Okay, please call this meeting to order the Sacramento City Council.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilmember Kaplan is expected momentarily.

Councilmember Dickinson is expected momentarily.

Momentarily is here.

Councilmember Dickinson is present.

Vice Mayor Talamantes.

Councilmember Plucky Baum is expected momentarily.

Councilmember Maple.

I am here.

Mayor Pro Temgata.

Councilmember Jennings.

Councilmember Vang.

And Mayor McCarty.

Here.

You have a quorum.

Okay.

Vice Mayor, we lease in the pledge and the land acknowledgement.

Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands to the original people of this land.

The Nissan people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Pat Winwintoon peoples, 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 in the act of practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people, history, history contributions and lives.

Thank you.

So the pledge.

Thank you.

So we move to special presentations.

Um presented by Mayor Kevin McCarty, Community Development Department Employee of the Year, Dan Lowther, Building Inspector.

Thank you.

I'm gonna have our director, Mr.

Pace, present this item.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

I'm Tom Pace, Director of Community Development, and it's my pleasure to uh honor our employee of the year uh this year for 2025, uh Dan Louther, who is the building inspector for in the housing and dangerous building uh section of the code enforcement division in our department.

Uh each year we acknowledge employees of the month that are nominated by their co-workers, and then we select one of them to be our employee of the year.

And I think that um the best way there are a lot of really good things that have been said about Dan uh in the nomination by his co-workers.

Um, but I think there's a story that I'd like to tell that we talked about recently uh that maybe exemplifies why he's our employee of the year this year.

Um not too long ago, uh the fire department uh called out uh Dan to come to a building where there was uh concern that there may be damage to the roof.

And uh as a result, Dan uh came to the site and met with uh employees of the organization that that own the facility there in the building.

And uh while they were in the building, he observed that uh, and you could actually hear apparently the sound of the beam cracking and making you know sounds that uh were pretty alarming.

And so uh a number of the employees of the organization that were that were there were standing underneath this beam looking at it as they were talking about it.

And so Dan determined that uh there was a dangerous situation immediately and evacuated the building, got everyone out of the building, and uh within moments the beam collapsed and a portion of the roof caved in and fell to the floor, and there was a very heavy air conditioning unit, I think, situated on top of that beam.

So if people had been underneath there, um they probably would have been killed or at least seriously injured.

And so the work that you know Dan does, I mean it's just one example, but the work that he does and the work that his colleagues do in housing in dangerous buildings is about saving lives and protecting public health and safety, and I think that's our highest purpose as a as a as public servants, and so I'm really uh pleased to um to have him here today to acknowledge him.

And uh would you like to say anything?

Um, I just want to say thank you for this opportunity to represent Sacramento and that's what I do.

That's what the city of Sacramento expects of us to go out and do our jobs, and that's all I know.

So thank you.

Well, thank you, Dan, on behalf of the Mayor and City Council, more importantly, on behalf of the city of Sacramento.

You are our face to 500,000 plus people in our city, and thank you for your service.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Congratulations, congratulations.

I want burgody just because I knew you were first reading person.

Thank you, everyone.

So, mayor, we now move to our consent calendar, items one through 14.

I would have a read to the record.

Pardon me, I have a read to the record item number eight is being pulled and will not be heard this evening.

Okay.

I have three speakers on the consent calendar.

Would you like to take those now?

Yes, please.

Um, Justine Kansler on item two.

Also on item two, and Keon Bliss on item two.

Good evening.

My name is Justine Kansler, representing the staff of 350 Sacramento.

350 Sacramento commends the council on divesting from harmful fossil fuel industries in the past, as well as tobacco industries as a city.

As an organization, we recognize that a socially responsible investment policy could ensure that commitment stands firm over the years as climate change continues to grow as a threat to our city's residents.

Developing socially responsible standards for the city's current investment policy will improve the lives of Sacramentans and make a statement about corporate responsibility.

We have spoken on behalf of the proposed statewide polluters' pay bill with similar concerns, creating infrastructure to hold companies accountable at a time where many are profiting from destruction and harm.

This policy addresses environmental concerns and human rights standards, which go hand in hand.

With that, we want to speak on the importance of our community coming together to protect our fellow immigrant residents.

Sacramento, the capital of a sanctuary state, can align with a policy that prevents investment in mass surveillance companies that are profiling and detaining our neighbors, co-workers, and community members.

We urge the council to implement a socially responsible investment policy that reflects our values as a city while remaining fiscally responsible.

By investing in the health of our schools and businesses, making our local housing market accessible to residents, and strengthening the green and success sustainable infrastructure of our city, we will be able to cycle more funds back into our communities.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Amira El Mala and then Keon Bliss.

Hello and good evening, Council members.

My name is Amir El Mala, and I'm representing Reinvest in Sacramento.

We are a diverse and growing coalition of local organizations that support divestment from harmful corporations and reinvesting instead in the city and in its residents.

And we commend the council on already demonstrating leadership in this area by divesting from harmful fossil fuel and tobacco industries.

We'd like the council to build on this by explicitly mentioning these important guidelines in the investment policy to ensure they are not reversed and to address this issue comprehensively by divesting from all kinds of harm.

In addition to fossil fuel and tobacco industries, investment in industries that thrive off of violence has negative impacts abroad as well as on communities right here at home.

For example, weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin that produce fighter jets and technologies used for the mass slaughter of civilians, like the horrors that we're witnessing in Gaza right now and the forced starvation and destruction, or the war in Afghanistan, or even earlier in the Vietnam War.

Sacramento is home to families from all of these countries who were forced to flee to the US to escape these deadly and destructive conflicts.

These weapons upended their lives and the lives of many veterans who fought in them.

Similarly, mass surveillance technologies are being used to terrorize immigrant communities right here in Sacramento.

And we pride ourselves on being a city that is home to these immigrants.

So how could we support companies that are terrorizing them?

So we urge the council to implement a socially robust responsible investment policy to divest from all forms of harm and reinvest in the community in accessible housing and education and youth empowerment.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Keon Bliss on item two seconds, uh the two speakers around uh the need for a real ethical investment policy uh here in the city.

I mean, it's not just about uh making sure we're aligned with our principles, it's also a basic principle of democracy.

Because as many of us who have been watching this, uh watching everything from city council, the county board, even the state legislature and federal government, uh, money rules everything.

And uh the uh the people that have the most power are the ones that own uh many of the major corporations, many of whom uh invest and uh contribute to uh not just our federal uh legislators but also to you all uh through uh organizations and uh independent uh expenditure committees such as uh the California Apartments Association or the Realtors Association, um, even uh the like the state prison lobby uh the and uh a lot of uh police associations or private foundations that give you thousands, tens of thousands of dollars like within this to in order to put uh city dollars, our public taxpayer funds into things like uh for-profit prisons or um uh like or uh jail house work crews, uh, many of whom are uh responsible right now for landscaping and maintaining parks here around Sacramento City and County.

These are just like this is uh really should be a no-brainer, but um it's really hard to stand on principles up here uh in a dais, especially in a world that uh where uh those with the most money have the loudest microphone, and uh those same uh powerful wealthy interests control 90% of what we read, watch, and listen to through uh 24-7 uh mainstream corporate media.

So with that, I think this is a really good conversation, a good opportunity for uh for you all uh to put your literally put your money where your mouth is, and as uh especially since most of it is our money.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Mayor, I have no more speakers.

Okay, thank you.

We have um council that wants to make comments, Councilmember Vang.

Um, I'd like to uh not pull any items, just wanted to make comments on item two, item five, and item nine.

Thank you, Councilmember Geta.

Uh comments on item five Councilmember Maple.

Yeah, item four and item twelve, please.

Councilmember Dickinson.

Uh two and uh out of an abundance of caution, I'll uh abstain on item three.

Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan.

Item three, five, and six.

Okay, so let's start with item number two.

I have um Council Member Vang and then Dickinson.

Thank you so much.

Um, I just wanted to take this moment.

This is our City of Sacramento investment policy.

Um, and I know that it comes uh to the council annually.

Um this policy is actually created by our city treasurer and his incredible team.

Um I just first want to thank uh John for all his hard work on the investment policy.

Um I know that this investment in particular, we're talking about investment policy poll A.

Um, and I just wanted to take this moment just to make some comments and provide direction.

Um, I'd like to provide direction to the city treasurer to see um obviously I'm gonna be voting on this item tonight, but would love to work with the city treasurer uh to return with a proposed update uh and edits that actually incorporate a socially responsible investment section within the city investment policy.

A few a few years ago, uh the city actually decided to uh divest in fossil fill as directed by former councilwoman Katie Valenzuela.

Um and it was more of a verbal agreement on this council, but we actually didn't have anything written down.

Um, this city has also divested in tobacco as well, um, but we actually don't have this written down in our policy as well.

And for me, I think it's just really important to ensure that um as we move forward with this investment policy that it comes back to ensure that we incorporate uh just a section uh of socially responsible investment uh section that is reflective of Sacramento's values.

Um I've been in conversation, I know I've been in conversation with our city treasurer uh with councilmember Dickinson as well to uh collaborate with community care holders and adding a section to this investment policy to make sure that it's reflected and hopefully we can bring that item back.

Um, and that's the direction that I like to provide um for um item two.

Uh but with that I'll I'll be voting yes on the investment policy as it stands tonight.

Thank you.

Councilmember Dickinson on item two.

Thanks.

I'll just uh uh appreciate Councilmember Vang's comments, and it would just uh say ditto.

Uh I think it's worth uh uh looking at a socially responsible uh element to our investment policy.

Uh and so look forward to continuing to to work with that and the and uh work on that uh with her and with the treasurer.

And um, I have a question actually uh whether that could also apply um to item one.

Now they have a separate board, but um if we could if we could examine that issue with respect to item one that that would be of interest as well.

So I don't know if if there's anybody who wants to respond to that or not.

Oh, there we I didn't see them.

Okay.

Councilmember, thank you for the question.

Um, entities.

Um the the Scurs portfolio is managed by an AFM board, which is appointed by there's three external board members, but it's there's a different fiducia responsibility on the board members to run the AFIM board or run the screws portfolio versus investment pool A.

Investment pool A, I've had conversations with you folks.

It's understandable what you need, but you really need to understand that you're you have to work within the confines of 53601 because that's state code guided.

We can make omissions from that, which we've discussed in the past, but from the the screws board, you're gonna be hard because you need to fiduci responsibility to get the highest return you can in order to make sure there's benefits are available for beneficiaries.

Okay, and I understand that.

Thank you, John.

I uh I'm not sure that's inconsistent necessarily with a socially responsible policy, which hopefully you still gets still still gets great return, but I guess that's something we could have at least some further disc conversation about.

Okay, thanks.

Councilmember Kaplan on item three.

Thank you.

I just wanted to bring up, because I've got some questions because this deals with card rooms, that this is really us changing our ordinances in compliance with changes with state law that allows how many uh tables a card room can or can't have and what our obligations.

Nothing else is changing because there's been concerns about who can who gets authorized to have card rooms or not, and does is this ordinance changing that?

