City Council - Regular Meeting

Alright. It having reached the hour of 05:30PM, I'm calling the 02/24/2026 Modesto City Council meeting to order and ask the city clerk to please call the roll.

Council members Scudia Brayton? Here. Council member Alvarez?

Here.

Council member Ricky? Here. Council member Bavaro? Here. Vice mayor Williams? Here. Council member Wright?

Here.

And mayor Zwolland?

Here. Will everyone please rise for the pledge of allegiance followed by the invocation from father, Brian Dawson, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church.

Greetings. Let's pray. Holy one who calls us to serve in many ways, give your grace to those who are called to lead here today. May they be diligent in seeking justice, determined in choosing mercy, and open to hearing and seeing the ways of your peace. In this holy time of Lent and Ramadan, help us all to find the humility and the honesty needed to acknowledge our need for each other now and always. Amen.

Thank you. Alright. At this time, does the city clerk have any announcements?

Yes, mayor. Just a reminder, public comment is three minutes and their speaker cards, the entrance of the chambers.

Thank you. Do any of the council members have any conflicts of interest?

Yes. Alright.

Council member or council member Alvarez.

Thank you, mayor. I will be recusing myself from item, 10 related to PG and Although I do not work for PG and E, given that, they were a past employer of mine, I will not be voting on the item.

Thank you. Vice mayor Williams?

Just just real quick. Vice mayor

Yes, please. Thank you.

And it it is item, seven and fifteen on the consent calendar. I know the vice mayor will be recusing himself from those two items, real property, related conflict of interest. The items, deal with property that's close to property that he owns.

Thank you.

Alright. That was seven and fifteen.

That's

And then item 10 for vice for council member Alvarez. Alright. Thank you. Will the, city attorney please report out on closed session?

Yes, mayor. The council met in closed session today on two items related to anticipated litigation and also real property, negotiations. No reportable action was taken.

Thank you. Next is item one. Consider accepting the resignation of Abamil Chavez Hernandez from the Citizens Salary Setting Commission and approving the appointment of Seth Simas to the Citizens Salary Setting Commission to serve a partial unexpired term expiring on 12/31/2028. Does council have any questions from staff regarding item one? Seeing none, I will open this up to

the public. Any comments from members of

the public regarding item one? Seeing none, comments from council members. Alright. I have two resolutions, and I'm going to ask the city, attorneys advice if those can be done in one vote.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay. A resolution accepting the resignation of Abamil Chavez Hernandez from Citizen Salary Setting Commission and a resolution appointing Seth Seamus to serve an unexpired partial term with an expiration of 12/31/2028 to serve on the Citizen Salary Setting Commission. Do I have a motion? Move. Second. Motion by council member Scoutier Brayton and a second by vice mayor mayor Williams. Will the clerk please call the roll for this item?

Council member Scoutier Brayton. Aye. Council member Alvarez.

Aye.

Council member Ricky. Aye. Council member Bavaro.

Aye.

Vice mayor Williams. Aye. Council member Wright. Aye. And mayor Zwolland.

Aye. Carries unanimously. Next is item two. Consider approving the appointment of Margie Johnson as the Citizens Housing Community Development Committee representative to the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Committee with a term expiration of 12/31/2026. Does council have any questions of staff regarding item two? Seeing none, I will open this item up to the public. Are there any members of the public that would like to speak regarding this item? Seeing none, any council comments regarding this item? Alright. Thank you.

I have a resolution approving the appointment of Margie Johnson to the housing rehabilitation loan committee as the as a citizens housing and community development representative with a term expiration of 12/31/2026. Do I have a motion?

So moved.

Motion by council member Alvarez. Second. Second by council member Wright. And will the clerk please call the roll for this item?

Council member Scudia Brayton. Aye. Council member Alvarez. Aye. Council member Ricky.

Aye.

Council member Bavaro.

Aye.

Vice mayor Williams. Aye. Council member Wright.

Aye.

And mayors Wallin.

