OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting – August 12, 2026

Other — Wednesday, August 12, 2026
BodyElkgrove, California
SessionOther
DateWednesday, August 12, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:33:36
Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

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

0:06

Today is Wednesday, August the 12th, 2026.

0:10

The time is 6.01 p.m.

0:12

Clerk.

0:14

Thank you, Mayor.

0:14

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

0:18

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

0:25

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

0:30

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

0:34

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

0:37

And on Metro Channel 14.

0:40

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

0:49

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.

0:56

And for our any of our attendees that we have, we have folks that may be providing remote comment from our public.

1:02

And just remember, if you are using a phone, it's star nine in your order to use that raise hand, but also there will be prompts for folks that are in the Zoom environment for when there's an opportunity for public comment on items on our agendas.

1:14

And uh beyond all of that, the Elkgrove City Council welcomes, appreciates, and encourages participation in the city council meetings.

1:20

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

1:25

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.

1:32

Pursuant to resolution number 2026-099.

1:35

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

1:40

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 room, or use the raise hand feature if you are in our webinar environment and provide any of the blue speaker cards to assistant city clerk Brenda Aggord prior to consideration of the agenda item.

1:54

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

1:58

And for the roll call, I will begin with Councilmember Robles.

2:01

Councilmember Spees, Councilmember Brewer, present.

2:04

Vice Mayor Sewen.

2:06

Here.

2:06

And Mayor Singh Allen.

2:09

All in attendance.

2:10

All right, thank you.

2:11

Next up is our land acknowledgement.

2:13

Assisting will be our vice mayor.

2:15

Thank you, Mayor.

2:16

We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elco's first inhabitants, the Plains Miwok, who lived as sovereign caretakers of this land in these waterways since time immemorial.

2:26

We commemorate and advocate for their descendants, the Wilton Rancher tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County, who endure because of the bravery, resilience, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders.

2:40

Thank you.

2:41

Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance.

2:44

I would like to invite Councilmember Robles to lead.

2:57

And to the Republic for which it stands.

3:10

Thank you.

3:11

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

3:19

Thank you.

3:20

All right.

3:21

Next up is our approval of the agenda.

3:23

May I get a motion?

3:24

So second.

3:25

All those in favor, please say aye.

3:27

Aye.

3:28

Thank you.

3:28

All right, next item, clerk.

3:31

Under section three, there are no closed session items on the regular agenda, which will advance us to section four presentations and announcements.

3:38

And that first being item 4.1, which is the disability advisory committee annual update.

4:00

Good evening.

4:01

I'm Cameron Weinhofner Moore.

4:03

Thank you for inviting me to represent your disability advisory committee here tonight.

4:08

Let me begin by offering a sincere thanks to all of our committee members.

4:12

They serve selflessly and always provide thoughtful insight, no matter the issue.

4:16

We all appreciate being appointed to the committee and recognize the privilege and responsibility that comes with that.

4:23

I would also like to thank the council for its ongoing support.

4:27

And Hennessy has been the committee's chair since last year and has served on the committee for over seven years.

4:32

She is a retired Elk Grove Unified Teacher.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety███████████████████████23%
Traffic Management██████████████14%
Public Comment█████████████13%
Trails And Transportation█████████████13%
Procedural███████████11%
Personnel Matters███████7%
Budget Planning█████5%
Disability Access███3%
City Manager Report███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting – August 12, 2026

The Elk Grove City Council met on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 6:01 p.m. for a regular meeting. The agenda included presentations, public comment, a consent calendar with 16 routine items, and a single regular agenda item introducing a new ordinance to regulate bicycles, electric bicycles, and other personal transportation devices. The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.

Presentations & Announcements

  • Disability Advisory Committee Annual Update – Cameron Weinhofner Moore presented the committee’s activities, including feedback on the 2026–2031 Capital Improvement Plan, the city's new small business ADA compliance program, and an accessibility toolkit. The committee awarded its 19th Above and Beyond Accessibility Award to nonprofit E.G. Speaks and collaborated with the Diversity and Inclusion Commission. The committee has had only 22 members in 24 years.
  • New Hire Introductions – City staff introduced 18 new hires and promotions across police, finance, human resources, and public works departments, including police officers, animal care staff, a traffic engineer, and an HR specialist.

Public Comments & Testimony

(Non-agenda public comment)

  • Lynn Wheat criticized the city for a “secret plan” to redevelop Old Town (Historic Main Street) into a tourism destination similar to San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, alleging lack of transparency and investor-driven changes.
  • Alexander Bastin opposed the use of Flock cameras (automatic license plate readers), citing privacy concerns, potential abuse by law enforcement, and false AI data. He noted the city’s contract with Palantir.
  • Randy Becker supported the Flock cameras, expressing trust in the Elk Grove Police Department and emphasizing that cameras are a necessary safety tool, referencing recent police saves.

(Consent calendar – Item 7.16)

  • Alison Randall asked to remove Item 7.16 (purchase of an armored response vehicle for $448,642) from consent, arguing the vehicle is infrequently used and the money could be spent on social programs.
  • Randy Becker supported the purchase, referencing the death of Sacramento Officer Tara O’Sullivan and the need for police to have protective equipment during large events.
  • Another speaker opposed the purchase, saying $500,000 could save lives through healthcare instead.
  • Joshua Day (TDJ Professionals dba Big O Tires) thanked the council for the opportunity to provide tire services (Item 7.6).

