City Council - Regular Meeting

everyone good evening everyone and welcome to the regular meeting of the madera city council today is wednesday september 2nd 2026. i call this meeting order at p.m city clerk gonzalez

I'd like to thank my colleagues for being here tonight. Um, if you could please stand for the invocation gift by pastor at your very tonight and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance by mayor pro, Tim Zachariah.

Thank you for that. Moving on to the approval of the agenda, I'll bring it to my colleagues for any questions or concerns.

Okay, thank you for those comments. Colleagues have any other comments or concerns? If not, I will bring it back to my colleagues to entertain a motion in a second.

motion I'll second thank you did you get who motion that okay all right all those in favor say aye aye those opposed motion passes unanimously thank you for that moving down to the next item please under presentations is a proclamation recognizing upstanders day Good evening, everyone. I do have some recipients here to accept this proclamation. If they could come forward, please. Thank you. And this proclamation is given from the mayor and city council, and it is a proclamation recognizing national standards day. And a lot of people are like, exactly what is this? So come on close ladies. Than

just doesn't feel right when we leave our chairs like we play musical chairs every time we understand it's a school night so you're welcome to stay for this wonderful meeting but we understand if you have to exit now thank you for being here tonight next item city clerk gonzalez

Thank you for that. I'll open it up for public comment. Anyone in the chamber would like to speak? Come on up to the podium.

Thank you for your comment, Mr. Pistoresi. We appreciate it. Anyone else in the chamber, come on up.

Thank you for your comment. City Clerk Gonzalez, anyone online or on Zoom? Thank you for that. I close public comment at this time and move on to the next item.

Thank you. I bring it back to my colleagues. We do have some amendments that were spoken at the beginning of our agenda. So I need a motion and a second.

I second. Okay. Is that good for that? City Attorney, thank you. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Those opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Thank you for that.

Thank you. And that will be presented by our very own Administrative Analyst Say. Thank you for being here tonight.

Perfect. Thank you. I bring it back to my colleagues for any questions or concerns. Council Member Rodriguez.

Yes, thank you, Nicole. So out of the projects that you identified, Obviously money is a big, I mean, obviously that's your biggest factor. Which of those require, which of those grade separation would you say is a priority for our city?

Well, good. I'm glad to hear that the grants were available from the FRA also. But more importantly, I'm glad to hear that Union Pacific is also being a collaborator. And hopefully, I mean, this design, who knows when we would have the matching funds or funds to ever get to that point. But having that would certainly give us an alternative to look at this design. So thank you. Appreciate your time. Appreciate the presentation.

Thank you. Thank you for your comment. At this time, I open it for public comment in the chamber. I see none. Anyone on Zoom or online? Thank you. I close public comment at this time and bring it back to my colleagues for a motion and a second to adopt this resolution.

Thank you. Oh, I have a motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Those opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Thank you for that.

Thank you. And presented by our very own. Uh, director Gandhi, thank you for being here again tonight.

Thank you for that. Bring it back to my colleagues for any questions or concerns. I see now I open up for public comment. I see no one in the chamber online or on zoom city clerk Gonzalez. Thank you. I close public comment and I bring it back to my colleagues for an adoption of this resolution to approve. Okay, have a motion in second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed motion passes unanimously. Thank you for that report. Director. Moving on to the next item.

All right, presented by our very own city clerk, Gonzalez. Give her a minute to pull that up.

Thank you. So I will bring this back to my colleagues for any nominations to receive this proclamation. I have a nomination. I know last year we appointed the King and Queen because they were not able to attend. They had received COVID on a trip. Is it possible for this year if my colleagues would like to entertain the Grand Marshal to come? I don't know if it's, I know it's been given in social media who's receiving it, but at the time, right now, I can't think of who that person is, but whoever the Grand Marshal is.

If he would like to accept that proclamation, I think that would be a good nomination. I'll second. Okay. Thank you. I'll open it for public comment first. In the chamber? Online or on Zoom? All right. I will close public comment at this time. I know it's just a recommendation. We're just going to go through the formalities. We have a motion.

Yeah, I'll move to have Dennis Smith become the recipient for the ultimatum. Second.

Second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Those opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Thank you for that.

Thank you. Councilwoman Mejia. Nothing to report. Council Member Rodriguez.

You know I'm going to have something. Actually, I just wanted to request to see if the council would entertain. I'd like to know what the City and Madera Unified collaborate in. I know that we collaborate in a lot of programs. I don't know what those are. I know that... We certainly have, uh, some activities through John. Well, summer programs and what have you. But I, I would really like to explore, um, how the city and the dare unified can can develop some collaboration or partnership and piloting maybe 1 school and keeping that school open throughout the, uh, when students are not at, um. a

my colleagues agree I'd like to know what partnerships we have and if that would be something we can explore okay that's all seven okay is that it thank you for that report council member Villegas nothing to report thank you and I have nothing to report other than our city chiefs are back with us so we are glad to have you safe and sound here back in the city of Madera and I guess chief with us or captain Chief not sure title. Thank you for that. I will be turning it over to my city attorney for closed session Thank You mayor.

Thank you Thank you open it up for public comment in the chamber. I see none online or on zoom. Okay, I will close public comment on this time and we will move to closed session. If you are not here when we return, Safe Travels Home will be right back. Thank you.

And we're back, and I will turn this over to our city attorney.

All right. At this time, I will adjourn our meeting at 646, and we'll see you back Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Good night, everyone.