Aye. So it carries unanimously. Next on the agenda is public comment. Public comment tonight is in person only. Zoom remains available for viewing and for word wordly translation.

Thank you for joining us. The city council meetings are a place where everyone is encouraged to share insights, listen, and to participate in the decision making process that benefits our community. To ensure a fair and respectful environment, the mayor is responsible for maintaining order and decorum as outlined in the city charter and the rules of decorum posted at the entrance of the chamber. I ask that we are all respectful of all members of the public, presenters, and council members. Anyone who disrupts this meeting may be asked to leave.

I appreciate your cooperation as we discuss key issues and make decisions that affect our city. We will now open public comment for items not on the council agenda, and you have three minutes to speak. I have two speaker cards at this time, and they look like they're for public comment. And the first is from Lucas s.

Good evening, mayor and council. I have an issue that I would like to address with you today. It's a letter as well in regards to the vandalism that I've seen in throughout our city in my area. So, dear mayor and council members, I am writing as a concerned resident of Modesto regarding the increased incidence of vandalism in our community. Graffiti, property damage, and destruction of public spaces are becoming more visible and destructive.

This is affecting residents' sense of safety, neighborhood pride, and overall quality of life even though the crime statistics may reflect it declining. Vandalism creates burdens on homeowners and neighboring businesses, and when damage goes unaddressed, it sends a message that these behaviors are tolerated, which can encourage further incidents. I ref I respectfully ask the council and mayor to consider strengthening efforts to address this issue. This could include increased patrol presence in high air incident areas, improved lighting and vulnerable locations in vulnerable locations, faster graffiti removal programs, expanded community reporting systems, and partnerships with local organizations to deter repeater, repeated offenses. Preventative measures and visible response strategies can go a long way in restoring confidence within our community.

Property, including city trees, bus stops, and buildings are all being vandalized by taggers. I understand that the public safety challenges are complex, and I appreciate the work being done. However, I believe vandalism deserves more focused attention before it escalates even further. I would welcome information on what steps are currently being taken and what additional plans are under consideration. Thank you.

Thank you. Next is Sebastian Jones. Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me. Mister Jones, before you start speaking, it is my understanding that you have requested an accommodation. We are sorry to learn that you're having difficulties communicating with us. Accordingly, after going through the accommodation process with the city, as required by law, you will be provided five minutes for your public comment. Welcome.

Thank you, mayor, and all my brothers and sisters and city councilman. What I was thinking about, just bear with me, that I was in Madison last week. What I do for many years, I go to Stockton, Mantega, and just go to a council meeting. Just something I just do. But I was in Madison last week, and they was introducing the the new drone that they have.

And they were explaining how it operates and the distance when it gets low on fuel, electric, it come back to their own base. Well, I don't know if you guys are working on this, but I know we bought a plane. I don't know. I'm just assuming that it sits most of the time, but I do hear it hear it when I'm on Hatch Road because it makes a lot of noise. But I think that we start looking at at least about five or six drones and send them in the in different district because the drone can respond.

And then it has a base where it goes back, and it it charges itself. And I like that because I don't know why we ordered this plane. I think it came out of Florida or somewhere. They probably did the same thing, sold a plane and went to drones. And I was on the 3rd Floor today, and I was looking at all the camera set.

You know, to save money, me and something for the plane, got a pilot, I don't know if y'all wanted to, maintenance. We're probably spending more money. But I think if we start looking and saving in what would be great for Modesto, It's you know, I come up with about two or three things, and the city has adopted some things. But I don't wanna go into that. I just wanna bring this to your attention, and let's see if we can invest like the sheriff and Patterson.

They have too. And, you know, especially when we have crowds, we can have that unit while the police is at one end. We got that drone right over the crowd, protesters, or whatever. And it has a where it won't crash, it has some sensors. But if it do crash, why don't we just get some glue, put it back on there, and start it back up.

But I think that we need to look in the future because this is it. You know? And it records night vision. Oh, the guy was telling me. I stayed outside and talked to the sheriff guy.

