Burbank approves a library contract; Oakland panel backs a shorter parking deal

Neighbors asked the commission to use its discretionary review power on a proposed 75-foot, seven-story building with 13 homes on a vacant SoMa lot, built under the state density bonus program. Staff said it would have six one-bedroom, five two-bedroom and two three-bedroom units, about 21,812 square feet, up to seven parking spaces and 13 bike spaces. The requesters didn't seek to stop the project. They wanted conditions on soil and foundation work in a liquefaction zone, fire access on narrow Shipley Street, shadow, glare, and fire safety for existing property-line windows at neighboring Jennifer Place townhomes. Staff recommended not taking discretionary review, saying the project is code compliant and that structural, geotechnical and fire issues are reviewed by the Department of Building Inspection. 00:39:41

More on San Francisco's episode

• A commissioner moved to not take discretionary review and approve the project as proposed; a commissioner seconded. Result: passed, 7-0. 01:21:43

• City staff described the project as a 75-foot, seven-story, 13-unit building on a vacant lot under the state density bonus program 00:40:29
• City staff reported 23 letters in opposition and two in support received since the packet was printed 00:43:34
• City staff said seven stories has precedent in the neighborhood, with nearby buildings up to nine stories 00:44:36
• City staff said structural, geotechnical and fire concerns are outside the planning department's purview and are reviewed at the building permit stage 00:45:36
• City staff recommended not taking discretionary review and approving, finding no exceptional or extraordinary circumstances 00:45:36
• A speaker asked, speaking for an absent requester, that waivers be limited to what is needed and that shadow and wind studies compare the project with a less massive alternative 00:46:25
• A resident cited the project's geotechnical report placing the site in a liquefaction zone over compressible bay mud, and asked for binding foundation and monitoring conditions 00:49:56
• A resident raised emergency access during construction, noting Shipley is only 35 feet wide and is the site's only frontage 00:52:03
• A resident noted that a 2020 three-alarm fire at the warehouse once on the lot required a large response 00:52:03
• A resident asked for light-colored, non-glare finishes on the Shipley side, and said she had withdrawn two of her conditions and the wind study request 00:54:08
• A speaker said as a requester that six windows in his home, including bedroom windows, sit on the property line the new building will be built against, and asked that the developer be made responsible for closing them safely 00:55:50
• A speaker said, as the project's architect, that excavation for the parking stackers had been removed from the project 00:57:34
• A speaker said, as the project's architect, that the team held a pre-application meeting with the fire department on emergency vehicle access 00:59:38
• A speaker said, as the sponsor's attorney, that the sponsor committed early to pay for infilling the neighbors' property-line windows, beyond its legal obligation 01:02:06
• A speaker argued, as the sponsor's attorney, that state housing laws bar the city from redesigning or conditioning the project in ways that reduce density without findings she said don't apply here 01:02:06
• A speaker argued in rebuttal for a requester that the building would sit against 12 openings in two occupied homes that would no longer meet fire code 01:05:19
• A speaker said in rebuttal that a concealed gap between the buildings has no fire-stopping detail, and asked for conditions before the permit issues 01:05:19
• A commissioner asked the architect whether the window glazing would cause glare 01:08:58
• A speaker answered, as the project's architect, that the building would use standard low-e glazing and that no glare study had been done 01:09:28
• A speaker said, as the project's architect, that he would be willing to look into products that reduce glare 01:11:50
• A commissioner asked the sponsor about fire code separation for the neighbors' property-line windows, which have existed since 2000 01:12:11
• A speaker said, as the sponsor's attorney, that the building department's rules for approving lot-line windows require recorded restrictions acknowledging they may be closed 01:12:52
• A commissioner voiced concern that the neighbors bought and have lived in their homes for years and now face changes 01:13:36
• City staff said lot-line windows aren't protected under the Planning Code and owners who build them sign an affidavit acknowledging they could be infilled 01:15:45
• Mike Chen (Commissioner) argued the fire and safety concerns are building inspection issues outside the commission's purview 01:16:25
• Mike Chen (Commissioner) noted the project's affordable unit is set at 50% of area median income, roughly $65,000 for a two-person household, as the trade-off for the density bonus 01:18:28
• Mike Chen (Commissioner) recalled that in 2018 the commission tried to redesign a density bonus project and the state sent San Francisco a warning letter 01:18:28
• Mike Chen (Commissioner) cited the commission's July 24 hearing on an 85-foot project at 230 Anza Street as precedent 01:19:30
• A commissioner agreed, saying the project is code compliant and a lot of the concerns are about buildability, which is outside the commission's purview 01:20:57

