09/12/2023 Downtown Committee Regular Meeting Adopted 10/10/2023
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City of Gilroy
Downtown Committee Regular Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 | 8:00 AM
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chair Marques at 8:00 AM.
2. ROLL CALL
Attendance Attendee Name
Present Rebeca Armendariz (Council Member), Committee Member
Marie Blankley (Mayor), Committee Member
Dion Bracco (Mayor Pro Tempore), Committee Member
Dave Leal, Committee Member
Carol Marques (Council Member), Chair
Emily McEwan-Upright, Committee Member
Jeanie Rizzuto, Committee Member
Fred M. Tovar (Council Member), Vice-Chair
Victoria Valencia, Committee Member
Absent Fran Beaudet, Committee Member
Toni Bowles, Committee Member
Matt Gallion, Committee Member
Lorena Gaeta, Committee Member
William Leal, Committee Member
Jeff Orth, Committee Member
Chair Marques notified the committee that Committee Members William Leal and Lorena
Gaeta would be removed from the Commission due to non-attendance and non-participation.
The new members and their contact information are to be provided to the Chair this week by
Council Members Tovar and Armendariz.
3. Public Comment
Chair Marques opened Public Comment.
Terence Fugazzi emphasized the lack of enforcement of existing ordinances,
especially concerning graffiti and signage, urging better adherence to current rules
before adding new ones downtown.
There being no further speakers, Chair Marques closed Public Comment.
4. Approval of the Minutes:
Chair Marques remarked that the minutes for August 15, 2023, and this meeting would be
approved in the next regular meeting.
5. Report Out from Sub-Committees
Chair Marques asked Committee Member McEwan-Upright to recap her report from the last
meeting. Committee Member McEwan-Upright reviewed last month's discussion on vacancy
regulations: buildings vacant for 30 days need to register with the city. Building owners making
genuine efforts to fill spaces, such as advertising, will not be subject to fines. A fine of $150
per week is set for buildings unregistered after ten days of vacancy. An annual monitoring fee
of $1,500 ensures building upkeep. Concerns were raised about building owners potentially
August 15, 2023 | 8:00 AM Page 2 of 2 Downtown Committee
Regular Meeting Minutes
renting to unsuitable businesses to avoid fees, the subjective nature of defining “effort,” and
potential legal challenges regarding rental pricing.
Subcommittee Report on Noise by Committee Members Blankley and Bowles
-Examined noise ordinances from eight cities.
-Hollister introduced a specific noise ordinance in 2022.
-Recommendations for Gilroy's downtown to be presented next month.
Subcommittee Report on Code Enforcement by Committee Members Armendariz and
Orth
-Identified top issues, including parking, trash on sidewalks, broken windows, and more.
-Consulted with three other cities for benchmarking.
-Proposed solutions included business incentives, grants for power washing, and
adopting blocks for cleaning.
-Emphasis on businesses taking responsibility for cleaning, with special mention of
Latino businesses in Monterey Street as exemplars.
Chair Marques opened Public Comment:
Terence Fugazzi stated he believes businesses, not the city, should be responsible for
cleaning their sidewalks and emphasized the need for stricter enforcement on untidy
properties.
There being no further speakers, Chair Marques closed Public Comment.
A discussion about the need for more manpower for effective code enforcement in the City
was had by the committee members.
6.ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned by Chair Marques at 8:59 AM.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing minutes were duly and regularly adopted at a regular
meeting of the Gilroy Downtown Committee of the City of Gilroy on October 10, 2023.
Thai Nam Pham, MMC, CPMC
City Clerk