestrian safety. And the 2nd Street markings are just fantastic. I love them. Council, we have our 2nd proclamation before us. So item 4B is Imagine a Day Without Water Proclamation. So, Council.
[07:21] Speaker 4: City of Napa Proclamation, Imagine a Day Without Water, October 15, 2026. Whereas, Imagine a Day Without Water is a national day of action on October 15, 2026, that invites people across the country to recognize the essential role of water in our lives and communities.
[07:39] Speaker 3: And whereas, water powers people. It is a shared resource that powers our homes, schools, businesses, and community well-being.
[07:47] Speaker 6: And a day without water would bring life to a halt, disrupting public health services, emergency response, and the foundational functions of society, and whereas People Power Water, a team of 68 dedicated City of Napa employees, work around the clock to keep clean, safe drinking water flowing to 85,000 people while maintaining 2 local watersheds, dams, and reservoirs, 3 water treatment plants, 10 pump stations, 15 storage tanks, and 360 miles of pipeline, and whereas all water customers are encouraged to attend the annual Tap Water Day open house in May 2027 for an inside look at the processes and people that power our state-of-the-art Edward Varwick Jameson Canyon Water Treatment Plant.
[08:29] Speaker 7: And—
[08:29] Speaker 4: Whereas the nation's water infrastructure is aging, approximately 140 miles of the city water mains are over 60 years old, critical transmission mains are subject to catastrophic failure, and the Hennessy Water Treatment Plant is 45 years old, all of which will require prudent investment of capital funds to address, and our new water master plan has identified $300 million in capital improvements needed over the next 30 years to continue providing reliable drinking water service at some of the lowest rates in the Bay Area. And—
[08:59] Speaker 3: Whereas the 2026 Value of Water Index shows bipartisan voter support for prioritizing reliable water access has reached 92%. Water is the lifeblood of our communities, and it takes all of us to protect it. Our water infrastructure faces great challenges, and investing in our drinking water systems will help secure a more prosperous future for generations to come. And—
[09:21] Speaker 6: Whereas the message is simple: water can't be taken for granted. Let's make sure no one has to experience a day without it.
[09:27] Speaker 2: Isn't that the truth? Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Scott Sedgley, Mayor of the City of Napa, along with the Napa City Council, do hereby proclaim October 15th, 2026, as Imagine a Day Without Water. In support of educating the public about the value of reliable access to clean drinking water is essential to our quality of life. Dated October 6th, 2026. And I know our Utilities Director, Joe Eldridge, is here to accept this proclamation. We do this often, and water is a big part of what this city does. We do a Good job at it. Joy does and her staff.
[10:09] Speaker 1: We all know it's a team that does this work. No one person can do it all.
[10:19] Speaker 8: So we have a small number of folks here to represent, and for the others that are out in the field, they're part of it.
[10:50] Speaker 1: Perfect.
[10:50] Speaker 2: Thanks. Thanks, everybody. Hard to believe that Hennessy Treatment Plant is 45 years old. How old does that make me? Pretty old. Thank you. Item 4C on our agenda, our next special presentation is Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week. Now, code enforcement is a difficult job. I think the only more difficult job is that of a dog catcher. Those are tough jobs. But anyway, Council, you ready for your—
[11:30] Speaker 3: Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week, October 5th through the 9th, 2026. Whereas code enforcement officers serve as frontline ambassadors for the safety, health, and welfare of the City of Napa residents through the handling of various issues related to building, zoning, housing, environmental, health, and life safety.
[11:49] Speaker 6: And whereas code enforcement officers have challenging and demanding roles and often go unseen, yet their impact is deeply felt in the quality of life enjoyed by the City of Napa's community.
[11:59] Speaker 4: And whereas code enforcement officers continuously train and adapt to address unique challenges with new technologies, legal frameworks, and community needs.
[12:09] Speaker 7: And whereas code enforcement officers are dedicated, highly qualified, and trained professionals who share the goals of preventing neighborhood deterioration, enhancing communities, and ensuring safety, including preserving property values, through knowledge, training, and application of appropriate laws.
[12:27] Speaker 3: And whereas code enforcement officers have a highly visible role in the City of Napa and work with residents, businesses, and other agencies to foster trust and transparency in local government.
[12:38] Speaker 6: And whereas the City of Napa wants to recognize and honor code enforcement officers and acknowledge their role in leading the way to improve quality of life within our community.
[12:47] Speaker 2: Now therefore be it resolved that I, Scott Sedgley, Mayor of the City of Napa, along with the Napa City Council, Do hereby proclaim October 5th through the 9th, 2026, as Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week in the City of Napa. So thank you. On my agenda is we have Mr. Tony Valdez here to accept the proclamation. I don't know if anyone else on your team.
[13:16] Speaker 4: Mayor, members of City Council, thank you for the appreciation and just extending my appreciation to my code enforcement officers Anthony Howard and Philip Hartman. Anthony being with the city for 4 years, Philip, for 3 weeks. So thank you again.
[13:30] Speaker 2: Let me bring it out. Or if you want to come up, we'll just take a picture. Thank you so much. Welcome aboard. 3 weeks.
[13:49] Speaker 3: Still here.
[13:50] Speaker 2: All right. Emily's going to get a picture.
[13:58] Speaker 7: All right.
[13:59] Speaker 1: Thanks, Tony.
[14:10] Speaker 2: Thank you. Thanks for your work.
[14:21] Speaker 6: Mr. Mayor, you going to open this up to the public, sir?
[14:25] Speaker 2: Where did that come from? I don't know, but we, uh, we have public comment. Is that what the question about? Yes, she has public comments coming.
[14:31] Speaker 9: On—
[14:31] Speaker 3: is it on this item, George, or on public comment?
[14:34] Speaker 6: This item.
[14:35] Speaker 3: Oh, I suppose if there's a request for comment on this item, we could take it.
[14:39] Speaker 2: Yes. Okay.
[14:40] Speaker 6: Thank you, Mayor. Very gracious, sir. Sorry, Tiffany, I didn't write that down. Former Councilman Beric. Council and staff, I think it's fair to say there are some bad apples in code enforcement around the county, probably around the country too. Should not be a reflection of what's happening in Napa, but I want you to be on notice. There's a lot of news stories and a lot of cases in the North Bay about corrupt Code enforcement. You can easily Google this. I have a federal lawsuit in Oakland against my city regarding corrupt code enforcement, extortion, bribery. A seven million dollar case against them. I just ask you to be on your toes. Okay? I will also speak to the fact that I appealed a case, a code enforcement case here in Superior Court not too long ago, and I'll bring that up during public.
[15:41] Speaker 2: Comment.
[15:42] Speaker 6: But code enforcement is a difficult position, but it's very easy to weaponize code enforcement to do your political bidding. We've seen it. It's factual. Cities are being liable. Insurance pools are being liable for what's going on. It's been quite documented. If you've been spared this in the city of Napa thus far, You're very lucky, but it's very common, and I'd like you to all keep your eyes open. Thank you.
[16:12] Speaker 5: Thank you.
[16:14] Speaker 3: I do have a hand up in Zoom, so I may ask this person if they do wish to speak on this item as well. Lori, are you looking to speak on item 4C?
[16:23] Speaker 1: Yes, I am.
[16:25] Speaker 10: Okay, go ahead.
[16:26] Speaker 4: Um, I also wanted to bring up code enforcement.
[16:31] Speaker 1: Um, I haven't heard of any problems at NAPA. But you should be very aware of what's happening in your area. In Sonoma County, the County of Sonoma had to have a whole overhaul of code enforcement due to lawsuits.
[16:49] Speaker 4: And the cities of Windsor—
[16:52] Speaker 1: of Town of Windsor, cities of Sonoma, City of Cloverdale, and the City of Cotati, because they were so corrupt in using it as a tool for selective enforcement against others.
[17:09] Speaker 4: This summer, they had to go to a multi-jurisdictional contract with an outside contractor from Southern California. And this was because of the amount of corruption and using it as a revenue tool rather than helping people.
[17:32] Speaker 5: And helping the community.
[17:35] Speaker 4: Um, so I just want to make sure that you guys keep a good watch on what's happening with code enforcement in your city, because we've seen the worst here in Sonoma County.
[17:47] Speaker 10: Thank you.
[17:48] Speaker 2: Thank you. All right, uh, we are now at item 5 on our agenda. This is general public comment. So during the public comment portion of the meeting, the public is invited to address the council on any item within the subject matter jurisdiction of the council that is not on the agenda. Please focus your comments on either past actions taken by the council or proposed future actions to be taken by the council. However, if the subject of the public comment is not on the agenda, state law strictly limits the council's ability to respond at this time.
[18:27] Speaker 6: Thank you.
