Council Regular Meeting

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING CITY OF MONTEREY Tuesday, April 7, 2026 4:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBER, 580 PACIFIC ST. MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Councilmembers Present: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson Absent: None City Staff City Manager, City Attorney, Assistant City Manager, Finance Director, Fire Present: Chief, Human Resources Director, Library & Museums Director, Parks and Recreation Director, Police Chief, Public Works Director, City Clerk, Property Manager, Assistant Police Chief, Deputy Public Works Director/City Engineer, Police Lieutenant, Planning Manager, Chief Information Officer, Assistant Human Resources Director, Senior Associate Planner, Recreation Manager, Parking Superintendent, Assistant Parking Superintendent, Senior Administrative Analysts (Fire and Police), Human Resources Analyst, Housing and Community Development Coordinators (x2), Associate Planner, Engineering Assistant, Police Officer, Division Chief, Acting Division Chief, Fire Engineers (x3), Firefighters (x3) Call to Order Mayor Williamson called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. City Clerk Klein called the roll with the Council present as indicated above. AFTERNOON SESSION: 4:00 p.m. Presentations (Afternoon) 1. Welcome and Introduce Dante G. Hall as the New City Manager for the City of Monterey (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Welcomed and introduced City Manager Hall City Manager Hall introduced himself to the community. He spoke about his goals and plans to understand Monterey's important issues and find ways to move forward. The Council made remarks welcoming City Manager Hall. Public comment welcoming City Manager Hall was received from: Michele Pierce of See Monterey, Esther Malkin of the Laguna Grande Neighborhood Association, Diego Quevedo of the Old Monterey Business Association, and Nina Beety. 2. Recognize April 2026 as Fair Housing Month (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Recognized April 2026 as Fair Housing Month Mayor Williamson read the proclamation. Public comment recognizing the importance of fair housing was received from Esther Malkin and Nina Beety.  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 General Public Comments Public comment on non-agendized matters was limited to one and a half minutes per person based on the number of persons intending to speak, and was received from: Dan Turner; Kim Evert of St. James Episcopal Church; Nancy Soule; Bradley J. Strawser of the Naval Postgraduate School; Sam Shokir and Youssef Abdelrehem of the Habibi Cafe; Bob Faulis; James MacFarlane; Tom Reeves of the New Monterey Neighborhood Association; Heidi Bean; Janine Chicourrat of See Monterey and Portola Hotel & Spa; Nina Beety; and loved ones of Marcos Antonio Ruiz-Salafai: the mother of his son; Chelsea, the mother of his son Noah; his sister Tailinda Ruiz; his cousin Nancy Morales; and his cousin Christina. Consent Agenda Items 10 and 11 were requested by Council to be pulled from the Consent agenda. Public comment was given at this time on Item 10, as reflected below. On a motion by Councilmember Barber, seconded by Councilmember Rasch, and carried by the following vote, the City Council approved the Consent Agenda except Items 10 and 11: AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) Consent: Approval of Minutes 3. February 17, 2026 Regular Meeting (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Approved 4. March 17, 2026 (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Approved Consent: Award of Construction Contracts 5. Award Construction Contract for the Rehabilitation of a City Owned Inclusionary Unit under the Purchase & Resale Program (CDBG P&R Rehabilitation (585-1)) in an Amount Not to Exceed $87,000 (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061, and Categorically Excluded per 24 CFR 58.34(a)(12), 24 CFR 58.35(a)(5), 24 CFR 58.35(a)(3)(ii)) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-044 C.S. Consent: Resolutions 6. Authorize Agreement with Dell, Inc. for Microsoft Server Licensing in the amount of $114,638.08 (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-045 C.S. 7. Award Two (2) Professional Services Agreements with a Not-to-Exceed Annual Limit of $1,000,000 Each for Traffic Signal Maintenance Services to: 1) Bear Electrical Solutions, LLC. and 2) St Francis Electric, LLC. ***CIP/NCIP*** (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution Nos. 26-046 and 26-047 C.S. 2  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 8. Amend Resolution 25-071 and Approve a New Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Between the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (ReGen Monterey) and Member Agencies Regarding Compliance with Organic Waste Recycling and Food Recovery Laws (SB 1383) for $43,178 for these Services for Fiscal Year 2025-26 (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-048 C.S. 9. Authorize the City of Monterey Cemetery El Encinal to Buy Back Cemetery Lot 2A in Block 97 for $4,963 Payable to Mr. Jim Sleeper and Mrs. Jill Sleeper (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-049 C.S. 