Joint Special Meeting of the Town Council and Planning Commission: Study Session
Special MeetingLos Gatos, CA · April 7, 2025
Minutes
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Minutes of the Joint Special Meeting of
The Town Council and Planning Commission - Study Session
Monday, April 7, 2025
5:15 P.M.
The Town Council and Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Joint Special
Meeting in person and via teleconference to discuss the recent updates to State Builder’s
Remedy Law and the California Environmental Quality Act.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 5:18 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Matthew Hudes, Vice Mayor Rob Moore, Council Member Mary Badame,
Council Member Rob Rennie, and Council Member Maria Ristow.
Absent: None.
Present: Chair Emily Thomas, Vice Chair Kendra Burch, Commissioner Susan Burnette,
Commissioner Steven Raspe, Commissioner Jeffrey Barnette, and Commissioner Rob Stump.
Absent: None.
OTHER BUSINESS
1. Receive Information on and Discuss Recent Updates to State Builder’s Remedy Law and the
California Environmental Quality Act.
Gabrielle Whelan, Town Attorney presented the staff report.
Gabrielle Whelan, Town Attorney, and Barbara Kautz, Consultant, gave a presentation on
Builder’s Remedy and CEQA law.
The Town Council and Planning Commission asked preliminary questions.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mingwei Lu
- Commented on concerns with traffic and inquired about a traffic impact study.
Rachel Hinojosa
- Inquired about resident’s ability to provide comments and input for the CEQA process.
Jeff Loughridge
- Commented on concerns with State mandates, agriculture land designation, and inquired
about what is considered unusual.
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
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SUBJECT: Draft Minutes of the Special Joint Town Council-Planning Commission Meeting of
April 7, 2025
DATE: April 7, 2025
Carin Yamamoto
- Inquired about several concerns regarding the impact of CEQA on developments, potential
damaged to sewer lines, evacuation routes and the impacts of new housing laws.
Noa Sklar
- Commented on concerns with the number of developments, safety and fire hazards, and
inquired about traffic analysis reports.
Amy Despars
- Commented on concerns with fire evaluation, inquired about fire department evaluations
of projects, and spoke about a full evacuation simulation.
Mayor Hudes closed public comment.
The Town Council and Planning Commission asked questions, discussed the item, and received
the information.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:09 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted:
_____________________________________
/s/ Keara Johnson, Deputy Town Clerk
Agenda
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
JOINT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
TOWN COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION
STUDY SESSION AGENDA
APRIL 7, 2025
110 EAST MAIN STREET AND VIA TELECONFERENCE
TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS
5:15 PM
Matthew Hudes, Mayor
Rob Moore, Vice Mayor
Mary Badame, Council Member
Rob Rennie, Council Member
Maria Ristow, Council Member
IMPORTANT NOTICE
This is a hybrid meeting and will be held in-person at the Town Council Chambers at 110 E.
Main Street and virtually through Zoom Webinar (log-in information provided below). Members
of the public may provide public comments for agenda items in-person or virtually through the
Zoom Webinar by following the instructions listed below. The live stream of the meeting may
be viewed on television and/or online at www.LosGatosCA.gov/TownYouTube.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The public is welcome to provide oral comments in real-time during the meeting in three ways:
Zoom Webinar (Online): Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device. Please click
this URL to join: https://losgatosca-
gov.zoom.us/j/83911327574?pwd=zz1uCbFXUpRacoTBe04CT8S5cNnmIC.1
Passcode: 472234 You can also type in 839 1132 7574 in the “Join a Meeting” page on the
Zoom website at zoom.us and use passcode 472234.
When the Mayor announces the item for which you wish to speak, click the “raise hand”
feature in Zoom. If you are participating by phone on the Zoom app, press *9 on your
telephone keypad to raise your hand.
Telephone: Please dial (877) 336-1839 for US Toll-free or (636) 651-0008 for US
Toll. (Conference code: 1052180)
If you are participating by calling in, press #2 on your telephone keypad to raise your
hand.
In-Person: Please complete a “speaker’s card” located on the back of the chamber benches
and return it to the Town Clerk before the meeting or when the Mayor announces the item
for which you wish to speak.
NOTES: (1) Comments will be limited to three (3) minutes or less at the Mayor’s discretion.
(2) If you are unable to participate in real-time, you may email Clerk@losgatosca.gov with the
subject line “Public Comment Item #__ ” (insert the item number relevant to your comment).
(3) Deadlines to submit written comments are:
11:00 a.m. the Thursday before the Council meeting for inclusion in the agenda packet.
11:00 a.m. the Monday before the Council meeting for inclusion in an addendum.
11:00 a.m. on the day of the Council meeting for inclusion in a desk item.
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CALL MEETING TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
APPROVE REMOTE PARTICIPATION (This item is listed on the agenda in the event there is an
emergency circumstance requiring a Council Member to participate remotely under AB 2449
(Government Code 54953)).
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS (Members of the public are welcome to address the Council only on
matters listed on the agenda. Each speaker is limited to three minutes or such time as authorized
by the Mayor.)
OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following
items.)
1. Receive Information on and Discuss Recent Updates to State Builder’s Remedy Law and
the California Environmental Quality Act
ADJOURNMENT (Council policy is to adjourn no later than midnight unless a majority of Council
votes for an extension of time)
ADA NOTICE In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special
assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (408) 354-6834.
Notification at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting date will enable the Town to
make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [28 CFR §35.102-35.104].
NOTE: The ADA access ramp to the Town Council Chambers is under construction and will be
inaccessible through June 2025. Persons who require the use of that ramp to attend meetings
are requested to contact the Clerk’s Office at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting
date.
NOTICE REGARDING SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS - Materials related to an item on this agenda
submitted to the Town Council after initial distribution of the agenda packets are available for
public inspection in the Clerk’s Office at Town Hall, 110 E. Main Street, Los Gatos and on Town’s
website at www.losgatosca.gov. Town Council agendas and related materials can be viewed
online at https://losgatos-ca.municodemeetings.com/.
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