City Council - Special Meeting

Good afternoon and welcome to the city council meeting of March the 10th, 2026. Uh, Mr. Cler, could I please have the role? Thank you. Council member Roachcha, here. Council member Torres Walker, present. Council member Wilson, here. Mayor Prom Freighus, present. and Mayor Bern here. Thank you. We have a quorum at 4:30 p.m. Thank you. Will you please stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the

All right, we have one uh close session item tonight. Do we have any public comment? We have no public comments. Thank you. Uh madame uh city attorney, welcome. Uh could you please let us know what's on the agenda? Thank you, mayor. Uh we have a significant exposure to litigation, just one item on close session today. The city is in receipt of information concerning facts and circumstances that might result in litigation against the city which are known to a potential pliff and that s and pertain to potential claims by the potential pliff against the city. This closed session is authorized pursuant to California Government Code sections 54956.9 D2 and E2. Thank you.

All right. Thank you very much. We are now adjourned to close session.

Meeting is adjourned at 4:31 p.m. Oh yeah.

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Welcome everybody to the uh March 10th, 2026 special meeting study session for the city council. Uh city clerk, could we please have the role? Thank you. Council member Roachcha here. Council member Torres Walker present. Council member Wilson here. Mayor Prom Freighus present. Mayor Bernol here. Thank you. We have a quorum at 5:08 p.m. All right. Thank you. Will you please uh stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right. Tonight's uh special meeting is going to be a study session um that's going to have two items on it. First one is the fiscal year 2627 budget development. And the second uh part will be city council six-month priority item code enforcement division updates. So I'm going to turn this over to our um our city manager Bessie Scott for the um fiscal year budget.

Yes. Thank you. Um good evening mayor and city council members. Our finance director is here and we'll go over the budget for the study session. You'll be able to answer questions throughout the talk or afterwards. Um and she's going to get started. Good evening, mayor and city council. This is the first meeting to kick off our fiscal year 2627 budget development. This budget, when it does go for adoption, will amend the fiscal year 2526 budget and then adopt the 2627. We are again proposing a one-year budget. For many years, the city had been on a bianual budget. Um but due to the circumstances of the deficit spending and financial situation, we've adopted a one-year last year and are moving forward with the one-year the current year. This is going to be a highle overview summary of the general fund um this evening and as we continue through the study sessions um we will then dive deeper into each department budget. These numbers tonight of course are draft, but as we get direction from council or as um maybe things change as we look at year-to- date expenditures or revenues, the numbers will be adjusted um as needed um with each session so that we have the most current budget figures um brought forth.

So um as mentioned, excuse me. Do you want questions during the presentation or after? Um, I will leave it up to council's discretion of what you'd like to do. Yeah, I mean I I think it would be good as we're going through it if we could ask questions going along then we can um open up to public comment and then circle

and that might be better just because we're a little bit crunched for um time with this. So um just as a reminder for the city council, the general fund is the main operating fund of the city where we um have legislative and administrative which is defined as city council, city clerk, city attorney, human resources, city manager, finance department, non-EP departmental where everything that's not specific to um a department such as our liability insurance, public works excluding water and sewer, the police department which also includes the subsidy to the animal shelter, shelter, community and economic development. Um, this in the bud current budget is labeled community development. So, I want to point out with the adoption of this budget, we're revising that to community and economic development since we did update the director position to be the community and economic development director, the public safety and community resources department other than anything that's handled by grants such as CDBG and housing successor and then the subsidy to the recreation fund. So the reserve policy as a reminder for the public and the city council is that the general fund unassigned fund balance which is that it's not committed for other purposes will be a minimum of 20% of general fund operating revenues. And so on the budget summary that is coming up um we'll be showing that. So chart A here, this is the general fund budget summary which shows the existing 2526 budget as it stands, the revised figure and then 2627 proposed. As you can see for the 2526 revised revenues are increasing just about $3 million. Part of that is the increase in investment income. And then on current service charges, we um have an increase in planchecking fees and some other inspection fees. And then we are recognizing, as discussed later in the report, a little bit of an increase in the refu garbage franchise fees um just for the current year

showing it as a revenue versus as a transfer in and a little bit of an increase of a transfer in for the residual from the street impact fund. Under expenditures, we're revising current year expenditures down approximately $2 million, which a lot of that being salary savings. And then at the end of fiscal year 2526, uh we are well above the 20% unassigned balance. We're at 43.83%. This does include 5 million transfer in from the budget stabilization fund. And in fiscal year 2627 also representing a 5 million transfer influenza budget stabilization fund and 35.31% unassigned fund balance with the proposed revisions to the fiscical year 26 budget. Total deficit spending is projected to be 11,377,13 with $5 million offset by the budget stabilization fund. for using the 6.377 million drawing down on general fund reserves. And then for fiscal year 27, deficit spending increases to 13,568,62 with 5 million offset by the budget stabilization fund and 8.568 drawing on general fund reserves. The balance of the budget stabilization fund is projected to be $36,249,323 at the end of this fiscal year and then $31,249,323 at June 30th, 2027. The city recently received a new actual evaluation report for the city's other postemployment benefits, also referred to as OPE, and will not be required to make an additional cash contribution to meet the actuarial determined contribution or what's also known as the ADC in fiscal year 2027. In prior years, we've been budgeting approximately 1.3

million each year to come from the budget stabilization fund to meet the actual determined contribution. Thus, the balance is only decreasing by the $5 million contribution to the general fund deficit. Could Could we go back? Yes, Mr. Mayor. On the second page, it's just under the general fund budget summary at the very end. Community development fees. This represents the accumulation and general plan maintenance fees and technology fees collected which can only be spent for these purposes. It is adjusted annually. My question is, is it because as we have learned in the past, a lot of fees that we assume were being, you know, changed and up updated weren't

not by adjusted. I apologize if that's a little bit misleading. It wasn't the the fee amount. What it was is that the amount committed would be reduced. For example, it's being reduced this year for money being spent on the general plan um contracts itself. So, so it's down. So, like the $1.2 million for the general plan, that's

right. that will draw down on this what is so that's completely separate than the actual fee being considered and and I will say as as mentioned later on in the report we are having a user fee study in the process of being conducted um as I speak and so that'll be coming back hopefully in late April for um a draft for um council to review and discuss and you know it'll look at all of our fees and propose adjustments. So, is it all inclusive or are there any I I'm trying to make sure that we are as current on all fees, assessment charges.

They are looking at every fee that we can adjust that's not already set by regulation or some other existing ordinance in place or um for example, the water and sewer rates. Those are a Prop 218 completely separate out of there. But everything else on the master fee is on the table for consideration. And on now on your chart A, the 1% sales tax, how long does that go to? Um, that expires I believe April of 2039. 37 I think. Um, I think the new the 1% was passed in April 2019. That was eight uh 17 it went in effect or it was 18. It went in effect 19.

Okay. Yes. Right. So then it would be the 20. So 2038 2039 time frame. It is important even before the year that it's up if the uh sitting city council at that time which it is important because it's a large chunk of the revenue the city will be in right in in um disastrous situation if it's not renewed but it's will be important a few years ahead of the time for the city to start working with um consultants and the surveys and getting that you know back on the ballot or or simply to be proactive and take a negative view and see what we can years in advance. So, I I I just raised it because I'm thinking $20 million is a huge amount of money.

Yes. And hopefully um you know hopefully at some point in the future sales tax revenues will start to be rebound. Um you know they're they're falling across the state for everybody. Antioch's not alone in that. So I mean that that number could inch up slowly in you know the next you know eight or nine years that we have this measure. And just again it says current service charges. My prior question would be the same here. Um and transfers in can you just quickly what are transfer what what is transferred in?

Yes. So um that detail that those are money from other funds that go to help subsidize or pay for a portion of services within the general fund. If you look at attachment A and I can get that on the screen really quick here. and then we can go back. So on this screen for transfers in, we're getting money from um some of the lighting and landscape districts. Not a whole lot that a portion of the fees are paid directly out of the general fund. We have gas tax money coming in paying for street services. Um there is the the the knee pads fund that pays a portion of the work alternative program. You can see that transfer in there. Then we have the two CFDs, community facility districts for police services that are transferring in money for police services, money for abandoned from the abandoned vehicle fund that goes to police. Um there's a supplemental law enforcement services grant which is just an allocation from the state that goes towards police services and then the traffic safety fund is a fee that we collect on permits and that goes towards um public works. Um

so under expenditures under non-EP departmental you know there's a decrease of $2 million. Is there an overriding reason why there's a drop?

Yes. So um the one of the largest reasons is that um I don't want to say largest but our uh premium for worker not workers comp general liability is being reduced. MPA, which is our municipal pooling authority, our insurance authority recently released draft um premiums and our liability and workers comp premiums. Um the workers comp premium aren't in this non- environmental but are significantly decreasing now that we're rebounding from um all the prior uh litigation issues that we had. So um so part of that, like I said, is the insurance premiums. Can we expect maybe in the future that that would continue or

we can hope as long as we can um you know maintain our maintain risk averse I should say and another thing I want to point out part of the decrease is also an increase in the cost allocation plan allocation out to other departments that is mentioned in the report we take a the amount that was allocated from non-EP departmental has increased for the draft cost allocation plan that we have right now from our consultants that are also conducting the user fee study And the public works is a decrease of $3 million. Is that because we're completing projects?

Yes, there was a a large rollover um from fiscal year 24 25 into 2526. Um just over just about 5.1 million. That was many departments, but a lot of it was public works projects that needed to be carried forward. Okay. and under police services um later on I think you're talking about having 48 vacancies of which 20 something are police you know positions is it is it assumed I mean because this is now a $3 million increase is it assumed that all those positions are filled

yes um if you uh refer to the notes regarding the vacancies that I have on let me find the page here. So, on page eight, let me get to page eight here. Um, I did meet with the police department, the city manager and human resources to get the status of all the vacancies kind of where they were in the hiring process and it is estimated for all at this point. Of course, it could change as we get closer and I will modify any vacancy savings if need be in next year and even the current year. um with all the recruitments underway that all vacant positions should be filled by July 1st and whether that be with um train police trainees um which there's a group that we're hoping to start in July. So fiscal year 27 includes funded staffing for the whole year for all positions even currently vacant in the general fund. The one um adjustment that happens is I included the time frames for the academy and graduate graduates that the police chief repi pro provided me and I compared the cost of we have to still pay them. It's a much lesser rate there and compared the cost of paying the academy which is um 17 academy uh personnel during fiscal year 27 and the dates they would graduate versus having those filled as full-time police officers. So that provided a 368,000 reduced personnel cost that's incorporated into fiscal year 27 paying them as a as trainees versus full-time officers.

The part of the question is on the third paragraph on page eight. Personnel costs are being reduced $3.2 million from the current budget due to additional vacancy savings anticipated to be realized by June 30th. Yes. Right.

Because that's from you. We did some vacancy savings in November of approximately $1.6 million when the that um budget was adopted. And in looking at positions that are filled to date and when they're going to be filled because we have positions anticipated to be filled. For example, the new city attorney just started last week. So there was more months to fill in for the vacancy savings. We have some positions from the public safety and community resources that are going to be starting in the next couple weeks. So it's looking at anticipated when it's going to be filled and how much remaining salary savings will be recognized by June 30th.

Okay. So there we discussed this last year through all the studies and I just want to raise it again. When a position is created and when you you budget it you're budgeting for the whole year at step E. Correct.

Yes and no. when it's a large for the police department for example I do confer with the police department and say when do you think these are going to be filled and if you'll see from the attachment of what was adopted in fiscal year 26 initially we scrubbed $4.6 $6 million off the police department's budget because they said we don't think it's going to be filled. It's going to be this many officers. So, when we have expectations of when a position is going to be filled, we will I'll take three or four months or whatever it is and build that. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. But with the police officers, I don't do them all at step E. I'll pick A's, B's, C's because they'll tell me, well, we think we're going to get some laterals. Laterals usually come in at B or C, for example. And then sometimes it's E. So, I do a mixture. However, it's just one position. Um, you know, generally sometimes depending on the position and talking to the department what they think they're going to get in, sometimes we'll do a C, D, or an E. But when we provide the cost to council, we will say like A to E, this would be the ultimate cost that it would be. The reason why I raised that is because if we budget a full year but realistically you know we have not hired I mean that money in you know we don't realize the savings till basically the end of the year.

Yes. And and that's for me that gives a false picture of of the deficit because reality being what it is as great as HR is you know they can't fill 48 positions is a lot of positions to fill and that's that's why I'm raising it and because you know from my perspective unless you really are assured that that's going to happen I I don't think it's a good policy for us because it exasperates the deficit Right. And like I said, we when we are adopting the budget, we do talk with the departments to see where it is in the hiring process. And sometimes they'll say someone's in background. So, we build that in the budget. Two weeks later, the person doesn't pass or drops out and that's already in the budget, for example. Um or yes, it's filled, but then a month later, five people retire that we didn't anticipate. So it always is it is kind of a moving target but before we adopt it we do build in known vacancy savings so that we aren't relying on oh we know in the end it's going to have this but when I provided projections

how good are we in in these estimates um there tends to end up being you know more vacancy savings than when we build in just because so many people unfortunately with the police department over the last couple years there's been you you hire as as as leave and you don't always know when that's going to happen. But I will say at least for the projections when the outline for years we're not adopting I do always show those as fully staffed because if you're committing to say we're going to have 406 staff or whatever it is ends up being the general fund you have to show what that cost is because you have to be able to commit that you're going to fund those positions or else they should I agree but but it's assuming that everything's going to fall into place. Yes.

Having a background in HR that's not always the case. Council member Wilson, she have a question. Yeah, I did have a question, but I want her to get I know there's a lot of information, so I want her to get through as much as possible before I jump in with my question. So, I'll I'll hold my questions until she gets I I have one question, Don. So, the 62.9 million, how many how many sworn officers does that represent?

So, with the adoption of the 26 budget, the council funded 105 positions. Um, which obviously we have not reached that 105. The 2627 budget proposes 105 positions again. Um so if you were though to add so that's 12 because previously the the um council had authorized 115 positions which hadn't been able to be reached in quite some time and when we did the initial budget last year and we're looking we before they did council decided to maintain the 105 we built in vacancy savings for knowing it wouldn't get into the 115. So, with the um 12 officers that were essentially reduced and unfunded, um if you were to add those back, it would be about $2.9 million into the fiscal year 27 budget. It ranges, it's approximately, but not every circumstance of officer is different depending on what other types of pay they get. It's approximately 250,000 a year for an officer, give or take. So, so that number the 62933 62 million would go up by 2.9 million if we if we funded it for

the two well the two the fiscal year 27 number where um you can see the 7236 if we added the 12 officers to that number it would go up almost $3 million. So you'd be you know at about $75 million for the personnel costs. What um are you on page I'm on page eight. Oh you're on page eight. Sorry, I was looking at page three. Sorry, the table on page eight. Um, that also is up on the screen. You can see the the budgeted personnel costs. Oh, you're uh you're on page eight. Yes, the table at the top, the chart. Yes.

Can you do me a favor and go back to page three? page three for me. Yeah. And work off of that one because that's the one I was I took my notes on. It's um it's it just says police services 62,933,000. Correct. In total. So if so that number by 2.9 million. Okay. Got it. Sorry for the confusion.

Okay. So so because when council um identified their priorities, they did we did identify, you know, in 2027 to be at 117 um officers. So okay, that's that's good to know. I have a question. Can can can I get some clarification from the police department on so when we talk about 115 versus 117 people always think that mean there'll be 117 patrolman on the like people patrolling the streets. Can you clarify the like breakdown? So, how many like bodies on the street will will we see as a result of an increase in staffing?

Well, right now we have roughly 53 patrol officers. So, there are the the officers that are, you know, driving the the police cars, doing the the patrol work on a on a daily basis. Um, as far as our those numbers that 117 that you mentioned, that includes the the chief on down to the to the lieutenants who typically aren't, you know, on the street doing patrolling. Then we also have out of that number about 15 detectives. So, I'm sorry I can't give you the exact I don't have the exact numbers off hand. I I can look at some of my notes and come back here in a few minutes if you like. Um, but if we did get to 117, I think it's it's fair to say that our patrol staff would probably increase by a dozen officers.

Yes. So, right now, just I'm sorry. Just right now, the the officers, it's 76 budgeted officers. So, if you added back the 12, it would make it 88. I don't know if that helps in your 88. Yes. Thank you. That's like patrol. So, patrol 88. Correct. Thank you. Any other questions or No, and I do have some staffing notes. Um,

just a comment. I I I think when I asked that question before, the actual number to get to the number of officers on the street was like 105, which is the number kind of where we're at. It was like 103 to 105. If we got to that number, then the patrol, you guys would have an increase in patrol for traffic and all of that when we looked at the numbers. So when I asked I think they asked the chief that maybe when we were going through the last budget process that how many officers would we actually get to where all of the bases are covered in terms of patrol traffic etc not just the you know the command staff as well but the number was I think 103 or 105 so I think you know that's where we want to get to that's what we have as our target but

105 patrol officers 105 officers would give us the full control on the street of what you're referencing. Yeah, I think you said give or take because we have I mean if you from the from the chief down to lieutenants that's that's 15 positions there. So if you if we were at 117 then roughly you know 100 102 um officers but also you those aren't all patrol officers. Also there's there's investigators special 102 103 would give us the ideal number of coverage that we need for patrol. Not it's not that I don't understand. I just think the clarification publicly makes sense cuz when we say 117,

people think body like 17 patrol officers like people on the street and bodies, right? So I just think like the clarification isn't for me because I understand it. The clarification is because when we say we're going to have 117 patrol officers and then people don't see 117 patrol officers, we we just got to make sure we clear and transparent on that part. Yeah. I think the the easiest way to uh look at it if let's say we got to 117

you'd have roughly 100 police officers. Um so that those are officers that you know are below the rank of of a lieutenant. Um, and then out of that roughly, let's say 15 to 20 and either investigations or some special assignment. So, you're looking at probably 80 patrol officers that are on the street going going to your daily calls for service and those are rough numbers. Miss Scott, this issue always comes. Can I just offer a suggestion because I think council member Torres Walker is correct. Mhm.

the public and even myself, you know, when I see 117 sworn officers, we are I mean, I think most of us think they're out on the street. So, if you could just maybe, you know, 88 sworn officers, patrol, you know, 15, 12 detectives, just a footnote somewhere because it it is very misleading to the public and, you know, social media, you know, and I think it just it would help. I mean, because we have to we have to try to explain it ourselves and people just don't get it.

Absolutely. If I'm mistaken that the chief's presentation last council meet his annual report breaks it down um pretty well. So if anybody have any questions tonight they can go back and look at it. It breaks it budget document just so we can footnote um and I do um agree with Captain Bitner um and then I will make sure that Jaden um helps with that as well. All right, perfect. Thank you. Thanks, Captain Bitner. So, Miss Merchant, I just quickly um because I'm just trying to understand some of the trends. We in public safety and community resources, it's increasing by $1.4 million from one fiscal year to the next. Is that primarily driven by grants?

No. Um the grant funds for the public safety and community resources are in other funds. Um so, for example, there's Calb, which has its own special revenue fund. There's ERF which has its own special revenue fund. Um and um just to point out that the public safety and community resources outside of CDBG because that's kind of an annual allocation has gotten about $12.9 million in grants between Calvip ERF um and uh California volunteers grant. So um and those are all in other funds. So the reason that it's going up in the general fund is because one the ARPA funding will be end ending for the um Angela Kinto crisis response team. So fiscal year 26 includes a portion the ARPA goes through December 31st 2026 and then um there's half a year built into the general fund and then that amount bumps up in fiscal year 27 for a full year of that and then in um sorry fiscal year 27 is one half year. So the projections for 28 when those we do release have a full year for that um should the city continue um that service and then with home key plus if the city gets awarded and moves forward with that there's um 1.2 million built into next year's budget for the annual cost that the city would need to contribute towards uh those services. The other I just want to understand the driver the animal support it's 600,000 so it's like more than 20%.

Yes. So there is current vacancy savings um in that fund. So um with anticipation of um those positions being filled. So when we had this discussion for last fiscal year we made a distinction between what we considered reserve and rate stabilization fund. So looking at this chart, we see the the budget stabilization transferred the $5 million which was from the public perspective you know kind of controversial and we are retaining it. What is the reserve? I mean when we is it the unassigned fund balance?

Yes, that's what's available to be used for um discretionary purposes and municipal services because the ending balance is for example in the 2526 is the 43.44. 448 million, but then we have to set aside money that's um held for other purposes. So there's 42.639 million. Um why why don't we just take the money and wipe out the deficit? No, I mean because we get these question I don't know about you guys, but I get these questions all the time. It comes up, but I'm also wondering like is it because the policy is 20%. It's always good to not go

No, I understand. at the end of the fiscal year at 40 43.83 and it goes to 35. I mean, from a general perspective, people will say, well, you know, just use that money and wipe out your debt. Well, so essentially in the 2526, you are wiping out quote unquote the deficit because you're using 6.377 million of it. And then in 2627, you're also wiping out quote unquote the deficit by using reserves of 8.568 million. The reason why I raise it later on your report, I think you succinctly say that it cannot be sustained and that the council, you know, is challenge to get us to zero. Yes.

And so, you know, from a staff perspective, you know, I'd like to hear some recommendations, you know, from staff how to get us to zero because I mean, this is this is the challenge. It's a challenge for staff. It's a challenge for us and a challenge for the the public. And so it's very difficult publicly to say, well, we have 42.6 million at the end of the fiscal year, but we also have a deficit. They it doesn't make sense. I mean, it doesn't seem rational to say we have a deficit, but oh yeah, we got $43 million,

right? But when you look at what money you're bringing in compared to what you're spending, you know, you're continually unless a gap is closed with revenues either increasing, which we don't see anything on the horizon um at this point for it, or you can reduce expenditures. And you can see, you know, personnel cost is the majority of the cost of expenditures. Um but also council needs to focus on what their priorities are because I you know every type of service that everybody want and community needs which is important is kind of included in these expenditures. So it has to be what really are the priorities and what programs or services maybe do you reduce um you know to because that's not one of the priorities for example

I I thought you did an excellent job you know giving us the admonishment the quest the challenge is okay we hear you we understand what are our options right

I mean that's that really and I have followed your your reports for many many years and particularly the last eight ten years you've been saying council you're all spending more money than you're bringing in and and it's you know this is the problem particularly when you look at retirement debt with the OPV I think that's around $170 million and it's growing and that is a debt you know and sooner or later we're going to have to do something with that so I I just keep on raising it because that really is the challenge for us in this fiscal year budget. Council member Wilson, did you want to jump in now?

Yeah, let me jump because I was trying to be polite, but everybody's getting their questions in. So, um, looking at overall revenue and expenditures and looking at animal services, I see we're projected um, let's see, to increase, we're going to have a subsidy coming to animal services to increase next fiscal year. And so, a couple questions around animal services. What is driving this? And are there opportunities for additional cost recovering needs or operational efficiencies like possibly partnering with other agencies or the county? Um because I see sometimes with animal services there's this kind of give and take was really curious and what is staff's outlook on that. Um, so I think the question was asked earlier and the um extra amount is coming because we're assuming that there will be no salary savings at the beginning of every fiscal year. We are in conversations about some mitigation and um cost savings um by going other directions at this time and we'll bring that back to council on a future date.

So that's that's coming you can't go into detail about that. So that's coming back. Okay. So that's I wanted to know that because that popped up because I I I just saw that um there was some subsidies going into that. I think going back and this is and I meant to ask this earlier when uh Mayor Portm uh Freighus was asking about the transfers in right above it I see other revenue what is what is the other revenue I see that's going down each year but what kind of makes up all that other revenue that's coming in

yeah so let's get to okay so other we have miscellaneous revenues and uh which is the largest chunk of it. So, for example, it's not very much money, but we do get money from amports. Um they have to pay like a a truck delivery fee. It's, you know, not um a whole a whole lot of money. Um but anything that's not a specific service charge that's being collected will go into this category. We also, it's not very much money again, but we get a little over 20,000 each year from the golf course as part of the agreement with them. um for collecting uh for them running the golf course um for us. You know, we do own the municipal golf course and we have an operating agreement with them for that. Um and then I can't recall whatever the the another large amount or do we still get any funding? I know for a while there we were getting something from NRG. Is that

Yes, that has ended. So, this number actually used to be um if you recall from your uh all your tenure on council, we used to get, you know, closer to 1.2 to 1.5 million because we did have the two, you're correct, the NRG and the Calpine agreements where they had to pay us almost like a benefit fee um every year and those ended two years ago. Okay. And then you said from the golf course we get about what did you say 20,000? Just a little over 20,000 a year. And how much are we spending?

Um we pay for the debt service um at the golf course. uh for on behalf for all the infrastructure needs that was there that was initially issued through the ABAG um joint powers authority. Um and the years passed um the golf course would reimburse the city for the debt service on that because it was for infrastructure at the golf course. The operating was uh agreement was revised several years ago um as the golf course did not have the means to reimburse for the debt service. So the general fund pays for that debt service which is one of the transfers out that's outlined in the report. So that that's about $345,000 a year. Wow. When does that sunset? That ends in I believe it's 20 um I'll get the exact date, but I think it's 2038.

Oh, it's 2038. Yeah, I believe. But I I can get the exact date for that. I I just want to make sure I heard you correctly. Are you saying we receive 20,000 from the golf course, but we provide 300 and how much? It's about 345,000 um annually for the debt service that we pay. Okay, that math

the math is not math. Oh, okay. Something we need to to think about. Um, you talked about earlier about the fee updates, which we're going to be looking at, I think, in in the next month. Um, are there enough adjustments there? It's is is that just going to be a drop in the bus in the bucket of adjustments we need to

I don't even have any draft numbers yet. They're still working with department time. But if I were to say my my guess is it's going to be a drop in the bucket and you know anytime even when we've done the 3% for example or CPI it's only been a couple hundred thousand um to the general fund. I it's definitely not going to be anywhere near 11 million. you know, if if we're lucky, maybe half a million, but I don't even know if it would be that high.

Okay. Anything, although I don't want to discount it because anything that we can um get cost recovery on, that is, you know, very important and anything we can do to help mitigate, no matter how small, how large, is very important. But I just want to make it clear that it's not going to be anywhere near the 11 million that we need. Yeah. Thank you, Don. One more question before you head on. So in the um the total revenue where it shows 97 um.3 million which is more than the 90 um which is basically flat from what we're receiving right now. Yes.

That that includes the 1 the $1.7 million from the franchise fee. Right. So it's being um reclassed from a transfer in and now showing as revenue. put in fiscal year 2526. Um we have some residual funds in that street impact fund that are um about 400 a little over 400,000 that are being transferred into the general fund in 2526 to close out that fund. Okay. So our franchise tax revenue um from this year going forward will show higher and then our transfers in will show a little bit less. Okay. Perfect. We we'll let you keep going. Okay.

Okay. So, um, in terms of revenues, let me get that back up on here. So, um, a majority of revenues, 83% in fiscal year 26 and 85% in fiscal year 27 are generated from taxes. And you can see in the charts B and B1 taxes are made up of property tax, 1% sales tax or measure W, sales t regular sales tax, franchise fees, business license, and then other taxes. Um, at one point, you know, our property tax and sales tax were pretty even. Our property taxes, fortunately, have still been going up, but our sales taxes are flatlining. we had to take a significant reduction in this current year. Um, recently I met with the consultant for current updates to projections and they're projecting just over very minimal a little bit over 1% um in the coming years. And again, I do want to stress that this is statewide. It's not just the city of Annioch. We're we're not alone in this sinking ship of sales tax. However, you know, of course, there are regions that are doing better than us. For property tax, they have built in a 4.5% increase. Last year it went up 4.7%. So hopefully we'll see about the same increase as our our building um you know is quite strong here in permits being pulled. And then for the sales tax allocation um I just point out obviously not for this evening but the sale 1% sales tax is allocated 70% to the police department, 15% to quality of life and 15% to youth. So, as we move farther along in this budget process, we'll be asking council if they want that same allocation again or something different. But also, as a reminder, it's not new money coming in, an additional $20 million to allocate. It's just one piece of the pie designating what you're saying it's being spent on. Um franchise

taxes, which we have um touched upon. There's um new um legislation that we cannot earmark funds for street impact. Um, so that's what we're talking about with changing the the um how the money is being represented in the general fund. We have worked with um the city attorney's office and also spoke to Republic Services who manages our garbage. Um and we are going to be amending the contract so that the percentage is the same that we see we receive. We're just not earmarking to uh street impact. Um so that amendment will be coming to council at um a future meeting. So, for investment income in rentals, um the majority of this is the interest income. We also do have our our lease payments from our cell tower sites that are in here. We're increasing the current year by 1.2 million because of course we projected our fund balance to be a lot lower this year, but we have some savings. Um we're decreasing that by approximately 1 million in fiscal year 27 because we're projecting reserves to decrease 8.6 million. thus not earning as much interest allocated to the general fund. For revenues from other agencies, um the fiscal year 26 amount is increasing slightly um from the in the revised budget to due to a police office of traffic safety grant. Fisc year 27 is approximately $131,000 lower due to police and economic development grants being expended in fiscal year 26 that don't carry into fiscal year 27. And I will say a majority of grants that the um city receives, for example, we get um highway traffic grants, those are accounted for in other funds, not the general fund because it goes into, for example, the gas tax fund to pay for a road project in there where part of it's offset by a highway traffic grant. Um, in terms of service charges, we're increasing the

current year by 1.14 million, mainly due to projections for planch checking fees anticipated to be collected, as well as increases in technology, accessibility, and green building fees. Attachment A um lists the individual budgets and revised estimates. And again, I mentioned here that a user fee study is underway and so we will adjust those um as needed after we bring that draft to council for consideration and what fees they will um are amendable to adjusting in our master fee schedule.

So, Miss Merchant, educate me. The green building verification and compliance, I notice on attachment A, it'll be about a quarter of a million dollars. So, we collect this fee and what do we do with it? I will see if David Store can answer that. No, I I I'm not I I apologize. I'm not sure what We'll get you the information. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I we're a quarter million dollars is a lot, but what do we do with it?

