City Council - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon. Good evening. I'd like to call the city council meeting to order under for closed session. We don't have anything to report. We don't have any closed session. So we'll recess to our open session at six. Thank you. Good evening. I'd like to reconvene the city council meeting. We now go to our invocation by council member Tejeda and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Good evening, members of our community, those who are here in person and virtually. These are some challenging times we're facing lately, and it is important for us to acknowledge that. I think those of us who are spiritual understand that it is a time for deep, reflective prayer. And I wanted to offer this to the community. Lord, we ask you to bless each of us in this room and virtually and in our community and across the nation, even across the world, to bless us with the patience, the compassion, and the warmth that is necessary to be around another person, listen, and at least meet somebody halfway. I think that's what it takes at this time, Lord, and it is important for each and every one of us to be a willing participant in that level of communication. So I pray this to you, in Jesus' name, amen. If you please join me, face the flag, put your right hand over your heart, and begin.

We'll now go to the public portion of our agenda. The first speaker I have is Isabella Rainbolt. If you're new to this process, we ask you to come on up, state your name. You have three minutes for your public comment. There are a number of buttons, the greens to go ahead and start, the yellows let you know that you're close to your time, and the reds is when you have to wrap up your public comment.

There's actually four of us. Can we go in the order that we'd like to here? Sure. We're all on the same topic.

That's fine. Okay, great. Thank you so much. State your name so that I can eliminate your public, your speaker slip.

Ryan Rainbolt.

Okay.

Go ahead. All right. Good evening, mayor and council members. Once again, my name is Ryan Rainbolt. I'm a former elementary school principal turned entrepreneur and the owner of now three Redlands-based businesses that I operate with my wife and my two oldest daughters, who you'll meet in just a bit. Enchanted Education, Step-by-Step Cultural Arts, and Rhino and Crow Arts Education. I want to start by saying how genuinely excited we are to now call Redlands home. Our decision to purchase the 37,000 square foot building at 1615 Orange Tree Lane represents more than a business investment. It represents a long-term commitment to the Inland Empire and to the people who live and grow here. Our focus is on creating opportunities for youth and families to develop skills, explore passions, and build capabilities that translate into stronger futures. We will do this by developing a variety of hands-on learning laboratories, including a maker space, a dance studio, a food lab, recording, podcasts, and music studios, computer labs for e-sports and digital design, and areas for painting, sculpting, and more. When communities invest in learning, creativity, and personal growth, the return shows up everywhere, in the economy, in stability, and in the kind of city where people want to live, invest, and bring their business. We're so excited about what's to come. I also want to sincerely thank the City Council and Redlands Police Department for the rapid professional and humane response when addressing the homeless encampment that formed directly behind our new building. We notified RPD about the situation, and we feel our concerns were taken seriously and addressed promptly. There really isn't a more positive outcome we feel a company could ask for when interacting with the city's police department. We are especially grateful for the city's incredibly prompt follow-through in removing the trash, debris, and effectively restoring that area to a much better condition. This entire response mattered, and it sent a clear message about shared responsibility and care for the community. I do want to respectfully emphasize the importance of continued monitoring of that area. It is a vacant lot that we understand has somewhat of a history of a homeless presence. As a business that serves children, safety is a non-negotiable for us. An encampment immediately adjacent to our building presents risks that directly impact our ability to operate and serve families. Maintaining high standards for this area is essential, not only to our organization, but for the broader health of the neighborhood. We appreciate the leadership shown so far, and we ask for your continued support in keeping this area safe and well maintained. Thank you again for your time, your responsiveness, your service. We look forward to working alongside the City of Redlands, fellow business leaders, and public servants to give back and help make this city a city where opportunity truly reaches everyone. Thank you.

I'm not sure who's up next, the order, but come on up and introduce yourself, please. Good evening, Bill Tynan.

Got it. Well, good evening to the mayor and city council members. It's great to be here tonight. My name is Bill Tynan, and I am the director of sales and marketing for the three companies Ryan just spoke about, Enchanted Education, Step-by-Step Cultural Arts, and Rhino and Crow Arts Education. Together, our work serves one simple purpose, to support the people of this community and the Inland Empire region, and especially its young people, by providing world-class experiences that meet them where their interests, talents, and passions already live or where they are yet to be discovered. Currently, we work with thousands of students on their school campuses and soon to be thousands within the walls of our building who may not yet see themselves as scientists, artists, engineers, or creators, but who absolutely have the curiosity, capacity, and ability to become them. Through programs in science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, the visual and performing arts, and other creative explorations, we help youth discover what they're capable of and to begin imagining real pathways for their future. What excites us most about this work today is that it doesn't stop with kids. With our new building here in Redlands, we're expanding opportunities for toddlers, adults, families and entrepreneurs of all kinds by creating real-world, hands-on spaces for lifelong learning. skill building, and meaningful career exploration. Soon, and it won't be long, we will have the variety of environments that Ryan described available to the Redlands community where the next generation of dreamers and doers will launch their podcasts, prototype their inventions, and learn the skills they need to achieve the life they're looking for. The real impact isn't about our organizations, but about the confidence gained, doors opened, and communities strengthened when people feel seen, engaged, and supported. That's a story we care most about telling. We are here because we believe Redlands is a place where that kind of work matters. We're eager to be active partners in this community, to collaborate with the City Council, and to give back in ways that truly serve the people who call this city home. Thank you for your time, and thank you for helping Redlands to be a place where curiosity, creativity, and opportunity can thrive. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Who's up next?

Hello, good evening. My name is Matisse Rimbolt. Okay, so I am the founder of Step by Step Cultural Arts, which is the new business that is now here in Redlands. And I'm especially honored to be here tonight because I'm not just a business owner that's new to Redlands. I am also a graduate of Redlands High School, and it means a lot to return to the community that helped shape who I am today. Step by Step Cultural Arts provides cultural arts programs such as dance, music, and art for students throughout Southern California, while also helping them build confidence, discipline, and pride in who they are. Our work is currently offered in after-school programs on public school campuses and will soon be offered at our new building here in town. Our programs include mariachi music, ballet folklorico, step and drill, African dance, Polynesian dance, Aztec dance, and more. We also have a performance group called Ballet Folklorico de San Bernardino County, which is a great opportunity for students who want to expand their dance experience beyond the classroom. As we expand into Redlands, our goal is to help bring even more culture, education, and community connection to the city. We want to be a positive presence here, supporting local families, uplifting youth, and contributing to the vibrant spirit that makes Redlands such a special place. Thank you for your time, and thank you for welcoming my business into the community. And I look forward to growing here and supporting the city of Redlands every step of the way. Have a great evening. Thank you.

So last but not least, I think we have one more. Isabella, right? Okay.

