Sacramento City Council Regular Meeting Summary – August 25, 2026
Sacramento City Council Regular Meeting Summary – August 25, 2026
The Sacramento City Council met on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 2:05 PM at City Hall. The meeting began with a land acknowledgment and pledge of allegiance, followed by a closed session report. Mayor McCarty presented a proclamation for International Overdose Awareness Day. The council approved most consent calendar items, conducted four public hearings on historic landmark designations and an alley vacation, debated a contract to expand the Roseville Road tiny home campus, reviewed the annual affordable housing plan, and received an update on the regional homelessness task force. Public comments raised transparency concerns about the Arena Boulevard project and parking citation issues for delivery drivers.
Special Presentation
- International Overdose Awareness Day – Mayor McCarty read a proclamation noting that since 2025, 44,565 opiate overdoses have occurred in the United States and 5,462 deaths in California. Lori Miller (Sacramento County Behavioral Health) and Lindsay Coate (Bridging Medicine & Sacramento County Opioid Coalition) spoke about partnership efforts, including Narcan distribution and the Barcan program. Councilmembers expressed support and commitment to reducing stigma.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1 (Community Prosecutor MOU) – Approved. Councilmember Dickinson thanked the city manager for funding the program in North Sacramento and noted the transition to a new prosecutor.
- Item 2 (Monthly Investment Report) – Received and filed.
- Item 3 (Transformative Climate Communities Grant Application) – Approved. City clerk noted a correction to the resolution language.
- Item 4 (Utilities Leadership Program Contract Amendment) – Approved. Public comment by Annabelle Gonzalez questioned the need for leadership training when the Utilities Director had warned about flood requirements at 3511 Arena Boulevard not being followed, potentially jeopardizing the city’s FEMA rating. She asked whether a drainage study had been completed.
- Item 5 (Supplemental Parking Permit Pilot Program Extension) – Approved. Councilmember Kaplan asked staff to consider similar programs for neighborhoods like North Natoma.
- Item 6 (Business Improvement District Annual Proceedings) – Approved.
- Item 7 (Railyards Special Sign District – Static Digital Signs) – Passed for publication with a no vote from Councilmember Vang, who stated she would vote against until a citywide billboard market study is completed. Councilmember Talamantes asked about the study timeline; the city manager said it is expected by December 2026.
Public Hearings
- Item 8 (3137 33rd Street Historic Landmark) – Approved unanimously. The property is a Queen Anne working-class home in Oak Park.
- Item 9 (5241 J Street – El Dorado School Historic Landmark) – Approved unanimously. The Spanish revival building was nominated by Preservation Sacramento and East Sacramento Preservation; over 40 letters of support were received.
- Item 10 (1957 13th Avenue Historic Landmark) – Approved unanimously. The Tudor revival property owner supported the designation.
- Item 11 (1445 45th Street Historic Landmark) – Approved unanimously. The Colonial revival home owner supported designation.
- Item 12 (Vacation of Chinatown Alley at 324 Alhambra Boulevard) – Approved unanimously. The alley vacation will enable a six-story, 420,165 sq ft mixed-use development with 302 residential units, 2,400 sq ft commercial space, and 344 parking spaces.
Discussion Items
- Item 13 (Contract – 35 Tiny Homes at Roseville Road Campus) – Approved. Brian Pedro (Department of Community Response) presented: the site currently has 196 tiny homes; 35 more will bring capacity to 231. The contract is with G&G Builders for up to $479,695, funded by a $12.4 million encampment resolution grant (awarded September 2024). Average length of stay on the south side is 228 days; on the north side (operated by The Gathering Inn) the median is 63 days. 39% of exits are to permanent housing. Public comments: Annabelle Gonzalez again raised concerns about the 3511 Arena Boulevard project (40 tiny homes), where costs had risen to $7.1 million and flood/drainage requirements were reportedly ignored by the assistant city manager. She demanded transparency. Nick Galling (The Gathering Inn) reported positive outcomes: currently 100 cabins at/near capacity, 33 graduated to improved housing (50% directly to permanent), 10 veterans, 74 domestic violence survivors, and average 45 dogs served daily. Councilmembers asked about county behavioral health services and referral processes. Council approved the motion.
- Item 14 (Annual Report on Affordable Housing Plan) – Received and filed. Christine Weichert (SHRA) reported on the city-county partnership agreement’s five-year plan (2023-2027). Accomplishments from May 2025 to April 2026: 1,450 permanent supportive housing units created or in the pipeline (97% of 1,500 goal); 3,564 affordable housing units constructed or in the pipeline (exceeding the 500-unit goal). For rehousing: the city’s Street to Housing program housed 102 households; the county’s flexible housing pool (Brilliant Corners) received $5.8 million for ~250 households; Sacramento Steps Forward received $4.5 million from Bezos Day One Family Fund to rehouse ~160 families. Discussion highlighted challenges with federal project-based vouchers, potential shortfalls, and the need for local innovation (e.g., affordable by design, revolving loan funds). Councilmembers expressed concern about federal funding uncertainty and emphasized joint city-county meetings for future planning.
