City Council - 150th Commemorative Regular Session

All right. Can everyone please take their seats? We'll get started in one minute. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to-- Welcome to the regular session. Nope. All right, there we go. Good evening, everyone. And welcome to a regular session of the Martinez City Council. It is Wednesday, April 1. It is 7:07 PM. And I am officially calling the sesquicentennial celebration council meeting to order. Oh, yeah. Please stand and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Clerk, please call the roll. Mayor Brianne Zorn. Present. Vice mayor Satinder Malhi. Present. Council Member Jay Howard. Present. Council Member Greg Young. Present. Council Member Debbie McKillop. Present. Wonderful. Again, welcome, everyone. It's so wonderful to see so many smiling faces in the room and in the courtyard and in Ignacio Plaza this evening. So we're going to start off tonight with a handful of presentations of congratulations from a variety of dignitaries and friends of the city of Martinez. So I'm going to ask my council to come down, and then our clerk will call out which groups are coming up to present us with the proclamations. And to start, we have Supervisor Scales-Preston. [CHATTER] All right. Good evening. And thank you for having me out for this beautiful celebration. I'm here to present a proclamation, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Martinez and commemorating this past, present, and future. Whereas the city of Martinez celebrates 150th anniversary of its incorporation on April 1, 2026, providing an opportunity to reflect on the people, stories, and cultural influences that have shaped the community here today. And whereas the origins of Martinez traces back to Don Ignacio Martinez, the Mexican military commander whose 1824 land grant laid the foundation for the settlement that would later become incorporated city of Martinez in 1876. Whereas the city's early growth was fueled by its waterfront, which emerged as a hub for commerce, ferry travel, industry, drawing new residents, and contributing to Contra Costa County and the city's border larger region. Whereas the city's culture legacy is reflected in its heritage as an Italian fishing community. I come from the city of Pittsburgh. And there's many families between our communities from Pittsburgh to Martinez. And that's one thing I hear about all the time is our fishing history. And the legacy of the baseball legend, Joe DiMaggio, in his celebrated claim as the birthplace of the Martini, each contributing to its rich cultural identity of the Bay Area. Martinez evolution into the County seat of Contra Costa County has positioned itself as the center of governance, public service, civic life, playing a vital role in shaping the region's policy, community, and development of public engagement. Whereas this milestone of anniversary invites residents and visitors in all of who value Martinez to celebrate its achievements, honor its history, and look forward to a vibrant, inclusive future. Now, therefore, supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, on behalf of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, do hereby proclaim and celebrate the 150th anniversary-- I know I should say the other word, but I can't say it-- of the city of Martinez and commend the city for honoring this past, celebrating this present, and honoring its vibrant and welcoming future for generations to come. Thank you and congratulations on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] [CHATTER] Next, we have Senator Grayson and assembly member Avila Farias. My apologies. Farias's office. They'll present a joint resolution. [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] Good evening, everyone. It's an honor to be here with you all on this momentous occasion. My name is Kayla Turnage. I'm a field representative for assembly member Avila Farias office. And I'm here with my colleague Angela Pack from Senator Grayson's office. And we have a joint resolution for the city of Martinez. Whereas the city of Martinez will launch its year long celebration of the 150th anniversary of its incorporation on April 1, 2026, embracing its sesquicentennial theme of past, present, future together. And in recognition of the city's progress and growth throughout the years, it is appropriate to extend to local residents and community leaders the heartiest of congratulations. And whereas boasting a rich history of civic engagement, community service, and dedication to the well-being of its residents, the city of Martinez has contributed significantly to the cultural, social, and economic fabric of the Contra Costa County region. And a great number of its residents have joined with its public officials and local community organizations in their ongoing commitment to preserving the city's heritage while also fostering progress and innovation. And whereas established as a community prior to California's statehood, the city of Martinez was named after Don Ignacio Martinez, who had received a 17,000 acre land grant in the area from the Mexican government in 1824. And designated as the town of Martinez in 1849 when it was little more than a trading post, Martinez was declared the County seat of Contra Costa County when California joined the United States in 1850. And whereas officially incorporated as a city on April 1, 1876, Martinez now encompasses 12.47mi and is home to more than 36,000 people who can enjoy its 17 parks and plenty of open space, a waterfront that features a Marina and hiking trails, and many popular recreational facilities, including world class bocce ball courts, newly renovated baseball and softball fields, and a community pool that was recognized as the best aquatic facility by the California Park and Recreation Recreation Society District 3 in 2012. And whereas in its role as County seat, Martinez serves as the administrative center for the 19 cities of Contra Costa County, providing a home for the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, Courthouse, Sheriff's Department, and Hall of Records, along with the Martinez detention facility and various other County service offices. Whereas further supporting its efforts to preserve and illuminate local history, Martinez benefits from the work of Martinez Historical Society through its Martinez museum, which is housed in an 1890s era Victorian cottage and features artifacts, documents, city maps, and historic photographs. And Martinez is also home to the popular John Muir National Historic site, which shares the legacy of one of the key figures in the state's enduring heritage of conservation. And whereas the pride with which the city of Martinez was founded is evidenced in all facets of its everyday life. The hard work of its residents and their involvement in local government, all of which combine to make the city a desirable community in which to work and live. Now, therefore, be it resolved by assembly member Anamarie Avila Farias and Senator Timothy S Grayson that they congratulate the residents and officials of the city of Martinez as they celebrate the milestone of its 150th anniversary of its incorporation, and extend their best wishes for the city's continued growth and prosperity in the years to come. [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] [CHATTER] Next, we have Garamendi's office and DeSaulnier's office. [CHATTER] Well, thank you. It's an honor and a thrill to be here. I really