Yes, my name is Isabella Rainbolt. Well, good evening, everybody. I'm excited to introduce myself and my company, Rhino and Crow Arts Education, to you tonight. We recently moved into the new building, as you heard, here in Redlands, and we're really excited to become a part of this incredible community. Rhino and Crow Arts Education was founded on the belief that art should be accessible to everybody. We provide arts education opportunities for K-12 students with a particular passion for serving students with special needs. Our programs are designed to create welcoming spaces where students of all abilities can explore painting, printmaking, sculpting, and more in ways that honor their individual skills and perspectives. For me personally, Rhino and Crow is much more than just a business. It is a commitment to creating spaces where students feel seen, valued, and empowered, something that I wish I had more of when I was younger. Art builds confidence, it builds connection, and most importantly, it builds community. When students create together, they learn empathy, collaboration, and self-confidence. Redlands is already such a strong, community-centered city. I feel a deep sense of pride here in education, in families, and in supporting one another. We are grateful to bring Rhino and Crow into a city that clearly values connection, growth, and art. Our hope is to partner with families, schools, and local organizations, such as the soon-to-be-open Museum of Redlands, to expand access to meaningful arts educations for all students. Thank you for welcoming us into Redlands, and we look forward to contributing to the artistic and educational life in this city. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Next speaker is Joshua Hall.

My name is Joshua Hall. I just want to talk about the latest transgender shooting where a man by the name of Robert Dorgan gunned down his entire family, killed three of them, his two sons and ex-wife, and his two other children are in critical condition as well as a family friend. This is a result of a transgender craziness that has swept the nation since... 2013, but really exploded after Obergefell versus Hodges in 2015. Dorgan wrote, responded to actor Kevin Sorbo, who said that Tim McBride is a man, and Dorgan wrote, keep bashing us, but don't wonder why we go berserk. Together for Red Ones is its own craziness here. We've been in a very lengthy legal battle with Together for Red Ones at the support of California, the state of California, and transing kids and indoctrinating them into the homosexual lifestyle without their parents' knowledge or consent. And emails between Jeffrey Epstein and various people prove it. Epstein had an email with a plastic surgeon talking about transitioning men to female. women to male and, you know, start as early as possible, two or three years old. It was necessary to start as early as possible. Also, the head of ESRI was mentioned in the emails, but nothing incriminating there. But knowing what we know about Jeffrey Epstein, it is cause for concern that the head of ESRI was implicated in the emails. It was just setting up a meeting at Mission Inn in Riverside. Also, I want to talk about the anti-ice riots. The anti-ICE riots are a display of American hatred against... American hatred, anti-American hatred, and hatred against white people. It's not just about ICE. It's hatred of our country. It's an excuse for non-whites who hate white people and self-hating whites who hate themselves and white people to gather together to condemn white people. And... Children as young as nine or younger are walking out to attend these protests, and teachers are contributing to their delinquency and truancy to go to these protests. It needs to stop.

Next public speaker is Nick Johnson.

Good evening.

My name is Nick Johnson. I've been a resident here since 2018. First time speaking up here, so bear with me. I'm not talking about anything on the agenda tonight. I'm talking about a proposed pump track that I've heard that's coming possibly to the city of Redlands. It's my understanding I've met with the planning commission or planning department and Parks and Rec. They're very helpful and guided me in the right direction coming here to kind of speak on it to maybe plant the seed to how we can pursue funding for this amazing venture for the city. So Pump tracks are becoming more and more popular around. Unfortunately, there's not one around us. The closest one right now would be in Moreno Valley, which is 13 miles and 25-minute drive. It just opened up. It's called the Flight Deck Pump Track. I don't know if you guys have had a chance to be out there or seen it on social media, but it has been very, very beneficial for the community. And while I've been out there multiple times with my son, who is eight, my daughter, who is six, and myself riding as well, it's bringing people from all over. While I was there for multiple days in a row, there were people from Rancho, Cucamonga, Upland, Redlands, Rialto. Anyway, people were driving from anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour away just to see us pump track. These pump tracks provide high-value, low-cost community recreation that promotes physical health, skill development, and social inclusion for all ages and skill levels. It provides high community value, social interaction, health and skill development. They're very versatile and accessible to all people, no matter your age. It can be a 2-year-old on there. It can be an 8-year-old on there. And I've seen both. They will draw people to the city of Redlands, which is already a big draw for this area, especially in the valley here. We're very fortunate to have what we have here in Redlands, being the bicycle classic, being such a bike town, the SART trail, all these activities. And this will add a great addition to the Sylvan Park for unutilized space. Okay. These will also draw in more people for competitions, social events, and also during the bias classes and stuff like that. One thing that's neat about these, they have low cost, low maintenance, and they're safe overall because they are just a pump check. There's no jumps or anything like that. This would have local buy-in and locals would keep up on it, I believe, as well. Just like our skate park, it's been a great addition to the city. My son and myself and my six-year-old daughter. We all go there multiple times a week. I can't get him not to go there. He can't stay off his bike. And I think that's kind of a thing about Redlands is there's people on bikes and scooters and skateboards and all over the place, and it gives us a great addition to the community. These pump tracks cost less than a baseball field and are utilized by multiple sports and people of different backgrounds, not just baseball. I'm not putting away baseball. I'm just comparing it. But the cost is anywhere from $200,000 to probably around $1,000. My basic research I've had. But anyways, I think it would be a great addition to the city, and I was just looking to plant the seed and hope to connect with anybody that can steer me in the right direction to how I can help raise funds or push for it. Thank you.

Next speaker is Peter Hall.

I guess I'm going to talk about the last school board meeting I was at and the behavior that I saw there. My brother was removed from the meeting because during his general public comment, he brought up an email between Jeffrey Epstein and a surgeon who specialized in... gender transitioning. And the group known as Together for Red Ones, when they heard him talking about this, caused a ruckus until the president of the board decided to have my brother removed. And then one of their members, a woman named Valerie Tabor, got up and actually Swear it at the school board because they didn't have my brother removed fast enough. They let him speak for over two minutes before the ruckus caused by Taylor for Red Ones caused him to be removed. So she went up there, chastised the school board for not removing him soon enough and swear it at them. And this behavior has been going on for years. I've actually been attending school board meetings for over a year. My brother's been attending longer than I have. And this is a regular occurrence by Together for Red Ones members. They routinely insult school board members, accuse them of being Nazis, racists, fascists, Christian nationalists, as if being a Christian and a patriot of your country is a bad thing. And they constantly talk about how school board policies are singling out LGBT community members and minority people of color. And that's just not true. The school board is trying to be as neutral and – not trying to put anybody above anybody else, not trying to single anyone out, and apparently that's not good enough for Together for Red Ones. I honestly believe they're trying to start a war between white people and people of color and between straight people and the LGBT community.

Last public speaker that I have a slip for is Roop Goyal.

Thank you, everyone in the city council. First of all, I'd like to thank people who made a decision to send a slip to all of us about reducing the single-use plastic. This is one of the most important things that we can do, the current generation, because this is going to affect everyone, not only just us, the living ones, but the future ones, too. I'm very passionate about it. I do all of these things and a few more things. I have even written a poem. I will read a poem on that, at least first stanza. And the last one, those who want to listen it fully, they can go on YouTube. Search by my name. It's based on a song, originally in Hindi, but this poem is in English. Save this earth from poison Don't use plastic so much, my friend Don't use plastic so much, my friend Save this earth from poison Don't use plastic so much, my friend Don't use plastic so much, my friend Once produced, it exists on this earth forever. Because biodegradation will destroy it never. Don't make any more, oh human. Don't use plastic so much, my friend. Don't use plastic so much, my friend. There are three more stanzas which I will not read. They're about the pervasiveness in the air, water, and on the earth, on the soil, and its impact on the creatures in all these three spaces. And then fourth one is, it has impact us also. The last one is about the hope. I will just read that one. Let us work together to cut its use for good. Earth will then give us plastic free water and food. Generations will bless this action. Don't use plastic so much, my friend. Don't use plastic so much, my friend. Save this earth from poison. Don't use plastic so much, my friend. Don't use plastic so much, my friend. The only suggestion I have is next time, when you repeat this, make it a little bigger. Thank you.

