All of you in our audience.

Welcome to the City of Sacramento personnel and public employees committee meeting.

This meeting will start right now after we start the process of our roll call, our land acknowledgement, and pledge of allegiance.

Clerk, would you please do a roll call vote?

Thank you, Chair.

Vice Chair Kaplan.

Here.

Member Talamantes.

Member Vang.

Present.

And Chair Jennings.

Here.

Thank you.

We have quorum.

Okay.

If you're able, please stand in honor of the land acknowledgement.

In honor of Sacramento's Indigenous People and Tribal Lands to the original people of this land, the Nision people, Sozamaidu, Plains, Valley and Plains, Miwok, and the Patton Woodman peoples and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized trial.

We may we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous People's History, their contribution, and their lives.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it spans one nation under guard, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right, we will now move to our discussion calendar.

Will the clerk please call the item number one?

Thank you, Chair.

Uh, we do have a consent calendar on this agenda.

Uh, did we want to tackle that first?

Yes, let's take care of that first.

Um, I was ready to move to action, but let's get to action of the consent calendar first.

Okay.

I will move, I will move consent.

Is there a second on consent?

It has been moved and seconded.

Is there any further discussion?

Do we have anyone from the audience that wishes to speak on the consent calendar?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips for the consent calendar.

Okay, we will then move to the vote.

All in favor of the consent calendar going forward.

Please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstain.

All right.

We are 100% for the consent calendar.

Now we will move to our discussion item.

Thank you, Chair.

Item number two is the review of applicants for the animal well-being commission.

The seat meeting recommendation today is C L.

Requirements for this seat are as follows.

A member who must have an expressed interest or demonstrated history of community involvement in animal welfare, operation of an animal welfare center, or animal rescue.

This member must also be currently serving in a volunteer role at an animal shelter or humane society.

So in your staff report, there are six applicants for review.

However, late uh late yesterday, we did receive an email from applicant Laura Gale Warren notifying us that they wish to withdraw their application from consideration.

Um so I'll now continue with our applicants.

Our first is Jane Anise.

And uh each applicant will have two minutes to respond to the questions that will be brought up on the screen shortly and that were provided via uh email uh previously.

Am I to stand here?

Okay, you may begin.

Okay, so the first question: why am I interested in serving on the board?

Um I've been a lifelong animal advocate.

Um, I believe that there is a huge problem nationwide with pet overpopulation.

Um I would like to help the shelters move animals to loving homes and work to prevent the overpopulation in the first place.

Um I'd like to work with the commission to find new ways to reach rescues, fosters and adopters.

And my friend Kelly Benedict is on the commission, and she and I have worked alongside each other helping move animals into loving homes.

She has discussed the challenges with me, and it sounds like something I'd like to try to help tackle.

And the second question, describe my knowledge and experience that qualifies me.

I have over 11 years of volunteer experience with Beagle Freedom Project.

We rescue animals directly from laboratories across the United States.

There are 67,000 beagles in labs right now being tested on, and it's hard.

Because we've adopted several animals from those laboratories.

And we have worked to foster rehab, transport, adopt.

We do advocacy.

In fact, several years ago, I don't know if you remember the right to release law that was passed at the state level that told these laboratories that once they're done testing on animals that they need to release them to the public to a rescue organization that already has fosters and adopters lined up.

And so we got that law passed, and part of that was going and meeting with the state legislators in their offices and advocating for these animals because they don't have a voice.

So my position has always been I need to be the voice for these animals and help get them where they need to go because they're valued.

The social media aspect.

Thank you for your time.

Your two minutes is complete.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you for being here today.

Thank you.

Our next applicant is Shannon Asquith.

Good morning.

My name is Shannon Asquith, and I am interested in the position, the L position in the Animal Welfare Commission because I have over 20 years of experience working and volunteering in animal shelters, nonprofit organizations on a national and local level.

Specifically, I was the first volunteer coordinator at the Front Street Shelter back in 2003, where I built volunteer programs.

I helped empower staff and volunteer to work together and to save animals.

In addition to that, I've worked for the ASPCA, and I also was the board director for the Sacramento Area Animal Commission Coalition, where I work to save lives and implement spay neuter programs here in the Sacramento area.

And question number two briefly describe my knowledge and experience that qualifies me for this board commission.

Well, my knowledge and experience that qualifies me for this position is the fact that I am a 20-year resident of Sacramento.

I live in Tahoe Park in District 6.

I'm very familiar with the challenges and needs in our community, as well as those that I draw from experience from national organizations.

For example, I am currently a volunteer for Animal Balance, which is a national organization that has come into our area and is working hands-on to span neuter animals, reduce our population of unwanted animals here in Sacramento, and help reduce you the NASA directly for Front Street.

So in that role, I know and understand the national policies and procedures that can be put into place here in our area that can help save lives and help us reduce unwanted animals and help us be a kinder and gentle gentler city and thank you for your consideration and I hope to be considered.

Thank you.

Thank you for being here today.

Our next applicant is Dr.

Michael Maria Delgado, who's not in the audience, and they also notified our office prior to the meeting that they would be unable to attend due to a work conflict.

Our next applicant is Tiffany James.

I do not see Tiffany James in the audience.

Morgan Lescoty.

Hi there.

My name is Morgan Lescotti.

And in 2020, I moved back to the U.S.

from living abroad in Taiwan.

And that time shaped me and my experience and understanding animals in our community.

While living there, I experienced uh firsthand seeing animals that were not being taken care of in our communities, and I was very grateful when I came back to Sacramento to see that we have a very strong foundation of care for animals.

But in 2021, I did experience firsthand when an animal showed up at my home, and I became involved in animal advocacy locally.

Navigating the Spain neuter process, vaccines, getting them taken care of through our system was very difficult for me.

And over the last three years, it ended up uh prompting me to become involved.

I've fostered over 30 bottled babies in a span of three years, which was incredibly hard, and I did that all on my own.