do love Martinez. And I've been doing work with Martinez through the different representatives that I've worked for the last almost 20 years. And I've just seen it grow and evolve. And it really is an honor to be here for the 150th anniversary. So this is a congressional record. And it's not just a certificate. This is something that goes into the Library of Congress forever and ever. So another 150 years from now. If someone is doing research on the city of Martinez, they can look it up, and it will be in the Library of Congress. So it's a very special document. It's not just a certificate. So here it goes. "House of Representatives honoring the city of Martinez. Extension of remarks by the honorable Mark DeSaulnier and Honorable John Garamendi of California and House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, we rise today to recognize the 150th anniversary of incorporation for the city of Martinez, California. Often called the Bay Area's hidden gem, Martinez has been a city of economic prosperity and cultural influence for the last 150 years. During the gold rush, it became a key trading and transportation hub for gold searchers traveling through the Carquinez Strait. Legend has it, during this time, the city became the birthplace of the Martini, cementing the city's name and culture. Martinez has served as the County seat since 1851, and was incorporated on April 1, 1876. In the late 1800s, Martinez was key in driving economic growth for the region thanks to its thriving fishing and agricultural industries. The city was a major agricultural hub as settlers produced wine and planted fruit and nut orchards. It was also known for its successful fishing business, with two canneries opening in the city and thousands of pounds of fish being shipped around the world during this time. After the turn of the century, refining companies began operating Martinez, serving as an industrial base and major employer for the region." "Martinez is also home to several notable residents, including Hall of Fame baseball player Joe DiMaggio and iconic conservationist John Muir. John Muir, also referred to as the father of the National Park Service, shaped the creation of the US National Park system and founded the Sierra Club. Muir lived in Martinez from 1880 until his death in 1914. Today, Muir's home is preserved as a National Historic site. Martinez has built a legacy as a major transportation and economic hub and played a critical role in California's development. Today, Martinez is known for its vibrant downtown and small town charm. The city is also home to the largest bocce club in the country. Please join us in celebrating the rich history of Martinez and recognizing Martinez, California, on its sesquicentennial anniversary." [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] [CHATTER] Next, we have Contra Costa Community College District. [APPLAUSE] Hi, everyone. I'm Diana Honig. I'm the president of the Contra Costa Community College District. And I'm here to honor the city of Martinez here on their 100th birthday. We sent a formal letter honoring the town. And I'll go ahead and read it quickly, if that's all right. All right. Just don't make me say that word. The Contra Costa Community College District extends our sincere congratulations to the city of Martinez on its sesquicentennial celebration. [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] Martinez has been home to our district office since our founding in 1948. And for a brief period beginning in September of 1950, Diablo Valley College had its first home here in Martinez. In 1972, the district office was relocated once more. According to our history book, then County superintendent of schools Brian Wilson and the board wanted the district office located in Martinez because it was the County seat. The city of Martinez has a very rich history with generations of families, businesses, government agencies, and civic organizations. Our district is very proud to be among the organizations that are woven into the fabric of this city. We're grateful to the city leaders for your partnership and your commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and a strong sense of community. We wish you all the best as you look ahead to your next 150 years. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] [CHATTER] Next, we have East Bay Regional Parks District. [APPLAUSE] Yeah, you have two of us here this evening, members of the Council. I told the mayor I really didn't want to do this because of that word. And what makes it worse is you are preserving it forever in closed captioning, which means there's significant political risk to doing this. I'm going to be glancing over-- well, maybe we didn't-- no, we do use it. Do you want me to just say when it comes to that word? OK, that will work. That'll help. Then you're at risk now, not me. I am. Colin Coffey. I have had the honor of representing Martinez on the board of directors of the East Bay Regional Park District for nine years now. I was a volunteer ambassador with the Park District and on a planning commission for the Park District for 13 years and 20 years. And so East Bay Parks has been a big part of my life. And what I really enjoy is that it's a big part of Martinez life. Being surrounded by one of the only towns within the two counties of the Park District, literally surrounded by Park District parks and trails. And it's just a fabulous amenity to this city. My colleague is John Mercurio, who represents Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and the San Ramon Valley. So we are the two Contra Costa representatives on the board of East Bay Parks. So this is our recognition. "The East Bay Regional Park District writes to congratulate the city of Martinez on its-- Sesquicentennial. --anniversary." [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] Uh-oh. You see, that was my concern. All right. At least it was him and not me. All right. "And the Park District is honored to celebrate this achievement with the community. The city of Martinez has cultivated a rich history and tradition centered on resilience, adaptability, and progress over the past 15 decades. The city of Martinez was incorporated on April 1, 1876. And Martinez and its contributions to nature conservation continue with the East Bay Regional Park District. The Park District has enjoyed a long and proud partnership with this city, and looks forward to its continued partnership and service to the region. The East Bay Regional Park District [AUDIO OUT] its-- Sesquicentennial. [AUDIO OUT] --honor's Martinez's history, fosters community pride, and strengthens civic and cultural connections throughout 2026. So just a quick recap, because we're already in April, the couple of things that we've already done is we had the community sessions earlier this year kind of kicking off our sesquicentennial year, together with community sessions going over what the year is like and what our public initiatives are. And those were all great. Thank you to everyone who came. Then tonight, in case you didn't know why you were here, it is our 150th anniversary of incorporation. So thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us. It is wonderful to have everyone here and marking this moment together as a community. Looking ahead, we have a number of things still to do this year. So we have the Martinez City Hikes. And this has really been spearheaded by the mayor and volunteers who know these trails