Staff asked to amend the city's agreement with Modaxo Traffic Management Inc. for parking citation software, hardware and services, extending it to March 31, 2028 for up to $5,279,143, including up to $1,347,328 in outstanding invoices, and to waive competitive bidding (agenda). The contract ran out in April 2026, and the vendor has kept providing services since. Staff said the platform handles citation processing, permits, payments, customer portals, collections, and handheld and license plate recognition devices, and supports about $29.7 million in budgeted parking revenue this fiscal year. Members objected to a 30% collection fee that staff said is added to tickets at day 61. The committee shortened the extension to June 30, 2027 on the same terms and approved paying the outstanding invoices. It also told staff to come back as soon as possible with other vendor options, including privacy protections for license plate data. Added to the agenda under Rule 28. 00:23:13

More on Oakland's episode

• Janani Ramachandran (Councilmember, District 4; Chair, Finance and Management Committee) moved and Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded approving the staff recommendation as amended: the agreement is extended only to June 30, 2027 under the same terms, the outstanding invoices are paid, and staff is directed to return to council as soon as possible with other vendor options, including privacy protections on data collection. Forwarded to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent. Result: passed, 3-0, one excused. 00:53:46

• A speaker presented the request as the fourth and final amendment to the agreement with Modaxo, extending it 24 months from April 2026 through March 2028 00:24:23
• A speaker said the system supports collection of about $29.7 million in budgeted parking revenue for the current fiscal year 00:25:25
• A speaker said the agreement expired in April 2026, and that after the program moved from the Department of Transportation to Finance, Finance reviewed its contracts and practices 00:25:25
• A speaker said negotiations produced an agreement that collection fees will not apply to citations under the state-mandated indigent payment plan 00:26:26
• A speaker described the extension as a temporary bridge to allow a competitive procurement for a long-term parking management system 00:26:26
• A speaker said staff is also exploring gated entry and exit at city-owned parking garages 00:27:27
• A councilmember said they were very concerned that 30% goes to a company that does not do the collections, called it a blow to public trust, and said they could not support extending the contract 00:28:28
• A councilmember asked why the contract came to Finance so many months after it expired 00:29:29
• A speaker said no one from the Department of Transportation was present to explain, that Finance aims to bring the contract into compliance and pay the vendor for services since April, and that procurement staff are short-handed 00:29:48
• A councilmember asked why a private company gets 30% for collections work done by the DMV, the city, or state programs 00:31:12
• A speaker said the fee is part of the vendor's pay for specialized services and depends on collecting delinquent balances, and that the DMV and Franchise Tax Board portions are under negotiation 00:31:34
• City staff pointed to a cost breakdown on page four of the report showing options with and without the special collection services 00:32:11
• A councilmember said the two options differ by only about $300,000 and that dropping the service would shift the cost from ticket payers to the city, so neither was acceptable 00:32:23
• A councilmember noted six months of the 24 had already passed and asked whether staff needs the remaining 18 months for a full RFP 00:32:54
• A speaker said a request for information goes out this month and a request for proposals in November 00:33:24
• A speaker said switching vendors would require moving terabytes of historical data, and recommended the full term 00:34:24
• A councilmember said the problem is the contract terms, not the vendor, and asked whether a shorter term would be workable 00:34:55
• A speaker said a shorter term would put staff in a crunch 00:35:38
• City staff said a shorter timeline could mean staff returns with another extension 00:35:54
• A councilmember raised privacy concerns about the license plate data the company collects and noted that Los Angeles's transportation department added privacy protections 00:36:25
• A councilmember said the outstanding invoices must be paid, the city could get better terms, and she wanted to know what other vendors are available 00:37:28
• A councilmember asked whether a 30% fee is typical for this kind of company 00:37:52
• A speaker said such fees typically range from 20 to 30 percent in the industry 00:38:35
• City staff said the 30% rate is not unusual, but the arrangement of charging it on money sent through the DMV or Franchise Tax Board is something they had not seen before 00:38:47
• A speaker explained the 30% is added to a ticket on day 61, an internal business decision inherited from the Department of Transportation that will be revisited with an equity lens in the new RFP 00:39:43
• A councilmember moved to extend the contract only to the end of this fiscal year, June 30, and to have staff return with an alternative 00:42:34
• City staff said staff can bring back options under a shorter term, that the committee would hear back in December or January, and that this may affect the procurement process 00:43:15
• City staff said the department is working citywide to stop paying contracts in arrears and will not pay any contract until the council authorizes it 00:45:23
• City staff recommended that a short extension keep the current collection process, including the special collection services, so staff can focus on the new procurement 00:46:16
• A councilmember restated the motion: extend to June 30, 2027 on the same terms, with direction to return quickly with other options and to include privacy protections on license plate reader data 00:48:05