And I said, shoot. I'm thinking about Modesto. So mayor and city council, let's look and see what this noisy plane is costing us. Maybe we can sell it to the next person because we're trying to save money, and we use that money for something else. But like I said, I looked at the cameras on the 3rd Floor.

That would be nice. 911 call come. That drone will be there before the policemen, crowd of people, out of control. You can bring your units in, and you're just sitting there. And then you pay a person one of the young kids. It gotta be young. But, anyway, I'm gonna close out, and I thank you. Like I said, I think of things. I brought two things to this counselor years ago. But let's start looking at costs and being a great Thank you. Thank you for your time, ma'am.

You're welcome. Thank you. Alright. Next, we do have Derek Derek Castle and I may have had your blue card first. I apologize.

Not a problem.

I didn't call you first.

Thank you, mayor council members and city staff. Derek Castle speaking on behalf of Canna College Area Neighborhood Alliance and the Shadowchase Running Club. Three months ago, I shared with you that a lot of residents have serious concerns about the dangers of e bikes speeding past pedestrians on the Dry Creek Trail and the Virginia Corridor Trail. I talked about my friend Adrian Crane. Adrian's a long time Kiwanee and community volunteer and is known around the globe for his world record adventures.

He was running on the Vindina Corridor when he was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital. The police report states that the bike rider admitted to be going 30 miles per hour when he hit Adrian. I have another good friend, Barbara Miller, who I'm sure quite a few of you know. She's a very active community volunteer such as the main organizer of the Spirit of Giving Run-in conjunction with Parks and Rec. Barbara is an amazing athlete.

She held the world marathon running record and the Boston marathon record for, I believe, nearly ten years. Barbara was also hit, in her case, on Dry Creek Trail and knocked to the ground by a speeding bike and had to be taken to hospital. These are just folk from my circle of friends. E bikes are a growing concern not just here but around the world. Don't get me wrong, I love e bikes, just not when they're weaving in and out of pedestrians at 20 or 30 miles per hour.

What we're hoping you will do is pass an ordinance like that of the City Of Oakland. Their ordinance is, and I will quote, it is unlawful to operate a bicycle on any city trail in excess of five miles per hour when passing pedestrians. It's that simple. You could just copy the ordinance word for word, I believe. And the only cost be very inexpensive.

The only cost is gonna be putting up signs along the trail in prominent places. Speaking personally, I don't want any more of my friends in hospital. In the case of Adrian, he was incredibly lucky that when he was hit at 30 miles an hour and his head hit the pavement that he was only knocked unconscious and he didn't suffer permanent brain damage or have to be taken to the Morgue. On behalf of Canna and Shadowchase, please enact an ordinance that reduces the speed that bikes both e bikes and regular bikes are allowed to pass pedestrians. Thank you very much, ma'am.

Thank you. All right. Is there anyone else wishing to come forward to speak under public comment for items not on tonight's agenda? Seeing none. Next on the agenda is consent items. An item may be removed from consent and discussed at the request of a member of the public or council member. Is there anyone on the council that would like a consent item removed for further discussion? Seeing none, is there anyone in the public that would like an item removed from consent for further discussion or comment? Seeing none, will the city clerk please read the consent items?

Item three, consider approving the minutes for the 02/10/2026 council meeting. Item four, consider approving final adoption of ordinance three eight zero six CS, approving Tivoli specific plan amendment number six to amend chapter three street hierarchy diagram to change the classification of Oakdale Road and Claritina Avenue from six lane arterial streets to four lane arterial streets and to amend text in chapter nine to chapter nine relative to specific plan administration and to reaffirm prior major amendments to the Tivoli specific plan adopted by city council resolution. Item five, consider approving the sale of 10,000 square feet of surplus exempt property identified as APN number one three three zero zero one zero two six located at Frazine Road in the amount of $75,000 and the sale of 2,474 square feet of surplus exempt property identified as APN 029012050 located at Carpenter Road in the amount of $10,000. Item six, consider approving the fiscal year twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five write off and adjustments report through fiscal year end 06/30/2025 in the total amount of $113,621. Item seven was removed from consent.

