Everybody, welcome to our February 3rd, 2026 council meeting.

It's our afternoon session.

I'll go ahead and call the meeting to order and we'll pass it to Clementine to do roll call and just share announcements with the public.

Council Member Barber.

Present.

Councilmember Garcia.

Here.

Councilmember Rash here.

Councilmember Smith.

And Mayor Williamson.

Here.

And public comment and participation information is provided on this meeting's agenda, which is online at Monterey.gov slash agendas.

In person attendees, please keep your electronic devices muted to prevent audio interference.

Consistent with the First Amendment and the Brown Act, individuals have the right to speak at public meetings, which includes the right to criticize or support city policies or actions.

The city encourages your uninhibited and robust feedback on public issues affecting the city.

Thank you for participating.

Thank you, Clementine.

With that, we'll jump in.

There is no evening session today, so we're gonna go ahead and do the pledge.

And I'm gonna ask Councilmember Smith to kick us off here.

You bet.

Please join me.

I fled the allegiance to the black, the United States America to the Republic for which it stands for one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Ed.

And with that, we'll roll into presentations.

The first item on our agenda is to recognize February 2026 as Black History Month.

And I'm gonna go ahead and pass it to Dr.

Barber to read us the proclamation today.

All right, thank you, Mayor.

The proclamation reads as follows.

Um, whereas in 1926, Harvard scholar Carter G.

Woodson founded the first of African American History Week and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History to bring attention to the need of acknowledging black history and representing those voices lost to time, and whereas the week long event as the ASALH were first founded in recognition of the lack of black history in the nation's educational curriculum and to promote the scientific study of black life and history.

The event inspired community celebrations nationwide.

And whereas the month of February was chosen by Carter Woodson as a month of tradition and reform, the month of February encompasses the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two Americans who had prominent roles in shaping Black history.

While recognizing traditional celebrations of the birthdays of the two men, Woodson hoped to inspire reform and refocusing on the contributions of the countless black men and women throughout history who have and continue to advance our nation.

And whereas Black History Month was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976, calling upon the American people to seize the opportunity to honor the too often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout history.

And since every US president has designated February as Black History Month, and whereas the ASALH announced that the 2026 Black History theme is a century of Black history commemorations.

The 100th anniversary theme urged us to explore the impact and meaning of Black history and life commemorations and transforming the status of black peoples in the modern world.

And whereas 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of this celebration, the ASALH states in their executive summary to understand the modern world, especially nations where black peoples form a significant population.

One must grapple with the impact that the public observance have had in past and the present.

This year, when we are also commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States independence, is important to tell not only an inclusive history, but an accurate one.

And whereas a community we can celebrate Black History Month and continue to work together towards a more fair and inclusive future.

And now, therefore, be it proclaimed that I, well, the mayor, Tyler Williamson, mayor of the city of Monterey, on behalf of the city council and the citizens, hereby proclaim the month of February 2026 as Black History Month.

Woo!

Yeah, it's a long one.

Thank you, Dr.

Barber, for reading that out for us.

And as she was reading this, and even before the council meeting, as I was prepping, I was deciding whether or not I wanted to make a remark about this because there is a an approach to this conversation where you don't bring up the negative and maybe just focus on the positive.

But I I figured it's probably good to share.

And my intentions with this are all to help bring light and shine light on why it is important that we continue to celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion.

When the when an article was shared last week about the selection of our incoming city manager, assuming that the council moves in favor of supporting that direction tonight, there was a comment posted on a social media site that said the person was selected for a DEI hire without understanding the person's background, without understanding the reasons that justify the council's decision.

And I can speak confidently in saying that we selected this person because they were the most qualified for the job, not because of the color of their skin.

But that remark is not unique to that one individual.

That is a common theme that still exists throughout our community.

And so it is important that we continue to shine light on the successes of African Americans and other diverse communities.

And the work that we still need to do moving forward.

So thank you, Dr.

Barber, for reading the proclamation.

Thank you to staff for helping to put that together.

And I um am proud to stand as mayor of Monterey and knowing that a strong majority of our community stands with us in celebrating this uh momentous occasion.