Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - April 23, 2025
Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - April 23, 2025
The Elk Grove City Council held a regular meeting on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, starting at 6:00 p.m. and adjourning at 9:33 p.m. The agenda included proclamations, public comments, consent calendar approvals, and three major action items: the allocation of Fiscal Year 2025-26 Event Sponsorship Grant Program funds, a resolution for the Old Town senior affordable housing project, and a presentation on the Main Street Elk Grove Marketing Campaign. A joint meeting with the Elk Grove Finance Authority approved the issuance of refunding special tax bonds for Community Facilities Districts No. 2002-1 (East Franklin) and No. 2003-1 (Poppy Ridge).
Consent Calendar
- Approved City Council meeting minutes of April 9, 2025.
- Received reports on City Manager approved purchases, RFPs, monthly disbursement summary, and various contracts.
- Adopted resolutions for credit reimbursement agreement, property annexation, service charges, vehicle purchases, pavement maintenance projects, and a land lease agreement for a telecommunications tower.
- Authorized appointment consideration for a Diversity and Inclusion Commission vacancy.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Randy Becker and Felicia Mattle expressed serious concerns about groups of juveniles on bicycles engaging in reckless behavior (riding against traffic, playing chicken with vehicles, harassment) in the Old Town and East Elk Grove areas. They urged council and police to take action. Chief Davis reported that enforcement occurred that same day, with four citations issued, and that the department would continue to monitor the situation.
- Sharon Anderson (Camden Neighborhood Association) thanked the city for the Event Sponsorship Grant, which supports the Music by the Lake event.
- Brett Bartholomew (Elk Grove Historical Society) thanked the council for continued support of three historical events.
- Alma Lopez (Latino Center of Art and Culture) and Kim Perino (Fleet Feet) spoke in support of the Dia de los Muertos 5K race sponsorship.
- Randy Becker (again) raised a concern about the parking lot design for the Old Town affordable housing project, recommending a right-out only at the east entrance to avoid traffic backups.
Discussion Items
9.1 Event Sponsorship Grant Program Funds (FY 2025-26)
Staff recommended funding 44 of 50 eligible nonprofit applications, totaling over $850,000 in requested cash and in-kind support. Mayor Singh-Allen recused herself from voting on the Elk Grove Community Foundation item due to a board membership. Council expressed strong support for the program and the recommended allocations, noting the diversity and community value of the events. Direction was given to proceed with the proposed funding list.
9.2 Old Town Senior Affordable Housing Project
Staff presented a resolution to declare city-owned parcels at 9220-9244 Elk Grove Boulevard as exempt surplus land and to execute a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) with Elk Grove Old Town Mutual Housing Associates, L.P. The project will construct 89 units of senior affordable housing (including extremely low- and low-income units) with a total cost of $51 million. The city will provide a conditional loan of $4.2 million ($3 million cash + $1.2 million land value) at 4% interest for 35 years, with a 55-year deed restriction. The developer plans to seek 4% tax credits. Council adopted the resolution unanimously (4-0, with Councilmember Brewer absent for part but present for vote). Concerns about traffic impacts were noted and will be addressed during entitlement reviews.
9.3 Main Street Elk Grove Marketing Campaign – 2.0 Plan
Staff presented an update on the marketing campaign launched in June 2023, which has attracted over 7,700 website visitors, 15,000 social media visits, and 12 signature events. Proposed placemaking and marketing enhancements included branded bike racks ($35,000), lighting improvements, new banners, pole wraps, 3D letters, and fence mesh to highlight businesses. Council provided the following direction:
- Adopt the branding concept with "Historic Main Street Elk Grove" for the area from Elk Grove Florin Road to Waterman Road, and "Main Street Elk Grove" for the area from Highway 99 to Elk Grove Florin Road. The logo should prominently feature "Historic" above "Main Street" (as shown on the far-right slide).
- Proceed with the majority of the proposed placemaking and marketing concepts, subject to final design and costs.
- Defer the decision on renaming Old Town Plaza to a future date to allow further stakeholder consultation; the city will officially refer to the district as Historic Main Street going forward.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved as a block (4-0).
- Event Sponsorship Grant Program: Council endorsed the staff-recommended funding allocations and will incorporate them into the budget process.
- Old Town Affordable Housing: Resolution adopted (4-0) authorizing the DDA and conditional loan commitment, allowing the developer to pursue tax credits in May 2025.
- Main Street Marketing Campaign: Direction given on branding, with the understanding that staff will finalize designs and return for any needed approvals.
- Joint Finance Authority: Three resolutions adopted (4-0) authorizing the issuance of refunding special tax bonds for CFDs No. 2002-1 and No. 2003-1, with a savings threshold of 6% net present value and a true interest cost lower than 3.85%. The bond rating was upgraded to AA- (stable outlook).
- Council Comments: Reports on the Sacramento Area Sewer District meeting and the Sacramento Public Library Authority meeting were noted. Councilmember Spease mentioned a housing discussion with the Sacramento Housing Alliance.
Meeting Transcript
All right, thank you. We have reconvened from closed session, and I would like to make the following disclosure. By a four to zero vote with uh councilmember Brewer absent, the City Council authorized and directed the city attorney's office to defend the case of Abushi versus the City of Elk Grove as identified by the case number on the City Council meeting agenda. With that, we will adjourn the special meeting at 6 p.m. And at this time, I would like to call to order the Elkgrove City Council regular meeting and the Elkgrove Finance Authority regular meeting concurrent agenda, Wednesday, April the 23rd, 2025. The time is 6 p.m. Clerk. Thank you, Mayor. This meeting of the Elk Grove City Council is recorded with closed captioning. The recording will be cable cast on Metro Cable Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems. The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14Live. Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, April 25th at 1 p.m. and Tuesday, April 29th at 9 a.m. on Metro Channel 14. Once posted, the recordings of this and previous meetings can be viewed on demand at the 3Ws.gov or YouTube.coms 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. Please complete a blue speaker card, which can be found at the back of the chamber and provide it to Deputy City Clerk prior to consideration of the agenda item. With that, Mayor, I'll be moving into the roll call. And to commence the roll call, I will start with Councilmember Spees. Present. I will note that Councilmember Brewer is absent. Councilmember Sewin here. And Mayor Sing Allen. Here. Thank you. Next up is our land acknowledgement, and our vice mayor will be assisting with that. Thank you, Mayor. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elkgrove's first inhabitants, the Plain Meewocks, who lived in as sovereign caretakers of this land in these water waves since the time of immoral. We commemorate and advocate for their descendants, the Wilton Rancheria tribe, the only federal federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County, who endear because of the brevity, resiliency, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders. Thank you. Next up is our pledge of allegiance. I would like to invite Chief Davis to help lead us this evening. All right. Hand over hearts, hats off. Pledge. Pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands under God. Indivisible liberty and justice for all. Thank you. At this time, please join us for a brief moment of silence. Thank you. Next item is the approval of the agenda. May I get a motion, please? So move. Second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Thank you. Next item. Under section three, there are no closed session items on the regular agenda, which will take us to section four presentations and announcements. And I was just going to take a brief moment to see if we had our representatives from Sierra Donor Services in the audience tonight.
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