Stockton City Council and Concurrent Authorities Meeting - September 15, 2026

The Stockton City Council met on September 15, 2026, beginning at 1:09 p.m., with Mayor Christina Fugazi presiding. Roll call showed Present: Christina Fugazi, Michael Blower, Brando Villapudua, Michele Padilla, Mariela Ponce, and Jason Lee. Councilmember Mario Enriquez was absent. The agenda noted that Enriquez would participate by teleconference from Washington, D.C., and Vice Mayor Lee from Los Angeles, but roll call recorded Enriquez as absent. The Council heard proclamations and public comment, approved consent items, received administrative and staff updates, and recessed to closed session; the meeting adjourned at 3:31 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 6-0 as a block: 6.1 (authorizing Amendment No. 1 with Sid Tool Co., Inc., dba MSC Industrial Supply Co., in the amount of $175,000 for facilities maintenance, repairs, operating supplies, industrial supplies, and related products for various departments, with findings supporting an exception to competitive bidding); 6.3 (three-year lease with Magnasco Investments for the Linden Library facility, with a mutual option for an additional three-year term); 6.5 (temporary recruitment and retention incentive side letter agreements for Police Telecommunication classifications through June 30, 2029, with the Stockton City Employees' Association and the Mid-Management/Supervisory Unit); 6.6 (temporary promotional incentive of $15,000 for Firefighter Engineer promotions under the Stockton Firefighters' Local 456 side letter, effective July 1, 2026); 6.7 (successor Memorandum of Understanding with the Operations and Maintenance Unit, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029); 6.8 (successor MOU with the Trades and Maintenance Unit, same term); 6.9 (purchase of a spare pump for the nitrifying biotowers at the Wastewater Recovery Center from G3 Engineering, Inc., not to exceed $186,319.15).
• Item 6.10 (Contract Change Order No. 6 with Imperial Maintenance Services, Inc., for City of Stockton Custodial Services, Project No. OM-22-005, in the amount of $1,078,975.13) received public comment and was approved separately, 6-0. A resident criticized the cost and the practice of having custodial staff sort employees' waste; Councilmember Padilla responded that break rooms have trash, organics, and recycling bins and that California law requires separation.
• Item 6.2, pulled by Councilmember Blower, was approved separately, 6-0, appointing Bonnie Paige as Interim City Clerk. Councilmembers praised her prior service as City Clerk from 2011 to 2017 and her roughly 28 years with the city. The City Manager stated Paige will be paid $93.11 per hour, only for hours worked, with no benefits.
• Item 6.4, pulled by Mayor Fugazi, was approved separately, 6-0, accepting and appropriating $500,000 in U.S. EPA Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment Grant funding. Staff explained the grant will fund community outreach, Phase I and II environmental site assessments, and remediation/reuse planning in three target areas: Airport Way, Mormon Slough, and the North Shore waterfront.
• Item 6.11, pulled by Mayor Fugazi, was approved separately, 6-0, approving CEQA Notice of Exemption No. NOE24-26, approving plans and specifications, and awarding a $545,000 construction contract to Modernscapes Innovations for the ADA Curb Ramp Installation Project in Districts 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Zoila Moreno thanked the Mayor for Western Ranch lighting improvements and Councilmember Villapudua for Western Boulevard paving; she announced a Weston Ranch police meeting on September 22 at 6 p.m. and called for justice for city staff she said had been harassed and coerced.
• Leslie Horan praised the Mayor's three Saturday town halls, police presence at community festivals, and Councilmember Padilla's responsiveness.
• Frank Farrell, Chief Policy Officer of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, invited the public to the START workshop on September 17 at 8:30 a.m. and urged residents to download the START app to participate in retail-theft prevention.
• Mary Elizabeth, representing Read to Me Stockton and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, reported that the program has distributed more than 1.1 million children's books over 15 years and will mail 16,265 books next month; she promoted Dolly Day on September 25 and encouraged council members to read to children.
• Cynthia Gillboard asked the city to review tobacco-sale distance exemptions for stores near schools after nearby businesses were cited by federal regulators for underage sales, and she urged action on January's open-container enforcement code amendments.
• David Singth described a threatening encounter outside a methadone clinic that morning, said he waited over five and a half hours for police response, and called for improved public safety in District 5, including a police substation.
• Mayara Alvarado noted that the council's response to the grand jury report Governance in Turmoil is due September 23, 2026. She asked for a publicly noticed special meeting, release of the draft response before the vote, and adherence to the penal code response format. She cited prior grand jury findings that only 5 of 11 recommendations were adequately addressed in 2023 and only 3 of 6 outstanding responses were reached in September 2025.
• A 9/11 remembrance speaker thanked the city for the 25th-anniversary events and praised veterans, first responders, and community partners.
• Rufus, who said he served on the council for 16 and a half years, objected to the 'presiding officer' language, cited Charter Section 407, and said the council has the power to punish or remove members; he also objected to public comments being used to attack individuals.
• Rufus Wallow, speaking by phone, requested city endorsement and financial support for Winter in Wonderland, a developmental disability festival planned for December 12 at Weber Point.
• Karen Winters, speaking by phone, criticized the city's long-term priorities, citing $400 million in downtown renovation debt, a barely used arena, defunded police and RTD, elevated crime rankings, and spending on technology such as Flock cameras; she called for police substations and housing affordable to working-class residents.