That's all the public speaker slips that I have. I don't see any public comment on Zoom. So is there anybody in the audience that would like to speak that didn't fill out a speaker slip?

Seeing none, hearing none, that closes our public comment.

We'll now move to our consent calendar. I have two requests to pull item F5 and F8 for public comment.

I move approval of the balance of the calendar.

Second. There's a motion and a second. Madam City Clerk?

Council Member Baric?

Yes.

Council Member Tejeda?

Yes.

Council Member Davis? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw? Yes. Mayor Saucedo?

Yes. Item F5 is Adopt a Resolution No. 8751, declaring weeds to be a public nuisance and setting March 17, 2026 as a public hearing for objections to the proposed weed abatement. Fire Chief Sessler.

Thank you, Mayor and Council. This is our annual weed abatement process. This is the first part of the public hearing to declare any nuisance on this. There's 130 properties identified. These are large, vacant parcels. No homes or any residents are on these parcels that are on this list. And I'm here, and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Any questions for the Chief? If not, I have a public comment from John Malcolm.

Hello. I think this is a wonderful proposal. a declaration of resolution. There are a couple of plants mentioned by name or types of plants in terms of the include sagebrush, chaparral, poison oak, and poison ivy. Given the intention of this declaration, seems to be like the prevention of fire hazards as well as noxious and dangerous weeds. I assume goat's head will be a target as well. I know quite a few people who have had their bike tires popped whenever they go around into a new path And, yeah, if so, thank you for doing this action. And, yeah.

Thank you. Okay. Anything else? No, that's it. Ready for a motion.

There's no other comment. I won't have the fire chief read all the addresses. I will move to adopt Resolution 8751. Second.

A motion and a second, Madam City Clerk.

Council Member Barrett.

Yes.

Council Member Tejeda.

Yes.

Council Member Davis? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw?

Yes.

Mayor Saucedo?

Yes. Moving on to item F8, approve the use of city resources and the request for in-kind support in the amount of $11,316.50 related to downtown Redlands Art Walk event on Sunday, March 29, 2026, hosted by the Kids Cures Foundation. Approve temporary street closures related to the event. and determine that the event is categorically exempt from the environmental review pursuant to Section 1531.1c of the State Guidelines Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. Facilities and Assistant City Manager, Boatman.

Thank you. I'm wearing a couple of different hats tonight. So this is the 13th event of this organization's requested within the city. Their event is proposed for March 29th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. And these charges are primarily related to the street closures, which will take place on State between Orange and 7th and 5th on 5th Street between Ed Hills Park. parking lot driveway to the Orange Street Alley drive approach, as well as the Ed Hills parking lot entrance and Orange Street Alley entrance, which actually will not be impacted. With that, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Any questions for the assistant city manager? I'm sorry, what number of events did they have?

I believe this is their 13th year that they requested this event. 13th year, I'm sorry.

I thought you said it was 13th event, and I was saying, okay, how often do they have them? Thank you.

Okay. No other questions. We have a public speaker or a public comment on this item. Dennis Bell.

uh dennis bell good evening the fee waiver amount for this phony art walk that's really a flea market is about twice last year's also the person running this flea market is the one behind the pop-up flea markets on cajon in front of the fox building my following comments are for both this fee waiver and the one for the run run through redlands later on on this agenda The city has been redacting the federal tax ID numbers on the fee waiver request forms because of phony privacy and proprietary reasons. Now it's redacting mailing and email addresses and phone numbers. Also, there's no physical impact statements with these fee waiver requests. It was the previous practice. Oh, geez. Why doesn't the city just pull the Epstein file trick and redact everything? For a city that talks transparency, its transparency leaves much to be desired. Same goes for the Food Security Task Force and the rest of these secretive city committees out in the weeds that are setting policy outside the light of day. Thank you.

Thank you. What's the wish of the council?

Mayor, I move that the City Council determine that the approval of the event is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15311C of the State's Guidelines Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, and I move to authorize and approve the expenditure of city resources and in-kind support in the amount of $11,316.50, and I move to authorize and approve the temporary street closure detailed in the staff report for the downtown Redlands Art Walk which will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026. Second. We have a motion and a second.

Madam City Clerk.

Council Member Baric.

Yes.

Council Member Tejeda.

Yes.

Council Member Davis. Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw. Yes. Mayor Saucedo.

Yes. Moving on to agenda item G1. This is the annual report of the Human Relations Commission by Commissioner Chair Ken Ford, Human Resources and Risk Management, Director Mattoe.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. That annual report will be provided by Commission Chair, Mr. Ken Ford.

Good evening, city council members and city staff. My name is Ken Ford, the chairperson of the city of Redlands Human Relations Commission. And just before I get started here, in case you see me doing unusual twitch or something, I recently had cervical spine surgery. So just so you know, I'm still mending. So, yeah, but it's going good. It's going great. In fact, good plug UCI. They're awesome. University of California Irvine Medical Center. I would like to start off with talking about going back a little bit. Our student commissioners, the last couple of years, they have been incredibly awesome. Ryan Chow, who was our student commissioner before our current student commissioners, commissioner who recently finished her term, he decided to take charge and chair our health and wellness fair. He did an excellent job of putting that together. And even though I was on that subcommittee, I told him, hey, you're the chairperson of that subcommittee, so I'm here. Whatever you need me to do, you tell me. Okay, and then just this last year, our student commissioner, Grace Emmerich, she chaired our forum on the LGBT plus community forum that we had. She took charge of that. And again, even though I was on that subcommittee, you're the chairperson of that committee. Whatever you want me to do, I'm here to follow your direction. Because many times in situations like that, The person that's in charge of the overall group doesn't let the chairperson of that subcommittee do their job. And so I want to make it very clear to the students that I'm here to support you. And even though I'm on this committee, it's your turn to tell me what you want me to do. And they both did an outstanding job. And Ryan Chow, he's currently attending UCLA. dual majoring in general biochemistry and also computer science. And Grace Emmerich, she's working at the YMCA and hope to get her letters of recommendation for colleges next month. They have been incredible. And also, I was honored that they asked me to write letters of recommendation for them also for their colleges. So I just want to give them a big shout out for what they did. Also, a lot of our adult members can take lessons as far as attendance and being involved. I'm going to keep it real here. Those students had an incredible attendance record of getting involved, taking charge of special projects, and it was just incredible to see them work. So hats off to them. So I'm going to say that, and I said it. So what can I say? We had a couple of great things happen this year along the – health and wellness fair that ryan chow took charge of we presented the members of The vendors that was there with certificates of appreciation for their work. For future health and wellness fairs, we've recently made some contacts with some community members, including a student who recently just got his degree in kinesiology from Crafton Hills College. He said he would love to help us in future endeavors with that. I've been speaking with a doctor at Loma Linda Medical Center. He would like to assist with that. We have a group of doctors and dentists that are commissioned right here. Rob Goyle has come in contact with, and they would like to help us in a future health and wellness fair. So we're making some great community contacts with that. Also, the... food drive that the Redlands Family Services does every year, along with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What a lot of people don't know, before all that food gets delivered to Family Services, we staple flyers two bags and go out, put them in the community, the church does, and let people know on this day we will be by to pick up these bags. And take the food to family services. And we had also some members of the Redlands Charitable Resource Council, which I'm also a part of, that helped in that also. Because my whole idea was to try to make it a community event. But again, our student commissioner, she came and helped with that. That was fantastic. I was there representing the Human Relations Commission. And we raised a little bit over 21,000 pounds of food. So we're making some great strides in the community. We're looking at doing some work with some of the cultural holidays. And it's something that started last year, and I think the commission is going to be looking at following through with that this year. Also, as many of you may know or may not know, Assemblymember James Ramos was recently in town, held a town hall here. And unbeknownst to me, I was there. He gave a shout-out to the Human Relations Commission during his talk, so that was really awesome. So we're making headway. We're out there in the community doing what we should be doing. And speaking for myself, as I mentioned in the report that was submitted, I've been asked to look at some other commissions, but I made a public statement and also to all the commissioners that I intend to finish out my term on the Human Relations Commission. And We'll see from there if the city council so chooses to have me again on that commission. It'll be your decision, of course. But it's definitely an honor. And for those who know me, my whole belief in serving our city is what I'm all about. I don't need applause or accolades for myself. It's all about what I can do for the city. Before I came here tonight, I'm involved in a food distribution program. I was out in some of the parks distributing food to some of the homeless people. So it's all about service to the community, and I feel that's something that every member of their community should do. as much as they can to volunteer in their community and where they can. And with that, I finish my report. I will entertain any questions and or comments you may have.

