Good evening, I'm Cindy Darling, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek and welcome to the regular
meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council. The City Council is conducting this meeting from
the City Council Chamber. This meeting is being video streamed and can be viewed live or later
on the City's website. As some attendees may be participating in their first Walnut Creek City
Council meeting, I wanted to welcome everyone and talk briefly about the public comment process.
For each agenda item, there will be an opportunity for public comment on that item.
Thus, if you desire to speak to an item on the agenda this evening,
please hold your comments until the City Council considers that item.
Additionally, we have a section on the agenda titled Public Communications,
which is for public comments for items not on the agenda.
Any comments during public communication should not relate to an item that is on the agenda this
evening. Consistent with section 9.5 of the City Council Handbook, 30 minutes will be
initially allocated for public communication for items not on the agenda. Additional time
for public communications for items not on the agenda will be provided at the end of
the open session portion of the meeting if necessary. If you desire to provide a public
comment, please complete a speaker identification card and line up behind the lectern at the
appropriate time. Wait your turn and then when you approach the lectern please
state your name City of Residence for the record. You will have two minutes to
address the City Council. Please keep in mind that this is a city business
meeting. The City Council has adopted rules of decorum to ensure that meetings
are conducted efficiently and effectively and that all members of the
public have a full fair and equal opportunity to be heard. The City Council
handbook outlines decorum expected in the council chamber and can be found on
our website. All remarks should be addressed to the City Council. Please do
not use threatening, profane, or abusive language, which disrupts, disturbs, or
otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the council meeting. Again, each speaker
will have two minutes to make your remarks. Written comments submitted and
received up to two hours before the meeting have been posted to the City
Website for public review and are included in the meeting record, but will not be separately read into the record
stellar performance
Good evening. I'm Cindy Darling mayor of the city of Walnut Creek and welcome to the Tuesday, December 2nd
2025 meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance
indivisible with liberty and justice.
Thank you, clerk.
Could you please call the roll?
Council Member Davini?
Here.
Council Member Francois?
Here.
Council Member Silva?
Here.
Mayor Pro Tem will?
Here.
And Mayor Darling?
Here.
And now tonight, we're going to pause
at the beginning of our program tonight
to recognize the passing of Gwen Regalia.
Her family is here and we have some people
to remember Gwen.
We have a proclamation, and I'm actually,
I don't normally read the whole proclamation,
but it is quite the story and I wanted to cover it.
So Gwen Whiteford Regalia was born in Ross, California
and spent her formative years
in both Southern and Northern California,
graduating from UC Berkeley and dedicating her early career
to educating young minds as an elementary school teacher.
Gwen and her beloved husband, Ed Regalia,
moved to Walnut Creek in October, 1958,
where they raised their four children
and became pillars of the community.
Gwen devoted over 30 years
to public service in Walnut Creek,
beginning with her tenure
with the Walnut Creek School District Board
from 1978 to 87, including board president in 82 and 84.
She continued her legacy of leadership
on the city council from 1987 to 2008,
five terms as mayor, 91, 96, 99, 2003 and 2008.
During her time in office, Gwen was instrumental
in shaping the cultural and physical landscape
of Walnut Creek championing major capital projects
such as the Lesser Center for the Arts,
the Shadelands Art Center and the Iron Horse Trail Bridge
over Ignacio Valley Boulevard or Road, whatever that is.
As a council member, she served on many committee assignments
including City County Relations Committee, Transpac,
Central Contra Costa Transit Authority, Pleasant Hill Bart,
Joint Policy Committee founding member, MTC, Bay Area
Air Quality Board,
she was cross the Mayor's Conference
and BCDC Commission.
Her regional leadership extended beyond Walnut Creek
as she served on the Executive Board of ABAG
from 1991 to 2008, including serving as president
from 2002 and 2003.
Her leadership contributed to the construction
of two gyms, five parks, seven ball fields,
and she played a vital role in preserving
305 acres of open space,
ensuring the natural beauty of Walnut Creek
endures for future generations.
Gwen and Ed were deeply committed
to the educational equity,
with Ed founding the Kennedy King Memorial Scholarship,
and Gwen serving as board president from 1972 to 74,
helping underrepresented students
achieve their college dreams.
Gwen fostered international goodwill
through the Walnut Creek Sister Cities Program,
hosting visitors from Naceto, Italy, and Sheaf Oak, Hungary,
and leading a group to Sheevoke in 1994.
