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City Council · Wed Mar 4, 2026

City Council · Regular meeting

Key decisions

PassedOld Train Depot site

The council voted to let the city manager put out a public invitation for companies to send their qualifications and ideas for remaking the city-owned Old Train Depot site at 401 Marina Vista Avenue.

Yes
Zorn, Howard, Young, Malhi, McKillop
Context

Why The Old Train Depot site is a 5,200-square-foot building built in 1877 that has been altered over the years and is now vacant and in need of substantial rehabilitation.

The agenda does not say when the invitation closes.

Motion
Malhi, seconded by Young

PassedVacant property fee

The council voted to approve the Vacant to Vibrant Annual Registration Fee of $1,075 per vacant property, effective July 1, 2026, as written, and find that the project is excused from full environmental review under state environmental law.

Yes
Zorn, Howard, Young, Malhi, McKillop
Context

Why The council received ongoing public feedback about code violations, property nuisances, long-term vacant commercial buildings, and fire-damaged properties, and asked staff for improved enforcement tools.

Proposed Hear from anyone who wants to speak, then change the city's fee list (its User Fee Schedule) to add a Vacant to Vibrant Annual Registration Fee of $1,075 per vacant property, starting July 1, 2026; the item says state law keeps this out of environmental review under state environmental law because the fees cover running costs.

Motion
Malhi, seconded by Young

PassedLafayette Street property sale

The council voted to let the city manager sign the Purchase and Sale Agreement, in a form the city attorney approves, and finish selling the empty property at 0 Lafayette Street, Parcel Number 373-061-033-8, to Kathleen Cox for $69,788: $68,888 for the property plus $900 for preparing the Preliminary Title Report, in line with the Surplus Land Act.

Yes
Zorn, Howard, Young, Malhi, McKillop
Context

Why The city's housing plan requires declaring this property surplus land under the Surplus Land Act, which aims to make land no longer needed for government purposes available for affordable housing.

Motion
McKillop, seconded by Malhi

Also approved, in one vote7 items

Yes
Zorn, Howard, Young, Malhi, McKillop
Motion
Howard, seconded by Young

PassedMeeting minutes approval

The council voted to approve the written records of what the council did at its meetings on December 17, 2025, February 4, 2026 and February 18, 2026.

PassedDowntown pavement project

The council voted to accept the Downtown Surface Seal and Pavement Rehabilitation Project No. C1077, from the budget year running July 2024 to June 2025, as complete, as the contract papers describe, and have the city clerk file the paper recording that the work is finished.

Context

Why The city hired MCK Services in 2025 for up to $5,097,173, including a $463,379 contingency, to repave downtown streets, and the work finished on February 6, 2026, with a one-year guarantee against defects.

PassedDrainage fee rate

The council voted to set the rate charged per Equivalent Runoff Unit (ERU) for the budget year from July 2026 to June 2027, and ask the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to put a charge on each property for drainage upkeep and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program.

Context

Why This charge pays for the city's Clean Water Program, which the Federal Clean Water Act requires and which state water quality rules permit.

The agenda does not say what the rate per Equivalent Runoff Unit would be.

PassedFire hydrant maintenance

The council voted to accept the Fire Hydrant Maintenance Project No. C7068 as complete, as the contract papers describe, and have the city clerk file the paper recording that the work is finished.

Context

Why Checking and flushing the hydrants makes sure they work in emergencies and keeps the water system reliable.

PassedTenant anti-harassment law

The council voted to put off, without discussion, a decision on a proposed city law setting Tenant Anti-Harassment Protections until April 15, 2026, because the agenda is full.

Context

Why The meeting's agenda was already full, so the item was put off to April 15, 2026.

PassedFire code update

The council voted to skip reading it aloud and take the final vote on city law No. 1482, which changes Chapters 15.28 and 15.29 of the city's own rulebook to follow the 2025 CCCFPD Fire Code and the 2025 CCCFPD Wildland-Urban Interface Code, with local changes.

Context

Why Local conditions call for these changes, which follow the fire safety rules the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District already set for its area.

The agenda does not say what CCCFPD stands for or what the local changes are.

PassedShell Pipeline franchise

The council voted to skip reading it aloud and take the final vote on a city law that extends an existing franchise with Shell Pipeline of California, LLC.

Context

Why Shell no longer wants to keep its long-idle pipeline for future use, so the city needs more time to work out safe terms for shutting it down properly.

The agenda does not say how long the extension runs.

Reports and discussion, no vote

Landscaping district reports

The council was asked to have the city engineer prepare the annual Engineer's Reports for the power and upkeep of streetlights, trees, landscaping, and curb, gutter and sidewalk work from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 in eight Landscaping and Lighting Districts: 1979-3 LL-2 Village Oaks Terrace, 1981-3 Muir Station Park, 1983-3 Vista Oaks, 1988-1 Center Martinez, 1994-1 Creekside, 1997-1 Brittany Hills, 2000-2 Terra Vista, 2001-1 Alhambra Estates.

Context

Why State law lets the city form these districts to pay for lighting, tree care, and landscaping, and this report begins the three-step process needed to set each district's assessment for the year ahead.

Budget and capital plan

The council was asked to hear an update on progress on the Strategic Plan, then change the city's income plan as laid out in Attachment B and its spending plan as laid out in Attachment C for the budget year from July 2025 to June 2026, and change the budget for the city's five-year plan for building and fixing what it owns, as laid out in Attachment C.

Context

Why After an early report on the budget year showed spending and revenue trends, and some project funding needed adjusting, the city is updating its budget and five-year building plan partway through the year.

The agenda does not say what the changes in Attachments B and C are.

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