Davis City Council Special and Regular Meeting – May 20, 2025

The Davis City Council held a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. and a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the Community Chambers. The special meeting featured the 2025 Golden Heart Awards and Thong Hy Huynh Memorial Awards, recognizing outstanding youth and community advocates. The regular meeting included a consent calendar, a presentation from the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District, a public hearing on fee changes, and the first presentation of the Fiscal Year 2025/26 and 2026/27 proposed budget. Council also heard public comments on encampments, tree management, and budget priorities.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 5–0, with items including:
  • Purchase of two Flygt submersible pumps for Bretton Woods Pump Station upgrade.
  • Professional services agreement with BAE Urban Economics for the Willowgrove Project fiscal impact analysis.
  • Sub-recipient agreement for the federal PROTECT grant for the Cool Pavement Project.
  • Authorization for Unitrans to act on behalf of the city for Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) funding.
  • Transportation Development Act (TDA) claim for FY 2022/23.
  • FY 2025/26 Mello-Roos Community Facilities District tax assessments.
  • FY 2025/26 Open Space Protection and Park Maintenance special taxes.
  • Memorandum of Understanding with the Davis City Employee Association (DCEA), with noted technical corrections.
  • Approving wages and benefits for unrepresented executive management employees.
  • Adoption of the FY 2025/26 Investment Policy.
  • Informational report on city manager purchasing actions during the council break.
  • Receipt of Transportation Commission minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Encampment concerns: Two West Davis residents described a growing encampment along the 113 freeway near Sycamore Park, reporting a fire started at the camp that day. They urged the city to do more, noting that children have direct freeway access through a cut in the fence. The city had only offered courteous verbal recommendations for cleanup.
• Tree planting: Alan Hirsch praised increased tree budget but argued funds from tree removals are not being used for new plantings, citing poorly planted trees at the Davis Collection and tree loss at the Trader Joe's parking lot. He called for a revised tree specification and accountability for planting numbers.
• Drone show alternative: A speaker supported the recent Celebrate Davis drone light show as an environmentally friendly alternative to fireworks, suggesting the city consider it for future Fourth of July celebrations.
• Budget direction: A speaker thanked the council for including a downtown-based police officer and an aquatics maintenance technician for the upcoming splash pad. Another criticized the budget for inadequate reserves (10% vs. 15% target), underfunded roads ($8.5M/year vs. $14M needed), and continued spending on labor contracts and unfunded OPEB liability. A third questioned claims that the sales tax (Measure Q) was not pre-committed, stating the budget process allows discretionary allocation.

Discussion Items

• Golden Heart Awards (Special Meeting): Recognized Jonah Spang (Community Service) for allocating $160,000 to local nonprofits, volunteering 50+ hours at the Yolo Food Bank, and co-founding the California Habitat Restoration Club. Camila Pastor (Personal Challenge) was recognized for her courage in testifying against her abuser, resulting in a 32-year, 8-month prison sentence, and her academic and extracurricular achievements.
• Thong Hy Huynh Memorial Awards (Special Meeting): Dillan Horton (18 and Older) honored for LGBTQ+ advocacy through the Pride Committee and service on the Police Accountability Commission. Ann Block (18 and Older) recognized for immigrant legal work, including Know Your Rights workshops and contributions to the Yolo County Sanctuary Resolution. Davis Night Market (Community Organization) honored for redistributing food to reduce waste and support unhoused residents; volunteers noted that unhoused individuals did not feel comfortable attending. Delta of Venus/Lee Walthall (Community Organization) recognized for providing a safe, inclusive space for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities through multicultural art and music.
• Mosquito and Vector Control Presentation: Gary Goodman, SYMVCD District Manager, reported that West Nile virus remains the primary concern, with 129 human cases statewide last year (down from 428 the prior year). In Davis, West Nile activity was widespread, especially in West Davis. The district is deploying a sterile insect technique (SIT) pilot in Natomas using male mosquitoes with a bacterium to crash populations of invasive Aedes aegypti, which can transmit dengue. Goodman urged residents to eliminate standing water and call for free mosquito fish. The district has a technician dedicated to Davis and responds within 24 hours.
• Fee Changes Public Hearing: Finance Manager Kiran Sanghera presented proposed fee increases for FY 2025/26, generating ~$12 million in revenue. Notable changes: new downtown outdoor dining fees, police extra-duty pay aligned with MOU (14.38% increase), parks & community services fee updates including flat-rate deposits, and urban forestry fees reflecting permit processing time. Council approved both resolutions 5–0.
• Fiscal Year 2025/26 and 2026/27 Proposed Budget: Interim City Manager Kelly Stachowicz and Finance Director Elena Adair presented a two-year budget of ~$243 million (FY26) and ~$253 million (FY27). Key drivers: strong property tax base and new Measure Q sales tax revenue allowed maintenance of existing services, but the budget remains tight. Revenues from development have been conservative due to project delays. General fund reserves are projected at 10% for FY27 (short of the 15% target). New funding requests include $1M for park irrigation, $2.4M for homeless services (eight beds at Pulse Place, winter shelter, respite center), $287K for tree assessments, and a downtown police officer. Capital Improvement Program totals ~$37M over two years, with 66% for streets and roads. Council directed staff to return with more detail on road funding frontloading, vacancy analysis, and potential reallocation of unspent Crisis Now funds (~$1.17M originally set aside). A budget workshop is scheduled for May 27.

Key Outcomes

• Awards Ceremony: Recognized six recipients with Golden Heart and Thong Hy Huynh awards; photo opportunities and refreshments followed.
• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (5–0).
• Mosquito Presentation: Received as information; council expressed appreciation and noted Dr. Chris Barker as council appointee to the SYMVCD board.
• Fee Changes: Resolutions approving changes to city department fees and community development/public works fees passed 5–0.
• Budget Direction: Council will hold a workshop on May 27 at 3:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. Staff will return on June 17 for formal adoption of the two-year budget. Council requested:
  • Further analysis on frontloading pavement maintenance funding.
  • A vacancy report on funded positions (to be presented June 3).
  • Exploration of reallocating unspent Crisis Now funds toward mental health services.
  • A broader urban forestry management discussion after July recess.
  • Consideration of zero-based budgeting approach in future cycles.
  • Review of effectiveness of voluntary electrification program (timeline per earlier council direction).
• Long Range Calendar: Council noted upcoming items on the respite center (June 17) and urban forestry/homelessness policy discussions.