A resolution allocating up to $50,000,000 from the Measure U housing bond and other non-bond funds, including administrative costs, to the city's affordable housing programs: new construction, rapid response homeless housing (R2H2) and Homekey, acquisition and conversion (ACAH), and rehabilitation. It also lets the City Administrator allocate other affordable housing funds as they come in, make development loans and grants, and shift previously authorized funds among Measure U tranches 1, 2 and 3. It adds up to $2,000,000 to the Health and Safety Rehabilitation Program (agenda). City staff said the council already appropriated the $50 million for tranche three in this year's budget, so the request carries no new fiscal impact, and that the money depends on the tranche three bonds being sold. Staff said the health and safety emergency repair fund has run out. Staff also said the next new construction funding round opens in January 2027 so projects can compete for the state's first funding round under its new Housing Development Finance Committee in April. Staff read amendments into the record, and the committee forwarded the resolution as amended. 01:11:48

More on Oakland's episode

• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) moved to approve the staff recommendation as amended and forward it to the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda on consent; Rowena Brown (Councilmember, At Large; Chair, Community and Economic Development Committee; Chair, Education Partnership Committee) seconded. As read by the clerk, the amendments make the first resolved clause contingent on the sale of the Measure U tranche three bonds and on final project funding legislation, add consistency with Measure KK to the second further resolved clause, and in the fourth further resolved clause replace the word among with from and add consistency with Measure U for each funding tranche. Result: passed, 4-0. 01:50:53

• A speaker read in an amendment making the allocation contingent on the sale of the tranche three bonds and on final project funding legislation 01:14:01
• A speaker said the request only grants authority to allocate money already approved and appropriated, so it has no new fiscal impact 01:16:06
• A speaker said the new construction program has committed $180 million, creating more than 1,300 units and helping 468 people out of homelessness 01:17:06
• City staff said a survey of residents in Homekey and R2H2 housing found that most reported lower stress and better mental health 01:18:47
• City staff said 10 youth at the Friendly Manor transition-age youth housing, which has 26 units and 52 beds, have found full-time jobs since July 01:20:58
• A speaker said the last new construction funding round drew 24 applications asking for $424 million, of which the city could fund $144 million 01:22:12
• A speaker said the pipeline has grown to about 15 to 20 projects with about 1,200 units, needing roughly $350 million 01:22:12
• A speaker laid out the timeline: the funding round opens in January, awards are expected in March, and projects apply to the state's first round in April 01:23:15
• A speaker said the health and safety loan fund, which offers interest-free emergency repair loans of up to $250,000 per project, is out of money 01:24:15
• A speaker gave the expected split of the $50 million: about $35 million for new construction, $5 million each for R2H2 and ACAH, and $2.5 million for administration 01:25:16
• A councilmember said running out of this money feels like a crisis because affordable housing has not been solved 01:29:23
• City staff said about another $50 million could follow in a fourth tranche, depending on the biennial budget 01:28:25
• City staff acknowledged the city will need additional funding sources 01:29:40
• City staff said tranches one and two spent $248 million out of a Measure U housing figure she gave as $350 million 01:30:09
• City staff confirmed that both this tranche and a fourth would require bond sales 01:30:38
• City staff said $30 million of the second tranche went to the acquisition program, run with the Housing Accelerator Fund 01:31:09
• City staff said buildings bought through the acquisition program get deed restrictions keeping them affordable for 55 years 01:31:09
• City staff said $7 million is set aside for the next rehabilitation funding round, likely with more in a fourth tranche 01:32:43
• A councilmember pointed to gaps in East Oakland, with few or no funded projects in Districts 6 and 7 in several programs 01:34:42
• City staff said the state's high opportunity maps put Oakland at a disadvantage when competing for funding 01:34:58
• City staff said city money must be leveraged about five to one with state funds and tax credits 01:34:58
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) asked whether developers get extra points for building in certain districts or high-need areas 01:37:20
• City staff said projects in areas with high displacement pressure get additional points 01:38:37
• City staff said a racial equity impact analysis was done on the new construction scoring criteria 01:39:36
• Carroll Fife (Councilmember, District 3; Chair, Life Enrichment Committee) credited the acquisition program, formerly called PATH, with helping East Oakland renters stay in their homes 01:40:02

