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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - CC - 2021.03.01CITY BURLINGAME q $AaiEo JLkE � BURLINGAME CITY COUNCIL Approved Minutes Regular Meeting on March 1, 2021 1. CALL TO ORDER A duly noticed meeting of the Burlingame City Council was held on the above date online at 7:00pm. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG The pledge of allegiance was led by Councilmember Colson. 3. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Beach, Brownrigg, Colson, O'Brien Keighran, Ortiz MEMBERS ABSENT: None 4. REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION There was no closed session. 5. UPCOMING EVENTS Mayor O'Brien Keighran reviewed the upcoming events taking place in the city. 6. PRESENTATIONS a. PROCLAMATION HONORING ROSALIE O'MAHONY Mayor O'Brien Keighran read a proclamation honoring all the work that five -time Mayor Rosalie O'Mahony did as a founding member and director on the board of the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency and the Bay Area Regional Water System Financing Authority. She explained that after a long and successful tenure, Ms. O'Mahony is retiring from her appointments on both boards. She thanked Ms. O'Mahony for her dedication to the City. Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Former Mayor Rosalie O'Mahony thanked the Council for the opportunity to serve on the regional boards. She talked about the new water issues that the Bay Area is facing and noted the importance of protecting the community's water rights. Councilmember Colson thanked Ms. O'Mahony for her steady hand and voiced her appreciation for all her leadership on the issues of infrastructure, water, and sewers. Councilmember Beach expressed her appreciation of Ms. O'Mahony's work on BAWSCA and on infrastructure. Vice Mayor Ortiz thanked Ms. O'Mahony for all her hard work and for teaching him Calculus at the College of San Mateo. Councilmember Brownrigg stated that Ms. O'Mahony has dedicated her life to public service and thanked her for all her hard work. Mayor O'Brien Keighran thanked Ms. O'Mahony for her dedication to Burlingame and stated that she hoped to continue the good work that Ms. O'Mahony had started on BAWSCA and RFA. DPW Murtuza stated that it had been a pleasure to work with Ms. O'Mahony. BAWSCA CEO Nicole Sandkulla expressed her gratitude for the work Ms. O'Mahony has done. She noted that if not for Ms. O'Mahony's encouragement, she would not have become the CEO of BAWSCA. PW Senior Civil Engineer Martin Quan thanked Ms. O'Mahony for all her assistance, support, and hard work. b. PRESENTATION BY THE SAN MATEO COUNTY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Leadership Council San Mateo County ("LCSMC") Co -President Margi Power introduced her colleagues: LCSMC Co -President Kaarin Hardy and Bryan Neider, who serves on the Board of Directors. Ms. Power stated that LCSMC is a new non-profit organization that is serving all 20 cities/towns in the County. She noted that they would be starting a leadership program in fall 2021 that is based on a nationwide model. She explained that individuals from all three sectors (public, private, and government) will come together to learn about their communities and how they can make an impact. Ms. Power stated that LCSMC's mission is: "We inspire, connect and educate established and emerging leaders from the business, nonprofit and government sectors to positively transform San Mateo County and find solutions for the biggest issues facing our communities." Ms. Hardy reviewed the Founding Board of Directors and noted that Councilmember Beach, Councilmember Brownrigg, and City Manager Goldman were all on either the Board of Directors or the Advisory Council. 2 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Ms. Power reviewed the strengths of LCSMC: 1. Solely focused on countywide leadership development 2. Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging 3. Diverse board and advisory council 4. Essential skills training 5. Bias towards action Ms. Power reviewed LCSMC's county vision: 1. Stronger relationships 2. Increase trust 3. Diversify city and county leadership 4. Empowerment 5. 20 communities working together Ms. Hardy reviewed LCSMC's initial offerings. She noted that they have started hosting community events and programs. These events are open to all. She explained that starting in fall 2021, LCSMC will offer its Leadership CORPS Flagship Program and Leadership Council Connect Online Community. She added that in fall 2022, LCSMC would offer an Emerging Leaders Program. Ms. Power discussed what participants will gain from enrolling in one of LCSMC's programs: 1. Civic Understanding — learn history, critical issues, current assets of the community, and consider implications for the future. 2. Relationship Building — connect across a continuum of leaders 3. Collaborative Leadership — enhance skills, knowledge, and personal awareness to build coalitions 4. Civic Readiness — foster individual attitudes, knowledge, and behavior that spark activity in civic realm. Ms. Hardy stated that LCSMC hosted its launch event on Friday, February 26. Approximately 250 individuals registered, and over $8,000 was raised. Tom Rath, New York Times bestselling author of Eat Move Sleep and How Full is Your Bucket? spoke at the event. Ms. Hardy reviewed two upcoming events. 