City Council Meeting Summary - Jeff Wan 3-4-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.

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Last night the Council met to discuss one significant item:

- We authorized the recording of a noise abatement agreement for Oakhurst Golf Course. City ordinance prohibits landscaping work before 7am, however due to the nature of golf course operations Oakhurst has always had an agreement with the city that allows them to start earlier. The prior agreement had expired and the City renewed it with updated terms last night.

The new agreement has a 36 month term, and provides that no maintenance activity shall be performed prior to 5:30am. It also specifies later start times around certain areas of the course to reduce the noise impact to nearby residences. The agreement provides an avenue for complaints and a resolution process as well, and includes a provision that a survey of adjacent residences towards the end of the term of the agreement will be conducted in order to collect feedback for any future modifications.

Clayton City Council - From the Desk of Kim Trupiano 3-1-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the Diablo Gazette to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access the article in the Diablo Gazette's website by following this link: https://www.diablogazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Diablo-Gazette-MAR-25D.pdf

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.

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The City Of Clayton Kicks Off Full Events Calendar This Spring

Mayor Trupiano

There is so much happening in Clayton this spring including several events, a new restaurant, and outdoor activities, all right at our doorstep. 

“Noises Off” performed by Clayton Community Theatre runs March 13 – 24 at Endeavor Hall. 

The Art & Wine Festival sponsored by Clayton Business and Community Association returns April 26 and 27 to downtown Clayton. 

Concerts in the Grove kicks off its 18th season on May 17 and continues every other Saturday thereafter through August 23. Fan favorites like Pride & Joy and East Bay MUDD are back again this year at The Grove downtown Clayton. 

Take the Clayton Garden Tour, sponsored by the Clayton Historical Society & Museum on May 16 and 17. 

A new dining option at Enye Latin Table which just opened in February, explores the vibrant flavors of Latin America. It’s a wonderful addition to our downtown dining offerings. 

Our City has 27 miles of hiking, biking, and walking trails, five community parks, one dog park, and equestrian staging all on over 500 acres of open space. For a complete list of our trails, visit the City’s trail system page at Claytonca.gov. We also have maps available for the entire trail system for $2.00. 

Unsung Hero Award 

Each month the City is awarding an Unsung Hero Award to someone making a significant difference in our community. We honored Linda Pinder for the month of January and on March 4 we will have honored Paul Jordan for the month of February. If you have suggestions about future Unsung Heroes, please send them to me directly kimt@ claytonca.gov. 

In other City news: Our City is nearly ready to begin the recruitment process for a permanent Police Chief. At our February 18th City Council meeting, we reviewed and approved a new salary schedule for this position. We also agreed to make additional changes to that salary schedule if necessary when the recruitment process ends. 

Also, at our February 18th meeting, the Board of the Oakhurst Geological Hazard Abatement District (GHAD) selected a new Chair, Jeff Wan and Vice Chair, Richard Enea. 

After reviewing the annual engineer’s report, we determined that for the District to be able to make the necessary repairs, provide maintenance, and build a reserve, a ballot measure was in order to increase the assessment rates in the district. 

The board approved moving forward with a ballot measure this spring with a proposed schedule of new rates for district residents. There will be a community outreach program to address questions and concerns and increase awareness about the District funding challenges. More information on this will be coming in March. 

At the February Budget & Audit committee meeting, co-chairs, myself and Vice Mayor Wan, reviewed the City’s midyear budget and determined that there were several items that needed to be included in the presentation before it comes to the full City Council on March 4th, including an in-depth summary and analysis of where the City is and the anticipated financial outcome for the end of the year, ending on June 30, 2025. The City staff is also actively working on the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget and the Budget & Audit committee will review that soon. 

Finally, our job search for five open positions resulted in over 200 applications and our City staff is reviewing those now and getting ready to schedule interviews. Staff has remarked that there are some outstanding candidates amongst the applications and they are hoping to have all positions filled by May. 

If you would like to reach me, please contact me at 925.673.7324 or kimt@claytonca.gov. Stronger Together!

Clayton City Council - From the Desk of Kim Trupiano 2-18-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the Diablo Gazette to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access the article in the Diablo Gazette's website by following this link: https://www.diablogazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DiabloGazette-FEB-25D.pdf. 

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.

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Addressing the Needs of the City

Mayor Trupiano

As we embark on a new year in the City of Clayton, one of my highest priorities was to ensure that our City Administrative Team has the support that they need to be successful now and in the future. Many residents may be surprised to know that our entire City staff is made up of just 26.6 employees, 13 of which are employees in the police department (11 sworn officers, two civilian). That leaves just 13.6 employees to manage the City’s other departments: HR, Finance, Maintenance and Community Development. We have often supplemented our staffing by the use of consulting firms, which has had a short-term benefit but is not the same as having consistent, yearround, full and part-time employees.