She demonstrated a lifelong commitment to civic engagement
and the advancement of women in leadership
through her active participation in numerous organizations,
including over nearly half a decade
as a member of the American Association of University Women,
as well as her involvement in the League of Women Voters
of Diablo Valley,
the California Elected Women's Association,
and the National Women's Political Caucus.
She served as a member of many other regional groups
including past president and director
of the Diablo Valley Foundation for the Aging,
Diablo Regional Arts Association,
Lindsey Wildlife Museum,
Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation,
Walnut Creek Action for Beauty Council,
and the Walnut Creek Historical Society.
In recognition of her exceptional contribution
to government and public service,
Gwen Wergalia was honored
with the 1998 Woman of Achievement Award
by the Contra Costa Times in Broadway Plaza.
and I, Cindy Darling, mayor of the city of Walnut Creek,
on behalf of the city council
and the residents of Walnut Creek,
to hereby recognize and honor Gwen Rogalia
for her unwavering dedication, visionary leadership,
and profound impact on our community.
And we extend to her family
our profound sympathy upon her passing,
but we just reflect upon what a life she lived
and how much she left for all of us in her honor.
We just wanted to recognize her tonight.
And I wanted to, we have a couple elected,
local electeds that would also like to step up
and recognize Gwen's leadership.
So I would call up Supervisor Candice Anderson.
Good evening.
Gwen was a treasure.
She was amazing.
She was someone I first really got to know
when I joined Danville's town council in 2003.
And she was one of those leaders that would just come up
to new council members, embrace them, impart this wisdom,
and with such graciousness.
And with sort of a behind the scenes,
this is how you get things done.
She was an era of Walnut Creek City Council.
She was on it with Sue Rainey at the time.
And it was really just kind of phenomenal
watching these women go.
And as an elected official, a few years younger than them,
I'm really grateful for the trailblazers that they were.
So often, I think younger women, I think of my daughters,
sort of take for granted that we as women
could walk into any room we want to,
and we could do anything we want to.
But it really was the women in the 70s that just stood up,
demanded, got women elected, and made such a difference.
And so I am truly grateful for the life she led.
Even after she retired, she had such a presence
in our communities.
And I think the last time I saw her, sadly,
was at the funeral of Dick Rainey.
And she was sitting behind me.
And it wasn't just a tap, how are you doing?
But an embrace of wanting to know what I've been working on,
me wanting to know what she had been working on,
and she did not miss a beat.
So I am grateful for her life,
grateful for her influence on so many ways,
and as you acknowledged, Mayor Darling,
the impact her leadership had on all of Walnut Creek
and where you are today is something that is unparalleled.
So thank you for giving me this opportunity.
And we will, at our Board of Supervisors meeting
this Tuesday be adjourning in Gwen's honor.
Supervisor Carlson is not with me this evening.
He is attending a conference, but he will be jointly offering
that adjournment in Gwen's honor.
So thank you all.
Thank you very much for your recognition.
Congressman Mark D'Saulnier also asked
that his staff come and present.
He had some words imparted into the congressional record,
and I'll invite his staff up to introduce themselves
and share that with us.
Thank you, everyone.
Congressman regrets that he's not able to be here with you tonight, but Gwen was a
real mentor and a leader in our community, and he wanted to be sure to
be able to honor her memory. So we prepared this congressional record in
honor of Gwen, and I'll read that to you briefly. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to
recognize the life and service of Gwen Regalia. A proud resident of Walnut Creek
since 1958, Gwen was an incredible leader and public servant. Beginning as a local
fourth-grade school teacher Gwen started her career in politics with the Walnut
Creek district school board serving nearly a decade. During this
time she was also instrumental in helping elect Peg Cobar, the city's first
female mayor. In 1987 Gwen was elected to Walnut Creek City Council. She served on
City Council for 21 years including five terms as mayor. During her time in city
government Gwen has always been a champion for local arts and culture. Some
Some of her most notable accomplishments include overseeing the development of the Lesser
Center for the Arts, the Downtown Walnut Creek Library, the Shadelands Art Center,
the Iron Horse Trail Bridge over Ignacio Valley Road.
Gwen's leadership also extended past Walnut Creek as she was the President of the Association
of the Bay Area Government's Executive Board.
Unfortunately, Gwen passed away on November 17th at the age of 92.
She was a wonderful mentor to me and so many others and the Bay Area is better because
of Gwen.
She will be remembered for her outstanding leadership, dedicated service to her community,
and the incredible impact she had on the city and beyond.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I know my fellow council members would like to include their remembrances of Gwen.
