All right, welcome everybody.

Um, I now call this meeting of the law and legislation committee to order at 1102 a.m.

I'd like to welcome everyone back from our summer recess with my colleagues in the public.

Madam Clerk, will you call the roll?

Certainly.

I'd like to make all right, Ephraim.

There we go.

Um, good morning.

This meeting's being streamed live on YouTube with audio and captioning in English and Spanish.

Captions and translation audio are generated using artificial intelligence and could cause errors.

I will say it's pretty great so far, though.

Um I'll start with the role.

Councilmember Dickinson.

Here, Councilmember Pleckybaugh.

Councilmember Jennings.

Chair Maple.

I am here.

We have a quorum.

Thank you very much.

And with that, please rise if you are able.

Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Petwan Wintoon 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 today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history, contributions, and lives.

Remains standing, salute and pledge.

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 with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you very much.

And uh as always, if you would like to wish uh speak on any of the items that we have before us today, you can find a QR code in the back.

Yes, um we I'll have our clerk explain it better than I will because I'm still learning this new technology.

So um today we are introducing a new program for all of our meetings.

Well, you we will have staff in our lobby to welcome you and greet you.

You can sign in um as soon as the meeting is published on our new website.

You can sign in out in the lobby before you come in chambers.

And Heather, who um our regular speakers are familiar with, has more assistance down below.

Um and we're just working very appreciate every bearing with us, but we do have a speaker in the queue for today.

Fabulous.

Um and is that speaker for the consent calendar?

It's not so that is for our next item.

We'll go to consent.

Well, I I think you and I want to take a moment to uh really appreciate the the clerk's office for their amazing work on uh bringing us into uh the newest of times with technology, making sure that we conform with the new state laws that have come down that uh and and also in our efforts to just be more transparent and make it easier for people to engage with their government.

And so we hope that the this new technology will make it easier for you to provide public comment, whether that be in person or online on the phone or on Zoom or whatever it may be.

Um and so please do keep us informed.

Uh I think there's a lot that we're gonna learn over the the next you know days and weeks, and so we really want your feedback.

So with that, we'll move on to the consent calendar.

Do you have a correction to read in that item one?

The recommendation is to approve minutes.

Um it says April 12, but it should say May 12, 2026.

And the attachment is correct, just the language and the and the agenda was um at typo.

Okay, so noted.

Um, do any colleagues do you have any questions or comments or want to pull any items from consent?

Consent is as amended.

Okay, we have a motion.

I will second it.

And a second.

All right.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All right.

Uh, any opposed or abstain?

That passes unanimously.

And then we'll move on to our first discussion item.

We have item number four, council member proposal request for committee consideration.

Update to the city's sidewalk repair program.

Do we have I'm assuming Dickinson will be presenting.

I'll pass it on over to you.

Sure.

I'll I'll just uh I'll introduce I don't know that this requires a great deal of uh of uh elaboration, but I see that all the all the high-ranking staff have shown up here, so we better say something about it.

Um this is a uh proposal uh to to take a look at uh the the way in which we approach sidewalk repairs uh for residents in the in the city.

And I'd I'd note that it's offered by uh councilmember Jennings and Councilmember Mayor Pro Tem Gera in addition in addition to me.

Uh I think uh all of us as members of the council and probably staff too have experienced uh uh uh instances when uh somebody uh a resident has been identified as needing to uh fix their the sidewalk in front of in front of their house or or business, and what it uh really requires now is that that sidewalk be replaced, which is not necessarily inexpensive, and for many people may um be a stretch financially.

So this proposal really is uh a simple one, and it is to look at other methods of addressing the need for sidewalk repairs uh by property owners, uh which could could uh be grinding and it could be filling, it could be uh other things that are uh suitable and safe, but but but less costly.

And uh so the request here is that uh the staff take a look um uh at these uh alternative methods and any others they they they can uh identify being experts at all of this uh and then return to I I would say return to the council, but uh if the chair's desires to have them return to the to the committee, that's fine, I suppose as well, um, with whatever they uh whatever the staff comes up with uh in their in their diligent uh research and recommendations.

Okay.

And I see Councilmember Jennings.

Thank you very much.

Uh great job on that presentation, Councilmember Dickinson.

Um I totally agree with you that um uh the sidewalk current method that we have for our sidewalk repair is um expensive for some and happens at the wrong time as we go through our and our our budgets and take a look at um our resources.

