2026-09-22 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official minutes. No video is posted, so there is no transcript or timing.

Closed session at 9:31 a.m. (Campos and Ortiz absent); regular session at 1:32 p.m. with all 11 members present; adjourned at 4:24 p.m.
Consent Calendar approved 11-0-0 (Candelas pulled Item 2.9 only to thank staff).
Federal and state legislative positions reaffirmed 9-2-0 with a Casey and Candelas memorandum on local control of housing; Tordillos's substitute motion failed 4-7-0.
Open audit recommendations status, employee turnover audit and stormwater annual report all accepted or adopted unanimously.
Arena Hotel and Homekey item (8.1) was dropped from the agenda.

Consent item 2.7: RES2026-296 and Ordinance 31352 reimbursed approved 2025-26 repairs from the Arena Capital Reserve Fund: $404,827 electrical, $1,011,945 mechanical, $399,743 miscellaneous and $11,547 structures, with the beginning fund balance raised by $1,828,062. Vote 11-0-0.

Consent item 2.8: RES2026-297 authorized purchase of property, liability and executive risk policies for October 1, 2026 to October 1, 2027 at up to $3,851,011 plus an 18 percent contingency, and additional liability insurance of $500,000 to $1,100,000 from October 22, 2026. Vote 11-0-0.

Candelas pulled the item to thank staff. RES2026-298 consolidates the eight Community Wireless Network areas under one funding agreement with East Side Union High School District, up to $1.6 million a year, through January 31, 2032 with five one-year extension options to 2037. Vote 11-0-0.

Staff from the City Manager's Office intergovernmental relations team presented the 2026 Summer report; no public comment.
Candelas moved the September 18 joint memorandum with Casey, seconded by Casey: add a 2027 Legislative Program position supporting restored local control over housing and land use, and write a letter of concurrence on League of California Cities Annual Conference Resolution No. 1.
Tordillos's substitute (accept staff recommendation and return in the January 2027 legislative update with ways to give flexibility to pro-housing cities while holding bad-faith cities accountable), seconded by Kamei, failed 4-7-0 (noes: Ortiz, Mulcahy, Doan, Candelas, Casey, Foley, Mahan). Kamei's friendly amendment to the original motion was declined.
The original motion passed 9-2-0 (noes: Kamei, Tordillos); Ortiz registered a verbal yes.

Open audit recommendations as of June 30, 2026: presented by City Auditor Rois and a senior auditor; two virtual speakers; motion by Foley, seconded by Kamei; accepted 11-0-0.
Employee turnover audit: motion by Campos, seconded by Doan; Moldow and two other virtual speakers commented; accepted 11-0-0.

Item 8.1 (exclusive negotiation with Episcopal Community Services and Homekey amendments, deferred from September 1) was dropped. It returned on October 6 (see 2026-10-06 - City Council).

Labor Negotiations Update: none provided; no labor items were on the closed session list.

Closed session covered three existing-litigation matters (two workers' compensation claims and a City suit against the police officers association), two anticipated-litigation matters and a City Clerk evaluation. No report-out.

Commendations for Our City Forest's executive director, MLV NorCal volleyball and the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center; International Literacy Month proclamation.
Retroactive approval of a District 4 car show and six District 5 events as council-sponsored special events.
Stormwater Management Annual Report 2025-2026 (RES2026-299) adopted 11-0-0 on motion by Kamei, seconded by Foley, presented by Provenzano and others.
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report: public hearing held and report accepted 10-0-1 (Tordillos absent).
Open forum: access to services for people experiencing homelessness, nuclear-exchange effects, and sewer and grid capacity.