The Folsom City Council met on May 13, 2025, at 6:30 PM in City Council Chambers. The meeting included multiple proclamations, a public hearing on police fee schedule updates, approval of a Community Facilities District overlay, purchase of a building for police use, establishment of meeting recesses, and authorization of a flashing yellow arrow trial project. All votes were unanimous (Councilmember Kozlowski absent).
All routine items approved unanimously via one motion:
Lt. David Canapa and consultant Jeff Wakefield presented a comprehensive fee study (first since 2006) to align fees with costs. Councilmember Raithel raised concerns about two proposed fees: the late filing fee for alarm permits and the false alarm fee waiver request fee (items 7 and 8 on exhibit). He argued that requiring a $10 fee to request a fee waiver could penalize business owners who were wrongfully charged. He expressed support for the fee schedule but moved to adopt the resolution with amendments eliminating those two fees until a better billing provider (HDL) is contracted. The motion carried unanimously.
CFO Stacy Tamani presented two resolutions to form an overlay CFD for a 118-unit multifamily development within the larger Russell Ranch CFD. The district will levy special taxes (approx. $1,300–$1,500 per unit, increasing 2% annually) to fund $3.5 million in bonded indebtedness for infrastructure. Public hearing set for June 24, 2025. Both resolutions approved unanimously.
Commander Brian Lockhart requested authorization to purchase an 8,000 sq. ft. building across the street from the current police station for $2.7 million, plus $1 million in tenant improvements. The building will house the Neighborhood Services Division and Criminal Investigations Division, relieving overcrowding (staff currently work in closets and converted kitchens). Funding comes from developer impact fees. City Manager noted the building's availability was timely as the department must vacate rented space at 11 Natoma Street. The item was approved unanimously.
The City Manager announced this item was continued to a future meeting at the applicant's request.
Resolution 11370 replaces Resolution 6451 to establish regular recesses: second half of July (instead of early August), second half of November, and second half of December. Proposed by Vice Mayor Raithel. Approved unanimously.
Civil Engineer Zach Bosch presented a pilot project to install flashing yellow arrow left-turn signals at up to five intersections to improve traffic flow and reduce emissions (9–12% reduction in idling). Staff identified 41 possible locations; the pilot will use rigorous site selection criteria (sight distance, opposing lanes ≤3, left-turn collisions ≤5/year). Council supported the trial, with Vice Mayor Raithel suggesting a six-month report before budget considerations. Staff will conduct public outreach before deployment. Approved unanimously.
Madam Mayor. Then we will adjourn the special meeting and call to order the regular meeting of the Folsom City Council for Tuesday, May 13th, 2025. Would the clerk please call the roll? Okay, council members Leary. Here, Rethel. Here. Aquino? Here. And Kazowski is absent. If you'd all please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay, Mr. City Attorney, are there any agenda updates? Good evening, Madam Mayor. We have a revised staff report, transmitted for item 16, as well as in additional information, transmitted for item 18. Both have been previously provided to you, and they are also available on the table in the back. Okay, great. Thank you. That takes us to business from the floor. This is the public's opportunity to address the council on items that are not on the agenda. But please understand that state law prohibits us from taking action or deliberating on items that are not on the agenda. So if you want to speak now during business from the floor or on a future agenda item, if you wouldn't mind filling out a blue speaker card at the back table, please, handing it over to the officer, and the clerk will call you up at the appropriate time. So do we have anybody who wants to speak during business from the floor? Yes, we have three requests to speak under this item, I believe. So I will go ahead and call the speaker up, and you could go ahead and approach the podium when called. You could go ahead and approach the podium, please. Good evening, Abel. Hello. Oh, I don't know. I think I lost it. Okay. Hello, my name is Abel Yamane. Uh my parents immigrate in this country legally. Um Havasha, and I'm first generation here in the United States. Um I went to school at Galardo, Sutter and Folsom High, and I graduated in 2020. I just want to say briefly, real quick, um, that this city, country, and state um will always never have the interest of trans, black and indigenous, poor and low income children, incarcerated folk and undocumented people at heart. Uh these make believe borders and rules of citizenship that are made up must be put to an end. Thanks for coming out, Abel. Okay, so the next speaker is Vishunu Rao, followed by our last speaker, Mark Aleman. Good evening. Good evening. Um, my name is Vishnu, and I'm a resident of Folsom City. So today I'm here just as to bring your attention to some of one worldwide event that's happened where I come from. I'm a first generation immigrant to this country, and uh wanted to bring your attention to something that happened on the other side of the world. Um, so I'm here with a very heavy heart, uh, bringing your attention to a very horrific event that has happened um in India in a place called Palgam, which is in the state of Jammu Kashmir on the 22nd of April. Um, there was a brutal assault um with genocidal intentions, um, on and which has claimed the lives of 26 innocent people, primarily uh tourists who were there. Um and it's also left a few people injured with very grievous injuries. And initially it was um unknown as to who were the who the gunmen were, but eventually a terrorist organization with the name of uh what's it called? The uh resistant front, uh, which is a front end of the Pakistan-based Lushkare Taiba um has claimed responsibility for this event. Um the important thing to notice here is that these people were shot point blank only because of their religious identity. The reason I'm here is that I want to stress that these people were shot and killed only because of their religious identity, and it's a it's a problem that's becoming very very big across the world and across everywhere in you know, in some parts of this country also, it might spread.