Valley Water and city staff jointly briefed both bodies on preparing for a strong El Niño in the 2026-2027 rainy season. The agenda asked both bodies to receive an update on their coordination in case of flooding. The briefing covered who owns and maintains creeks, the agencies' joint emergency action plan, public outreach, sandbags, flood insurance and help for creekside property owners. Residents and officials pressed on creek blockages, unhoused people living along waterways, and flooded trail underpasses. The council then voted to direct city staff to work with Valley Water on a ranked list of flood hotspots within the city and report back. 00:11:45

More on San Jose's episode

• Matt Mahan (Mayor) moved to direct city staff to work with Valley Water staff and return to the City Council, ideally in a joint presentation and ideally before the rainy season, with a list and risk ranking of flood hotspots along the roughly 140 miles of waterways in the city, plans for those found high risk, and a way for residents and property owners to report hotspots; and, longer term, to work with Valley Water on strategies to reduce flood risk and set out each agency's role. Seconded by Rosemary Kamei (Councilmember, District 1). Result: passed. 01:38:04

• Valley Water staff said a stronger-than-normal El Niño does not necessarily mean flooding locally, but the national attention is a chance to educate the public 00:12:22
• Valley Water staff explained that creek ownership is a patchwork across about 800 miles of county waterways, with Valley Water owning or managing about 350 miles and maintaining the roughly 185 miles where it built flood projects, while private owners must maintain their own land 00:14:36
• City staff described the city's role: readying storm sewers, monitoring weather and creek debris, clearing streets, closing roads and supporting recovery 00:16:00
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water's dry-season stream maintenance program did about 166 projects this year, a number that has been as high as 300 00:18:30
• City staff said the joint emergency action plan written with Valley Water after the 2017 flood has been tested 12 times in storms 00:19:44
• City staff said the plan is updated every year and signed by the city manager and Valley Water's chief executive, and that 29 staff from both agencies last updated it on September 21 00:20:54
• An official said Valley Water has hosted three inter-agency exercises on Anderson Dam and flooding scenarios since the end of July, with the city taking part 00:23:34
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water's annual multilingual flood awareness campaign would launch in two days 00:27:03
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water sent more than 48,000 flood awareness mailers last year and expects a similar reach this year, plus about 17,000 targeted mailings in hotspot areas 00:28:04
• Valley Water staff announced an annual winter preparedness workshop on October 29 and a joint press conference planned before the first big storm 00:28:04
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water lobbied state and federal officials for permitting relief, including Endangered Species Act flexibility, so emergency storm-prep work can be done in creeks 00:30:11
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water runs five sandbag sites countywide, with webcams at two San José sites, and will stock them before storms arrive 00:31:51
• Valley Water staff reminded residents that a flood insurance policy takes thirty days to take effect, and later corrected the federal website to floodsmart.gov 00:34:07
• An official said Valley Water monitors more than 100 blockage hotspots countywide and clears debris with cranes and excavators before, during and after storms 00:38:10
• City staff said the city clears blockages on its own property through emergency contracts with Tucker Construction 00:39:36
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water works with outreach crews before storms to warn unhoused people living below the high-water line 00:44:23
• City staff said the city alerts unhoused residents to move to higher ground, has opened shelters, and once set up interim housing with raised tent platforms 00:44:42
• An official said the city has had to keep 26 miles of waterways clear of encampments for the past two years and will hold shelter capacity for storms 00:45:31
• The mayor asked whether the agencies have done a full risk assessment ranking the top hotspots, and what they will do about each before heavy rain 00:51:50
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water inspects its own waterways every year but has no program to inspect all 800 miles of creek, and is limited by regulations on natural channels 00:52:48
• City staff said the city is working now to remove two spots of woody debris mixed with carpet and chain-link fence along Coyote Creek 00:55:53
• City staff acknowledged the city has historically relied on Valley Water to tell it about risk in the waterways 00:55:53