We'll start with Councilmember Silva.
Thank you very much, Mayor.
Thank you to everyone who is here this evening, whether intentionally to help us honor Gwen
or unintentionally and just happen to be here.
It is wonderful to see all of you and to have you all be able to share in her accomplishments
with us.
I was telling one of her sons earlier this evening that the most fortunate thing I've
had in my almost 20 years on council was to be able to serve with Gwen for two years.
I learned so much.
She – people still talk about her in Sacramento, they still talk about her in San Francisco,
and her legacy of achievements will live – is helping us make a better community for years
to come.
She was a trailblazer.
She set the tone.
She could teach her room this size.
I can remember what her comments after certain items on the agenda would be.
would be very tutorial and we were very fortunate in that regard and so thank
you again for all of you for being here tonight and to your her family thank you
for sharing her with us because that is the biggest contribution that can be
made to a community is to recognize how much time and energy she gave to us and
that was you were sharing her with us and we were very fortunate thank you
Thank you. Councilmember Francois. Thank you mayor and to the family. My deepest
condolences. Gwen was a powerhouse and I didn't get the honor to serve with
her but when I was first appointed to the Transportation Commission she was
mayor and she was extremely welcoming. She gave me my Walnut Creek portfolio
that I still proudly contain and I just remember how warm she was when she met
my dad and said how grateful she was to have raised her family in this community
and you know as the years went on and I served on other commissions and then
ultimately ran for City Council Gwen was there to endorse me at the kickoff and
that meant the world to me and you know in terms of her legacy living on in the
impact she has. I have friends from Southern California who grew up in the
area and said Gwen regalia endorsed you that's a big deal and even today I'll
talk be talking to council members around the Bay Area that served with
your mom on a bag or other commissions and spoke highly of her legacy and in I
was fortunate that my wife and I got to spend time with Connie and Mark and Gwen
in at her home over a glass of wine or a lunch.
And it was remarkable how she had all her faculties about her.
I remember one lunch.
She's recalling something back in her childhood,
a Hitchcock movie that was filmed in Santa Rosa
where she was living at the time.
And she remembered the lead actress's name, who
was not Teresa Wright, who was not a well-known actress,
but she had total recall of that.
And it was just fun to know her.
And I think when she retired from the council,
she remarked that she made a lovely community
and now she's going to enjoy it.
And she did and were all the beneficiaries
of all the great work she did.
So thank you for sharing her with us.
Thank you.
Mayor Pro Tem.
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago,
when we had first found out,
Walnut Creek is Walnut Creek today that we know
in large part because of Gwen Rogalia.
That is her legacy along with her family
and my deepest condolences.
Much like my colleague, Council Member Francois,
I met Gwen when I was first appointed
to the Arts Commission, then Transportation Commission.
It was probably, I saw about 10 years or so
and got to know her on that kind of a level
which wasn't very close but friendly.
But in 2015, when I decided to run for city council,
I called a lot of the former mayors and council members,
leaders in the community.
I was intimidated to call Gwen.
I thought about it.
I finally called her.
She called me back.
It was a very short conversation.
She said something like, well, good luck.
And I said I was exploring running for city council.
Good luck.
Okay, I hung up and I thought,
I'm not calling her again, and went on my way,
and then when I announced my intention
and really started running and campaigning in early 2016,
I got a call from Gwen.
I'd like to meet you for lunch.
Okay, yes, we'll meet at Sunrise Bistro at noon on Tuesday,
and I'll see you there.
Okay, and so we sat down.
She wanted to find out what my thoughts were,
what I wanted to do for Walnut Creek,
of course she knew who I was.
I asked her, I'm kind of surprised.
This was a different conversation
than when I called you last year.
She goes, well, everybody says they're going to run
for City Council, a lot of people do,
but now you're doing it.
So I wanted to make sure that we sat down.
And when the bill came and I offered to pay for half,
she goes, no, no, no, I invited you, I'm paying.
And let me know when we're going to have a party for you
at my house because we're going to support you
and we're gonna make sure that you get elected.
And that was, I mean, I get goosebumps now
even thinking about that.
One was a huge supporter, she was a friend.
I saw her many times over the last 10 years or so,
whether it was at different events
or of course at the mayor's crab feed
that Sue Rainey would have.
I'm gonna miss her, I'm gonna miss her friendship,
her mentorship, her leadership and her stories.
Thank you.
Well, I want to express my condolences to the family again.
