All right, uh, we have reconvened from closed session, and I have the following uh announcements by a five to zero vote.

The city council authorized and directed the city attorney's office to defend the cases of Lee versus the city of Elkgrove and shock versus the city of Alkgrove as identified by the case number on the City Council meeting agenda.

Also by a five-zero vote, the city council authorized the city attorney's office to initiate litigation on eight matters.

The name of the defendants and details are not subject to disclosure at this time.

Once litigation is filed, this information will be disclosed to any person upon inquiry.

So we will adjourn the special meeting at 6.01 p.m.

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

Today is Wednesday, November the 12th, 2025.

The time is 6.02 p.m.

Clerk.

Thank you, Mayor.

This meeting of the Elk Grove City Council is recorded with closed captioning.

The recording will be cable cast on Metro Metro Cable for Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems.

The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14Live.secCounty.gov.

Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, November 14th at 1 p.m.

and Monday, November 17th, also at 1 p.m.

on Metro Channel 14.

Once posted, the recordings of this and previous meetings can be viewed on demand at 3W's elkgrove.gov or YouTube.com slash Metro Cable 14.

For members of the participating audience who may have personal electronic devices, please place them on silent mode during the meeting when you are not speaking.

The Illgrove City Council welcomes, appreciates, and encourages participation in the city council meetings.

City Council requests that you limit your presentation to three minutes per person, so at all present will have time to participate.

City Council reserves the right to reasonably limit the total time for public comment on any particular notice agenda item as it may deem necessary.

Pursuant to resolution number 210-24.

No individual speaker concerning public comment may address the city council for more than three minutes.

If you wish to address the council during the meeting, please complete a blue speaker card, which can be found at the back of the chamber and provide it to deputy city clerk prior to consideration of the agenda item.

With that mayor, I'll be moving into the roll call.

And for the roll call, I will start with Councilmember Spees.

Present.

Councilmember Brewer.

Present.

Councilmember Sewen.

Here.

Vice Mayor Robles.

Present.

And Mayor Singh Allen.

Here.

Next up is our land acknowledgement.

Assisting will be our vice mayor.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elkgrove first inhabitants, the plain Mewtwo, who lived as sovereign caretakers of this land in 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 because of their bravery, resiliency, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders.

Thank you.

Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance.

I would like to ask Chief Bobby Davis to help lead us to the pledge this evening.

Hand over hearts.

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

And to the Republic for Wages, under God with Liberty and Justice Borough.

Thank you.

At this time, please join us for a brief moment of silence.

Thank you.

Next up is our approval of the agenda.

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Closed session items.

Under section three, there are no closed session items on the regular agenda, which will advance us item or section four, our presentations and announcements, and that one item being 4.1, the diversity inclusion commission annual update.

All right.

Welcome, commissioners.

Good evening.

I'm gonna see.

I am going to go.

Okay.

Good evening.

Good evening.

I am Tina Lee Vote, and I have the privilege at serving as the chair of your diversity and inclusion commission.

Joining me are my fellow commissioners.

And as always, we are here to provide an annual update on what we do on your behalf for the year.

So I'm gonna go ahead and have each commissioner uh introduce themselves.

Who's here?

Kevin Minty.

Hi.

Good evening, Council Dr.

Tristan Buzzini.

Good evening, Jenny Rodriguez.

Good evening, Jinka Dollar.

Good evening, Teresa Plumwitville.

So our commission was established in 2019.

It replaced the Multicultural Commission.

And our responsibilities include education, which means promoting the resources that the city has and serving as a resource to the city.

We serve as ambassadors and we engage the community.

And we also provide recommendations and information to the city council.

So in addition to the commissioners that we have here today, we also have Jessica Carter, who serves as our vice chair, and Dr.

Bob and Parik, one of our other commissioners, as well as Brett Burfield and Carlise Laurent.

So one of the things I'd like to mention for this year is that we've had a little bit of a change in addition to our OGs like Jinky and Bobin and Jessica.

There's also some of the more sophomores like me.

I know, Jenny.

Sorry, me, Jenny and Brent.

I know, Jenky's over here just laughing.

And then Brent showed up.

And then in terms of our new members, we actually had four new members join us.

So we had Carlise and Teresa come on board, and then we recently added Tristan and Kevin, which gave us a full team.

So every year we work with you in terms of proclamations, recommending all, which the proclamations really again represent us celebrating the diversity within our city.

And so it's really nice to be able to draft these proclamations and bring them to you to recognize them.

As you can see, the list is extensive.

We keep you busy.

I'm not gonna go through all 14.

I'm sure you'll appreciate that.

So one of the biggest events, and the reason why the commission was actually developed is to really focus on our diversity.

And as part of that is diversity month, and where we usually have our multicultural festival.

In the past, we would have a one-day event where we would bring everybody together to celebrate again the diversity and beauty of our community.

This year we decided to do something different and celebrated the whole month.

So we had eight events, we had 5,000 attendees with over 40 volunteers.

We had a variety of different events that we did.

We had Polynesian dance and craft workshops, we had as always diversity.

Okay, that should be dining.

We didn't do any diving, but we could have done some diving, but it was diversity dining week.

We had Metalachi Madness again, a lot of fun.

We had dancing around the globe, we had the Global Feast Fest.

So again, it was really trying to extend how we celebrated our diversity for a whole month.

We also have something that this was the fifth anniversary of cultural connections.

And this event is where we really try to celebrate a specific culture and highlight the folks within that community and have them share their stories.

This year we were really fortunate to have Dr.

Bazini be one of our speakers and present and join us, and we focused on our LGBTQIA plus community.

I really want to take this time to really thank Mayor Sing Allen for your support for the event, as well as city manager Jason Beerman in having this event because this is a community that is really under attack, and to go forward and have this event was wonderful.

All of the presenters and attendees spoke very highly and felt very welcomed.

And so for us, it was really important for us to bring it forward.

I also want to acknowledge Brent Burfeld, Jenny Rodriguez, and Jessica Carter who worked as part of the committee to put this event together.

So some of the other work we did, the city has a perfect 100 score on the human rights campaign municipality municipality equality index.

That's a really important recognition to receive, and we were really happy to get to 100.

We also worked on the code of ethics update.

The mayor reached out to us and specifically asked us to update that.

Before it was really more of a negative document, and it kind of focused on what you wouldn't do.

And it was great to be able to bring forward something that was a lot more positive and inspirational and aspirational.

And we also participated in a lot of events.

One of the key roles that we have is being ambassadors, and so events like Sunday Fun Day and the Asian Pacific Culture Fest and other events that we go really show our roles as ambassadors and reflecting the city's welcoming nature.

So looking to 2026, we'll be looking for another culture to highlight as part of our cultural connections event.

We'll be looking again at our diversity month events.

And one of the things that we really want to focus on, which a lot of our new members brought forward to us, is the importance of community education and outreach.

So we really want to increase our presence in the community and engaging.

One of the things we really want to do is connect and engage more with our fellow commissions, like the Creative Arts Commission as well as the Youth Commission, and try to make sure that we can all work together.

So that's it.

We want to say thank you in a number of different ways.

As always, I like to close with thanking first the mayor and the council for your ongoing continued support.

But I would be remiss if I did not thank the incredible staff that we get to work with.

Aaron, who's now working with us, and last but by no means least is Sydney.

Sydney Robinson has done an extremely good job stepping up, becoming new to our commission and helping us accomplish all the goals that we accomplished this year.

So with that, I'm gonna close our presentation, and I'm open for any questions or comments that you may have for us.

Thank you.

Thank you for that tremendous update.

You know, I want to highlight the cultural connections that we had this year.

What a wonderful opportunity to hear from the different voices from our LGBTQ community.

So thank you, Dr.

Bazzini.

Really enjoyed hearing your talk.

And everyone, it was, you know, provocative.

They were courageous.

And really thank you to our city manager.

I think these are moments where we can all learn to be better, and you truly highlighted a community that is um under attack, and right now showing that solidarity was more important than ever.

So thank you for the tremendous work that you do year round to all of you.

Thank you for your service.

Thank you.

Any questions, comments?

Thank you, Mayor.

First of all, echo those sentiments, and uh just I really wanted to go to the the community connections uh that evening and had a meta family emergency, so I wasn't able to go, but I heard a lot of great things about it.

Um Tina, you are such a great spokesperson for for the commission.

And as an OG myself, I'm looking back at Jinky.

If you'll indulge me, I mean I I remember and Bob and too.

I remember when you guys wanted to be more than a committee, multicultural committee.

You want to be a commission, and we had conversations about what we wanted you to do.

And because back then, for folks who at home, maybe or in the audience, you only did the festival, and that was pretty much all you were known for.

And so we had this conversation about what you should be and what you should help.

We help us, like there's only five of us.

Help us, you know, speak, uh, let everybody know what we how we embrace diversity, and you've just done a phenomenal job as you know you presented here today, all the from the the community connections, but also the different the different uh um other events that you guys have have put on.

You've really embraced that mission and taking it on and making it not only just one of your own but separate and apart from the council.

I feel like it's more complimentary of the council, and so I'm incredibly proud of all the work that you have done in and all the the past uh commissioners that were before you, and uh just look forward to see what you do next in 2026.

So thank you.

You're here, Vice Mayor.

Couldn't say it anything better than that.

Um, uh no, but just want to say thank you because you are the embodiment of the diversity that we have here in O Grove, and that's something special, and it's seen in our community.

Um, you guys put the vibe and vibrant, so appreciate you.

Thank you.

Okay, Councilmember Burr.

Congratulations, and thank you again.

Um, I remember back in the early stages before this was a committee, a commission, and the discussions on how can we how can we shape it?

How what it would look like, um, who would make up the the commission itself?

And I was like over on the other side of the fence at CSD and having talks with some of the city council members then.

And much well-deserved work that you're doing, because it's light years ahead of what any of us envisioned of what the commission would look like and how you would stand up and represent Elk Grove, not only show up but show out, and you're there for every event.

Even you have you have events on here that isn't even that aren't even mentioned, but you are there to represent.

And not only there to represent as ambassadors for Elk Grove, you do it throughout the region, and people automatically know who you are.

And that's why it was so fun to do the pride parade with you guys in June, because everyone knew who every single person on the commission was.

And it was it was a treat for me just to just a sit shotgun, in some cases being way in the back seat, passing out uh buttons, but to see everyone gravitate and really feel your vibe.

That is a beautiful thing.

And that's so all congratulations and thank you, past, present, current, and especially the current members who are on there now, because you are really stepping up and showing people who you are, and you're doing it unapologetically.

So congratulations and thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Burspees.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh so I've I've mentioned I've mentioned it before that um Elkrove is different, it truly is.

Uh, you can look north-south, you can look east-west, whatever Elk Grove is absolutely different, and that is by choice.

And we chose years ago to the credit of past councils, I should say, to the predator, to their credit.

Uh, we've embraced uh diversity, right?

And so that I think, you know, I had I had the opportunity to talk with somebody from out of town today, and they said, Wow, you know, your parks are fabulous, right?

Um, and others will say, you know, your your public safety is is you know is fantastic, right?

Again, you can look east, west, north, south, and we are different.

And one of the things that makes us different is our embrace of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

And so I appreciate you for that work.

Thank you.

All right, and also welcome Dr.

Paven Park, who joined us.

So thank you all for the tremendous work that you do.

Thank you.

See you soon.

All right, we will now move on to our next item, which is public comment on non-agenda items.

We have three speakers.

We'll start off with Beth Headland and Raylan.

Are you speaking separately?

Are you coming together?

Together, okay.

And after that, we'll be Mary Vogle.

Okay, and Lyndon.

Yeah, Linda.

And Maryel.

Yeah, I'm over there.

Excellent.

Hi.

Hi.

Nice to see you all.

I'm Beth Headland.

I'm co-chair of the Strauss Festival of Elk Grove.

With me, I have Lyndon King and Ray Lynn Springer, who's our CFO and our producer, and then we have Mario Sikamoto.

And I'm going to embarrass my husband because he is the voice of Strauss, and he's in the audience back there, Mark.

So he's I want to make sure that he's acknowledged too.

Oh, the Strauss Festival Grove started in 1987 and has been going strong ever since.

We had a bit of a stoppage when, of course, when COVID came, and then when in 19 when we went back in 2022, we were concerned that what people would remember and come back, and they have come back.

This year with practically Strauss in every way, we had some of our largest crowds ever.

We're estimating around 12,000 people.

We couldn't do this without the support of all of you and the city and everyone that's been supportive of us in so many ways with your just helping us and supporting us with your comments and with your presence and with the in kind and with the money that you've given us, we would not be able to do it without your support.

So we are here to thank you, and uh we're looking forward to 2026.

I've been told we have a theme, but it's not out publicly yet.

So you'll be hearing about that soon.

But I want to turn over to Ray Lynn.

We have something we want to give to you as our appreciation for your support.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Um, my name is Ray Lynn and I am CFO as well as the producer.

So I get the honor and privilege of bringing the story to the park each year and enchanting our audiences with the different storylines that highlight all of the diversity that we have within our cast.

We range in age from four to 80, which is a huge cast, huge diversity.

I keep repeating myself.

But I love it so much that we get the honor to bring that to this community and allow community members to come and experience the arts for free, which is not something that anyone in another community gets to do.

And they see fireworks, volunteers working together, and overall it's just a great experience.

So what we have for you is some pictures from the night when you were able to come to the festival and present us with our check.

We would like to present you with these photo mementos.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good one.

Probably give it to John or Jason.

So thank you very much.

Thank you again.

We really appreciate all your support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Great to see you all.

Thanks for making Elk Grove such a great place to be.

Thank you.

Mary, I see, yeah, she was at the parade.

Yeah, she was.

I thought there was a tanker time with you yesterday.

Please say hello to the police.

I'm really good.

Thank you, good to see you.

All right, next up is Mary Vogel, and our final speaker will be Lynn Wait.

Sorry.

Oh no, you're good.

An old old friend.

We're both old.

Hi, my name is Mary Vote.

Um, thank you for hearing us, Mayor and City Council and other people sitting here.

Um I'm an Elkgrove resident for the last, I don't know, maybe almost 40 years.

Um I appreciate the city council's interest in an emergency flood response because in the past, the city response to major flood incidents has been checkered at best.

Even the smallest details matter when it comes to flooding.

For example, in the past years, the city's offered a few sandbags for residents, but the public notices says bring your own shovels.

Then there was the famous Quail Ranch Estates incident where an adjacent new project was being graded, lacked the proper staff oversight, and flooded an existing new neighborhood.

I would like to specifically address the engineering calculations the city relies upon to determine the amount of runoff new development projects will generate.

These calculations determine everything from the sizing of storm drains, retention pits, and developer impact fees.

I've mentioned this before, but all the new housing subdivisions built within the past 10 to 15 years typically have two to three car width driveways.

Now mine has um three car width, it's three-car garage.

Um it's a common site in these nearest subdivisions to have the front yard landscaping ripped out and driveways being widened by the homeowners to accommodate the extra vehicles I have.

It's not unusual to see four to five vehicles per household.

This reflects the city's demographic of multi-generational families living under one roof, which I think is good.

Driveways and all other impervious surfaces generate runoff, of course.

So, as an example, if a 20-foot driveway is widened, an additional 10 feet, the city's runoff calculation for sizing the flood infrastructure is 50% off just on that driveway alone.

As the city council evaluates the city's response to flood incidents, I would like to urge you to realistically study the methodology your staff is using to count the calculate the amount of stormwater runoff.

The reason why I'm bringing this up is um my home is on Diamond Crest Court, and um when the water, when the water runoff comes, um I go down the street in my galoshes, aka rain boots, and rake the storm drains on both sides of the street.

But when we had a really bad flood, um my driveway is pretty steep, and it the water went halfway up the driveway.

And then if anybody drives up or down, oops, sorry, the cul-de-sac, it was going into our garage.

Well, thank God the city had sandbags, but it doesn't stop the problem.

So I really think that there needs to be some other when people want to widen maybe like pavers or something where the water can still soak through some other solution because I really think this um problem needs to be addressed.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mary.

Do you need any follow-up from any city staff?

Um, no, not at this time.

I do want to address one other small thing.

I'm a I shop locally in Old Town Elk Grove, and I've noticed that um I do support as many businesses as I can there.

And I've noticed there's a whole building that's condemned.

And I'm wondering if anybody's in the city's doing anything about it.

That's it.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Next up is Lynn Week.

Good evening.

I believe we can all agree that emergency response to flooding in our city is important.

However, I also believe it is just as important to study the issue of preventing floods in the first place.

I was out of town at the last meeting, but did submit written comments along with photos on this subject for agenda 9.1.

You may recall that I expressed concern about the proliferation of extended widening of driveways, often and completely covering the entire front yards, while the response was that I can always file a code violation complaint.

I do not want to play cement police for two reasons.

First, I recognize that we are a suburb of commuters and multi-generational families living together, and the adults and older children all need cars for commuting and running errands.

Second, I recognize that the law requires that the homes themselves need to be out of the floodplain.

But in our region, the streets, sidewalks, front yards, and the driveways have essentially been allowed to function as storm drains, which lessens the cost of off-site runoff facilities needed to serve our subdivisions.

This is probably why rolled curbs are so prevalent in Sacramento County.

Standard curving would channel the floodwaters along the streets and make it more difficult to use the front yards for flood relief.

I believe the situation of paving over front yards is more prevalent than our city is willing to acknowledge.

I randomly drove around neighborhoods throughout the entire city to count the widened driveways.

A few days ago, I randomly selected eight more streets and each had anywhere from six to twenty one widened driveways, some front yards completely paved over.

I have brought photos from the various streets to demonstrate the situation in our city.

I don't want to be the cement police, nor do I believe you want your code enforcement telling people to rip up their expensive concrete work.

If so, you would have literally hundreds of code violations throughout the city.

Rather than regulate public behavior, I would have staff acknowledge the trend and require the project engineers to build the widened driveways into their runoff calculations when designing the storm drain infrastructure.

This is all about flood protection.

I want our residents to be safe.

The assumptions and engineering calculations need to be realistic when considering the amount of impervious services and surfaces and runoff that will occur on all new development.

Oh, hello, here we'll chat meet on the stream.

Wow, what a nice, relaxing boat ride.

All right, thank you for that.

And Ms.

Wheat was our final public comment speaker.

So I'm going to close public comment and move on to item number six, our city manager's report.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor members of City Council, Jason Bearman, your city manager, several items to report on this evening.

First of all, city is going to celebrate the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion and local resident uh Kyle Larson this Friday, November 14th, beginning at noon on Historic Main Street.

The event will feature a parade down Main Street, down Elkgrove Boulevard, culminating at a reception at Old Town Plaza.

Please come out and line the streets and join us at Old Town Plaza at uh this Friday at uh noon at Historic Main Street.

