Sacramento City Council Meeting - September 9, 2025

The Sacramento City Council convened at 6:14 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at City Hall. The meeting included special presentations honoring the Police Department Traffic Unit and recognizing National Suicide Prevention Month, a consent calendar of 19 routine items, a public hearing on the Crocker Village residential development appeal, and two discussion items regarding personnel changes and renewal of the gunfire detection system contract. The council also heard public comments on matters not on the agenda and adjourned in memory of Larry Ramirez.

Special Presentations

• Sacramento Police Department Traffic Unit Resolution (presented by Councilmember Jennings): Recognized the Traffic Unit for achieving a 30% drop in fatal crashes in 2024 and being named Agency of the Year by MADD. The unit’s nighttime traffic team was highlighted.
• National Suicide Prevention Month (presented by Councilmember Kaplan): Designated September 2025. Christine Gonzalez, COO of Wellspace Health, noted that Wellspace responds to over 150,000 calls, texts, and chats annually across 30 counties, resolving more than 95% of crises without in-person response. They operate 11 local crisis hotlines and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Items 1 through 19 were approved in a single motion (Motion No. 2025-0280 through 2025-0290, and Resolutions 2025-0232 through 2025-0244). Items included:

  • Item 1: Professional Services Agreement for T Street Bikeway Gap Closure with Dokken Engineering ($864,154).
  • Item 2: Application for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant for Morrison Creek & Beach Lake Levee Project ($10,575,000).
  • Item 3: Supplemental agreement with MSC Integration for illegal dumping surveillance ($40,000 addition).
  • Item 4: Commercial waste franchise agreement with Reliable Dumpster Service, LLC.
  • Item 5: Contract for BMW motorcycle OEM parts and repairs with A&S Motorcycle Parts, Inc. ($650,000).
  • Item 6: Surplus property donation of an SUV to Sacramento Area Fire Chaplaincy.
  • Item 7: Supplemental agreement with Carollo Engineers for Water System Asset Management ($796,287).
  • Item 8: Contract amendment with SiteOne Landscape Supply for irrigation controllers ($95,598).
  • Item 9: Supplemental agreement with Maddaus Water Management for Water Efficiency and Conservation Plan ($70,000).
  • Item 10: Designation of voting delegate for 2025 Cal Cities Annual Conference (Councilmember Maple as delegate).
  • Item 11: Supplemental agreement with Fehr and Peers for Vision Zero Action Plan Update ($58,536).
  • Item 12: Rejection of all bids for irrigation supplies.
  • Item 13: Approval of FY2025/26 Business Improvement District annual reports and assessments (Central Midtown Restaurant BID, Handle BID, Sacramento Tourism Infrastructure District, Tourism Marketing District).
  • Item 14: Participation in Rate Range Intergovernmental Transfer program with DHCS and Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan Providers (authorizing transfer of $5.2 million, accepting $10.1 million reimbursement).
  • Item 15: Contract with Contra Costa College for EMT-Paramedic student training ($3,300 per student).
  • Item 16: Grant application for Roberston Community Park Improvements ($700,000).
  • Item 17: Grant agreement for CA-TF7 Urban Search and Rescue Kentucky Flooding Deployment ($24,500).
  • Item 18: Grant agreement for CA-TF7 US&R Texas Flood Deployment ($42,000).
  • Item 19: Approval of 2026 meeting calendars for the City's legislative bodies.