Back in July, our then Interim City Manager proposed a reorganization of the duties of the staff and the creation of new positions including a new Assistant City Manager/ Administrative Services Director, who would oversee HR and Finance, elevating the positions of City Clerk to include Assistant to the City Manager and promoting our Accounting Technician to full time Accountant. The Council approved those changes, including the outsourcing of our Community Development Services until we could determine exactly what the needs of the department and community would be. 

After an extensive review process by the Budget & Audit committee and a number of City Council meetings and discussions, the Council unanimously approved the following changes to the city’s staffing line up on January 21, 2025: 

• Fill the full-time Administrative Clerk and part-time/hourly Community Services Leader (formerly Facilities Attendant) positions, both of which are already budgeted in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 

• Reclassify the Community Development Director and Assistant Planner positions with a Senior Planner 

• Add a Management Analyst position to support the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Accountant and City Clerk as needed 

• Add a Community Development Technician to oversee complaintbased code enforcement issues, handle temporary use permits, special event permits, park and facility rental applications, and aid the Senior Planner. 

Filling these positions will provide our City leadership team with the support that they need to be successful and to provide our residents and community with the services that they require. For a complete outline of the positions, job descriptions and salary schedules, please visit www.claytonca.gov/fc/ agendas/council/2025/01212025. In addition, our staff has diligently worked on getting these positions posted and they can be found here: Job Opportunities | Sorted by Job Title ascending | Clayton, City of (CA) Careers.

Officers Save Life - I would also like to recognize the outstanding work done by Officer Wiggins and Sergeant Enea of our Clayton Police Department. On January 25, they responded to a distress call by the husband of a woman who was in her car and had stopped breathing and had no pulse. They administered CPR until Con Fire arrived who resumed CPR until they could get a pulse. Because of their quick response and efforts, this woman is alive today. The City honored them with a Certification of Appreciation, for exceptional bravery, quick thinking and unwavering dedication to duty, exhibiting the highest standards of public service resulting in the saving of a life.

Remember, We are Stronger Together. 

Please feel free to contact me at kimt@claytonca.gov or 925-673-7324. 

City Council Meeting Summary - Jeff Wan 2-18-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.

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Councilmember Wan

Last night the Council met and had one significant item on the agenda, however the meeting had extensive discussion on some other topics.

- We discussed a renewal of a noise abatement agreement with Oakhurst Country Club.  Due to the nature of golf course operations, several maintenance activities occur daily and at early hours in the day.  Things like mowing the grass and resetting tee boxes and greens take place before play begins, which is typically at sunrise.

Current City ordinances prohibit certain noise creating activities like mowing lawns prior to 7am each day.  Because time of use for the golf course starts at 7am, maintenance has always happened prior to that time.  Historically there has existed a noise abatement agreement which granted Oakhurst permission to operate certain equipment at earlier times in the day - with the focus on areas away from homes, though not entirely.

The noise abatement renewal did not change any of the existing provisions substantively.  We later determined that the wrong version of the agreement was included in the agenda packet.  In addition, there was feedback provided by residents regarding Oakhurst maintenance operations, alleging operations outside the time permitted per the noise agreement.  As such, the Council tabled this until a later date and asked our City Manager to approach Oakhurst to see if there were other provisions that could be adjusted.

- We discussed the salary schedule of the Police Chief position which is currently vacant and being filled on an interim basis.  The Council agreed to increase the salary schedule by 4% consistent with the agreement that was in place with the prior Police Chief.  When the recruitment period ends, we will discuss with the City Manager whether any additional changes need to be made to attract qualified candidates.

The Oakhurst Geological Hazard Abatement District (GHAD) Board also met and discussed a few significant items:

- We selected a new Chair (myself) and Vice Chair (Boardmember Enea)

- We received the annual engineer's report which indicated several areas where maintenance was recommended.  Without adequate maintenance, the risk of damage due to Earth movement increases.  Without additional funding however, the GHAD would need to use between 2-3 years worth of funding from the future to cover the cost.  Without additional funding, I did not think it was prudent to spend all of the remaining GHAD funds on maintenance that may not add value, and would need to be performed on a repeated basis.  Rather, I thought it was more important to take steps to increase the revenues so as to make the GHAD more solvent.

- We discussed the process for a ballot measure to increase GHAD assessments.  A notice would be sent to all residents in the GHAD, and ask them to approve a rate increase.  The amount of the increased assessment would vary based on the type of residence.  Votes are counted on a per residence basis, with a greater weight going towards those residences of higher value or at higher risk of being impacted.