I think it's wonderful that we have this opportunity here to celebrate her life.
Her story is truly inspirational.
I learned a lot listening to that very impressive list of accomplishments and contributions.
So I'm just happy to be a part of this
and inspired by her life and her story.
So my comments, I've already gotten to do a lot of talking,
which I am really done doing as mayor.
But when I first decided to run for council,
because I had helped Matt with his campaign,
and I was like, shoot, if he could do it, I could do it.
Um, and, and so I, I, like Kevin, I put off calling her for a while, you know, I got to call her,
and so she says, yeah, come on over the house, I'll make some, some coffee, and we'll have a
little talk, and I didn't know what she was, she asked all these hard questions. I was like, dang,
this is like an exam. Um, um, but she was just very gracious about it all. She was just wanting
to know who I was and why I was running, and when she endorsed me, she did it very wholeheartedly,
and she just was a force of nature and just somebody who really wanted to give back to the
community and we all appreciate it. So thank you all for being here tonight to do this. I think
we will invite the family up. The family's working on a memorial service and we'll let them save all
of their words for that, but we'll ask the family to come up and we'll take the picture with the
council and a few others if they want to join us and we'll say thank you very
much for sharing your mom and we'll give her a huge okay now we're at public
communication this portion of the meeting is reserved for comment on items
not on the agenda under the Brown Act the council cannot act on items raised
during public communication but may respond briefly to statements made or
questions posed request clarification or for the item to staff if there is
Does anybody here that wants to share a quick memory of Gwen?
We also invite you to come up as part of public comment.
And here's.
Hi, good evening and condolences to everybody in the family.
I know you're going through tough times.
I just wanted to talk about the fact that Gwen and I served on the council together
in the 80s until 1991 when I left the council.
She didn't.
We worked together during the most tumultuous years
in the history of the modern history of Walnut Creek.
It was the wars over whether Walnut Creek should
become a new city because of all the change that was going on
or the people who objected to the change
because they liked it the way it was.
So it was a very difficult time, and we
we're on the end of a three to two vote most of the time.
Let me see what I want.
So I was really grateful for Gwen being beside me
as we worked to mold the city,
the city's initiative of live after five
and comply with the state mandated jobs housing balance.
Overcoming opposition,
one of our most significant successes
was one of the things you talked about already
was to garner support for the city
to contribute to the Lesher Center for the Arts.
A lot of money had been raised by the private sector,
but not enough.
So there was opposition to that, that we should give money
to the Lesher Center.
But Gwen and I were firm, and we were able to get that money.
After I left the council, as you know,
Gwen went on to become mayor for five times.
She was committed to fairness and justice in all her dealings
Through her leadership, we can all be thankful
for her work in making Walnut Creek
the wonderful place it is today.
I was glad to serve with her,
and I'm glad to be here to share that with you.
Thank you.
Oops, thank you all.
I know we have a lot of other former council members
and mayors here, and I'm sure we're all thinking good thoughts
for everything that Gwen did.
That closed public communication will bring it up here.
Are there any closed session announcements?
Madam Mayor, there were no reportable actions
from closed sessions this evening.
City Manager reports.
I do not have an update this evening, Mayor.
Okay, and in light of the fact
that this is rearranging the deck chairs,
we're gonna skip the City Council Member reports
on AB 1234 and we'll save those all up for the next year.
So now we get to my last thing.
If there was anybody, I'm sorry,
I thought everybody that wanted to speak
for public comment had come up.
If there was anybody else that wanted to address us,
I think we're good, yeah.
Okay, you're just standing up.
Okay, meanwhile, back at the ranch,
now it is time for the ceremonial turning of the wheel.
And as my year as mayor ends,
I wanted to take a moment to celebrate success,
something that my husband always says you have to do
because we don't do it often enough.
And so I just wanted, here's some big highlights
for the city of Walnut Creek.
One of the things we shine as one of the safest cities
in our area, the monthly average property
and violent crime rate for September 2025
decreased 9% since 2024.
And I really attribute this to our excellent police
department and their commitment to crime prevention.
And we are bidding a fond farewell to Chief Knox
who is hiding in the back there.
And I want to thank him for all that he's done
and welcome our new Chief Ryan Hibbs
who's being promoted from amongst our own.
and I know he's ready to go to work
to continue to be a safe city.
We also continue to be a welcoming city
where we value and celebrate our diversity.
In a time where hatred is peeking out from under its rock,
we are continuing to live
in the light of inclusivity and caring.