[18:29] Speaker 2: So we have just example of what Tiffany's going to explain now is online participation.
[18:35] Speaker 3: Correct.
[18:36] Speaker 1: Well, we will be allowing members of the public to participate via Zoom in accordance with new state law.
[18:42] Speaker 3: And members who are attending via Zoom may use the raise the hand feature or the star 6 to raise their hand, raise their hand when they are—
[18:50] Speaker 1: when we come to the item that they would wish to speak upon.
[18:52] Speaker 3: We will begin with public comments from those members who are attending in person, and then we'll move over to Zoom. So I do have 3 speaker cards for members that are in public: Dalton Piercy, Councilman Beric, and Philip Trude.
[19:07] Speaker 7: Thank you.
[19:10] Speaker 2: Come right up. No particular order.
[19:11] Speaker 10: Good to see you once again.
[19:17] Speaker 2: Good to see you.
[19:21] Speaker 10: I watch the boards a lot. I comment a lot in the Register. And I have to say this, and I think it's important to bring it up. There's been a lot of continuing reference to revisionism of Napa. A lot of individuals in the community want to see a return to what we were, you know, maybe 20 years ago, 30 years ago. And I've made a lot of comments about this, you know. And so others here can understand, you know, we were part of the military complex during World War II. You know, we look around, we look at our population. A lot of people don't realize there were 66.3 million people here in the Bay Area. in Napa, in Vallejo, in Benicia, that we were impacted. And we had the military complex which was feeding industry here. And then our military complex faded. And as it faded, Napa really did not have an industry. And we had a city council that seemed to not be able to adjust.
[20:43] Speaker 7: Thank you.
[20:45] Speaker 10: To making an industry for our community. And I know this for sure because I was one of the kids that grew up in it. I was one of the kids that had to compete with 20 other kids to get a job at Woolworth's, you know. So we didn't have that. And, and now, now one of the, the most amazing things happened.
[21:08] Speaker 4: Thank you.
[21:09] Speaker 10: Jill Teckle went out and she got money to, to fix the flooding, to bring the bypass, to, to correct that downtown. Downtown flooded how many times? At least I know 3 times in my lifetime. And we're not talking about a cleanup, we're talking about billions of dollars of money lost in businesses in downtown. She fixed that. And then, you know what? We get you guys. And next thing you know, we have an industry that's going up in downtown. Maybe it's not what everybody wants, but I'll tell you what, it's feeding this community money. And, and our people in our community are, are starting to see that. I see it. You know, especially for the musicians. I have musicians that are working. We have 34 musicians on the average working every week downtown. As I grew up in this town, I was lucky if I got one gig a month. You know, so all these changes are happening. May I continue just a little bit?
[22:20] Speaker 2: Just a little bit.
[22:21] Speaker 10: Okay. All these changes are happening, and I still hear people talking about revisionism. Going back to the way it was. Well, going back to the way it was wasn't really that great. You know, there was a lot of people that were unemployed, and we're still struggling today. We have people out on the street. I talked to kids that graduated from Valley Oak; they can't get a job. You know, so I mean, we still have a lot of work to do, but things are different now, and we have kids. that are working in downtown, they have jobs. I'm Dalton.
[22:58] Speaker 7: Thank you.
[22:59] Speaker 2: Thank you, Dalton.
[22:59] Speaker 6: Good evening— good afternoon, council and staff. Mayor, thank you. That was very gracious to give the gentleman a little extra time. Thank you, sir. I want the council to please recognize a little extra time for me for an ADA accommodation. Tiffany's aware of this.
[23:25] Speaker 7: I want—
[23:25] Speaker 6: I was here about a month ago, and there was an issue here in the chambers over free speech and the mayor interrupting a speaker here at the lectern. And it was a little disturbing to me, and I want to speak to this for a moment. I believe what the speaker was speaking to was within the subject jurisdiction, a matter jurisdiction of the of Napa, and the mayor may disagree, but it's my understanding that the citizens have wide discretion on what to speak about before a city council because it is within your jurisdiction to do something about it, put it on a future agenda or whatever. So I thought that was a little cruel to interrupt the speaker. But I've, in my years in public service and civic participation around the Bay Area, I've seen people come up to the lectern and sing music, play guitar. I saw an attorney in Novato be silent, turned his back to the council for 3 minutes in Novato, all within his legal right to do so. Oh, he was arrested for it, led to a big lawsuit. But just, I want you to remember what kind of latitude the public has up here at the podium. There's talk about hate speech. You know, one person's hate speech is another person's desired speech. You got to be very, very careful with this. I also listened to a speaker here talk about— he read an email from one of the councilwomen here regarding a dispute on campaign signage on private property. I was very disturbed at the email, the threats of litigation without any proof whatsoever of, of sign manipulation or confiscation. And I think it's within the purview of the council to investigate this. You have the power to admonish fellow council members, censure council members. When you're on a council, a city council, you're a public official 24 hours a day. Whether you're running for city, for an office or not, you have ethics and morals to uphold. And making baseless accusations—I don't know—I was shocked. So the last item with the time I have left—you might remember I've been before you three times now without any response from the city. I appealed a bogus parking ticket downtown. I appealed it through your.
[25:56] Speaker 2: due process.
[25:57] Speaker 6: And it was just a joke. Unsubstantiated evidence, hearsay, double talk, no due process of law. Okay, so I finally appeal it to the Napa Superior Court, which is what you folks want us to do. I went to the Superior Court and the judge admonished the, the city at length. What are you doing here? You have no evidence. I moved to dismiss. She's taken the case under submission and will get a response within 90 days. We're about 30 days away from that now. Okay. I got a— I got a feeling she's going to rule for me in a written opinion and she's going to hand the city of Napa your rear end in her decision. So I don't like to see that. I never wanted it to go this far. City Manager Potter had the authority to take this upon himself, his discretion, to meet with me in private with Bernie. Bernie was very nice to reach out to me and say, look, let's, let's Let's find a resolution to this and let me help you improve your citation appeal process because it's broken. It's broken. Okay? And once that ruling comes out, there's nothing we can do from the ruling because it will be, it will be in her hands. We have a chance to settle this. I'll settle this for $1 and get rid of it because when she rules, newspaper's going to pick up on it. Going to make you all look really silly. Okay, so, you know, Tiffany's got my contact information. Mr. Potter, let's work this out because this is going to be a big stain on the city council when that judge rules. Thank you. Afternoon, my name is Philip Frude. I'm delighted to have come on the right day. It sounds like Talking about Pedestrian Safety Month. About a year ago, I was here talking about an intersection that was holding back motorists too long, and I counted like 15 at the most. And shortly thereafter, it looked like it was fixed. And I just don't like angry motorists behind me. I have to wait longer now, but that's the way intersections should be. In the past also, I've shared that I just dreaded riding on Trancas. But then now I live on Trancas. I have over 135,000 miles of bicycling experience, and this new pavement and bicycle lane that you created there is perfect. The improvement is the best one improvement in Napa. And I bicycle twice a week to the photo shops, and that new light that you have at Basalt and Sawskill, it's like a metering light on. I was actually bicycling out there today, and I I'm going to give you this here. I timed the lights. I did 3 cycles, and about every minute they turn red. I call it the metering light. It really should be adjusted. And then I also wanted to mention that I— coming home last Sunday, 2 Sundays ago from church, I noticed that some of the camps have been pulled up. And I have a heart for the homeless, and I just ask that before you go to bed tonight, consider that there's quite a few people that don't have a mattress, a pillow, or level ground, a solid wall. And so the last thing that concerns pedestrians— this may be more of a state issue— but I noticed in Sonoma County, these pedestrian lights that they— the crosswalk crossers, they're a yellow flashing light. And I would think that a pedestrian crossing should be a red flashing light. So I hope motorists are more aware of that, you know, to wait until a pedestrian is all the way on the other side of the street. And that's all I have. Thank you very much.
[29:50] Speaker 2: Thank you.