The Board gave direction to pursue the rate increase, including the establishing of a reserve, and determine whether a citizen oversight committee was possible with this type of assessment.  If the voters of the GHAD approve the rate increase (towards the May/June timeframe), then the GHAD would be funded sufficiently to perform the operations it was intended to.  If the voters reject the rate increase, that would cause nearly all GHAD activities to cease.

City Council Meeting Summary - Jeff Wan 2-4-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.

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Councilmember Wan

On Tuesday the Council met and discussed several significant items:

- We first interviewed three applicants for one open Planning Commissioner seat. The seat was vacated when Councilmember Enea was elected and we interviewed applicants in order to fill the open seat for the remainder of the term ending in June 2026. Of the three applicants, the Council discussed and voted to appoint Nate Brzovich to the Planning Commission. Nate's approach to listening to community feedback and balancing that with what the law requires was what was persuasive to the Council. Congratulations, Commissioner Brzovich!

- We discussed and decided in favor of entering an agreement for investment advisory services with UBS. UBS currently acts as a custodian of City funds in a non-discretionary manner. This means that UBS can execute transactions for various securities, but only as the City specifically directs. There are associated fees, and we are essentially buying at retail. By entering into a advisory agreement, UBS becomes a fiduciary to the City, and will be authorized to act on the City's behalf within the approved investment policy of the City.

There are multiple benefits of such an arrangement. While there is a 30 basis point fee associated with this arrangement, there is no cost for any individual transaction. Because UBS is authorized to act on the City's behalf, there will be no time where cash is sitting idle and not being invested. This will yield greater returns, but it will also free up staff time so they can focus on other activities. We will also be able to exit certain positions that are underperforming and redeploy those funds towards higher performing securities. Overall this should yield greater returns on the over $12M in City funds.

- We formed an ad hoc committee consisting of Mayor Trupiano and Councilmember Tillman. Upon taking the role of Mayor, Mayor Trupiano reached out to Councilmember Tillman in an effort to address her previous requests for an investigation into fellow Councilmembers and training. A result of that meeting was an agreement to propose this ad hoc committee in order to facilitate a governance training workshop for Council and staff. Councilmember Tillman stated that this ad hoc committee and training satisfies her previous requests and I'm glad the Council can move forward and appreciate Mayor Trupiano's leadership in this matter.

- We authorized the City Manager to enter negotiations with Three Putt Development, the company that owns the Oakhurst Country Club, for the sale of city owned property adjacent to the overflow lot near Oakhurst. The city owned property does not front any street, and was declared surplus by the City last year. We also discussed with the City Manager the terms that the City was interested in during closed session later in the evening.

- We discussed the potential restriping project on the 4 lane section of Mountaire Pkwy. Many residents spoke at the meeting, and others have been in communication via email and phone calls. There were several that were opposed to taking action, and several that were in favor of taking action. What was under discussion was a "road diet" - reducing the number of lanes in an effort to reduce speeds. Included in this plan was also the addition of dedicated bike lanes.

There was some concern expressed regarding emergencies and egress. Because there were no physical barriers being contemplated, in the case of emergency the overall width of the road was not going to be impacted so access would be unchanged if there were a need.

When the Dana Hills HOA surveyed its residents on a potential lane reduction, approximately 25% of households responded. Of those that responded, 2/3 were in favor of the lane reduction, and 1/3 were opposed. Ultimately the HOA did not feel it had enough feedback to take a position on the matter.

The largest concern the Council had was cost. The section was recently repaved, though marked with temporary paint in anticipation of the discussion we had. We have also applied for a grant that would cover a portion of the overall projected ~$250K cost.

Overall I was in favor of this work because the goal is public safety and reducing speeds. Traffic safety and speeding is a significant concern I hear from residents all over town and while it does cost money I believe it worth it in an effort to improve overall safety. The Council decided to proceed with the planned road diet, wait to hear if we are awarded the grant, then incorporate the actual road work into the already planning 2026 road work. This has the potential of reducing the overall cost as we would get some economies of scale by grouping this project with larger projects. The vote was 3-2, with myself, and Councilmembers Tillman and Diaz in favor. Councilmember Enea and Mayor Trupiano voted no primarily based on the cost.

City Council Meeting Summary - Jeff Wan 1-21-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.

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Councilmember Wan

On Tuesday the Council met to discuss a couple significant items. While I was unable to attend due to schedule conflict, I did watch the recording and wanted to provide an update as to what was discussed and decided.

- The Council approved several organizational changes including eliminating two positions, adding three positions, updating job descriptions for many roles, and changing the reporting hierarchy within the City staff to better align with those changes. The result is a modest annualized increase of approximately $70K and a much better aligned staff to the roles and responsibilities that the City needs.

