OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

West Sacramento City Council Meeting – June 17, 2026

City Council — Thursday, June 18, 2026
BodyWest Sacramento, California
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, June 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:54:52
Transcript — Verbatim
1:58

Okay.

2:02

You must have just taken it.

2:04

Oh, okay, good.

2:04

Okay.

2:06

So we should get there.

2:20

All right, we can get started.

2:22

All right, calling our uh City Council meeting to order now that all the council members are present except with one absent, Council Member Orozco.

2:33

I call to order the June 17th meeting of the City of West Sacramento City Council of the West Sacramento Redevelopment Agency and Finance Authority.

2:39

We'll begin with the land acknowledgement.

2:40

We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we live, work, learn, and commune is the original homelands of the indigenous people of West Sacramento who have stewarded this land throughout the generations.

2:50

We acknowledge and we thank the original inhabitants who have occupied, maintained, and secured this place, and who still exist on this land.

2:59

We respect and celebrate the many diverse indigenous people still connected to this land on which we gather.

3:05

The council did not meet in closed session this evening.

3:57

And we do ask anyone wishing to address the council or on this or any other item to please fill out a request to speak card and turn it into the clerk, and we accept the request to speak cards up to the conclusion of the reading of the staff report on any particular agenda item.

4:13

Once the staff report has been read and we open the item up for public comment, the clerk will announce your name for you to walk to the podium to speak.

4:22

Now, in front of the clerk, there is a timer, and to ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard.

4:28

And we ask that all comments be limited to three minutes.

4:32

Also, in front of the clerk is an analog flip chart, which indicates which agenda item the council is currently considering.

4:39

We also recognize that for some speaking in public can cause anxiety.

4:43

So we request that there be no applause or booze, cat calls, or other demonstrations.

4:47

Furthermore, so that we may maintain a civil discourse.

4:50

Here in the chambers, we ask that those in attendance and those who address the city council abide by the code of conduct and uh post it and not speak in loud, threatening, offensive, abusive, or other disrespectful language that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting.

5:08

Now this brings us to item one on presentations by the public on matters not on the agenda within the jurisdiction of the council, and each person has three minutes to speak.

5:15

Madam Clerk, do we have any requests to speak?

5:18

Yes, ma'am.

5:19

William Lana.

5:24

And if you could pronounce your last name again, please, Lana.

5:28

Lana.

5:29

Lana.

5:29

Lana, L A N A.

5:31

Okay.

5:31

Mr.

5:31

Lana, please proceed.

5:33

Good evening.

5:34

I'm from the north end of West Sacramento.

5:37

And I'm here about the issue of carports.

5:40

It's been around for quite a while.

5:42

This issue started last October, I guess November, when a gentleman built an over-the-top carport to house his motor home, very large motor home.

5:52

And frankly, if I had lived in that neighborhood, I would have complained about it as well.

5:58

Now, this gentleman, it seems, has gone around the area of North Sacramento and looked and found all the car ports that are there, all except for a couple that are still up, plus mine, and complained about them.

6:12

And everybody's had to take them down.

6:14

This is thousands of dollars of real estate that people have put up for the house to protect their cars in the winter, to protect their vehicles in the summer, and now they're all being forced to take them down, which is ridiculous.

6:31

These taking them down does nothing for the city.

6:34

It doesn't help the city, it doesn't help the person, it doesn't beautify anything.

6:38

And so I believe that the city council and the city has an obligation to change this.

6:45

It should be changed.

6:47

And as I understand it, the mayor, bless her heart, brought up a solution to this that we uh grandfather in all the rest of the car ports, which would be an excellent idea.

7:02

But the rest of the city council said no, we're not gonna do that.

7:06

And I'd like to know why the rest of the city council denied such a request.

7:11

It doesn't make sense, but there is a solution to this.

7:15

You change 17.22.020 in the city code to allow car ports.

7:24

A carport that is erected over an existing driveway area that was originally built when the house was originally built, and with a two-foot setback, just change that and people could have their car ports.

7:43

But there's another point to this that I don't like that's going on with front yards, concreted front yards as well.

7:52

And this is the complaint-driven idea of something that they don't do anything about unless it's complaint driven.

8:01

Well, the city should form a commission of three people, citizens, homeowners, and if somebody has a complaint against a carport or a concrete driveway, they put a written complaint in to exactly what their complaint is to make it accountable, and simply saying that because it's um against code, that doesn't, that doesn't fit.

8:27

And if this commission looks at it and says, Okay, that's a valid complaint, turn it over to co-enforcement.

8:35

And if the commission says no, that's not a valid complaint.

8:40

End of issue.

8:41

Thank you, Mr.

8:41

Lana.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement██████████████████████████████30%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████████████████28%
Miscellaneous████████████████16%
Procedural████████8%
Economic Development██████6%
Pending Litigation███3%
Technology and Innovation██2%
Homelessness██2%
Transportation Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

West Sacramento City Council Meeting – June 17, 2026

The West Sacramento City Council held its regular meeting on June 17, 2026, with Council Member Orozco absent. The meeting included a land acknowledgement, public comments, a Juneteenth proclamation, consent agenda, and multiple discussion items on road funding, animal services governance, the FY26-27 budget, a media contact policy, weed abatement liens, and an urban water management plan. The city also announced a July meeting recess.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 3-13 were approved unanimously after Item 7 (SB1 road funding) was pulled for separate discussion. No public comment was received on the consent agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • William Lana (north West Sacramento resident) criticized the city's enforcement of carport regulations, urging a code change to allow carports over existing driveways with a two-foot setback and the creation of a citizen commission to handle complaints. He noted that a code change would resolve the issue.
  • Matt Weaver (resident) accused the city of being complaint-driven rather than solution-driven, citing a recent cyclist fatality during Bike Month, unaddressed potholes, and unstriped bike lanes. He argued that city resources are diverted to a ballpark project while basic infrastructure suffers. He called for a local-first agenda focusing on streets, potholes, bike lanes, and safety.

