OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

March 17, 2026 Davis City Council: Sanctuary City Ordinance and HRC Recommendations

City Council & Planning Commission — Tuesday, March 17, 2026
BodyDavis, California
SessionCity Council & Planning Commission
DateTuesday, March 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:06:23

Transcript — Verbatim
1:25

Okay.

1:26

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the March 17th regular meeting of the Davis City Council.

1:32

Um, our first um I'm gonna note for the record that four of my three of my colleagues are here in the chambers, and Councilmember Vila is attending remotely this evening.

1:41

And our first item of business is to approve the agenda.

1:44

Is there a motion to approve?

1:46

Moved by Councilmember Dio, seconded by Chapman.

1:50

Madam Clerk, could you call the roll, please?

1:55

Chapman.

1:59

Neville.

2:00

Here.

2:01

Quartita.

2:02

Here.

2:03

Diaz.

2:04

Here.

2:04

Lightla.

2:06

Here.

2:07

Motion passes unanimously.

2:08

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

2:09

Very good.

2:10

So returning to item our first item of business, which is a ceremonial presentation.

2:15

This is a proclamation recognizing March as American Red Cross Month, and Councilmember Dioce is going to read that proclamation.

2:44

Hi.

2:44

Good evening.

2:46

Hello.

2:48

In March, we celebrate American Red Cross Month by honoring our neighbors who make its humanitarian mission possible in Davis.

2:58

Every day, their acts of kindness change lives, bringing relief, comfort, and hope when help can't wait.

3:15

Today, those who serve with the California Gold Country region, which includes the City of Davis, light the way during emergencies, whether it's delivering shelter, food, and comfort after disasters, providing a safe life-saving blood supply for patients facing conditions like cancer treatment, childbirth complications, and traumatic injuries, assisting military members, veterans, and their families with twenty-four-seven global support, or empowering individuals with skills like first aid and CPR that save lives.

5:00

And myself being a resident of Davis, I proudly serve this community for all of these emergency that we sometimes come across.

5:10

And unfortunately, we need to deal with them.

5:13

So the American Red Cross prevents and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers such as myself and my colleagues here, and the generosity of our very, very generous donors.

5:29

And on that in mind, I'd like to say again, thank you very much.

5:33

I present the mic to Wally here.

5:38

Thank you very much.

5:39

And uh just to say a couple more things about the Red Cross was mentioned that it was 145 years ago.

5:45

I think uh we hear in our classes uh Clara Barton uh was the one who started it in 1881.

5:52

But we think of it the Red Cross as being a um something we have here when originally it was started in Geneva, Switzerland in 1863, and Clara Barton actually went over to Geneva to uh find out more about what they were doing over there and brought that back and enhanced it uh to where we're at now.

6:11

So thank you very much for uh the proclamation today.

6:14

Thank you.

6:15

Thank you.

6:16

Would you like a photo?

6:17

We can take a very short break to do a quick group photo, and we'll do that and then we'll resume before I turn it over to City Manager Dunstan for some brief announcements.

7:42

I do just want to make everyone aware that this evening during our meeting, we have the benefit of live translation services happening.

7:49

So I know sometimes when you're sitting in the audience, you may hear someone speaking into a little device.

7:56

Um they're here to provide a really valuable service so that everyone can participate equally in our meeting.

8:01

Just wanted to make you aware of that.

8:03

We're very happy to have them here.

8:05

So with that, I'm gonna turn it over to City Manager Dunstan.

8:08

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

8:09

Uh, two quick announcements.

8:11

Uh, first, the Tong High Win Awards nomination deadline has been extended to March 23rd.

8:18

Um, and this is for uh folks to nominate any community members whose actions exemplify the goals of diversity, community, social justice, and civil rights, and nomination forms will be accepted at cityofdavis.org.

8:36

And we are calling all photographers uh to enter the 2026 parks and community services community photo contest.

8:46

Participants of all ages can submit up to five JPEG images, and the images must feature a park in Davis.

8:53

There's a ten dollar entry fee, and winners will be featured in the upcoming recreation guide, uh honored at a recreation and park commission meeting, and their photos will be displayed at City Hall in July.

9:07

And so for more information and to register, visit our special interest classes webpage at cityofdavis.org.

9:14

And that concludes their announcements.

9:16

Thank you, City Manager Dunstan.

9:18

Um now I'm turning to whether there are any brief announcements or liaison reports from my colleagues.