  Vote: 7-0-2 (Councilmembers Pluckebaum and Mayor McCarty absent). Motion carried.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Consent Calendar: Henry Harry spoke on Item 11, requesting greater transparency and a clickable link to view contracts online.
• Public Hearing – Item 20 (Crocker Village Appeal): Seven speakers addressed the council. Michael Turgeon (House Sacramento) supported higher density for both parcels, skeptical of the proposed court homes. Rob Wiener (Curtis Park resident, 35 years) argued court homes are not multifamily and opposed the appeal. Kathleen Ave cited the American River Basin study and urged high-density development. Nancy McKeever (Curtis Park resident) noted the site’s proximity to transit and the need for lower-cost options. Alison Colwell (Curtis Park resident) requested accessible multifamily units for aging residents. Rachel Iskow (Sacramento Housing Alliance) opposed downzoning and urged multifamily housing. Varun Aurora criticized the appellant’s legal arguments. An additional speaker (not named) expressed concern over the denial of housing but supported the staff recommendation.
• Item 22 (Gunfire Detection System): Keon Bliss (former chair of Sacramento Community Police Review Commission) urged the council to let the contract expire, citing studies showing ineffectiveness and waste of $500,000 annually.
• Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda: Three speakers:
  • Devon Strucker (River District resident) opposed a planned shelter in the River District, noting the area already houses 526 shelter beds and cited a 1989 resolution against additional shelters.
  • Mary Tappel raised concerns about utility operations along Arcade Creek affecting her natural park, but noted ongoing work with Councilmember Dickinson.
  • Zion Taddis complained about commercial building leasing without necessary permits, causing financial burden and delays for small business owners.

Discussion Items

• Item 21: Personnel Classification Changes (Fire Assistant Chief, Fire Marshal, Utilities Superintendent, etc.) – Presented by Shirley Banks Robinson, Human Resources Director. The item moved Fire Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal from SCXEA to Unrepresented Unit 20, adjusted salary for Utilities Operations & Maintenance Superintendent (3.2% compaction correction), and updated the Employer-Employee Relations Policy and salary schedule. No public speakers. Motion by Councilmember Maple, second by Councilmember Kaplan. Vote: 8-0-1 (Pluckebaum absent). Resolution No. 2025-0248 adopted.
• Item 22: Gunfire Detection System Agreement (SoundThinking/ShotSpotter) – Deputy Chief Zach Bales and Captain Ethan Hanson presented. The system covers three zones (total 7.7 sq. mi.) and costs approximately $530,000 annually ($2,654,445 over five years). Key statistics: In July, 3,900 detections were filtered to 55 confirmed gunshots. Over 80% of gunfire incidents in covered areas are unreported by the public. A video showed a suspect apprehended within minutes via ShotSpotter and CHP air support. The department argued the tool reduces violent crime (45% drop in alerts from 2021 to 2024) and enables precision policing. Council discussion: Councilmember Maple expressed skepticism, citing lack of data on arrests and evidence recovered, and noted many other cities have terminated similar contracts. Councilmember Vang opposed, supporting the Police Review Commission’s recommendation to end the contract. Vice Mayor Talamantes moved to approve with an amendment for annual review and data reporting (including arrests, firearm recoveries, false positive rates, comparison with 911 calls). Motion seconded by Councilmember Kaplan. Councilmembers Dickinson, Jennings, Guerra, and Maple (conditional on review) supported. Vote: 8-1 (Vang no). Motion No. 2025-0291 passed (two-thirds vote required for suspension of competitive bidding).

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: All 19 items approved unanimously (7-0-2) with a single motion.
• Item 20 (Crocker Village Appeal): Council adopted three resolutions: (1) Resolution No. 2025-0245 finding the flex parcel project consistent with the EIR; (2) Resolution No. 2025-0246 approving tentative map, conditional use permit, and design review for 31 single-unit dwellings on the 2.49-acre flex parcel; (3) Resolution No. 2025-0247 denying the PUD amendment and associated entitlements for 30 single-unit dwellings on the 2.37-acre multi-parcel, consistent with staff recommendation. Vote: 8-0-1 (Councilmember Kaplan recused).
• Item 21: Resolution No. 2025-0248 adopted (8-0-1) reclassifying positions, adjusting salary, and updating policies.
• Item 22: Motion No. 2025-0291 approved (8-1) to execute a five-year agreement with SoundThinking, Inc. for gunfire detection services, with annual review of performance metrics.
• Information Items (23-25): Notifications of parcel maps and final maps for Delta Shores East Village 1, 2, and 3 received and filed.
• Public Comments: No council action taken; topics raised will be addressed administratively.
• Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m. in memory of Larry Ramirez.