I want to thank you. I've known you for a few years, maybe longer than you and I want to admit to, for your charity and you're giving this to the community. That's what makes Redland so special, a gentleman like you. So we really appreciate your service to the city. Thank you.

Appreciate that.

I echo that. You really have infused new life into this Human Relations Commission. So thanks for your dedication and sticking with it. I know membership has been up and down over the last couple of years. So thank you so much for being diligent. And I love to hear about the phenomenal student commissioners as well. Thanks, Ken.

Me too. You're welcome. As many of you know, I do a lot of work with youth at the YMCA and at my church. And to see these youth take charge on these commissions has just been a very fulfilling, heartwarming experience for me to see them do that.

Mr. Ford, I'd like to thank you very much for being my assigned person to the Immune Relations Commission. I think you've done an excellent job in your time there. And if there's any way possible to have you in a different capacity, I look forward to see that. If not, also continuing on in that role since you're so open to that. Thank you for letting me know, and thank you for your service. And Mr. Goyal as well.

We'll see. Like I say, you never know what the future is going to hold.

Thank you for your time leading the Human Relations Commission. Really appreciate it. Thank you.

And I want to thank you and echo all the sentiments that have been up here, too, as well. And thank you, Commissioners, the volunteers that they do, volunteering their time and effort into the Human Relations Commission. So thank you so much.

You're welcome. Thank you.

Okay. Next agenda item is G2, the Annual Report of the Traffic and Parking Commission, Minutes. Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director Casey.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Members of the City Council, on behalf of the Traffic and Parking Commission, the Chair, Mr. Morningstar, submits this written report for your receive and file consideration this evening.

Okay, any questions? Okay. Need a motion? There's just a receive and file? Okay, very good. Thank you. Okay, next is... Item G3, which is the presentation of the acceptance of the fiscal year 2025 City of Redlands Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the Independent Accounts Report by applying agreed upon procedures related to the Article 8B Appropriations Limit Calculations Management Services Financial Director Garcia.

Thank you, Mayor and members of the Council. The Punn Group, a CPA firm, serves as the City's Independent External Auditor for the purposes of conducting an audit of the City's financial statements. This evening, City staff and the Independent External Auditor are pleased to present to Council the 2025 Annual Consolidated Financial Report for acceptance. The document represents literally hundreds of hours of effort on the part of the finance division staff and the audit firm staff. With that, I'd like to introduce Andrew Roth, partner at the PUN Group, to present the report.

Welcome.

Welcome. Good evening, Mayor and fellow city council members.

We have a presentation tonight.

He's going to queue it up for you.

