OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Walnut Creek City Council Special and Regular Meeting - January 20, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 20, 2026
BodyWalnut Creek, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:37:48
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good afternoon.

0:00

I'm Kevin Wilk, mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 special meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council.

0:08

This special meeting is called for the purpose of holding a closed session related to the following conference with legal counsel, anticipated litigation, one case, and conference with legal counsel, existing litigation, three cases.

0:21

Under California law, public comments at special meetings are limited to subjects on the agenda only.

0:26

Therefore, public comments will be received at this time for the items previously mentioned.

0:30

After an opportunity for public comment, the city council will convene for the closed session discussion.

0:35

Is there any public comment?

0:37

Seeing none and seeing no public, we'll convene for now and be back at 6.

1:10

I'm Kevin Wilk, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the regular meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council.

1:17

The City Council is conducting this meeting from the City Council Chamber.

1:21

This meeting is being video streamed and can be viewed live or later on the city's website.

1:27

As some attendees may be participating in their first Walnut Creek City Council meeting, I wanted to welcome everyone and talk briefly about the public comment process.

1:37

For each agenda item, there will be an opportunity for public comment on the item.

1:42

Thus, if you desire to speak to an item on the agenda this evening, please hold your comments until the city council considers that item.

1:50

Additionally, we have a section on the agenda titled Public Communications, which is for public comments for items not on the agenda.

1:58

Any comments during public communication should not relate to an item that is on the agenda this evening.

2:04

Consistent with section 9.5 of the City Council Handbook, 30 minutes will be initially allocated for public communications for items not on the agenda.

2:13

Additional time for public communications for items not on the agenda will be provided at the end of the open session portion of the meeting if necessary.

2:22

If you desire to provide a public comment, please complete a speaker identification card and line up behind the lectern at the appropriate time.

2:30

Wait your turn, and then when you approach the lectern, please state your name and city of residence for the record.

2:37

You will have two minutes to address the city council.

2:40

Please keep in mind that this is a city business meeting.

2:44

The City Council has adopted rules of decorum to ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently and effectively, and that all members of the public have a full, fair, and equal opportunity to be heard.

2:56

The City Council handbook outlines decorum expected in the council chamber and can be found on our website.

3:03

All remarks should be addressed to the city council.

3:06

Please do not use threatening, profane, or abusive language, which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the council meeting.

3:16

Again, each speaker will have two minutes to make your remarks.

3:20

Written comments submitted and received up to two hours before the meeting have been posted to the city's website for public review and are included in the meeting record, but will not be separately read into the record.

3:36

Good evening.

3:37

I'm Kevin Wilk, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, concurrent regular meetings of the Walnut Creek City Council and the Public Facilities Financing Authority.

4:01

And to the Republic, which stands one nation under individual liberty and justice for all.

4:11

And City Clerk Susie Martinez, could you please call the roll?

4:15

Councilmember Darlene.

4:16

Here, Councilmember DeVeney.

4:18

Yeah.

4:18

Councilmember Silva here.

4:19

Mayor Wilk.

4:20

Here.

4:21

And Mayor Pro Tem Francois is absent due to a work commitment.

4:25

All right.

4:26

Our first item is a proclamation for human trafficking prevention month.

4:31

And are you could?

4:33

Oh, that is timing.

4:34

All right.

4:35

By Katrina Natalia, Human Trafficking Task Force Director with the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office to accept the proclamation.

4:43

I'll first read from it a bit and actually uh yeah, read it from here.

4:47

So hum uh whereas human trafficking is a form of interpersonal violence and a crime in which force, fraud, coercion, or similar means is used to compel victims into commercial sexual and labor exploitation affecting individuals of all gender citizenship status, ages, and backgrounds.

5:06

Human trafficking can happen to anyone, certain populations are at greater risk, including people affected by abuse, violence, poverty, unstable living living situations, or social disconnection, as well as those systematically marginalized and underserved.

5:22

Human trafficking requires a coordinated community-wide response, engaging diverse stakeholders, including survivors, community members, educators, advocates, law enforcement, social workers, and professionals from a broad range of disciplines, agencies, and expertise among others.

5:39

Whereas the 42 partners of the ContraCost Human Trafficking Task Force are striving to identify and provide service to the survivors, investigate and prosecute all forms of human trafficking, and build their and the community's capacity to respond to and prevent human trafficking.

5:56

In 2025, the 15 victim services agencies in the task force, including community violence solutions and arm of care provided comprehensive trauma-informed services to hundreds of victims of human trafficking throughout Contra Costa County, including crisis intervention, case management, advocacy, emergency housing assistance, and referral to resources.

6:19

And whereas between October 2024 and October 2025, law enforcement agencies in Contra Costa County investigated 67 cases of sex and labor trafficking and identified 103 potential victims who were connected to services in the district attorney's office, lead law enforcement agency and the task force filed 15 cases of human trafficking and related crimes.