1. March 25 at 1p.m., a conversation with County Supervisor Carole Groom and County Manager Mike Callagy 2. April 16 at 11 a.m., a conversation with the CEO of Genentech Alexander Hardy and the CEO of Gilead Sciences Dan O'Day Ms. Hardy reviewed the "Founding City Partner Sponsorship Opportunities": $10,000 (limited availability) • City logo and name listed as a partner on their website • Attendance for two persons to a Leadership Council training event Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes • Guaranteed space for two persons in Leadership CORPS program (must be a qualified candidate, tuition not included) $5,000 (limited availability) • City logo and name listed as a partner on their website • Attendance for two persons to a Leadership Council training event • Guaranteed space for one in Leadership CORPS program (must be a qualified candidate, tuition not included) $2,500 • City logo and name listed as a partner on their website • Guaranteed space for one in Leadership CORPS program (must be a qualified candidate, tuition not included) Ms. Power stated that the LCSMC has three layers of learning: 1. Leadership core attributes 2. Community knowledge 3. Underlying framework for effective leadership She noted that they are working with a Stanford consultant, who has a background in leadership, to develop the curriculum for the program. Ms. Power reviewed the Leadership CORPS program. She explained that it would be a 10-month program (one day per month) and would run from September through June each year. She noted that there would be approximately 30 to 40 people in each cohort. She stated that it would be a hybrid program of in -person and virtual learning and that tuition would be $1,500, with a $100 application fee. Ms. Power stated that if anyone had questions they could email her at margi powergleadershipcouncilsmc.org or Kaarin Hardy at kaarin.hardy&leadershipcouncilsmc.org. Councilmember Colson thanked LCSMC for all the information. She noted that usually the classes are on Fridays. She explained that it can be tricky for individuals to get a full day off from work depending on their job. She asked how the organization would be reaching out to those individuals in order to encourage greater and more diverse participation. Ms. Hardy stated that the class dates are published during the application process to allow people to plan ahead. She explained that portions of the program would be online. She added that LCSMC put out a survey to see what day of the week would be best, and it was Fridays. Councilmember Colson asked if LCSMC would include other programs like Saturday discussions that individuals could attend. Ms. Power stated that LCSMC will be looking into how to make the programs more accessible, including offering classes and programs online. Councilmember Brownrigg stated that he joined the LCSMC Advisory Council because he believes the initiative is important for the region. He explained that San Mateo County was changing, and it would be 4 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes important to have a broader cross county leadership organization. He added that he formed life-long connections when he went through the Leadership program. The Council thanked LCSMC for its presentation and work. c. PRESENTATION REGARDING PARKS AND RECREATION AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING Parks and Recreation Director Glomstad stated that the City's collaborative relationship with the Burlingame School District was established in 1942! She explained that in a traditional year, Parks and Recreation programming is operating on all elementary sites. Recreation Manager Nicole Acquisti stated that pre-COVID, Recreation staff would work with the PTA Liaisons to create customized programing based on the school's needs/desires. She noted that the City's Recreation Coordinators did an excellent job of creating programming. She added that prior to the pandemic, the City was running programs in two classrooms in each school every day. The average enrollment for these classes was 20 students, and each session was approximately 12 weeks. Ms. Acquisti reviewed the City's sports programming for the Burlingame School District. She noted that year-round elementary school sports programming was offered including: volleyball, flag football, cross country, basketball, track and field, badminton, and golf. Ms. Acquisti stated that the City's philosophy for youth sports is that everyone gets to play and gets equal playing time. She noted that for elementary sports, all the coaches are volunteers. She added that the Recreation Division has created a coach's policy following the philosophy of the National Alliance of Youth Sports that has proved to facilitate a lot of positive coach experiences. Ms. Acquisti stated that on Sundays, the City had drop -in adult basketball at the BIS gym. She added that there was a daily fee, and it was run by volunteers. Ms. Acquisti reviewed the impact of COVID on programing. She explained that because the schools were shut down, staff didn't have access to the gyms or classrooms to run programming. Therefore, staff pivoted and offered online classes. She noted that in fall 2019, there were 849 students signed up for enrichment programming, and in fall 2020, there were 49. However, she explained that youth sports took off during the pandemic. She stated that instead of differentiating between elementary and middle school, staff combined the group and offered youth sports. She listed the different sports that were offered throughout the past year and stated that staff followed all COVID guidelines from the State, County, and CDC. She also discussed new programming that was offered such as the "Get Fit Bootcamp". Ms. Acquisti presented a chart showcasing the enrollment figures over the years 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Enrichment 1 1510 2067 2386 2552 1814 5 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Elementary 475 504 513 467 280 Sports Middle School 908 852 918 795 654 Sports Youth Sports 441 596 574 311 178 Camps Total 3334 2919 4391 4125 2926 Next, Ms. Acquisti reviewed the finances of the programming Finances to BSD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Enrichment $24,399 $39,001.63 $65,767.58 $76,291.64 $60,316.68 Elementary $4,560 $5,987.40 $6,312.50 $6,004.80 $5,048 Sports Middle School $9,367 $9,764.50 $9,963.25 $10,673.35 $9,329.45 Sports Youth Sports $11,931 $4,052.90 $5,670.50 $6,103.10 $3,835.40 Camps Drop In Adult $793 $981.80 $495.70 $745.40 $534.80 Basketball Total $51,050 $59,788.23 $88,209.53 $99,818.29 $79,064.33 10% for Sports 10% for Sports 10% for Sports 10% for Sports 10% forsports 