But isn't that for buildings that we I thought Mr. Story you explained this to me um with the the the green building plan? How many buildings in the city are falling in compliance within that and we're rewarded for that? Yeah, we collect a fee at the issuance of each building permit, but as far as the collection of money and how it's distributed, I I don't have any knowledge of it how we've earmarked it. So, let let me Is there more than a quarter of a million dollars in the fund?

No. um that when we collected it offsets um you know expenditures within the community development department um exactly what it is allocated we'll have to bring back information on that. Yeah. Thank you.

Okay. And then transfers in that represents monies transferred into the general fund from other funds. Um we did discuss that and we did discuss on attachment A where it lists the individual funds coming in. Then for expenditures, you can see the expenditures um by department in chart C. Um we have it in fiscal year 26 versus fiscal year 27. It is very close. I will say on the second the fiscal year 27 expenditures by department. If you add up the percentages, it's just because how the pie chart does um that police the 57% in order to make it balance really should say 56%. It's just because um it's actually like 56 something% and on the pie chart um it rounded it up to 57. So I do apologize for that little discrepancy because if you add up all the percentages there it would say 101% not 100%. So I just wanted to point that out just so it's clear in there. um the expenses by category that make up all those departments. Um as you can see in fiscal year 26 uh personnel is approximately 55% 36% for services and supplies and 9% for transfers out. The percentage for personnel goes up to 60% because as we've discussed we're anticipating um full staffing in fiscal year 27. Miss Merchant, just because this

came up recent for FY27 expenditures by department, I I consider animal support a part of the police department. And so it's a 57 plus three. So 60% of our expenditures for services in the city of Annoch go to police services. That is correct. I just want to be sure because there's some discussion about that in the community.

Yes. Um and we've already discussed this chart too at the top where um the personnel um we have the change going up the 9.5 million which is anticipating the um uh full staffing services and supplies are actually going down um 4.8 8 million. And then um internal services um as discussed, we have the cost allocation plan update being conducted as the same time as the user fee study. The draft number, so it could change slightly, but the draft I wanted to get the draft number in there. It's increasing the amount that's being allocated out to other departments by $2.6 million. So it really instead of expenditures for example going up you know close to $5 million it's being allocated out to to other funds and so that the net expenditure increase over fiscal year 26 is 2.27 million um because we're able to allocate the cost of services out to other funds. So the proposed budget for fiscal year 27 models the expenditure adjustments that were approved in fiscal year 26. Um and I do have that as attachment c all the items that were approved and incorporated into the fiscal year um 27 into the fiscal year 26 budget. So we're asking council consideration of each of the proposed items to give clear direction to continue to include these adjustments or add them back into the budget. But even with the adjustment included, the deficit continues to be astronomical. We need to continue to engage in significant uh program and service reductions review and how to align that with council priorities. Um overall expenditures, as I mentioned, are projected to be less than the current budget by the 2.29 million in the current and then increase 2.27 million in fiscal year 27.

So Miss Merant, yes. when you ask the council to give clear direction, how are we going to give that to you? Well, this could be as we go through um going through, but for example, for this evening um unless we want to continue it. So, fiscal year 26 includes freezing a business license representative position and that has included keeping it frozen in fiscal year 27. So, is there a consensus to keep that frozen or um that's on page eight or to add that back into the budget for example? So there are some things which you know um if we have time we can kind of get some definitive direction. There could be other things that you know this council might say let's keep this and continue to review this as we dig deeper into the budget.

And and the last time we met we did give you a chart that said a yes no. This is the preliminary discussion. If you want us to come back with the chart of the mitigation um options for you we can do that so you can have a standalone conversation about that. Yeah I I I think that's a great idea. I mean, if you're really asking it for us to give you clear. Yeah, absolutely. And and the only reason I will say I just didn't do that for tonight because I know we we only had an hour and I was trying to give a brief overview and see if there's anything that, you know, we wanted to come back. So, yes,

I I will say for me, uh I do believe that we should have a purchasing officer in the city of Antioch and that that all be centralized. Yes, it would cost money, but it will also save money and a lot of frustration that exists in all of the departments. So, we discussed it last year. I had hoped that we would put that in. So, I I from my perspective, that is the one addition, maybe one or two people that you create a purchasing department and they act for the whole city. That's that's my own personal opinion

and and I know um yes, we did discuss that and we'll definitely cost that out, but I I do also recall that um you know the city manager also wanted to wait till the operational assessments were done um to see one where there's lacking and what needs to be done and and how that would best work within the city. So, but I will definitely bring back a cost for that for, you know, discussion. I'm assuming All right. Any further questions? And then next steps. Oh, and director Stor,

uh, just looking at your master fee schedule, I think I can provide some intel on the question asked about green building code. I just wanted to check to make sure it wasn't a pass through fee, but in looking at the master fee schedule, it looks like Speaking to the mic. Speaking to the mic. Oh, sorry. Should I start that over? Yes, that's okay. You're good. Just Okay. Uh, so it looks like what we do is uh we when we do plan check, we actually look for the building co the green building codes to make sure the projects comply with that. And I'm guessing it goes to the general fund. I'd have to defer to it does go in the general fund. I just

it's basically 18% of the building permit fee for new residential and resident uh additions. And if we're doing new commercial and TIS, then it's 50% of the building permit valuation. That's for all projects that come into the city. So, it's not a pass through. It's it's it's a fund that we collect discretion that goes into the general fund. Yes. Shouldn't we be separating that out into its own fund? Um, well, it's paying for the services that the uh planning staff and building staff are doing to check compliance with all that. So,

and I understand that, but I just think it might be a good idea to separate so we know what that where that money is going. I mean, it's going into one account and where it's going out to so we can track it better. It actually is assigned a separate account number um for the different kind of fees. So it is a general fund, right? I can say that general fund with its own coding. It no it just has a revenue account number because revenues are separate from expenditures. So it's going into the community development budget to offset community development expenditures.

Okay. So, we're going to look into separating out as a cost center um to um we'll look more into it with the directors um and see if it should go into the general fund. I understand what you're saying, so we'll follow up with you. All right. Thank you for that. Um Miss Miss Merchant, can we can we go ahead without us maybe asking questions and kind of just briefly walk through the rest of the report, the last couple pages, because I think it's important information.

Yeah. So just um things then since we'll be coming back with the master list that we'll be asking to consider is do we continue um freezing the business license representative position, an accounting specialist position, a community engagement coordinator in public safety and community resources. Um there's an administrative analyst position that is currently um frozen. That's 10 zero of the FTEES in the general fund and then it's enterprise. So public works is requesting that position to be unfrozen. Um, we have included it in the draft number to be unfrozen for fisc year 27 because it is a a maximum approximately $21,000 impact to the general fund. But again, we'll ask that council if they concur with that or not. There's a senior civil engineer position in public works that is frozen and an assistant engineer in public works that is frozen. Um, another thing that is included in the budget, um, that we need to add is a policy director to the police compliance division to maintain compliance with the Allen settlement. Um, we've actually anticipated a few months of vacancy savings for that position because the the, uh, job classification needs to be created and taken to the bargaining units and brought back to um, the council. So, $23,25 is included in the draft fiscal year 27 budget. And another thing that is included in the draft fiscal year 27 budget. But again, we will bring this back for council um concurrence or not is adding part-time help to the city council budget. Um currently um scheduling and other types of needs of city council are handled by um one administrative person in the city manager's office and um that that's overextending the position with other everything else that this position needs to do. Um we did talk about the services and supplies decrease. what's what it is attributable to. As I mentioned, fiscal year 26 includes 5.1 million incumbrance and project budgets carried forward into fiscal year 26. So, those will not carry

into fiscal year 27. So, that's a reduction right there. We've reduced outside legal costs by 250,000 based on review of um cases. This number was provided by the interim city attorney, but of course we'll be working with the new city attorney um as she comes up to speed to see if we need to make any adjustments to those numbers. We've decreased liability insurance premiums and then as discussed increased public safety and community resources budget for Homekeep and then the AQCRT contract. Um, another item that is included in the budget that we will be asking concurrence on is to not set aside funds for the general fund divisions to the vehicle replacement fund. The vehicle replacement internal service fund is projected to have a balance of just over $8.3 million at June 30th, 2026. So, it can absorb funding those in the meantime, not having funds set aside. um when the general fund starts contributing again, the amounts will be increased to play catch-up for those years. Um the reason it is also included in fiscal year 27 is it's an easy enough um I want to say lowhanging fruit to grab because we're not mandated to set aside those funds. It is a responsible practice. I will say that. However, we're not mandated to set it aside and when there's so many other competing needs, um, you know, it's an easy spot when that fund is has sufficient, uh, balances to cover that. Uh, transfers out, I do provide the detail of the transfers out, which we've touched on. We've got the animal services fund transfer out recreation services. The puit capital fund city council has previously approved setting aside 200,000 each year for puit capital needs. There's the one uh the lightning and landscape divisions transfer. The reason that it is decreasing in fiscal

year 27 is because there was additional work for um median and landscape enhancements that was approved to take place in fiscal year 25 and in fiscal year 26. So those projects are projected to be completed by June 30th. So we won't need as much of a subsidy for these special one-time cleanup projects. The marina fund 700,000 each year. And then as mentioned, the debt service on the 2015A lease revenue bonds for the golf course infrastructure. So you can see it's approximately uh $345,000. Um unfunded liabilities as Mayor Prom mentioned here is the pension liability and then the OPED. So together it is approximately $171 million. Um, these are paid off methodically every year though. We're not going to get a check from CalPERS, for example, saying pay your $151 million unless Kalpers goes bankrupt and demands all cities pay. So, we are paying a portion of the unfunded liability on an amortized basis every year unless the city opted to uh adopt a different amortization schedule or pay more than is required to methodically pay that off. Um, but one of the things I did want to mention is the pension liability. And I've said this before, it's kind of a moving target. You throw a dart and see where it lands. As a good example, the uh miscellaneous plan was 75 million this year going up uh 6.3 million from the prior year. However, we just got the actuarial report, the what's called the Gatsby 68 for our financial reporting. we're going to have to record at June 30th, 2026 and it's going back down um to 69 million. So, it's going down 5.7 when it bumped up. So, it it's

always depends on their actuarial assumptions, the discount rate, investment losses. So, that's why it's really hard moving target when you can swing up five million and then drop back down five million the next year. So, it it is a little bit crazy. I also list on page 11 the contribution rates by each plan that we have. And for the safety plan, because we're in a poolled plan, they no longer provide us a ratio, a percentage to apply. That's a combination of the unfunded actuarial liability, also known as the U plus the normal cost. They provide us a lump sum payment for the unfunded actuarial liability to pay. So you can see in fiscal year 27 for the safety plan, it was 7.07 million. and that's going up to 7.75 million in fiscal year 27. And you can see the contribution rates depending on the type of member. Um, and that is it. So, if there's no further questions, um, we can take any public comment or if there's further questions, I'm happy to answer before we move on.

Just have very quick with regards to the marina. One time last year when park and recreation made a presentation to the council, they talked about incentivizing some of the, you know, naming rights and things of that sort. When it comes to the marina, I'm just putting this out. You know, as it comes to that time that we might consider doing RFP and putting this out and, you know, breaking that responsibility away from the city. I just raised that as as as a possibility for us. With regard to lighting and landscaping, the one thing I do want to see, I requested it before, is what parts of the city of Antioch are in lighting and landscaping districts and those individuals are paying for assessment versus a lot of the city that gets subsidized by the general fund. And I think that we need a map. We need to understand that and explore what the various options are. One of the things um that is on attachment A that just really surprised me I guess because I had just received my uh Xfinity bill when I saw the franchise cable TV. It's only going up $50,000. You know, I mean I I was laughing because I don't know if you all are Exfinity people, but man, that has become a very very expensive, you know, thing. So, I would like to see what the contracts, you know, call out.

We don't have separate contracts with the cable providers. We only have the contract with the the refues. So, you know, yeah, we don't who mandates this money. Um I believe I would have to I believe it must be the state or some maybe the I don't know if it's some if it falls under the the PC or not but I you know I can couldn't find out but we do not have separate written agreements with uh the cable providers.

Well I I I would be curious you know and if there's any option for us because a 5% you know return on on the franchise to us is not very lucrative. Uh, Director Merin, couple quick questions. Um, are there any employee pay increases included in this budget in 27? No. Other than um step increases, um, there are no colas built into the budget.

Okay. Um, are there any um, consultant contracts built in to this budget? There are definitely um consultant contracts we can bring as we dive into the budget further bring that information back. I know a lot of the contracts for example um that we have in place for this year are anticipated to be done by June 30th or if they're not completed um for example the operational assessments if they're not completed whatever would be left um on the purchase order would we request to roll over. Um but we will definitely um you know bring the contract information back um as we continue on.

Okay. And then can we get a list of all the grants um by department and how much they are, what the term is, what you know what the general fund contribution is, things like that just so they're kind of just all in one table listed out. I think I know that we

have acquired a lot of them which is great but just it would just be good to see what what what all that is. um different departments. Um could you also please ex not not tonight but um explain our 115 trust and how that helps our unfunded liability um and whether how we've contributed to it in the past and what benefit it would be to contribute in the future. And uh the other thing I would like to see is since the council prioritized 117 sworn officers for for 2027 and we've only shown 105 in the budget, I'd like to see it with 117 in there or whatever number that we think we're going to be close to hitting. um just because I think leaving that at 105 if if the the direction is to go to 117 doesn't give the full picture to start with.

Will will that include like transparency on the breakdown? So patrol versus detectives? Yeah, when we bring that back, we can work with the police department to get the breakdown of who would be, you know, investigated, not not driving on the street patrol like you say. We'll make sure and bring that information back with it. Okay, perfect. Any other questions from council?

Yeah, because you raised this question, it would be beneficial, I think, to the council, but also to the community. Can you show us how much it costs to hire one sworn police officer? And I'm talking about the academy going through and and through the hiring process, background checks, things of that sort. U police vehicle, gun, you know, the the whole what does it cost to hire one Antioch sworn police officer? That's benefits, right? The whole package,

benefits, shoes allowance, gun, you know. If we're going to hire one, what is the total complete cost of hiring one sworn officer? Well, because I remember seeing some comparisons to other cities on hourly, but it wasn't like the it wasn't the whole package of because some some cities are going to just like school districts pick up more of your health coverage where others do not. And so by put focusing on hourly rate it may put us in one level versus if you do the whole package of health and benefits it might it shift that in terms of where we rank in the region. Be nice to know that

as well uh positions are not one-time cost. So it would also I mean how can you how can you see like the inflation on positions right like how positions are inflated over time. So it's not one time because things will go up, right? So the cost of one officer when you bring back the numbers won't be the same year to year. So how how do you project out the cost per officer per year knowing that it goes up? And maybe this is also important and I'm meeting with the city manager so I could just ask you about this because if we gonna be fully staffed

in June the every position in the city is not a one-time expense. We meet next week. I'll

Yeah. I will say just um just to give a little bit background on the salary like for 2627 we build in what we think the cafeteria or our our health benefits package will increase in the year. We build in what our workers comp rate is projected to increase based on the premiums from the the municipal pooling authority. We use the PERS rates that are provided. So, we've been provided the rates and actually our PERS rates have typically gone up anywhere between two and 5% and they're pretty flat this upcoming year which is just amazingly weird but great. I'm grateful for it. But um you know and then the uh other than so we build in those cost projected increases and those other types of benefits.

All right. Any other questions from council? Uh any public comment on this? Yes, Melissa. Thank you, Don. That was made it make sense to me. Thank you. Um, I probably spent a lot of time on this or I did spend a lot of time on this, probably more than I should have, just kind of researching what other cities have done when they had deficits. I don't want you to decrease public safety. I think that's um essential. However, I went I went back and looked at 2025 salaries and overtime. And I think we should concentrate on um reducing overtime as well. And um several ways you can do that is use civilians, volunteers, academy cadetses for administrative or traffic roles. So sworn officers can focus on the work that they can only do. um programs like a Angela Quinto and CORE should be you know publicly reported um to show us what the real savings are or confirm if there aren't any because I believe that's it does reduce police time but it would nice to be nice to see the numbers so you can make a decision on that. Um, also I think if you collaborate with community advocates, our unhoused and violence prevention advocates are closest to the people that actually do that need the help. And so I know we kind of started doing that, but maybe make it more often. Um, engaging them proactively to deescalate situations and connect people with the services before police intervention is actually needed. Um, and I also think housing advocates should help people help themselves, not just relocate them, help clean them, and feed

them. And what I mean by that is like RA brings in John Mir to help them. And that is a one way to help people help themselves. Um, we've started to pick up on technology. I think that will help decrease overtime as well. And personal personnel costs. city like San, this is where I researched cities like San Jose um reform pensions with measure B and measure F. So maybe our city attorney, our new city, welcome can look into that. And then you can't do anything about the current pensions, but you can do something about the new pensions. Maybe that will help um decrease our OPEV or whatever it's called. Um and then maybe you could actually afford COLA increases if we do that. San Jose did that and in four years they had a balanced budget. um without structural changes, I think we need smarter spending, stronger revenue and sustainable pensions. And hopefully our reserves will our deficits will reserve continue a dr downward trend. So thank you.

We have no further com public comments. All right. So, thank you very much um Director Merchant and City Manager Scott for your guys report and all the work that went into it and we look forward to seeing this. Um do you know when it's going to be coming back for our first look at budget at this point? Okay, perfect. Thank you very much. All right, moving on to our next um study session item. Uh city manager Scott.

Okay, thank you so much. Um, mayor and city council members, this next item is an update on code enforcement division operations and discussion of current and future priorities and policies within the division. Um, we want to brief you on what we're doing and to clarify the role for the public and importance of code enforcement in the city of Antioch and why it is a critical function in supporting neighborhood stability, public safety, and long-term fiscal health. Code enforcement is fundamentally about prevention and compliance. It is not about punishment. It is about maintaining community standards that protect the quality of life for our residents. When we address illegal dumping, substandard housing, abandoned vehicles, overgrown lots, or unpermitted construction, we are doing more than correcting a violation. We are protecting property values, supporting responsible homeowners and landlords, and ensuring that residents live in a in safe conditions. Unchecked blight does not remain isolated. It spreads. It discourages investments and businesses. It contributes to neighborhood decline and ultimately it creates larger public safety and fiscal challenges for the city. It is also important to clarify how code enforcement differs from police and public works. Our police department focuses on criminal activity and immediate threats to safety. Their job is enforcement of criminal law and emergency response. Public works, on the other hand, maintains our public infrastructure, our streets, parks, drainage systems, and city facilities. Code enforcement works primarily on private property compliance. It ensures that property owners meet minimum standards established by a municipal code. The approach is progressive and administrative with an emphasis on voluntary compliance with whenever possible. In many cases, strong code enforce enforcement reduces the need for police response to quality of life concerns. It is a preventative function that keeps small issues from becoming larger public safety problems. From an

equity perspective, this function is also critical. It protects tenants from unsafe housing conditions and ensures that community standards are applied fairly and consistently throughout the city. As we continue to work to strengthen community and trust trust and stabilize our finances, code enforcement must be viewed as a core service. It supports economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and public confidence in local government. Moving forward, we're focused on improving consistency, enhancing data tracking, strengthening interdep departmental coordination, and ensuring that our approach remains fair, firm, and serviceoriented. So, with that, I'm going to turn it over to our director and his team to tell you what we're doing to change um some strategies and approaches in code enforcement. Um and in in addition to that, we also are sort of bookending this change with a revamp of Cclick Fix, which we'll also talk about.

Thank you, David Store with um the department. We have a short video for you tonight. Um and I'd like to say I'm a participant in that video, but as it turns out, I'm the narrator, but it's been done through AI. So, I'll blame Sunny on that one because he's got the skill set to do it. So, what we will do is show you a brief video again. Um, and then we'll do the PowerPoint. The PowerPoint was in your packet previously. Um, and we were attempting to try to add some slides to respond to comments that we got at the last uh council meeting, but we do have the information. We will be able to provide that uh orally and then follow it up later with some hard copies through the city manager's office. So, um, we'll go ahead and start the video. It's a short one about what is it 2 and a half minutes and then uh Sunny will come and go through the PowerPoint with you. Thank you.

Let's start with a foundational question. What and who is code enforcement? Often when a resident sees a city vehicle pull up to their curb or an officer in uniform walk up to their door, it is natural to feel a moment of anxiety. We want to completely remove that fear today. Code enforcement is a dedicated civil division focused entirely on the health, safety, and maintenance of our city's properties. Our focus is on the environment around us, the structures, the neighborhoods, and the shared spaces that make Antioch home. When code enforcement comes to your door, we are not there to punish you. We know that municipal codes and zoning requirements can be dense, confusing, and overwhelming to navigate. Our primary goal is to help you through that difficult process. Our job is to help our residents, not burden them. We serve as your neighborhood guides and liaison. When we identify a property issue, our objective is always voluntary compliance. We work step by step with property owners to explain the regulations, outline the necessary fixes, and connect you with city resources or community programs. We want you to see our uniform and know that a partner in neighborhood improvement has arrived. Navigating these municipal codes often goes beyond property maintenance. Sometimes our residents are trying to improve their homes, adding a room, building a fence, or upgrading a business facade, and they get tangled in the permitting process. Other times, we identify a structural issue that poses a true safety hazard to the family living there. That is where our commitment to helping rather than burdening truly shines. We want to highlight that our primary focus is voluntary compliance

and we will always work alongside property owners. Our team will guide you through the compliance process. Whether that means getting a building permit, understanding the codes, or connecting you to helpful resources by working together shouldertoshoulder, we streamline the process for the property owner. We combine our neighborhood outreach with staff expertise to turn what could be a confusing bureaucratic maze into a unified clear path forward.

Good evening, mayor, council member, staff, city manager. Um my name is Sunonny. the interim code enforcement manager current me um and that video um David had said uh his uh voice was used and and I took it out last minute and use like a uh voice over. Um, I'm here tonight to provide a comprehensive update on the code enforcement division's progress, current operations, and our strategic path forward. This report serves as a six-month update on our division's priorities, and how we are aligning our resources to better service the community. Can we have the PowerPoint up in the back? Thank you. And Sonnie, here's

the clicker.

Sorry, just I don't know where to point. Hey, Sunny. Sunny, as you're talking, can you make sure you're talking at the mic so it can be heard, please? Um, oh, shows how much I know and use AI. Okay,

there you go. uh department organizational chart to start with some context. The code enforcement division is a core component of the community and economic development department. We work alongside building inspections, planning, and economic development to ensure our city remains safe, attractive, and open for business. Our mission is integrated into the city's broader goals of fostering growth while maintaining high quality of life for our for our residents. Last October, the council received a formal operational assessment of the division. That report identified five key themes for improvement. strategy and vision, leadership, systems and processes, workforce and culture, and resources. Tonight's presentation is structured to show you exactly how we are addressing those findings and modernizing our operations. Currently, our division is operating with nine dedicated staff members. This includes myself as the interim manager. Uh, five code enforcement officers, which I also am one of those code enforcement officers, one specialist assigned to the police department's community and engagement team, and two community development technicians. We are authorized for a total of 12 positions. We currently have recruitment processes uh to fill the permanent manager role and a specialized CT officer position. We will also be coming back to you soon with updated job descriptions for senior and flex level

officer positions to help with long-term retention and career growth. It is worth noting the sheer scope of what code enforcement handles. Roughly 89% of our enforcement work is concentrated in three critical areas: planning and zoning, public welfare and conduct, and sanitation and health. Our municipal code gives us the tools to address 281 specific sections that directly impact the look and feel of our neighborhoods. On average, the average percentage of cases dedicated to an officer that is represented by the number 281 or the percentages on the side. These are some of the examples of what code enforcement touches on. Uh some of the um codes under um our municipal code, graffiti, uh fences, garbage, solid waste, and residentials. Um on the ground, this translates to very practical issues that residents care about. We spend a significant amount of time addressing major auto repairs in public view, property maintenance issues like junk and rubbish and safety hazards like overgrown vegetation or site obstructions at driveways. Uh to the left, notices and examples. Our notices contain some of this verbiage which is an example of uh the educational aspects that we hand to property owners and uh we go further to explain the municipal code violations that are there so they can better

understand our codes and collaborate well with the code enforcement officers. Our team has been incredibly active um um since the last uh physical year. This example highlights the activities uh just from October I mean August to December of 2025. Um, since August of 2025, we have conducted over 2,60 inspections and opened nearly 1,000 new cases. On average, each officer is managing about 69 inspections and opening 33 new cases every single month. Most importantly, we have successfully closed over 1,000 cases in the same time frame, showing a steady pace of resolution. These numbers are just a small example and representation of code case activities from August of 2025. We are fundamentally changing how we do business. We are moving away from static geographic beats and towards a thematic approach. This means we are focusing our energy on key corridors, business storefronts and known hotspots for illegal dumping. For example, long tree vendor enforcements, commercial centers like Raies and Sycamore Square and the Delta Fair Plaza. To support this, we've invested in better equipment, including a retention of vehicles that can handle difficult terrain. Uh drones for gathering

evidence and safety vests for our officers. We have also expanded our presence to include evening and weekend enforcement to address issues that don't just happen during the 9 to5 hours. Proactive enforcement is now a major pillar of our strategy. We are investing in training for our officers and updating our operations and procedures manual to ensure consistency. We are also working with citywide to restructure cick fix, making it easier for the public to report issues and track our progress. Code enforcement doesn't just work in a vacuum. Uh collaboration is essential. We partner daily with public works on graffiti and dumping, with the police on encampments and noise, and with the city attorneys on complex legal warrants. We also lean on county agencies for health related issues like hoarding or vector control and fire districts for imminent fire hazards. These are some of the examples uh of work that we do uh with the county. Um especially we team up with uh Vector Control for issues um to Roden Harbor Bridge and um health services for for um for for help with the property owners that need uh services with adult protective services or child protective services and also with the fire department uh for uh hazardous fire uh codes and issues.

A recent example of this collaboration was our street vendor enforcement action in February. Over six nights, our officers worked alongside the police department with a primary focus on education. We contacted 81 vendors, issued 64 warnings, and helped several others get on the path to proper permitting. I can say that um this focus um was a great example. Um the feedback was mostly positive and it's a model we plan to continue for followup in our in our enforcements. Looking ahead, our priority is to finalize our permanent leadership and fill our remaining vacancies. We will continue to refine our thematic approach and use data to see what's working. We'll also be addressing our new evening and weekend schedules, mostly to ensure they are meeting community needs. Our ultimate goal is to keep checking off the recommendations from our operational assessment to build to build the most efficient division possible. Thank you for your time and for your continued support of code enforcement. At this time, David Store and I are happy to answer any questions you may have.

All right. Thank you very much, Sunny. Uh, do we have any public comment on this? We have no public comments. Oh, so sorry. Would you like a microphone so you don't have to stand up? Would I have a wireless microphone? Would you like a wireless microphone?

Okay. See, that makes it easy. Hi, I have um several questions um or comments on the code enforcement. I I I know that you do do a good job with moving the um unhoused and the encampments. Um and I applaud you for that because every time I've called someone's come out and I'm in a high area where it can be fired. Uh what I do want to state is that um in terms of hiring I know for a fact that um there is still some racism in this department and also against females being in that department. They are harassed immersively and I feel like that needs to be corrected. Um, another thing is that, you know, I I saw the areas and heard what you were saying where you're focusing. I think you need to focus right here at home. Um, on J Street between fourth and fifth, it is Auto Center USA. That means that there's grease all over our streets and the parking place. You got people coming there, especially on the weekends that are working on their vehicles. people that live in the apartment, but but they had their friends come over and they they're working on their vehicles now. They've started coming up between 5th and 6th and parking. They're just leaving cars parked up there at all times. Um there's this place right here that's supposed to be a toll place. I've caught them several times towing their raggedy vehicles up on the uh block between on J Street between um Fifth and Sixth to leave them because I guess they get in trouble with them down here. That needs to stop. That's been going on for four years, you know, and people working on vehicles and and neighborhood. No, that that all

that needs to stop because it leaves the roads greasy. it leaves, you know, little parts or whatever that fall off or whatever is stuck there. And I think those things need to be addressed as well. Um other than that, um I I appreciate you guys too for coming out and getting people to cut their lawns so that you're not climbing over stuff or thinking, "Oh god, is that a rat I saw running?" So I appreciate that. Thank you. Right. Any other public comment? No further public comments. All right. Any questions uh from the council, David or Sunny? Yes. Yes.

I I just want to make a comment. Yeah. Is it Sne or Sunny? And I'm not even going to attempt the last name. It's It's Sunonny.

Okay. Um I I I think probably this is true for all of us on the council. When we're out in the community, there are so many questions about code enforcement. the consistency outreach and things of that sort. I am very happy, you know, with the city manager and with you and David and the team working together because this gives me hope where I didn't have it a year ago, quite frankly. So, I applaud you for, you know, wanting to change and moving in a new direction. I think the community will be very happy with with you and staff and moving forward. So, just thank you.

Thank you for that. Uh, and I just want to reiterate the point that manager Scott pointed out that there, as we heard from the speaker, there's a very distinct and clear order of operation for vehicles on the street versus those that are not on the street. And we are working very closely with PD to rectify that. And I think the collaboration that we had, putting people in cars together for the most part on the on the vendor thing that Sunny talked about is is a great step forward. Council member Wilson.

Uh, yes. So, thank you. Thank you for that report. is very informative. Um, and also I want to thank you that you you kind of touched on going ahead what are the areas that are consistently you you in regards to dumping is is uh is coming up quite frequently. I'd like for you to add to that list Deer Valley at Empire Mine. I feel like I always call in that area the most um because I think people think it's out of sight, nobody will know, but it's still problem in that particular area.

Yeah. And if there's a question about the hotspots, I think that's what you were referring to. Uh we do have our public works folks here who have got agreements with uh a third party vendor to hit certain hotspots. So I think that message has been received and we can add that to the list. Um we do have Monday, Wednesday, Friday pickups regardless now on the hotspots that we put uh in the presentation, but we can certainly add to that. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, a couple questions. So, um, is Republic Services still picking up large illegal dumping for us on a

Yes, that's um that's franchise agreement and, uh, work is being actually managed by our deputy director, Carlos Aetta. U, we're also on an illegal dumping task force for the city and the county and standing up our own um, task force along with the encampment task force group that we send emails on um, which is separate and distinct from code enforcement. And I just saw some new legislation that's been introduced at the state level to actually increase the fines and DMV involvement and things like that, which is can be helpful.

