Council Regular Meeting

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING CITY OF MONTEREY Tuesday, June 16, 2026 4:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBER, 580 PACIFIC ST. MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Councilmembers Present: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson Absent: Garcia City Staff City Manager, City Attorney, Assistant City Manager, Community Present: Development Director, Finance Director, Fire Chief, Human Resources Director, Library & Museums Director, Parks and Recreation Director, Public Works Director, City Clerk, Assistant Police Chief, Assistant Human Resources Director, Assistant Library Director, Assistant Fire Chief, Assistant Finance Director, City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director, General Services Superintendent, Conference Center General Manager, Associate Civil Engineer, Engineering Projects Manager, Streets & Utilities Operations Manager, Fleet Manager, Environmental Regulations Analyst, Recreation Manager, Library Manager, Finance Analyst, Division Chief, Senior Administrative Analyst (Fire), Park Operations Manager, Administrative Analyst (Public Works), Assistant Parking Superintendent, Finance Manager, Planning Manager, Engineering Assistant II, Fire Captain, Fire Engineers (x4), Firefighters (x3), Operations Supervisor (MCC), Street Maintenance Lead Worker, Administrative Assistant (Public Works) Call to Order Mayor Williamson called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. City Clerk Klein called the roll with the Council present as indicated above. AFTERNOON SESSION Presentations (Afternoon) 1. Recognize City Employees for Milestone Anniversaries and Retirements in 2026 (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Recognized employees Fire Chief Moore recognized Fire Captains Holm, Hurd, Ocon, and Rust for 20 years of service each and Fire Engineer Stopper for 25 years of service; Library & Museums Director Edwards recognized Library Manager Smith for 20 years of service; and Assistant Finance Director Sandoval recognized Accountant Auditor Franklin for 20 years of service; and Public Works Director Renny recognized Parking Maintenance Supervisor Coleman for his retirement after 21 years of service. Fire Captain Hurd and Library Manager Smith made brief remarks. Public comment was solicited but not received. The Council thanked and honored the recognized staff members, and stressed the importance of taking care of City employees.  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 General Public Comments Based on the number of people interested in speaking, Mayor Williamson limited the time for public comment to two minutes per person. Public comment on non-agendized matters was received from: Tom Rowley of Fisherman Flats Homeowners and Residents Association, Tom Reeves, Josh Stephens, Patrice Parks and Sam Al-Maqtari of Osio Arts Foundation, and Lori Mazzuca. Consent Agenda Public comment on the Consent Items was solicited but not received. On a motion by Councilmember Rasch, seconded by Councilmember Smith, and carried by the following vote, the City Council approved the Consent Agenda except Item 7: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia Consent: Approval of Minutes 2. May 27, 2026 Special Meeting (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Approved (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) 3. June 2, 2026 Regular Meeting (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Approved (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) Consent: Ordinances 4. 1st Reading to Amend Monterey City Code section 19-103, the Schedule of Fees and Services Charges, to Reduce the Amount of the City’s Cost Recovery for Administering Appeals of Planning Commission Decisions to the City Council from 100% to 83.73% (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Passed ordinance to a second reading (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) 5. 2nd Reading of an Ordinance to Amend Monterey City Code Chapter 31.5, Storm Water Management Utility, Fees; Collection, to Authorize Collection of Stormwater Utility Fees on the County of Monterey Tax Roll and Authorize a Fee Collection and Indemnification Agreement with the County of Monterey for this Purpose (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Ordinance No. 3720 C.S. (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) Consent: Resolutions 6. Amend Resolution 25-060 to Include a New Project, the Citywide Road Surface Repair Project, FY26 in the Capital Improvement Program, Transfer Funds, and Award a Construction Contract in the Amount of $3,830,000 to McKim Corporation for the Citywide Road Surface Repair Project, FY26 (Exempt from CEQA Article 19, Section 15301, Class 1) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-082 C.S. (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) 2  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 7. Authorize an Increase in FY26 Grant Revenue and Appropriation of Regional Surface Transportation Funds in the Amount of $130,000.00 to the Madison/Herrmann/Larkin Intersection Safety Improvement Project in the Capital Projects Fund and Award a Construction Contract in the Amount of $140,306.50 to The Don Chapin Company, Inc. ***CIP*** (Exempt from CEQA Article 19, Section 15303, Class 3) Action: Pulled from Consent; Adopted Resolution No. 26-083 C.S. as amended to encompass awarding the bid, and directing staff to conduct neighborhood outreach, request a grant extension from TAMC and plan for a later installation date in the next 6-8 months, be open to the community feedback received, and return to the Council for final project approval (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) Engineering Assistant II Garcia gave a brief presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment was received from Marta Kraftzeck and Nelson Vega, who both spoke against the proposed project. The Council said that the neighborhood needed to have input into the proposed project, and it was suggested to institute a pause in order to