I've also worked with a number of different local rescues and worked with Front Street as far as I will pick up people who need to go in for appointments, and I've also participated in bringing animals to and from their spay appointments.

So that's why I'm interested in serving on the commission.

But what gives me um the knowledge and the experience is that I have the first-hand experience from the public's view.

So I got involved three years ago.

I don't have 20 years of experience, but I also recognize that I know what the average person in the public knows.

They don't know how to navigate these systems, so I bring a unique lens as to where we can improve those the communication, our services, and what we're providing for the community.

So that's me, and I am very interested in being a part of the commission.

Um thank you for your time.

Thank you for being here this morning.

Uh, Chair, um, that concludes our applicants for the Animal Wellbeing Commission.

Oh, and we do have one member of the public who wishes to speak on this item if you'd like to go to um public comment at this at this time.

We can take that before we open the discussion.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh, we have again one speaker slip.

Uh Leia Morris.

Hi, thank you, committee.

And I am speaking as a member of the public today that um having reviewed the applications for all the commission uh for this seat um I'm I'm supporting Shannon Asquith for this seat.

Uh I only met Shannon through her volunteer work with Animal Balance when we have done several events through them, and each time we spayed and neutered about 200 animals, and she approached me and learned about the commission about a year ago and was interested in the work of our commission.

Um, she's exhibited a great deal of knowledge in the field of animal care.

I am also impressed by the fact that she could help us collaborate with our colleagues at other shelters, including the SPCA as well as Bradshaw, having been a volunteer there.

So I hope that we can support um Shannon Asquith's uh application.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

I have no more speaker slips.

Okay, I'll move to my colleagues, starting with Vice Mayor Karina Telemantes.

Hi, Chair.

Um, I'd like to move recommendation for Shannon asquith to move into the seat.

Okay.

Uh councilmember my bang.

Thanks.

I actually had questions for the applicants who came today.

Is that okay to do that?

Um before I make my decision.

And so I have two.

There's three of three of you in the audience, right?

So I actually have three questions, we can rotate them.

Um, so why don't we have is it Jay?

Jane come first.

Um, and then if if the three of you can come up just because I'm gonna ask the questions and we can rotate.

Um just thank you to the three of you for applying for this uh position.

Um I'll ask Jane first, and if and then we'll rotate.

Um, should you be on the um commission?

What are some measures of success in improving animal welfare outcomes?

Like, what are some measures that you think that is important for the commission just to look at for it to be successful?

Regarding the commission's current work, okay yeah, come up and then yeah.

Yeah, like a minute each, yeah.

Well, I believe that finding homes for the animals is the utmost importance.

Um, overcrowding in shelters is one of the biggest um concerns because it hurts the animals, and um, but I also think that it's important to inform the the community that this is a vital issue for the animals, but also for the community.

We gotta take care of our animals.

Thank you, Jane.

Shannon.

So I think uh three outcomes are uh the most important.

The first being reducing intake of animals into our shelter.

Um, for those of you who've been to Front Street, it's a very small, very old shelter these days, and when I was there uh a while ago it was not, but um the space issues and so forth are very significant, and what you face as city leaders is the expense of looking at building another shelters.

Oh my gosh, construction is going through the roof.

So that's the first one is really looking at that, and that's where the spay neuter component comes in, not only for owned animals but for the homeless animals.

Second is um making sure that the public has what they need as far as services, vaccines and so forth, and um third would be making sure that the staff and volunteers have a good quality place to work.

Thank you.

Thank you, Shannon.

Morgan, yeah.

Thank you.

So I um echo that sentiment that it's reducing intake into the shelter to begin with, so increasing access to spay and neuter, uh, public vaccines.

I think a lot of the reason people are um handing over their animals to the shelters are because of loss of housing that is available for people with animals, uh, unaffordable pet care when situations arise where you know their pets have an emergency, they have become uh very exorbitant costs.

So I think that's one of the the top things, um, as well as of course getting the animals that are currently in the system into homes, but making sure those are good homes and that they're not gonna cycle back through to the shelter later on down the line.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And um, and then my uh my second question, and then we can go uh Shannon and then uh Morgan and then um Jane, is um, you know, the commission members may not always agree with each other.

Um how do you resolve kind of conflict or disagreements and like how do you build relationships among commissioners?

How do you see your role in that?

That's a great question.

Uh, especially in animal welfare, it can be a very robust conversations because we're leading animals just like all of you lead city issues, and so um the first for me would be making sure everybody's heard and making sure we understand the why, why everybody's bringing an issue to the table.

What where are they coming from?

Because if you look at that that um car accident, if you will, everybody might be looking at it from a different perspective, especially in animal welfare.

You've got owners, you've got advocates, you've got people who work in shelters that all have different viewpoints.

The second is um then looking at what what is the most important thing for the community and for the animals and for their owners, and not necessarily what I bring to the table because of where I've been or what I've done, but the overall community and the animals that we care for, and then those are our um public citizens who are the pet owners.

Thank you.

Thank you, Shannon.

I come from a very big family, so I'm familiar with navigating difficult situations like that, and what I would say is, you know, as previously mentioned, um, there's always different perspectives and uh different insights that people who are in animal advocacy they bring to the table, and it is a very heated um topic.

People who are invested in this really care about this, but at the root of it, uh animal issues are people issues, and they come from problems related to people and our systems and what we built.

Um so I think it's also, you know, you have to meet people with grace and kindness and recognize that we're all here for the the animals, uh moving them into a better situation, creating better systems in our community, and we have to keep that at the forefront of everything we do.

Thank you.

I think we need to find common ground, and the best way to do that is to listen first.

I believe that my children went to a Montessori school when they were young.

And they learned that concept of listen first, hear what the other person has to say before being heard.

And uh showing respect for other people's viewpoints, even if they differ greatly from where you come from.

And I've spent my whole life in as from a high school coach dealing with parents, dealing with the athletes, trying to find out, okay, where are you coming from?