Um and I think we should look at other methods and what are the best practices that are working in other locations of the cities that look like Sacramento and see what we can learn from them.

So I'm in favor of um moving this forward.

Um I'm in favor of listening to what the alternatives are to our current method.

Um I'd like it to come back to this committee.

I think it's that important that it come back to this committee first and then go to the full council once we all agree that this is the best thing that we can move forward as well as an alternative to the current method.

And so um I'm not trying to micromanage, I'm just trying to make sure that this is something that moves forward in a timely manner.

I think it coming back here first will allow it to be uh timely and get it done uh so that we can take the burden that's on the current residents away from the residents if possible.

And I'm amenable to that.

So I did you did you make a motion or I would I would move the move it with uh coming to lawn ledge first and then directing it directing the appropriate council point of officer to commence work on the proposed proposal and bring it back to the committee for review and consideration.

Fabulous.

We do have a public speaker.

Okay.

Um so with that, we'll take our public comment first, and then I'll have a couple questions and then we'll go from there.

Okay, we have one con uh speaker on this, Dan Pikowski.

Welcome to the morning, Chair Maples, City Councilmember Stan Biskowski.

I was a Sacramento City Arborist for 30 years, retiring in 2020.

The last 11 years I spent in the sidewalk repair program doing the route inspections.

I know how the program got developed today.

Existing staff from director on down doesn't know all the minutiae about how it did.

But I'm glad you're bringing this forward because I've been working on this for a long time.

In 2016, I approached the city auditor, no response.

What I'm asking for though is we need oversight, outside oversight.

And here's the reason is when it originally they did the paradigm shift.

This is 15 years ago, city council mayor said develop an alternative grinding.

So staff developed the grinding program, but it didn't work because they had this caveat.

If you're repairing a sidewalk, if three panels can be ground and two have to be removed and replaced, it's a no-go, no grinding.

So the grinding program in fact doesn't exist.

Now the current city staff had an opportunity two years ago in January 2024, there's a second of B article.

It was about that and how less affluent neighborhoods are getting hit.

They had an opportunity right then and there to save people thousands of dollars.

A five by five panels like $500.

You grind it, you're you could have saved like 400.

They could have said, okay, if two of the panels qualify for grinding and three are removed and replaced, we're gonna do the grinding on the two and the other ones.

But they didn't.

And that's why I think when we're moving forward with this program, we need outside oversight.

Because it's I don't have enough time to go into everything, but I was there when the program was developed, and I know why it was developed.

So I'm applauding you for finally addressing this because this is something that's been on my plate for a long time.

I've been retired six six years, but I've been working on this.

And so thank you, Channing Dickinson and Councilman Guerra, for doing this.

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you very much.

Um really appreciate that.

Any other public comments?

No, ma'am.

Okay.

With that, maybe I'll have uh someone from our illustrious staff come up.

Um and while you come up, I will just say that I am I'm also very grateful uh that the council members are bringing this forward.

Um without a doubt, this is one of the things that we hear about the most from our constituents in my district.

I'm sure I am not alone in the other districts as well.

And as someone who lives on a corner lot, I can tell you I live in fear of the mo of the day when I may have to um to do this myself and and potentially be on the hook for thousands and thousands of dollars.

Um it's a it's a big challenge for a lot of residents, especially if you're on a fixed income, you're senior, young person, you're you know, any normal person that's trying to raise their family, it's really really hard to figure out how to come up with that that kind of money.

Um and so I think thinking creatively about how we can use different kinds of materials or processes is a worthy goal.

Um so uh I guess my question is uh has there been kind of any initial research on the staff side about different types of materials, or would this be kicking off kind of a new process for for you to look into that?

What's happening in other cities and other types of materials and processes?

Yeah, I think uh uh uh good afternoon, Matt Arman, director of public works.

Um I think that um we're we're definitely very open to different methodologies of how we repair um sidewalks, right?

I being in the seat for three years, uh I get calls weekly on how people are affected by um our you know letters that they receive, or if people cannot afford them, that you know their homes are are leaned.

And so I think I think there are different methodologies that we could we could uh put into place.

I think the thing that we need to consider as we move along this is that if there's a root cause, no punt intended, on why the damage is happening.

Um we need to we need to repair the sidewalk to get to a level for the people that are using the sidewalk, right?

