[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6429413,"mediaKeyId","5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21","parentId",5888224,"title","Carmel approves regional MOU with Regen for solid-waste franchise planning, shares cost of $76,374","audioSeconds",522,"startMs",4029000,"endMs",4551000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21&start=4029&end=4551","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21/thumbnail_4029000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6429413/Carmel-by-the-Sea/Monterey-County/California/Carmel-approves-regional-MOU-with-Regen-for-solid-waste-franchise-planning-shares-cost-of-76374","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429413-5225870b78be1037b9697f43aef315d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170896&Signature=eVKy-nCbzYVFb1fHbpNGEnFwIJ1qBYfljs64hrHGSrN1ENpp8-rb2dI7tUNki75uSP2gHBiYeRasE1WO0-uMNC9HH8qpQHd191BU4JGTXmaP87~Q87dLDZAyUfBE719qPWzUs6xWeZG2Y8y79izRsR1NGXrDaYist0Fu~1Ty8xWhgF9HqS9sylptUvTQYQ0M1c17cXHxCvrev0WsKnRB6EKOjKlQLZvX3sTBsUnTAi61tV1bKzfvEeG0Auyz9tNQiCsiIzyHn2nZYjEX3pkrVnECtabIdlkSUfyks3EsSYsVUCeKlRAuCA8j1ra1o3YovLN3dOncy81qmlf0rb1-2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Carmel-by-the-sea","date","2025-10-07T13:15:18Z","article","Carmel-by-the-Sea — The City Council on Oct. 6 adopted a memorandum of understanding with the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (doing business as Regen Monterey) to participate in a regional solid-waste franchise planning effort and approved the city's $76,374 cost share for the five-year planning period.

Staff said the city's share — shown in the MOU as $76,374 — is the city's allocation of a regional planning budget distributed equally among seven participating agencies. The work will include public surveys, stakeholder meetings and council presentations; HF&H Consultants was the only full proposal submitted to the regional selection committee and was recommended for the work.

\"The timeline is that since [the current franchise] is going to be expiring, we need to start planning for that franchise process now,\" a staff presenter said. Regen representative Zoe Schoetz told the council solid-waste franchise planning is specialized and that Regen and member agencies sought proposals from four firms; ultimately one full proposal was received. Emily Hanson of HF&H said the firm intends to provide a transparent regional process that leaves future procurement options open, including negotiation with the incumbent provider or competitive procurement.

The resolution approving the MOU (staff packet reference: Resolution 2025-086) passed on a unanimous roll call. Council members said they were comfortable with Regen and the consultant; one council member noted the regional approach could yield cost efficiencies and allow member agencies to compare the incumbent's pricing with alternatives.

Council direction: adopt the MOU and participate in the regional franchise planning process; staff to coordinate with Regen and HF&H and return with updates as milestones are reached.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Special Meeting -- 10/6/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council voted to approve an MOU with Regen (Monterey Regional Waste Management District) to participate in a regional franchise-planning process; the city's share over a five-year planning period is $76,374, split among seven agencies.","taxTitle","Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County, California","taxId",79643,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6429416,"Carmel approves Opticos contract to craft objective design standards for ADUs and multifamily",3587,305000,3892000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21&start=305&end=3892","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21/thumbnail_305000.jpg","/articles/6429416/Carmel-by-the-Sea/Monterey-County/California/Carmel-approves-Opticos-contract-to-craft-objective-design-standards-for-ADUs-and-multifamily","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429416-c6e2669c0deea8accc52483485efd4f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170896&Signature=hIj75rekIfOoc77f70PnBXQCZdpcfpdwlGl~JkPiysjqExUIBL71Mk3k5NevpzjigdCwzEX5RB~4UfBygdqx3hZTjUk8~S4okvIbxGlj8~FxjaIe5msUJ0XX1XEHu3ZZe6czF7XNxyit2SE5G4S9zLrD1MVhrVuGs3P4x1cKWxlEg8bWrhF5Tyoh-pBBzIhZSXkcUCcslwro2EE0LkOIMt8YK5SkqkS8SnX1qJvMNLajtzt3qoQ824GOQ7IdP8~~ps6LA6Tbs5NDvzr1R~L1j5h27XJ5kF6wwRg7KdhPUkdsQFnj28kCzaXdoQ5iBTTdS0RyCP7NqTD0wZs4ey4iKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carmel-by-the-Sea — The City Council on Oct. 6 unanimously authorized the city administrator to execute a professional services agreement with Opticos for objective design and development standards (ODDS) covering accessory dwelling units (ADUs), multifamily and mixed-use residential projects, with the council directing staff to prioritize ADU work and add two additional adoption hearings.

City planning staff presented the scope and timeline. The contract cost proposed by staff rose from a previously discussed $180,000 to $212,290; council later amended the motion to add two adoption hearings at an additional consultant cost of about $8,000, bringing the not-to-exceed total cited by council to approximately $220,290. Staff said roughly $80,000 of the project will be paid with a REAP 2 grant and that the city is seeking a State Department of Housing and Community Development extension on the housing element adoption deadline to June 2027.

