Measure U Community Advisory Committee Meeting Summary – August 21, 2023
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Measure U Community Advisory Committee Meeting – August 21, 2023
The Measure U Community Advisory Committee met on Monday, August 21, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 915 I Street, Sacramento. Vice Chair Duke Cooney presided in the absence of Chair Marjorie Dickinson. The committee approved the consent calendar, received updates on participatory budgeting, discussed the FY2021/22 annual report, and approved a process for the 2023 workplan. Public commenter Lambert Davis raised several concerns about outreach and implementation.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (June 19, 2023): Passed unanimously (9-0-1, with Riviera absent and Dickinson absent).
- Overview of FY2023/24 Measure U Approved Budget: Received and filed.
- Measure U Community Advisory Committee Agenda Log: Approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lambert Davis (member of the public): Expressed strong opposition to the Del Paso Boulevard Partnership receiving a grant, stating they “did not do any outreach” and characterizing it as a “conflict of interest” and a “scandal.” He also alleged that the process disadvantaged Asian participants and that staff members were paid to facilitate the process, which he considered unimpressive. He later criticized the city’s handling of the participatory budgeting process and accused the city of violating the Brown Act (regarding the City Manager’s Report item).
Discussion Items
- Item 4: Update on Participatory Budgeting Winning Project Implementation Grants: Ash Roughani (Special Projects Manager) presented an oral report. Of the $1 million allocated, 17 grantees are implementing 9 projects. Seven grantees are under contract; most are expected to be under contract by September 2023. The first project (Josh’s Heart homeless services event) was completed on August 12, 2023. Roughani emphasized that the participatory budgeting process itself was a key outcome. Commissioners discussed the need for a workshop with the City Council to present the process and results, and to seek additional funding in the mid-year budget review. No formal motion was made; the item was received and filed.
- Item 5: Discussion and Approval of FY2021/22 Annual Report: The committee discussed the draft annual report, which uses a new standardized template. Commissioners noted the report is retrospective (for a fiscal year ending June 30, 2022) and that many current members were not on the committee at that time. After discussion, the committee voted unanimously (10-0, with Dickinson absent) to authorize Commissioner Abram Diaz to finalize and forward the report to the Budget and Audit Committee.
- Item 6: Discussion and Approval of 2023 Annual Workplan and Calendar: The committee discussed the need for a workplan to guide future meetings and subcommittee scheduling. Vice Chair Cooney volunteered to draft the workplan, incorporating items such as the participatory budgeting workshop, focus groups, and a category-by-category review of Measure U spending. The committee voted unanimously (10-0, with Dickinson absent) to authorize Vice Chair Cooney to draft the workplan and return it to the committee for approval.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved all three items unanimously.
- Participatory Budgeting Update: Received and filed; no formal recommendations to City Council were made at this meeting, but the committee expressed interest in scheduling a workshop.
- FY2021/22 Annual Report: Approved (10-0) with Commissioner Diaz authorized to finalize and transmit to the Budget and Audit Committee.
- 2023 Annual Workplan: Motion passed (10-0) authorizing Vice Chair Cooney to draft the plan and present it at a future meeting.
- Committee Comments: Commissioner Sala requested that the committee be added to the list of commissions receiving stipends; staff noted this could be agendized as a separate item or included in budget recommendations. Commissioner Macias noted that the lack of ad hoc committees has impeded the committee’s work, and asked that the City Clerk’s office avoid scheduling meetings on Juneteenth.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are good evening and welcome to the August 21st, 2023 Measure U Committee, Community Advisory Committee meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum? Thank you, Vice Chair. Umbers, please unmute. Member Rueb. Present. Member Sala? Present. Member Macias? Present. Member Wolf? Present. Member Gors? Present. Member Cooney? Present. Member Riviera. Absent. Member. She was here. She's here. He's in the restroom. Okay, currently absent. Member Byrd? Here. Member Pascal? Here. Member Diaz? Here. And Chair Dickinson is absent tonight. Thank you. We have quorum. I would like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. For members of the public who wish to join virtually, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you have joined the meeting and wish to speak, raise your hand to provide public comment. When the chair confirms the public comment speaking period for your desired item. If you are online, click on raise hand on the bottom of your screen. If you are on the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping raise hand option in the more tab. And if you are calling by telephone, to raise your hand, dial star nine, then to mute or unmute, dial star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digits of their phone numbers. You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips and the raise hand feature in Zoom will be disabled. We will now proceed with today's agenda. And we'll go ahead and begin with the land acknowledgement. If you all please stand. 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, Pat's Win Winton 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. Thank you.
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