This session, and I would like to make the following disclosure.

By a 4-0 vote with Council Member Spees absent,

the City Council authorized and directed the City Attorney's Office

to defend the case of A&M Gas for Inc.

versus the City of Elk Grove,

as identified by the case number in the City Council meeting agenda.

And we will adjourn the special meeting at 6 o'clock p.m.

And at this time, I will call to order the Elk Grove City Council regular meeting.

Today is Wednesday, June the 25th, 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 cablecast on MetroCable Channel 14,

the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and DirecTV U-verse cable systems.

The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14live.sackcounty.gov.

Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, June 27th at 1 p.m.

and Sunday, June 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 three W's, .elkgrove.gov, or youtube.com, slash MetroCable14.

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.

Elk Grove 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 comment on any particular notice agenda item as they may deem necessary.

Pursuant to Resolution No. 2010-24, 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 a blue speaker card,

which can be found at the back of the chamber,

and provided to Assistant City Clerk Brenda Haggard prior to consideration of the agenda item.

With that, Mayor, I will be moving into the roll call,

and noting at the top of the roll call that Council Member Spees is absent.

Council Member Brewer?

Present.

Council Member Suen?

Here.

Vice Mayor Robles?

Present.

And Mayor Singh Allen?

Here.

All right, thank you.

Next up is our land acknowledgement.

Assisting will be our Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elk Grove's first inhabitants, the Plain Miwoks,

who lived as sovereign caretakers for this land and these waterways since time memorial.

We commemorate and advocate for their descendants, the Wilton Rancheria Tribe,

the only federalized recognized tribe in Sacramento County,

who endured for the bravery, resilience, determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders.

Thank you.

Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance.

I would like to invite our City Manager to help lead us this evening.

Thank you.

Are you joining me to pledge?

I want to heart.

Pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Next up is our moment of silence.

Please join us for a brief moment of silence.

Thank you.

Next up is our approval of the agenda.

May I get a motion, please?

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Next item.

Under Section 3, the closed session, there are no closed session items on the regular agenda,

which will advance us to Section 4, our presentations and announcements,

starting with Item 4.1, the Republic Services Annual Report.

Excellent.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Singh Allen, council members, and residents of Elk Grove.

My name is Ray Robinson.

I'm the Municipal Supervisor at Republic Services.

I'm pleased to present our annual report for 2024.

For public services continue to provide the curbside services, such as trash recycling and

mixed organics collection, as well as additional services like the three bulky waste cleanups,

electronic waste recycling, Christmas tree recycling, and free compost pickup at Elder Creek

Transfer Station.

And we showed up for Elk Grove this past year.

We supported over 25 events through the contract for services, educational booths, so including

the big truck day where we bring out the truck and all the kids and families can take pictures

in front.

That's one of the pictures that you can see there.

As well as the parade of lights, which we brought a flatbed truck, decked it out, and had it running

for the parade.

We also support in other ways for the various events in Elk Grove.

So we support monetarily or with in-kind services or educational booth at events hosted by Chicks in Crisis,

Project Ride.

We also attended or sponsored events like the golf tournaments, various Elko Classic or the Invictus

that fundraise for community organizations.

This past year, for our 4Rs of sustainability presentations, we partnered with SAC Splash to bring the next

generation science standards to the presentations that we had already been performing for Elk Grove.

This new enhanced presentation also has hands-on activities, so the students who are participating

in this presentation get to sort material right at their table and figure out the waste stream,

understanding the life cycle of their recyclables, their organics, and so on.

So, Republic Services continues to invest in Elk Grove through our partnership with the Elk Grove

Regional Scholarship Foundation to administer three $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors.

Each of these winners are committed to studying a field that is going to benefit their environment

or their community.

For education and outreach, we still focused on food waste recycling, which is still a hot

topic and a top topic.

So, most of our outreach centered around food waste recycling in general, the life cycle of

food waste, the best practices, as well as hard to dispose of or recycle materials.

You can see we have some information on the motor oil collection program, as well as the bulky program.

Just some guidelines and some quick tips throughout the year that we provided.

So, we did that in the form of direct mailers, bill inserts, social media posts.

And backyard composting continues to be a top way for homes to reduce the amount of waste that's going into the stream.

So, this past year, we provided three workshops for composting.

The attendees of this compost workshop receive a free kitchen pail given by the City of Elk Grove, as well as different methods to composting in their backyard.

They also learn a little bit more about the composting that we do as Republic Services, so they understand the materials that they're putting into their green bin is going to something good.

So, it's becoming compost or in a little bit I'll talk about a little bit of electricity.

So, results for tonnage and operations for public services operating in Elk Grove, landfill materials, trash collected at curbside was about 42,000.

We also collected illegal dumping in the other residuals.

The diversion for the City of Elk Grove was about 42,000 tons overall, heavily in the organic waste in the mixed recycling, as well as bulky items.

So, household batteries, as well, the things that we pick up on the recycle week, while small, does make a difference when you're looking at the total amount of diversion that we have here for the City.

Specifically for recycling, Republic Services has been taking Elk Grove plastics to the one-of-a-kind polymer center in Las Vegas.

So, here, a plastic water bottle is going to turn into another plastic water bottle, rather than being downcycled and turn into a material that will eventually be landfilled.

We also acquired a materials recovery facility locally.

This facility is located in North Highlands, so this material is not taken far away.

It's taken within Sacramento County, and there, all of the Elk Grove plastics are being sorted, as well as the other recyclables.

For organics, as I kind of prefaced earlier, the food waste that we are collecting curbside, along with the green waste, is now being sorted out and used to feed our anaerobic digester.

So, that material is now being used to create electricity to power the facility.

And this is great because not only is the green waste in the digestate after the anaerobic digestion being used for compost,

but now there's another method for using this food waste, this organic material.

And just a quick look ahead.

It is 2025 now, but the City of Elk Grove has been hosting some free compost giveaway events throughout the city with compost that is sourced from Republic Services.

And I'm very happy to introduce the electric vehicles that are servicing the Elk Grove City streets.

We have an automatic side loader, five of those, and a flatbed.

So, these vehicles are electric.

So, they are very, very silent.

You may not hear them coming down your street.

But we also are very excited about the safety features of these vehicles, the 360 camera view, as well as a more open window structure for the front.

And these vehicles, while they look cool, they are literally cool.

The drivers are no longer sitting on top of a very hot engine.

So, overall, we're very excited about the introduction of electric vehicles, and we plan to introduce four more in the coming year.

And for results.

So, this past year, 2024, the City of Elk Grove and Republic Services achieved a 46.2% diversion.

So, that's the materials that are being diverted from the landfill into a facility that is recycling these materials, whether it be mixed recyclables or organics.

This is an 8% increase from 10 years ago when the diversion rate was 38.2%.

So, we made a lot of headway with a lot more to go, and I'm really excited to see where Elk Grove and Republic Services can take our diversion.

Last but not least, our customer satisfaction survey.

We host this survey towards the end of the year.

So, last year, we had participation close to 1,000 residents of the city, and the overall satisfaction was 92%.

Not perfect, but we are very, very high, and we're excited to capture that last 8%.

I want to thank Mayor St. Allen, council members, and the City of Elk Grove and its residents.

I'm ready to take any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Excellent presentation.

Questions or comments?

Looking to the left?

Looking to the right?

Go ahead.

Council Member Rue.

Thank you for your presentation, Ray.

It was very thorough.

Very in full of good details.

And I like the aspect of our diversion of how far we've come from 2014 to now.

Was there ever an intended, what was the intended goal or the focus as you meet the diversion levels?

And is it done region-wide, or is it just, or was this just the focus for how we can do our composting program in Elk Grove?

Yeah, that's a great question.

So the contractual diversion rate is 40%.

So we strive to achieve over that.

As you can see, in 2014, it was below that at the time.

Each year, we're coming up with new ways to increase that diversion.

It happens at the educational level, but what we're trying to do is change behaviors.

One thing I didn't mention in this presentation, but will in future presentations, is that in our contamination auditing program, we've installed a new app that helps us actually capture what materials that we're seeing on the top level or top layer of the carts.

And that's going to fuel our next generation of outreach.

So we'll understand what are the common contaminants that we're seeing out there and how we can more strategically specialize our education efforts.

So through our campaigns and with partnership with the Recycling Waste Team and the rest of the city of Elk Grove.

So it's a building thing where we're constantly working to figure out new ways to educate, change behaviors, and get everybody to participate.

But composting is a huge part of that now.

Exactly.

And I definitely commend you and Republic Services for the education campaign.

Because obviously, it's individual vigilance on our part to continue the practice and the stay disciplined in the practice.

So everything that we can do to help in meeting those goals is definitely for the good of the order.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, if I can.

Yeah, go ahead.

I just want to add some comments, too.

Thank you for presenting, and I just want to say thank you for being a partner with us and leading in the space of recycling.

I've had the opportunity and chance to actually visit your Vegas facility and to see that happening.

I believe you guys are only one of two waste managements that actually do that, right?

That's super neat.

And also EVs, as we're moving, you know, depending on where you're looking at, but as we're moving towards phasing out gas and hydrogen stuff, EVs, you guys are leading the way in that space.

So I truly appreciate that.

Thank you for looking out for our residents and making sure that we're moving forward in a clean environment.

So thank you.

I want to thank you for Republic Service's commitment to our community, to our city.

You've been excellent partners and ambassadors.

I was on Good Day Sacramento with Colin earlier this morning promoting the Elk Grove Food Bank's Run for Hunger, and you are the title sponsor.

So I want to thank you for your continued work and commitment to improving the lives of all of Elk Groveians.

So thank you for all that you do.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We will move on to our next presentation, and that is our Civic Summer presentation.

Welcome, students.

And we have Mr. Garcia.

Come on down.

Do you want all of your classmates to come, or are you taking turns?

We're taking turns.

Okay.

Why don't we have everyone come up so it'll be more seamless?

Do you want the rest of the summer Civic Program?

You're welcome to come up as well and support your friends here.

There we go.

That's the picture we want.

All right.

The floor is yours.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council Members.

My name is Alexis Zhang, and I'm an incoming junior at Pleasant Grove High School.

Go Eagles!

I'm honored to be the first speaker on behalf of the Civic Summer Program, and I want to

sincerely thank you, not only for supporting this invaluable opportunity, but also for placing

your trust in students like myself.

Prior to participating in this program, Elk Grove was honestly just the place I live.

However, over the past few days, I've had the privilege of meeting city staff and gaining

firsthand insight into the tremendous effort involved in managing our community.

It is evident that many individuals are deeply committed to Elk Grove's continued growth,

and I, too, feel inspired to contribute.

Whether that be through volunteering at a food bank or simply being an involved and engaged

member of our community, it's your support that motivates me and many others to take

that step.

Furthermore, Civic Summer has also provided me with the platform to find my voice and the

confidence to express it.

I have developed important networking skills, and with the guidance of Council Member Robles,

learned to create a 30-second elevator pitch, which has already proven extremely useful.

I have also gained the confidence to speak in front of inspirational leaders like yourselves,

especially after hearing Madam Mayor's reminder that shyness is not real and something we can

all overcome.

Thank you.

Thank you for investing in young people like me and for your unwavering dedication to the

growth and success of Elk Grove, making it a place we are proud to call home.

With that, I'd like to pass it on to the next Civic Summer representative to share their

experience.

Thank you for your time.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and City Councils.

My name is Atali Zong, and I'm an incoming senior at Florin High School, and I'm a proud

member of the Law Academy.

Go Panthers!

I'm honored to be here, a part of the Civic Summer internship.

Over the past week, I've gained knowledge on the hard work that keeps our city thriving,

including the various roles our representatives are responsible for.

We also learned how our community works, not just through the politics, but through the

people.

Listening to other guest speakers' personal experiences and having an understanding of

your values has inspired me to continue my work in civic engagement and involvement.

Additionally, we met with Assistant Chief Paul Solomon yesterday, and despite retiring soon,

he took the time out of his suite to come talk to us.

This proving that the representatives we have right now will continue to advocate and make

an impact in our community.

By showing up and talking to the youth, you all have inspired me to continue striving

for my dreams.

Furthermore, during this internship, I've seen firsthand how leadership doesn't just

mean managing every aspect, but it can be as little as initiating a conversation, being

an active listener, and keeping an open mind to continue learning.

Additionally, it allowed me to gain the perspective of my peers and inspiration from their voices.

With that being said, I would like to thank my new founding friends, those who make Civic

Summer possible, and those who volunteer to come talk to us.

Mr. Garcia, the mayor, and the city councils for your support.

Now, I would like to bring up the next Civic Summer representative.

Thank you.

Good evening to our hard-working city council member, honorable mayors, and distinguished representative.

My name is Vivian Nguyen, a rising junior at Laguna Creek High School, a part of the

Sports Therapy Academy, Go Cardinals, a young leader learning what it truly means to serve

her community.

Starting off with my belief and where Civic Summer has taken me, I've learned that beyond

the path of leadership and the privilege of networking and becoming heavily involved within

my community, I learned that nonetheless, the mentorship, public outreach, and also safety

fall under one category of a home.

And a home without a furniture means nothing.

And just like that, citizens like us, and also advocates, are able to fill in those gaps

and really stand out to what they call for their passion in serving our community.

Civic Summer has given me more than just a political lens.

I see how decisions on waste management has taken effective families just like mine and

ours.

I gained the valuable share of connecting with local leaders, even packaging 1,000 meal plan

preps for communities across the United States, understanding how I can better serve

my community.

In conclusion, Civic Summer has helped me realize that political system and service are

in the same picture and they are not far apart.

Standing here today, where successful young leaders who graduated from, I realized that

everyone is capable.

And just like how Sir Robles has said, that when you aren't represented in a table, you

can create your own table.

And to be a leader is to be the starter.

Today, I stand here not only as a student, but also as a U-Silvic member, ready to bridge

on a new connection and passionate opportunity for our next leaders.

Thank you for believing in the encouragement of youth leadership.

And for now, I'll pass on to the next Civic Summer speaker.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and distinguished City Council members.

My name is Alfredo Rodriguez, a 16-year-old incoming senior at Franklin High School.

If you asked me and the other interns here at Civic Summer why we joined, I believe we

would all respond similarly for a gold sticker on our diploma.

Instead, we connected with our city on a deeper level, meaning the people who plan, construct,

manage, and protect our city.

With every person we meet comes a warm welcoming and another opportunity to be a part of it

ourselves.

For me, a young man with a passion to be one of the protectors of the community, it was

very inspiring to meet our fire chief, Mr. Rodriguez.

Seeing his demeanor and attitude made me all the more excited for my career choice.

I believe he really does capture what Elk Grove is all about.

This program really does remove the veil that creates a disconnect between the youth and

the people who are in the positions we wish to be in ourselves.

It amazes me how year and year again, this program continues to change the perspective for

us students and open our minds to the endless opportunities Elk Grove has to offer.

Before I pass it on to the last speaker, I want to say to my little brother who is applying

to be part of the youth commission, I believe in you and good luck.

If I can stand up here and make my speech, so can you.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council Members.

My name is Kalia Condon and I'm a rising junior at Consumless Oaks High School.

Go Wolfpack!

I have a strong interest in law and public policy and this summer, through the Elk Grove

Civic Summer Program, I've had the chance to explore both in ways I've never expected.

Before this program, I wasn't aware of how many different jobs exist within our local government.

Through hands-on experiences and meaningful conversations with professionals, I've not

only learned about the wide range of career paths, but also the stories behind the people

in them, what inspired them, and how they got to where they are.

This experience has helped me grow in confidence, especially in speaking with new people and

learning how to build professional connections.

Being surrounded by other students who are equally passionate about making a difference

has been incredibly motivating.

I truly appreciate that this opportunity was made accessible to high school students

at no cost.

It's programs like these that help bridge the gap between school and the professional

world, and I am very grateful to have been a part of it.

Thank you.

And at this time, we would like to invite all Civic Summer members and sing a happy birthday

to Councilman Brewer, who is celebrating his birthday tomorrow.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

One, two, three.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Councilman Brewer.

Happy birthday to you.

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

Thank you, Council.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you, Council.

Okay.

That wraps up the Civic Summer presentation.

Yeah, I think you wanted to say something.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Hey, I was going to say kids, but you know.

Young adults.

Young adults.

Young adults.