What was presented by staff was the culmination of a significant amount of analysis and work by City staff, our new City Manager, and the Budget and Audit Committee. Starting back as early as March 2023, there were various voices suggesting that much more staff was needed, and at significantly higher rates. Instead of taking significant action without sufficient analysis, myself and Mayor Trupiano as part of the Budget and Audit Committee, worked with staff to bring forward a more needs based staffing model.

The updated organizational structure has a flatter structure - reducing the instances where a management level position only has one direct report. We also focused on the compensation ranges for the positions we needed and aligned them with both market rates and the duties they'd be performing. Our City Manager has stated that these updates "would be amazing".

- The Council also approved the application of a grant to assist in funding bicycle lane improvements on Mountaire Parkway in connection with potential street striping changes. The substantive discussion around the street work will occur at our next meeting on 2.4.25.

City Council Meeting Summary - Jeff Wan 1-7-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

Councilmember Wan

Last night the Council met to discuss and take action on several significant items.

With the new Council being seated last meeting, these actions were primarily administrative in nature and intended to increase the overall efficiency of our meetings, reduce the administrative burden on staff, and add clarity for the public. The overall theme of our actions was to look at items that aren't designed for discussion and move those items to a written format.

By having things in writing, rather than just verbally stated, it provides a clear report of actions taken and thoughts expressed. This also makes it more accessible to the public - rather than having to watch extensive video to obtain information, more will be in writing which can be easier to consume.

The first action we took was to cease the taking of remote public comments. Over the past several years, the practice of taking remote public comments has ebbed and flowed at various municipalities. In some instances, this ability has been used to berate, curse at, or attempt to derail Council meetings. In other instances, technical or user challenges has come into play and impacted the meetings as well.

We will continue to live stream our meetings, and people will be able to make comment in person at the meetings themselves. In addition, as our agendas are posted in advance, anyone is able to submit public comment in writing prior to each meeting. These submissions are sent to each Councilmember and included in the public record. By ceasing the taking of remote public comments, our meetings will be more efficient overall for both the Council and the staff.

There is often confusion as to the purpose of our meetings and the place of public comments. Council meetings are designed so that Council can discuss among ourselves and conduct the business of the City. It is not, and cannot be a dialogue between Councilmembers and members of the public. Our meetings are open to the public and recorded so that the business of the City is conducted transparently, not to hold a dialogue between the full Council and members of the audience. We are restricted in our ability to respond to public comment in general, so much of the time when a comment is made, there may be an expectation that Councilmembers respond, however this often leads to disappointment or confusion.

This is one of the main reasons I try to inform the public of what is going to be discussed prior to any meeting - to provide residents with an opportunity for such a dialogue, or to share their thoughts. I have been writing a pre-meeting introduction and post-meeting summary for each meeting since first being elected in 2018.

We also updated our Council guidelines. These guidelines document how the Council operates and it gets refreshed from time to time. The updates were non-substantive and were administrative in nature. We clarified the order of the meetings, and consistent with the overall theme shifted items that aren't up for discussion to being in writing. This will result in more efficient meetings as well as provide additional clarity to the public.

We also discussed and approved City Council committee assignments for the year. A list of these assignments can be found in the minutes.

There is quite a bit of work that needs to be done - from addressing staffing vacancies, to tightening up our budget analysis, and all the regular activities of the City. It is my goal to do the people's business in the most efficient and effective manner and reduce the administrative burden on staff where possible. The actions we took at this meeting will further that goal.

Clayton City Council - From the Desk of Kim Trupiano 1-1-25

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the Diablo Gazette to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access the article in the Diablo Gazette's website by following this link: https://www.diablogazette.com/2025/01/diablo-gazette-january-2025/

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.

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State of the City

Mayor Trupiano

Congratulations to all of the newly elected and re-elected Clayton City Councilmembers: Jim Diaz, Richard Enea and Holly Tillman. I look forward to working with each of them to achieve our goals this year.

My focus this coming year will be addressing the most pressing needs of the city including:

 

· Long-deferred infrastructure improvements
· Additional staffing needs
· Continued strong public safety
· Bringing the community together

Naturally, we will have other issues to address throughout the year including our mid-year budget review, continued review of our investment policy, hiring a permanent police chief and ensuring that our City Manager has the additional staffing needed to accomplish the City’s goals.

We are also planning on finalizing our infrastructure work with our partners at Climatec this year and that includes adding solar array panels, an EV charging station at the library and continued improved HVAC and irrigation equipment.

We are also embarking on a library refresh project in conjunction with the library’s 30th Anniversary and I will be updating the community more on that special project in the future.

I am looking forward to working together with my fellow councilmembers, our city staff and the members of our community to achieve these goals and I am hopeful that our effort will be respectable and collaborative in manner. We need to do this for the good of the community, for our city staff and for the people who elected us.