And try to find some common ground and then push forward with the ideas.

Thank you so much to all three of you.

I know that our vote is only one individual.

And I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you for submitting your application and stepping up.

And I know that while we may only choose one person, that I hope that whoever we don't choose that you continue to stay active really in this space.

Um and just also just want to say thank you for your service that you're already doing in the community without even being on the commission.

So thank you so much.

I don't think anybody could have said it better.

So we do appreciate each and every one of you for your willingness to serve, and this is uh one seat that we will choose today, but it doesn't mean that uh all three cannot continue to participate.

So okay, great answers.

Okay, Vice Mayor Telemantes.

Uh and I do have an open seat for my district uh for this position.

Uh so for the candidates that didn't get selected, uh, that applied for the position.

I'm happy to have individual conversations.

So thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

We are now there's a I heard there was a um motion on the floor.

I will second, and I will echo what our vice mayor said.

If you don't get chosen today, I think following up with our vice mayor, there might be a spot because we can choose people who don't live in our district.

Okay, let's take a vote there.

Okay.

So the motion was for Sharon Esquis.

Shannon.

Shannon, I'm sorry.

Um I thought I was gonna miss the last name.

Okay, um, and there was all in favor.

I mean, there was a motion, and then the second was just made just now.

Uh, is there any further discussion?

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Oppose?

Abstain.

Welcome, Shannon.

There's our new commissioner.

Okay.

Thank you.

Next item, please.

Thank you, Chair.

Our next item is item three, review of applicants for the housing code advisory and appeals board.

Uh, the seat needing recommendation today is seat D.

The recommendation.

Sorry, the requirements for C D are as follows.

Uh member must have an expressed interest or demonstrated history of involvement in provisions of the city's housing code.

Uh we had one applicant for this seat, uh, that was the incumbent Barry Boyd.

Uh Barry Boyd emailed our office this morning notifying us that he would not be able to be uh present at the meeting this morning.

Um, as such, that concludes our review, and I'm here for any questions.

So Barry Boyd was the incumbent, and um, yeah, and he's the only applicant.

Um, would not allow him to participate today.

Uh I'll move the item.

Second.

Okay.

And I would throw it that if I could, but we only need we only need a second.

Um, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose, abstain.

Mr let Mr.

Barry Boyd know that uh we are looking forward to his continued service, and we hope he gets well soon.

Thank you, Chair.

Our next item is item four, review of applicants for the Civil Service Board.

Seat meeting recommendation today is seat C, and requirements for this seat are as follows.

Uh member who is a citizen of the city and has no connection with city government.

Uh we had one eligible applicant today.

It's Elena Monique Gonzalez Soto.

I do not see them present this morning.

Um, so that concludes our our applicants for today.

Um I'm here for any questions.

Okay.

Vice Chair Kaplan.

Chair, I will make a motion for Elena Monique Gonzalez Soto to fill uh seat C for the civil service board.

It's been moved and seconded.

Any further discussion?

Vice Mayor Karina.

Yeah, I just want to say uh really happy to see District 2 applicant apply.

I know that when we did the city auditor does the boards and commission survey about representation in the city of Sacramento and District 2 and 3 and 8 are typically um the lowest uh number of commissioners that apply.

So happy to see this.

Uh Monique and congratulations.

It has been moved and seconded.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, abstain.

Again, we are unanimous.

And moving Eleanor Monique Gonzalez Soto to the civil service board.

Okay.

Thank you, Chair.

Our final review of applicants item today is item five for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission.

Uh the seats needing recommendation today for this commission are seats A and C, and the requirements are as follows.

Uh, must be a resident of the city, must not be an elective officer, and must not be an employee of the city or county.

Uh we have five applicants for review today.

Our first being Barry Boyd, however, due to the city code section 2.40.

Uh member may only be appointed to one board or commission at a time, as this body recommended Barry Boyd be reappointed to the Housing Code Advisory and Appeals Board.

Um I believe, and we will not move forward with this uh candidate for review.

That's correct.

Um so our next applicant is Michael Flamate.

They do not appear to be in the audience.

Danielle Hassan, not present.

Brooke Michelle Miller Jacobs, not present, and Preston Chi Wong.

Thank you for being here today.

Uh good morning, Chair and members of the committee.

Uh, my name is Preston Wong, and I am an urban planner working at a small consulting firm here in the area.

Uh thank you for taking the time today for considering me for this position.

Um, I'm happy to be back here again since the last time uh this commission had an opening in August.

My interest in serving on this commission is rooted in both my personal and professional background and my connection to the Sacramento area.

Um I've been a resident since I was nine years old, and over the years I've really seen our city grow and change in big ways.

I want to do my part in making the wheels turn in our city and serve the public, and I hope to do so through this commission.

My education and professional experiences have always been focused on public service.

Uh, in the past, I was an academic researcher studying housing affordability issues for my peers.

And now my work involves helping create more affordable communities every day.

Uh housing community development are really essential to what makes a place livable, and I want to be part of the work that ensures that our neighborhoods are happy and healthy.

I'm committed to understanding the challenges people face, and I really approach this work as a lifelong learner.

Um I would be honored to contribute toward the work that the housing and redevelopment commission does to make housing available and accessible.

And uh I would like to thank you guys for your time and for your consideration, and I'm happy to take any questions.

Just stay right there and we will see if there are any questions that come your way.

Uh Vice Chair Kaplan.

Thank you, Chair.

I don't have any questions.

I reviewed these applicants, Chair uh members, and I think it's important that we look at the diversity of difference of experiences that people bring.

And I would like to, and I'm open to recommendations, but I was very impressed by Danielle Hasan uh D2 uh to make a motion for seat A and Mr.

Preston Qi Wong for seat C, um, bringing in a D two and a D eight more to our boards and commissions.

So I will put that motion on the table.

All right, that motion is on the table.

I will second that motion.

Okay.

