Davis City Council February 3, 2026: Sanctuary City, General Plan, and Consent Calendar Decisions
Davis City Council Meeting - February 3, 2026
The Davis City Council held a lengthy meeting on February 3, 2026, addressing a wide range of topics including ceremonial proclamations, consent calendar items with significant public debate, a major presentation on the general plan update's land use and mobility concept, and a pivotal discussion on advancing a sanctuary city ordinance. The meeting also adjusted council liaison assignments and dissolved several subcommittees.
Consent Calendar
- Approved consent calendar with item 4C pulled for separate discussion.
- Item 4C (Safe Parking Program): Council voted unanimously to amend the ordinance to increase the maximum number of parking spaces from five to eight per site, keeping the maximum stay at 12 hours. The motion passed 5-0.
- Item 4D (Noise Ordinance Cleanup): City Manager Dunstan clarified that a provision prohibiting skateboarding in parks was intended to allow skateboarding as transportation on shared-use paths. The item remained on consent.
- Item 4G (Minnesota v. NOM Amicus Brief): Mayor Neville explained the city missed the initial filing deadline but authorized her to sign on to subsequent appellate briefs in the lawsuit challenging ICE actions. Despite public opposition, the item was approved on consent.
- Item 4A (Tree Maintenance Contract): Councilmember Partita asked about inspection logs and cost variance; staff explained the contract is for tree care services only and the cost range was clarified.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Many speakers addressed the sanctuary city issue, urging a binding ordinance instead of a resolution. Speakers shared personal fears, experiences with ICE, and called for protections including prohibiting ICE staging on city property and mask-wearing by agents.
- Several residents spoke against the village farms project and the general plan's northeast development concept, citing floodplain, landfill proximity, agricultural land loss, and infrastructure costs.
- Noise ordinance cleanup (4D) was criticized as not routine; speakers asked for it to be pulled for full analysis.
- Other comments covered the MAPA recommendations, safe parking expansion, tree program concerns, and support for the Japanese American incarceration commemoration event.
Discussion Items
- Item 5: General Plan Update - Task 9 Land Use and Mobility Concept Plan: Staff presented a preliminary concept for northeast Davis growth, assuming ~9,000 housing units and 7,500 jobs, with a roadway network costing $800 million to $1 billion. Public comment criticized the low density, floodplain issues, landfill exclusion zone, and lack of commission input. Council members expressed preference for higher density, infill-first approach, and asked that the concept be sent to the Transportation Commission and Planning Commission for further study. No formal action taken.
- Item 6: Sanctuary City Ordinance Work Request: Assistant City Manager Stakowitz clarified the HRC had requested authority to draft an ordinance. Council discussed the legal limits as a general law city and the existing SB 54 protections. After extensive public comment, Councilmember Vitla moved to direct staff to work with the HRC to draft a sanctuary ordinance, memorializing SB 54 and exploring additional protections, with urgency. The motion passed unanimously. Council also discussed separate planning for emergency response to ICE actions.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent calendar as amended (item 4C modified).
- Directed staff to prepare a sanctuary city ordinance, using HRC's existing work, to be presented to HRC in February and back to Council in March.
- Directed that the general plan land use/mobility concept be sent to Transportation Commission and Planning Commission for feedback.
- Adjusted council liaison assignments: Councilmember Partita to Human Relations Commission (regular), Councilmember Dio to Police Accountability Commission (regular), Councilmember Chapman to DJUSD Two-by-Two, and dissolved several subcommittees while creating a new economic development subcommittee focused on the strategic plan.
- Adjourned in memory of Bill Wagman, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the February third meeting of the Davis City Council. I see that all of my colleagues are here at the Dais. And uh first item of business is approval of this evening's agenda. Is there a motion to approve? Moved by Councilmember Dio, second. Seconded by Councilmember Babila. All in favor of approval of the agenda, say aye. Aye. Um, any nose. No. Very good. The approved the agenda is approved for this evening. Um, we're now turning to item one, and we have two ceremonial presentations this evening. The first is a proclamation recognizing February twenty twenty-six as Black History and Black Futures Month. And Council Member Vitele is going to read that proclamation. Thank you, Mayor Neville. And uh, before I do so, I'd like to invite up Ramsey to Nae and Chieza, please. Come on up. In recent years, black leaders and visionaries have expanded the purpose of the observance to include black futures, celebrating the resilience, innovation, and thriving of black communities against all odds, and uplifting ongoing achievements that help the United States more fully live up to the ideals expressed in its founding texts and democratic principles. Now, therefore, be proclaimed that we, the Davis City Council, on behalf of the citizens of Davis, do hereby reaffirm the City of Davis's commitment to promoting cultural understanding, fostering a sense of belonging throughout our community, and honoring the contributions of African Americans to our society, and do hereby proclaim February 2026 as Black History and Black Futures Month in the City of Davis. Now it's your turn. If you have anything you want to say to us, feel free to come up to the mic. Um hi, I'm Tanae. I just first of all want to say thank you, City of Davis, for this proclamation of Black History Month. Um, as a Black person living in Davis, I have always had opportunity to share my culture. And although it's not easy always at school, because most kids are maybe not accustomed to our heritage or don't know how to express each other's cultures, um, and really not know how to deal with someone who's different. It is also very hard living in a small town like Davis, where there's not many people who look like you or may have the same culture. Even though it is hard, um, my town continues to make a safe space for our community, and I'm happy that City of Davis takes the time to give our community representation. Thank you. Thank you. Uh hi, my name is Chadsa. Um what it means to be black in Davis is you can go to events about your culture, about your culture, like MLK Day, Sankofa, and more. Thank you, uh, City of Davis for supporting events like this that teaches people about what it means to be what it is like to be black. Uh at events like this, I feel seen, heard, and appreciated. I've also had a chance to meet and learn from people who look like me, who I'm sure I would never meet anywhere else. Thank you for your time. Thank you, everyone. Did you want to? Oh, good. Excellent. Excellent. Thank you. Okay, there's an example. You got this, but you got this. Thank you. Thank you. Woo! Excellent. That was very brave. Thank you.
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