Hey, I just want to say we had, all of us, I'm sure I speak for all of us, that we had

a great time coming to speak with you, and I obviously persecute something from you, too,

that Councilmember Brewer's birthday is tomorrow.

So, anyway, I want to commend you again for all for participating in that program, and I'm

glad to hear you learned a lot, and have a great rest of your summer.

Thank you.

The future is bright.

Can we give them all another round of applause?

Thanks, guys.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The future is bright.

Can we give them all another round of applause?

Keep up the great work and continue to make us all proud.

All right.

So we will move on to our next item, which is public comment.

Let's see.

Allison, is it Lyman?

You're up.

After Allison is James Kelly.

Okay.

I'm going to try to get through this.

My name is Allison.

My son, Connor Elliot Lopez, was killed on Shielded Road on April 23rd while safely riding his motorcycle from the gym.

Connor was 23.

He was an experienced rider.

He was doing nothing wrong.

Connor was a classically trained pianist.

He taught piano at New Songs in Elk Grove.

He was important to this community.

Connor was a big brother.

He's my oldest, my only son.

He was attending college.

He was happy.

He was kind.

And he should be alive.

Connor was killed by a woman turning left into the Winco shopping center.

There is no traffic signal at this turn.

The speed limit at this part of Sheldon is 45 miles an hour.

There is no way a motorcycle is hit at that speed could survive.

And we stand there and there are a lot of motorcyclists that drive on that road.

It is fast and it is busy.

My family and I stand at the accident site every Wednesday.

We hold signs of his beautiful face.

With the message, think before you turn.

This is the only left to turn like this on Sheldon.

While responsible driver may be able to make it safely across, there are negligent drivers who will risk the lives of others to save a few seconds off their commute.

We have been approached over and over by the community telling us how dangerous this turn is.

We have found that the turn is also used as a shortcut to a large housing development behind the shopping center.

This area is simply too busy to have a turn without a signal.

We are asking, excuse me, for either a stoplight or for the turn to be closed.

There is a traffic signal just down the road that could be used.

We ask the city to stand by our family and Connor to change this turn to save lives we couldn't save.

His, but we could save more.

Connor should be here.

Please consider what we're asking and make changes at this area.

Thank you.

Thank you, Allison, for coming.

We have our public works looking at this issue right now and ideally trying to find a solution.

But thank you for your bravery for just coming tonight.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next up is James Kelly, followed by Kirk Thompson.

James Kelly.

Okay.

My name is James Kelly.

My wife and I live at 9091 Quail Cove Drive, which is located in the Quail Ranch Estate Subdivision.

I'm here tonight to ask you to remove the effects of the 50-foot light and air easement on the rear of our property,

which makes it difficult and overly expensive for me to build an ADU.

What you don't know is our motivation.

My wife and I intend to live in the property until we check out.

My grandfather lived to 98 and both of my wife's grandmothers lived to 99.

So we have longevity in our genes.

I've had two strokes and Nancy has a major spinal deformity that would continue to impact our lives.

We will most likely need a caregiver or family members living on our property to enable us to stay there.

We envisioned an ADU for a caretaker while we stay in our home.

We could also move into our ADU while one of our sons and his family move into the home.

This would allow us to stay in the home and build ourselves.

We built over 20 years ago.

This is a win-win situation for us and any senior.

As things currently stand, we cannot build an ADU in the rear 50 feet.

A bit of history might put our request in perspective.

Our light and air easement was imposed on our subdivision by Sacramento County in 1999

to appease a rural activist and two individuals that live in the ranchettes behind us.

Our goal was to ensure, or their goal was to ensure that the interface between what has become known as Campbell Road Ranchettes,

zoned AR5 and Quail Ranch Estates, zoned RD2,

would be protected by using light and air easements as part of the impending development project.

The fact is that Campbell Road homes are more than 500 feet from our homes and cannot be seen clearly without binoculars.

I would like to reiterate my perspective regarding the past imposition of light and air easements.

How can you justify continuing to prevent one property owner from building an ADU using a light and air easement

that was imposed to protect another property owner's right to sunshine and light?

This is especially nonsensical when the distance between the affected properties is over 500 feet.

The facts are clear.

Light and air easements were never appropriate when they were imposed by Sacramento County

and then by the City of Elk Grove.

This is substantiated by the fact that Elk Grove stopped imposing light and air easements in 2003.

In addition, in 2017, the easements became an impediment to reducing the state's housing shortage

when ADUs were mandated in California.

Remember, you cannot build an ADU on a light and air easement.

So I'm asking you to agendize it and do something about it.

Thank you very much.

How long did that take?

You have three seconds to go.

Holy moly.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Next up is Kirk Thompson, followed by Lynn Wheat.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi.

I'm going to say something that's kind of lighthearted mostly,

but I just want to back up what the family is saying,

that that part into Winco, that's the nearest grocery store to my house,

and it is a death trap.

So, yes, please look at that.

However, this is the first time I've come to you this year,

and I'm glad to be back before you guys again.

The last two years, I've come here to talk about Fourth of July fireworks.

I felt it important to express my own personal affinity for fireworks on Independence Day,

not just because combining grilled meat, alcohol, and explosives is a quintessential American pastime,

but because the family firework displays, at least in my experience,

seem to be the only time I really see community members really congregate with their neighbors.

That kind of social cohesion is finally making a comeback to what it looked like before COVID.

Also, with such a diverse community that we have,

Fourth of July is really the only holiday that all residents of Elk Grove can truly celebrate together.

Like, I'm a Christian, but my neighbors are not,

so Christmas is kind of not really can truly celebrate it.

Last year, a video was shown of several fireworks displays that used an ungodly number of fireworks

in a residential area that were meant for more official displays like ballgames.

I grew up buying illegal fireworks from the Indian Reservation,

putting on my own displays with my family on Fourth of July,

so I have a certain amount of admiration for people who carry on this tradition in their neighborhoods.

However, you all can't just scream,

America, when someone's house catches fire because, you know, a firework caught on the wind.

So, while I appreciate the fire and public safety risks you all have to take into account,

I want to make it clear that I would not be comfortable with any further limitations on fireworks in Elk Grove.

In fact, I would consider it my civic duty to violate any ordinance that further restricts the use of fireworks

that are currently being sold at pop-up shops at all the local grocery stores.

And an all-out ban would definitely encourage me to write a very strongly worded letter and post it on social media.

You've been warned.

All right.

Now, I know all of you have stated publicly that you would not support banning the fireworks that are already legal,

which is great.

However, we've seen politicians rise above their campaign promises and public statements before.

So, this is just a reminder before you go on any kind of summer recess,

yes, please do not go the way of places like Alameda County where they still post the most un-American sign I've ever seen in my life.

All fireworks are illegal.

Happy Fourth of July.

So, with that, I'd like to wish you all and all of my fellow citizens a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson.

Good to see you.

Next up is Lynn Wheat, and that is our final for public comment.

Thank you.

A number one issue needing to be addressed and solved is source of water for the ambitious plans of developers and the city.

The harvest water pipes plan was developed to provide recycled water to farmers.

However, many acres within the harvest water project are within the city's planned annexations for development.

At a number of water meetings I attended, I spoke up that the future of harvest water would become the toilet-to-tap source.

And I heard so many times, no, that isn't the project's intention, until the response came to be, not now.

My theory of the future harvest water was not without research.

The science is there to clean up toilet water to drink.

Sack Sewer has provided a children's activity book that nicely diagrams the initial phases of cleaning the water up.

The Elk Grove Water District Citizen Academy cited how water can be used to be recycled.

Here's an example of how toilet-to-tap is being used in our state.

Orange County residents' toilet water flows through the sewer system to a sanitation plant.

The sanitation plant removes solids from the wastewater.

The treated water is then piped to a wastewater recycling facility, where it undergoes a three-step advanced process.

The purified water is then sent to man-made lakes in Hanaheim, where it percolates down into the groundwater basin, replenishing the aquifer.

Later, cities draw water from the groundwater, chlorinate it, and send it into the residents' taps for drinking and other uses.

During the sewer tour in 2013, I was told the water could be cleaned up enough to make it drinkable.

However, it would be a hard sell.

I do believe, as we all dip our straws into our current groundwater basin and deplete it, selling toilet-to-tap won't be so difficult as the population increases with unmanaged growth policies.

Simple, overriding considerations for lack of water will be met through the toilets.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm just glad that's all we heard was the toilet flush.

I was ready for something really disgusting.

All right.

That concludes our public comment.

We will go on to our city manager's report.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, members of the city council.

Jason Behrman, your city manager.

A few items to report on this evening.

Staff and our partners are busy preparing for a salute to the red, white, and blue on 4th of July at Oak Grove Park.

Activities will start at 5 o'clock, culminating in a drone and firework show.

At 9.40, admission is free.

Parking is $10.

Details of the event and free shuttle service available to park courtesy of SacRT can be found on our website.

And this is a special year for the city of Oak Grove as we celebrate not only the 4th of July, but the city's 25th year anniversary on July 1st.

There are some road closures associated with some Independence Day events.

Trying to keep our events safe for those attending and participating on July 4th resulted in a few closures, including our run for independence.

Generate closures around District 56 from 7 to 11 that morning.

And there are also some road closures around Oak Grove Park will be in effect from 5 to 11 p.m. on July 4th.

Traffic advisories and details are on the city's website.

Every year, illegal fireworks inflict injuries, distress, fires, and property damage across the country.

Oak Grove has zero tolerance for illegal fireworks.

We are working with local partners to share messaging about their dangers and consequences on our social media platforms in advance of the holiday.

Additionally, police, fire, and code enforcement officials will step up patrols on and around July 4th using a combination of ground and aerial patrols.

Those found in possession of illegal fireworks could face fines of up to $1,000 per illegal device.

To report illegal fireworks, please call 916-714-5115.

Applications for the fall cohort of Elk Grove 101 will close on Monday, July 7th.

It's an immersive eight-session course.

It's open to anyone age 18 and older who lives or works in Elk Grove.

The group will meet on Tuesday nights at District 56 starting in mid-August.

The application is available on the city's website.

Draft update to the city's climate action plan will be available for public comment beginning this Thursday, June 26th.

Public workshop is scheduled on July 8th from 6 to 730 at District 56.

And online public comments will be accepted through August 12th.

And finally, the city council and the city will observe a summer recess in July.

There will be no meeting scheduled on July 9th.

The next regularly scheduled city council meeting will be on July 23rd.

And city offices will be closed on July 4th.

And that concludes my report.

I'm happy to answer any questions that the council might have.

Thank you, sir.

Great report.

Any questions, comments?

Seeing none, we will move on to our next item, which is our consent calendar.

At this time, I will go ahead and open up public comment opportunity.

I don't have anyone signed up for consent.

I will go ahead and close the public comment opportunity and look for a motion to approve the consent calendar.

Move consent.

So moved.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

All right.

Next item, 8.1.

And 8.1 is going to be a public hearing to consider resolutions setting residential solid waste service rates for fiscal year 2025-26.

Thank you.

Are you seeing my slides yet?

Nope.

On the podium, you should be able to pop that open.

Is it?

Let me see if I can help you out.

I got it.

There you go.

Thank you for being patient while this comes up.

There we go.

Good evening, Mayor Singh Allen and members of the City Council.

My name is Kim Taylor.

I manage the City's Recycling and Waste Division.

And the item I am bringing forward tonight is a public hearing to consider a resolution setting residential solid waste rates for fiscal year 2025-26.

As you recall, I was here just two weeks ago with the same presentation as we were doing two public hearings this year.

And so the content will be the same during both presentations.

As you may know, residential solid waste rates in the City of Elk Grove are provided through Republic Services.

You heard from Ray Robinson earlier today about those different services.

And the contract that the city holds with Republic Services includes an entitlement that Republic Services is entitled to a rate increase or rate adjustment each year based on the consumer price index.

And that rate adjustment can be between 2% and 3%.

So it's a minor rate adjustment either way, depending on whether or not the CPI goes up or goes down.

And the CPI, of course, is tied to issues connected to labor, fuel, and other operating fees.

This year for that annual increase, we've been looking at the CPI over the past 12 months.

And the CPI specifically for garbage and trash collection increased 4.46%.

You'll see the image depicted on the slide shows what 4.46% or 4.5% would be in the orange dot.

That's what the current garbage and trash collection CPI is.

Because of that limitation, though, in the contract, we can only bring the rate up to a 3% increase.

And so what you'll see on that image is that that kind of green area that shows the bar is the 2% to 3% range in which the CPI can be adjusted each year.

And so you'll see that with the rate adjustment this year, we're proposing that it be adjusted up to that 3% cap.

However, that's still far below the actual CPI for this year.

We also included on this graph the CPI from rate year 21, which was 7.27%.

So you can see that that adjustment each year is pretty minor compared to the actual CPI.

In this adjustment, the city's administrative fee is also recommended to be adjusted in accordance with that 3% rate increase from $3.64 to $3.75 per service account.

The figure on this table shows what that 3% increase would look like for all of the different service levels.

So you'll see, for example, at the top of the chart, we've got the 32-gallon refuse cart, 64-gallon, 96-gallon.

Residents in Elk Grove get to decide what size trash cart they need based on their household's garbage production.

And you can see the current rate, we've got the proposed rate, and the total increase.

So if we look at the standard size can in Elk Grove, which is that 64-gallon cart,

what that would mean for a residential household with that cart size at the 3% increase would be an increase of $1.06 per month.

And so their total bill would go from $35.48 to $36.54.

It's worth noting as well that some residents are already enrolled in the city's Lifeline program,

which provides a 20% subsidy for residents who qualify based on their household income.

And so for those residents who are already on that Lifeline Assistance Program,

their current rate for the 64-gallon standard cart size is $28.39 per month.

And with that 3% increase, their rate would increase $0.84 per month to a total of $29.23.

As you can see on this chart, those proposed rate increases still keep the rate in Elk Grove,

the average rate, well below the average in the region.

Looking at this chart, you can see that the only jurisdiction actually that's below Elk Grove right now is Citrus Heights,

whose residential contract is coming up for renewal in a couple of years or is going to be going out back to bid.

And Elk Grove, our average rate is $36.54 compared to the local average of $44.21.

And it's worth calling out as well that that includes the amenity of the Special Waste Collection Center,

which is very unique in the region, not something that other jurisdictions have free access to.

And so it's a very unique component of our services.

And rolled into that are additional recycling services through that facility.

The annual rate increase requires the public notice associated with Prop 218.

And so that's why I'm here leading this public hearing presentation.

In accordance with Prop 218, the recycling and waste team sent out notices to over 55,000 residential service account holders

and property owners to notice them of this public hearing tonight, as well as the one that happened two weeks ago,

to give people an opportunity to submit their protests.

It detailed how to submit a written protest to the city as well.

As of the 23rd, last time I was notified, we'd received 77 protests from community members,

which doesn't meet the 50% threshold required by Prop 218 to halt the movement forward of the rate adjustment.

We would need 25,000 protests for a majority protest to exist.

The image on the slide here shows the rate increase mailer that was mailed out to residents two times.

Once, I believe, in the first week of April.

Let me grab the dates.

Yes, once in the last week of April and then in June as well.

Oh, excuse me.

Once in the last week of April and the second notice was mailed in the second week of May.

So 45 days in advance of each of the public hearings.

And again, it details what Prop 218 is about and what the rate increase adjustment is about.

The backside, as I mentioned, includes details on how to submit the written protest.

In conclusion, staff recommends the city council adopt the resolution setting residential solid waste service rates

for fiscal year 2025-26, effective July 1st, 2025.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you for your presentation.

At this time, I will declare that the public hearing is now open and open up the public comment opportunity.

Nobody has signed up to speak on this, so I will close the public comment opportunity

and declare that the public hearing is now closed.

Do we have any questions or comments?

Move to adopt the resolution.

All right.

Sounds good.

We have a motion and a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Next item, 8.2.

8.2 is a public hearing to consider a resolution approving the report of delinquent public nuisance,

abatement, and sidewalk repair costs and authorizing their collection on the Sac County 2025-26 tax roll.

Good evening, Mayor.

Councilman, I was Christopher Jordan, Community Adoptment Director.

This is an annual item you receive every year.

Over the course of the year, there's various public nuisances that occur within the city

as well as certain public sidewalks that require repair.

Property owners are responsible for maintaining their property, including sidewalks, and addressing

these nuisance issues.