[30:07] Speaker 9: Good afternoon. Jim Hinton, candidate for City Council, 45 Spring Street. Um, I have been to this meeting so many times to ask you the same thing about every other month is, um, why have you canceled the evening session tonight again? Two weeks ago during the evening session, it was probably the best city council meeting I've ever been to. It was packed in here. You had to open up the back, and there still wasn't enough room. People went home, people because there was no room, and they they used the Zoom or whatever it is to participate. And it's almost like you don't want the public here. I mean, they came to that meeting, and it was about fifty to one asking you. to stop the roundabout. Did you stop it? Put it on pause. But we all know what that means. You're going to try to buy his house, and if you don't buy it, then you're going to take it. But, um, you don't listen to the community at all. Public input seems almost irrelevant when it comes down 50 to 1 and you don't follow it. And the one person that was for it is from the transportation department. And I get it. You— the ship sailed a long time ago. You've been working on this for 10 years. You've invested. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, you know, sometimes you get things wrong. And you have to be able to truly recognize when you've made a mistake or you've done something that the community is unhappy with. And you have options. You know, there's different traffic signals that have been invented since 2018 or whatever it was. And a lot of people in the community would really like to see you adjust and represent them. Um, right now it's like this is a government by leadership Napa Valley, not a government by the people. And it, it's frustrating, you know, that to, to You guys do the Pledge of Allegiance and all these things you pledge and say, but at the end of the day, it doesn't mean anything because you do what you want to do. You do what Jill Teckle wants to do. You do what Gordon Huther wants to do. And that's the government. It's not the people operating it. It's not the people who are influencing your decisions. It's the good old boys and girls.
[32:40] Speaker 4: at the top.
[32:41] Speaker 2: Do you have more speakers, guys?
[32:47] Speaker 5: Hi, everyone. Thank you for your time. I'm Catherine Burks. I'm a longtime resident in NEPA, and I was recently run down by a child on an electric bike while I was walking on the sidewalk on Jefferson Street. So I am here trying to put electric bikes on the agenda so that this doesn't happen to anyone else, so that I don't turn on the news or look at the internet and find out that someone died because no one did anything about the electric bikes. I was treated poorly by Napa PD. The officer used his discretion, I'm told, and opted to not do anything about what happened. The boy was riding on the sidewalk in front of businesses going the wrong way on a silent bicycle. I had no idea he was even coming, so I got knocked off my feet and onto my face. So I am here asking you to please consider putting this subject on your agenda so that this town can come off of the internet and into this building and tell you how they feel about electric bikes because they are dangerous and he could have killed me. Had I been elderly like any one of these people, I might be dead. So it is an important topic.
[34:15] Speaker 10: It is—
[34:15] Speaker 5: needs to be discussed. Apparently there aren't a lot of rules about electric bikes, but there is a municipal code, I'm told, 9.12.115. I have memorized it since August 31st. And even though he broke the law, the officer opted not to even cite the child. He simply made a phone call to his parents. And when I asked about it, he said, well, the parents already knew about it. So I'm— I am pleading with you to please, please address this topic. You guys seem to be— everyone is spending I don't know how much money Making bike lanes in this town only for pedestrians to be run over.
[34:59] Speaker 1: If this had been—
[35:00] Speaker 5: if I had been a rich winery owner, perhaps if I had been a tourist, maybe the officer would have given me more concern.
[35:09] Speaker 3: He would have cared a little bit more.
[35:10] Speaker 5: I'm, I'm not sure. Maybe he was just having a bad day. But either way, electric bikes don't belong on sidewalks where pedestrians are walking. And I'm hearing that this is Pedestrian Safety Month, so that is— that is what I'm here pleading. Thank you for your time.
[35:28] Speaker 2: Thank you.
[35:29] Speaker 8: My name is Renee Brunk. I hadn't planned to say anything. I thought this was just the meeting to be put on the calendar. And I came with my friend who I just met online hearing her story. And I thought maybe it would help if I came down because the day before Halloween last year, I was standing on Jefferson Street. And a few weeks before, I was told that after many other tests, it was finally diagnosed that I had a millimeter left in my spinal cord. And that if I either fell or was hit by a car and my neck moved just, just like maybe an 8th of an inch or even less, that I'd be a quadriplegic in a wheelchair like Christopher Reeve sipping out of a straw for the rest of my life if I didn't get to have my surgery. Surgery was scheduled for the next day and I was standing on Jefferson Street And right next to talking to the owner of the store next to Buttercream, and there's that parking lot in between. And I looked up and saw a kid about 14, and he was on a— I guess it was an e-bike. I just thought he was coming around the side. I didn't see the speed, but I'm just was engrossed in what I was telling her because the surgery was next morning. And all of a sudden, I looked just in time to see— I thought he was going to go into the traffic and drive in the street. And he came right behind me and just swished. I felt the air. It was probably an inch or 2 from the back of me on Jefferson. Rode down the— I was so freaked out. knowing what could have happened before I had had my surgery. And I looked down the street and he just kept riding down the sidewalk and then eventually entered the traffic. And there were no police around, anyone to point out who this person was. But living in Browns Valley, I've seen him plenty of times driving down not driving down the road, driving on the sidewalk. And a couple times I thought I spotted this person, but I thought, who's going to care now? It's after the fact. I'm fine. I had my surgery. I have a plate in, so that was all good. I'm still recovering a year later from it. But I just, I just, when I saw what Kate had written online, and I'm never usually in the Nextdoor app. This was the first time in Browns Valley and read her story. I thought maybe if I spoke out what almost happened to me, that whether the police have more regulations about this or anything the council can do to encourage them— sorry, I'd appreciate it.
[38:48] Speaker 9: Thank you.
[38:53] Speaker 2: Tiffany, any online or any other comments on general public comment?
[38:58] Speaker 3: If you are attending via Zoom and would like to speak during general public comment, if you could raise your hand. There are no hands raised right now, Mayor, so I believe there are no— no one— there is no one who wishes to speak.
[39:08] Speaker 1: Yep.
[39:09] Speaker 2: Thank you. Uh, Council, on— I don't know, I, I have been in lots of discussions about bicycles on sidewalks of late. I don't know if it's partly because more people are riding bicycles, because of a lot of factors, but I imagine we should probably, you know, get— have asked staff to gather some data on citations or other, you know, fire department calls for services. Maybe we should take— we don't— like the speaker said, we don't want this out of hand. And the influx of e-bikes on the Vine Trail, I see them flying down there too. So it's— Is that possible, Council, that we could have staff gather some data, maybe have PD and fire report out for us, give us some data?
[39:53] Speaker 8: Support that.
[39:54] Speaker 7: Can I make one comment?
[39:56] Speaker 2: Please.
[39:56] Speaker 7: I know we don't make a lot of comments. I am very supportive of doing that. I just wanted to mention last week I attended the annual CalCities conference and attended a session about e-bikes. And it is a significant issue all over the state, probably all over the country. And there's a difference between various types of e-bikes, some of which are illegal on the streets. So I think we do need to take a look at it. And there is some data out there with other cities and in other locations, but it'd be really good to get some local information. But I just thought I would mention that as—
[40:37] Speaker 8: Thank you.
[40:38] Speaker 7: as one potential resource for what some other cities are doing.
[40:42] Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. We are now at item 6 on our agenda. This is our consent calendar. We have 10 consent items identified, items 6A through 6J, and the clerk did point out that one item that is not included in that Consent item being 6B, but all the other ones are still being moved on the consent calendar. Do you have any requests to pull a consent calendar item?
[41:18] Speaker 7: I have no—
[41:19] Speaker 3: I have no additional cards. There's no hands raised.
[41:21] Speaker 2: Any public comment on any consent items?
[41:22] Speaker 1: Anyone want to pull something?
[41:24] Speaker 7: Nope.
[41:24] Speaker 2: Okay. I'll bring it back to council.
[41:28] Speaker 3: I move approval of the consent calendar with that edit to item 6B.
[41:32] Speaker 7: Second.
[41:33] Speaker 2: Motion by Councilmember Luras, seconded by Councilmember Painter. All in favor?
[41:36] Speaker 3: Aye.
[41:37] Speaker 2: Any opposed? Thank you for that. We are now at our administrative reports, item 7. We're going to receive an update on the community relations enhancement, Measure G communications, and new engagement initiatives. Welcome, Jana and Katie.
[42:18] Speaker 8: Thank you.
[42:26] Speaker 3: Huh?
[42:27] Speaker 1: Here we go.
[42:33] Speaker 8: Sorry.
