Elk Grove City Council Meeting - April 22, 2026
Elk Grove City Council Meeting - April 22, 2026
The Elk Grove City Council met on April 22, 2026, at 6 p.m. to discuss and act on a variety of items including proclamations, new hires, public comments, consent calendar items, public hearings, and regular agenda items. Notable actions included approval of a land acquisition, adoption of updated animal license fees, endorsement of event sponsorship grants, and acceptance of the Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit Implementation Plan with amendments.
Proclamations & Presentations
- Proclamation recognizing May 3–9, 2026 as Capital Region Small Business Week. Corky Donnelly of Sheldon Feed & Supply accepted, noting 61 years with the company and praising city programs.
- Proclamation declaring April 2026 as Donate Life Month. Sierra Donor Services reported that in 2025 they made 422 organ transplants possible and highlighted over 100,000 Americans on waiting lists.
- Proclamation recognizing Arbor Day on April 24, 2026, presented to Cornflower Farms, a local native plant nursery in business since 1981.
New Hires & Promotions
- Police department introduced multiple new hires and promotions including dispatchers, records techs, officers, and a lieutenant.
- Other departments: Grace Kaufman as Sustainability Manager, Ian Scott as Processing Manager, Harold as Homeless Services Navigator, Sarah Rodriguez as Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Program Manager, and several public works maintenance technicians.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Multiple speakers (James McCarthy, Paula Schlickelman, Cindy Tabor, Jessica Brown, Suzanne Pesci) expressed frustration with the Cosumnes Community Services District (CCSD) for passing Ordinance 15 which restricts feeding feral cats, and urged the city not to follow suit. They requested clearer rules and cooperation.
- Mike Kelly (Kelly Ventures) provided an update on affordable housing projects: Bovis Street apartments at 99% occupancy, Avery Gardens at 99%, and The Lila at 99% occupancy; noted that The Lila is on time and under budget, returning $1.6 million to the city.
- Mark Graham spoke against federal bill H.R. 2289 (American Broadband Deployment Act), arguing it would eliminate local control over cell tower siting. He urged the city to oppose the bill.
- Suzanne Pesci reported on the Drought Resiliency Task Force, noting DWR is monitoring three selected wells in the South American sub-basin and loaning equipment to well owners.
Consent Calendar
- Item 7.11 was pulled after Councilmember Brewer recused himself due to a conflict of interest with Core Impact.
- Item 7.12 (purchase of 64 acres in Grant Line Business Park for $5.1 million) was pulled for a separate hearing. Staff presented: the land is adjacent to 40 acres the city already owns, and the seller is willing. The public commenter Lynn Wheat expressed concern about transparency; the council approved the purchase.
- The remaining items (7.1–7.10, 7.13–7.19) were approved unanimously.
Discussion Items
- Vacancy & Recruitment Report (AB 2561) : Interim HR Director Mary Amissin presented vacancy rates from May 2025 to March 2026. Average vacancy: 7% for Elk Grove Police Officers Association, 1% for Police Managers, 11% for unrepresented staff, overall 6%. The city hired 69 full-time employees and had 40 separations. No bargaining unit exceeded the 20% threshold. Council thanked staff.
- Public Convenience or Necessity (PCN) for SF Supermarket : A PCN was requested to allow sale of beer, wine, and distilled spirits at 8539 Elk Grove Blvd. The site is in a high-crime area and the census tract is overconcentrated. Police had no objection. The council approved the PCN unanimously.
- Animal License Fee Update : Fees had not been updated since 2013. The proposed changes include adding a two-year license term, modest fee increases, discounts for altered pets and seniors, and promoting spay/neuter. The ordinance and fee schedule were adopted unanimously, effective July 1, 2026.
- Annexations to Special Districts : The 60th annexation to Street Maintenance District No. 1 (Zone 3-AW) and 77th annexation to Stormwater Drainage Fee Zone 2 were approved for a residential lot split at 9320 Bradshaw Road. No ballot protests were received.