And it is not, and police and fire have no concerns, so I just wanted to make sure that that was uh clarified.

Thank you.

Councilmember Maple on item four.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um, I will speak on this briefly, but I'm really excited about this item.

This is something that my office, especially um our district director, Michael Benjamin II has been working on for quite some time.

Um, so we'll be officially after this vote um naming uh a street topper after Pastor Hollins, who served the Oak Park community in Sacramento for decades, um, including founding the Church All Nations Church of God in Christ on Broadway.

Um, under his leadership, the church has provided weekly food outreach, youth programming, senior housing and counseling and support programs.

They also launched the Harvest Day celebration, Thanksgiving feeds, free summer camps for neighborhood children, and much much more.

Um, and something that we're really excited about coming up on this Monday, and I believe the mayor will be joining us as well, is uh the um ribbon cutting for the senior housing project on 39th and Broadway, which they are very instrumental in, and we're so grateful for them.

And I just also want to take this moment to um to recognize Mrs.

Diane Hollinsgunning and uh in the crowd um and say that we're we're thrilled that we were able to get this done um just ahead of uh All Nations 50th anniversary.

So just congratulations and thank you so much for everything that you do.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ving on item five.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um, this item is regarding the uh supplemental contract with Los Rios community college district, uh, which I have CRC in uh my district in District A.

I just wanted to make a few comments.

One, I wanted to thank Mayor Pro Tem Eric Garra for his leadership on this.

And just really want to give a shout out also to our child care project manager, Ms.

Cooper as well, for her incredible work.

This program particular is so important for our region.

We had nine participants in Cohort 1, and we're gonna have 16 participants in cohort two.

And many of you know that in our communities we face a shortage of qualified early childhood uh teachers, and so this apprenticeship program is so important to make sure that we create pathways for new educator, um, have combined paid work with training, help recruit and retain talent.

And so really just wanted to thank um Mayor Pro Tem Gera for his leadership and also uh Miss Cooper for um her work in leading this this um this program.

So those are my comments.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem Gata on item five.

Well, thank you, Madam Clerk, and uh thank you, Councilmember Vang, for those comments.

I was was expecting that I wanted to thank Janine Cooper and then also uh all of the participants of our city county uh task force that includes first five child action.

And it's just I went to the graduation of our first cohort and watching you know the opportunity for folks to enter into a new career and also meet the need that current families have.

And what's exciting about this and making sure that uh that we looked at it through also our economic development department's lens is that the those that are coming through the apprenticeship program, they're if they choose to and want to, they get to be able to start their own business and start a career.

And what we've found is those who have uh uh been in need of uh support for child care have also found themselves to be benefiting from this program as well.

So it's exciting to see that I'm inspired by all the the hard work uh that's gone into creating our own apprenticeship program for early childhood education.

It was the city of Sacramento's leadership that pushed this and said, and if we're gonna have a strong economy here, uh we need to take care of working families so that they have child care.

So uh thank you to uh Jenny Cooper and all those that have helped this actually project uh move forward.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Councilmember Kaplan on item five and then six.

I want to say ditto what's been said on five, um, because Councilmember Gera, you and I know of having younger kids, how much it costs to pay for daycare.

Uh, you know, not just an arm and a leg.

And the fact that, especially during the pandemic, we lost so many daycare providers, small business owners, and that this program is recreating that and giving that sense of stability, which the more providers we have, it becomes a little bit more affordable for families in need, but it's also creating opportunities for people to become business owners.

And that is that is you know, kind of like the the cherry on top with this program is we are helping families because costs are so exorbitant.

And if you can't have affordable day care or good daycare, you can't work, and it's a vicious cycle.

So um, kudos for for this, and um, I think it does so much good.

So thanks, Ms.

Cooper for all she does.

And then on item six, I just want to call out the good work that the uh Sacramento Disabilities Advisory Commission uh put in last year and what their goals are for the next year.

Uh we now have you know wheelchair accessible, getting in and out of our chambers because of their advocacy, working on appropriate drop-offs if they go to um go to a king's game or any event uh at Golden One, but the work they do is so essential to constantly keeping it on the forefront of what access means to those uh who have disabilities.

So kudos on them.

And and this is this is truly when you look at a commission that's doing really, really good work, all of them are, but this is kind of the gold standard.

Thank you, Councilmember Vang on item nine.

Okay, yes.

Um, thank you, Madam Clerk.

This item is regarding the Martin Luther King Library renovation, and I just wanted to share that I had the opportunity to do a site visit uh of this site.

The work is underway um and the project is coming along, and again, I just want to say it's so inspiring to see investment come into Mediview.

I just want to take this time to thank city staff, Nadia, our senior architect, David, our supervising architect, and James Christensen, our facilities manager in the Department of Public Works for all their hard work to make sure that we get this uh to the finish line.

I know our community is incredibly excited, um, and we're really looking forward to the completion of the project so that we can start in district two uh libraries um as well.

And so I'm just really excited uh with the progress and just really want to take this moment to thank city staff for their hard work.

And with that, um, I don't know if I'm the last one, but I don't think there's a motion on the table to um move all the items, so I'll make the motion on the table to move all the items on consent.

Thank you.

There is one more comment on item number um 12 from Councilmember Maple, but I do have a motion by Councilmember Vang and the second by Vice Mayor Talamantes.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I'll be very brief.

Um so this is uh a supplemental agreement uh for the ex street shelters while as the um Grove shelter, and I just don't want to say this to to my constituents and folks um who live around the extreme shelter community that we've been working really hard with DCR with our impact team um and with other city staff departments in the county to really make sure that we're keeping the area around there clean.

I just I just really want to thank thank you, Brian, and um the rest of our staff for doing that because it means a lot to the community that we uphold that.

So I just want to appreciate that.

And I know that the supplemental um contract will also make sure that those operations are seamless while while we transfer things over.

So thank you.

So, Mayor, you have a motion by council member Vang and a second by Vice Mayor Talamantes.

Yes, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

No zero abstentions.

We had abstention by Mr.

Dickens on number three, and I will also join on abstaining on number three.

Perfect, and then um council member plucky bomb is absent.

Correct.

Thank you.

We now move to public hearing item number 15, an ordinance listing 12 landmark properties and the new Helvetia Historic District on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources and adopting the historic district plan for the new Helvetia Historic District.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council members.

Uh Sean DeCourcy Preservation Director for the City of Sacramento.

This item is being continued to August 26 as noted on your agenda.

Thank you.

Do we need to pass a motion on writing or know your item?

Um the I think action lets you prefer a motion.

Um it's fine, it's noted on the agenda.

I think your understanding is that uh that's sufficient to continue the item.

Perfect.

No.

I'll make a motion to continue it to the August 26th.

August 26th.

All those in favor?

Opposed, abstain.

Um put for the record note that Plucky Bomb is absent.

Thank you.

We move to item number 16 housing and dangerous buildings case fees.

Findings of fact for special assessment.

Good evening, Mayor McCarty and members of City Council.

I'm Peter Limousure, Code and Housing Enforcement Chief for the Community Development Department.

Um items 16 and 17 are before you.

They are the neighborhood code compliance and housing and dangerous buildings case fees and penalties for special assessment and purpose of a personal obligation.

I would like to present both item 16 and 17 concurrently for a separate council vote of each.

So item 16, the housing and dangerous building case fees staff report lists a total of 200 properties with a total of 249, 130.78 cents of unpaid fees scheduled for liens against the property.

11 of the properties listed in exhibit A of the staff report have been removed from the report and are identified as item numbers 54, 59 through 61, 70 through 72, 74, 164, 190, 246, 247, 251, 252, and 391.

For item number 17, the community development department, administrative penalties and neighborhood code compliance fees, staff report lists an amended total of 371 properties with a sum of 855,320 and 47 cents of unpaid fees and penalties scheduled for special assessment and/or personal obligations against the properties.

14 properties enlisted in exhibit A of the staff report have been removed from the staff and are identified as line numbers one, 47, 83 through 83 through 85, 219, 220, 300, 307, 308, 322, 386, 412, 491, 533, 577, 578, and 613 through 616.

Staff recommends the city council adopt the two resolutions separately as amended to allow the code to collect the unpaid fees by placing special assessments, levies, and or personal obligations against the properties.

Concludes the presentation.

I'll open and close the public hearing and will be high 16.

So on item 16, I have a motion by uh Vice Mayor Talamantes and a second by Councilmember Jennings.

Yes, we do.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed.

And uh for the record, Councilmember Plucky Baum is absent.

Item 17.

I have no public comment on item 17.

Mr.

Mayor, I will uh move to open and close the public hearing item.

I have a motion by council member Lapel and a second by council member Gatta.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

And for the record, Councilmember Plucky Bomb is absent.

We move to item 18.

Um, and for the record, I believe both of those were opening closing the public hearing and moving the item.

Yes.

Thank you.

And then I also have a read to the record.

Would you like that done now or after your presentation?

Um, how about after my presentation?

Thank you.

All right.

Um, good evening, mayor and council members.

Um, my name is Claudia Latta, and I'm a analyst with the city treasurer's office.

I am here presenting and asking that you authorize the bond issuance of the 2025 refunding revenue bonds, which I will be referencing as the 2025 bonds.

Um the purpose of the 2025 bonds is to refund and defeat the 2015 refunding revenue bonds, which currently has outstanding power amount of 69.89 million with the final maturity of December 1 of 2036.

By doing so, it will benefit the city's general fund, solid waste fund, and the parking fund.

The financing plan for the 2025 bonds is based on the market conditions plus 0.25 percent with the estimated total source of the uses of 71.5 million and an estimated to generate an aggregate cash flow savings of 3.67 million.

The financing has been structured to front load the savings through fiscal year 2029.

As you may see on the table, the estimated savings per year in the right under a million for fiscal years 26 through 29.

In particular, the general fund estimated savings is $695,000 in the current fiscal year and over $800,000 for fiscal years 27, 28, and 29.

Um, some key highlights is that the maturity date for the 2025 bonds will stay the same, which is December 1 of 2036.

There is going to be approximately 3.67 million in aggregate cash flow savings.

The savings are front loaded through fiscal year 29.

And regarding the pricing and closing dates as it has differ from what was in the agenda.

Originally we had planned to price on or around September 4th and closing on around September 18th.

But our underwriters have suggested that we go ahead and price on or around August 21st due to other competing bond issues in the latter part of August and early part of September.

And with that, the new closing date will be on or around September 4th.

Thank you.

And this concludes my presentation.

This is a public hearing to consider the proposed issuance by the Sacramento City Financing Authority of its 2025 refunding revenue bonds, the master lease program facilities, and an aggregate principal amount not to see exceed $67 million.

The proceeds of the 2025 bonds will be issued to refund the outstanding Sacramento City Financing Authority 2015, refunding revenue bonds, master lease program facilities.

A portion of the 2025 bonds will be issued as qualified 501c3 bonds to refinance certain facilities within the city that are used by organizations described in section 501c3 of the international um internal revenue code as described in the published notice.

