Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - September 11, 2024
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Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - September 11, 2024
The Elk Grove City Council held a regular meeting on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 6:01 PM in the City Council Chambers. Councilmember Darren Suen was absent. The meeting began with a closed session update (authorizing defense of a lawsuit) and included proclamations, public comments, consent calendar approvals, public hearings, and several action items.
Presentations / Announcements
- Proclamation recognizing Diversity Awareness Month 2024 – Councilmember Sergio Robles presented the proclamation, emphasizing the city's diverse community. Chair Tina Lee Vode of the Diversity and Inclusion Commission highlighted the upcoming Multicultural Festival on Saturday, September 14, at District 56.
- Proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15–Oct 15, 2024) – Presented to Orlando Fuentes, CSD director, for his long service to the city and community. Council members praised his inclusivity and dedication.
- Arts Commission Annual Update – Chair Nan Mahan reported on the “Hello Goodbye” sculpture for Old Town Plaza (installation expected fall 2024), a $140,000 public art project for the new library at Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road (117 artist responses, finalists from five states), and a successful Blues in the Grove event on July 13, 2024, with attendance of several hundred despite heat. The commission plans to repeat the event in 2025.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lynn Wheat (running for mayor) – Expressed concern about tobacco use and vaping rates (25% of high school students vape; 480,000 annual deaths from smoking). She asked Mayor Singh-Allen to return a $2,500 campaign contribution from RJ Reynolds, citing the city's health goals. The Mayor responded that campaign matters are not appropriate for city business.
- Randy Becker – Thanked the council and staff for their work on a recent state-related issue, criticized the state's actions, and requested a public explanation of the $10 million figure in the settlement agreement, clarifying it is not a fine.
Consent Calendar
All 13 consent calendar items were approved unanimously (4-0) without discussion or public comment. Key items include:
- Approval of August 28, 2024, meeting minutes.
- Reports on City Manager approved purchases and contracts.
- Second readings of ordinances: Residential Lighting Standards (Ordinance No. 11-2024) and Unlawful Camping (Ordinance No. 12-2024).
- Electric bike program reimbursement agreement with Elk Grove Bike Shop.
- Final Map for Arbor Ranch, Phase 2A Subdivision.
- Revised Small Business Permit Assistance Program policies.
- Funding agreement with Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission ($216,318 for PEG channels).
- CalRecycle Household Hazardous Waste Grant applications.
- 2024 Pavement Maintenance Project – Overlay contract ($2,265,792) and related agreements.
- Reimbursement agreement with SMUD for Kammerer Road Phase 1 extension.
- Contract with The Permanente Medical Group for employment medical exams.
Public Hearings
8.1 – Iron Rock Industrial Project Annexations Two public hearings held for the 98th annexation to Community Facilities District No. 2006-1 (Maintenance Services) and the 68th annexation to Storm Water Drainage Fee Zone 2. The project is a 2.8-acre non-residential development east of Elk Grove. No public comments.
- CFD 2006-1 Annex 98: Three votes cast; all three affirmative (more than two-thirds required). Resolutions A-1 (calling special election), A-2 (declaring results), and A-3 (ordinance levying special tax) were adopted unanimously.
- Storm Water Drainage Fee Zone 2 Annex 68: No majority protest; three votes weighted by financial obligation all in favor. Resolution B (determining to levy assessments) adopted unanimously.
Discussion Items
9.1 – Old Town Special Planning Area CUP Limits for Bars, Breweries, Wineries, Brew Pubs Planning Manager Antonio Ablog presented background on the current cap of three conditional use permits (CUPs) for alcohol-serving establishments in Old Town. Three CUPs have been issued (Coatsa, Dust Bowl, Elk Grove Pub). Staff recommended increasing the cap to six to accommodate pending businesses (e.g., a wine tasting room). Councilmember Spease expressed interest in a future mechanism to determine the optimal number. Councilmember Robles made a motion to approve increasing the cap to six, seconded, and passed unanimously (4-0). Staff will proceed with amending the Old Town SPA.