9:25

Seeing none, uh, we will move on.

9:27

Um City Council members, do we have any does anyone intend to pull an item from the consent calendar for discussion?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Immigration Policy█████████████████████████████████████████████60%
Public Safety██████████13%
Procedural████████11%
Community Engagement███4%
Public Engagement██3%
Procurement Policy██2%
Arts And Culture█1%
Environmental Protection█1%
Personnel Matters█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Davis City Council Meeting – March 17, 2026

The Davis City Council met on March 17, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers. The meeting included a ceremonial proclamation for American Red Cross Month, approval of the consent calendar with one councilmember requesting to be recorded as a no vote on a fireworks item, public comments on e-bike safety and sanctuary city support, and a lengthy deliberation on a Sanctuary City Ordinance and Human Relations Commission (HRC) recommendations. The council unanimously adopted the Sanctuary City Ordinance and gave direction on several related initiatives.

Ceremonial Presentation

  • Proclamation Recognizing March as American Red Cross Month – Councilmember Deos read the proclamation, and a representative from the Red Cross spoke about its history.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar was approved unanimously by roll call (Chapman, Neville, Partida, Deos, Vaitla all aye). However, Councilmember Vaitla earlier indicated he wished to be recorded as a no vote on Item P (Authorizing 2026 Pyrotechnic Displays for the Fourth of July celebration). The final roll call did not reflect this request, creating a discrepancy between the stated intent and the recorded vote. (The agenda notes that a 4/5 vote is required for late items; no discussion was held on this discrepancy.)
  • Councilmember Deos additionally expressed appreciation for staff’s work on the Lake Boulevard Bike Lanes project (Item E), which was included in the consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • E-bike and e-scooter safety (under Item 3, general comments) – Several residents urged the council to ban motorized e-bikes/e-scooters for children under 16 on greenbelts. Dr. Ulfat Cheikh cited injury statistics and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. Nikki Martin and Tova Stiles (via voicemail) shared the story of Julie Veress, a nurse killed by a teenage e-bike rider on a multi-use path, and called for a 10 mph speed limit on paths and restricting high-speed e-bikes to streets.
  • Sanctuary City support (Item 5) – Multiple community members spoke in favor of adopting a strong sanctuary city ordinance and implementing the HRC’s recommendations. Speakers included Venus Manishel, Spear (using they/them pronouns), Frank Pinto, Layla Cervantes, Silas (survivor of human trafficking), Ann Block, Dima Tamimi, Alan Hirsch, Sam Monise, Tommy Noyes, Kevin Baker (HRC commissioner), Reem Alders Maui, and Ellen Kalaric (via voicemail). Key themes: need for community notification of ICE activity, funding for immigration legal defense, a rapid response plan, and visible city support. One speaker opposed moving the MAPA item to April 28 (Israel Independence Day).
  • Fireworks opposition (Item 3 and Item P) – Todd Adelman and Connor Government (via voicemail) urged pulling Item P from the consent calendar for discussion, citing the 2025 pyrotechnic explosion that killed seven people in another city and calling for a shift to drone shows.
  • Arts MOU gratitude – Kyle Monhollen (Davis Live Music Collective) thanked the city for its partnership (Item N on consent calendar).

Discussion Items

  • Item 5A: Sanctuary City Ordinance – City Attorney Inder Khalsa and Deputy Police Chief Matt Petersen presented the ordinance, which largely mirrors state law (SB 54) and prohibits city resources from assisting federal immigration enforcement. They explained that certain HRC-requested provisions (non-discrimination clause, procurement restrictions, employee outside-work limits, community notification, mask prohibition) were not included due to legal or practical concerns. The council discussed each element extensively. Councilmember Vaitla raised concerns about city employees working with immigration enforcement; staff agreed to research limitations.
  • Item 5B: Human Relations Commission Recommendations – Assistant City Manager Kelly Stachowicz presented six high-priority recommendations from the HRC to support immigrant safety and solidarity. These included: (1) adopting a binding sanctuary city ordinance, (2) establishing immigration legal defense capacity, (3) implementing an ICE preparedness and rapid response plan, (4) supporting know-your-rights trainings, (5) strengthening language access, and (6) demonstrating visible city support.