Discussion Items

  • Item 7 – SB1 Road Funding Resolution (Consent item pulled): Christian Ascension (Senior Engineer) presented the annual SB1 funding for pavement preservation and rehabilitation. The council discussed the difference between preservation (preventative layering) and rehabilitation (full reconstruction). Mayor Pro Tem Sulpizio Hall and Council Member Alcala requested better public communication on road priorities, including a GIS map and pavement condition index. City Manager Laurel noted that Measure O has expanded road crew capacity. The item was approved as part of the consent agenda after discussion.
  • Item 15 – Yolo County Animal Services JPA: Adam Fiesler (County Community Services Director) presented findings on potential governance models for animal services, noting that per capita costs (~$22) are in line with peers. A request for information showed limited capacity from nonprofit partners. Council expressed interest in operational JPA to give West Sacramento a stronger voice, especially given the high call volume from the city. Council Member Early shared a personal story about slow response for a snake. The council unanimously approved a letter of interest to pursue a JPA.
  • Item 16 – FY26-27 Budget Adoption: Roberta Ray (Finance Director) and Becky Robertson (Finance Manager) presented the proposed budget, highlighting slowing sales tax (down ~$600k) and property tax (down ~$700k) growth. The general fund faces a $1.9M shortfall, addressed by suspending a $1M contribution to the facilities fund and using reserves. Tax measure funds remain healthy. Supplemental requests total $29.5M, including $17.4M in CIP. 10 new positions are proposed (7 in water/sewer funded by rate increases). A light rail extension funding request ($5.2M) sparked debate; the council voted 4-0 to approve the budget with the exception of CIP 1404 (light rail design/construction), which will return with a fuller analysis in August. The motion was made by Council Member Early, seconded by Council Member Alcala, and passed unanimously.
  • Item 14 – Media Contact Policy: Linnea Lewis (PIO) presented an updated policy (IC11) to replace a 26-year-old version, clarifying roles for unified messaging. The policy vests authority in the city council. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 17 – Weed Abatement Liens: Fire Marshal Brian Johnson presented the list of unpaid weed abatement charges for 2025, with liens to be placed on properties. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 18 – Urban Water Management Plan: Brad Hover (consultant) presented the 2025 plan required by the state, covering a 25-year outlook. The council adopted the plan and the Water Shortage Contingency Plan unanimously, with a request to brief the environmental utilities commission afterward.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved consent agenda (Items 3-13) unanimously, with Item 7 discussed and then included.
  • Approved a letter of interest for a Yolo County Animal Services operational JPA (4-0).
  • Adopted FY26-27 budget resolution (26-66) with the exception of CIP 1404 (light rail funding), pending further discussion. Vote: 4-0.
  • Adopted the Media Contact Policy (IC11) unanimously.
  • Approved resolution 26-17 for weed abatement liens unanimously.
  • Adopted resolution 26-58 for the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan unanimously.
  • Council reports: Yolo-Solano AQMD e-bike incentive program (deadline July 27), Yolo TDP budget concerns, SACSOR budget and governance, EIFD budget approval.
  • Next council meeting: August 5, 2026 (July recess).

Meeting Transcript

Okay. You must have just taken it. Oh, okay, good. Okay. So we should get there. All right, we can get started. All right, calling our uh City Council meeting to order now that all the council members are present except with one absent, Council Member Orozco. I call to order the June 17th meeting of the City of West Sacramento City Council of the West Sacramento Redevelopment Agency and Finance Authority. We'll 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 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 did not meet in closed session this evening. And we do ask anyone wishing to address the council or on this or any other item to please fill out a request to speak card and turn it into the clerk, and we accept the request to speak cards 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, the clerk will announce your name for you to walk to the podium to speak. Now, in front of the clerk, there is a timer, and to ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard. And we ask that all comments be limited to three 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 attendance and those who address the city council abide by the code of conduct and uh post it 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 on presentations by the public on matters not on the agenda within the jurisdiction of the council, and each person has three minutes to speak. Madam Clerk, do we have any requests to speak? Yes, ma'am. William Lana. And if you could pronounce your last name again, please, Lana. Lana. Lana. Lana, L A N A. Okay. Mr. Lana, please proceed. Good evening. I'm from the north end of West Sacramento. And I'm here about the issue of carports. It's been around for quite a while. This issue started last October, I guess November, when a gentleman built an over-the-top carport to house his motor home, very large motor home. And frankly, if I had lived in that neighborhood, I would have complained about it as well. Now, this gentleman, it seems, has gone around the area of North Sacramento and looked and found all the car ports that are there, all except for a couple that are still up, plus mine, and complained about them. And everybody's had to take them down. This is thousands of dollars of real estate that people have put up for the house to protect their cars in the winter, to protect their vehicles in the summer, and now they're all being forced to take them down, which is ridiculous. These taking them down does nothing for the city. It doesn't help the city, it doesn't help the person, it doesn't beautify anything. And so I believe that the city council and the city has an obligation to change this. It should be changed. And as I understand it, the mayor, bless her heart, brought up a solution to this that we uh grandfather in all the rest of the car ports, which would be an excellent idea. But the rest of the city council said no, we're not gonna do that. And I'd like to know why the rest of the city council denied such a request. It doesn't make sense, but there is a solution to this.

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