City's economic development team will partner with Startup SAC to host a startup happy hour at Skyport Restaurant and Bar on Tuesday, November 18th.

The Global Entrepreneurship Week event will bring together entrepreneurs from across the region for an evening of networking and inspiration featuring Rebecca Nguyen, founder of the recently acquired Startup Valley Match and winner of Best Elkrove Startup who will share her entrepreneurial journey.

The cost to attend is $10 per person and registration and other details are available at StartupSAC.com.

Connect with officers.

Come on out, connect with officers from the Elkro Police Department over a salti snack on Wednesday, November 19th, during Fries with the Good Guys from 4 to 6 p.m.

in McDonald's, the one at 7527 Laguna Boulevard.

The event is open to all ages.

And the city is once again spreading holiday cheer to seniors through its send a smile project.

Provides handmade cards to older members of our community starting November 20th.

Residents can pick up card making kits up to five per family at City Hall while supplies last.

Elkgrove based youth and service groups may also request up to 35 cards online for pickup starting December 8th.

All cards should be mailed by November December 19th to ensure holiday delivery.

Since 2020, the project has shared more than 4,000 cards with Elkgrove seniors.

Entries are now being accepted for the holiday lights parade on Saturday, December 6th at District 56.

Residents are invited to make memories with friends and family by participating in the holiday tradition.

Submit an entry form online through Wednesday, December 3rd, and there is no cost to participate.

And then finally, due to the Thanksgiving holiday council will be in recess on Wednesday, November 26th.

City Hall will be closed on Thursday, the 27th and Friday, the 28th.

And that concludes my report.

Happy to answer any questions the council might have.

Alright, thank you for your report.

Any questions, comments?

Looking to the left, looking to the right.

Seeing none, we will move on.

Thank you.

Alright, next up is our consent calendar items.

This time I'll open up public comment.

We have one person sign up to speak on item 7.15.

Diana, Diane Lampy.

Good evening.

It's wonderful to be here and to always see how many people come out and participate in our meetings.

So your meetings.

I and I'm sorry because I thought I was farther down.

Um I'm here on behalf of Elkgrove Heart Homeless Assistance Resource Team.

I'm I want to compliment Sarah with the city and the city staff for their due diligence and choosing the contractor for the trunk for the transitional and other housing that is going to be on your agenda tonight.

And if approved, we're very much looking forward to working with volunteers of America with the overseeing that they will be doing of the transitional houses.

And helping those experiencing homelessness in our city to make next steps into being housed.

And as you said, Elk Grove is different, and we do a lot of innovative things here.

And there's been a lot of traffic at our website, hoping to be able to partake in the opportunity of the transitional houses.

So very glad that that's hopefully going to be approved.

So thank you.

Thank you for your comments on that.

You are the final speaker for the consent calendars.

I will go ahead and close consent calendar.

Looking for a motion to approve consent.

So moved.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Motion passes.

Next item.

That'll be item 8.1, a public hearing to consider an appeal of planning commission project approval for the Maverick fueling station and convenience store project.

Okay, before you begin your presentation, Kira, I would like for the city attorney to provide for the record.

We had received a public comment, is in terms of a possibility of a conflict of interest on my part.

So can the city attorney please provide the city's opinion on this?

Thank you, Mary.

Uh yes, we did receive a letter uh from the appellant in this matter alleging that you had a conflict of interest given your role in a professional association.

I've reviewed the letter.

I find that it does not uh substantiate a conflict of interest.

It's very general and somewhat speculative, and it doesn't show that there is a reasonably foreseeable direct and material financial impact on you for participating in this matter.

I don't find a reason that you need to recuse yourself.

Thank you.

All right, thank you for providing that for the record.

You may continue.

Good evening, madam chair and council members.

My name is Kira Killingsworth, and I'm the project planner on the Maverick Fueling Station and Convenience Store Appeal Project.

On September 18th, 2025, the planning commission heard at a regular meeting a conditional use permit in a design review, and they heard verbal comment as well as written comment of many concerns regarding that a truck stop, traffic, close proximity to schools, neighborhood, parks, and crime.

After deliberation, the commission approved the project with an added condition that uh the extended duration of any parking, no cars can be parked at the same location more than 90 minutes.

The proposals for conditional use permit in a minor design review to operate a fueling station with a convenience store, two canopies.

There will be parking, lighting, and landscaping, and uh staff had found that it was consistent.

Sorry, can it found it that it was consistent with the zoning code and general plan of CEQA 5183, 15183, 15162 as well exempt from 1533 to in field development?

And staff will be going more into that in depth.

The project is located at the corner of East Stockton Boulevard and Grant Line Road.

It is an existing uh commercial property, regional commercial.

There is an existing building, it will be demolished.

It's surrounded by other commercial and industrial properties.

It is uh adjacent to a vacant undeveloped land, but that is zoned commercial.

There is no uh zone of open space in agriculture in the area.

The nearest neighborhood is 0.7 miles north of the site, the nearest park is 0.9 miles, and the nearest school is 1.5 miles.

The property is uh 2.93 acres, and um all the public utilities will stay will remain.

The convenience store is about nine 5,951 square feet.

It will be about 29 feet tall with a tower, but overall, the majority of the building will be about 19 feet.

There will be 34 standard parking spaces that are 9 by 19 for passenger vehicles.

Again, there will be two uh two canopies, and one canopy will be uh 20 pumps for standard passenger vehicles, and then there will be another canopy that will have five pumps for RV and trucks.

There is an RV RV dump.

There was uh traffic analysis created for uh the project.

Um there will be two driveways from East Stockton Boulevard, right turn in and right turn out, and a shared driveway for any future development.

There's new landscaping um surrounding the whole property as well as a storm drain.

The colors will be a variety of earth tone colors and mixture of materials, stone, CMU, fiber board, and then mavericks stand uh branded color of red.

The appellant filed a timely appeal on September 29, 2025 with three grounds of an appeal.

Their first ground is at the September 18, 2025 Planning Commission.

Uh, the appellant believes that the commission violated the Brown Act.

The second ground is that the project is not exempt per 15332, and that the project does not uh is not consistent with the general plan zoning code and the bike pedestrian trails master plan, and staff will go in more into detail with all three grounds.

So the first ground that at the Planning commission uh the secretary reads a statement that welcomes and appreciates encouraged participation and goes into details of that you put complete a speaker card and give it to the clerk.

The clerk hand uh raised her hand and informed that anybody could speak.

There were 10 speaker cards, only nine spoke at the podium.

Each had three minutes to speak.

Before the uh September 18, 2025 planning commission, staff report is published two weeks in advance, as well as a notice was mailed um two weeks prior.

The notice was mailed to 1200 feet from the radius from the project site, and the standard is actually 500.

So we did the staff did more than the standard in the code.

The chair uh closed the public comment and as no other buddy expressed that they wanted to speak at the meeting.

Secondly, uh staff finds that it is consistent with 15332, and it's as it's a 2.93 acres, it's four part uh of four parcels.

Um it's surrounded by a variety of industrial and commercial assembly uses.

Uh to the west, there once was a feeling station that has since been demolished for state Route 99 interchange.

Uh ascent environmental consultant reviewed um and determined no as a habit habitat is presented at the site.

Um, and staff has found that it is consistent with the regional commercial and shopping center as it as a conditional use permit is required under uh the Elk Rove municipal code table 23.27, and it confirms to the development standards.

Uh a noise was reviewed as all as part of the code.

All outdoor speakers and video of the pump stations will be turned off daily between 10 p.m.

to 7 a.m.

It is in our code, but staff also provided a condition to make sure that these are um required.

Uh, as I said earlier, traffic analysis were prepared for the project, and it is below the VMT threshold.

The water, uh the nearest ecological reserve is a mile south of the site, and uh Kasumis River is 1.5 miles south of the site.

An air quality assessment was completed and is below the threshold and set forth under the air quality district.

And as mentioned, there is an existing building that will be demolished, and it does have existing utilities and public services, and those will remain and remain reveal available.

As mentioned earlier, it is regional commercial, which is usually located near intersections of two or more roadways.

Staff still believes that it complies with policy um land use two four and um economic development one five as it um uh is it complies with the infill as well as a prospective business for the area.

It meets the floor area ratio of 0.04, which the maximum is 1.0, and uh it did go to the trails committee on January 27th, 2025.

It will provide a multi-use trail on Grant Line Road as well as an existing bike lane on East Stockton Boulevard and the trail recommended approval.

Uh with that, staff finds that it still is exempt from 15332 infill development, as well as no further environmental is required since it's consistent with the general plan and zoning code of 15183 and 1562, and staff continues to support the project and recommend that the city council deny the appeal and uphold the planning commission decision to approve the project.

Staff is still is available for any questions, as well as Pat Angel from Ascent Environment is available.

Thank you.

All right, thank you for your presentation.

At this time, I will declare that the public hearing is now open and invite the appellant to speak.

Is the appellant?

Okay, there you go.

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

My name is Ed Yates.

I'm in a uh land use environmental and open government attorney in San Francisco.

A couple things before I start.

Uh could you tell me again, Mayor, uh, what our timing is for the presentation tonight?

Um, typically don't have a time limit, but we ask that you be concise so that we can move on with other presenters as well.

Okay.

I don't have a time limit, but just the one.

Okay.

I had the impression it was 10 minutes or so, but I'll do my best.

Thank you.

So I am a lawyer in San Francisco, and I do have a hearing disability.

So if you do have any questions for me, please feel free to speak up.

I encourage that.

This is your chance to yell at a lawyer, so you may not get that again to sometime soon.

I uh I my office in San Francisco, but I do a lot of work in Sacramento County and especially this area of Sacramento County, in the city of El Grove, City of Gaul, because there are a lot of industrial facilities here in these two towns.

I do a lot of Clean Water Act work, enforcement work of the Federal Clean Water Act, and we have an advantage over you.

We, the council and the city.

We have our own technical experts who we can hire, who we retain to be able to comment on facilities, discharges, and emissions of contaminants.

And so what I'm gonna kind of jump to the end, but our suggestion really for the evening, I'm gonna have several other things to say, is that you retain one of these or two or three of these experts, toxicologists, deologists, uh, toxic air contaminant, air quality specialists, and have them as a third party to oversee Maverick's consultants.

Um it I'm not sure exactly what the scenario is, who hired who, but when even when a city does the hiring and is overseeing the consultants, they still essentially work for Maverick because Maverick is paying.

But if you hire a third-party consultant, which you could also build a maverick, uh that ensures that the public will be able to get a expert view of what is needed in the application materials and in the environmental review documents.

So uh with that, I'm gonna get back to the first issue, which was discussed earlier by the city attorney and Mayor Singh, and we submitted a request that Mayor Singh recuse herself from this deliberation of this Maverick approval.

And the reason is because Mayor Singh is the president, excuse me if I get the terminology wrong, but of the American Petroleum Convenience Store Association.

Uh Mayor Singh is not simply a figurehead or a organizational or nonprofit community organization.

This is a lobbying group that lobbies with the United States government, the state government, and thus her role in her other life, which for which she receives approximately, she's reported under Form 700, 100,000 a year, is as essentially somebody who lobbies for, who pushes for, who represents convenience stores and gas stations.

So, what does does the Political Reform Act say about this?

What is the Fair Political Practice Commission rules say about this?

Well, they say a lot more than what uh Mr.

Hobbes just said.

They are not uh the Fair Political Practice Commission rules not do not just require a recusal for a local government official when there's a direct material interest.

They also where there's an indirect financial interest, or where there's a a appearance of impropriety.

And here Mayor Singh uh has a is renuminated by this industry.

Uh Maverick is in this industry, whether they're a member or not, is not uh relevant to me at this point because Maverick can join later if they're happy with the results of this hearing.

Maverick can contribute to Mayor Singh's reelection campaign or her campaign for state assembly.

All of this brings out an impro an appearance of impropriety.

It also violates common law bias rules, which can be very uh much more uh prohibitive, where there is a probability of bias, that is fairness.

Can this person make a decision on this subject, or do they have too many ties to whoever one of the parties?

And in this situation, we think that the bias rules have also been violated.

We also think the city has not been practicing open government about this.

Uh we disagree with uh how the Miss, I believe it's Ms.

Killingsworth, phrased what happened at the planning commission, but our understanding is that several citizens were not able to speak because they didn't fill out a speaker card and they just left.

So they didn't understand what was going on, they may never have been before a planning commission before.

Um I was a former deputy county counsel.

I've been before 100 of these.

Every time that happens, the chair or the mayor or the president simply says, You, if you want to speak, fill out the card and get in the back of the line.

I've never seen somebody who was told you couldn't speak and had to walk away.

And the second aspect of the Planning Commission meeting was that the staff didn't put the documents online, the supportive documents for the categorical exemption and the conditional use permit.

They withheld them until Mr.

Casuni, my co-counsel, uh, in uh has uh asked where they were, and they were supplied.

Well, we put them in the we're gonna put somebody ran off and got them and put them in the back of the room.

That is not what I would call transparent government.

And um I realize that there's limitations on staff, but um that kind of non-transparency mayor saying will not recuse yourself, suggests that there's an enormous amount of collaboration with the applicant here, which it does not appear appropriate.

Um, so regarding Maverick, this is a large uh national truck stop firm.

They maverick can call their facilities whatever they want.

But Americans in American English, uh, where 18 wheelers stop, fuel up diesel, and then are able to pull over and rest and idle their trucks, is a truck stop.

Whether or not there's a diner there doesn't really matter.

But I can call it a fueling station if you like.

Um, and so that truck stop or fueling station is indeed what is it intended for?

What is Maverick's goals?

They've been doing this all over the country, putting in giant truck stops near interstates, and they are serving interstate truckers and travelers.

They are not a facility that's for locals.

This this facility is not for the citizens of Elk Grove.

So, given that the case, I would think there would be more scrutiny of this.

There would be additional scrutiny in which you would hire these experts to question this.

And so, in this instance, we have had to hire experts at my at Protect Elk Grove's expense, and we've hired a toxicologist uh Jim Clark, who has pointed out a couple of things about this project that were not addressed in the documents that the city provided, and that was that there are several Cortez sites.

There are several identified, even if they're not Cortizia, identified sites that the State Water Resources Control Board has identified on their website, the GeoTracker website, as having contaminated soils and groundwater.

So pollutants such as VOCs, vault organic compounds, percochlorethylene, hydrocarbons.

All of these are what are produced and emitted and discharged by Maverick as well.

So the question that Mr.

Clock says where's the beef?

Where is the information?

Where's the data?

Where's the analysis on whether there's a synergy and there's any impacts shared by Maverick's facility, future facility, and with the neighboring facilities.

Um city attorney and Maverick's attorneys have addressed this at length.

And but there has been no expert for the city because the city probably doesn't have one, and it and Maverick has not hired one.

They don't have it.

There's no information from a geologist or a toxicologist as we've produced.

Instead, there's a response from Maverick's attorney, Ms.

Sherrock, who's who's an attorney, not a geologist, not a toxicologist.

So that means she knows about as much about groundwater contamination as I do, which is not a lot, although I do litigate these cases.

But I still don't know much.

So her response is we don't have to look at that because the California Environmental Quality Act says we don't have to look at neighboring facilities.

Well, of course, a lawyer would say that.

What I am going to get into is that we do know that groundwater travels freely within a ground basin back and forth.

So the response of we don't have to is disconcerting to me regarding toxic air contaminants examined by our uh by Mr.

Clark.

He said the TACs were not also sufficiently examined, they were barely examined at all.

The response from Maverick and the city has been, we don't have to.

We think that CEQA, the city is saying, and the Maverick CEQA doesn't require that.

The same thing with traffic.

We've we our traffic expert has pointed out several things, including that these giant 18-wheelers are gonna have a lot of difficulty pulling into that intersection.

It's gonna take them forever, essentially in layman's language, to navigate and take those turns.

People at the planning commission, I believe there's a trucker there, said there's no way they can do that easily.

It's gonna slow down traffic, gonna cause congestion.

What is the response of the city and of Maverick?

The same thing.

We don't have to look at congestion.

Well, wait a minute.

Isn't congestion one of the criteria for CEQA?

Not anymore.

That's been substituted with vehicle miles traveled, which is the most useless criteria ever invented in the face of the earth, which is basically our more miles going to be added to the entire Sacramento area.

Who cares?

So, but even if congestion isn't required by CEQA, it is under your own policies, as Mr.

Brohard pointed out, our expert.

And so since it's one of your policies to deal with congestion, that connects with CEQA, and you would have to do that.

That has not been done.

So the congestion issue is dissimilar.

We don't have to.

But all these we don't have to study this.

Doesn't that strike you as a little bit defensive, a little bit opaque, a little bit serving to the applicant, Maverick, and not to the public.

The public probably wants to know about groundwater contamination and VOCs and hydrocarbons.

He probably wants to know about toxic air contaminants coming from the idling diesel trucks.

They want to know about congestion at that intersection, as I believe one or two of you have expressed interest in.

But we don't, we're not gonna know because they have not been required to submit that kind of analysis.

So again, what I would suggest is that uh so is that you hire consultants, table this just not necessarily vote tonight, but table it and say, send it back and have those questions answered that my that our consultants have brought up.

Um it again, this is something that's in the interests of everybody who lives in Elk Grove, who breathes the air, drinks the water, drives a car or a bicycle.

And we think that that this is a safer way to go.

If I was an attorney, as I was a deputy general counsel, I would advise you, I would advise Maverick, just back off, do the environmental uh document.

Comply fully with CEQA, do an environmental impact report or an initial study.

Make sure that you assess all these questions about people's health and the environment and the community.

Um my colleague, Mr.

Kasuni is gonna speak a little bit about uh cumulative impacts uh.

Well, good evening, Mayor, members of the city council.

My name's Tim Kassooney.

I am uh part of the legal team for the uh appellant uh protect Elk Grove, uh working with Mr.

Yates.

The project has been approved on the assumption that there's a CEQA exemption.

It is referred to as an in-fill exemption.

We disagree with that conclusion.

There's detailed arguments why this is not a proper CEQA exemption in the initial September appeal letter and in subsequent letters by Mr.

Yates.

Cumulative impacts means you can't just look at one project in isolation.

You have to also bear in mind and consider whether there will be probable future projects, and those sections are 15065, 1535 of the California Code of Regulations.

There's some letters that I've seen, and there's been a flurry of letters in the last few days, and I'm hopeful the city council's read those.

There's a lot of material.

None of those things are legal standards for a probable future project.

And let's consider a couple of factors along those lines.

At the planning commission hearing, city staff represented that there were additional development assumptions built into this, but the applications have not yet been filed.

That statement was made not only verbally at the planning commission hearing, it's also expressly referenced in the planning commission staff report.

And the owner of the property, also at the planning commission hearing, expressly stated, I think it was Jim Gillam.

Forgive me if I'm mispronouncing his name, stated he was appearing at the request of the planning commission commissioner.