All right, great. So good to go. Thank you so much. So we're here to present the results of our audit for the fiscal year ended June 30th, 2025. We'll go through the scope of work, some required communications from the audit standards and the AUC-260, an overview, kind of like a general overview of the financial statements, some key financial indicators and pension and OPEB information and the audit results. So for this year, the scope of work was to perform a financial statement audit. That was the audit of the ACFER. That's the main report of the city. A compliance audit of the single audit that's going to be your federal funds. Mainly this year, it was still some of the COVID fund remaining as well as some Water Smart Meters funding. And also the agreed upon procedures where we just really roll forward and verify that your appropriation limit roll forward from the prior year is accurate. So required communications. As part of an audit, there's both responsibilities on the side of the management as well as side of the auditor to make sure we have a smooth audit within the auditing standards and the relationship. And management's responsibilities include they're responsible for the financial statements, to present the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, to adopt sound accounting policies, to establish and maintain internal controls over financial reporting and compliance, to provide evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. They're responsible for the fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatements, whether due to fraud or error, and also to prevent and detect fraud. We as the auditors, we're responsible to perform the audit in conformity with the auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in government auditing standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. We're responsible to communicate with those charged with governance. In this case, this would be the City Council. and that is part of this communication is this here, as well as we do submit letters at planning as well as conclusion of the audit with the report. So we're also responsible to assist the audit risk of internal control or financial reporting to determine the fairness of the presentation of the financial statements and at the end to render an opinion on those financial statements. And if there were any recommendations noted, we would issue a management letter, and this year there was no management letter issued. So some other communications include some significant accounting policies. So as part of the kind of all the numbers in your financial statements, to put those together, you'll go into your notes. And your note one is going to be your main note if you really want to get a good understanding of what it took to get to put those numbers together. Like what are the different policies that the city utilizes? And part of that is also any new GASBs. They always come out with new GASBs. And this year we have a new GASB 101, which is noted in the summary of significant accounting policies. There was a prior period adjustment. Really what it did is before sick leave really was only accrued on what you'd get paid if you left today. But they kind of came up with the idea that, well, if you're going to be employed for, say, 20 more years, you'd be dipping into some of that sick leave. So they kind of came up with a calculation which was more likely than not to be used, which was typically an increase in the liability. So significant estimates. You'll want to note some, as part of the preparation of the financial statements, estimates are pretty important. A few of those estimates include the fair value on investments, the depreciation on capital assets, that's usually the useful life for determining how long it's going to be good for, the compensated absences, that's that more likely not calculation that's now being utilized, as well as the pension and OPEB liabilities. Although You have a more say-so in the calculation of the first three. The second two are really kind of the actuary as well as the pension board over at CalPERS responsibilities to determine that. So you don't have as much kind of say in those estimates there. So... So to go through some sensitive disclosures, as I stated, that first note is pretty important, the summary of significant accounting policies. Leases receivable, note three. Notes 11 and 12 are going to be your pension and NOPA liabilities. They are pretty, due to the size, typically they're pretty important notes and have a lot of information to go with just the numbers. Note 14, fund balance and net position. Note 19, that's going to be the restatements of beginning balances. That's specifically related to the restatement on the composite absences, as well as commitments and contingencies. That's Note 20, so that's going to be any contractual commitments or any legal contingencies or any other kind of grant contingencies. We also want to communicate there was no corrected or uncorrected misstatements reported during the audit. Also, that management informed us, and to our knowledge, there were no consultations with other accountants regarding auditing and other matters. We also encountered no significant difficulties in dealing with management, and there were no disagreements with management in accounting treatment, nor audit procedures performed. So now a review of the financial statements. So for the year ending June 30, 2025, the ending assets of the city was $1.179 billion. That was an increase from the prior year, primarily capital asset increases. Also, there's some cash in the general fund increase, but there was some large capital asset projects completed and donated that were included in the U.S. capital assets. So there was a big piece there. Deferred inflows and outflows, you'll see both of those did decrease. Mainly deferred inflows and outflows are right to those pension and OPEB items. There is leases into deferred inflows, but what happens is when they have, say, a change in experience or a change in assumptions where they make it, They want to amortize that over like a period of time. Typically, it's like five to six years. And the reason they do that is because they don't want the instant effect. They want to smooth it. So there were, I think, in the past couple of years with the COVID, with things fluctuating, those were a bit higher, but now they're kind of less change in those. So you'll see those are amortizing down. So they kind of net out a little bit. I think there was a bit, a larger decrease in the deferred outflows, but they kind of do have a correlation between the two. You'll see liabilities for the year ended at $411 million. That increase, the largest part of that was the OPEB liability increase in the current year of about $8 million, I believe. And then to get into your net position, so net investment in capital assets, that's going to be your... capital assets, obviously, and that's going to be net of any related debt, so capital-related debt to purchase those assets. So you'll note that that did increase to $858 million in the current year, so that kind of correlates with that increase in assets there. So restricted net position, that's going to be any net position that's restricted by law or grant or council, and that increased slightly to $50 million, and you'll note the unrestricted balance did increase was $106 million deficit in the current year, a little bit of a change from the prior year. So, next slide. To go into the changes in net position, The expenses for the current year was $227 million. You'll note the one thing that I think I might have stated before my presentations is that when you look at the statement of changes in net position, statement of activities for government-wide, you've got to know that those expenses also include all the, specifically on the governmental funds because they're not included there. It includes a lot of the pension information. So it does fluctuate with the change in pension. In OPEB, say OPEB goes up, that's obviously going to increase expenses by that amount. So it's not as representative of money you're physically spending. So when we get to the general fund, you'll see a dollar for dollar. But here expenses did increase at the government-wide level to $227 million. Overall, you'll know the overall program revenues. So these are revenues that are directly related to physical expenses. These are either charges for services, which you have to provide a service, or operating grants and capital grants that have specific expenditures related to them. That slightly decreased to $132 million. I think there was, on the capital grant side, I think in the prior year, there were some completions of some grant as well as developer-funded, because when developers fund and donate kind of development assets to the city that's a capital contribution there that did complete in the prior year. So and then also there was a one time in the prior year $8 million on the operating grant. So they did decrease from the prior year. So overall net cost of services increased from $77 million to $95 million. And we compare that to the general revenue taxes, slightly increased. There was some fluctuations. One thing you will note when we go to the general fund was their property tax did increase about $3 million in the current year. And then those general revenues, which is other, which is going to be kind of any other shared revenue that's not taxed, and also the investment income increased slightly to $21.6 million. So the general fund, to go through the general fund, so your assets at the end of the year was $130 million. As I stated, this is the main operating fund of the city. This is kind of the fund where you'll see dollar for dollar and kind of how the budget works. So this is physical money going in and out of the general fund. So you did see an increase in assets, primarily cash, in the general fund to get to $130 million, increased about $4 million from the prior year. Liabilities increased slightly to $11.6 million. And there's deferred inflows of resources, which includes unavailable revenue and items related to leases that increased slightly to $4.6 million. So non-spendable fund balance that did decrease. So the non-spendable specifically includes inventories prepaid and non-current advances to other funds. So that was a decrease if there was an advance in the prior year. The restricted fund balance slightly increased. There were some more restricted funds, restrictions on funds. Committed fund balance, you'll note that that did increase to $13.47 million. And when we get to the slides coming up on the rating day fund, you'll note that number. Assigned fund balance, an assignment of fund balance is going to be anybody that the city council designates is allowed to assign fund balance, and typically it's going to be the city manager. So that did increase slightly to $34.7 million. So you'll note the unassigned fund balance was $63 million in the current year. That was an increase of $2.8 million from the prior year. So revenues, you'll know revenues did increase about $2.8 million. So the most significant part of that was obviously the property tax, $3.1 million. Then there were some other fluctuations up and down on other revenue, but that was the main one I noted that did increase. You'll see expenditures were pretty flat. They did decrease slightly to $112 million. So your revenues over expenditures increased $4 million from the prior year to $13.2 million. You'll note that transfers, these are your net transfers, transfers out of the decrease from the prior year to about $12.2 million. And then also there's an inception of debt agreements. So these are agreements that you'll note. And when you see an inception of debt agreements, typically you're going to note that that will have increased expenditures by the same amount, typically, unless it's an issuance of bonds. Because when you record, say, any kind of finance purchase agreement or lease agreement, you're going to record that as an expenditure as well as an inception of debt agreements. So those do cancel out. But overall, the net change in that position increased from the prior year, so 3.1 million increase in the current year. So, this slide, net cost of services, tax revenue, still waiting for it. Before COVID, like, there was less fluctuation in it, so it was easier to kind of, like, present it, but really what it is is it shows your expenses at the government-wide level of government activities compared to your program revenues, which are those charges for services, capital grants, and operating grants contributions, and kind of comparing so that your net expenses to items that are directly associated to those expenses and what that cost is compared to the other general revenue, which is tax revenue. So the reason they show this really is to those program avenues, you have a lot larger ability to kind of increase those program avenues by applying for grants, changing the fees for charges for services. So you have a lot more flexibility there as opposed to the tax revenue. It's harder to change that in-house. So you'll note that that ratio did increase from 72 to 105, but I'd say the next slide's a more important one. Here we are with the available fund balance to annual expenditures. So this is your rainy day fund. This is a good one here. So typically it would be unassigned, but here we put it as the available fund balance, which is going to be both your unassigned and your stabilization agreement. Combined really makes the true rainy day fund. So that's $74.4 million in the current year. That's an increase from $70.3 million in the prior year. And then you compare that to expenditures, which in the current year are decreased slightly. So at $112 million, that means your general fund reserve ratio is 66.37. GFOA states that the best practice is to have a minimum three months, which would be 20%. So you're at about three times that. So you're in a pretty good position with that rainy day fund. Some other information we want to show is the net pension liability, the sensitivity analysis, though really this shows an analysis of if you were to go up or down a percentage. And as stated with those estimates, CalPERS really does make these changes, so it's more made at the board level. But if the markets were really good, you'd notice that it would go down, and then if they weren't, it would go up. But typically, it seems like they've been decreasing interest, like the rate, not increasing it. So this is just a good thing. So you'll know also that you're about 70% to 75% funded between the two plans. That means the percentage of fiduciary net position of the total future liabilities that have to be paid out over perpetuity of the plan. So you'll note the total OPEB liability. So this is going to have two discount rates. One's going to be a discount rate of 4.21%, and what that would happen if that went up or down. So that kind of works the same way as the pension. So if it went down, liability would go up. And the other way around. The other trend rate, that's costs for health care. That goes into that calculation. And that has an inverse relationship. So you'll note, if health care becomes cheaper, the liability goes down. If it becomes more expensive, it goes the other way. So we'll get into the audit results. So, our audit results was a clean opinion. This is an unmodified opinion for all opinion units. It states the financial statements are fairly presented in all material aspects. The accounting policies have been consistently applied. Estimates are reasonable and disclosures are properly reflected in the financial statements. It's also, we also want to communicate there was no discrepancy with management. No material weaknesses and or significant deficiencies were identified in internal control or financial reporting. We had no accounting issues, and there were no inappropriate activities noted during our audit. Audit results for the single audit. So you'll note there are two major programs that we did audit. It was going to be the Water Smart program, as well as the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which still has expenditures in it. So you'll note we tested 68.5% of the total federal expenditures. And once again, you'll note there was a clean opinion It's a non-modified opinion for our internal control over financial reporting and compliance and other matters audit opinion, audit report, as well as our compliance for each major federal program and on internal control or compliance audit report. So, once again, there is no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies reported. I think that was my presentation. Thank you.

