Tuesday, January 13, 2026

The council's largest spending approval was a $350,000 budget amendment appropriating California DOJ tobacco enforcement grant funds — $332,000 of that amount designated for overtime — passed 4-1 with Bowers dissenting; the council also approved a $220,493 contract amendment with NV5, Inc. for the Wilmington Avenue pedestrian and bicycle project (5-0) and an $82,500 grant administration agreement with Corelink Consulting (5-0, voted in a block with items 10 and 11). Three separate consent-calendar items each totaled exactly $50,000: a purchase order to TV Pro Gear, Inc. for council meeting production equipment (5-0), a purchase order to TAJ Trading Corporation DBA TAJ Office and School Supply for small business workshop supplies (4-0-1, Bowers abstaining, after two public commenters stated the recipient businesses were not identified in the agenda package), and a purchase order to Sherwin-Williams for anti-graffiti paint (5-0, in the block vote) — three contracts at an identical dollar amount spanning different departments and vendors. The meeting also included approval of $54,716 in recurring annual fees to the State Water Resources Control Board and $9,900 in Charter Review Committee stipends (both 5-0), while the March 2025 minutes were tabled due to the packet not being included. Outside of spending, the council voted 5-0 in open session to recruit a city controller following closed session, received and filed Bishop Guillory's resignation from the Public Safety Commission (5-0), denied Commissioner Inez Adkins a six-month leave of absence (5-0), and heard competing presentations from Oliveras Madruga, Nassiman LLP, and Sanders Roberts for special legal counsel services, with no contract awarded at this meeting.