Sacramento City Council Meeting - May 7, 2024: FY 2024/25 Budget Overview and Other Actions
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Sacramento City Council Meeting - May 7, 2024: FY 2024/25 Budget Overview and Other Actions
The Sacramento City Council met on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 5:05 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The meeting included special presentations, a consent calendar, three public hearings, and a lengthy discussion of the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Proposed Budget. Mayor Darrell Steinberg presided until 9:09 PM; all eight councilmembers were present. The meeting adjourned at 9:26 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1 (Agreement: Local Media Foundation for Solving Sacramento Journalism Collective – ARPA): Passed 7-1 (Councilmember Talamantes voted no). Authorizes up to $250,000 for the journalism collective. Talamantes expressed concern about new spending during a budget deficit. Councilmember Guerra and Vang supported the item, noting its infrastructure and diversity benefits.
- Item 2 (Pass for Publication: South Land Park Hills/Eichler Historic District): Passed for publication for Council consideration on May 21, 2024.
- Item 3 (Removal of Commission Member for Lack of Attendance): Withdrawn.
- Item 4 (Fleet Management Software Maintenance): Passed, including ratification of $72,145.19 outstanding and a five-year agreement not to exceed $600,000.
- Item 5 (Confirmation of Board and Commission Appointments): Passed, confirming Ramona Landeros and Timothy Smith to the Community Police Review Commission.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 6 (Tourism Marketing District): Mike Testa (Visit Sacramento) expressed support, noting $250 million in visitor spending in 2023. No opposition speakers.
- Items 7 & 8 (Holiday Inn and California Truck & Trailer Repair): No public testimony.
- Item 9 (FY 2024/25 Proposed Budget): 25 speakers addressed the council. Many opposed proposed cuts to the Ride Free RT youth transit program (speakers included parents, teachers, students, and community organizers), urging continued city funding. Speakers also opposed cuts to the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC; Edison Leader, age 11, testified) and the Sacramento History Museum. One speaker supported the fire department budget as proposed. Another opposed home occupation fee increases. Concerns were raised about bike trail safety and parking voucher changes for downtown workers.
Discussion Items
- Item 6 (Modification of Sacramento Tourism Marketing District No. 2016-06): Unanimously approved via Resolution 2024-0141, aligning the district’s end date with the renewed term starting July 1, 2024.
- Item 7 (Holiday Inn, N Freeway Boulevard): Unanimously approved a 70,036 sq ft, four-story, 116-room hotel on 2.7 acres in Natomas, including a Development Agreement and Site Plan/Design Review.
- Item 8 (California Truck and Trailer Repair, 121 Morrison Avenue): Approved after discussion. Councilmembers expressed concerns about industrial uses near residential areas. The motion included directions to staff to explore additional signage and parking restrictions on Morrison Avenue, and to report back on idling restrictions and environmental justice policies for industrial areas near low-income neighborhoods.
- Item 9 (FY 2024/25 Proposed Budget Overview): The Finance Director presented a $1.6 billion balanced budget closing a $66 million structural deficit without eliminating filled positions. Strategies included $30.1 million in ongoing solutions and $36.6 million in one-time measures, including use of Economic Uncertainty Reserve contributions. Assistant City Managers detailed reductions by department. Councilmembers discussed: using the $3.8 million FY 2023-24 EUR contribution for restorations; preserving the Ride Free RT program; avoiding cuts to MOSAC and the History Museum; rejecting language access coordinator elimination; and continuing the Downtown Sacramento Partnership funding. Mayor Steinberg announced he would issue a budget letter, and the adoption timeline moved to June 11, 2024.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Items 1, 2, 4, 5 passed (Item 3 withdrawn). Item 1 passed 7-1.
- Public Hearings: Items 6, 7, 8 all approved unanimously.
- Budget Discussion: Received and considered for final adoption on June 11, 2024. Council directed staff to provide additional information on: the list of one-time programs continued; detailed division-level impacts of proposed police cuts; a written overtime policy; and a report on parking and truck idling restrictions for the Morrison Avenue area. The mayor will release a budget letter, and a council workshop on priorities was requested.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. The Sacramento City Council will come to order. Would the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum? Thank you. Councilmember Kaplan. Councilmember Tao. Mayor Pro Tem Talamantes. Councilmember Valenzuela. Here. Vice Mayor Maple. Here. Councilmember Gatta. Here. Councilmember Jennings. Here. Councilmember Vang. Here. And Mayor Steinberg. I am here. Councilmember Gedday, would you please lead us in the land acknowledgement and the Pledge of Allegiance? Appreciate it. Please rise for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, and the Valley and Plains Miwok, the Putwin and Winton people, and the people of the Wilton 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 together today an active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation of Sacramento's Indigenous People's History, contribution, and lives. Thank you. Face the flag, salute, pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Well, a very good afternoon again to everyone, to the city staff, my colleagues, and most importantly, the members of the public. But also to uh never take for granted the fact that in our country and in our state and in our city, we have a series of building codes that, even if imperfect, uh, are intended and usually do protect the life and safety of the people who inhabit them. And so this is an important resolution because it it gives us a chance to say thank you and to remind ourselves that um one person's regulation is another person's lifesaver. And we always strive to find the balance. Uh and I turn it over to you, Mr. Lance. Thank you. Great. Thank you, Mayor Mayor. Council members. Um, every year in May, we celebrate Building Safety Month to recognize and raise awareness about building safety and the contribution CDD staff make along with our partners, such as fire, development engineering, and public works in creating and maintaining our communities and quality of life. This year's theme is mission possible to make the places we live, work, and play safe. After all, building safety is all our responsibility. Each week emphasizes a different aspect of safety. Week one is the awareness of building codes and the role they play in public safety. Week two emphasizes how building safety has an impact on our daily lives and highlights what we can do at home to stay safe. This includes fire and water safety tips and home maintenance best practices. Learning to plan ahead in the event of a disaster and the importance of practicing sustainability for a cleaner, greener tomorrow. Week four educates us on how to advocate for building safety in our community with public outreach and city council meetings. Week five celebrates those who make a difference in building safety all year long. Our building department, along with our partners, work day in and day out to provide Sacramento a safe and prosperous community to live, work, and play. And there you can make a picture. I'm sorry.
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