We are so fortunate to live in a city with a safe environment, natural beauty, great schools, a robust financial reserve and a strong community spirit, evidenced by the number of outstanding events that take place in our city throughout the year.

We have a busy year ahead of us and I look forward to achieving these goals and helping bring the community together because I truly believe that we are Stronger Together.

Here’s to a great 2025 and please feel free to contact me at kimt@ claytonca.gov or 925.673.7324.

City Council Meeting Summary 12-17-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

Last night the Council met to discuss several significant items:

Before we took any action, the Mayor on behalf of the City and Council, presented Kent Ipsen with a proclamation honoring the 50th anniversary of the opening of Skipolini's. A fixture in downtown Clayton has expanded its footprint over the years and with that expansion has seen great success. Mr. Ipsen shared the story of how his father, Skip Ipsen decided to open a pizza restaurant and it was really moving. I encourage everyone to watch his comments at the 11:18 mark of the recorded video at the city website.

Mr. Ipsen has done so much for the Clayton community - as a more private person he is often not out front and may not even be recognized by everyone while walking downtown. But the City of Clayton recognized Kent Ipsen, and will continue to do so as his support of the community, his charitable activities, and his love of this town cannot be missed.

It was also fitting that Ed Moresi was in attendance to support Mr. Ipsen. Ed was honored earlier this year in recognition of Ed's 30th anniversary as well. In his comments, Mr. Ipsen recognized Mr. Moresi as Ed was his manager at Skipolini's when Kent worked at the family restaurant as a young man. Mr. Ipsen gives a lot of credit to Ed for his guidance and support.

- We appointed Donald Mort, a retired CalPERS annuitant as our Interim Chief of Police while the City conducts a recruitment effort for the next full time Chief. Chief Mort is an experienced law enforcement executive and retired Chief of Police, with extensive experience in leadership roles in the City of Concord, as well as other jurisdictions within California.

- We discussed extending the professional services agreement with 4LEAF to provide code enforcement services. The proposal was not to exceed $100K for one year, providing service up to 2 days per week at a rate of $108/hour. During discussion, Council gave feedback that this rate seemed excessive, and that it would be more valuable to include discussion of this role with the overall org design discussion that we will have next year. Historically Clayton has taken the approach for code enforcement to be complaint driven. This allowed those who fulfilled the code enforcement role to take on other duties. Council expressed interest in looking at ways that we could fill this role while simultaneously filling other roles in the City. This is consistent with the discussion we had during our 11.19.24 meeting - when looking at staff positions, roles, and compensation, it makes more sense to discuss it holistically rather than make decisions on a piecemeal basis.

- The swearing in ceremony for new and re-elected Councilmembers was performed and the City welcomed Rich G. Enea to the Council, and welcomed back Councilmembers Diaz and Tillman. Upon the seating of the new Council, for the next year, Councilmember Trupiano was appointed Mayor and I was appointed Vice Mayor. I look forward to working with Mayor Trupiano, and the rest of Council and staff in supporting the actions Mayor Trupiano will be spearheading.

City Council Meeting Summary 11-19-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

On Tuesday night the Council met to discuss a few significant items:

- We approved the installation of a plaque in memory of Bob Hoyer in the Grove Park. As our first Mayor, Bob Hoyer was instrumental in the City's incorporation. Even after leaving city government after four terms, Mr. Hoyer continued to work towards establishing a downtown park and what is now the Grove. It is only fitting that a tribute to Mr. Hoyer be placed in the Grove for all to appreciate.

- We authorized painting and flooring work in City Hall. The work will take place starting the week of December 16 and City Hall will be closed to the public during that time and through the holidays. This is a regular maintenance item that hasn't been done in many many years.

- We had a lengthy discussion about the organizational structure of City staff, the potential of adding new positions, and eliminating certain positions that were no longer needed. On balance, the proposal advanced by staff called for an addition of two FTEs. This proposal would be largely flat from a financial perspective in FY25, and increase the FY26 spend by approximately $130K.

I appreciated and supported the new org structure. It reduced the instances of a management position having only one person reporting to them. A siloed vertical structure that we currently have can be inefficient.

When the Council approved changes to the org structure earlier in the year, we did so with the intent of reducing the number of high level management positions, and increasing the number of staff level positions. In a small city like Clayton, we often need more people to be hands on doing work, rather than more administration managing. The newly proposed org structure reflects this.

And while I support the new org structure overall, there were a few items included where the work assessing the demand and level of those positions was still in flight. Ultimately the Council took no action but instead gave feedback to staff on what level of analysis we would like to see regarding job duties and level for example, as well as some modifications that were identified.

We asked staff to come back with updated recommendations.

