West Sacramento City Council Meeting - August 7, 2024
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West Sacramento City Council Meeting - August 7, 2024
The West Sacramento City Council, Redevelopment Agency, and Finance Authority met on August 7, 2024, with three council members present (Mayor Pro Tem Early and Councilmember Orozco absent). The meeting began with a land acknowledgement and pledge of allegiance. Key topics included public comments on public safety and housing, a proclamation honoring the River City Tigers football team, and a future agenda item request to explore energy affordability options due to rising PG&E rates. The council voted unanimously to hold a comprehensive workshop on energy options later in the fall.
Consent Calendar
- Items 2 through 10 were approved without removal or discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Guy Stevenson expressed concern about public safety as the A's (Oakland Athletics) arrive, citing stress on police and fire departments and urging more support for first responders.
- Hussein, a coach and board member of West Sacramento Soccer Club, invited the council to the second annual kick-a-thon fundraiser and thanked Councilmember Orozco for contributing to team jerseys.
- Maria Grijalva, founder of the Latino Information and Resource Center, highlighted her organization's role in restoring district elections and endorsed Tim Campbell for District 2 City Council.
- Robin Davis criticized the city's housing production, stating only 1.1 of 9,500 needed units have been built since 2021, with most above moderate income levels. She advocated for policy changes to allow tiny homes on wheels and questioned the city's use of motel acquisitions.
- Maria Garcia spoke in Spanish about the need for a swimming pool, improved parks, sidewalks, and safer roads in North West Sacramento. The mayor summarized her remarks.
Presentation of Proclamation: River City Tigers
- The council presented a proclamation honoring the River City Tigers football team for winning the 2024 California Football Conference Association Championship with an 11-1 record and a 21-0 shutout victory. The defense allowed only 77 points all season.
- Manny Ramirez, founder and co-owner, accepted and highlighted the team's charity work, including a youth football camp feeding 250 kids, a Turkey Drive for 65 families, and a Toys for Tots event for 25 families.
- Council members congratulated the team and praised their community contributions.
Discussion Items
- Future Agenda Item on Energy Options: Mayor Guerrero requested a future agenda item to explore alternatives to PG&E due to residents facing high utility bills. She noted prior efforts to annex SMUD had failed and mentioned learning about Pioneer Community Energy. The City Manager reported that a study is underway with Valley Clean Energy (VCE) on forming a municipal utility for vacant areas, with results expected by September 2024. He recommended a comprehensive workshop in the fall covering CCA options (including VCE and Pioneer), the SMUD annexation history, and state-level actions.
- Public Comments on Energy: Council members and representatives from VCE and Pioneer spoke. Jesse Lauren (Winters City Council and VCE board) noted VCE's open invitation and lower rates. Lucas Fredericks (Yolo County Supervisor and VCE board) requested West Sacramento consider VCE alongside Pioneer. Mitch Sears (VCE executive officer) emphasized VCE's cost-competitive renewable energy. Don Ecker (Pioneer CEO) stated Pioneer saved ratepayers $108 million since 2018, with rates 200 per household per year lower than PG&E. Alice Dowden Calvio (Auburn City Council and Pioneer chair) highlighted Pioneer's local investment and governance. Gina Stasi Vanicore (Pioneer communications director) provided folders with details.
Key Outcomes
- The council voted unanimously (3-0) to direct staff to prepare a comprehensive workshop on energy affordability and options, including VCE, Pioneer, SMUD, and other CCA possibilities, to be held later in the fall of 2024. The motion was made by Councilmember Sulpicio and seconded by Councilmember Ocala.
Meeting Transcript
Members are present. I will call to order the August 7th 2024 meeting of the city of West Sacramento City Council, the 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, learn, and commune is the original homelands of the indigenous people, West Sacramento, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We acknowledge and we thank the original 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. Council took no reportable action. Right. We would like to invite our guests to join council and staff in the pledge, which will be led by Mr. Manny Remires. Please come to the podium and lead us in a pledge of allegiance. Undervisible liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Mr. Marie Murray's. As is noted on our agenda, City Council's 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 important opportunity for a public forum. The public is given an opportunity at this time to address city council on issues not listed on the agenda. We do ask anyone wishing to address the council on this or speak on any other item. Um request um get a request to speak card and return it to the clerk. And um the clerk um will accept the request to speak cards up to the conclusion of the reading of the staff report on any particular agenda item. There is no agenda other than the consent agenda and then future um items um for consideration. And even under future items for consideration, we request um for anyone wishing to speak at this time um to re to get a request to speak card and put agenda item 12 um if you would like to speak. Um I believe that there are people here who would like to speak. Um please um fill out a request or speak card, and I believe it's agenda item 12 and hand it over to the clerk. So from there, umce we um have that staff requort been read, we open the item up for public comment, and 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 had a chance to be heard. We ask that all comments be limited to the specified number of minutes. Also in front of the clerk is an analog flip chart, which indicates which agenda item the council is currently considering. 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 uh in attendance and those who address the city council abide by the code of conduct posts that are not speak in loud, threatening, offensive, abusive, or other disrespectful language that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting. And today we have two council members absent, Mayor Pratem Early and Councilmember Orozco. And there are three council members to make uh the decisions that are on today's agenda. Now, this brings us to item one presentations by the public on matters not in the agenda within the jurisdiction of the council, and each person has three minutes to speak. And so, Madame Clerk, are there any requests to speak under public comment? Yes, ma'am. Guy Stevenson. This is uh an issue that I probably addressed hundreds of times here. And this is my concern. You got the A's coming here, you're building more houses, you're you're buying more properties. My concern is public safety. My I think that the city because we got what nine months? Nine months until the A's get here. So you're gonna get all these people coming to the city of West Sacramento, which is a beautiful city, by the way. But the police and fire, I don't want them to get put tea. I don't want them to get stressed because then they get burned out. What happens when you have a burned-out cop? It affects their health and their family and everything.
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