Sacramento City Council Meeting - March 26, 2024: Transgender Sanctuary City, Tourism District, and Housing
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Sacramento City Council Meeting - March 26, 2024
The Sacramento City Council met on March 26, 2024, starting at 5:30 PM (due to a prior meeting running late). The agenda included a special recognition, a consent calendar, a resolution declaring Sacramento a sanctuary city for transgender people, a public hearing on the renewal of the Sacramento Tourism Marketing District, a weed and rubbish abatement hearing, a zoning and drive-through project, adoption of an Age-Friendly Community Action Plan, and a review of the 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report. The meeting lasted until approximately 9:13 PM.
Special Presentation
- The council recognized Wendell Brown on his retirement after 37 years of service with the City of Sacramento, starting as a sanitation worker and rising to Integrated Waste General Supervisor. Multiple councilmembers and staff praised his leadership, mentorship, and work with the African American Employee Leadership Council.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–6 were approved unanimously. These included:
- February 2024 Monthly Investment Transactions Report (received and filed).
- Direct Filing of Annual Reports for City of Sacramento Assessment Districts.
- Suspension of competitive bidding for heavy-duty tow services and waiver of LBE participation requirement.
- Funding agreement with the Regional Water Authority for groundwater enhancement projects (including a $7,060,000 grant) and certification of EIR for the Groundwater Well Replacement Program.
- Letter of commitment for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District’s EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant application (up to $21.5 million).
- Engineering services agreement for the 72-inch Force Main Rehabilitation Project (not-to-exceed $1,367,214).
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Item 7 (Transgender Sanctuary City): 38 speakers registered. The majority expressed strong support for the resolution, citing personal experiences, medical evidence, and the need to protect transgender people fleeing hostile states. A handful of speakers opposed, arguing against gender-affirming care for minors and claiming the resolution was unnecessary or harmful. Councilmember Vang raised a concern about the Sacramento Police Department sharing license plate reader data with other states, which could undermine the resolution.
- On Item 8 (Tourism Marketing District): Nine speakers, including hotel general managers and Visit Sacramento representatives, supported the renewal, highlighting its economic impact and job creation. One speaker (Macworthy) questioned financial transparency.
- On Item 9 (Weed and Rubbish Abatement): One speaker, Gregory Jefferson, urged the city to include the bike trail in District 2, describing hazardous conditions.
- On Item 10 (Corporate Way Drive-Thru): One speaker, the owner of a nearby taekwondo school, expressed concern about traffic safety for children.
- On Item 11 (Age-Friendly Plan): Three speakers (Patty Waite of AARP, Christina Zhang and Dana Aika Miranda of Civic Thread) spoke in support, emphasizing the need for pedestrian safety, accessible infrastructure, and social inclusion.
- On Matters Not on the Agenda: Several speakers addressed homelessness, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and District 2 infrastructure needs.
Discussion Items
- Item 7 – Resolution Declaring Sacramento a Sanctuary City for Transgender People: Councilmember Valenzuela presented the resolution, co-presented by Emily Smet (DSA Sacramento) and Petra Cox. The resolution prohibits city resources from being used to cooperate with out-of-state investigations into gender-affirming care. After extensive public comment, the council debated. Vice Mayor Maple, Councilmember Vang, Councilmember Kaplan, Mayor Steinberg, and others spoke in strong support. Councilmember Vang asked about SPD data sharing. The resolution passed unanimously.
- Item 8 – Renewal of Sacramento Tourism Marketing District (STMD): Staff presented the 10-year renewal, supported by 77% of lodging businesses. The public hearing was opened and closed. Councilmembers commended the work of Visit Sacramento and emphasized the economic and community benefits. The hearing was closed, and the item was set to return on April 2 with protest results.
- Item 9 – 2024 Weed and Rubbish Abatement: Staff recommended authorizing abatement of weeds and debris on undeveloped properties. The council approved after hearing public comment and directing staff to communicate with the District 2 office about the bike trail.
