Jesse Duarte
The St. Helena City Council underwent a dramatic transition Tuesday with the swearing in of Aaron Barak and Michelle Deasy and the impending resignation of Councilmember Anna Chouteau.
Barak and Deasy, the top vote-getters in a three-way race for two council seats, took the oath of office during Tuesday's council meeting. They replace outgoing Councilmembers Eric Hall and Patrick Kenealy, who did not run for re-election.
Paul Dohring also took the oath to begin his second two-year term as mayor. He easily won re-election over challenger Billy Summers, whose council term continues through 2026.
Meanwhile, Chouteau will step down from the council on Monday to become a field representative for Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena.
The new council agreed to fill Chouteau's seat through appointment rather than calling a special election, which would cost at least $35,000.
City law requires a special election for a vacant council seat to be held concurrent with the next regular election, which is in November 2026. That would leave Chouteau's seat vacant for two years, so the council opted for an appointment.
The city will accept applications through Jan. 6. The council will appoint an applicant to the council on Jan. 14 after interviewing them a few days before -- tentatively on Jan. 10. The new councilmember will serve the two years remaining in Chouteau's term.
Housing fees
The council approved updated affordable housing fees for new development.
The new, higher fees are driven by the high cost of land in St. Helena, which makes affordable housing more expensive to build.
The fees are based on a study that calculated the highest fees that could be justified and the highest fees that could realistically be imposed without making development unfeasible. The council wrestled with how to set fees -- especially for hotels -- that were high enough to fund affordable housing but not so high as to deter development.
The council ultimately set the hotel fee at $28,000 per room, two-thirds of what the council had considered in October. Anna Chouteau was the only councilmember who supported the higher hotel fee of $41,797 per room. (The vote occurred before Barak and Deasy were sworn in.)
The new fees are scheduled to take effect Feb. 10, once the council formally approves them on Jan. 14.
Furlani retires
The council recognized Laurie Furlani of the St. Helena Police Department for her 35 years of service to the city, including 23 years as a full-time employee. Furlani is retiring this week.
Police Chief Chris Hartley, who happened to be Furlani's middle school classmate, said Furlani "excelled" as a 911 dispatcher, community service officer, parking enforcement officer, property technician and evidence technician.
"Her can-do attitude and warm personality have not only allowed her to make lasting connections with the community but also to form lifelong friendships with her colleagues," Hartley said.
In retirement Furlani plans to spend time with her grandchildren, go camping and fishing, and pursue her hobbies of gardening and baking.
Downtown sidewalks
Also on Tuesday, Public Works Director Joe Leach said the downtown sidewalk project should be done by Dec. 20.
Crews have evened out the pavers to make the sidewalks smoother and safer. The city started planting new trees on Monday night. One tree removed in front of Gillwoods will not be replaced.
EV chargers
The council authorized staff to sign a contract with Tesla to install 12 Level 3 EV charging stations at the city parking lot between Money Way and Oak Avenue.
The spaces occupied by the new charging stations won't be reserved exclusively for charging unless the city puts restrictions on them in the future.
City properties
City Manager Anil Comelo gave the council an update on efforts to develop two city-owned properties downtown.
In October the city issued a Request For Qualifications inviting developers to submit proposals for the former City Hall property on Main Street and the former city offices on Railroad Avenue.
Comelo said the city has received several housing proposals for Railroad Avenue and "very interesting proposals for development on Main Street, including tourist-oriented development."
The city has asked the potential developers for more financial details. Comelo said more information could come to the council in February.
Arbor Day
The council issued a proclamation in honor of Arbor Day on Thursday, Dec. 12.
The city will celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees in Lyman Park at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
You can reach Jesse Duarte at 707-967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.