6:41

And whereas the Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse recognizes human trafficking as a public health issue that is preventable by building individual, community, and societal understanding and resilience, eliminating social and historical inequities, and improvising, I'm sorry, improving the environmental conditions where people are born, learn, live, work, play, age, and worship.

7:01

And therefore I, Kevin Wilk, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, on behalf of the Walnut Creek City Council to hereby proclaim the month of January 2026 as human trafficking prevention month.

7:11

And Katrina, if you'd like to please stand, do you have a few words to say?

7:14

Sure, I do.

7:16

Thank you for having me.

7:17

It's a pleasure to be here again this year.

7:19

Um I usually try when I come out to the cities to really highlight local work that's happening around the issue of human trafficking.

7:26

And this year, um, I want to speak to an event that we've been working with Arm of Care and with the Walnut Creek Visitors Association to develop.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████18%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████████████18%
Transportation Safety███████████████15%
Procedural███████████11%
Environmental Protection█████████9%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%
Racial Equity█████5%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Walnut Creek City Council Special and Regular Meeting - January 20, 2026

The Walnut Creek City Council met on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, for a special meeting at 3:30 PM (closed session) followed by a concurrent regular meeting of the City Council and Public Facilities Financing Authority at 6:00 PM. The regular meeting included proclamations, consent calendar approvals, public communications, councilmember reports, and consideration of the 2026 Legislative Agenda. Mayor Kevin Wilk presided, and Mayor Pro Tem Matt Francois was absent due to a work commitment.

Consent Calendar

  • Items Approved Unanimously: Consent items 2A through 2E, 2G, 2I, 2J, and 2K were approved unanimously on a single motion. These included:
    • Approval of December 16, 2025 City Council minutes.
    • Acceptance of warrant registers and payroll transfers from December 2025 and January 2026.
    • Resolution amending salary and benefits for unrepresented Department Directors.
    • Resolution approving the 2026 City Investment Policy.
    • Authorization for playground equipment replacement at Civic Park ($572,902).
    • Authorization for a five-year security guard services agreement (not to exceed $237,175).
    • Appointment of Edward Guerrero to the Transportation Commission.
    • Acceptance of 2025 Commission Attendance Reports.
    • Proclamation declaring January 2026 as Muslim Heritage Month.
  • Items Pulled for Discussion: Items 2F and 2H were pulled and considered separately (see Discussion Items).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jan Warren (Woodlands resident): Commented on new soccer field signs at Heather Farm, expressing concern that public Measure O funding ($5.5 million of the $7 million total) was not properly acknowledged on signage. She requested clarity on naming rights and donor recognition.
  • Barbara Yannis (resident since 1996): Expressed appreciation for the cancellation of a high-speed bicycle flow trail at Lime Ridge Open Space, but called for enforcement of municipal codes prohibiting bicycles on single-track trails. She noted motorcycle intrusions in the open space and urged action from the council.
  • No public comment on the legislative agenda item.