Any questions or comments? Just to staff, and thank you for the report, but to staff, thank you very much for your diligence and the work that you do. The audit itself is an example of the work that you're doing on behalf of our community. So thank you very much. Anybody?

The bottom line is the Redlands, we're doing pretty well, aren't we? In your opinion?

I think the rainy day fund is pretty good compared to, say, the GFOA guidance. But I try not to give – I'll let the report speak for itself.

Okay. I just want the public to understand that we're being fiscally responsible and we're doing well.

Just thank you so much for the very thorough report. And again, I echo kudos to staff. Thank you so much, especially Director Garcia and your team for the wonderful financial management we have in the city. Thank you.

Thank you, Council. And please let me share the credit with two members of our staff that are very deserving of some credit tonight. And that would be Assistant Finance Director James Garland and Finance Manager Marie Dotwin, both of whom are in the audience tonight. Thank you. I share this with them.

Thanks, y'all. If there's nothing else, I'll make a motion.

Yeah, I do have a comment similar to what's already been said about a rainy day fund. I think that's very prudent. I thank the city manager and Director Garcia for continuing on that trajectory. I had a question on the general fund. The revenues, you mentioned that there was a property tax that was increasing. Is that More property being built or the assessment going up? What do you attribute that to?

I have, Mayor, I have some background on that. There was a combination of factors. So property tax is very much a lagging indicator. It's indicative of what the market looked like 18 months ago when we look at our financials for fiscal year 2025, 18 months before the close of that. And so what we can say is that there was a higher rate of sale, so properties were turning over quicker. They were getting reassessed at higher values. And then property costs were also increasing. So a combination of those two factors led to growth that exceeded our projections by about 3% or $3 million. Okay, thank you.

And the other question was on the other general taxes, is that attributed to Measure T or

The other general, that's like the, typically investment income, that's those other general items that aren't, because you'll see the taxes, so you're going to have property tax, franchise tax, sales tax, and then you'll have the items under that, which is going to be your investment income, any kind of gain on sale of property. So that would be the other, that's not the other taxes, it's more like just an other revenue type, like miscellaneous.

Thank you. And I appreciate that because the two sources of revenue for our city is property tax and sales tax. And that's what generally pays for all of our public safety, all of our public services. And so I appreciate the position that we are in. And I want to thank you for all your hard work. And again, Director Garcia, thank you and your staff for the comprehensive report that you put out. I only just... Read the first few pages, and I'm really impressed with all the data, the accuracy, the facts that it goes into providing a report like that. So thank you very much. And with that, I'll... Oh, yes, I do. Mr. Dennis Bell. Thank you.

I also want to thank the Hardworking Finance Department for their work on this. It's really nice the city dropped this item's 341-page online report in the public's laps five days before this meeting, especially over a holiday weekend. How many council members even looked at it, let alone read it? Thank you.

Thank you. With that, I move to accept the City of Redlands Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the Independent Accountant's Report on Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures Related to the Article 13B Appropriations Limit Calculation for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2025. I second it. Mr. Bell, I did read it this weekend.

Thank you. I have a motion and a second. Madam City Clerk?

Council Member Baric?

Yes.

Council Member Tejeda?

Yes.

Council Member Davis? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw? Yes. Mayor Sacito?

Yes. Moving on to item H1, this is a consideration of a public works construction contract with MCC Pipeline, Inc. for the 2025 CIP Water Pipeline Replacement Project for the amount not to exceed $4,003,595 and determined that the project is categorically exempt from the environmental review pursuant to section 15302 of the state guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director Casey.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council. The 2025 CIP Waterline Pipeline Replacement Project will replace approximately 2.7 miles of aging and deteriorated water pipelines. Each year, a portion of revenue from water utility rates is used to replace such aging water pipelines throughout the city. These pipelines are selected based on maintenance history, inspection records, and coordination with future paving improvements. MUED staff prepared the plans and specifications, advertised the project for bidding. On December 4th, the city clerk's office received and opened the bids for this project. The bids were reviewed by staff, and based on that review, staff recommends city council determine approval of the public works construction contract and construction of the 2025 CIP water pipeline replacement project are categorically exempt from environmental review in accordance with Section 15302 of the state's guidelines. As you referenced, implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. Staff further recommends the City Council approve the 2025 CIP Water Pipeline Replacement Project's plans and specification and award a construction contract to MCC Pipeline, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $4,003,595. And with that, Mr. Mayor, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have this evening that concludes this item.

Are there any questions or comments from the Director? I just want to thank you and your staff and also the inspectors and also the general public for their patience and consideration for all the improvements that are going downtown. I know it's a little bit of a... cumbersome sometimes to get around those construction sites, but it's something that is needed to maintain our infrastructure and upgrade our infrastructure for future use. And again, I want to thank the general public for their patience and understanding of these construction sites. They try to do as much of that work at night to try to get around and not impact the daily commutes and the shopping. And I know that it's very important that the city, its downtown district, get re- redone to its you know the way it looks now once it gets done there's a couple of phases there's right now if you can explain how that works the general paving goes first and then the the actual final final upgrades to that can you kind of touch on that

I will, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. The trench repairs that follow immediately after the pipelines are being replaced is a temporary, but it's a hot mix pavement repair. So some folks use a cold mix. Hot mix is a better solution in the short term. Once that's completed and the rest of the project in that area is completed, then there's a final pavement repair that's done that is actually wider than the trench itself. and that will be a very finished product for the downtown area and other areas of the community. And also whatever brick pavers, whatever colored concrete might be disturbed during the project will be replaced in similar fashion.

Okay, thank you. Any other questions or comments? I don't have any speaker slips for this. I don't see anybody on Zoom. What's the wish of the council?

In accordance with Section 15302 of the State's Guidelines Implementing, the California Environmental Quality Act, and I move that the City Council approve the 2025 CIP water pipeline replacement project plans and specifications and approve a public works construction contract with MCC pipeline incorporated for an amount not to exceed $4,003,595. Second. We have a motion and a second. Madam City Clerk.

Council Member Barrett. Yes. Council Member Tejeda.

Yes.

Council Member Davis. Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw.

Yes.

Mayor Sacito.