And so that collaboration is through a team that is through APD um I'm sure um Captain Bitner can speak to it. The um set team, I say it wrong all the time, but the encampment task force group um deals with that and all the statutes and all the things that come which Carlos manages as well.

All right. And also like to thank you, city manager Scott, and code enforcement for expanding the service beyond just four or five days a week into the weekends and into the evenings because that's that's huge as far as a lot of um violations occur outside of just normal business hours. So that's that's been that's been really well received. Um as far as these kind of centers that are kind of repeat offenders, I'll use A and A and 18th for an example there. that or the the ride aids is closed, Wells Fargo, that whole area. So, my understanding is that if there's a violation and it's cured and then it goes back to a violation again, it ramps and say they were fined because they did not comply, it ramps right back up to the to the highest level immediately. Is that is that correct?

Yes, Mayor, that's correct. Uh so we do have within a six-month period if they repeat these same violations uh we can go straight into the the citation phase. Okay. Because one of the frustrations I think is that it gets cleaned up and then literally the next day or within a week it's back to the same as it was. And it seems like if the fines because they obviously are not putting the attention necessary are are severe enough, it might get their attention to maybe patrol it better, have security there, whatever it might take to not have the reoccurrence that seems to happen.

Yes. When it comes to that stage, um we tend to uh work with the property owners um because they are they are in the same situation we are. Uh some of the dumping um sites are their property and they want to work with us to clean it up. So, uh we we have contacts directly with them where instead of a citation, we work to uh resolve the issues by uh getting them to bring out their people to clean up the sites.

Okay. Okay. And then uh as far as our this is for the city attorney now as far as our ordinance is concerned and you may not know at this point but we had talked prior about looking at our ordinance and seeing if there's ways to maybe bolster it because it's been a minute since it's been updated. Uh is that something that's on your your plate or radar to to do quickly? It is definitely on my radar. Um I saw it on the list of priority uh projects. I have not looked into that particular project yet, but I will jump right on that.

All right. Good. Because I know there's in in since the last time the code was updated, I know there's been some some different uh vehicles have been used to to bring about compliance. And then also there was a question about vacant properties and what we might be able to do in relationship to that. And so, uh, that was something else that we had asked to come back and give us an update on on what, uh, I know the city of Martinez, I saw, just, uh, implemented a program for vacant properties and or vacant buildings, uh, as far as a registration to for them to register those properties. And so, I know there's some ways for us to maybe better get a better handle on that. Uh, then the other question I have is there was a talk about collaboration internally and with some of our partners. How about um uh CALR, the railroad, the flood control district? You know, we have so many different property owners running through our property that we don't have control over. And I know that's a big part. I'll use the the um the UP Railroad that runs through the center of town there at A Street or D Street, for example. That's a constant hot spot. Um what what's our ongoing relationship with them and how we can get better compliance from them, for example?

Yes. Um so uh currently through our um task force that collaboration with PD we do invite uh those property owners to come in and sit at the table. Um we do collaborate uh in in terms of notices we still send out especially for uh railroad uh and non-government agency entities like PG&E and Chevron. Um we do have contacts for them as well that we reach out to. Um it's it's not immediate that they come to the table, but they do uh um reach out to us and and it would be nice if um they were a part of our groups.

Yeah. Yeah. I think that's that's a must. And I know folks like Council Member Torres Walker that back up to the tracks, you know, as the weeds get tall and it gets to be summer, it's a it's a real it's a real hazard that folks are looking at. And yes, that's up and down that that railroad, for example.

Yes. and and a part of our collaboration, we also collaborate with the fire fire departments code enforcement officers and the county's code enforcement officers to tackle some of that stuff too. Um especially when there's tall tall dry grass, uh the the fire departments, inspectors are uh they send notices. Um we do also send notices out to the property owners and and make every uh attempt to uh be able to resolve that beforeh getting into any um penalties or anything like that.

Okay. And then um this might be a question for Kelly. So, I had a or maybe you can answer it, Sunny, but there was reference to San Pablo as far as best practices that we were kind of modeling after. And so, I was just wondering what sort of um what sort of things their program have that that we're trying to imitate that are making us a better better code enforcement group.

Sure. Thank you for that question. Um the reason San Pablo was part of that, why I put it in the assessment is because their issues are similar to Antioch in terms of um blight, unhoused uh camp, encampments, etc. And so I put them in the assessment um to give you an example and I think that if you think you have a copy there to show kind of what they go through. So, they had a strong partnership with uh their police department, code enforcement, and um other uh services in the community to um speaking of blight specifically, they did a street in approach. So, they started on the street and they worked with abandoned vehicles and then they worked next when they got that cleaned up, they moved to sidewalks and then when they got that cleaned up, they moved to personal property. So, they needed all the partners at the table to help do that. uh and they had great success doing that um and have turned around their issues with blight in that time. So, does that answer your question?

Yeah, it does. And the the thing, you know, San Pablo being quite a bit smaller and from that street in approach, we could probably spend all our time just taking cars off the street, right? I mean, we have so many vehicles and to me, the the biggest issues are our pro, you know, these these properties are very visible from the highway, from arterial streets. And so it's kind of that balance between making sure the streets taken care of and and the properties that are just an ongoing challenge. Yes, exactly. I know they're a very different size community. Um but every community has variety of different issues. So I focused on the issue specifically because I thought that would be a most interest as the code enforcement team and leadership was thinking about alternative ways maybe to handle the issue.

Okay. And then one other thing that you had mentioned in your assessment is uh we used to have a rental inspection program that we let that went by the wayside a while back and you had mentioned you had just referenced that maybe we might want to reconsider that. What's your what's your thoughts on that?

Well, I have uh I gathered just a little bit of information to understand that there are some issues with rental properties um needing um having having violations. And so if there perhaps was a specific program that could help address that. So I just put it in the report as a a way of bringing it back for discussion and consideration to see if in the scheme of things it would fit well within the work that code enforcement is is doing. So it's to be considered by the team and leadership.

Okay. Perfect. Then the last question, and you referenced it in your assessment as well, is um the uniforms that the um code of enforcement officers wear and that's really important for how they're perceived when they're out in the community, right? Um did did what what was the sense at as that was discussed as far as what's and maybe that's for Sunny, what what's the look that we're looking for out in the field because it can be a very, you know, police looking or it can be polar shirts and khakis. So what what did we kind of end up with there?

Right. Exactly. I'll give my comments and then Sunonny may walk in or uh add to that as well. So it it really depends on the approach you want to take, right? If you want to be a more and the the the the comments from the team were sort of all over the place, too, because there are different approaches that each officer takes to engage the the public about that. Some like to be um as um different from police as possible because it's more about building relationship and they have more they felt they had more uh ability to interact and connect with the public that way. Others felt like some situations they walk into are dangerous. And so having the look of um an officer gave them a little bit more um confidence uh and the and the public that they were addressing that they had um uh enforcement abilities. They have enforcement abilities as it is. But so it really depended a lot and that's why I referenced it. But I think it depends on the overall approach and um that the city wants to take and what you want the narrative to be about the code enforcement. Um so I left it open, but just put that question out for future consideration. You really have to think about what it is you want to accomplish and the the message that you want to send to the community. And I'll let

Yeah. Thank you weigh in as well. Thank you. I'll take that one, Mr. Mayor, if I can. The the main objective is to ensure that our code enforcement officers are safe doing their job and uh to the degree that we can deescalate the visibility of them that really is an important component. So whether we're talking about black pants, black shirts versus grays and the blues or the dark colors here and there, that's something we can do through the assessment process. And as Kelly said, you know, we have both ends of that spectrum. So that's something we'll be evaluating with the city manager. And that also includes vests and stuff like So, is the goal to have one look for the whole team though, so that when people see the plan, they know that they're from Antioch code enforcement? Yes, sir.

Okay. Do we currently have one look for the whole team or are people wearing different different things? Pretty much right now it's one one theme. It's it's pretty much black on black. Mhm. Okay. Okay. I was I wasn't clear on that. So, that that's good. All right. Thank you. Any other questions? Yes. I I just wanted to um share my appreciation for the prompt response that I've seen when um community members have expressed um a concern about something they've seen or something in the neighborhood or the colony trail

by the shopping center lone tree different places um in district two and generally when there's been a communication I get a response back from whoever sent that out to me that they appreciate the prompt response. Um, one question I had is about graffiti. I didn't know um, you know, that pops up in different areas, different neighborhoods from time to time. I noticed like on uh on uh, ControlM by St. by San Jose, I saw some graffiti today that I hadn't seen. And I saw some city trucks there. I don't know if they were prepping it or looking at it or what they were doing, but I'm just curious how that happens because I know when I was at Antioch High School, that was one thing that we really kept a close eye on because when our high school get tagged up or in close proximity to it, it would send off a message about territory and about um just an unsafe kind of an environment where people are identifying who they are associated with and who they're opposed to. And so I was it just prompted a thought to me. Um is that something you guys address? Is it something you see throughout the city? I'm just curious how that

Yes. Um so uh council member uh Rocha um graffiti is is is you know a prevalent um violation in the city and we as code enforcement treat it as a collaborative effort with the property owners. Sometimes the graffiti is on public spaces and we can address that immediately with the help of public works staff. Uh we can go out there especially if it's something that's um that's uh related to uh gang affiliation or um we can we can address that right away. Uh when it's on private property um we reach out to the property owners and make sure you know of course they don't want those graffiti on their businesses on their homes. So, um we just have to let them know uh that it is a violation with uh municipal code and uh we notify them and just uh they're they they go out and and abate it right away. Uh if not um you know we go further to send out notices so that they are aware but we do um touch on all the graffitis uh that's visible in in the city. Yeah, I was just a little saying the one that I'm referencing is the retaining wall on Kaloma by San Jose Drive and it's beautiful with the you know has the the work and the concrete of the tulies from the river and then I saw someone tag their name or whatever.

Absolutely. I mean if it comes through when you see that happen. Yeah. if it comes through our channels, like even even uh by call uh you know, code enforcement officers, they have um case loads on that day and if they notice it, they'll add that to their um list of stuff that they need to obey to send out notices. Um but we do encourage the community uh to send that over to us through the website, through copix. Um it gets assigned to an officer and we go out and u debate it. Thank you, Council Member Torres Walker.

Thank you, Mayor. Um uh thank you mayor for mentioning Martinez. Also want to um just remind the city attorney since she just got here um Oakland has a um vacant um vacant property and also vacant lot um measure that was passed. I believe it might have been measure W. I'm not sure. um is it seems to have a lot of teeth in what it could do. Um and I think this will be probably my fifth time mentioning looking into that. So I'm happy you here.

Um also um absolutely to what the mayor said about revisiting the um the ordinance around code enforcement. I am interested in how high can we actually go currently with fines? Like what is the highest fine um amount that you can impose on a property owner? So we we start at 100 and then 500 and $1,000 uh and the highest per violation. The highest fine is a,000. Yes. And then and then after that thousand you can keep fine at that thousand or you have to go back to the original 100.

No, we keep it at a,000. It doesn't go higher than that. And it's per violation. So if there's five violation, that's $5,000. And do we have a total number of is there a total amount of how much fines are currently owed based on properties? Yes. Yes. Um, so we do have that. Um, we do have that information. Um, I just didn't get it in time for you guys to review it. I can send that over to you guys um after.

I think I think that would definitely be important. And I believe um if maybe I could be wrong, but I asked about measure O when I first came to the city. Is it measure O? Um, measure O is actually it has to do with the rental prop. Is that does that have to do with the rental property um issues that the mayor raised? It was supposed to be a measure that was supposed to Yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. Uh the fees on rental you might know better than Yeah, it's it's a it's a it's a rental registration fee and it's different than a rental inspection program for two different two different programs.

Two. And so how well like how is Measure O doing? I don't know Don left. I don't know if we have that number. We can check for you and get back to you. And then just one clarified question. So code enforcement is different from public works. Yes. Uh code enforcement is under the uh community development community and economic development department. I'm just clarifying because I don't want to ask you questions about clearing encampments when we do. all work with public? We do work with public works and and the Annaniel police department. Our code enforcement officers are a part of the uh community and and um

yeah, that's a different team. The encampment task force group sits under the set team of APD. And so um when the so it's my understanding when the encampments get cleared from the the I know encampments get cleared from the railways do we invoice them for that? Do they pay us for that or they don't always get cleared from the railways? the BNSF or UP

PR BS um they some people move to the railways so it depends on whether or not it gets big enough for us to have to address um and it depends on the circumstance but we are in contact with um the railway and they do sometimes come to the encampment task force when it gets bad our deputy director and our police department do call and ask them to clear it give us the notices to go in to clear it um I don't know if we get reimbursed when we have to do it ourselves But I can find out that's an ongoing conversation that we're addressing with the rail lines currently.

And and then it also raised something for me when um council member Roachcha talked about graffiti if it's on a freeway entrance. Is that CALR or is that us? I believe it's Calrans. any city owned property. I believe if you recall a couple of meetings ago, you approved the u purchase of a graffiti abatement machine for public works because they do that work as well. Um and so I don't believe yes, our director will have more information.

Good evening, mayor, city council. Um the stuff that you're probably talking is likely on state rightway which would be the freeway CALR. Um we are in constant conversations with them regarding abatement whether it's um graffiti or other debris within the rightway. Next next time you have a conversation with them, can you let them know that I I guess I'm just thinking about all of the graffiti on the like exit signs on the freeway. I never know who to call. I'm like who am I supposed to call about this? It can come to us. We can take care of it. Well, we can make the phone call into CALR, work with them, let notify them of the issue, and try to get them out there to clean it up. Thank you. No problem.

Excuse me. While you're there, Director Bunting, do we ever have discussions with them about like our our off-ramps get a lot of litter and debris and CALR is not very good at maintaining that sort of stuff. Have we had discussions about us taking care of that and then just charging them for it or something something to that extent? Sort of. We've had we've had conversations about that area or those areas. Um CALR is okay with us going in there and doing the work, but they weren't so interested in reimbursing us for that. Um so that's kind of where that has stopped. Yeah. And I I think that's something that we should we should we should discuss because it's our front door to our city and even if it we don't get reimbursed, I think it's important to keep that clean.

All right. Yes. I on that I think it might benefit benefit us to talk to our state representatives, you know. Um and son, I do have one question. Uh you have on one of your overheads, uh retooling and adapting the CC click fix. I can tell you from the community perspective, it has been a very sore subject. Um people have told me, gee, I've I've counted 15 times I've tried to get the attention and nobody's responding. So can you elaborate a little bit about what is happening so that we know so we can

I can do that. It's a different department. It's our GIS department who's in charge of cclick fix. Uh we can come back with a presentation on how it's being streamlined. And in fact um in the last I believe three or four weeks the numbers of complaints have dropped significantly. So we will bring that back to you at the next meeting because it's when you're out in the community. Yes. and it becomes a big topic for people who have tried to use it and it's failed. And um Brandon and our PIO Jaden will be working on a um public service campaign to talk about the changes. All right. Thank you. Well, thank you. Did you have something else?

Yeah, I just wanted to um thank our code enforcement um team for the work and for uh redoing redoing the approach. Um it took a lot to get these changes done and I would be remiss if I didn't thank Anna and her team for going to the union to negotiate the changing working conditions and um and also our you know backbone and support in terms of Captain Wentz and Chief Addington who are also helping and overseeing code enforcement and then Captain Bitner and his team who work collaboratively through set um and with the encampment task force group. I think that people do not understand how much it takes to um run these divisions and all the peripheral help that the different teams do to support each other to make our city um improve day by day. And I want to thank Director Merchant for her um comprehensive overview of our finances this evening as well.

All right. And yeah, thank you. The the direction of code enforcement definitely is on the right trajectory. So, thank you all for collaborating and working well and it's it's great to see us moving in a good direction. So, we are going to conclude our study sessions for now. We're going to take about a 5m minute break. So, council's been in session since 4:30. So, we're going to take a quick um restroom break and then we'll be right back to um start the the 7 o'clock meeting up.

Special meeting break is called at 7:05 p.m. Hallelujah.

Heat. Heat.

All right. Good evening everybody and welcome to our regular city council uh meeting of March the 10th, 2026. Uh Mr. City Clerk, can we please get the role? Thank you. Council member Roachcha here. Council member Torres Walker present. Council member Wilson here. Mayor Prom Freighus present. Mayor Bernhal here. Thank you. We have a quorum at 7:15 p.m.

All right. If you could please uh stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance. United States of America indivisible with all. All right. Earlier this uh afternoon, we had close session. So, if we could have our uh our new city attorney uh Miss Lori Sunshin uh please report out and welcome. Thank you, mayor. We had one item for close session today and there was no action taken, so we have nothing to report. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Moving on to uh public comments. Uh do we have

Yes, we have some public comments. Can I have Melissa followed by Leslie and Debbie? Let me get you a microphone. test. One, two, three. Test. Good evening. Um, can you hear me? Can you

Hello. Yes, we can.

Okay. Good evening, um, council. Um, I have three things to say. First, I would like a, um, council member to make a motion to move number 10 to number five or number 10 to number nine so we can um, address that this evening. I know these meetings usually go long, so I'm just wanting to get that moved up. Um, the next thing I would like is uh there was discussion at the end of 25 and I think I brought it up at the beginning of 2026. No, end of 24, the beginning of 2025 that um I wanted you guys to put the imminent domain of vacant building and lots on the agenda. we had started talking about that previous council and um it was something that we I think they had started looking into was all the you know was all needed to be able to do this. So I would like uh the eminent domain uh to have some research done or whatever to bring that back on vacant buildings and lots here in Antioch that can be built on you know bought by people in Antioch and and used for you know either homes or for businesses or something if they want to build their own. And then the third comment I wanted to make, oh I got a lot of time, is that um I'm where is the police chief? I'm disappointed in the um Antioch Police Department. I rallied for them to get their funding. I pushed I carried out. I cheerleaded for them and everything for every time they want funding, I cheer. yet when um we had our hit and run in December, they did not get there until 2

minutes after that guy took off. We showed them videos, they had all the information. Um they claimed they were putting a a whatever you call a bolo or something out on him, but um he wasn't picked up. And when he came back through the neighborhood, we called him and we were told, "Oh, well, we're not going to arrest him right now because he um we can't get him on the DUI." And I'm like, "But he didn't ran us in his injuries." And so I'm just really disappointed that I rallied for them to get funding and and carry it out carrying on and that when I needed them, they weren't there to support me and my daughter and the results is I'm in a wheelchair. I I will walk again, but I'm in a wheelchair and I've had serious surgery. It was bad. So I just, you know, I would like them to be put on the agenda to answer to me and to other people. I'm sure there's other people with the same things. So I guess agenda matter for people who have complaints. We need to hear the people speak here in these chambers and and I will be one of them to speak if we can get that on the agenda in a future agenda. Thank you,

Debbie Blazier. Good evening, mayor, city council, city manager, and staff. Um, I'm Debbie Blazer. I'm the president of the downtown Antioch Association. And I want to um announce three things. First of all, we've done a little bit of rebranding. And where can you find us? So, Antioch DAA on Facebook, Instagram, and um Downtown Antioch Association atgmail is where you can uh contact us in case that you have any questions about the events and things that we're doing downtown. we have our April, May, and um March, April, and May kind of booked out for things that are that we're doing in conjunction with the city with parks and wreck and on our own. So, um this weekend is our first um kind of big event that we have 28 business so far and still counting that will be participating in a St. Patty's Day word search. So the 14th and 15th you'll look downtown. There'll be a balloon and there'll be words on shamrocks that the winners will be judged on how creative sentences and stories that they will create from these shamrocks that are in the windows. So we'd like everybody to come downtown, shop at your favorite stores and um put in an an entry for creative stories and that. So, we hope that the families will come. I did this a number of years back and the stories and the sentences were quite um entertaining in that. So, there's prizes and and um some of the stores and we'll

be announcing specials and that online. So, watch us on Antioch DAA. Um the second announcement is is um or the last announcement is our DA meeting. It will be at the Four Seasonings this March 26th. It's on a Thursday night at the end of the month and we really would like to invite businesses, residents, and that to come down and see what it's all about as well. So, thank you very much for all your time. Thank you,

Jim Becker followed by Crystal Law. Excuse me. Good evening everybody. My name is Jim Becker and tonight I'm wearing my Antioch Chamber of Commerce board president hat. So just some updates. This Wednesday we're having a lunch and learn at Sutter Delta. CEO Trevor Brand will be addressing HR1 and its impact on health care for our community, local businesses, and our employees. This is a really important topic and we encourage everyone here to join us. Next Wednesday, March 17th, we'll be having our Dine and Shine. We'll be celebrating Hen and Drake Modern Tea Room down here downtown. So, join us for lunch. And then on April 7th, our government affairs committee will be hosting BART director Foley who will be speaking on the proposed BART measure as well as uh the issues that it could pose for stations like ours for Antioch. So, please join us for that as well. And now I have the big news. First, I want to thank Mayor Bernal for being part of our honorary selection committee this year for our awards. And the awards are for youth of the year, Amanda Brown from Deer Valley High School. Citizen of the year, most impact is Allison Norris. Lifetime achievement award is going to Joanne Bilba who is 96 years young. Nonprofit of the year is Share Communities. Small business of the year is almost there travel. And large business of the year is US Bank. And I want to remind everybody, I heard earlier in the meeting about graffiti and broken windows and all that. I just want to remind folks here on the deis and also here in the audience about the chamber carers program. If you see

vandalism, graffiti, broken windows, or other issues, let us know. We can provide the business owner with an immediate grant of $500 to help with repair costs. And for more information about chamber cares and some of the events I membered or membered mentioned, excuse me, go to anniocchamber.com. Thanks very much. Thank you,

Crystal followed by Melissa. Hello, city council. Um, I had a whole speech prepared, but I am not going to follow that speech today. Um, I am very uh disappointed in the mayor. Um, to to even think that we would have a second thought on home key to even think that we would have a second question. Excuse me, Crystal. There's a um there's an agenda item.

That's fine. That's not even what I'm talking about further. Uh so um uh to even think that there would be a second thought on any of that, but yet we're out here. We are doing uh photo ops. We're um getting in front of cameras, which is great. You know, you're doing your job, right? But I don't I don't see I don't see the accomplish. I don't see what you're actually physically doing in in any of it. and and I'm coming down because it it's upsetting to me to think that you're reaping the benefits of everything that the other city council did, but you get to get uh you know all the congratulations for it. It's it's the look we all have to work together. One of your interview questions for me for Apoch was, "How do you work well? How do you work together with people who you who you don't, you know, or can't get along with?" I want to ask you that same question. I I want to see where's the where's the Christianity when we have people out here suffering and and can't don't have places to live and yet their cars are still being taken. I want to know where where is it at. You you say that you empathize with people and that you've been there, but you I just don't see any type of empathy. I see you going for your voters. I see you going and and being a a you know, working with the, you know, whatever they want. You can't do both sides. This isn't a game anymore. We need help out here. Melissa,

I guess I'll start off by saying um I have noticed um a great improvement on the dis about attitudes and talking to community members and I do appreciate that this last year. Um, and I also really appreciate when I reach out to people, they actually get back to me. That is, even if it's a thank you. I just saw this. Thank you for saying something. Um, for those I don't reach out, you can reach out to me because I've done that already. The worst things, there are some things I'm concerned about. And one of the things I reached out this last week was losing Zach Seal. And it would really concern me because um economic development needs to be uh very proactive in this city right now because we need to generate revenue. And um as elections approach, I hope our community can rally around the civil and productive discourse on these issues. And my vote will be going to the one because D4 and D1 are up for election. I'm in D4. We'll be going to the My vote will be going to the one who I think best can move this forward, this city forward fiscally with ideas and actions. Um, say what you want about Lamar. He had ideas. They didn't all don't work, but at least he had ideas. He didn't treat people well, but he had ideas. So, that's the one positive. Um, so my question to those that have been that I've been advocating for and those who ran on economic development, what is your plan? because I haven't

seen any plans or any ideas, you know, from you on social media or when we talk oneon-one. And I'd like you to address that tonight in your closing comments because right now when it comes to economic development, I'm giving this council an F. And there's still time for final grading in 2028. So, I'm hoping that we can turn this around. Um, like I said, in 2026, I'll be looking for cans who just aren't good at rhetoric, but who also bring real plans, real ideas, real accountability for our city's future. And I'll be a strong advocate advocate for those leaders. Um, so regardless of personal feelings about any can in it, I think all Antiochans should focus on that. Um, we should focus on people's accomplishments and how they've consistently shown up in Antioch and what they have done to try to improve our city. Um, I want to regain the hope that I once had in this council's ability to lead proactively and make Antioch a city we can all be proud of, especially regarding economic development because I think that is our next step. Thank you.

No further comment cards.

All right. Thank you. Is there is one is there one more coming down? Thank you. Good evening, council and city of Antioch. First, I wanted to address you spoke about the golf course. The golf course gave us a check for $20,000, but a few months ago, you guys agreed to pay off their 30-year debt. Okay, so we're stuck with this golf course company for 30 years. And if any of you guys have played the golf course, it used to be one of the best in the Bay Area. You used to have to wait an hour and a half to get it get on the tea time just like the way it is now in conquered at the Apple Creek. The it was a money maker. It's all gone to hell. Signed, bad decisions by the DAS. Okay. the chief's remarks last week. Okay, the chief gave a nice report. First of all, he's talking about the total amount of calls that the police handle. Okay, thousands of them, maybe thousands of them a day. Look at all these calls. Wow, they're really working hard. But then, you know, he gets a few questions from the, you know, from the public and it's like, well, when somebody fires off a shot, it's like, you know, at your house, when somebody fires off a shot, sometimes five people call in. Somebody driving by, they'll call 911. Somebody that's in the actually saw it happen, they'll call 911. So, one incident turns up with five different calls. So, yeah, it looks like our police is doing a lot of work. But they're not. They barely even get

out of their car. Um I remember, you know, when they people started first making videos of police, the um somebody got beaten up down in LA and somebody photographed it and then pretty much the police were afraid to get out of their car because they didn't want to end up on YouTube that night. And when I when I take Bart to work, I go by the conquered police station and I every time I go by there, there's six shiny brand new motorcycles and they're just waiting for the morning when six motorc cops show up to work and they go through conquered and they make the city safe. the pe the cops on the motorcycles, they're given the information to the dispatcher. They're like the eyes and the ears of the police. We don't have a We don't have a tra You call it a traffic division. One officer, is that a division? Let's call it a traffic duo. Okay? Because we have no traffic enforcement. Okay? Even Louis says when the light turns green, he doesn't even move for five seconds. That's our representative. He's afraid to drive his car when the light turns green.

You guys can do better.

No further public comments. All right. Thank you. Moving on to proclamation. Uh the proclamation tonight is for um National Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness uh month, March 2026. Do I have a motion to approve the proclamation? Move approval. All right. Motion to have a second. Second. Second. All right. We have a motion from Mayor Prom Freighus. Second from Council Member um Wilson. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 5-0.

All right. And this is um this uh proclamation is going to be received by a couple of folks. Um Daniel Aubin who's the coalition coordinator for the Bay Area Community Resources CCC CCC Meds Coalition. Um she's going to be receiving as well as Tracy Hearn, treatment center director for uh BART program. So after this is read and after we get uh public comment, then we'll go ahead and council will come down, say a few words, and we'll take some pictures with you all. So, uh, National Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, March 2026. Whereas March is recognized as prescription drug abuse awareness month, bringing attention to the serious issue of prescription drug misuse and its impact on individuals, families, and communities, including here in the city of Antioch. Whereas while prescription medications such as opioids, sedatives, and stimulants can be effective when used as directed by a health care provider, their misuse can lead to severe health consequences including addiction, overdose, impaired judgment, and increased risks such as impaired driving, infectious diseases, and complications during pregnancy. Whereas prescription opioid addiction remains a significant public health crisis and synthetic opioids including counterfeit prescription drugs laced with fentanyl continue to be a driver of fatal overdoses overdose. And in 2024, the rate of fatal overdose from fentanyl in Contraosta County was 10.2 per 100,000 residents. A significant reduction from the 2023 rate of 14.72 per 100,000 residents. And whereas in 2023 in Contraosta County, there were 447,583 opioid prescriptions given to patients, which is an adjusted rate of 313.9 per 10,000 residents, higher than the state average of 345.62. And whereas according to the center for disease control 105,07

drug overdose deaths occurred nationally in 2023 80,000 were from opioids and 183 of those opioid related deaths occurred in Contraosta County. And whereas the city of Antioch encouraged community members to take proactive steps to prevent prescription drug misuse by safety by safely storing medications, properly disposing of unused or expired prescriptions and raising awareness about the dangers of misuse and overdose. And whereas the DEA's National Prescription Drug Takeback Day on Saturday, April 25th, 2026 provides a special opportunity for residents to safely dispose of unused medications and participate in efforts to prov to prevent prescription drug misuse in our community. And whereas in the Contraosta County Medication Education and Disposal Safety Coalition uh encourages residents of Antioch to use prescription medications um only as directed by health care providers and never share medication with others and promotes awareness, education, and responsible behaviors regarding prescription medications, strengthening the health, safety, and well-being of all Antioch residents. Now therefore, I, Ron Bernell, mayor of the city of Antioch, hereby proclaim the month of March 26th and each following March to be prescription drug abuse awareness month in the city of Antioch. All right. Um, would um, Danielle Obin like to come on up and say a few words? She's here. Hi, Danielle.

Hi. Um, thank you, Mayor Bernal, and the city council for proclaiming March as prescription drug abuse awareness month in Antioch. On behalf of the East Contraosta County Meds Coalition chapter, we sincerely appreciate the city's commitment to raising awareness about prescription drug misuse and its impact on our community. This proclamation helps highlight the importance of prevention, education, safe medication storage, and proper medication disposal. By working together, schools, families, healthc care providers, and community partners, we can help reduce mi reduce misuse and protect the health and safety of Antioch residents, especially our youth. Thank you again for your leadership in supporting a healthier and safer Anoch community. And I would also like to take this opportunity to remind um the residents um here in the city of Antioch that DEA takeback day will be taking place on April 26th. Um and that is an opportunity for you to dispose safely of all your unwanted prescription medications. Thank you so much.