He stated that he is quote planning for complementary uses, end quote, and that he has prepared a preliminary site plan for quote restaurants, a hotel, and coffee shops.

Not only that, in the recent letter from the property owner, I believe it was a letter from Reynolds, they acknowledge that they are marketing the property.

By the way, this 2.93 acres is part of a larger parcel, they're marketing for additional uses for restaurants, a hotel, and coffee shops.

It's not a defense legally, certainly, to say, well, we don't have we don't have deals in place yet.

So, even if we assume that this is an infill project, which it is not, by the way, it's not only because of the traffic impacts and so forth, it's not an infill because it's surrounded on two sides by non urban uses.

It's not an infill project, and there cannot be a blanket categorical exemption for that reason alone.

But let's assume that it is an infill project.

Well, the California Code of Regulations also states that there is an exception to the exemption for infill projects on cumulative impacts, which is an assessment of whether the project and successive projects of the same type in the same place will result in cumulative impacts.

Well, certainly there are.

There's a site plan being prepared.

You know, this cannot be, I hope, a situation where this city council approves the project, and the next day, here are the applications, and that they're just holding them to make an argument that there's no deal done yet.

I hope that's not the case.

And I'm not accusing anyone of doing that, but you can understand the concern that this is being held in abeyance and it's coming down the pipeline.

So there was also a statement made in some of the letters by the project applicant on this issue of cumulative impacts, which is essentially saying, well, there cannot be any more truck stops.

This is really the only one.

Well, the law doesn't say that a project of the same type has to be the exact same retail project.

The argument being made by the project applicant is that, well, there can't be another truck stop under the Elk Grove Code.

And I think that's true, but that's not what the uh exception to the exemption says.

Retail in general would be a same type of a project.

A restaurant, a coffee shop, a hotel, retail uses, would certainly be of the same type.

Otherwise, if if the project applicant's argument is withheld is is sustained, you could have someone saying, Well, I got approved for a sewing thread shop.

And uh, yeah, there's gonna be a sewing needle shop next door, but it's not the same type of use.

That's the kind of argument they're making.

That certainly isn't the case here.

So there's a number of concessions that there are development assumptions, uh, for future use in the same location and the same type of use.

Um, I'll just quote you actually a couple references to the current uh staff report.

I'm quoting now from page seven.

There is no active application yet for the remaining approximately 10 acres.

What does that mean yet?

That means it's coming down the pike, but it hasn't been formally submitted yet, and that was my concern about this just being held in abeyance.

Um another reference.

The um staff report also says on page 12, it's referring to um what is being developed on the 2.5 acres, and there's this there's a statement that says uh the project is located on three parcels that total 2.93 acres, will include a convenience store, two canopies, etc.

And then it says the remaking the remaining vacant land within the SPA is not part of this application.

Well, that's fine, but it's very clear that there are uses of the same type in the same location.

There's been concessions at the planning commission hearing.

There's been a concession that these kinds of uses are being used in a site plan to negotiate with potential tenants.

The fact that there's not a deal yet, the fact that the application hasn't actually been submitted yet is of no matter.

It's a very reasonable probability and an assumption that is coming down the pike.

So for those reasons, there is an exception to the exemption, and again, my whole discussion is on the assumption that the in Phil exemption is even applicable in the first instance, and it is not.

I would conclude with those comments.

Thank you for your attention.

Mr.

Yates, are you done?

Almost.

Okay.

Are we going to have an opportunity to speak later after the applicant speaks?

And after the public.

And after the public.

All right, great.

Thank you.

All right.

Also, I did want to say I'm not sure.

I just want to say Mr.

Lindgren has been very professional and helpful, and I appreciate his uh professionality.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We think so too.

All right.

Now I would like to invite the applicant, Maverick, to speak.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

My name is Todd Myers.

Um, an employee with Maverick, and I just want you to know we are.

Oh, thank you.

We are very excited to uh be part of this city, and so we're very pleased that you're willing to hear this tonight, and we're hoping that of course it works out well.

We're going to uh have three people that will be presenting.

We're gonna start off with our attorney so that she can address all of these sequel questions, and then myself will come up and I'll tell you a little bit more about Maverick, and then we'll dive into the traffic with our traffic consultant.

Your name for the record, sir?

Uh Todd Myers, 185 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

I didn't need all that, but thank you.

All right.

Uh good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

My name is Casey Shorock.

I am an attorney with Somak Simmons and Dunn, and I represent Maverick in this matter.

Okay, let me get my stuff organized here.

Um, first of all, we want to thank the city for all their hard work under dress in a short period of time.

We really appreciate it.

Uh, it was a substantive amount of work.

The city was very thorough and detail oriented in its staff report, and we truly appreciate that.

Maverick sent two letters to city council, one uh on Monday, November 10th, and another one last night, uh, responding to the initial appeal and subsequent material sent by appellant.

We also had uh we also had our consultants, uh Kimley Horn and AWA send some memos, I believe that they arrived last night or this morning.

I know it's a lot of material again in a short period of time, but we appreciate any consideration that staff gave this material.

Uh we waited to send our initial response letter, not to withhold the response or to avoid scrutiny as was indicated in the appellant's second appeal letter.

Uh we did that responsibly, waiting on the staff report to review the staff report so that we could understand the city's position, we could understand city staff's analysis determinations and findings before weighing in.

It's as simple as that.

And um to wit, we agree with them.

We agree with the city's analysis determinations and findings.

You'll see that we cite them throughout uh our appeal letter or throughout our um response to the appeal letter at first and second.

So we really do value that information, and uh, we were waiting to be able to speak uh intelligently on it.

Uh again, we agree with the city's analysis determinations and findings.

Uh we believe and agree with the city that the project is exempt from sequel review.

This is my assessment as both a sequel lawyer and a sequel and land use attorney, and also as a former SQL consultant.

I was before going to law school, it's my second career.

I call myself a later in life attorney.

I was an environmental consultant for almost 20 years before I went to law school.

I work for major firms and at one point had my own firm.

So it was interesting when Mr.

Yates said that we're attorneys, and we don't do these kinds of assessments.

In fact, I I have done hazmat assessments in the past.

I have done all the assessments.

I've prepared EIRs, I have both litigated uh exemptions and written them.

So I get to wear a lot of hats, and that gives me a bit of an advantage.

And I can say, wearing both my attorney hat and my consultant hat, that this was excellent work, and we agree with all of the findings.

Um, just there's a lot to unpack and respond to.

So I'm just gonna try and go in order because I want to give the council uh, you know, kind of as much information as we can when they're making their determinations here today.

First and foremost, I it's the appellant appears to be mischaracterizing Maverick and the city's responses.

I don't ever recall the city saying that this that no analysis is required here.

In fact, the staff report and its attachments reflect an inordinate amount of analysis.

So analysis was required by the city and it was performed.

Um I also don't understand this accusation that the city hasn't consulted a third-party consultant.

They in fact have one.

It's a Scent environmental.

Uh they are an excellent consultant, they have a great reputation, and I believe that the city has also hired other consultants.

I'm not 100% sure on that, but certainly a sense been involved in this.

We've reviewed their work, and they've done great work, and they're known to do great work.

So uh the city has had outside consultancies here.

Um moving on, just a quick housekeeping issue.

In our first response letter to the city, we attempted to define truck stop because there's a lot of accusations that this is a truck stop.

It's not a truck stop, but we were trying to find a definition, a useful definition that the city might find useful.

Uh, we cited to California Civil Code 52.2A6 for a definition of truck stop under a different body of law, but it was an interesting definition, nevertheless.

That was uh there's a typo there actually.

The code citation is California Civil Code section 52.6A6.

So I just wanted to, for the record, uh, make that housekeeping correction.

Um, kind of going down the list here.

The appellant essentially contends that the city's assessment of the class 32 criterion that the project is substantially surrounded by urban uses is incorrect.

Uh, they cite cases to support their um allegation.

Uh the cases they cite aren't applicable here, they're wrong.

Their primary case doesn't deal with uh exemption, a class 32 exemption or exemptions at all.

It's an old case.

Subsequent case subsequent courts have found that case to be an opposite, that it doesn't apply to class 32 exemptions for the same reasons that we're saying here, because that case didn't deal with a class 32 exemption, and that's the mammoth case that is cited a couple of times by appellant.

The city staff determined based on a variety of factors that the site is substantially surrounded by urban uses, and that is enough, and we agree.

They didn't just use one factor, they used multiple factors, and that's exactly what is supposed to happen here.

Uh, appellant spoke today and in their second uh letter about uh this Cortesi list, uh, that the site is contaminated with toxic waste.

There is absolutely no evidence of this.

The project site is not on the Cortesi list, which is what uh the hazardous waste sites exception to the CEQA exemptions is concerned about on that uh SQL guidelines section one five three zero zero point two talks about the hazardous waste sites exception.

None of the neighboring or nearby properties to the project site are on the Cortesi list.

There have been a couple of properties that appeared on the Cortesi list in the past.

I think one in the 90s, one in the early 2000s.

They have since been removed from the Cortesi list, so that is uh just a fact that they're not on the Cortesi list.

Uh appellant contended that a phase one environmental site assessment is needed for the project site.

In fact, one has been prepared.

And I think it might have been submitted to the city very recently.

Uh, I believe it was, I'm not sure on that.

But the phase, I but I've looked at the phase one, and it confirms ascent environmentals assessment in the staff report that there's no the property's not in the Cortesia list.

It doesn't meet the criteria for this exception.

And again, zero evidence has been provided that there will be contamination.

I think that appellant is misunderstanding the application of the Cortesi list exception here.

The CEQA guidelines has an appendix G checklist when you start talking about things like initial studies, and it addresses this as well.

And the criteria is clear.

Is the project site on the Cortesi list?

The answer is no.

Appellant also contends that an additional health risk analysis is required.

Assent performed a health risk analysis.

They use standard tools and guidance for assessing gas station risks.

They looked at air district guidance, CEQA guidance.

This analysis was peer reviewed by AECOM, so that is two credible consultants agreeing that the project site that the project poses no significant health risks, and really no more is required here.

The appellant also contends is concerned about traffic, level of service, trip generation, things of that nature.

In their second appeal letter, they raise some concerns about some discrepancies between Kimley Horn's first traffic analysis and their second traffic analysis.

We have two engineers from Kimley Horn here today to answer any questions city council may have, but ultimately Kimley Horn submitted a memo, I believe it was early this morning or late last night, that explained that discrepancy and iterated, confirmed that that discrepancy between its first study and its second study in no way altered their analysis or their conclusions.

Also, appellant alluded or appellant discussed this that LOS level of service is not a CEQA issue.

It is not a CQIT issue.

It might be a planning issue for the city of Elk Grove, and I assume it is.

Vehicle miles travel is what SQL requires to be considered for this exemption under the traffic portion of the class one, class 32 criteria.

That VMT analysis was performed by FARM Peers, and it is appropriate.

It was also validated, reviewed, and validated by Ascent Environmental.

Again, a third party consultant involved here.

In terms of development on the surround the property surrounding the project site, known as the special planning area, the court CMD SPA, this property's been undeveloped for many, many years.

The property owner Reynolds and Brown has confirmed that there are no reasonably foreseeable tenants for this property.

The city confirmed in the staff report that no applications for development have been submitted.

CEQA doesn't require agencies or applicants to speculate on future development.

I'm quite certain that Reynolds and Brown would love to develop this area.

As was stated by Reynolds and Brown in a memo or a letter to the city, they've been trying for 17 years.

There's been lots of ups and downs, and they'll continue to want to develop this area.

But right now it's undeveloped, it's vacant, and there's no plans for development.

Appellant indicated that there might be some applications in abeyance.

We have no knowledge of that, and we don't we know that to not be true.

So I'll just say that.

If there were, then I I'm quite sure Reynolds and Brown would be pleased.

And we would be having a whole different conversation, but we're not having that conversation right now.

Uh appellant, appellants council cites to several CEQA guideline provisions regarding cumulative impacts.

Those don't apply here.

Those are when environmental impact reports are being prepared, and an environmental impact report was not prepared here because the city deemed this project to be exempt from CEQA review.

The criteria for the cumulative exception to CEQA exemptions indeed talks about projects of the same type in the same place.

Now, I'm not gonna litigate this particular provision right here in front of y'all because how boring would that be.

But case law indicates that when you're applying an exemption, same type, same place is relatively constrained to exactly that, the same type of development in the same place, future.

So that would be here, something more like a gas station or a comparable comparable type of development.

And we know that whatever occurs on the elephant on the vacant portions of the SBA site will not be that.

So, and even if they were to occur in the future, again, they're not reasonably foreseeable.

The general criteria under SIGWA for whether or not a cumulative project needs to be analyzed is whether or not an application has been submitted to the city.

And again, that has not happened here.

I will conclude with that.

I know that we might have an opportunity to respond or have some kind of closing statement.

And I know that Maverick would like to come up here and show you their presentation and tell a little bit of the story about this project.

Thank you.

Again, Todd Myers with Maverick.

It's finally time to talk about Maverick.

I'm excited to be here tonight.

As you can see, the site is a small site.

It's a traditional Maverick site.

It's not a truck stop site, which are gonna be 20 acres or greater.

And the property is already zoned, and as you can see, there's already a building there.

Maverick itself started up almost a hundred years ago by three brothers, and that the company today is still owned by one of the brothers' descendants, uh, Crystal MacLette is our owner.

And we are we have 800 stores and growing.

We're in roughly 20 states.

We have about 15,000 employees that are eligible for benefits.

And then there's probably about another 25% of the employees that do not receive benefits because they work less than 30 hours a week.

So three-fourths of our employees do get benefits, and that is a big part of who our company is.

We really value those employees.

We want them to stay long term.

Our managers are judged on whether or not they keep employees, or do they just have a constant turnover?

I have a little video.

This is only going to take just a couple of seconds, maybe 20 seconds or so, but it'll kind of give you an idea of who Maverick is, and the company, as I said, Maverick really are employees.

That's who makes us successful.

And we want to make sure that they're safe.

We want to make sure that our customers are safe.

And so as you go to a Maverick, you're gonna find that there are security cameras outside and inside of the building.

At Planning Commission, I said there was 24.

I got the update wrong recently.

We've actually increased to a minimum of 50 cameras, and some stores have as many as 80 cameras.

When we choose a site, we do pull a crime report for that area.

And again, we want to make sure our employees are safe.

So that's a big part of our planning.

And with that, we have a reputation.

We like to work with the police department, which the chief was still there.

Um those videos, we have an email for them.

If they want to get those videos, they could get those.

They're high definition.

We want to have the reputation of boy, things get filmed at Maverick.

And we what we end up having is it becomes a very safe place.

You even have parents that uh have separated.

They'll use a maverick to hand off the kids because it's a safe environment.

And then the other thing is you look at our stores.

As I said, 800 stores.

We've been to a lot of cities.

We've had a lot of police departments review our sites and our buildings.

Your police department commented on some of the height of the plants that we had.

That they didn't, you know, they were worried about people being able to hide behind them.

Others have commented on, hey, you need more glass so that as we drive by, we want to see in.

Of course, the lighting.

Now, this you read this one here, and in 2017, we received the safety award through the WCF.

And you say, well, Todd, that's that's quite a while ago.

They got 20,000 companies that are part of that fund.

They only give out one award a year.

We're very proud of that.

Let's talk about these employees again.

We're nothing without our employees.

And so, with that, what we do to keep them there.

First of all, if you work 40 hours a week average over the course of a year, you are a full-time employee.

You are eligible for benefits.

You are eligible for those benefits.

If you're hired as a full-time employee, day one.

So, what are those benefits?

Medical, dental, vision, uh, hearing.

We have college reimbursement up to $5,200 a year.

We have a 401k match, because a lot of these people, this is one of their first jobs.

That 401k match is a good motivator for them to start preparing for their future.

One way they can fund that is on a quarterly basis.

Depending on how each store does, the employee can get a bonus per the hours that they work during that quarter.

So they could use that money to help fund that 401k.

We also have life insurance policies that they can buy for the benefit of their family.

And if they don't want to pay a single dime into it, they get a $20,000 life insurance policy.

I look at it some in some ways that we're trying to train our young employees how to become adults.

And I gotta say, I'm one of them.

A couple of years ago, I didn't have a will.

I went to one of our seminars that we had, our brown lunch, and came away with the contact from the attorney.

I never felt like more of an adult than the day I'd got that done.

But we're trying to do these things, we're trying to develop these people because if they're able to advance and you know, pay you know their bills and have some training, they're able to move up in the company and they become the good store managers, district managers, zone managers, zone directors, thank you.

These are some of the comments we've received over a two-week period in October.

Uh we have a whole page of just California positive comments.

These really kind of lay out what we hear a lot.

Clean restrooms.

I remember it's just a few years ago, we had all of our stores permitted for the year when our president came in and said, No, we got to redo this because I want to, I want uh the reputation that when you're out driving around the community and your spouse needs to use the restroom, your spouse doesn't say find me a restroom, they say find me a maverick.

And so if you go to one of our stores, you're gonna see our bathrooms are big.

It's you know, we have stores where we've done additions just to the restrooms because that's a very important way to grab customers to make them into love and maverick, I guess I would have to say on that.

Sorry.

Kind of time tied there a little bit.

Here is a floor the floor plan for the maverick here, and it's very typical.

Uh, the retail area is very similar to what you just seen on the video.

It's surrounded by coolers on two of the sides.

You got the kitchen, you have the restrooms.

You can see those are big restrooms.

They're well lit.

There are no things that I would call a truck stop.

There's not a trucker's lounge.

There's not showers.

And when you look at the outside, you're not going to see parking for trucks.

They're going to feel they're going to have to leave the site.

There's not going to be any place for them to park.

If it's not a parking stall, it's a red curb and it has no parking signs on it.

The inside of the store.

Maverick was fortunate enough that we were part of what we used to call our share group.

And there were five of us in the share group.

It was all sea stores spread across the country.

And we would just really share everything.

All of our information and trying to prepare for the future.

And from that, we came away with a couple of things.

One of them is you can't be just the old traditional sea store that really just relied on fuel cells.

And so we have tried to refine those items over the years.

You'll see us change the menu from time to time when we figure we have something better.

But the other thing is just the store itself.

The video kind of showed you the display cabinets, those were all lower so that you can see over the top.

The ceilings higher.

We have murals going around the outside of that local area.

And so it just kind of gives you more of an open feel.

We removed all of the items from the store that weren't selling, so there's less items in there.

But you it has more of a comfortable fill.

The store itself, we have a standard store, you know.

Like many businesses, it's part of who we are.

This uh this store has some enhancements to it so that does meet the city's design criteria.

But for the most part, it looks like any of our standard mavericks.

Watch me be brief.

Won't this be fun?

Um, my name is Rick Magnus.

I'm with AEWA engineering, and we do a number of mavericks over the years, and we continue to do so.

