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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Sacramento City Council Meeting - September 15, 2026

Other — Tuesday, September 15, 2026

BodySacramento, California

SessionOther

DateTuesday, September 15, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:01:52

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:22

I'd like to call this meeting order at 206 p.m.

0:24

Clerk, please call the role.

0:26

Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan.

0:28

Councilmember Dickinson.

0:29

Councilmember Pleckybaum and Maple will be absent today.

0:32

Mayor Pro Temgeda.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Councilmember Jennings.

0:36

Councilmember Vang.

0:37

We expect Mayor McCarty momentarily and Vicemor Talamantes.

0:41

You have a quorum.

0:42

Thank you so much.

0:42

Council Member Dickinson.

0:52

Good anticipation.

0:54

You're already standing.

0:55

Okay.

0:56

Well, thank you for joining us for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous People and Tribal Lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu Valley, Plains, Mewok, and the Patton.

1:10

Winton people and the people of the Wilton Ranchery of Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

1:17

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 together today in the active practice of acknowledgment and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples' history, contributions, and lives.

1:34

Thank you for that.

1:35

And now if you'll join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:52

Thank you, Councilmember.

1:54

As City Attorney, is there any report out from close session?

1:56

Nothing to report out.

1:58

Okay, thank you so much.

2:00

And today we have a very special presentation from Mr.

2:04

Matt, who I'm actually gonna invite up to the podium to hear remarkable words from Councilmember Kaplan and Councilmember Dickinson.

2:12

Um but I do want to say that I think that we're at overcapacity here in the city council chambers.

2:22

There's about a hundred Mats in the audience plus the individuals that are holding the flyer.

2:27

So hold them up, please.

2:29

If I can get the IT to do uh round around the room to show all the different Mats in the audience.

2:38

So I might need to report it to the city to I don't know, city building department.

2:43

Um fire marshal.

2:46

Okay, fire marshal.

2:47

That's where I'm gonna report it to because there's too many people in the council chambers here for you today.

2:52

He was to say, I'm gonna hand it off to Councilmember Kaplan, um, who has happily introduced his resolution.

2:59

Thank you, uh Vice Mayor.

3:01

Part of me wants to say, will the real Matt Ironman please stand up?

3:06

Please stand up, please stand up.

3:08

I think one more time because I know some of us, I actually want to get a picture.

3:13

So can the Ironmans all please stand up?

3:22

Uh I am I am happy to begin the embarrassment on uh Matt Ironman's uh congratulations and retirement of your remarkable 22 years with the city.

3:38

Uh I'm gonna say a couple of things.

3:40

I know Councilmember Dickinson, I see um, by the way, each of my colleagues is going to embarrass you, and then we have a representative from Senator Ashby's office uh as well, but you get to be front and center one last time, my friend.

3:57

Um you know, when you go into retirement, you reflect not only on what you achieved, but how you achieved it, and that's something.

4:07

Well, I don't want to run run through the details of what you've done, but I want to talk about you as an individual.

4:14

Um true leadership is not about standing tall or still, it's about evolution.

4:20

And Ironman, you have always been a steadfast leader, a rock in times of turbulence, a source of unwavering certainty when our city has needed it most.

4:32

Yet what made your 22 years truly exceptional was not your capacity for growth, but one you never assumed you knew it all.

4:54

From your son, Matt Ironman, your daughter-in-law, Destiny, three-week old Riley, right?

5:02

Um, Peyton, Kendall, your in-laws, Ned and Sherry, and then your family who's watching online, Jennifer, Reed, Sawyer, and many other family members, but it's also the legacy of the individuals sitting here in this room, those that are in overflow uh watching and watching online.

5:25

Because what you truly understood was the measure of a leader is not how many followers you created, but how many leaders you leave behind.

5:35

And you invested your time, your wisdom, and your patience in the next generation.

5:41

You gave everyone around you in this room the ability to make mistakes, the confidence to make decisions, and the support so that they can stand on their own.

5:52

You didn't just build a career here in this city, you built a future for our city and the growing leaders of tomorrow.

6:00

Managing public works is a monumental task, but doing it while leading a department of more than 700 individuals requires something truly special.

6:10

It takes a little bit of grit, a lot of vision, and deep empathy.

