Pinole City Council Meeting 2-6-2024

Tomorrow, 2-6 – Regular City Council meeting, 5 PM, Hybrid. You can find the agenda packet here– note that the city is shifting to a new agenda website.

To start, there are no closed session items- expect the first Citizens to be Heard immediately after opening roll call, pledge and land acknowledgement.

For proclamations, there’s Black History Month, Lunar New Year, and recognizing Music Repertorire’s 25th Anniversary. There is also a presentation on the 2024 election by the Contra Costa County Clerk Recorder, Kristin B. Connelly.

Then there’s the consent calendar- There’s the normal minutes and warrants, an update on the communication and engagement plan (which has an attached report- I’m unsure if it’ll be heard during the meeting, since consent calendar items are ordinarily dealt with as a whole), a resolution to allow the city manager to grant contracts for outside staff to support the Public Works department of up to $150,000, a resolution to accept the Hazel Street Storm Drain improvements (SW #1901) as complete, second reading and adoption of an ordinance to explicitly ban political signs from public property, and having the city join the National League of Cities (cost $1701, ongoing page 259).

Finally, there are two new business items- the first, a presentation on options for the city council to ban the creation of new gas stations or the expansion, reconstruction or relocation of existing gas stations in Pinole. A few points of note- similar bans have been implemented in Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties (page 261), Pinole currently has 8 gas stations (page 264), and there are not very many locations where the zoning code permits new gas stations in the first place right now (page 273). The proposed process would be a future Interim Urgency Ordinance to halt approvals of new construction or expansion of existing uses, and an outreach process through the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to create permanent zoning code and General Plan amendments (page 278).

The second is a presentation on Community Corner (2301 San Pablo Ave) and directing staff for future uses.

You can join the meeting by zoom direct link here, entering the webinar ID 893 3500 0272 into zoom directly, or calling +1 (669) 900-6833 or +1 (253) 215-8782 or +1 (346) 248-7799, then entering the meeting ID 893 3500 0272#. Once in the meeting by phone, you can raise your hand by pressing *9, and unmute by pressing *6 once called on. You can also attend the meeting in person at Pinole City Hall, 2131 Pear St.