Vice Mayor Telemontes.

I do have a question for Mr.

Preston.

Your address says you live in Elk Grove.

Yeah, it's uh I am uh I guess it's kind of the weird boundary.

Yeah, I vote for Sacramento City Council members.

Okay, so you're in the city of Sacramento.

There's like a segment in my district where it's with their address as Elk Grove, and they'll even though they're in the city of Sacramento limits.

Okay, okay, just thought I'm making sure I was gonna say, I would not support an El Grove uh resident being on a city of Sacramento thing.

So okay, he is in the city of Sacramento.

Yeah, we have like a segment in our city that their addresses says Elk Grove.

So okay.

Then in that case, I'm okay.

Okay.

We've got that solved.

Um there's a motion on the floor.

I think it's been seconded.

Yeah.

And with that said, um, any further discussion?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Oppose abstain.

Welcome, sir.

Thank you.

We're glad to have you.

Thank you, Chair.

That concludes our review of applicants items for today.

We'll now move on to item six.

Uh City of Sacramento Preservation Commission 2025 annual report and 2026 work plan.

Good morning, uh, Chair Jennings and members of the committee.

My name is Sean DeCourcy, Preservation Director with the Community Development Department.

Before you today is a 2025 annual report and 2026 work plan for the preservation commission.

The report is intended to give the committee a clear snapshot of how the preservation commission carried out its advisory role over the past year as well as what is anticipated for the year ahead.

In 2025, the commission remained active.

It reviewed and forwarded recommendations to the city council on more than a dozen local landmarks and a historic district nomination, many of which were informed by recent citywide context and survey efforts.

The commission also provided policy direction on several significant initiatives, including our ADU objective design standards, environmental review documents, and updates affecting historic district and signage regulations.

Looking ahead to next year, this year, the work plan outlines a number of important projects, including the review of the Hackett House Network to Freedom nomination with the National Park Service, nomination of several landmarks and historic districts arising from the LGBTQ plus historic context and survey project, continued work on the old on old Sacramento, included including the special signage district regulations, and ongoing hearings on local and national register nominations.

The commission will also continue its responsibilities related to development review, grant funded projects, and policy advising.

The preservation commission reviewed this report and work plan in September of 2025 and recommended approval without any changes.

Staff is recommending the committee approve the report as submitted.

And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Chair, I have no speaker slips on this item.

Okay, to my colleagues, do we have any questions on the report?

Seeing none, we will receive the report as written.

Thank you very much.

Uh Chair, this item does require a vote to forward to the city council.

Chair, I will make a motion to forward this to report to city council.

I will second that motion.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose abstain.

Record show that uh we three to three with one missing.

And for the record, the member absent for this vote is Member Telemontes.

Yes, thank you, Chair.

Our next item is City of Sacramento Disabilities Advisory Commission 2025 annual report and 2026 work plan.

Good morning, Chair Jennings and members of the committee.

I'm Jesse Gotham, Supervising Engineer with Engineering Services Public Works, and I'm pleased to bring forward the Disability advisory commission's annual report for 2025 and the 2026 work plan.

Um, here to speak on behalf of the commission is Vice Chair Keith Ellis.

Thank you, Jesse.

Again, uh my name is Keith Ellis.

I'm um privileged to serve as the vice chair of the Sacramento City of Sacramento Disability Advisory Commission.

Um I'll just be brief and highlight a few uh points from our annual report for you.

Um I think the real fundamental theme throughout this annual report, as in our previous ones, is that the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Disabled Persons Act, California law and federal law respectively, are the floor in which we walk on.

So that is the minimum that we need to do.

But that doesn't mean we can't do more or shouldn't do more to be a more inclusive city for us all.

And some key examples from this report and past reports.

One is in this council chamber alone, the doors to this very room.

When this room was built, the doors were ADA compliant.

You could open them from the seated position.

Technically speaking, yes.

This commission asks the city to put door buttons on the doors to make them more accessible and to make this room more inclusive for the public to join in uh the meetings that happen in this space.

So that's that's a key example of what we're talking about throughout the city, especially with regard to various different projects uh throughout our city as we're updating infrastructure, modernizing and making things up to current code.

That's the bare minimum, but we can and should do more.

Um various projects that we've highlighted are like Marysville Boulevard and Del Paso Boulevard projects, as well as we've um uh provided input on the Truxel Road or Truxol proposed Truxel Bridge project.

So they're various different public works projects that come before the commission, and we have that lens towards accessibility, inclusivity that go beyond the bare minimum that are required, and what can we do to make this city more inclusive and accessible for us all regardless of ability or disability.

Um that's what I we ask of you.

And when things come before you as city council, what are those things that you can do to do more than the bare minimum?

Yes, by law, we're required to do something, but is there more we could do with that eye towards um diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility?

Because I think you can't have one of those without all of those together.

Um, the last thing that I'll highlight for you that has been kind of a cornerstone of our annual reports over the last several years, has been a citywide ADA coordinator.

And this isn't just like a human resources or personnel related position.

That's part of it.

Really, we're looking for a staff-level person who can have that who can be part of the staff level decision making throughout the city with that eye towards accessibility and inclusion.

So we're we want a dedicated person in the staff of the city that is able to provide that expertise when various issues, projects, or initiatives come up through the staff as they tend to do before they get to the city council or a commission.

This position would be noting those areas of accessibility and inclusion for the city to consider, regardless of the body in which it's gonna go before.

With that, I'm happy to take any questions you might have regarding our annual report for you.

Thank you so much.

Uh Vice Chair Lisa Caplan.

Thank you.

I appreciate the report and everything that you guys have put into it.

Um don't have any questions per se.

Uh, just wanted to highlight one thing on one of your requests was for electronic speakerships.

Uh, state law, as I'm sure you're aware, has changed and the city is moving over, and that should begin sometime July mid-year.

Um, however, uh the clerk's office is working on that to get underway.