All right. Thank you. And where where will that be located for folks to drop those off? Um the closest location I have confirmed is Oakley uh Police Department. Okay. Thank you very much. All right. Um, next if Tracy Hearn, who is the treatment um, center director for BART programs, if she could please come up. Thank you.

Good evening, mayor and members of the council. On behalf of BART programs in Antioch, thank you for this proclamation recognition, prescription drug abuse awareness month. Um, we honor, we are very honored by this recognition. I have many of my employees here to accept the award, not just myself. Um, I also have the TCD treatment center director from Richmond to accept the award as well. Um, city of Antioch is very committed to addressing substance use and supporting recovery in our community. I have seen that not only within our community with our police officers because I have been working diligently with our police force. So I want to actually thank you guys all and if the chief is here I want to thank him. I have also been emailing him officer's names as thank you. So we have been trying to clean up the community and um I'm sincerely grateful. So, every day we see the strength and resilience of individuals working towards recovery and partnership like this really makes that possible. Thank you again for your support and helping raise awareness about this important issue.

All right. Thank you. And I also like to thank you for your efforts to clean up that area um around your facility. It's it's really been a huge improvement over the last couple months. I've been there four months and that is all due to not just me but my regional director Matt Adelman and I have been working diligently. So yeah, for folks who don't know the BART clinic, we all we also know it as the methadone clinic and so um it's it's it was an ongoing issue for quite a while and just recently it's really um made a turn for the better as far as just the appearance around it. So thank you again. Thank you, mayor. All right. Do we have any public comment on this? No public comments.

All right. So, um, we could have folks come on up. Uh, Tracy, why don't you and your group come on up first and then we can give you this award and then we'll

um, captains Bitner and Bowers, you guys want to come on down and take a picture with us as well? Yes. It's so nice to see you. together. Thank you. All right. Oh yeah.

All All right, moving on now to item number two, announcements of civic and community events.

I have some announcements for you guys. We're all looking at each other. Um I can make the announcements while director Cabraw comes up. um for uh director Wright who is not here. Um he wants everyone to know that the extravaganza is happening on March 28th um for the egg hunts and it's happening in two parks at two different hours. So from 10:00 to 11:00 it'll be Contraoma State Parks and Muare Park and from 12:00 to 1 it's Meadow Creek Park and Diablo West Park. And then the recreation events um calendar has come out. Don't worry, I've asked Nicole to put this on your calendars so that you don't miss anything. Um, and so it has the ice cream socials, all the events that are happening that the city is putting on this year. And then the last event, I'm I'm don't know if the chief wanted Captain Bitner to remind everyone, but I can, is the grand opening of the um Sycamore Police substation um on tomorrow from 5:30 to 7. Good evening, mayor and council. And just to piggyback on what city manager Scott just said, the grand opening is going to be super exciting at the Sycamore Plaza. Really excited. Thank you. And recreation is doing a great job at all those events. The fact that they have a whole calendar of the year is exemplary with such little staff. So, thank you, Recreation. I will not keep you too long, but I wanted to introduce Michelle Leon, one of our Antioch Council of Teen students who has been with us for a long time. As you already know, every council meeting or at least one council meeting a month, we try to have a youth come up and public speak and speak about some of the events that youth services are doing. It's good practice and they enjoy being in front of you and what better way of showing civic engagement than being here with her amazingness. Thank you.

Good evening. Good evening again. Thank you for the lovely introduction. Um, so as you already know my name, I'm from DOA Libby Medical High School and I'm here from annual Council of Teens with a couple of announcements for for March. So starting off March 13th, we have a teen slime event workshop. So, that's going to be for Antioch students or youth that reside in Antioch, and it'll be from 5 to 7:00 p.m. So, if you like slime and you're from ages 12 to 15 years old, please make sure you come. And side note, everything is free, so even more of an incentive. Um, so up next, we have a blood drive that was organized by two members from Anna Council of Teens. They collaborated with American Red Cross and their school to make this happen. So, if you would like to contribute and give back, please show up to donate blood March 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. So, we at the Anna Community Center, and we hope to see you there. Please, if you have any questions or concerns about anything, please make sure or if you would like to register for anything, please make sure to email youth@anioca.gov. Thank you for your time.

All right. Thank you, Michelle. All right. Are there any other announcements? No further announcements. All right. Moving on. Item number three, announcements of board and commission openings.

Thank you. The city of Antioch has the following positions available. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 20th, 2026. The Board of Administrative Appeals has three full-term vacancies expiring March of 2030, and one alternate vacancy, a 2-year term. The Parks and Recreation Commission has one partialterm vacancy which expires March of 2028 and three full-term vacancies expiring April of 2030. The General Plan Advisory Committee has five committee member vacancies and two alternate member vacancies. And the sales tax citizens oversight committee has three full-term vacancies expiring March of 2030 and two full-term vacancies which expire March of 2028. To be considered for the vacancy positions, please complete an application and submit it to the city clerk's office by the deadline date of Friday, March 20th at 5:00 p.m. Applications are located on the city's website and may be picked up in person here at city hall. you please email your completed application to the city clerk. You can also drop off your application in the water billing dropoff box located in the parking lot just outside. Thank you.

All right. Thank you, city clerk Mandy. Um, city council committee reports and communications. Uh, council member Roachchan, both of my standing committees that I sit on with a couple of my colleagues here um are not until uh next week. The city schools committees on meets on Monday and then the tri delta uh transit board meets later in the month. So, I don't have any report at this time. All right. Thank you, council member Torres Walker. Thank you, Mayor. Um, uh, none of my committees have met, but thank you, Council Member Roachcha. Yes,

we're always like, what do we say? It's so formal. Um, again, as Council Member Roachcha stated, uh, the city school standing committee will be meeting March 16th at 1:30 p.m. at the main AUSD office up the street. Um, please come. That is a public meeting. I know it could be hard for people who work. We're still trying to figure out how to make those meetings later in the day um so community members could attend. I will not be attending that meeting. Um my uh brother-in-law who is a veteran passed away and we will be having um a sendoff for him. is really important to our family and so I will not be there but I trust council member Roachcha um to lead that meeting because he is our expert on education our cannabis standing committee meeting will be happening on the 18th at 10:00 a.m. Mayor Pro Timus. Um, we also uh that will be here in the council chambers. Very exciting meeting. Come and learn about all things cannabis. I know council member Mayor Pro Tim Freus is exciting. about you.

And and then just in case people don't know, but it's already public, there is a joint meeting of the city council and the planning commission that same night at 6:30 p.m. here in the council chambers. And then on the 26th, the community development uh block grant standing committee is also meeting where myself and council member um Roach sits on that committee. It is 9:00 a.m. I apologize again. That is super early for residents who work. It is a public meeting. If you can make it, please come. If not, watch the um playback so you can understand what are the next steps for um CDBG and our PLHA dollars. Uh let's see. Yep. Working hard or hardly working. Um district district one town hall was on the 26th of February. I want to thank all city staff who attended from the police department. Uh city manager um Scott was in attendance. Thank you so much. Um I also want to thank the mayor who was able to show up for a brief moment and I want to give a special shout out to all the community members who showed up. I will have a full presentation out. We actually collected cards with people's concerns and contact information. Um, so I plan to reach out to those individuals and also have a full report back at the next council meeting. And a special shout out to Alicia and Brenda from Diane Bergus's office for coming and talking about our supervisors commitment to the city of Antioch. Shout out to Derek Buds from the district attorney's office um who came and discussed district the resources coming to East Contracasta from the district attorney's office and his commitment um to working with Antioch residents on resolving issues. I also want to thank

Assembly Member Anna Maria Avala Faras who sent the representative and showed up as well and reaffirmed her commitment as our assembly member to bring resources and continue to support the city of Antioch um moving forward as well as Peter Kim from the um office of racial justice and social equity uh at the county level. They're going to be rolling out um a framework and some conversations. There's money coming down from the county um for mental health um and like wellness support and those we need those dollars here in Antioch. So, I would encourage any resident if you see an announcement come from the county about attending these meetings of the office of racial equity and social justice, please attend because our voices is what's going to bring dollars to Antioch. um if we aren't in the room, then our issues will um not be addressed. So, I really encourage us um to stay in the loop with the county and what's happening so we can continue to get those dollars here in our city to support us. And that is it.

All right. Thank you, Council Member Wilson.

Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Uh Delta Diablo meets tomorrow, but in the meantime, a few weeks ago, I traveled with a delegation of uh of uh the board of uh Delta Diablo to our Cassa DC policy trip. Uh what a lot of people don't know is the plant Delta Diablo plant, which services the cities of Antioch, Pittsburgh, and Baypoint, which is unincorporated Contraosta County. And this plan is embarking on a $338 million secondary processing uh improvement project which includes the Antioch pump station which is very old, needs a lot of updating and repair. So we traveled to DC and spoke to both Congressman Gar Mendy and Danier um and uh in particularly Congressman Gar Mendy um was very interested about the pump station um and about Delta Diablo. Uh really wanting us to work very hard to get funding. Um it looks like they're very interested in um getting some ear. It's not guaranteed, but we may get some earmark dollars to help with that station. Um as mayor knows that that pump station's pretty old. that has about what two to three miles worth of pipeline that goes out that's been very uh that's that's very old. Um uh we had some issues during a couple of rainstorms ago. So that that pump station which which pretty much impacts everybody here in Annoch definitely need some funding. So um we may potentially be getting funding for that by us partnering with Delta Diablo and getting that funding. So I will keep uh our council posted on that. Um, also I was able to attend um last week the city of Antioch had a meeting of all administrative assistants. So I was able to stick my head in, say hello, see what they're talk about, what their concerns and what they're working on. So that was really uh uh uh enlightening meeting. And then also coming up, I will be going

on um I'll be going on some meetings in regards to AI and how it's um impacting municipalities. So looking forward to going to that meeting and reporting back on its impact here in Antioch and how that technology either works for or against us. So that's my report. All right. Thank you. Uh Mayor Promis basically the meetings and uh have already been announced and so I don't have I I don't want to be repetitive. All right.

Can I can I add something? Uh Mayor Prom uh Freighus made me think about this while going on our DC trip. Uh, Congressman Garren Mendy talked about your work with MPDES. So, I'm encouraging you to connect with them because there may be some opportunities there for us to get some funding.

All right. So for those of you who don't know Mayor Freighus or Mayor Prom Freighus uh he uh was one of the founders of our county and national pollutant discharge elimination system NPDES program and uh that involved all of the cities in our county and it's it's been very beneficial to keeping our river clean and our in our waterways. So it's impactful years ago and still today. So I was uh in in my report out I have I was uh attended the CCTA contraosta transportation authority authority administration and projects committee where we did worked on and approved or recommended for approval of the midyear budget. Uh transplant is going to be meeting this Thursday. Um, we uh I'm going to be having a town hall with uh Senator Grayson and Treasurer Ma on um April the second out at the waterpark uh community room 6 pm if you'd like to hear things local and state uh regarding things that they have to share. And uh and then uh Mayor Prom Freighus and I are going to be doing a bunch of interviews for the GPAC uh applicants. That's our general plan advisory committee. Uh so we're going to be doing that over the next week or so and getting those folks uh back before the council hopefully at the at the next city council meeting so we can get those meetings started which is very important. Uh regarding just my mayor's comments, uh most of you were not at our study session we had earlier about our budget and uh so it was it was sobering to hear the the state of our our finances. Um there's a projected 11.3 million deficit for the upcoming year which um may or may not mean a lot to folks but when we have a little bit less than $100 million in revenues that's a significant amount of money. Uh we have

many needs in the city of Antioch as you all know and and our limited resources compete for for all of those. Um the uh this is down from a $27 million deficit last year. So, we've made a lot of progress as a council working that down, but we have we have a lot of work to do to keep that going. And we uh obviously can't just continue uh business as usual. We have to continue to figure out ways to both increase revenue and to uh decrease costs accordingly so that they match up. 85% of our revenues come from t taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, different types of taxes. So, we're heavily tax dependent. We heard one of our speakers talking about economic development and uh economic development is very important, but there's a lot of things that drive economic development in our city. Um public safety being one of the largest things and uh making sure that when people have a business here that they want to keep it here, it can grow or when we're trying to attract new businesses to come to the city of Antioch. So, we are uh staff is working hard on a plan right now as we speak to bring back to the city council that we'll be talking about economic development because that is one of our three priorities that the council adopted our last city council meeting was economic development and a lot of that was driven by code enforcement. We also had a co code enforcement presentation before this meeting tonight which uh allowed the code enforcement department to talk about what they're doing to keep uh keep our city moving forward as far as blighted properties, graffiti, um homeless encampments, uh working with other agencies. Uh the hours have been extended so that we are able to serve the community into the weekends now. And so we do have a plan. We're working on updating our ordinance. We're working on uh looking at ways to hold people um accountable and so that's very important I'm sure to all of you just like it is to our city council.

Another area that is a priority for the city council in this upcoming budget and year is having a fully staffed police department complying with our DOJ. Um, substations was another. As as was mentioned, we're have a grand opening of the substation down in Sycamore Square 5:30 tomorrow if any of you can make it. As as um, director Cabraw said, it's going to be a very exciting and a big big moment for that neighborhood. So, that's going to be big. The the LA youth is also a huge priority for the city council in all youth in every way. And so, uh, and then finally, homelessness and making sure that, uh, we're addressing that. We're we're going to be working on a two-year plan uh figuring out what we're going to do with our Delta Fair property. So, we have a we have a lot of things we're working on. Again, uh we the the bottom line is that we need public engagement as we work through our budget over the next couple three months. Um it's going to be a tough discussion. Tough decisions are going to need to be made, but we need to do them in the best interest of of all of the ANOT community. And so, uh we need to hear your voices and and hope that you will all stay engaged in that. Um, so that concludes my my comments. Uh, our presentation today is our next item number four is the district plan, East Bay Regional Park District. Uh, our director, um, Colin Coffee is here and, um, director Coffee is going to, um, talk a little bit about the plan. I think we have a PowerPoint and we're going to grill him with questions about all the things we want to know about the park district.

Certainly, Mayor, I was told there was a problem with the PowerPoint. So,

oh, we got it. All right. I was prepared to work without it. Uh, thank you, mayor, council members, city manager, and, uh, public. Uh, my name is Colin Coffee. I represent Ward 7 on the board of directors of the East Bay Regional Park District. Ward 7 is essentially all the northern waterfront of Contraosta County and eastern east county into our delta community. Um, I think you all are aware that this incredibly expansive and wonderful uh park regional park and trail system we have in the East Bay is a result of our founders deciding 90 years ago that these two counties, Alama and Contraosta, wouldn't rely on county parks. So instead, they created what has turned out now to be the largest local government in the country devoted to regional parks and trails. Uh the East Bay Regional Park District. Um we have an independent uh budget because we have our own property taxes and aren't dependent on uh counties or states or any other government entities. And uh we have an our own elected board. Oh, let me see. Oops. Where are we going? There we are. Um, so you know, we we've arrived at a point where our annual expense budget is uh around $370 million. We have a,000 employees. We have a fully staffed 70 sworn officer police department and a fire department and two helicopters. So, it's a remarkable uh achievement for these two counties to have this this uh incredible park system.

Uh the uh task I have is to describe uh for you the master plan process that we are currently engaged in. And it is informed largely by a mission that involves recreation and conservation of land and and access for people, climate resiliency, and wildfire protection. These days, the district plan that we're preparing will guide the future of the East Bay Regional Parks and address changing conditions, including climate, the economy, demographics, and park usage. Um, among our desired outcomes for this plan will be to uh inform us by the diverse communities that use our parks, benefit from or seek greater access to park district resources and move accordingly. Themes are equity, resilience, fiscal sustainability and collaboration. Um these are the uh topics for our goals including access, experience, resource protection and public land management. Uh our timeline for this master planning process is accordingly here um presented. Uh round one was visioning and largely um based on feedback from a community survey that uh resulted in about 6,000 people responding to uh what they wanted to see for the future of the East Bay Park system. We are currently engaged in round two which is focused on the master plan's goals, actions and uh priorities and we are largely u doing this I think oops

uh by reaching out to community groups and the general public as well as important partners like the city of Antioch. So far, what we've been hearing is are you our park users are most interested in investing in existing parklands, providing access to newly acquired parklands, and balancing resource conservation and public access. Round two, as I mentioned, emerging partners that we're reaching out to, established partners, institutional partners, tribes, park visitors, and our own staff. Uh, currently we're we're engaged in aggressive outreach and awareness. We have consultants uh working with various community groups, including out here in East Contraosta. Uh we hope by next winter to have a draft district plan for all to review and have further input. It will then conclude as our strategic road map with key priorities informed by public input, existing conditions and future trends. All are invited to go to ed ebparks.org and there's a banner there district plan and it has all the background information. uh a lot of demographic information that's fascinating uh to review. Um we can go city by city and determine uh whether people who reside in in whatever city use our parks very much and how they use our parks, how they get to our parks. Uh it's fascinating stuff. You'll be pleased to know Antioch residents use our parks. They are uh very active uh park users in in this area.

And then thank you. What I want to do now is talk about an a separate planning process that we've just engaged in and that's on the controll lagoon. Um the history, long story short, was we started repairing problems with the lagoon and it turned into uh one of those uh you know this old house kind of stories. as you start tearing into it, you find things wrong that are more serious than you thought and and uh you know, you get to the point where you're practically rebuilding the home. That's what happened here. Uh it got to the point where staff and our consultants determined that it we can't repair that lagoon and so we closed it. And as of last year, mid mid 2025, uh we had come up with a plan A and B to replace it with a new lagoon. Uh pricing out of between 10 and $15 million. So, uh an interesting uh process to go through to determine what should replace the old lagoon and uh what kind of facility it would become. They are currently working on a plan C and I haven't seen that yet. It might be for instance a regular pool rather than a lagoon which would allow us to do more programming out there. Um, but we just hired last month a uh community outreach consulting firm that will commence probably this summer with uh uh uh community forums in Antioch to go over these plans for a possible replacement of the lagoon and get community feedback so that we can be

informed. we're going to spend a lot of money on this at some point uh by the community what programming uh they want at at that facility. Um, so that's where we're at now. And I want to introduce Pete Dquincy, who is our manager of um, lifeguard services. And because I I'm just incredibly proud of what Pete has been doing in this community and the surrounding communities in lie of having the lagoon facility available. So, if Pete could um, come up and talk to that.

Thank you, Director Coffee. City Council, uh, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, City Manager Scott, staff and public. My name is PT Quincy. I'm the lifeguard service manager, uh, for East Bay Regional Parks, and ControlM was one of my facilities I oversaw. At the time of when it did close, uh, we made the decision that we still needed to provide services to the community. And so the immediate place we reached out to was Antioch Unified School District because they have two pools available that were being underutilized, Deer Valley and Antioch High. And so we then proceeded to work with them in regards to just what could we provide to the community members. And so we started to work on developing programming for the summer at their sites and swim lessons for the community members, specifically the students. We found that there was a large or a high percentage of the student body that did not or was not or didn't have the ability to swim and we wanted them to learn and so we continued to do that and we've continued to do it all the way up to the present. Uh for the starting year of 24 we trained roughly uh in partnership over a thousand kids how to swim at the school district. Uh historically we were only at a threshold that we could ever get to was 500 at ControlMos, but by the fact that we could get to a thousand by working collaboratively with the school districts was phenomenal. This last year of 2025 we did 3,000 um students. Some of the other things that we've done in addition to that which really came from the drivers of the community and the students is we received a call because uh Dozer Libby does not have a pool and Dozer Libby wanted to do something and so when they met with us or when I met

with them they're they were saying basically we'd like to have East Regional Parks come out and teach CPR to the students and I said no we would not do that uh what we would do instead is we would train their students to be the instructors and they would then we would provide them the equipment, find them the means to cover the cost of the certifications and allow the students to teach each other their peers and students and within the first year they trained over 500 students. This last year um they did a phenomenal job and it extended beyond just Dozer Libby and has now moved into Antiochai. It's also gone into the middle schools where the eighth graders uh principal Bowers at the time at Park Middle School said Pete we'd really like to see something that the eighth graders could do and can you make it happen? And I'm like I don't know what we can do for young eth graders. So I reached out to National Red Cross and they wavered us specifically to allow eighth graders to become instructors and handsonly CPR. And so those young people then went around and certified sixth seventh graders and we extended the program to Park Middle School, Orchard Park, Dallas Ranch, Black Diamond Mines. um for 2024 25 this last year they certified a little under 1,400 kids the high schools the middle schools this year at this point even before we are they're at 1,700 uh and again it's the students that are driving the work I provide the equipment I cover the certification through a regional parks foundation grant but the students drive the program and it's really about engaging them now within the community. They're serving their

peers. They're serving the community. Um it's about leadership development. They're making adult decisions about how they want to give back. Um next week they're going to be I shouldn't even say next week, Friday they'll be at Dallas Ranch serving there. And then two weeks from now we'll have this pilot of an idea where the eighth graders will walk to from Park to Sutter Elementary to provide certification to the fourth and fifth graders. Again, what they're doing hasn't been done anywhere in the country. And so, it's a big deal. Uh, and I can't thank enough for the community members, the students themselves, and the schools allowing us to do this. And again, I know that Dozer Libby has already reached out and is providing that service, extending it beyond the city of A um, Antioch to Oakley to Brentwood to the students there. And so again, we're going to continue to do that. I know uh as we continue to move forward, we're going to expand the program both for swimming and for first aid CPR. The kids are teaching Epipins, asthma inhalers, the locks along. So they're doing a lot of great work and I know that we're currently in talks with your city as well on what we can do to support the water park in regards to training, youth development, and so forth. So, is there any questions that you might have at this time that I could answer?

Yeah, I think I think uh before we ask questions, if there's any public comment on this, I'd like to go at that first and then uh we can go ahead and ask some questions if that's okay. Yes, we have one public comment.

Hello. Thank you for that presentation. Um, I just wanted to say that I noticed um, one thing that's different from an Alama County to this county. Alamita County has facilities that you can rent and use in their public uh, parks. Um, you can have weddings, you can have anniversary parties, you can have all kinds of things. I have not seen that in Contraosta. Maybe I've missed it, but I have not seen any places where you could rent to do that type of thing, have weddings. That generates a lot of money. Even I gave my youngest daughter baby shower there and I gave another one something else there. So, um I'm wondering why that hasn't been implemented here and and as a means of even making, you know, generating more revenue. Uh 40 years ago I was married in Contraosta County uh in Tilden Park at a park district facility known as the Brazil Room. We share uh 40th anniversaries, don't we, Mayor?

Um so we do do that. We we have various facilities um uh all around the two counties that people can rent.

Yeah. And uh people get married at Bion's Park. There's a area there where you can get a permit or I guess probably pay a fee and hold a wedding there. Um Kennedy Grove can be rented. Yeah. Yeah. For facilities. Black Diamond. No, but we're working on it at Black Diamond. There's the um the visitor center in the mountain that is being reinforced so that we can have groups in there again. So you can have a really neat uh wedding or some other event basically in a cave in a mountain.

We used to do that kind of thing. Thank you for the potentially the the development that you guys are doing at Rody Ranch potentially. You know, Rotting Ranch is largely a habitat preserve.

So, we will provide trails, but we're prohibited from building things there because of the habitat issues. I wanted to say one more thing. The added value for what Pete has been doing is keeping a whole bunch of lifeguards employed. You know, I really appreciate that part of it. and he's his programs are literally training future lifeguards that we will have. So there's there's a lot of strategic value in this for the park district as well. Awesome. Any other public comment? No further public comments. All right. Any any

Okay. Be on the record.

Please come forward. Thank you, mayor, city council members. Sir, uh I was curious if um parking wrecks for Antioch have an adaptive and inclusive resource u program um for disab disabled individuals to have like a sensory experience at the park. Uh I know that it's missing in most parks, but some cities in Contracasta do in fact have a program specifically uh designed for u people with disability. Yeah. And we have staff that are devoted to that.

All right. Thank you. Any others?

One more. Yeah, Mr. Broom. Good evening, mayor and council. Um, good to see you, Colin. Uh, I used to intern for Save Mount Diablo and, uh, I had the opportunity to take a wilderness first aid training with them. Um, they also offer outdoor experiences and the like. Um, but to see some of the work that Pete has done, uh, having worked at Doer Libya as well and some of our other, uh, educational institutions here in town, I'd love to see the city, perhaps I can't make it to the city school standing committee, um, because I'm teaching. Uh, however, I'd love to see some collaboration with the park district and the city and the school district to enable our youth not only to have um prowess in aquatic life saving but also um wilderness education opportunities. Um there are no uh outdoor education uh programs within the school district that I'm aware of at the moment. So getting everybody to come together and partner towards that and you know make it safer for our Antioch residents to go out and hike and perhaps um you know we have to deal with rattlesnakes. There's a lot of hazards um you know we may be close to an urban environment but you can get really far away from help um very easily here. So encouraging um our community to to um get that kind of training and get that kind of education and just the the love for the experience of the outdoors would be amazing and seeing more of this program expand not just from aquatics to other first aid uh would be amazing.

All right, thank you.

All right, it's it's to the council and yes, just two comments. Uh my my son is 34 years of age, but uh he was a lifeguard for East Bay Regional Park District and now he's a Michelin star chef. So, you know, I I've always been very very happy, you know,

uh with the experience that he had and he he it was it was very good for him as he grew up. Uh you know I'm not letting you off on the the the pool facility at Contraoma uh because for decades it played a very critical role in the city of Antioch. It was a point uh that many many people participated in particular people who did not have a lot of money. It offered them extraordinary experiences you know both in the wildlife but also in swimming the lagoon and things of that sort. So, you talked about a different alternative being a built-in pool. My question is, what's the timeline?

Well, we're going to spend at least nine months from here on now that we have the consultant on uh these community engagement uh process so that we get that feedback and that will inform a decision as to what direction we want to go in creating a new facility there. And you know so that in theory could be done by the end of the year or early next year. And then when was it when would it be built? I think you know from your own experiences as I have learned that that is a function of fundraising and we're very good at it and we're very good at you know leveraging our own capital funding and we're in pretty good shape on that level uh and going out to other funders and you reach a point where you're hopefully close to fully funded and then you start going out for construction but I don't know what that time frame is going to be

I hope it's going to need a new administration in in Washington for instance. Well, in dire I hope it's more of a priority because Antioch has not had the lagoon have not had the swimming facility for what at least I don't know eight years three four years you know and and it is a priority in this community and it is missing and you know we've had a discussion on some of the district's priority it's needed here in eastern Contraosta county and I hope that you will you know represent us well because the faster the better it will be for our community. Yeah, I have my priorities and staff knows it. So, it I I'm with you on that.

We, you know, we took quite a bit of time uh talking to the water district about whether we could go back to swimming and I think you and I have had that discussion. We really worked at that and the answer was no in the end. Right. Take me a long time. Uh let's go. We can do that.

Anybody else? Any other questions? I I want to um really thank uh Thank you, Director Coffee, but Pete, thank you so much for letting us know. I wasn't aware that uh that all of this has been and continues to go on and it's growing and it's down to the elementary level. And I mean, the numbers you're putting out there are just phenomenal. So that is really something to be proud of and to also promote and you know let the world know about because that's what you what you've done um in figuring out a way to help our youth and train them to swim, train them in CPR. I mean those are two really important skills especially where we live here on the Delta. So thank you so much for you know being innovative in that area.

Thank you uh Mayor Bernal for your kind words. Again, a lot of the work, most of the work is all because the kids have that inspiration and drive and they want to do it and they want to give back and I'm just there to help facilitate them in that effort. So, I'm going to leave a pile of uh master plan brochures for out on your uh deck out here. Perfect. Thank you. Thank you again for your presentation. Very much appreciate it. All right, moving on to the consent calendar. Do we have any items that um council or the public want to pull? M.

The public would like to pull H, J, K, and L.

H, J, K, L. Correct. H J K L. Okay. Do I have a motion to approve everything on the consent calendar except items H, J, K, L, and M? So move. Motion from council member Wilson. Second. Second from Mayor Pro Tim Freighus. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 5-0.

All right, moving on to item number uh H. Um, notice of completion for neighborhood traffic calming project. Um, yes. Thanks so much, mayor and city council. Is there a question on this or did you want the full presentation? I I think pulled this. Is this a member of the public that pulled it? Okay. So think I think we can hear the public comment please. Oh there was a question. Okay.

I was just wondering about you know the listings of the streets. How when are they getting to J Street and West 10th? Those are two streets that I've lived on that are just tow up like you know. Um, and people are just racing through there and it's so many children on Jay. It's the apartments. I mean, they're out there playing in street. So, I'm wondering when they're getting to J Street and also when they're getting to West 10th, the street I used to live on. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Any other public comment on this item? Yes. Could you come up the microphone, please? I'm actually really glad that you guys are bringing this up and I wasn't aware, but we just had another huge accident where um the school teacher was was hit by a car on Laurel and um Country Hills uh over the weekend. Since we've opened up Laurel, I think we're up to four or five. And that's a lot of people being injured in that time frame. Um some of the neighbors, you know, we all get together in the neighborhood. There's like 50 people standing out there trying to figure out what the heck is going on. We're all hoping that you put a street light in there because that would save a lot of lives, I think. Anyways, thank you.

All right. Thank you. Any others? No further comment cards? All right. Any questions or comments from um from council? None. Can I have a motion, please, to approve item number H? I'll move to approve. Motion by um Council Member Roachcha. Second. Second by Council Member Torres Walker. Please cast your votes.

Motion passes 5-0. All right. And Miss May, I think we can get your get the answer to your question from um from staff. Um item J, consideration of bids for Puit Water Park Pool resurfacing. Yes. Thank you so much, Mayor and City Council. Did you want the presentation or is this a question? Is this a question from the from the public? From the public, Miss May.