• The mayor moved to have city staff, working with Valley Water, produce a flood risk analysis with ranked hotspots and a way for residents to report concerns 00:57:32
• The mayor added longer-term direction for city staff to work with Valley Water on reducing flood risk and setting out each agency's role 00:58:35
• A councilmember asked what maintenance is planned along Penitencia Creek on the East Side and what risks remain 00:59:55
• City staff said Upper Penitencia is an unimproved channel and the city will partner with Valley Water to remove a fallen tree and clear an encampment under a bridge 01:00:44
• Valley Water staff said a capital project for Upper Penitencia is years away, so Valley Water has asked the governor to waive permitting and mitigation requirements there for sediment removal 01:02:07
• City staff said the encampment cleanup on Upper Penitencia is about two weeks out 01:03:33
• An official said the city is working with its housing department to offer outreach and housing resources to the person living in the waterway 01:04:10
• A councilmember noted there was no concrete housing destination yet, and asked what accountability measures keep problems from falling through the cracks between agencies 01:04:22
• An official pointed to the two trail-user commenters and asked both agencies whether there is a plan to keep flooded Guadalupe River Trail underpasses open this year 01:06:49
• City staff said trail underpass cleanup is not a standalone item in the plan, but the city will add it to its post-storm list 01:07:10
• Valley Water staff said trail underpasses sit in the low-flow channel, the lowest point of a creek, so they are the slowest to drain 01:07:52
• An official urged Valley Water to do a proactive creek bank assessment and a long-term prevention plan for homeowners along the Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe River 01:09:18
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water usually does not know about problems on private creekside land until someone reports them, and offers permitting guidance through its hotline 01:11:07
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water lacks the resources to walk all 800 miles of creek each year, though new revenue could change that 01:14:00
• An official said a website referral was not enough and residents deserve more proactive effort from Valley Water 01:15:42
• An official noted that regulators close creeks to in-stream work after October 15 regardless of flood risk 01:15:58
• An official urged both agencies to press state and federal officials together for permit waivers at the worst hotspots this year 01:18:04
• An official said creek trails were designed to flood because they sit in low-lying areas 01:19:07
• An official promoted the city's Adopt a Storm Drain program and asked colleagues to link the joint emergency action plan in their newsletters 01:21:12
• A councilmember cited a petition from several hundred residents asking for the agencies to work together 01:22:47
• A councilmember argued Valley Water's expertise puts it in a position to lead, possibly through central permitting help, fee-for-service maintenance, or city easements 01:22:47
• Valley Water staff said Valley Water already offers permitting help and contracts to do work for San José when the city asks 01:24:18
• City staff said the city will support Valley Water's lobbying for funds and waivers, and noted that woody debris is not always a flood risk 01:26:49
• A Valley Water board member urged the city to stop allowing building in floodplains and to consider reclaiming such areas 01:29:17
• A Valley Water board member asked whether the city's general plan update includes a policy against building in flood-prone areas 01:30:28
• A councilmember said this probably wasn't in the scope of the council's four-year general plan review, but could be part of the coming housing element and next general plan 01:30:44
• A Valley Water board member called for action and motions instead of long discussion, saying federal funding is needed to finish Penitencia Creek work 01:32:32
• An official raised concern about the growing burden of flood protection and water costs on residents, citing a letter he sent 01:33:04
• A Valley Water board member raised a point of order that water rates were not on the agenda and had already been adopted in June 01:34:54
• An official asked the board to look for ways to reduce costs 01:35:44
• The mayor restated the motion: a joint report back, ideally before the rainy season, listing and risk-ranking hotspots on the city's roughly 140 miles of waterways, with plans for high-risk sites 01:36:19
• A Valley Water board member suggested a joint fiscal emergency team to get as much federal and state emergency money as possible, recalling the 1983 floods 01:38:08
• The Valley Water board chair said the Valley Water board could direct its staff to work with the city on the council's motion as a joint effort 01:40:16
• An official said city staff stand ready to work with Valley Water on pursuing outside funding 01:41:34