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City Council Meeting Summary 10-1-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

Last night the Council met to discuss a few significant items:

- We appointed Amit Prayag as Clayton's representative to the Contra Costa Library Commission. Mr. Prayag is well qualified and has volunteered to serve in this capacity to complete the remaining 3 year term. The City thanks Jackie Ferree for her service and for continuing on beyond her term while the City found a replacement.

- We designated Councilmember Tillman to represent Clayton at the annual League of California Cities annual conference. Councilmember Tillman will vote on the one resolution before the League which encourages the Governor and state Legislature to adopt rules that do not exempt themselves from open meeting laws that apply to County and local governments. The City took a position in favor of the League resolution.

- We ratified the engagement letter of the City's new financial auditors, Chavan and Associates.

This was the last Council meeting prior to the November 5 election. For County information on voter registration, see here: https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/voter-registration/register-to-vote/

City Council Meeting Summary 9-17-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

On Tuesday, the Council met in regular session. Though there were no public hearings or action items, we did discuss a few items:

The City presented a check to the Mt. Diablo Elementary PFC in the amount of $6,258.38.



This year, the City Sponsored Special Events Committee consisting of myself and Vice Mayor Trupiano, had the idea of partnering with the PFC to collect donations at our annual Concerts in the Grove series. Each year the City sponsors concerts and during those concerts the City has traditionally asked for donations in order to support the cost of the events. Rather than have City staff and Councilmembers collect these funds, we asked if the PFC would like to help out, and in exchange we would share any of the monies donated.

It was a great success and I look forward to continued opportunities to partner with our local schools.

This was also the first meeting that our new City Manager, Kris Lofthus was present. He started the day before, and I am excited to work with him as the City continues to move forward.

City Council Meeting Summary 8-20-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

At our last meeting the Council discussed several significant items:

- We approved the employment contract for our new City Manager, Kris Lofthus. Mr. Lofthus comes to us from Suisun City where he currently serves as the Recreation, Parks, and Marina Director and prior to that as the Deputy City Manager. With over 28 years of municipal experience, I am excited to welcome Mr. Lofthus as our next City Manager.

Related, this was also the last Council meeting that our current Interim City Manager, Adam Politzer, will be attending in this capacity. I want to thank Adam for all he has done in the time that he was here. As a retiree, he is limited in the number of hours he can work. Because of this, and the nature of interim roles, typically the focus is only on things that can reasonably be accomplished during the allotted time. But in working with Adam, you wouldn't know this because of the vigor in which he approached the role.

I am appreciative of what Adam has been able to accomplish, especially reorganizing the staff at City Hall to be more efficient and effective. I am grateful for his leadership, guidance, and counsel.

- We heard an appeal of the Planning Commission's granting of a one year extension for the Oak Creek Canyon development project. Extensions for development projects may be granted upon finding of good cause. The Planning Commission heard the request from the developer and based on their judgment and staff's recommendation, the Planning Commission granted the extension. The rational was that site work was continuing, but due to continuing efforts to locate specific underground petroleum pipelines.

A nearby property owner appealed this extension, asserting among other things that the project violates the Marsh Creek Road Specific Plan, that the water detention basin size was inadequate to support potential future development on neighboring property, that the City has failed to comply with the State housing element law, and that certain provisions of the approvals have not been incorporated into the City's General Plan.

Before Council on appeal was the granting of the extension of the Development Permit, only. All other issues raised were not able to be appealed. As such, after discussion, the Council upheld the Planning Commission decision to grant an extension and denied the appeal on a vote of 4-1. Councilmember Cloven voted no. Cloven stated that when he voted in favor of the appeal for the Olivia project, he faced community dissatisfaction, and that he felt that if the City granted this extension, then it would set precedent for future extension requests.

This is of course, incorrect on the facts and the law. As a policymaking body and at times a semi-adjudicative body, the Council is charged with exercising its judgment based on the fact pattern presented. Different fact patterns call for different judgments. In fact, the standard of "good cause" is intended to convey the need for judgment on a case by case basis. Granting an extension for one project does not mean that extensions must be granted for all projects. This is a fallacy.

The standard for granting an appeal is showing of Good Cause, though the term "good cause" is not specifically defined in the City's municipal code. This is likely intentional as this term is used throughout statewide government code without a standard definition in order to give municipalities latitude in exercising judgment.

- We also received an update on discreet action items that can help further the City's strategic plan. Given the transition to a new City Manager, staff wanted to focus on certain short term items while continuing to plan for the larger efforts in the future.

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City Council Meeting Summary 7-16-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember 

Last night the Council met to discuss several significant items:

- First we held a GHAD meeting and discussed the annual levy of  assessments.  The meeting was recessed briefly to allow opportunity for any residents to comment.  The annual assessment was passed 5-0.  While this was perfunctory in nature, it does not change the overall underfunded status of the GHAD itself.  In order to actually increase the levy by any amount greater than CPI, the residents in the GHAD would need to approve that via a vote.  The GHAD Board is looking to hold that vote in the near future.