Item eight, consider granting two nonexclusive easements to Modesto Irrigation District for electrical utility access on a portion of Cesar E Chavez Park, APN 103018001. Item nine, consider dedication and acceptance of a public utility easement and irrigation easement on city owned parcel APN 085003093 near the northwest corner of Bridgemore Avenue and Claus Road. Item 10, remove from consent. Item 11, consider an agreement for furnishings of citywide shredding services to Pacific Storage Company, Modesto, California for a total amount not to exceed a $165,000 over five years. Item 12, consider approving the use of proceeds, credits or reimbursements from the sale or recycling of expended brass shell casings with any vendor providing such services, including the existing credit of a $16,990 with My Wall Corporation Grass Valley, California to be applied toward the purchase of new ammunition for the Modesto Police Department.

Item 13, consider approving the purchase agreement for the purchase of transmission parts and repair services with AG Transmission Repair, Oakdale, California Valley Transmission, Modesto, California and Melo Transition Company Incorporated, Modesto, California for a total amount not to exceed $750,000 over five years. Item 14, consider approving the First Amendment with California Materials Incorporated for material hauling services, increasing the agreement amount by $621,746 to a new total amount not to exceed $1,246,746 over the term of the agreement. And item 15 was removed from consent.

Alright. May I have a motion to approve the consent calendar as it was read? So moved. Moved by council member Wright. Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by council member Alvarez. Will the court please call the roll?

Council member Scoutier Breiten. Aye. Council member Alvarez. Aye. Council member Ricky. Aye. Council member Bavaro.

Aye.

Vice mayor Williams? Aye. Council member Wright?

Aye.

And mayor Zwolland?

Aye. Alright. So that passes unanimously. So going back to item seven.

If we could do seven and fifteen together, those are the ones the Vice Mayor will be recusing himself, Mayor. And I know that our Superintendent could read the two items.

Great. Thank you.

Item.

Alright, for this you just need to put your chair back. You do not need to leave the room.

Item seven, consider approving a second amendment with Cosmont Companies to expand the scope of services to include fiscal and economic impact analysis market and financial feasibility review, public funding and financing advisory and negotiation support related to a proposed sports and multi use development project. And then item 15, consider approving the plans and specs for the Highway 99 water Main crossings improvement project, accepting the bid and awarding a construction contractor role of Construction Incorporated of Atwater, California in the amount of $1,436,035 authorizing 20% in contingency if needed for a total payment amount not to exceed $1,723,242.

Alright. Do I have a motion for item seven and item 15?

A question.

Alright. Council member Babar. Okay. If you have a question, then we need to discuss. And, Jeremiah, council member Williams will need to leave, and we'll have to get a staff report. So which item is it?

Well, I just my question was the fund For

which item?

Seven.

Alright. So we will go back to item seven.

My my question is the funding is is through ARPA funds. Would this actually be completed by the end of the year? And

go ahead. Yes.

Okay. I just wanted to make sure. Thank you.

Alright. Are there any other questions from council members regarding this item? Alright. Anyone from the public that would like to speak on this item? Please come forward. This is item seven on consent.

Good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Hugo Betancourt, and I'm a student at High School. And I wanna talk about, consent items on today. Okay. So first and foremost, I do appreciate the city's effort to conduct thorough analysis before advancing this project.

I do think it is responsible governance, so thank you for that. But I wanted to mention as this evaluation moves forward, I encourage the city to consider how youth access and youth participation could be incorporated into the broader feasibility review. When analyzing projected revenues, projected expenditures, and long term community impact, it may also be valuable to assess how a project like this can generate opportunity for students through workforce partnerships with local high schools, student advisory input on community facing components, and accessible programming for young residents. Economic sustainability is strongest when local talent is developed alongside infrastructure. Projects of this scale shape who feels included in the city's growth and early stage planning determines who ultimately benefits.