The council approved a progressive design-build contract with Clark Construction Group – California, LP, working with architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, to design and build a new central library and civic center across the street from the current library. Staff described about 97,500 square feet of library and city offices, a garage of about 310 spaces, and about 43,000 square feet of open space. The design-build contract is estimated at $155 million, and staff put the total project at about $185–190 million. Construction would be paid for with a lease revenue bond, with the debt repaid from the city's municipal infrastructure fund, which draws on Measure P. The target opening is spring 2029. After a long debate, the council added a requirement that Clark negotiate a project labor agreement with the building trades before any construction starts, and asked for a cost update in January 2027. Clark estimated a union-labor premium of 2–3%, and the finance director put that at roughly $3.1–4.6 million. The final guaranteed maximum price will come back to council for approval. 02:26:58

More on Burbank's episode

• A speaker moved to adopt the resolution approving the progressive design-build contract with Clark Construction Group – California, LP for the Burbank Library and Civic Center project, including entering into a project labor agreement with the LA/OC Building Trades, with a cost and deliverables update to council in January 2027, and authorizing the Library Services Director, as the City Manager's designee, to execute the agreement and future task orders or amendments if funds are budgeted; seconded by a council member. Result: passed, 5-0. 04:16:11

• City staff said voters backed the project in 2003 and a new central library is long overdue 02:28:06
• City staff described a building of about 97,500 square feet that would house the library and city offices 02:29:12
• The city's project manager put the design-build contract at an estimated $155 million and the total project at about $185–190 million including soft costs 02:29:46
• The city's project manager gave the target opening as spring 2029 and noted the project was once studied as a public-private partnership 02:30:47
• The city's project manager explained that a guaranteed maximum price will come back to council next summer for the full construction contract 02:31:49
• City staff proposed moving the farmers market to the City Hall parking lot during construction and back onto the new plaza afterward 02:38:25
• The city's project manager said the selection panel unanimously chose the Clark and SOM team 02:41:27
• The city's project manager said the team expects to hold at least four community town halls on the design 02:45:14
• A guest presenter estimated a project labor agreement would add roughly 2% to 3% to the cost 02:49:59
• City staff said the library is not covered by the citywide labor agreement now being developed unless council amends this contract 02:50:36
• A speaker reported that the citywide labor agreement effort has started, with an attorney reviewing the union's template 02:51:09
• Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked whether the decision could come back in two weeks on consent instead of being made that night 02:53:44
• City staff urged a decision that night, saying delay costs money on this project 02:54:06
• City staff said the library does not need to wait for a citywide community workforce agreement 02:55:07
• City staff read possible contract language requiring the design-builder to negotiate a project labor agreement before any construction 02:56:54
• A council member objected that the staff report said nothing about a labor agreement or its cost, so the issue was new to her 02:58:52
• City staff said the contract issued to bidders in May had no labor agreement because staff had no such direction then 03:00:42
• City staff said staff recommended adopting the agreement as written and called the labor agreement a policy decision for council 03:04:20
• A speaker said council members had pointed to the library during the August labor-agreement discussion as a project they expected to be covered 03:04:48
• A guest presenter said requiring union labor would keep non-union subcontractors who pay prevailing wage from bidding 03:06:39
• A guest presenter cited a current $130 million project, built union without a labor agreement, where the premium was about 1.5% 03:12:39
• A council member said the public should be able to review a cost of up to $4.6 million before it's approved, and asked for the full financing breakdown 03:14:54
• Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked whether a later citywide labor agreement would apply retroactively to this contract 03:18:27
• City staff answered that a citywide labor agreement would not be applied to existing contracts 03:18:53
• City staff said pre-construction costs are covered by $10 million from the municipal infrastructure fund, matched by a $10 million state grant, plus other city funds 03:20:25
• City staff stressed that the pre-construction phase uses no general fund money 03:21:26
• City staff said construction would be financed with a lease revenue bond, with debt service paid from the infrastructure fund rather than the general fund 03:21:26
• City staff described the 3% figure as the city's maximum likely exposure 03:24:28
• City staff said the added debt service would equal roughly one small capital project a year over the life of the loan 03:26:44
• The city's project manager said $4.6 million equals about 3,800 square feet of building at about $1,200 per square foot 03:28:44
• The city's project manager noted the project carries a $15 million city-side contingency that could cover the cost, though he'd rather not use it this early 03:29:46
• The city's project manager estimated delay costs at about $750,000 a month, based on roughly 5% yearly construction cost escalation 03:33:25
• Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) said she felt held hostage by being asked to choose between cost and delay on information she had just received 03:36:06
• The city's project manager said a January update, at the end of the design workshops, would come early enough to decide on labor terms 03:40:56
• A council member said his main concern is avoiding a strike or work stoppage, which he understood costs more than other delays 03:43:49
• The city's project manager said no subcontractors would be hired by January, so adding a labor requirement then wouldn't delay the project 03:46:07
• A guest presenter pointed to the Garden Grove civic center, a similar project Clark recently finished under a labor agreement 03:46:57
• City staff explained that the first option would require Clark to sign a labor agreement with the trades before any construction, while letting design proceed now 03:47:54
• A speaker argued skilled union labor protects quality and safety, telling of a family member shocked by bad wiring in an apartment built without union labor 03:51:32
• A speaker said she wants Clark to negotiate a labor agreement with the building trades now 03:52:32
• A speaker said, for the building trades, that a project labor agreement is the only legal way to require local hiring on union projects 04:00:55
• A speaker said non-union contractors can still bid on public projects under a labor agreement 04:01:58
• City staff offered to add local-hire provisions alongside the no-strike clause in the required labor agreement language 04:09:59
• A council member noted the contract caps the final guaranteed maximum price at $155 million, and asked whether the council could amend that figure if needed 04:13:05
• City staff explained the city dropped the public-private partnership approach in November 2024 because developers could not make it pencil out 04:14:07