Okay. I wanted to know that didn't we approve money for repairs to this pool and steps I think was the steps and stuff earlier in in 2025. Wasn't the money put aside for that and wasn't it approved for that one? Same. Well, actually, I might as well say the same thing for K2. All right. Um, any any other comments on this or questions? No further comment cards on these. Oh, one more.

Makes it easier for me to see you. I would really love to make things. Can you give me three minutes?

I would really love to make things easier for you, sir, but you keep violating the Brown Act. Okay, people don't need to give you their name. People don't need to fill out any cards and you don't need to answer me. Okay, it's my three minutes and I'm recapturing my time. My name is John Tisudo. Been a resident of Antioch for 25 years. I think we have Mr. Heffenberger. Is that how you say it? Where'd he go? Brad. Okay. Remember the guy that used to be in charge of recreation, charge of the water park? He did such a lousy job that we don't really have a water park and you need to stop calling it that. Okay. What we have is a swimming pool. We've got a swimming pool at Puit. None of the water slides work. Okay. Now, let's go back about 10 years. We used to have water slides even they were good enough for adults. Okay. People would bring their kids. They would go down them a few time but most of the time it was for their kids. And then during the week you would drive by and what would you see in the parking lot? You'd see like 10 school buses. People high schools from all over Contraosta County used to bring field trips to the water park. That's how you guys that's how they paid for itself. Okay. Buses used to show up here with junior high, high school, and they loved it. As soon as the as soon as Mr. Heffenberger, I hope I'm pronouncing his name right because I have a hard to pronounce name, too. Mr. Heffenberger, he he used to come before you and say, "Oh, it's a gem. This is a gem of the Bay Area." But no. When the water when the water slides broke, what did Brad do? Well, first thing he did is he raised

the prices. So, we have less we have no water slides now. It's just a swimming pool and we're going to raise the prices. So, guess what happens? We don't have any money. Now, Brad keeps coming to you asking you for money. And then, and then some of you guys are asking the right questions. We can't afford a water park. Okay? It would be nice if we had money to go pick up everybody and bring them to a pool to swim. We can't afford a water park. Okay. When Brad was in charge, he let the thing deteriorate. Now it's just a swimming pool. So, stop calling it a water park. We're not We shouldn't put any more money into it, especially when we have deficits, millions and millions of dollars. Okay, you guys. You raise the prices and you and you don't have any water slides and now you want to put like 300,000 another 100,000. Last year they said, "Why don't you just give us 200,000 every year and we'll just use it." So please don't be idiots, okay? You're spending our money foolishly. I've been coming up here for 10 years to tell you you're spending your money foolishly.

Thank you.

One of us is right. I actually have notes on the water park that I've been thinking of. Um, I'm going to disagree with Mr. Johnny Walker even though I appreciate him. I don't think we need another closed asset in Antioch. We have a lot of things closing. So, I want to talk about how to make the water park profitable and an asset not just to our city finances, but our community as well. Um, the real issue to me is management and customer experience. I went and reviewed the reviews on it. Not great, poor customer service. Um, so we need to reward the staff who deliver excellent customer service and hold and help maintain a positive park experience for the guests. A well-run park attracts repeat visitors and boosts revenue. Um, I would suggest setting a goal on how much you want to increase it each year. Here's some ideas I have that you don't offer. Monthly passes. So instead of a whole year pass, maybe a monthly pass for grandkids visiting or something like that. family passes, maybe just the weekend passes because parents are at work, they can only go on the weekend. Uh bundled entry and food options, so they buy a ticket and it comes with a hot dog and a drink or something. organize teen nights with Monzerat um and our council of teens and have them plan something fun that teens would like because our slides from having kids um it's not really something my kids as teenagers wanted to go to but when they were younger they did like going there. Um maybe put some cabanas in and do cabana rentals. Um, souvenir cup program. Sell the cup for $10 free that day, a dollar refills on subsequent

visits. Host glow swims. Like, make it fun. I'm just saying. Um, you know, invite our neighbors, Brentwood, Oakley, Pittsburgh. Do a Pittsburgh swim. They don't have water park. Brentwood does, but Pittsburgh doesn't. Oakley does. Do it. Like, this is Pittsburgh. So, talk to the city councils. Get them to come to it. talk to schools and do like a Deer Valley swim night or or the Sutter swim night. I was trying to think of a thing. So like I think we just need to be more innovative. I have more smart management. I met Nicole, her assistant. She's lovely. She should train everybody on customer service if you ask me. Um we want it to be self- sustainable and make a profit for Antioch. So those are just some of my suggestions. I have more and I can email them if you want me to. Bye. Anybody else?

No further public comments. All right. Any um questions or comments from council? Yes. Council member Torres Walker. Um city manager Scott, can you let um us all know what you've been doing related to improving customer service in the city of Antioch?

Yes. Um are you talking about in terms of cultural responsiveness and Yes. So our staff is being trained um on basically how to give good customer service. Um so that starts from the entire sort of organizational culture um answering the phones um uh returning messages within a certain amount of time. Um I think as exemplified by my executive assistant all the way through to the clerk's office um and with the parks and recck team as well as Monzro's team. Um, so customer service is a tenant of our values and we are doing a lot of things to sort of increase how we um do customer service. I think you heard a little bit about that in code enforcement. Um, some people want to wear certain jackets, some people want it just depends on uh the areas that they go into as well as the service that they're delivering. Um, but it is something that we are working on actively. um and it's a part of not only our um how we put on the face of the city but also how we do it throughout performance management and progressive engagement and discipline. So that's something that we're working on.

I know that um I was introduced to the gentleman who was leading this um strategy for the city and I also got to see the inverted triangle and how like services from the bottom up not the top down. um is like is that training happening in each department separately to address those issues and then also collectively with departments together?

Um so it's baked within um how we look at the operational assessment as well as how we do process improvement and service delivery. So I believe that council member Wilson was saying that she um stumbled into the inaugural meeting of all the administrative assistants. So um for the first time every administrative assistant in the city got into one room so that we talk about how do we operationalize the priorities of the city council as well as directors from the time that they walk in to the time that they get out. Um so how do we make sure that we have the same information across all levels um from the directors all the way down to the line staff so that everything cascades up and down um so that we have the best um service delivery for community. Um, so it's a big deal when we sort of cascade all of the efforts um to make sure that the information gets out and then what does that mean for the PIO Jaden to make sure that the customers and the residents get more information about what's happening within the city. Um, so we see that with a bi-weekly report that's inaugural all the way through to our administrative assistants and frontline staff getting together regularly to talk about how they're going to engage with the public and have a feedback loop between the council and the community.

Thank you. I just wanted to make sure um Melissa knew that you that the city is working on improving customer service. All right. Thank you. Any other um questions on items J and K on the consent calendar? Could I have a motion to approve those, please? This was on the water park. This these were the two items that we were just addressing. I'll move to approve. All right. I have a motion from Council Member Roachcha. Second. Second from Council Member Torres Walker. Please cast your votes. Confirming this is to vote on both J and

K. J and K. Yes. Yeah, you guys didn't do yet. You did. Excuse me. So, my understanding was this was on both items, but we can take we can vote just on item J if there if there's folks that want to talk on item K related to um the waterpark concrete improvement. So, could you um please cast your vote or please make a motion for item J? Same motion. Approve item J. towards Walker. Second. Second. All right. Please cast your vote. All right. Passes 5-0.

Item K. Um, consideration of bids for the Puit Water Park Concrete Improvement Project, uh, PW 567-17. Do we have any public comment on this? Yeah, let's combine the two items. That way we can we can get rid of some of the public comment. Is that what you're thinking? Because you know when you first started you you didn't even ask for public comments. We had to keep reminding you. The the most the most important thing in this room is the public comment. So, you know, you don't want to combine a bunch of items because somebody might want to speak on K and not on J. Okay. So, did you guys um what am I speaking on again?

I said I was speaking

Brad Heffenberger. Okay. He used to be he used to be the head of recreation and parks. He was in charge of the water park. He did a terrible job. Okay. A terrible job. The water park went downhill. No more water slides. No more buses of kids with all their money to keep the water park going. Nothing. Brad let the water park fail. So our city manager, what did she do? She promoted him. Is that Is that what we used to work for the post office and that was that was the thing they did there. If you really screwed up bad, I mean really bad, that's how you got promoted. That's how government agencies work. You screw up, they move you around, they promote you. So why did we promote Brad? Why did we promote Joe? Nothing Nothing in the police has done. The city is not any safer after Joe was the policeman for chief for a year. But you promoted him. Why? Where's our traffic division? So Brad Heffenberger, director of public uh what is it called? I don't know. He ran the water park. He did a terrible job. And now you guys, one, two, three, four, five. It's not polite to point. So, I'm going to do this thing. This is what they taught me in my class. You five just gave away $300,000 that we don't have to fix a water park that's already broken that nobody wants to go to unless they're maybe five or six years old. Okay. Now, we just had an excellent, excellent presentation. Wouldn't you all agree? By the uh the fire guys and the the excellent things they're doing at our two pools. Look what they did just with two pools that were sitting there for years. They got they trained all these lifeguard. What was Brad doing?

Brad Brad has some nice jobs for the teenagers, you know, but pretty much we're subsidizing it. You know that the park is not is not paying for itself. So, we can't afford it. So, you guys want to keep spending money. You won't listen to me. I've been coming up here for seven years now telling you that you're going to go bankrupt. And I don't want to be the one to come up here to say I told you so. But just stick around for a little bit. Okay.

Yes. Uh we have another public comment. Thank you. Um, I can say that I did grow up going to that water park and I did enjoy it as a youth and I appreciate it being there today. But I'll tell you that now as an adult, I have a responsibility to myself and my family.

I'm a taxpayer. and we discussed how precious those tax dollars are. And so I'm genuinely concerned that we are putting through consent calendar capital improvement projects that we have previously approved for significant capital improvement projects in a park that has historically brought us a net negative annually. When I first started looking into this park, it was losing $500 to $800,000 a year. coming from our general fund transferred over every year. All other funds, I remember one year I found that the Delta Fair 211 fund transferred dollars into the water park and that's not even legal because that fund is supposed to go to parks that are built before 1980. And today that park is losing over a million dollars a year. And then we have a capital improvement project that we're scheduling here in spring to replplaster two pools that are main drivers for people going there. That should end in June into the swim season. So that means we understand we run this park at a negative. So, let's spend money that we can't afford on a project during a time when we could be making money there. That is already going to be a net negative. That's realistically like somebody saying, "Honey, you're setting our house on fire. Let me go grab all the money from the safe so you can burn it, too."

That's dramatic, but it's realistic because I also live on Puit Ranch where those shrubs have never been replanted. Those sound walls are leaning over going to go and those are people's backyard walls. So, I I really think we need to understand what this water park is doing to our budget. More importantly, why are we scheduling capital improvement projects at a time when the water park should be open? I don't think they're going to finish in June. We always have contract amendments that extend out projects. All right. Seeing no other public comments, any questions or comments from council? Can I get a motion, please?

I will. I and I just want to say that Andrew has been coming to this council since I've been here saying that we we have not made any money off the water park. And I've always heard that the water park was not meant for us to make money similar to the golf course. That it was for residents who wanted to golf and residents who wanted to swim and have those great experiences. and that the intent was not revenue. and and I just was like, "Okay, I guess, you know, if that's what people want, but we're kind of at a point where it's not it's about a health and safety risk at this point because if we don't resurface the pools, if we don't fix the slides, if we don't repair the gates, like if we don't do any repairs or capital improvements, the park in itself structurally is going to continue to decline and then it's going to be a asset that is extremely depreciated and then what is the city going to do with it and so I think like there's always been this conversation around um that I know I've had with Andrew and like other folks is like I don't know if this I don't know if the city sells it has somebody else manage it or what happens But it's clear that the water park hasn't made the city very much much much revenue. But it's also clear that it's a place people still want to go and have exist in the community. And we can't let it continue to decline structurally because then it becomes a health and safety risk and a blight on the community. And we got people complaining already about blight every day. So it's like the vote has to be

made because we can't, you know, I I rather not have the latter. And so I think like we can go backwards all we want and talk about mismanagement because there are people who've been here longer than me, but I think the only way is like forward. So what are some of the ideas that we could talk about as a community where a water park could be preserved, the city can stop just back filling a black hole and not making any revenue um but people could still have access to it. I would like to hear some of those conversations happen at the level of this council. Um but at I keep supporting the improvements because I would hate for somebody to get harmed um at the park and this city has had enough litigation already. We've we've almost lost our insurance there. I mean slip and falls, you name it. Um so I don't I mean I don't know what the answers are. city manager, but I mean, Shahad is amazing, an amazing director and leader. Um, and and now Oval Parks and Rex, and I'm pretty sure he has some ideas on how we can make improvements at the water park. And I would also take some of Melissa's suggestions, not that I normally do, but tonight tonight she has some great ones.

All right. Anybody else have any questions or comments? I have a motion to approve item consent count item number K. So moved. Council member Sores Walker. Have a second. Second. Council member Wilson, please cast your votes.

Motion passes 5-0. All right. Item L, acceptance of award for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Calvip cohort and cohort 5 grant funding. Thank you, mayor and city council. Is this a council presentation request? Member public comment.

Just yell. Hello.

Hello. Okay. I just want to say thank you guys before you vote for voting for this and accepting this award. That's all I want to say. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Any other any other public comment? All right. Any questions or comments from staff or from council? If not, you make a motion, please. I just want to thank Maserat Cabraw, our amazing director at the Department of Public Safety and Community Resources, and her staff for working really hard. These these state applications for Calvip are super competitive. Not every city gets the funds. Um, and I know cities who've been getting these dollars for 20 years. And so, thank you so much for setting the city up to continue to give future funds to do violence reduction um in Antioch.

All right. Thank you. Can I have a motion to approve this uh item number L? So move. A motion from Council Member Torres Walker. Second. Second. Council member Wilson. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 5-0. All right, moving on to item number M 2000 20226 municipal pooling authority joint power agreement renewal. Miss Scott, I was the one who pulled this item out. Um, let me just ask I mean I notice in the consent calendar there's actually a presentation. Yes. Is is uh Miss Cox actually here?

Yes. Um, Linda Cox, the chief administrative officer for the municipal pooling authority. No, I'm a risk manager. Okay. So, I I I I think you know it would be very helpful to the community to explain who you are and why you're critical to providing services in the city of Annoch. Okay. Yes. I think we have the presentation um in the back if you could. Okay. Thanks, Jennifer. Look at that. Um, no. But I can Who are you controlling? Michael Clicker. Is it still up there?

East Bay. He didn't have a presentation.

He did take it. Well, this is fun. This is fun. Good evening, everyone. I am Linda Cox. I'm the chief administrative officer for MU Municipal Pooling Authority. So, I'm going to tell you a little bit about who we are, what we do, what we do for Antioch. Municipal pooling authority was formed July 1977. Antioch is one of the founding members of the pool who who was um part of their there's a list in the staff report of all those founding members. The pool was formed to offset rising costs for general liability workers compensation primarily general liability was the first program. The second program was workers compensation and we then we added property, vehicle uh physical damage, employment practices, risk control. Um we have some ancillary employee benefits, employee wellness programs and more. We have 21 members, 21 municipalities primarily here in the East Bay in uh Contraosta County. That's where we started. Um MPA is one of the last pools in California in which we self-administer um claims for workers compensation and liability. Many pools staff that out. We do not. We have a full staff that does it in-house. The beauty of that is our board has um and our members have more intimate interaction with our claims claims adjusters and so we're able to work more closely. We are also the only pool in California that provides a wellness program which the city of Antioch does participate in. The pool is what a pool is is a pool is where the members come together and it's four municipalities

um government entities. There are many pools throughout California. There's about 1,800 pools in California as you'll see in the staff report. We mentioned that. and um funds are joined together and those funds are set aside for the payment for the administration and payment of claims. We are considered a self-insured entity in which we are governed by a board and that board um reviews and defines the memorandums of coverage and how coverage is going to be provided. The exclusion is work workers compensation that is statutory. The law says we do what we do. So there is not a difference in that. Some of the things um our governance speaking of our governments we are 21 members. Every member has a primary and alternate board member. Those members are designated by those individual city councils. Um we also have an executive committee which is a seven member committee made up of the president, vice president, treasurer and a few members at large. The executive committee is the governing authority that reviews claims and considers settlements for those claims that are within our coverage which we'll talk about soon. Um we have another committee which is the coverage and governance committee. That is the committee that reviewed the JPA agreement that you are looking at today and um it's outlined in the staff report the various reviews that it went through. It is a very comprehensive document. It's required um that that document is reviewed and considered by the members of the pool. Those documents in addition to the JPA agreement are the bylaws and the memorandums of coverage. And we have the three primary memorandums of coverage or what uh the workers compensation program, the general liabilility

program, and the vehicle program. Those are the three which have those memorandums of coverage. But we're also self-insured for short-term disability which many of our members also participate in. Some of our services, we have many services. We have 18 programs and as I already said, workers compensation and general liability are primary programs. There are Hallmark programs and our vehicle program which provides coverage for those city vehicles and police vehicles. We um also um because we are a pool, we have access to um brokerage coverage, property brokerage coverages um and so we do receive those coverages at a discounted rate economies of scale based on our uh little family of members. um those brokers review our exposure and our liability and work very hard to bring those costs down for you all. We have a our wellness program is very hands-on, very comprehensive. And then we also provide safety and risk training support um individualized by cities or um we have u a number of annual regularly occurring trainings that are available to all of our members. We have a very very proactive police riskmanagement committee where um members of police departments from every municipality within our pool and there's 18 of our cities do have police that they all participate in. It is a committee of officers who let us know what they need, what kind of trainings do they want, uh what kind of information would they like us to do the research on and provide them. and it's an opportunity for them to come together and share information. That committee meets three times a year. And then we also have a public works and safety committee that's also very active. Members from every city come and

it is for those employees in those um specific departments. Same format. They tell us what we need. We provide that for them. So it's the it's that extra training that is really customized for what the cities are asking from us. And then we have um an ergonomics program which provides ergonomic evaluations for every single employee in all of our members. So um and on-site trainings if they're required and also you're able to access through us the employer's liability pool. It is another pool of pools in which you receive employment liability coverage um which is invaluable to our members because it also comes at a very um reduced cost um due to economies of scale and sharing in the cost of pooling. So our layers of coverage, our workers compensation program, what we provide for you is um 0 coverage up to $500,000 for your workers compensation claims. Then we um access another pool um which is Prism in which we have coverage from 500,000 up to the statutory limits. The general liability program each individual member has a um self-insured retention that ranges from 5,000 to $100,000 and we provide up to a million dollars in coverage in that program. We also have excess coverage through Karma which provides um in-house $9 million. So combined with the two programs we're technically self-insured for $10 million and the and beyond that then it's excess coverage through excess insuranceances and we have um $34.5 million in coverage for general liability. What do we do with all of the the funds that are sent to us? Annually, we charge

our members a premium which is seen in your budget and that is based on a number of factors and it is a share of cost that is shared amongst all the members within the program. We have been we've also been incredibly conservative with that money that you provide. It is invested. It is your money. It is money put there to provide for claims. We are not over actually 90% funded today. I've been with MPA for 10 years and in the beginning we were funded. We were barely above 75% funded. We're now at above 90% funded. What does that mean? Why is that important? Means we have almost all the money in the bank to pay for all anticipated claims for all members. So it's a very good place to be. Same with the general liability program. You can see in 2017 we were funded at 80% and now we are at 90% and in truth we're well above that. This year in July of actually this fiscal year so the beginning of this fiscal year July 2025 we um developed a captive uh we call it municipal pooling authority captive and it's an alternative investment opportunity and it's purely um investment. It's an investment entity that allows us to um take larger risks at how we invest our money so that that money is working better for our members to offset the escalating costs of coverage in general and it is we are almost at a year mark and it has proven to be very um doing very well right now. These are these are all the programs that MPA um provides to our members. And if you'll see all the X's, these are the programs that Antioch directly participates in that we have here today and I'm happy to answer any questions if I can.

All right. Thank you. Thank you for that presentation. Um Sure. Do you want you want to ask a question before public comment? You can ask. Yeah. Is there anybody public comment on the side? No public comment cards. All right. All right. council. Um, so let me ask why would why is it prudent for us to be a member of MBA? Do you compare your program to uh other programs commercial?

Yes. So you so to res to purchase public um private insurance for example would not be as beneficial in in our opinion in in in in the the reason you pull your money is to share in the cost of coverage. You do not pay full fair for all claims. All members share in that cost. there's a cap on the on how much you pay for a claim and then every every dollar over that cap is then spread amongst all the members to share in that cost. So that is the the largest benefit. The the subsequent benefit is that the board writes those MOC's those memorandums of coverage. The board decides how coverage is going to be applied and that is the governing document and of course that's updated every year and it's and it is updated and changes are made based on what um based on laws based on needs of the membership and how that coverage is in in public in private insurance you wouldn't have that flexibility at all. You wouldn't have the ability to change those governing documents. they are what they are. And also I would say the third beneficial component um is because we do have claims administration in house, we have a much more in intimate relationship with our claims administrators. Our cities do. They work very closely with you on that claims administration.

So I I'm certainly not an attorney, but the the changes that it looks like you're recommending are very minor and they're not substantive. This is true. And as a city attorney, I'm sure has had to review your opinion.

That that's correct. Mayor Pertim, it's all of them are just clarifying uh provisions, aligning, changing terminology definitions, u updating statutory references so that they're current with the current law. And I think there's one other category, you saw this in the staff report, refining operational procedural elements. I did look at those four points and I looked through the agreement and it's reflective. So just one last comment. Um in the last several years obviously we we have dealt with a lot of litigation and we are paying out a lot of settlements and frankly I I appreciate the fact that you exist and you've worked with us to get us through all these these issues. So I I just wanted to publicly thank you.

Thank you. That is uh also another benefit of the pool. We are intimately involved with every single one of our members and do what we can to help when the need is there. Absolutely. Um I I had one question in the in the the draft of the new agreement. There's a there's a statement in here that says um such as the city of Pleasant Hill is

I can do that. I'm sorry. Let me grab my notes. I I just wanted to say such as the city of Antioch instead because I think it should have should have been I I I didn't I don't know why why that was c it seemed odd. It was just called out in in this document as one of the member agencies out of the 21. It is a requirement of the um our um of the of the code of the law that allows for pooling entities to to state that we um we don't supersede or override the the laws and requirements of a city and vice versa. So, it's a collaborative relationship. And the reason we show chose the city of Pleasant Hills because they're our founding city. We actually grew out of the city of Pleasant Hill. The original employees of the pool were Pleasant Hill employees. So, um, our our original policies were Pleasant Hill and policies. We still have some of their policies. So, that is why that city was chose. Any city could have been chose.

They were just the honor the more the honorary city. Yes, they were. Okay. Then I won't I won't ask you to change it to Antioch. That's just fine. Any other questions, council? Any We we already asked for public comment. Yeah. So, um can I get a motion to I'll move approval. All right. I have a motion. You have a second, please. I'll second. We have a motion from Mayor Prom Freighus, second from Council Member Roach. Please cast your votes. Thank you very much. Thank you for your presentation. Motion passes 5. All right. Thank you. I am going to take a five minute recess before we start into the uh into our public hearings, which might take a minute or so. So, we'll go ahead and recess for five minutes.

Meeting recessed at 9:10 p.m. Is that right?

Oh, hey.

All right, we're welcome back from our uh recess. Uh, Mr. City Clerk, will you please have the role? Thank you. Council member Roachcha, here. Council member Torres Walker, present. Council member Wilson, here. Mayor Prom Freighus, present. Mayor Bernell. Uh, here. Thank you. We have a quorum at 9:23 p.m. All right. Moving on to item number six, public hearing. Mayor, yes.

I would like to make a motion to suspend the rules and move item 10 up to right uh before item eight. Second. All right. I have a a motion from council member Torres Walker, second from Mayor Promises. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 5-0.

All right. Item 10 is going to be moved before item eight. Um going on item number six, appeal of conditions of approval uh requiring the Lake View Center CIH project to annex into CFD 2018-01 and CFD 2018. Uh this is continued from February 24th. Um, this item has been requested to be continued. So, I'm going to open the public hearing. Um, there's been a motion or there's been a request to continue this item. Do I um Yeah. Is there any public comment on this? Yes, Melissa. Are you kidding me?

Sorry. So my my thing is just about transparency on it because I read the staff report and it says staff is requesting this item be continue off calendar to allow staff and appellent to come to an agreed agreed resolution of the matter and to me that's just so generic and I just I would just like more transparency around that. Thanks. All right. Thank you. Any other public comment? No further public comments. All right. that we're closing the public hearing. Do we have a motion uh to continue this item? So moved. Have a motion from council member Torres Walker. Second.

We have a second from Mayor Pro Tim Fras. Please cast your votes.

Motion passes 5. All right. Moving on. Item number seven, appeal of conditions of approval requiring the Buchanan crossings CI project to annex into CFD 2018-01 and CFD 2018-02. This has been continued from February 24th. Uh this is a public hearing which I'm going to open. Any public comment on this? We have no comment cards. All right, I'm going to close public hearing. Have a motion to continue this item. So moved. Motion from council member Torres Walker. I'll second.

Second from council member Roachcha. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 5-0. All right, moving on to item number 10. This is a city council regular agenda item. Uh this is for CSH Mahogany Housing Home Key Plus program update 2436 Mahogany Way Antioch. This the Antioch Inn and Suites, formerly Comfort Inn. Um city manager Scott. Yes. Thank you so much, Mayor and City Council. Um, interim director store will give a brief update on the project.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. David Store. Uh, this is my real voice. Um, it's not been AIDed. So, um, that's the good news. Um, also more good news is that I'm not alone here in a presentation tonight. I have Punit from CSH Mahogany with us to also provide a presentation and a PowerPoint. This will be his. My just brief update to your council is that you may recall that your council uh passed adopted a resolution last year. We've been working with HCD and the applicant Punit and his team uh with respect to moving forward in steps. Uh the the question came up at the last council meeting to provide an update. So I just want to do that very briefly in the staff report. I did give some background on the s site logistics, the units, that kind of stuff. But when it comes down to where we're at in the process, we are in, as we speak, we have uh an environmental consultant preparing the NEPA work, which is necessary in order for the city to then release at some point um the uh 750,000 one-time payment uh through HUD and CDBG grants. So, uh, with that timeline, um, occurring, we expect to be in the in the realm of of coming to your council for award of the money probably in the early summer, uh, late spring. The uh the time that we have right now from HCD is such that HC HCD staff better say it. HCD staff has uh forwarded recommendation to their not governing body but the next review process called the internal loan committee uh who should be uh tentatively scheduled this this week and hopefully within a week or so depending on how they go through their process. There's no guarantees that we hope to have a decision within the next few weeks. uh certainly within about a month. So, it has been a process that we've been uh working on a lot with respect to the timing of of all of the pieces. And at this point, I'm happy to

answer any questions. And oh, by the way, we will need to talk about a modified timeline, too, because when the award is granted, Punite will have the clock will start for when construction appears um on the property. Uh certainly after acquisition. So, happy to answer any questions and then turn the time over to Pony. Uh Yeah, let's go ahead and hear from Panite first and then we can uh get public comment and then open it up to council. Yes.

Thank you council and the community for giving the opportunity to provide an update on Homekeep Plus. And I know

Excuse me. Can you talk into the mic please? Sorry. Yeah, you can pull that thing down. There you go. Thank you. Yeah, I should have realized that. Uh, hope everyone can hear. Uh, so thanks for the opportunity. We we have been working CSH, City, HCD for the last I think almost an year. Uh, working tirelessly to make sure that the documents at CDS like we submitted on time May 30th. That was the last date. We submitted the application. We received the threshold letter in November. Then we have been providing the details uh updated resolution uh document updates and everything and we have been informed as David was mentioning by CD staff at CD staff's manager that they have all the documents which are needed. They have uh recommended our project for the award. They are uh planned to be meeting they meet every second Thursday of the month. So which is two days from now March 12th they will meet and they will review and assess the staff's recommendation and I think dear told David you on Friday that we should hear within few days or a week and of course they they are saying this timeline can change depending on leadership but we are very hopeful because we have provided all the information which is needed. I just wanted to take quick uh few moments talk about what we have progressed on as well as overall project as well as what we are seeing on Homekeep and also talk about the overall timeline. So as I was mentioning they have communicated we should hear back the award in a week's time at latest few more weeks from then and really special thanks to city manager Scott interim director Stroer city staff HCD staff as well as my entire team uh for getting us to this milestone and of course we are almost there to achieve and receive the muchneeded $34.9 million and these are

proposition one our taxpayer dollars which are there for the county or the state hopefully will come come for the city of Antioch and we would be able to have 85 low-income permanent supportive housing built up by converting and creating the CSH Mahogany housing. Uh also a quick note uh just sharing some good news on CSH's front. We received Homekeep for Sacramento last December. So our process, our following, our diligence is already indicative of one award being won by us on HomeK Plus. And this is in addition to the HomeKey round three award we got in Oakland which is in full swing of construction. In terms of HomeKey Plus background and update, as you guys are aware, this was a NOA which came out in November of 2024 to allocate the Proposition One uh funds. Uh these funds are there to convert hotels or non-residential areas to quickly convert them into housing for homeless or veterans. And uh right now so far the Homekeep Plus is substantially under subscribed. There is at least a billion dollars still outstanding. They had $2.1 billion. They have allocated $900 million so far. So as long as a project meets the threshold, as long as they provide the right documents, as long as they were submitted by May 30th, they will get get the award. And I think that's why the staff has reviewed everything based on what city uh and us have provided them. They have recommended for the for the award. In terms of I just want to take a moment and we had discussed this uh just a refresher. I know it council already knows this and city staff also knows it and possibly community as well. Uh this just talks about the local need and recent steps. Uh 2025 PIT numbers

actually were really much better than 2024 for entire Contra Costa County. A 31% reduction in homelessness. But if you look at where we still stand from 413 in 2024, we're down to 246. But there are still 246 people who are unsheltered. We still have a 792 units for very low income which need to be built for Antioch and uh having CSH Mahogany 85 units really helps towards both those goals. And lastly giving a quick update on where we stand on the project. Uh so property is already planning for the conversion. We have already highlighted that by having that banner. We are trying to keep it keep it vacant and be prepared uh once the award is given. And as the as we had stated earlier the plan is to have extensive case management services, support services. We will have a gated community. We will have 24 by7 security so that we have an actual low-income permanent supportive housing which is well functioning. It already has the appropriate access to health services. It is appropriately located. Uh David already mentioned about the NEPA progress which uh thanks to the city we have made so far. Uh we are on track on that. We also have started engaging or re-engaged with department of behavioral health and H3 who had already committed funding dollars at the time of submission and we are trying to see how additional funds can be secured along with engaging district supervisor and exploring measure X for ongoing support because we want to make sure that it's not just establishing these 85 units but functioning and supporting it successfully for 15 years and then hopefully for 55 years. And we are all into the mission of developing a secure low-income community with services to

address homelessness. That's all I had, but we can open up for any questions which council might have or the community might have. All right. Thank you, Pony. Um, do we have any public comment on this? Yes, we do. Leslie, followed by Mary and Dr. Kimberly. Mary,

I'm so I'm so sorry. I'm like sleepwalking at this point. Um, I just wanted to to also give who found the HomeKey program many many years ago and brought it to Tamisha who then helped spearhead it to the rest of the council and having a council actually approve it. I am so excited and happy and thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Dr. Kimberly and then Nicole.

