You and Your City Council

The City Council is directly elected by the registered voters of Sand City. The City Council is responsible to the citizens of Sand City for the proper and orderly government of the City. Your City Council is composed of five members elected at large to staggered terms: Councilmember terms are four years; Mayoral term is two years. As the legislative body, the Council enacts the laws and establishes the policies which govern the many activities of the City.

The City Council receives recommendations on proposed legislation from the Mayor, the City Administrator, department heads, the various committees and the general public. In each legislative enactment, comments from citizens and organizations are heard and considered. The Council adopts the annual budget and authorizes the expenditure of funds for items in the budget. Plans and specifications for public works are approved by the City Council.

The Council appoints the City Administrator, City Attorney, and members of advisory committees. The Council chooses one of its members as Vice-Mayor, who presides at the Council meetings in the absence of the Mayor.

Meetings

The City Council meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 1 Sylvan Park, Sand City, California.

Persons wishing to have a matter considered for inclusion on the agenda must address a letter to the Council and deliver it to the City Clerk. Matters are placed on the agenda subject to the discretion of the City Administrator and/or Mayor.

Anyone wishing to address the Council on Consent Calendar item(s) or matters not listed on the agenda may do so during Oral Communications. The public may comment on any other item which is on the agenda when that matter is considered by the Council during the meeting, and prior to action on that item by the City Council.

City Council (standing, starting from left)
Craig Hubler (Councilmember) Michael Morris (Councilmember)
(seated)
Mary Ann Kline-Carbone (Vice-Mayor) David Pendergrass (Mayor) Jerry Blackwelder (Council member)

City Council Standing Committees

The City Council is organized into Standing Committees which were created to review and analyze City policies and programs and to make recommendations to the full City Council. Each committee (except for the Design Review Committee) has two Council representatives with appropriate staff support.

The Design Review Committee (DRC) is comprised of design professionals, property owners, and City residents. The DRC meets on an as-needed basis to review land uses and project designs.

All committees meet as necessary and the time and place of their meetings are noticed and posted on the City bulletin boards. All meetings are open to the public. For information call City Hall, 394-3054. The Standing Committees are:

Budget/Personnel
Design Review
Public Safety
Coastal
Housing
Arts

Mayor

The Mayor is the presiding officer at all meetings of the City Council and has a voice in all proceedings. He also serves as Chairman of the Sand City Redevelopment Agency. The Mayor is elected for a two-year term from the City at large. The Mayor is the spokesperson and official representative for the City and also serves as Board member on many intergovernmental or regional committees of the Monterey Peninsula area. David Pendergrass is the current Mayor and has served as Sand City’s Mayor for more than 20 years.

City Council

Four members serve on the Council as the legislative and policy making body of the City. The Council members also serve as Board members for the Sand City Redevelopment Agency. The current Council members are: Mary Ann Carbone (Vice-Mayor), Craig Hubler, Jerry Blackwelder, and Michael Morris.

The City Council and Mayor can meet informally and individually with citizens, business people and property owners to discuss their concerns, problems, and other matters related to City business. However, because of state rules and regulations (Brown Act) the City Council can only take official action by majority vote at noticed public meetings on matters listed on the agenda.

Ordinances, Resolutions, Motions, Referrals

An ordinance is a law enacted by the Council under powers delegated to it by the City Charter and the State. Ordinances prescribe a general and lasting rule for persons within the City boundaries. An ordinance is introduced at one Council meeting but must receive a second reading and passage at a second meeting. It is then published and becomes effective 30 days after final passage. An ordinance can be repealed or amended only by a subsequent ordinance.

A resolution may be passed expressing the policy of the Council or directing certain types of procedural or administrative actions. It requires only one reading and may be changed by a subsequent resolution.

Motions ordinarily indicate majority approval for a procedural or administrative action. Motions are usually used for disposition of business items on the agenda. When the Council is not prepared to take definite action or when further study or information is needed, the Council may refer the matter to an individual or group for study. The Council may request that a return report be made at a future Council meeting.

City/Redevelopment Agency Staff

City Administrator

The City Administrator is appointed by the City Council and acts as the chief administrative officer of the City. The City Administrator also serves as Executive Director of the Sand City Redevelopment Agency. He enforces the laws and carries out the policies of the Council through the direction of City departments.
In addition, the City Administrator makes recommendations to the Council on legislation, fiscal matters, capital improvements and other City policies. The City Administrator appoints the other department heads of the City government which implements the City’s programs under the policy guidelines established by the City Council.
The current City Administrator is Steve Matarazzo telephone (831) 394-3054, extension 12.

City Departments

Sand City’s municipal affairs are conducted using modern business methods including program and financial planning and execution, personnel management, and a variety of implementation programs. The City’s administration and operations are organized into functional Departments.

Click here for a list of Sand City Staff and their contact information

The City also contracts for the following services:

City Attorney
James Heisinger
(831) 624-3891

Public Works/City Engineer
Richard Simonitch
(831) 373-1333

Planning & Design Consultants
Pacific Municipal Consultants
(831) 644-9174

City of Monterey
Fire protection, street sweeping, and building inspections