Administrative Matters

• Councilmember Padilla requested a 60-day report on City Hall security during Council and committee meetings, including how many Stockton Police Department officers are assigned, the cost, and whether upgraded security and a security manager could allow reduced officer staffing. City Manager Ford said staff had already begun reviewing the security plan for City Hall and other buildings and expected to return with a report in 45 to 60 days.
• Vice Mayor Lee asked how the City Council would handle the grand jury response before the September 23 deadline. City Manager Ford said the draft response was nearly complete; staff were considering a special meeting as early as Monday, September 21, with September 29 as a backup. Mayor Fugazi emphasized the need to give the public time to review the draft before council action.

City Manager's Update

• The City Manager introduced new staff: Finance Officer Cole Git Singh, Human Resources Director Marie Gillary Jones, Economic Development Director Ricardo Nogera, and Engineering Services Manager James Wong.
• Nogera announced the Walmart.com grand opening on October 8 on Mariposa Avenue in South Stockton. The facility has hired more than 1,000 employees, will be a point-of-sale location, and is expected to generate significant sales tax revenue and attract additional industrial investment.
• Wong reported that the draft Vision Zero Action Plan was developed with federal grant funding and is now being revised with public comments. City Council adoption of the plan will position the city to seek federal implementation funds for roadway safety improvements toward zero traffic fatalities.

Council Comments

• Councilmember Blower reported on community events, his election as president of the League of Cities Central Valley Division, and the near-completion of the Grupe Park pickleball courts, with a new restroom nearby; he also plans to use discretionary funds for improvements at Gibbons Park.
• Vice Mayor Lee thanked the Mayor for the District 6 development meeting, mentioned a developer proposal for 1,000 affordable homes, and defended his use of the term 'gangster' as cultural expression in praising police and community collaboration. He reaffirmed support for police officers and union advocacy, reminded city employees of whistleblower protections, and encouraged residents to vote.
• Councilmember Padilla highlighted a family day at Weber Point on September 19, reported smoke shop enforcement results including 162 inspections, 50 citations, more than $100,000 in illegal products seized, and 13 smoke shops closed, and emphasized the importance of teaching youth about 9/11.
• Councilmember Villapudua thanked city staff and public safety personnel, announced a free youth baseball/soccer program grand opening on October 10 at ERA Sports Academy, and reported on his third neighborhood watch, scheduled for September 23 at Columbus Park.
• Mayor Fugazi discussed workforce housing, thanked Walmart for hiring Stockton residents, reported crime statistics including 21 homicides so far this year compared to 28 at the same time last year (a 25% decrease), 58 shootings vs. 68 last year, 920 firearm seizures vs. 616 last year, and 309 DUI arrests vs. 306 last year. She also requested a future presentation on new trash and debris collection contracts, mentioned the Mayor's Institute on City Design selection, and highlighted the appointment of Fabian Molina to the California Youth Empowerment Commission.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar and separately considered items 6.2, 6.4, 6.10, and 6.11 were all approved by 6-0 votes, with Councilmember Enriquez absent.
• The Council directed staff to bring back a City Hall security report within 45 to 60 days.
• Staff will finalize the grand jury response and determine whether a special council meeting is needed before the September 23 deadline, with council and public review to follow.
• The Council recessed to closed session under Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) to discuss anticipated litigation (one case), reconvened, and no reportable action was stated in the transcript.