I just want to say thank you to Andrew too. I don't see him for bringing this to um the council for Antioch in this much needed community. I'm just I think the the main thing that I want to get across or that I want to ask the mayor is I remember that you did an interview with the news um I think it was on 11 on June with Jodie Hernandez and you said that you had a plan for homelessness and at so far I haven't really heard that plan. Tonight I heard that the city is struggling. The city's going to make cuts. The kitty the city has all these issues, but homelessness remains one of the biggest issues facing Antioch. And I hope that tonight that you're the leader to make sure that this passes and moves through because it doesn't seem like it's a burden to the city. Um it seems like this um grant is something to help boost the city and solve some of its problems. So, I hope that you're the standup mayor tonight and help for this to pass. Thank you,

Nicole. This thing don't bend. Okay. Okay. So, I have some notes here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much, Andrew. Can we give him another round of applause, please? All right, y'all. That's enough cuz y'all taking my time. All right. Uhhuh. But thank you so much. Um and thank you uh to Misha Monica. You guys have been y'all have been working on this for a long time. So I just want to say thank you um for you know bringing this forward. Hopefully we can get this passed and get some people housed. So, um, I I had a whole thing that I was going to write, but I before I came here, I actually was looking online and saw you guys actually talking to code enforcement and I was like, what what's, you know, I was a little surprised by some of the things that I heard. I was hoping um I know Mayor, you have brought up the A Street area, 18th Street, and we talked about blight and, you know, the garbage that's in these areas, and you guys were talking about fines, and I was like, well, I hope they are not thinking the solution is to criminalize homelessness with these fines. But if not, you weren't talking about homelessness, I really talking to business owners all of these years, I don't even think it's fair for us to be finding them like that. Now, if we're talking about the board of buildings where they're not doing anything with their businesses, that's one thing. But I remember back in the day, the Straw Hat Pizza that was open off of Summersville ended up they end up moving to Brentwood. And I talked to that owner and he was saying there was nothing I could do. We have unhoused people all over the place. There's nothing we could do. They're urinating. they're, you know, using the bathroom or whatever in front of our businesses. So, I don't think it's fair that we um are even trying to find find our businesses for a situation that really they have no control over. Um, and I say that um just to say that I think even with this program, I think a lot of businesses, a lot of property owners, homeowners, they would appreciate us having a motel like this and having or having this program up and running to get unhoused people from in front of their businesses, in front of residential areas. I think

that's very important. I also wanted to make sure that I made clear that we are spending so much money already. I look back at the video that we had with the um uh homeless the ad hoc committee back with a a former council a few councils ago and um how they talked about how you spend millions of dollars. We had a meeting and um learned that not like for code enforcement, the abatement teams, community development, APD contractors, we had Tri Delta um Tri Delta Transit come out, Sutter Delta, the fire department and talked about how impact how negatively impacted they were financially because of unhoused people being on our streets. Um we also know that when unhoused people even call 911, we have APD come out, fire department. So there's all these different resources that we're already spending so much money for and we need to make sure I mean we just have to do this. It makes no sense if we do not have I would like to know if anybody votes this down what is your solution? Community members Andrew the other count former council community members has been saying this is what we need to do. We need to house people. So if you vote this down what is the solution? That's all I want to know. What is the solution? What is your solution? I truly want to know. We need to work together. But we need to figure this out. Home key. Come on,

Devin. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Um, I'm wired. I have I've had so much caffeine today. But I'm just gonna say, um, I support Project HomeKey. it it's it's a solution. I I saw Councilwoman Walker's post earlier and I was really excited to see that um she was supporting this and with alongside Andrew and um Nicole and I was I I was unaware cuz I've been busy and I didn't know that this was on the agenda tonight. So, thank you for um that public um you know reminder. Um, and I just want to say that there's a lot of people who uh complain and complain and complain about things going on in our city, but they don't have the solutions. They call you guys idiots and blah blah blah. You guys are sitting on your bum all day, but you guys are constantly working. I know that you guys are trying to find solutions. I am sick and tired of seeing people not come up with solutions, but having a a loud presence everywhere else, but they don't want to come do the work. There's advocates out there like Nicole, like Andrew, like Tamisha, like Monica, like the, you know, the the mayor and the rest of the council or I I just think that people really need to put their mouth in this room and work with y'all and work with other people that are in this room because it's it means nothing to say something online and and produce no results. So, what I'm going to say is that please support Project HomeKey. you're we're you know we're hearing a lot about how the community is falling apart, people are doing this and that, but where are the solutions? And so we do, like Nicole said, if if anyone votes down, there there should be a solution right away because there's no reason um to not support this. So, thank you. Um

that's that's my message to the community tonight. I'm wired. Thank you. No further comment cards. Speaker, please come.

Thank you. Um, I just wanted to to bring a couple of additional highlights. Homekeep was was paid for through Prop One, which is a state ballot initiative. Those are your bond dollars. And that $2.2 billion, record $2.2 billion that came out to fund this housing initiative is an average of $55 state resident. And your home key application here in Antioch for your resident population here in the city is a return of an average of $290 a person. That is taking your dollars and receiving an almost 5x return. That is a commitment from a community

with the response that is desired. And so and so I will say that the biggest takeaway here is thank you to the state residents that voted for Prop One. Thank you for the residents throughout the state that pay their taxes and contribute to their communities. Thank you for the people that live in this community and support these services. And most importantly, you know, I really want to say that this is not about me or you. This is about Raheem Co. This is about Tyrone Marshall. the people that I promised this to that are no longer here. But it is a promise that is fulfilled. And that's what representation in your community is. That's what a response to your community's needs is. And so I want to applaud each and every one of you for championing this on our behalf, for being a part of this arduous journey. and more importantly for supporting individuals like Raheem and Tyrone because they do not deserve to have their lives taken on our streets through unjust crimes. Nor do they deserve to expire under a tarp that is purchased from Home Depot on our sidewalks and our communities. We have a higher a higher moral calling and today this update

is that moral calling once again being answered. Thank you.

No further public comments. All right. This is before the council. Any comments from the council? Yeah, council Rocha.

Yeah, I had requested an update because I just wanted to know where we stood. You know, we, you know, looking historically at where it started and, you know, we then resubmitted an application. Um, we've got some information, you know, along the way, but I but I wanted to know because, you know, as we're getting ready, I don't mean Did I cut her off? I'm sorry. Um, didn't mean to do that to you. Okay. But, you know, but as we're as we're looking into developing our budget moving into next year, I felt it was important that we know where we're at. You know what, you know, obviously, you know, there were some questions I had and I think maybe for the benefit of the community, my understanding is that um the state of California, as it was in the slide presentation, I want to believe it's like 34.9 million um if awarded to this project. Uh I I I believe the uh initial purchase of the hotel would we could put we could use potentially uh the CDBG funding that's available to us for acquisition which is 750,000. So if awarded we could uh potentially use that. We have a meeting in two weeks to discuss um CDBG and housing successor funds. So we're trying to pull everything together as we as we move forward. Uh my understanding is all for the city of Antioch be it's going to be a 1.2 um commitment and I understand it's fiveyear periods. So the f it's the first five years that's six million the match has already come from the state and then another five years and what my question was going to be and I don't know if you can answer that or maybe what's the evaluation process as we go through or their goals targets that we look at in each of those five-year increments as we move forward. Um and um those are primarily the main things I wanted to know and I know I saw your information today. I have seen some some

communications that have come regarding um the potential of finding out sooner than later because my um you know from where I'm sitting I want to have all the information I can and moving forward when we go to develop our budget for the 26 27 year. I wanted to know where we stand with this commitment and if it's moving forward with the funding. I just didn't know what the timeline was when we would actually find out whether we're saving it. But it sounds like we're in real time. It's happening right now. So those are the questions that that I really wanted to have raised before us so that we are all on the same page and also for the benefit of the community because I've heard you know I hear comments on both sides you know why are we doing this hotel why are we well I think it's clearly that we have done short-term projects you know opportunity village addressing homelessness and with encampments where we needed to help people to find a place to to live and and survive but those are temporary hurry. Those are lease agreements. We don't own those properties. Once the term ended, we turn it back and then we start over again. This to me, when we first looked at it, was a long-term solution paid by state um funding through taxpayer dollars that is intended for this purpose. And um and uh and and and so for 34.9 million for us to commit 1.2 to annually. To me, it made sense to look at that as an investment towards a long range solution. But I wanted to bring this up tonight so that we can have some clear understandings of where we're at as we are trying to proceed forward in developing this new budget and finding out if there was an answer yet, whether it's yes or no, whether this is happening or not. So that's so I'm the one that brought it up. It wasn't any of the other members. I was the one that had to I've asked this twice over the last um couple meet couple months and so that's why I wanted to start off by kicking off the conversation.

I do have a question for the applicant. Yeah, if you can come on up please.

So the one one concern I have is on page three. It's with regard to the timeline. The applicant provided the following timeline for the project which has lapsed. And so begin construction was supposed to be December 30th, 2025. Um in construction August and occupancy November 2026. So, uh, assuming that, um, we will be favorably reviewed, assuming CDBG is able to move forward with with their money, we've already jumparted the the NEPA process. And so, my question is, you know, um, will you be able to actually make this be a reality according to the timelines that I'm sure they're going to dictate? because it doesn't make any sense to me to go through all this whole effort if you can't produce.

Yeah, absolutely. So, uh just to add and I think I had shared that uh uh staff edit uh with David. Uh so the first timeline which was shared was based on the assumptions of the timeline HCD had shared in terms of awards and so on. So they had said they will start giving awards in September and based on those the pri prior timeline was and then now that we are in March and it's pretty imminent that hopefully we'll get it reviewed March 12th we'll know within a week or so or worst case in 3 four weeks and we can start April May time frame depending on the award lining up along with the NEPA and then we are expecting about 8 to 12 months and that's what our experiences, what we are seeing the rehabilitation are taking and based on that knowledge is what we have put together the revised timeline and we are very confident with that revised timeline. Of course if things delay from either HCD perspective or NEPA perspective or or others that white might move the starting date but what we are trying to be confident upon is when we start we are able to finish within well within the 12 month requirement of completion of construction and 15month requirement of occupancy and that's what we are targeting to do

and so I just want to make sure publicly that you are ready to move forward to get it in that time frame the 12 month and the 15 month

yes and no and I'll tell why I'm saying no is that we have come in November and we have requested multiple times to unlock some of the initial money for pre-development so that we can start for the submission of uh and getting the getting the permit so that that could be lined up as well with those two timelines Okay. I think from a city perspective, we have to know if it's going to be reward awarded to you. So, I mean, you just have to assume that from my perspective, you know, if it's awarded, then you go. Yes, we will be able to meet that. All right. Thank you. Yeah. All right. Any other questions or comments?

All right. The item um requests that uh re move to receive and file. All right. I have a motion to receive and file from Mayor Brompus. Second. Second from council member Wilson. Please cast your votes.

Motion passes 5.

All right. Thank you, Penny. All right. Moving on to item number nine. Uh number eight. Number eight. Yeah, we back to eight. Um, adoption of an inclusionary housing ordinance, uh, IHO, consistent with the city's six cycle. We need to move forward. Um, yeah. Adoption of an inclusionary housing ordinance consistent with city six cycle housing element implementation program 2.1.10. Um,

yes. Thank you so much. Um, mayor and city council Zelada. Um, the city has studied the feasibility of adopting an inclusionary housing ordinance and appropriate optional developer in Lou fee over the last year at multiple study sessions. Tonight, the introduction of the inclusionary housing ordinance is before the council. Additional recommended actions include the establishment of an affordable inclusionary housing trust fund and related amendments to the master fee schedule to establish an inloo fee and monitoring fees. Um Zoe Meredith You're fine. Oh, okay. Yes. Um, Zoe Meredith, our planning manager, will introduce the item and Greg Goodfellow from Placeworks will provide a presentation.

Yeah. Good evening, council. Um, we've been here a few times before for study sessions about the inclusionary housing ordinance. And tonight, we're here to introduce the ordinance and its content. Um I'm joined again by Greg Goodfellow from Place Works who worked on this along with his team. Um so he has a presentation and then we're here to answer questions. Thanks.

Thank you Zoe and thank you counselors and mayor. It's nice to be here again. Um I do have a presentation. There was a lot of background material in my past presentations. I know we we've already had a busy night and there's a lot of legal and technical material here. So, I'll try to move through this quickly, but I do want to make sure the public and the council and the community uh are are are wellversed on the background and and the issue. Um, so what we're going to do tonight, as Zoe just mentioned, is introduce by title only and wave the first reading of an ordinance of the city council amending municipal code title 9 planning and zoning to add article 43 inclusionary housing. The very basic bones of this inclusionary housing element would be a 15% affordable housing inclusionary requirement. It would include an inlue option that would be updated annually and that would be paired with the housing trust fund put shortly. The city needs a place to put these inloo fees that would be collected. Uh it would require an affordable affordable housing plan by all developers who are utilizing uh the IHO and um it includes various standards to ensure that affordable units are up to snuff with the remain with the other market rate standards. Um and so this would involve also adopting a resolution to establish that inclusionary housing trust fund and adopting a resolution amending the master fee schedule to add the inloo fee. All right, very quickly, uh, some background on this. Once again, inclusionary housing 101. This is an ordinance that will require new market rate projects to set aside a percentage of their units as below market rate units. In essence, it's privately subsidized affordable housing. And as you'll hear over and over again, it typically allows for the payment of a fee in lie of constructing those affordable units. I'll get into more detail about that. Why here in Antioch, like so many cities, um there's a heavy arena number here, 1,741 very low, low and middle inome units, this goes all the way back to the development of the housing element, and

it was decided by the council here and by the community here. The housing element was a very communityoriented process to include this action item to complete an IHO study. And in the housing element, it cites a specific goal of constructing 360 to 460 affordable units. So again, we're looking at a finite number here. Obviously, we we can go beyond that, but again, I'm stressing once again that this goes back all the way to the heavily public process of the housing element, which of course is certified by the state in a very rigorous uh review process, which the council is aware of. Um quick what we've done so far, a lot of inputs have gone into this IHO. It has not been developed in a vacuum by any means. We've done heavy in-person outreach going back to 2024 with a hybrid uh multilingual community meeting with live translation. In December of 2024, we met specifically developers to get their thoughts on the IHO, their concerns, their ideas. We've had a heavy online outreach. The website dedicated to this project has been updated constantly. We had a community survey go out in October 15 of 2024. All of the uh results of that outreach has been in past staff reports. I I won't get into the details now except to stress that the contents of this IHO reflect that community input. Uh last year we uh did interviews with local staff in the county to find out uh what uh administering and staffing an IHO was like and get their inputs. And then on the technical side, we completed a financial feasibility analysis which basically assesses the impacts of affordability requirements on the bottom line of market rate units. How are these going to play out? And that's a heavy pro-forma financial process. We also completed an inloo fee analysis. This you haven't seen from me in detail. So I have a section of my pro presentation to go over how we developed that inloo fee. In short, we calculated the local

affordable housing gap and we fill that gap with the fee. And finally, uh, staff and myself have looked and, uh, presented, uh, summaries of existing IHOS in the county, looked at different components and their approaches. Uh, as you, as you know, there's been multiple study sessions of the council and the commission. All right. What is this proposed inclusionary housing ordinance? Again, this first of all, what projects will will this apply to? It'll apply to projects citywide. First of all, there's no geographical scope. It is the entire city and it will apply to projects of five or more units. Why that number five? That fits cog and wheel with the subdivision map act which is uh the threshold is five uh parcel subdivisions for the map act to take shape. And what that does is it sort of sets a stage for this applying to projects of a significant uh size and heft. It's not going to apply to a family developing an extra unit or an ADU or something like that. It fits in with the subdivision map act. The requirement 15% of market rate units as I mentioned 10% of those will have to be affordable to very low-income households and 5% to low-income households. If the project is so small that that 15% uh is is very fractional or difficult to calculate then there is an alternating requirement. Let's say you have uh you know 12 units then you need to apply the very low income and low income requirement um flip-flopping until the requirement is met and that's just uh uh will lead to a balance within those small project and not an over proportion in either way and those affordable units will have to remain affordable in perpetuity. No one's going to make money off them from sales later. they will have to remain deed deed restricted in perpetuity. There's an inlue fee option that is $22,500

per unbuilt unit that will be reassessed annually based on uh the CPI and other factors. This ordinance does not include any alternative compliance. Some in the past have the alternative compliance has been more popular. It has become less popular and less relevant just like incentives because of the extreme number of streamlining and concessions and waiverss that come out of state housing policy lately. Whether it's SP 330, whether it's density bonus, there are so many ways for housing projects to to move through the process easily and to save money easily by providing affordable uh units. And I'll also point out that um without having alternative compliance in this uh IHO uh there's a potential to avoid a lot of administration time for some of these complex options whether it's donating land offsite or things like that which require a lot of staff time and a lot of delays and they focus the or they they tend to remove focus of building affordable housing on the site of the development which is the goal of the The inclusionary h housing ordinance will uh requires an affordable housing plan which is basically a detailed contract between developer and the city. It needs to be submitted with the application. It has to specify the inclusionary calculations. Obviously that 50% is set but let's see exactly how you got there. We want we want you to demonstrate your math and make sure it's consistent with ours. It has to illustrate in the document the inclusionary unit locations and their plans. And again, that is so staff can make sure that they are up to snuff with the standards that are laid out in the document or excuse me in the ordinance. Um whether it's making sure that the exterior materials are of just as amount of high quality uh room sizes are generally in proportion and things like that. And uh the affordable housing plan will require the establishment of annual reporting requirements. Those are just a

few of the bullets that are in the ordinance to make sure that the city and developer are on the same page before this thing kicks off. I mentioned inclusionary unit standards. These are also laid out in the ordinance. All include inclusionary units need to be the same proportion as the market rate units, the bedroom types, etc. At least they need to be at least 90% of the size of market rate units with the same bedroom count, the same bedroom count ratio as the market rate units, the same exterior design and quality of construction as the market rate units. And of course, as should be the case with all housing, they need to meet all standards in title 8 and nine of the Antioch municipal code. So again, the idea here is to ensure that these affordable units are not afterthoughts and they are not considered an add-on to the larger development. They are distributed evenly and they are just as important as the market rate products. All right, I'll spend a little bit of time here on the technical component of the incl of the inloo fee and the associated housing trust fund. There are many ways that consultants and cities and counties alike uh develop and identify their their required in Luffy. We use the approach called the affordable housing financing gap which is quite common. In at its core essence, what we did is we calculated the full cost of developing a single affordable unit in the city of Antioch, which is $440,000. Of course, I'll explain how we got there. Then we calculated the average total reliable per unit financing that a developer, an affordable housing developer typically receives per unit. That is $237,512. And then you subtract the latter from the former and you find out that gap that and you get that financing gap of $22,488. Associated with that then is our inlue fee to close that gap. $22,500 as I mentioned earlier.

All right. So how did we come up what were the steps we took to find out to get this data to find out this information? The first thing that we did was we reviewed and identified um recent affordable housing development projects to get their unit costs to find out the average lowincome housing tax credit that was used and applied and the average bank financing that was used because those are the two types of reliable funding that go to affordable housing projects in the state of California. Uh financing, as you'll see, is somewhat of an art. There are many other different types of of funding that developers use, but those are not the reliable ones. They're a mishmash. They are different amounts, different subsets. It is LHITC's and bank financing that we really want to assess. The source of these is the California State Treasurer's Office. We they have an archive of all project that use those tax credits and they um include detailed project descriptions, cost and financing information for all those projects. So, we were able to get on that system and pick out a series of projects in Contraosta County. This is sort of what I was saying earlier. Here's an example in for El Crito Plaza. Uh, this was 70 unit um project with one and two three-bedroom units. The total cost was $69.6 million. Very quickly you can see that those two um uh rock solid sources the tax credit equities that was 36% of the financing and the bank financing was only 6%. And then you can see this is an example of all the different types of financing that is out there if if it can be found whether it's uh deferred fees, state funds, county funds or other and all these have different subsets. So my point here was just to show that this is an example of the um the fact that the two reliable sources of financing here only total 42% of the total and there's that gap you're seeing that gap then is having to be filled with all these other sources.

So if we summarize these five products we we selected from the county and those are listed across the bottom. The total cost of developing the all those five projects was $332 million and those included a total of $376 units. So what's the average cost of those units is $882,000 each. Now of course that's higher than the figure I just gave for Annioch. Remember this spreads all the way from Walnut Creek to um Elserto. Obviously uh inputs are different in different cities. This is a countywide average. And then we took the information that I also just mentioned we could find of those 376 units. We found out through the state treasurer that 50,500,000 in bank financing went to those. And that averages or excuse me that calculates out to $134,000 per unit and $128,500,000 in federal tax credits were used. And that um averages out to $342,000 a unit. So once again, if we for the countywide, we found that it was $882,000 to uh to uh build a unit, well, we subtract that 134,000 in bank financing, that 342,000 in tax credits, and you get that gap of $46,000, which is 46.02% of the average cost of unit. So now we've got that ratio for the county. Of course, then we need to apply that to Antioch. So what we did is we modeled a conceptual housing development here which is something we had done also in the financial feasibility analysis. That project was based on recent and entitled projects. Then we calculated the development cost and this of course includes all the tailored units from Annioch whether it's the impact fees the soft cost etc. And we found that that um exemplar unit would cost $36 million and that equates to $440,000 per affordable

dwelling unit. Again, much less than that 880,000 countywide. And then we calculated that expected financing gap. We applied that 46.02% ratio to that $440,000 total and got that $22,000 $500, excuse me, $22,500 financing gap. And then we absolutely aware that you need to get information from the ground. And so the first thing we did with that with those conclusions was take them to affordable housing developers. We got great insights from the vice president of real estate development in Eden Housing. I should mention that the numbers I just gave you reflected their input already because we took our numbers to these developers and what we heard from the first gentleman was that you need to increase your perunit cost because uh financing costs, city impact fees, and design costs are really boosting up right now. And so our our original number was a little bit less than that 440,000 and we increased those costs specifically the design costs and some of the other soft costs the legal fees based on his inputs. And we heard the same thing from Cypress equity which really uh nailed home that yes I we we might have under estimated those soft costs. So again we we increased them. However both of the developers felt like our inloo fee and the ratio on which it was based is reasonable. And to quote uh the gentleman at Cypress, this will go a long way in helping an affordable housing developer. A project that once wouldn't pencil will now become feasible. So we did get good insights on our um inloo fee, but again that inloo fee increased based on the increases in soft costs that they mentioned. So this was vetted by those who are who practice um development. Now the inclusionary housing trust fund, every city who collects inloo fees needs a place to put it. The idea being that these inloo fees needs to go back into the prioritization of affordable

housing. This is a repository of inlue fees and every housing trust fund needs to be led by a council approved set of administrative guidelines and um the housing trust fund guidelines you've seen are uh to some are to assist in the creation and preservation of affordable housing in the city of Antioch for the benefit of extremely low very low and moderate income households. And there's a larger list of potential distribution and uses of the fees, creation, new affordable units, of course being the top, preservation of existing affordable units, assistance with rehabilitation programs, conversion of market rate units, and supporting the construction of ADUs, which are uh by their very nature affordable. Those are just a few of those um distribution and uses. Um to remind you what what we heard on February 4th from the planning commission, there was a 40 recommendation that the city adopt the IHO. They did have some very interesting and very valid questions and requests for review. The first being, could it be written into the ordinance that um prioritization be given to Antioch residents for these affordable units? I'm sorry. And there is conflicts. Uh, I did research with my contacts at MTC and at Abag. The city did their own research. There are

Oh my gosh. I was gonna say David was

I'm sorry. So there was the um potential for conflict with state fair housing laws and it really staff and myself felt the potential liabilities would outweigh the benefits of that given these conflicts and that that was uh borne out by again by MTC and so and their housing experts. So staff did not recommend it. There was another request to review the um establishment of preferences for local unions. And again, this goes back to potential conflicts with existing laws. Um the National Labor Relations Act, the State Housing Element Law, and local zoning authority all contain limits or barriers to that type of preference. And this does not reflect staff's lack of prioritization of either Antioch residents or of course local unions. But it's really just to keep the um the ordinance um conflict free and on legal ground. Planning commission uh asked that we look at the uh ensuring that the housing trust fund prioritizes funds for affordable housing and housing development. And um again, staff clarified that the admin guidelines will provide these options for the city council to review for how the funds are spent and allow funds to be spent strategically on a variety of needs. So again, the point being these guidelines are approved by you, the council, and um uh the assumption of course is that these funds will prioritize uh affordable housing development. uh planning commission also had a a very valid question about prioritizing extremely lowincome households. There is a strange um structural uh issue with the state with HCD and ELI. ELI is if you look you know directly into this

into the uh the state's housing building block website ELI is considered a quote subset of very low income. So whereas the separation between the income levels is traditionally a break ELI is 0 to 30 within that 0 to 50 of VLI and therefore that's why we don't see it on our arena targets. So although uh HCD does not deprioritize ELI, you know, uh cities are asked to study ELI needs and ELI approaches in their housing elements. They are not part of Reena. And by by including ELI in the um uh uh the housing ordinance itself, it brings us a little bit out of locks out of lock step with the progress requested by the state and keeping this consistent with the housing element. So again, this does not mean ELI is deprioritized. It is simply that that income range is within VLI. And finally, um the PC uh asked whether we could audit the housing trust fund in the first quarter of the year and then every each every two years hereafter to determine the percent of projects that are using the inloo fees. In other words, in other words, is this working? And uh clearly city council can include this recommendation in the draft ordinance and in or in the um housing trust fund admin guidelines itself. All those were very good points to a very welltuned planning commission. Again, this goes back to my first slide of the recommended action by staff introduced by title only and wave the first reading of an ordinance of the city council amending the municipal code title 9 with those components of that uh IHO that I've gone over. Adopt the resolution establishing the inclusionary housing trust fund. again that place to put those inloo fees and adopt a resolution amending the master fee schedule to add an inloo fee and an

affordable housing compliance monitoring fee. That is the end of my presentation. I'm here to answer questions. All right. Thank you. Uh this is a this is a public hearing so I'm going to open it right now. Um and uh do we have um um um proponent for the project.

Mr. Mayor, before the speaker, I'd like to actually make a motion to extend our meeting to 12 midnight. Okay. We have a motion to extend the meeting at 12 midnight. Do we have a second? Well, we're not we're not going to get there. Can Can we Well, just mean it means we we go up too. We can finish earlier than that. Just means that we can go up too. I'll second it.

Okay. We have a motion in a second. Please um motion by Mayor Mayor Pro Tim Freighus, second by Council Member Roachcha. Catch your votes, please. Motion passes four with one abstaining. It's always one. All right. So, who is um who is going to be the proponent then? Okay. You're gonna be the proponent. All right. If I Yeah.

Well, I mean, it's Yeah. Somebody. Okay. We're we're a big group coalition, so that we're we're all together, right? You'll have 10 minutes.

Okay, I won't take it, but uh that's great. Um well, good evening, mayor and council. My name is Joey Flegel Mishlov. I'm here uh I work with East Bay Housing Organizations. We're a housing justice coalition that works in Alama and Contraostasa County. We have uh over 40 years of experience working with housing policies, including uh inclusionary housing ordinances in multiple jurisdictions in the area. and uh we have worked together with a broad coalition of of other organizations based in Antioch that are also proponents of the inclusionary housing ordinance here. So I'm I'm going to just read the list of of folks. Some of them are in the room tonight and some of them are not. Uh we are here with the California Center for Movement Legal Services, the Contraosta Budget Justice Coalition, the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, Eastbay Housing Organizations, the Ensuring Opportunity Campaign to End Poverty in Contraosta County, Hope Solutions, Lift Up Contraosta, Monument Impact, the Multiffaith Action Coalition, Public Advocates, Rising Huntos, and United Latino Voices of Contraosta County. So altogether that's a coalition that brings years of experience working on inclusionary housing ordinances and also represents faith leaders, service providers, housing developers, and Antioch residents who are directly impacted by our our housing affordability crisis. Together we are here to support the passage of an inclusionary housing ordinance. We know that this is a necessary uh tool for Antioch to use to address the affordability crisis uh in in our city and in our region. We know that it is an appropriate tool. We are a growing city with uh plentiful opportunities for development. That is the the exact climate in which you want to implement an inclusionary housing ordinance because we know that new housing is being built, but we also know that not enough housing is being built that targets lowincome, very low-income,

extremely low-income residents here in in Antioch. I was looking at uh the past two years of building permits in Antioch and there were 740 homes uh permitted, but only 50 of those were designated for low or very low-income residents. And of those, many of them were ADUs, which means that we're guessing that they're uh low-income housing. We don't actually have a way of verifying that. They're not deed restricted. They won't be permanently affordable as would be required by the IHO. So, we're building a lot. Again, you know, we're not at risk of not building enough, but we are not building enough for low-income residents. The IHO would ensure not only that we build affordable housing, but that it would be built throughout the city and would not cost the city any money. Wouldn't require us to go out and uh apply for uh more homekey projects, although we should be doing that, but wouldn't take anything away from that, right? Wouldn't wouldn't divert resources from other important places in the city. Instead, it asks developers who are coming and who are going to profit, who are going to continue to profit in Antioch to also contribute and uh and dedicate some of their resources towards making sure that all Antioch residents uh have an affordable place to call home. I want to emphasize that this is a mainstream tool. Antioch is not the first. City won't be going out on a limb by adopting this. 14 of our neighboring 19 jurisdictions in in Contracasta County already have inclusionary ordinances and so we're on solid ground here and uh taking a a welltrodden path that works well and works well for other jurisdictions. The coalition does have two recommendations for uh how the the ordinance could be slightly stronger. One is we suggest a 20% inclusionary rate. Um 15% is a great step in the right direction, but this is an urgent moment. 60% of Antioch residents spend more than 30% of their income on rent.