[42:34] Speaker 1: All righty. Good afternoon, Mayor and council members. Thank you so much for the opportunity tonight to talk about our community engagement relations work. So tonight we're going to give you a concise look at how our community engagement program and our work has changed since last year's update. It's been almost exactly a year. So adding a community relations and media analyst gave us more capacity to sustain the daily work and expand how residents hear from and speak with the city. And I'll cover the channels we maintain, as will Katie, and the specific enhancements made this year, our Measure G communications, and the programs coming next. The staff report has the fuller project inventory, but these slides focus on what has changed and where we're headed. So a year ago, we had the opportunity to add a community relations and media analyst, Katie Biermann. This added capacity matters because the baseline service has not gone away. We still update the website, produce City of Napa news each week, operate social channels, support emergency notifications, and respond to changing needs across the departments. At the same time, we've been able to make communication more tailored and accessible and create new ways for residents to interact with us. We also know that bilingual communications are a priority for the City Council as well as our staff and our community, so we continue to post all social media messaging in English and in Spanish and our emergency notifications as well. And as I think you all know, our website also has the capability for full Spanish translation, and that includes all of our global navigation and our menus. Our team also supports internal communications as well as our employee engagement and recognition work. And also our organizational development, as well as regular staff communications. But tonight we're going to illustrate the breadth of the external communications program. So for most residents, engagement begins with finding an answer: the website, our weekly newsletter, and our social media posts. We have seen over 258,000 website visitors in the United States to our site so far this year. And visitors identified as being in Napa spent about 50% more time engaging with the site than the average U.S. visitor. And so far this year, our Napa News emails, they've averaged an average of 52% of an open rate. That's about 11 points above the industry benchmark for government agencies, which sits around 40%, 41%. We also help people understand council decisions through agenda highlights and our recaps, which hopefully you've seen in our newsletter and on social media. Yeah, and we make financial information easier to access through our budget and briefs, our popular annual financial report, and the digital budget book. Of course, that's all in partnership with our amazing finance department. Am I one behind?
[45:28] Speaker 5: Sorry, guys.
[45:30] Speaker 1: Oh, it hit the screen. Okay, where did I— There we go. There we go.
[45:44] Speaker 3: Okay.
[45:44] Speaker 1: Our public meetings, the City Academy, and our individual project campaigns provide ways to ask questions and other feedback as well. So we have just a high-level grouping of our community events we've held this year or supported throughout the various departments throughout the city. And of course, as you all know, we use Everbridge for our emergency notifications. And we also use social media and other channels for our departmental project updates as well. Our State of the City strategy this year is a useful example of the enhancements that our communications program have made. We introduced a central State of the City event this past year with a formal presentation and included a panel with an executive staff moderated by our local chambers. So this was a chance to have more of a 2-way conversation that included our chamber leaders as moderators, our executive team to answer questions and offer their perspective about things going on in the city, and of course we were able to invite the City Council to be a part of that as well. We then carried the material into other places where our residents already gather, like the Napa Farmers Market. Recording is on. And presentations to organizations such as the Napa Little League and Kiwanis Club. We look forward to next year expanding these presentation opportunities to more organizations throughout the city for our next State of the City in the spring. So a community-friendly presentation package extended the life of our standard State of the City booklet and the other work that we're doing through social media, our weekly newsletter and our regular channels. The goal for the information to travel beyond this room and beyond our city offices and creating more opportunities for questions in the community. So I'm going to go ahead and introduce Katie Biermann, who I mentioned earlier, who's our community relations and media analyst. She's going to talk a little bit more about our social media program and our digital accessibility. Thank you.
[48:00] Speaker 5: So over the last year, our social program has really evolved and become more deliberate about our use for each channel and the content we put on each channel. The social media algorithms on each platform, they're real. They change very often. So content that worked a year ago or 6 months ago or even a few weeks ago might not work today. So a year ago, we were really focused on content that was static graphic in-feed 5 days a week with the same content on each platform. And today we create content that fits each platform and each platform's algorithm and people who use it. And we collaborate more with our partners interdepartmentally and regionally on social media. So you might be wondering what platforms are we actually using. Our 2025 community engagement survey shows that Facebook Instagram, and Nextdoor are where our residents are.
[48:53] Speaker 6: Okay.
[48:57] Speaker 8: Yeah.
[48:58] Speaker 5: Well, it was off, so being on is a little more helpful. Anyway, so those 3 platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor, are where our residents are. It's where we spend a lot of time to make sure we're meeting them where they are. Those come in at 52% use, 47% use, and 41% use, respectively. We also use LinkedIn to reach prospective employees and our current staff and really celebrate the work that they're doing. And our videos are hosted on YouTube. Um, you might notice that X, formerly Twitter, is not part of our daily strategy, and that's intentional. Um, based on that survey, usage dropped quite sharply from 24%, so it wasn't even in the top 5, um, platforms used, down to 11%. But in emergencies, we will absolutely be using X because it's a great way to get messaging across. So it's not part of the daily strategy, but in emergencies, we will absolutely utilize it. One of the things we wanted to highlight is our use of in-app strategies, specifically on Facebook and Instagram. We've added strategies to help use the features that our residents are using, features like Stories, Instagram Notes, Instagram Reposts, Collaborations, Events, etc. Stories, we found, has been a great way to reach residents where they are at the top of their feed. It pops up. It's kind of passive. They're looking through and they see our content. So, so far this year, we've posted 203 Instagram stories, which averages about 5 times a week. And that number is actually higher because I pulled it on Friday. So most of these were shared to Facebook as well. This is a format we weren't using consistently before, and it's something that the community— we've gotten feedback— really appreciates. We've also utilized more collaboration on event posts and internal groups who have their own social audiences. So Napa Fire Department, Napa Police, and Napa Parks and Rec, they have their own audiences, their own platforms. We've really worked well with them to create different events and post on social and cross-collaborate and amplify. A great recent example of this would be the Harvest Park Project community engagement opportunities. We worked with our Napa Parks and Rec account managers to create events on Nextdoor and Facebook for each of those. On LinkedIn, we still share job openings, and our partners in HR share those job openings. They're really great at doing that. We've also expanded a little bit beyond that. So we've included staff and program highlights, which used to be occasional, but now they're more a part of our strategy, a regular part of our strategy on LinkedIn. These features recognize the great work employees do. Here's some examples. And some of the people are in the room right now, which was not intentional, but nice for us. They've been received really well. It's also fun to celebrate employees and see their old colleagues celebrate them as well and really show our potential employees the caliber of professionals they'll be working with if they come to the City of Napa. So overall, we've improved visual consistency and accessibility, expanded English and Spanish content, as Jana mentioned, and coordinated most— more closely with those internal departments. We also rely heavily on amplification. So we use our channels to amplify the work not only happening within the city interdepartmentally, but across the region. Instagram introduced a new repost feature, which allows you to add other accounts' content straight into your feed so that your audience can see it. And so far this year, we've shared 108 posts, not only from city departments, but from the County of Napa, NVTA, the school district, etc. So that averages to about 3 times a week. My favorite part of our social strategy has been working with our different departments who don't have a social media presence and getting their information to residents in creative ways. Public Works is a really awesome example of this. We've used more video and interactive content to explain the work they're doing. I love going into meetings with them and they like nerd out on their different areas of content and or or professional areas, and I take that and, and we work together to make it really exciting. So a good example of this is the street paving trivia we did recently, or at the beginning of the year. We took their year-end totals and made a Jeopardy-style trivia on Instagram Stories. So to recap really quickly, social strategy: we're constantly working and refining our strategy to be on those platforms where our residents are. We're recognizing the great work our employees do in a new way. on LinkedIn, and we're using our channels to amplify department work. So another focus of ours has been digital accessibility. A quick primer: digital accessibility means ensuring everyone can use our website, documents, and digital content as intended. So that includes folks who use assistive technology like screen readers or keyboard navigation or folks who have low vision. And under the Department of Justice's ADA Title II Web Accessibility Rule, cities our size are required to meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA web accessibility standards by April 2027. These standards are internationally recognized web accessibility standards. So we're approaching that work in 3 different major ways. We've started utilizing this tool called DocAccess on cityofnapa.org as well as the Granicus site the city clerk uses. That tool helps remediate our PDFs and our documents and our files on our website so that these assistive technologies can read them back to their users. We've also utilized another tool called AudioEye, which constantly crawls and monitors our website for accessibility issues and helps us address those in real time. And then third, we're working on providing training for the staff who create digital content, including web content and social content, so that when they're creating their day-to-day content, they start with accessibility and digital accessibility in mind. And a final note about digital accessibility. This isn't a one-time project for us. Our website changes daily. Social changes daily. These assistive technologies continue to evolve. And the federal guidelines will continue to evolve. So we really remain committed and focused on this work.
[55:22] Speaker 1: Awesome. Thank you. Uh, so next I'm going to talk about civic learning and our two-way outreach. Uh, so the Napa City Academy, which I'm sure everybody here is familiar with, uh, that remains a cornerstone of civic education for us. Um, and we're planning on adding a second signature program, a community ambassador program, um, in early— the early parts of next year, which we'll talk about in just a minute, uh, to enhance two-way outreach with our community. Um, so the 2026 Napa City Academy, that program for this year launched on September 9th. Our team has incorporated new engagement elements based on participant feedback, and this year marks our 10th Napa City Academy. We host approximately 35 participants each year and find each cohort very engaging and very excited to be a part of the program and to learn more about city services. So our community ambassador pilot— here's our proposed model for this new program. Alongside the academy, we're developing this ambassador program with plans to launch a 12-month pilot program in early 2027. This concept was one of the recommendations from our collaboration with the Aspen Institute last year, which I'm sure you guys remember that as well. The intent is to work with residents who can help share information within their community circles and their neighborhoods, and we're hoping that they carry those local questions and perspectives back to us here at the city. The intention of the pilot program is to create more consistent structure around something the city already does ad hoc, and that's leaning on our trusted residents and community members to share information with us and vice versa. So this program, we would intend to place about 5 to 8 participants in an ongoing and low-commitment role connected with the city through monthly emails with calls to action, as well as a quarterly in-person gathering.