They're given an opportunity to cure these, but if they fail, the city will step in in

order to address them the interest of public safety and the community benefit.

These costs are ultimately passed on to the property owner.

If the owner fails to timely pay the cost, state law allows the city to place these delinquent

charges on the property tax bill every year.

Tonight, there are 14 properties on the list, totaling $23,875.72, of which 6.

$36,362 is for nuisance abatement issues, and the remainder $17,513.72 is for sidewalk repair.

Should you move forward with this item this evening, as staff recommends, the parties do

have until July 23, 2025 in order to make the payments directly to the city, in which

case they will automatically be removed from the roll prior to city staff delivering it

to the assessor's office.

Finally, all appropriate notices and required notices have been sent to the parties.

That concludes my presentation.

Staff's available for questions if you have them.

All right.

Thank you.

At this time, I will declare the public hearing is now open and open up the public comment

opportunity.

If no one has signed up on this item, I'll close public comment and declare that the

public hearing is now closed.

Any questions or comments?

If not, I'll open up the motion.

I think, Mayor, we have actually, we have an individual that's wishing to speak on this

item, I believe.

Oh, okay.

It's not showing up here.

Yeah.

I don't think we had an entry, so.

Please state your name.

Good evening.

My name is Kerry Tamboboy.

I'm a resident of Elk Grove.

My address is 9477 Lockford Court, Elk Grove, California, 95624.

I am one of those that got affected on the sidewalk repairs.

The house was built in 2001.

I purchased the house in 2016.

When I purchased the house, the sidewalk had already damaged, and I saw the city, I think,

grinded it out to level it.

Now, if you look at my house, it is not in front of the house, but the side.

I live on a corner lot.

So on the side of the house, I have my fence, and then the sidewalk, and then the tree, and

then the city street.

I did not know that the tree is my property.

And so when they told me to pay the $7,336, I said, I didn't know I owned the property on

the side of the house, and I did not approve the planting of the tree.

And so it was planted before my time.

And so I'm trying to see, is there any consideration?

Because I would have considered that in purchasing the house.

I can connect.

The best I can do is connect you to staff, to Jeff Werner.

He can discuss opportunities and options.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

And I would also talk to your real estate agent.

Okay.

As an FYI.

All right.

Is there any others?

Was that it?

All right.

I will close the public comment opportunity and declare the hearing is not closed.

Any questions or comments, if not, a look for our motion.

Move to adopt the resolution.

All right.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Next item.

Item 9.1 is to consider a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a master services contract with NJ Associates, Inc.

for architectural planning and design services for homeless shelter.

All right.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

I'm Sarah Bontrager, your housing and public services manager, here tonight to talk to you about our permanent homeless shelter design process.

So by way of background, you may remember the city has some history with sheltering.

From 2013 to 2020, we worked with faith-based partners who ran a winter shelter program, just an overnight program.

In 2022, Measure E was approved with its funding priority for homelessness.

We launched the Enhanced Winter Sanctuary in November of 23.

And then, since it was only a winter sanctuary, closed it in April because we did not have a continuing facility for it.

Looked for a new facility, opened our current year-round shelter in November last year.

And our lease for the shelter site ends in 2027.

But we do have the option to do a one-year extension on that.

So currently, our year-round shelter has served 71 unique guests since it opened.

We have two that have moved to permanent housing and four that we expect will move to permanent housing.

They've been approved for it.

We're waiting for the units to get their certificate of occupancy.

Within the next 30 days, they'll be moved.

What we've seen is that we do need a shelter in the city to continue to serve our population of folks experiencing homelessness.

And 2027 seems like a long time away, 2028 even.

But it's not when we take into account that we have to do a design, find a location, get all the architectural work done, and ultimately go to construction on a shelter building.

So staff went ahead and put out a request for proposals to find an architecture firm to help us with shelter design.

We put out the RFP in February.

We received nine proposals, which was a great response.

We ended up interviewing three firms.

And we looked at their experience, their project approach, their team, both the architecture firm and any partners that they had, and what their overall cost proposal was in selecting.

And our recommendation is that we go with NJA Architecture.

They are a Lodi-based firm with experience designing and siting a shelter, which is shown here in the picture.

They have a really great emphasis on community engagement.

And having just been through this process in Lodi, I know that they have some experience with it and feel good about their ability to lead us through that process.

They also come with a really comprehensive team, including an engineering subconsultant that can help us look at what is the right site for this.

And their pricing was competitive compared to the proposals that we received.

So what we are proposing tonight is to enter into a master services agreement with NJA.

The master services agreement concept is a broad contract that allows the city to issue task orders for individual phases of a project.

It works really well for large-scale projects.

We use this on the zoo project and projects with a lot of unknown variables, like this one, where at this point we don't know where the shelter will be located.

And we need some help determining kind of what size we're looking at for it.

So this will allow us the flexibility to work with NJA on – we expect to work with them definitely on phases one and two.

And we have the flexibility to continue to work with them on phases three to five of the project.

So phase one is our conceptual program development.

So that's doing kind of a bubble diagram like the one that's shown here of the site to figure out what sorts of uses we need on the site, how those spaces might fit together on a site, and overall what's kind of the footprint of the site that we need.

So we will be working with them and with the community to define the vision for the shelter, do some stakeholder outreach to our community members, to other shelter providers, and to people experiencing homelessness themselves to see what would work best for them in a shelter facility.

And out of this we will get a conceptual plan and a high-level cost estimate.

Then we move into phase two, which is probably the hardest phase of this whole process, which is the site selection.

So NJA will help us to develop some site selection criteria so that we can look at this in an objective manner.

Will it help us to evaluate up to ten sites?

And then we'll score the sites and pare down to three to five sites on which we'll do some more intense analysis and what we call test fits to see if our concept would actually fit well on the site, given any limitations that the site might have.

Throughout these first two phases, we really want to encourage community engagement.

We expect there will be multiple ways to be engaged.

The typical community workshops and meetings, but also some ways folks can be involved online.

And then some specific stakeholder input sessions where we're looking for feedback from specific groups.

We'll be looking for feedback from specific groups.

We'll be looking for feedback from specific groups.

After we finish those phases, we'll go into the schematic design, the development of plans and specifications that will let us bid the construction.

And then NJA is also available if needed to help us with construction administration.

Our recommended action tonight is to approve the city manager to execute a contract with NJA.

And the community development director to issue task orders in line with the budgeted amount.

Our measure E budget, we set aside about $400,000 this year.

Phases one and two, we expect will cost about $230,000.

So we do have some flexibility there.

NJA is here tonight.

They have a little presentation to share so you can familiarize yourselves with them and their approach to the project.

So I'll bring up their presentation and ask John Vieira and Jake Burry to come up.

Oh, no, that is not the right one.

Great, John.

Up and down arrows.

Good evening, council members.

Thank you, Sarah.

So, yeah, I'd like to just talk a little bit about our experience working with homeless shelters.

My name is John Vieira.

I am owner of NJA Architecture.

Some of the key personnel that would be working on this project is myself and Victor.

We are currently working on the homeless shelter titled the Access Center for the City of Lodi.

It is currently under construction.

At the moment, we'd also would like to introduce Jake Burry.

He leads our community outreach program here at NJA.

He has worked with a number of cities, including the City of Fresno and the City of Lodi, City of Reading.

And he really specializes and has a very sensible approach to community outreach.

And then we have members of the Siegfried Engineering Team.

As Sarah mentioned, they will be very key in the site selection process.

They will help assess a multitude of site possibilities, assess their infrastructure, and also the structural conditions of the buildings.

And that will help determine the best choice for the city to make the best determination during the site selection.

This is a few renderings of the Access Center that's currently under construction.

It is a centralized hub that offers a series of important needs for a disserviced population.

It will house sheltering, a dining hall, a multi-purpose lounge, an access center that will offer some behavioral health services, job training.

There is also going to be a clinic inside for some in-treatment care, behavioral health.

So it really becomes a centralized hub to really help this population thrive.

And this isn't viewed as kind of a permanent residence, but more of a transition residence.

And really transitioning them to be a part of society.

We also have some trauma-based design.

A lot of this population is spending a lot of time outdoors and transitioning from an outdoor environment to a more structured and indoor environment.

We played a strong attention to detail to indoor-outdoor spaces to kind of help transition those that might be struggling with some of that.

One key component that we feel as a design team is, again, viewing this population to serve.

It's not a permanent residence or shelter.

It's a transition one.

So to create an education hub that can be adapted to a variety of different teaching needs.

In this case, we have instructional classes that can be performed.

But there can also be like an electrical trade that could come in and offer.

So they would clear the tables and offer more hands-on experience.

So having some flexible, adaptable spaces for education.

Ones that can have demising walls and offer a series of multiple programs at one given time.

So we have a knowledge of that.

And as Sarah mentioned, we went through a very similar process that you guys are about to engage in.

And that is a site assessment and site vetting.

So we would look at a series of locations with the city and also engage the community and get their feedback.

And we have worked with the city of Manteca as well with site vetting and understanding programming needs.

And in this case, it's assessing an existing building and figuring out some of the structural improvements that are going to be needed.

You know, getting some feasibility and cost and how that existing building can relate to the program spaces.

We just recently completed a transitional housing project.

This is an existing building, as you can see on the upper right.

And it went through a kind of a large kind of transformation.

And it is recently completed.

And it has new accessibility upgrades and is approximately about 34 rooms.

Some of the core principles of our firm is really connecting architecture to its place.

We strive on sustainability goals, natural daylight, renewable materials, water conservation, drought tolerant landscaping,

natural material palettes, using natural woods to create warmth, making it warm and inviting, and then warm and inviting space.

And just really creating an architectural presence to the site.

And finally, one very important aspect and will be a key play for this project is a continuous dialogue between the city and the community.

We do strive on informing the community throughout the process.

We feel that it is very helpful that they stay informed, especially in a project like this, that we listen, we understand some of their concerns,

and we try as much to accommodate those concerns as possible.

So, yeah, we are very excited to be considered to be working on a project like this.

Architecture, we strive to make a difference in people's lives.

And a project like this really plays to the heart of, you know, what we do as architects.

And that's make a big impact to people's lives.

So, thank you.

Thank you.

Great presentation.

I will go ahead and open up public comment opportunity.

We have one person signed up to speak, Kevin Jones.

Good evening.

I'm Kevin Jones.

I am a resident here in Elk Grove under Sergio's district.

My wife and I, my family lived here over 30 years.

So, we've seen a lot of growth.

One thing, I'm not either approval and approve of the project or disapprove.

I might, I'm neither way.

However, I do ask that the gentleman just said that he would get in touch with the community and get their feedback.

I would, I would venture to say, how are you going to do that?

You know, what means are you going to do to make sure that the homeowners, the community is informed as you go from one step to another?

Because I don't want to get caught off guard where my community, where I'm at now, there's a lot of housing that wasn't brought up.

And at the last minute, but it's already too late.

A lot of the affordable housing.

I'm not up against that.

It's just that I think that the homeowners should be informed in many ways.

And I would really like to know how do you plan on keeping the community informed on that?

I think it should be open and very clear that we are seeing the steps.

Especially when it comes to site vetting, I would like to know where that's going to be.

Okay?

And the impact.

Because the community do have a right, the homeowners do have a right to be able to voice their opinion on if they're going to be putting things in their area where they're living.

Okay?

Because it does impact them.

And they do, we do need to have a voice.

So that's my thing.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr. Jones.

And to that effect, we will have a robust outreach plan as part of the city's responsibility in addition to working with the firm.

Have you subscribed to our newsletter?

Do you get our updates?

So that's one way for you to stay engaged.

But then there will be much more of a robust plan afterwards.

Thank you, sir.

All right.

That is our last speaker.

So I will go ahead and close public comment.

And I just want to start off for the site vetting.

So NJA Architecture, you will be involved with the city on the site vetting process?

That's what I thought?

Yes.

Okay.

And then what I do like is the design.

Anybody who were to see these images, you wouldn't think this is a shelter.

So I do really like the elements and all of the materials that are being used.

And it really is actually very attractive.

So thank you.

That's what stood out most.

And the public engagement.

So I have it under community engagement.

That is going to be very important for me as well.

Making sure that all of the site selections, the neighborhoods are informed that it's a

possible site selection and to please share their feedback and input.

So that's very important to me.

I will open up to comments, questions.

I'll look to the left here.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I agree with all your comments there.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Mr. Vier, I was just wondering if maybe you could highlight your process when that you the one you conducted in was it?

Yes, please.

Come on up.

Was it Lodi or Manteca?

Maybe both.

But how you did conduct your public process, were there lessons learned?

How did it go?

Yeah, we would strive to do a lot of initial engagements.

So one would be the first one is maybe not even look at sites, but really gather people's opinions of, you know, what they value as a homeless shelter.

What are some of their concerns?

You know, for the city of Lodi, when we did some stakeholder and community outreach before we went through the site vetting process is a lot of people didn't want gathering on the streets.

They really wanted to that population to go inside the center and not really mingle in the public right of ways and really impact that frontage.

So what we did as a design strategy is we pushed a lot of that, those that are waiting around for different services inside.

And that's what you saw in that aerial shot is an internal courtyard for people to gather.

So we actually like to maybe not look at the site per se at the initial, but really gather, just collect information and hear their concerns.

And then go through a site vetting process of developing the program based off of their comments and then doing another presentation where they can comment again on some of the concerns that they may have.

And then we take that again and assess that in the scoring process.

Good.

And when you did these meetings, I mean, I'm assuming they're in person, but did you also offer hybrid like virtual attendance as well?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So we could do remote call-ins in here.

So if somebody is not able to attend and they're just getting off work, that they could call in at any given time.

And we also collect emails.

We'll do questionnaires, online questionnaires for them to comment.

And the online questionnaires was very helpful for the city of Lodi.

Is getting feedback and the social media outreach of that questionnaire and then just collecting as much data as possible.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Vice Mayor?

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you for the presentation.

I think this is always a contentious subject, especially when you bring it up, especially with everything that's going on in the public and how the state handles their own thing.

I think the unique thing about Elk Grove is that we are Elk Grove and we like to strive.

Mr. Jones, thank you for your comment.

Right?

I wish there was more residents to come and also voice their opinion, but they're going to have that opportunity to do that when we do the research.

And I think we're all in agreement that we want our residents to provide what they believe is right and what they believe is just.

But we also, I want to remind folks that we need to be compassionate and caring and take care of our own residents who are here now.

Thank you for the architectural structure and kind of design.

I know that it's going to take some time to kind of get there.

But you touched on a lot and sometimes it's open and closed, right?

Folks are used to, whether it's sleeping outside or sleeping inside, right?

Teaching folks how to do stuff with their hands, trade.

We're providing an opportunity for folks to break out of that cycle.

And I think that's one of the most important things that we as a community, not just as a city, but as a community, is provide opportunities to be broken.

And I know that there's folks who are going to be, you know, you have a tough challenge coming up.

It's going to be very tough because there are folks who don't agree with us.

There are folks who don't want to see this, right?

But I believe that as a community, we come together and we stand with one another and figure out how we can find a solution for this.

We can create something that's unique in our region, unique in our area that others have tried and pretty much failed.

But I think we here in New York can have an opportunity to do that, right?

As we look for a vibrant community, we can create vibrancy.

We can create heritage that we're proud of, right?

As we look into the next generation, my hope is that residents will continue to stay active.

And Mr. Jones, I understand what you meant about the housing project.

You're absolutely right.

Unfortunately, the state mandated that, right?

We did all we could.

We voiced our opinions.

We shouted from the rooftops.

I know that Councilman Suwan was super big on that as well.

But that one was state mandated.

Right here, we have an opportunity to be the standard for our region.

So I look forward to seeing what's going to happen.

I look forward for the outreach.

I look forward for community folks, even if they don't agree, right, having their opinions heard.

We're taking a step forward in our area, in our city, and in our region to solve what we need to do.

So thank you.

Councilmember Brewer?

Thank you, Mayor.

So one of the questions that I had going into this is we're going into a master services contract for the planning and design for the shelter itself.

But I was wondering if, are we putting the cart before the horse?

But after it was explained to me that this is part of the process, it made more sense to me.

Because if we're going to be serious about having a permanent shelter here in Elk Grove, which is something that we've all wanted to have and that we all desire to do.