We are the civil engineer for this particular site.

What I want to do is just walk you through a few elements of the site plan.

Um, as you can see, down to kind of the center bottom is the what we call the forecourt or the front court that services your your typical vehicles.

It's in front of the store.

It makes it really convenient to come in, it's well lit, recessed lighting.

Um people feel safe when they come in, whether it's in the middle of the day or in the evening.

Um the store is located near the near the corner, but there was also a water quality LID that we need to also handle storm drainage and that so you'll see that big open space there in the corner.

Uh and then also to to the north is are the high uh the high flow areas where you see the larger vehicles come in.

Now, what I want to do is also emphasize in our what and what Kira kind of talked about is in early uh 2025.

We went before the trails committee, and our site plan now reflects the decisions that were made there.

We we removed, we were allowed to remove the equestrian trail on along Grant Line because those horse didn't have very far to go, right?

And then they have to turn that turn around and everything.

So what we ended up doing is increasing the interest of this multi-use trail that can provide pedestrian connectivity as well as additional landscaping along Grant Line.

Um, what you will see is, I'm sorry, is it the mouse, Kira?

I'm so sorry.

There we go.

What I wanted to do is also talk about a little bit about access, because that seems to be something that is very important to the city and this location.

Once again, these are exhibits, and I want to thank your staff.

They have we've spent numerous hours and they've been very responsive in getting back and making these decisions on how these uh the intersections will flow along Grant line and into the project and what have you.

So this first one is just to demonstrate what will happen there at the corner.

What we're providing is a through right hand turn from East Stockton onto Grant Line, which is not going to have the queuing or the stacking of vehicles waiting for a green light to make that right hand turn.

We now have it where they're gonna be able to just make that turn and merge like uh like they need to on there.

Also, there's a two-lane left hand turn that now goes from Grant and heads north on East Stockton Boulevard, and you can see that there are two lanes.

One connects and ends up being a left-hand turn into uh the development, and then there's another one that will take it as a through traffic lane.

And this kind of changes the striping plan that's out there now, and it eliminates what's called a weave.

It it uh it really helps out with that.

This is to demonstrate a right in to the project because there are two access points on this site on East Stockton, and as was mentioned before, there's a ride in ride out on that kind of south, more southerly entrance.

There is a median out in Stockton, which will not allow a vehicle to make a left from there.

The left hand turns will be now controlled uh on that shared access that is above uh, and something else I wanted to mention just real quick is there's shared accesses between between the parcel to the west.

Um, it'll be within Maverick.

There's two locations that are shared.

So someone doesn't get have to manipulate and move within here.

But um as you can see, this turn allows larger vehicles to come in on a right and then get their uh fuel at the high flow and then exit on the right, and then finally, another exhibit.

And once again, this is in conjunction with the city and staff that we've been able to work this out.

This is a left-in, ride out and on the shared driveway.

What's really important about this design and what took us time was there is no conflict when someone makes a right uh a ride out or a left in, they are not occupying a second lane.

They are not they are not causing any type of conflict as they go in.

These were the three exhibits that we wanted to share with you this evening because it seems like there was some concerns, especially from planning commission about access.

That was very important.

Um, another thing is uh just regarding on-site, no parking, red curb striping.

This is not a truck stop.

There are not um this just shows our how we mark curbs on every Maverick site.

We don't allow vehicles to just park forever, they they're there to fuel, go into the store, grab some snacks, or go to the restroom, and then they are back out.

There also is signage that also allows for um to let people know there is no parking in these areas because as you could see in some of the turn exhibits, we need that space to make sure things flow properly.

Uh that is really everything I've got.

Oh, let's let's show you a pretty picture.

How about I end on a pretty picture?

That would be nice, right?

So here's the perspective on Grant Line.

Once again, we were asked by your trails committee.

Hey, if we're not gonna have a horse trail, an equestrian trail adjacent to this multi-use trail, but they asked for a greater, a greater streetscape.

And so what we ended up doing is providing that, and then we wanted to show you at uh when those are provided that you now get to see that.

This is actually what I think we've talked about before.

Look at me.

I'm gonna go to a fairly nice picture to leave.

But of course, we're here to answer any questions you may have, but thank you.

Thank you so much.

And I want to just once again compliment your staff for the great help.

Thank you.

Anyone else coming up from Maverick before I open up public comment?

Was that it?

All right.

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

We have several people signed up to speak.

And what I would ask is I'm gonna give you the three minutes.

However, if you are going to be saying similar comments as previous speakers, you can be brief.

Um if you like, highly encouraged to be brief if you can and reinforce perhaps what some earlier speakers have said.

With that, I'm gonna officially open it up public comment, and our first speaker is Mark Jansen, followed by Andrew Grunman.

You just wait up here, your honor.

Honorable honorable mayor.

Madam Mayor, City Council, thank you for this opportunity to come here tonight.

I'm gonna be very brief because uh I learned a long time ago in public affairs.

If you do anything, be sincere, be brief, and be seated.

Um, the reason why I'm here tonight is because of this.

You've seen this, which is a picture of a protect Elk Grove.

Um advertisement, and there's a picture above the protect Elk Grove that I was concerned about when I found out about it.

It's not a group picture, it's me.

Um, I do not support this activity, either side.

I have friends on both, but I just wanted to make sure that the council knew that my the presence of my picture in this uh advertisement, if you would, was not by intent.

I trust it was by accident, and I trust that the efforts I've made so far tonight will clear that up, and uh I can go on living my life in security and secret and recognize that if they do use my name, I hope they spell it correctly.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Andy Andy Grun, Andrew Grunman, followed by Andy's final.

Uh followed by Tim Grunman.

Good evening, honorable mayor and honorable council members.

Uh so I'm gonna make this brief.

Uh we have been our family, has been agriculture here for over 50 years before the city was a city, and quite frankly, almost when Henry Lent uh sold the property off where a lot of this stuff's happening now.

This has historically been a fuel area.

There's been a number of gas stations, fuel stations, and stuff that's been around there.

And one thing that this would benefit the community on is that it's gonna it's gonna reduce.

I I know they've covered that, but it's gonna reduce vehicle miles travel.

You're gonna drive to highway 12 to get diesel, you're gonna drive to 49er to get diesel.

Now it's gonna stop all the traffic going through the through the median.

Uh, I mean through Bruceville and all that to get to it.

Um and I guess we're kind of ignoring the elephant in the room.

I mean, there is 22 million gallons of fuel sitting in the suburban tanks.

So I know that's not part of it, but anybody that wants to say that this isn't good for the community, we got 22 million gallons of fuel sitting there.

Uh this is offers to bring employment, and quite frankly, I I can't see anything that it's it's not beneficial for, especially uh over the past well, since the turn of the century, it's really clamped down on how much fuel you can store store on hand.

So for some of our agricultural activities, it's nice to be able to have a place to go get diesel quickly.

It offers ramps where you can go in.

Passenger slots, and I see for trucks, but I I think this will help deplete some of the truck uh traffic around the area.

And with that, I close.

Oh, I guess I would I would ask you to deny the appeal and affirm the planning commission's approval.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Tim Grunman, followed by Dio Raj Lall.

Mayor, Council members, uh I too was prepared to put a lengthy statement together and uh try to sway you towards uh supporting the uh installation of the Maverick.

But uh everybody's covered everything I was gonna cover.

So I just want to say I fully support it, and I hope it passed.

Thank you.

Next up is Dio Raj Law, followed by Rajesh Pratel.

Uh good evening, May and Council members.

Well, I'm not here uh looking at all those uh technical temps that's been presented by the attorney, but I'm here to represent the common people that travel the community to Grant Line.

The traffic is of major concern.

That's to me, that's to the residents.

And uh Madam Chair, if you look at uh every evening in the mornings, pass uh going towards the southbound past El Grove Boulevard, you are in the traffic.

And just imagine hundreds of trucks just getting into the exit of Grant Line, four semi-trucks will just pile up on the exit, and that will uh just further uh pull up the traffic.

And uh the other thing is uh I've been uh looking at the the plans that was uh shown, and uh for any common person that stands there currently at the Grant Line and East Stock and Junction, turning a SUV is difficult at the moment.

Imagine a semi truck turning into the East Stockton.

That's difficult.

And uh we have been uh in the media recently, so many fatalities have happened, and we don't want some other some more fatalities coming up on Grant Line.

And I believe if approval is given, uh the council has to take uh liabilities for any accidents that happens should an approval is given.

I'm not for the project.

My concern, the common people have difficulty coming down here and saying people can't speak because they are frightened to come and speak, but you go in the community, everyone is talking about what is coming, why the council is giving this approval, the residents are talking.

We move around to people, and this is from the common people that please do something that we live in peace.

We don't want traffic, traffic is a major.

We are not against any development.

We are not against, making it very clear, but the major issue is the current infrastructure that is at the present, does not allow such big semi-trucks to pull in, and technically it's going to be a truck stop.

The attorneys have said no.

There is a hotel that's been submitted into the planning process that there's a proposed hotel coming up.

It's that common, we know.

So semi-truck draba will pull into the hotel, parts the vehicle whole night there.

So technically, it's a truck stop.

Thank you very much.

Next up is Rajesh Pratel, followed by Kenna Roberts.

Good evening, Mayor and the panel.

Well, we uh I we are writing to bring this attention to the uh development proposal that the that processes a serious threat to the dignity safety and the local economy and uh El Grove community.

So Maverick, amazing a massive out-of-state corporation is seeking approval to build a large fueling center at the northwest corner of uh Grant Line and East Stockton Boulevard, just east of highway 99.

While there are carefully avoiding the TAM truck stop, make no mistake, this project is exactly that.

Across California and beyond, Maverick is facing tremendous public pushback for similar proposals.

As a result, the company has become more deceptive in its approach, removing the TAM truck stop from its application to improve the chances of approval.

This strategy, their strategy is simple.

First, secure approval for fueling canopies and convenience stores.

Then after six to twelve months later, seek a second approval for acres of truck parking.

So this is exactly what's happening here in El Grove, while the current application avoids labeling the project a truck stop.

Phase two clearly includes large scale of truck parking along with high-speed diesel fueling canopies and defining feature of commercial truck stops.

Just 20 miles away, a maverick uh truck shop was approved in Lodi of Cattlemen and Beckman Road.

El Grove does not need another one.

We must learn from what's happening in other cities and act before it's too late.

The impact of our communities will be devastating.

Strain on public safety services, which are already under pressure, increase in crime and prostitution, commonly associated with truck stops.

Harm to local small businesses that can compete with Maverick aggressively, cutthroat price pricing models, deceptive commercialization of the corridor meant for thoughtful community centered growth.

An unfriendly family environment in a city that provides itself on being safe and reliable.

Loss of local character, and there's corporate interests.

I hope community's plea to request to cancel the Maverick truck stop, is being considered to prevent further disappointment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Kana Roberts, follow followed by Anil Kishore.

Good evening.

I um will just reiterate my frustration as well with the existing traffic.

Um I believe adding Maverick and eventually the Grant Line Village will only increase congestion and create more safety risk.

At the past planning commission meeting, it wasn't clear that the environmental impacts were fully reviewed, or the community had a real opportunity to weigh in.

I'm especially concerned about the safety and the fact that Maverick's fuel storage is five times long or five times larger than a typical gas station.

There's also uncertainty about what road construction will be needed to make the site accessible for trucks.

Finally, I feel that we have a lot of truck stops in place, and we don't really need another one, especially at an intersection that's struggling with traffic and safety.

That's it.

Thank you.

Next up is Anil Kishore, followed by Bill Laskatoff.

Sorry if I butcher your name.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you for letting me speak.

My main concern is, you know, all everybody's talking about it.

A lot of negatives are there.

Nobody's thinking about it.

You people approve it.

We don't like it over there.

I live in there around the corner from there.

Every day is a mass traffic, especially these semi-trucks coming in.

Imagine adding another 50, at least 10 of them more.

It's not worth it.

I seen semi-trucks turn into the East of Tembolabad and get in and out of there.

It's not right.

And we need to do more homework on this.

I've been a truck driver.

I have a trucking company.

I gave all that up.

Now I'm retired.

I moved in their area.

I want to live peacefully and raise my grandkids.

So they are happy.

We are churches, we have school around the corner.

We don't need these large corporations.

They survive.

I know they have money.

We don't have money.

We are small people.

Where do we go?

Who do we ask to help us?

That's why my friend said the people don't come out.

You guys, people chose you guys.

Put you guys in there to make the decision for us.

So we live happily in our neighbors.

You are saying El Grove is a great city.

Let's keep it that way.

And I've been in this L Grove area for 40 plus years.

We need a happy environment.

Clean environment.

We don't need an activity.

Somebody was talking about flooding.

You're gonna put concrete in three acres.

What's gonna happen to the flooding?

Is City ready for that?

Is the what you call the drainage is ready for that?

I don't think so.

That's why we are flooding.

We are flooding recently.

People should know where we are growing.

We need to make a happier environment and a clean environment for our kids, for our neighbors.

So think about it.

People voted for you guys.

Put you guys in there.

So you guys make the right decision for the people of El Grove, so we are happy.

We keep putting you in there.

Hey, these guys are great.

Let's put them up there again.

But if you put these kind of things up there, nobody will support you.

So think, please, think about the citizens that cannot speak for themselves.

And put in the in the media so the neighbors know that these kind of things are coming up in our neighborhood.

We need to put a stop to this.

That corner is not ready for tax.

We have plenty of tracks.

And there are a lot of people, not a few, like small people who would talk owners.

I have a lot of friends.

They're small people, small platformers.

They're really surviving.

We don't need to get into the more congested area.

We need something good in there.

What happened to the sports company were supposed to come in my neighborhood?

What happened to that?

Up in there.

There was a hospital supposed to build in our group.

What happened to this?

Let's do some good work for our community.

Keep our people happy.

Thank you for listening to me.

Thank you.

Next up is Bill Lostkatoff.

How do you say your last name?

Laskatoff.

Followed by Bieran Prasad.

Thank you, Council members.

Uh Bill Laskatoff, 3411, Clements Way in Sacramento.

I uh, full disclosure and the real estate broker for Maverick in this location.

I can say that in the last four or five years that I've traveled up and down the Central Valley working on sites out there.

I've had nobody complain about the fact, in fact, everybody wanted to see a Maverick come to town.

People actually going on long trips if you travel around Western United States will find that they plan their stops uh Maverick locations thing, fuel up and not only the car but themselves at the same time.

Last thing I point I'll make is I used to deal with uh Donatoli.

And Don wanted every gas station out on the freeway.

Uh and we had some interesting conversations, but this one checks meets all the uh check marks.

I think it would be a valuable addition.

I know it'd be a valuable addition to Elk Grove.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Beer and Prasad, followed by Roger Ashton.

Okay.

Um, Roger Ashton, followed by Mick Strangler.

Sorry, I'm torturing your name.

Hi, Roger.

Good evening.

Uh, I don't usually speak at these meetings, but I feel compelled to do so tonight.

I visited many, I've visited many Maverick stores and have had nothing but the highest praise for their operations.

Their locations are consistently clean, safe, and well managed, offering great food options and excellent customer service.

Uh I've seen posts from those claiming to want to protect Elk Grove.

In reality, it seems more like an effort to protect my gas station.

As this operation appears to be driven by competing service stations trying to play on people's fears.

Well, I believe some individuals speaking tonight may be sincere.

Their concerns are based on misinformation spread by competitors, and that's simply wrong.

The claims that Maverick is a truck stop that will bring traffic, crime, and other problems are blatantly false.

Maverick stores do not include truck parking and are not truck stops.

They primarily serve local residences, businesses, and travelers passing passing through.

The exaggerated site plans being circulated are misleading and completely out of scale.

The city has an invested significantly in this interchange, and this type of high quality highway adjacent use is exactly what belongs here.

I've seen the new Mavericks being built at entrances to other major cities, and it's been a beautiful addition, modern addition that enhances its surroundings.

Elk Grove deserves the same level of quality and investment.

It's time for this site to be developed into a thriving retail center rather than sitting vacant at one of the city's uh gateways.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Roger.

Next up is Mick Strangrouer, followed by Kelly.

I don't have a last name, so Kelly.

Stan Grover.

Stan Grover.

Anyways, mine's of much lighter nature than that is that I I um just kind of the Maverick experience that I do.

I travel a lot around on the Western states.

In the summertime, I use a motorcycle, winter time I use a car or pick up and truck.

And so I guess the the nature of Maverick is I seek them out.

Now I have like a network of them, right?

When I I uh steward some land up in northern eastern northeastern Oregon, and I on my way I stop at the one at Maverick, and there's one in Anderson, California, and then the the property I manages up in uh really close to Baker City.

There's one there.

I just fueled there last month.

You go in because you know you're gonna have clean restaurants, especially if you're riding a motorcycle all day.

You're gonna have a clean restroom to go to, good food, you know, and and a place to kind of relax for, you know, for a minute.

I um uh my son went to Boise State.

He said, Dad, the only good thing about running low on gas was I could go to the Mavericks and I can get a good burrito, you know, and and have some food.

So I guess that you know, all the ones I've been to Sunday, just last Sunday, I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Pulled, you know, pulled in there, paid $2.49 a gallon for gas, by the way.

Thanks, California.

And uh, and and had a nice snack on my way to the airport.

So I mean, I guess the thing is is that you know, I hit several of them around the western states and stuff, and every time you look for them, you know you're gonna have a clean restroom, place to relax for a minute, get something good to eat and get back on the road.

So that was all I had.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Kelly, after Kelly is Philip Brown.

Sorry, I was borrowing someone's pen, so I was writing quite quick.

Um, I'm just gonna mare what other people have been saying, which is I've had the pleasure of being to three Mavericks, three different states of Mavericks.

I've been to Idaho, I've been to Utah, and I've been to California with my family, have sent my children in alone to go grab a full meal with pleasure, with no concerns.

I've gone in, got to the bathroom, gotten snacks, left my kids in the car.

And as a mother, I would never do that at a quote unquote truck stop.

And the information that is being disseminated in this community about them being a truck stop is emphatically wrong.

So I'm in full support.

Thank you, Kelly.

Next up is Philip Brown, followed by Romy Kiros.

Good evening, Miss Mayor.

Uh, council members.

Uh I've lived in Elk Grove for the last 15 years.

I commute quite a bit.

I've lived on the west side and east side of Elk Grove.

I've seen it grow quite a bit.

Uh the biggest concern I have is uh still the traffic, though we've made a lot of improvements here on 99 uh coming right out of Elk Grove.

I still see the common challenge of how it tends to still bottleneck on its way out.

Um in my travels, I see quite a bit of billboards.

Uh for most of you, you've seen uh the Sweet James Billboards.

Um you guys know who I'm talking about if you got a giggle out of that.

Uh he is a uh truck injury attorney.