And make sure that it's ADA compliant, make sure that it it meets a standard that we're all going to be um happy with, right?

So I think at uh at certain points um we all need to agree what level of risk we're okay with because once we become aware of this uh defect in the city sidewalk, it becomes it becomes our issue, and who's going to inspect it three years down the road, four years down the road.

There are many times that we've applied patches, temporary patches where those patches just don't adhere, or you change the moneycular structure of the concrete, and um it just gets brittle and causes you know it to we're we're using the highest level of of standard at this point in time, and we're open to taking a look at uh any any alternative modes and and uh apply those.

Okay, great.

That's really helpful.

Um that'll be it for me for questions.

Uh I just wanted to know to know if we had any work underway.

I will say if it's okay with the the motioner and the seconder, um, I was really interested in in the grinding program component.

It's not something I was aware of, so maybe if we can make sure that's included as a part of the work that's done is if there need to be any updates to that program that we already have.

I don't think it needs to be additional language in the motion, just if you're okay with that direction.

Okay.

Yeah, um, if I may, Chair.

Uh uh I think that the the uh it makes sense to look around, see what other jurisdictions are doing.

Um, you know, the the the tree uprooting the the sidewalk uh raises a potential another issue if it was a city tree or the city required the tree to be planted in the first place and then and then it uproots the sidewalk, and we tell the property owner you have to pay for replacing the sidewalk when the that problem to the extent it's a problem was created by the city requiring or pl actually planting the tree in the first place.

So um there are those that's not every situation, there are those situations though.

But uh, but I'm I I think what Matt, you're uh you're talking about makes sense.

I think it's really having flexibility and applying the right the right solution in the right circumstances.

45 No, no, uh uh I can count.

I can count Matt.

Is that the next unless that's not part of the motion though?

Uh he would like me to uh show up before that.

So at that point I'd be always welcome even after retirement, you know?

You don't need to hang it up.

Yeah, I mean, we we have people that are retired are come here all the time and speak.

So I love that.

Okay.

Um seeing no other thank you.

Seeing no other comments from members of the public, um, we have a motion and a second.

So all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed or abstain.

Okay, that passes unanimously.

That will uh head to the staff for their diligent work and then back to Lawn Ledge before the full council.

Um now we move on to our our next item, our update on budget activity.

And just so folks know, um, I've been working with our amazing government affairs uh director on ensuring that the work that's happening in the state capitol um comes back here, and so the public can hear about what's happening with the budget, they can hear about what's happening with our legislative strategy, um, and so this is just part of that effort to be um make the public aware.

So with that, I'll pass it on over to Consuelo.

Great, thank you.

Uh Consuelo Hernandez, Director of Governmental Affairs, and I'm pleased to provide um, as the chair mentioned, a summary of what has passed thus far for the 26-27 state budget.

Um I will caveat this with uh there will be additional budget activity happening next month.

Um, but here's where we are so far.

The budget was signed by the governor on the 29th, um, with some additional budget trailer bills being signed afterwards.

Uh the budget deal came in at a little over 300, almost 352 billion.

Um it balances this year's budget, next year's budget, and should reduce the structural deficit all the way out into fiscal year 2930 to about 8.4 billion.

So that is a major accomplishment.

Um it also increased uh or maintained um 28.8 billion in reserve accounts, uh placed a rainy day fund revision uh initiative on the November ballot, um, and put set aside an additional 6.4 billion um in a temporary holding account uh to balance the fiscal year 27-28 budget.

So the governor uh made it very clear that he wanted to leave the state in a good um fiscal uh situation.

So here are the highlights for the city, homelessness.

This is probably the biggest one for us.

Um HAP 7 funding was included in the budget at 900 million dollars.

Uh the um cities, big city mayors were advocating for their usual um 1 billion dollars.

The governor had said that he was looking at 500 million, we ended up at 900.

I I think we got the better part of that negotiation.

Uh there was there is a housing trailer bill that was signed, AB 179.

It does have some new accountability requirements for jurisdictions that directly receive HAP funding, which includes us.

Um access HAP 7, I believe the HAP 6 will work to um receive that disbursement.

Um cities that receive direct allocations, again, us must obtain a pro housing designation, so not a problem for us, and meet a 35% match requirement.

Uh there was some flexibility added in in terms of what meets the match requirement, and I believe I've discussed this with staff, and it sounds like we we should be fine.