much better than I do. So this is available on our website to go and get more details about. But we're looking forward to going out on walks and hikes with our community. So that way, we can all enjoy the scenery and landscapes that our beautiful city has to offer during our 150th anniversary year. So just a great way to enjoy nature together. There's a total of eight currently planned. There's one hike a month. And if you go on our website, they are rated by strenuous or easy and gives you a little bit more detail about where each one is. That way, you can find one that fits both your schedule and your interest level. Then, 4th of July, we are going all out this year. So it is our 150th, yes, but it is also the so the 250th anniversary for the USA. So yay for the 4th of July. To celebrate this and mark how momentous this day will be, we are doing a day long festivities in the city of Martinez. So as always, Downtown Martinez does a great parade in the morning. And then after the parade, starting at 12:30 PM, the Martinez Sturgeon are going to be having a game at Joe DiMaggio Field. So that will be a great way to celebrate. What is more American than baseball? So we get to go enjoy a game down at the DiMaggio Fields. And then after the baseball game is over, the city of Martinez rec team is putting together a fun fest down at waterfront park. So this is going to have kid activities, food truck, live music, and a kite show-- woo-hoo-- with some enthusiastic professional members of our community who will be helping us put that on. And I believe that some of these kites may glow. So this is not just a daytime kite show maybe. Anyways, something to look forward to. Thank you. And then that is going to lead into our fireworks show, which is a community favorite every year. And that will be at the Martinez Waterfront. So you don't even have to leave the waterfront park area. You can just go find a great spot to sit and watch the show. So really, a whole night, or a whole day that is dedicated to being together, celebrating community, and celebrating our country for the 4th of July. So really looking forward to this. It's going to be a great effort and a great day. Then coming up in August, we are very excited to have the city of Martinez sesquicentennial festival. And this is a day that is-- we are setting aside just to celebrate the sesquicentennial with our community. This is nice today and it's been wonderful. But we're going to go all out on August 29 for a day long festivities down at the waterfront. And we are super excited because we are pairing up with the Bay Area craft beer festival that is put on by the Downtown Martinez and company. They do this every year, but they have agreed to partner with us. So we have an even better time down at the waterfront. And this is going to be a celebration about everything that makes Martinez unique, from our waterfront views to kites to live music, plus the craft beer festival. There's going to be something for everyone. We're going to make this a really great family friendly day of celebration together. So really looking forward to this one too. And then save the month. We don't have a date yet, but we are looking forward to doing a Sesquicentennial Youth Fishing Derby put on by our rec team. And this is celebrating not just our sesquicentennial year, but also the recent renovations of our fishing pier. So this is two great things coming together and just having a great day with a fishing derby. So please circle your month. And we'll get back to you on the actual day. So that is the brief rundown of what we still have so much to look forward to for our sesquicentennial year. Thanks, Eve. [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] And you can just stay up there because I know you're presenting the next one. No? I'm sorry. Oh, the utility box art. Oh, that's Gary. Got it. All right. Thank you. All right. So good evening, Mayor Zorn and city council. I'm Carrie Rivers, a management analyst in the city's community and economic development department. And this evening, I'm excited to present the sesquicentennial utility box art project. To start with some background, from 2019 to 2020, staff in the Parks Recreation Marina and Cultural Commission, now known as Parks Recreation Marina and Arts Commission, or PRMAC, developed a pilot utility box art project. The goal of the pilot was to turn ordinary utility boxes into something visually appealing that enhances the city's streets and sidewalks. The pilot included four locations and seven total utility boxes with the completed vinyl wrap installations shown on this slide. The pilot helped to establish a framework for future utility box art projects, including the sesquicentennial utility box art project. This is a commemorative expansion of the pilot project that will transform five utility boxes throughout the city into small scale public art installations. Each design will reflect one or more themes connected to the sesquicentennial overall theme, which is past, present, future, together. And the theme reflects the city's strengths of connection to its history, the importance and influence of today's community, and the optimistic look ahead at our future together. The total budget for the art project is $15,000 and includes printing and installation of the artwork using the vinyl wraps, as well as artist stipends. So five utility box locations were selected, and the boxes are intentionally spread throughout Martinez and beyond downtown. The locations of city owned utility boxes, which are known as traffic signal cabinets, are shown in green on the map. And the pilot project locations are shown in yellow for reference. And only large utility boxes are proposed for the project to allow more locations to be included. So those are just screenshots of those five locations selected. So the project began with the release of the Call for Artists on March 2, 2026. And while we have heard from prospective artists, we have not received any submissions yet. So please help spread the word. Applications which can be submitted electronically via email or with hard copies at City Hall are due by April 30, 2026. In early May 2026, the proposals will be reviewed by the public art review committee, which is a city staff team. And they'll be then forwarded to the PRMAC for recommendations of consideration for the public voting process, which will take place from June and July to select the preferred designs, which will then be considered for final acceptance by the city council in August 2026. Artist agreements would then be also completed in August, with installation of the selected art on the utility boxes from September to October. So you can go to the website to see the application and view the call for artists. So thank you for the opportunity to present the sesquicentennial utility box art project. Thank you. Thanks. [APPLAUSE] I know most of the kids have left. But I just wanted to make sure that I asked the question so you could answer it. Are children allowed to submit art for this project? Yes. Wonderful. So because this will be an online voting process, everyone will get to see all of the art that is submitted that qualifies. So by all means, please pass along to students, high school, all the way down to elementary school that they are welcome to submit. And then the last time that we had this conversation, a member of the public asked if they could donate a little bit of money in order to expand the