Staff recommended replacing the city's only two artificial turf athletic fields, at Villa Parke and Robinson Park, with recyclable artificial turf made without PFAS and filled with natural infill instead of rubber, while continuing to evaluate natural grass for future renovations, and finding the project exempt from CEQA. Staff said Villa Parke is funded in the FY2027 capital budget and Robinson Park is not, so Robinson will need a funding request later. The choice trades playing hours on two heavily used Northwest Pasadena fields against concerns about heat, chemicals, microplastics and cost. After 26 public speakers, the council approved the recommendation 5-3. 00:43:51

More on Pasadena's episode

• Jess Rivas (Councilmember, District 5; Vice Mayor) moved to approve the staff recommendation (called the vice mayor's motion); a councilmember seconded. Roll call. Result: passed, 5-3. No: Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2), Jason Lyon (Councilmember, District 7), Steve Madison (Councilmember, District 6). 02:54:34

• City staff said the recommendation covers only these two fields and does not set citywide policy, and the city will keep 20 natural grass fields. 00:44:18
• City staff said Robinson Park's turf is also near the end of its life but unfunded. 00:45:36
• City staff said natural grass would need a four-to-six-month closure to build and an annual three-month closure for renovation. 00:46:38
• City staff said mowing hybrid grass cuts synthetic fibers, so clippings must go to a landfill rather than green waste. 00:47:39
• City staff said natural infill runs about 20 to 30 percent cooler than rubber infill but still hotter than grass. 00:48:40
• City staff noted Palo Alto studied the same three options and its council chose artificial turf. 00:49:48
• City staff proposed a two-year pilot testing four grass seed varieties on 25,000 square feet of the Villa Parke multipurpose field to improve the city's natural fields. 00:50:55
• City staff estimated ten-year costs at Villa Parke of about $1.5 million for natural grass versus $2.4 million for turf, which includes $1.2 million to replace it. 00:52:04
• City staff said Rose Bowl staff believe hybrid renovation costs about the same as installation, estimated at $2.2 million for a field this size. 00:53:19
• City staff put maintenance cost per playable hour at $5.34 for turf versus $16.15 for grass, because grass would have 2,340 available hours, excluding capital costs. 00:54:26
• City staff said Public Health is drafting outdoor activity heat guidelines that will apply to both grass and turf fields. 00:55:29
• City staff said manufacturers make PFAS-free turf with third-party certification, and the contract scope would require proof. 00:57:37
• City staff reported the school district and Rose Bowl have little field space available to absorb structured league play. 00:58:39
• City staff corrected the staff report's $975,000 fiscal figure, saying the adopted FY2027 capital budget appropriates $1,125,000 to the project. 01:00:41
• City staff said Robinson Park would need a separate capital appropriation at a later date. 01:00:41
• A councilmember questioned the ten-year turf lifespan estimate, since the city's turf has lasted only eight years in each of two cycles. 01:01:45
• City staff said the Villa Parke field may have only one more season left. 01:02:09
• City staff estimated Robinson Park, about twice Villa Parke's size, at about $3.1 million for turf and $2.8 million for grass over ten years. 01:04:22
• City staff acknowledged the Robinson Park figures were put together at the last minute by scaling the formula to field size, and could not explain a discrepancy. 01:05:06
• City staff said sod would add roughly $100,000 or more per facility and could save about a month of closure. 01:06:59
• A councilmember said the presentation still felt like it was selling turf, despite the committee's request for a balanced one. 01:08:07
• A councilmember raised player safety, noting some elite athletes refuse to play on artificial turf, and worried about long-term effects on children. 01:08:40
• City staff said injury counts in the city's programs are about equal on turf and grass, though the types of injuries differ. 01:09:40
• A councilmember asked about the surface choice for a dog park in his district. 01:12:21
• City staff said natural grass is the better choice for dog parks. 01:12:35
• A councilmember praised the staff presenter but said he brings a bias, while noting the presentation's balance had significantly improved. 01:14:03
• City staff said rubber infill can reach 150 to 160 degrees, versus about 125 to 130 for natural infill, which is still hotter than grass. 01:15:51
• City staff said research shows turf products contain contaminants that can disrupt hormones or cause cancer. 02:00:32
• City staff said the science on how much of those contaminants reach the body is still developing. 02:01:36
• City staff cited a March 2026 state study of 35 California fields that found no toxic levels in players, coaches, referees or spectators, and called the risk low. 02:02:39
• The mayor said he had not heard sources cited for the public's claims that the fields are unsafe. 02:03:18
• City staff said the department reviewed studies the public sent in but discounted many as scientifically weak. 02:03:48
• City staff said the state study likely did not include newer products like the natural infill being proposed. 02:06:07