10% for 10% for 15% for 15% for 15% for Enrichment Enrichment Enrichment Enrichment Enrichment Spring 2020 cancelled and refunded due to COVID Ms. Acquisti discussed the BSD field scheduling at Franklin and Osberg. She noted that the City pays an annual rate of $50,000 to the school district for use of these fields. She explained that due to COVID, this rate was decreased in FY 2019-20 to $33,000. Additionally, the City sets aside $200,000 each year for the future costs of re -turfing the fields. Parks and Recreation Director Glomstad stated that the Parks and Recreation Department has a revamped Scholarship Fund. She explained that the best part of the new scholarship program is that individuals only need to apply once a year instead of each time they want to do a class. The scholarship gives participants 50% off classes, which includes supply fees and clothing. She stated that in 2015, the scholarship program helped approximately 45 families, and thus far in 2021, staff has approved 17 applications. Parks and Recreation Director Glomstad discussed the spring 2021 programming. She explained that the goal is to get as much usage out of the available fields as possible. 6 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Councilmember Colson asked if the Scholarship Fund is composed solely of Parks and Recreation Foundation donations, or if City funds are also utilized. Parks and Recreation Glomstad stated that it is both. She explained that this year, the foundation is also assisting with funding the afterschool sports programs. She added that the City annual contributes $10,000 to the Scholarship Fund. Recreation Manager Acquisti added that the YACers also hold fundraisers for the Scholarship Fund. Councilmember Colson stated that she believed the City also received a donation from the Doug Friedman Fund for the Scholarship Fund to assist with programming. She voiced her appreciation to staff and the community on ensuring that all who want to play sports are able to. Councilmember Colson discussed the renewed collaborative relationship between the City and Burlingame School District. She offered thanks to all involved. The Council thanked staff and the Burlingame School District for all their hard work. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT Sandra Lang asked that a discussion be scheduled about San Mateo's Peninsula Interchange Project. Former Mayor of Foster City Linda Koelling asked the City to sign on to the California Cities for Local Control. Mike Dunham urged the City Council not to sign on to the California Cities for Local Control. Robert Bakin asked the City to look into installing speed bumps on the neighborhood streets off of Broadway. (comment submitted via publiccomment(d),burlin ag me.org). 8. CONSENT CALENDAR Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked her colleagues and members of the public if they would like to pull any item off the Consent Calendar. No items were pulled. Councilmember Brownrigg made a motion to adopt the Consent Calendar; seconded by Vice Mayor Ortiz. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote, 5-0. a. APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 16, 2021 City Clerk Hassel -Shearer requested Council approve of the City Council Meeting Minutes for February 16, 2021. b. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRFOESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH BUREAU VERITAS NORTH AMERICA, INC. FOR PLAN CHECK AND BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 TO INCREASE 7 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes THE CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $300,000 TO COVER EXPECTED EXPENSES RELATED TO TWO LARGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS CDD Gardiner requested Council adopt Resolution Number 021-2021. 9. PUBLIC HEARING a. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION TO RENAME A 400 FOOT SECTION OF THE FORMER AIRPORT BOULEVARD ADJACENT TO THE NEW TOWN HOTEL PARCEL, BURLINGAME POINT, AND ANZA FISHERMAN'S PARK TO BAY TRAIL LANE PW Senior Civil Engineer Martin Quan explained that at the January 19, 2021 meeting, the City Council reviewed recommendations to rename a 400-foot section of the former Airport Boulevard adjacent to the New Town Hotel Parcel, Burlingame Point, and Anza Fisherman's Park. After reviewing and discussing options, the City Council agreed to rename the 400-foot roadway section "Bay Trail Lane." He stated that the Council directed staff to take the next steps to hold a public hearing to complete the process. Mr. Quan explained that in order to formally adopt the new street name, staff posted public notices of intent along the 400-foot roadway section on January 22, 2021, mailed out notification of street name change letters to the impacted parcel owners, advertised the public notice intent in The Daily Journal on January 25, and notified the Postmaster. Mr. Quan noted that staff has not received any objections to renaming this portion of the street Bay Trail Lane. Therefore, staff recommended that Council adopt the Resolution renaming the street. Mayor O'Brien Keighran opened the public hearing. No one spoke. Vice Mayor Ortiz made a motion to adopt Resolution Number 022-2021; seconded by Councilmember Beach. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote, 5-0. 10 STAFF REPORTS a. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION APPOINTING MICHAEL GUINA AS CITY ATTORNEY AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT WITH MR. GUINA City Manager Goldman stated that staff is recommending that the Council adopt a resolution providing for the future appointment of Michael Guina as the City of Burlingame's City Attorney, effective May 17, 2021, and authorizing the Mayor to execute an employment agreement with Mr. Guina. City Manager Goldman stated that in November 2020, Kathleen Kane resigned as City Attorney to accept the position of General Counsel for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission — Association of Bay Area Governments. She explained that following the announcement of Ms. Kane's resignation, the Council began a recruitment to appoint a new City Attorney. The City engaged Ms. Bobbi Peckham of the executive search 8 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes firm Peckham & McKenney to manage the City's outreach and recruitment for a new permanent City Attorney. She added that the Council also appointed Assistant City Attorney Spansail to serve as the Interim City Attorney. City Manager Goldman stated that following a nationwide recruitment, the City received 21 applications for the City Attorney position. She explained that Ms. Peckham conducted screening interviews of the applicants and narrowed the field to eight candidates. On February 4, the Council met in closed session to interview the leading five candidates from the recruitment. On February 5, the Council again met in closed session to interview the final three candidates. She noted that the Department Head team also met with the final three candidates. She added that the Council and staff were unanimous in their preference for Michael Guina. City Manager Goldman stated that Michael Guina is a graduate of the University of San Francisco's School of Law and has extensive municipal law experience. She explained that he most recently worked as the City Attorney for the City of Emeryville, serving in the role since July 2015. She added that he also served as the Assistant City Attorney and Deputy City Attorney for Emeryville prior to becoming their appointed City Attorney, resulting in 15 total years of in-house municipal law experience. City Manager Goldman stated that Mr. Guina's employee agreement is attached for the Council's consideration and approval. She added that his annual salary will be $232,000. Mayor O'Brien Keighran opened the item up for public comment. Mr. Guina expressed his gratitude to the City Council for considering him for the position. He explained that he was excited to work with all and looks forward to his start date. Former City Attorney Kathleen Kane wished Mr. Guina good luck and stated that this was an excellent choice! (comment submitted via publiccomment@burlingame.org). Mayor O'Brien Keighran closed public comment. Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that everyone is looking forward to working with him. Councilmember Brownrigg stated that Mr. Guina was impressive and explained that it has become clear that a top-notch legal team is extremely valuable to a City. Councilmember Colson welcomed Mr. Guina to the team and thanked Interim City Attorney Spansail for all his hard work since November. Vice Mayor Ortiz stated that he looked forward to working with Mr. Guina. He noted that Mr. Guina rose to the top of the applicants. He added his appreciation for the hard work of Interim City Attorney Spansail. Councilmember Beach echoed everyone's thanks to Interim City Attorney Spansail and voiced appreciation for Mr. Guina coming to Burlingame. 9 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that Mr. Guina and Mr. Spansail would make a great legal team for the City. Vice Mayor Ortiz made a motion to adopt Resolution Number 023-2021; seconded by Councilmember Colson. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote, 5-0. b. HOUSING ELEMENT ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT (APR) ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN CDD Gardiner explained that each year, the State requires that each jurisdiction prepare an Annual Progress Report on the status and implementation of its Housing Element in order to ensure that all jurisdictions are planning for the projected housing demand throughout California. He stated that the Annual Progress Report includes reporting on the number of building permits issued for only (net) new housing units during a calendar year. In addition, the reporting includes housing development applications submitted, building permit activity for new construction, completed units and entitlements, as well as the building permits issued for net new housing units. CDD Gardiner stated that the City has been preparing its own monthly summary tables, called the Residential Applications Overview Table. He noted that the main difference between the two reports is the City's monthly report shows the full pipeline regardless of the year, while the State's table shows only one calendar year. CDD Gardiner discussed Table B in the State report. Table B provides a summary of building permit activity sorted by affordability levels. Of the 287 building permits issued in 2020, 145 were for Below Market Rate ("BMR") units affordable to Moderate, Low, or Very Low -Income households. Of the 748 building permits issued so far for this cycle of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation ("RHNA"), 174 were for BMR units affordable to Moderate, Low, or Very Low -Income households. CDD Gardiner reviewed the City's Residential Applications Overview Table. He noted that many projects are in the pipeline but have not yet been issued their building permit. Accordingly, these projects are not yet included in the RHNA numbers. CDD Gardiner reviewed 2020 highlights: • 818 Units entitled (Planning approved) • 287 Building permits issued • 145 Below Market Rate units • 71 Accessory Dwelling Unit applications received — 53 approved and 18 under review Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked what AMI level are ADUs included in. CDD Gardiner stated that ADUs are counted as Above Moderate. This is because staff doesn't have a way to track the rent of the various ADUs. Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked if she was correct that during this RHNA cycle, 1676 units were approved. She noted that only the building permits are counted. She asked what is preventing builders or developers 10 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes from obtaining their building permits. CDD Gardiner stated that cities are required to provide the zoning to get the numbers, but they aren't required to build the units. He added that if the zoning is available, the projects will come. However, the City can only control so much. He explained that some of the projects that were approved back in 2015 are waiting for leases to run out prior to breaking ground. Therefore, he stated there can be other issues at play that prevent builders from obtaining building permits. Mayor O'Brien Keigrhan stated that the City is at 86.6% of meeting its RHNA numbers. She explained that by the time this cycle ends, it looks like some of the larger projects will have their permits, and therefore the City would exceed its numbers. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. He stated that 1 Adrian Court and 1095 Rollins will soon be getting their permits. He added that the pipeline is fairly lengthy, and therefore one this cycle ends; those projects will count towards the next cycle. Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked what number the City is supposed to reach in the next RHNA cycle. CDD Gardiner stated that the most recent number he has seen is 3,257. He added that this is significantly higher than the current 863. He noted that everyone's numbers have gone up. He explained that the 3,257 number is approximately what the City had planned for in the updated General Plan. Councilmember Colson stated that with regard to Table D entitled Program Implementation Status, it lists several programs and how the City is meeting those targets. She noted that this was very helpful. She noticed that under 2 and 3 that are focused on rehabilitation of units, there is no mention that PCE is offering REACH code options for water heaters and other incentives. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative and stated that he would put in language to mention the programs through PCE. Councilmember Colson stated that she was happy to see so many ADUs online. She asked if the "R" next to an ADU signified it was going to be a rental unit as opposed to an "O" which signifies it will be owner - occupied. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. Councilmember Colson stated that the vast majority of the ADUs are rentals. She added that they seemed to be spread out throughout the City, which is great. Councilmember Colson stated that she saw that the report states that the City has 100 Section 8 units. She asked if the City tracks this data. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. Councilmember Colson asked if she was correct that the City has a goal to add 20 more Section 8 units. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. Councilmember Colson stated that she hopes the City can work with some of its community partners like HIP Housing to move this along. Councilmember Colson stated that the City has a hotel on the Bayfront that was temporarily converted to house homeless individuals partially as a result of COVID. She explained that while it is not permanent, she is appreciative of staff and community members being able to offer 81 units for this project. She stated that she had heard that there is a project to purchase hotels to make these units more permanent and wondered if 11 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes it was being done in Burlingame. CDD Gardiner stated that he would need to get back to Council on whether this was being considered in Burlingame. City Manager Goldman stated that the Bayfront hotel is shutting down as a site to house homeless individuals in mid -March. She added that she didn't think the County was buying any additional hotels through Project HomeKey. Councilmember Colson asked if she was correct that the County would facilitate the move of these individuals into more permanent housing. City Manager Goldman replied in the affirmative. Councilmember Colson stated that she gets a lot of questions about the first-time homebuyer opportunities in Burlingame. She noted that what she understands is that it is about $750,000, and she is not sure whether there is anything in that price range. She suggested exploring ways of instead of letting affordable housing being sold, is there a way to help people get into more affordable purchasing opportunities in Burlingame. Councilmember Brownrigg appreciated Councilmember Colson's comments. He noted that HEART is looking at creating a new program to help the City obtain deed restricted affordable housing. He suggested drafting a letter to ABAG and elected representatives that preservation of affordable housing should count towards RHNA. Mayor O'Brien Keighran concurred with Councilmember Brownrigg that there should be some incentives. Mayor O'Brien Keighran opened the item up for public comment. Mike Dunham stated that the City's progress is not that bad but he believed the numbers were lower than what was actually needed. Madeline Frechette stated that the Council is protecting single family homes at all costs. (comment submitted via Zoom chat). Mayor O'Brien Keighran closed public comment. Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked if there were density bonuses offered for affordable housing. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that she understood the cost of land was part of the issue in preventing more affordable housing from being built. She noted that she hoped these bonuses would help offset the cost. Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked staff to look into ways of tracking ADU rentals. Councilmember Beach congratulated staff and the City for the great progress being made on affordable units. She added that it is sobering that a family making six figures can still qualify for low-income housing. She thanked the Envision Burlingame committee, staff, and Council for their hard work on helping to guide the City through this process. 