Um let's see, housing community and economic development.

Uh the budget provides 500 million for low-income housing tax credit, 200 million for the multifamily housing program, uh 7 million for the in-fill infrastructure grant program, uh, which supports additional infrastructure for new housing projects, which is a key issue for the city.

Um it also creates a hundred million dollar disaster rebuilding fund to assist homeowners who are um impacted by disasters.

Um again, AB 179, the housing trailer bill uh seeks to incentivize local governments to waive limit or defer impact fees for affordable housing.

Um this was the governor came out with a bigger bite at the apple.

We eventually ended up with um cities that are lead or co-applicants for housing projects that receive state funding.

Um before he was asking that uh the city's limit waive defer impact fees.

Instead their funding awards will be reduced by the amount of impact fees that they're charge for the project.

So you know I think we need to do a little analysis to see how often we would be put in this situation and what the impact would be.

As we all know, these impact fees aren't just revenue generators, they go to pay for actual infrastructure or other needs.

Let's see, immigration.

We've talked a lot about immigration, the need for legal services and the budget did include a total of 175 million for immigrant legal services, which is wonderful.

I know that in our budget situation, we prioritize providing additional funding to the fuel network.

And it's always wonderful when they have additional uh resources to tap.

Um there are a few key outstanding issues that we expect to have discussed and hopefully decided on in um August before the legislature adjour at the end of the month.

Um funding allocation for Prop 4.

Prop 4 is the $10 billion climate resilience bond, um, and it funds projects like safe drinking water and wildfire and flood protection.

Uh so they need to figure out how to divvy that up.

Um the cap and invest reallocation.

So for those of you who are following uh Carb, the State Air Resources Board, um limited, they they reallocated some funding, reprioritized and limited the available funding for what's referred to as tier three um projects, and these are the ones honestly which are most important to the city.

Uh they include climate, transportation, housing, environmental work.

Uh this did not sit well with many in the legislature, and there have been um ongoing discussions about how to address this, maybe provide additional funding, maybe pass some legislation or work with the governor to reallocate the reallocation.

Um we're also hearing that there may be an effort to rework SB 54, which is the state's packet packaging law, which was passed in 2022.

Um there is a concern that the law will raise a cost for farmers, food producers, um, businesses and consumers, so there we may see uh some kind of deal in that area.

Also want to be sure to mention that we do have a couple ballot initiatives that uh could affect funding for city priorities or impact the state budget.

Uh Prop one is the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act, so uh more money we can get for affordable housing the better.

Um and then Prop 43, which was the Howard Jarvis compromise that prohibits local governments from imposing uh special taxes unless approved by two-thirds of the electorate.

Um interestingly, again, this was a compromise, it was a more draconian measure that was that had qualified for the ballot.

Um this legislation was passed to place this item on the ballot, and the author of that legislation has asked people not to vote for it.

So she said, hey, we put it here because it's better, it's still not good.

Uh so that's what I have thus far.

Um I am happy to take any questions.

Um do you have any public comment on this item?

No, yeah.

Seeing that colleagues, questions.

Council member Dickinson.

Uh thanks, Chair.

I want to thanks, Chair.

I wanted to just um highlight uh uh couple things that I think um we would be wise to be uh as much at the center of as as possible.

You mentioned a couple of them because well um first of all the the Prop 4 allocations and particularly those uh uh for local parks for urban greening uh the categories that are in up in Prop 4.

Um I think we could we could take significant advantage of uh certainly I think there's community garden money uh if I recall in Prop 4 as well.

Um so there are a number of things that could apply to uh efforts that a lot of us are trying to make here in the uh in the city.

So as much as we can as much as we can uh be a part of those conversations, I think I think that would be smart.

Um secondly, with respect to cap and invest, we've already engaged in and thanks for the letter that uh you put together earlier in the session uh on that, but um uh I you know uh I understand the governor's interest in in trying to help uh uh uh electricity ratepayers receive some relief.

But this allocation, aside from any question about whether it it fits under uh uh uh under the greenhouse gas reduction fund guidelines, and aside from that, there's not much relief here on it when you get when you slice it down to the individual rate payer.

And I I uh I just wonder whether there isn't a different approach not using cap and invest money um that that could be applied to give ratepayers some some relief without using the the cap and invest funds to do that.

