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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Auburn City Council Meeting - September 15, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Tuesday, September 15, 2026

BodyAuburn, California

SessionCity Council & Commissions

DateTuesday, September 15, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 45:24

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:09

Maybe I'll read it.

0:10

I think I'm just gonna read it and then okay.

0:16

Okay.

0:17

All right.

0:18

Good evening, everyone, and welcome.

0:20

Uh we are returning from closed session.

0:27

Oh.

0:30

Sorry, we have new, we have a new feng shui here tonight.

0:33

Yes, thank you.

0:34

Uh thank you, Mayor and Council members.

0:36

Uh, there is a report out from closed session.

0:38

Uh the council voted unanimously, uh, with the exception of council member powers who did not join us in closed session uh to initiate litigation.

0:49

Umce that is commenced, the defendants and other particulars will be available to anyone upon request.

0:54

Thanks.

0:55

Thank you so much.

0:57

And we will go ahead and call this regular session to order here.

1:00

Sorry, it's a little bit late, 6 04 on September 14th, 2026.

1:06

A roll call, please.

1:09

Sure.

1:09

For the record, Councilmember Powers is absent due to a pre-planned vacation before she was appointed to the council.

1:15

Councilmember Mara.

1:17

Present.

1:17

Down in Calvio.

1:18

Present.

1:18

Ridell Harris here, Mayor Davis.

1:20

Here, thank you very much.

1:21

Uh, can we please stand for the pledge?

1:23

Uh, Councilmember Rodel Harris, will you lead us?

1:27

I pledge to the United States of America.

1:46

All right, and sorry, we we have a new Feng Shui here with our uh podium moving.

1:54

So I will opt to try reading the accommodation tonight, and then I will invite our representatives up uh to receive and have a picture.

2:03

Does that sound good?

2:04

Okay.

2:07

Uh so today we are we have a proclamation recognizing National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, September 14th through the 20th, 2026.

2:17

Whereas rehabilitation services help individuals affected by illness, injury, disability, surgery, or age-related changes regain function, independence, confidence, and quality of life.

2:29

And whereas physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, therapy assistants, rehabilitation nurses, physicians, and support professionals work collaboratively to help people achieve meaningful goals and participate fully in their homes and communities.

2:45

And whereas rehabilitation promotes safer mobility, fault prevention, effective communication, successful transitions home, accessible aging, and continued community participation for people of all ages and abilities.

2:59

And whereas increased public awareness can help dispel misconceptions about aging and rehabilitation, including the beliefs that falls are an unavoidable part of aging, or that rehabilitation must end when an individual leaves a skilled nursing facility.

3:14

And whereas the 2026 theme, building futures through rehabilitation, recognizes the dedication of rehabilitation professionals and the courage and perseverance of the individuals and families they serve.

3:27

Now, therefore, I, Kelly Davis, Mayor of the City of Auburn, on behalf of the City Council, do proclaim September 14th through the 20th, 2026 as National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, and encourage residents to recognize the value of rehabilitation in creating a healthier, safer, more accessible, and more inclusive community.

3:48

And I'll have you guys join me up here, and you can have say a couple words if you want or not.

4:25

One third somehow this is echoing, and I can't figure out thank you, Mayor Davis and members of the city council, and thank you for recognizing the National Rehab Awareness Week.

5:00

I'm Pradeepika Smog and I'm the director of rehab at Auburn Oaks Care Center.

5:04

I'm origin that director of rehab at Raw Creek Care Center.

5:08

And we are really honored that you guys recognize the National Rehab Awareness Week and on behalf of our facility administrators, our rehab teams, and our facility overall, we are really honored to serve the community of Auburn.

5:23

Thank you.

5:23

Thank you.

5:24

Fantastic.

5:24

Thank you so much.

5:33

I would also ask tonight if council's okay with it that we adjourn in honor of Bob Roth.

5:38

Yes.

5:39

Yeah.

5:40

Thank you, because I was going to say that.

5:42

He was, of course, an Auburn volunteer firefighter and such a community a legend and and would be dearly missed.

5:50

So thank you very much.

5:51

I would be very much in support of that.

5:53

Yep.

5:55

Excellent.

5:55

All right.

5:56

Moving on now.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement███████████████████████████████31%

Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████26%

Procedural██████████████████████22%

Transportation Safety████████8%

Economic Development███████7%

Parks and Recreation███3%

Youth Programs███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Auburn City Council Meeting - September 15, 2026

The Auburn City Council met on September 15, 2026 (convened at 6:04 PM; Councilmember Powers absent due to pre-planned vacation). The meeting included a proclamation for National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, consent calendar approvals, public comments on downtown business closures and automated license plate readers, an appointment to the Library Advisory Board, and a presentation on the Auburn Municipal Airport Master Plan update. The council also reported out from closed session a unanimous vote to initiate litigation.

Consent Calendar

Items 1 through 3 were approved unanimously by blanket motion with no discussion: appointment of Aaron Semenoff to the Economic Development Commission, approval of the response to the Placer County Grand Jury report, and approval of an Information Technology services agreement with ABSO Technologies, Inc.
Item 4 (Host Venue Agreement with World Triathlon for the Canyons Races) was removed from the consent calendar at the request of a councilmember for clarification.