And part of what we wanted to have and what was charged to us under Measure E in addressing homelessness, it makes very good sense.

We have a lot of places that are on our list for designated sites, and that's going to be part of the filtering process.

And I want to thank our Housing and Public Services Division and Sarah Bontrager specifically for continuing down the process of making sure that we're doing this in the spirit of equity,

but also in the spirit of fairness, because this is not going to be an easy process, but it's going to be a good process because everyone will be involved.

And we will all have an opportunity to participate in the workshops and to provide our input.

This is one of the beauties of local control.

It's like if we had this taken away from us, we wouldn't be able to have this sort of voice.

We wouldn't be able to have this sort of forum.

So it's important for us to be mindful of that, especially when there are attempts by the state to take that away from us.

And that was seen in our latest episode a couple of years ago, and it comes back every now and then.

But this is why we are a citizenry that is proactive and cares about our four walls and our residence,

and that you participate in the process with us and being vigilant and making sure that we ensure that your voice is being heard

and that we're doing everything we can to represent you.

So I think this is a good step.

This is healthy.

And I want to thank John Vieira and NJA Architecture for being that potential partner for us

in identifying these needs and identifying the locations and looking at how we can have a potential site that can benefit us.

And so I want to thank you for that, and I will pass it on to the mayor.

All right.

Great comments from everyone.

So I will look for a motion.

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Next item.

I'll take us to item 9.2, which is to receive information and consider resolution approving the continued participation

in the Sacramento Fuel Network.

And consider a contribution of up to $10,000 to the Fuel Network for the benefit of Elk Grove residents.

Okay.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

My name is Femi, I'm a management analyst with the City Manager's Office.

And my presentation is for the Council's consideration of the City's continued participation in the Sacramento Fuel Network.

At the November 8, 2017, City Council meeting, the Council voted to participate in the Fuel Network and provide $100,000 in funding for legal services, family preparedness,

assistance, and some form of training, know-your-right training.

Femi, can I just interrupt really quickly?

Did you say $100,000?

Or is it $10,000?

10,000.

Okay.

10,000.

Thank you.

The City's $10,000 contribution in 2017 helped ensure that Elk Grove families could access rapid response services, legal assistance, and critical support related to immigration.

And just a little about Fuel.

It was established in 2017 by the City of Sacramento in partnership with local community organizations.

The Sacramento Family Unity Education and Legal Network for Immigrants is a coalition of over 80 non-profit religious organizations, legal clinics, businesses, pro bono attorneys, and educators.

The network is dedicated to addressing the legal, informational, and health needs of partner communities' immigration population.

The Fuel Network and its partners assist the community in preventing or handling immigration issues.

The network emphasizes understanding legal rights, utilizing local resources, and fostering community solidarity.

So currently, the City of Sacramento is the exclusive funder of the Fuel Network program.

And as a result of this, the Fuel Network does not provide services to individuals who live outside the Sacramento city limits.

And this includes Elk Grove residents.

So renewed funding from the City of Elk Grove would extend their free legal services to Elk Grove residents who might currently be experiencing immigration issues.

So the Fuel Network has requested renewed funding from the City of Elk Grove to extend their free legal services to Elk Grove residents who are directly impacted by immigration situation.

I would like to say that if the Council desires to provide funding for the Fuel Network services, staff is recommending a contribution of $10,000 matching what was provided in 2017.

The funding will be dedicated to providing needed resources and education services for Elk Grove residents in need.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So my organization, California Immigration Project, we coordinate the fuel network.

So some of the funding goes to our office.

We have a fuel coordinator who is a full-time staff person.

And then we also have one fuel attorney on our staff.

So to back up, in recent years, the Sacramento City Council has funded the fuel network annually at an amount of $500,000.

And so a portion of that goes to pay the two staff members we have to coordinate the network.

The rest of the money goes to paid partner or funded partners.

As FEMA mentioned, there are over 80 partner organizations.

About 15 of those are funded partner organizations.

And so we actually have a meeting on Friday, and we do this annually.

We have a selection committee review the partner organizations who request funding.

We have different categories that are funded.

Legal services, education and outreach, and health-related services.

And so within each of those categories, we have subcategories.

And each of those subcategory services are funded at a different amount, kind of like deliverables.

Sure.

And so the selection committee awards a certain amount to each funded partner or partner that requests funding.

And so the majority of the funding goes to those funded partners who then provide the services to the community.

Thank you for that.

What other cities participate?

So right now, it's just the City of Sacramento.

The City of Sacramento funds us at $500,000 a year.

We do not get any funding from any other city.

We are in the process.

And with the current environment this year, there is increased interest from surrounding cities and jurisdictions,

such as Yolo County, to get involved with the fuel network.

And so we've been in conversations with neighboring jurisdictions to participate.

But since 2017, the City of Sacramento has been our sole funder.

And beyond that, I mean, participation from other cities and jurisdictions looks like they want to know what's going on,

how we can help their residents.

But without funding from those other jurisdictions, it's difficult for us to do so.

So are you only currently serving the City of Sacramento?

I get that they fund, but if somebody from Lodi, Elkboro, Isleton comes to you, what happens?

So our priority is residents of the City of Sacramento.

If folks come to us outside of the city who have ties to the City of Sacramento, for example, they work in the City of Sacramento.

They have kids who go to school in the City of Sacramento.

They have immediate family members in the city.

We, on a case-by-case basis, will provide services.

And how does the community get to your services?

Is this word of mouth?

How does that happen?

Yeah, I think at this point, there's a lot of word of mouth.

The Fuel Network is pretty well known in the Sacramento community,

and we don't have to do a ton of advertising for our services.

But we are listed on, you know, referral lists that are provided by organizations,

the Sacramento Immigration Court, private attorneys.

We have a website, social media.

Yeah, but we don't have to do a ton of advertising.

There's a number that folks can call to get general information about the Fuel Network

and what the partners are able to provide.

And then we also have a list of partners and their specific services.

That's on our website.

We can hand it out to folks from our office if they call or walk in.

Do you expect any state funding from any special projects from either Assembly members or senators in the area?

Not as of right now.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

And so I ask those questions really more for the record.

I'm very familiar with the organization.

I used to actually serve on the committee.

Okay.

Back then, I was on the school board, and so I was the designated representative.

And I attended those meetings regularly, I believe, if I'm not mistaken.

Is it Council Member Eric Guerra who helped start this?

Yes.

So I think the work is phenomenal.

And actually now Assembly Member Nguyen was also a representative then representing Asian resources

and making sure that the community gets the information and the tools that they need.

And I will share this, that when I met with our students with the Submarcivic Program, a few of them mentioned concerns on this very issue for their families.

Mm-hmm.

So this is not something that doesn't touch the City of Elk Grove and our residents.

Mm-hmm.

So I just, you know, being mindful of that and knowing that hearing their stories, it's heartbreaking.

And if you don't have the resources, the information, the legal resources, really, it makes it very challenging for the community.

Mm-hmm.

So I appreciate all of the work that you do.

Thank you.

Sorry, can I just add to your point just a few more things.

I think it's important to know that there is an immigration court in Sacramento, but folks who are going to proceedings in that court come from the wider area.

It's not just Sacramento residents.

So there are residents of Elk Grove and surrounding communities who are in proceedings at that court.

And so the Fuel Network would be able to assist them with a partnership with the City of Elk Grove.

Additionally, you mentioned schools.

The Fuel Network has been able to already this year in 2025 provide two trainings to the Elk Grove Unified School District to assist them in putting policies and plans in place to help protect the rights of their students, staff, and families.

And we've already scheduled two additional trainings for this year.

So, again, with a partnership with the City of Elk Grove, we'd be able to continue doing those trainings and do more of them.

Are you seeking any funding from them?

The school district itself?

Not that I'm aware of.

Any of all the school districts.

I imagine within the Family and Community Engagement Office, this kind of falls under that.

Okay.

Just putting it out there is something worth looking into.

Thank you.

But I'd love to hear more.

So I'll start.

I'll go.

You want to go since our Vice Mayor actually helped bring this forward.

And I just want to say, I know Councilman Sue and Mac, I think, was the first one to bring it forward too as well.

So I just want to say thank you for the work that you're doing right now in 2025.

This is vital and super important.

And sorry if I choke up a little bit because immigration is very near and dear to my heart, especially for those who don't have a voice.

And thank you for standing in the gap for our neighbors.

You mentioned the immigration court.

Right now, even in Sacramento, there are folks who are being arrested.

And this is an opportunity for us as a city to help provide legal services to make a difference for our residents here in Elk Grove.

And as the Mayor mentioned, even with our Civic Summit Service students, to have them also live in fear.

I remember being in eighth grade and having that fear too for my friends.

So this is something near and dear to my heart.

I wish more cities and suburbs would step up.

I'm glad and happy to hear that Yolo County is considering it.

I hope that they actually do it.

Thank you because you provided safety for an education for our children in Elk Grove Unified, which is something important.

I mean, no kid, no 14-year-old teen should ever be afraid of going to school because they're going to be questioned on their status of immigration.

So thank you for that work.

It means a lot.

And I think, I mean, I think that even 10,000 is not enough.

I think that we should do more.

And I will allow my council colleagues to comment.

But I would like to raise it up to 25,000, knowing that this is going to benefit for education for our students, education for the parents, and education for our community.

Thank you.

Council Member Suen.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for being here tonight.

And the Vice Mayor mentioned, you know, I worked with Council Member Geta bringing this in 2017.

And we are dealing with deferred action for childhood arrivals or DACA students.

And now, you know, I think we have a more, a larger situation, I guess.

And so when I think about, you know, our community that, you know, individuals, families that could be just scared out there providing a support system to just get through all the mess because it's our residents that are being put in the middle right now.

And so I just, you know, I'm supportive of, you know, refunding, I guess is the term.

And I'm happy to consider the larger amounts because I think the funds, I mean, they're allocated based on the city.

So you're only spending it when you have people come in.

Is that correct for Milk Grove?

Yes, but I don't think there would be an issue providing the services needed to spend that amount.

Got it.

Yeah.

Okay.

But yes, we spend, sorry, we spend the money to provide services.

So it's allocated to do specific things.

So could you provide a little more?

And I'm glad that Mayor started with the line of questioning because I think it's helpful because there's many of us who aren't familiar with the field network.

And maybe the example of how you're helping folks when they come in the door, what are you exactly doing?

So as I said, there are kind of three main categories, legal services, education and outreach, and then health related services.

A lot of that is mental health and public benefit, navigating the public benefit system.

So to provide a few examples, education and outreach.

Just last week, we provided a presentation to a number of union members in Sacramento on Know Your Rights.

So how to protect yourself and your family and your community in the face of ICE enforcement, given the current updates and policies that we've been seeing.

So there were over 200 folks who attended that virtual event.

We provide Know Your Rights trainings regularly.

We also provide service provider trainings.

We have one tomorrow.

And that training is designed to teach other advocates and partners how to go out and provide their own trainings or provide their own education outreach.

And so we hold those quarterly at least, maybe once a month even.

We do tabling events if school districts or other partners request a Know Your Rights training or just to have us present at a resource fair or something like that with materials.

That all falls under education and outreach.

Legal services, as I mentioned, we have a full-time staff attorney who provides removal defense services at our office.

And then funded partner organizations provide services such as consultations, emergency rapid response assistance.

And that is something that we've seen a huge increase in need for.

When someone is arrested by ICE or experiencing ICE enforcement, we can activate legal assistance to provide emergency intervention.

And in addition to consultations and rapid response legal assistance, we also provide assistance with, I guess, preparing certain aspects of an immigration case.

So like psychological evaluations, medical exams, help assistance, writing declarations, things of that nature.

And then as far as mental health services, we partner with La Familia, which is a counseling organization in Sacramento.

So we'll refer folks to them through the FUEL Network a lot to get support for individuals and families.

We also provide family preparedness services.

So families can create a plan if they do experience ICE enforcement or a deportation in their family and how to navigate that.

We have a partner organization that provides grief counseling and support groups.

So that all falls under kind of the mental health side.

Hopefully that answered your question.

Those are just a few examples.

Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Because, you know, you're lucky if you don't have to go through something like that.

And so having, and if you do, you know, being able to have somewhere to turn and have that support, ask questions, and, you know, having, I mean, hey, mistakes happen too.

So having that support network, I think, is incredibly important, again, for our residents here in Elk Grove.

So thank you very much, Mayor.

Council Member Brewer.

Thank you, Mayor.

For the F.U.U.L. Network, is it still comprised of community assistance organizations and legal assistance groups like the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, the McGeorge School Law Immigration Clinic, UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association?

Are they all still members?

I believe so, yes.

Or still provide the services?

Yes.

Yes.

And for the, and your, do you have a board of directors that actually helps in terms of outreach, working with the community to make sure that there is a face out there advocating and a voice so people know when they receive their Know Your Rights card,

wherever they are, wherever they are, that they have, that they know exactly who to go to and when to go to and when the time comes?

Heaven forbid.

We don't have a board of directors for the F.U.L. Network specifically.

We do have a coordinator who does a lot of social media and related outreach, so we work hard to have cohesive and streamlined messaging, I guess you would say,

across the many partners of the F.U.L. Network.

And as I mentioned, at this point, most people are familiar with what the F.U.L. Network is and where to reach us if needed.

So, yeah, I don't know.

Hopefully.

And are you finding more, especially today, are you finding more cultures coming to F.U.L., seeking legal assistance and help now because of this recent wave of activity?

Have you seen, and compared to 2017, 2018, is it more pronounced?

Yeah, the number of different communities?

Yes, that's a great question and a good point to raise.

I was doing this work back starting in 2018, and so I've seen, you know, a lot over the years.

And generally, there's a – the situation now is a lot different and worse in many ways, to be honest, than it was in 2017 through 2020.

There's just more enforcement, ICE enforcement.

They're casting a wider net.

There's more fear.

There's more need across the board.

But additionally, we are seeing communities with greater need that maybe folks wouldn't think of or haven't traditionally in this area been communities with that need related to immigration services.

We have a very large Russian and Ukrainian immigrant community in Sacramento.

We're seeing a lot of folks from that community be put through removal proceedings in recent years where that wasn't the case back in 2017.

We're seeing a lot of Asian and Pacific Islander AAPI community members being targeted now specifically.

We just had a meeting with service providers who serve that community specifically where we talked with how the fuel network can be more involved with that specific immigrant community.

And so, yes, we're seeing a more variety and just wider need, I guess, across multiple communities in the area.

And because of that need, that's why I kind of I'm wondering is like is the $500,000 you're getting from the city of Sacramento because this is really more of a Sacramento regional type of dynamic that we're seeing that I'm glad to see that Yolo County is stepping up to the plate as well.

But I'm definitely, definitely concerned and alarmed that other communities, especially how large and diverse that Sacramento County and Yolo County are, have not really looked at this again and really addressed it.

As a forerunner to what is going on with the fuel network, I was the city appointee to the Human Rights Fair Housing Commission.

And the Human Rights Fair Housing Commission was very pronounced because it was for $10,000, each city in the region was a part of it.

And due to the recession and budget cuts or the beginning recession and budget cuts, the Human Rights Fair Housing Commission had to dissolve.

And I like where the fuel network is picking up.

It's picking up where that left off because it felt like there was a void, a large void of people needing, needing assistance.

Because the cases may, they may not be, they weren't as much as we see now, let alone 2017 and 2018.

But there were still a lot of cases where people were needing help, needing legal assistance, needing to know their rights and to navigate their way through the system.

And so I definitely see the need for the fuel network to have more cities involved, to have the city of Elk Grove involved, along with the city of Sacramento, potentially Yolo County.

But really, hopefully this will be a call to arms for other local, local governments to really see what they can do to be a part of the fuel network.

Because your work is definitely going to be needed, not only in Northern California, but any place and every place where there is no fuel network.

It's very vital.

Very vital.

Thank you.

Well, thank you.

Great comments from my colleagues here.

We have, I don't know if that was a motion, or a consideration for additional funding.

So not the-

A consideration for 25,000.

A consideration for 25,000.

So, Mayor, Council Members, there is a bit of an issue on that.

And staff may have misjudged the amount of contribution that the council is contemplating.

The staff report authorizes a contribution up to $10,000.

Up to $10,000.

So you could certainly give more later if you want.

But tonight, your cap would be $10,000.

If council directs that we bring it back for later contributions in the next meeting, and you give us some guidelines of what you're thinking, we can certainly do that.