10. Authorize the City Manager to Sign an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement Extension with MidPen Housing for Development of Affordable Housing at 587 and 593 Van Buren Street, 424 and 450 Madison Street (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Pulled from Consent; Adopted Resolution No. 26-050 C.S. Planning Manager Hill gave a verbal staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment on the matter was received, prior to the approval of the Consent Agenda items, from: Alice Wik-Crosby, who asked the Council to postpone the matter, stating that MidPen Housing had not shown the ability to get funding for the project; and Esther Malkin, who asked for an update and a timeline for the affordable housing project behind City Hall. On a motion by Councilmember Rasch, seconded by Councilmember Smith, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-050 C.S.: AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) Consent: Other 11. Proclamation Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Laguna Grande Regional Joint Powers Agency (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Pulled from Consent; Issued proclamation Councilmember Garcia, representative to the Laguna Grande Regional Joint Powers Agency, made brief remarks about current efforts toward conservation and safety at the park, and presented the proclamation. Public comment was received from Esther Malkin of the Laguna Grande Neighborhood Association, who expressed appreciation for the City's efforts to improve conditions in the Laguna Grande Regional Park and asked City staff to continue to seek funding sources for continued improvements. On a motion by Councilmember Garcia, seconded by Councilmember Smith, and carried by the following vote, the City Council issued the proclamation: AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) 3  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 End of Consent Agenda Afternoon Session Items Public Hearing (Afternoon) 12. Application AP-25-0236 and Use Permit Application UP-25-0013; Appellant Henry Ruhnke, Wald, Ruhnke and Dost Architects LLP; Property Owner W R MONT LLC; Industrial, Administration, and Research, Religious Assembly Overlay, Emergency Shelter Overlay, Multi-Family Residential Overlay (I-R-130-RA-ES-MF1) Zoning District; Employment General Plan Designation (Exempt from CEQA per Article 19, Section 15301, Class 1 and Section 15303, Class 3) 1. Adopt Findings to Overrule the Monterey County Airport Land Use Commission’s Consistency Determination for a Day Care, General, Use at 2400 Garden Road, and 2. Grant Appeal and Overturn the Planning Commission’s Decision and Approve Use Permit UP-25-0013 for a Day Care, General, Use at 2400 Garden Road Action: Conducted Public Hearing; Adopted Resolution Nos. 26-051 and 26-052 C.S. Planning Manager Hill gave a verbal staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment was limited to two minutes per person based on the number of persons intending to speak, and was received from: Esther Malkin, who expressed concern about the safety of children being exposed to lead in airplane fuel due to proximity to the airport; Fionna Jensen of the County of Monterey Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC), who argued against overruling the ALUC's determination, making statements that included asserting that the proposed daycare would be well within the restricted area and therefore considered unsafe, and that State law prioritized minimizing safety hazards over other preferences; Madelynn Van Den Heuvel, Aurora Tershy, and Bill Tershy of Montessori Community School, who all spoke in favor of approving the use permit, citing the great need for childcare; Henry Ruhnke of Wald, Ruhnke & Dost Architects on behalf of the applicant, who said that Monterey County staff's initial report to the ALUC had recommended approval of the project; and Nina Beety, who raised safety concerns about environmental factors that she said could harm children. The Council discussed the matter. Appreciation was expressed for those who had raised concerns about children's safety. It was stressed that State and local inspections and environmental safeguards would ensure that children would be safe from hazards. It was stated that the area's zoning allowed the use and that it would be contradictory to allow the church on Garden Road to operate a daycare but not allow this daycare to operate there; rather, it was stated that daycare use by the applicant would be equitable. It was noted that the site had multi family overlay zoning and stated that there were families living there, that the area was already residential and woulld become more so in the future with conversions of commercial uses to residential uses. It was stressed that children were the utmost concern of the Council, and it was stressed that in fact the risks of driving longer distances to daycare facilities would introduce more risk than the risk of an aircraft crash in the area of the proposed Garden Road daycare and that reducing vehicle miles traveled would be better for safety and sustainability. It was acknowledged that the daycare would be in a specific proximity to the airport but it was stressed that its proximity