[57:13] Speaker 3: Thank you.
[57:14] Speaker 1: Again, we're looking for, you know, consistent and engaging opportunities to chat with folks and share information both ways. So the commitment level itself is intended to be informal and flexible and based on the time that that participant wants to give. It's open to people 16 years or older who live or work in the City of Napa and who want to positively impact the community. So for the pilot phase, our community relations staff— us— will work with city leadership and community partners to identify folks that might be a good fit for the program to start. And then from there, the community relations team— and then again, that's us— is going to be the ones directing the program and will be the main point of contact for the cohort. And if they want to get in contact with city staff, we'll be their liaison in that direction. So again, launching in early part of 2027. So looking forward to that. I know you'll be hearing more about the Harvest Park project at the next council meeting, so I won't get too ahead of our skis on this, but we did want to talk a little bit about our work with the Parks and Recreation team as it relates to outreach over the past year. Our latest outreach effort with them and on the Harvest Park project shows how we support engagement around a major city project. At the former Harvest Middle School site, as everyone knows, we're looking at planning a future public recreation campus. So this summer we expanded awareness through English and Spanish outreach. So that included a household mailer, newsletters, e-newsletters, 44 social media touch points including 32 unique visual graphics— thank you, Katie, you've been amazing in that realm— flyers, the recreation guide, and the project webpage, as well as subscription updates to our e-newsletters, and of course traditional press releases. Our community could participate through a virtual town hall in August And then as we progressed, a bilingual town hall and a Spanish language town hall on site in September. The broader engagement plan also included targeted focus groups, and that is ongoing, as well as community pop-ups and survey opportunities. The purpose is to use this community input to shape those initial design directions and alternatives that's expected in early 2027, and then that'll go into a next round of feedback. The Harvest Park Project webpage has the latest of the information, but again, you'll be hearing far more about this next City Council meeting from the Parks and Rec team. But we were really excited to work with Ali, Brianna, and their entire team in working on this outreach program. So my last— last year when I presented, we talked more about the Aspen Institute presentations and some of the ideas that they had presented to us as as a cohort. So we just wanted to report out on a few updates on that and progress that we've made. So as Measure G got underway, um, a year and a half ago now, we placed signs at Measure G project sites to identify those funded projects around town. So that was a component of our early outreach plan, but it was also part of what the Aspen Institute cohorts had presented to us as well. So it was really nice to hear that it solidified our decision to utilize that particular outreach component and having those validations from that group that that was a good way to move forward. And then we also designed— I'm sure you saw these at one of our events— the I Want comment card for events. This gives attendees an easy way to share what they hope to see in their neighborhood and across Napa, whether related to services, community programs, infrastructure, longer-term planning. Or, in this case, we had one very enthusiastic resident that was hoping to buy a raccoon. So we got all, all sorts of engagement from all ages, which was really exciting to see. So planning is underway, as I mentioned, for the Community Ambassador Program. And we are exploring 2 additional concepts: a text or phone-based tool for quick project updates and an expanded People Behind the Progress program, and that's a series to spotlight city employees. Those 2 concepts remain in internal and planning, like a pilot program right now. We're assessing if we have the resources and when to make that viable. And then lastly, Measure G. I'm looking to create more visibility for that program. Measure G communication— this is a major area of growth for us. The Measure G Citizens Oversight Committee issued its inaugural annual report earlier this year. We worked very closely with Liz Kirk and our team members here to issue that initial report. Our established tools, including the PAFR and the digital budget book, that also helps residents understand fiscal information more broadly as well and how that fits into the bigger picture. And as we mentioned before, we identify, we identify completed Measure D projects with signage on site. Our Measure G in Motion event, we were very excited to launch that this year, and we found it to be a very successful first-time event. It brought over 100 community members to learn more about the projects and initiatives that are being brought forth by Measure G. We included activities, walkthroughs, visual displays, comment cards, and questions, and we saw a lot of really interactive engagement. This was a huge lift for a lot of city staff and is really exciting to see It was exciting to see all our staff members come together and highlight all the amazing work that they're doing as it relates to Measure G. And then lastly, we created video graphics and newsletters to help explain the work through our regular channels. It does warrant mentioning that the budget analyst that the Finance Department added, that also supports more timely and clear expenditure reporting to the Oversight Committee as well. We also strategically utilize utility bill inserts in certain situations, and very specifically for Measure G, we did do this in the early stages for projects like that that warrant additional outreach. Those are really helpful ways to, to reach the community. So together, all of these activities link the financial report to projects that people can see and discuss and really be a part of. So upcoming milestones. Yes. So here's what you can expect in the next 18-plus months, give or take. So as I mentioned, in early 2027, we plan to launch the Community Ambassadors Program, our pilot program, and we plan on hosting the spring State of the City presentation and panel. So we will be revisiting that and bringing that back for a second year. And then, um, so that's currently anticipated for February or March of 2027 at this point. We also plan to hold training for employees who contribute to website content. So that will be happening in in the spring as well. So it'll be a 4-day virtual opportunity for our staff to get training as they see fit. So we'll have lots of different modules to offer them, whether they're a beginning website user or maybe a little more seasoned, they have more project-specific questions that they want help with. And we'll have Civic+ staff helping us with that as well and get people up to speed if they're working on cleaning up content, creating new project pages, things like that. And then in addition to that, we are planning a refresh of the entire website. So more to come on that, but that will include everything from updated cleaner graphics, branding, photography, as well as an updated navigation system and new project or department homepages for all of our departments. So by mid-year, we'll be communicating the next council focus areas, and a second Measure G in Motion event is planned for fall of 2027. So we'll be bringing that back as well. In spring of 2028— I know we're getting a little ahead, but it's coming. It'll be here before we know it. We anticipate another community open house. So if you remember back in the fall of 2025, we did host that out at Las Flores. And that was basically a citywide event that allowed all of our departments to showcase their programs and initiatives and allowed the community to come out and meet folks and learn what's going on across the city and not more project or initiative specific. And then lastly, between all of these milestones, our everyday work is going to continue, our accessibility and making information more accessible, our Measure G updates, and collaboration on department projects. So these are all planned dates, but we may adjust based on individual progress. So lastly, the next year of engagement. So in closing, our aim is pretty practical. We're looking to share information with our residents and making it easy to find and use, clearer explanations of city decisions and fiscal stewardship, and more chances for people to talk with us about the projects that are affecting them. Our new community relations media analyst, Katie Biermann, has allowed our mighty team of 2 to maintain these core services but also really expand and enhance a lot of the work that we're doing. So it's been really great to kind of see and be able to bring these programs online, and hopefully the community is seeing and feeling that difference. So we're going to keep learning from attendance at those meetings as well as feedback, channel performance, and the questions we hear at events to refine the program. So I'm going to punt back to Steve. Thank you for the opportunity. We'll open up for questions in a minute, but—
[66:35] Speaker 3: I have no cards for this item.
[66:38] Speaker 1: Is there anyone on Zoom who would wish to comment?
[66:41] Speaker 3: Please raise your hand now. And there are no hands.
[66:45] Speaker 6: Mayor Sedgley, if I can take a minute to just add a couple things. I'd really like to take the opportunity to thank Jana and Katie and the staff in the departments who works on the communication for the city. Our team works with the primary value of transparency and encouraging community education about their government services. The improvements to our communications approach and the addition of new programs has made a meaningful difference in our interactions with the community. We're especially proud of the work to host multiple events, open houses, project workshops, and getting out into the community to speak to folks where they are. Those efforts have— those efforts take significant staff time and resources, and we know the community appreciates those opportunities. We're looking forward to the continued good work of this team and to launching of some new exciting new programs. So thank you.
[67:44] Speaker 2: Anybody in the audience comment on this presentation? I'll bring it back to council. Any observations, comments, questions, appreciation? It's a You know, I'm being the old guy. Technology and getting into all these platforms and using them efficiently, you know, it's getting better. I was in a restaurant the other day, and I shared this, that one of the waitstaff was talking about, you know, the parking enforcement and, you know, where the employees park. And I said, well, have you ever considered a permitted— buying a permitted spot, right? He didn't know about it. And I said, well, just go on the city's webpage, and I think you'll find it there. In 5 minutes, he came out. He had a temporary thing printed up and paid his $30. And now he's got $1 a day parking downtown. And he doesn't have to go out every 3 hours and move his car. So it was very effective. And this just happened this week.
