Remarks by Lee
191 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 8
- Play at 50:35
“I'll make a disclosure. I don't know if it's a disclosure or not, but we were obviously the nonprofit that I am the chair of was awarded a grant by the state of California, but it's unrelated to this matter, and I won't receive any financial contribution or benefit from discussing or voting on this matter, but I will make that disclosure.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 51:38
“I voted on it the last time it came before, so there's no conflict. I'm not going to recuse myself.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 51:46
“There's no financial benefit to me, so I won't be recusing myself.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 51:56
“Yes. Can staff who are presenting or handling this please come to the podium? The reason why I'm pulling this item, just I think our legislative records need to continue to be recorded. This matter came before the council. That was not on an RFP or any other announcement to the community. We just awarded this person $300,000. We made a commitment. I think we've since asked if the money had been released. I think the city manager had informed me that the money had not been released or somebody in the city manager's office had not been released yet. My understanding, after this award, or when…”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 53:53
“It has been shared with us, yes. Can it be shared with council, please? Can we see that?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 54:11
“But I mean in terms of considering this item right now, I think Council needs to be well informed and see it now or we can hold this item and come back later.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:11:49
“And thank you, Alex, for the letter. And I did confirm as I sat here that this letter is one of the requirements that were met. So thank you for that. The second question I had is that my understanding is tonight we're considering accepting the location change. Is that what we're being asked?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:12:05
“And so my question is, did the budget, because the 10% match for the grant, I believe at the time was $800,000 based on an $8 million award. If the location is changing, my understanding is the budget is significantly changing for this project, which means the match would change. Are we still saying as a council we're authorizing $300,000, or are we saying as a council we're authorizing up to a certain amount, and how are we managing the amount of money that we're assigning to this if the budget is to change and the cost goes down?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:13:00
“It's okay to find out what I'm confused the city's not buying a building.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:13:11
“Right. So the 10 percent, I understand how this works, but what I'm trying to understand is when this originally came before council, they were given a contribution letter of $800,000 without council approval. Once we brought it to council and we reviewed it, council was then tasked with a decision on what to do. This council voted six to one with me dissenting to award $300,000 to the individual towards the 10 percent match. My understanding is the budget is changing because the location is changing, which means it won't be $8 million. The grant approval will be less than $8 million, which…”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:14:12
“Right and so my point is if that amount changes does our amount change and if not then the answer is no no OK thank you. Well that's that's the only questions I have obviously these needs are important to our community and I guess I would want to understand, so when the location changes, has the state accepted that change or what's the next process?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:14:56
“The last question, thank you, is once we submit the letter, What then are we doing to close the loop on this so like what's the vote look like do we then get a letter from the state or can we request a letter from the state confirming that everything is good or what was the process.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:15:22
“OK to the council is fine correct. OK, thank you.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:23:41
“Thank you, Mayor. Sorry, I did have another comment as I was thinking and hearing the comments. I want to clarify, just because the legislative record is important, why I started by saying I want to make a motion to accept this. Obviously, you know, this is a process that I'm familiar with and I know the needs of our community. Our community needs support and getting grants is not an easy task. But I want to slow down a little bit to say I started with the reminder of how we got here and i want to remind the community that this actual grant and the process in which we got here is already…”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:26:34
“And so how then, before you leave, how then are we utilizing the letter of commitment of support for this match? How are we holding the funds given the concerns that were raised that were discussed recently in an audit committee, which is going before audit? How are we holding or addressing the funds from being released prior to knowing that the project is going to move forward?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:27:24
“Has the city verified the other $500,000 that was required for the 10% match? Have we verified that? Because here's the challenge, right? If we do give the $300,000, and then they use it to acquire the property, and then they're not able to move forward on the grant, then the city then owns another property that we're not going to use. Because we're not going to just gift them a property.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:28:00
“So given what you're hearing, we give 300,000, it goes into escrow to purchase a building. The building gets acquired by the applicant. The applicant unsuccessfully gets the grant from the state. Now what? How do we recoup our money?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:28:25
“But what I'm saying is you can buy the land and then not get the grant. So what I'm asking is what is our... what can we do as a city in obtaining those resources back? So we give the $300,000, all those documents, it goes into escrow, they acquire the property, the state denies the grant. What do we do then?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:28:52
“Yeah, I think the way this grant works, having gone through it, it's kind of cart before the horse. So I understand the sentiment of not wanting to lose the opportunity. I think we just for legislative record purposes and for the public watching, I think we just need to know, OK, we approve the $300,000 today. It goes into escrow with the paperwork. They secure the property. Now they own it. And then they don't get the grant. Do we now own a property that we can't operate?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:29:32
“Okay, so that would be my only concern, and that is that if for whatever reason, because this is a really interesting process, that they're not able to move forward, that we're able to control those resources. That said, and that caveat, and that's what I'm hearing we're going to do, and what I'm hearing very clearly is we're not going to give the money to a project that's not going to move forward, and that we will have all the legal, the stuff you went to school for to learn how to put in agreements to protect those resources.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:30:04
“Well, based on that, I know there's people that like the project, don't like the process. I share the same disliking for the process. And still, everything I've said before back on November 18th stands true. But I also am somebody that understands the needs of our community. And those needs need to be met. And this is a unique opportunity that will not revisit itself. And so with the caveat from our city attorney's office of making sure that we're protecting those resources and not absolving myself from the referral that I made to the agencies investigating it, I will move to approve.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:37:40
“So with this grant, can y'all come to Western Ranch? Because I'm getting eaten up on Facebook today about the traffic. But it's everywhere. And I say, part of it is that people in the city just need to slow down. But yeah, bring some of that money to Western Ranch.”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:38:08
“You know, now that you're promoted, you're so politically savvy. I still want you to bring it to Western Ranch. Thank you. Did you make a motion?”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 2:36:59
“Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for the presentation. I'll say now I appreciate the work that all the staff has done with me over the last year and a half to prepare for the meeting we're having tomorrow with all the developers and the brokers and staff around the future development of District 6 and all the opportunities. And I love the presentation about all the unique and rich opportunities to develop in Stockton. You know, one thing that I will say is repeatedly I've said we need to find a partner to put Stockton someplace special at both sides of the freeway to start changing the…”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 2:53:58
“Thank you, Mayor. Well, first of all, I feel left out, because I don't know what the MC3. C3 program is, but I, oh, but then now I know it. Okay. No, she said a lot of things there. You know, when you talk about infrastructure, you know, one of the things we have to figure out, because I didn't, when I, once I got an office, I was like, we're going to South Stockton and we're building. They were like, not with them old pipes. You know, I didn't even think about infrastructure and how old the infrastructure in District 6 was. I'm like, what does that mean? So as I've learned and as we've…”
City Council and Authorities · Sep 1, 2026