• City staff described the coming heat guidance, which uses wet bulb globe temperature rather than air temperature to set breaks or cancellations. 02:06:43
• A councilmember questioned why the state study was commissioned and paid for by CalRecycle, a recycling agency. 02:08:20
• A councilmember raised, as a rhetorical question, whether regulators can be captured by the industries they regulate. 02:09:19
• City staff said grass baseball fields close two to two-and-a-half months for renovation, and three months is the ideal minimum for soccer and football fields. 02:10:24
• A councilmember argued natural grass should be the minimum standard for Pasadena. 02:15:13
• A councilmember said the city underfunds and understaffs grass maintenance, and opposed the staff recommendation while remaining open to alternatives. 02:15:13
• A councilmember called turf a limited solution for high-use fields like Villa Parke, noting the multipurpose field will stay grass. 02:17:20
• A councilmember said the field's users overwhelmingly support turf, and moved the staff recommendation. 02:18:22
• A councilmember said Northwest Pasadena families depend on these fields, and a three-month closure is unacceptable. 02:19:14
• A councilmember argued active, well-used parks improve neighborhood safety, citing changes near Robinson Park. 02:20:17
• A councilmember said Villa Parke coaches, parents and players he met were unanimous for turf, and seconded the motion. 02:21:22
• A councilmember said the data do not show health harm to children from recreational play on turf. 02:22:28
• A councilmember said turf puts large amounts of microplastics and forever chemicals into the water table and creates heat islands. 02:23:33
• A councilmember said the lost play time could be solved with school district help, transportation or sod, and voted no. 02:24:34
• City staff told the questioner the proposed natural-infill product is cooler than the products public speakers described. 02:26:25
• City staff clarified that CalRecycle is a state agency under CalEPA. 02:26:54
• A councilmember said he would support the staff recommendation. 02:27:26
• A councilmember noted the Environmental Advisory Commission report, which the health director said he had not reviewed, cites studies showing potential risk. 02:28:16
• City staff said his department reviewed only contamination and health impacts, not broader environmental effects. 02:28:32
• A councilmember argued state law is moving away from artificial turf and the plan could be outlawed by the state. 02:28:46
• A councilmember argued it would be wrong to accept the risks for kids in the city's poorest areas. 02:34:07
• A councilmember challenged the characterization of the children near the two parks as the poorest in Pasadena, calling it disrespectful to their families. 02:35:18
• A councilmember said he would not describe any of the city's children as the poorest of anything. 02:35:29
• City staff said the specifications, including PFAS-free certification and natural infill, are not yet written into the recommendation but would be included if the council so directs. 02:38:33
• A councilmember asked that the turf specifications be posted at the park so parents know what children are playing on. 02:38:53
• City staff said the city applied for a grant for spectator shade structures at Villa Parke, Victory Park, Robinson Park and another park. 02:40:36
• City staff cited a Glendale study he worked on that found little real heat-island effect from fields of this size. 02:40:36
• A councilmember said he wished a soil or turf scientist had been part of the discussion, and asked staff to further explore hybrid and organic regenerative fields. 02:41:52
• City staff said the heat guidelines will apply to any surface, including blacktop, and use portable equipment. 02:44:50
• A councilmember asked the health director to look into whether a Proposition 65 warning is required for the turf. 02:45:14
• The mayor said that, given how heavily these two fields are used, the benefits of turf outweigh the drawbacks. 02:46:02
• The mayor recalled that when the fields were closed years ago, children played in streets and parking lots instead. 02:47:04
• The mayor recalled that enrollment in youth programs dropped significantly when the fields were closed. 02:48:04
• The mayor said he supports the recommendation and favors shade sails for players and fans. 02:50:46
• A councilmember clarified the shade grant covers spectator areas, not the playing field. 02:51:21
• City staff said sod could cut the closure from three months to two for roughly $100,000 more, as a rough estimate. 02:52:18
• A councilmember said he would oppose the motion, believing grass can be made to work. 02:53:12

Asks the Controller to move $20 million within the Fire Department's budget to cover a projected deficit in its sworn overtime account: $10 million from sworn salaries and $10 million from constant-staffing overtime (agenda). The motion was by John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) and Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District). The agenda notes that neither the CAO nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis. It passed in the group vote, and the council agreed without objection to send it to the Mayor forthwith, meaning right away. 02:06:04

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Adopt item 11 in the group vote with items 1, 7, 9, 12 through 14, and 17 through 20. Result: passed, 13-0. 02:06:13
• Send item 11 forthwith. Result: passed. 02:06:19