was in the zone parallel to the runway and not in the end areas used for aircraft approaches, and that the site presented no inherent safety risk. It was stressed that Monterey was a small community and that the available building sites were limited especially when factoring in the airport's limited zones. Comments of appreciation were made for the fact-finding and the data that was presented. It was asserted that other uses were already in the zone in question and that if the area were determined 4  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 in the future to be unsafe based on environmental conditions or air quality, such concerns would have to be mitigated or many tenants and residents of the area would have to retreat. It was stressed that it would be up to the parents to decide whether this daycare would be right for their children. A motion was introduced by Councilmember Garcia, and seconded by Councilmember Rasch, to approve the staff recommendation and adopt Resolution Nos. 26-051 and 26-052 C.S. On question from the Council regarding statements made by the County of Monterey representative, Planning Manager Hill said that no changes to the findings in the resolution were recommended by City staff. He said that the finding that was referenced was referenced inaccurately, that the resolution's finding did identify the site's location along the side of the runway and did acknowledge that occupation by “vulnerable occupants” within 6,000 feet from the side of the runway was discouraged. He said that the findings were accurate as-is. The motion carried by the following vote: AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) Public Appearance (Afternoon) 13. Receive Update from the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey (HACM) on Status of Displaced Tenants Resulting from the Fire at 800 Casanova Avenue and Authorize the City Manager to Donate From the Available Balance from the FY 25-26 Budget for the Rental Assistance Program to HACM and/or Other Organizations to Continue Support of the Displaced Tenants as Needed (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Received update; Adopted Resolution No. 26-053 C.S. and directed staff to work with the recipient(s) of the City's donation to facilitate and coordinate provision of case management services Assistant City Manager Rojanasathira gave a verbal staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. During the presentation Mayor Williamson left the Chamber from 5:40 p.m. to 5:41 p.m. Zulieka Boykin of the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey (HACM) addressed the Council, providing an update on the response to help fire victims, and requesting funding to assist HACM in its efforts to continue providing displaced residents with hotel housing. During the question and answer period, Councilmember Smith left the Chamber from 6:02 p.m. to 6:04 p.m. and Councilmember Rasch left the Chamber from 6:12 p.m. to 6:14 p.m. Public comment was received from: Tanya Kosta of All In Monterey, who requested funding for her non-profit organization to assist in their efforts to help fire victims; Bob Faulis, who suggested that faith-based organizations could help with case management; Esther Malkin, who said that this unexpected event demonstrated the value of offering a rental assistance program; and Lori Mazzuca, who said that the priority should be placing the remaining fire victims in available housing. During public comment, Councilmember Barber left the Chamber from 6:41 p.m. to 6:43 p.m. and Councilmember Garcia left the Chamber from 6:50 p.m. to 6:53 p.m. The Council discussed the matter. It was suggested that nurse navigators could be hired to assist with medical issues. On question from the Council, Ms. Kosta provided further information about how All-In Monterey had helped and would continue to help the residents displaced by the fire, and Ms. Boykin provided context on issues still to be resolved for the residents. 5  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 An initial motion was introduced by Mayor Williamson, and seconded by Councilmember Garcia, to direct staff to move forward with a contract for case management at a cost up to $200,000, contingent on the receipt of funding support that had been committed, to donate $20,000 to All In Monterey, and to work with the Housing Authority on their request contingent on the additional information being provided. On question from the Council, Assistant City Manager Rojanasathira and City Attorney Davi clarified that the resolution was drafted to be broad to allow for flexibility in donating toward the needs of the displaced tenants, as opposed to involving the City directly in case management. She recommended the City earmark a donation for case management, instead of taking on that work itself. The Council and staff discussed case management services and what kinds of entities or agencies could best provide them. It was expressed that a professional being paid a salary would be best equipped to provide these services. A friendly amendment was introduced by Councilmember Rasch to donate $20,000 to All In Monterey and $105,000 to HACM for continued hotel services, and to direct staff to try to bring in the Community