All righty please call this meeting to order and call the roll. Thank you Council

Member Dickinson pardon me Council Member Kaplan Council Member Dickinson you're

here too. Vice Mayor Talamantes? Here. Council Member Pluckybaum? Here. Council Member Maple? Here. Mayor Pro Tem Guerra? Here. Council Member Jennings? Here. Council Member Vang? Here. And Mayor McCarty? Here. Yes. Council Member Vang, will you lead us in the land acknowledgement? Yes. Please rise if you can.

To the original people of this land, the Nisanan people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Putwin and Wintu peoples, and the people of Welton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento Indigenous peoples' history, contributions, and lives.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please remain standing and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all.

And City Attorney, do you have a report out from closed session?

Report.

Okay.

So, Mary, now move to the consent calendar, items 1 through 15.

I do have three speakers on the consent calendar.

Are there questions from council members or items they wish to pull?

Okay, I see a number.

Is that you, Council Member Kaplan?

Okay, how about Council Member Vang?

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I won't be pulling any items, but I'd like to comment on item 15, and I'll be taking a no vote on item 9,

given my position on the previous digital billboards vote from last previous council meeting.

So I'll be taking a no vote on item 9, but I would like to comment on item 15.

Council Member Maple?

Yes.

Quick comment on item 8.

Council Member Kaplan?

Quick comment on 4 and 16.

Perfect.

So let's go in order.

Council Member Kaplan on four.

Vice Mayor.

I have a comment on seven.

Okay.

How about Council Member Kaplan?

Item four.

This is in regards to our Central Valley Flood Protection Board and getting a reimbursement grant, which is great.

And I'm glad we were able to kind of move it over.

So thanks to DOU.

As you know, we get a lot of illegal dumping and debris in our waterways and levees,

and I'm glad to see that we can fully use this grant and that it was rolled over.

So good job.

Vice Mayor Talamontis on item 7.

I do want to thank Rose, who's out in the audience.

She's with one of our soccer clubs for helping us with Tanzanite park lighting for futsal.

It's been many, many years in the making, dating back to my time as the Chief of Staff, or now Senator Ashby.

So happy to see this finally happening.

And thank you to our Parks team for all your work on it.

Councilmember Mabel on item 8.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I just wanted to take this moment to acknowledge and thank my colleague, Councilmember Pluckibom,

for bringing this forward all the way through our committees, through our staff, working with the community.

and now is the historic day where we will all vote to remove an unfair rule on our city books

related to comic books and you might think to yourself well why is there a city code related

to comic books well forward a previous council many many years ago decided that that comic books

were something that were unsavory and that that children and the citizens of sacramento could not

partake in but we know that that is not true we have Evan here in the audience who I'm sure

will speak in a moment but we know that comic books can be wonderful things that provide a lot

of value to our young people to our communities that can speak truth to power on topics that can

educate us and beyond and so really proud to support this this effort to change our city code

and bring it in alignment with our values thank you councilmember Vang on item 15 thank you so

much Madam Clerk. First I just wanted to thank Consuelo for her hard work on updating the

platform. There is one change that I like to make to the platform before we approve it.

Last week we updated our immigration platform with the commitment to data protection and I

wanted to provide additional language to make sure that we are in alignment with the immigration

platform and particularly making sure that we are supporting legislation on protecting data

protection. I have shared the language with Consuelo, but I'll read it just so that my

colleagues can know what the language is. It would go under the section, a safe and secured and

prepared community. The language would read, protecting all data information system and

resident information from unauthorized access, misuse, or disruption, and strengthen data privacy

protection, particularly for immigrant and refugees and other vulnerable residents, including survivor

of gender-based violence or abuse, individuals with sensitive medical information, and those

who may face political and religious discrimination.

So that's the additional language I like to provide under safe, secure, and prepared community.

And those are the only comments I have for this item.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council Member Kaplan on item 16.

As we look at establishing our own appointed officers, I really want to thank city staff

But one of the things that I think we haven't figured out, and I ask for the discussion as it comes here, is longevity.

So I don't know if we're having that discussion now or if the item is coming back for discussion of setting this up in longevity.

Council Member, that's on the discussion calendar.

Okay.

Got it.

Then I'm good.

Assembly member, we'll take public comments now.

Yes.

Thank you.

Rose Schoen on item 7, Eben Burgen on item 8, and Sonia Karabell on item 9.

Rose?

Hello, council members and mayor.

Thank you for your time.

I just want to say I really appreciate the support of District 3 and Karina for getting the electricity connected to Tanzanite Park food salt courts.

sports save lives and having access to public amenities and public parts with

publicly funded lights is a really big deal for many of the families and

athletes that I work with and just members in the city of Sacramento.