So that is one thing, yay, positively.

Thank you.

You know, you can you can check off and then on, as I saw, you know, again with your request for budget, and everybody knows the city of Sacramento where uh got a budget deficit, but I would like to uh first send this report.

Well, I'm gonna send the report to council, but also forward the prospective plan and allocation of budget requests to budget and audit because they have about $10 million in things that they wanted to see and spend in several program areas that I'd like that to be part of the budget and audit uh conversation.

Thank you.

We appreciate that.

So kind of a bifurcation of that one page, got a budget and audit for consideration and discussion, but move this plan the work plan forward to say council.

I totally agree.

Um support that okay.

Did you have any one?

I'm sorry.

Yeah, just a point of clarification.

Just a point.

Yeah, just a point of clarification because I'm not on the budget and audit.

And Councilman Kaplan, I know you're not on it as well.

Um maybe when we when the item comes to the full council for consideration, I think both of us can make that request on the dias with our colleagues.

Um, because I would love to make sure that we figure out.

Um I know that we are um you know can have to make some tough decisions, um, but this position is a position that the commission has been advocating for for several years.

And I do, I do believe you know, budget is a, you know, it's a statement of our values, and this is something that's incredibly important.

So uh I look forward to coming to the full council and uh maybe we'll reiterate to our our colleagues then too, because uh I'm not sure if we'll just automatically go to budget and audit.

So um, so yeah, just point of clarification on that.

Because I think it's it's a two for when it comes to us as the work plan.

Yeah, we can highlight any parts of it we want, but I want to formally request the budget stuff, go to budget and audit to be part of the consideration of the entire budget because we've done that in the past with like active transportation and their requests as well.

So I'm hearing that as a motion.

Yes, you did.

All right, and I'm waiting on a second.

I'll second and just want to take this time to thank um Mr.

Ellis for his hard work.

So, thank you, and thank you for the motion.

We really appreciate that.

There's a motion on the floor and a second.

Any further discussion on that?

Any discussion from our audience?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips for this item.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

We are unanimous.

Good job, Mr.

Ellis.

Appreciate your time.

So, Mr.

Ellis, who's your friend?

This is Baba.

Baba, thank Bubba as well.

Perfect behavior.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Our next item is item eight, City of Sacramento Animal Wellbeing Commission 2025 Annual Report and 2026 work plan.

Wish all of our dogs were that well behaved.

Uh my name's Ryan.

I am the communications and customer service manager at uh the Front Street Animal Shelter.

Um, I've had the pleasure of sitting uh on the animal well-being commission for the past few months.

I've really enjoyed it, and I've really enjoyed um getting to work with last year's commission on a number of uh great projects and here to discuss that work.

I'd like to introduce uh last year's vice chair, Aliyah Morris.

Welcome.

Hello again, thank you so much.

I appreciate you having me here today to present our 2025 annual report.

I I did want to say separately that I chatted with the other two candidates for the application, and I will forward them the needs assessment that we did in 2024, and I will forward to them the prior annual reports from this commission so they can be familiar with some of our prior work.

Um so I look forward to sending that off to them.

Uh so as you know, the Animal Wellbeing Commission is a commission established for the purpose of providing guidance, advice and recommendations to the city council on strategies, policies, and programs to ensure and enhance animal care services provided by the city.

We see our role very much as an advisory role to city council.

In 2025, there were some changes to the configuration of the commission, as you all may recall.

The previous commission was seven members, three at large, and four individuals with direct experience in sheltering, shelter medicine, shelter care.

The new commission is 13 members, which includes appointments from each of the districts, from the mayor's office, and then two from this committee who are individuals who have experience in sheltering and shelter care.

So we've kind of flipped the cards from having more people with shelter experience to now having more people from community perspective.

So basically what I wanted to say about that is that we've had growing pains.

I appreciated and enjoyed working with Paul as the vice chair so that we could put together projects and create some successes for this commission.

I appreciate your questions, Councilmember Bang, about successes for the commission, and hopefully this outlined some of that.

As you know, the needs assessment, which was presented to you last year, was or in 24.

One of the things in the needs assessment that was very specifically described was the need for wayfinding at our shelter.

The community is has been very confused because the wayfinding is antiquated and not current methodology.

So with the commission from including our Commissioner Denise Bell, who's commission member Bang's appointee, and Paul Hefner, work was done to select a vendor and redo all the wayfinding so that community members can find their way through the shelter to identify adoptable animals, and that staff can keep their attention on helping them with their adoptable animals as instead of providing guidance and directions.

Another area that we've put a great deal of effort into is the facilitating and supporting your interest in interim improvements at the commission at the shelter.

As you know, a variety of interim improvements were found through the process of the needs assessment, and last year this committee and the council supported those interim improvements, and so we continue to make sure that those improvements, Department of Public Works has been out, has done measurements, etc.

And so we are very much continuing to advocate and support those improvements to correct dangerous and dangerous aspects of the shelter.

Our newest veterinarian recently told me that she herself caught her foot on the curb that we hope to have taken out and fell and sustained an injury, just twisted her ankle.

She also told me that she recently had to last to uh suture a lacerated tongue on a dog because that dog had encountered a sharp aspect of the enclosure, even though we've tried to fix it.

So the opportunity to continue these improvements is really important to help for safety for animals and people.

The spay it forward event was another um successful activity that we did.

Thank you all to those of you who supported that event that again was through animal balance, the organization that comes in and helps us do spay and neuter intensive events over a weekend.

We did a spay and neuter, as I said earlier, of about 200 animals, and we were quite proud to have done that in two days because the at that time the location wasn't able to give us three days.

So it was a pretty intense two days.

Again, want to thank Chair Hefner who himself funded about 10% of that project.

We did fundraising around it, but Chair Hefner really stepped up and funded about 10%, and we want to thank him for that.

There's been a great deal of community engagement work that our commission has done.