You can see it in our first Diwali Fair
this year at Lesher.
Our recreation class is targeting
near divergent residents.
The crowd that came and helped us raise the pride flag,
including Supervisor Carlson this year,
and the young high school students
who helped us celebrate Asian-American month.
We had five different clubs come
and help us celebrate this year.
And that was really special.
And we here in Walnut Creek,
we're not letting hatred out from underneath its rock.
We're taking care of our neighbors who are struggling.
We celebrate the groundbreaking at Civic Crossing
with our nonprofit partners, which is affordable housing,
which has homes for families,
homes for our unhoused residents
to get them off the street.
We're partnering with Trinity Center,
folks are here from Trinity tonight,
on the winter shelter and everything else that they do.
And we've even found a way to keep the shelter open
for an additional month through our partnership with Trinity.
We just take care of our own.
The city also prides itself on our commitment
to making the world a healthier place.
We try to help our businesses and our residents
improve their greenhouse gas footprint on the world.
We're a proud member of MCE, which
is the marine clean energy that provides us, most of us,
our electricity.
They're celebrating their 15-year anniversary this year.
And together, us with the other partners at MCE
have eliminated 500,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases,
saved customers $80 million on their bills,
and reinvested $400 million in sustainability
in our communities.
And that's a heck of an accomplishment for all
the MCE members.
While some at the federal level might be turning their back
and going to fossil fuels,
we know the future is green.
The future is more sustainable and more affordable.
And to provide such a high quality of life,
we know we need a strong local economy.
Through our economic development strategy
and in partnership with Walnut Creek downtown,
visit Walnut Creek, Shadelands,
and the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce,
our economy is the envy of many other areas.
Our retail vacancy rate is about half
the east bay so as a whole. And while we said goodbye to Walnut Creek Yacht Club so Chef Kevin
can go retire, meaning I'm very sad because that means no more oysters, we did get to say to hello
to original Joe's. Our staff is hard at work reviewing and improving our customer experience
for those who come to do business with the city and we have new and more robust attractive
outdoor dining structures coming back to downtown which is just one of the few things that was nice
coming out of COVID. And now for the accomplishment that I am most proud of. Our voters approved
measure O a couple years ago and we are working hard to invest those dollars into our community
to address the priorities of our residents. These include extra law enforcement officer,
new lights at the Tice Field, new turf fields at Heather Farm, we just cut the ribbons on
those and it is amazing what we managed to do out there. And next year, drum roll, we
We are very proud that we are going to begin construction of the new Aquatic Center and
Community Center.
We have the final plans.
We have the contractor.
We have the permits.
We have the partnership with the Aquatic Foundation, and we are ready to break ground.
I might have doubted whether or not staff was actually going to be able to get those
permits, but I didn't tell them that before they got them.
And they showed me.
They showed me.
They went out and got, for those of you in the world, if you're going to get a 404,
401 and endangered species permit, God bless you.
But all the years of planning are finally paying off.
And thanks to the diligence of our staff
and the commitment to this financial discipline
of all the people who have sat on this council
through the years,
Walnut Creek is gonna issue the bonds here very shortly.
And we have a triple A bond rating,
which is the highest possible credit rating.
And it's helping to bring this dream to reality.
That's a bond rating most cities could only dream of.
The only ones I've been able to find,
there's like two other cities,
everybody else has a utility that gets,
they can raise money easily, they just raise your rates.
But we did it because we believed in what we were doing.
And with all these achievements to celebrate,
I also wanted to say some thank yous
to the Walnut Creek staff who tend to hang out
in the back there, just quietly competent,
caring people who work day in and day out
to serve the public, and I appreciate all that they do.
To the voters of Walnut Creek who have repeatedly
expressed their confidence in this council,
and in my leadership by electing me twice,
to my fellow council members.
At a time where it can be difficult
to have faith in government,
I'm truly blessed to be part of a council
that is committed to public service,
that takes their oath to the Constitution
and to equality as seriously as they can,
and works to listen to our community,
listen to each other, listen to our staff,
listen to all those who come down here to talk to us,
and find ways to make decisions that work for us all.
It's kind of a rarity these days,
but I think we are a shining example
of how you make government work for people.
And lastly, I'm gonna make him cry,
Because I want to say a huge thank you to my husband, Gary.
He never complains when left at home.
And I can't look at him because he's mushy.
He's Irish.
He's mushy.
I leave him at home at night, and he reheats some leftovers,
and he watches Chopped Kitchen and other cooking shows.