Including youth considerations during the advisory phase ensures that economic development strengthens both opportunity and civic engagement for the next generation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you. Any other members of the public regarding consent item seven? Alright. Please come to the podium. I'm sorry. And you will no. You don't need to apologize, and you'd have five minutes. Okay. No.

I I don't I just need an answer. Is Renona the lady used to be here? I've been in and asked

Renona, the lady. I'm sorry. I don't know what you're referring to. Renona, the lady used to come every time.

I'm not sure Okay. What you're referring to. Right. Okay. Don't worry about it. Thank you. Alright. Any other public comments regarding consent item seven? Alright. Seeing none, any, comments from council members? All right, I have a resolution approving a second amendment with Cosmos Companies to expand the scope of services to include fiscal and economic impact analysis, market and financial feasibility review, public funding and financing advisory and negotiation support related to a proposed sports and multi use development project and authorizing the city manager or designate to execute the second amendment. Do I have a motion?

So moved.

Moved by council member Bavaro, seconded by council member Wright. And will the clerk please call the roll for this item? Council member Scudia Brayton?

Aye. Council member Alvarez? Aye. Council member Ricky? Aye. Council member Bavaro? Aye. Council member Wright? Aye. And mayor Zwolland?

Aye. So it carries six zero One recused. One recused. Council member Williams is recused. And then I'd like to ask the city clerk to continue with item 15.

Do you like me just to call the roll on fifteen?

Yes. Thank you.

Okay. You've registered already?

I've already call the roll. Sorry. Do I have a motion regarding consent item 15?

So moved.

Moved by council member Bavaro. Do I have

a second? Second.

Second by council member Scudia Brayton. And will the clerk please call the roll for this item?

Council member Scudia Brayton. Aye. Council member Alvarez. Aye. Council member Ricky. Aye. Council member Bavaro. Aye. Council member Wright.

Aye.

And mayor Swalen.

Aye. Carries six zero. With one recusal. Correct. Alright. Now, we'll wait for council member Williams to return and then continue with consent item 10 after he's seated.

All right. Item 10, consider approving an additional payment of $70,150 for total amount not to exceed $350,872 to Pacific Gas and Electric for relocation of gas line infrastructure for State Route 132 phase 1 project.

Alright. Do I have a motion for item consent item 10? So moved. Moved by council member Wright.

Second.

Second by council member Scoutier Brayton. And will the clerk please call the roll for this item?

Council member Scuti Brayton. Aye. Council member Ricky. Aye. Council member Bavaro. Aye. Vice mayor Williams. Aye. Council member Wright. Aye. And mayor Zwolin.

Aye. Carries six zero with council member Alvarez recused. Is that it for consent items? Alright. Thank you. And next on the agenda is council comments and reports. Do any council members have any comments and reports tonight? Vice Mayor Williams.

Thank you, Mayor. I have three events that are coming up actually this week and one that is ongoing. I'll start with the ongoing event. Jessica Flores along with our poet laureate, Angela Drew, put together a African American write myself in initiative display that has started on February 2 and is going to go through March 12. It's about a hundred and forty years of African Americans in this community.

It's well done. If you have time to go to the museum right there off of I Street, They would love to have you come. First and foremost, check the hours on which it's open before you go down there because there are certain hours. Also, this tomorrow is a 100 first of all, this is a 100 of Black History Month. This month is one hundred years of that.

And the Cesar Chavez committee is putting on a Black History Month program, and the program is highlighting black history in and for clergy. And so it's blacks in ministry is what it's called. The event is tomorrow from 11:30 to 01:30. It will be at 928 8th Street at the Redevent Center. There is a $30 donation for the lunch, and that is taking place tomorrow on the twenty fifth.