But since the staff report provides a contribution up to $10,000, that's our cap for tonight.

Okay.

Thank you for that reminder.

Okay.

Well, then at this time, I'll move to adopt the resolution as staff recommends, and we can bring it back later.

I agree.

Second.

All right.

We have a motion and a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

So to be clear, would you like us to bring it back in the next meeting, and could you give us some indication on the contribution levels you have in mind?

I heard $25,000 total.

So $15,000 on the next meeting.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

We will move on to our next item, which is 9.3.

Nice to receive information regarding the e-bike lending library pilot program.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council Members.

My name is Kayla Ball, and I am the Civic Spark Fellow for the Office of Civic Innovation and Sustainability here in the City Manager's Office.

And I'm very excited to give you an update on our e-bike lending library pilot program.

To give you some background, this program was funded by a $250,000 mode shift grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

The lending library was created by our senior transportation planner, Kaylee Lyons, and was launched last September 2024.

Grant funding for the lending library goes through the end of 2025.

So some of our goals with the program are to reduce congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We are providing a free option to explore biking as an alternative mode of transportation.

I also want to point out that this program aligns well with certain council goals and priorities, such as embracing new ideas and innovation in the delivery of services, promoting a sustainable community and protecting the natural environment, and planning for future transportation technologies and innovations.

So here's how it works.

Residents may borrow an e-bike for up to three weeks for free.

It's only available to residents 18 and older, and they must first sign a waiver, complete a safety training, and fill out a survey for us.

We provide them with the e-bike, a battery charger, a heavy-duty lock, a helmet, and a trail map.

Our fleet consists of 22 e-bikes and e-trikes that were all purchased from local bike shops here in Elk Grove, so there are many different brands and types to choose from.

So the program has been running since September, and in March, we put together data in a six-month snapshot.

This shows the program's success so far.

In those six months, we've received 401 reservation requests, and 83 residents participated in the full borrowing process from checkout to return.

Those numbers are still rising, so our current total is nearly 600 reservation requests, and 130 people have gotten to borrow.

Our data shows participants took about five trips per week on average, and biking an average of three miles per trip.

In fact, 23% of participants are interested in borrowing again.

Some key takeaways.

84% of participants reported an increase in their use of active transportation, so that is biking or walking to get to a destination.

More than 645 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions were reduced, which is about 1,600 miles in a gas-powered car.

As I said, demand continues to rise, and we have gotten very positive feedback.

I also want to point out we haven't had any issues with bike theft so far.

We discourage theft by providing those heavy-duty locks and using trackers on each device.

So let's look at some data about who is participating, and this includes the 83 participants who fully participated.

You'll see some demographic survey data here.

We asked about participants' gender, be it male, female, non-binary, et cetera, and you'll see a majority of participants are male.

And going forward, this will inform our outreach efforts.

Moving on to race and ethnicity, this was a select all that apply question, so keep that in mind when viewing the data.

You'll see our Asian population is very highly represented, and we also have a solid representation from other groups that matches their percentage in the overall population.

And again, this will help inform us going forward to reflect that biking is for everyone.

Most of our participants are between the ages of 45 to 54, but we also have a good number of seniors participating as well,

and the three-wheeled e-trikes are especially popular with that group.

Over half of participants reported an annual household income that is less than the Elk Grove median income, which is $120,000 per year,

and this shows that we are reaching lower-income residents.

Also, participants are from all over the city.

There's a good representation from all of the three zip codes.

So what are participants saying?

We surveyed participants about their driving habits before the program and then asked again in the post-program survey.

You'll see they reported taking an average of four fewer trips by car every week,

and their average vehicle miles traveled decreased by 30 miles on average.

So this shows that participants' car usage decreased during those three weeks that they had the e-bike.

The top activities the e-bikes were used for were recreation slash exercise, running errands,

and reaching a destination, such as visiting a friend.

Participants reported challenges with safety from vehicles on the road, weather conditions,

and the third most popular answer was no challenges.

This report covers the winter months, so those could fluctuate,

and I also think this reflects a high demand for safe infrastructure.

Lastly, we asked how likely are you to purchase an e-bike in the future.

84% were either very likely or somewhat likely.

We will be following up with participants at the one-year mark to see how many went through with the decision,

because it's also part of the program to let them try out the e-bike first

and see how it fits in their lifestyle before making that financial commitment.

So as I said, we received very positive feedback.

Residents reported it gives them a real feel for what it's like to own an e-bike,

and it's an educational experience in learning how to get around in a different way than just your typical car.

So it helps them see OutGrove from a different perspective,

and it's simply a fun and rewarding program.

So looking towards the future, we have grant funding through December 2025,

and that covers investment in the e-bike fleet and other associated expenses.

As we've seen, there is significant demand,

and the number of reservation requests will take us through the end of grant funding and beyond.

So the approved budget covers operations through June of 2026,

at which point we will reevaluate the lending library and look at options to continue.

We do welcome feedback on that as well.

And before I wrap up, I also wanted to point out that we were contacted by an external organization

that's interested in starting their own version of the program.

So I think this really speaks to OutGrove's innovative and unique programs that we offer our residents.

And with that, I will take any questions.

Thank you so much.

At this time, I'll open up public comment.

No one signed up to speak on this.

I'll close public comment.

Questions, comments?

Anything to the left?

Thank you, Mayor.

I appreciate the information.

I'm so pleased to hear that we had such a great interest and reception to this program.

I hope more people will take advantage and invest in e-bikes, too.

So thank you very much for the information.

Vice Mayor?

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just want to say thank you for the presentation.

I'm excited that folks are using it.

I also want to give kudos to where kudos is earned and due.

Councilman Suen has been attempting to make sure that there's scooters and electricity and all this fun stuff.

So thank you.

Thanks.

And I think we're in a good category when it comes to who uses the bikes.

So keep that up.

Over 50.

Councilmember Brewer?

Thank you.

Yeah, the numbers pretty much tell a pretty positive story.

And definitely looking forward.

Hopefully this will be a good indicator of us doing year two, a year two of this project.

Is that possible?

Because, yes, definitely want to thank Councilmember Suen for his leadership on this, being able to obtain the mode shift grant from SACOG to make this all possible.

But, yeah, no, I definitely like this because this is very good.

People have responded to it.

Now it's just getting more people involved in it and more people participating because you want to get people to not only learn how to use e-bikes,

but to really like them and possibly own one someday so we can actually have a more mobile society, but also using more electric.

Thank you.

Thank you to my colleagues.

Great program.

Great statistics.

Like seeing all of that.

Wishing it continued success.

Thank you for your report.

Thank you.

We will now move on to 9.4.

And 9.4 is to consider a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement

and joint escrow instructions with CenterCal Acquisitions LLC for Project Elevate.

Okay.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Mr. Vice Mayor, members of the Council.

I'm Darrell Doan, your Economic Development Director.

I am pleased to be presenting to you tonight a recommendation to approve or adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager

to execute a purchase and sale agreement and joint escrow instructions with CenterCal Acquisitions LLC.

And this is for Project Elevate.

So I'm going to go through a little bit of background and some history, but it won't take long.

This project has had a long and winding road.

So the project's location is our 20.45-acre city-owned parcel that is located at the southeast corner of Elk Grove and Bighorn Boulevard.

So this is directly north of District 56.

And it consists of an approximately 17-acre net developable site.

Most of that reduction is due to the reservation of the easement for the light rail corridor.

So lots of history.

We obtained this property in 2004 as a result of the Lagoon Ridge specific plan approvals.

It was given to the city at no cost.

In late 2016, we started working on kind of what we would like to see happen on this site.

We knew we wanted to create a monetized sort of commercial center related to District 56 so the guests there had something to do.

So we initially thought of a lifestyle shopping center similar to the Fountains in Roseville or Palladio in Folsom.

In early 2019, the concept evolved into more of a mixed-use urban district.

In that same year, we presented ideas to you at your city council retreat.

You told us you liked it and to pursue it.

So we then assembled a project team to develop a concept, vision, and market analysis.

In August of 2020, we presented concept, designs, and analysis to the city council, and you endorsed those designs.

So the project's, I'll pause here, the project's concept, vision was and still is a dynamic mixed-use urban district with an elevated sense of place to serve the local and regional population.

So we wanted vertical integration.

We wanted a mix of uses.

We wanted to be dense and urban, a true live-work-play environment, contemporary design, walkable, with great amenities.

And we wanted it to connect to District 56.

That was the vision that you all endorsed.

So here are some images from that concept, vision, exercise that staff did.

So you can see these images kind of convey that vision.

So back to the history in 2021, after you told us to move forward.

In 2020, we engaged Turton Commercial Real Estate, who are sometimes partners in complex real estate transactions.

In January 2022, they helped us release what's called an offering memorandum, essentially an RFP.

The goal is to find a development partner who shared our vision, who would partner with us and execute the project.

In April 2022, we received four proposals.

In August 2022, you approved an exclusive negotiation agreement with a group called Heinz.

We worked with Heinz for a good six months.

We could not come to agreement on terms of development and timeline of development.

So we terminated that ENA with them.

What did I miss?

Okay.

And then as a result of that, working with Turton, we released another offering memorandum.

We received a total of six proposals over two offerings.

And on the second offering, we received continued interest from two of the original proposers.

And then two new proposals, including a group called CenterCal Acquisitions, who we are recommending we move forward with.

After that, we worked with staff and the Project Elevate City Council ad hoc subcommittee, Messrs.

Suen and Robles, who've done a great job shepherding this through our processes with us and sort of being your eyes and ears on the council as we go through this.

So we determined after looking at all of the proposals that CenterCal was the best group to move forward with.

And that was based upon the strength of their proposal, their commitment to the project, their track record of doing similar projects, their strong financial relationships, their exceptional retail relationships, and their operational and management expertise.

So in April of 2024, so about 13 months ago or 14 months ago, you approved a letter of intent with CenterCal.

So for the past 12 months, we've been negotiating a purchase and sale agreement.

That is the contract by which we will agree to sell the property to CenterCal, and CenterCal will agree to develop it to the standards in the PSA.

So again, our very able-bodied subcommittee has been, in many meetings, probably more than they would like, going through this with us.

And so today, we are very pleased and confident to recommend, along with the subcommittee and staff, your approval of the PSA.

So just quickly, CenterCal, El Segundo-based, formed in 2004.

This is what they do.

They specialize in retail-centric mixed-use projects.

They have 20-plus operating properties in five states, 150 employees, 12 offices across the West.

A gentleman named John Paul Wardius, their CEO.

And Scott Borer, who is here tonight, representing CenterCal, and is able to answer any questions, is their vice president of development.

So this is second in PCH in Long Beach, California.

I think that image speaks for itself in terms of the quality of their architecture, design, amenities, and experience.

The village at Totem Lake, which staff and the subcommittee visited, is an excellent analog for the kind of project we envisioned.

Bay Street in Emeryville, which was just rehabbed and remodeled by CenterCal.

And this is the village at Meridian.

So these are all analogs for the type of project we envisioned.

So their proposal, what is being proposed by CenterCal.

So you can see in this image what is able to be accomplished is consistent with the city council's vision,

although admittedly not as dense, and it does not include the residential component.

We'll get to that in a minute.

But what they are committed to is 100,000 square feet of ground floor retail, dining, and entertainment.

Their current site plan actually shows more than that.

It shows about 120,000 square feet.

A hundred-room, four-story, upscale hotel.

Both the retail and the hotel have been part of the city's concept vision for day one.

So that will be executed on 10,000 square feet of second floor uses, which you can see in the buildings on the right.

That could contain residential, office, or retail.

There's a high probability that it contains residential.

This half-acre village lawn concept, so this public gathering space in the middle of the project.

Approximately 950 parking spaces to support all this.

And those parking spaces would be opportunities for future development and densification of the site.

If you call Scott up, he can speak far, far, far more eloquently on this design and the reasoning behind it than I can.

Building heights from one to four stories, so that is consistent with the city's concept vision.

An emphasis on elevated new-to-market retail concepts, again, consistent.

Elevated streetscaping, landscaping, architecture, which you can see in this image, looking at the hotel from the village lawn.

That is consistent.

Extensive programming and special events all year long, also consistent.

Residential is not required.

The original concept division had extensive residential in it.

We've worked with two different developers and our own architects and engineers.

And what we've determined and what we believe is that residential is not a slam dunk.

Because the type of residential that this project deserves is a dense, urban, vertical product that you find in downtown areas.

That was our aspiration.

We didn't know if we could achieve that.

The market is telling us that we may not be able to achieve that today.

Right?

And so Center Cowell will not be committed to building residential.

But their goal and our goal is to build residential in this project.

Right?

And so this project is all about market creation.

There are no comps for that type of product in Elk Grove or any of the suburbs in Sacramento.

And that's why the market is telling us investors aren't going to invest if it has that residential component.

But we believe strongly that by building this project, we will create the market that brings the residential to the site.

And residential that can achieve the kinds of rents necessary to support that kind of construction.

And again, Scott can talk more to that if you'd like him to.

So these are just blown up images of what this looks like.

So the building on the right is two-story, bridging over a breezeway.

All of the ground floor is in-line retail.

That's dining, soft goods, entertainment, that kind of thing.

It's all intended to be elevated, new-to-market, fresh concepts.

This is not run-of-the-mill.

This is not basic retail shopping.

You can see the four-story hotel in the background.

That's intended to be an upscale or better concept.

And then there's a larger 24,000-square-foot sort of anchor also in the foreground right across from the hotel.

And then it's all built around this very open, public village lawn.

The landscaping is lush.

The treatments are expensive.

The architecture is unlike anything we have in Oak Grove right now.

We expect this to be a highly experiential place where people come to spend time and dwell for long periods and dine and be entertained and shop.

So there's also a view of the interior.

I will say this.

This is not the full realization of the city council's vision because the city's council vision was intentionally aspirational, right?

And we advised you and the public at the time that we brought that to you, that this would be really nice to achieve, but the market may not support it.

This is what we believe the market will support today.

And I believe this is 10 times better than anything else we have in the city right now, and that's why we should do it.

And I believe over time the site will densify, and we will have that residential component.

This is the site plan in two dimensions, right?

So you can see it's a series of retail buildings with three pad sites out by Oak Grove Boulevard, and then you've got the hotel, and then you've got Building A.

So there's your program.

It's showing 118,000 square feet of retail, although, again, CenterCal is only obligated to build 100,

but I think this indicates their plan is to do more than the minimum obligations in the PSA.

And then you've got the hotel and the parking and everything else I told you about.

So the key terms of this agreement that is in front of you tonight, if you approve this tonight, we will immediately open escrow.

We will accept a $200,000 deposit.

That will start the clock on a 180-day due diligence period, which is standard in the commercial real estate industry.

That will also start the clock at the end of that 120-day period or sooner.

The clock will start on a 24-month entitlement and building permit period.

So this is the time it will take for them to go through the city's and the state's processes with respect to design reveal, use permits, CEQA,

and a slew of other things that it takes to build a project of this scale and scope.

Again, all of these dates can be quicker, and it is the developers and the city and our staff's plan to do this as quickly as possible.

So at the end of that 24-month period, if entitlements and building permits are in hand, within 30 days, escrow would close.

If the developer is diligently pursuing those entitlements and building permits, but they are not ready to close because they don't have them,

then there are a series of options to extend that closing period up to five, which we recognize is a lot.

And we don't think it will take that long, but we built these in because we don't know what the market is going to look like in 24 or 36 months.

We don't know if financing will be available for this project.

We don't know what's happening with inflation, with tariffs, with all the things you read about that affect a project in Elk Grove.

So we've built in these extensions.

Rather than just abandon the project because it can't move forward, we'd like to have these opportunities to extend and keep working on the project.

But the developer has to diligently pursue.

They can't sit back and do nothing for 24 months and then ask for an extension.

So years one and two, there are fees associated with these extensions.

If you add up all five years, it would be about $1.5 million.

Years three, four, and five are at the city's discretion.

Right?

So that is the city's off-ramp.

If we get to year three and the developer is not diligently pursuing this project and we want to move on, we deny that year three option.

We have to be reasonable in doing that.

Right?

We can't deny it for no reason.

But certainly if they're not working on the project, that's a good reason.

I don't think any of this is going to happen.