This public this public hearing is being held in accordance with section 147 F of the Internal Revenue Cardinal Revenue Code.

Umal comments will be limited to two minutes per speaker, although not required.

Anyone wishing to speak will be asked to provide their name address and the persons or entities they represented it before speaking.

The public hearing is now opened.

And I have not received any written comments related to this item.

So the public hearing is now closed.

So council comments.

Council comments, Vice Mayor Talamantes.

I'll move this item.

Okay, the motion is second.

Councilmember Kaplan, you want to speak.

I just want to briefly say thank you to our investment team and our treasurer's office.

This is gonna save our taxpayers over five million dollars.

Um and that's a good thing, and something we should celebrate in this day and age.

So much appreciated with all the hard work with limited staff that you do.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Well done, City Treasurer staff and city treasurer.

Okay, thank you.

With that, we have a motion and a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

No zero abstentions.

Hearing none, Mr.

Plucky Bong is absent.

Next item.

We uh move to item 19, which was an appeal of the Crocker Village Residential Development, and the action on this is to be continued to September 2nd, 2025.

So we then move to the discussion calendar item number 20, which is an ordinance repealing ordinance number um 2024-0024 and adopting a military equipment use policy.

I just want to highlight I'm going to be recusing myself and walking out because I have a conflict on this.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

Uh Clay Buchanan, Captain of the Sacramento Police Department.

Um I want to thank you all for allowing me the time to speak today.

Okay.

No, no, no.

Which is the continuous action item was we were supposed to hit the next item.

What happened to you?

19 item 19.

I'm not voting.

So there is no vote on item 19.

The action on the table was to continue December September 2nd, and that was a um request and was granted by right.

So the action on the table is there will be no discussion.

The item was um was continued.

No discussion.

No discussion.

Thank you.

There's no vote.

No vote, no discussion.

Well, I'll let the record show that council member Kaplan is not recusing from item 20 and will be continuing to join us.

Okay, please proceed.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Clayton Buchanan, Sacramento Police Department.

Uh, just want to thank you guys for allowing me the time to speak today.

I would like to give you a brief overview of this year's military equipment use annual report and policy, then answer any questions that you may have.

I want to begin by providing you a report back at the community meeting regarding military military equipment, which was held on July 16th at the Oak Park Community Center.

This meeting was hosted by the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission in collaboration with the city staff from Yipsey, IT, and the police department.

Police department provided to the community with an overview of this year's annual report and policy, then answered any questions.

The majority of the comments from the community were in support of this year's annual report and policy.

Members of the county police review commission were present and thank the police department for being transparent regarding military equipment use requirements.

The meeting was recorded and is available on the police department's transparency page.

Um I also want to provide you with an update from last night's police commission uh meeting.

At the meeting last night, there was not any opposition regarding this year's report and policy moving forward to KIP for council review.

The majority of the commissioners' comments were positive and appreciative of the collaboration between the commission and the police department.

I'd like to move on to talk about some of the changes we made this year in our report.

Most of the changes that we have made uh this year are based on recommendations from council, commission, and the community.

This is the first report that we're able to provide comparable usage data.

Charged of comparative data will include military equipment use in each district, both uh the police district and the council district, the reasons for use, demographics of subjects involved, age of subjects involved.

We and we also added appendix C of the report.

Appendix C covers questions that the police commission wanted us to answer when we attended to purchase new purchase new quick equipment.

Another new item that we added was the call initiation comparable data.

This data provides a snapshot of why or how officers became involved in an interaction.

It covers calls for service, which was which was the largest incident type, follow-up for a call for service, office officer initiated, which were only 35, and outside agency assist.

The last change that I would like to discuss is the link in the policies to the annual report policy.

We have provided a link to the SPD policy page on our transparency website.

This was a recommendation from the community.

I want to move into some of the usage details for the reporting period.

During the current current reporting period of May 1st, 2024 to April 30th, uh 2025, the department responded to approximately 142,000 calls for service when officer arrived at the scene.

We also handled 57 approximately 57,000 officer initiated contacts.

Out of approximately 200,000 police responses, uh military equipment was involved on 398 of those during those 398 incidents, 1200 fifty 1205 pieces of equipment were utilized.

This number could be confusing due to the detailed way that we statistically track the use.

For example, if your officer uses a Pebble ball ball launcher, that would be one and discharges 40 pepper balls, that would equate to 41 uses on one incident.

The uncrew aerial system was the highest utilized piece of military equipment at 557, with armored armored vehicles being the third highest at 165, which is representative of approximately 60 percent of the usage.

This was a drastic and there was a drastic increase in the uh UAS, the uncrew crewed aerial systems.

This was a drastic and there was a drastic increase in the uh UAS, the uncrew crewed aerial systems due to the pilot pilot project that we conducted where we utilized drone as a first responder for police and fire response.

That was held in District 2, and it was both for again police and response uh calls.

During the 398 incidents where military equipment was used, there were only 12 reported useful for use uh reportable use of forced incidents.

The youngest person involved in a reportable use of forced incident was 27-year-old, 27 years old.

No military equipment was used in crowd and riot control responses.

This year our intended purchases are being replenishment of items due to them being expended, or they have reached the end of their shelf life.

The only new purchase are uncrewed aerial systems.

The intended purchase have already been budgeted for, and we're not asking for additional funding.

During the law and legislation committee, Councilmember Dickison inquired about the amount uh that one of the new drones costs, which was 47,340 dollars.

I want to explain the reason the cost is more than one would expect.

This is a larger uh drone, which includes the drone, a docky station, and proprietary software.

This drone could fly at any time of day, longer distance in various weather environments.

The drone is equipped equipped with sensor and range capabilities to be piloted without an observer.

A docking station, uh, which allows for remote launch, landing, and charging, and software to support the system in standby flight and return.

The above specifications meet the needs of a large city drone first responder program.

The important note is this would only be purchased if we decide to go with a full-time uh drone first responder program.

Um this drone provided the best cost with the latest technology.

We could purchase an older model for less money, but we but would be beginning at a project with our already antiquated and unsupported equipment.

We evaluated other vendors.

Each vendor was either disproportionately more expensive or came at a higher cost despite having less advanced technology than the units selected.

At a cost of $65,000, the first comparable offered a system that is more expensive and had less technology.

At a cost of 150,000, the comparable two offers similar capabilities to the unit.

We selected but at triple the cost.

I like to go over some of the um questions that we got received from the police commission.

The vice chair asked how the department communicates with the public when any of this equipment is deployed in visible.

The specifics of each incident of military equipment use is documented in appendix B of the annual military equipment use report.

This includes the call number, subject demographics, equipment that was used, its reason for use, and the conclusion of that incident.

Although only reported at the end of each reporting year, this data represents detailed information related to each particular use of military equipment by the department.

When we use uh talking about drone deployments, the Sacramento Police Department utilizes AirData.com for its drones.

Drones are the most utilized piece of MEU from this year's reporting period.

After each flight of a uh SPD drone, the oper operator provides a report via air data.

There is this report includes the location, no specific address, just block number to ensure privacy of those involved, the date, time report, and summary of the event.

This information is immediately available via a link on the SPD transfer apparent sheet page for public review.

Armor deployments.

Armor deployments are the third most utilized piece of equipment from this year's reporting period.

The Sacramento Police Department makes notifications to the community via the department's RAVE system or reverse 911 whenever armor is deployed on a police incident.

This includes notification via phone and text to a one-block by one block radius around the incident with details as to the reason that armored vehicles were deployed and when the situation has resolved.

We went on to what the commission chair had concerns with the timeline and wanted to know if we were working on a solution.

I think we all believe that this is something that needs to be fixed.

We are working with the city attorney's office on finding a legal solution to create a new timeline that does not put us on a time crunch every year.

Once we decide on a new timeline, we will bring it to the commission for the recommendation, then to law and legislative legislation committee, and then to council for approval.

We would like to adjust the time of our annual approval to relieve the time crunch that we had this year and in previous years.

Without any unknown hurdles, I believe that we can accomplish this in the next two or three months.

Lastly, well, not lastly, I want to thank my team, Lieutenant Justin Thompson, Sergeant Jacob Casilla, Admin Adalist Page Bronham, admin technician Colleen Gray, and Reserve Officer Bob Mueller for all their hard work.

I believe they spent countless hours, I know they spent countless hours creating this report, and uh I think it's the best report in the state.

And then before I conclude, I would like to see if uh I could call up one of our police commissioners because I did speak on the police commission last night, but I think it'd be better for you guys to hear from her.

I like that.

See if uh Commissioner Corps would come up.

Uh please proceed, yes.

Oh yeah.

Actually, I didn't know the vice chair was here.

Actually, I didn't know the vice chair was here.

I'm gonna ask the vice chair to come up.

Answering questions.

Uh doing.

No, you're introduced as the outstanding leader of the highly compensated and coveted police review commission.

Is that true?

That's true.

Yes, sir.

To give an overview of the process and how the hearing went recently.

Yeah, so um what I just want to say is we we we appreciate the efforts of the police department, city staff uh in terms of bringing this item before the the community police review commission.

Uh we had our meeting um just yesterday.

So we think that's the right process, bringing up items that are related to um to the police department um and recommendations related to the police department before they go to the city council so that we have an ample time to provide feedback, provide input.

Uh we also were able to uh co-host uh community forum on the MEU policy and report on July 16th.

Uh this happened at the Oak Park Community Center.

Um this was done alongside the Sacramento Police Department.

Uh we appreciate those efforts.

Um at this point in time, something that I just want to highlight uh in terms of the process is that given the timeline that is currently in place, um, it's not enough ample time for uh from our perspective for for sufficient transparency and community feedback.

This is not the fault of the police department, to my understanding.

This is the process that has been set in place where the timeline is is is mandated to be within a year of the last approval of the policy and report, which means that if you're stuck to that year, uh the timeline is being um little by little, it's it's being pushed back every year.

So uh we we do support updating that policy, looking at uh whether it can be a little bit more flexible so that it's done you know, roughly within the year, but it doesn't have to be mandated to the date within that year so that we there's more time for community feedback and input.

Um so that's something that I think is important for the council to look at in the future.

Um something else that I just want to elevate um is that we do have a recommendation from 2022.

Um it's our it's an MEU recommendation number four uh from the commission.

Um in that recommendation is to separate uh the approval of purchases uh from the report and the and the um updated policy.

So we understand that the updated policy and report have to be approved within a certain timeline.

Um if at some point uh there needs to be a discussion about approval of purchases, and then needs to then there needs to be more time for that discussion.

Uh, we do support decoupling them that a little bit, which would give the council more time and more flexibility to make those decisions.

But at this point in time, as as this report uh before you today uh is uh the commission feels comfortable with it.

We appreciate the feedback that we were we were able to provide to the commission, uh sorry, to the department.

Uh something else that I want to elevate is that as we learn more about MEU and as the community learns more about it, uh that communication to the community is very important.

Um I sort of learned more about this issue.

Uh for me, the question is not whether the department should uh purchase uh military equipment, it's more about what type of equipment is appropriate for a city uh and what type of use is appropriate.