program. Is that still an acceptable option? It is? Yes. Yeah, OK. Just making sure that those people who offer to do that actually come back. So for now, we're just doing five vote. But we have the option to potentially expand with additional funding. Great. Awesome. Thank you, Carrie. Thanks. [APPLAUSE] All right. Thank you all for all of the presentations and sticking it out. I think this is the longest presentations we've done so far since I've been the mayor. We are moving to public comment. So as all of you probably know, public comment is an opportunity to speak on items that are not on the agenda. You'll have three minutes. I received one speaker card so far. Once I've gone through the speaker cards, anyone else who would like to speak can just raise their hand. And then once we're done with the council chamber, then I'll go to the virtual audience. So to start, Barb Smaker. My cheering team over there. So I hope by now, everyone knows Martinez has a semi-pro baseball team, the Martinez Sturgeon, who will be playing on 4th of July. But I wanted to bring up that the players don't get paid. Well, they get a little stipend. But the players really need housing. So what that means-- and I actually have the little flyer. I'm just going to read a couple of sentences. So hosting the Sturgeon baseball players more than providing a place to stay is becoming part of a young athletes journey as he chases his dream of playing professional baseball. By the way, this is a Pecos League. It's an independent league. Let's see. At its heart, Sturgeon baseball is about a community, and our host families are a vital part of that tradition. So quickly, what it means is that the players come from across the country to compete at a high level during the summer season from mid-May through July. And it looks like it'll be through August 6 this year. As a host family, you would provide a safe, clean, and welcoming home environment of room and bed for the player, access to a bathroom, access to kitchen and laundry-- their uniforms get really dirty-- and some support with meals. And what that means could range from just providing breakfast or a place to put the food in a microwave or something. And if you don't have a room in your house, if you have an RV or an in-law unit, a converted basement, unoccupied rental or other living space, offering that would be such a great thing. They maintain busy schedules filled with games, practices, workouts, and team commitments. Having a comfortable home to return to makes all the difference. Your home becomes their home base for the summer. And especially for families with young baseball players, hosting can be especially meaningful. The children would have the opportunity to spend time around a high level athlete, see firsthand what dedication, discipline, and teamwork look like, build a genuine connection with a positive role model, and cheer for their summer roommate at all home games. It's a unique opportunity to bring the game and the dream into your own home. And well, there's expectations of code of conduct for the players. But as a perk for the host families, you get season tickets to all the home games, you get an invitation to special host family appreciation events, and recognition as a valued member of the Sturgeon family. So I just wanted to bring that up. We're trying to spread the word. And it looks like we're going to have another team from-- Please wrap up. Thank you. From-- oh, my gosh. Someplace, Colorado. I don't remember. Anyway, there's going to be a traveling team so we're going to need even more homes available. So thank you. [APPLAUSE] Is anyone in the room this evening, have they housed someone before? 1, 2-- perfect. Awesome. Thank you. Show of hands, who else would like to speak this evening? Luis, why don't we kick it off with you? And Jenny, you can go next. Hi, how are you? I'm Luis from Del Cielo Brewing. In case you guys didn't know, we have a beer that is called Hoppiness. So in celebration for the 150 years for Martinez, we did a special label that we're going to be releasing. We're going to be canning and releasing tomorrow. We're going to have music from 6:30 to 8:30. Mary's going to be there to explain and give more feedback to our community to tell what the city is doing for the celebration. And yeah, the beer is going to be distributed all the way from Windsor to San Jose, Los Gatos. So with history all over California. So the beer is going to be everywhere. So I hope to see you guys tomorrow. It starts at 6:00 PM, music at 6:30. If you like beer and you like good food, come and see us. [APPLAUSE] That's awesome, Luis. Thank you guys. Hi. I'm Jenny Bare of Blue Bare Mercantile and Made. We're on Escobar Street, across from 611 restaurant spotted cow, where SB Trading Co. used to be, and they recently moved on. I am here because for one, I grew up here and I'm super excited to be a part of this celebration. And so our store and our company focuses a lot on our hometown of Martinez and the roots of our hometown of Martinez. So I created this design for sesquicentennial. And then there's a couple more that are coming. And all those designs, of course, come to me in the middle of the night when my best designs come to me at 3:00 AM. So in any case, along with our designs, there are a number other of artists that aren't necessarily part of Blue Bare Made, but our colleagues and other stores that are going to be also carrying Martinez merch, and currently carry Martinez merch. And I wanted to promote that because we recognize that our style might not be everybody else's style, but there's a lot of artists that are going to be recognizing this year and this celebration. So the Chamber of Martinez is talking with them. They're going to be launching a referral page or a launch page for their members that carry or that produce art for Martinez, or designs for Martinez. So it's a way for you to find what fits your style best, and then also a way to access some special limited edition gear. So that's it. And you can come see us on Escobar Street, Thursday through Sunday. Thank you. Anyone else in council chambers this evening want to speak on any item? Oh, yes. Come on up. Hi, I'm Kelly. I love the mural, by the way. I live right behind it. I wanted to talk to you about this for a long time. Susana park, a beautiful redo several years ago. All those very strong, very sturdy kiosks around the park. I think there should be something on them for people to see. Just throwing that out there. There's just never been anything. They've just been sitting there, and they've never had anything on them. And the history pictures might be nice, or advertising downtown stores, or advertising the sesquicentennial things. But I just feel like maybe that they could be useful. And when people go to the park, they can see things. Maybe a description of the trees or the history or-- anyway, I don't know what, but that's all I have to say. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] And if you would like to go and repeat that comment to the Martinez Arts Association, I know that they've been talking about looking into ways that they can incorporate art into those kiosks. So you've got a team of people that are already talking about it. All right, Joseph. --part of my thing. So one of the most beautiful things about Martinez is our nature. As you've seen and heard from every single person who came up here, environmental conservation was on their mouth. The greatest thing that we could do right now is turn things around. John Muir and his legacy needs to continue. That's what keeps us bonded with our sister cities. And so I checked out our creek. And it's a beautiful creek normally. And it was trash, guys. And I truly believe that our water is our lifeline. Rather it be the bay or the creek or anything else, these are the things that both sustain wildlife, which each and every one of you guys have probably walked downtown and have seen wildlife everywhere. If we don't preserve those areas, we're not going to have that anymore. Let alone if we don't have our water anymore, then we're not going to live anymore. I am not ignorant to capitalism, that we need to continue to make money. But we need to meet clean with compassion. We need to clean up our city. We need to power wash our downtowns. We need to make it presentable so that people want to come in. We have history. People love history. But they also love walking clean creeks, clean streets, and sidewalks. So I will say that city council is receptive to this. I am not pointing my finger because as we know in Martinez, it takes a village. And so I'm asking the village to stay accountable to our creeks, our waterways, and the things that preserve life for both wildlife and us. [APPLAUSE] Thank you. Will each one of the Council members just say the date that their cleanup and their district is scheduled for? I think it's May 2? Oops. OK, so yours is May 9, probably. I'm May 30. April 16. There you go. All right. We have a cleanup in each one of the districts. And then I will be scheduling one for the creek later this year once the water goes down a little bit. Any other comments? Seeing none. How about the virtual audience? Any comments this evening? For those attending virtually, if you'd like to comment, please use the Raise Hand feature. I have no hands. All right. Debbie's is May 9. It got switched. Barbara, I'm sorry. You've already spoken during public comment. Do you want to give whatever you're going to say to Clem and have him say it instead? But he has to come up to the microphone. You just have to come to the microphone because we're recording. We can't hear you otherwise. Hello, my name is Clem Smaker. And I was asked to read this website. martinezsturgeon.com Martinez-- it wasn't complete. Sorry. That'll work. Thank you. Martinezsturgeon.com. For more info. Perfect. All right. So we are going to move on to the consent calendar then as we have-- thank you to everyone who came so far this evening. We have items 6 through 11 on the consent calendar. And I understand there's one item that needs to get taken off. Yes. Item number 9. We'd like to pull for an amendment, please. Pull for amendment, you said? Yes. So we just don't have to talk about it at all tonight, correct? No. Rather, I want to clarify we want to amend this item for your consideration tonight. Great. In that case, why don't-- well, does anyone else want to pull any items from the consent calendar? Why don't you go ahead and proceed with telling us what the amendment is, and then we can vote on-- Certainly. Thank you. Item number 9 is a prospective appointment of an Interim Finance manager. This is a retired annuitant, former finance director at the city of Richmond with excellent qualifications, track record of superior performance and experience, and all of this verified by her former city manager directly to me. And upon reconsideration, we would like to offer this appointee a rate of $95 an hour instead of $82, which is towards the higher end of the banded range that you can pay an annuitant position between $82 and $102 essentially is the range. She merits that. She's requested that reconsideration. And we'd like to offer that to her tonight. She's going to fill a vital role in our finance department over the coming months while we recruit for a permanent finance manager. Great. Thank you. So to clarify, there is a resolution on the consent calendar to appoint this person as Interim Finance manager with the verbalized amendment. Yes. That's the only change to all the documents. Yes. Does anyone in council have any questions about that item or any of the other items? Good? All right. I'm going to open this up to public comment. Anyone in council chamber this evening have any comment on the consent calendar items 6 through 11? How about in the virtual audience? Please use the Raise Hand feature. I have no hands. All right. Back to council for a motion, please. I'd like to make a motion adopting consent calendar items 6 through 11 with the amendment as just stated by staff to item number 9. Second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes. All ayes. Great. Thank you so much. Moving on to the general business items. We are going to, by motion, accept donations from the Martinez Refining Company totaling 250,000 and 40,000 respectively, pursuant to the city's donation and sponsorship policy. So if we could have representatives from the Martinez Refinery Company come up very briefly. We have a donations and sponsorship policy. And it requires that any donations in excess of $10,000 be adopted by the city council. MRC has graciously offered to provide those two donations that the mayor just mentioned. And I'm very happy to welcome to the podium, Dominik with MRC, who can provide a little bit of background and context on these donations. Good evening, mayor, council, staff, community. On behalf of the Martinez Refining Company, we're honored to be here tonight celebrating 150th anniversary of the city of Martinez. I want to recognize city manager Michael Chandler. You guys have a great advocate here for the city of Martinez. City manager Chandler and I were communicating back and forth of certain projects that the city would need some sponsorships or help with. And we went through that list. And we thought that, hey, for 150th anniversary, let's donate the sponsorships to the archway with beautifying the entrance to the city of Martinez, adding those improvements and helping with the Rankin Park aquatic swim play structure. And we think that would be a great addition to help families within the community. It's a big attraction for the city and an outdoor facility. And so we're just honored to be here and support those programs and our sponsorships. And we thank you. And we thank the city of Martinez. And I specifically thank Michael Chandler for helping me narrow down the selection here. And we're honored to be here and support you guys for the 150th. So thank you. What's that? We could, certainly. And it is a general business item. It does require an action. So we'll have to open it to public comment and-- yeah. And then you'll vote. But there will certainly be a photo op. Yeah, yeah, OK. Great. Does anyone have any questions about this to Mike or Dominic? Just to say thank you for your partnership. We really appreciate it. So, thanks. Yeah, this is great. I want to thank MRC for coming forward. And I really am so excited about getting that archway lit up. We're going to look like Vacaville and it's going to be so beautiful. Beautiful lighting. And so I want to thank you for all your support. I too would like to thank you, Dominic, and all of MRC for your contribution. I can't wait to see the Martinez archway lit up in lights. I think that would look beautiful. And it's a nice tribute for us to have for the city of Martinez to celebrate 150 years. And I'm not going to say the word. [LAUGHTER] But thank you. I think