[68:48] Speaker 1: So— Glad to hear that. Thank you. It's good to hear.
[68:51] Speaker 2: Councilmember Luras.
[68:54] Speaker 3: All right. Well, really great job across the board. Thank you, Jana and Katie. I'm excited to hear more about the website refresh.
[68:59] Speaker 1: I think that sounds great.
[68:59] Speaker 3: The state of the city, I thought was really well done. I'm excited to see on how you expand that in the next year. I think it was really smart to do it as kind of a roadshow and bringing it to different groups. I think anytime we're not just having an event and actually taking information to people instead of expecting them to come here, I think that's just really helpful. I think the engagement work, the outreach that's going on with the Harvest Project has been fantastic. I think that should be our model for communications on all major products. projects from now on. And one of the things that came up out of the Aspen Institute presentations that I really loved was using the QR codes. I think we have a great website. We have a lot of information on it. For example, we have all these Measure G signs. We have great signage, but we don't— we're not connecting people to the website really well. So if we could use QR codes, let's say there's work being done in my neighborhood right now, some paving work. If we could put up a sign that has a QR code that says, you know, here's what's happening, here's what we're working on, so people can look at that. And we already have the information on our website, but people don't know how to get there. They don't know to look there. So just connect— making those connections. And I think a QR code is just a really easy way to— I say that it's easy, but it's more work for you guys. But that's just one way we can maybe connect more people to our website and get them that information. One thing we didn't really address, we kind of talked about, is Nextdoor. I feel like that's kind of the elephant in the room. There's so much that's happening on that website. There's so much misinformation that's happening on that website. And, you know, I don't want staff chasing every inaccurate comment and arguing with people online because I don't think that that does anything. But I do think we need to think more strategically about, you know, how are we identifying recurring misconceptions? If there's rumors going around, how are we proactively putting out factual information when we hear that into the same space? And just giving residents an easy way to bring questions if they're hearing rumors, if they're hearing things, getting that back to us so that we can get that information out. So I would love to see that as something that we can incorporate into the communication strategy. I think maybe that's the ambassadors. Maybe that's a job that they can bring— not that they should be on Nextdoor answering anything, but that they can bring back some of what they're hearing and just kind of say, you know, here's the rumors that we're hearing, here's what we need to be better about communicating about. I don't think we can stop misinformation on Nextdoor, but we can do our best to try and provide more information. So, and then also just one more thing, growing our audience. I would love to see us focus on that. We have such good information, and if we can find a way to get more people signed up on our newsletters, and if there are things that the council should be doing to help with that, let us know. But I would love to see that be part of the goals too. So thank you for everything you've done. I think you're doing a tremendous job. I'm super impressed. Thank you.
[71:49] Speaker 1: Thank you. And I'll make a real quick comment on that, Mary. That is actually something that we're working on as well. We didn't include it here today, but we actually have a multi-page plan to work with you guys on amplifying some of our messaging as well and offering you that, trying to give it to you as much on a silver platter as possible to make it easy for you to share. So more to come on that. And then yes, definitely, hopefully the ambassadors can help at least for the start of addressing next-door rumors and maybe work out from there.
[72:15] Speaker 2: Thanks. Vice Mayor DiNatale.
[72:21] Speaker 6: Thank you so much for the presentation. I do have to say it's been really exciting to watch your department grow over the last year. I do agree with Councilmember Lurros that the harvest outreach should be the model. I think that's been fantastic. I've talked to people from all age ranges who have taken part in that. So that's been very exciting. And I know we talked a lot about engaging younger audiences, and it was exciting to have a group from Vintage High School come over and say, oh, we were involved in this and it was great and we had something to say. So kudos on that. I also want to say I'm very excited about the ambassador program. I don't think anything's more impactful than a real person from your neighborhood who you know talking about something important to the city. So I look forward to see the fruit that that bears. But thank you for all your work. Fantastic.
[73:00] Speaker 1: Thank you.
[73:01] Speaker 2: Councilmember Painter.
[73:04] Speaker 7: Well, I'll just add to the thank-yous. This has been a huge amount of work. And Katie, it's just— your addition to this team has been monumental. So I just really, really appreciate that. I can't believe it's been a year since you presented to us. but there we are. The metrics that you shared with us early on were really impactful when you look at how many people not just go to the website but actually open it and stay there and read it, and that says to me they're engaged. And so I think collecting those metrics and sharing that with us is something that I certainly appreciated, and to bring that back so that we remain relevant, we remain you know, sort of responding to what people's needs are. I see this not only as important for all the things that you've talked about, including the model for harvest and including all these things, but it means that we are ready to go in the event of an emergency. And that's really important, I think. And not that we weren't necessarily in the past, but it just gives me— and I think hope it gives the community great confidence residents that we have systems in place to communicate effectively in the event of an emergency. So I think that's really a critical component. You know, I think it also shows that we meet residents kind of where they are. And I appreciate all the residents who are here today and come to our regular meetings. But there are so many other ways to engage with City Council and to engage with staff that I think are actually more comfortable for residents in many ways. So I think, you know, sort of in response to saying, you know, come to our regular meetings, I think we have all these other options and different doors people can come in through to be able to access. So I think that's a critical piece to continue, and giving us the feedback that you hear through those channels. And I would agree the Ambassador Program is going to be a way to do that. It is a volunteer program, so I want to make sure we don't overburden the folks who are going to be signing up.
[75:06] Speaker 3: Thank you.
[75:07] Speaker 7: And we certainly acknowledge their participation. So I'm sure you'll do that as you sort of gauge how they're going to be involved. I would really echo the notion of a QR code because— and I'll use the mayor's example of the parking information— if that's something that folks are interested in and there's a QR code that they could look at and read and get to that information, then we're connecting the dots, which I think is what we're really trying to do. So thank you for that, and I look forward to all the next steps.
[75:40] Speaker 1: Thank you.
[75:40] Speaker 2: Councilmember Narvaez.
[75:42] Speaker 4: All right. I'm going to echo a couple things. The QR code is wonderful, great idea. The emergency preparedness, I didn't think about that. That's a great comment. I mean, we've gone through our share, and this definitely will help amplify the the resources. Um, you know, I've talked about engaging on social media. It's just that's where people are. That's where people are talking about a number of subjects, whether it's accurate or not. But finding a way to effectively engage, not, not having arguments, but directing to whether it's frequently asked questions or a project information page. I think figuring out how that's done effectively is is really important. The data is great. The open rate of 50%, 52% is excellent. I love stories. I look at the stories and I think a lot of people engage there. One of the questions is, you mentioned collaborating on social media with other agencies. Is there a way for community groups to engage with the City of NEPA? Say, would you amplify or would you share this story? Have we looked at that for— I mean, is there— there might be some important community events that we want to share that we don't host, but we might want to share, and having kind of an official way to do that so it's not just for anybody, but maybe some events or, um, you know, efforts that overlap with our, with our efforts might be a good way to, to invite the public for us to Kind of collab? I don't know, just something to think about.
[77:17] Speaker 1: No, it's a really good question and one that we often come up against. And we don't have anything really necessarily in writing that says we can do this, we can't do this, or we do or we don't. But what we typically try to do is if it is a community event that we're either hosting, sponsoring, or in some way participating in, or like I said, supporting in some way, we'll share it and/or collaborate with the other— the groups that might be putting it on. If it's just an event that we don't have any other connection to, we typically don't, just for consistency. Also because, you know, if you share one or two, then, you know, at what point does that open it up to everything? But something that we can definitely give a little more thought to and figure out if there's a way to maybe put more parameters around that. So when we do get those types of requests, we have, you know, kind of a box that we can stay in.
[78:06] Speaker 6: Right.
[78:07] Speaker 1: But definitely something that we come across regularly.
[78:10] Speaker 4: Thank you. I love that question about the potholes filled. I just wonder what people think versus what, you know, what the comparison is, the public perspective versus what we've done. So I'm glad we're doing that. It makes— gives us an understanding what the public sees, right? Because our perspective could be very different than what we think the public sees, and that's, that's a great way to get that feedback. The Ambassador Program, I, I like that, um, although I'm just curious how they're going to engage with the public? Are there going to be events? Are there going to be walking neighborhoods? Like, what is the engagement?