Also, the this coming Saturday at 05:00, another Black History Month program put on by the King Kennedy board of directors, and that's gonna be held at the senior center of Bolden and Scenic, and that is at 05:00. There is a $20 donation for that. It's a program that you will not wanna miss, and that pretty much concludes my announcements for the day. Thank you.

Alright. Council member Ricky.

Thanks, mayor. Mhmm.

For decades, our community has been struggling with the county pockets. It's gonna cost around a billion dollars to fix all the county pockets, and this process has already dragged on for at least forty years. And it's important for government, to try to help. But if we continue on the same path, it could take us another hundred years, to fix it. So I think we need to develop a financing tool to allow homeowners to upgrade their properties, connect to sewers, put in sidewalks, that kind of stuff.

The Modestans, you know, we're well known for bootstrapping it. And I just think if the city could provide them a low interest boost, it could be helpful. Also, Sasa budgets are coming, and we are all aware well aware of the problems that they're having at the animal shelter from reduced intake to no effective spay neuter programs and others dozens of other issues. But this week at the Salsa board meeting, Salsa staff presented fee updates that ignored the problems that the shelter has every day. Their fee recommendations were not based on the actual cost of providing the key services this agency must deliver to our community, including spay and neuter and increase in intake and TNR and all the other stuff.

But this disconnect from reality is just it's staggering to me. We need Salsa to address the problem, and I'm hopeful that in their next recommendations, they begin to get a grip on the reality of the daily function of the shelter. We need to start attacking the problems the community is having with our animal shelter, and we need to do it now. Thank you, mayor.

Alright. Council member Alvarez.

Thank you, mayor. I just wanna mention a few things upcoming and what took place over the last couple of weeks. So I first wanna highlight $30,000,000 investment from the county primarily along with some state dollars, think police and city investment as well, a nominal city investment. For the Colorado Rouse neighborhood, my colleague, council member Ricky had just mentioned infrastructure upgrades and pathways to hook up from for county pockets to hook up to city infrastructure. So I wanna continue that narrative in terms of this investment.

So this investment, 30,000,000, will deliver new sidewalks, gutters, ADA comp improvements in compliance, and better water quality to the neighborhood surrounding the Colorado Russe community in and out in and throughout that community. These are historic investments into District 2, albeit it's unincorporated county pocket. These pockets connect directly across the street as District 2 City Of Modesto's jurisdiction. So I wanna highlight that this investment will leave a lasting impact for Westside residents for generations to come. And I want to tip my hat to Supervisor Mani Graywall and the Board of Supervisors for their diligent work in investing here.

Second, I want to highlight the swift work that the city along with the Modesto Gospel Mission and other partners, I think it was United Way of Stanislaus County, thank you, Nick, for pivoting and saving the Downtown Streets Team program and reimagining it into what it is now Hope Works. So last week, my colleagues and I attended the ground break, or the ribbon cutting rather, for the Hope Works project, and that project will serve as a transitional employment opportunity for up to 68 individuals with a goal of supporting them in their transition from being on the verge of homelessness or homeless to transitioning to permanent employment and housing. The project required, as I mentioned, an innovative partnership with the United Way and the Modesto Gospel Mission, who partnered with the city of Modesto to continue the legacy of the Downtown Streets team, helping approximately 68 individuals get on their feet and on a pathway to sustainability. Finally, tomorrow, February 25, El Concilio, in partnership with South Minnesota Businesses United, is hosting a Community Connect evening and it's an opportunity to meet elected officials in and throughout Modesto and Stanislaus County larger region. That's taking place at El Concilio tomorrow here downtown at 05:30PM.

Thank you, mayor.

Thank you. Council member Bavaro.

Thank you, mayor. This Thursday, the city council district board advisory committee will tour the real time crime center at the police department, followed by a briefing from the police chief on 2000 on the reduction crime reduction in 2025. So that's all I have to report.

Alright. Councilmember Scoobya Brayton.

Thank you, mayor. Mhmm. The last couple days, I had the honor and excitement of celebrating and appreciating our firefighters and our police force. First, this Saturday, I attended the firefighters Modesto City Firefighters Local twelve eighty nine Dinner and Installation event. And it was lovely to see the community there in large numbers to support our firefighters in the work they do.