\"Objective design standards are clear, measurable rules that do not involve personal opinions or subjective judgments,\" Planning staffer Marnie told the council, describing how the standards would replace subjective review language with elements such as maximum door heights, window proportions and defined trim widths. Staff outlined a two-phase schedule: an accelerated, roughly eight-month ADU phase that includes four community meetings, a planning commission study session and adoption hearing(s); and a second eight-month phase for multifamily and mixed-use standards with additional outreach and hearings.

Opticos principal Tony Perez told the council that many cities give applicants the option to pursue a discretionary review if they cannot or choose not to meet the objective standards. \"If you do not meet the standards, you have elected to go through the discretionary review process in the city,\" Perez said, describing how other coastal communities handle exceptions and opt-outs.

Council and public discussion focused on how many architectural \"style groups\" the ODDS should cover and whether ADUs should be required to match the main house. Council members pressed staff and the consultant about whether three broad style groups (with substyles) would adequately describe Carmel's varied architecture and whether an applicant could opt into a discretionary review when a proposed ADU did not fit any of the listed styles. Several council members said they preferred the ADU work proceed before multifamily work so the city can adopt ADU standards sooner.

Public commenters supported requiring ADUs to be compatible with the primary residence and urged a shorter ADU timeline and scrutiny of consultant costs. Nancy Toomey said she supported the concerns about style coverage and \"contin[ing] to align to whatever is the look and feel of the primary residence.\" Maria Bruce asked why the overall contract cost increased from earlier estimates and urged faster work on multifamily standards as well.

Council member comments led to a motion (as amended) to approve the resolution in staff packet, direct staff to prioritize the ADU phase before multifamily standards, and to work with the consultant to develop an objective model that helps ensure ADUs are compatible with the primary residence. The council recorded a roll-call vote of five in favor, none opposed. The motion included adding two additional hearings to the project scope at the incremental consultant cost discussed during the meeting.

The contract work includes consultant fieldwork documenting Carmel's built \"DNA,\" community meetings and study sessions designed to produce measurable, permit-ready criteria intended to speed ministerial ADU approvals required under state housing law. Staff said the ODDS could later be applied selectively to discretionary reviews and that the process will document additional styles that could be added if the council expands the scope and budget.

Council direction: staff to proceed with the Opticos agreement as amended; prioritize ADUs; add two adoption hearings (added consultant cost); seek the HCD extension to June 2027; and return with final contract documents for execution.","On Oct. 6 the Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council unanimously authorized a professional services agreement with Opticos to write objective design and development standards (ODDS) for accessory dwelling units, multifamily and mixed-use housing, prioritizing ADUs and adding hearings at the council's direction.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6429405,"Carmel council adopts consent agenda including bucket-truck purchase, meeting schedule and fee refund",129,151000,280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21&start=151&end=280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21/thumbnail_151000.jpg","/articles/6429405/Carmel-by-the-Sea/Monterey-County/California/Carmel-council-adopts-consent-agenda-including-bucket-truck-purchase-meeting-schedule-and-fee-refund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429405-9448fff89ca2acc85740fadc3ecafcd1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170896&Signature=IGP6EVLyA-V~Y8OB165cn9BE1U2yOaRjsR3mgh-oNOAKHGBFEWmz10atz94ypZW~G6ysYKZu5OptPIHwqHFUAwjejQXWbq9ZaVvwPuRiqM4nhTw4gPfKMKcc8BpmnO-c277PFsMjocfx9d4pxSLpyjCuAGjAx7--iDgK0VDPuubKKTM6~bGwAZuYS2mlW1wfd~vUlpftizD7AzY~TR1I8EBIHRbeh6Qt6Eu5IlURMdeA5eT5uyZIShQDyMCxViib8VZ2zK9uZSEdqIK5J~~3nGlGkt4ekKOymnhEN8zHFC01sR3cUEeHMglxRdYfIaboF1YMc8Svo3YZ9JbcZBEEoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carmel-by-the-Sea — At the start of its Oct. 6 special meeting the City Council approved its consent agenda in a single motion and unanimous roll-call vote, adopting routine minutes and reports and authorizing several administrative actions.

Items approved included adoption of the Sept. 2025 special meeting minutes and the Sept. 9, 2025 regular meeting minutes; the August 2025 month report and check-register summary; establishment of City Council meeting dates for calendar year 2026; a resolution authorizing purchase of a 2025 Ford F550 LT 40 utility bucket truck from Terex Utilities through Sourcewell contract #110421-TER in the amount of $196,173 (staff noted the city forestry team will use the truck); and a resolution authorizing a refund of a design-review application fee in the amount of $3,611.25 to Esperanza Carmel Commercial LLC.