These are worst-case scenarios, but I need to be transparent and honest with you and the public.

So when we close escrow, the purchase price that we've agreed to is $4 million.

After close of escrow, construction must commence within one year.

Again, that could be much sooner.

And then substantial completion of the retail and the second floor uses is required by May 30, 2029.

So that is slightly less than four years from now, if I'm doing good math.

And substantial completion of the hotel is slightly more than four years from now.

Four years to get a project of this scope and scale through entitlement in the state of California,

and then up and open with substantial completion is fast.

That may seem like a long time.

That is not a long time.

Okay.

So there are some protections.

If CenterCal fails to commence construction within one year of the close of escrow

or fails to substantially complete the retail and the hotel by those dates,

then the city has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the property back from CenterCal

at the price that they paid us for it.

We would also have the right to purchase any usable improvements that had been built,

as well as any plans and drawings that we deemed usable.

The option payments and the deposit are applicable to the purchase price.

Those would be kept by the city if CenterCal defaults, right?

We would keep that.

If we default, then we would refund the deposit and the option payments,

plus pay them up to $1 million in substantiated development costs.

And then I've underlined that last one.

And despite all of these timelines and how long or quickly this could be,

the one caveat is CenterCal is contractually required to diligently pursue the project at all times,

to use commercially reasonable efforts to diligently pursue the project at all times.

So here is a potential schedule.

This is a milestone schedule.

This is what we think will happen.

It could be longer than this.

But this tracks with most of everything that I just told you,

so I'm not going to read through it unless you have questions.

So again, our recommended action tonight is that you adopt this resolution

authorizing the city manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement

and join escrow instructions with CenterCal acquisitions, LLC.

This is a CEQA-exempt action tonight.

Alternatives are you could not adopt this.

You could direct staff to seek alternative developers to change the project or to stop work on the project.

And again, the fiscal impact, it's a $4 million purchase price coming to the city,

including a $200,000 deposit.

And then we have agreed that we will split already sunk pre-development costs up to $250,000.

So that's a 50-50 split with the developer up to $500,000.

Anything over that, they will pay the overage.

So that is the end of my presentation.

I'm available for questions.

And then also, Mr. Borer is available to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Do we want to bring up Scott now or after the public comment?

Why don't we call you up now?

I would bring him up, yeah.

Yeah.

Looks like he wants to.

Chomping at the bit.

Chomping at the bit.

Hello.

Good evening.

Well, Darrell, thank you for that introduction and overview.

We have to get you a new picture for Bay Street Emeryville.

That project didn't do it justice, so I'll send that over to you after the meeting.

That aside, good evening, Mayor, Council, staff, and community.

If you can't tell already, I am very excited to be here in front of you.

It's been a little longer than we hoped, but we're very excited to be formally requesting

your approval of the purchase and sale agreement for the Elevate Elk Grove project.

You know, the last time I was here at council, I shared that I had been blown away by the

level of engagement of the community members that were in attendance that night.

And since then, I've enjoyed meeting many civically engaged community members.

And most recently, two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being at the State of the City event,

where I got to hear Mayor Singh Allen and council talk about Elk Grove's past and present.

And most importantly, I got to feel the enthusiasm and passion around Elk Grove's bright future.

Well, it's a feeling of civic engagement, and it's a feeling of mutual investment in creating

a vibrant and thriving community.

And I think that those feelings were only further reinforced by our civic summer members here

tonight as well.

We at CenterCal have a shared, we share your vision for and passion for community building.

We pride ourselves in paying attention to the details of these projects that really allow

them to come to life and to serve as the heart of the communities in which they serve.

The city, and that's you guys here tonight, and specifically council member Soon and council

member Robles, as well as the staff members here tonight, have worked extremely hard in crafting

a vision for this project.

And Daryl shared a bit about that vision tonight.

And I just want to share that we believe in that vision.

We believe in the vision that's being shared with you guys tonight and the renderings and site plan.

And we believe that the city deserves something that is uniquely Elk Grove that they can call

their own.

I want to be short tonight because I know Daryl covered the high-level project attributes,

but we're humbled by your trust in us.

And we're excited to get to work and get to the fun stuff.

And I'm here to answer any questions you have specifically on the project and how it's

evolved, as you may have them.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

All right.

Thank you so much.

All right.

At this time, I will go ahead and open up the public comment opportunity.

We have three people signed up.

First up is Lynn Wheat, followed by Michael Monowski.

Let me share a comment posted on elkgroovenews.net.

So let me see if I got this right.

The developer locks in a 2025 purchase price that is already 25% to 40% below current market

value.

Thank you, Elk Grove taxpayers.

With a $200,000 refundable deposit.

Developer can stretch out the option to buy for up to five years with a total outlay of

$500,000 in deposits plus the initial $200,000, all being applied to $4 million purchase price.

If stretched out to the maximum time frame in 2029, developer can purchase the property

by paying an additional net balance due of $3.3 million.

Then, without even lifting a shovel, worst case for the city, the developer could then flip

the undeveloped property.

And can you imagine what that prime piece of property would be worth in 2029?

If EGN's analysis is correct, and let's say the property is currently worth 30% more than

the city's offering price of $4 million or $5.2 million, then assuming a conservative 2%

annual property value inflation rate, the developer could turn around next week and purchase the

property for $4 million and flip it for about $5.2 million for a tidy $1.2 million profit,

or drag it out until 2029, pay the $4 million and sell it for a very conservative estimate

of $5.6 million or $1.6 million profit.

Personally, I'd sell off a piece of the parcel to a hotel to recoup most of my money, convince

the easy mark city to grant me more building incentives by dangling room tax revenue in front

of them, and then sell off the remainder of the site to cash out and say sayonara to the

city.

Adding my own thoughts to this comment from elkgrovenews.net, once again, giving away of taxpayer dollars

through this subsidy, and somehow it will benefit the taxpayers.

Can anyone say slow and low?

Tell us what slow and low is.

Thank you.

Next up, Michael Manowski.

Thank you.

Who really stands to benefit from this giveaway?

Besides Senator Cal's, Wardy, and Bruning, who stands to benefit from this short sale?

It's a $10 million property sold for $4 million.

Staff?

The city manager?

The economic development director?

What kind of perks are they expecting?

Campaign funds?

There's supposed to be another opportunity for public comment on closed session items.

This was a closed session item.

You guys discussed this.

It was B, conference with real property negotiators.

You guys, soon, Robles, you guys talked about this in conference, and along with the city

manager and the economic development director.

And yet, there's no information about that.

You didn't tell us anything about what you did.

So this is all, this is a one and done deal, right?

Right, Mr. Brewer?

Right, right, Mayor?

And by the way, since we have the kids here, and you are kids, so we revel in being kids,

the kids should know that the vape pens that they buy at convenience stores rival the gas,

the profits that are made in gas that is pumped at convenience stores.

The amount of the profit that's made from vape pens and tobacco products at convenience centers,

stores, rivals that of the profits made on pumped gas.

And she, in her day job, is the president of the association of those convenience store folks.

So who does benefit from this?

Just what is Center Kell?

There's one in El Segundo, and there's another in Costa Mesa.

Which is it?

They're 40 miles apart.

Where do council members and city staff draw the line for conflicts of interest?

I know that Mr. Doan, that's okay, you know, I take breaths in between.

Where do they draw the line for conflicts of interest?

He schmoozes with these people.

I mean, you know, did they give him something?

Are there emoluments involved?

Are there campaign contributions that are funneled?

Are there miscellaneous perks?

I believe that you violated the Brown Act tonight.

And we still don't know what was decided in that closed session.

I'm a Prop 13.

Proposition 13 was fixed property taxes at 1%.

I was grandfathered into a $200,000 tax assessment.

You know, it's grown over the years.

But at any rate, $100,000 on land, $100,000 on the building.

I purchased 32 years ago when I bought it.

It's zoned RD5.

It's just a regular old ranch house here in Elk Grove.

I'm paying more taxes than these clowns, than these hoodlums.

The city, county taxes and assesses at a higher rate.

Sir, your time is up.

$500,000.

I know, I know.

Okay, we're going to go on to the next speaker.

Your time is up.

Thank you.

No, no.

No.

Your time is up, sir.

No, my time is not up.

Your time is up.

Thank you.

It really is.

It really is.

Bye-bye.

Next speaker is Kevin Carmichael.

What a crook.

And send the crooks back to Southern California.

Thank you, sir.

Send them back.

Send them back.

Your time is up.

Please exit.

Thank you.

Deep breaths, everybody.

Good evening.

Mayor, council, staff.

My name is Kevin Carmichael, and I'm here tonight on behalf of Sacramento Sierra's Building

and Construction Trades Council.

The Trades Council opposes the resolution to authorize the city manager to execute a purchase

and sale agreement with CenterCal acquisitions for Project Elevate because the city has not

complied with CEQA.

According to the staff report, the city believes that the action tonight is exempt from CEQA

and that execution of the PSA does not constitute project approval.

However, pursuant to CEQA Section 15352, approval is defined as a decision by a public agency

which commits the agency to a definite course of action.

When applied to private projects, project approval occurs upon the earliest instance of a discretionary

contract or similar instrument for use of the project.

In this case, the city is considering a resolution to enter into a contract with the developer

wherein the city will sell the project site to the developer for $4 million.

And in return, the developer, as you heard in staff's report, is committed to construct a hotel

with not less than 100 keys, not less than 100,000 square feet of retail,

not less than 10,000 square feet of second floor office or residential,

and associated on- and off-site improvements.

Now, under CEQA, execution of the PSA constitutes the issuance of discretionary contract for use

of the project.

Whether the city will make subsequent discretionary decisions regarding the disposition of the

project has no bearing on whether the resolution tonight, before the council, constitutes an approval

of that project.

As a result, the trades council respectfully requests that the city return the agenda item

to staff to conduct the necessary CEQA review for the project.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for being here, sir.

That concludes our public comment portion of this item.

So we will go ahead and I will go ahead and close the public comment and open it up for questions

and comments.

I'll start with both of you since you sit on the subcommittee.

Would love to hear your feedback.

Sure.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to clarify with our city attorney on our staff recommendation based on Mr. Carmichael's

testimony.

Thank you, Council Member Sue, and I respectfully disagree with my colleague that this is the

approval of a project.

It's not under CEQA.

The analysis, excuse me, the project description is not sufficiently formed to conduct a proper

analysis under CEQA.

This will go through a CEQA review process through the planning department, the planning

commission.

At this point, we don't have enough information to conduct a CEQA process.

And so, stand by staff's recommendation and legal's recommendation that the approval tonight

does not constitute the approval of a project.

What you're doing is you're selling a piece of property to a developer who may develop

it pursuant to some, essentially, terms and some guidelines, but it is not sufficient to

constitute the approval of a project under CEQA.

Thank you.

And as I recall, we did a similar arrangement with our Railroad Street property, right?

Yes, that's correct.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

And for folks who don't know that Railroad Street's where Dust Bowl Brewery is and Horn

Barbecue and the rental units and the pavilion that's over in Main Street in Old Town.

Inside joke there.

Yeah.

Anyway.

So, yeah.

Look, I'm very excited.

And we, you know, we, the city, the council, have been working on this, as you saw the slides

earlier since 2016, and, you know, through various fits and starts, our residents here

deserve a great place to shop and congregate and hang out.

And, again, we've been working on this, and whether it's the market or certain partners,

it didn't work out.

But, you know, we've had a lot of success throughout the city.

The Pappas family have brought to town a lot of things like Whole Foods and REI and things

like that there that really prove out the market and show the demand that we have here in the

city of Elk Grove.

And what Center Cal brings, and I'll let Vice Mayor can also add on to this, but what Center

Cal brings, and you saw the photographs, the concept, something very unique that this city,

that this part of the region, frankly, doesn't have.

And it would be the first of its kind.

It would, people would come from all over to come here and hang out in addition to our

own residents.

And a nod to our previous presentation.

People will have a place to e-bike to.

So I'm really excited about that.

Our partners, you know, Scott, if you could come back up here.

I just want to, so folks can hear from you directly.

But, one, I appreciate you flying up here.

But you're not, you know, you lived up here.

You know this area.

So, you know, I appreciate you being at the state of the city and talking about how you've

gotten to feel the vibe in the city.

But you also know it.

You've worked here.

So you could talk about that and to let folks know that your familiarity is pretty well, you

know, you are familiar with our city as well.

Yeah, I was a resident of San Francisco for 12 years until last May.

My wife and I had a baby.

And I dragged her up from Manhattan Beach in the first place.

And so she wanted to be closer to the sand and the sunshine.

And I couldn't take that away from her.

But we're fully invested up here.

I mean, we operate the veranda in Concord, which is a fairly well-known project in the

East Bay.

We're just finishing up a repositioning of Bay Street, Emeryville.

Still deeply involved with ULI in the Bay Area and Sacramento.

And I've worked in Sacramento in development for over 14 years, developing properties in

East Sac all the way down to Fresno.

So more holistically as a company, you know, we are, there are some accusations I'll try

not to take offense at, that we're profiteers, that we're coming in to flip a property.

If that was our intention, we wouldn't be here.

I think you guys have controls within the contract to prevent that from happening.

But we, you know, we invest in the communities that we serve because we're passionate about

those communities.

We've worked with cities specifically on some of our projects like Station Park in Salt Lake

City, the village at Meridian in the Boise MSA.

And we've done that successfully by following through on our word.

You know, you don't build the reputation that we have as a company over 20 years by not delivering

on what you say you're going to do.

And it's more than a handshake.

The proof is in the pudding in the projects that we deliver and in the way that we operate

them long term.

Some of these projects haven't been open and operating for 20 years.

So my invitation to everyone here tonight is to visit some of our properties, the veranda

in Concord.

Streets of Brentwood is a property we just took over in October that's just undergoing redevelopment.

Come say hi to our staff members.

We staff our projects on site.

These are members that join the Chamber of Commerce that engage with the community.

They live and breathe these projects.

And we cater the programming at these projects to the communities that they serve.

So I'd like to think we do things a little differently than most of our competitors.

But that's just my opinion.

Yeah.

Thank you.

And your Kirkland property that we visited, it felt like Disneyland with your cleanup crew

that, you know, your back office that were taking care of the property.

Maybe you could speak to that a little bit.

I think that's the attention to detail part that I mentioned.

I mean, these, you know, these properties, they live and they breathe.

And so down to the reason that I joined Center Cal three and a half years ago and why I'm still

a passionate member of the team is that it's not just me who wakes up every day thinking

about their job and staying up late, committed to the process.

It's from our CEO, John Paul Warty, all the way down to our landscape technician.

Every person at our company is not there by mistake.

They're vetted for their passion in what we do.

Because if you don't have that commitment from the top all the way to the bottom, you're not

going to get the finished product that we have.

And from the reverse, I've never met a CEO who's as humble as ours in making sure that

he's getting feedback from everyone on the team, from the very bottom all the way to

the top, because that's what makes our projects better.

Yeah, absolutely.

Well, again, I thank you for being here.

I, again, I appreciate or I really believe in this community, the demand that's out there

for higher end experience in dining and entertainment.

I know that through the art conversations, the ability to have residential is there.

And if we're able to prove the market, which again, I also believe there's huge demand for

that when that first unit does go up, it will prove itself out.

And it'll be exciting times here in our city to have something new, a new place to live,

a new place to shop, and a new place to play.

So thank you so much for being here, Scott.

Absolutely.

It's our pleasure.

Thank you.

I'm happy to support this project.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor.

I won't go far.

The PSA.

Ha ha.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I should stick to that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I just want to don't go too far, Scott.

So I just want to say thank you, Councilman Zoon, for your leadership in this.

You've been working hard several years and been wanting to make this a reality.

So thank you for your efforts and thank you for your work.

I came in about three years ago, and this is obviously in District 4, but we're one elk

growth, so it's about making elk growth better for our community.

One of the things that I continue and wholeheartedly believe is that we need new experience.

We need new restaurants.

We need something diverse.

We have the same, I don't want to say boring chains, but we have the same chains, and this

offers an opportunity.

And Scott, I would like to ask why elk growth?

You know, I mentioned my familiarity with the Central Valley and Sacramento specifically.

I was asked on a blind date at ICSC, a conference for retail developers, some years ago, and was

introduced to Councilmember Zoon.

And it was very clear from the beginning, both from himself, the staff members that I

eventually had the pleasure of meeting, that they believed there was something different

in Elk Grove.