And given that I've seen a lot of those uh billboards along um I-80, I only fear that uh he's gonna have an opportunity to have them here on 99 just because of uh this particular project and the amount of uh uh traffic and uh attention that'll bring.

It's not that we're not uh or that I'm against um commerce.

I'm just more concerned about the safety.

Um, you know, I've seen quite a few accidents.

Um, you know, we're gonna have uh some bad uh hopefully not too bad fog coming up here uh in the upcoming winter months, and uh just the safety factors uh just the major concern, and I just hope that sweet James does not have an opportunity to um make a killing, if you will, on on this side of uh El Girl.

I didn't mean it that way, but uh that's that's my biggest concern.

Thank you.

Thank you, Philip.

Rome Kiros, followed by Michael Moriarty.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, City Council.

The only concern, the main concern is still also traffic and safety.

You know, uh, we're talking about uh trailer eye here.

We this is not a car that you can maneuver left and right.

So once it's inside the pupiling station, it goes outside.

Then, you know, if something happened along the way, then you're gonna be stuck in traffic over there right now.

You know, we can say that every design that they did is to prevent this, but let's wait until it's operation.

Once you start operating, all of that will be set aside, and that's where they're probably gonna start.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Michael Moriarty, followed by Mayhar Singh.

Good evening.

Well, you guys probably hear the same thing a million times, so I'm just gonna give you a little story.

I grew up in Tracy, California, which is about an hour south there.

And in the early 70s, I got my driver's license, and my father said, Hey, I'm gonna let you drive.

There's a really good basketball player that's in Elk Grove, California.

So we drove up here.

Probably a lot of you guys aren't even old enough to even know who that is.

His name was Bill Cartwright, and he was awesome.

You guys, anybody know him or okay?

Well, just back then.

Back then, this town wasn't much different than Tracy.

So I moved to college, went to college in San Diego, been around away from this area for a long time.

About two years, I've been got a job that's in this area, and I'm here driving through Elk Grove.

I'm going, wow, what a remarkable city.

The community planners and everybody here you drive around, it's just like Southern California.

I live in Orange, I live in Orange County before I came here, almost identical to an Orange County town, it's just like really, really nice.

My concern on this project is that with the I've I supply I I'm here for the peel of the people that are appealing.

Is it just feels like it's been railroaded?

I've been into Mavericks.

They if they have high flow diesel nozzles, those are for diesel trucks, they're not for your normal car.

So you might want not want to call it a just a truck stop, but it's a super facility, and they're nice.

And so I just want you guys, I want to encourage you guys to take your time on this project to make sure that this city 40 more years from now when my kids are coming up here, looks they're as astonished as I am.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Mayher sing followed by Rupender Maheen.

Is Mayher Singh here?

Mr.

Singh has left.

Okay.

We're gonna go on to Ripinder Mahim.

Followed by just Virchima.

Ripender Mahin.

Has Rabinder also left?

All right.

If he comes back, let me know.

We're gonna go to just Virchima, followed by Sam Jahal.

Good evening, City Council, Mayor.

Um I'm here to express my opposition to this proposed new gas truck gas station truck stop.

Uh while I understand the value of development, this project does not fit to tractor to need to our community.

A large truck stop brings noise, pollution, and late-night equity that can disrupt nearby neighborhood, affect property values.

Our town should focus on projects that improve the quality of our families, sports small businesses, small local businesses, and preserve clean, safe environment.

We all enjoy truck stop, does not the does that opposite.

Uh it changed whole who we are here in the community.

Let's choose growth that benefit our cities, residents, and our community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Sam Chahal, followed by Fay Call Harule.

Hello, good evening, Ms.

Singh and all the council members.

I what I heard from Maverick people, you know, we are also in retail.

All everybody's talking about getting a burrito.

You tell me who goes to a gas station to get a burrito, unless you're driving.

I've been living in El Grove from last 23 years.

I don't think so we need a truck stop.

It's not for me, not for local residents.

Yes, it's for going through.

So we totally oppose this truck stop or gas station, whatever we call.

I oppose it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Fake all Harule.

Can you tell me how you say your name?

I'm sh I know I'm butchering it, sorry.

And followed by Stephanie Sanchez.

How do you say your name?

Bysal.

Oh, ISO.

Hi, good evening.

Uh El Grove is a family-oriented, peaceful city, and that's why many of us choose to live here.

And a 25 pumps gas station and a large convenience store would bring more noise, more lights at night, and more traffic to an area that's already been busy and surrounded by families.

We're not against growth, but it needs to be responsible and transparent.

We have seen how gas stations can become targets for theft and late night incidents.

Bringing that bringing that to such a busy intersection would make that area less less safe and more stressful for nearby residents.

This project feels rushed and doesn't reflect the kind of development that keeps airgroves safe and family friendly.

It also raises serious concerns about water contamination, air quality, and long-term safety.

And on top of that, truck drivers traveling long exhausting hours would likely stop here to rest, adding large commercial traffic, and creating a major safety risk for our neighbors, neighborhood.

We have to think about what it means.

We cannot look at what this project means today.

We have to think about what it means five or ten years from now.

Once it's built, we can't, we can't do it.

What makes our community great is that we think ahead, and we protect we protect it and put we protect it and plan for the future.

To protect our community and quality of life, and say no to this project.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, face all.

Next up is Stephanie Sanchez, followed by Jay Salhan.

Good evening.

Um today I'm speaking as an Elk Grove resident and a parent to share my concerns with this project.

My main concerns about building this Maverick gas station are the added traffic congestion it will bring and the potential pollution to our community, affecting the air quality.

I'm raising my children here and their safety and well-being are my top priorities.

I want them to grow up in the Elk Grove that I know and love, a safe, clean, and family-oriented place.

I'm not completely against a project like this.

I just wish that these concerns are taken into consideration.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jay Salhan, followed by Ollie.

I don't have a last name.

Good evening, Mayor, Bobby, Singh Allen, Council members, city staff, and most importantly the citizens of this community.

I want to first of all thank you for this podium and this time and for all of you to be incredibly gracious.

I've met or spoken with all of you about this project.

I'm a native of Elkrove, born in Methodist, grew up here.

I haven't left this town.

Something keeps me rooted here.

I don't know, maybe it's my heart.

And the paramount concern for me, we've heard the term truck stop, not a truck stop.

I'm not here to define that.

This is not a this is not anything to do with Maverick or any other operator or any other business for that matter.

I am here advocating for safety and really just being a voice for the people that are, you know, not able to speak or shy away from the mic.

I kind of got catapulted into this role.

And my number one concern is traffic.

I've grown up here for the majority of my life.

To get from one part of town to the other takes about 20 minutes easily.

Congestion time, you know, traffic is a major concern.

And the case study for this development is the Dutch bros development of Elkrove Boulevard in 99.

I think the heavens there hasn't been a serious accident because there's so much gridlock there, you can't go fast, right?

I mean it's standstill almost.

And the same situation happens in Grantline at East Stockton.

Every morning, every evening, I go to spine and nerve once a week to get my PT, and it's traffic backing up over the overpass to the suburban tanks, right?

So my major concern is traffic and safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and folks that are driving.

I believe that um uh an investment needs to be made in the infrastructure to support not only this Maverick, but the larger, grander vision of you know what Reynolds and Brown really want to develop out is that 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 acres.

It would be great to have an amenity like a hotel, uh, coffee shops.

You know, there's not a single coffee shop in this area.

Um, you know, we we would love for you know that kind of enterprise to come, but not at the risk or cost of the public safety.

And I think it begins with a thorough analysis of what the impact of this enterprise will be long term for the community.

You know, like the gentleman from Tracy said earlier, we're we're looking you know generations down the line as to how this project will impact us.

So I urge you to uphold the appeal and give the citizens of Elk Grove a fair chance to have a say in this process, right?

And let's put this through all the the filters.

What why sidestep and cheat the public through all the filters as this project deserves?

If it passes with flying clutters, I'm an ambassador of the chamber.

I'll be the first one there for the ribbon of cutting if the maverick opens after we put it through all the tests.

And with that, I uh I thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next up is Ali, followed by Kasim Abdullah.

Is Ali here?

Okay, we're gonna bump him.

Are you here?

Is that you?

Kasim Rali is outside.

You're a custom?

Yes.

Okay, you can come up.

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Kasim Abdullah.

Uh I'm a residence here in Ellie Grove.

I moved a couple of years ago, and it's really concerning uh to me to have this gas station, uh, especially with you know more traffic and trucks come into the area.

You know, a lot of these all and fumes in the air and the environment.

And um, I really want to see you know, more green vehicles, more leaning towards electric.

We don't want to add even more gas stations to our city.

Um it is basically gonna be a stop for truckers coming from the highways to Bullover and fill up and leave our city, and I don't want to see that to happen.

Um yeah, I moved to I moved to the city, I and I want to stay on it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Mohammed Alar Kabam.

Is Mohammed here?

All right, so we're gonna go on.

To let's see, Abdul Almad.

Oh my god, I'm getting challenged here with all the names.

Abdul Almadam, I think.

Yeah, that's fine.

I don't know.

No, what is it?

I want to know how to say it.

I'm joking.

It's almost a L M E H D H A R.

Alright, we'll just call you Abdul.

I mean, basically, everyone cover what I want to say.

I main thing is the traffic and the safety.

That's the main concern.

Uh that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Next up is Salah, no last name, followed by Angela Carmo.

Hi, everyone.

My name is Salah.

Alive here from a couple years.

Uh, everyone ready cover what uh Iowa's about to say.

No to Mafrick.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Angela Carmo, followed by Pelly Salhan.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Angela Carmel, and I'm the council president for the SES Portuguese Hall, which is right next to where this is talking about being developed.

Our hall has proudly served the Alco community for over 50 years, and having grown up in Elk Grove as part of our local ranching family, I'm proud to call this community home and be part of its rich history.

Our Portuguese organization has always been committed to supporting local causes and partnering with other nonprofits, including the Elkrove FFA, Suroptimus Club, Alkrove Alliance Club, Rotary Club, CSD, Elkro PD, just to name a few.

Each year we even donate our hall at no charge for community programs such as Elk Grove Police Department Toy Drive.

Over the decades, we've already sacrificed space for community progress, most notably when we gave up the front portion of our property during the Highway 99 expansion.

However, we now find ourselves deeply concerned about the proposed Maverick truck stop near our hall.

We believe this development will bring increased crime, traffic congestion, and safety issues to our neighborhood.

The area will become much like Dutch Bros.

Which Jay also mentioned a shopping center off of Highway 99, cramped, congested, and difficult to navigate with only one entrance and exit.

Many residents already avoid that area because of these problems, not to mention the countless Amazon trucks and other semis that already contribute to daily traffic jams on East Stockton and Grant Line Road.

Furthermore, there is no demonstrated need for another truck stop in Elk Grove.

A new Mavericks is already under construction 20 minutes south in Lodi, and another one is operating 20 minutes north in West Sacramento.

Adding one here will only duplicate services and harm existing local businesses.

If this project moves forward, we risk becoming like Flag City off of I-5, where traffic crime and even prostitution has become serious issues.

When I say that we strongly question the city's decision to consider placing a truck stop in our area.

Thank you.

Let's see, we got Polly Salhan, and then Ali.

If you have returned, you can cue up as well as Mohammed Alar Kabal Kabam.

Good evening, everyone.

I'm Paul Vender, and I'm uh local uh citizen here at Alco Grove 20 plus years.

I moved to countryside for peace, and but now, you know, after 25 years, this traffic is enormous, like you guys seen it.

In the morning, you drive to work after, so please consider adding more congestion to this truck stop.

So I'm not a, you know, against or but I want the safety for my kids and grandkids and nephews and nieces.

They live here.

So please give everybody a chance, especially the residents, the one they drive every day through the traffic.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Ali, are you here?

All right, we'll remove Ali.

And go to Mohammed Alakham.

Are you here?

All right, we'll remove them too next up is Vijay Malhotra followed by Vic Birdi Good evening uh mayor and council members and staff my name is Vijay Malotra I uh own Genesis which is directly across the street from this Maverick gas station um and um so that's Genesis is located on 10491 East Stockton Boulevard uh I proudly served this community for over 21 years I employ local residents um and I support nearby businesses I'm here tonight to express my serious concern about the traffic and safety impact of the proposed Maverick development across the street from my shop this intersection is already one of the busiest most congested in the area during peak hours cars are often backed up through the light and customers my customers and Platz customers and we have a production company next to them their customers we we hear it a lot how frequently you know how difficult it is just to get in and out so um our property only has one way in and one way out and when you look at the access and you know I didn't know this but when I saw that axis you only you have two lanes and they merge into one lane so he's they're saying that the two lanes one lane's gonna be for a truck the other lane is gonna go straight so we already have a huge issue in trying to turn into our street we already have rear ending problems you're getting honked at so I would definitely want to see how they made you know the civil engineer looked at that and made any sense for my business or the businesses in our business part across the street there.

Now with a project of this magnitude potentially you know 25 plus fueling lanes um attracting RVs cars boats big rigs um we're looking at dramatic increase in vehicle movement right at that intersection um from what I understand there are no current plans to widen the roads there which is you know means existing congestion will only get worse I'm not against development or growth in El Grove at all.

In fact as a local business owner I welcome it when it's done responsibly but this project as proposed poses a real threat to traffic flow safety and viability of existing businesses like mine unless proper infrastructure upgrades are made first so I respectfully ask this council to require a comprehensive updated traffic impact study that includes the intersection and accounts for heavy through traffic and truck traffic number two you know if you can delay approval or occupancy of this project until the road widening turn lanes and traffic signal improvements are in place or at least give me some idea and how people are going to pull in and out of my shop as well and again the other businesses in there.

So ensure that local businesses have access and safety and are protected during the construction before and after please thank you your time is up sir.

Thank you.

Next up is Vic Birdi followed by Mandeep Singh good evening everyone asanolas in my nickname Vic Birdie I've been living the city for last 24 years my main concern is traffic I work for state work for DMB but since my job is customer service I have to go in that every day so every day going to traffic is horrible you know so my main concern is safety for myself my kids and I grow residents and traffic is horrible every morning please stop this you know talk stop we don't need this.

You know, protect algorithm.

I have a my daughter with me.

She, I think she's stabbed out.

She holding, she holding um, you know, sign, protect algorithm.

Please protect for us.

So, you know, she's a little kid up at thought she stepped out.

I think she stepped out.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you.

Next up is Mandeep Singh, followed by Mike Boparaye.

Hi, good evening.

Someone mentioned that people with motifs have grouped to oppose the Maverick here.

I would like uh all of you to look at the hall and see people who have actually grouped to support Maverick.

They're wearing the red shirts.

Nobody else is wearing shirts to you know oppose Maverick.

Um I plan to, you know, move here in Algrove from the Bay Area three years back with my family.

We, you know, we did it up the whole neighborhood.

You know, here, Roseville, Folsom, Natomas, everywhere, right?

We wanted to move to a community which is safe for our kids, has good school district and everything.

Algro won our heart because it's a beautiful city.

This new neighborhood is, you know, what we were looking for.

Uh, it has, you know, all the right uh, you know, um stores, the school district is amazing, the schools are new.

Um, there's a lot of greenery, something you know we cherish.

Um, and you know, to be frank, we paid almost a million dollars for the house.

You know, I just paid my property tax bill, it's huge.

It's like I'm gonna pay 15,000 a year, but I don't mind it.

You know, I don't mind it because you know it's worth it.

And there was a you know, a proposed zoo right next to my house, and I was looking forward to it because you know I expected my friends and family from across the California to visit us just to see the zoo and you know meet us.

Well, that uh project got, you know, as you guys know, you know, it it didn't you know happen.

But now we have you know we hope that this particular neighborhood now has maybe a shopping mall, you know, maybe it has some indoor activity center for my child, you know, like a swimming, you know, center for winters.

You know, he has nothing to do in the winters or anything else, right?

As you know, there is a lot of this whole neighborhood.

If you go there and drive through, is full of, you know, people who have moved from different places for their kids, right?

It's a neighborhood for families who want to raise their child in this neighborhood.

I take my child, uh, my son to a karate class, which is uh a plaza which is right opposite of this uh facility, and I am scared to death when I'm exiting that plaza, and I have to take a route and because I when I exit, I have to I have to basically within a few meters, I have to, you know, cross five lanes, and there's incoming traffic, you know, coming from the uh 99 exit and from the other part as well.

When it's you know, it's winters, it's 5 or 6 p.m.

I'm coming out of there, it's raining, my you know, I cannot see much, you know, in that that much rain.

You know, I'm scared to always come uh from that exit.

I actually take a long way out.

Imagine I have, you know, I am taking that, but my wife might not take that chance.

Somebody else, you know, who's taking their kids to that karate class, or there is a day, uh, you know, there's I think an indoor play area in that uh, you know, plaza.

All these, you know, things matter a lot because you know, when you see um also the trucks which are coming.

Your time is up.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Mike Boparai, followed by Mike Anand.

Good evening.

My name is Mike Boparay.

I've been leaving this city, not the city area, last 35 years.

That time there was no algorithm.

They are bringing Maverick in the city, great, good idea.

But the truckers gonna come with that.

The truck stop, gonna bring prostitution.

Driving on the Grant Line wouldn't want to see prostitution waving the truckers, and you are driving with your daughter or with your wife.

Those prostitutions, you can Google it.

They're half naked.

You wouldn't want those ones in the city.

They're saying this is not truck stop, let's approve their project without the truck stop.

Take up the diesel canopy, just approve as a gas station.

We don't have a problem.

The trucker is gonna bring the problems.

The truck stops should be outside the city, not in the city.

They are misleading to you guys, the citizen of the Al Grove.

So please say no to them.

They can build it without Tadiza.

We don't have a problem.

As a citizen, I oppose this one.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Bobby Anand, followed by Dharmjeet Kiara.

Bobby, are you here?

Alright, we're gonna move on to Dharmjeet Kiara.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor and Council.

My name is Parmajit Kara, and I am here to oppose this project.

Me and my other least 20 friends came here.

They really don't want to come out and speak it.

I'm basically speaking behalf of that too.

So since I'm listening all this time, every citizen of El Grove came here and opposed it.

The only people are supporting this basically is not local from El Grove.

We see this corporation from Utah coming here in California.

And go city to city.

Go to Lodai, Cult, then it's El Grove turn.

Everybody turned this down.

And I'm hoping City of Elkrobe turned this down too.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

I see Bobby and on the back.

Is Bobby here?

Alright, let's remove him from the queue.

Rapinder Maheen.

Oh, hold on, I'm getting out of order here.

Is Ali back?

Okay.

Yes, hi.

Yeah, I wanted to mention the again what everyone spoke on traffic.

I think is a big concern.

And we a lot of people here moved in from the Bay Area and other places as a transplant from to a small town.

I think we're moving past that small town threshold now into uh it's just too busy for the public to really accept this big change.