that those were very thoughtful choices. And I think the impact to the families at the pool and then everyone entering the city of Martinez, especially in the evening, will really notice the signage. So thank you. Yes. Again, thank you very much, Dominic, and to the team at MRC. We very much appreciate it. And look forward to the continued collaboration and partnership over the coming years. So thank you very much. Much appreciated. Thank you. I am very excited for this improvement to Rankin pool. It has one of the highlights of our community amenities. And it was one of the first amenities that was funded as part of Measure H. And so it has gotten a little old. And I'm really happy that we have this great donation from community industry to revitalize this one space that is the highlight of every child's summer. Unless you're my child who didn't like the dumpy part because he thought it was scary. But otherwise, they thought it was amazing. So thank you very much. I think this is going to be a wonderful add for our city. I guess the one request I would have-- when the pool is done, who gets the inaugural slide down the first ride. I'm all on board for you doing it. All right. Yeah, absolutely. Are there any comments in council? Yeah, Noralea coming up. Hi, there. I'm Noralea Gipner And I just have one comment. Since we're beautifying, what I would love to see beautified is the Marina Vista road itself from 680 to the lit up sign that's going to happen. It would be nice to see that happen look beautiful. You guys could put new trees, maybe look the landscape up, fix the roads, things like that. You know the area that always floods? Hitting that fix would be great. I think all the citizens of Martinez would love to see that happen, OK? Thank you. [CHATTER] And I do want to give a shoutout, Noralea. Our engineering department and our 150 trees and our median project has been improving that area. So the next time you drive-through, make a note, there's a bunch of new trees planted in the medians. [INAUDIBLE] Check it out. All right. Any other comments? Yeah, go ahead, man. I also think that beautifying Martinez is the right thing to do. I know that we're in an economic state where we have to depend upon certain things. But I have to go with my conscience. The city of Martinez needs clean air. I don't know how much that's worth. We need clean water. I don't know how much that's worth. We need more trees to protect us because the refining company is spewing out things. And I don't know what the impact actually is. And so I understand why they're there. But I believe, if I'm right, it's County, it's PBF, not Martinez. And so how much is that worth? A little money here and there, a little money here and there. We keep on accepting it. To me, personally, it sounds like hush hush money to keep us hushed. And we're not happy. We remember that fire. And so that's my comment right here, right now. And I'm all for beautifying. I love the lights. I love the action. I love the music. But at the same time, what about our quality of life? Any other comments this evening? All right. How about the virtual audience? Please use the Raise Hand feature. I have no hands. All right. Back to council because this is an actual motion. So back to council for any final comments or a motion, please. By motion, accept donations from the Martinez refining company totaling $250,000 and $40,000, respectively, pursuant to the city's donation and sponsorship policy. I'll second. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes. All ayes. Thank you very much. Mike. Do you know what the timeline might be for implementing those two projects? So I believe the sign is already underway. But Jill can provide an update on that. And then Lauren can provide an update on the play structure, because work has been already started on both. Yes, we just recently contracted with AdArt the same company who ended up doing the monument signs. And they are in the process of designing and coming-- they're going to come down and do some measurements and so forth. And they know we want it as soon as possible. So we're hoping that we'll be able to get it in the next few months. Great. And regarding the play structure, I'm happy to report that the recreation team was so excited to hear this. So they got to work right away. They reached out to the company that currently had installed the prior play structure. And that company is in the process of putting together three design options for us, all within the price point of the donation, including installation as well. We actually anticipate bringing that forward to the PRMAC next month. And we'll be able to discuss design features, water features, and colors. And then of course, eventually, it will come to the council. So good stuff coming forward soon. I explained to Dominic here earlier that we can't unfortunately get it installed until next season. So once we make a decision, parts get delivered in the fall, and then hopefully, we can install in about December, January time frame. Great. Thank you so much. All right. Next item. Adopt a resolution approving the new city council handbook to ensure clear, consistent, and modern policies and procedures for city council governance. So, very briefly, the original council policies and procedures was something that was put into place many councils ago, in fact, when none of you were on the council, as a means to establish some formalization of how council meetings are run, how motions are taken, how minutes are taken, travel policies, many different facets. That was going on 15 plus years ago and really was in need of a refresh, something that could be modern, that could speak to things that impact today's councils and today's staffs and today's communities. And after many months of work with the city council subcommittee, which was council member Mckillip and yourself, Mayor Zorn, and some great team members on staff, I'm very happy to arrive at this point tonight, which is actually coincidentally on our sesquicentennial, to be able to adopt a council policies and procedures that's very modern and forward-looking that-- I won't say it'll last the next 150 years. But we hope that it can be good, largely unchanged, maybe for the next 15. That'd be a good outcome. So anyway, one of the team members that worked on this project, assistant city manager Lauren Seguin, she has a PowerPoint presentation that she's going to walk us through tonight. And Mayor, I don't know if you want to say anything before Lauren gets started. Thank you. Yeah, you did a great job summarizing, actually, the intent of this document. And I believe we doubled the length of the document. I think we went through it. We originally thought we were just going to be giving it a refresh. And as we went into it, we realized that there were so many policies that were in the existing document that just was not reflected in how we actually did business. It was very clear to us that there were opportunities for us to discuss amongst ourselves, figure out how we actually do business, how we actually make decisions as a team and to clarify why are we here, why are we doing this, how do we advocate better for the city. There were some policies, for example, how to get an item on the agenda that were somewhat adversarial in nature. And that's not how we do it. And so we discuss with staff. We discussed with the city attorney and came up with an appropriate policy for how we would actually be doing