Key Outcomes

  1. Sanctuary City Ordinance – The council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance (motion by Mayor Neville, seconded by Councilmember Chapman; all ayes). Staff will incorporate minor amendments suggested by HRC co-chair Kevin Baker (text simplifications and adding “equipment, tools, and funds” to the reporting requirement).
  2. Community Notification – Instead of putting a notification requirement in the ordinance, the council directed staff to add information to the city website directing residents to NORCAL Resist for verifying and reporting ICE sightings. The city manager will also notify councilmembers of known ICE activity.
  3. Immigration Legal Defense – The council declined to create a city-funded legal defense program at this time but agreed to form an ad hoc subcommittee (Mayor Neville and Vice Mayor Partida) to research potential funding sources (e.g., state grants) and report back.
  4. ICE Preparedness / Rapid Response Plan – The council decided not to form a multi-jurisdictional Brown Act task force, but instead will have the Police Department lead development of a plan with input from the HRC. The ad hoc subcommittee will also review model plans from other cities.
  5. Know-Your-Rights Trainings – The council encouraged the HRC and Police Accountability Commission to continue sponsoring immigrant-focused forums; existing resources are sufficient.
  6. Language Access – The council prioritized strengthening Spanish-language translation on the city website and in materials. Staff will assess current translation capabilities and consider using interns and AI tools for PDFs.
  7. Visible Support – The council affirmed ongoing visible support for immigrants, and Mayor Neville will send a letter opposing the proposed HUD rule that would eliminate funding for mixed-status households.
  8. Long Range Calendar – A special meeting on the MAPA report was scheduled for April 28, 2026, with related proclamations moved to that date. The leaf blower electrification item was placed on the pending list, and e-bike safety was added as an upcoming topic.
  9. Consent Calendar Discrepancy – The transcript shows a unanimous vote on the consent calendar, but Councilmember Vaitla had requested to be recorded as a no on Item P (pyrotechnic displays). No resolution of this discrepancy was recorded.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at approximately 11:10 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the March 17th regular meeting of the Davis City Council. Um, our first um I'm gonna note for the record that four of my three of my colleagues are here in the chambers, and Councilmember Vila is attending remotely this evening. And our first item of business is to approve the agenda. Is there a motion to approve? Moved by Councilmember Dio, seconded by Chapman. Madam Clerk, could you call the roll, please? Chapman. Neville. Here. Quartita. Here. Diaz. Here. Lightla. Here. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Very good. So returning to item our first item of business, which is a ceremonial presentation. This is a proclamation recognizing March as American Red Cross Month, and Councilmember Dioce is going to read that proclamation. Hi. Good evening. Hello. In March, we celebrate American Red Cross Month by honoring our neighbors who make its humanitarian mission possible in Davis. Every day, their acts of kindness change lives, bringing relief, comfort, and hope when help can't wait. Today, those who serve with the California Gold Country region, which includes the City of Davis, light the way during emergencies, whether it's delivering shelter, food, and comfort after disasters, providing a safe life-saving blood supply for patients facing conditions like cancer treatment, childbirth complications, and traumatic injuries, assisting military members, veterans, and their families with twenty-four-seven global support, or empowering individuals with skills like first aid and CPR that save lives. And myself being a resident of Davis, I proudly serve this community for all of these emergency that we sometimes come across. And unfortunately, we need to deal with them. So the American Red Cross prevents and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers such as myself and my colleagues here, and the generosity of our very, very generous donors. And on that in mind, I'd like to say again, thank you very much. I present the mic to Wally here. Thank you very much. And uh just to say a couple more things about the Red Cross was mentioned that it was 145 years ago. I think uh we hear in our classes uh Clara Barton uh was the one who started it in 1881. But we think of it the Red Cross as being a um something we have here when originally it was started in Geneva, Switzerland in 1863, and Clara Barton actually went over to Geneva to uh find out more about what they were doing over there and brought that back and enhanced it uh to where we're at now. So thank you very much for uh the proclamation today. Thank you. Thank you. Would you like a photo? We can take a very short break to do a quick group photo, and we'll do that and then we'll resume before I turn it over to City Manager Dunstan for some brief announcements. I do just want to make everyone aware that this evening during our meeting, we have the benefit of live translation services happening. So I know sometimes when you're sitting in the audience, you may hear someone speaking into a little device. Um they're here to provide a really valuable service so that everyone can participate equally in our meeting. Just wanted to make you aware of that. We're very happy to have them here. So with that, I'm gonna turn it over to City Manager Dunstan. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh, two quick announcements. Uh, first, the Tong High Win Awards nomination deadline has been extended to March 23rd.

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