Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - March 27, 2024
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Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - March 27, 2024
The Elk Grove City Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, with the agenda listing a 6:00 p.m. start and the meeting called to order at 6:14 p.m. Adjournment occurred at 9:11 p.m. All five council members were present: Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Vice Mayor Rod Brewer, and Council Members Sergio Robles, Kevin Spease, and Darren Suen. The agenda included a proclamation, consent calendar, two public hearings, a drone response system agreement, the police department's annual report, and a proposal to convert contract positions to city positions.
Presentations and Proclamations
- Mayor Singh-Allen and the Council proclaimed April 2024 as Autism Acceptance Month. Dustin Noble, CEO of EG Speaks, accepted the proclamation and spoke about the importance of celebrating autism. The Mayor shared personal remarks about the significance of the proclamation for families.
Consent Calendar
- The Council approved the consent calendar, which included the March 13, 2024 meeting minutes; reports on City Manager approved purchases and RFPs/RFQs; the February 2024 disbursement summary and check register; resolutions for Community Facilities District annexation and special tax levies for the Backer-Lilly at Poppy Meadows project; the 2023 General Plan Annual Progress Report; Tourism Marketing District modification resolutions; a payment agreement for the Telos Greens Subdivision; and a contract amendment for the Laguna Creek Trail and West Stockton Boulevard Multi-Modal Improvements Project.
Public Comments and Testimony
- During general public comment, Lynn Wheat raised two issues: the need for council education on groundwater sustainability, and her hesitancy about the proposed zoo, suggesting a bus tour to the site using economic development funds.
- Wheat also commented on the consent calendar's disbursement report, questioning specific expenditures such as a zoo lunch, flu clinic, attorney invoices, and support for Café Elk Grove.
- During the CDBG/CSG hearing, many nonprofit representatives and supporters expressed support for funding their organizations. Speakers included representatives from Classy Inc., Elk Grove Heart, X-Hope, Crossover, Teen Center USA, the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center, Project Sentinel, Alchemist CDC, Meals on Wheels by ACC, the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center, the Senior Center of Elk Grove, and the Elk Grove Unified School District's homeless education liaison. They described the services they provide and thanked the Council for past support, with some asking for continued or new funding.
- No members of the public signed up to speak on the Sheldon Park Estates hearing or the Aerodome drone item.
Public Hearing: CDBG and Community Service Grant Recommendations
- Senior Grants Analyst Alicia Tutt presented the FY 2024-25 funding recommendations. The estimated CDBG allocation is $910,987, plus approximately $198,000 in reallocated prior-year capital funds. CSG funding totals $457,969, and $65,000 in Measure E funds is recommended for homelessness-related activities. The city received 36 applications with total requests over $3 million.
- Council Member Spease recused himself from two funding items (involving Running for Rhett and the Elk Grove Regional Scholarship Foundation); the remaining Council members approved staff recommendations for those two items.
- Council members asked staff about how applicant numbers were vetted and how award amounts were determined. Staff explained that no single formula is used, but rather a review of impact, feasibility, budget reasonableness, and administrative capacity.
- The Council directed staff to proceed with the recommended allocations.
Public Hearing: Sheldon Park Estates Amendment
- Senior Planner Kyra Killingsworth presented the request to amend the Sheldon Park Estates tentative subdivision map to convert a portion of the 45-lot, two-acre subdivision into a private gated community with two vehicle gates. The project was found exempt from CEQA under State Guidelines sections 15061(b)(3) and 15303.
- Applicant representative Gion Caloni spoke in support. The Council adopted the resolution unanimously.
Action Item: Aerodome Drone Response System
- Special Operations Lieutenant Nate Lang presented the proposed Drone-as-First-Responder program from Aerodome, Inc. The program would place three automated drone docks across the city, allowing drones to deploy to calls for service automatically. The contract cost is not to exceed $2,142,307.
- The Council discussed the program's safety and efficiency benefits. Council Member Spease emphasized that it is 'a tool in a toolbox,' and Vice Mayor Brewer seconded the motion to approve the resolution dispensing with the formal RFP procedure. The Council approved the resolution unanimously.