Denise Bell and Kathy Garcia, who are here today, have attended many neighborhood meetings, they've been at the national night out events, they've attended other activities related to safety in the neighborhood, et cetera.

Um, and also in particular, uh Kathy Garcia has been really facilitating translation of brochures for uh other communities, non-English speaking communities to understand the services at the shelter.

So uh sh through her work, we've translated our brochure into Chinese, Hmong, Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese, as well as English.

So we really hope to be able to continue to support additional communities.

I know language isn't the only way to support, but that is one way we can do some reaching out.

Um, there was a very extensive ad hoc committee that was held to look at data around animal dog adoptions and trying to understand where dog adoption, especially large dog adoptions, where which which neighborhoods tend to be those adopters.

How might we enhance some of those adoption activities in those neighborhoods?

I'll just point out that the pocket land park area was about 28% of the large land large dogs.

Del Paso Heights was 20%, Nathomas was 16%.

Those were sort of the leading areas that tend to adopt large animals, so trying to focus in on those areas and see if we can encourage uh some of these large animal adoptions.

We also identified through research uh reviewing research some strategies around uh working with the um with more volunteer services with training some of our dog handlers a little bit more on how to uh promote the animals to people who might be interested in the large dog, even though they uh arrive looking for a small dog.

So we've been really working on the dog adoption activities.

Uh for 2026, in terms of work plan for 2026, you may have noticed that there was a blank work plan in your annual report.

This commission is approximately 40 percent new members, and so it's as I said, it's a bit of a work in progress.

It has been some growing pains, and so uh the two um uh initial activities are to continue to work with you all about the idea again from the needs assessment that we need a new shelter.

Where might we be able to raise funding for a new shelter?

Where might we be able to find eight acres to move a new shelter?

So not letting that go.

That was a big lift for 2023 to put that report together.

The second area is to again keep working towards these um uh interim and interim improvements, so getting rid of that curb, changing those kennel doors, fixing the guillotine doors that fall onto animals, and making sure that those dollars don't get redirected elsewhere that were approved by you all and approved by city council last year.

So those are two very concrete things.

We'll see what our new commission and new commission chair and vice chair uh have thoughts on on how to move forward with work plan activities from here forward.

Um I wanted to personally thank the city clerk's office and the city attorney's office.

The three years that I've had the opportunity to be in a leadership position with this commission.

I've gotten a great deal of support and guidance and responses to my questions from the city clerk's office and the city attorney's office, and appreciate that they have been uh always welcoming and always helpful in providing guidance, and I wanted to thank them personally for their efforts to support the commission's work.

With that, I think I've covered covered the things I was going to note.

My slides were apparently not able to be posted, so thank you for listening.

Thank you so much.

Appreciate your leadership.

What you're doing in view of the fact that your chair has resigned and you've stepped up to leadership.

So we thank you for that.

Um Vice Mayor Telemonte.

Thank you, Chair.

Um as many of you know, I'm knee-deep into the animal well-being commission recommendations and the audit findings from the city auditor's office, and I look forward to working with you and the animal well-being commission in the months to come to make sure that we, the Friends of the Front Street Animal Shelter, the city here at City Staff and the Front Street Animal Shelter, so that we're all working in line to help save our four Lego friends.

So thank you so much for your leadership and all your work, and we have so much work ahead of us.

Thank you.

Councilmember Bang.

Thank you.

I just wanted to echo um Vice Mayor Talamantes, uh Ms.

Morris, thank you so much for your service as vice chair and then stepping up.

And then I also do all want to take this moment to acknowledge my commissioner Denise Bell, who's in the audience as well.

I just want to thank her for her service and just thank you for all the great work that y'all are doing to really deepen community engagement and education about the shelter and services, and also appreciate you speaking on the work that you all have done to really uh strengthen like the facility safety component, which is so key, and very similar to Talamantes.

Um, you know, we still have so much more work ahead, but really just want to take this moment to say thank you for your year long of just incredible work to get us to this moment.

So thank you so much.

And I forgot to make a motion, so I'd be happy to move this report to city council.

I'll second.

Moved and seconded.

Any further discussion?

Any discussion from our audience.

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speakers.

Okay.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Oppose, abstain.

Great job.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Next item, please.

Thank you, Chair.

Our next item is City of Sacramento Youth Commission 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Work Plan.

Hold on, I gotta get my specs on.

Council members, city staff, and community care holders.

Good morning.

My name is Chris Wimberley.

I'm a recreation superintendent for the Department of Youth Parks and Community Enrichment.

And with me today is Dominique Herndon, program coordinator of the civic engagement unit supporting the young people appointed to the Sacramento Youth Commission.

Before I move forward, I'd like to thank Sarah Musser for the support that she provided during 2025 in creation of this report and the support to the Sacramento Youth Commission.

We are here today to represent the Sacramento Youth Commission 20.

We are here today to present the Sacramento Youth Commission 2025 Annual Report and 2026 work plan.

33 years ago, the Sacramento Youth Commission was established in 1993 as an advisory body to the Council Committee on Neighborhood and Public Safety.

After much discussion and review and a lot of work on April 15th, 2019, the Sacramento City Council take a huge step forward to uplift youth voice and voted to add a new ordinance.

Effective June 1st, 2019, ordinance 2019-0010 codified the establishment of the Sacramento Youth Commission in Sacramento City Code Section 2.216 with 19 appointment seats.

The commission by the numbers include two appointees per council member and three mayoral for a total of 19 seats.

Over the course of 2025, the Sacramento Youth Commission has maintained the highest number of seated young people 14 to 24 years of age since the codification of the SYC.

This is in part due to the value our council members have in supporting our youth community members in their journey of advocacy and youth voice.

The powers and duties of this commission focuses directly on matters that pertain to youth throughout our great city, the Sacramento region, the state of California, the United States of America, and the world.

Recommendations from the SYC provide a different viewpoint and perspective advising the city council on policy projects, programs, and other matters impacting youth.