Futsal is 5v5 soccer for a lot of people they cannot just go rent a large

grass field and play with their friends so they show up to the park they bring a

ball and they just can play. So getting the existing lights in court connected

to electricity is absolutely massive it truly creates tons of opportunities

eliminates barriers, and I'm really grateful that it's finally being funded.

These courts were constructed in 2022, and so it's been a long time coming,

and we're finally going to make it happen.

So from the community, I just want to say thank you.

I was able to attend today to personally thank you guys,

and we're really excited to get out there and play.

Eben is our next speaker.

Hello, Council.

I wanted to, again, thank Council Member Maple and Plucky Bomb for moving the comic book repeal through and all of your time on this issue.

I wanted to just share a little story about comics and how I feel like they've impacted in far opposite to what this law's intention was at the time.

So I've been very lucky to go around and teach comic books in classrooms all over Sacramento.

And there was a young man in a class where I taught him how to write comics, and then he pitched his story to an adult illustrator.

And it was this whole story about a volcano erupting and swallowing the entire community around him.

And it was a really, really wonderful experience to work with that many kids telling their comics.

But he wasn't able to come to the book release party.

And I made a point to go to the school and make sure that he got a copy of his comic.

and he runs up to me and he goes, Mr. Eben, Mr. Eben, I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for the

comic. Would you please sign it? I totally want you to sign my book. And I was like, why am I

signing your book? You need to sign mine. You're the author. Like, I should be signing your book.

And he was like, oh yeah, like I'm an author now. Wow. And he was so, so excited. And this is all

after his teachers were telling me they would use the comic book program to help allay his anger in

the classroom to really give him encouragement to come and learn to write and tell a story.

And he told me later in that conversation that the reason that he missed the class was because

his father was in jail that night. And that's a perfect example, I think, of how comic books can

be incredibly transformative. They can give a kid who may not have the odds stacked against him

true power in coming to be literacy, not delinquency.

So thank you so much for your vote today, and I really appreciate it.

Sonia on item nine.

Hello, I'm Sonia Carabell with Unite Here, Local 49 and Rail Yards for All.

And as I think most of you know, we've been fighting for the last year

for a better deal at the rail yards.

And today you're voting on one piece

of a overall corporate giveaway plan.

Specifically today is the first reading of an amendment

to the city's ordinance that would allow more billboards

in agreements to help the rail yards developers

make more money, all while the affordable housing

in the plan remains at just 6%.

The overall amount of subsidy in this

may be as much as $220 million between the EIFD and the billboards.

And 6% affordable housing is really not acceptable given that level of subsidy.

So we're really demanding both transparency around the value of all of these billboards

that the city is planning to do $0 leases,

as well as allocating this funding towards the biggest problems that Sacramento faces,

which is affordable housing.

Residents stood up against this deal last summer,

rail yards residents, many of whom had been formerly homeless

and who saw the injustice in giving developers millions of dollars

while they are just providing 6% affordable housing.

And for the city to continue voting again and again for the same bad deal

is really unacceptable.

So today is the first reading, but I ask that all of you

take a really hard look, not just at this vote,

the next vote coming up on February 24th on this amendment,

but at the whole rail yards deal and understand that as there continue to be more votes on this

project each of those is an opportunity to do better by the people of sacramento and the people

of sacramento deserve better thank you may i have no more speakers on the consent calendar

okay we have a motion on the consent calendar

we have a motion a second all those in favor please say aye aye any no's or abstentions

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

For the record, Councilmember Vang is a no on item 9.

Okay.

Noted.

So the consent calendar passes.

Please proceed.

We move to discussion calendar.

Item 16 is establishment of appointed officers unit, unit 24, and adoption of the personnel

resolution covering appointed officers, personnel resolution covering unrepresented employees,

and employer employee relations policy and citywide salary schedule.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. I have a brief presentation for you.

This item establishes a new unrepresented appointed officers unit, Unit 24,

and separates council appointed officers from the existing unrepresented resolution

by adopting two distinct personnel resolutions, one covering the appointed officers

and one covering all other unrepresented employees.

And the purpose of this action is for administrative clarity,

transparency, and alignment with the city charter and council rule of procedures.

This organizational change does not by itself set or authorize salaries.

Pursuant to government code section 54953, when the city council takes action to approve

the compensation of certain local agency employees, there must be an oral report in an open session

before final action is taken.

That requirement applies regardless of whether the compensation is addressed under the existing

unrepresented resolution or the newly proposed appointed officer's resolution.

Accordingly, any salary or benefit action must continue to be individually discussed

and approved by the city council in an open session.