Yes. Moving on to item H2, consideration of a non-professional service agreement with Kirkley Construction Inc. for on-call sewer collection systems repair and as needed basis for an amount not to exceed $550,000 and determine that this action is exempt from the environmental review pursuant to Section 15301B of the state guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director Casey.

Thank you again, Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council. In accordance with statewide general waste discharge requirements for sanitary sewer systems, the city is required to properly maintain the wastewater collection system to minimize and prevent sanitary sewer overflows. or other sewer related issues for that matter preventive maintenance and repairs of the system are necessary to avoid service interruptions protect city assets promote public health and safety and protect the environment occasionally emergency repairs and construction activities that exceed the city staff's capacity are required and quick support from a utility pipeline contractor significantly reduces risk for the city. Consequently, staff issued a request for bids for on-call sewer collection system repairs on an as-needed basis in late 2025. The selected contractors required to be available 24 hours a day and must mobilize for emergency work within two hours of notification. The city's clerk's office received the following bids on December 3rd, 2025. and staff reviewed the bids submitted by Kirtley Construction and determined that it was accurate and that Kirtley Construction is the lowest responsive bidder. Based on that review, staff recommends that the City Council determine approval of the Nonprofessional Services Agreement with Kirtley Construction Inc. is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15301B of the State's Guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. and approve the nonprofessional service agreement with Kirtley Construction Inc. for an amount not to exceed $50,000 for the remainder of this fiscal year and for a potential total amount not to exceed $550,000 with the potential for two extension years. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Happy to answer any questions you may have.

Any questions? I want to make sure we thank our sewer line collection staff for the great work that they do, also countering the lines for inspection of any other issues maintenance problems that we may have in our sewer system and be able to provide this level of additional cover for them because our city is growing. And I know they do a lot. And this, I think, is a great way to have them feel like they have some support coming on this contract. So thank you for that.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and we'll share that with the team and City Engineer Go Tom.

Thank you. Sorry, Go Tom. Well, help me share that as well.

Thank you. Please do. Any speaker slips or anything? I don't have any speaker slips. I don't see anybody on Zoom.

I move that the City Council determine approval of the Nonprofessional Services Agreement with Kirkley Construction, Inc. as exempt from environmental pursuant to Section 1531B of the State Guidelines Implementing the California Environmental Act And I further move the approval of a nonprofessional service agreement with Kirtley Construction, Inc. for an on-call sewer collection system repair on an as-needed basis, not to exceed $50,000 for initial term from the effective date of June 30, 2026, with the option to extend the agreement for two additional and one-year terms at $250,000 each. Second.

We have a motion and a second. Madam City Clerk?

Council Member Baric.

Yes.

Council Member Tejeda. Yes. Council Member Davis. Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw.

Yes.

Mayor Saucedo.

Yes. Thank you. Moving on to Item H3. This is a consideration of Ordinance No. 3000 of the City of Redlands, amending Chapter 10.56 of the Redlands Municipal Code relating to electric bikes. Police Chief Tolbert.

Thank you and good evening, Mayor and Council. As e-bike usage has become more popular over the last few years and we anticipate it will continue and grow in our future, this ordinance is intended to address public safety concerns associated with the increased use of e-bikes in the city to align with California state law and to provide clear operational standards for e-bike users. While the California Vehicle Code governs the operation of all bicycles, including e-bikes, on public roadways, this proposed amendment will address e-bike operation on city and private property. These amendments to the municipal code identify what constitutes an e-bike, that they should not be operated in an unsafe manner, and the penalty for operating an e-bike in violation of the code. The department has already begun an educational campaign with our city partners. And the education includes information on current California vehicle code violations. But, of course, we'll incorporate the changes to ultimately be made or that are being proposed tonight to the municipal code once they're considered and adopted by council. This concludes my presentation, and both staff and I are available for any questions if you may have them.

Before we get into any questions or comments, I have a public comment slip from Mr. Dennis Bell.

It's about time for this ordinance, but how is the understaffed police department going to enforce it? When is the city going to draft an ordinance regarding these e-scooters? Thank you.

Thank you. I just want to thank Police Chief Tobler and her department for bringing this to our attention and to this new ordinance. And because I've been getting some inquiries about e-bikes, different types of... Uses on city streets, city parks, mainly the Orange Blossom Trail. I actually personally have seen them out at our sports park on our soccer fields out there during the Christmas holiday. They're out there, you know, jumping the bikes on that little hill. And I think you mentioned something about communicating this to our other partners. Does that include the RUSD?

That's correct. We're currently in the process of doing educational meetings and putting out videos and continued education efforts with RUSD, yes.

Okay. Yeah, I don't think the kids mean any harm. They just, you know, they have this new technology of riding these bikes and doing them, you know, wherever there's available space. Also out on the Santa Ana River Trail Bluff, you know, that we have a lot of complaints out there with just regular motorcycles going up and down out in the wash and then going into the neighborhood. So I appreciate that and appreciate the work that you put in for this ordinance.

I just want to clarify, first off, thank you for the ordinance. This pertains to e-bikes. The regulations relative to e-motorcycles, which is what we're seeing a lot of as well, so basically anything without pedals, the vehicle code applies to those obviously on public property. Are they prohibited on private property, city property, et cetera? How is that covered because they're technically different than an e-bike? I just want to make sure we're capturing that as well because people are calling them e-bikes, but they're actually e-motorcycles, and I don't know definition-wise where they fall.

I'm inviting Deputy Chief Lloyd to come up and speak. Good luck, Jeremy. He's done a great deal of work on this.

Yeah, so the ordinance defines e-bikes in three different categories, and those are bikes with pedals. The ones that don't have pedals are considered motorcycles, which would, just because they're electric, doesn't change the fact that they're considered the same as a dirt bike or a motorcycle. So, again, the vehicle code would fall into effect on that. There is another city ordinance that addresses that. We've looked at it with the Redlands Conservancy and the signs that they have posted that also addresses and specifically says California Vehicle Code 406 defines the non-pedaled electric motorcycles as those that could be enforced on that type of property.

so for example like the orange blossom trail uh city property but is not but it's not considered a roadway so by definition uh would the vehicle code apply to like the orange blossom trail if there was a motorcycle on or is that the ordinance that we already have same as if somebody was driving a motorcycle on the orange blossom trail and is that what's what covers that as far as being illegal are we have an ordinance that says that you can't do that or yeah uh it's um

it's the same one that we use if we were going to enforce something out in the railings and service or on the Canyon. Okay. Um, the, um, the orange blossom trail is not a roadway, right? So you can't ride a motorcycle on it. Okay. Therefore you still could not ride a electric motorcycle on it. Um, a bike, however, an e-bike, however, is considered a bicycle. Right. So that would be, then we would use this. So, The same vehicle code that would apply to riding a motorcycle on a non-roadway would apply.

Okay. I just want to make sure we don't have a loophole somewhere where the motorcycles can be ridden somewhere that now we're not allowing the bikes, that they would fall under the same rules. Like I said, obviously, if it's on a public roadway, then it falls under the vehicle code, but I want to make sure we don't have any other issues. It would be no different than somebody driving a dirt bike on the origin of Los Angeles. Or through Sylvan Park or something like that.

And to speak to that, Mayor Potem, it's under the RMC, and I don't have that off the top of my head, and it cites the vehicle code.

