Stockton City Council and Concurrent Authorities Meeting - August 26, 2025

On August 26, 2025, the Stockton City Council and concurrent authorities held a closed session at 3:30 PM and a regular session at 5:30 PM in Council Chamber, City Hall, 425 N. El Dorado St., Stockton, CA. The council recessed at 8:02 PM, reconvened at 8:10 PM, and adjourned at 9:46 PM. No agenda document was available; this summary is based on the meeting minutes and raw transcript. All seven members were present during the regular session after Councilmember Ponce arrived at 5:46 PM. The City Attorney reported no reportable action from closed session.

Closed Session

Closed session convened at 3:31 PM and returned at 5:10 PM. Agenda items were conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation (Kurt Wilson v. City of Stockton, San Joaquin County Superior Court Case No. STK-CV-UWM-2019-12404), possible initiation of litigation, and conference with labor negotiator. There was no public comment and no reportable action.

Consent Calendar

The consent calendar was approved 7-0, with items 12.1, 12.4, 12.5, 12.10, 12.12, and 12.13 considered separately.

• 12.1 Resolution 2025-08-26-1201 ratifying appointment of Susan Lenz to the Measure A Citizens' Advisory Committee through January 31, 2027. Approved 7-0.
• 12.4 Resolution 2025-08-26-1204 approving successor MOUs and longevity pay side letters for Stockton Police Management Association, Stockton Firefighters' Local 456 Fire Unit, and Stockton Firefighters' Local 456 Fire Management, effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Approved 7-0. Public speakers Julie Dunning and Michele J. Sherman supported the agreements but pressed for contracts for rank-and-file officers and Chief McFadden.
• 12.5 Resolution 2025-08-26-1205 ratifying emergency expenditure of $168,943.87 to Ponder Environmental Services, Inc. for hazardous materials cleanup at 4873 North West Lane. Approved 7-0. Council discussion noted the responsible party had not been identified and the investigation was ongoing.
• 12.10 Resolution 2025-08-26-1210 awarding $237,200 to Global Road Sealing, Inc. for the Local Street Resurfacing FY 2024-25 SB1 Crack Sealing project, covering 20 centerline miles citywide. Approved 7-0. Council asked about quality control, district breakdowns, and resident notifications.
• 12.12 Motion 2025-08-26-1212 authorizing up to $850,000 for unmarked police vehicles through a Sourcewell cooperative agreement with National Auto Fleet Group. Approved 7-0. Michele J. Sherman spoke in favor; Alyssa Leiva expressed concern about law enforcement spending. The Mayor explained the fleet replacement cycle and co-op savings.
• 12.13 Resolution 2025-08-26-1213 amending Council Policy Manual Chapter 3.04 on removal of members from boards, committees, and commissions. Approved 7-0. Councilmember Padilla asked about consistency and appeal rights; staff said the policy is now tied to the code of conduct and includes an opportunity for the member to speak.

The remaining consent items, approved in the 7-0 block vote, included approval of city council minutes, the sixth revised 2025 meeting calendar, a Driving Under the Influence Selective Traffic Enforcement Program grant of $500,000, the Lower Sacramento Road Widening and Bridge Replacements professional services contract of $4,335,231.44, the On-Call Fence Services contract (up to $100,000 annually, up to $300,000 total), the Cedar Ridge Water Service Lateral Replacement construction contract of $144,130, and mayoral appointments to council committees.