The personnel and public employees committee advanced the proposed resolutions to the full

city council as presented and additionally requested that the council consider two new

provisions that do not currently exist in either of the resolutions.

These provisions are reflected in Sections 2.9 and 4.1 of the proposed personnel resolution

and are brought forward solely for Council's consideration.

Section 2.9 allows the City Council to consider whether to provide longevity pay for appointed officers

consistent with longevity provisions available to other unrepresented employees.

And this provision does not grant longevity automatically.

It does not set a salary increase and does not require future Council action.

In section 4.1, it clarifies that salary reviews and any future salary actions are individualized.

Compensation discussions are made separately for each position,

and approval of a salary action for one employee does not create an expectation, entitlement, or obligation

to approve the same or any adjustment for any other employee in the future.

So in summary, this item improves transparency and governs clarity.

It preserves council's discretion over compensation decisions

and ensure this continued compliance with open meetings and oral reporting requirements under government code section 54953.

And that's the end of my presentation, so I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

Okay.

Council Member Maple.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for the presentation.

I just wanted to say I support this because I think it's really important.

If we offer something like longevity pay to our employees throughout the city of Sacramento,

I think it makes a lot of sense that that includes our appointed officers

who may also have been with us for 17 years or more

and that we value them in their time with the city.

We want to encourage longevity.

I think that's great.

I also really appreciate the part on salary determination with performance evaluation.

I think it shows a lot of respect from us to our appointed officers that we take each one of them based on their specific performance.

We evaluate them, and then we make any decisions based on, let's say, if we're going to give a cola or something like that,

that it's based on that performance.

It's not necessarily this feeling of, well, if they got it, someone else is going to get it, or I'm getting lumped into a category.

I think all of these are great changes that really falls in line with our values as a council.

So thank you, and I'm happy to move the item.

Thank you.

Council Member Dickinson.

Thank you.

I wanted to make sure I was clear that the suggestion regarding longevity pay from the committee is whether or not to add it.

And if we were to add it, then it would be automatic for any appointed officer who meets the requirements to qualify for it.

Is that right?

Yeah, so the point for bringing it today would be discussion if the council would like to include it in the new resolution.

And then, yes, once the employees hit that 17-year mark, then they would be eligible for the 3%.

And, in fact, it would be automatic.

It says with a requisite service, shall receive longevity pay.

So assuming the appointed officer had the tenure specified of at least 17 years,

then they automatically would receive longevity pay?

Yes.

Okay.

I have to say that I think with each of the appointed officers,

that's a part of the evaluation and consideration of those officers.

I don't think that there's anything automatic that ought to be in that equation, frankly.

And so I think that whatever the nature of the negotiation might be with the appointed officers,

that shouldn't include elements that are unable to be considered or discussed.

So recognize there may be a division of opinion on this particular item, Mayor.

If we could separate that issue out on the vote, I'd appreciate it.

Okay.

Did you want to make a direct motion on that as far as the separation, Mr. Dickinson?

Looking back at the recommendation, it's under number six.

So if we could, assuming the motion was to take this staff recommendation, if we could just separate out item six for a separate vote, that would be appreciated.

Noted.

Sorry, just for clarity, items, by that you mean the longevity pay on it?

Separate than the individualized salary and have you?

Okay. I'm happy to bifurcate the motion.

You have that noted, city clerk? Okay.

Council Member, Mr. Dickinson? I'm sorry. You're good now?

Yeah. Council Member Kaplan. Thanks, Mayor.

I'm wondering if, as I listen to you, Council Member

Dickinson, keeping longevity,

I thought I heard, like, you're okay if we keep it on the table, but it shouldn't

be automatic. Did I understand? Through the mayor, yes. I mean, it can always be a consideration in

the negotiation. It may be an element that we want to consider when we're discussing compensation

for any appointed official. I just don't believe it. This language appears to me to say that it

shall be given regardless. I mean, assuming you don't terminate the person, they get longevity

pay and I don't think that's it ought to be automatic. Just as a frame and I don't know

if Council Member Maple would consider this if we keep the rest of the staff recommendation and

with longevity when somebody hits those years it becomes part of the negotiation like that the

discussion so it's not an automatic then maybe we remove that it's an automatic but it becomes

as the discussion when they hit that time as part of the performance evaluation.

And, you know, I'm just trying to think how do we maybe figure out a solution.

Mr. Mayor, for clarity on my motion.

So I think we may just have a difference of agreement personally.

I personally think that because it's something that we offer to the rest of the employees in the city of Sacramento,

I personally think it's something that we should also offer to our appointed officers.

So that's just my opinion.