6:15

Because I'm sure you can tell the stories about the constituents and what parking has had to endure and construction has had to endure, and our traffic safety team.

6:27

Um the individuals you have under you sometimes face constituents who are not at their nicest, and you help lead them through an understanding how to put the city first.

6:43

You balanced the complexities of our streets and traffic engineering and constructions and public parking and so much more, but more importantly, you did it while keeping the human element at the center of your leadership.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Works██████████████████18%

Budget and Finance███████████████15%

Entertainment Zones██████████████14%

Public Comments████████████12%

Procedural█████████9%

Personnel Matters██████6%

Public Safety██████6%

Boards and Commissions████4%

Homelessness████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Sacramento City Council Joint Meeting - September 15, 2026

The Sacramento City Council, along with several affiliated authorities, held a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, beginning at 2:06 p.m. and adjourning at 4:08 p.m. The meeting featured a special retirement presentation for Public Works Director Matt Eierman, action on a 16-item consent calendar, and three discussion items including a revised citywide salary schedule, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency's annual financial report, and an ordinance expanding entertainment zones. Councilmembers also directed staff to study potential policies for data center proposals and to review permitting fees for small events.

Consent Calendar

All 16 consent items were approved by a 7-0 vote (Councilmembers Maple and Pluckebaum absent). Items included:
- Confirmation of Sarah Soto-Taylor to the Measure U Community Advisory Commission.
- Waiver of up to $149,758 in ineligible costs for The Salvation Army's Stockton Boulevard Anti-Displacement Program.
- Authorization for the Mayor to sign a response to the Grand Jury report on the Community Police Review Commission (discussed briefly, with Councilmembers Vang and Kaplan calling for a future public hearing and formalized process).
- A $156,938.15 supplement for online application services with NEOGOV.
- Acceptance of a $6 million BSCC Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant (with 70% for enforcement).
- Participation in the Intergovernmental Transfer program with DHCS, transferring up to $5.2 million from the Fire Department budget and receiving up to $10.1 million in federal reimbursement.
- A $1.6 million grant agreement with Visit Sacramento for Phase 1C due diligence on flat sports fields at Granite Regional Park.
- $361,356 contract award to TJR Resources for Mangan Park Walkway Improvements.
- A $430,000 contract amendment for wastewater flow monitoring through FY2028/29.
- A $735,500 contract with Carollo Engineers for a wastewater treatment plant condition assessment.
- A $113,551 contract amendment for Sump 89 outfall replacement.
- Change Order No. 5 for the Power Inn Queue Cutter Project (total $1,743,539).
- A $205,723 contract amendment for Martin Luther King Jr. Library renovation (total $11,474,571).
- Change orders for on-call contractor services (up to $600,000 per contract).
- A $1,776,914 supplement for parking access and revenue control system upgrade.
- A five-year extension of the parking system network hosting agreement with Sacramento County.

Public Comments & Testimony

On Consent Calendar: Bob Simpson expressed support for the commission appointment and praised Matt Eierman's service. Keon Bliss criticized the council's handling of police oversight, alleging political donations influenced decisions, and called for a formal review of all 186 police commission recommendations.
On Discussion Item 17 (Salary Schedule): Lambert Davis noted the presentation was not visible on screens and questioned salary discrepancies raised by the city auditor.
On Discussion Item 19 (Entertainment Zones): Bob Simpson, Adeline Knoll (Downtown Sacram, and Karina Raimundo (Midtown Association) spoke in support, citing increased business and positive community impact.
On Non-Agenda Matters: Lambert Davis thanked Councilmember Dickinson for recognizing the 80-year anniversary of a community group and promoted a family cheesecake business. Liana H. strongly opposed the recent data center approval, accusing the council of ignoring public opposition. Ella Roberts also opposed data centers, raised concerns about police cooperation with ICE, and requested that X-rays of an individual injured by police be displayed on city channels.