[78:42] Speaker 1: Initially, again, we're looking at somewhat of a low-commitment role to start and just kind of figure out what kind of communication avenues work best for this type of a cohort and also keeping it small. And hopefully, we're going to learn from them as well and find out what they might be looking for and what would help them better serve the purpose. But I think at the end of the day, what we really want to do is make sure that that they have either the information that we're thinking we need them to share immediately, if it's maybe more project-specific or initiative-specific, or if there's misinformation about how to find information, and just arm them with that, like a deck of information that they can share. So when they get those questions about, you know, I don't know anything about parking permits in town, it's like, well, they're on the website and here's where they are. We can all be Mayor Scott Sedleys. But I think at the end of the day, it's just making sure that they know how to find the information so then when they're getting questions, they can answer them on behalf of the city. Or if it's something maybe they don't know how to answer, they can come to us directly and find out how to access that staff member that might be able to answer the question for them. So that's kind of where we're going to start.
[79:49] Speaker 8: Right.
[79:50] Speaker 4: And I do like the staff highlights to be able to— I don't know, staff might not like, or maybe they do be highlighted, but I think it's great because when public engages with us, us, if they see a familiar face, it just, I think, makes it a little easier.
[80:05] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
[80:06] Speaker 4: Some people are kind of overwhelmed or intimidated with coming to a government building. They're not— haven't done it before. Maybe they're trying to address an issue and they're already, you know, pretty worked up. But connecting or expecting somebody they know oftentimes kind of makes it a little better. So I do like those staff highlights. I think anybody can be an ambassador, right? People here that have heard this know where to go and share that information. And then the service center also engages with the community, and it's a great way for people to let us know the issues. How are we— how are we working with that application for people that are engaging? And if we are, if we need to, I don't know if that would be effective.
[80:47] Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, that's a great question. And when we initially launched it, and I know our departments do that probably on the regular. They've got a lot of collateral that they share as well, and we have a lot of intake when it comes to emails and phone calls from the public. So I think probably that's an area we can revisit too. It's been a really busy year or 6 months, so we can look at doing another service center campaign. I know it's being utilized a lot more than it used to, so I don't have the exact numbers on that, but it's definitely a program and a platform that's really grown by leaps and bounds, but we can definitely continue to work on promoting that on a more regular basis.
[81:26] Speaker 4: Thank you. Our focus areas is engagement, and I think you're right on track beyond that. It's wonderful work. I hear a lot of good things from the public, and, you know, rolling into this with the Harvest Project, it's even more exciting. So keep up the great work, and thank you for this information.
[81:44] Speaker 10: Thank you.
[81:48] Speaker 2: Public comment? Anybody in the audience on this item? This is an information item only. No actions will be taken. Anything online? Thank you. Thank you so much.
[81:59] Speaker 5: Thank you.
[82:01] Speaker 2: Item 8 on our agenda is a consent hearing, but I understand that we have an interest in pulling A— out of consent and into a public hearing. Is that correct?
[82:16] Speaker 8: Yes.
[82:17] Speaker 2: So we will conduct a public hearing on Item A. This is the preservation of 8 qualifying historical properties in Napa for Mills Act contracts. So first on the public hearing, we'll have a brief report from staff and followed by disclosures. public comment and deliberation. Councilmember Lurlos.
[82:49] Speaker 3: I was just going to say I pulled this item and it's specifically just about one of the applications, so I don't know that we need to go through a full presentation unless council would want that.
[82:58] Speaker 2: I think we can do that. We can take one of the contracts off and move for the other 7 So we're going to do on the consent hearing— I'll read the consent items. We can take some public comment on consent hearings. But if there is anyone that— you want to give us which one you want to come off?
[83:21] Speaker 3: Yeah, 576 Patchett.
[83:24] Speaker 2: 576 Patchett. All right. So do I have a motion to move the remainder of the consent hearing?
[83:39] Speaker 4: So moved.
[83:40] Speaker 2: A motion by Councilmember Narvaez.
[83:42] Speaker 7: Second.
[83:43] Speaker 2: Seconded by Councilmember Painter. All in favor?
[83:45] Speaker 6: Aye.
[83:46] Speaker 2: Any opposed? Thank you. And so Councilmember Lujan, on— do you want staff to start with 576, or do you have concerns?
[83:54] Speaker 3: I just want to say what my concern is really quick, and then maybe you can address it. I don't know that we need a full report. So 576 Patchett Street, they're adding a swimming pool and an ADU. in addition to foundation replacement and some other work. It's just very different than the other applications that are talking about painting and restoring windows and doing more, like, preservation work. So I just want to clarify, is any portion of the Mills Act, the tax benefit, attributed to the construction of the pool and the ADU?
[84:19] Speaker 4: So the benefit isn't, like, intended to, like, specifically pay for any one project, or it's not related to any specific project. It's really intended to be a benefit to promote preservation of the property broadly. We usually advise that projects be limited to projects that are covered by our historic preservation ordinance, so work on the exterior of the home. However, we don't have any specific policy or standard that requires anything for any specific Mills Act project. It's not limited to exterior work or limited to certain projects. So it could be used for that purpose.
[85:01] Speaker 3: Thank you. So then I would just say to council, you know, I have a real concern about that tax benefit being used to tie in, you know, preservation of the historic resource. I don't think a pool and an ADU is the same as that preservation work that other homeowners are doing that would justify a public subsidy.
[85:24] Speaker 2: And so to be clear, so the improvements they do on a property will increase the assessed value of the property, but then the overall tax, the base tax, will be reduced. What I understand is, you know, I've been critical of these in the past, but it's a very pretty small reduction. But you're thinking the increased assessed valuation will take it up, and then when they reduce it down, they're offsetting those improvements, I guess, Yeah, I just want to be really careful about—
[85:52] Speaker 3: that is listed in their 10-year plan, the pool and the ADU. And if we're giving a public subsidy under this kind of a contract, I want to be really clear about what our goal is and what we're really trying to preserve.
[86:03] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[86:03] Speaker 3: So I don't want to see in an application something like that that I don't feel like is really preserving the historic resource. It's really, you know, making— certainly making the property better, but it's not preserving the historical part of it.
[86:16] Speaker 2: Yeah, and the contracts I've looked at are those exterior alterations mostly that— of the historic nature of the house— porches and rooflines and a lot of those things. So that a pool wouldn't— I did Google Maps on all of the properties to look at— to get the street view and look at them, and I was satisfied that they were all very beautiful homes in town. And very familiar with the one on F Street. used to live on F Street, and it's actually a Luther Turton, and some pretty famous names were in there—
[86:49] Speaker 6: D.T.
[86:49] Speaker 2: Davis, some other prominent Nappans that were there. So it's a beautiful home. But anything to add on that, or any other comments from council? Councilwoman Painter?
[87:01] Speaker 7: I just have a question that maybe you can answer, and I'm just pulling up the attachment that lists their, their 10-year plan, and they do have a lot of information about foundation replacement and various other work that I think arguably really is in line with historic preservation. And then it does, I think, year 10, complete the construction of the detached ADU. I'm looking for reference to the swimming pool, and I'm sure I'll find it in here. But my question is, is there an option for them to revise the plan and come back?
[87:37] Speaker 8: Or—
[87:37] Speaker 7: and how would that potentially impact their Mills Act benefit if they were to revise it to focus strictly on work that is related to the historic preservation versus moving forward with this?
[87:53] Speaker 4: Yes, there's definitely an opportunity to make a recommendation that they revise the plan either as a condition of approval of the contract. U.S. staff to make sure that those changes are made, or you could ask staff to bring it back with those revisions. And then in regards to the benefit, the contract would need to be recorded by the end of the year for it to come into effect the following year. If the contract is not recorded by the end of the year, it would have to wait till the next cycle.
[88:25] Speaker 7: And if they were to revise, is it going to change their tax benefit?
[88:30] Speaker 5: No.
[88:31] Speaker 4: So the benefit is calculated by the assessor. It's a very complicated process. So it wouldn't change the benefit.
[88:37] Speaker 7: Yeah. Well, if we were to move forward, I think maybe my preference, and to give staff some guidance on how to bring applications in, that the plans should focus on work that is directly associated with historic preservation and maybe request at an earlier stage that applicants have a plan that fits that criteria. But in this particular case, changing it or not changing it doesn't sound like it's going to change the outcome. If it's possible to have them amend it prior to recording so that that's clear, maybe that's one option. And I would be in favor of that, but I don't want to necessarily just simply deny based on this 10-year plan that they provided. Thank you.
[89:22] Speaker 2: I want to go back to Councilmember Luras.
[89:24] Speaker 3: Yeah, just to thank you for that. I would be open to revising it. And just to be clear, year 8 is installing the in-ground swimming pool and associated things. Year 9 and 10 is the ADU. And so, you know, for me, it's not about the actual tax benefit because that's very small in terms of our budget and what we're looking at. It's really about the public perception of, you know, giving a tax credit for somebody to put in a swimming pool, I don't think looks good. And if we want to keep going down the Mills Act program, which I think is beneficial and I support it, I just want to be super above board on that.