Public Comments & Testimony

Open forum

• Julie Dunning thanked Mayor Fugazi for the Climate Action Plan Advisory Committee; first meeting was August 1, a community workshop was held August 15 in Lathrop with about 15 attendees, 40 draft actions have been identified, and a North Stockton workshop is planned for early to mid-September.
• Denita Pickens publicized Gospel Goes Classical on September 13, 2025, at Delta College.
• Michele J. Sherman supported a contract for Police Chief McFadden, citing more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, crime reductions, and officers working without a contract.
• Darlene Larkins complained about AVA Community Energy on her PG&E bill, saying she is on a fixed income, did not ask for AVA, and cannot get off the service for five months.
• Pat Barrett urged council teamwork, referenced District 6, Stockton Port shipbuilding, and criticized division.
• Charlotte Webb described dust from the KB Homes project near Little John Creek making her and her granddaughter ill and asked the city to address it.
• Ralph White urged following the city charter.
• Yolanda Amen thanked council for police substations and invited everyone to the Victory Park Pool ribbon cutting.
• Jose Morales, a University of Guadalajara graduate from Jalisco, Mexico, requested a future sister-city/twinning partnership and support for sending mobility equipment and possibly a fire truck to Jalisco.
• Alyssa Leiva, community organizer with Stockton Stands, invited council to an Immigrant Rights Town Hall Forum. Minutes list the date as Saturday, September 7, 2025, while the transcript says September 27, 2025; this discrepancy is noted. She also requested translators for sanctuary city policy outreach.

Consent item public comment

• On 12.4, Julie Dunning and Michele J. Sherman supported the MOUs but urged contracts for police officers and the chief.
• On 12.12, Michele J. Sherman spoke in favor of vehicle replacements; Alyssa Leiva questioned spending and asked for more community engagement.

SESP hearing public comment

• Aiden Barry (True Life Companies) supported option 2, noting an approved 211-lot single-family project in District 6 and arguing the fee waivers were not a simple $94 million loss because permits likely would not have been pulled without them.
• Christian Santos (BIA of the Greater Valley) supported option 2, citing $138.4 million in one-time fees generated under SESP over the last decade; nearly $22.5 million in annual permit-related revenue; and last fiscal year city revenue of $78.4 million in utility users tax, $73.8 million in sales tax, $46.4 million in property tax, $43.1 million in motor vehicle license fees, and $14.2 million in charges for services.
• Pat Barrett urged prioritizing low-income housing, not just affordable housing, and using the city's land as leverage with developers.
• Kimberly Graves, a private investor building housing for former foster youth in Vice Mayor Lee's district, said she received no SESP support and described resistance from Cal Water over water meters; she said she has a CPUC hearing.
• A North Stockton speaker (listed in minutes as Lan Phoung Ngyuen) urged balance, saying fee waivers should not prevent police substations and infrastructure, and supported option 2 or 3.

Brown Act referral public comment

• David Sengthay supported referral to both the grand jury and District Attorney, saying faith in the DA may be weakened, and recommended a standing policy and inclusion of transcripts, emails, and records related to former Interim City Manager Colangelo.
• Alyssa Leiva supported the referral and asked the City Attorney also refer matters to Attorney General Rob Bonta.

DEI investigation public comment

• Julie Dunning said the investigation should cover more than the $80,000, including the DEI manager's demotion and city manager office budget augmentation.
• Pat Barrett asked that public input be considered and that committee assignments be consistent.
• David Sengthay supported the Audit Committee first, with an independent auditor only if needed.

Wild 'N Out public comment

• Antonio Martin supported urban events and proposed a community committee to manage safety and event planning.
• Local artist T. Aaron Kraft (listed in minutes as Tiara Craft) defended the event and said scrutiny felt targeted.
• Brittany Jones, a local artist and entertainment industry member, praised the event and said Stockton should celebrate urban culture.
• Pat Barrett said the event raised morale but urged the council to follow protocol and stop infighting.
• David Sengthay supported outside counsel to clear the air and release findings publicly.
• Yolanda Amen called the council's behavior bullying and opposed spending taxpayer money on another investigation.
• Alyssa Leiva said Wild 'N Out was not her cup of tea, expressed concern about fiscal accountability, and said signs from the event should be cleaned up.
• Pandora Crowder of South Stockton said tickets were too expensive for many residents, noted some attendees came from outside Stockton, and supported outside counsel because the council cannot work together.