Discussion Items

  • Item 2F – OTS Grant for Traffic Enforcement: The council considered authorizing an application for a California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) grant of up to $285,393 for additional traffic enforcement overtime. Chief of Police Ryan Hibbs reported current sworn staffing of 78 out of 85 authorized positions, with 18 officers unavailable for deployment due to injuries, leave, or academy attendance. Four patrol slots are filled with overtime. The department is actively recruiting, with four lateral officers in background checks and academy classes scheduled. Councilmember Craig DeVinney expressed concern about the staffing gap. The grant would fund 48 hours of targeted traffic enforcement shifts. The motion to adopt the item passed unanimously.
  • Item 2H – Ygnacio Valley Road Traffic Signal Project: The council voted to appropriate and transfer $1,750,000 in community benefit funding from the "Glen at Heather Farm" development to the Ygnacio Valley Road Traffic Signal Project in the Capital Fund. City Engineer Smidar Boardman explained the funds would improve four intersections: Marchbanks & Kinross, Marchbanks & Ygnacio, Kinross/La Casa Villa & Ygnacio, and San Carlos & Ygnacio. The Kinross/Marchbanks intersection would receive a traffic circle to discourage cut-through traffic. Design is expected to begin within 6–9 months, with construction later. The motion passed unanimously.
  • Item 5A – Proposed 2026 Legislative Agenda: Casey Elliott (Towns and Public Affairs) and Joe Carroza (Assistant to the City Manager) presented the updated legislative agenda. Elliott reported on the 2025 legislative session (2,400 bills introduced, ~800 signed by the governor with a 13% veto rate) and the state's projected $2.9 billion deficit (governor's estimate). Key state issues for 2026 include housing affordability, CEQA streamlining, wildfire response, Prop 36 implementation, and e-bike safety. New amendments to the agenda were presented: updating references to "Cap and Invest" funding, adding support for MCE (formerly Marin Clean Energy) legislative priorities, and opposing restrictive policies on Community Choice Aggregators. The agenda provides a policy framework for advocacy; staff can act quickly on aligned bills without prior council approval. A brief discussion ensued on Prop 36 funding, CEQA ballot initiatives, and pilot programs (e.g., speed cameras, e-bikes). The motion to approve the 2026 Legislative Agenda with amendments passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar: Items 2A–2E, 2G, 2I, 2J, and 2K approved unanimously.
  • Item 2F: Authorized application for OTS grant of up to $285,393 (approved unanimously).
  • Item 2H: Approved appropriation and transfer of $1,750,000 for Ygnacio Valley Road traffic signal improvements (approved unanimously).
  • Item 5A: Approved the 2026 Legislative Agenda with amendments (approved unanimously).
  • Closed Session: No reportable actions from the 3:30 PM closed session (anticipated litigation – 1 case; existing litigation – 3 cases).
  • City Manager Announcement: The annual staff fundraiser for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County raised over $7,000, providing over 14,000 meals.
  • Upcoming Events: Memorial service for former Mayor Gwen Mugalia scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2026, 4:00 PM at the Leisure Center. Next regular council meeting: February 3, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. I'm Kevin Wilk, mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 special meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council. This special meeting is called for the purpose of holding a closed session related to the following conference with legal counsel, anticipated litigation, one case, and conference with legal counsel, existing litigation, three cases. Under California law, public comments at special meetings are limited to subjects on the agenda only. Therefore, public comments will be received at this time for the items previously mentioned. After an opportunity for public comment, the city council will convene for the closed session discussion. Is there any public comment? Seeing none and seeing no public, we'll convene for now and be back at 6. I'm Kevin Wilk, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the regular meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council. The City Council is conducting this meeting from the City Council Chamber. This meeting is being video streamed and can be viewed live or later on the city's website. As some attendees may be participating in their first Walnut Creek City Council meeting, I wanted to welcome everyone and talk briefly about the public comment process. For each agenda item, there will be an opportunity for public comment on the item. Thus, if you desire to speak to an item on the agenda this evening, please hold your comments until the city council considers that item. Additionally, we have a section on the agenda titled Public Communications, which is for public comments for items not on the agenda. Any comments during public communication should not relate to an item that is on the agenda this evening. Consistent with section 9.5 of the City Council Handbook, 30 minutes will be initially allocated for public communications for items not on the agenda. Additional time for public communications for items not on the agenda will be provided at the end of the open session portion of the meeting if necessary. If you desire to provide a public comment, please complete a speaker identification card and line up behind the lectern at the appropriate time. Wait your turn, and then when you approach the lectern, please state your name and city of residence for the record. You will have two minutes to address the city council. Please keep in mind that this is a city business meeting. The City Council has adopted rules of decorum to ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently and effectively, and that all members of the public have a full, fair, and equal opportunity to be heard. The City Council handbook outlines decorum expected in the council chamber and can be found on our website. All remarks should be addressed to the city council. Please do not use threatening, profane, or abusive language, which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the council meeting. Again, each speaker will have two minutes to make your remarks. Written comments submitted and received up to two hours before the meeting have been posted to the city's website for public review and are included in the meeting record, but will not be separately read into the record. Good evening. I'm Kevin Wilk, Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, and welcome to the Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, concurrent regular meetings of the Walnut Creek City Council and the Public Facilities Financing Authority. And to the Republic, which stands one nation under individual liberty and justice for all. And City Clerk Susie Martinez, could you please call the roll? Councilmember Darlene. Here, Councilmember DeVeney. Yeah. Councilmember Silva here. Mayor Wilk. Here. And Mayor Pro Tem Francois is absent due to a work commitment. All right. Our first item is a proclamation for human trafficking prevention month. And are you could? Oh, that is timing. All right. By Katrina Natalia, Human Trafficking Task Force Director with the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office to accept the proclamation. I'll first read from it a bit and actually uh yeah, read it from here. So hum uh whereas human trafficking is a form of interpersonal violence and a crime in which force, fraud, coercion, or similar means is used to compel victims into commercial sexual and labor exploitation affecting individuals of all gender citizenship status, ages, and backgrounds. Human trafficking can happen to anyone, certain populations are at greater risk, including people affected by abuse, violence, poverty, unstable living living situations, or social disconnection, as well as those systematically marginalized and underserved. Human trafficking requires a coordinated community-wide response, engaging diverse stakeholders, including survivors, community members, educators, advocates, law enforcement, social workers, and professionals from a broad range of disciplines, agencies, and expertise among others. Whereas the 42 partners of the ContraCost Human Trafficking Task Force are striving to identify and provide service to the survivors, investigate and prosecute all forms of human trafficking, and build their and the community's capacity to respond to and prevent human trafficking.

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