Um truck stops come with a lot of problems.

You guys should consider those.

Prostitution has been said over and over and over.

I'm gonna say it again.

Prostitution will be one of those things.

Uh sex trafficking is a real thing in truck stops.

You guys should take those serious considerations when you make this impact with a neighborhood this close.

This plaza will bring that and multiple other problems that I don't need to keep repeating myself on um drugs and everything else that comes with that.

They will pitch themselves as a convenience store, but this is a truck stop.

Yeah, it's it's very well clearly communicated.

Everyone said this over and over, not breaking news here.

And then you guys should think I think for the public of El Grove is that look to elevate yourself.

We have a lot of people here who moved here for the small town charm, but you see small towns like uh Rancho Cordova aiming high.

There's beautiful stadiums and these big big dreams for the city.

Why can't the public of El Grove expect that from the city?

I think that's something to think about.

Truck stops are not at that level of thinking where it should be.

El Grove is a beautiful city.

The public should uh demand more and accept more from the city from here, not just truck stops.

Truck stops is very low level.

I think you guys are aiming low, aim high.

Think about the public.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I hear Ali is back.

Yes, sir.

Yes, you can come forward.

And followed by Ali is Randy Becker.

Hello, good evening.

I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier.

So uh I would like to say I just moved here in Allegro, Almusair.

And it's air and the beautiful as a beautiful city, and the beautiful, amazing people over here.

So uh the reason I move here because it's a safer place for a family and kids, and I'm gonna have a soon.

I don't want them to be scared of uh what do you call a metric?

Uh, gonna be traffic.

Uh they're gonna put the people, the kids in the dangers.

So I don't wanna be that gonna be over here.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Randy Becker.

And uh we bring the site diagram up, please.

The site diagram, yeah.

Christopher Jordan.

Can we pause the time?

Thank you.

Thank you.

How's the new iPhone?

Who are you talking to?

Oh, where do you know?

Yeah.

That's fine.

This one's fine, okay.

Put the one up with the uh the lanes.

Yeah, perfect.

Yeah, all right.

Your three minutes starts now.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council.

I've recently moved to a community just south of here.

But as some of us know that I'm very old town is very near and dear to my heart, and whatever goes on in old town, I will have always something to say.

That's just the way it is.

Fifty years, I've earned it.

The reason I brought the SIPE diagram up after 33 years behind the wheel, delivering 10 years of delivering groceries from a national carrier, and 20 years delivering to a Fortune 500 company, and our market centers were on two-lane roads similar to this.

Truck stop has truckers' lounge, it has a nice truck restaurant, it has a trucker's area where you can go in and lounge, you can take showers, and they've got all kinds of stuff in their stores that you can buy, tire shop, etc.

etc.

etc.

This is a fueling station.

As far as Mavericks concerned, they're no different than Shivering USA, Shell Station 76, all are gas stations, diesel stations, pilot, flying J's they're national companies.

Period.

They may be owned by some company, but the bigger picture, they're owned and operated by a corporation.

Full stop.

The reason I brought this up is is if you see the trucks that are coming out in and out of here, they're dragging.

That means their truck's gonna run over a sidewalk, their trailers gonna run over a sidewalk.

Why?

Because it's too small of an area.

I was a transportation supervisor for 10 years.

If one of my drivers got hung up in here, they'd be lucky to save their job.

It's not a truck stop.

You want to go to a truck stop, go to the 49er, go down to highway 12.

I've bought in fuel at the shell station in the middle of the snowstorm in Truckee, California.

It's not a truck stop.

I've been in and out of gas stations that sell fuel in a big truck in the middle of the night.

As far as prostitution, I don't know.

The chief's sitting over there.

I hate to drag him into this, but he knows how many EGPD vehicles come by there every night.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Becker was our final speaker.

So I'm going to go ahead and close the public comment opportunity.

And let's see, I there's a number of questions for staff, but I think I'll hold off.

Unless you want to go now.

Before we invite back up the appellant.

Go ahead.

Yeah, actually, let's hear from you.

If you can address Christopher Jordan, sir, if you can address some of the traffic and safety questions that have been brought up.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor.

So a number of things I'll highlight very briefly.

And I think the staff reports and the prepared materials in your pack could do a good job of going into more of the details, both the council staff report as well as the planning commission report.

And of course, you have all the traffic study information in your packet this evening.

In terms of the overall long-term build out of the area, our city general plan comprehensively updated in 2019, as well as the 2023 update and the updated circulation model was prepared.

Continue to identify East Stockton as a two-lane facility with all the build out of the conditions around there.

The site was analyzed in that traffic analysis as a retail development with regional retail uses, including within that mix would be everything from gas stations to various other retail uses.

So from a build-out condition, there's no concern from a staff level about how that's considered.

We then get into the intersection design analysis itself.

You see a lot of materials prepared by uh the applicant's team, Kimley Horn.

That's all been reviewed by city staff and our consultant teams, including our professional engineer team, some of you are some of whom are here this evening.

Um they've been reviewing that along with the diagrams that you saw this evening from the applicant in demonstrating all that turning movement.

Um think about in terms of dimensional numbers.

I will point out right now that merge condition is about 200 feet long with the proposed project.

That's it, it's extended all the way to where that left turn movement uh would be into the northerly driveway.

Um we get closer to about 400 or so feet.

So there's a lot more length and distance there in order to be able to maneuver it.

The project includes several conditions that address these traffic improvements, including condition 36, which talks about the left-turn pocket extension.

Uh 37, which talks about right-turn improvements, that free right turn movements from southbound east Stockton onto uh westbound uh grant line towards the freeway, goes right into an existing lane.

Um, all the movements there as you saw in the graphics this evening provide for the safe movements and follow the tracking dimensions for the legal vehicles that would be utilizing the area.

And then finally, condition 38 talks about the East Stockton improvements.

And again, you saw those a moment ago up on the screen as Mr.

Becker was speaking.

So those again have all been analyzed by our various engineering teams.

We feel confident and comfortable with those moving forward this evening as conditioned.

Um I think if there's other safety concerns around the other aspects, I'll certainly defer to the chief on those, um, and certainly happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Chief.

Could you comment on some of the safety concerns that you've heard?

Uh like I for us, obviously, you know, safety is a you know primary for us in the city of Al Grove.

On top of that, the technology that we have, the resources that we have in place, we have the largest staffing that we've ever had.

Um, in law enforcement here in the city of Al Grove.

The concerns that have been brought up, um, I think are not um uh concerns that we haven't heard in the past when it comes to uh human trafficking, when it comes to drugs, when it comes to uh traffic in general.

Um, you know, we have a very robust traffic plan here.

We continue to improve that, we continue to add to our traffic uh unit.

Um, and I would say that we have the safest community, in my opinion, the safest community in this region as things come up when it comes to public safety.

Uh, we address them relatively quick uh when it comes to having our officers and our uh vehicles in this community and very prevalent uh and forward facing, we do that as well.

Um our concerns, at least when it comes to this particular project, aren't uh of the same that have been presented.

Um, obviously, when it comes to traffic, that's something that we do continue to address.

Um, but as this project comes, we feel this is a good, it's a project that we can manage.

We can manage the traffic that comes into this community, and we will continue to manage any public safety concerns or issues as they come up.

Okay.

Any el anybody else have questions for staff, or we'll wait till after the appellant and okay.

So we're gonna um go forward here with uh inviting the appellate to speak.

So you can come back, sir.

There's my notepad.

Um thank you, madam mayor, members of the council again for uh allowing us a good amount of time to make our appeal.

Appreciate it.

Um that is not always the case in all the jurisdictions in California.

So you I think you should pat yourself on the back for that.

Um, so excuse me, a little disorganized.

The I first I'd like to respond to uh Maverick's attorney, Ms.

Sherrick, and I'm not gonna cite any case law or statutes, but um basically what I predicted and what I said is the MO for the city and for Maverick is what she demonstrated again.

We don't have to do these analyses if we don't want to.

Okay, so again, no groundwater and toxics analysis has been done for this project, despite the fact that it is surrounded by sites that have been determined by the water board at one time were contaminated sites and put on geo tracker as listed.

Some of them have become off that list.

As somebody who litigates these cases, Clean Water Act cases, it doesn't matter because once they go on them, whether they're not pursued by the regional board staff, doesn't mean they're not still violating the Clean Water Act and the Port of Cologne criteria.

So that still exists, but no one has looked at it.

So second, on the tax, the toxic air contaminants.

Again, those emissions from diesel trucks that do idle when they were fueling or after it nearby have not been examined.

They looked at the Sacramento Air Quality Air Quality Management District's guidelines, but they have not looked at the toxics that are emitted there.

So that's another hole.

The third one is um again.

Is the traffic a congestion study?

Now we heard a little bit from uh Mr.

Jordan, um who's a community development director.

I don't know if he's a traffic engineer, but we haven't seen a congestion analysis.

You have a congestion plan.

Um, sure you know what it is.

I believe it's called the uh TCMP.

Um you have that congestion management plan.

No one's talked about it.

No, we don't know if it's gonna be met.

We don't know if this is gonna be violate your own policies.

Now, if it does, as I mentioned in my letter, then that also violates CEQA because you have to determine whether a project is consistent with local general plans, local plans, and city policies.

You haven't done that yet.

Um, and so those are three big gaps right now.

Um again, Ms.

Sherrick's response from Maverick is we don't have to do that.

Um and I just I just don't quite understand it because I think that the public will want to know about this.

Now the public seems that folks that have talked here tonight do seem to be concerned about safety, and uh not something I'm prepared to discuss today, but I will say that the issue is it a truck stop, is it not?

Um it's not clear to me, but my understanding is that the Maverick representative is right, they can't park on site and sleep there.

Where are they gonna sleep?

Nearby, city streets.

They talked about it.

This is the planning commission, and I really urge you to ask staff about that.

Where are those trucks that pull off 99?

Where are the truck drivers gonna sleep?

Because that's what they do.

Whether it's a truck stop or not, whether there's a diner or not, they are gonna be around that community.

And the issues about safety will then happen, not even at the truck stop, but on city streets and residential areas.

So I think that's an issue that has not been addressed.

There's no study on that either.

Um, regarding traffic, uh, Mr.

Brohard made our traffic expert made a lot of comments about this.

It actually reflect what appears to be uh the experience of a lot of people here about that intersection is horrible.

And Mr.

Brohardt mentioned that when trucks come out of there, they're not going to be able to make those turns.

The driveways aren't big enough, the the shoulders are not big enough.

They're gonna have to go into the other oncoming lanes, or they're gonna have to back up.

That's gonna create enormous traffic problems.

Again, not studied because we don't have to, which maybe maybe you're right.

Maybe the city doesn't have to.

I I disagree, but that seems to be kind of a throwing down the gauntlet to uh my clients, and that's it basically sue us.

And my client is considering litigation on the subject.

I did want you to know that.

But um again, I want to mention one more thing about I said I wouldn't say anything, and here I am gonna go say it.

If so, the the exemption here, section uh was the SEQA guidelines 15332D, 332, is an exemption for infill.

Now, I think we know what this infill exemption was really for.

It's for housing.

That's what the intent of the legislature was.

That's what they talk about.

That's if they constantly, as we know, talk about is housing.

It wasn't really for what's a quasi-industrial facility.

Um, and so they made 15332 different than any other of the 40 exemptions that exist in CEQA or more.

Oh, you can only use that exemption if the project would not resolve in any significant effects related to traffic noise or quality, water or water quality.

So that seems innocuous enough.

Well, that's SEQA.

Well, that basically kicks you into doing an environmental analysis, which was not done.

There was no CEQA document.

So basically the legislature said it's gotta be something innocuous like residential housing.

That type of thing typically doesn't have a lot of these impacts, except traffic sometimes and parking, but normally, but but has waste contaminants, toxic uh air contaminants, groundwater pollution.

Those are not the kind of facilities that that those are not the kind of impacts that are the subject of this.

And if you can't, if you don't do any analysis on it, then you have violated CEQA.

So again, uh thank you for your time.

I think Mr.

Cassuni has a couple of comments about uh cumulative impacts, and again, thank you for your time.

I appreciate it and I appreciate everybody who's come out here.

Uh, this sounds like a great city.

People are really concerned about it.

Well, good evening again, uh, mayor and members of the city council.

It's it's been a long evening.

Uh I'll I'll try to be very brief.

Um, as Mr.

Yates was saying, we can't lose sight of the forest through the trees.

And EIR needs to be done.

You can only use this purported infill exemption if there are no substantial impacts on traffic.

Well, consider this.

If there were no impacts on traffic, why is there a condition that grant line be extended and widened?

Why is there built into the staff report a statement that the traffic analysis incorporated future development assumptions?

Now, the counsel for Maverick, I'll point out a very comprehensive letter in response to the appeal.

I counted 97 legal footnotes.

She made a statement in her presentation, quote, that uh no application was submitted.

Therefore, the exception we're arguing is not applicable.

I think that's on page 13.

Curiously, that's one of the few sentences not supported by footnote because there is no such law.

I think lastly, we should focus on the things that Maverick is required to do, which clearly establish an impact on traffic.

There is a driveway layout for traffic, there are infrastructure improvements because of traffic.

There's road widening because of traffic.

There's a public easement abandonment because of traffic, and yet there's going to be uh application of an infill exemption because there's no substantial impact on traffic.

This whole thing is internally inconsistent.

Again, we simply would like to urge the city council just do an EIR, satisfy the community.

The concern here is that there's a loophole and everybody's seizing on it, but it's obvious with I don't know, 25 30 speakers here.

By the way, I doubt that every one of the speakers in opposition to the project own gas stations.

But putting that aside, listen to the community, do an EIR.

Thank you for your attention.

All right, thank you.

At this time, I will invite up the applicant, representatives of Maverick.

Thank you, Casey Schwark here again, representing Maverick.

Uh I have a couple of points in response to comments made today, and then I know that Todd Myers of Maverick has some uh closing words for everybody here today.

Uh, in case I didn't say it before, and I think I didn't, uh, the Maverick team and the property owner team, Reynolds and Brown, are here to answer any questions the city may have regarding CEQA, land use, transportation, the Brown Act, etc.

So do feel free to request uh any information or ask any questions of us as you deliberate.

I just want to reiterate uh something that has already been stated in some form or fashion.

The project is consistent with the general plan.

Um, the city is the expert on its own general plan, and the city has determined that the project is consistent with its general plan, and we agree with the city.

Uh the city's environmental review of the project under uh this exemption determination exceeds CEQA requirements.

Uh there were multiple reports prepared by several third-party environmental consultants and city staff.

Uh they are incredibly credible.

Uh, a couple of other notes, uh, hearing some community concerns.

The station will in fact include EV charging stations, so the project will have that.

And as somebody pointed out, this area has historically been a fuel station area area.

There have been multiple gas stations here in the past that were relocated for the interchange.

So this is nothing new.

This is not a new type of development here in this area.

Um, and I'll turn it over to Todd Myers, but I would just uh respectfully request that city council uphold the planning commission's approval and deny the appeal.

Thank you.

Thank you for hearing this tonight.

I have to tell you, I'm kind of overwhelmed with the amount of supporters.

I never see supporters show up to a city council meeting.

So uh thank you to each of you that have showed up tonight.

Let's talk about these truck lanes and and the truck stop talk that we've had.

If you're a truck stop, what you have is you have national contracts with different trucking firms.

Maverick doesn't have that.

So it's more of just local drivers.

We'd love to have an out of state people.

We'll definitely welcome.

But it's really more local, and because of that, it changes how those lanes are used.

You know, there is a reference to, well, it's just uh high flow diesel.

No, that's not true.

Yes, there is high flow diesel there, but there's the full offering unleaded supreme.

You have your high quality that you'd use on your upper end vehicles that you where you don't want the ethanol, such as RVs.

These lanes are set up there so that you know, if you're like me, just a couple months ago I was driving in U-Haul.

You know what?

I only filled up on those lanes because I didn't feel comfortable driving any in any smaller areas.

If you're a carpenter and you got your van, you have your trailer pulling behind you.

This is your spot.

What we've found in California, we've opened up our first 10 stores, and at these 10 stores, those truck lanes are actually used 25% of the time by RVs.

And so you think about the recreational vehicles that the residents have in this town, this is offering them a spot that they can easily get around.

Finally, as you think of a city, obviously the elected officials are very important.

The staff is very important.

There's also another element to the team.

It's your committees and commissions.

In this particular case, this went to planning commission.

It was recommended for approval.

And I would ask that city council tonight would uphold their approval and to deny this appeal request.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Will there be any other representatives?

Or was that the final presenter from Maverick is you, sir?

Yes.

Okay, very good.

Thank you.

Alright, at this time I will declare that the public hearing is now closed and open it up for council deliberations and direction.

I'll start to the left.

Okay, thank you, Mayor.

I do have a couple questions.

Um maybe I'll maybe I'll start with um with uh uh Maverick folks.

Um I don't know who wants to answer it, but I'm just curious when you guys acquired the property.

Was there any phase one uh site assessments that you did as part of your acquis due diligence?

With all projects, that is the first thing.

If it gets ordered up the first week, right?

Phase one was done, and it did not qualify to need a phase two.

Right, right.

Thank you.

That's how I understand that.

I know that was the I heard that from the attorney about um contaminants on the soil, and I know that's one of the things that a phase one would reveal if there's a need to dig further into that.

The other thing I wanted to ask of the staff was um can you just run through the CEQA exemption?

Why you believe this qualifies for a sequel exemption?

So the CEQA exemption, as we've talked about this evening, applies to smaller sites, uh the substantially surrounded by development.

In this case, it qualifies.

Um the staff report talks about some of the policies around how we see infill development.

I'd also point out that there's um, I think it's graphic four-one of the general plan, which describes infill areas of the city versus new developing areas of the city.

The site's clearly in an infill area surrounding development.

This site has an existing structure on it.

Um that's certainly a consideration, an indication that there's you know been site disturbance here, and so it's really in furtherance of that or in that same sort of character that uh things are happening.

Um you have a lot of other materials on the days this evening regarding that and additional analysis.

I'd certainly turn to my colleagues, um, particularly Pat Angel with a scent who can talk about that a little bit more.

Uh, if you'd like.

Yeah, okay, just a little, yeah, like to hear more detail on that.

Sorry, give me a second.

Yeah, mic's on.

Good evening, counsel.

Uh Pat Angel, I'm a principal with the scent.

Uh, happy to elaborate on the items.

Uh, this item in regards to infill uh it is in uh the site was identified and qualifying for the infill.

It does require that you look at and ensure you do not have uh traffic, which in the case of sequel only looks at vehicle miles traveled that was addressed.

Water quality, which we identify that the project will actually result in improved water quality because it'll be putting in low impact development features into the site that currently don't exist.

We did do several site visits in regards to confirm there were no biological resources out there.