So that nuanced conversation I think is important to elevate us well.

It's not just about yes or no, it's about the nuanced conversation about the type of equipment that is being um that is being purchased.

Uh lastly, I want to thank uh I want to give a shout out to Council 6.

Uh, thank you, Eric, for appointing me to this commission and for the council for approving that thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ms.

Corbes.

Hello, and thank you very much.

Uh thank you so much for this opportunity, and I do want to thank the Sacramento Police Department, specifically Captain Buchanan, Blake Norton, and everybody else that had worked on this um policy.

Um I did have some comments written to do during public comment, but thank you for this opportunity.

I think it's important to show the collaboration between the police commission and the police department.

We work very well together right now.

I've only been on the commission for six months or seven months, I should say, and it's been a really, really good collaboration, and I appreciate everything that they are doing for us, and I look forward to the future as well.

Um, but as you know, in July, now it's been mentioned there was a uh military equipment use community forum in Oak Park.

This event provided information on Sacramento Police Department's MEU policy and allowed public to ask questions.

One question I that was uh particularly interested was actually asked by someone from our commission.

And I think that is such an important question.

Um SACPD explained that the terminology is mandated by state legislation.

We can't change that.

Um a lot of the equipment that is that SAC PD uses is manufactured for law enforcement.

It's not manufactured for the military.

So I just want to make sure that we are all under um that we know that information.

And then under the umbrella of military equipment are also many de-escalation tools, right?

Such as drones, robots, protective gear, pepper bullets, or what do they call them?

Pepper balls, um, and more.

Another question that was asked, which really really resonated with me.

I actually wasn't at the meeting because of quorum issues, so I watched I watched the recording.

Um the question that was presented was what would happen if the police department did not have this equipment.

And the answer was, and I quote, I went back to the recording and quoted exactly what the police department said.

Many of these tools, such as beanbag guns, and pepper balls serve as less less lethal alternatives and are critical in de-escalation scenarios.

Without them, the only remaining option in some situations could be use of lethal force, end quote.

So that just shows the importance of having these de-escalation tools under this umbrella policy that we refer to as military equipment.

While we were discussing this discussing MEU during the commission meeting, I specifically asked everybody that was there.

Um, as a commission, do we support the MEU policy?

And the chair of the commission stated, we do not intend to delay, stop, or hold back their report, and we will be in support of it.

I asked again if everyone on the commission was in support, and the answer was yes.

So I share this with you today in hope that this information will help inform your vote.

And once again, I just want to thank you very much for the opportunity to come up here, work with the police department, and work with the commission.

It's a wonderful group of people, and our end result is to do what's right for the community.

Um, as I say many times, and you've heard me say this before, people just want a clean and safe city.

That's what we want.

And I am I thank you for giving me this opportunity to sit on the police commission.

Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony.

Other public you have more with your presentation.

Nope, we're all done.

Thank you.

A public comment and then uh questions and comments from council members.

Thank you, Mayor.

I have four speakers on this item.

Keon Bliss, Matt King, Christina Rogers, then John Morales.

Ladies and gentlemen, city council.

Uh, as the former uh chair and commissioner uh for the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, I'm here to uh advocate you that you separate uh the military equipment purchases that are being considered uh uh on the agenda today with the approval of this annual report and policy change.

Um based on uh the annual report, SAC PD is requesting over $555,000 uh in new military equipment, which is a five-fold increase from 2024.

And among the most expensive uh purchases uh include over 229,000 for 29 new drones, 232,000 dollars for 600,000 new assault rifle rounds, and 64,200 uh dollars for 10 new uh 10,000 new beam bag rounds uh for their less lethal shotguns, despite their current inventory exceeding over 4700, and still having over 500,000 uh rounds of assault rifle ammunition among other things.

Um it's important uh first and foremost the equipment requesting is not necessary, is neither appropriate for the current fiscal year.

Uh AB 41 states that new equipment purchases can only be approved by the board um by the county council or city council if they are necessary because there is no reasonable alternative uh and uh and there are reasonably cost effective to uh compared to raisable alternatives.

Um, at a time when the U.S.

economy is entering a recession and we're entering our third year of budget deficits.

It is fiscally irresponsible to approve over half a million dollars uh in new military equipment when uh community programs are facing cuts.

Second, uh uh Sacramento Police Department in the staff report actually admits this equipment is not necessary.

Uh, if you look on page four, the department states that these are only possible procurements and that ultimately may not occur if this equipment is approved.

As SACP's chosen independent oversight entities, uh, simply rubber stamping uh 500 over 500,000 dollars in new military equipment buried in a 200-page staff report.

Uh, not only defeats the purpose of AB41's transparency purposes, but even violates uh thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is Matt King, then Christina Rogers.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

Um thanks for being here to uh hear this item.

Um I come up to ask that you um approve their MEU use equipment policy as is.

Um being having uh drive-by shooting in our neighborhood a few weeks ago.

Um their equipment that they use is absolutely necessary.

The cost of the drone is a lot less than the yearly salary for an officer, which they don't have officers, so they are doing with de-escalation tools such as drones and pepper balls.

Um there's a lot of domestic violence um issues that fire department first responders can't even get in to treat the people before the police clear the scene.

So I ask that you approve this.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Christina Rogers.

Good evening, City Council.

For subjects like this, it's important to exercise a curious mind.

So ask questions before making a judgment.

And the question is why do police need this equipment?

Is there a bigger picture to consider?

And just like Matt expressed, I recently spoke to first responders, fire and paramedics and asked them if the issue impacts their job too, and they had a very good answer.

They told me they're not allowed to go into dangerous areas to retrieve or administer care to victims.

They must wait until police secure the space for them first.

So, for instance, if there's a shooter and someone's bleeding on the ground, a paramedic cannot risk their life to go and administer care until the threat is contained.

If there's an aggressive and chaotic mob and someone is injured, first responders cannot run in and turn their back on the threat to help a victim.

It was explained to me a first responder cannot go into these unpredictable situations where they could be harmed.

And police may be expected to risk their lives, but paramedics are not.

And that means the clock is ticking on the victim's care and possibly their life.

The less tools PD has to secure an area, the longer it takes to reach a victim.

Victims can be anyone, our parents or children or friends, or anyone in this very room.

So my curious mind then asks those of you who do not want to support SAC BD.

Do you hate police more than you care about your own friends and family?

I hope you ponder this a bit before making a decision that could eventually impact someone you care about.

And I support the essential equipment police are requesting to do their jobs effectively.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our final speaker is John Morales.

Police should be able to return to their families every night, and they need the equipment to protect us.

I support the military equipment.

On July 16th, 24 drug dealers were arrested.

These are the machine guns that were actually used and that they um secured that day.

And police also found 6,000 fentanyl pills.

Last year, Sacramento police officers uh over the past two years have removed 3,000 illegal guns from street gangs.

On June 19th, uh Sacramento Police Officer Tara O'Sullivan responded to a domestic violence disturbance and was shot and killed.

Adele Ramos, the cop killer, used this machine gun right here.

So police do need military equipment because military equipment is being used by gangs.

On November twelve 2022, Alexander Doe threatened a city council woman who tried to defund the police.

Another city politician tried to defund the police and ran for mayor and called for police protection on November 4th, 2024 on election night.

Even though she jumped on a chair here in this chamber and you know defund the police, she was protected and had security detail.

Police should be able to return to their families every night and need military equipment to protect us.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Mayor, I have no more speakers on this item.

Thank you.

Councilmember Vang.

Thank you, Mayor.

First, I just want to thank all the folks that came to speak in today in support of the policy and those who actually I don't think I heard anyone who actually spoke in opposition, probably just recommendation on how we move forward.

So just really want to take this moment to say thank you to everyone who came.

I also want to say thank you to Captain Buchanan for your presentation and providing updates on the MEU policy.

And I will say I so appreciate the progress and the updates that have been made when I think about the first time when this was initiated, it did not look like this.

And so I do definitely, as one of your uh I would say people will call me probably one of the the critics of PD, right?

I will acknowledge the incredible work that you all have done to get to this moment and the collaboration with our commissioners and community.

And so I do uh want to acknowledge that and want to say thank you.

Um I also want to take this time to thank Commissioner uh Carter Martinez, uh Manuel who was here today, uh Janine Lewis, if she's watching this, my DA commissioner and John Johnson for also hosting a community meeting on the military equipment policy.

I know that's on YouTube, so if you haven't watched it, it's on YouTube, so I appreciate PD for putting that up.

I also just want to share, um, not to respond to anyone um that spoke today, but just to make my position very clear is that I have deep respect and gratitude for a police officer, and I am not anti-police.

But what I but what I am is anti-police violence on black and brown communities, and so just want to be very clear about that.

Um first, I want to acknowledge that uh, you know, as council members, um I don't think any of us have worked in the police department or like, right, um, that we are not expert, and I want to acknowledge that, right?

Um, but I will say that as policymakers, we need to make sure that we're in alignment with AB481.

And that means that um really understanding why the law was created and my understanding of the law is that it was created so that there could be local oversight because our state leaders have seen how military equipment or these equipment that has been categorized under military equipment have harmed our most vulnerable communities and yes, at times also been used for de-escalation that has actually also harmed our communities.

We've um gone to court, been sued because of it, right?

And so I also just want to acknowledge that, and that's the reason why the state law was created so that there's local oversight.

Um, for me, detail is really important for the public to know.

That's why I appreciate uh the community meetings that happen with uh our SAC PD and our commissioners.

Um, I will say, you know, every year when I'm in these spaces, what I've continued to hear from my community is that um they want to know the why, the why for the equipment, right?

And I do believe that a stronger um military equipment uh policy should always specify what situation military equipment can and cannot be used, right?

And in the document, um, I will say compared to last year, it is so much better than before.

Um, and again, I think it's the why that's so important because people will ask me and I will ask captains as well.

Um, we are not the expert, but it's important for me as a policymaker to explain to a constituent that why we are purchasing these equipment, right?

And so the reason why I'm critical is because I get asked those questions, and I think we owe it to the public to answer those questions.

And so I just want to say, you know, last year in August, we actually had a unanimous vote on the policy.

Um I voted yes on it as well.

And um the reason for that was because actually uh Vice Mayor Maple at the time, she was vice mayor, um, added to the motion to ensure that we included six questions in particular that came from the police commission for SAC PD to answer.

And I'm gonna give credit to PD.

You actually did do that in the 200-page report on page 199.

You actually go through and you do acknowledge like you do begin to answer those questions.

Now, I will say, you know, some of the items were thorough, but others not so much.

And I always I know that there's always room for continuous improvement.

So, for example, I'll give you an example.

Flash bangs and chemical agent questions.

Number one question what situation is the requested equipment necessary for safeguarding the safety of both officers and members of the public.

The response is category 12A equipment is used by train officers in accordance with General 580.

Now, if I share that answer with the community, they're gonna look at me and be like, okay, you're not explaining the situation in which this is being why this is being used, right?

And so I just wanted to explain that, right?

I appreciate the attempt to begin to answer the sixth question.