12 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Vice Mayor Ortiz stated that the City has a lot to celebrate. He noted that he felt the re -zoning was creating projects and was proud of the Village at Burlingame project. Councilmember Colson stated that she is on the County's Housing and Community Development Committee. She noted that she has the good fortune of seeing all the Measure K, Federal, and State funds that are being utilized to build affordable housing. She explained that the Village at Burlingame didn't use Measure K funds and instead used tax credits. Councilmember Colson discussed the need for local control on issues like re -zoning. She explained that each city is best equipped to determine where to put housing. Vice Mayor Ortiz made a motion to accept the 2020 Housing Element Annual Progress Report; seconded by Councilmember Colson. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote, 5-0. c. DISCUSSION OF INTEREST IN ALLOWING INCREASED FLOOR AREA RATIOS (FARs) FOR LIFE SCIENCES AND OFFICE USES ON PROPERTIES FRONTING OLD BAYSHORE HIGHWAY CDD Gardiner stated that this item was a discussion of Council's interest in allowing increased floor area ratios ("FARs") for life sciences and office uses on properties fronting Old Bayshore Highway. CDD Gardiner explained that this discussion focused on properties that are on Old Bayshore Highway in the Innovation/Industrial zoning district. He noted that currently, properties fronting Old Bayshore Highway are allowed to have commercial and industrial uses up to 0.75 FAR, or hotels up to 3.0 FAR. He explained that life science and office uses with an FAR up to 3.0 are allowed on the other side of Old Bayshore Highway, adjacent to the water, as those properties are within the Bayfront Commercial land use district. CDD Gardiner explained that a few months ago, staff was approached by three different parties inquiring whether the City would consider allowing life sciences or office/research and development uses with an FAR greater than 0.75 on properties fronting Old Bayshore Highway in the Innovation/Industrial zoning district. CDD Gardiner reviewed the definition of floor area ratio. He explained that it is the floor area of the building or buildings on a site or lot divided by the area of the site or lot. He noted that FAR does not dictate building height or other development standards; those regulations are set forth in the Zoning Code. CDD Gardiner stated that a Councilmember asked him if there were examples of projects with a 3.0 FAR. He explained that the hotel approved at 1499 Old Bayshore Highway is roughly 3.0 FAR and is an 11-story building. He also showed that Burlingame Point has a 1.0 FAR. He explained that the Burlingame Point project has a lot of open area. CDD Gardiner stated increasing the FAR for life science and office/research and development was first brought to the Economic Development Subcommittee for review. He explained that the subcommittee discussed the matter at its January 13, 2021 meeting. The subcommittee members expressed provisional 13 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes support for the concept. However, there were varying thoughts regarding what the increased FAR should be and whether the FAR should be the same for life sciences/office/research and development as hotels. CDD Gardiner discussed the fiscal impact of alternative commercial development scenarios. He explained that if a hotel was built, the City would obtain Transient Occupancy Tax, sales tax, and property tax. If a life science or office building is built, the City would receive property tax. He added that both types of projects would also indirectly generate additional incremental tax receipts as they drive spending and other economic activity locally beyond the developments themselves. CDD Gardiner stated that staff is looking for direction from Council on whether to proceed with a General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Amendment to allow increased Floor Area Ratios for life sciences or office/research and development uses on properties fronting Bayshore Highway in the innovation/industrial zoning district. Vice Mayor Ortiz stated that the ED Subcommittee had a thorough discussion on this item. He noted that he felt the City should match what is allowed on the other side of the street. He added that there was a discussion about allowing hotels a larger FAR to give them a bit of an advantage. He explained that one of the issues that was brought up by the hoteliers was the lack of development and empty sites on the Bayfront. He stated that allowing for a greater FAR for life science might spur more development and activate the area. Councilmember Brownrigg stated that this item gets into tradeoffs of whether to help landowners redevelop their property or whether the City should maintain the lower FAR to incentivize hotels. He noted that historically Councils have only allowed hotels and a few other uses to be put in on the Bayfront. Councilmember Beach thanked CDD Gardiner for including examples of the different projects on the Bayfront and their FARs. She discussed the issue of balancing job and housing growth. She discussed the General Plan's EIR and noted that it accounted for job growth. Therefore, she asked if she was correct that if the Council allowed for greater FAR for life science uses, it would just reposition the allotment of jobs. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. Councilmember Beach discussed other differences between hotels and life science buildings on the Bayfront, including pay scale and traffic patterns. She noted that the City worked hard on the General Plan and therefore is concerned about changing it. However, she noted that if it doesn't throw the EIR out of whack, she is okay with refining the General Plan. She added that she also wanted to make sure that whatever changes are made are a reasonable complement to the industrial area. She explained that maybe the City should add height limits for these offices. CDD Gardiner stated that one concept the Council had previously discussed with buildings on the Bayfront was community benefits. He explained that the Council might want to review different community benefits for the Bayfront when amending the FAR. Councilmember Beach concurred with CDD Gardiner and stated that the community benefits should be required. 