- Item 15 (Housing and Homelessness Ad Hoc Task Force Report Out) – Received and filed. Ya-yin Isle and Councilmembers Maple and Pluckebaum reported on the first task force meeting (August 6, 2026). The task force, comprising elected officials from participating jurisdictions and two CoC board members, is developing a new regional governance model for homeless services. Field Impact Partners has been selected as consultant. The group will meet two or three more times before end of 2026, with a goal for all jurisdictions to adopt recommendations by January 2027. Councilmember Kaplan asked about transparency; staff will provide written summaries on future council agendas.
Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda
- Lambert Davis – Spoke about the 80th anniversary of a local church and urged the city to partner on economic development and job creation.
- Laura Kellett (H2L Ground Delivery Inc., FedEx contractor) – Requested guidance on parking citations in the Natomas area (Truxel Road, Grand Avenue, West El Camino). She said the company has received nearly 100 citations for parking in bike lanes and bus zones due to lack of designated commercial loading spaces. Vice Mayor Talamantes directed her to connect with her office.
Council Comments & Adjournments
- Councilmember Vang announced the 6th Annual SALSAC Festival on August 29 at Valley High Park, and a public art installation on August 31 at Valley Hi-North Laguna Library.
- Councilmember Jennings announced Music in the Park on August 30 at Curtis Park.
- Mayor Pro Tem Guerra announced office hours on August 28 at Tahoe Park with a clean energy food truck event.
- Councilmember Maple announced she is beginning maternity leave and that her office remains fully staffed.
- The council adjourned in memory of Dolly Parton (age 80, literacy advocate) and Dr. Jack Edward Foote (music professor emeritus at Sacramento State).
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to call us meeting order at 205. Clerk, please call the role. Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan. Councilmember Dickinson is expected momentarily. Councilmember Pleckybaum. Councilmember Maple. Mayor Pro Tem Gera is expected momentarily. Councilmember Jennings. Councilmember Vang. Councilmember Dickinson. I expect Mayor McCarty shortly, Vice Mayor Talamantes. Councilmember Kaplan, will you please lead us in the land acknowledgement and pledge of allegiance? Well, the Southern Maidu, the Valley and Plains Mi Wok, the Putwin Wind Toon peoples, and the people of 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 peoples' histories, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing. Pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you, Councilmember. City Attorney, is there any report out from closed session? Okay, thank you so much. And today we are honoring have a special presentation for International Overdose Awareness Day. Um, and so I just want to just acknowledge to all the loved ones and people that have lost loved ones to overdoses and how hard it is on the faith for the families. And so I do want to share that here. Well, I'm gonna read a little excerpt from this. Umternational Awareness Day is an opportunity for communities to stand beside those who have lost ones to an overdose and those who have a substance use disorder and are diligently working toward recovery. Since 2025, 44,565 opiate overdoses have occurred in the United States. And here in the Sacramento or in the California, 5,462 deaths. And so this is a huge problem, not just in California, but across the country and especially here in Sacramento. And so I just want to bring awareness to this so that we can all reflect on the moment for the families and the people that have lost loved ones. And with that being said, I'd like to bring uh presentation to come up here to say a few words. Good afternoon, Council members. My name is Lori Miller. I'm a behavioral health division manager for the county of Sacramento for 27 years and a member of the Opioid Coalition executive team since 2016. I want to thank you for the opportunity this afternoon to share a few remarks with you all today. August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day, so we come together to remember, to honor, and to recommit ourselves to preventing overdose and saving lives here in our community. August 31st is a day to recognize the people and families whose lives have been forever changed by overdose, and to remind ourselves that behind every death is a person, a son or a daughter, a parent, a sibling, a friend, a colleague, or a neighbor. We also recognize the families and loved ones whose grief deserves to be acknowledged, and their loved ones deserve to be remembered with dignity, respect, and compassion. But today is not only about remembering those we have lost, it is also about hope. Today gives us an opportunity to recognize the incredible work happening across our community at the city and county levels. No single agency, department, organization, or individual can address the overdose crisis alone. It takes partnerships, it takes prevention, it takes education, it takes families and schools and health care providers, first responders, community-based organizations, people with lived experience, and people in recovery working together. We all play a part. Certainly recognizing John Adair and Tina Voitt are the City of Sacramento staff who have helped promote community safety and support local businesses through trainings, resources, and policy guidance. They have been incredible partners who are very passionate and knowledgeable about helping keep our community safe while supporting local businesses to thrive. As we look ahead, our responsibility is to keep building systems where people can get help sooner, where treatment is easier to access, where recovery is supported, and where people are not defined by their substance use or by the worst moments of their lives. I want to leave us with four commitments this afternoon. Remember the lives lost and the grieving families. Respond with compassion, reduce stigma, and recommit action through education and partnerships.
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