The fact that you all did it, I just want to appreciate that because that was a directive from uh mayor and council last year, and you attempted to do that.

So I just wanted to share that, but I do think that we can be more thorough in the why in terms of the situation.

Um I also just also want to um actually ask uh Captain Buchanan.

I know earlier I heard from um Keon, a public speaker that came today that um that there was over you know half a million of new military equipment.

So I just actually wanted to ask you because I was looking in the um report and I didn't see a number.

Um, and there was a lot.

Um, and there's a lot, it was like all individual equipment with cost, and I'm like, I'm not gonna have time to create an Excel sheet and figure out how much it costs, but just curious to know, like overall in this um military uh policy in addition to the purchases of new equipment and replenishing equipment, what is that total cost?

Um and I only ask that because I think this is really important, especially because we are expecting to enter our third year of budget deficit, and I don't want us to approve any new military equipment that would be irresponsible of tax city taxpayers' resources.

And I know that we're struggling to just like keep some of our basic city services going, and it's just really important for me to understand what that actual number is and for mayor and council and the public to understand um what that number is.

So I don't know if you have that.

Yeah, I do have the number for you, council member, and thank you for all the the accolades there.

I appreciate that.

Um I'd like to do a little explanation with them too.

Like if you look at when we talk about blastic caps and detonating cord, we already have that for our bomb team to use and um disposal operations when they need to like get rid of stuff that's dangerous.

So even though we have to list the cost, we're not actually paying that cost because we already have it, we're just reallocating it to the military equipment use.

So there's something like that.

Um, we talk about the the total number to answer your question off the top top is 556,739 dollars and ninety-five cents.

Okay, so it is half a mil about half a million.

Yeah, um, but when we talk about rifle ammunition, we're asking for uh 600,000 rifle uh rifle rounds.

That's for a three-year supply for our training.

And we have 550 rifles, so or the math comes out to about 325 to 350 rounds annually for training for each rifle.

So it's it seems like a large number, but it's really not to have someone proficient in that in that platform, right?

We really I mean, 350 rounds a year is not a lot for training, so that's why it looks more, but we have to do these these multiple year purchases because of the stockpilots out there.

So the need of what we you know, how we could get them, so it's the demand.

So thank you, Captain Buchanan.

I appreciate that for just um reaffirming what that number is, and I think it's just important.

So thank you.

Um I um you know, I like to ask, um, and maybe this is a question to legal, Emilio.

I know that I asked you this question and you sent me an email, but I think it's important for mayor and council to know this too, is that you know, tonight I know that we have we're working with the timeline because by I believe August 24th, this policy has to be passed according to state law to be in compliance.

Um, and wanted to ask you that if we wanted to separate the two in terms of like just voting on the policy but not allowing the purchase of new equipment, can we do that?

Um I think your email that you sent me was the short answer was yes, and then you like explained it in like there was then it was a little long talking about how we would do it.

And before and before you answer that, I also just want to share with my colleagues that um this year SAT County, our county partners actually separated their approval of the annual report and their MEU policy.

So, like actually on June 3rd, the Board of Soup actually did this for SAC Sheriff when they actually um separated the request for over a million dollar new equipment.

So, like that's possible in other jurisdictions.

Just wanted to make sure that we can if we wanted to do that, we can pass the policy, but still have a larger conversation around the the new equipment purchases if we can separate those.

And I know that one of our commissioners who came up today, Manuel also mentioned that that's something that the commission would like to see.

So uh the the short answer is uh likely yes, and I'm saying likely because um there's currently no case laws.

This is a very new law, but just going by the black letter law, uh the city may legally split the approvals under uh government code section 7071.

Uh, but doing so, like for example, tonight would require a modification of uh the procedural uh ordinance from the Dayas by the city manager.

So assuming that you're considering it for next year, um because the statutory deadline is August 24th, because it was approved August 24th last year.

And that's important to keep in mind because uh council must approve at least the policy and the annual report in order to avoid operational restrictions on SPD uh and potential legal exposure because uh not approving it would basically uh prevent the police department from using this equipment and or or if they were to use it, it would expose them to legal exposure.

I see.

So you're saying the policy has to pass.

Well, I mean, county did separate the policy from the consideration of purchasing new, but what you're saying is that um if we do this, that means that the equipments that they would like to purchase in the queue cannot be purchased.

Is that accurate?

Like in the new funding of the correct.

But if it's funding that that has already been approved by definition, okay, uh, you know, whether it's noticed that that funding is gonna be used, that's a different thing.

But if it's new funding, yes, it it would it would not be approved.

But if it's existing funding that has been approved, okay.

Uh they could go ahead and do the purchase.

Okay.

Um yeah, thank you.

I think that's my question for now.

So the answer is that yes, we could do that if we wanted to do that.

Um yeah, I I like to make a motion on the table to see if we could uh separate um the policy from the purchase of new equipment.

Um and I say this especially because we are heading in another third year deficit, and I think it's important for us to um for us to be able to, you know, be able to comb through any equipment that comes and to just to understand the usage and it and the why and do we need it.

Um and so you know, I like to put a motion on the table to approve the annual military equipment use report and policy changes, but without the new equipment requests.

So that's my motion on the table.

Okay, we hear your motion.

I think the city attorney wanted to opine here.

Yes, just to inform the motion.

Um may I make a recommendation that the council direct us to work with the police department to uncouple that for next year because your timelines are so tight.

Um could we do it maybe, but there's still a lot of information we would need the city manager to present to it.

So uh that might be the best way to do it.

So I just want to put that out there for the council's consideration.

If you want that to inform your motion, Councilmember.

And that's on that motion.

We we're not certain if that motion has a substitute motion or what what's what's what's what's at play here.

Councilmember Guerra.

Uh thank you very much.

First, uh, I just wanted to again thank uh the the police department for their movement and working uh with the commission.

And uh and I want to thank the the commission in its current leadership and its past leadership as well, past members of the commission, and more so because I through this process uh also I think the commissioners current and past identified also the auditing uh gaps and uh presentation gaps.

And that I think has made this report much more significant.

And and it's also why you see it it very less controversial this time because of that work that was done uh with the public.

So I do uh feel that where the the condition of of the report is and where the condition of the staff request is significant, and it's a significant progress.

So I I do want to thank my commissioner uh you know Buen Rostro for his his work here, but I also want to thank our our past commissioners who um even though I'd conflict at times with the department helped us uh you know in critic and being critical of how the report was presented to the council because uh to me now if I if uh if I look at this report compared to what it was before, it's much easier to digest.

But more importantly, I think it it it has that accounting uh the accounting principles.

Um I am concerned about you know the timeline and whether we can or cannot make that uh you know that that timeline.

In fact, you know, I I I appreciate Mr.

Camacho's uh, you know, uh uh recommendation, but it did not come off as a very confident recommendation as uh we can meet that timeline.

So I for one will make the motion to move the staff report as is with the staff direction to uh work with the police department uh on decoupling this.

And um, you know, in uh in the um, you know, in Robert Schul's orders, there is a motion to divide the question, but we don't use Robert Schulz's border here, we use Rosenbrooks borders.

So again, uh uh it's a uh uh uh a quagmire that I don't think that we want to be in a position where we move that.

So I'll move the staff report as is, and if there's a second to that one, I'll make the second.

Okay.

Councilmember Maple.

All right, thank you, Mayor.

Um, and I always want to say I always really appreciate Council Member Guerra um because we have someone who knows the rules very deeply.

Uh, if you ever get a chance to see them yet, you actually teach classes on this, don't you?

Or something like that.

So always really appreciate that.

Um I I also want to share share some of the comments about um just really appreciate that this every year it gets better, and there's a real you know, effort that to work and to make sure that um it that the commission's happy and that we're happy and that there's new information in there.

Um so I just really appreciate that.

And I also want to bring up something that was I think it was two years ago now, where there was way too much information in one report, and then we had a ton of people showing up and basically saying, Oh my god, this thing is unwieldy, it's you know, a thousand pages, whatever it may be.

And so I think we're always trying to find the the middle ground of how do we make sure that there's enough information that people feel like they are informed without overwhelming people, and I and I know that that's a hard thing to do because there's so many different you know, general orders, there's you know, um, so there's a lot of information that's really important.

Um so I just I appreciate that.

Um I um I thank you for uh Chief and Captain Buchanan for taking my phone call earlier this week.

I wanted to make sure that I understood the timing.

Um I let them know just for the public certification that my wish whenever we go into approving these reports in future years is that we have not only the feedback from the community meeting, um, but we also have the feedback from the the police review commission that is all maybe hopefully in the staff report, and we can so that I as a council member can go in and say, okay, I know where they're at, I know where the community's at, I know where the police review commission is at, and then I can make an informed decision based upon that.

And so I think the timeline issues getting resolved.

Um working with the city attorney's office is gonna really help that um be better for next year.

So I'm looking really looking forward to that, and I and I appreciate that you've been working on that.

And then on uh the comments that Councilmember Vang brought up.

Um I'm you know, I'm interested because you know, obviously, especially as you were seeing an increased amount.

Uh, maybe that will not be the case next year, maybe it's just the case this year.

Um, I think that there's like there is a valid place to have you know a conversation about you know what is the equipment, what's it used for, um, is it necessary, and then you know, having that in a different space than because normally when we do this item, it's one gigantic huge item.

Um, and sometimes it's at the end of a meeting like like this, and people are tired, and so there might be value in that.

But I but from what I heard from the city attorney, it sounds like it might be a good thing for next year to figure at least try to figure out for next year, and so I support that.

Um, and support that effort, and just um thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan.

Keep it short, Ditto, Captain Buchanan, over the course of several years.

I've seen how you have worked hard to collaborate with the police commission.

I heard from my commissioner of uh really honored to serve on this committee.

Thank you for all of your work, appreciative of following up on the audit, and you addressed how you're gonna look at those things.

Um so good job, continue the improvement.

And I think honestly, this is the state standard in what other cities should be doing, and most cities don't, uh, being as transparent.

And I follow along with my colleagues if there's a legal viable way to make this process a little bit easier, um, so it allows plenty of time for community input, um, but still meeting the standards of the law.

I'm there, so thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Um back to council member Vang.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um, I just wanted to say um obviously in a one uh second my motion.

I think councilwoman maple was about to do it.

Uh, but I appreciate the counter motion on the table by uh council member Eric Guerra.

Small wins all the time because last year we didn't get those six questions and we got it in, and this year um sounds like the council is gonna be down to separate those two.

So for me, that's a win.

And so um looking forward to supporting the counter motion on the table, and so just wanted to say that.

Um, and also to the the commission.

I know we're we weren't able to do it this year, but um we got another win, and uh, we'll see the separation next year.

And so just wanted to thank the commission for the hard work and um for uh council member Gera, thank you for uh uh doing the counter motion to separate the two items for next year.

So looking forward to that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Jennings.

Just very quickly, um I think we're in a good place right now uh as far as moving forward.

Uh we've already talked about the progress that we've made over the past to now, and I see even more progress going forward.