(Regular agenda – Item 9.1 – Bicycle/personal transportation device ordinance)

  • David Baker urged against overcorrection, noting many cyclists follow rules and that pushing bikes into streets could be more dangerous.
  • Terry Burke highlighted unsafe riding by youth and asked about safety training programs.
  • Randy Becker supported the ordinance, calling e-bike regulation long overdue.
  • Sharon Anderson (vice chair of the Trails Committee) supported the ordinance, emphasizing pedestrian safety and older adults’ vulnerability.
  • Katie James (remote) supported the ordinance, stating she had been hit or nearly hit by e-bikes while walking dogs.
  • Ty Wilson supported the ordinance but suggested lower speed limits on shared trails (10–12 mph) and addressing earphone use by pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Randy Becker also supported a K–8 ban on personal transportation devices on school property.
  • You Bring Singh proposed a bicycle/e-bike safety education day and requested accommodations for Sikh riders who cannot wear traditional helmets due to religious head coverings.

Discussion Items

  • 9.1 – Ordinance on Bicycles and Personal Transportation Devices – Police Sergeant Shane Glaser presented proposed changes to the Elk Grove Municipal Code (repealing Sections 10.12.010 and 10.16.180, adding Chapter 10.71). Key points:
    • Defines classes of e-bikes (Class 1, 2, 3) and motorized scooters.
    • Allows bicycles on sidewalks; prohibits personal transportation devices (e.g., e-bikes, scooters) on sidewalks unless signed; requires yielding to pedestrians.
    • Sets 15 mph speed limit on trails.
    • Prohibits reckless riding, unauthorized racing, and modifying devices to exceed speed classifications.
    • Enforcement: first offense infraction ($100 fine), second within 12 months a misdemeanor with escalating fines.
    • Data cited: 37 bicycle collisions in 2023 (33 as of August 9, 2026); e-bike calls for service at 193 (as of Aug 9); scooter calls at 204.
    • Sergeant Glaser emphasized education-first approach, with enforcement for egregious behavior.
  • Council Discussion:
    • Councilmember Brewer supported the ordinance, noting recent e-motorcycle incidents and need to differentiate e-bikes from illegal e-motorcycles.
    • Vice Mayor Suen supported education efforts but noted behavior change will take time.
    • Councilmember Spease suggested incorporating safety training (e.g., mandatory courses for offenders) and including pedestrian earphone awareness in outreach.
    • Councilmember Robles asked about penalties for minors (first offense not a misdemeanor; discretion leans toward education).
    • Mayor Singh-Allen noted she receives about five resident complaints per week on this issue, and supported exploring community service or mandatory education for repeat offenders.
  • Police Chief Bobby Davis confirmed the ordinance is part of a broader effort: officers will be at all schools on the first day (tomorrow) for education; school district considering K–8 ban on personal transportation devices on campus. Chief clarified that parents may be held responsible for repeat or egregious violations.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar Approved – All 16 items (7.1–7.16) were approved unanimously on a single motion, including purchase of an armored vehicle for $448,642 (Item 7.16), tire services contracts, library fund transfer ($500,000), and various other contracts and reports.
  • Ordinance 9.1 Introduced – The council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance repealing old bicycle regulations and adding Chapter 10.71 (bicycles and personal transportation devices). The ordinance is subject to a second reading at a future meeting.
  • Education and Outreach Plan – Police will conduct school visits, social media campaigns, and community events (e.g., bike rodeo on August 22) to promote safe riding.
  • Appointments – The city clerk will proceed with appointing the mayor and District 2 council member nominees at a special meeting on August 20 at 3 p.m. District 4 will go to the November general election.
  • City Manager’s Report – Announced upcoming events: Barbecue and the Beat (Aug 15), Bike Rodeo (Aug 22), and Startup Pitch Event (Sept 3).

Meeting Transcript

And at this time, I would like to call to order the regular Elkgrove City Council meeting. Today is Wednesday, August the 12th, 2026. The time is 6.01 p.m. Clerk. Thank you, Mayor. This meeting of the Elk Grove City Council is recorded with closed captioning. The recording will be cable cast on Metro Cable Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and Direct TV U versus Cable Systems. The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14Live.gov. Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, August 14th at 1 p.m. and Monday, August 17th, also at 1 p.m. And on Metro Channel 14. Once posted, the recordings of this and previous meetings can be viewed on demand at the 3Ws.elgrove.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. And for our any of our attendees that we have, we have folks that may be providing remote comment from our public. And just remember, if you are using a phone, it's star nine in your order to use that raise hand, but also there will be prompts for folks that are in the Zoom environment for when there's an opportunity for public comment on items on our agendas. And uh beyond all of that, the Elkgrove 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 per item 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 2026-099. No individual speaker concerning public comment may address the city council for more than three minutes per item. 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 room, or use the raise hand feature if you are in our webinar environment and provide any of the blue speaker cards to assistant city clerk Brenda Aggord prior to consideration of the agenda item. With that, Mayor, I will be moving into the roll call. And for the roll call, I will begin with Councilmember Robles. Councilmember Spees, Councilmember Brewer, present. Vice Mayor Sewen. Here. And Mayor Singh Allen. All in attendance. All right, thank you. Next up is our land acknowledgement. Assisting will be our vice mayor. Thank you, Mayor. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elco's first inhabitants, the Plains Miwok, who lived as sovereign caretakers of this land in these waterways since time immemorial. We commemorate and advocate for their descendants, the Wilton Rancher tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County, who endure because of the bravery, resilience, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders. Thank you. Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance. I would like to invite Councilmember Robles to lead. And to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you. At this time, please join us for a brief moment of silence. Thank you. All right. Next up is our approval of the agenda. May I get a motion? So second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Thank you. All right, next item, clerk. Under section three, there are no closed session items on the regular agenda, which will advance us to section four presentations and announcements.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com