So we're cleared on that.

There was a technical study has been mentioned on air quality, both in regards to constructing the project, its operation, as well as whether or not there are any health effects.

Please note that the nearest residence to this site is approximately 1,500 feet away on the other side of um State Route 99.

Uh diesel particulate emissions from this project wouldn't make a new health impact there.

Realizes the testimony has said there's quite a few trucks already operating in this area.

So diesel particulates already kind of part of the base condition.

The project doesn't add anything substantial in regards to that.

Trying to think of there any other.

Oh, actually, there's been quite a bit of talk about contamination and uh some pre-existing sites in the area.

Uh while we did not review the phase one, we did look up these sites, they have been closed and remediated and documented that way on the state's um portal known as geo tracker, that information is available.

So that's a circumstance where the state goes in, required some cleanup.

Some soil was removed, some tests were done, and at some point the this the state or whatever agency that was involved in that case, sometimes it's county environmental health determined that the sites were suitably um remediated and close the cases.

Great.

Thank you for that explanation.

Appreciate it.

Any other questions about not for me at the moment?

My colleagues may have something later on, though.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, um, so thank you for that.

And and I just wanted to address that.

I wanted uh in because I heard a lot of concerns um, you know, that the uh environmental potential harm that that could be uh caused by this project.

Um and I wanted to let me back up and just also thank everyone for coming out and being engaged in this process.

Um we I'm sure all my colleagues feel the same.

It's great to see our community uh involved and uh and paying attention, frankly, to what's what's coming into the city, and so and this is one of one of those projects, but uh we do have a process where uh I promise you we all of all of us up here, the staff care very much about the city.

We do everything we can to uh protect the city and make sure safety uh is our paramount concern.

Um we do this by these studies that that uh I was referring to uh earlier on, and I know there's some uh debate about the exemption, and so I'll I'll get to that later.

But um I've been listening to both sides.

I met with um both the uh the appellant and the applicant, and I heard them both out.

And as I look through the document, you know, I can I see on page 164 of the staff report is a photograph of what the what trucks would look like in the station and the five stalls on here, which would be for trucks and RVs, and then 20 of them would be for cars, and so I when I see that it it to me it lends itself more towards uh an average uh fueling station that can accommodate trucks and and RVs.

And when I think about RVs, uh it it brings back another decision that a previous council that I was part of had to had to partake on, and that is um dealing with RVs parked on the street, and the room was filled similar to this, which told me how many people have RVs uh in this city.

So that's something I I've that's registered in my mind.

Um so the there is certainly uh a need for that.

So that that is um I'm not that isn't lost on me.

Um Mr.

Jordan, I wanted to also clarify the CUP is for the fueling stations, correct?

Yes.

So if they were in violation of the CUP, what would be our options there?

So um there are the variety of conditions I can pull them up if you'd like to go through and deal with safety and security and other factors.

Uh businesses that are not in compliance with those conditions, first get a visit from our code enforcement team.

Ultimately, they're given opportunities to correct.

If they don't achieve those corrections, the city satisfaction, they'd be subject to revocation, which would come back to the original approving authority, substantial evidence would be provided, and ultimately the approving authority could decide to revoke the CUP, in which case the use would have to suspend operations and shutdown.

Great, thank you.

So my point to that is we take measures to put stock gaps in place in the event that an applicant that comes into the city is is not performing or behaving to the standards that that we believe is is uh um appropriate for for our residents.

Um so uh the other thing I wanted to talk about was and I I um it it's it gets dangerous for government to choose winners and losers.

So whether this is Maverick or Shell or Arco or Chevron, you know, when when we start deciding who can come in, uh how many of them can come in, that that gets that gets to be a slippery slope.

And so Maverick or anybody else that wants to make a huge investment, and and before even uh a stick is put in the ground, construction is made, a lot of money is put in in all what you heard tonight the engineers, the planners, the applications to the city, um, the attorneys that you heard tonight.

There's there's a lot of costs that go into it, and so a company better be sure they want to take the risk in coming in anywhere.

So it's a lot of it is is born on on the on the company that and wants to invest uh in the community.

And so again, I I you know hesitate for for our city to try to make its decision on which company it deems um better or um the amount of comp of a certain company that could come in.

The other thing I wanted to mention was the there were the all the concerns about traffic and um especially around gas.

You know, I I think about Costco when it came to town and all the um stations there, and everybody was happy to have Costco come to town, but um many of you weren't um the public general public would not know that the council at that time uh would have would hear from residents who did not appreciate a gas station that the gas stations coming in.

Uh and then a lot of those residents ended up using that gas station now now that it's built.

Um and it's just it's just what happens, you know.

That's I just want to um just inform people that these kinds of things happen.

So um Costco is a big company, and they came to town, and uh I think most of our residents are happy that they're here.

I I've seen uh I took note of Maverick, they have uh 800 facilities across 20 states, that doesn't sound like a uh a very bad company.

Um, and I heard testimony from Avrick tonight about its employees, uh, and and so that gives me uh hope and confidence that they will conduct business in a manner that's um that's worthy of our of our residents as well.

And so I guess I the the final thing I'll I'll um I'll close with is what we've heard tonight are both we've heard two sides.

We've heard uh our staff and our planning commission speak and based on the data that they've uh weighed and they've considered, and we've heard from the appellant tonight um and their uh belief on how the the data is uh insufficient, and so as a decision maker up here, uh, and we heard uh several compliments tonight of our staff, and it's rightfully earned.

They do good work, and I'm choosing to believe in the staff and the work that they've put in as well as the commissioners that we appointed to make uh the initial decision, which they did, and so uh with that uh I'm going to deny the the appeal and support your project going forward.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Uh Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I did have a question for um Christopher Jordan.

Uh question on the air quality.

How many of our in rough estimate?

How many applicants who actually go before the city request um approval or an air quality assessment to be provided by air quality board?

Um I don't have an exact number for you this evening.

Um, it really depends on the nature of the project and some of the various factors.

What I can tell you is we do see projects of all various sizes and scales.

Um, you know, typically if you are doing uh larger scale projects, if you're doing projects with a heavier level of environmental review, you would absolutely be getting into those sort of detailed modeling analyses.

Um the case this project, we do have um the information provided by Ascent around that, and so I would defer to that data as a basis for being able to move forward.

And I think um uh Mr.

Angel spoke to that a little bit, so perfect.

And then for the I guess what I'm kind of curious is there's a lot of conversation with VMT, right?

Prior to several um of I'll just flat out say it.

I mean before Maverick, right?

There's other the gas stations that opened up during that time, right?

Was the air quality or even the VMT better or worse prior to that being opened up?

Uh, you mean specifically in this area or broadly across the city in that specific area?

Um other gas stations are in the area, the two most proximate would be the Arco that's catacorner from the site that dates from approximately 2007 time frame, and then the chevron that's on the other side of the freeway is from 2014, 2016 time frame.

Both of those would predate BMT analysis as a requirement that didn't kick in with state guidance until about 2017 and wasn't in our general plan until 2019.

Okay, so since then, has there been anything else that we have at least allowed for air quality to be considered um within the development and surrounding the specific areas?

Um, in the broader area, some of the immediate projects I can think of.

Certainly, we've had um the Kubota project on the other side of the railroad tracks up that corridor.

There's uh Buzz Oates project that's been approved.

Um Vulcan Materials has an approval over there.

Um a couple of others, I don't know if Antonio, there's something else.

Yeah, those are some of the larger projects we've had.

Um, going back a bit further to 2019, I want to say is the Amazon uh distribution facility or delivery facility that's further up the street from here.

Um, I don't recall.

If we did if there was specific additional analysis there, but that site certainly was consistent with the journal plan as an industrial site.

When Amazon came in, was there discussions about admissions or even environmental uh casualties with the trucks that they have?

Not that I'm immediately recalling and no, okay.

So there was no pushback with from communities saying that there was going to be a lot of vehicles or Amazon trucks potentially driving back and forth from their facility.

I mean that site, uh, the Amazon facility, it empties out into a separate street from the residential neighborhood.

There's certainly a connection further um to the back to the north east corner.

Um, but trucks don't go that way in order to exit out from the warehouse.

Um they typically come down and go out southbound on East Stockton unless they're making a local delivery and would go north.

Um so I think the circumstances are different there uh around those sorts of operations.

And we said how far again was the residence from where the site would be.

So I think uh Mr.

Angel pointed out there is uh one house that is uh cross the freeway.

Um, so it's certainly up all those other vehicular operations that intercede in between.

Um the next close is the Hampton Oaks subdivision, I believe is about 3200 feet to the north, as the crow flies a little bit longer distance by travel.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Um, and then I'm gonna switch over to public safety and public safety.

I think I chief, I couldn't agree with you more that we are the safest city, I believe, in the region because of law enforcement.

Um we've heard a lot even prior for the Sky River Casino opening up that it was going to bring a lot of crime, the crime rates were going to go up high.

Do you think that because of another gas station, there would be higher crime rates?

No, I don't believe that would uh be the case in this situation.

Is there surrounding um now I'm I'm not sure about this answer, but is there gas stations that also share their security cameras with El Group D in that specific area?

Uh typically, if there's any type of investigation, we do have that ability.

Uh we obviously would welcome uh the the ability to have greater or quicker access, and and it sounds like that's a possibility here.

Um obviously with the real-time information center that we have all uh in the capability to also be at any site within our city and within a two-minute window.

Um that would be a great tool for us, and and again, usually if something happens, we have access, it's not uh immediate unless we make some arrangement with that company.

Okay, thank you.

Um I think those are all the questions I have for you.

Thank you, Councilmember Brewer.

So from a traffic aspect, we were focused so much on this potential application in site.

But looking at the traffic mitigation issues in and around that corner, that northern corner of East Octon Boulevard and Grant Line Road.

Has there been any discussion or studies that looks at possibly widening that particular juncture given the five-lane bottleneck that is there?

Um, because you have two lanes that merge into one going northbound.

You have three lanes, one that turns left that goes west, so it can merge into the highway or go westbound, one that goes straight with the potential of going left, so you can go east, and then you have one that just goes east exclusively.

Um knowing that you have you have some businesses to the to the east end of East Stockton Boulevard at that corner.

Has there been any discussion or any sort of studies that show to a potential of doing any sort of potential widening given that you're going to have potentially a new business at that corner?

Um which also lends to potential opportunity of widening that particular stretch.

Yeah, so there was an analysis of analysis prepared for the project.

Um what identifies is the necessity for extension of those northbound receiving lanes.

Again, as I mentioned earlier, going from about 200 feet of distance before that merge is forced upon you.

You almost you have to go into the merge essentially right as you come into that uh that north leg of the intersection, and that gets extended out to essentially the 400 or so feet before that left turn pocket would then provide access into the center.

So it gives you a lot more opportunity for those sort of adjustments to happen, um, and sets up uh the clarity that through traffic is in that outside lane.

And so truck vehicles that are coming from uh eastbound Grant Line to northbound East Stockton would be able to sort of pre-sort of make that choice as you're in the respective left turn pocket to be able to be in that appropriate lane.

And so if you were not going into the Maverick development, you would be able to stay in the outside lane and not have to fight any of those sort of merge or weave uh conditions.

The other analysis identified here is the certainly the widening of that intersection on the project frontage itself and providing the dedicated exclusive right turn condition that is a free right turn, so there is not traffic backing up in that lane.

Um it reduces the congestion in that uh direction to essentially zero by having a that sort of receive directly into uh Grant Line Road, and then from there you can choose to either merge to the right in order to go northbound 99 or stay in that lane, go over the structure and then get into southbound 99, or you have plenty of distance then to make a merge if you're trying to continue on to camera road or promenade or any other directions on the other side of the freeway.

So, yes, we've analyzed that.

Um, there's materials provide in the packet to discuss it, and so we believe it addresses the traffic concerns of of that area.

Certainly, um, you know, there are existing conditions that exist out there, um, not necessarily the project's responsibility to address all of those things.

And again, the general plan speaks to the condition of the road in general plan build-out terms as a two-lane facility that was identified and incorporated in the journal plan in 2019.

Um, and I think there's been some uh we've talked about that a little bit this evening, and so from that perspective, the project remains consistent.

Thank you, Mr.

Jordan.

And as and with the public safety part, I know Chief Davis, based on the vice mayor's question on the safety aspect, you have cameras inside the four walls of the facility, you have cameras on the outside of the perimeter of the facility.

Um, do the other, and I'll ask the question again.

Do the other gas stations nearby have a something similar set up, and do they have an agreement with PD to have the access into their um cameras should something occur at any of those facilities?

I can't speak to the agreements with all of them.

Um anytime we have any type of situation that comes about and we typically uh are able to access their cameras, meaning that they either provide it to us there or we use a legal system to get the video or um images that we're looking for.

Um it makes a significant difference, I would say for us if we have access, if we have that immediate access when the uh incident occurs, um, because as we respond, we can spawn respond accordingly based on what we're seeing in real time.

Uh so for us that would be significant if that was a factor here, we would um encourage that.

And as a uh as a resident of Hampton Village, that's directly right there at that spot.

I definitely hear fire engines, police units, um, when they're in the vicinity or across the highway.

Um it's a pretty it's a quiet place when you get past 11 p.m.

Um, but I think the more important part, the police yard is literally a block away from where I live, and so any sort of safety, um, definitely is covered, definitely covered.

Um, and never have to worry about that, because um anything that happens beyond two o'clock is nothing good results from that, and you have to have that presence.

It's just inevitable.

Um, but one that and that was one of my main concerns.

So I've as I've seen the project from its very inception, or at least when I when it came to my attention, I I had grave concerns.

I had neighbors who had grave concerns.

Um, and I just had to be better educated on it and be better informed, talk to all sides, literally all sides, and it's a conversation that I actually forced with the with the public is like, hey, what do you think about this?

Because I don't know anything about this.

What I do know is what I don't know.

So please educate me on it.

And I heard from everyone, and I think the more compelling things that I've seen and heard over the last few weeks, especially learning from police, learning from city staff, learning from all sides, but really looking at the studies, what you've seen with your own eyes and what you have on it based on the journal plan, was very helpful.

It gave me a look, it got gave me a lot more comfort because um I was at a hard no, and then I was like, it's kind of hard for me to vote no, because after seeing all the benefits that Maverick can present in that area, and after talking to several of my neighbors who are in truck driving, some of them who are avid travelers, they can't speak more positively about a Maverick experience, which is very interesting because I never really hear that about gas stations.

I never hear that about fueling stations.

One other thing, too, is how many um fueling EV fueling station or zero emission vehicle fueling stations are going to be at this station because I don't think it's just a regular four or five.

Okay, I believe it's five.

It's five.

I thought it was more.

I'd have to do it for my staff.

What the applicant confirmed and hopefully it's it's uh a little bit of Zev uh neutral neutrality and not just exclusively to Tesla.

Yeah, so we have um there'll actually be they come in groups of two, four or six, but we have the capacity to expand ten.

So we'll we'll have conduit and everything ready for ten, but you'll have four or six fired up, and that's that's another additional thing that we are working through with staff to finalize that.

Okay.

Is that all right?

No, that's no, that's that's helpful because um we're starting to see more electric vehicles.

Um, starting to see more brands that have different um charging apparatus and different ways to fuel.

I know Tesla has the the be more adaptable in the other plugs, but um, but if you have ones that are just applicable to each style, whether it be Volkswagen slash electrify America or Nissan or any of the other brands, it's always good to have that extra ability because you have more than just one brand coming in and fueling up as they're doing their travels.

Range anxiety is a very important thing for a lot of different people, and so we want to provide um that ability to provide something for everyone in that respect.

Thank you, councilman, for that advice, and we'll carry it on, and obviously we'll be working with staff for that too.

Thank you.

But I appreciate everyone for being here and and having this healthy debate because um like I said, very good projects and very worthy projects are never slam dunks, they're always they're always involved with with heavy, serious, meaningful discussion, and so I really appreciate that.

Thank you, Councilmember Spees.

Um so thank you, madam mayor.

Um, I want to thank uh council members uh Sue and Roblis and Brewer because I think they've picked all the meat off the bones here.

Um, so they left me with um one editorial that I swore to myself that I wasn't gonna make.

I'm really sad to see the fear that was the excuse me, the purposeful repeated dissemination of false claims to residents in an effort to stoke fear.

There have been folks who have been purposefully misleading residents, and I don't I don't take kindly to that, so with that uh I moved to adopt a resolution denying the appeal and affirming the planning commission's approval of the conditional use permit and minor design review for the maverick fueling station and convenience store project.

Second, okay.

I I still have to deliver it, but thank you.

He said we took all the meat off the boat.

So I will try not to be repetitive, but very thoughtful comments from all of you.

And you know, when I took the oath of office for mayor, I swore to uphold what was in the best interest of the city of Alcrove, not any one business or any one community, but for Out Grove, and I take that obligation seriously.

Um, you know, I share with you, um, Councilmember Spees that I'm disgusted by the misleading information to the community.

It's disingenuous, it's it's uncalled for.

Let's just stick to the facts and misleading a community with gross intent.

We heard from even Mr.

Mark Janssen of how he was brought into this conversation.

I mean, that's just inappropriate.

He is a pillar in our community with the LDS church, and it's unacceptable.

This man works very hard every day to uplift our community and to bring him into this conversation.

It's just wrong.

Um, I watched the planning commission meeting.

I've read the material.

I even went so far as calling my mayors, my fellow mayors, who have a maverick gas station in their city to get their input.

And it was very simple.

They love Maverick.

Their citizens love Maverick.

They have no issues with Maverick.

So some of this fear-mongering of what they bring or what they might bring.

You know, I take gross offense to that.

You're out of line, sir.

Go back.

Thank you.

I take particular offense when there are attacks or insinuations that truck drivers bring crime, drugs, and prostitution.

That's unfortunate and unacceptable.

They are good, honest working men and women in the trucking industry, and to attack their livelihood that they are bringing in nefarious activities, is just wrong.

So I take offense to that.

This is not a truck stop.

This is not a truck stop.

This is not a truck stop.

We've heard it from staff, we've heard it from Maverick, we've seen the reports.

There's really no clear way to communicate that.

So I'm sorry that a lot of folks saw misleading information.

It is unfortunate.

It is a major corridor.

You're going to see a lot more development in the near future.

A lot more.

There will be more gas stations.

The casino will be building a gas station, and that's on sovereign land.

There's a lot more coming because that is what that part of Elk Grove is built for, is going to be for.

You know, we are a city that is welcome to all.

We want to be a city that attracts business from out of state, from out of country.

And that is why Kubota, a multinational company, came to the city of Elk Grove.

We don't just close our doors for business, we welcome businesses into our community.

I think the questions regarding congestion and public safety have been thoroughly addressed.

And also by the applicant.

With cameras, 50 to 80 cameras per location.

That's quite remarkable.