Um, one of the things that I wanted to put out to the police department is um what we call in at least in my organization, um our justification for some of the things that were purchased so that they can understand better how they're being used, whether it's in training or whether it's actually an execution of the duties.

But you know, we call it a budget justification.

So whatever dollars are out there, they're actually justified as to how they're being spent and why they're being spent and how they're being used.

And so I think being able to see that will help us understand why the need is there and why you have to buy it at the price point that you have to buy it when you have to buy it.

So I just want to kind of throw that out there as a suggestion for next year as well.

But I'm gonna be supporting the uh substitute motion because I believe uh it's where we need to be right now.

So good job.

Thank you.

I withdrew my motion.

Okay, good.

Yeah.

Yeah, and I will note that his motion had a little bit of what you're talking about.

So yeah, but but big picture.

I just want to say that, like you always say, um, Councilmember Vang is like you voted on all these things.

Every every other council meeting, there's some law that comes up here's like I voted on that because this bill I did vote on, and it came up twice, and once it was vetoed by Governor Brown.

Is it introduced uh again?

And um, I will say that when people spoke up against this, and some of I'm not sure the police chiefs because they're a very enlightened organization, but the Sheriff's Association, I think, um spoke against it.

And they um they were concerned that this would um stop the ability of jurisdictions to do any of this activity to keep community safe to have public safety.

And the argument against was like, no, it just means that we're gonna have what we're talking about here, just to have public comment.

And it I know it was spoken that we don't want the term military equipment, and I'm not sure if that's a um a problem because I think when you use this equipment, the public is thinking, oh my gosh, they're getting black hawk helicopters and these uh you know Humvee tanks or HUM would they use in you know Afghanistan and so forth, and no, it's very nuanced drones and robotic equipment and stuff that makes sense, but more importantly, there's an opportunity for the council to hear about it, and we've stepped up even more.

We actually one of the few cities that has a police uh review commission where you know volunteers step up like Manuel and Karen, and thank you for your service and talk about our policies and go out there so we can build more public trust.

So I think this was a win-win, and it's the legislation was exactly as it was intended to do.

And uh, you know, therefore I'm in support as well.

We have a motion second.

Uh no further comment.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Hearing no's no no's nor abstentions.

Councilmember Blucky Baum is still absent.

Thank you.

Next item.

We now move to item 21, which is homeless housing assistance and prevention program round six, which is HAP Six application, city HAP Six budgetary approvals and updated all in Sacramento, Sacramento's regionally coordinated framework and action plan to prevent and end homelessness.

Good evening.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Yayan Isle, City Housing Manager in the city's uh city manager's Office of Innovation and Economic Development, um, together with Brian Pedro and the city's Department of Community Response.

City staff has been working with Sacramento County and Sacramento Steps Forward on updating Sacramento's all-in regionally coordinated homelessness action plan, which I'll be referring to as our CHAP, and the joint application for the state's sixth round of homeless housing assistance and prevention program funds, also known as HAP.

The RCHAP was adopted in March of 2024 by the City Council, Board of Supervisors, and COC board, and is originally coordinated framework and action plan that includes eight solution areas to prevent, respond, and resolve to homelessness.

The updated two-year action plan of the RCAP that is before you tonight is informed by our current work, three public engagement sessions, a gaps analysis, and all of that works together to improve uh system performance measures that track how well our homeless response system is doing.

In particular, the city's priorities for the upcoming year includes a focus on prevention, uh reductions in street homelessness, keeping our current emergency shelter programs open and operational, and continuing to be able to provide funding for permanent housing projects.

This two-year action plan and proposed HAP6 funding recommendation comes at a time of reduced state funding for homelessness.

The Sacramento Region's HAP 6 funding allocation is a 40% reduction from our HAP5 allocation, and we're anticipating further reductions with HAP 7, which is slated for the fiscal year 26-27 state budget for a total 70% reduction of state funding over three rounds of HAP.

The HAP5 regional allocation was $53.2 million compared to 31.7 for our region.

The 14 large cities receive 42% of the HAP allocation, with counties receiving 28% and COCs receiving 30%.

The state allocates the HAP funding based on point and time count, and the HAP 6 was uh determined by the city's or by the region's 2024 point and time count, which Sacramento had a 29% reduction in overall homelessness.

With the priority to keep uh existing programs operational, the city's proposed HAP6 budget proposes that the majority of the funding be allocated towards interim housing, so keeping our existing shelter programs open, uh two million dollars for permanent housing and admin and HMIS, which is the homeless management information system.

This chart here is a comparison between the HAP 5 budget that the city received and the current proposed HAP6 budget.

Uh city staff recommends that uh council approve the updated regionally coordinated homelessness action plan and approve the city's HAP Six budget and all other related items to submit the joint application with the county and the COC and all actions necessary to receive the funding.

The COC will be hearing their item on uh tomorrow morning, and the county will be hearing this item on August 19th.

This concludes my presentation.

City staff were available to answer any questions.

And we've asked uh Lisa Bates with the Sacramento Steps Forward to be here to answer any questions that you might have specifically regarding prevention and coordinated access.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

I have no public comment on this item.

Thank you, Councilmember Maple.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um, and thank you, Yen, for the presentation.

Um, I just have a couple quick questions.

Um when we see that the 70% is proposed to be allocated towards interim housing.

Um, so that means our our shelters, and it also means um the other, you know, like tiny home villages and and those proposed solutions too.

Or no, so the HAP funding funds the um X Street, Meadow View, and North Fifth Congregate Shelters as well as a portion of the city's motel program, um, as well as the youth specific programs, so the emergency bridge housing at the grove, as well as a couple of smaller youth specific shelter programs.

So those are the hat funded shelter programs.

And how many total beds is that?

It's 363 congregate beds, 200 motel rooms, and about 53 of the smaller youth beds.

Okay, awesome.

Thank you.

Um, and the reason why I asked that is that you know, I'm looking at the the R chap and the gaps analysis, and I'm seeing this 41% of households are chronically homeless, and then um they go down 35% of the unsheltered, they can't access shelter due to insufficient housing or sheltering capacity.

And so I'm curious.

Um, obviously, this is less money than we anticipated to get.

Um, you know, I what are your thoughts on how this is addressing those key goals in the RCAP and are there things that you think we could be doing more of to accomplish that?

Well, I think I think with HAP funding, we're trying to prioritize keeping our existing shelter beds open so that we don't lose capacity while looking at other opportunities to increase capacity in other ways, which um Brian will be back in September with a presentation on some of those strategies, um, particularly around, as I mentioned, our priority to to reduce unsheltered homelessness, so street how street homelessness, right?

So making a significant impact on bringing people inside.

So we're trying to not reduce our capacity while bringing up capacity using other funds and resources.

And I don't know if you want to add anything to that.

Mayor council.

Um, so what um what we've done as a city is about 70% of our funding is going to our shelters.

Um, one of the reasons that I've been trying to get ahead of this is knowing and seeing the writing on the wall that our funding was going to decrease is well about two years ago actually we started renegotiating all of our contracts to get that cost down so we would we could extend out because we knew that this funding was was getting thinner.

Um we had a really good conversation today with um the city of San Diego.

Um it's good to see that another big city is looking at this and realizing the challenges of trying to create uh permanent housing and permanent supportive housing and affordable housing, and realizing that that is not something that we're going to see to keep up with uh our homelessness and and provide housing for people in the immediate future.

And so they're also looking at uh the same direction of of providing this interim housing and even looking at their um their their current emergency shelters.

Uh they're looking the same thing we are where people are staying in those shelters because there is nowhere for them to move to.

And uh so that's that's the conundrum.

Um, and um, you know, uh I talked to them about uh what we're looking at uh doing and the direction we're going with this, and they're very interested in in looking at our model as most of our conversations are with other cities.

We look to them for uh some uh information from them, and they turn it around and end up talking to us about it.

So, yes, we're looking at still uh supporting that interim.

That's what we our budget can afford us to do.

Great, thank you very much.

Just I just this is just for you know, my my constituents and the public understand what what well one, what we're trying to accomplish, and two the challenges, and the challenge is the funding.

Of course, we're seeing less and less funding coming from the state, um, and so that's just something that we have to contend with along with everyone else in the state.

Um, I do really want to uplift and thank um the mayor for your strategy around tiny homes and just micro sites and finding creative ways that we can invest the resources that we do have to create capacity all over the city because uh that's something we really need.

I was fortunate to attend the continuum of care meeting recently, and it was a great conversation with our service providers with other jurisdictions with the county, you know, the wonderful folks in this room, and just hearing everybody kind of agrees on what the problems are and the challenges is the resource, making sure that we have enough to do it.

And then I would say, of course, and I sound like a broken record, the other piece is collaboration and coordination and how we take the resources that we do have collectively as a region and put them together to try to figure out how we can solve the problem in a bigger way.

And I know that work is underway too, so I just really want to acknowledge that.

I know that the county is gonna be hearing a framework soon than the city, and then of course, um, we'll be having a meeting in October as as a region.

Um, so I'm really thrilled about that.

I think that's a great next step because it it's time for us to start thinking a lot bigger, um, and it can't just be it can't just be us, um, and it's not, um, but we have to figure out how do we coordinate better on the resources that we do have.

So I really appreciate that.

And then my my last question I think might actually be uh it could be answered by you perhaps, or or maybe someone from Sacramento Sets Forward.

Um, but I saw that there is quite a lot of um community engagement that went into the RCHAP, which is awesome.

And I my I had trouble finding it at the report, but just kind of curious what was the feedback that was received from folks who generally speaking who engaged in the process, whether that be through like the community meetings or something else.

Do you want to I can answer some of it and then if Lisa wants to chime in.

Um so we had three community engagement meetings.

Uh the first two were virtual and also kind of uh used as the COC's annual meeting.

We prevent represented a lot of data about um homelessness, where we are, as well as what we've done with HAP funding thus far.

Um we continue to receive feedback around our three uh bucket areas, right?

Prevention uh responding and resolving a lot of um feedback around just the need for more places for people to be able to go is something that we uh continue to see.

Our second session included a panel with uh people with lived experience, and they shared their experiences and challenges and barriers that they have from going from the street to shelter to housing, and uh you know, it's there's a there's a lot that goes into those pathways and a lot of barriers that um are you know as you dig deeper into people's specific situations, you find these these uh you know things that you think are minor but create real barriers.

So we got to hear a lot from people's direct experience on being able to end their homelessness, and then lastly was the leadership forum, which I think had a lot of great feedback.

You know, our some of our providers raised the need for um more substance use.

Um we continue to work closely with the county on linkages to behavioral health.

Um, so uh Lisa, did you want to add?

Or Ayana, yes, perfect.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Hi, good to see you again.

Hi, good to see you again.

I'm Ayana McGee.

I'm the director of system implementation with Sacramento Steps Forward.

So as Yayin mentioned, we had several community engagement sessions, and we engaged probably over 300 and some folks over the course of those days from a mix of providers, folks with lived experience, uh, our county partners, etc., city partners, et cetera.

Um the overwhelming feedback was certainly around prevention.

