City Council - Regular Meeting

It having reached the hour of 5.30 p.m., I am calling the September 1st, 2026 Modesto City Council meeting to order and ask the city clerk to call the roll.

Here. Will everyone please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the invocation from Lance Lowell Neighborhood Church. 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.

Thank you. Does the city clerk have any announcements?

Thank you. Do any of the council members have any conflicts of interest? Seeing none, will the city attorney please report out on closed session?

Thank you. Next on the agenda is acknowledgements and presentations. First is a proclamation declaring September 6th through 12th is National Suicide Prevention Week. I will read the proclamation. Suicide and suicide attempts have lasting impacts on the mental, emotional, and physical health of everyone. According to the CDC, in 2024, over 2.2 million people attempted suicide, and over 48,000 people succumbed to suicide. Notably, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults aged 10 to 24. It is imperative that through education and dialogue, we foster an informed com

You're welcome. Did anyone else have comments this evening?

Does Lauren have any comments tonight? Is Lauren Polito here? No? All right. Thank you very much, both of you, for your comments. Council member comments. Council member Scudia Brayton.

Thank you Mayor and thank you Ms. Gill and Ms. Bellew for being here and receiving this recognition. Thank you for your service to our community. This subject is no longer taboo, it's real and it impacts our community, it impacts our family for generations to come. And as was said earlier, it has no boundaries. So thank you for the work you do in bringing it to the forefront and providing avenues, in particular for youth, to enter a realm of better mental health and the prevention of suicide. This is something that's much needed, and again, your service is much appreciated. Thank you very much

All right, any other comments from council members? All right, seeing none at this time, thank you for being here this evening. I'll now bring the proclamations down to present.

Thank you so much. All right, item two, proclamation declaring September 15th through October 15th, 2026 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. I will read the proclamation. First proclaimed in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the independence of several Latin American countries and celebrates the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Modesto's population is over 45% Hispanic and represents a fundamental piece to Modesto's cultural makeup. It is thanks to the accomplishments and contributions of Hispanic individuals in our community, our nation, and our history that we thrive. Cele

Sure. If you can put the microphone down so that. Yes, sure.

You're very welcome. Thank you all for being here this evening. I was told that maybe two people were going to come and look at, we have such a fabulous group. I really appreciate you being here. Do we have any comments from council members? Council member Scudia Brayton.

Do you want to go first, Eric? Go ahead. Sure.

Oh, Council Member Alvarez. Thank you, Mayor.

Well, thank you. I'm very proud to be here with you tonight. Tonight, I'm proud to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month observed through, I think, September 15th, October 15th. uh... from not mistaken uh... this month gives us an opportunity to celebrate this uh... the generations of hispanic and latino residents who helped uh... shape our city through uh... culture entrepreneurship public service education uh... to our family are are are are traditions you name it uh... every walk of life is is is impacted by hispanic culture in california In Modesto, that legacy is visible through our

Thank you, Mayor. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, both the Mayor and I wore bright floral blouses to also celebrate with you all. Muchas gracias por estar aquí hoy. It's an honor for families and children to come and celebrate THIS MOMENTOUS RECOGNITION FOR THE MONTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. AS THE MAYOR INDICATED IN HER PROCLAMATION, VERY WELL SAID, THE FACTS STATED IN THE PROCLAMATION, HISPANICS, LATINOS CONTRIBUTE AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO MODESTO, TO CENTRAL VALLEY. HAVING THE POPULATION BE 45%, THE LARGEST ETHNIC COMMUNITY IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND IN MODESTO, an immen

All right, Council Member Rickey, wait just a moment. Wait, more comments, Council Member Rickey. Thanks, Mayor.

I also want to thank you guys for being here tonight. Hispanic Culture and Hispanic Heritage Month, it's more than just a month to me. I mean, it is a pillar of our community, and it is a foundation of our community. And so I appreciate you guys coming tonight and celebrating it with us.

All right. Thank you very much for being here this evening. I will bring the proclamation down.

Thank you. All right, next on the agenda is public comment. Public comment tonight is available both in person and through Zoom. Thank you for joining us. The city council meetings are a place where everyone is encouraged to share insights, listen and 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 a

You're welcome. I do not see anyone online. Is that correct? Next is Bruce Hammerstrom.

Thank you. Next is, I don't see anyone online still, correct? Derek Castle.

You're welcome. I would ask if you would share your card just to make that connection for response. Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much for being here. Is there anyone else wishing to speak under public comment for those in person or online this evening? I do not see anyone online, no one in person. So 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

All right. May I have a motion to approve the consent calendar as read? So moved. Second. Moved by Council Member Wright. Second by Council Member Scootia Brayton.

Next item, excuse me, item five. Consider approving the second amendment with HDR Engineering Incorporated of Folsom, California to complete assigned work and gain regulatory compliance for the Carpenter Road landfill in Modesto, California, thereby increasing the agreement amount by $820,774 through the duration of the agreement. We will have a staff report. Welcome.

All right. Thank you. Any questions from council members regarding this item? Seeing none, any comments from the public? Uh-huh.

All right. Would you like to respond, please?

All right, thank you. Any other public comments, please?

And the answer was positive. Thank you. Any other members of the public that would like to speak regarding Item 5? Seeing none, I will close public comments. Any comments from council members? Seeing none, I need a motion for resolution approving the second amendment to the agreement with HDR Engineering Incorporated of Folsom, California to complete assigned engineering and permitting work as next steps to gain regulatory compliance for the Carpenter Road landfill in Modesto, California, increasing the agreement amount by $820,774 to a new total amount not to exceed $1,172,224 through the ter

It carries 6-0. Next is council comments and reports. Do any councilmembers have any comments and reports this evening? Councilmember Rickey?

Thanks, Mayor. In today's economy, it's more important than ever to support entrepreneurs and independent business people. Several months ago, the city had to shut down several local vendor fairs that weren't permitted. While the city's working on a permitting solution to give these events the regulation that they need, I'm hopeful that the city can find some solutions soon. A pilot program could bridge the gap while the community waits for answers because lots of people really rely on these events for their livelihood and in tough times like this, we should make that a priority. The lack of p

Any other comments from council members? This is council member time. Sorry, public comment is over. Council Member Alvarez.

Thank you, Mayor. I want to echo the sentiments of my colleague, Council Member Rickey, in the vein of entrepreneurs and pop-up events and small micro-permitting. I had sent over a memo that my colleagues, Nick Bavaro, and Chris Rickey signed onto as well, over to staff a couple of weeks ago, that outlined some recommendations to provide the council some recommendations on micro permitting and options that are possible. And so I did get an update from staff, which I'm happy to report. They have been working collaboratively with different business stakeholders like the Chamber of Commerce, both

Any other comments? I'll give my report. In the spirit of community collaboration, I attended Modesto City Schools Key Communicators, where we meet with many... people in our community that are involved in multiple ways, whether it's through education, law enforcement, all the different key players that meet to make sure that we're aware of what Modesto City Schools is doing. There's 30,000 students in Modesto City Schools, so these are our children, and it's very important to keep those lines of communication open. Also in the spirit of collaboration, I attended the Turlock State of the City

Are there any matters too late for the agenda? Seeing none, I am calling this meeting of the City Council to be adjourned.