- We held a brief closed session to discuss the City Manager recruitment. There were no reportable actions from that closed session.

- We interviewed 5 candidates for 3 open positions on the Planning Commission.  Each of the 3 incumbents sought reappointment with 2 newcomers who threw their hat in the ring.  I want to thank everyone that stepped up and volunteered their time.  It is always difficult to put yourself out there in order to serve the community.  While I appreciated the enthusiasm and willingness to volunteer, ultimately the Council felt the incumbents have been doing a solid job as Planning Commissioners and felt that stability was important.  For those reasons, each of the three incumbents, Rich Enea, Sr., Maria Shulman, and Dan Richardson were reappointed to the Planning Commission on a 5-0 vote.

- We adopted increases to annual assessments in several areas.  These annual increases are regular in nature and follow a formula typically based on CPI.  Those areas were the Clayton Benefit Assessment District (BAD), the Downtown Park Operations (CFD 2006-01), and the Citywide Landscape Maintenance Assessment (CFD 2007-01).  We also approved the annual appropriations limit for the City.  Each of these passed 5-0.

- We also amended the scope of the professional services agreement with our City Engineer to provide additional oversight to our Maintenance Superintendent, as well as other projects going on in the City.

The regularly scheduled meeting for 8.6.24 has been cancelled in lieu of our Police Department hosting an annual National Night Out event.  More info to follow.

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Planning Commissioners Selected!

Kudos to Rich Enea, Sr., Maria Shulman, and Dan Richardson for being reappointed to the Planning Commission on Tuesday, July 16th. The City Council recognized their dedication and performance, ensuring stability in the commission, and were unanimously reappointed to the Planning Commission.

Special thanks to Nathalie Archangel-Montijo and Nate Brzovich for applying. Your willingness to serve the community is appreciated.

A Brief History of How Things Work: The Planning Commission is a five-member advisory board whose members are appointed by the City Council. The Planning Commission makes decisions and/or recommendations to the City Council on development proposals and land uses within the City of Clayton. All Commissioners must be registered voters and live within the City of Clayton. The term of office is two years, and Commissioners may not serve more than eight consecutive years.

The Planning Commission generally meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Clayton Community Library Meeting Room at 6125 Clayton Road at 7:00 p.m. The meeting locations do occasionally change, so check the Planning Commission agenda or call (925) 673-7300 to confirm the location.

Current Planning Commissioners and Terms:

Dan Richardson - Term expires June 2026  

Richard Enea - Term expires June 2026

Maria Shulman - Term expires June 2026

Joseph Banchero - Term expires June 2025

Bretten Casagrande - Term expires June 2025

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City Council Meeting Summary 6-4-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

On Tuesday the Council met to discuss several significant items:

- We established salary schedules in relation to the re-organization of certain City staff positions from our last meeting. Previously the org structure was more vertical. By updating the org structure and combining two leadership positions, we will both save money, and have more resources available at the staff level.

- We approved the five year capital improvement plan. This lays out the capital projects that are planned and the various funding sources available. In Clayton, most restricted funds are related to roads or transportation and many have varying levels of constraints on how the funds may be used. By laying out the five year plan and funding source, it allows for better planning as work comes up.

There was one project that I questioned and that was an estimated $250K for a Trails Inventory and Assessment Report. This money would be used to review our existing trail system, and determine what is needed in order to maintain it. It would not actually do any of the work, rather the deliverable for this money is the report and assessment itself. I questioned the viability of this on two fronts. The first was that it was not budgeted so including something in the five year capital improvement plan was inconsistent. The second was that we don't know the cost of this report and establishing a $250K figure would function to Anchor the conversation in way that creates bias. Previously, the Council authorized the preparation of an RFP in order to complete this report. I would have preferred to wait until the responses to the RFP were received before we included an amount in the five year plan. The vote was 4-1 with myself voting no.

- We discussed the FY25 budget. With recent staff turnover, our Interim City Manager pulled in outside resources to pull together the budget quickly and on time for the June 30 deadline. This was a baseline budget - it did not seek to make significant changes, but rather establish an ongoing process by which we could conduct more frequent evaluation and make adjustments as needed.

Over the last 6 weeks, the Budget and Audit Committee (myself and Vice Mayor Trupiano) have met frequently to discuss and iterate on the budget. I am pleased with the level of diligence and process that staff has engaged in to bring the budget forward.

This budget does reflect an approximate $230K deficit which was expected given the recent Police contract was expected to incur approximately $190K in the first year. The cost of police dispatch services contracted through Concord, and the cost of animal control services through the County also had significant increases as well.  