[89:57] Speaker 2: Councilmember Narvaez.
[90:01] Speaker 4: I mean, I was giving this one some thought because the same thing, we want to encourage people to be able to find these homes and you know, uh, bringing it up to a standard of living that people want to— want— that are proud and, and can, you know, protect the home and fix it up. But I do understand that some items may not, you know, work, um, with the intent— the intention of the Mills Act. So is there a way to maybe exclude some of the work? Like, if we— could we say exclude the pool, exclude the ADU from the benefit, so only the work that qualifies for the intent of what this is? And also, you know, we have a lot of old buildings that really need a lot of work, so I just want to be careful with how we approach this. And if we can separate, you know, the work that doesn't have to do with preservation versus having them amend it, just exclude the benefit on items that don't have to do with preservation. I don't know if that— if we can do that. Yes, you definitely can recommend changes to the contract in the proposed 10-year plan, either have it come back to council or recommend staff work with the applicant to make those changes before a contract is recorded. Either could work. And staff has— we've heard similar concerns from the Cultural Heritage Commission over the years, and we've been making these recommendations with applicants. We understand that's the general direction we want to see, but there's no policy that says this kind of project cannot be included. And like Councilmember Painter mentioned, it doesn't really impact the benefit. It's not connected with the amount of tax break that they get. Okay. And also, you know, I would hate to see an ADU not be built. So you know, figuring out how that works out. I think it's a great point to bring this up so we're careful with those benefits. Thank you.
[92:07] Speaker 2: The plan doesn't require work, does it? I mean, if I go into a Mills Act contract and I say I will not alter the exterior of my house, change rooflines, I'll just maintain it the way it is, isn't that— couldn't that be my plan for my property?
[92:26] Speaker 4: Yes, it could just include just maintenance work.
[92:29] Speaker 2: Yeah, just maintenance. All right. So I think all my lights are off. Beth, did you have something?
[92:40] Speaker 7: Oh, I was going to just propose a motion to move this forward, and that would be to direct staff to request a modification to this particular contract to amend the 10-year plan to include only maintenance items related to historic preservation and then allow staff to move forward with the completion of the contract.
[92:59] Speaker 2: So we're moving to approve the Mills Act contract with 576 Patchett with some conditions by staff. So we have motion by Paynor, second by Luras.
[93:14] Speaker 4: Just to clarify the motion, is that the the credit only to the— to the— to the— not excluding the pool and ADU, or is that saying do not build that pool and ADU? I just want to be clear.
[93:28] Speaker 7: It's only to exclude it from their plan that would qualify this particular residence for obtaining a Mills Act contract and Mills Act benefit.
[93:38] Speaker 4: Okay, thank you.
[93:39] Speaker 2: So to repeat for the clerk, we had a motion by Councilmember Painter, seconded by Councilmember Luras, to move the 576 along the process by granting a Mills Act contract with conditions. All in favor?
[93:56] Speaker 6: Aye.
[93:56] Speaker 2: Opposed? Carries unanimously.
[94:00] Speaker 6: Thank you. Thank you.
[94:03] Speaker 3: Just, just for the record, I did not have any requests from the public to speak on that item. I Thank you.
[94:13] Speaker 1: I can't remember if we did that or not.
[94:14] Speaker 2: We had some participants here for these Mills Act contracts, I think. Great. And we are now at a public hearing. Our next item, item 9. First of all, is that Howie Broxton in the audience back there? Hi, Howie. I wanted to give you a shout-out when we reappointed you to the Senior Advisory Board, but Didn't get it, but then I saw you back there. Just wanted to say thank you for all you do in our community. Howie's a great community member, retired CHP officer, and volunteers with Molly's Angels. Stays active. Thanks, Howie. So we are at 9, North Bay Healthcare Napa Tefra hearing. So this is a public hearing, same process. We, we will We'll hear a report from staff, we'll disclose, we'll take public comment, and we'll take action.
[95:10] Speaker 8: Hello.
[95:16] Speaker 9: I don't have a presentation today, so I'll stand up here.
[95:19] Speaker 2: Okay.
[95:20] Speaker 9: Thank you, Mayor and members of council. We are here this afternoon to conduct a public hearing pursuant to the Federal Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act, or TEFRA.
[95:31] Speaker 6: TEFRA requires that a public hearing be held by the governing body of the jurisdiction in which a project to be financed with tax-exempt financing is located, and that governing body approve the proposed financing. North Bay Health Corps has asked that the California Municipal Finance Authority, also known as the CMFA, be the issuer of tax-exempt financing in an amount not to exceed $14 million of tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance the acquisition, rehabilitation, improvement, and equipping of a medical outpatient services and urgent care building and adjacent land located at 3273 Claremont Way, Napa.
[96:14] Speaker 2: And this is considered to be the project.
[96:16] Speaker 6: The California Municipal Finance Authority is a joint powers authority formed to assist local governments residents, nonprofit organizations, and businesses with the issuance of both taxable and tax-exempt debt. Travis Cooper is here today to represent the CMFA, and a representative from North Bay Health Corps is here, too. The debt to be issued by the CMFA will be the sole responsibility of the borrower, and the city will have no financial or legal obligations or responsibility regarding the repayment of the debt.
[96:55] Speaker 2: All financing documents will carry disclaimers that the loan is not an obligation of the city.
[97:00] Speaker 6: The city will also bear no cost in the issuance of the proposed debt. This is a private loan with the borrower and their bank. It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the issuance of bonds by the CMFA for the borrower. Such adoption is solely for the purposes of satisfying the requirements of TEFRA, the code, and the California Government Code Section 6500.
[97:25] Speaker 8: Thank you.
[97:25] Speaker 6: Thank you.
[97:27] Speaker 2: Council disclosures, starting with Councilmember Painter.
[97:30] Speaker 7: No disclosures.
[97:31] Speaker 4: Um, no disclosure on this, but just, just to be more transparent, I've attended some North Bay events recently, but no discussions on this.
[97:42] Speaker 5: Thank you.
[97:42] Speaker 2: No disclosures?
[97:43] Speaker 6: No disclosures.
[97:44] Speaker 3: No disclosures.
[97:44] Speaker 2: Thank you. Public comment? Anybody in the audience wish to speak to the council on this somewhat routine action that we take on a resolution for TEFRA?
[97:55] Speaker 10: I have no—
[97:56] Speaker 3: I have no cards, Mayor, and I do not see any hands raised by members who are attending Visu.
[98:01] Speaker 2: Thank you very much. If there's nothing more from council, I'll entertain a motion to adopt the resolution.
[98:09] Speaker 4: So moved.
[98:09] Speaker 2: So moved by Councilmember Narvaez.
[98:11] Speaker 9: Second.
[98:12] Speaker 2: Seconded by Councilmember Lorusso. All in favor?
[98:14] Speaker 4: Aye.
[98:15] Speaker 2: Any opposed? Thank you very much. How we doing, Tiffany? We're there at item 10, comments by city council and city manager. I'll go to the city manager first.
[98:29] Speaker 6: No comments.
[98:30] Speaker 2: Anybody lit up here? So then I'll go to the city attorney to provide the required statement before our closed session tonight.
[98:38] Speaker 1: Good afternoon, Honorable Mayor and City Council. We have 4 items on your closed session agenda for this evening. You have a conference with legal counsel, consideration of a pending workers' comp— compensation claim, one potential case You have a conference with your labor negotiators, with your city-designated representatives of Steve Potter, Liz Habkirk, Julie Lucido, Jessica Lowe, MJ Turos, Donna Lee, and Jesse Ladd for the employee organization Napa City Employees Association, NCEA, Service Employees International Union, SEIU Local 1021. We have conference with labor negotiators with city-designated representatives of Steve Potter, Liz Habkirk, Julie Lucido, MJ Toros, Donna Lee, Fabio Rodriguez, and Jesse Ladd for the Napa Police Officers Association as the employee organization, NPOA.
[99:50] Speaker 3: And your last item on your closed session agenda is conference with labor negotiations.
[99:56] Speaker 1: with city-designated representatives Steve Potter, Liz Habkirk, Julie Lucido, MJ Toros, and Donna Lee for the employee organization Administrative, Managerial, and Professional Employees Unit, AMP.
[100:11] Speaker 2: Thank you very much.
[100:14] Speaker 1: There will be nothing to report out.
[100:15] Speaker 2: And no reportable action out. So we will— no evening session. So we will adjourn the meeting into closed session, and we'll We'll see you next time. Meeting adjourned. Well, to closed session.