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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - October 28, 2026

Other — Wednesday, October 28, 2026

BodyElkgrove, California

SessionOther

DateWednesday, October 28, 2026

StatusNEW · FILED

Video Record

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Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:03

All right, good evening, everyone.

0:06

I would like to call to order the Elkgrove City Council regular meeting.

0:09

Today is Wednesday, October 28th, 2026.

0:12

The time is 6 p.m.

0:13

Clerk.

Speaker 2

0:15

Thank you, Mayor.

0:16

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

0:19

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

0:27

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

0:32

Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, October 30th at 1 p.m.

0:35

and Sunday, November 1st at 6 p.m.

0:38

and on Metro Channel 14.

0:39

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

0:48

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.

0:55

And for any of our attendees in the online environment in Zoom, likewise, any devices that you have around you when we do log you into the system in order to speak, please have those other devices muted as you proceed to speak.

Unassigned speaker

1:09

The

Speaker 2

1:09

Elgrove City Council welcomes, appreciates, and encourages participation in the city council meeting.

1:13

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

1:19

The 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.

1:26

Pursuant to resolution number 2026-099, no individual speaker concerning public comment may address the city council for more than three minutes per item.

1:34

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 assistant city clerk, Brenda Haggard.

1:41

Or as we move through the agenda, we'll give prompts for our online environment attendees in order to raise, use the raised hand function in order to be called in after our in-person speakers.

1:52

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

1:55

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

1:59

Present.

1:59

Councilmember Spees.

2:01

President.

Unassigned speaker

2:01

I

Speaker 2

2:01

will note that Councilmember Brewer is absent.

2:04

Vice Mayor Suen here.

2:05

And Mayor Singh Allen.

Speaker 1

2:07

Here.

Unassigned speaker

2:09

All right, thank you.

Unassigned speaker

2:10

Next up is our land acknowledgement.

Speaker 1

2:13

Assisting with the land acknowledgement is our vice mayor.

Speaker 3

2:17

Thank you, Mayor.

2:19

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

2:29

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

Speaker 1

2:43

Thank you.

2:44

Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance.

2:46

I would like to invite up Oscar O'Conn from our planning commissioner and a veteran to lead the pledge.

Speaker 4

2:59

Pledge.

3:00

A pledge allegiance of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

Speaker 1

3:16

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

3:24

Thank you.

3:26

Next up is our approval of the agenda.

3:28

May I get a motion?

Speaker 3

3:30

Second.

Speaker 1

3:31

All those in favor, please say aye.

3:33

Aye.

3:33

Aye.

3:34

Thank you.

3:35

Next item.

Speaker 2

3:37

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

3:44

And our first item is item 4.1, which is a proclamation recognizing October 2026 as Hindu Heritage Month.

Unassigned speaker

3:52

Thank you.

Speaker 1

3:53

Um do we have Dr.

3:55

Sushila Bhatija?

3:58

She's not here.

Unassigned speaker

3:59

No.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Community Engagement████████████████16%

Public Comment███████████████15%

Personnel Matters██████████████14%

Youth Development█████████████13%

Procedural██████6%

Library Services██████6%

Human Rights█████5%

Budget Planning█████5%

Public Safety████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Elk Grove City Council Regular Meeting - October 28, 2026

The Elk Grove City Council convened on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen presided. Present were Vice Mayor Darren Suen, Councilmember Sergio Robles, and Councilmember Kevin Spease. Councilmember Rod Brewer was absent. The meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM.

Proclamations and New Hire Introductions

Council issued proclamations recognizing October 2026 as Hindu Heritage Month (accepted by Dr. Parik and community members) and Filipino American History Month (accepted by Edna de los Reyes).
The City Manager and department heads introduced new hires and recognized promotions across the Police, Finance, Public Works, Economic Development, and Information Technology departments.

Public Comments & Testimony

Margie Jones and Beth Headland (Strauss Festival of Elk Grove): Thanked the council for financial and in-kind support for the festival, noting the upcoming 40th anniversary.
Cynthia Gaus: Appealed to the council to reject the funding for Kelsey Drive speed humps, arguing the survey was skewed by non-resident business owners and suggesting alternative solutions like fog line striping.
Lynn Wheat: Corrected her previous statement on the zoo project cost to nearly $14 million and urged the council to engage residents on the future of the zoo site. She also requested the library lease guarantee free meeting room access for residents and non-profits; staff clarified the Sacramento Public Library policy already provides this free of charge.
Margaret Mello: Expressed frustration over unaddressed parking violations at Cowington Family Park and a lack of response from the traffic department.
Justin: Strongly opposed the adoption of Flock and Axon ALPR technology, citing predatory contracts, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, misuse risks, and a lack of independent audits, formally warning the council against proceeding.