Discussion Items

17. Approval of Revised Citywide Salary Schedule: The council adopted Resolution 2026-0242, approving a 3.5% salary range increase at the top of the range for 10 department director classifications (Community Development, Community Response, Convention & Cultural Services, Economic Development, Finance, Human Resources, Public Works, Utilities, Youth Parks & Community Enrichment, and Chief of Police). The item passed 5-0 (Councilmembers Kaplan, Maple, Pluckebaum, and Talamantes absent).
18. Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) Draft Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for 2025: The report was received and filed. Mandy Merchant from CLA presented the audit results, noting an unmodified opinion and a reduction in audit findings from prior years (one significant deficiency related to the financial close process, compared to a material weakness in 2024). Councilmember Dickinson inquired about housing assistance payments and homelessness prevention spending; staff agreed to provide a comprehensive overview at an October 13 council meeting.
19. Ordinance Amending Sacramento City Code Section 12.50 - Entertainment Zones: The council adopted Ordinance 2026-0021, adding six new entertainment zones (including three outside the central city). Nighttime Economy Manager Tina Lee-Vogt presented the program's positive results from six past events, including a 30% increase in visitors at a recurring activation. The ordinance passed 7-0 (Councilmembers Maple and Pluckebaum absent). Councilmember Guerra requested a review of small event permitting fees, citing costs of $5,000 for community events.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar adopted (7-0) with all 16 items approved as recommended.
Revised citywide salary schedule approved (5-0) with a 3.5% increase for top-level director classifications.
SHRA annual financial report received and filed; staff to report back on overall homelessness prevention spending by October 13.
Entertainment zone ordinance approved (7-0), expanding zones citywide.
Direction to City Manager: Mayor McCarty requested staff develop a policy to address potential impacts of data center proposals (energy, water, infrastructure, neighborhoods) if such proposals come to Sacramento.
Future item: Council to consider formalizing the process for responding to Grand Jury reports and for receiving annual reports from boards and commissions at a future council meeting.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call this meeting order at 206 p.m. Clerk, please call the role. Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan. Councilmember Dickinson. Councilmember Pleckybaum and Maple will be absent today. Mayor Pro Temgeda. Here. Councilmember Jennings. Councilmember Vang. We expect Mayor McCarty momentarily and Vicemor Talamantes. You have a quorum. Thank you so much. Council Member Dickinson. Good anticipation. You're already standing. Okay. Well, thank you for joining us for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous People and Tribal Lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu Valley, Plains, Mewok, and the Patton. Winton people and the people of the Wilton Ranchery of 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 together today in the active practice of acknowledgment and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples' history, contributions, and lives. Thank you for that. And now if you'll join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, Councilmember. As City Attorney, is there any report out from close session? Nothing to report out. Okay, thank you so much. And today we have a very special presentation from Mr. Matt, who I'm actually gonna invite up to the podium to hear remarkable words from Councilmember Kaplan and Councilmember Dickinson. Um but I do want to say that I think that we're at overcapacity here in the city council chambers. There's about a hundred Mats in the audience plus the individuals that are holding the flyer. So hold them up, please. If I can get the IT to do uh round around the room to show all the different Mats in the audience. So I might need to report it to the city to I don't know, city building department. Um fire marshal. Okay, fire marshal. That's where I'm gonna report it to because there's too many people in the council chambers here for you today. He was to say, I'm gonna hand it off to Councilmember Kaplan, um, who has happily introduced his resolution. Thank you, uh Vice Mayor. Part of me wants to say, will the real Matt Ironman please stand up? Please stand up, please stand up. I think one more time because I know some of us, I actually want to get a picture. So can the Ironmans all please stand up? Uh I am I am happy to begin the embarrassment on uh Matt Ironman's uh congratulations and retirement of your remarkable 22 years with the city. Uh I'm gonna say a couple of things. I know Councilmember Dickinson, I see um, by the way, each of my colleagues is going to embarrass you, and then we have a representative from Senator Ashby's office uh as well, but you get to be front and center one last time, my friend. Um you know, when you go into retirement, you reflect not only on what you achieved, but how you achieved it, and that's something. Well, I don't want to run run through the details of what you've done, but I want to talk about you as an individual. Um true leadership is not about standing tall or still, it's about evolution. And Ironman, you have always been a steadfast leader, a rock in times of turbulence, a source of unwavering certainty when our city has needed it most. Yet what made your 22 years truly exceptional was not your capacity for growth, but one you never assumed you knew it all. From your son, Matt Ironman, your daughter-in-law, Destiny, three-week old Riley, right?

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