Council moved and seconded the consent motion and recorded a unanimous roll call vote with all five council members voting yes. No items were pulled for separate consideration.","The council approved six consent items by roll call: minutes and reports, city meeting dates for 2026, purchase authorization for a 2025 Ford F550 utility bucket truck ($196,173), and a design review fee refund of $3,611.25 to Esperanza Carmel Commercial LLC.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6429409,"Carmel reopens Mills Act review; council asks staff for policy options including possible nonrenewals",3165,5280000,8445000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21&start=5280&end=8445","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888224-5394de7a0c39916c1fb554368243aa21/thumbnail_5280000.jpg","/articles/6429409/Carmel-by-the-Sea/Monterey-County/California/Carmel-reopens-Mills-Act-review-council-asks-staff-for-policy-options-including-possible-nonrenewals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429409-9e7794db6a9edd5c47fd0dacd86bad08/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170896&Signature=lsMLrF8la~du1JwWnpi2anHag4tZHJo7m16-3-UXKseJrMDV~BpxVPdXXDP1LuV2IqC3RdaBh0CbC3Zo7yCWnruv46G3LPv-~m-slmdAaQBMsG1CLxKFQeVnfPreJeBQLP919jNkCQhjiL4~KoEUjtbmnDM1lfiALyeVcg-UW~MusygNorm1X6ZA7nwY5MdjW2Gj-bpGVPwGc4GT~o5MSUFwEH2GGL-GjRTHfc8DcC8ED9WM6TzEA33SbTGrrly8KxUbKBTwo68yKeGYZpxGm9HuHKSoDPhUfwXF9VZXFNnJFGIheVs~lmqo2j1f1n2RiROQnSCQQmcK1WrUs~BdoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carmel-by-the-Sea — The City Council on Oct. 6 received a staff presentation on the Mills Act and directed staff to prepare potential policy modifications for future council consideration, including the option of issuing nonrenewal notices for existing contracts, establishing annual-revenue or fair-market-value caps, and exploring alternative incentive programs. The council did not adopt a policy change at the meeting.

Anna Jannett of Community Planning and Building reviewed the state program's intent and the city's local Mills Act history. She told the council the Mills Act is a state-authorized tool that provides property-tax relief to owners who preserve and maintain historic properties and that cities may adopt local program components. Jannett presented corrected tax-roll figures for the 2024-25 tax year and noted that four Mills Act contracts approved since the council's 2023 moratorium materially increased the city's estimated annual tax revenue reduction.

According to the staff presentation, the city had previously approved 15 Mills Act contracts; four additional contracts approved in 2024 raised the total tax revenue reduction for the 2024-25 roll from roughly $76,251 to approximately $315,000 (staff presented the corrected spreadsheet at the meeting). Staff outlined several policy options for council consideration: issue nonrenewals (which take effect after the recorded contract's 10-year renewal period ends), limit annual revenue loss (some cities set an annual cap), establish a fair-market-value cap for eligible properties, restrict eligible land uses to residential or commercial only, limit the number of new contracts per year, or tighten eligibility requirements (for example, disallow contracts where the historic work was already completed before application).

The council questioned administrative oversight, annual verification of maintenance, and how the county assessor values restricted Mills Act properties. The county assessor's office was represented on the meeting by Nicholas Ortega (joined by phone), who explained the assessor's statutory role and valuation method: \"Once the contract is recorded, then we can look at it for the following fiscal year,\" Ortega said, adding that assessors value restricted properties using estimated market rents and a capitalization rate prescribed by the State Board of Equalization, which can cause significant variation year-to-year. Ortega said the assessor follows state guidelines and cannot simply apply a local floor on value without departing from BOE valuation rules.

Public comment included speakers who said the Mills Act's original purpose — helping owners who cannot afford historic repairs — remains valid, and others who said the program has been used in ways that produce unexpectedly large tax losses and should be limited. Karen (last name provided in the record) urged stricter limits and more inspections; Will Ray and Christy Raymers urged keeping maintenance eligible but improving oversight. Several council members expressed concerns about administrative capacity to monitor contracts and the unpredictability of tax revenue impacts under current valuation rules.

By the end of the discussion, council members generally signaled a preference for staff to prepare a formal package of options for future consideration rather than adopt changes immediately. Staff was asked to return with a draft resolution and municipal code amendments that could include issuing nonrenewal notices for existing contracts, proposed caps or eligibility limits, and alternative incentive approaches (for example, fee waivers or targeted assistance for low-assessed-value historic homeowners). The moratorium approved previously remains in effect pending further council action.

Council direction: staff to return with proposed policy modifications (including nonrenewal, caps, eligibility changes and alternative incentives) and to provide corrected and fully documented tax-roll figures for the council to review before any vote.","Council received a staff report on the Mills Act, discussed the program's fiscal impact and administrative burden, and directed staff to return with proposed policy modifications (options included issuing nonrenewal notices, establishing revenue or value caps, and developing alternative incentives). No final action taken.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Carmel approves regional MOU with Regen for solid-waste franchise planning, shares cost of $76,374

Carmel approves Opticos contract to craft objective design standards for ADUs and multifamily

Carmel council adopts consent agenda including bucket-truck purchase, meeting schedule and fee refund

Carmel reopens Mills Act review; council asks staff for policy options including possible nonrenewals