So I think that those concerns and hearing from our police chief, I feel comfortable about that.7 miles from a house from houses, your community.9 miles from a park.

There's sufficient buffers from this corner to our residents as well as parks.

So I want to thank everybody for coming, everyone, whether you supported or oppose the project.

A healthy discussion makes for a good decision for your city.

As passionate as you are tonight, whether you supported or opposed Maverick, we encourage that kind of civic engagement on all projects, on all projects, because we are working hard here as your representatives to build a beautiful city.

And that includes all of you having an active role and participating, whether you agree or disagree with the ultimate outcome.

So I want to thank you all.

We did hear a motion and a second.

So at this time I will call for a vote.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

All right.

So the motion passes as it is stated here, the adopting the resolution denying the appeal and affirming the planning commission's approval of the conditional use permit and minor design review for the Maverick Feeling station and convenience store project.

With that, we will go on to our next item.

8.2.

That's public hearing to consider the issuance of bonds by the California municipal finance authority and as part of the Coral Blossom Project, a TEFRA hearing.

Let's give just one minute as we clear the chambers.

We have great things that we're still discussing.

You're welcome to stay.

All right, good evening, Mayor Singhallen, members of city council.

Tonight's item is a public hearing required under the tax equity and fiscal responsibility act or TEFRA.

TEFRA requires a public hearing be held by the electric governing body where a project is located when taxes and bonds are being proposed, and that the electric governing body must approve the proposed financing.

The project under consideration is the Coral Blossom Apartments, a newly proposed affordable housing complex located at 84 A4 Elkro Florin Road.

The project will contain 80 affordable units and intends to serve tenants earning 30 to 50% of the area meeting income.

The project was awarded tax credits earlier this year, and the sponsor seeks to move forward with construction financing, which is targeting a break ground of February or March of next year.

The project sponsor has requested that the California Municipal Finance Authority or CMFA serve as the conduit issuer of the bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $35 million.

The bond proceeds will be used to finance the acquisition, construction, improvement, and equipping of the project.

The debt to be issued will be the sole responsibility of the project owner, paid from revenues pledged by the project.

The city will have no financial or legal responsibility to repay the bond deadness, bond offering documents.

Will have clear disclaimers noting that this is not an obligation of the city, and the city will bear no cost related to the issuance of the proposed debt.

Accordingly, staff's recommendation is that the council adopt a resolution approving the issuance of bonds by CMFA for the benefit of the project.

This concludes my presentation.

Staff is available to answer any questions.

We also have a representative from CMFA available tonight to answer any questions on behalf of the project sponsor.

All right, thank you.

I will declare the public hearing is now open.

Any looking up the public comment opportunity?

Public hearing is not closed.

Any questions or comments from colleagues?

Looking to the left.

Move it to adopt the resolution.

Second.

All right, we have a motion to second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Item 8.3.

Item 8.3 is actually three public hearings for annexations into street maintenance districts and also into our stormwater drainage fee zone for the three different projects, as will be detailed by staff.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members, and Cindy Tiffany, a finance and budget analyst.

I'm here to present uh proposed annexations into our city's special tax districts.

The city maintains eight special tax districts.

Annexations into appropriate appropriate districts are typically part of the project approval.

Requirements are specified for each project and vary according to geographic location and building use, and it rates are adjusted annually.

These are the three projects that are annexing and into the um districts.

I did remove the community facilities districts because of you guys have previously approved unanimous approval process, and these will be the first three process projects going through that process.

The first project is Sage Glenn.

It's a residential project with 49 single family units.

This will be annexing into street maintenance district zone three and stormwater drainage fee zone two.

The next project is the Stone Lake Landing Dutch Brothers, and this is obviously a non-residential project on.76 acres, and we'll be annexing into the stormwater drainage fee zone two.

The third project is Tex Tuskin Ridge South, which is a residential project consisting of 114 single family units.

This project will be annexing into Street Maintenance District No.

One zone five.

This concludes my presentation.

If you have any questions, let me know.

All right, thank you.

At this time, I will declare the public hearing for SMD 3-AU Annex 58 open and open up the public comment opportunity.

We do not have anyone's time to speak on this.

I'll close the public comment and declare the public hearing for SMD 3-AU Annex 58 is now closed.

And request the clerk to provide the results of the ballot tabulation.

Indeed, there is no majority protest of 49 possible votes weighted according to the proportional financial obligation for the properties.

49 affirmative votes were returned.

The ballot approves the proposed assessment of the proposed inflation adjustment limit described for the parcel identified in the ballot.

A resolution determining the levy assessments in the district is available for council consideration.

Motion A.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Our second hearing, public hearing for SMD 5-AE Annex 34.

Um, declaring the public hearing open for that.

Nobody is signed up to speak.

I'll close public hearing.

The public comment opportunity and declare the public hearing for SMD5-AE Annex 34 is now closed.

And request the clerk to provide the results of the ballot tabulation.

There is no majority protest of 114 possible votes weighted according to the proportional financial obligation for the properties.

114 affirmative votes were returned.

The ballot approves the proposed assessment and the proposed inflation adjustment limit described for the parcel identified in the ballot.

A resolution determining the levy assessments in the district is available for council consideration.

Motion B.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Our third public hearing is the SWDF zone to Annex 75.

I will declare the public hearing open.

Nobody signed up to speak.

I'll close the public comment opportunity and close the public comment opportunity and declare that the public hearing is closed.

And request the clerk to provide the results of the ballot tabulation.

And again, there is no majority protest of 50 possible votes weighted according to the proportional financial obligation for each property.

50 affirmative votes for return.

The ballots approved the proposed assessment and proposed inflation adjustment limit described for the parcels identified in the ballots.

A resolution determining the levy assessments in the district is available for council consideration.

Motion C.

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Item 9.1.

Okay.

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

I'm Jason Hone, your assistant director of community development.

Voting before you is a resolution to ratify an ordinance adopted last week by the Casumness Community Service District.

Specifically, that's CCSD ordinance number 23, which adopts the 2025 California Fire Code with their local amendments.

In addition to ratifying CCSD's ordinance, the city has historically reflected CCSD's local amendments to the fire code in Title 17 of our municipal code.

The first reading of the city's ordinance to do that was on October 22nd.

At that meeting, there was discussion around CCSD's long-standing local amendment requiring a permanent rather than temporary water supply during construction.

About a month prior to that meeting, City and CCSD fire staff attended the monthly industry working group meeting, seeking feedback from the development community on the proposed local amendments following that IWG meeting.

CCSD staff had discussions with the representative of the North State Building Industry Association.

And as a result, added language in the local amendment to explicitly identify certain model homes as eligible for exemption to the requirement for a permanent water supply during construction.

Believing this had addressed the industry concern, CCSD staff proceeded with the introduction of CCSD's ordinance at their board meeting on October 15th.

After that first reading, the BIA contacted CCSD staff to request that language set forth in this section of the model state code be adopted without any local amendment.

CCSD staff did not support reverting to the model state code.

The local amendment requiring permanent water supply has been in place within CCSD Fire District since 1992, and there has been no example cited within their jurisdiction where this local amendment has caused project delays.

Last week at its board meeting on November 5th, CCSD adopted the local amendments as first proposed on October 15th.

There was discussion at that meeting between district directors, CCSD staff, and the BIA representative.

And ultimately, the board adopted the ordinance as proposed and directed staff to continue working with the BIA in policy and process development.

Staff recommends that council adopt the resolution ratifying CCSD's ordinance number 23, adopting the 2025 California Fire Code with local amendments.

After this agenda and staff report was published, city staff received a copy of the signed and executed CCSD ordinance.

That copy has been provided in the supplemental information for this item.

This concludes my presentation.

City staff and CCSD fire staff are available.

Should council have any questions?

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I will open up public comment opportunity.

Nobody's lined up to speak.

I'm going to close public comment.

Any questions?

I'm looking to the left.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Jason, of the presentation.

Thank you, Marshall and Dan, for uh working with uh the industry there.

So I don't have any further comments.

I'm glad it got resolved and happy to move uh the motion.

Make the motion to adopt the resolution.

Okay, any questions or comments from anyone?

Yes, council member Brewer.

Thank you, Mayor.

So at the end at the end of the day, it sounds like everything was resolved between the North State BIA and City and Consumers Fire, correct?

It was, and in the discussion last week at CCSD board meeting, staff reiterated their continued efforts to work with industry and aid them in meeting their development project timelines and have a demonstrated history of doing so.

And and as I said, the board you know adopted the ordinance as proposed, and continued to work through any issues related to this in through policy and process development, not necessarily through amendment language.

Understood.

Thank you.

Just very uh very, very quick.

I want to thank uh CSD uh for uh entertaining our uh our discussion.

Uh thank you, Chief Ray, for your integrity.

I appreciate it.

I want to foot stomp on that one again.

Um, so uh with that I would I would second the motion.

Thank you.

I don't have any further comments.

Thank you for the great work.

We have a motion and a second, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

It's been too long.

Next item 9.2.

We may have just one.

And that is to receive and accept the budget year-end report for fiscal year 2024-25 and consider resolution approving allocation of general fund reserves.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of the council.

I'm Nathan Bagwell.

I serve as your budget manager, and tonight we're gonna be taking a very high look, high-level look and brief look at fiscal year 2024 year end report.

Uh, before I get started, though, I just want to give a big shout out to Matt Ruiz and Cecilia Long, my two budget analysts, but um, they really are the the machine that make the car go without whom I could not get this.

Uh I stand on their excellent work.

That's what we're gonna be looking at tonight.

Very high level general fund revenues and expenditures as well as fund balance reserves and the allocation of the surplus at the end of the fiscal year.

We'll take a look at measure E and a couple uh key points to take away from the special revenue and capital funds.

Starting with the general fund of revenues, uh, what we're gonna be concentrating really on is the uh furthermost right column, which is the final revenue and actuals variance.

What this compares is any adjustments to the budget that happened from adoption through revised is in column one, column three is the actuals, and then column five is really where we land the plane, that's where we tell the story.

Uh so overall we came in at uh eight million dollars total over our final revised budget.

Half of that was health tax, and how'd we get there?

Uh, midway through the year, we were anticipating some headwinds economically, so we adjusted down our sales tax forecast by two million dollars.

Turns out we did not have those headwinds as we anticipated, so we ended up closer to our initial estimate of 38.

2.1 million of that number that goes into the overall sales tax was a one time sales health tax settlement.

There's the $4 million there.

The other main driver of the revenue uh increase was $2.6 million in investments.

Uh, what this indicates is that uh the city is continued to have high interest rates and strong returns on our fixed income and cash investments.

Next, we're gonna take a look at the general fund expenditures.

Uh the story here is 91 million revised budget 87 million spent.

That's about 96%.

Uh we're looking at about four million dollars saved, and that's a split between um salaries and benefit savings and operations savings.

Salary benefit savings are generally driven by vacancies.

Uh, main vacancy drivers were the police department and specifically patrol and dispatch.

Vacancies also contributed from finance, city manager, and city attorney departments on the operations side.

The big drivers of savings were uh from the police department with the animal services less than anticipated demand for certain services at the animal shelter, reduced county costs for booking fees, internal handling and background checks instead of uh uh farming out that effort and lower repairment and software costs for the real-time information center, and then the city manager department, public affairs, civic innovation.

They have some savings on outreach, printing consulting and project costs with some cost timelines moving into the current fiscal year.

So we'll take a high-level look at the fund balance at year end.

Uh, the top part of this chart, uh, this is from your staff report.

The top part of this chart uh represents the 30% of adjusted appropriations that we set aside for fund balance.

Uh, if there's any additional reserve, the fund policy allots for uh opportunities to allocate to various uh reserves such as capital, economic development, and pension trust.

So, as you can see here, this is the recommended allocation for these uh reserves that came in in addition to our uh 30% reserve.

Moving on, then to measure E.

Uh, we're taking a look here.

Excuse me as I flick through my notes.

Sorry.

Revenues in the second full year of measure E as initial what came in higher.

As initial estimates were conservative that developed this as a new tax measure.

This is year two.

Spending and operation categories continue to ramp up.

A few large initiatives that were planned in the 2425 are now set to occur in 2526.

Uh examples of this would be uh permanent transition housing support, some large projects such as 1.7 million previously allocated for the acquisition of a homeless shelter.

This has been uh this was not spent last year, it's been added to a designated reserve for that purpose.

Additionally, two million dollars of grant line business park infrastructure project has been deferred into the current year, it's been added to the current capital improvement plan.

Some other highlights, the major funds, gas tax revenues uh slightly higher, expenses lower.

Uh we had some savings.

There was some less repair work than we anticipated for the American Rescue Plan Act, ARPA.

This is really an update.

In 2021, the city got 21.9 million in one-time federal funds.

Uh, we have 2.7 million left to go.

We have to have that out the door by December 31st, 2026.

And Laguna Ridge, we're really just highlighting this is the second year that we've been in the black.

Uh, this was a fund that was operating in a deficit uh through through staff efforts and through the collaboration with the CSD.

This also has district 56 in addition to Laguna Ridge maintenance.

Uh, it has been managed into a um a fiscally uh sustainable path and roadway fee had historically high revenues.

Uh there was a Senate bill, I'm gonna say the wrong one, nine thirty seven that allowed for fee deferral.

Uh, that actually uh we thought that was gonna make our uh our revenues a lot lower uh because it would allow for later payments.

That actually was not the case.

Um builders continue to pay uh activity remains strong across single-family commercial and affordable housing projects and interest earnings also surpassed expectations.

Well, that brings us to our recommendation.

We're staff recommends the city council receive and accept the budget year end report for fiscal year 24-25 and adopt the resolution allocating general fund reserves.

Be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Thank you.

Um, do I not need to open it up for okay?

Here we go.

Sorry, I will now open it up for public comment.

I do not have anyone signed up to speak.

I will close the public comment opportunity.

Questions, comments, counsel?

Yes.

Mayor, thank you.

I have a question.

Um, Nathan, thanks for the report.

Uh great outlook.

Um, yes.

I'm happy to see that.

Uh, the would this be the appropriate time if we wanted to augment uh any of the programs, like uh what what particularly I'm getting at the our capital uh grant program.

Is this the time to do that if we wanted to uh augment that with uh some of some of this these general fund uh so you want to get particular system budget and aj meant the current year budget or I'm not sure what we're sorry?

This is just this is just closing last year's oh, you just closing last year's okay.

So we'll be going into next year's budget process, which would be the appropriate time to bring up some any additional expenses that you that the council might want to add.

Okay, thank you.

Appreciate it.

Any other questions, comments?

Yes, council member brewer.

Thank you for the for the assessment.

I want to thank you.

Want to thank you, Rajno Prasad, your entire finance team, uh very laser focused, making sure that we stay in the black, or at least the numbers appear appear to be that way.

We have special revenues and capital funds with uh roughly 26 million um there for general fund reserves.

That's healthy, that's good, that's responsible.

So thank you so much.

Any other questions?

Yep, real quick.

Like, um, just wanted to say that the unfortunate part about this being this late tonight and so much before it is that there's a lot of good that was in there, right?

That was a very, very high level picture of some fantastic performance, and unfortunately, I think it's probably lost in the night, right?

So I want to thank uh everyone.

I mean, that that one picture, right?

Those four slides is four or five slides is the culmination of a lot of work and people doing great performance uh and and uh making sure that uh they stick to the budget and then doing the right things.

So I just wanted to make sure that I call that out a little bit longer, extend it out a little bit just to you so you know that uh it's appreciated.

So thanks, Nathan.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Great budget update, I am now looking for a motion to adopt a resolution.

Yes, second, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye, thank you.

I think I might have forgotten my eye.

Uh 9.3.

Mayor, do you want to waive the 10 o'clock rule?

Unless you want to do this in 12 minutes.

Maybe we'll get it done in 12 minutes.

That was we're gonna be done in about three.

Review city council ad hoc committees.

Clock is ticking.

We're still winding up 2025.

This is the annual review.

Uh staff does have a recommendation.

There is the zoo project ad hoc, which we would ask to that that could be removed, and we would ask for a motion a second to in order to terminate any of our ad hocs.

But also in this, we have a request for a the consideration to create a new ad hoc committee.

It is for the upcoming request for proposal process for federal and state government relations services, and staff will be able to ask or answer any questions if those come up.

So all right.

So we need a motion to dissolve the ad hoc committee for the zoo.

Can I get a motion?

So moved, second.

Oh, do I need to open it for public comment?

Okay, I'll open it for public comment.

Mr.

Quiggle, do you have anything to say?

Dan, you want to say, Oh, Aaron, we're good, yeah.

All right, I'm gonna close public comment and now um looking for a motion to dissolve the zoo.

He moved it, I seconded.

Yeah, okay.

We have a motion and second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye, thank you.

The next one is the formation of a new ad hoc committee, and this is to review the RFPs for basically the lobbying efforts at the state and federal level.

Um, I would like to be a part of that.

You're interested.

So we see yeah, director or director, councilmember Brewer and uh council member Sewen.

Yeah, anybody else dying to be on this?

All right, so I we make someone make a motion, or do you just take my direction like other committees?

We can just take direction for the let's take direction.

It's gonna be council member suein and council member brewer.

Thank you.

All right, see, we're gonna get this done.

Next up is council comments reports, future agenda items.

Councilmember speech, anything to repeat?

Wait, my report, thank you.

Councilmember Brewer.

No items to report other than our T SACRT board.

We met on Monday.

Councilmember Sewan.

Uh today we had uh sewer board, sewer district board, nothing to report next week.

Uh SACOG.

That's it.

Thank you.

Hey Vice Mayor Robles.

I wave my report.

All right.

Yes, we have SAC RT, and then we did have the what's the official name is the Regional Homeless coalition Group meeting.

Oh, yeah.

Between the county and all cities.

Um I think it's a good effort sharing resources and information to address homelessness.

I was proud to share that, you know, Elk Grove is actually doing a lot in that area, and a lot of the work needs to be focused on the two entities that face the largest problem, and that is Sacramento County and the City of Sacramento.

So I hope the effort continues at least with the with those two, and perhaps we can participate on an annual basis.

So they haven't really identified the formal structure yet.

They're sort of evaluating the next steps.

It was definitely helpful, but if we're looking to address it and address homelessness, just direct you to the grand jury report that came out a few years ago, requesting a JPA and having the cities participate to address homelessness.

But the bulk of the issues does rely on the or lies with the county and the city of Sacramento.

It was good.

It was good hearing feedback, and the suburbs have about the same numbers for the most part and feel like they're all doing a good job addressing it.

So it was helpful, but I'm not sure what the next steps are going to be with that group.

So we will wait to see more.

Madam Mayor, also the food bank will be having voluntary in need of volunteers.

I believe it's November 22nd for those who volunteer who would like to volunteer for the Turkey Drive.

For the Turkey.

With nothing else, we will adjourn this meeting at 9 52.