Presentation: Police Department 2023 Annual Report
- Police Chief Robert Davis presented the department's 2023 annual report. Key statistics included 90,000 calls for service, 2,600 traffic citations, 2,682 arrests (a 35% increase from 2022), an 83% increase in vehicle stops, 261 DUI arrests, and 200 hours of training per employee. The Council received the report with praise for the department's professionalism and community engagement.
Action Item: Conversion of Six Contract Positions to City Positions
- Management Analyst Rosa Tapia presented the proposal to convert six contract positions in the Development Engineering Division to city staff positions, including an engineering manager, senior civil engineer, two associate/assistant engineers, senior construction supervisor, and administrative assistant. The estimated annual cost is just over $2 million, with anticipated savings of approximately $430,000 per year and a one-time vehicle cost of $65,000.
- The Council directed staff to include the conversion in the proposed FY 2024-25 budget.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the consent calendar unanimously.
- Declared April 2024 as Autism Acceptance Month.
- Directed staff to proceed with the FY 2024-25 CDBG and CSG allocations as recommended, with Council Member Spease recused from two items.
- Approved the Sheldon Park Estates Amendment resolution unanimously.
- Approved the Aerodome drone agreement and RFP dispensation unanimously, authorizing up to $2,142,307.
- Received the Police Department 2023 Annual Report.
- Directed staff to include the six position conversions in the FY 2024-25 budget.
Council Comments and Reports
- Council Member Suen and Robles reported on upcoming committee meetings; Vice Mayor Brewer announced a Sacramento Public Library JPA meeting; Council Member Spease reported on the Cable Television Commission. The Mayor reminded everyone of the State of the City address on March 29, 2024.
Meeting Transcript
Convene from closed session, and there is nothing to report. So we will adjourn the special meeting at 6.14 p.m. And at this time, I would like to call to order the Elkgrove City Council regular meeting. Today is Wednesday, March the 27th, 2024. It is 6.14 p.m. Uh, Clerk. Thank you, Mayor. This meeting of the Elk Grove City Council will be cable cast at Metro Cable 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast Consolidated Communications and ATT Uverse Cable Systems. The meeting is closed captioned and webcast at Metro14Live.sackCounty.gov. Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, March 29th at 1 p.m. And again on Monday, April 1st, also at 1 p.m. on Channel 14. Previous meetings can be viewed online at the 3W's Elkgrove City.org or YouTube.com backward slash Metro Cable 14. For members of the participating audience who may have personal electronic devices, please place them on silent mode during the meeting or on mute when you are not speaking. Elkgrove City Council welcomes, appreciates, and encourages participation in the City Council meeting. City Council requests that you limit your presentation to three minutes per person so that all present will have time to participate. The City Council reserves the right to reasonably limit the total time for public comment on any particular notice agenda item as it may deem this as it may deem necessary. Pursuant to resolution number 210-24, no individual speaker concerning public comment may address the city council for more than three minutes. If you wish to address the council during the meeting, please complete one of the blue speaker cards, which can be found at the back of the chamber and provide it to our assistant city clerk, Brenda Hagard, prior to consideration of the agenda item. With that, Mayor, we will move on to the roll call. And starting with the roll call, I will start with Councilmember Robles. Present, Councilmember Spees. Present. Councilmember Sewen here. Vice Mayor Brewer. Here. And Mayor Sing Allen. Here. All right. Thank you. Next up is our land acknowledgement. Would the Vice Mayor please read our land acknowledgement? Yes, Mayor. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elk Grove's first inhabitants, the Plains Miwok, who lived as sovereign caretakers of this land and these waterways since time immemorial. We commemorate and advocate for their descendants, the Wilton Rancheria tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County who endure because of the bravery, resiliency, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders. All right, thank you. Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance. Okay. Everyone, hand over heart, ready? Pledge. I think to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republicans under God. Please join us for a moment of silence. Thank you. All right. Next up is our approval of the agenda. May I get a motion, please? So moved. Second. All those in favor, please say aye.
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