West Sacramento City Council Meeting: June 3, 2026, Pride Month and Vacancy Report
West Sacramento City Council Meeting – June 3, 2026
The West Sacramento City Council, Redevelopment Agency, and Finance Authority met on June 3, 2026. The meeting included a Pride Month proclamation, a public hearing on city staffing vacancies under Assembly Bill 2561, two annual assessment district hearings, and public comments on law enforcement rhetoric and local trail conditions.
Consent Calendar
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously without items pulled, including routine approvals.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Guy Stevenson expressed anger at the mayor for previously comparing ICE and other federal officers to terrorists, stating such rhetoric is unfair and dangerous. He asserted his support for federal law enforcement agencies and noted that two officers were killed in New Jersey during a traffic stop.
- Michael Root complained about receiving contradictory responses from city building and code enforcement departments regarding a remodel permit, and reported seeing drug use, fires, and damage on the Sycamore Trail. He requested regular bicycle patrols on city trails.
- Eric Dwayne Johnson spoke about personal concerns involving a stolen phone and car, and referenced undisclosed family issues.
- A speaker representing Anna Domek raised awareness for Gun Violence Awareness Month and invited council to wear orange on June 6. The mayor noted a proclamation had already been issued by his office and would be added to the annual list.
Pride Month Proclamation
- The council recognized June 2026 as Pride Month in West Sacramento. The proclamation was read, and the rainbow flag will fly at City Hall throughout June.
- Reverend Scott Hill provided statistics: 400,000 LGBTQ+ youth experience homelessness each year; LGBTQ+ teens account for 20–40% of homeless youth and are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ+ peers; 37% of gay and lesbian youth seriously consider suicide annually, and 19–25% attempt it; 20–30% of the LGBTQ+ population abuses substances, compared to 9% of the general population. He emphasized that “our work is not done.”
- Councilmember Orozco reflected on former Mayor Christopher Cobaldon’s coming out in 2006 and urged continued advocacy, noting rights can be rolled back.
- Councilmember O’Cala called for more counseling support and safe gathering spaces, and announced a Yolo Pride Democratic Club event on July 1 at Bike Dog in West Sacramento.
Discussion Items
- Vacancy and Recruitment Report (AB 2561):
- HR Supervisor Caitlin Montez presented the required annual report. As of December 31, 2025, the city had 505.55 authorized positions and 68 vacancies, a citywide vacancy rate of 13.45%. No bargaining unit exceeded the 20% threshold that triggers enhanced reporting.
- Vacancy rates by unit: Battalion Chiefs, Firefighters, and Police Management were at 0%; Local 39 at 15.04%; Police Officers Association (POA) sworn and non-sworn at 17.82% (since reduced to 11.88% as of the meeting date).
- The report highlighted recruitment tools (NeoGovATRACT, blind screening) and retention efforts (multi-year contracts, leadership academy, flexible work, wellness programs).
- Police Chief Strange provided an update: the department has 85 authorized sworn positions with 13 vacancies; 72 officers on staff; operationally capable staffing is around 56 due to injuries and training. Recent lateral hires and academy graduates are expected to improve staffing. He noted a six-percentage-point improvement in POA vacancy since December.
- Councilmembers discussed the need for regular staffing benchmarks, increased patrol presence (especially on trails), and the importance of Measure O funding. Councilmember O’Cala referenced the CityGate report’s recommendation to expand command staff to reduce workload on the chief. Chief Strange committed to improving data sharing and storytelling about hiring progress.
- Landscaping and Lighting District No. 1 – Public hearing on Resolution 26-42 to confirm the diagram and assessments for 2026–2027. Rates were not increased. Approved unanimously.
- Storm Drain Maintenance District No. 1 (Raley’s Landing) – Public hearing on Resolution 26-43 to approve the 2026–2027 report and assessments at the current rate of $144.11 per acre. Approved unanimously.
Reports from Council Assignments
- Councilmember Olesco reported on the Sacramento Area Sewer District and Northern California Sanitation Agency meeting on May 27, 2026. He highlighted the septic-to-sewer program’s success, including a $3.9 million federal grant from Congresswoman Doris Matsui, and noted rising chemical costs (e.g., chlorine from $0.62 to $2.40 per gallon) which may impact future projects.
Staff and Council Announcements
- Upcoming events: Washington Park ribbon cutting on June 18 at 10:30 a.m.; West Gateway Place 2 ribbon cutting on June 25 at 10 a.m.; Juneteenth celebration at Bridgeway Lakes Park on June 12.
- Next council meeting: June 17, 2026.
- Mayor Guerrero thanked everyone for contributions to the Major League Baseball expansion announcement earlier in the week.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved unanimously.
- Resolution 26-42 (Landscaping & Lighting District) adopted unanimously.
- Resolution 26-43 (Storm Drain District) adopted unanimously.
- Vacancy report received; council directed staff to provide regular quantitative updates on police hiring progress.
- Pride Month proclamation issued; flag will fly at City Hall in June.
- No further agenda items were requested.
Meeting Transcript
All right, now that all the council members are present, I call to order the June third meeting of the City of West Sacramento City Council and the West Sacramento Redevelopment Agency and Finance Authority. I will be your mayor for two more years. I just wanted to bring that to your attention right up front. We will begin with the land acknowledgement. We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we live, work, learn, and commune, and 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 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. The council met in closed session this evening, Mr. City Attorney. Do we do can you present any updates? Thank you, ma'am. The council met in close session, no reportable action was taken. We would like to invite our guests to join the council and staff in the pledge. And we would like to bring up Reverend Scott Hill to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance tonight. But it provides an important opportunity for a public forum. The public is given an opportunity at this time to address the city council issues not listed on the agenda. And we ask that anyone who wishes to speak, um, we have a request to speak card. And if they can bring it up to the clerk for the public comment and for any items on the agenda, which upon the conclusion of the reading of the staff report on any particular agenda item that card needs to be presented. Once the staff report has been read, we open the item up for public comment, and the clerk will announce your name where you come up to the podium. And in front of the clerk, there is a timer for you to um track to make sure that everyone has a chance to be heard. You'll be giving them a maximum of three minutes. And we ask that all comments be limited to the specified number of minutes that I just um announced. Also, in the 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, 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 the meeting. Now this brings us to item one presentations by the public on matters not on the agenda within the jurisdiction of the council. And each person has three minutes to speak. Guy Stevenson. I gotta be honest with you, mayor, I gotta be honest with her. What you guys said a couple weeks ago pissed me off and it pissed off a lot of my friends. You should never ever compare any cop. ICE agent, because they're feds, and they're not ICE is not just one unit, they got ATF, DEA, US Marshals, all of it, HSI. But when you stood there and said that they're terrorists, are you kidding me? Do you know what a terrorist is? That's somebody that'll kill you for just for the hell of it. And you know what's funny? It well, it's not really funny, it kind of uh bummed me out. Two cops yesterday got killed in New Jersey. You know what they were doing? They were doing a traffic stop on somebody, a female sergeant and an officer. I don't like people doing what they call political grandstanding. That's what you're doing. You're taking your personal beliefs about the feds and taking it to another direction and say, Whoa, I don't, you know, I don't like them, I don't even consider them cops. They're feds, and it's several different units that are involved with ICE, it's not just HSI. I'm a very easy-going person, but I'm also a big advocate for the police, and there are people just like you, and there's cops, there's cops on the other side of the bridge that are not that great. They got problems too. So every agency, but when you said all these people, they just want to go around and kill people. That ain't true.
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