And he's very patient most of the days.
He was happy when original Joe's opened.
He found out there is a benefit to going out to dinner
with the mayor because we got a nice table.
And he's like, ooh.
But he's been very proud to be first gentleman this year.
He's been very patient, very tolerant, very supportive
of everything that I've tried to do here on council.
And so I want to say a huge thank you.
So with that, I am wrapping up my year here
as mayor of Walnut Creek.
Thank God.
It's been fun.
But I have a new appreciation for just how much work this is.
So thank you all for helping me this year
and teaching me how to be a mayor.
And I look forward to being a council member again.
Thank you guys very much.
So before we all do your bon voyage,
we got something for you here from the city.
Let you unwrap it.
Now I'm sure we have a few things to say too.
Okay.
Ooh, there's wine.
This explains Kevin's question like,
what kind of wine do you like?
And it is exactly appropriate.
Thank you so much.
And a little picture and glasses.
Ooh, Walnut Creek glasses.
We can take them up to the cabin
because we keep breaking all the glasses up there.
Thank you guys so much.
And thank you for all your friendship
and partnership this year.
And now if anybody else wants to say anything.
Well, as your mayor pro tem,
I want to say what a pleasure it was seeing you
really grow as mayor from your first day
all the way through to today.
I know that you've said in the past
that public speaking has not been your forte
and that you had to really learn how to do that.
I think you've done great.
I mean, I have been at so many events and ribbon cuttings
and different things where you've spoken.
People not only appreciate what you have to say,
you come across thoughtfully
and that you really are personalizing
what you're saying to each of the different places,
whether it's a ribbon cutting,
and there can be a dozen ribbon cuttings
over a couple of months,
your comments are always different
based upon what those businesses were.
As we've seen people love having the mayor
come to the different events and speak,
I'm so glad and proud of you
that I got to witness this over the year,
and you should take great pride
in having a terrific year as mayor.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
So Mayor Darling, I wanted to thank you very much
for your service as mayor this year.
I'm truly grateful that you were mayor
during my first year on the council.
You've always approached your role with fairness,
inclusivity, kindness, and thoughtfulness.
I appreciate your practical pragmatic approach,
but also you always tend to keep a sense of humor as well.
Your dedication to the city is inspiring.
We're fortunate to have you as a public servant.
And I deeply appreciate all the time
and energy you've given to the community.
Thank you for your leadership.
Yeah, I will echo those comments.
I've had the pleasure of serving with the mayor
since we were on the planning commission together.
And she struck me from the very beginning
as someone who was thoughtful, inclusive,
but also kind of easily approachable
and with a lightness and a sense of humor
that when you're in a room like this
and we are seemingly up here on a dais,
that makes a difference.
It makes a difference for somebody coming off the street,
maybe for their first city council meeting,
nervous to get up at the microphone
to make a public comment.
And the way you set the tone
just completely puts everyone you meet at ease.
And that's a remarkable achievement
and not everyone has that skill set.
I too am proud to have served with you
on the planning commission and now on the city council.
I continue to admire, you worked so hard this year
on and did so many things every,
you were in every picture, I think I saw it at,
every ribbon cutting, not just the big ones,
but the little ones too,
to make sure that every business owner
that was opening a business in Walnut Creek
knew how much they were appreciated by this city,
by this council, because the mayor was there.
And that means a lot.
And I appreciate your sacrifice
and your sacrifice to make that happen.
And you had a great year.
It was fun to be along for the ride.
You set the bar really high.
And I'll just say too, you mentioned Measure O
And as many of you know, we've tried for years, decades,
to get the funds passed to build a new pool
and community center.
And it's largely because of Cindy's election
to the council that we were able to make that happen,
that we had the unity among all of us
to stand behind that where the voters recognize that
and express their confidence in us.
And so thank you for that.
Thank you for serving nine years on the Planning Commission.
10.
Thank you for deciding to run for City Council,
because you and I talked about it the first time in 2012.
Finally decided to.
Thank you for serving in such a thoughtful, taking
on roles and responsibilities on the Council,
roles at the regional level, roles in the community.
Thank you for giving us your time and then serving as mayor this past year, in a time
when we had a lot of balls in the air and the objectives that we needed to accomplish.
You did it in a way that brought us all along together.
And thank you to Gary and your family for giving up some time and giving us her talent.
So thank you to your family, thank you to you and I look forward to having the other
Cindy sitting without the title Mayor in front of her name.