that. And you'll see that we've been slowly incrementally making changes over the past couple of weeks or so as we're incorporating some of these ideas. So instead of having to have from the dais adversarial discussion, we now have a section on the agenda that says, recommendations for agenda items. And so I'm very excited to see this document move forward. I'm very excited to be able to have an opportunity to have a discussion with this council. And I want to thank all the staff, and particularly Debbie, for being in several hours of meetings as we went through and reviewed this document to make sure it reflected how we actually do things. So with that, Lauren, please go ahead. Great. Thank you, mayor. And good evening, mayor and council members of the public. This is definitely not as fun of an item as all the other things that you've heard tonight. But I think it was Tony Hicks from Martinez News and Views who asked me earlier, why this item, why tonight. And as the mayor and the city manager noted, this is a document that supports good governance by our council, by our staff. And good governance means that we get things done. And so we've all seen stories of dysfunction. And this document is really aimed at preventing that before it even starts, and also just solidifying the very good teamwork that we have in place here on the council. So as was mentioned earlier, it was in December 2024 when an ad hoc subcommittee was formed of Mayor Zorn and council member McKillop. Mike mentioned that the document was significantly outdated, had lots of old practices that weren't in place anymore. There was one minor update that was done in 2019. But other than that, the document had sat on a shelf for a very long time. I do want to reinforce what the mayor mentioned earlier is oftentimes the council direct staff to go back, work on something, and we come back with the final product. And this was not that. This was staff working collaboratively with the ad hoc subcommittee. And we really had some difficult conversations going through many sections. So a lot of hard work went into this. So a quick background on how we got here. There were a dozen plus council policies and procedures that were reviewed from other cities to identify best practices and modernization opportunities. The result is now, rather than just a document, it's really a handbook. As the mayor mentioned earlier, we went from an 18 page document to a 47 page document. So we're fairly confident that pretty much every scenario you could imagine would occur, we've accounted for in this document. The result is that we've clarified business practices, roles and responsibilities of the city council, of the staff team. And we've strengthened our teamwork, our sense of team. And also, the document aligns with current legal requirements. One thing I do want to point out is that resulting out of this, we also came out with a new council agenda. And so we'll share that at the end of the presentation and give you a glimpse of that. And we also have a new staff report template. And as always, how does this align with our strategic plan? Well, as I mentioned earlier, when we have a good sense of team and good governance structures, we can actually implement our strategic plan. So this is really the foundation and the bedrock of us moving forward. So I'm going to go through just brief sections. The document is obviously comprehensive. It's attached to the staff report. So this here will just give you a sense of what's in the document. So the first section is why the city council exists. It's really documenting the legal framework. It defines the council's role as a city's legislative and policy-making body. It establishes the city's authority as a general law city. And as I mentioned earlier, it clarifies roles and responsibilities within the council manager form of government. So we went really into detail over what's the job scope of the city council, what's the job scope of the city manager, what's the job scope of the city attorney, and so on and so forth. We also have a section on elections, districts, and vacancies. This just reinforces what we know to be the four district based council seat system with an at large mayor. But it also summarizes rules and timelines for filling vacancies. So you all might recall when council member Malhi was appointed to fill the Mayor Zorn's former seat. We didn't have a process. And so we had to really look to our other neighbors to understand how to do this. Well, now we've really cemented our options for how to fill vacancies. So we're not guessing in the future. We also, as you may recall, we had put together council norms in the past. But it was, again, one of these documents that was kind of off to the side. So we went ahead and integrated the council norms into the document. The norms are expectations for how the council works together as a cohesive policy team. We were excited to introduce a communications into policy. That was one area that wasn't addressed before in the former document. But as you can imagine, in 2026, communications is at the forefront of everything we do, from social media to news media to even just how we communicate between council and staff. So this section really covers it all. It assists or gives guidance to the council on distinguishing between individual views versus council positions. It gives guidance on how we channel media inquiries, which, in this case, states that when media inquiries come through to the council, we ask that you collaborate with the city manager and the city's PIO to coordinate a response. It talks about when the council has a request for information, or maybe there's something timely that comes up from a constituent, what's that process for you to then take that to the city manager. And so we've documented that pretty well in there. It ensures compliance with AB 992, which are legal requirements regarding social media interactions. Those are kind of new as of the last year. And so it was about time that we got that into policy. And then also, it touches on the First Amendment and Public Records Act requirements, again, for social media content. We also cover appointments. This is one of the most critical functions of the city council. As you know, the council serves on multiple different boards and committees, and we do rotate those roles pretty regularly. But again, these processes weren't as solidified in writing. We also discuss how the selection of the vice mayor works, and then how we form subcommittees and ad hoc subcommittees. The document covers training and ethics requirements. So this reinforces mandatory trainings for ethics, harassment prevention, Brown Act, fiscal training, anti-bias, all the things that we have to do on a yearly basis, and compliance with Form 700. One of the things that's new is that we encourage, in this document, professional development training for the city council. This is one of those gray areas that we know is important because oftentimes all of us, whether you're elected or staff, we know that it's important to continuously improve and stay up to date on industry best practices. Certainly, the council has conferences and seminars that are very helpful. So we've solidified a process in the document in order to support that. This was a fun part. We went over city council meetings from the structure to preparation to execution of the meeting. So city council meeting section covers attendance and remote participation. It