But the leadership, the camaraderie and commitment they demonstrated at that event and just on their day to day is just honorable and I was just proud to be part of their celebration and installment of officers. Equally, I attended an event today for the Modesto Police Department where they brought in seven new recruits. It was lovely to see these recruits very focused, very professional, very educated, and they're bringing in their services to keep our city's community safe. And they're willing to, bottom line, put their life on it, and that's just honorable. And I was honored to be there to celebrate with not only them, but their family, and welcome them to our Modesto family.

So I just wanted to thank them all for their service and their commitment to the city of Modesto. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Alright. I will not duplicate reports, but I did have the opportunity to tour transportation projects throughout the county with Stancog to the Colorado Rouse area that was referred to as well as Paradise Road, where an active transportation project in the North County Corridor. The work that's being done out there is really it's incredible to watch all the dirt that's being moved and the work that's being done. In Calendar Avenue, which is the 108 in Riverbank, the crosswalk there. There's, if you'll notice, it cross from St.

Francis of Rome Church, which all of these projects really do help safety in our community and help better travel, safer travel, and that's what we're all working towards. A lot was said about Colorado Rouse, and I wanted to add that Senator Susan Eggman worked for to get $5,000,000 towards that project many years ago, but I wanna thank her publicly for helping us be able to contribute that to the project. I did speak at the Downey High School leadership class. The students had many very interesting probing questions, And it was really a great opportunity to be with them very early morning, but we had a great time together. And I'm very optimistic about our future with our young people being engaged, such as we saw this evening with Hugo here tonight.

Thank you for being here. I did attend the Night to Shine event, which is a prom. It's through the Tim Tebow Foundation, a prom for special needs residents of our community. It is absolutely incredible. There must have there was, I believe, a thousand people there.

Each resident is has a buddy that lets them have the time of their life without intervening, just being there to assist them. There are multiple rooms. This was at Shelter Cove Church, but throughout the entire building, rooms for places to do makeup. There's a sensory room for for people that might need to have some quiet time or play with some items that help them calm down if they need help. There was a karaoke space, complete full on dinner.

And all of this was funded by the generosity of local residents like those of you here tonight. They said they raised, I believe, $63,000 for this event. At the end of the evening, every single special needs person was crowned as a king or a queen. It is absolutely heartwarming. Our law enforcement officers were there on the red carpet greeting every single person that came through.

Our fire department members were there greeting every single resident that came through. They had the time of their life, and it was completely inspiring. It was absolutely delightful to watch and be a part of this. I was able to crown a few people, and it was just really, really great. That was on Friday, February 13.

Then we had a welcoming and promotion ceremony today, as was mentioned, I believe, at the Modesto Police Department. We're always excited to welcome our new officers and other staff. We will have on Thursday, February 26, this groundbreaking for the 7th Street Village at 7th And J Street at 10AM, and everyone is invited. That's my report. Do, does the city manager have any comments or reports?

Alright. Next on the agenda is new business item 16. Consider accepting mayor Susan Wallin's budget message per charter section one three zero two dot one for the upcoming fiscal year twenty twenty six twenty seven budget year. Is there a staff report on this? Alright.

I will read the message. As mayor, I have the honor and responsibility to deliver to the residents and city council of Modesto the mayor's budget message under Modesto City Charter section one three zero two dot one. It has been over three years since you, the voters, entrusted us with measure h, and the city has been working diligently to honor that commitment. From adding life saving resources to our public safety teams, to revitalizing the parks where families play, these funds are making Modesto safer and a better place for all. We are investing in creative housing solutions like the Hope Works team, our accessory accessory dwelling unit loan, the hotel and hotel voucher programs.