And I know there's a few others in the audience.
So once again, I am here representing both Supervisor Carlson and again, Lisa Chow, his
chief of staff is here.
But I've got to thank you, Mayor Darling, for your work and I'm now in my 25th year
of being in an elected office.
Over those years, have met so many different elected
officials.
But what stands out to me of you and makes you
such an amazing leader is that it's your integrity.
It's your sense of humor about all things.
It's your accomplishments.
It's your respect for others.
And we don't always see that in elected officials.
And certainly on this council, we see it among all of you.
But I was going to say, truly, Cindy,
as I've watched you as mayor this year,
as your colleagues have noted, just
the way you have been so approachable,
the way you acknowledge people, you honor, you respect them.
And as elected leaders, that's what we should be doing.
Walnut Creek has always been on such a positive trajectory.
But you have such a unified council right now,
moving things forward in such a way
that you've really been able to continue
to have deep respect by not just the residents
of Walnut Creek but I think by all of us
in Contra Costa County.
And I especially want to highlight
what you made in your remarks as well
is that you care for everyone within your community.
Not every city is willing to step up
and care for our unhoused population
and contribute as needed to ensure
people have a warm bed that they have food to eat and that they are treated
with dignity within the community. So thank you for your leadership. It's such
a pleasure for me to be able to represent a corner of Walnut Creek but
get to interact with all of you on so many different issues. So thank you and
I will just come over and hand this to you from here. Next. Good evening Mayor
Mayor Pro Tem, esteemed council, city manager, and members of the constituency who are here.
It is my honor to be here on behalf of Senator Tim Grayson. I'm Mike Sponsler. I'm his district
director, and while the senator is unable to make it tonight, I do have a certificate of recognition
for your outstanding term as mayor that I'd like to read in his stead. Presented to the
honorable Cindy Darling, I'd like to join with others in thanking you for your outstanding
service as mayor in the city of Walnut Creek. Your leadership during your term has helped
to ensure the future of economic progress quality of life in Walnut Creek, your passion for service
has has a positive impact on the lives of many. You serve as a model of public service and have
earned the admiration and respect of your peers in your community. On behalf of the people of the
9th Senate District, congratulations on your outstanding term. And I'd also like to say from
a personal standpoint as staff to to a state legislator that you have been an incredible
mayor to work with your attitude and approaching staff and interacting with our office has
been phenomenal and not only have you done a really great job of advocating and keeping
Walnut Creek and in our city and then just you know as a on the personal level as well
as a resident of Walnut Creek and I want to thank you for your your mentorship and your
encouragement of me on the Planning Commission and support of all of us that are serving
on commissions in the city as well. You make us all feel welcome and encouraged to learn
and work together. And it's much appreciated. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments
as mayor.
Thank you so much. Anyone else popping up? No, I think we're good. I think we're good.
All local elected, we're good. So now we move to the selection of mayor. And it is my honor
to, in this last year, Kevin Wilk has been my mayor pro tem, and he has done everything
I've asked of him, plus more.
We did have both of our kids got married this year, so there were some times when I had
to leave.
And I'm like, here, Kevin, boop!
And he does such a great job.
He actually has an IMDB profile, so he is not afraid of public speaking, which is...
But I would love to nominate you as mayor.
I think you have the city vibe in your heart
and you're ready to go to work at it.
And I'm looking forward to your leadership as mayor
and I am happy to nominate you as mayor.
And I would be very proud to second that motion.
Thank you very much.
All right, roll call.
Council member Darling.
Aye.
Council member Francois.
Aye.
Dibany?
Aye.
Council member Silva?
Aye.
Mayor Pro Tem Wilk?
Aye.
Thank you.
I want to thank everyone for being here tonight.
Next is the selection of Mayor Pro Tem, which, well, I think as we all seen, there's a lot
that goes with that, certainly, and I would like to nominate Matt Francois as Mayor Pro
He was actually mayor pro tem when I was mayor previously and I'm proudly
nominating you for that position again. And I'm honored to be able to second
that motion. Thank you. And I think that's up to me now. Oh it's hard to give up
the gavel, isn't it? Susie, could you call the role, please?
Mayor Welk, aye. Councilmember Silva, aye. Councilmember Darling, yes. Councilmember Davini, aye. Councilmember Francois, aye.
All right, congratulations, Mayor Pro Tem! And the last item on the agenda are
incoming comments by the new mayor, and so I just wanted to thank you to my
fellow Council members for your faith in me, as your mayor for the next year.