Uh that was called out multiple times throughout the sessions as a significant priority, just understanding that it's gonna continue to be important to stem the flow of folks coming into the system, recognizing that uh resources are becoming more limited, right?

For things like interim housing and permanent housing, et cetera.

Um, we also talked a lot about collaboration and coordination, which you know um is uh important as well, and from the integrated services perspective, which is one of the solution areas uh in the plan, we talked a lot about coordination with behavioral health and from a workflow perspective, how do we make better connections into appropriate services for folks who are perhaps part of specialized populations, so folks who have medical vulnerabilities or behavioral health needs, we just recognize that that's something to continue to work on in this community, and from the perspective of like what how do we best leverage existing resources, like what are the ways and workflows and pathways that we can augment so that folks are getting connected to the best and most appropriate services that meet their need, our trauma informed and so on and so forth.

And so those were the big key takeaways, nothing surprising, probably a big conversation about collaboration and coordination that we just continue to look forward to and hope to embark on over this next uh year of the plan.

Thank you very much.

Um, just a couple quick comments and then I'll then I'll stop.

Um you know, one of the things that was really um on the prevention piece that uh was that if you go on Sacramento Steps Forward website, you can you can see the data in real time, which is wonderful.

I think it's a great tool.

I go on there pretty frequently um and you can see in real time that as we are, you know.

I if you go and talk to you know, my my constituents they'll tell you that we're not moving anyone off the streets um and that nothing's happening.

Um, but in reality, what we're seeing is that we're actually helping thousands of people, um, and yet we are seeing more people fall into homelessness than we can help.

And so we're seeing that system continue to get backed up, and that's part of the challenge for the prevention piece, is so important because if we can send the flow, as you mentioned, then we can really make progress on on this issue over here, which is getting people off the streets and into housing or some other programming.

Um, but it's really hard to do both at the same time, which is the situation that we're in, and and of course, we're not alone in Sacramento.

Um, it's happening all over the state, it's happening in urban centers around the US, um, and it has to do with you know the lack of affordable housing and a bunch of other issues.

Um, and so that's I really appreciate the the focus on on prevention.

I think that's that's huge.

And uh I think that we can continue to do more as we as we work closer together um with our with our partners um at the county and and other jurisdictions as well.

And so I just wanted to to thank you for your work.

I know a lot of time and energy goes into making this a good plan.

Um, and I and I think it is a good plan, so thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Maple.

Um, just a quick question, yeah, yeah.

One first wanna thank all the work that's done to put together the RCAP in conjunction with the county and the COC.

Uh my understanding is we don't have uh a section on prevention from HAP Six because we still quite have an executed HAP5 money on prevention.

What's the timeline to for the for the council to see what that programming looks like?

And two million is like a drop in the bucket when it comes to the countywide or even the citywide prevention piece, but what's the timeline for us receiving kind of this is our strategy in conjunction with the other partners on prevention?

When do you when do we see um the the thoughts on the use of that?

One of our action items is to convene a working group to look at um a countywide system level prevention program.

Um I don't remember what our timeline is, Ayana.

Do you remember the action?

Over the course of the six months, yeah.

Okay.

So um work has already begun in that.

We have SSF has already um been working on a prevention program, um, and then the county is also um has a program that they're starting to lift up for prevention as well.

So um we hope to come back uh perhaps in within six months to report back on how we'll be deploying the city's resources towards this program.

Very good.

Thank you.

Just want to uh thank and commend everyone for their work on this.

And uh again, this is not just the city of Sacramento, the RCHAP is uh with uh all of our uh countywide partners here.

And uh I also look for this joint conversation and this report out uh by the time we meet in October, both uh all three entities will have approved this, and so it'd be interesting to see the feedback as we go through that process at that October meeting.

Uh thank you.

Uh Councilmember Dickinson.

Thanks.

Uh how about if we came back at September 16th with a report back on what we're doing about prevention.

Oh, so in terms of the well, September 16th, we'll be back with the um the strategies for uh reducing street homelessness, and we also will be back with an item on the share governance proposal.

Um, and so we're working on those two items currently.

I don't know that our working group is going to be able to be back in that short amount of time on an update, but I can provide an update on where we are with that group at that time.

Yeah, you know, one of the things that I that I I find uh makes this uh issue more um uh more difficult than it already is, and it is um uh if not intractable, extremely uh challenging to say the say the least.

And I have a lot of respect for uh all of you at all levels who who devote yourself to the to this issue because it is certainly uh taxing, I'm sure, um personally and professionally.

But we tend to look at things in little chunks tonight.

We're looking at uh the uh HAP Six application.

Um you know, we we we look at on another occasion, we look at can we produce more tiny homes or micro villages?

We keep chopping this up.

And uh I think what we lose when we do that is this sense of what we are doing in totality comprehensively.

What we lose in this, especially in this forum, is we lose the other the uh the efforts and and the contributions of the other partners.

We can't mean the city successfully address homelessness without the county.

Can't do it.

We are not in the behavioral health business.

We're not in the human assistance business, at least not assigned that that that task.

Uh uh I really hope that, and maybe this is something to consider for whatever we're doing on the 16th, that we get a more comprehensive presentation on who's doing what in totality, instead of instead of subdividing it into these discrete little items that come to us every every so often.

Uh you know, I I have a question uh fall of 2023, Emily Halcon told the Board of Supervisors that for every person, and I think she was talking about everybody in the county, not just the county itself as an as an entity.

For every person being helped off the street, over three people were becoming homeless.

I don't know if that was the right ratio or not, seems seems rather extraordinary to me, but uh on the face of it.

But I wonder, do you have, do you or Lisa or somebody tonight have a have uh a ratio that you would share with us uh of for every person we're helping off the street, how many are becoming homeless?

It's on our website.

It has to be calculated.

I haven't done it, but you can see every month we're reporting how many people are coming into homelessness and how many people are exiting.

And you can look at it in totality, or you can look at it in terms of newly homeless and housed.

So there's two different ways you can look at it.

So part of the problem with the metric that Emily had presented, which we shared at an all-in strategy many years ago, is it didn't account for a large number of people who we can't account for, who dropped out of the system.

They may have just disconnected or they may have resolved their homelessness.

So now on our dashboard, we're showing both numbers.

So you can see the totality, or you can narrow it down to a more specific ratio.

At least thank you.

I I I haven't looked at your website and maybe we should just put the ratio on there for you all, not my own.

Pardon me?

Still more than one to one?

Yeah.

I mean, when when council member maple says, as I think we would all express the people we represent say in fact it's not you're spending all this money, it's not getting better, it's getting worse.

It's that's that's the very phenomena they see.

I mean, that's what they perceive.

Uh and until and until we uh first of all, I think do a better job of figuring out those those metrics.

But secondly, and this is what I am certainly admitting to being a broken record on, until we are doing more with prevention, we are going to continue to be in in this uh circumstance where we're chasing our tails.

Uh you know, when I when I I I look at what you're proposing to do with the HAP 6 money, uh it's hard to argue with that.

It got cut uh uh significantly uh uh uh obviously.

You're trying to get reductions where you can.

I understand that.

We've had enough conversations uh I've had with Brian and Yayen and uh others about trying to keep the band band-aids on the on the wounds, so to speak, uh hold things to together, but out of this, there goes two million dollars that was being spent on prevention and diversion.

Um I don't know that I can sit here tonight and say, gee, whiz you should reconfigure your 16 million to restore some or all that that two million, but what I can say is, and I realize this is only a a pick uh you know, a portion of the of the picture, but what I can say is from my perspective, until we are doing much more with respect to prevention, we are we are not going to uh either make the kind of progress we need to make on behalf of the people we care about uh in neighborhoods, the homeless themselves, uh those who are in the field, professionals.

Uh we won't be able to uh make progress there, and we won't be able to make progress in demonstrating to the public that the money we're spending is well spent.

I know I'm uh you know I'm not saying anything to you that you don't recognize.

But I think your point is well taken about seeing the bigger picture, because for instance, the COC is looking at where do we help fill in gaps that maybe the city and the county can't.

So the COC is putting substantial money toward prevention activities, in fact, 16 million over the life of the dollars, of which maybe half is still available for expenditure.

So, and then you have the county, as Ya Yen mentioned, that is trying to stand up a Calaim program for transitional rents.

And so I think being able to see all of that together would help paint a picture for you all as decision makers, but also the community to see how what's this constellation of resources and how can we be more effective in lining up those resources for the best impact.

I do think there's a definitional problem around prevention, because I bet if I asked each one of you, you have different definition of how far upstream are we talking?

Is it you know proactive predictive modeling that you've mentioned?

Um Councilmember Dickinson.

So I think part of this too is like what's the you know, we need to come to agreement on you know how far upstream and and what is that whole system approach to prevention look like, including involving our um partner SHRA in that discussion.

I would welcome that discussion because it because it uh my observation hasn't happened yet, and I can't find uh much if any evidence that it's happened anywhere along the line.

So if we all I mean, I hear every one of my colleagues expressing the sentiment that they think prevention ought to be a priority and is a necessity, then we better have the conversation about what does that mean to each of us.

What does it mean to it?

Mean to us, what are we going to do to address it?

Assuming we can come, and I believe we can to a common understanding of what uh uh of what we intend, and then how are we going to measure it?

Exactly.

We need to have that that kind of of conversation.

And I don't know if that can be part of the 16th or not.

But you know, when I was uh gently uh nudging Yah Yin about coming back on the 16th, she's in six months.

We need to be doing this now, as is my view.

I mean, we needed to be doing it uh quite a bit of a go, and there's been some of it, but not nearly at the at the level that I think uh it it requires uh in terms of having effective outcomes.

The point here from my perspective is to focus on what we're trying to accomplish.

And you don't have to stand here and take this, Lisa.

What are we trying to accomplish?

We're trying to make sure people are sheltered sheltered and don't become unsheltered.

We're trying to make sure that they they have a quality of life that gives them dignity and the ability to function as well as they can uh in our community.

And that's not just a roof, that's behavioral health, that's human assistance.

That's a whole spectrum of of supports and assistance, but we don't talk about that.

At least that that's overstated and and not fair.

We don't talk about it in a way that puts the pieces together, it doesn't seem to me.

And so I'm hopeful, I'm hopeful that we can use the 16th if if it allows and fits what you would like to do, Mayor, to have that kind of conversation, and because I think it is foundational to what I hope we will be talking about in October.

Thank you.

I was gonna say some member Dickinson, council council member Dickinson.

Um we'll we'll talk about how we can leave that in.

And you know, we want to part of that is as you noted that the city doesn't do behavioral health and um human assistance, and and the 16th is really kind of a follow-up and what the response with the city is spending our money, our non-hat money, our general fund money, following up what we're gonna be doing with the micro sites and the hotel program and the safe parking locations.

But um, it's all a piece of the puzzle, so I hear you.

Um I'll have some more comments in a minute about prevention, but before we get there, council uh councilmember Kaplan.

Uh I do want to say amen to everything council member Dickinson said, took a lot of my thunder.