Together, we are ensuring our city looks its best and serves all residents in our community. To build a strong future, the council is prioritizing strategies that ensure public safety, address housing challenges, and fuel economic growth, transforming Modesto into a premier destination built on the foundation of community trust. These efforts continue with the current funding approved for in the fiscal year twenty twenty five, twenty six Measure h spending plan that was approved by the city council as part of the current budget. Funding highlights include Doctor. Martin Luther King Junior Park, $7,800,000 Parks deferred maintenance preventative maintenance, 1,000,000.

Cesar E. Chavez Park funding, $761,000. Armored Vehicle Purchase, $400,000 Rentable Community Stage, 260,000 Fire Radio Maintenance, $155,000 Fire wildland web gear, $100,000. And forestry drenching trailer pickup, $60,000. As we collaborate to shape the Modesto of tomorrow, I'm proud that our growth is rooted in collective effort.

This shared vision ensures our city's programs truly reflect our community's values. Having concluded our council retreats to refine the strategic plan, our unified council now has clear direction as we enter the final year of our two year budget. Council will continue to focus on strategies highlighted by the following, improving community safety, economic development, reducing blight, homelessness and affordable housing, forestry, and communication of city services. I look forward to working with the city council to ensure that the budget completes the strategy set forth in the two year strategic plan. Measure h represents a significant f investment in Modesto's future, and we as a council take your trust to heart.

We are turning resources into results, ensuring our city continues to be a place where residents are safe and proud to live, work, and thrive. With respect, Sue Zwolland, mayor, city of Modesto. Are there any questions from staff? Seeing none, does the council have any questions or comments?

I do, ma'am.

I will okay. Well, you know what? First of all, I've gotta open it up to the public. So hold on for your comments. Alright. Any members of the public, sorry, would like to come forward? Seeing none, I'll close public comments and ask counsel for comments. Council member Scuti Brayton.

Thank you, mayor. I just wanted to congratulate you in a very thoughtful. It was a very thoughtful budget message. It was very forward looking. And I appreciate the fact that it highlights everything that's important to all of us in our community, is public safety.

It focused on a thriving and dynamic growing economy. Of note, the Measure H improvements that we were able to do simply because the people believed in us and in that initiative and we were able to you articulated all those improvements and I'm very pleased that we were able to do that and that I plan on very much supporting you and this council working collaboratively so that we could continue to do those provide those results that end up making Modesto a great place to live. So thank you for your message.

You're welcome. Any other comments at this time? All right. Thank you. I appreciate that. My one comment that has been I felt compelled to thank my count the council members recently. You know, a lot of councils, not everyone shows up. There's people absent often. It's not that way with our council. I am so proud and honored to work with the six council members that we have as mayor.

We spend the time, we listen, we read, we do the research, we attend the meetings, multiple committee meetings, and other other meetings as well. It's just truly an honor, and I wanna thank each of you for your service to our community. Alright. I have a motion to accept mayor Sue's Wallin's budget message per charter section one three zero two dot one for the upcoming fiscal year twenty twenty six twenty seven budget year. Do I have a motion?

Aye. Vice mayor

Vice mayor Williams. Motion.

I had a motion or What

was that?

Motion Williams.

Do I

have a second? Second. Second from council member Wright. Will the city clerk call the role for this item? Council

member Scoutier Breachen? Aye. Council member Alvarez? Aye. Council member Ricky?

Aye.

Council member Bavaro? Aye. Vice mayor Williams? Aye. Council member Wright?

Aye.

And mayors Owens? Aye. And I must make one more comment, one last comment. One last. Our city manager, Joe Lopez, our city attorney, Jose Sanchez, our city clerk, Diane Nayers Perez, our city auditor, Coles Colleen Resilias, and all of our leaders that are here tonight, department heads, thank you so much for what you do for this city.

We all see it. Allison Van Gilder, Scotty, our all of our clerks, we truly appreciate your work. It does not go unrecognized. And above all, the residents of the community that continue to show up and express their opinion. Alright. Are there any matters too late for the agenda? Seeing none, I'm calling this meeting of the city council to be adjourned.