- Item 10 – Corporate Way Retail Pad with Drive-Thru: The project includes a Dutch Bros. Coffee drive-through and a future restaurant. The council approved the rezoning, PUD amendments, conditional use permit, design review, and tree permit after hearing public comment and ensuring traffic safety mitigation.
- Item 11 – Age-Friendly Community Action Plan: Staff presented the three-year plan based on AARP’s eight domains of livability. Councilmembers Guerra, Kaplan, Valenzuela, and others stressed the importance of implementation, particularly for sidewalks, crosswalks, senior centers, and language access. The plan was adopted unanimously.
- Item 12 – 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report and Mid-term Evaluation: Staff reported that in 2023, the city produced 2,600 housing units (a 7% decrease from 2022), meeting only half of its low-income target but surpassing moderate-income targets. ADU permits increased 7% (644 ADUs in three years, exceeding the 600-unit target). The city has completed 9 of 37 implementation programs. Councilmembers noted the impact of the flood moratorium and requested better coordination between planning and building for ADUs. The report was received and filed.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous approval of the resolution declaring Sacramento a sanctuary city for transgender people.
- Public hearing held on the Tourism Marketing District renewal; results to be presented on April 2, 2024.
- Unanimous approval of the 2024 Weed and Rubbish Abatement authorization.
- Unanimous approval of the Corporate Way Retail Pad with Drive-Thru project.
- Unanimous adoption of the Age-Friendly Community Action Plan.
- Received and filed the 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report and Mid-term Evaluation.
- Adjourned in memory of Viola Warren, mother of former councilmember Alan Wayne Warren.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Excuse me, the Sacramento City Council will please come to order. Would the clerk please call the role to establish a quorum? Thank you. Councilmember Maple. Here. Pardon me, I'm going backwards. I wasn't Councilmember Kaplan. Mayor Potem Talamantes. Councilmember Valenzuela. Vicemor Maple. Here. Councilmember Gatta. Here. Councilmember Jennings will be here momentarily. Councilmember Vang. Here. Mayor Steinberg. I am here. Councilmember Rang, would you please lead us in the land acknowledgement and I'll lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Absolutely. Please hand if you are able. To the original people of this land, the Nizana people, the Southern Maidu, Valley of Lanewap, Putwin and Wentu Peoples, and the people of Walton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento Indigenous Peoples, history, contribution, and lives. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to be republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible. Well, a very good uh late afternoon to my colleagues, the city staff, most importantly, the members of the public. Let me apologize to all of you who came for the five o'clock meeting. It is now 5 30. We did go late at two as we selected an interim uh appointee to sit in the district two city council seat, Sean Tao, and that took uh a long time as it should have. We were very thorough, so we're a little late, and we apologize, but um, we look forward to hearing from all of you uh who've come to testify in anything here tonight. Um let us begin with a special presentation. I turn it over to Councilmember Kaplan. Thank you, Mayor, and uh Wendell, you are the star, so will you come on up and the your team come with you too? Because uh you don't uh do this alone when you are uh city staff. Uh it is truly an honor to to recognize you uh Wendell on your official retirement begins this Friday. Yes, and you began your employment with the city of Sacramento in 1986. Yes. That is important. Started off, as you know, as a sanitation worker, uh moved your way up uh into supervisory roles in uh solid waste supervisor in 1999, which was a good day because that was my birthday you got promoted. And you further was uh got another promotion as our integrated waste general supervisor in 2018, but not only have you dedicated 37 years to the city of Sacramento, but you have also been part of the City of Sacramento's African American Employee Leadership Council. You haven't no, it's it's one thing to dedicate your time uh as an employee working for the city, but you have also dedicated your time and effort for um mentoring the next generation, understanding what it is to teach our employees how to be good employees and also protect their rights um and make sure that their voice is heard. I've appreciated hearing from you and your voice, but it is truly an honor because uh I went down and I said hi to him because if you if you know if you know Mr. Uh Mr. Brown, he likes some bass fishing. Love it. And so uh I asked him what's next. He's like, no, no, I'm retiring. I'm like, well, tell me about what bass fishing you're doing.
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