Uh I'm glad he still has passion at the uh ninth hour we're having uh council meetings.

Um but I just yeah, and just for a second, um I think it bears repeating, uh, showing the slide of how much we've actually lost as a city, where our funding has gone, because these are when you talk about it, Councilmember Dickinson, like the comprehensive conversations we need to have because this is how much funding we have lost, yet we're expected to do more.

Um, and I just want to show how HAP five, you know, the city got over 25 million.

Hap six, it's 16 million.

Hap seven, we might get seven, we might get eight, but that's significant reduction.

And yes, the point in time count said it went down, but I like Councilmember Maple, my community members are saying we don't see it.

I've got more complaints, I've got more issues.

Why is it increasing?

Community members are feeling this, and now we have to do more with less.

And I want to do, I want to thank you know, Brian Pedro, because you have gone back and you have asked our providers to do more with less or the same with less and find that accountability.

Because I think that's where we missed in the beginning with you know, the ARPA funds was that accountability piece that you are bringing.

But what we're missing is that conversation.

Now we have to be comprehensive.

How are we all doing this together with little money?

And I am, as I said in our briefing, prevention.

So much needs to be more of a focus in prevention than we've got, and I understand why, but if there's opportunities, I am I'm pro prevention, really keeping people in their houses because once they come out, it is just so much harder.

But keeping them in, keeping families in, you know, that I I want to be our goal.

So thank you and ditto to what all my my uh council members said.

I just want to to mention the prevention thing, and maybe an um uh unpopular comment here, but I I'm not sold always on prevention, and here's why.

I just now standing here for eight hours, so I opened the door outside and I opened the door, and I told Vice Mayor here I saw someone who's homeless across the street, and I said, I know 100% that person will be sleeping tonight on the street, not in a shelter, not an interim site, not one of our facilities, they'll be homeless.

And so sometimes we focus on prevention where someone is I'm not sure that the how the mathematics work.

They're late on their rent by a certain amount of months, they're at risk of an eviction.

But maybe they get a rally.

Sometimes they may end up living with a sister.

So in my scenario, there's a one in three chance that person could be homeless, two-thirds that they'll find some other type of housing, but people outside here, 100% chance they're homeless tonight.

So it's like we we can't we can't do everything.

We're a reality check that that as you know, the math doesn't add up for us to have a little bit of everything.

So I I think that we need to just double down and listen to what our constituents are saying.

These see people who are sleeping in parks in in front of City Hall locations, find individuals who are homeless shelter today through more affordable interim housing solutions.

I'll move the item.

Okay.

I'll say this information or vote on this one.

Vote.

Okay.

There we go.

We have uh motion and a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any nose or abstentions?

Hearing none, council member plucky bomb is still absent.

Measure passes eight zero.

So, mayor, we now move to council comments ideas, questions, and 8123 reports.

Seeing no one punched up, I do have five speakers for public comment matters not on the agenda.

Shall we take those now?

First speaker is Ed Perez, John Ju, Juan Guterres.

Uh good evening, uh, mayor, council members.

My name is Ed Perez.

Uh I'm a resident of District 1 in Atomas and a board member in the Hamptons Community Foundation.

And I'm actually here tonight to thank the city for its uh continued support for national night out uh events all all across Sacramento, and in particular, I want to highlight the inaugural celebration in the North Lake community.

Uh neighborhood still finding its footing where the event helps spark a new connect uh new connections and a sense of belonging.

And uh Hamza's Foundation was proud to host that event.

Uh but I must also raise a concern that has deeply troubled me.

After the event, one of our special guests, a former constitute California constitutional officer, reported to us that council member Lisa Kaplan attempted to dissuade them from attending the event because our event was not the official District One National NATO event.

Uh this was not only disrespectful to the North Lake community, it's bewildering because Councilmember Kaplan herself attended.

Uh ordinarily I would dismiss such behavior as political pettiness, but then I noticed something more troubling.

Several non-public safety city departments we invited to our event to share resources with residents.

Um never responded.

Not that they're busy or they were conflicted with other night national night out events.

They did they just didn't respond.

I can't help but wonder was was there a deliberate effort to diminish our event.

That's why I'll be reaching out to the interim city manager to request a review of what happened.

And I do plan to file a complaint with the ethics commission regarding this issue.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is John Ju, then Juan Guterres.

Okay, thank you.

I was gonna your time is complete.

You have two minutes.

Thank you.

John Picking.

Nope.

Um Juan Guerrera.

Following one is Yana.

Good evening.

My name is Juan Gutierrez, and uh I have an issue with the code enforcement department.

Um I have a statement I and I have a handout I prepared for each of you.

The first one is something I put together today.

Uh at Hawk just before the council meeting, printed out and copied it.

And I'm just gonna read this because it'll keep me within the two minutes.

And uh attached to that is a copy of a letter that I sent to Miss Uh Telemante, which has much more detail uh with my uh interaction with the code enforcement office.

A background.

I own a house at 3104 Mill Oak Way in Sacramento.

It's been a rental since March 2024.

I understand my tenants parked the trailer in the on the lawn last year, and as a result, code enforcement issued a notice in order last year.

This year, my tenants, as they were moving out, left some used furniture on the driveway.

They had scheduled the city to pick up the furniture, but the earliest date for pickup was July 15, 2025.

The youth furniture was picked up by the city on July 15th.

Code enforcement issued its notice and order 25026108 against me, contrary to the to the provisions of chapter eight of the city code, assessing me fines and penalties of nine hundred sixty-seven dollars and fifty cents without notice.

When I spoke with code enforcement representatives, they explained to me that under the code they usually give a homeowner notice of a suspended news of a system.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is Yana Mandiano and Keon Bliss.

And we do have your we do have your hand out.

Thank you.

Your time is complete.

Yana.

Hi, I'm Yana.

Um the most eastern one-half mile of the city is a food desert.

It's only one half mile, but the problem is there is such a need that theft at corner stores and current and former grocery stores downtown has been rampant.

Because those who need everyday items downtown can't afford them.

I was disappointed to hear that city employees are afraid to walk from work in the neighborhood that many live in, um, including me.

I don't know if that's what happened, but that was the impression that some people got.

And um, I just wanted to ask what happened to uplifting those members of our society and downtown residents who are in the most dire need instead of hiding them.

The interweb says the Occupy Wall Street movement ended in 2016, but we should bring it back because people should have access to necessities, and these necessities should be affordable.

As is, there is an over-reliance on private security for lack of other solutions, uh outcomes, I guess.

And it is important to make sure that private security personnel do not abuse their power since they are often unsupervised on the front lines of many of the issues.

This could have fit into so many categories.

Um, I believe training and permits are the responsibility of the SAC PD, and I have witnessed and experienced um security abusing their powers downtown.

So I'm sorry, Councilmember Plucky Baum isn't here uh right now, but please let him know.

Thank you.

You know, I wish I could uh be more happy uh when I see things like uh the work that uh our volunteers uh appointed to our city boards and commissions do come like come to fruition slowly but surely they show up uh and like and sprout seeds, and that's reason to celebrate.

You gotta appreciate the small wins.

Um and I wish that that's gonna be consistent.

But the real test um in approving the uh updated policy and uh uh five hundred thousand dollars plus of uh military equipment is gonna be uh what they bring back next year.

And unfortunately for my experience, I have no reason to believe that uh SAC PD is going to uh maintain that.

Um basically because of the attitude of leadership that I've experienced uh both as a commissioner and as a chair.

Many of you all know it.

I've spoken about it here before, but that attitude of impunity, one that uh consistently targets uh black and brown people like me uh for no other reason than we are outspoken and uh have the gall to criticize them continuously like continuously uh seek to uh separate themselves and then attack us when we have like when we have that uh courage to actually speak out in public.

And that's uh an attitude that reflects from the top down, uh including uh right here in this very chamber.

Uh there's a sergeant uh to my left right here, Sergeant uh Darby Lannham that has consistently embodied uh this attitude of impunity and has persistently targeted me uh for uh uh use like for both exercising council rules in a malicious manner and also uh antagonizing me and even threatening my arrest, which he uh tried to do as I was leaving council chambers uh on July 29th.

With attitudes like that.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

It looks like John Dew has come back to the chambers.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Please take your seat.

Thank you.

John Dew following John is Mar Baya Sala.

Thank you.

Ricardy, City Council, Rick.

I wanted to um talk about an issue we have in our communities today.

There's the two biggest problems we have, and that is the poor health of our our community, uh of the people, especially elders, as well as the poverty situation, the generational poverty that's going on.

I have a solution.

I have a solution, and it's not our present healthcare system that's not quite working too well for us.

It's not the things that we're doing that we're spending so much money on that is just not working.

And so, what we need is a paradigm shift.

We need a paradigm shift in in our communities and the way that we are treating our people as basically victims.

They're they're victims of our health care system.

We're we're we're we've been taken prisoner.

Um and I address the the elders, the elders who are uh really manifesting all these problems, all these situations, uh, as far as chronic disease, as far as pain and suffering, as far as their health goes, that's the problem that we have right now.

Something's gotta change.

It doesn't have to be that way.

And I've fortunately, this is my thing.

I've worked very diligently on a solution, and it's our health care insurance that is taking us down, also.

It's all the pieces, and so I'd like to make an appointment with you, Rick, and discuss it further because I can do this right now, tomorrow.

We can actually get the community together to take care of each other in such a way, such a way that we can really assist each other, assist each other in the health issues, as far as that goes, and also the poverty, the lack of funds that we say that is happening to our population today, is that we just can't afford to be healthy, and that's it's it's a sad situation.

So I'd love to talk to you more on that.

Yes, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Uh Marbea Sala.

Good evening.

I'm the last one, and you get to all go home.

Um I I early I was here earlier, and I was I came in too late to make comments, but but it worked out fine because I want to congratulate all of you for doing the difficult and hard decision to um give reservations or opposition to what the county's wanting to do.

And I know that wasn't easy for all of you because the county is is powerful, has more money, and and there's tension with the city and the county.

So you um doing the right thing and um voicing your concerns around environment and public the transportation was was good, and I hope with the letter it will be equally as strong.

But my comment was I I was here and I sat in this chamber when there was a first discussion about changing the zoning to build the first um arco arena in Nathomas.

And I was dismayed at that point that they were even considering doing that because I I was like, Well, you're gonna get rid of all our farmland.

I I live in garden land, and all of that was farmland, it was all farmland, and uh, and we were we were told you're gonna have beautiful parks, you're gonna have beautiful schools, you're gonna have all these jobs, and we're still gonna protect the environment.

And so everyone, and and two of my favorite politicians, Joe Cerna and Grantlin Johnson, all voted to have it done.

The developers convinced them, convinced our community, and so now we have what we have, and I'm not I I I think it's great, but we still we have a little bit of beautifulness in our in our community, and I would like to see it maintained and kept that way before it all goes away.

So um thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Mayor, I have no more speakers this evening.

Okay.

Thank you.

Do we have reports from council members?

I have no council members signed up to make reports, and I have no more speakers.

Would you like to adjourn?

With that, we were adjourned.

Thank you.