establishes a new meeting curfew. And I think I have the time up there. Quite literally, our new meeting curfew is 10 o'clock. I'm looking at you, Jay. The process in there-- and I encourage you to go take a look-- essentially at 9:45 is when the mayor will just do that pulse check on where are we at in the agenda, do we continue, do we go ahead and wrap things up and move things to the next meeting. We go over public comment and written comment guidelines. Something really important that wasn't as well defined was just defining the types of meetings. As you know, these are our regular meetings. But we have study sessions, special sessions. There's sometimes a need for an emergency session. So we really went into description on those. And importantly, the council, I think right on the top of our current agenda, we have our civility statement. So we cemented that in the document as well. And that just sets expectations for when the public comes to engage with us, that there's a level of respect that needs to be maintained. Regarding meeting preparation, the handbook assigns agenda preparation to the city manager and the mayor. That's typically how it's always been. As the mayor mentioned, though, there's now a more transparent opportunity for council members to request items to be added to the agenda. It does establish also a new section for emerging issues. So we know that we're so focused on our strategic plan. However, we do recognize that there's going to be things that come up that are emerging priorities. So again, this adjusted agenda format allows for us to have those discussions in real time. And lastly, the last two sections are financial matters. This really covers-- and a lot of this wasn't by choice. These are kind of legal requirements-- covers compensation rules and also eligibility rules on reimbursable expenses for when the council does travel or go to training. It reinforces prohibitions on the misuse of public records. Regarding legal and compliance provisions, there's lots of fun stuff in here regarding the Brown Act and agenda postings and closed session rules. We also, through this process, proposed the adoption of the Rosenberg's Rules for parliamentary procedure. So again, lots of important things that we encourage you to-- if there's ever a question on how to do something or why we're doing it, that's a really good section in terms of how we run meetings. So next step, and then I'll ask Kat to flip up the screen here. After tonight, we're going to ask the new agenda. Kat will have the new agenda format go live on May 6. It gives us about a month because we're already working on the next April 15 agenda. So we can't integrate it right now. But may 6 will be a go live date for the new agenda, as well as the new staff report template. We will be doing some orientation with staff because so many of the staff that work and put the council agenda together every couple of weeks are affected by this new document. So we'll make sure everybody's trained. We'll also offer one on one trainings to the council too if you have any questions or need further guidance on the document. And then I'll turn it over to Kat. This is the fun part of tonight. We want to showcase the new agenda format. We looked at, again, a dozen plus agendas from cities all over. And one thing that we recognize is there's no color. They're typically very clinical, dry, bureaucratic documents. Important, but they're very dry. They don't really invite the public in much. And so one of the things that we wanted to do was add color and a touch of Martinez to the agenda. So as you can see here, kind of emulating our banners that are around town. We have a new header on our agenda. And Kat, if you could just scroll down to just the actual agenda itself. And I'll just take a quick note here. Essentially, what we did here is just really streamline the current agenda. So the current agenda just had a lot of sections that a lot of times we're underused. And so we really, based on best practice in other cities, we streamlined everything down to a few key sections. And with that, I think you can maybe put it on the recommendation slide, Kat, if that's OK. And we can always come back here if there's questions. So with that, I'd like to recommend adopting a resolution, approving the new city council handbook to ensure clear, consistent, and modern policies and procedures for city council governance. Thank you very much. Thank you, all. I wanted to make just a few quick comments. Can you speak to the remote participation changes that we made off the top of your head? And if not, I will just make a-- do you know what they are off the top of your head? If not, I will just speak to it in general. So in very general terms, we've created systems that allow for the council to participate remotely, using both the AB 2449 as revamped with last year's laws just cause emergency circumstances got merged into 1, but then also allowing for traditional remote participation where the remote location is listed on the agenda. And accounting for both of those options, where the remote location is not listed and not public, as if for example, someone has COVID or similar, but also the traditional rules where the remote location is listed and available publicly, remotely. And I'll turn to Lauren or the mayor to add more on that. Yeah, I just wanted to acknowledge for my colleagues that we know that we've had a couple of issues over the past couple of years where somebody found out that they had a work conflict or something. Remember that happened really early on in your term. And when we have a conflict that we were unable to publish our remote location before the agenda went live, that particular council member now can't attend as a council member. They have to attend as a member of the public. And so we wanted to make sure that that process was built-in. The other part of this whole conversation is that we need to have at least a quorum of people in person in order for people to attend as a remote participant and also be able to vote remotely. So I just want everyone to be aware of that section of this document. So it does give you the friendly recommendation. Please let us know 30 days in advance if you're going to be somewhere remote. The last minute that you can possibly tell Kat where you're going to be is before the agenda goes live. But we need to be able to plan to make sure we have a quorum of people in person. So if you let everybody know 30 days in advance, we can ensure that we never have any quorum issues. So I just want to call that out for everyone. Thank you. And then I also want to just make a quick comment about the PIO city manager coordination for public inquiries. The communication has been interesting over the past couple of years. We so appreciate having a PIO on staff now. But that has been a little bit of growing pains for some of us because previous councils didn't have a PIO to coordinate with. And so when inquiries came through, everyone was just kind of on their own. So I feel like this is a very positive step for Martinez. We can be coordinated on talking points and on facts. And then when the council members are asked for their opinion, that's what we're here for. We're here to be the PR arm of the city. We're here to communicate out decisions that the city has made. So I'm feeling very positive about some of those changes that we're able to make. So encourage everyone to read that. And then the last thing, I just