City Council Meeting Thursday, September 25, 2025 06:00 PM City Council Chambers

Closed Session – 5:15 PM

Closed Sessions are not open to the public and held only on specific topics allowed by State Law (noticed below). An announcement regarding the items to be discussed in Closed Session will be made in the City Hall Council Chambers prior to the Closed Session. Members of the public may, at this time, address the City Council on closed session items only. There will be a report of any final decisions in City Council Chambers during the Open Session Meeting.

Regular Meeting of the Capitola City Council – 6 PM

1.Roll Call and Pledge of Allegiance

Council Members Gerry Jensen, Melinda Orbach, Susan Westman, Vice Mayor Margaux Morgan, and Mayor Joe Clarke

2.Additions and Deletions to the Agenda

3.Presentations

Presentations are limited to eight minutes.

  1. A.Proclamation Recognizing September 29 through October 5 as "Week Without Driving 2025"

4.Report on Closed Session

5.Additional Materials

Additional information related to an agenda item on this agenda and submitted to the City after distribution of the agenda packet pursuant to Government Code §54957.5. All correspondence received prior to 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding a Council Meeting will be distributed to Councilmembers to review prior to the meeting. Information submitted after 5 p.m. on that Wednesday may not have time to reach Councilmembers, nor be read by them prior to consideration of an item.

  1. A.Item 8A - Correspondence Received

  2. B.Item 8B - Correspondence Received

  3. C.Item 9A - Correspondence Received

  4. D.Item 9B - Correspondence Received

  5. E.Item 9C - Correspondence Received

6.Oral Communications by Members of the Public

Oral Communications allows time for members of the Public to address the City Council on any “Consent Item” on tonight’s agenda, or on any topic within the jurisdiction of the City that is not on the “General Government/Public Hearings” section of the Agenda. Members of the public may speak for up to three minutes, unless otherwise specified by the Mayor. Individuals may not speak more than once during Oral Communications. All speakers must address the entire legislative body and will not be permitted to engage in dialogue. A maximum of 30 minutes is set aside for Oral Communications.

7.Staff / City Council Comments

Comments are limited to three minutes.

8.Consent Items

All items listed as “Consent Items” will be enacted by one motion in the form listed below. There will be no separate discussion on these items prior to the time the Council votes on the action unless members of the City Council request specific items to be discussed for separate review. Items pulled for separate discussion will be considered following General Government. Note that all Ordinances which appear on the public agenda shall be determined to have been read by title and further reading waived.

  1. A.City Council Meeting Minutes

    Recommended Action: Approve minutes from the regular meeting on September 11, 2025.

  2. B.Capitola Municipal Code Title 17 Amendments

    Recommended Action: 1) Adopt an ordinance amending Capitola Municipal Code Title 17: Zoning for the Residential Multifamily Zone and the Zoning Map; and 2) adopt an ordinance amending Capitola Municipal Code Title 17, Chapter 17.74: Accessory Dwelling Units.

  3. C.Coastal Conservancy Grant Application

    Recommended Action: Authorize staff to submit a grant application to the State Coastal Conservancy for the Esplanade Park Coastal Access Enhancement & Adaptation Plan.

  4. D.Landscape Design and Planting Plan for the Park at Rispin Mansion

    Recommended Action: Receive report.  

9.General Government / Public Hearings

All items listed in “General Government / Public Hearings” are intended to provide an opportunity for public discussion of each item listed. The following procedure pertains to each General Government item: 1) Staff explanation; 2) Council questions; 3) Public comment; 4) Council deliberation; 5) Decision.

  1. A.Bay Avenue and Hill Street Traffic Safety Update

    Recommended Action: Receive an update on the Bay Avenue and Hill Street intersection and provide direction regarding next steps.

  2. B.Code of Conduct Complaint

    Recommended Action: Determine whether the complaint filed by Kevin Maquire against Council Member Orbach on June 12, 2025, should be added to a future agenda for further discussion and determination, or dismissed for the reasons stated in Administrative Policy I-42.

  3. C.Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant for the Capitola Active Transportation Plan

    Recommended Action: Provide direction to staff.

  4. D.Capitola Community Center Renovation - Quarterly Progress Report

    Recommended Action: Receive a quarterly progress report on the Capitola Community Center Renovation Project.

  5. E.Award of Construction Contract for Treasure Cove Playground Project

    Recommended Action: Adopt a resolution awarding the construction contract for the Treasure Cove Playground Project to SSB Construction, Inc. in the amount of $2,446,238, authorizing the City Manager to execute the construction contract, and authorizing the Public Works Department to issue a notice to proceed upon final contract execution.

  6. F.City Council Request for a Special Meeting

    Recommended Action: Identify potential dates, structure, and topics for the proposed meeting.

10.Adjournment

The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is on October 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

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How to View the Meeting

Meetings are open to the public for in-person attendance at the Capitola City Council Chambers located at 420 Capitola Avenue, Capitola, California, 95010.

Other ways to Watch:

Spectrum Cable Television channel 8

City of Capitola, California YouTube Channel

To Join Zoom Application or Call in to Zoom:

Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83328173113?pwd=aVRwcWN3RU03Zzc2dkNpQzRWVXAydz09   

Or dial one of these phone numbers: 1 (669) 900 6833, 1 (408) 638 0968, 1 (346) 248 7799

Meeting ID: 833 2817 3113

Meeting Passcode: 678550

How to Provide Comments to the City Council

Members of the public may provide public comments to the City Council in-person during the meeting. If you are unable to attend in-person, please email your comments to citycouncil@ci.capitola.ca.us and they will be included as a part of the record for the meeting. Please be aware that the City Council will not accept comments via Zoom.

Notice regarding City Council: The City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 420 Capitola Avenue, Capitola.

Agenda and Agenda Packet Materials: The City Council Agenda and the complete Agenda Packet are available for review on the City’s website and at Capitola City Hall prior to the meeting. Need more information? Contact the City Clerk’s office at 831-475-7300.

Agenda Materials Distributed after Distribution of the Agenda Packet: Pursuant to Government Code §54957.5, materials related to an agenda item submitted after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at the Reception Office at City Hall, 420 Capitola Avenue, Capitola, California, during normal business hours.

Americans with Disabilities Act: Disability-related aids or services are available to enable persons with a disability to participate in this meeting consistent with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Assisted listening devices are available for individuals with hearing impairments at the meeting in the City Council Chambers. Should you require special accommodations to participate in the meeting due to a disability, please contact the City Clerk’s office at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting at 831-475-7300. In an effort to accommodate individuals with environmental sensitivities, attendees are requested to refrain from wearing perfumes and other scented products.

Si desea asistir a esta reunión pública y necesita ayuda - como un intérprete de lenguaje de señas americano, español u otro equipo especial - favor de llamar al Departamento de la Secretaría de la Ciudad al 831-475-7300 al menos tres días antes para que podamos coordinar dicha asistencia especial o envié un correo electrónico a jgautho@ci.capitola.ca.us.

Televised Meetings: City Council meetings are cablecast “Live” on Charter Communications Cable TV Channel 8 and are recorded to be rebroadcasted at 8:00 a.m. on the Wednesday following the meetings and at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday following the first rebroadcast on Community Television of Santa Cruz County (Charter Channel 71 and Comcast Channel 25). Meetings are streamed “Live” on the City’s website by clicking on the Home Page link “Meeting Agendas/Videos.” Archived meetings can be viewed from the website at any time.