Any of us who have had the honor of being mayor knows the responsibilities and the criticism
that goes along with it.
Handling all of it wouldn't be possible without the love and support of my family and friends.
Some of them are here tonight, including my wife Jill, my daughter Dariel, my mother Nessa,
and many other family and friends both here and at home.
Unfortunately, my son Shane and new daughter-in-law Danielle couldn't be here tonight there in
Southern California, but they'll be back in a few more weeks for the holidays.
When I last became mayor in December of 2021, it was a very different time.
I was alone in this chamber standing right there.
City clerk was over here.
We were both in masks and everyone was on Zoom, and we were trying to navigate our way
out of the pandemic while keeping the city running and our businesses open. As we know
we came out of the pandemic better than almost any city in the state. Our downtown continues
to thrive and Walnut Creek is still one of the best places in the country for people
who live, work, play, shop or dine. It doesn't mean we don't have challenges. All cities
do, but we're positioned well for our residents, our visitors, and our employees.
The former great speaker of the House, Tip O'Neill, famously said, all politics is local.
Meaning that one's success in the political field is tied to their ability to understand
and address the specific everyday concerns of their constituents in their home district.
Never has that been more important than today.
A recent national poll found that Americans have the most faith in local government at
67 percent and the least faith in federal government at 32 percent.
While in Walnut Creek we're blessed to have excellent representation at all levels of
government, at the local level we are closest to our residents.
We understand the concerns and we work together to make sure the city works for the people.
That our roads are maintained.
The streets are clean, our businesses and neighborhoods are safe, and we are responsive
to the needs and wishes of the community.
This last year has seen some terrific accomplishments, as we heard now Councilmember Cindy Darling
and former mayor talk about, including major steps forward in our infrastructure with lights
at Tice Valley Park, all-weather turf fields, which just opened yesterday in Heather Farm,
and preparing for the new Heather Farm Swimming and Community Center, the largest project
Walnut Creek will have ever undertaken, thanks to Measure O.
This next year, I expect we'll see more great strides forward.
In addition to the recreational infrastructure, we'll see affordable housing built, and we'll
continue to ensure that our downtown remains vibrant as the premier shopping and dining
and entertainment destination in the county.
We want to make it as easy as possible to do business in Walnut Creek and I'm dedicated to that efficiency.
Having a successful shopping district
unfortunately with that success can also come some downsides like being an attractant for crime and other issues.
And as a city we are dedicated to a strong police force both in deterrence and enforcement.
I want to thank Police Chief Jamie Knox for the job that you've done.
I was mayor then when he was hired and I guess I will be mayor as you're going into retirement.
And with the new incoming police chief Ryan Hibbs also in the back who has been with Walnut Creek for 16 years.
He knows Walnut Creek and I look forward to ensuring that the Walnut Creek Police Department has what it needs to prevent crime and catch the bad guys should it occur.
Along with city manager Dan Buckshye and his top-notch team, we'll work towards a fully
staffed department, one who is the best technology and ensure their presence is seen, especially
on weekends and nights downtown.
In addition, with e-bikes on the rise and misuse of them increasing, our officers will
also be engaged in educating and enforcing bicycle and e-bike safety.
Schools and parents will see a lot of outreach on this in the months ahead.
Walnut Creek continues to be a leader in climate action and sustainability.
And having just passed a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers,
we'll work to implement that with a full education outreach prior to our April rollout.
As we set the table for the next generation of Walnut Creek,
the general plan update has already started to move forward.
Our residents and businesses will see notices in the coming year
to get their input on how they would like to see their Walnut Creek evolve over the next 20-30 years.
Your voice matters and I encourage all residents and businesses to engage in this discussion.
Lastly, I'm honored to have represented the city I grew up in and raised my family in
as a council member for these past nine years and now again as mayor.
I know that my fellow council members all feel the same way in their representation of Walnut Creek.
While not everyone may agree with everything the city council does at all times,
And that's just shocking, frankly.
I hope people understand that we do the best we can with the information and tools that
we have under the California law that we are guided by.
As a welcoming community, we have open dialogue, civil discourse, and if we can avoid the
pitfall of mudslinging through social media, I'm confident that Walnut Creek will continue
to be the economic driver of the county and the premiere place to live, work, play, shop
and dine anywhere.
And with that comes the end of our meeting.
And I ask all of you please join us in the reception in the lobby and we look forward
to the year ahead.
Meeting adjourned.
Thank you.