As the SYC motto states, nothing about us without us.

I'm going to have now Dominique Herndon is going to read a message from the 2025 SYC Chair and Vice Chair.

Morning, Chair Jennings and Vice Chair Lisa Kaplan and Council members.

We couldn't have our vice chair and our chair here with us today, but we want to make sure to always include their voices in the space.

So I'm going to read their letter.

Dear Sacramento Youth Commission constituents, my name are our names are Reyes Rios and Grace Longmeyer.

We and we proudly serve as chair and vice chair of the Sacramento Youth Commission.

Since its beginnings, the main priorities of the commission is to uplift the voices of young people in Sacramento.

And we have continued to do so.

This past year, through our three areas of focus, Aggie Square, Youth Mental Health, and Youth Voice, we have been.

We have made immense progress in the Aggie Square project, the youth Sacramento Youth Commission has continued to empower the voices of Sacramento Youth through the co-creation of future events and programs offered at the recently opened Aggie Square campus.

Within this initiative, there is a passion and focus on ensuring that youth have a meaningful space in the community aspect of STEM research.

Meanwhile, in the youth mental health focus area, we've updated the youth mental health resource guide to best reflect the most updated resources and hotlines crafted to provide further support for youth struggling with their mental health.

Additionally, in the youth voice and outreach focus area, surveys have continued to be used to holistically pinpoint issues within certain communities and districts in Sacramento, along with the creative efforts to strengthen the community's social media presence.

This upcoming year, we will continue to build meaningful community connections with the youth in Sacramento, partnering with them to collaborate in discussions and civic engagement.

As we grow the passion of civic engagement within Sacramento Youth, we will create a stronger future for our city and democracy.

In addition to this, we plan on increasing community presence to foster a sense of community between the Sacramento Youth Commission and the youth of Sacramento.

We are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but we are the leaders of today, and we remain everlastingly committed to ensuring youth in all eight districts of Sacramento have an empowering voice they can trust.

Yours sincerely, Royus Rios and Grace Longmire.

As you see in 2025, the SYC had key accomplishments that include the Sacramento Youth Voice Survey, Aggie Square Youth Listening Sessions, Youth Mental Health Resource Guide, Sacramento Children's Fund Partnership, and Continued Youth Outreach.

During the calendar year of 2025, eight business meetings were held along with 10 capacity building meetings.

The investment in uplifting youth, their voice, and their value in our communities continues to be priceless.

The work plan for 2026 was approved at the last business meeting of the year in December 2025.

Areas of focus for 2026 will continue to be on youth mental health, community partnerships, and SAC Youth Voice.

We are excited to stand before you on behalf of the members of the SYC and request your support in moving forward the approved City of Sacramento Youth Commission 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Work Plan.

Remember, nothing about us without us.

Thank you for your time, and we're here to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Thank you for the incredible report.

And uh I'd like to now bring up Vice Chair Lisa Kaplan.

Thank you, Chair.

I just want to thank you guys for all that you do to also train our youth of understanding how to use their voice.

Um, and I love seeing what they want to focus on and how they're using their energy, and you know, hearing from my commissioners.

Oh, can we do this?

Is this something more we can do?

Which is continues to grow every year.

So I know you guys are getting to them because they're now saying, Hey, can we do this?

Um, as your commissioner, and so I love seeing that growth of the next generation.

So that really I just want to say it's breaking through.

I know sometimes our youth takes a little bit, but they're understanding the power of their voice and really trying to elevate it.

And I know it's because of the work that our staff does behind the scenes.

So appreciate all that you do, and I would forward uh make a recommendation that this uh report goes to council for consideration.

I'll say it.

Okay.

And moved and just and seconded it for the discussion.

Councilmember Vang.

Thank you, I'll support that.

Uh, this the motion on the table as well.

Just really want to thank um Kim.

Thank you so much for your heart work.

And Dominique, thank you as well.

And also really appreciate you taking the moment to read the letter from Chair Reyes Rios and Grace Longmire, D3 and D8 youth commissioners, both who are incredibly amazing and we need their brilliance now more than ever.

And just really looking forward to the great work ahead from our commission.

I mean the three items they want to focus on mental health, community partnership, and youth voice in particular.

I know there's something brewing around the youth voice, so super excited about that.

And just want to say thank you for being an adult, an amazing adult allies to our young people.

Okay, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oppose, abstain.

Great job.

Thank you.

And Chair, for the record, I had no speakers on that item.

Thank you.

And our next item is item 10, status report of youth serving on City of Sacramento Boards and Commissions.

I think I know this person.

Hi.

Good morning.

My name is Mindy Keppy.

I'm your city clerk.

And the report before you is a status report on youth serving on City of Sacramento Boards and Commissions.

These are youth aged 16 to 22 at aid at the time of appointment.

We currently have seven commissions in addition to the Sacramento Youth Commission that have a youth designated seat.

I always like to point out that all of your seats could be youth appointments.

There is no minimum age requirement to most seats.

So on in 2021, a youth seat was added to Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Commission, Parks and Community Enrichment Commission, the Community Police Review Commission, and then in 2024, we added seats to Active Transportation Commission, Animal Wellbeing Commission, the Disability Advisory Commission.

When the major U Community Advisory Commission was established in 2018, that already had a youth seat.

In your staff report, there's a couple of commissions that we have not added.

So for instance, um there are a couple that were established by city charter.

So it would take we can go back to the voters if we wanted to add another youth seat.

Of those are um administration investment and fiscal management, children's fund planning and oversight commission, civil service board compensation commission, the independent redistricting commission, just to name a few.

Um I did include in your staff report a history of youth serving on city boards and commissions.

We have a couple that are tenured commissioners and have been giving great input.

Um, so I provide this just as an update per council member Vang's request, and I'm available for any questions.

Okay.

Councilmember Vang.

Thank you so much.

Um City Clerk Mende, thank you so much for that update.

I really appreciate it.