They are rent burdened. Um that's close to 2/3. Another twothirds of Antioch residents are designated as being at risk of displacement or uh or gentrification. So again, the risk of not building enough affordable housing is real. It's present. For two years in a row, Antioch has had the highest number of unhoused individuals in the county. So, this is an urgent moment and we we want to ask that we're doing everything we can to meet that moment and meet that urgency. The second recommendation we have is that we do believe the ordinance can do more to target extremely low-income individuals. That's that subcategory of very low income that uh the consultant team mentioned. So, what we expect with an inclusionary housing ordinance, because we're asking for-profit developers to build uh affordable housing, they're going to build at the very top of the range. They're going to build the most expensive housing that qualifies for very low-income residents. That's still a great step, and we still encourage that. But to reach the most vulnerable members of our community, to reach extremely lowincome uh community members, we'll need specificity because the developers won't do that on their own. So, there's two ways we can achieve that. One is including a simple requirement. A certain percentage, 5% of of the affordable homes have to be affordable to extremely low-income individuals. The other way we can do that is beefing up the side of the ordinance, the alternative compliance, the inloo fee, because those fees will be used by affordable housing developers who specialize in reaching extremely low-income individuals. And so what we suggest is that either include that 5% extremely low income requirement or uh create uh an addition to the ENLU fee which would be a land donation option where uh developers could donate could contribute to the ENL fee rather than in cash with land and that will provide an option for an affordable housing developer to come in and use that land to build housing that is more likely to reach extremely low-income individuals. So, those are are two recommendations,

but overall, you know, we're really appreciative of the work that the city, that the staff, that the consultants have done. This is a strong ordinance. We're on a strong path. Uh, we know that there are various objections, whether they are legal or for the feasibility of developers. We know that your staff has addressed those. We know that staff has looked at the legality and found we're on firm footing. Looked at the feasibility and found that this will not deter development in Antioch. Far from it. And so we're excited to see the city move forward with this step and and we are hopeful that we'll move forward with the strongest most impactful ordinance that we can. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Do we have anybody to speak in opposition to the ordinance? Uh yes, we have a

Mr. Becker. Speak in opposition to the ordinance. No, okay. Yeah. So we're looking opposition. Yeah. It's opposition to the ordinance.

You You'll have 10 minutes, Mr. Joy.

I hadn't planned on 10 minutes, so I'll try not to use it all. Um I didn't prepare for that, but um thank you for allowing me to speak. um the gentleman that you're being misled. What you're being told is untrue. We're they're not asking developers to contribute. They're requiring them to contribute. And there's a big difference. Let's talk about the law. I'm not an attorney. I could bring one down here from the Pacific Legal Foundation if you'd like to hear from them. They're going back to court. They're going back to the United States Supreme Court. And at least one of you up there understands federalism and understands that when the United States Supreme Court makes a ruling, as our current president recently said, it's not an unfortunate event. It's a ruling. It's a command. It is the law. Mr. Sites went to court. And the ruling is that the fees charged by either administration or by legislation have to directly affect what burdens occur at the municipal level by that development. These individuals are talking about all of the town, all of the people that need housing. Now, if you want to have a discussion about the importance of

housing people, lowincome people and extremely low-income people, that is definitely a conversation worth having and I would be glad to discuss that. But this is not the way. This is a violation of the fifth amendment of the constitution and the 14th amendment of the constitution. It does not offer due process and it is an illegal taking. Now the United States Supreme Court moves very slowly. Mr. Sites took six years to get there the first time. But I assure you that within the future you will see that inclusionary housing in which private property owners, they call them developers, they're private property owners, you're extracting money from them. It basically comes down to municipal extortion. We need to fix the social problem and we need your money. No. No. It's wrong. It's fundamentally wrong. This country is a republic. It was based on democracy and capitalism, not socialism. When you take people's property, when you extract money from them illegally, they're entitled to compensation. Now, I have laid down a paper trail. I've spoken here. I've written to you. I've outlined my concerns. I don't expect you to side with me or

the law. In actuality, the California Supreme Court tried to do a workaround on the United States Supreme Court decision and that's why Mr. Sites and the Pacific Legal Foundation are going back to court. The gentleman who prepared this report which should be round filed only quotes California law and nothing passed based on my recollection passed 2017. The sites case was decided in 2024. It may take him another six years to get a decision. Someone is going to step forward to fight inclusionary housing. But let's talk about who actually pays the fee. They sit there and then they stand up and they tell you, "Well, the developer will pay it." No, he won't. This is akin to a tariff. They're going to charge the developer and then all the market rate homes, they're going to divide up that cost and they're just going to add it on top. They're not going to eat millions of dollars. I run a business. I wouldn't do it. No reasonable capitalist would. So, who's actually going to pay it? The consumer. The middle class person who has saved the money to buy their first home because most buyers in this town are firsttime buyers. They're going to pay it. Is that really fair? Really? Because I don't think so. It's a great idea, but it's being done incorrectly.

As I said, I don't expect that you will table this matter. I expect that you will most likely approve it, but you're on very tenuous ground. And if you actually put together a trust fund where you've collected all this money and someone sues you and they want their money back, like the thousands of companies that want their tariff money back, who have filed suit against the federal government, you're going to have to pay it back because you've been warned and the paper trail exists. I suggest I request that you vote no. Thank you for your time.

Right. Thank you. Uh do we have any uh public comment on this item?

Yes. Can we have Anthony followed by Mark and then Pastor Josie? All right. Uh, Mayor Bernal, council members, thank you for having me speak tonight. My name is Anthony Carroll. I'm speaking on behalf of Carpenters Local 152, who represent over 650 working people in Antioch and thousands more across Contraosta County. Over the past 5 years, the Carpenters have been by and large the most outspoken and supportive voice of pro-ousing policy coming out of the construction trades. and our members are no strangers to the housing affordability crisis either. It is our sincere hope that this inclusionary housing ordinance does well for the low-income residents of Antioch and generates new affordable residential construction in the city. As discussed, along with the inclusionary housing ordinance, there's also the inclusionary housing trust fund slated to be created um as part of this policy with inl fees set at $22,500 per affordable unit. We're looking at potentially millions of dollars generated for new affordable housing production. The Carpenters are in support of this policy overall, but I'm here tonight to ask you to stay or continue the vote on the inclusionary housing trust fund to work with us first to create a labor standards resolution that provides or requires prevailing wages, healthcare expenditures, and apprenticeship training opportunities on all projects receiving funds from the housing trust fund. These labor standards are crucial to ensuring that city funds for affordable housing do not end up uh contributing to a cycle of exploitation so often faced by non-UN construction workers. These standards are consistent with recent state laws such as AB 2011 and other revenue generating measures from uh cities and counties throughout the Bay Area. And I

want to be very clear, this was a misunderstanding from the planning commission. The resolution that we are proposing is not a mandate for union labor. Rather, this is a proposal aimed at raising labor standards for all workers on projects receiving public funds. We do not feel that there is any concerns of f running a foul of the NLRB, state AFH obligations or any other openness to litigation because these are city funds and similar to any other revenue generating measure. It is your right to attach the type of labor standards that you want and you see fit. I'd also like to um give a little shout out to the rising it's rising hundos correct um these recommendations from them to increase the inclusionary requirement to 20% as well as raising the inloo fees I feel that both of those are appropriate and I know that the carpenters would be supportive of those uh changes to the proposal as well so we have sent draft resolution language to the mayor I believe maybe other council members if not we will be reaching out to you all shortly I ask that you please uh move to continue the vote until the next meeting so that we can work to protect the construction workers without whom none of this new housing will ever be built. Thank you for your time.

Mark followed by Pastor Josie and then Devin. Thank you

Pastor Josie. Good evening everyone. It's been quite a night. My name is Pastor Josie and I'm the pastor of the Antioch 7th Day Adventist Church. I'm here as a faith leader, a community member, and a landlord in the city of Antioch. From those perspectives, I want to express my support in the ordinance. Um, I want to encourage you to pass it or at least continue it um with all of the um other people who have spoken that would like to contribute to making sure that we pass an ordinance that is inclusive of everyone who will participate in it. Um, as a landlord, part of my responsibilities um include working with tenant concerns and my experience has been eyeopening. Often tenants with the highest income have created the most challenges, while those with more modest incomes are frequently the most responsible and reliable. In my experience, this issue is also personal for me. I was raised by a single mother who relied on affordable housing to raise two teenage daughters. These opportunities of affordable housing have helped um place in us um it helped to place us in a safer community. Um and I believe that being in a safer community had a positive impact in our life. Right now Antioch leads the county in homelessness. But imagine if we became known instead as the city that led the county in reducing it. Um to help make this possible, I I'm going to agree with the recommendations that were given. Um from a faith perspective, I believe that it

is extremely important that we prioritize the most vulnerable in our communities. Um, it is more important that we prioritize people than profits. And so I would ask that you would consider increasing this to 20%. Um, a slightly stronger commitment today could make a more meaningful difference for many families like mine in the near future. Um, in terms of the extremely lowincome residents, I would also like to see a land dedication option so nonprofits can build affordable housing with supportive services. Um, uh, I was the former uh, chair of uh, 7th Day Adventists pastors and leaders in Contraosta County. And um right now we are currently seeing if we can work with one of our churches to help build affordable housing on their land in Pittsburgh. Um I think that's something that we could do here as well. Um the decisions that you make tonight will shape not only the buildings in our city but the lives that grow within them. And so because a truly so strong city is not where only the wealthy can live, but where every family has an opportunity to call it a home. Thank you for your time. Devon, followed by Cecilia.

All right, good evening again. I'm a little calm now. Um, it's late and I know you want to go home, but um, so inclusionary housing uh, to me, what does it mean? Um, so I'll start here. Thanks uh you know for decades now of unchecked power and of capitalism and bribes being taken in our federal government and our uh state governments. You know Gen Z millennials like myself and uh generation alpha will have more continued suffering uh when it comes to home ownership. Uh people are quick to say you know pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Um and I've heard recently like we can't even afford boots at this point. Um, we can't afford a car, bus fair, food to get us through a long day. Um, my boots are pulled up, but they're a little old now. Um, I am blessed enough to have family that I can rely on for shelter and save money and hopefully one day buy a home um to call my own. I can already uh see people at home probably rolling their eyes and saying, "Get a better job. Go back to school." But you know what, ma'am or sir? Uh, I know people with three degrees and they're still struggling to pay for a two uh, bedroom apartment. So, yeah, I'm I'm a little blessed here. Um, it shouldn't be this hard and I know it wasn't always this hard because about 30 years ago, my parents were able to buy a home in San Francisco in their 20s. And that's my story. But, you know, there's so many people in Antioch who don't have that story, who have a relation to my story at all, you know, and they grew up here. And I don't know everyone in the city, but I know that there is a need. Um, and I'll tell you a little story about me when I was a teenager. So, I used to

play this game called The Sims at home, right? I don't know if y'all know it, but it's a it's a game, a simulation where you build a home, start a family. It's super fun. I used to build homes that I would want to live in one day. And I thought, you know, the world's decent and you you know, I'll be able to do that. My parents did it, my friends and family members, whatever. Not in 2008. When I graduated high school, there was, you know, as you guys know, a little bit of history, the economy tanked, housing market sucks, and we're suffering for it from it still today. Um, and I know there's so many teenagers out there with the same dream of like like I had to own a home, pursue the career that they wanted to. I used to dream of kicking my feet up after the rap day on set and just like watching a movie or reading, you know, my next script for my next project cuz, you know, if you know, if you know me, you know, right? I don't I don't have that privilege because I decided to do this work. Um, so my dream is put on hold. And that's really the short version, but I implore everyone to like really do their research. Um, I don't think we're breaking any laws here. Um, we have a city attorney that would have told us, you know, oh, you're breaking the law. Anyway, not to not to hold y'all up a little bit longer, but um now now that my dream is on hold, I am fighting for the right to make this right and afford affordable inclusionary, whatever you want to call it. Um it doesn't mean developers, you know, we're going to hold you, you know, tight and make sure you can't do anything or leave. It means that developers read the freaking room. Like, read the room. Um, it's always about you, but now today it should be about the community. Um, let let the community have this one. Right. So, inclusionary housing, in my closing, thank you for the five minutes. Um, what it means to me is um the

opportunity for families to grow up in a place they can call their own, even if they don't own it, but they can afford to live there. Um, so for the most part, I hope you guys pass this. Um and I I you know I really wanted labor to have a part piece that you know piece of this conversation as well but I think you know it's long time coming that we have something like this in Antioch. Um thank you all. Good night. Cecilia followed by Melissa.

It's so cold in here. So stuffy. Hi, good evening council members and city staff. My name is Cecilia Perez. I am a community organizer with Rising Huntos and I'm also an ENAC resident. Everyone in this room cares about the well-being of our community. ENIAC is diverse is a diverse city where families come to build their lives, raise their children, and feel a sense of belonging. Rising Huntos has been before this council for many years urging safe, affordable, and dignified housing. In 2020, we produced a comprehensive housing report that in addition to tenant protections pointed to the need for inclusion inclusionary housing ordinances. ENC residents support inclusionary housing and we thank council for considering the proposal before you tonight. Rising Huntos has long asserted that in order for ENAC to thrive, we need affordable housing. In spite of this council's important leadership to pass much needed tenant protections, more is needed. This policy is key to continue the great work that we've been that that we've done together to stabilize housing. ENIAC residents continue to struggle with homelessness. The majority of extremely lowincome residents in particular are in urgent need of housing that is actually affordable. The proposed 15% inclusionary requirement is a step in the right direction but is not nearly enough. We are asking for a 20% which would have a meaningful impact in creating truly affordable housing for families. A 20% rate is reasonable. It is commonly used in many cities and it will ensure that as ENIA continues to

grow, that growth includes homes that working families, seniors, immigrants, and residents on fixed incomes can afford. A 20% inclusionary requirement would allow families to remain in the city they call home and also keep our city strong. I urge you to pass at least a 20% inclusionary requirement in the inclusionary housing ordinance so that our city's housing policies reflect the needs, values, and dignity of people who live here. Thank you. And we urge you to vote yes and continue stabilizing housing in our community. Thank you, Melissa, followed by Mr. Becker. I've been waiting for this. Um, I actually do believe in the I'm a realtor and I believe in the inclusionary housing ordinance. Um, and I looked at the lawsuits and it seems like the courts are siding with the cities more than they are with the um, people that sue the cities except when it comes to smaller sites. So maybe you should revisit that or I just did a quick search on that. But having developers pay for amenities like parks, playgrounds, we've been doing that. Schools, we've been doing that. And yes, they added on to the market rate homes. So to me, this is just like another amenity for Antioch is the um BMR homes. So um I do agree a minimum for very low and low income housing. The I'm not sure if I like the 20%. I feel like we could

revisit that later because um some of the developers say, "Oh, they have a hard time selling." I don't know if I believe him, but um that's what they're telling everyone. I really appreciated how he came up with the um inluff fees. I am kind of wanting it to be more because I think the value of having BMR homes on the market is a more value than receiving those fees. That's just my personal opinion. Um, sorry I have I have tons of notes. I'm just going to say I have at least in my database right now minimum three people that would benefit from BMR homes and the the developers said in the feedback when I looked over the packet is they said developers stressed that difficulty of calling for qualifying for home loans may impede the function of an IHO per participants lower income households in Contraosta typically face severe economic barriers to mortgage qualifications including adequate down payment. Well, there's two reasons people don't buy homes. FICO scores, down payment, down payment assistance. There's so many programs. My home, my zip, California Dream Act, there's down payment assistance for those buyers. FICO scores, well, that's personal choice. They didn't make their payments on time, but guess what? That's something they can work on with a qualified loan officer or a loan program that helps you improve your credit. So, buying a home is a privilege. You need to have your credit score up to do that. And it just shows the bank that you are responsible and they will want to loan to you then. Um, so I looked up some MLS data since I have access to it. In the last year, there have been eight on the MLS. There may have been more because

new home developments don't always put their BMRs on the MLS. There have been eight homes that are BMRs on the MLS and last year they all sold. Guess how many are currently on the market? Zero. They've all sold. So that tells me that there is a need for it and that developers say, "Oh, there's a barrier to come." Well, those barriers are people are buying these homes. Um, sorry. Um, so here's some more stats about Antioch. So, first-time home buyers, they're the most fun to work with because you hand them their keys, it gives you a good feeling. They're started their home ownership journey. I just put one into contract, not in Antioch and Valo, but still, I'm very happy. Um, but in Antioch, the the basic minimum to buy a home in Antioch is 450,000 for a desirable, I would say, a desirable older home built in 1970. That's that's what you need to buy a home. You can buy condos cheaper and and fixers uper cheaper. So, if you take that 450, do like a 6% interest rate with 3% down. I had my lender help me with this. It means you would have to have a household income of 138,000 to qualify comfortably for this house. And that's at a 50 uh debt to income ratio. Um, guess what? Aniac medium's household income is 98,000. So, we clearly need it. We clearly need it. And I um also researched a little bit about BMR homes. Oh my god, five minutes goes so fast. Um, I don't know if you can do this, but make it um, write a first refusal for city workers, teachers, first responders. I know some cities done that. And I think that to truly improve our community, you're the best of five people around you. So, if you mix these uses in between, you're

going to raise people up. And so, I am for this. Thank you. A long time coming and it feels like a long conversation, but when you think back, I honestly feel like sometimes it just seems like it's 30 minutes here or an hour there and a lot gets really left off the table. And so I I'm a little concerned when I look at this ordinance because the whole intent of this of this process was to understand Antioch's needs. And from this proposal in the inclusionary housing program, it looks like it's really catering towards the affordable housing market that is the lowincome housing tax credit developer model that primarily targets 60 to 70 to 80% AMI. And so we literally are talking about putting dollars into a housing trust fund that is going to help the community's needs. So let's look at a real life scenario here in Antioch. Standard communities just received entitlements on a property that the city of Antioch created a commercial infill housing overlay that streamlines the process, reducing costs from the developer, allowing them to deepen their AMIs to meet the lower AMI community needs. We understand that our regional housing need allocations say that our two largest by far are our extremely low and are above moderate but the above

moderate comes out of the picture because this is affordable housing. So if we understand it's the extremely low but we understand that the tax credit developers primarily target low income you end up with Buchanan crossings receiving from standard communities through what I imagine will be a low-income housing tax credit either 9% or 4% that per their numbers that they submitted to the city is developing a 185 units. I hope this is the right project, but they're all around the same um AMI, so you'll get the picture. 185 units of low income but only 23 of extremely low and 23 of very low. So Buchanan crossings where the per capita income per individual in 3072.01 census tract is $28,000 for a single individual. you are only bringing 44 units out of over 200 o approximately 200 units where the city already incentivize that developer by creating a streamlined ministerial approval process. So then we dig deeper and we say well why are they only tax credit projects? Well if you look at the numbers that were given and prevailing wage per unit cost those are not realistic. I'm sure the consultant could agree that the deeper the AMI, the higher the unit cost because there there are other inherent costs that come within those developments such as permanent supportive housing models, wraparound

services, and more intensive uh supportive space on site, leading you to a higher prevailing wage costs that here in the Bay Area and even up into Northern California on projects that I'm working on range from 550 50 to750,000 per unit. So then if you say, well, we're going to put these dollars into the housing trust fund so that we can help the true community needs here in Antioch. We're now acknowledging that those developers are going to take those dollars and predominantly put them into the 60 to 70% AMI, which is our middle needed bracket. And frankly, through the three projects that were submitted in that overlay, we have already met the arena needs alone. So that's actually wiped out. We've addressed that per our arena cycle. It's 400 and something units. So what about the 796 that we have to build where out of those three projects, we get 60. Now, once again, I feel like it's three minutes to talk here, an hour here, or 30 minutes here. My name is Andrew Becker. Pretty much everybody knows my number. Please call me so we can talk further.

We have no further comment cards. All right. No.

Hello. Good evening. My name is Tahara Dean and I'm a staff attorney at Public Advocates uh nonprofit uh public interest law firm that supports education, housing, and transportation justice work. We challenge the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices and I'm here today in support of an inclusionary housing ordinance. IHOS are a great way to ensure that developers build with the majority of Antioch residents in mind, not just for those who can afford luxury units. and Antioch wouldn't be the first nor the last to adopt an IHO. A 2017 report estimated that 149 cities and counties across California have some form of inclusionary zoning policy, making it one of the most popular ways to ensure affordable housing gets built. The city, this city should move forward with an IHO with confidence knowing that California courts have found IHOS to be constitutional. Um, I'll repeat that. California courts have found that IHOS's are constitutional and in addition at the federal level while there have been challenges to it the constitutionality under the fifth amendment those have not been successful um currently it is still good law to push forward uh an inclusionary housing ordinance. Um there would be a lot of cities right now that would be shaking in their boots if this was um you know if this was if this was at issue um legally um cities have broad authority under the constitution to decide for the good of the general welfare what is the best policy for their residents and this includes adopting an inclusionary housing ordinance. Um I public advocates agrees with our our colleagues in the coalition about making a few amendments to the ordinance but otherwise we really um appreciate your dedication to this issue and hope it goes forward. Thank you.

No further speakers. All right. Being there no further speakers, I'll close hearing and this is open to the uh council to ask questions of the consultant or staff for discussion.

You want me to summarize what I feel is sort of the key point? Well, one question I have I have uh yeah um council member Roachcha one is uh with this IHO if we if it were to move forward um that is for new would be for new developments for example um we have previous projects that have been approved would that be um required

Zoe I didn't know who to look Um yeah so this would be for new developments moving forward. There are specific outlines in the ordinance of um what but yes in the inclusionary housing ordinances for the new projects coming in the city. Zoe can ask a question followup. What what constitutes the the point in time where a project is considered um this this ordinance would be applicable to that project? You mean like like if the project's deemed complete or what would what would be the

Yeah. So um it would be deemed com we have the exact language but it would generally be deemed complete also under um SB330 if you file a complete preliminary applica development application that vests your rights at the time that application was submitted. So any projects with those which are most housing projects at this point. So, so of the 10 overlay projects that we see online with the multifamily projects on them, are are most all of those deemed complete already?

Yeah. So, I would say not just um like I believe you're talking about like the commercial infill housing overlay, but just housing projects in general. I don't think there's any entitle projects in entitlement that this would apply to currently would be projects only because they're either deemed complete or they have that SB330 application. So be projects after newer projects after those in the pipeline. Yeah. Okay. Thank you.

And I was about to leave but guess I will ask the question. I mean, I guess I'm curious about the statement that Andrew made about about this ordinance basically not doing anything related to like reena numbers or affordable housing or like it'll just be I mean, I'm getting the sense that he was saying that that the ordinance would would essentially do nothing based on the developments that are currently in the pipeline reaching our arena numbers or something like that. Like what what was he mentioning? Yeah, I guess I'm not sure exactly and I he's not here. Um if someone else wants to

feel like they took it, but again I guess essentially my question is is it a paper weight?

No, my general sense Andrew obviously is very well-versed in in these issues and I think my my sense of his input was that he's coming from a very specific program and a very specific program programming practice and The big picture here for me is that we have to think of the IHO as one tool in such a large shed of tools for affordable housing and that and I think he's really focused when he says wraparound services and things like that. He's talking about transitional housing which have a suite of services that go with them and that's true. This is this is targeting these income ranges. And you know, one of the reasons that we decided to leave out alternatives such as on-site development or land donation is because we're finding more and more that if an IHO tries to become a multi-purpose tool, the kind kind of thing you don't really end up wanting buying if you really know tools, you buy two tools that do two very good things as opposed to trying to cram them all in one, then yes, it does get diluted. And I I mean my sense I didn't follow entirely what he was saying honestly, but I do think he was coming. He's clearly

I mean it's late for I mean it's look the thing is is it is I'm not going to lie it is late and I don't I try not to do anything that won't make I mean it's like symbolism means nothing to me. Sure. Right. Um I don't do things to be symbolic. I actually want this to mean something. Right. And so that that's why I'm just want to like get the clarification.

So so my point was simply that it's not going to do everything. And if you're coming from a place of a very targeted perspective, it might not fulfill that for you even though it's it's an affordable housing tool. It might not be the tool that you you're having or that you want to see used, but that doesn't mean it's a paper weight by any means. And it doesn't mean the city shouldn't keep considering all sorts of valuable affordable housing tools. So, what about the um I know this was Did the 15% come from the council because I can't remember at this point. No, the 15% that's so what's so what's the 20 difference between the 20 that was the other kind of point that I was going to bring up which is that

there is no maximum threshold at all for an IHO. A city could say we want 90%. What is written in the state law assembly bill 1505 for the state of California is the phrase an inclusionary h housing ordinance cannot unduly constrain housing development and if you have of course if you have a 90% inclusionary requirement no developer is going to come in your city at all you've unduly constrained housing so what our f financial feasibility did was looked at those basic um components that are throughout so many different cities in California 50% is always considered the sweet spot where you're producing housing, but you're not unduly constraining development. And of course, we back that up with the financial feasibility analysis. We looked at what those numbers would do in different permutations for different types of development. And again, that doesn't mean that there's no impact to feasibility. It just means this is not going to unduly constrain feasibility. And the idea with inclusionary housing is not to support developers. It's to create affordable housing. So yes, there are going to be changes to bottom line, but this will not unduly constrain bottom line.

And the 20 the 20% won't either. Yeah, 50% no 20% would because our 15% if you look closely at that financial feasibility analysis, we were already bringing right up to that red line where those red numbers show you are you are unduly constrained. you know, your bottom line is beyond those typical um industry thresholds of 6% for rental or 12% for uh for sale. And so we didn't this and this speaks to the value of finding that balance.

And then the the last because I have another question. The last question I have is related to um the um com comments from labor around um uh labor standards resolution and the housing trust fund and all of these other things like have you seen this done before? Is this something that

No, I mean, sorry. This is consistent with with what we heard from the planning commission. And the fact of the matter is is that these things all need to be approved and adopted together as a package. And, you know, I speak again to the value of keeping this tool honed as opposed to spreading too further out into other legal areas such as labor standards and things like that. This is a tool just to get those affordable housing units built. And there are other places for the city to ensure that these things are happening as far as labor standards and things like that. And I I would urge the council consider this a package that has been developed together. And and again, all of the the admin guidelines can of course be uh reapproved and rewritten. And um just like the inloo fees will be annually reassessed and just like as it's happening in some cities the actual requirement can go up and down just based on the larger uh macro economy and things like that. So is the idea that like based on a just related to the um percentage of the um the 15 to 20% because there is a mechanism to evaluate and and go back and look and see you can actually raise or lower the fee at any time or is it just a set in stone and you can't can't move? No, it's not set in stone, but it would require I mean, if we're working in good faith with the law of I should mention again that Assembly Bill 1505, which states that the goal here is to not unduly constrain housing. Uh the state has also stated HCD will says we're not going to ever look at your financial feasibility analysis until someone tells us to and they will then review it. But but the the point is the faith of the state is put into the cities and and it's very clearly in the way that the state laws are written that the goal here is affordable housing. It is not making life easy for developers.

That's simply not the case. The case the goal here and it's reflected in the language of the law is to get affordable housing built. Oh no. I I mean I I I don't wake up to make developers comfortable. That's that's not my job. I guess what I was saying I actually try to figure out how to make their life worse if if if you could imagine that. But um I just I I mean those are all my questions for now. I'll wait to hear all my other I should have made stated more clearly. If we were to change those numbers they should be backed up with a feasibility analysis. Nice. Okay. So I have some questions Mr. Goodfellow. So we have attachment D

which the title is existing IHOS in Contraostasa County. There are only seven cities listed, not 14 which we heard in the public testimony. So, have things radically changed since you publish this? Are there 14 or there seven? No, that first of all, that's not all of them. Those were examples that we gave. Okay. I don't know the exact number. I'm sorry. So, going through here, Pittsburgh, you know, they have 6%. Eli, Richmond, 12 a.5%, Wallen Creek 6%, conquered 6% total. Pleasant Hill 5%. Elserto five units to MI 5%. LII Lafayette nine.

Why would we go to 20? I don't think we should go to 20. I I I I mean, you know, advocates are saying, "Oh, go be a leader. Go to 20." No, I I I agree with the sentiment of the increase, but like I said, I think I think for this tool to remain a useful tool, it needs to be kept in balance, it needs to be maintain the letter of the law, which is to not unduly constrain housing. And I think that gap between that 15 and 20 needs to be developed with tools that would make Andrew happy, that would be focused on transitional housing. We're not here to make Andrew happy. We're very clear about that. Okay? I'm not a local.

Okay? My point being that there has to be a a a package of house affordable housing tools and an IHO is just one of them.

So going through the the the report itself, there is a couple things. It's one is a city manager's question about the impact of actually uh implementing this. And I I trying to look quickly for it, but I think the numbers that the city would have to hire are three to six individuals to oversee this to do the annual audits, so on and so forth. So my question is, because we are, as the mayor talked about, looking at 11.3 million deficit this coming fiscal year and 13.4 million the next year. So, we're talking about, you know, to make this work, we're going to have to hire three to six people. Where would we get the money? Would we get it out of the trust? The trust can't pay those fees.