connect further with affected residents and make sure that it was done right. It was noted that the proposal was a temporary installation and that the Council could decide based on public feedback and evidence whether it had worked. An initial motion was introduced by Councilmember Rasch, and seconded by Councilmember Barber, to direct staff to pause the proposed project in order to conduct community outreach, and to revisit it in the next grant cycle. On question from the Council, City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director Easterling explained that due to the multi-year grant cycle the next opportunity to apply would be in three years. He said that $29,000 had been spent which would not be recouped if the project were paused. He noted that the work could be done during a different school break later in the year and that Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) was usually flexible with requests for grant extensions. He said if there were to be major changes desired, it would make sense instead to reject all bids and develop different plans. A substitute motion was introduced by Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Rasch, and carried by the following vote, to adopt Resolution No. 26-083 C.S. as amended to encompass awarding the bid, and directing staff to conduct neighborhood outreach, request a grant extension from TAMC and plan for a later installation date in the next 6-8 months, be open to community feedback received, and return to the Council for final project approval: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia Consent: Other 8. Appoint Nat Rojanasathira and Nicole Banks as Agency Negotiators for Facility License Agreement with Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Appointed negotiators Rojanasathira and Banks (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) End of Consent Agenda 3  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 Adjourn to Ocean View Community Services District Meeting The City Council adjourned to the Ocean View Community Services District meeting. Ocean View Community Services District Meeting: Consent Agenda 9. Receive Ocean View Community Services District Quarterly Report (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Received report The report was received. Public comment on the matter was not received. Councilmember Smith left the Chamber from 5:18 p.m. to 5:19 p.m. Adjourn to City Council Meeting The Ocean View Community Services District Board of Directors adjourned back to the City Council meeting. Afternoon Session Items Public Hearing (Afternoon) 10. Levy Assessments to Fund the Cannery Row, New Monterey, and North Fremont Business Improvement Districts -- Continued from June 2, 2026 (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution Nos. 26-084, 26-085, and 26-086 C.S. (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) Planning Manager Hill gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. During the presentation, Mayor Williamson left the Chamber from 5:20 p.m. to 5:21 p.m. Public comment was received from Nelson Vega, who made a comment expressing discontent with the recreational path down the center of North Fremont Boulevard. At the conclusion of the public hearing, City Clerk Klein said that no protests had been received. On a motion by Councilmember Barber, seconded by Councilmember Rasch, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution Nos. 26-084, 26-085, and 26-086 C.S.: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia 11. Open a Public Hearing to Confirm Alvarado Street Maintenance District 85-1 Area and Receive Protests Related to the Collection of the Assessment Proposed in Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2026/2027 and Authorize the Assessment if a Majority Protest Does Not Exist (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Held public hearing; Adopted Resolution No. 26-087 C.S. (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) Associate Engineer Hennings gave a verbal staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment was received from Tom Reeves, who noted that the maintenance district was intended to provide services over and above what would usually be provided. 4  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 On question from the Council, Associate Engineer Hennings provided further information on the additional services provided and noted that details were included in the Engineer's Report. City Clerk Klein, Assistant City Manager Rojanasathira, and Administrative Assistant Portillo performed the count of the sealed ballots. During the count, Councilmember Rasch left the Chamber from 5:34 to 5:36 p.m. At the conclusion of the public hearing, City Clerk Klein announced that the result of the count was that the proportional weight of the ballots submitted in favor of the assessment exceeded the proportional weight of the ballots submitted in opposition to the assessment, and that therefore a majority protest did not exist. On a motion by Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Rasch, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-087 C.S.: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia 12. Open a Public Hearing to Confirm Calle Principal Maintenance District 00-1 Area and Receive Protests Related to the Collection of the Assessment Proposed in Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2026/2027 and Authorize the Assessment if a Majority Protest Does Not Exist (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Held public hearing; Adopted Resolution No. 26-088 C.S. (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) Associate Engineer Hennings gave a verbal staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment was solicited but not received. City Clerk Klein, Assistant City Manager Rojanasathira, and Administrative Assistant Portillo performed the count of the sealed ballots. At the conclusion of the public hearing, City Clerk Klein announced that the result of the count was that the proportional weight of the ballots submitted in favor of the assessment