So maybe that analysis has been done by the by the administration, and this is what they settled on as the best alternative, but uh uh it put a jeopardy, particularly public transit and and other very important community efforts, community wide efforts across the state.

Um in favor of uh, as I said a moment ago, very little in the in the way of actual relief to the ratepayers.

So I'd I'd be interested in some approach that gave some more meaningful relief to the ratepayers, but didn't do it at the expense of these uh of these community investments, which fit much more directly within the scope of uh of cap and invest.

So um, I think really that to the extent that we can again be engaged in those discussions, uh, I think it'd be smart.

And I also think that we as council members are resources for you in talking to our state uh legislators and administration members and others were lucky enough to to have to be here in Sacramento.

Um we should take advantage of that in these in these kinds of instances as uh as well.

The other thing that um just uh administratively, you you gave us a list of the position letters um, but not the status of the of the legislation.

And so uh if in the future, and I think you have in the past, yeah.

Uh um listed the the status, but on this list there was not the status, so if um if you could make sure to do that.

Yep, I'm happy to add that in.

That that also would be uh be helpful.

Seems to me there was one more thing I was thinking about with your presentation, but it escapes me at the moment, so I'll let someone talk, or maybe it'll come back to me.

All right, thank you.

Um yeah, and I think those are some great points, definitely uh definitely interested on on the cap and invest side and some creative options, and I really appreciate the work that you did leading up to the sending the letter and a little um especially last minute.

I know it was a last minute request.

Thank you.

Uh did you have another you punched up again?

No, okay.

I'll remove you.

Any other questions or comments from my colleagues on this?

Seeing none.

Um I just want to say thank you for the presentation.

It is really helpful.

Um it's helpful for me and all of us, but also for the public to know all the great work that's happening, not just here at City Hall, but across the street at the Capitol, and that we are really, really actively engaged.

Um we're not just sitting by watching what's happening over in the state capitol.

Um we have our lobbyists, we have amazing staff that are actively engaged every single day on the work that's happening there, and and they do seek our our help and guidance on a regular basis, and I think that's really important for the the people to know.

And I'm super interested uh maybe in the maybe this can happen in the future, maybe we won't have time before November, but obviously we have quite a few ballot measures that are anticipated to be on the November ballot.

So um maybe at some point uh before November we can either just put a written report in or something about what those are so the public can read and um find out more information about what to expect on the ballot.

Okay, with that, we will move on to committee questions, ideas, comments, reports.

Anything from my colleagues?

Seeing none, do we have any public comment not on the agenda?

No, ma'am.

All right.

So with that, we this very efficient meeting is concluded at 1131 a.m.

We are adjourned.

Even if you're ready, I'm gonna start the um twelve thirty.

I'm just gonna the the phone part.

I don't think we're gonna need it.

I'm gonna answer that.

Okay, and then I'm gonna yes, I'm connected.

Clear audio.

Well captions are working.

Okay, we're ready, rock.

Okay.

So now we're gonna go to speaker meeting.

So I just did it.

Okay.

Um so here's what happened though.

I did everything.

Uh-huh.

And then it said confirm closed captions, and this was spinning, spinning, spinning, and there was it looked like I needed to scroll down more, so I just said it was okay.

And then I got the you I got the but this was not spinning.

I couldn't get it to go further.

Yeah, it I think it did that last time too.

Okay, so it looks like we're live.

Okay.

We've got the speaker queue.

I'm the only person in the speaker queue.

I've not gotten a phone call.

I haven't either.

Which isn't the end of the world.

Um, let me turn the ringer back off.

So it doesn't ring during the meeting.

Okay, so I think that's good.

Efren, can you show me how to change this?

Um and make them different screens.

Yeah.

I know, but this is different.

You wanna extend?

I'd like I want no, I want one of the I want I don't care, but I want to be able to see two different things.

If that matters, yes, duplicate uh extend would allow you to put one of these tabs into here, whichever one you want up here.

Uh-huh.

Oh, I had to I had to turn the keypad off because I touch it.

Okay.

Okay, so that should be okay.

Uh which what do you want to see up here?

This guy?

Yeah.

Okay.

So let me just put the screen.

Let's see.

Oh yeah, I think we can.

Okay.

And then this still is still there if you want that behind it, because then it's just a matter of dragging you can pull in what you want where you're going to be behind you.