Um, and really great to see um that you know we're doing everything we can to continue expanding seats in particular.

I appreciate you naming the um committees already that have a youth seat.

Um, and I know that right before you begin your presentation, you had mentioned that um many of these commission, we can already appoint young people to the commission because there's no specific age limitation, is that correct?

Correct, most of your seats have no minimum age requirement.

Okay.

Um do you have a chart of that to keep it clean?

Like I'm just I'm just trying to vision like what that like how many of those commissions are.

Um, so every commission that you have a recommendation.

So as you know, most commissions are the um you have seats that are recommended by a council office, they're appointed by the mayor, and then in concurrence with the full city council.

So any of those seats that you have um a recommendation for, you could put a seat in that, you could put a youth in that seat.

So you have um on active transportation commission, for example, you do have a um city council district recommended seat.

Um that could also be a youth.

Okay.

Okay, and when we say if I, for example, let's use that as an example.

So, as of right now, there's not a designated seat for a young person on Active Transportation commission, correct?

No, there are there is a youth seat, but you also have a seat that is designated for our district representative additional.

Okay, yeah.

So I just wanted to make sure that I had that clarity that we're not like I want to ensure that there's an actual designated seat on these commissions dedicated to youth because I know that that was the direction.

Um about like what two years ago?

Correct.

And thus the commissions that I listed, those have a youth designated seat.

Yeah.

And you're just saying in addition to that youth seat, as an elected official, we can also appoint young people within the seat that were that we could.

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay, because there's no minimum age requirement.

Correct.

So all of your recommendations to the commissions that you have recommendations for, you could designate a 16-year-old.

Yeah, okay, that's great.

Yeah.

Um, and then there's a few more that you said that would take charter amendments, right?

That we can't have young people on.

Correct.

Can you name those off real quick?

Of course.

Um, administration investment and fiscal management board, the children's fund planning and oversight commission, civil service board, compensation commission, independent redistricting commission.

Those are all established in the city charter.

So we would need to go to the voters to change that.

But everything else has everything else has the the um a design seat for young people then.

There's a couple of commissions that don't, okay.

For instance, and land and shall memorial funds commission, um, and that was established for the purpose of managing and disbursement of interest accrued um in the and land memorial fund.

Um, so we didn't feel that was appropriate to add a youth seat.

Um, same thing with Ethel McCloy Hart Trust Fund Advisory Committee.

Um, they designate funds um based on that trust.

Um, ethics commission is established for the purpose of reviewing and considering complaints against appointed elected officials.

We didn't feel that was appropriate to put a youth on that on that one.

Um, housing code advisory and appeals board.

Um, this board hears appeals and provides final interpretations of city code, um so we didn't feel that was appropriate.

Um, planning and design commission.

Um, this one also makes binding decisions, um, and so we did not feel it was appropriate to put a youth on that commission.

Um, preservation commission, same thing.

Um, the commission has specific member qualifications, um, so making putting a youth on that commission did not feel appropriate.

And the utilities rate advisory commission was established for the purpose of providing advice and recommendation to the council on cities utility rate services.

Okay, great.

No, thank you.

Um, appreciate that update.

Um, I don't have any more questions and just appreciate the work that um you're doing.

I think the only one question I do have is for the young folks that we are onboarding onto these commissions, um, what is the orientation look like?

I'm just curious, is it just pretty standard with other commissioners?

Is there anything in particular that we do we work with?

Um, I'm just wondering with Yip C to figure out if there's some best practices on onboarding young people, um, so that you know they're not really just left alone.

Cause I think that that that's extra support is really important, so just curious about that process.

So we typically we do an orientation, um, we also have an orientation video online.

We encourage them to watch that, and then we offer to do one-on-one virtual trainings for orientation.

Um, we then hand off to the department that supports that commission.

Um, and I believe most of them make sure that the chair um takes that that youth under their wing and makes sure that they're incorporated.

And Chris can correct me if I'm wrong.

We were at one point inviting them to capacity building workshops.

I'm not sure we're still doing that.

That'd be great.

Yeah, I think just making sure that as we onboard young people that they have the support they need in order to be successful commissioners.

Um, and so just wanted to um just just pin that and flag that um to make sure we have synergy around that.

So but great job, Mindy.

This is really great.

And um, really, right?

This is the this is how we build the bench of young people throughout the city of Sacramento.

Um, and so just thank you for the update on on that.

Yeah, okay.

This is a receive uh and file report.

So no action is needed.

Uh any additional direction that we want to provide would be this now would be the time.

Hearing none, seeing none.

We'll move to the next item.

Thank you, Chair.

For the record, I had no speakers on public speakers on that item.

Uh so our next item is committee comments, ideas, questions, and meeting reports.

Vice Mayor Telemontis.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, a few months ago, we forwarded over the active transportation uh recommendations to the budget committee.

And I know we just did the disabilities advisory commission recommendations.

And a lot of these recommendations, when these reports come to us, have fiscal constraints and fiscal asks, which I think sending it to budget and audit is important.

But maybe I'm not sure since I'm on both budget and audit and personnel, maybe we can figure out a system of incorporating these recommendations into the budget process as we move forward.

Because I mean obviously we already doing cuts, and we're have a massive budget deficit, and so it's like okay, if we're gonna take off if they're ask us two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from one commission or another commission, then where is that money gonna be taken out of, right?

And so just kind of thinking out loud right now is like how we can use these commissions, not for this fiscal year, but for the following year's fiscal year, and incorporate it into the budget, and maybe like something that we talked to our city manager on, so maybe um you and I can partner together to figure out how how we can create some kind of process so that people feel like you know.

I mean, so that we're also listening and we're providing direction, but also can deliver concrete results.

So just something to think about.

I definitely would be willing to sit down with you and try to figure that out.

Any questions, comments, thoughts?

Any public comments on items not on the agenda?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speakers for matters not on the agenda.

Okay, it looks like our business is done here, and with that we are adjourned.