Note: The transcript incorrectly states the date as June 22, 2022; however, the agenda and provided meeting date confirm June 28, 2022. This summary uses the correct date.
The City Council met in a special closed session at 6:00 PM to discuss labor negotiations (no actions reported), then convened the regular meeting at 6:30 PM. The meeting included a proclamation, presentation of city survey results, public comments, consent calendar approvals, and council reports.
1. City Survey Results and Direction to Staff The city manager, Elaine, introduced the survey process. Two consultants presented:
Brian Godby (Godby Research) – Polling results (March 16–24, 2022):
Bonnie Moss (Clifford Moss) – Community survey results (mailed to 29,000 households, 4,773 responses, 1,209 written comments):
Council discussion:
2. Item 4 (Consent Calendar Pulled) – Resolution No. 10873: Landscaping Contract with BrightView Landscape Services Councilmember Chalamcherla pulled the item to discuss the contract amount ($1.98 million annually) and a separate $430,000 for unscheduled work. He suggested exploring volunteer opportunities to reduce costs. Councilmember Aquino suggested sending the item to the Landscape and Lighting Commission for input. Staff explained that the current contractor, Terracare, would not extend month-to-month at the lower rate; the new contract reduces service frequency (e.g., pruning from 4x to 2x per year). After discussion, Chalamcherla withdrew his motion to approve a one-year contract. The council approved the item as presented.
3. Item 6 (Consent Calendar Pulled) – Resolution No. 10875: Donated Furniture Councilmember Kozlowski praised former Mayor McLeod for the donation and moved approval. The item was approved.
Okay, we will reconvene the special meeting of the Folsom City Council for Tuesday, June 22nd, 2022. You have anything to report out? Madam Mayor, nothing to report out of closed session. Okay, then we will convene the regular meeting of the Folsom City Council for June 22nd, 2022. If the court will call the royal please. Council members Rodriguez, Kair Aquino. Here, Shalem Chairla. Yeah. Kozlowski and Hal. Here. And if you guys will all join me in a pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic. Which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Do we have any agenda update? You have no agenda updates this evening. Okay. We do have one request to speak in business from the floor. But Loretta, is this actually about the survey that the city sent out? Which is actually item two. Can we save it for item two then? Okay. Um, do we have anybody else that would like to speak of business from the floor? That's your opportunity to speak about anything that is not on the agenda for a maximum of three minutes, understanding that we may not um have a discussion with you about it. Uh Madam Mayor, you do have one request to speak from an online caller. Okay. Actually, we have two now. Okay. Um, so uh first hand up, I believe, was Scott Rafferty. If you want to go ahead and unmute yourself and talk, I'll set the three-minute timer once you start and we'll give you a 30-second warning. Thank you. Well, your attorney's attempt to get a federal court to dismiss the state law claims uh against uh the city of election methods failed rather spectacularly this afternoon. So we will be back in court. Uh and there will be district elections uh this fall. Uh we have uh one person to thank for that. That's the mayor. Because two years ago, when two distinguished African Americans were being considered for counsel, the mayor said we've already had a black person, referring to the mayor, prior mayor, who had been arrested for prostitution and cocaine distribution, as if that experience was somehow relevant to Folsom and what it aspires to be today. That's why we've had this proceeding, and that's why you are where you are. And it was sad at the time that uh members Kozlowski and Aquino just couldn't stand up for their convictions. But now we will have a more equitably elected council. I hope that we can settle this. We're going to have a discussion with your lawyers on Thursday, but just to set your expectations. But let's assume that you can. So I'd like to read just a few sentences of the opinion regarding Palmdale. The current members of Palmdale City Council were elected to an unlawful election. The citizens are entitled to have a council that truly represents all members. More importantly, the Latino and African American citizens deserve to have their voices heard in the operation of their city. This can only be accomplished if all members of the city council are lawfully elected to permit some members of the council to remain to obtain their office for an unlawful election will not remedy the clear violation. Therefore, the court finds that in order to tailor an appropriate remedy to address the violation. That's what we'll be seeking in Superior Court now that we are back in state court.