Votes at a glance: Seaside council approves boards/commissions code changes, council pay increase and other measures

The Seaside City Council recorded multiple formal actions during the May 1 meeting. Below are the key outcomes, the short descriptions the council considered, and the recorded vote tallies where provided.

Summary of votes and outcomes

- Consent agenda – approved (unanimous roll call). - Items included (reading): A) proclamation recognizing 05/23/2025 as National Poppy Day; B) fee waiver for Village Project Inc. to use the city mobile stage on 05/10/2025; C) three on‑call professional service agreements for architecture/structural engineering (three firms, $300,000 each); D) budget amendment of $200,000 in Measure X funds for the citywide CDBG ADA curb ramp project (total construction budget not to exceed $540,000). Motion and second were recorded; council approved by roll call vote.

- Ordinance (second reading) — amendments to Title 2 (boards and commissions) — adopted (unanimous roll call). - Summary: modernizes language, governance, FPPC alignment, volunteer handbooks and implementation procedures. Staff will codify the changes 30 days after adoption and issue new commission handbooks.

- Ordinance (second reading) — amendment to council compensation language — adopted (vote recorded as 4–1). - Summary: the ordinance implements changes permitted under state law to increase the mayor’s and councilmembers’ compensation. The item passed on second reading by roll call (tally reported by the clerk as 4–1). The public record shows discussion and at least one councilmember stated a personal intention to donate a portion of any stipend increase; the vote count was announced by the clerk but the recording does not list individual named votes in the transcript.

- Ordinance (first reading) — adopt fire hazard severity zone map and add Section 15.04.019 to the municipal code — approved (unanimous roll call for first reading). - Summary: required by state law following Senate Bill 63 and the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s updated map designations; staff recommended adding a designated fire hazard severity section to Chapter 15 to reflect the newly transmitted zones. Council discussed mitigation plans; staff noted planned fuel‑reduction work with CAL FIRE (tentatively late June) on the Eucalyptus/General Jim Moore area and coordination with PG&E for vegetation under power lines.

- Resolution — amend the West Broadway Urban Village specific plan to prohibit sales of firearms and ammunition within the plan area — adopted (aye motion carried; roll call result announced as passed). - Summary: staff concluded firearm and ammunition sales are incompatible with the West Broadway urban village’s mixed‑use, pedestrian‑oriented goals. The planning commission recommended the amendment 5–0. Staff said no existing or pending businesses in the plan area currently sell firearms and that the change will not impact any identified current tenants.

- Ordinance (first reading) — amend Chapter 3.24.121 to modify allocation of transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenues from short‑term rentals — introduced and approved on first reading (roll call 3–2). - Summary: the proposed code change preserves up to 10% of short‑term‑rental TOT for administrative costs and revises the remaining split: 50% to affordable housing (unchanged), 35% to neighborhood parks improvements (NIC recommended projects), and 15% for council‑directed discretionary community projects. Staff said the revision formalizes a discretionary council allocation that had been used informally the prior two years; projected FY25 short‑term rental TOT is about $805,000 (staff estimate). Council approved the first reading 3–2; further adoption would require the second reading.

- Resolution — establish a small commercial water allocation program (water for small commercial projects) — adopted (motion carried by roll call). - Summary: the council reestablished the small commercial allocation program before an ordinance revision becomes effective (May 18). Staff reported roughly 5.6 acre‑feet available for the program (an increase after a prior council allocation). The revised program creates a point‑based sliding scale for small allocations, clarifies tenure/loyalty credits, and allows staff to approve small allocations while reserving larger allocations for a water allocation committee.

Provenance (transcript spans)

- Consent agenda read and approved: transcript blocks ~4380–4457 (reading and vote). - Boards & commissions ordinance second reading: presentation and vote around transcript blocks 4580–4889. - Council compensation ordinance second reading: presentation and vote across transcript blocks 4928–5925 (discussion and roll call announcement). - Fire hazard severity zones (first reading): presentation and first‑reading vote around transcript blocks 5969–6890. - West Broadway specific‑plan amendment (firearm sales prohibition): planning staff presentation and public comment around transcript blocks 6915–7268; vote recorded thereafter. - TOT allocation amendment (first reading): finance staff presentation and discussion around transcript blocks 9079–9316; first reading approved 3–2. - Small commercial water allocation program (resolution): planning/engineering presentation and roll call approval around transcript blocks 13813–14112.

Notes and next steps

- Items adopted on first reading (fire hazard zone map; TOT allocation changes) will require the statutory follow‑up steps in the municipal code (second reading where required) before becoming final; staff flagged CEQA exemptions (15061(b)(3)) where applicable. - Staff will return with implementing language, program guidelines (for TOT and small commercial water), and community notices for items that affect residents (fire hazard mitigation, water allocation procedures, and Broadway NEPA/funding updates).