So why don't I keep my motion as is?

and then if you want to make a substitute motion,

we can do that because I'm good with moving

the staff recommendation including both parts

and just to make it easier.

Okay.

No further comment.

We have a motion by Councilor Maple,

a second by Mr. Dickinson with a friendly amendment

to have two separate motions bifurcated.

So can you call the first one, Madam Clerk?

What's the first one?

I think you need a second.

Oh, I thought you were a second.

No second yet.

Oh, okay.

I'll second.

Okay.

Yeah.

I thought you were the second, Roger.

I just made the clarification because it seems like there's...

That's okay.

We can take it separately.

So just to clarify, the first motion would be whether or not to have longevity pay automatically

included in the resolution.

And the second one would be so yes to that and so someone could vote no on that if they

would like.

And then the second motion would be the salaries piece, so individualized salary review and determination.

Is that correct?

If I may, I thought the first motion would be everything in the recommendation other than item 6.

And the second motion would be item 6.

Longevity pay.

Oh, I see from the recommendation.

Item 6 is the recommendation that includes the longevity pay.

Okay.

You okay with that?

Council Member Maple?

Okay.

So when we're moving to second part of the motion, which would be item six, the motion

is that we include item six as a part of the motion.

Okay.

Yes.

Got it.

I second the vote.

Okay.

Please call the first one, which is proposal items one through five.

Thank you.

For clarification, the motion was made by Council Member Maple and a second by McCarty

for the resolution as is.

and we're going to take item six as a separate vote.

Yes.

Council Member Kaplan.

I want to make perfectly clear because you did an oxymoron.

You said as the recommendation as is, but we're bifurcating,

so it's only one through five we're voting on right now.

Correct, with the exception of item six.

Okay, yes.

Council Member Dickinson.

Aye.

Vice Mayor Talamantes.

Aye.

Council Member Pluckibom.

Aye.

Council Member Maple.

Aye.

Mayor Pro Temp-Gedda? Aye.

Council Member Jennings? Yes.

Council Member Vang? Yes.

Mayor McCarty? Aye.

Madam Clerk, just to clarify, there's also an item 7 on there, so it's 1 through 5 plus 7.

1 through 5 plus 7.

I think that's why I said exception of 6.

So now the vote is on item 6 to include that in the resolution or not.

The motion was by Maple and a second by McCarty.

Council Member Kaplan? Aye.

Council Member Dickinson? No.

Vice Mayor Talamantes? Aye. Council Member Pluckibong? Aye. Council Member Maple? Aye.

Mayor Pro Tem Guerra? No. Council Member Jennings? Yes. Council Member Vang? No.

And Mayor McCarty? Aye. So the motion passes to include item six. Your no's were Dickinson,

Guerra, and Vang. So the motion passes.

Thank you.

We move to council comments, ideas, questions, AB123 reports.

Mayor Potem-Ghara.

Thank you very much.

First, let me just thank all of my colleagues on the council for voting on item 7

to begin the improvements on Earl Warren Playground.

We had a terrible fire.

someone lit the playground on fire in Earl Warren.

And, you know, there's been just an outcry of support for that.

We wanted to invite everyone out on March 4th at Earl Warren Elementary.

You know, we're going to be discussing the future of the park.

The item today helped us move a big chunk of that next step forward.

And we want to get everyone's opinion on, you know, what we want to see out of our park.

I do want to thank a lot of our neighborhood leaders there who came out, including the granddaughter of Earl Warren, to help plant some trees and make some great improvements out there.

But I think now more than ever we're looking at and recognizing the work that's been done by the family, and we want to make sure that this is a great park.

So March 4th, come out, 6 o'clock, at Earl Warren Elementary.

Thanks, everyone.

Council Member Vang.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Just to announcement, this Saturday we have our tree planting event

at Wood Park from 9 to 12 at 6755 Bodine Circle. Join YPSI and our office as we plant new trees

at Wood Park. Volunteers will help clear pre-dug holes. We're going to plant, we're going to stick

the trees, we're going to mulch around the bases, and we're going to name the trees. So come through.

You can register at www.bttr.im backslash V4HAK or just go to our social media page and click on the link.

And the second announcement is that it is Chinese Lunar New Year as well.

And this Saturday at Luther Burbank from 10 to 4 p.m. is the annual, the 29th annual Chinese New Year Gala and Carnival.

this is a free event free parking free admission there's going to be food crafts children's game a

dragon dance martial arts showcase at 11 the stage show that's at luther burbank is um does have a

price at 15 for adults five dollars for children but there'll be a lot of outdoor activities and

vendors and encouraging everyone to stop by luther burbank thank you

Council Member Maple.