This is still a far cry from the $560K deficit that was projected just this past March. The disparity highlights the need to continue to engage in analysis and I look forward to the work from the Financial Sustainability Committee in assisting with that process.

During discussion, both Councilmember Cloven and Tillman represented that they did not have time to review the budget in detail and wanted to delay taking action. 

This is unfortunate as the materials from the Budget and Audit Committee meetings are available and I am aware that staff has specifically reached out to all Councilmembers making themselves available to walk through any questions they may have regarding the budget or its details. 

It appears this offer was not taken up. Asserting that they both did not have time to review the budget, Councilmembers Cloven and Tillman voted no. The vote to pass the budget was 3-2.

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City Council Meeting Summary 5-21-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

On Tuesday the Council met to discuss a couple of significant items:

- We received a presentation from Climatec regarding the work related to energy efficiency and infrastructure.  The presentation detailed progress and timelines on the work to replace streetlights, water valve monitoring, building HVAC systems, solar energy generation, and EV charging.  Overall the process has been going well.  The expectation is that most if not all work is targeted to be completed by the end of 2024.

- We discussed a couple organizational changes within City staff.  Those included upleveling the Accounting Tech position to Accountant, upleveling the City Clerk position to City Clerk / Assistant to the City Manager, and combining the HR Director and Finance Director positions into an Administrative Services Director / Assistant City Manager (ACM) role.  The first two upleveling reflects the work that is being required of those roles.  The combination of the two Director roles recognizes that in small cities there are often overlapping disciplines that can be combined for efficiency.   Having an ACM also provides the opportunity to build a path to succession that didn't previously exist.  The net impact to the budget on an annualized basis for these changes is a savings of approximately $20K.  The vote on this action was 5-0.

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City Council Meeting Summary 5-7-24

City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net

While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise. 

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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember

Last night the Council met to discuss a couple significant items:

Before the Action items we heard a presentation by Mt. Diablo State Park officials regarding upcoming prescribed fires that are planned to take place next week (May 13-16).  Information can be found at the Mt. Diablo State Park Prescribed Fire Information page:  https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31554

Burns are scheduled for 10 separate areas to take place in May and again later in the year.  For this round, there are three separate sections scheduled for the burn:

More info can be found at the linked website above.

- We authorized the City Manager to execute an extension of the service agreement with our City Engineer.  Our current agreement is set to expire and we exercised the first of four renewal options stipulated in the original contract.  Overall the Council was grateful for the work the City Engineer has been doing and the vote was 5-0.
- We discussed the lane striping at Mountaire Parkway between Marsh Creek and  Mountaire Circle.  This section of road, along with two other significant sections of road, are included in a larger repaving project that has been in planning stages for quite some time.  The cost of the total project is approximately $850K, approximately $700K of which is funded through federal and local grant funds.

We learned at the meeting that any change to the already approved project could jeopardize those grant funds.  Three options were presented to the Council - the first was status quo.  Continue with the approved plans and restripe the road in its current configuration. The second option was to pause the project, including the roads that were not in question as the project is as a whole, and seek to redesign and seek approval again with the updated designs.  The third option was to complete the project as is, but use a less expensive road paint in the Mountaire section, seek input and direction on potential lane striping changes, and resurface and restripe at a later time with any updates as desired by Council.

The Council quickly dispensed of the 2nd option.  The risk of losing grant funds was not something the Council was comfortable with.  We recognized the important value that reduced lanes has on overall safety and decided to proceed with option 3.  This will allow us to use the grant funds available, and give us time to properly engage with a future design to be determined.  The vote was 5-0.

There was a high level of interest from the public, both at the meeting and via external communications.  Without the implication of grant funding, I would be in favor of changing the road striping from 4 lanes to 2 immediately.  The fact that the street is 64' wide, with individual lanes wider than is required for freeways, has an impact on driver behavior.  As a former resident of Dana Hills, I am very familiar with the traffic pattern on this street and in my experience there is a high frequency of drivers traveling at high rates of speed.

The US Dept of Transportation (USDOT) recognizes the favorable impacts of reducing speeds and lessening severity of accidents when a "road diet" is implemented.  From the USDOT: "A Road Diet, or roadway reconfiguration, can improve safety, calm traffic, provide better mobility and access for all road users, and enhance overall quality of life. A Road Diet typically involves converting an existing four-lane undivided roadway to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL)."

Further from the USDOT: "For roads with appropriate traffic volumes, there is strong research support for achieving safety benefits through converting four-lane undivided roads to three-lane cross sections with TWLTLs. Operational and design changes associated with Road Diets that promote safety include reduced vehicle speeds, reduced vehicle-pedestrian, -bicycle, and -vehicle conflicts."

An example below:

Determining what new configuration we want to proceed with will be addressed as we move forward.

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