Residents press council on Park Avenue alignment and demand full disclosure of RTC communications

Residents and stakeholders used the Capitola City Council public‑comment period on Feb. 20 to press for transparency and to push the council to protect village character as the Regional Transportation Commission pursues Rail Trail design options.

Several speakers said the city had requested a joint town hall with the RTC after the RTC’s March 20 budget release so residents would have updated cost estimates before discussions; they said the RTC instead scheduled an independent meeting for March 4 that would limit council participation and public notice. Elizabeth Bertrand told the council, “The RTC executive director demonstrates no respect for either the Capitola City Council or the citizens by switching the meeting date to withhold the updated RTC budget from us.” Other speakers noted the city had asked RTC Executive Director Sarah Christiansen to attend a city‑hosted meeting with three conditions — timing after the March 20 budget release, town‑hall format with both council and citizens, and adequate public notice — and said the RTC did not follow those terms.

Some commenters urged the council to keep the trail on the railroad right‑of‑way rather than routing it on Park Avenue in the village. Resident Lonnie Faulkner told the council that, in his view, rail‑banking and property ownership issues limit the corridor options and that failing to pursue the corridor route could jeopardize a sizable funding opportunity for a “world‑class trail.” Other speakers emphasized pedestrian, bicyclist and accessibility concerns for a Park Avenue alignment.

Several council members said they were concerned about off‑agenda communications and public trust. One councilmember requested that all emails between the city manager and RTC since the Feb. 13 meeting be released. City staff said the emails are public records and that existing public‑records‑act requests are being processed; staff offered to process additional requests with priority and to make the documents available via the city’s records process. A council member asked that the materials be posted sooner than a typical agenda packet; staff said they would process public‑records requests and could create a repository if demand required it.

The discussion also included questions about the Brown Act and whether council members could attend RTC meetings as members of the public. A resident and an attorney‑familiar commenter addressed legal limits on council attendance and said councilmembers may attend informational meetings so long as they do not discuss city business outside public meetings.

No formal council action was taken specifically on the Rail Trail item at the Feb. 20 meeting; the issue remains the subject of follow‑up between city staff and the RTC.