I'll be super candid with you.

I was a little skeptical at first, because having worked in the Valley for as long as I

have, when I thought of Elk Grove, the first thing I thought of was vacant big boxes.

You know, at my previous company, we specialized in target-anchored shopping centers, big vacant boxes.

It's the worst thing you can have.

And you guys had a lot of them.

And I shared that candid feedback, and Councilmember Zoon said, hold on a minute.

You know, let me give you a market update.

Why don't you come out and see what's been happening?

And all of the vacancy that I had seen, you know, years ago had been absorbed.

New restaurants were coming online.

Coincidentally, a very good friend of mine had opened Pig Latin, which I was able to go and

get a craft cocktail at, and really see how much the demographics had changed.

The rail yards project was underway.

And so it was clear that something different was happening.

And, you know, the rest is kind of history.

I started spending more and more time out here.

Got to get your recommendations on some of the best spots in town and in Sacramento writ large.

And it's been fun to watch Sacramento grow up as an MSA, right?

Like, I lived in the Bay Area.

I've had a lot of friends who have moved from San Francisco back to Sacramento area or to

Sacramento for the first time in search of affordable housing, quality of life, and an

ability to just expand their family and grow with great schools and safety.

Elk Grove offers that, in my opinion, even more than most of the other suburban communities.

The only thing it lacks is that Fountains moment, is that Caladia, is that vibrant district that

includes the best retail brands, the best shopping, creative F&B, and a central civic place that

really becomes the heart of their community, where you go to get coffee in the morning with

a friend you're catching up with.

You go out for drinks to celebrate those life moments.

Like, that's what we specialize.

That's what we're passionate about.

And if we thought this was anything different than that, we wouldn't be engaged with it.

Without going into your trademark or slogan, could you share your slogan when you came to

us and talked to us about wanting your pitch to Elk Grove?

Was that regarding tenancy specifically?

Fun experience and...

Yeah, so FF&E is a term we've come up with internally for just the tenancy that is beyond

a traditional anchor.

So, you know, typical shopping centers have a grocery anchor.

They have a target.

In our mind, you can operate beyond that.

You can focus on food, fitness, and entertainment.

That's really what people can't get online.

That's what they can't get through Amazon.

That's what we're competing with, is people's attention.

You know, they can stay home and Netflix and chill.

They can door dash food from however far.

So it's never been more challenging to get people to come to our shopping centers.

And at the same time, it's an incredible time to be doing what we're doing because the demand,

that salient demand, that desire for people to be a part of a community has never been

more needed and more deep.

And we've been able to forge relationships with some of the best tenants in the business

that help us execute that vision.

That's really where the magic happens.

And when we were up in Kirkland, Oregon, or was it Seattle, Washington?

I forgot.

Washington.

Pacific Northwest.

There were trees.

I remember there were trees.

Homa Cotta trees.

You touched on the experience of being able to grab a coffee, walk out.

And that's been one of the things that I've been wanting to, as we look at Project Elevate,

it's a little bit more from what it has been in the beginning stages to where it's at now.

For me, and I've mentioned this a lot to several folks, is I would like to grab a coffee and

then walk out and then do a workout and then after that figure out to go do lunch and then

go home, all without leaving the area where I'm at.

Yeah.

And I know that our agreements in our line, the agreements that's been written out there,

it isn't on there.

But I do hope that if there is an opportunity to do something like that and more, because

eventually, I mean, we have a lot of high schoolers who eventually will graduate and

go to college and then come back.

And then that's something where they can live too, right?

If they can't afford a house, which right now it's hard and difficult to afford even the

areas where we live in, right?

It's the opportunity to be able to build.

And I wanted to say thank you because this is going to be something, you know, we've spent

time talking on what we're going to get for restaurants and where we should go.

And when we're talking about high upscale restaurants, we spent, I think, half a day

or a day, but we hit a coffee shop.

We went to brunch, which Elk Grove is in very dire need of a brunch spot or breakfast.

I know we have some, but we need more.

There's options, right?

And also of restaurants that are starting to come in.

I believe that this project would be a catapult for that to continue to happen.

Can we go back to the renderings?

Yeah.

Scott, you're not authorized to operate this in here, so you need to step back.

I'll let the professionals go.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This is what we do.

All right.

So you want that one or how about that one?

Start there?

Yes.

Okay.

So we're looking, and I know you guys haven't, you know, we're talking about retail and everything.

What experience would I get here?

Yeah.

So am I allowed to toggle a little bit?

So, you know, when we look at the site plan, there's something that's important to note.

When you think of a traditional shopping center, you think of retail doors facing a big field of parking, facing a large intersection.

Retailers are inherently risk averse.

They like predictability and consistency.

They like being able to check all the boxes for their higher-ups that say this has worked before, so it'll work again.

This site plan in itself breaks that mold.

When you look at this, the majority of buildings are actually facing inward, not outward, and they're facing what we're calling the village lawn experience in the center.

That in itself is a risk, but it's something that we've been able to execute before.

This plan is really unique, and I think it's a synthesis of a lot of our 20 years of experience in what works and what doesn't.

The goal here is that you show up, you park your car at any of the periphery parking fields, you walk through the building openings that we're showing on the plan, and you're transported.

Our goal is to transport you from your daily life into an immersive experience that allows you to forget where you parked your car, forget the stresses of daily life, and engage in an environment that's stimulating, that is, again, immersive through the use of art, music, landscaping, and great tenancy, and enjoy your life.

I don't think that's currently offered here in Elk Grove.

I think that the feedback that we've gotten from the market is that people agree with us that there is demand for something better, something super unique and makes me excited about working in Elk Grove and Sacramento, again, writ large, is the regional operators here are second to none.

I mean, Sacramento and the broader region have been doing farm-to-table since before there was a name for it.

You know, we are in the home of agriculture.

We are in the home of a lot of creativity within that space.

And, you know, you have a long list of recommendations yourself as a foodie.

You know, I think that the tenants at the end are what really make a difference.

And so being able to find best-in-class fitness operators, service operators, retailers that resonate with the market,

and then really hitting hard on that food and beverage offering to bring entertainment to the property, that's the experience I think you'd have.

You mentioned entertainment.

There is, I don't think, and please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think there's anything else that provides entertainment as far.

There's some areas, so I don't want to be very careful.

But there is, at least in this area, I would say that there is no entertainment, correct?

You guys?

Yeah, this will be it.

And how cool, I don't think.

I'm going to look at the high schoolers because, you know, they're going to be the future.

And I'm looking at the residents, too.

Don't worry, we're including you in this.

I don't think that there has been a space or even an area where we can go and do that.

I guess for me, when entertainment, and I don't want, I'm asking questions because I want people to see and experience, right?

When you came to us as a city and said, yes, we're going to do this, you provided an experience.

And then when we spent time, I provided an experience when it came to food.

And I want folks to know that we don't want, well, we're not always wanting chains.

We want good food.

We want good shopping areas.

We want to go to, I know there's good ice cream, but we want more ice cream options, right?

We want better coffee shops other than Starbucks, which I have nothing against Starbucks, but still.

So, again, we want options.

And I'm a believer that, you know, I know that on the other shopping center right next, we're going to get Mendocino Farms.

Pretty excited about Mendocino Farms, right?

We're going to get Whole Foods.

Pretty excited about that.

But also when we're looking at our moms and pops here locally in Elk Grove, and then when we're looking at restaurants and experience,

I guess for me it's what kind of experience are we looking at?

And I know you can't point to it right now, right, because we're still looking through it,

but would it be an experience where they, when the young teenagers can go and also hang out with friends there?

Or even for our older community where instead of, you know, walking around the park,

they go walk around the shopping center and have coffees there or do yoga on that little green village lawn that they have, right?

I guess when I'm thinking of building something like this is how do we create that walkability

while also creating that ability just to stay there and, like you said, get lost or lost into that.

Yeah, these are great questions.

And I think the, you know, it's funny, you bring up Mendocino Farms and, you know,

the Pappas family has done an incredible job of growing with Elk Grove over time.

And I'd say they did us a huge service by getting under construction and leasing the village shopping center right next door.

Having that co-tenancy checks a lot of the boxes for this project.

They really paved the way by bringing in some of the tenants that they've announced thus far.

You know, the entertainment component doesn't have to mean you're coming in and spending money.

We want the projects that have been the most successful in our portfolio are the ones that the community has taken ownership of.

The ones that people come to us asking to host events on site.

The ones that come to us where cities want this to be where they're doing their holiday celebration.

We just got done with our third Christmas tree lighting in Emeryville where over 2,000 people ride their bikes from City Hall to Bay Street

and are there for the Christmas tree lighting and then spend the whole night there with a holiday craft fair and festival and live music.

And that's for the community, right?

And we do that because we have the honor of creating these public spaces that end up being, again, the venue for a lot of those experiences for a community.

And the adjacency to District 56, I think, further emboldens the ability for this property to be that experience.

You know, we were at the State of the City right across the street.

You know, over time, the – and I think, you know, it's funny you're talking about e-bikes tonight because El Crive is relatively flat

and has an incredible trail system that you guys continue to make major investments in.

And I do think that people will walk and will ride their bikes, but they have to be properly motivated, right?

People are not motivated to ride their bike to Starbucks.

They're going to drive their car.

They're probably going to go in the drive-thru, and they're going to go home.

But if they are going to make a day of it to come to a property that they know they're going to be spending time at,

then I think that's going to be a bigger draw in putting in the infrastructure for e-bikes and shared parking and drop-off and all of those things.

But, again, the experiments of entertainment is being on site in addition to being a customer.

Okay.

Thank you for that.

And then can we go to the renderings or the – right.

Got to ask the boss back there.

So I like these pictures.

Yeah.

And I'm going to just try to be very careful.

But I see something back there that hasn't been, you know, hasn't been in Elk Grove or even in – I don't think in any other suburb.

And, again, when we talk about fun experience, when we talk about entertainment, when we talk about restaurants, when we talk about food,

I see something unique, and I just would like, again, offering my personal opinion, I would like to see what we see on that rendering, right,

that will bring a different experience elevated to the suburbs from an actual suburb, right, not just in the city or downtown corridor.

I hope that we can see that.

I hope that we will be able to build off that.

I hope that, again, I want you guys to be successful at the same time.

And, you know, we're asking for a lot, too.

And we want something that – we want this to continue for us, and we would do a partnership.

But I just wanted to put that out there that I would like to see what we see a little bit on that rendering right there.

For sure.

Why don't you say what you're saying, what you want to say.

So if you look, there is a – I don't know if it's a rooftop restaurant or what have you.

But, again, I just want to put it out there that I would like to see.

I think you went on record, you know, a year ago with your ask.

And I think that, you know, what you see on this rendering is a vision, again, that we believe in.

And it's our – I think that both yourself and Council Member Suen and staff have reinforced expectations on quality of architecture, of landscaping, of tenancy, of operations very clearly.

And I think we understand the ask, and if we didn't think we could bring that project forward for a formal approval at the appropriate time, then, you know, we wouldn't be here tonight.

And I think that everything that you see on this screen is what we think is going to help make this project not just a home for Elk Grove, but a regional destination.

And so it's every intention of ours to deliver that vision.

Thank you.

I also like the lights.

So just – I know Councilman Suen likes lights as well.

Lighting's a big part of those little details.

Thank you.

Are you done?

Yeah.

All right.

Council Member Brewer.

I want to thank you, Scott, and thank you, Senator Cowell, for coming in and harnessing your – the vision of what the City Council,

but specifically Council Member Suen and Vice Mayor Robles has imparted upon you, because this is not – this was not an easy step to get to.

But looking at your track record and being a frequenter of Bay Street.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I definitely appreciate and know you can deliver on this.

Because every time when I go into something that is out of the ordinary, I always envision, can this fit in Elk Grove?

Because I definitely see the fountains.

I definitely see the Palladio.

This gives us something a little different and something really cool, because anytime I go to Bay Street, Tiburon, the shops at Orange, Long Beach,

I always picture all of those settings and see how they could fit here.

And this – I mean, putting elements of those and co-opting these into a singular development, as we see in this rendering, definitely shows that it can be done.

And I have every faith that Center Cowell can do it and can deliver.

I also want to thank Council Member Soon and Council Member Robles for your vision and your persistence.

Council Member Soon for really instilling the vision and that never-say-never attitude.

Because you never – because even if something doesn't happen, it doesn't mean it's gone forever.

You just got to find a new way, a new door to open up and make the impossible possible and bring it into reality.

And I also want to give special props to Daryl Doan, because Daryl is the catalyst for this.

And that's my guy right there.

He's – when he has an idea, he sticks with it.

He really works on it.

And it's definitely up to us to make sure that that vision is not only being instilled,

but we're pushing the passion and finding the right partners to make it happen.

And I think the public will be really pleased when this all comes about,

because this will be something new and unique, especially when you marry it to the market,

couple that over with the Ridge and Elk Grove Commons and the Nugget Supermarket,

just to create that nice dynamic.

And, shoot, maybe I want to change – move my boundaries up to Elk Grove Boulevard

and take all that, too, given I'm a world eater.

I'll stay out of that fight.

No, given that I'm a world eater and have all the cool stuff in District 2.

Just saying.

But I do –

We're all in Elk Grove.

Yeah, we talk about one Elk Grove, but it's really all about Rod.

I'm the birthday boy.

But I really like this development.

This is something that is forward-thinking,

something that everyone here in this room can really look forward to,

because when we – because as everyone goes and comes back,

they all want to see how their hometown is developing.

I had lunch with a young man today who was from Elk Grove, graduated from Franklin,

went to Davis, but went away to D.C.

Pretty much fall off the same track I did, but he's years younger than me.

But we were talking about how his parents still live over in Lakeside

and how every time he came back to visit that he was amazed by how the city had changed and moved,

and the city was already mature when he was – as he was growing up.

He's only 23 years old.

But to see all these new things coming in and me sharing with him what is coming down the pipeline

excited him even more because he knows that this is a city that he wants to come back and live in.

And that's what really makes me happy.

I spoke to a group of Kiwanis last night and shared our experience on what we're doing here

and equally fired up about what's to come.

And so thank you.

Thank you because it's definitely a team effort, but when we have partners that come in

and ready to roll up the sleeves and with your vision on how you've seen

and helped develop a lot of these core venues here in California

can really give us something special at the end of the day.

So thank you so much.

We appreciate your trust.

Thank you to my colleagues.

As a reminder, we are only going to be – you know, the motion is on the purchase and sale agreement.

So I just want to make sure that – putting that back out there.

Yeah.

Excellent questions from my colleagues here.

Kudos to both of you for bringing us here and especially you, Council Member Suin.

We are tenacity in your patience over the years and not giving up on this vision.

And thank you, Senator Callen Scott, for helping getting us here to this place.

And, of course, Daryl Doan and the entire team.

What I see here is a vibrant destination.

Aren't you excited, kids?

Like, this is a great place.

I see excitement over there, right?

This is what I hear from our community.

More amenities.

They want to see this.

And so I'm very excited for Elk Grove.

And we're seeing already so many transformative projects.

When I moved here in 1992, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined something like this.

You know, we had the Walmart, the old Walmart.

Oh, yeah.

That was really it.

There was not a lot going on here.

And so to see something like this that is attractive for our residents, but then also to what you mentioned, bringing back the youth, coming back to Elk Grove.

And I'm seeing that my son actually wants to move back to Elk Grove.

I never thought that that would happen.

He currently lives in Natomas, but he's moving back to the city because he sees a lot of great things happening, and he wants to be a part of it.

And this project is transformative.

So thank you to everybody that got us to this point.

I look forward to discussing the project itself when we get down the line.

But tonight, as I said, is today is just about the purchase and sale agreement.

So I think I heard a motion.

Move to adopt staff's recommendation.

Second.

And I hear a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Congratulations.

Congratulations so much, guys.

We appreciate you.

Likewise.

Thank you.

See you soon.

And thank you, Vice Mayor.

It's great working with you on this.

All right.

Next item.

And thank you to our youth for being patient with us and sticking through the entire meeting

to get to this next important item.

So we are on to item 9.5.

And 9.5 is to consider appointment of six voting members to the Youth Commission.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmembers.

I'm Jason Lindgren, your city clerk.

We authorized recruitment for six vacancies back in May.