No. That's what I thought. No. So, where would we where would we get the revenue? Probably from the general fund. My first response would be I think that range of 3 to six is broad. And I'm just It's in

No, I know. I know. And that came from mostly my discussions with the city of Walnut Creek with the county housing staff who administer these. And there are heavy fluctuations in the in the administration of these things. And that is also true that that is a big part of why we didn't include these layers of alternative compliance where oh I'll donate land and then the city can develop or I will buy a market rate project and rehabilitate it instead requiring a whole another layer of review. So this IHO I believe would not certainly not take six new employees. I would think that three would be sufficient and that it could be taken care of with the leadership of existing staff and then staff brought on during periods of uh annual review or when there's a huge boost in development because the the consistent feedback I heard from staff was that it really fluctuates the amount of work in the administration. I understand that. But throughout the throughout your report, it talks about doing this on an annual basis.

I would just jump in really quick to mention also in the report and having spoken with Terry House, our housing consultant about this topic as well. There's a lot of third-party firms that have that and that's what something that's built into the agreements is um payments to do the monitoring. We also have that uh um amendment to the master fee schedule that talks about payments. So that's how this happens. You know, when planning and engineering and develop community development staff process an application, we work on a time and materials basis for our time, right? So part of that would be processing affordable housing agreements, reviewing these documents, and all of that build back to the developer. So just to jump in on that aspect as well. Well, wait a minute. Once once the project is done, we still have we'll have a responsibility of reviewing it on an annual basis to make sure that number one, the people who receive the benefits are still there.

No, that's actually written into the to the uh the housing plan in the code that I somebody has to oversee it. Somebody has to document it. Somebody has to go out and research it. It doesn't happen out of thin air. So again, Terry House, our housing consultant re um you know, we worked with her closely on this and you know, she does monitoring already of the units in the city. So this would be, you know, again, there's no units currently planned, but that would be something along with the housing. If you look at her billing for the last year, it goes into hundreds of thousands of dollars. So,

so, so built within the affordable housing agreement is a a target amount that's going to be paid annually for each of these units. Now, will it compensate for every hour? Probably not. So, I don't know how much the general fund will supplement that, but the intent is to have a funding source built in for the units, whether they're rental or whether they're for sale. So, we'll get money back. How long has um Terry House How long has Terry House been under a contract um with the city? How long has she been contracted with the city? I don't know off hand. She's worked. Monica, you've been here how long?

She's been here the whole time I've been here. I don't know when she started, but at least the whole time I've been here. So, the number 2009 200 So almost 20 years. Mhm. So, so for so she's been billing like that for almost 20 years. I don't know if she No, I'm just I'm just trying to I am saying if we adopted this program, we're going to get I get what you I get what you're saying. We need staff, right? Yeah.

To be able to to be able to manage this. We have a consultant who's been billing us the same amount every year for 10 years because we never set up the staffing infrastructure to to manage our housing policies on our own and she's leaving. She keeps saying she's leaving

and she's training someone and we we need to know like what is the house what is the staffing structure for housing staff given that the consultant that's been here for 20 years billing the same amount for 20 years is now leaving and will not be billing that. Where is that money going to be going? Yeah, we have um a housing manager and two um housing services coordinator. We brought those um positions to you all a few months ago and they've been hired up um and the job descriptions were presented. They definitely don't have capacity or functionality for this written into them.

But the consultant we've been paying for 20 years does. She didn't she didn't do anything. She's not going to look. No, but what I'm saying is she was supposed to be I guess what I'm I guess I'm just trying to frame some transparency for the public.

This person has been a consultant with the city for 20 years doing this work, billing the same for 20 years. We never hire staff for this person to train to be able to do this kind of work. And now we have three staff with the consultant that's leaving with all that knowledge who will not house all of that knowledge. And so I am a little stressed and confused about not just this housing policy,

but all of our other housing policies and what is that going to like mean for like tenants, renters, new homeowners, etc. moving forward if we have if we have higher staff who don't have a capacity to oversee these projects.

We have the staff that we have right now. Um so so Terry House was doing many programs um including CDBG all the things. I think that there was a compliance area that needed to be built out as we know um which is why we added another housing specialist. We did have currently an a housing specialist um who is doing all of the fair housing, our rental assistance, first-time home buyers program, landlord tenant, all those things. Um, so she's so that person's already baked in, but we added more programs under CDBG because you all um approved more than we had in the past. And so there was one person who was doing just those programs and needed to go into another person. The other person was Jasmine who was the unhoused resident services coordinator. So the two positions that we added as a housing unit were already in place. we just um made them best in emerging practices to actually streamline the housing services policies and bring them into the 21st century. So it wasn't that we actually added anything new. We just brought all of our housing assets for staffing inhouse. So the capacity was already filled. It just u made it so that we took down the consultant and brought the consultant in house. So the So do you understand what I'm saying? So all three positions were already filled to the capacity. We just put them all under our own umbrella so we could control our housing policy better and brought it inhouse. So let me continue on page eight at the very beginning. It should be noted that the density increases required to make rental projects feasible would also require additional building heights and potential parking regulation exemption. both of which are potential challenges

to project development. Now we just went through the denova project where we took zone commercial property got rid of it. Now we have you know residential you know high high density you know development project their ingress and egress is questionable and it is a problem for us in the city of Antioch on lone tree way the people who had in shape there's something like 292 to 294 high density you know condominium rental properties and there's only one ingress and egress out of loan tree way. So a lot of these when we talk about you know not it's not just affordability there are exemptions and what concerns me is that the engineering and research said you know even if you approve this project city council you are at level F for traffic that is gridlock on loan tree and because of denova their theirs was level F on Empire Mine Road and again loan tree. So, it's just not just, you know, some, you know, the affordable housing. It's the exemptions that really concern me because what we're going to do is try make it worse on Lone Tree Way than it is in Walnut Creek on Ignatio Valley Road. Try to get in that city if you have a job there. Doesn't matter if you're on the freeway. Doesn't matter if you're on, you know, Willow Pass. And so as I'm reading this, it is of great concern to me that, you know, the quality of life in Antioch is going to deteriorate. And personally,

I have a problem having three and fourstory buildings and they get to look down at their next door neighbor, which are in single detached housing. We used to call that a conforming n land use, non-conforming land use, but that's what is being advocated. Well, it the state is advocating that those exemptions. I mean, that's the general reality of SP79 of MTC's TOC policy. And the other law that is set in stone is that inclusionary housing is considered. You can put that into your uh your density bonus. So, this is intimately tied to these exemptions that I understand concern you. The city of Antioch has done their best like most cities to write objective design standards which have uh you know daylight plane shading to avoid those buildings next to the small housing. But because of state law you put in the density bonus and you can avoid those standards. So this is this is difficulty of of local planning right now by all means.

Let me tell you the citizens of Antioch that I know they don't want to have high density three fourstory buildings. Well, they either want that or affordable housing and that's not for me to Well, yeah. I Okay. And Antioch historically since I was born here has always been a haven for affordability and housing. Now, yes, I know it is very screwed up now,

but I mean it's are we truly going to help us or hurt us? And from my perspective, and Mr. store may want to make a comment. We are now going to be doing the general plan. Number one. Number two, we do have Senate Bill 300. We do have Senate Bill 330. And now we have a proposal on inclusionary housing. And again, that's why we didn't include any incentives or any streamlining. No, no one on this council or or you out there because we we need to take a comprehensive view about how all of these things are going to impact our community. Yeah.

And and to do this peace meal is wrong. We scream, rant, and rave about the effect the state of California. I you know, most of those the politicians that are there were either council members, special district directors, or county supervisors. And for some reason when they get to Sacramento must be in the water supply they forget how much they did not and detest control by the state of California and yet they're shoving it down our throats. commercial property is being taken out, which I find horribly wrong to do because as a city, we only have two sources of revenue, property values and um sales tax. And we Melissa's here, she's absolutely correct. This city has not had an effective economic development plan. It hasn't. It's failed. And and we're suffering. And when you look at our revenue from sales tax, look at where we were four or five years ago and where we're at today. Am I angry about this? Yes. Would I like to just somebody make a motion so I can get my anxiety out and vote no? I'd appreciate that. But but the reality is we do have an issue of affordability.

My feeling is this is not the place tonight to make that decision. Our legal requirement is to do the study. That's our legal requirement. We have fulfilled that. But I believe we folded in to the general plan review and and SB 330 and SB300 and God knows what else the leg legislature is going to shove down our throat in the next six months to a year. It's an election year so God knows. But and and everybody wants to say I have solved the affordability problem and that's not true at the local level. I want staff to tell me what is the financial impact. I mean how are we going to you know oversee this? I mean how are we going to implement it? There's no we have no plan. There's nothing here to tell us how we would implement this. It's just the policy. Let's do it. let's put it in. That is irresponsible as far as I'm concerned. And so we've done the study. It's an extraordinary study. Took me four or five hours to go through. Um but I just think, Mr. Mayor and council members, it would be wrong of us to approve this tonight. And I understand if I was an advocate on the other side advocating for 20%. you know, when I look at at these other cities, you know, I'm sorry. You know, I I I need more than just a wish. Let's make it affordable. Let's increase from 5% to 20%. Really? Why? What's the impact? So, I I don't think this is the issue is is primed for us at this point. So, a and there's a question. I mean, the other issue I had a problem with, and this is maybe just personal to me, is that quote

unquote it is citywide. I spent three years of my life doing the last general plan. And it was extraordinarily open to the public. Extraordinary if you look at the history. And we consciously made a decision that there are parts of our community we don't want highrises. We don't want high density. We want executive housing primarily the area with some future urban area. Number one, the San Creek area. I'm not willing to give that that pro. It may never come to fruition for other reasons, but I I you know, I don't think this should be applied citywide. We we need to make some qualitative judgments. In some areas, I don't think it should apply because I think ultimately cities want the whole gamut from executive style housing to absolutely affordable housing. And for a lot of us who are getting old, you know, we're we're we're selling our houses and we want smaller houses, but we also want benefits. So, I I I guess I'm I'm frustrated with this. I think it's the wrong approach. I think we need to delay this. I think we need to fold it into the general plan and really do a much better job on how we would pay for this because it's not here. And reading this report scares me more than anything with how we would financially do it and the exemptions that are being called out. I don't want Level F on Lone Tree Way, Hillrest, A Street, Summersville Road. Summersville Road is already a disaster. God forbid that we make it worse. But you know what? We have two items on on our agenda tonight. And it's going to get a whole lot worse on Summersville

and and um what do you call it? Buchanan. And it will get even more worse because of the developments that happening. And they are coming in because they're affordable. So, thank you for letting me rant and rave. I appreciate it. All right. I'm okay. I feel good. I feel since it's Friday since I started reading this, it is 11:30. I um Aren't you glad we midnight?

No, I I mean, look, I supported with the 15 20. I mean, really, I support this. I I always have like I didn't come to Antioch and spend $600,000 on a home. Like I came to Antioch to be a first-time home, lowincome home owner and and and the house was affordable for me and my family to do that with only being with being five years off of section 8 welfare and food stamps. I was able to become a homeowner because that opportunity was here in Antioch. And now it is not. If I tried to move to Antioch today, I wouldn't be able to afford it. Um, and right Antioch has the highest rate of homelessness in the county. We had the highest rate of evictions during the pandemic. When we were not supposed to be evicting, when people were not supposed to be getting evicted, when it was illegal, Antioch in particular had the highest rate of evictions. We had a study that was done where children were struggling in Antioch schools due to housing instability. We had kids who were actually living in cars and their families taking them to Walmart and and and the gym to shower and everything so that they could so that they could go to school. Our very own housing element that was just recently updated stated that in our city we have residents who are um segregated from critical resources are public transit dependent and are facing homelessness on the daily. That was our own research as a city. And so, you know, Antioch, even with rents being high and h and houses being not affordable for me to be able to afford it when I was making 90,000 dollars a

year or less, is still the most affordable place in the East Bay. And if we don't keep it affordable, then it it won't be. Um, I I live in a district of poor work working workingclass folks, folks facing homelessness, people who are homeless, and I know people probably don't want three to fourstory housing here either. And I know they wouldn't definitely wouldn't want it on the beady lumber lot, right? Um, but no. Um, so I mean, so there are right. It's late, so I'mma go there. But I'm I know there definitely is nimiism that exists in the city. I know there are places where people do not want this kind of housing and we have to figure things out. Um I I support this whether it goes tonight or some other way or whatever. I think this is important and I think like in all honesty the staffing struggles around housing policies in this city have existed for 20 years or more and and I don't think residents who trying to afford to live in Antioch should have to suffer because we haven't figured out our institutional challenges.

Any other comments folks would like to make? Um, oh, I hate going after Councilwoman Torres Walker because she makes such great points. A lot of it I I I agreed with. I get your frustration, uh, Mayor Prom uh, Freighus. But on the other hand, we do need affordable housing. Uh, something that, um, Mr. Williams was talking about earlier that made me think and I don't know if I'm it's just a sentimental thing for me. You know, my parents were in the 30s when my dad got a job transfer to California and bought a house for $30,000 in Marine County.

What? It's unthinkable. But it was a time where it was that, you know, my my parents, two little girls, another baby on their way, a great a job opportunity came along and they were able to afford a house to raise their children. We don't hear that. We don't hear about that as much anymore. You hear about, you know, I hear about and especially from our homeless advocates, I hear about people that are either couch surfing, living in their homes, or living on the street, and they have a job. they have a job. Somebody said earlier, somebody's out here with three degrees and still struggling. Um, and we need to do something. I get we need to we we need to have a plan where we're going to a program's going to work and be successful and be maintain you that's maintainable. Um, you know, I too was kind of looking at neighboring cities and what they were doing. Um, my stats were a little bit different because I have Brentwood at 13% for their inclusionary and they were in discussions of going to 18%. Um, I get what you're saying about we don't want to be make it restrictive. So, and I'm glad that you explained the fact that if if if we went ahead and we picked a number that number is not etched in concrete. Um, I looked at uh conquered that 10 between 10 to 15%. Walnut Creek. I have it 15% mainly in Walnut Creek to extensively for their downtown redevelopment,

you know. Um, so we need to do something for housing to be affordable because it's unfortunate we have young people and people of all ages that are like, "Hey, I I work hard. I work hard. It's just they keep moving the the goalpost." So, I I support this. Um I I support this that hopefully we also have a plan that make sure that this is going to be strong and maintainable. But um regardless we vote on today or whenever I I'm I'm I'm in support of inclusionary housing. I support the concept all along, but um there's more questions, concerns. I have more questions and concerns um about how it's going to be done, how we do it right, how we structure it within the changes that are happening with our um staffing. So, in if we're going to vote tonight, my answer, my position is going to be no. um if we're going to have it staff get some feedback to see how we can look at this and make it um feasible, workable for us with our staffing, with all the different questions that have come up, um then I'll I could I could consider that. But if we're looking at tonight, um I can't support this vote tonight based on so many questions, concerns, otherwise I think we're just winging it. I don't think we can do that. Can I ask a question? Mr.

Yeah, of course. Mr. Store,

I mean, I I'm I'm prepared to I don't know if I get a second, but I'm prepared to make a motion that you know that the the impacts to SB 330, SB 300, the inclusionary um the proposed I call it the IHO, uh the IHO with the general plan. But before I do that, you know, we I know the mayor and I are will be interviewing, you know, people to make recommendations for the the general plan advisory committee. Um what's the schedule? Uh do we wait?

Um I can I can I answer that question at the end of a couple of thoughts to just throw into the mix, please? Uh as as was said earlier, um we have not a legal obligation, but we have a a commitment as a community to um to at least consider going to stop passes. I think we I think we're good now. Okay.

So, we have a commitment within our current housing element to at least consider the adoption of an order. So, we've done that. we've gone through the process of engaging the public, talking with our planning commission, and then forwarding a recommendation to your council. So, that's the good news. Um, more good news is that my experience has been such that when you have a small community, uh, when I say small, I'm talking anywhere from 10,000 up to 200,000. Uh, we're right at 100,000. I would consider Hold on. Can somebody shut their phone off? Oh,

sorry. It It's very common, and Greg can talk more about it if you want to go into that detail for the revenue generated by these contracts that we're talking about would be enough to hire a third party, a company or a nonprofit actually that deals with these kind of deals all the time. And so, the need to hire staff may not be the issue about having a fullyfledged plan, but we can get in more into that. it. So, here's my choices for your council, and we can talk about how that blends into your motion. So, tonight you have an option of either approving it, number one, number two, denying it, or continuing to a date certain to allow us to come back with some timelines, projections, how it blends into the general plan, the general plan update process. Uh, or we can actually continue it off calendar because we actually have a public hearing notification for this. we could do it until after we blended into the long-term uh general plan. So those are four options.

So from my my perspective, I I don't think any one of us on the council is saying, "Yay, I mean, yes, generally supportive, but you know, we need to do it right. It needs to be comprehensive. There are questions. I mean, I you know, I I want to hear from the the staff. I want to hear from the city manager as well as the community. Uh it it's not I don't think we're we all support affordability. All of us, you know, I graduated Davis $15,000 in debt. It took me almost 15 years to pay it. I I couldn't buy a house. I I get it because I was paying my student loans. I mean, we've all had those type of realworld experiences. But this is, in my opinion, this is too critical for us to screw up. and that you know we need to get around table we need to throw out questions we need to have a discussion you know and say okay well what if this happens how are we going to deal with this I mean sooner or later you have to say enough we have enough discussion we have enough question and you make the best proposal and recommendation you can I'm just saying this is we're not ready I mean you know there are too many questions out there and It's like and even the the the information I have conquered at 6%. I I don't have it at 10%. So I I question what what is she looking at that I don't have. I you know so um so that that's that's my feeling is that this is too important for us not to spend the time which is I think one more year with regards to the general plan. We've already hired the consultant. We're already looking. We the council's already decided what the advisory committee is going to be, you know, like we're it's not like this is going to

take six months. We're here. We're now we're moving forward. And so that's that's that that's my recommendation. So So I think you're looking staff start working on this pardon me. What when did the staff start working on I think it was 2024. Uh defer to Zoe, I think, but that's pretty much about when 2020 2024. And how long is it going to take to finish the general plan? 3 years. Well, we're we're saying anywhere from 2 to 3 years depending on the process.

Two, three years. Okay. So, staff have been working on this since 2024. It's going to take two to three years to complete the general fan the general plan. That is what since hasn't been updated since 2003. Three years to update a general plan. So it could take three years before the city come back to this um to this issue. Well kind kind of and the housing element was updated when

uh 2023. If I if I can just add in to go along with your thought process the it's the land use element that we're talking about now. So so there's the general plan map itself with the colors and the designations and then we actually have the policies and that's what I think I heard tonight

was how but all right I'm listening. I'm just saying pandemic, massive evictions, highest rate of homelessness. So people been waiting almost six years, right, for something to happen. So if you're saying that the piece you're talking about is going to take maybe a year, not three years, the land land use. the the land use is one of the seven mandatory elements within a with a general plan. We've already taken one piece called the housing element which is always in there. But what we're talking about that generally the the the big piece of a general plan is really the land use element policies, not the map and the colors on the map. Although I think we're hearing about that about whether it should be red for commercial or yellow for residential, that kind of thing. But we can attack that land use policy first because that's normally where you go first, the open space, the circulation and and the other kind of elements that you have conservation whatever we can actually hone in on that and come back to your council once we started to develop some of that. I don't think you necessarily have to wait for the adoption of the whole thing in at the end point of two to three years. We can start working towards

six months 12 months a year. Six months six months to 12 months. What is when when would when would it happen? 12 months. Well, we we can get something back to your council on a land use policy, not actually adopting it, but we can actually have the framework uh through our consultant. So, I would recommend you guys go with continuing it to a date certain or you continue it to offend if there's no action tonight.

I'm going to say a couple words and then we can take a motion. So, um I I agree. So, so my my biggest concern with this um inclusionary housing ordinance is the fact that we we've been thrown for a loop when it comes to the housing legislation that's come out of Sacramento and we've only had two projects approved. We've have eight or 10 in the pipeline. We have threetory units going up right in the back of residential on on Golf Course Road, which is going to be a nightmare. firestorm. And so we don't even know the impacts of current legislation on our city, let alone adding one more moving part to it that's going to just complicate things. The other part of it is, and I keep harping on this, is we need to get our budget under control as well, in my opinion, in order to know where we're headed as a city. Um how we're going to afford to pay for things like extra staffing, if we need to pay for it or not. And uh and then just um the other the other thing that has always frustrated me is RENA numbers are dumped on us, right? All the cities MTC and the group, they come up with these numbers. It's a magic box. They push a button and all of a sudden all the cities you we have X number of this many units, that many units, you know, and and then everybody looks at it and says, "Well, at least mine weren't as bad as yours. You know, ours weren't as bad as Danville's or whatever." But it's it's we're we're we're we're going after these these arbitrary numbers that that some group in the larger Bay Area has come up with. And and I don't know if that's what's best for our community. I know that's what we're mandated to do, but I don't know if that's best for our community. And that's where the general plan comes in. And I think that that folding this in with the general plan process because what the general plan's going to do is it's going to tell us how many units we have left in our in our 25-y year building sphere that we're

going to be building that then we would know how many units we would get out of this. Right now we we there isn't any certainty to that. So I think there's a lot more my point is there's a lot more questions than there are answers. I think there's a lot of moving parts right now when it comes to Sacramento and development and how it's going to impact Antioch with so much vacant land and so much residential opportunity and I just think this would this would add one more element of complication to it. So I'm not going to be supportive of moving it to a date certain maybe to some to some point in the future if that's the motion but um not not something that's certain because I don't see the the benefit or purpose of it. All right. Um, I would like to make a motion, right? So, we we're f to just make a motion.

Based on what I I can do and counting my fingers, uh, we'll be to to continue it off calendar and then provide direction to staff to return uh, at some point during the journal. somebody to make a motion to continue it off calendar. Yes. To a date not certain. To a date uncertain or off calendar and I would provide direction that at some point we come back to the council. Sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry. Everybody's

microphone. So I it is to to vote off calendar but I I want to be very clear that as we go into the general plan the first is the the housing element the land use yeah

the land use and you know some of the questions that I think that we're all asking what are the impacts of SB 330 SB 300 the IHO and you know and and our existing land use and things that sort and I think we can move that forward and it may even give us the opportunity that once we're satisfied we could bring back the IHO within a year or so for action but we need to do it in my that's that would be my motion certainly and if I could just piggyback on that uh one of the outcomes of your land use policy could be to enact an an IHO right

and we have the framework for it already but then conversely it may be let's not do an IHO Joe, well, that will come out of your policy discussion with the element. Yeah. I just think it's important not to not to dictate one or the other, but let the process work itself out and then bring it back organically when it's time. Should that be the case? Yes. Yeah. So, does a city manager want to give any words of wisdom? Um, no. No. That's called That's called a wise city manager.

So, Mr. Mayor, I will move that we David help me with the terminology and I Michael, I want to make sure the city clerk gets this right in the minutes. So, I'm moving that this issue be offline. Is that move to continue off calendar? That would be simple enough. I think we've got the message with the understanding that the general plan will prioritize this entire discussion. I'll second that.

We have a Motion from Mayor Prom Freighus, a second from council member Roachcha. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 4 to one with Taurus Walker voting no.

All right, moving on to uh item number nine. Um city council appointments to the general plan advisory committee. Yes. Thank you so much, mayor and city council. Um, this item comes back to you to actually take the vote on the two nominations that you are um making. We talked about it last time and you moved, but we forgot to vote.

Yeah. So, I I apologize. Apparently, we we made a motion about um extending the time frame for how long the application period is for, but we didn't vote on who the who the two folks are. So I um will make a motion again that the or I I will nominate um myself and Mayor Prom Roachcha to serve on the excuse me mayor mayor promotis sorry mayor promis to ser sorry it's getting late for me too I should have got up and left with tisha um we're on number we're on number nine

for the record tow walker uh leaves at 11:51 p.m. Okay. So, this is city council appointments to the general plan advisory committee. At the last meeting, I um made a recommendation to appoint myself, Mayor Prom Freighus to the GPAC. Um and uh so it was approved at that meeting. I'm we didn't vote or we didn't vote. I'm sorry. Was and so I would like someone to make a motion, please, if they agree with that nomination.

I'll make a I'll make a motion. I'll make a motion that mayor pro Tim Bradus and Mayor Bernol serve on the journal planning committee. Is that what we're Is that the action that needs to be? It was it was not voted on last time. Yeah. So that's So I'm making the motion. I just wish that was part of the discussion but never mind. So the motion is you're nominating the mayor. That's what happened at the last meeting but we didn't I take I guess take a vote. Correct. Do we have a second? That is correct. Second. All right, we have a we have a motion from Council Member Roachcha, second from Council Member Wilson. Please cast your votes.

Motion passes 40 with Torres Walker absent. All right. Um item number or next item, staff communications.

Yes. Thank you so much. Um, I would like to move my staff communications up um at the next meeting because it's near midnight. Um, and so I always have to truncate which actually um doesn't give me time to give the proper um recognition to the staff. Um, so I will save it but just to give some parks and recreation updates. The Nick Rodriguez Community Center has the contracts underway. You'll probably be sent or have been sent um an invitation for the grand reopening. Um the Mercy Park renovation has begun this month as well. I sent you my inaugural bi-weekly update. Thank you so much um for the kind words, Council Member Roachcha. Um in response, I'm sure getting through 15 pages was annoying. Um, and then I also want to um give kudos to the public works division for the um National Environmental Protection Agency award, the Aquarius award, which is very prestigious. Only one um agency per state receives it. Um and so much more that I'll just have to send in an email. Thanks.

All right. Thank you. Uh and I haven't I'm sorry. I haven't read your bi-weekly thing yet. I'm behind on my email, so I will check that out. Uh uh any public comments? We have no comment cards. All right. Council communications and future agenda items.

I'll just make more of a announcement. Um although the kids are probably asleep. Um Cornerstone Christian, even though I was a principal for a long time, Antioch High School or Cornerstone Christian in Antioch, both their boys and girls teams advanced to the Northern California regional finals. And the boys played tonight and they won. So they've won the Northern California Regional and now they'll play on Friday at the CIF State Championship where I'll be on Friday. The girls play tomorrow night at Cornerstone Christian and if they win tomorrow night, they'll win the North California region

and then they would go to the state finals this weekend in Sacramento Golden One. So, congratulations to the Cornerstone Christian boys team for winning the Northern California region. And good luck to them at the CIF State Championships. They play on Friday afternoon. I will be there for the game. And then tomorrow night, the girls play and I wish them the very much luck tomorrow night and hopefully they prevail like the boys did and they can go also go to state and I'll be at the game tomorrow night to present the awards to both teams. All right, that's awesome. Um, council member Wilson. No. Mayor Protown.

Yeah, I do have some things that uh I'd like to see agenda sooner rather than later. Number one, it is the Apoch joint meeting. I I you know, we've talked about it, I think, long enough, and I'd like to move forward and and actually schedule the meeting. Number one. Number two, the city manager employee evaluation. I'd like to put that on the agenda for next week in close session so that we can address it and make make decisions. Number three, the golf course. I I today I was a little shocked to hear that we generate that we only received $20,000 versus I forget what the the figure

345

345,000. And so one of the things I I I think we need to look at this, but I also would like to see their financials, you know, because that is I think it's in the agreement. I I was mayor at that time to make sure that the city had access to that. I'd like to see, you know, last several years what what that means. The other is the other is the building that's diagonal to us that we the old PG building. The new new council has been here almost 15 months. I have no idea why we have they have staff that's been identified have not moved into that building. We purchased it. We put a new elevator in it. You guys looked for furniture. I don't get it, you know, and it and you know, the whole idea is to make space here. So, I want to know why this is not happening and what we need to do to make it happen. The the other is a public works issue, the pavement management system. I'd like to have a presentation from staff because I've been now this month last month lived in my house 36 years never had a slurry field slurry seal no chip seal no repair I have cracks all over green because weeds are going through it has failed and I want to understand the payment management system so I would request a presentation now that we and the last item now that we have the the new city attorney I think that it would be appropriate for us if we can schedule it with Derek Cole, her and other appropriate staff for the city council to have a status report on all pending litigation. The last time we did it, I believe was

December 11th, 2024. So, we have not been apprised of what the litigation is. And I think at least for three members, you know, we were shocked at the enormity of the leg of the litigation. And so I'd like to know, I think it would benefit her and have a discussion in close session. And I would suggest, you know, Mr. Mayor, this is really your purview that we not be rushed. you know, we were sworn in on the 10th and on Wednesday, if you remember, we had, you know, one the only item was to be briefed on litigation. I think I think it's been too long and I think now it would be appropriate that we have that with the the new city attorney. Thank you.

All right. And I think many of those are in the works, so we'll we'll get those we'll get those teed up. Um, I just one thing I want to mention. I I had uh the opportunity to go watch Julian Bridges fight um on uh what night was that? Saturday night. Yeah. Um a six round knockout. He's nine and0 with five knockouts. Um and he's uh Antioch proud. Uh and uh he he'd like to have some Antioch trunks put together. So maybe we can uh we can work on something like that. and uh he's very proud to represent Antioch in his boxing ventures. He's very very good and he's going to go a long way. So he's actually trains here in Antioch and uh he's been he's been doing an amazing job. He's a super fine young man. I'd like to have him come in here and introduce him to the city council and uh yes, I just want to let you know that

Mr. Mayor, I think we should do something better than that. I think we should have an event, invite the community, you know, I think I think you're right. I think it's great time when we had uh Aaron Miles, you know, when he the baseball player, I mean, we had a big function for him. It was really wonderful fun. I'll um I'll I'll talk to his manager and see if we can get something set up and and do a nice little event for him. But yeah, he's uh grew up here. Um great young man, so super super proud of him along with Cornerstone. That's a great story. You know, those are state champions for basketball, boys, boys and girls. Well, I mean,

we're we're speaking it into being though. So, uh and so yeah, so that that's it. Um it's exactly 12:00. So, do I have a motion to adjourn this meeting? Move to adjourn. Motion from Council Member Roachcha. Second from Council Member Wilson. Please cast your votes. Motion passes 40 with council member Torres Walker absent. Meeting adjourned. Meeting is adjourned at 12:01 p.m. or am sorry 12:01 a.m. Thank you. Have a good evening. Well, I think