Davis City Council Meeting - April 15, 2025

The Davis City Council met at 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The council unanimously added an urgency item on the Saturday shootings in Community Park, heard ceremonial proclamations and public comment, approved the consent calendar and the first-year CDBG/HOME action plan, and received the 2025 Pavement Management Update. The council took a five-minute break and reconvened at approximately 8:30 p.m. for the regular calendar.

Ceremonial Presentations and Announcements

• The council proclaimed April 5, 2025 as Arbor Day in Davis. Representatives of Tree Davis accepted the proclamation and thanked the city for the partnership.
• The council proclaimed April 13-19, 2025 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Jennifer Candelo, Records and Communications Manager for the Davis Police Department, accepted on behalf of dispatchers.
• The council proclaimed April 2025 as American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. A community member accepted and noted the long history and contributions of Muslims in Davis, including the Islamic Center of Davis and the Muslim Davis Engagement and Interfaith Network.
• Announcements included: Golden Heart Awards nominations extended to April 22; a Cesar Chavez celebration on April 26 at 10:30 a.m. at Central Park; and the 15th annual Lupa Palooza on May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. along the 12-mile Davis bike loop.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar was moved, seconded, and approved. One council member registered a no vote on Item K, related to the Fourth of July fireworks/pyrotechnic display.
• Consent items discussed in public comment included the sale of city-owned property at 1021 Olive Drive and the fireworks display agreement.

Public Comments & Testimony

Community Park shooting urgency item

• A speaker referenced a deleted Sigma fraternity social media post that said, among other things, "please do not bring any conflicts or disputes to Picnic Day" and warned against "planned altercations or retaliatory actions," arguing this suggested the fraternity anticipated possible violence.
• A parent of a child at the Davis Little League field described receiving a call that a shooting had occurred across the street from the field. She said the fraternity had promoted the event since February 25, that the advertised performer had over 726,000 monthly listeners, and that the city must protect children in future years.
• A longtime Davis resident said his family had lived in Davis since 1969, praised the first responders, and said "Davis can do better."
• Beth Bourne said she was concerned about violence in Davis, criticized the mayor's recent language at a Sacramento rally, and said she had been physically assaulted on the UC Davis campus by people holding "ACAB" signs. She used later general public comment to ask why Davis girls were receiving gender-transition surgeries and to criticize the city's response to her concerns.

General public comment

• South Davis residents described poor pavement on Albany Avenue and the adjacent greenbelt path, citing the city's pavement condition report, a neighbor's injury from a trip hazard, and PCI ratings. They asked the city to stay on the schedule for bike path repairs in 2026 and to consider moving Albany Avenue repairs forward from 2028.
• A speaker suggested regional mutual-aid agreements with neighboring police departments for events like Picnic Day, and cautioned against relying heavily on UC Davis police.
• A representative of the Davis Arts Alliance thanked the council for arts funding and described the value of multilingual children's books celebrating Filipino American children.
• Property owners behind 1021 Olive Drive asked the council to postpone Item F so staff could negotiate with their buyer, Palm Communities, for a combined development of their property and the city parcel. Representatives of HK3 Development spoke in support of the staff selection, describing themselves as a local family company and stating the project would include 22% moderate-income "affordable by design" units, 150 units completed in the last three years, and 50% of units below $1,500.
• Multiple recorded callers urged the council to withdraw Anne Block's nomination for a Human Relations Commission award, alleging her history of anti-Semitic remarks and actions contradicted the award's purpose.
• Several speakers addressed the Jewish American Heritage Month event scheduled for May 29 in Central Park. Some supported the event and asked the council to keep it apolitical; others described tensions at the Human Relations Commission meeting and asked the council to understand the controversy before endorsing it.
• Other speakers discussed the Human Relations Commission itself, with some calling it dysfunctional and others saying it provided an important space for difficult community conversations.
• A caller opposed the idea of overnight camping in Davis, citing problems in Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward, San Francisco, and Venice, California, and said money would be better spent on after-school and summer youth programs.
• A caller asked the city to avoid scheduling meetings on Tax Day and suggested drone shows as an alternative to fireworks.
• Callers Greg Rowe and Ellen Kalaric asked the council to direct all proceeds from the 1021 Olive Drive sale to the housing trust fund or down payment assistance program rather than only 50%.

Discussion Items

Urgency item: Update on Saturday shootings in Community Park

• Police Chief Henry reported that officers near F Street heard gunfire at about 3 p.m. during Picnic Day. Three people were injured by gunfire. Davis Fire Department and paramedics treated and transported the victims. The park was cleared, which took a substantial amount of time.
• The response absorbed about 57 officers. The group later relocated to Central Park, requiring about another hour of committed resources. A lockdown at Davis High School also required officers to clear the school and adjoining buildings.
• The investigation is the police department's top priority, with five officers solely committed. Regional agencies, the Department of Justice, and the FBI are assisting.
• Chief Henry said Picnic Day brings about 70,000 people into Davis and generated 321 calls for service in a 24-hour period. The Community Park event was tied to a fraternity that had received a noise permit for what was described as a substantially smaller event.
• Vice Mayor Neville asked about the use of a helicopter to disperse the crowd. Chief Henry explained that the DJ complied, but the crowd did not leave, so the Sacramento Sheriff's helicopter was used for public address announcements while officers gave verbal commands.
• Chief Henry listed immediate mental health resources: a police mobile clinician, Yolo County behavioral health services, and the 988 crisis line.
• Council members expressed concern about trauma in the community, especially for children, and about the need for better communication and support. Several called for a larger conversation with UC Davis and other partners about how to make Picnic Day safer.
• Councilmember Chapman moved to create a subcommittee to work with staff and the university on Picnic Day safety and community communication. The motion was seconded and passed 5-0.