As of our deadline of June 18th, you have 27 qualifying applications.

I will conclude the report there and let the applicants speak for themselves.

We have a number of folks signed up to speak on the item tonight.

Excellent.

So we will start with our public comment.

I will go ahead and open up public comment and open up the public comment opportunity.

And we have a number of folks signed up.

So I will start with Carly Clark.

And after Carly will be Gurshal Singh.

Good evening, Mayor Singh Allen and City Councilmembers.

My name is Carly Clark.

I am 13 years old.

And even though I'm young, I like to say I'm young but mighty.

I care about Elk Grove and would like to be a voice for young teens.

I like to help out at the Elk Grove Masonic Center with dinner servings and other big events that we host.

I am also a part of Rainbow Girls, a Masonic youth organization that helps girls with leadership, service, and sisterhood, and public speaking, which I'm still working on, obviously.

You're doing great, yeah.

Thank you.

The youth commission will help me grow while giving back to my community.

Thank you for your time and consideration of my application.

Thank you.

That was great.

Next up is Gurshal Singh, followed by Judea Jones.

Thank you.

Love seeing the support.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmembers.

My name is Gurshal Singh.

I'm here to submit my candidacy for the Elk Grove Youth Commission.

I'm a rising senior at Elk Grove High School, born and raised in Elk Grove District 3.

I'm here to represent and make a difference for the youth population in our community, wishing for an Elk Grove that not only is better in its current state, but also better in its future state.

It is an honor to receive an insightful recommendation from my principal to represent Elk Grove High School and the Youth Commission.

If I'm appointed to the commission, I can utilize my excellent leadership, astonishing accolades, and exorbitant passion to serve by addressing issues of the youth, such as mental health and substance abuse, as well as making the youth environment a better place as these kids and teenagers grow into responsible adults.

I've been always supporting the community, whether it's tutoring the students, running food drives, participating in Memorial Day flag service, as well as trash cleanup.

In addition, I'm an active volunteer with our local food bank, as well as the Historical Society.

One of the significant parts of my community service has been tutoring students over the last two years through the volunteer peer tutoring program.

As a result, I've made an impactful difference for many students who've been able to improve themselves in ways that they did not initially envision.

The adolescent years of a human's life are possibly the most crucial.

In this time frame, youth must begin to set themselves up with a sufficient foundation to execute future goals.

But not many seek to maximize this opportunity.

This leads me into what I believe is one of the larger issues plaguing our youth environment, being the lack of motivation for many students to use the opportunities and resources available to them.

In recent years, there's been a notable increase in substance abuse and mental issues affecting the youth.

According to a recent study conducted by UCLA, 45% of youth have reported mental issues, with one-third experiencing issues affecting their daily lives.

The effects of these are apparent, as not only is it ruining their opportunities, but also effects of peers surrounding those involved, further dramatizing the issue.

To combat this, if I'm appointed to the Youth Commission, I would be hosting community discussions and activities.

I would be interacting directly with those in need while spreading mental health awareness, while introducing healthy ways of living, and distracting the youth from issues they face, ultimately bringing positive reform.

Such events will help the youth realize their full potential.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

I'm hopeful to make an everlasting impact to our youth community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Judea Jones, followed by Princeton Mingo.

Good evening, Mayor, Council, members, and staff.

Our city is all about diversity and having a voice and helping our community.

And that's exactly why I, Judea Jones, would like to be a part of the Elk Grove Youth Commission.

I've been homeschooled for the past 10 years, and as I see homeschooling becoming more common around me,

I feel inclined to speak for this growing group of youth.

Homeschooled youth have different learning environments and social experiences, and it's important that their voices are also heard in city conversations that impact youth.

Furthermore, I want to support Elk Grove youth by helping create opportunities for learning, not just academically, but also for life choices and personal growth.

Having been lovingly taught throughout my life, I know and appreciate what it means to learn with vigilance and purpose.

I think the Youth Commission can set up projects and programs that guide our peers through the challenges of growing up and our world today.

Finally, I want to become more involved in the community I've spent so much of my life in.

I want to offer a new perspective to the Youth Commission, and in return, I know that this experience will be a very rewarding one.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, and I appreciate the work and time you dedicate to making our city a wonderful place.

Thank you to all of our supportive youth.

This is what you're doing is just amazing.

Thank you.

Next up is Princeton Mingo, followed by Miley Lamb.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Vice Mayor, as well as all city council members.

My name is Princeton Mingo.

I'm a local student at Fortune Early College High School.

I'm applying to join the Elk Grove Youth City Commission.

I've always loved STEM, especially learning how things work and processing new information.

But over time, I started to notice something.

A lot of students, including myself, suffer from burnout and mental health as a whole.

It's not something we talk about enough, especially in STEM spaces.

That's why I want to connect the two, STEM and mental health.

What if we use technology and science not just to build the future but to help students take care of themselves?

My plan is to introduce student-led initiatives to design apps and build projects to focus on wellness in and out of school.

The main difference between the ideas I am proposing and already adult-led projects isn't the outcome,

but the process of STEM-oriented students working to fix the problem.

We invest more than 40% of students in Sacramento County as of 2022, according to the Sacramento County Health Commission.

If I'm chosen for the commission, I want to bring those kinds of ideas to the table,

because I believe students can build solutions for the world, yes, but also for each other.

Thank you.

Sure.

Next up is Miley Lamb, followed by Leah Stigler.

Thank you.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and distinguished members of the City Council.

My name is Miley Lamb, and I'm a rising junior at Franklin High School, applying for the Elk Grove Youth Commission.

I am passionate about uplifting youth and encouraging civic engagement to build a stronger Elk Grove.

I would love to contribute ideas that help reflect the diversity of young people within our community and fulfill their needs.

Three major issues I see affecting youth today include mental health struggles, substance use and abuse, and environmental impact.

These issues are currently some of the most prevalent among young people in the community,

and by providing solutions to them, we can create a better community for generations to come.

Some ideas I had include creating many youth safe spaces and encouraging inclusivity within them,

getting youth engaged in more community events and promoting hands-on activities,

such as citywide cleanups or clubs,

hosting and advertising more public events, such as cultural and pride festivals,

which will empower and uplift the diverse members within our community.

By encouraging the youth of today to take pride in their unique identities,

we can look towards a brighter future for the youth of tomorrow.

Lastly, making support systems more accessible to teens and spreading awareness.

Sometimes support for mental health and substance abuse is not readily available to young people,

or students don't want to reach out due to the stigma around the topics.

By hosting public workshops and running wellness programs,

we can seek to destigmatize and encourage more youth to get help, strengthening bonds.

As members of the community, we should all rely on one another and support each other as best as we can.

Being appointed as a member of the Elk Grove Youth Commission would allow me to bring organizational and leadership skills to the team.

Through my past experiences as a part of the Reclamation Project at 916,

a local youth-run, community-focused organization,

I've learned to effectively organize and run community-wide fundraisers and mutual aid programs,

as well as do outreach.

I strongly believe in giving young people a voice so they can feel heard and accepted,

to make the city the best it can be.

I would love to be a part of such a team with the goal of achieving a stronger, uplifting community.

I believe open communication and collaboration will create the best possible solutions

for the real challenges young people face today.

I deeply care about ensuring the voices of families within the community are heard and valued.

I want to give back to the city and its people, which have shaped so much of who I am today.

Thank you for this opportunity and considering my application.

I would be honored to serve.

Thank you.

Next up is Leah Stigler, followed by Omri Nelson.

Good afternoon, City Council and Mayor.

My name is Leah Stigler.

I go to Pleasant Grove High School.

I reside in Rancho Marietta, but I commute to Elk Grove daily for school and tennis.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to represent the over 40,000 students in Elk Grove and offer

diverse perspectives to the City Youth Commission in order to further benefit the youth in our area.

Previous resolutions within the Elk Grove Council, which include but are not limited

to the establishment of the Elk Grove Arts Commission, which reap numerous cultural and

economic benefits and improvements to the Elk Grove Boulevard library, which promoted literacy and social

connection despite socioeconomic status, have made and furthered aspects of community safety,

economic independence, and a diverse community that Elk Grove is pushing.

As mentioned in my public application, as a student representative, I would focus on continuing

to further the advancements previous years have brought us by focusing on mental health

stigma, education disparity, financial literacy gaps, and food insecurity, topics which affect

youth that are necessary to address for the betterment of our society.

To the committee, I will bring sustainable and affordable options to tackle the previous by encouraging

the establishment of peer support groups, specialized mentorship programs, and cooking classes.

Aside from promoting activism within the Elk Grove area, being a member of the commission will allow

me to make an impact on marginalized youth. Throughout school, my peers and I have often felt

discouraged and overlooked, and I plan to be the voice for students who feel the same.

After serving on the student voice committee within my school district right here in Elk Grove,

I'm honored and excited about the perspective of being able to further youth at a greater level.

As I end, please consider this quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build the youth for our future.

Thank you sincerely.

Thank you.

Next up is Omri Nelson, followed by Parleen Shergill.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Sing-Allen and City Council members.

My name is Omri Nelson, and I am a 10th grader at Elk Grove High School.

I applied for the Youth Commission because I wanted to help make sure all teens in our

city feel heard, especially when it comes to mental health.

After attending the Path to Positivity event and seeing that mental health was the top concern

in the Youth Commission survey, I felt inspired to get more involved.

I am now working on starting a mental health club at my school to help students connect

and support one another.

I also stay active in the community, volunteering with the Fallbrook Neighborhood Association,

helping at events like Taste of Elk Grove and Empty Bowls through the Elk Grove Interfaith

Council, and volunteering at my synagogue.

This summer, I am also working for the CSD as a lifeguard and swim instructor.

Even though I'm 15, I believe having younger voices on the commission adds value to help represent

a wider range of students.

Thank you for the opportunity to apply.

I'd be honored to represent the Elk Grove Youth and help create a positive change.

Next up is Parleen Shergill, followed by Kalia Kondon.

Good evening, Mayor St. Allen, and to the respectable City Council members.

I'm speaking here today as a sophomore from Monteree Trail and as a teen who has grown

up here in Elk Grove.

I appreciate the chance to speak about an urgent issue affecting our youth, which is

the gap between our mental health needs and the support we actually can reach.

As someone who was in the Student Site Council, I got a good perspective on how to help our youth.

If I was in the Youth Commission, this is how I would help.

Every day, teens in Elk Grove are navigating anxiety, depression, and academic pressure in

family, and more, all in the shadow of a growing vaping epidemic.

Many teens start vaping because it feels like an easy escape, but nicotine can only increase

their anxiety and drive them deeper into a cycle of dependence.

First, I would suggest to tighten tobacco retailer enforcement and raise penalties for any

shops that sell to minors.

Also, I would also suggest to prevent tobacco stores being located anywhere near youth-related

environments, such as schools and parks.

For the teens who are involved, we need to help by supporting pre-led programs, and to

prevent teens from smoking, we can build on peer-led prevention.

Expanding evidence-based programs like early middle school tobacco education curricula and

youth-driven campaigns.

To support our youth's mental health and for better coping mechanisms, every high school needs

a place where students can decompress, connect with a counselor, and learn healthy coping strategies.

Embedding therapists and trained student ambassadors within our schools slashes the barrier of travel

and cost, which is beneficial to those that have less resources.

However, this can still be hard to access for some people, which is why I would suggest a

centralized youth help hub would be beneficial to people with less resources.

It can be a website that connects teens to counseling, health care, and more.

Also, bringing services to where teens already are, such as schools, parks, and libraries.

While studying internationally, I witnessed firsthand how limited the resources and programs are

for students in many parts of the world.

It made me realize how fortunate we are to have access to such abundant opportunities here.

Because of that privilege, I believe we have a responsibility to make most of these resources.

Thank you for listening and for investing into the mental well-being of Elk Grove's youth.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Kalia, followed by Dylan Yang.

I'm sitting down way too much.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council Members, and a happy early birthday to Mr. Brewer.

It's nice to speak with you all again this evening.

My name is Kalia Condon.

I'm 15 years old and a rising junior at Consumer Silks High School, and I'm grateful for the

opportunity to apply once again for the Elk Grove Youth Commission.

Having applied last year, I returned with an even stronger sense of purpose.

I'm passionate about civic engagement, and I want to help bridge the gap between local

government and the youth in our community.

One of my top priorities is increasing awareness and accessibility of youth programs so more students

know about the opportunities available to them and actually feel invited to take part.

This summer, through Elk Grove Civic Summer, I've had the privilege of meeting many of you.

I'm grateful for the time you took to speak with us.

Hearing your stories, how each of you guys got to your positions, showed me that leadership

isn't always a straight line.

But by staying true to your values and pushing forward, you created change, and this was

deeply inspiring.

Civic Summer has reminded me how important it is to take initiative, stay curious, and never

be afraid to ask questions or speak up.

If selected, I hope to bring not just energy, but experience.

As my school's class president, I've learned how to plan and execute events for a large

student body, how to listen to different voices, and how to stay flexible when things don't

go as planned.

I've also founded a rising nonprofit, Youth for Good, which connects teens to service,

internships, and leadership opportunities.

Something my team will be presenting to the Youth Commission this September.

Thank you to Ms. Femi.

Many teens today are struggling with identity, mental health, and a lack of purpose.

There's a growing culture of comparison, apathy, and isolation that makes it hard to build real

connection or feel like we matter.

I believe the Youth Commission has the power to be a part of the solution, creating programs

that are welcoming, meaningful, and reflective of what teens actually need, with an emphasis

on utilizing social media consistently.

I bring creativity, drive, and a willingness to speak up, even when it's uncomfortable.

I'm not new to service, and I'm ready to take it to the next level.

Serving on Youth Commission would allow me to turn ideas into action, advocate for youth

who feel unheard, and continue learning how to make a real impact.

Thank you for your time and investing in youth voices here in Elk Grove.

Next up is Dylan Yang, followed by Aaron Rodriguez.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Sir Vice Mayor, and esteemed council members.

It's a pleasure to see you all again, and I hope you guys are all having a wonderful day.

My name is Dylan Yang, and I'm a rising senior at Kasumas Oaks High School.

I'm honored to be a part of the Elk Grove Civic Summer Internship Program.

Outside of this internship, I've served as a student advisory board member for the Fresno

Mung New Year event, which last year actually saw its most successful and positively reviewed

year yet.

I've also been a program coordinator for the Lunch at the Library initiative, where we

distributed over 11,000 lunches and 2,000 books to children without access across Elk

Grove and Sacramento.

Still, I used to feel like I didn't have the power to create real change.

That changed during this internship.

Hearing all of your stories and encouragement reminded me that young people can actually

be a part of meaningful change.

My goal isn't a far-off dream.

It's a vision for a healthier, more supportive community in the near future.

Since COVID-19, we've often talked about adult mental health, but rarely about student mental

health deteriorating after COVID-19.

Mental health in schools is often minimized, brushed off, or even joked about, but the effects

are serious.

I've seen it firsthand.

Friends and peers who are amazing individuals begin struggling with grades, battling substance

abuse, or desocializing because of deteriorating mental well-being.

We talk a lot about helping youth reach their potential, but that starts with mental health.

We need real conversations and real resources in our schools and communities to support students

before they fall through the cracks.

As a student leader, team captain, and committed volunteer, but most importantly, as a proud

citizen of Elk Grove who genuinely wants the best for the city, I have a strong desire

to help.

Though I understand my status as a senior may seem like a disadvantage, having less years

to contribute, I see it as an opportunity instead for my accumulated experience, knowledge, and

projects I've been a part of to allow me to be a leader for those younger and lead the

next generation of the Youth Commission with a clear path to success.

I'm ready to serve, contribute meaningfully to our community, and help make Elk Grove a place

where every young person feels supported, valued, and empowered to thrive.

Thank you for your time, Madam Mayor and Councilmembers.

I deeply appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today, as well as happy early birthday

to Councilmember Brewer.

Next up is Aaron Rodriguez, followed by Zahra Chaudhry.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, and everyone on the Council.

My name is Adrian Rodriguez, and I am a rising freshman at Franklin High School, and I appreciate

the opportunity of being here and being able to speak as to what I can do for my community.

In my past experiences as a two-year member of Toby Johnson House Representative, I have

spoken for my peers to staff and administrators to fix ongoing problems in my school, such

as petitioning for urinal dividers and boys' bathroom for both Toby and Franklin, and adding