Consent Calendar

Council unanimously approved the Consent Calendar (Items 7.1–7.19) by voice vote, including routine approvals, budget amendments, and the contract award for the Old Town Streetscape Phase 2 construction project.

Discussion Items

Item 9.1: Future Use of Former Library (8900 Elk Grove Blvd) and Former Teen Center (8978 Elk Grove Blvd)
- Assistant City Manager Jaqui Guzmán and Senior Management Analyst Aishwarya Kumar presented findings from extensive community engagement (April–September 2026), which generated 700 contributions and 3,478 written ideas.
- The top six preferred uses identified by staff in priority order were: a Teen and Youth Center; a Creative Arts, Music, and Digital Media Center; a Community Learning Hub; a Community Resource Hub; a Community Meeting and Co-working Space for Nonprofits; and a Community Kitchen and Cafe.
- Council reached a consensus to remove the Community Kitchen and Cafe from the feasibility study scope, citing high operational costs, health code complexity, and the availability of other facilities. Members expressed strong support for the Teen and Youth Center as the highest priority, followed by the Creative Arts and Digital Media Center, and the Nonprofit Co-working Space. There was agreement that the Community Learning and Resource Hub functions could be integrated into the top priority spaces.
- Staff was directed to initiate a feasibility study evaluating operational models, space plans, and costs for the prioritized uses. Council also directed staff to begin the process of repaying the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the former Teen Center property to increase flexibility for its future use.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
Community Kitchen/Cafe: Removed from the list of preferred uses for the feasibility study.
Future Use Priorities: Council affirmed the top three priorities for the feasibility study as a Teen and Youth Center, a Creative Arts/Music/Digital Media Center, and a Nonprofit Meeting/Co-working Space, with Learning and Resource Hub functions integrated.
Feasibility Study: Staff directed to proceed with a feasibility study for the prioritized uses at 8900 Elk Grove Boulevard.
CDBG Repayment: Staff directed to initiate the public process for repaying CDBG funds for the property at 8978 Elk Grove Boulevard to remove use restrictions.
Memorial Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned in memory of Dolores Huerta and community member Ori.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good evening, everyone. I would like to call to order the Elkgrove City Council regular meeting. Today is Wednesday, October 28th, 2026. The time is 6 p.m. Clerk. Thank you, Mayor. This meeting of the Elgrove City Council is recorded with closed captioning. The recording will be cable cast on Metro Cable Channel 14, the local government affairs channel on ComCast on the Comcast and Direct TV Uverse Cable Systems. The recording will also be video streamed at Metro14Live.gov. Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, October 30th at 1 p.m. and Sunday, November 1st at 6 p.m. and on Metro Channel 14. Once posted, the recordings of this and previous meetings can be viewed on demand at the 3W's.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 any of our attendees in the online environment in Zoom, likewise, any devices that you have around you when we do log you into the system in order to speak, please have those other devices muted as you proceed to speak. The Elgrove 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 per item so that all president will have time to participate. The 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 chamber and provide it to assistant city clerk, Brenda Haggard. Or as we move through the agenda, we'll give prompts for our online environment attendees in order to raise, use the raised hand function in order to be called in after our in-person speakers. With that, Mayor, I will be moving into the roll call. And for the roll call, I will start with Councilmember Robles. Present. Councilmember Spees. President. I will note that Councilmember Brewer is absent. Vice Mayor Suen here. And Mayor Singh Allen. Here. All right, thank you. Next up is our land acknowledgement. Assisting with the land acknowledgement is our vice mayor. Thank you, Mayor. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elkgrove'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 endured because of the bravery, resiliency, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders. Thank you. Next up is our Pledge of Allegiance. I would like to invite up Oscar O'Conn from our planning commissioner and a veteran to lead the pledge. Pledge. A pledge allegiance of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Okay, at this time, please join us for a brief moment of silence. Thank you. Next up is our approval of the agenda. May I get a motion? Second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye.

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