Discussion Items

Stockton Economic Stimulus Program (SESP) Update and Amendments Stephanie Ocasio, Director of Community Development, reviewed the program's history and four options: maintain current SESP; grandfather entitled projects and phase out new waivers; amend without grandfathering; or eliminate SESP. She said the Public Facilities Fee update was expected to produce draft fees by the end of 2025 and adoption in 2026, and that $94 million in fees had been waived. Council discussion focused on the 2008 city limit boundary, the fee nexus, affordable housing, and the original 2015 resolution's disadvantaged-community workforce requirement. Vice Mayor Lee said he would push to terminate the program if the BIA/NAACP workforce requirement was not fulfilled. Councilmember Blower moved to adopt option 2 with a five-year sunset; the motion carried 7-0. The approved amendment gives waivers to active entitled projects and projects deemed complete at the time of council action, and gives new projects gradually reduced waivers in six-month increments over the next 18 months, with a five-year sunset.

16.1 Brown Act Referral City Attorney Lori Asuncion asked for clarification on what to refer and where. Vice Mayor Lee made an initial motion to refer existing alleged violations involving himself, Councilmember Enriquez, and former Interim City Manager Colangelo to the Civil Grand Jury, with DA referral if findings were found; future allegations would follow the same process. Councilmember Padilla proposed future allegations go directly to the DA. Mayor Fugazi proposed referring both existing and future allegations to both the Civil Grand Jury and DA. A motion to call the question failed 4-3. The meeting recessed at 8:02 PM and reconvened at 8:10 PM. A motion to overturn the presiding officer's ruling failed for lack of a second. The final motion, made by Mayor Fugazi and seconded by Councilmember Villapudua, directed the City Attorney to refer existing alleged Brown Act violations to the Civil Grand Jury and the District Attorney's Office for prosecution, and any future reported violations to go through the same process. It passed 7-0.

16.2 406 Investigation into DEI Funding City Attorney Asuncion said the investigation was already authorized, but council policy 3.14 requires designation of an oversight body. Vice Mayor Lee moved to assign oversight to the Audit Committee, seconded by Councilmember Blower. Councilmember Villapudua moved to assign oversight to an independent auditor, then amended to full council oversight, seconded by Councilmember Ponce. A call to question passed 7-0. The full-council oversight motion failed 1-6, with only Councilmember Villapudua voting yes. The original Audit Committee motion then passed 7-0. Public comment supported the Audit Committee approach.

16.3 Wild 'N Out Event and Mitigation Funds Mayor Fugazi said the item was intended to clear up misinformation. City Attorney Asuncion said she had advised Vice Mayor Lee to consider recusal due to potential conflict, but that recusal was an individual decision under the Political Reform Act. Councilmember Villapudua moved to direct the city attorney to retain independent outside counsel to investigate use of funds related to the Wild 'N Out event at Adventist Health Arena for potential councilmember misconduct, specifically Charter Section 1000 and Government Code Section 1090 violations, and to take legal action or refer to proper authorities if violations were found. Vice Mayor Lee's amendment to make investigation results and costs public was accepted. The motion passed 4-3: Mayor Fugazi, Councilmembers Villapudua, Padilla, and Ponce in favor; Councilmembers Blower, Enriquez, and Lee opposed. Vice Mayor Lee said the event sold almost 8,000 seats and created a $640,000 economic impact, and he denied wrongdoing. Councilmembers Blower and Enriquez opposed the investigation as a costly use of taxpayer money and said staff should be trusted.

Key Outcomes

• Closed session: no reportable action.
• Consent calendar and all separately considered consent items: approved 7-0.
• SESP amended: active entitled projects and projects deemed complete receive waivers; new projects receive gradually reduced waivers over 18 months in six-month increments; program sunset in five years. Approved 7-0.
• Brown Act referral: final motion passed 7-0 to refer existing and future alleged Brown Act violations to the Civil Grand Jury and District Attorney's Office.
• DEI 406 investigation: oversight assigned to the Audit Committee, approved 7-0; full council oversight failed 1-6.
• Wild 'N Out: independent counsel investigation approved 4-3, with results and costs to be made public when complete.
• Next steps include future agenda items requested by Vice Mayor Lee: Hunter House review, Sutter Street fee waiver review, OPTIC investigation update, and a full council update on the county tax-sharing agreement.
• The council adjourned at 9:46 PM on a 4-3 vote.