14 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Councilmember Colson asked if the next time the City does a General Plan update there could be uses the City isn't anticipating yet like vertical agriculture for the Bayfront or housing. She asked if this amendment would prohibit any of those future decisions. CDD Gardiner replied in the negative. He added that General Plans are meant to be evolving documents. Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked if she was correct that the ceiling heights/plate heights are much higher for life science buildings. CDD Gardiner replied in the affirmative. He noted that this is to allow for clearance for the mechanical equipment that is needed in these buildings. Mayor O'Brien Keighran opened the item up for public comment. Peter Banzhaf stated that he represented a joint venture that is looking to move forward with a life science project on the Bayfront. He noted that the Bay Area has a huge life science community and that the Bayfront would be a great area to expand this work. Jason Bass, a developer involved in 1499 Old Bayshore Highway, discussed their project. He explained that the recent pandemic has had a severe impact on the hotel marketplace. Mayor O'Brien Keighran closed public comment. Councilmember Colson stated that Mr. Bass' comments about COVID's impact on the hotel business are relevant because it could be years before the hotel business is back. She explained that she supported scheduling a further discussion on this item. Mayor O'Brien Keighran concurred with Councilmember Colson. She noted that the economics are changing due to the pandemic, and it will unfortunately be a slow recovery for hotels and tourism. Therefore, she thought the City should branch out and look at different industries. She added that she didn't know yet what an appropriate FAR would be for life science and thought community benefits should be discussed. Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that she would like to learn more about how the life science industry has been incorporated into other cities like South San Francisco. She suggested setting up a study session to learn more about the life science industry, jobs it provides, what needs to be considered to build these facilities, and the pros and cons of having these businesses in your city. She thanked the ED Subcommittee for bringing this item to the Council's attention. Councilmember Brownrigg stated that he agreed with Mayor O'Brien Keighran that a study session should be set up. Vice Mayor Ortiz concurred. He stated that the study session should also include a discussion of the safety of biological agents for the community. Councilmember Beach stated that she looked forward to learning more about the Bayshore Highway conceptual plan. 15 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Mayor O'Brien Keighran suggested having this item be the topic of the Annual Joint Session between the Planning Commission and Council. Council agreed. d. APPROVAL OF SENDING A LETTER TO THE SAN MATEO COUNTY API CAUCUS REGARDING COMMENTS MADE AT A REGIONAL API MEETING City Manager Goldman explained that at a mid -February regional API (Asian Pacific Islander) Caucus meeting, a panelist described Burlingame as being one of the "NIMBY-est" cities in San Mateo County. As a result, at the February 16 Council meeting under future agenda items, Mayor O'Brien Keighran recommended sending a letter to the API Caucus to correct the record. Councilmember Beach stated that she was the only member of the Council that was at the API Caucus meeting. She noted that the meeting hadn't been recorded. She explained that putting herself in the shoes of her colleagues she could see how if she found out that Burlingame was called NIMBY she would be upset. Councilmember Beach stated that she reviewed her notes about the API Caucus meeting and reached out to the panelist who made the comment. She explained that the comment was made in relation to district elections. She added that leading up to that comment, the discussion was related to the fact that district elections are an opportunity to diversify city councils. She explained that district elections provide people of color an opportunity to win seats on city councils. She noted that the comment was made that even Burlingame, one of the NIMBY-est cities in the County, is going to district elections. Councilmember Beach stated that the comment referred to providing candidates of color, who may not have the same political connections, a chance to win. She explained that she was disappointed that the panelist made the comment. However, the comment was a matter of opinion, and by the time the meeting was opened up to public comment, it wouldn't have been appropriate to respond to the comment. Councilmember Beach stated that the comment didn't merit a formal response. Instead, she explained that she believed the comment should lead the Council to reflect on why an individual who identifies as Asian Pacific Islander feels that way about Burlingame and what can be done to make the City feel more inclusive. Councilmember Beach stated that due to current issues that the Asian community is facing, the City should send a letter to the API Caucus condemning xenophobia. Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that she respectfully disagreed. She explained that while she knew the statement was made during a discussion of district elections, it was still stated. She added that the panelist is well known in the San Mateo County community, and therefore the comment carries weight. Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that the comment is not true. She added that this isn't the first time she has heard the statement, and she is disheartened to hear it because of all the hard work that the City has done to build more housing. Therefore, after talking to Wayne Lee, a leader of the API Caucus, and getting his blessing, she felt it was important to send a letter to the caucus outlining all the work that the City has done on housing. 