9.2 – Trail Wayfinding and Signage Program Senior Transportation Planner Kaley Lyons presented an update on the program, which includes new trailhead kiosks, trail guide signs, and mile markers with color-coded trails. Community engagement (200 survey responses, pop-up stations) informed the design. The program will be implemented initially on 4 miles of Laguna Creek Trail with $200,000 available. A resolution amending the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Master Plan to include the design as Appendix E was adopted unanimously (4-0).
9.3 – Pension Funding Update and Policy Finance Director Matthew Paulin reported the city's pension funded ratio is 86% (as of June 30, 2023), with an unfunded accrued liability of $32.4 million. The city has made $13.5 million in additional payments and established a pension trust ($1.9 million). The proposed policy sets a goal of 90% funding for all six plans, prioritizing contributions to the trust. Councilmember Spease praised the city's fiscal health. The resolution adopting the Pension Funding Policy was adopted unanimously (4-0).
9.4 – Contracts and Purchasing Ordinance Amendment This item cleaned up the municipal code to reflect the City Manager's increased purchasing authority (from $50,000 to $100,000) approved last year. An ordinance and a resolution ratifying contracts awarded under that authority were adopted unanimously (4-0).
Key Outcomes
- All consent calendar items approved (4-0).
- Iron Rock Industrial Project annexations approved (4-0).
- Direction given to staff to increase Old Town CUP limit from 3 to 6 (motion passed 4-0).
- Resolution adopting Trail Wayfinding and Signage Program amendments to the Master Plan adopted (4-0).
- Resolution adopting Pension Funding Policy adopted (4-0).
- Ordinance amending Contracts and Purchasing and resolution ratifying contracts adopted (4-0).
- Council comments included a reminder of the 23rd anniversary of September 11, 2001. Adjournment followed.
Meeting Transcript
We have reconvened from our closed session. And by a four to zero uh vote with councilmember suan absent, the city council authorized and directed the city attorney's office to defend the case of Miyomura versus the city of Elk Grove as identified by the case number on the city council agenda. With that, we will adjourn the special meeting at 6.01 p.m. And that brings us to our regular meeting. At this time, I would like to call to order the Elkgrove City Council regular meeting. Today is Wednesday, September the 11th, 2024. The time is 6.01 p.m. Clerk. Thank you, Mayor. This meeting of the Elkrove City Council will be cable cast on Metro Cable 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and ATT Uverse Cable Systems. The meeting is closed captioned and webcast at Metro14Live.sackCounty dot GOV. Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, September 13th at 1 p.m. and Sunday, September 15th at 6 p.m. on Channel 14. Previous meetings can be viewed online at the 3W's dot elgrove city.org or YouTube.com 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. Ilgrove 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. City Council reserves the right to reasonably limit the total time for public comment on any particular notice agenda item as it may deem necessary. May address the city council for more than three minutes. If you wish to address the council during the meeting, please complete a blue speaker card, which can be found at the back of the chamber and provide it to assistant city clerk, Brenda Haggard, prior to consideration of the agenda item. With that, Mayor, I will move on to our roll call. And for the roll call, I will start with Councilmember Robles. Present. Councilmember Speeds. Present. I will note that Councilmember Suan is absent. Vice Mayor Brewer. Here. And Mayor Singh Allen. Here. We have a quorum. All right, excellent. Uh next up is our land acknowledgement. Would our vice mayor please assist? Thank you, Mayor. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elkgrove'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. Thank you. Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance. I would like to invite up our deputy fire chief Dan Quigle to please assist. And pledge. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America. And we vote before we stand underjustice process. Thank you. So today is September the 11th. And before we observe our moment of silence, this is the 23rd painful anniversary. Eight EMTs and paramedics lost their lives. 343 firefighters lost their lives. 2,997 civilians lost their lives.
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