- FY 2026–27 Event Sponsorship Grant Program : Staff recommended funding 40 events and 10 fundraising dinners. New events include Africa House Community Day, Elmisfa Community Day, and a Lunar New Year Market Fair. Public comment from Shari Wilson (Dreams Unlimited) highlighted the economic impact of Juneteenth. The council supported the recommendations.
- Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit Implementation Plan : A two-year study evaluating light rail (LRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT) options along the Bruceville/Bighorn corridor. Alternatives included LRT full alignment (Alternative 2 – highest ridership/cost), BRT full alignment, and mixed options. 70% of survey respondents favored LRT. Staff recommended adoption of the plan with light rail as the preferred solution. Public comments were mixed: supporters cited climate goals, accessibility for students and disabled; opponents questioned cost, ridership, and noted empty buses. Council discussion focused on ensuring regional connectivity and considering emerging technologies. The council voted to accept the resolution (replacing “adopt” with “accept”) and directed staff to continue evaluating other transit technologies and regional integration before any future project approval.
Key Outcomes
- Proclamations issued for Small Business Week, Donate Life Month, and Arbor Day.
- Land purchase (7.12) approved.
- PCN for SF supermarket approved.
- Animal license fee schedule and ordinance updated.
- Annexations to special districts approved.
- Event sponsorship grant allocations endorsed.
- Blue Line Transit Plan resolution accepted (unanimous 4-0; Councilmember Brewer voted yes after clarification). Staff directed to continue analysis of new technologies and regional connectivity.
Council Comments & Reports
- Councilmember Brewer: Sacramento Public Library Authority meeting April 23.
- Councilmember Spees: attended Cap-to-Cap event.
- Councilmember Robles: participated in Cap-to-Cap and Economic Gardening (EGG) committee.
- Vice Mayor Suen: attended Cap-to-Cap transportation team, discussed transportation reauthorization with Senate EPW committee.
- Mayor Singh Allen was absent (still in Washington D.C.) but sent a statement supporting the light rail plan.
The meeting adjourned at 9:16 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Call the Elkgrove City Council meeting to order at 6 p.m. Uh, Mr. Clerk, if you could uh read the uh replay intro, please. Indeed, this meeting of the Elk Grove City Council is recorded with closed captioning. The recording will be cable cast on Metro Cable Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV versus cable systems. The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14Live.SatCounty.gov. Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, April 24th at 1 p.m. and Monday, April 27th at 6 p.m. on Metro Channel 14. Once posted, the recordings of this and previous meetings can be viewed on demand at the 3W's.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 or on mute when you are not speaking. The Elk Grove City Council welcomes, appreciates, and encourages participation in the City Council meeting. City Council requests that you limit your presentation to three minutes per person so that all present will have time to 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 221-154, no individual speaker concerning public comment may address the city council for more than three minutes. If you wish to address the council during the meeting, please complete one of the blue speaker cards, which can be found at the back of the chamber and provide it to assistant city clerk Brenda Haggard prior to consideration of the agenda item. With that, Vice Mayor, I'll be moving into the roll call. And to start off for the roll call, I will note that Councilmember Roblis is absent. Councilmember Spees. Present. Councilmember Brewer. Present. Vice Mayor Suen. Here. And I will note that Mayor Singh Allen is absent. Okay. Thank you very much. I know she's conducting business still back in DC. Um Councilmember Roblis will be joining us here later this evening. We will move into the land acknowledgement next. I'd like to uh ask our Councilmember Brewer to uh assist me in that. Thank you, Vice Mayor. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elk Grove's first inhabitants, the Plains Miwok, who lived as sovereign caretakers of this land and these waterways since time immemorial. We commemorate and advocate for their descendants, the Wilton Rancheria tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County, who endure because of the bravery, resiliency, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders. Thank you very much. And now I see uh Kevin Wynne in the audience. Would you mind leading us in the pledge, sir? Come on up and well, you can stay there if you'd like, just speak loud. Yeah. Congratulations of the United States of America. And to which one undervisible with liberty. Thank you. If you all please join me in a moment of silence. Thank you. Can I get a motion for the approval of the agenda? So moved. Second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.
openpublica.com