The West Sacramento City Council met on May 1, 2024, for a regular meeting that included land acknowledgment, a report on closed session (no reportable action), presentations from the public, proclamations for Bike Month and the Big Day of Giving, public hearings on eminent domain for the I Street Bridge replacement and weed abatement, consideration of hiring a retired employee, a workshop on a proposed 1% transactions and use tax, and council member reports on the Cap to Cap trip and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The meeting adjourned in memory of Delaine Eastin.
Now that all the council members are present, apologize for being late. We had a very long closed session. I will call to order the May 1st meeting of the City of West Sacramento City Council, West Sacramento Redevelopment Agency, and Finance Authority. We will begin with the land acknowledgement. We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we live, work learning commune is the original homelands of the indigenous people of West Sacramento who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We acknowledge and we thank the original habit inhabitants who have occupied, maintained, and secured this place, and who still exist on this land. We respect and celebrate the many diverse indigenous people still connected to this land on which we gather. Council met in close session this evening. Mr. City Attorney, would you please provide us um with the report? The council met in close session with its real property negotiators on the two items or three items on the agenda. No reportable action was taken. Council also met with its labor negotiator for bargaining with the two units uh identified on the agenda, no reportable action was taken. Um we would like our to invite our guests and um uh council and staff in the pledge, which will be led by Mr. Michael Sanchez. Please come up with the podium and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and thank you for your service, sir. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America. Thank you so much, Mr. Sanchez, for leading us in the pledge tonight. As is noted on our agenda, City Council is prohibited by state law from discussing or taking any action on items that are brought up under item one for public comment, but it provides an opportunity for a public forum from the public to share their concerns on items not listed on the agenda before City Council. And we do ask that anyone wishing to address the council on this or any other item this evening to fill, please fill out a request to speak card and return it to the clerk. And we accept the request to speak cards upon uh conclusion of the reading of the staff up to the conclusion of the reading of the staff report on any particular agenda item. Once the staff report has been read and we open the item up for public comment, at that point, the clerk will announce your name for you to walk up to the podium to speak. Now in front of the clerk, there is a timer to ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard. And usually it's three minutes for each person, and we ask that all comments be limited to the specified number of minutes, which is three minutes. Also in front of the clerk is an analog flip chart, which indicates which agenda item the council is currently considering. So we thank the clerk for all our hard work for helping us keep track today. We also recognize that for some speaking in public can cause anxiety. So we request that there be no applause or booze, cat calls, or other demonstrations. Furthermore, so that we may maintain a civil discourse here in the chambers. We ask that those in attendance and those who address the city council abide by the code of conduct posted and not speak in loud, threatening, offensive, abusive, or other disrespectful language that disrupts disturbs or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of this meeting. Now this brings us to item one presentations by the public on matters not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the council. And we ask each person three minutes to speak. Madam Clerk, are there any requests to speak under public comment? Guy Stevenson. Welcome. I'm here to just address this because I think it needs to be addressed. These lights that are on the bike trails are not fixed. And I ask Jason. Eight months ago to fix them. They're like a disco when it rains, they go on and off. You have a lot of politicians that go from Davis to Sacramento, Sacramento to Davis. There's been a big problem with these lights. And now there was a homicide right down over here at Capitol Bridge. Those lights need to be fixed for the safety of people in West Sacramento. I've been calling, and it ain't a public works problem, but they like to uh do this thing with well, it's not public works. Well, it's parks. And they need just need to get it fixed. And I know you guys have a contractor, it's called Beard or whoever they are. They need to fix them because this is nonsense.