16 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that it was the Council's job to defend the hard work that has been done in the community to provide housing for all income levels and zone for the RHNA numbers. She explained that the panelist's comment undermines this work. She noted the different projects that the City has undertaken like the Village at Burlingame and being the pilot city for the Home for All initiative. Vice Mayor Ortiz stated that when he hears NIMBY, it doesn't refer to inclusion but rather relates to building housing. He explained that he felt insulted that this phrase was used because of all the hard work that the City does for housing. He stated that he was in favor of sending the letter. Councilmember Colson stated that she wasn't there but talked to some individuals that were at the meeting. She noted that the letter is fact based and not critical of anyone. She explained that she agreed with the Vice Mayor that the letter is worth sharing because it shows the hard work the City has done. Mayor O'Brien Keighran read the letter for the public. The letter discussed the work that the City has done to meet its RHNA numbers. Additionally, it stated that Burlingame is an active participant in the County -led Home for All Initiative. Mayor O'Brien Keighran opened the item up for public comment. API Caucus member Seema Patel stated that given the violence and racism that the Asian American community is experiencing, she didn't think this was a good time to lodge a complaint about NIMBY-ism to the Caucus. Mike Dunham, Madeline Frechette, and Jordan Grimes urged the Council not to send the letter. Mayor O'Brien Keighran closed public comment. Councilmember Beach stated that as elected officials, people say things and you have to brush it off. She explained that the Council shouldn't respond to these comments. She reiterated that the comment wasn't about land use but rather about district elections. She urged the Council not to send the letter. Vice Mayor Ortiz stated that he listened to everything everyone said. He explained that he is offended that the City was called NIMBY. However, he noted that it is not the right time to send the letter and therefore would be voting against it. Councilmember Colson stated that the letter is fact based. She noted that she spoke to numerous people in the API Caucus. She added that the letter isn't calling anyone out but rather showing the work that the City has done on housing. She explained that the City isn't lodging a complaint but rather correcting the record. Councilmember Colson stated that she has worked closely with the API Caucus and understands the issues that the Asian American community is currently facing. She discussed the work that the City has been doing on housing and how the Council has been working to develop different incentives for affordable housing. 17 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes Councilmember Colson stated that Council hears complaints from both sides, and therefore they have to have a tough skin. However, she saw this letter as purely fact based. She thought it was important for the City to work on better communicating the work that is done. Mayor O'Brien Keighran asked if a majority was needed to send the letter. City Manager Goldman replied in the affirmative. Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that the letter wasn't a complaint. She noted that she has had a working relationship with Wayne Lee, one of the founding members of the API. She explained that she showed the letter to Mr. Lee to make sure he was okay with it, and he was. Therefore, she felt like it was appropriate to send the letter. Mayor O'Brien Keighran stated that Burlingame has come a long way. She noted that the Council and the community have worked hard on policies and initiatives to create housing in the city. She stated that this was growth from how Burlingame used to be. She explained that she felt that the hard work of the community, Council, staff, and those that worked on the General Plan to expand housing should be acknowledged. Therefore, she saw this letter as a way to better inform the API Caucus and others about the work that has been done. Councilmember Brownrigg stated that he didn't think the letter should be sent. He noted that he didn't appreciate the comment and didn't think it was accurate. However, he stated that he chose to ignore the comment and let the work of the City speak for itself. Councilmember Colson made a motion to approve sending a letter to the API Caucus; seconded by Mayor O'Brien Keighran. The motion failed by roll call vote, 2-3 (Councilmember Brownrigg, Councilmember Beach, and Vice Mayor Ortiz voted against). 11. COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND ACTIVITIES REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS a. COUNCILMEMBER BEACH'S COMMITTEE REPORT 12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Councilmember Beach asked the Council to agendize sending a letter to the API Caucus voicing support for their communities and stating that the City condemns xenophobia and violence against Asian Americans. Council agreed to agendize the item. Vice Mayor Ortiz discussed the recent complaints about the helicopter landings at the hospital. He asked if Council could get more information on this item. City Manager Goldman stated that she would get some information for Council. 18 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes 13. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The agendas, packets, and meeting minutes for the Planning Commission, Traffic, Safety & Parking Commission, Beautification Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Library Board of Trustees are available online at www.burlinizame.org. 14. ADJOURNMENT Mayor O'Brien Keighran adjourned the meeting at 10:31 p.m. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Meaghan Hassel -Shearer City Clerk 19 Burlingame City Council March 1, 2021 Approved Minutes