Public Comments & Testimony

A community member spoke against the upcoming Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) deployment, describing it as "the most dystopian version of a police state" and noting that the Auburn cameras had been accessed 11 million times. He urged the city to reject the technology.
Patty Lackett, a five-year resident, expressed concern over the number of downtown businesses closing (three in the last two weeks) and asked the council to develop a plan for sustainable retail beyond events. She also referenced a potential cannabis retail approval as not the right attraction.
Councilmember (during public comment) raised concerns about the city's decision to not enforce parking restrictions on the new Pacific Avenue bike lane during certain hours, stating the change was made without council input and could cause safety and confusion issues. Another councilmember thanked staff for following through on allowing parking during soccer games as previously agreed.

Discussion Items

Appointment to the Library Advisory Board: After two applicants withdrew, staff recommended Rebecca Bells, who met with the library director. The council unanimously appointed Ms. Bells.
Auburn Municipal Airport Master Plan Update: Airport Manager Ty Richardson and Ryan Hayes (Mead & Hunt, via Zoom) presented the updated plan. Key elements include a 600-foot runway extension (to 4,300 feet), terminal relocation, new hangar development, and additional helicopter parking. The council authorized submittal of the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to the FAA for technical review (the plan is approximately 90-95% complete). Next steps include FAA review, CEQA analysis, and formal council adoption. Council members commended the extensive community and user involvement in the process.

Reports

City Manager Report: Upcoming general plan hearings in October; transition of Finance Director to a new role (interim named); fire department community fuel reduction partnership (Robie Area Firewise); service awards presented to four employees.
Future Agenda Items: A councilmember requested a staff report on the in-kind costs the city incurs for parades and events, to better communicate the city's donation value to organizing nonprofits.
Committee Reports: - Economic Development Commission (EDC) town hall on October 13 focused on nonprofits. - Downtown Business Association (DBA) update: arts and entertainment district grant, new trash cans ordered, social media RFP planned, volunteer appreciation. - Youth Commission: first meeting with 15 members; projects include promoting Auburn On-Demand and a youth survey.

Key Outcomes

Consent calendar approved as amended (Item 4 removed for separate action).
Host Venue Agreement with World Triathlon for the Canyons Races approved (unanimous) with an amendment to paragraph 8A clarifying that exclusivity applies only during the defined race dates.
Rebecca Bells appointed to the Library Advisory Board (unanimous).
Authorized submittal of the Airport Master Plan and Airport Layout Plan to the FAA for technical review (unanimous).
Closed session report: Council voted unanimously (with Councilmember Powers not present) to initiate litigation; further details available upon request.

Meeting Transcript

Maybe I'll read it. I think I'm just gonna read it and then okay. Okay. All right. Good evening, everyone, and welcome. Uh we are returning from closed session. Oh. Sorry, we have new, we have a new feng shui here tonight. Yes, thank you. Uh thank you, Mayor and Council members. Uh, there is a report out from closed session. Uh the council voted unanimously, uh, with the exception of council member powers who did not join us in closed session uh to initiate litigation. Umce that is commenced, the defendants and other particulars will be available to anyone upon request. Thanks. Thank you so much. And we will go ahead and call this regular session to order here. Sorry, it's a little bit late, 6 04 on September 14th, 2026. A roll call, please. Sure. For the record, Councilmember Powers is absent due to a pre-planned vacation before she was appointed to the council. Councilmember Mara. Present. Down in Calvio. Present. Ridell Harris here, Mayor Davis. Here, thank you very much. Uh, can we please stand for the pledge? Uh, Councilmember Rodel Harris, will you lead us? I pledge to the United States of America. All right, and sorry, we we have a new Feng Shui here with our uh podium moving. So I will opt to try reading the accommodation tonight, and then I will invite our representatives up uh to receive and have a picture. Does that sound good? Okay. Uh so today we are we have a proclamation recognizing National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, September 14th through the 20th, 2026. Whereas rehabilitation services help individuals affected by illness, injury, disability, surgery, or age-related changes regain function, independence, confidence, and quality of life. And whereas physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, therapy assistants, rehabilitation nurses, physicians, and support professionals work collaboratively to help people achieve meaningful goals and participate fully in their homes and communities. And whereas rehabilitation promotes safer mobility, fault prevention, effective communication, successful transitions home, accessible aging, and continued community participation for people of all ages and abilities. And whereas increased public awareness can help dispel misconceptions about aging and rehabilitation, including the beliefs that falls are an unavoidable part of aging, or that rehabilitation must end when an individual leaves a skilled nursing facility. And whereas the 2026 theme, building futures through rehabilitation, recognizes the dedication of rehabilitation professionals and the courage and perseverance of the individuals and families they serve. Now, therefore, I, Kelly Davis, Mayor of the City of Auburn, on behalf of the City Council, do proclaim September 14th through the 20th, 2026 as National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, and encourage residents to recognize the value of rehabilitation in creating a healthier, safer, more accessible, and more inclusive community. And I'll have you guys join me up here, and you can have say a couple words if you want or not. One third somehow this is echoing, and I can't figure out thank you, Mayor Davis and members of the city council, and thank you for recognizing the National Rehab Awareness Week. I'm Pradeepika Smog and I'm the director of rehab at Auburn Oaks Care Center. I'm origin that director of rehab at Raw Creek Care Center. And we are really honored that you guys recognize the National Rehab Awareness Week and on behalf of our facility administrators, our rehab teams, and our facility overall, we are really honored to serve the community of Auburn. Thank you. Thank you. Fantastic. Thank you so much. I would also ask tonight if council's okay with it that we adjourn in honor of Bob Roth.

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