exceeded the proportional weight of the ballots submitted in opposition to the assessment, and that therefore a majority protest did not exist. On a motion by Councilmember Rasch, seconded by Councilmember Barber, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-088 C.S.: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia Public Appearance (Afternoon) 13. Approve Installation of a Patriotic Crosswalk to Express the City’s Support of the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-089 C.S., specifying there should be no expenditure of public funds on the crosswalk (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) 5  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 Public Works Director Renny gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions, together with Councilmember Smith who provided further context on his request. Public comment was received from: Jim Clark, Harold Krotzer, Marta Kraftzeck, Ruthanne Krotzer, Patricia Huffman, Nelson Vega, and Tom Reeves, who all spoke in favor of the proposal; Monique Kaldy, who stressed that policies should be applied fairly; and Nina Beety, who opposed the use of any decorative crosswalks. On a motion by Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Rasch, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-089 C.S., specifying there should be no expenditure of public funds on the crosswalk: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia Adjourn to Closed Session Public comment on the closed session was solicited but not received. The Council adjourned to closed session at 6:26 p.m. Closed Session (Afternoon) 14. Closed Session Conference with Real Property Negotiators Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8 Property: 735 Ramona Avenue (Casanova Oak Knoll Park Center) Agency Negotiators: Nat Rojanasathira and Nicole Banks Negotiating Parties: Ronald Johnson (Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County) Under Negotiation: Price and Terms of License Agreement (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: On a roll call vote of 4-0-1, with Councilmember Garcia absent, the Council gave confidential direction to its negotiators The Council recessed at 7:05 p.m. and reconvened at 7:16 p.m. EVENING SESSION AGENDA Pledge of Allegiance - Councilmember Rasch led the Pledge. General Public Comments, Continued Based on the number of people interested in speaking, Mayor Williamson limited the time for public comment to two minutes per person. Continued public comment on non-agendized matters was received from: Jacqueline Simon, Bob Faulis, Nelson Vega, Lorna Moffat, and Esther Malkin. Announcements from Closed Session Assistant City Manager Rojanasathira reported out from the closed session as indicated in the actions recorded for closed session item 14, above. Evening Session Items 6  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 Public Appearance (Evening) 15. Adopt the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 Operating Budget, Including Appropriation of Funds from the Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program to the General Fund, Position Control List, the FY 2026-27 Salary Schedules for Regular Full-Time, Regular Part-Time and Part-Time/Seasonal Employees Effective July 1, 2026 (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-090 as amended to incorporate the following administrative corrections: noting a Police Services Technician position as frozen and marking a Senior Police Services Technician as not frozen, noting the removal of one (1) Assistant Urban Forester and adding one (1) Urban Forester position as noted in the agenda report, and correctly displaying funding source of the Community Development Department's Administrative Assistant and Property Technician positions in the General Fund and Tidelands Fund; and adopted Resolution No. 26-091 C.S. (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) City Manager Hall, Finance Director King, and Assistant City Manager Rojanasathira gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions with additional input from Finance Manager Olsen and Public Works Director Renny. During the presentation, Councilmember Smith left the Chamber from 8:55 p.m. to 8:57 p.m. Public comment was received from: Henry Mollet, who said NCIP funds should only be used for repairing neighborhood sidewalks; Rick Heuer of Monterey Peninsula Taxpayers Association, and Rick Aldinger of Monterey County Hospitality Association, who spoke in favor of passing this budget and getting to the hard work of reducing the structural deficit; Phil Bezouska of Monterey Fire Fighters Association (MFFA), who opposed freezing Fire Department positions; Kevin Dayton of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, who stressed the need for economic development in Monterey; Tom Reeves, who expressed appreciation for the transparency about how various City functions and funds operate; Bob Bluth, who emphasized the significant deferred maintenance challenges facing the City; Shay Balesteri of General Employees of Monterey (GEM), who urged the Council not to contract out work that could be done in-house at a lower cost; Ellen Martin of First Night Monterey, who asked the Council to support their event; Nelson Vega, who said that the City needed to find its own cost-cutting solutions to balance the budget; Kris Richardson of the Monterey Police Association (MPA), who opposed freezing Police Department positions; Staci Alziebler-Perkins of Gathering for Women, and Esther Malkin, who both urged the Council to continue funding the rental inventory and rental assistance program; Lori Mazzuca, who encouraged embracing change and focusing on the true focus of local governance; and Elena Loomis, who urged the Council to continue funding the rental assistance program, the Library, and Parks and Recreation programs. During public comments, Councilmember Barber left the Chamber from 9:14 p.m. to 9:16 p.m. A motion was introduced by Mayor Williamson, and seconded by Councilmember Rasch, to adopt Resolution No. 26-090 C.S., as amended to incorporate the following