Foundation for more support. The friendly amendment was not taken by the mover. City Attorney Davi recommended that the Council use its broad authority to donate money and said that oversight of case work and hiring of medical providers would need more evaluation. Concern was expressed by the Council about the notion of the City taking on social work and case management. It was stated that the $125,000 donation recommended by staff should be leveraged to stimulate additional funding by the County and non-profit organizations. It was stated that City staff could facilitate the best distribution of the $125,000 in available funds to All In Monterey and the HACM, and it was stressed that the Council should not create an additional impact to the general fund. It was proposed that the $125,000 be distributed with $105,000 going to the HACM and $20,000 to All In Monterey as suggested by the speakers. The mover began to modify his motion to provide flexibility to staff to work with partner organizations to help faciliate a case manager being put into place at a cost up to $200,000, contingent on the receipt of contributions from non-profits. The Council discussed the $200,000 and it was stated it would come from additional pledged contributions from non-profits and that the City's only contribution would be the $125,000 remaining in the Rental Assistance Program's budget for the year. Ms. Boykin provided context on other organizations' limited ability to provide services. City Attorney Davi noted that the Council's discussion was heading back in the direction of the staff recommendation to donate $125,000 from the Rental Assistance Program account for assisting displaced tenants with matters including but not limited to case management services. Mayor Williamson modified his motion, which as modified was seconded by Councilmember Garcia, and carried by the following vote, to approve the staff recommendation, adopting Resolution No. 26-053 C.S., and to direct staff to work with the recipient(s) of the City's donation to facilitate and coordinate provision of case management services: AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) The Council recessed at 7:33 p.m. and reconvened at 7:52 p.m. 6  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 Pledge of Allegiance Councilmember Smith led the Pledge. General Public Comments, Continued Continued public comment on non-agendized matters was received from: Paul Hierling, Lori Mazzuca, Tom Reeves, and Chelsea Lenowska of the Casanova Oak Knoll Neighborhood Association. Requests from Councilmembers to Agendize New Matters 14. Councilmember Rasch’s Request to Agendize a Discussion Regarding Council Expenses and Benefits (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Agreed on consensus to agendize the matter Councilmember Rasch gave a brief verbal presentation supporting her request, and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment in favor of agendizing the matter was received from Lori Mazzuca and Tom Reeves. Support was expressed by a second member of the Council for receiving a staff presentation, achieving the minimum consensus required for agendizing the matter pursuant to the Council's governance policy. 15. Councilmember Rasch’s Request to Agendize a Discussion Regarding ADA Parking in Public Lots (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Requester withdrew her request Councilmember Rasch withdrew her request, stating that she had researched and investigated the matter further and and felt that the City's parking signage regarding fees was very clear. She expressed a preference for Parking staff to focus on its residential parking program. Public comment was received from Esther Malkin, who clarified her understanding of a recent public comment regarding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible parking. Councilmember Rasch noted that street parking was already free for disabled individuals and said there would be a fiscal impact associated with eliminating a fee for ADA-accessible parking. The Council noted that there could be an educational opportunity for the City to be more clear with residents about disabled parking fees. Evening Session Items Public Appearance (Evening) 16. Receive Police Department Annual Report - 2025 (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Received report 7  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 Police Chief Hober gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment was received from: Dennis Duke and Esther Malkin, who both noted conditions challenging the Police Department's ability to recruit effectively, such as the state of the police facility. The Council discussed the matter, focusing on appreciation for the Police Chief and his staff, and concern around staffing levels and budget constraints. It was stressed that more funding would be needed to increase staffing to the level needed to allow for more proactive police services desired by the community, and for the public safety facility project which was stated to be a high priority. 