The Monterey City Council met on July 7, 2026, in afternoon and evening sessions. The meeting included a proclamation for Parks and Recreation Month, approval of a curb ramp improvement contract, acceptance of a failed stormwater fee ballot measure, appointments to boards and commissions (with a tie on the Parks and Recreation Commission deferred), authorization to participate in a state water board hearing, discussion of NCIP priorities, and a motion to reconsider a traffic safety project. Council Member Barber was absent.
How do we give us a hug All right. With that, we'll go ahead and call the meeting to order. Hello, everybody. Welcome to our afternoon session of our council meeting today, July seventh, twenty twenty-six. Council Member Rash. Here. Council Member Smith. Here. Mayor Williamson? Here. And the record will reflect that Council Member Barber is absent today. Public comment and participation 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. Sorry, that was public works. I'm I'm mixing it too. No, it I what I would offer, what I would offer is that it's a healthy competition. But now the bar has been set. So with that, I'm just gonna pass it to Dante and let him take it from here. Thank you, Mayor. Um, and thanks uh to the council for recognizing Parks and Recreation Month and its importance. Um it's really a an opportunity for us to highlight the essential essential roles that parks and recreation play in really providing services to our community and supporting the health and wellness of our community. Um our parks team works to provide safe spaces and programming that helps strengthen community connections. Um tonight uh I want to thank all the dedicated staff and volunteers and for their commitment and our our parks and rec team for their commitment and celebrate their positive impact that they make every single day. Um, and so at this time I'd like to uh bring up the uh director of parks and recreation, Nicole Banks to provide the presentation. Good afternoon to mayor, council members. Um, first of all, it was so great to see everybody at the Fourth of July just a few days ago. What a wonderful community celebration to get to be a part of. I have to put the readers on for this part. Yep, okay. So each year, communities across the nation take time to celebrate the essential role that parks and recreation plays in enhancing our quality of life. This year's national theme, the power of, reminds us that a true that the true power of parks and recreation is not found in the facilities themselves, but in the people who make them possible. The parks and recreation department serves our community through three distinct but interconnected areas of service. Our parks division, our recreation division, and the Monterey Sports Center. And I want to recognize a lot of our team and my amazing colleagues here in the audience tonight. While their responsibilities look different from day to day, they are united by one common purpose, caring for our community. When many people think of parks and recreation, they picture playgrounds, sport fields, beaches, trails, community centers, and special events like we just had. Those are certainly an important part of what we do, but our responsibilities extend so much further. As you'll see in the photographs on the screen, our work is carried out by an extraordinary team of professionals who take pride in serving Monterey. Starting off with our parks division, they work behind the scenes every day to take care of our parks and open spaces, maintain our urban forest, prepare our athletic fields, operate our campground, preserve our natural resources, and maintain our community cemetery with dignity and compassion, helping families through some of life's most difficult moments. Whether they're repairing irrigation lines in the early morning, pruning trees to improve public safety, preparing a park for a community event, maintaining athletic fields, caring for the cemetery, or responding to unexpected maintenance maintenance issues. They approach each day with dedication, professionalism, and genuine commitment to public service. They deliver hundreds of recreation programs throughout the year, organize community events that bring neighbors together, lead youth camps, and create lifelong memories. They provide enriching opportunities that support active and healthy aging for our older adult community. Their work extends far beyond logistics and scheduling. They build relationships, foster inclusion, encourage lifelong learning, and create experiences that strengthen the fabric of our community. The Monterey Sports Center is another place where we see the power of the power of parks and recreation in action every day. Open nearly 100 hours each week and serving more than 8,000 members. The Sports Center is much more than a fitness facility. It is one of Monterey's premier community gathering places.