All right, thank you very much.

Inviting the community.

So you may have seen on the news that we have three of our,

or two of our private Catholic schools in Sacramento are consolidating

into the Catholic school in the Hollywood Park neighborhood,

which is St. Robert.

They are hosting a community information session.

That's this Thursday, February 5th from 5 to 6 p.m.

It's going to take place at St. Patrick Academy, located on Franklin Boulevard.

The exact address is 5945 Franklin Boulevard, again from 5 to 6 p.m.

So come by.

Please do bring your questions, learn more about what's going on and how it might impact your student or your neighborhood.

And my office is going to stay very engaged on this.

Thank you.

Council Member Jennings.

Thank you very much.

this month is Black History Month

and has been the tradition of this council

since I've been on it.

We have done a resolution to give to organizations

that honor black history.

I want to say that for many people who believe

that black history is something other than American history,

I want to correct them.

I also want to let them know that black history

is not just for a month or a week

as it was originally started, it's for a lifetime.

And so I will be bringing the resolution to the council

in the next meeting, at our next meeting.

It will be given to organizations who have done an incredible job

of honoring black history throughout the year.

And so I just want to make that aware to the council

that we honor Black History Month this February 2026.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I have two AB1234 reports as far as travel.

One is related to the U.S. Conference of Mayors

that I recently attended.

Robust discussions on issues of the day here in Sacramento,

housing, homelessness, as well as immigration

and city's responses.

And I've noted we had a very powerful session

with the mayor of Minneapolis

where we talked about the impact on not just that city,

but how it impacts the state of our cities across our country

and a really robust bipartisan response to that.

As well as I want to report for recent travel to Los Angeles

to have a couple meetings related to our Sacramento Music Festival

and expansion ideas,

as well as a meeting as far as expanding professional sports in Sacramento.

Thank you.

I see no more council members signed up to speak.

I have two speakers for matters not on the agenda.

Peter Frederick and then Sandra Sharp.

Last September, this council honored an organization called the Hindu American Foundation.

At the solicitation of that organization,

At that very moment, HAF was leading a lobbying campaign to kill a bill that would have trained Californian law enforcement, including Sacramento police, to recognize when foreign governments target people living in this country, people living in your city.

That bill was SP-509.

It passed the legislature unanimously.

The California Police Chiefs Association endorsed it.

It responded to a real threat.

The DOJ has indicted agents of the Indian government for conspiring to assassinate a Sikh activist,

a U.S. citizen living in New York on American soil.

HAF lobbied the governor to veto it, and in October they got what they wanted.

Now consider who HAF brought with them to accept your honors.

Representatives from Hindu Swayamsevak Song, HSS.

They highlighted it on their website.

HSS is the international arm of the RSS, a violent paramilitary movement that built India's current ruling party.

And they operate an active chapter right here in Sacramento,

which is why multiple greater Sacramento cities have already rescinded proclamations given to them.

Yet HSS, this international wing of a foreign paramilitary,

paramilitary was welcomed here in the capital city of California to accept honours from

you alongside HAF.

So follow the thread.

The DOJ indicts agents of the Indian government for plotting an assassination on U.S. soil.

HAF, accused of lobbying on behalf of that same government's ruling party, kills the

bill designed to help police catch exactly that, and then HAF and HSS come to this council

for recognition.

A foreign government plotted to kill

citizens on American soil.

The organizations that you

honored twice

Thank you for your comments. Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is Sandra Sharp.

Thank you for your comments.

Good afternoon.

I am a participant in the Roseville Road First Step Communities where I have been for two years.

Yesterday was my second anniversary being there.

And I've been given a 30-day notice to exit the program for declining an apartment that my case manager took upon herself without consulting with me even on it at all.

I felt like it was a setup for failure.

I've known several people that have gotten housing from First Step that within two months they were back out in the streets and I don't want to see this happen to me.

I would like to move forward, not backward.

And they're threatening me with exit.

I've gotten my notice, which I'll have to move out on February 20th

if I don't find a solution for the matter.

I don't want to end up back out on the streets.

I just felt like it was a setup for failure.

It's not an assisted living, but it's very assisted living,

and I'm not quite convalescent yet.

And I'd like to find some kind of a solution

when I don't end up back out on the streets.

Okay.

Thank you, Ms. Sharp.

If you could stand in the back,

and I'm going to ask my staff right here

from the mayor's office to follow up,

and we could make sure we have our department

at least have a chance to talk to you about the situation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So, Mayor, I have no more speakers.

That concludes the business of the council.

So you should have a show like flying.

Okay. Thank you. We are adjourned.

Thank you.