17. Receive Annual Report of the Police Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) System (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15376 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Received report Police Chief Hober gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. During the presentation, Mayor Williamson left the Chamber from 9:27 p.m. to 9:2 p.m. Public comment was received from: Kris Richardson of the Monterey Police Association, who provided context on how officers used the ALPR system not only to catch criminals but also to keep the wrong people from being arrested; Dennis Duke, who spoke in support of the use of the ALPR system, citing the importance of finding serious criminals; Esther Malkin, who expressed concern about the Flock company given the national political environment; Nina Beety, who spoke opposing the use, citing concern about abuses and privacy violations; Michelle Welsh of the American Civil Liberties Union, Monterey County Chapter, who requested the Flock ALPR system be immediately suspended, citing data breaches and misuses. During public comment, Councilmember Barber left the Chamber from 10:19 p.m. to 10:22 p.m. The Council provided brief input, stating that the policy in place helped to prevent against abuses due to the regular audits that were required, and that the City's higher level of caution and constraint were appropriate. It was noted that the Police Chief and his team were constantly investigating and would continue to monitor Flock, the Police Department's use of the system, and the collected data's use and access by other agencies and entities. It was stressed how serious the Council's trust in the Monterey Police Department was, given the issues at stake. Benefits to the system were noted, such as being able to review the history of a vehicle of concern. It was stressed that it was important to continue to deploy the remaining cameras for the benefit of the City's order and safety. On the other hand, serious concerns were expressed about the statewide lookup feature that had been activated without clear authorization, potentially allowing Monterey's data to be accessed or shared outside of the approved policy, and whether any other features could be present on the system without the department's awareness; the searches that had been conducted without the required entering of case numbers; the process for determining which agencies Monterey shares data with, and the risk that other agencies may not have as strict requirements for documenting search purposes; reports of improper or illegal practices in other jurisdictions and past illegal practices by Flock Safety; whether the city was getting sufficient value for the cost of the system; whether camera placement was effective; and the implications of the "worldwide rights" clause in the Flock contract. It was expressed that ALPR systems posed a serious ethical dilemma, citing the importance of safety that their use could provide, but also the seriousness of the risks that the data's abuse could present. It was requested that the item come back to the Council in the future for a deeper discussion and more information about concerns about Flock, related legal issues, breaches and data misuse, potential other vendors, and other related issues. 8  City Council Minutes April 7, 2026 18. Receive Annual Report and Renew the Military Equipment Purchase and Use Ordinance – Monterey City Code, Chapter 27, Article 3, Section 27-10 (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Received report; Adopted Resolution No. 26-054 C.S. Assistant Police Chief Bruno gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. During the presentation, Councilmember Garcia left the Chamber from 10:35 p.m. to 10:37 p.m. and Councilmember Smith left the Chamber from 10:38 p.m. to 10:40 p.m. Public comment was received from: Dennis Duke, who asked if the requested truck was similar to the Fire Department's Division Chief trucks. On question, Assistant Police Chief Bruno agreed that the truck was similar to what a Division Chief would use in running an incident for the Fire Department. On a motion by Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Rasch, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-054 C.S.: AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) Council Comments Councilmember Smith referred to commentary received from residents about the residential parking program and its upcoming deadline for participation, and said that the public needed questions answered and to understand the program better. He asked staff to consider pausing the program in order to fine-tune its launch. He said that he may request to agendize modifications to the program in the future if needed. Mayor Williamson echoed the interest in discussing potential modifications to the residential parking program. He said that the executive director of Monterey One Water would present at an upcoming City Council meeting. He invited all to an upcoming welcoming event for meeting City Manager Hall. He asked the community to consider that All In Monterey could use additional financial support to keep up their work assisting people impacted by the 800 Casanova Avenue fire. City Manager Reports None made, in the interest of time. Adjournment The Council adjourned at 10:53 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Clementine Bonner Klein Tyller Williamson City Clerk Mayor 9