administrative corrections: noting a Police Services Technician position as frozen and marking a Senior Police Services Technician as not frozen, noting the removal of one (1) Assistant Urban Forester and adding one (1) Urban Forester position as noted in the agenda report, and correctly displaying funding source of the Community Development Department's Administrative Assistant and Property Technician positions in the General Fund and Tidelands Fund, and to adopt Resolution No. 26-091 C.S. The Council discussed the motion. It was stressed that withdrawals from the reserves should be used only as a last resort, and disappointment was expressed about the City's not contributing to reserves this year. There was discussion about unfreezing positions to enable reasonable accommodations or return-to-work arrangements, and it was agreed that City Manager Hall 7  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 should come back to the Council for approval if unfreezing positions would impact the Position Control List. It was stressed that any such changes approved by the Council should be cost- neutral. It was urged that there be a mechanism for retaining and rewarding employees who found or created efficiencies. Opposition was expressed generally regarding contracting out regular City services, preferring to keep jobs in the public sector for better control and to take care of City employees. Support was expressed for the allocation of $125,000 for the rental assistance program, stressing that it was important for vulnerable residents, including those affected by emergencies or at risk of becoming homeless. The need was highlighted for continued funding for security services in the downtown area, and it was suggested to revisiting this issue to find a compromise before the midyear budget process. It was proposed that the Council could form a budget committee to do additional work in the process of correcting the deficit. It was stressed to all, including currently supported agencies and nonprofits, that the next year's budget would be even more challenging. Gratitude was expressed to NCIP Committee Vice Chair Duke for his leadership of the committee and this year's process. The motion carried by the following vote: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia The Council recessed at 10;02 p.m. and reconvened at 10:09 p.m. 16. Approve the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Capital Improvement Program and Authorize the Finance Director to Make Any Necessary Administrative Budget Transfers for Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Projects for FY 2026/27 (Exempt from CEQA per Article 19, Section 15301, 15302, 15306, Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061 or Initial Study Mitigated Negative Previously Prepared and Certified) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-092 C.S. (4-0-1, Councilmember Garcia absent) Public Works Director Renny, City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director Easterling, and General Services Superintendent Dwight gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. During the presentation, Mayor Williamson left the Chamber from 10:10 p.m. to 10:12 p.m. Public comment was received from Curt Tipton, who stressed the need to fund the Capital Improvement Program outside of Measure S revenues. On a motion by Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Barber, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-092 C.S.: AYES: 4 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None) ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia Requests from Councilmembers to Agendize New Matters 17. Councilmember Barber’s Request to Agendize a Discussion Regarding Establishing a Temporary Cost-of-Living Reduction and Coordination Task Force (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Approved agendizing the discussion (2-1-1-1, Councilmember Smith voting no, Councilmember Rasch abstaining, Councilmember Garcia absent) Councilmember Barber gave a brief verbal presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions. Public comment was received from Ayo Banjo, who spoke in support. 8  City Council Minutes June 16, 2026 The Council discussed the request. Serious concern was expressed about the burden on City staff, noting the existing increased load due to many frozen positions and significant cost-cutting. It was stated that a task force could be better driven by outside entities such as community leaders and organizations, allowing more nimbleness and ensuring that the workload would not fall on City staff. On the other hand, in favor of granting the request, it was stated that including City staff would be more inclusive. It was noted that City staff would have the necessary insights to examine City processes during discussions about streamlining and simplifying City services. On a motion by Mayor Williamson, seconded by Councilmember Barber, and carried by the following vote, the City Council approved agendizing the matter: AYES: 2 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Williamson NOES: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Smith ABSENT: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Garcia ABSTAIN: 1 COUNCILMEMBERS: Rasch Council Comments Councilmember Smith reported on his attendance at the recent La Merienda event in Monterey, and the Community Engagement and Building Bridges Symposium in Seaside. Councilmember Rasch reported on her attendance at the recent Monterey County Hospitality Association meeting. Mayor Williamson thanked Councilmember Smith for his teamwork in advocating for Yes on Measure D. City Manager Reports City Manager Hall shared the details for the upcoming Conservation and Open Space Element survey. He said that the Old Monterey Business Association OMBA was seeking volunteers to assist with the July 4th parade. He advised that City Hall would be closed to observe the upcoming Juneteenth holiday. Adjournment The Council adjourned at 11:07 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Clementine Bonner Klein Tyller Williamson City Clerk Mayor 9