Valley Vision: California Jobs First / We Prosper Together

• Evan Schmidt, CEO of Valley Vision, presented the regional economic development plan. The statewide California Jobs First program has invested more than $450 million. The region is eight counties, with Valley Vision leading the "We Prosper Together" plan.
• The plan is anchored to three goals: create more high-quality jobs, increase access to jobs for historically underinvested communities, and support climate resilience.
• Schmidt reported that more than a quarter of working families in the region are struggling to make ends meet and that the region needs 335,000 more high-quality jobs. Priority sectors include business services, precision manufacturing, working lands, biotechnology, construction, healthcare, tourism, and the creative economy.
• The region has completed a $5 million planning phase, is administering $9 million in catalyst-phase community grants, and the state is offering $125 million in competitive implementation funds plus $15 million for tribal opportunities.
• Valley Vision asked the city to become a formal coalition partner. City staff said a formal item would return in May. Council members discussed jobs-housing balance, remote work, equity, climate resilience, and the need to ensure Yolo County communities can access regional economic development opportunities.

Five-Year Consolidated Plan, CDBG and HOME Funds, Year One Annual Action Plan

• Director Bailey presented the draft five-year consolidated plan required by HUD. The plan covers decent housing, expanded economic opportunities, and suitable living environments.
• Bailey said the housing crisis worsened since the 2020 plan, and the COVID pandemic exacerbated job loss and rising prices. Approximately 686 households earning less than about $26,000 were age 65 or older, showing that seniors are also burdened.
• The city's total CDBG grant last year was $720,000, with 15% for public services, about $108,000. HOME funds are about $342,000 and were intentionally left unallocated for now to support affordable housing projects in the pipeline.
• A new economic development allocation was included in the recommended plan. Staff said the goal is to encumber funds quickly given federal uncertainty.
• Councilmember Davis asked about discrepancies between the presentation slide and the staff report. Staff acknowledged inconsistencies in the slide and said the staff report is the correct version.
• The council approved the staff recommendation. The motion passed 5-0.

2025 Pavement Management Update

• Principal Civil Engineer Melissa Marshall, Public Works Director Diana Jensen, and NCE President Margot Yap presented the update.
• The city's pavement network has an asset value of about $460.8 million. Pavement Condition Index scores are on a 0-100 scale. Both streets and bike paths have an average PCI of 62, considered fair.
• The 2025 survey found about 40% of streets in good condition, about 3% failed, about one-third fair, and about 25% poor. Bike paths were about 50% good, 10% fair, almost one-third poor, and 12.7% failed.
• The 2013 council targets are PCI 63 overall, 68 for arterials, 65 for collectors, 60 for residential streets, and 68 for bike paths.
• Existing annual funding is about $8.4 million per year. Under that scenario, streets are projected to decline to PCI 59 by 2034, deferred maintenance would rise to $170.9 million for streets and $13.7 million for bike paths, and 21.1% of streets and 14.3% of bike paths would be failed by 2034. Bike paths would improve to PCI 71 under existing funding.
• Staff presented four scenarios: maintain existing funding; improve to target PCI; maintain current PCI; and an unconstrained "fix everything" scenario. Improving to target PCI would require an additional $25 million over 10 years, or about $2.5 million per year. Maintaining current PCI would require $14 million over 10 years. Fixing everything would require $95 million over 10 years.
• Staff recommended Scenario 2, reaching target PCI values, and working with the pavement subcommittee and fiscal commission to close the funding gap.
• Public commenters urged more aggressive front-loading, cited a December 2024 staff estimate of $14 million per year for four years, said voters expected Measure Q money to go to roads, and noted that deferred maintenance costs increase when repairs are delayed. A representative of the California Asphalt Pavement Association supported investment in roads and said rough roads cost drivers hundreds to up to about $1,000 per year. Another speaker suggested a vehicle weight-based tax, citing the heavier damage done by larger vehicles. Another speaker said the city could face liability for failed bike and road pavement.
• Council members expressed support for front-loading funds, reducing deferred maintenance, improving bike path and residential street conditions, and possibly pursuing a higher target PCI. The council directed staff and the pavement subcommittee to work with the fiscal commission on funding options, including possible bond measures, parcel taxes, and re-evaluation of special fund contributions such as the solid waste fund, while also considering ways to keep deferred maintenance lower. No formal vote was taken on the pavement funding scenarios.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved adding the urgency item on the Community Park shootings to the agenda.
• Approved creation of a Picnic Day/community communication subcommittee by a 5-0 vote.
• Approved the consent calendar; one council member registered a no vote on Item K.
• Approved the Five-Year Consolidated Plan, CDBG and HOME funds, and Year One Annual Action Plan by a 5-0 vote.
• Directed staff and the pavement subcommittee to continue analyzing front-loaded pavement funding, possible revenue sources, and possibly higher PCI targets.
• The next regular council meeting will be May 13, 2025, with the municipal electricity and microgrid discussion rescheduled to that date and a general plan kickoff item also anticipated.