Okay. 1058.20, I believe. Oh, good job. All right. I know that because I had to look it up today.

Okay.

Thank you. I appreciate the work on it.

So this would apply to if there's a motorcycle, they'd have to have a motorcycle license for that. Is that correct?

Yeah, and that's one of the problems with the electric motorcycles because you can pretty much buy them anywhere, but they are technically required by the vehicle code to have an M1 endorsement to ride those, and most 14-year-old kids don't have that.

I don't even get it at 14, can you? You can't, no. I don't think so.

And additionally, they're not, you're not able to register them with the DMV because they don't have VIN numbers on them or anything like that. So that creates another problem. So typically when we have enforces and it's been with those, we do impound those because they're not registerable. And so, yeah, that's kind of one of the issues with those electric motorcycles.

But you put a pedals on it, it's okay at any age. Is that correct?

Yes, and that's why you put pedals on it. And then the differences in the definition have to do with the amount of speed that each one can. There's the lower level one, and then each one increases in speed.

As you can imagine, we get a lot of comments about people saying they're riding crazy and things of that sort. So I'm glad we're straightening things out that way and impounding and at least doing some proactive to try to safety of the public. Thank you.

I had a question about signage. Would it be prudent for us to just double check signage in our public spaces or the spaces that we're asking for these e-bikes not to be ridden and things like that? And possibly in other spaces where motorcycles aren't supposed to be ridden. I'm not sure if I've seen any signage that says that.

We can certainly work with our city partners on future signage, but we have been working with Redlands Conservancy on their signage as well.

Thank you.

No questions for you, but probably a question for Assistant City Manager Boatman. I know that the Orange Blossom Trail between Judson and Lincoln... There's an area north of the trail that is being used for a track of jumping. Are we keeping an eye on that, or how are we controlling that?

Yeah, part of that's actually railroad right-of-way, and we have addressed that with the railroad. They're not the most proactive on it, but we continue to communicate with them on concerns we've been receiving.

Yeah, because I've gotten some inquiries about, you know, why is the city allowing, you know, these not only motorcycles but just bikes in general building ramps out of dirt out there, and what's the liability concern with that? I think having this education piece not only through our partners but on our website, I'm sure, Mr. City Manager, you have plans to put all this good information out there. So thank you.

Does the city have any authority on that railway right-of-way, or can they grant that to us to do anything?

Interestingly enough, it's split property, so the portion the Orange Blossom Trail is on is owned by SBCTA. The portion that you're referencing is owned by UP. We've approached Union Pacific before, and we haven't gotten traction in the past. They do eventually typically address when we express concerns on code enforcement issues or public safety problems.

If there are violations observed on that part, is that something, Chief, that the city can take action on that property?

We've cited them, just from a code enforcement standpoint.

I meant as far as the bikes and stuff, yeah. I see.

I would defer to the chief in terms of the vehicle code. We can't from an administrative citation standpoint. We have to go straight to the property owner.

I was trying to get it to turn on. I'd have to take a look at that and get back to you.

Okay. I'm just curious on this resolution, if we're just pushing them over to the UP right away and they can ride there without fear of a citation or any enforcement from the city, then we should probably find a way to address that with UP.

It's difficult. It's the same thing as somebody taking a bike or a motorcycle onto private property. Obviously, as you know, the vehicle code typically doesn't apply, as far as I know, on private property. But ultimately, the property owner is responsible for ensuring a consistent use with our code. So we have cited them in the past and used our enforcement mechanisms. which has typically resulted in a result that we've looked for, but something like what you're describing may go beyond that and require them to secure the property, which we have not initiated with them on yet.

I think for me it's helpful to have that information. Now I can let people know that that's not our property. Whatever's happening out there is that property owner's responsibility, not the city's.

Yeah, but they can certainly call us and we'll follow up with you, Pete.

Okay. All right. What's the wish of the council?

There's nothing else. I move to introduce ordinance number 3000, amending chapter 10.56 of the Redlands Municipal.

I'm sorry. Hold on. I do have a public comment. Mr. Andy Holder? Nope. Not this one? H4. Okay. No. You're good.

Mr. Mayor, we do have a comment on Zoom.

There's one on Zoom. Go ahead. There's one on Zoom. Oh, we have two? One on Zoom? Mr. Moderator?

Yes. Kevin Stonestreet, it's your turn to speak. Kevin Stonestreet, you're muted.

Hi, can you hear me now?

Yes, go ahead.

Okay, since there are so many questions with relating to this, wouldn't it be prudent to table this for the next meeting to answer these questions? That's all I have.

Okay, thank you. We had all of our questions answered and, yeah. Satisfied. Yeah.

Okay.

Then once again, I'll move to introduce ordinance number 3000, amending chapter 10.56 of the Redlands Municipal Code. Second.

I have a motion and a second. Madam City Clerk.

Council Member Baric.

Yes.

Council Member Tejeda.

Yes.

Council Member Davis. Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw.

Yes.

Mayor Saucedo.

Yes. Yes. Thank you. H4, consideration of a purchase and sale agreement with Miller and Associates LLC and Christopher Collinsworth, including assignment of the city's purchasing rights for the property located at 611 West Redlands Boulevard. Assessor's partial numbers 0171-031-08 and... 0909-0000 authorization of an additional appropriations from the general fund unassigned fund balance in the amount of $1,820,000 and determined that the approval of this agreement is exempt from the environmental review pursuant to section 15061B3 of the state guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. Assistant City Manager Boatman.

Thank you, Mayor. This item implements the option the city secured as part of the Miller Inverse Condemnation settlement related to the Mill Creek Zonha. The original settlement amount was $2.1 million. Through this purchase rights assignment, the city's contribution is $1.8 million plus limited escrow costs, approximately $300,000 less than paying the settlement outright. A third-party buyer will acquire the property for $1.6 million, completing the negotiated $3.4 million purchase price. Approval finalizes the settlement structure, transfers the property to private ownership, and resolves outstanding issues at the site. Staff recommends approval of the CEQA exemption agreement and appropriation. Happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. Before we have any questions or comments from City Council, I do have a public comment now, Mr. Andy Hoder.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Mayor, members of the council and staff, Andy Hoder, if you haven't ever seen me before. That will be for the record. I want to start with just a little quick self-promotion to put this in context, and you'll probably think that my comments follow kind of a convoluted path, but you'll see there's a point to it at the very end, so please bear with me. I'm one of the volunteer tour guides of the Redlands Heritage Tours. All the fourth grade classes in the entire Redlands Unified School District get to take a four-hour tour of the entire city somewhere during the course of their school year. And one of the things that we point out as tour guides is the Zonha. Zonha, and I'm going to emphasize that word a couple times, is a 12-mile ditch that was dug by hand without power tools or heavy equipment in 1819. Twelve miles of a water ditch that came from Mill Creek all the way through the middle of Redlands, through the University of Redlands campus, through Sylvan Park, and it finally just comes out right about where the old packing house was on 9th Street, and then it disappears. That's where the... Hatfield Buick dealership is. The Zonha goes under the Buicks, and it comes out again way over on the west side of town. The point of emphasizing that for the kids is the fact that it was dug by hand and that without water, Redlands would probably not be what it is today. There's not much natural water on the land here in Redlands. So irrigation is really important and therefore the zonha is important and therefore, in my estimation, the word zonha is important. It emerged in 1890 or 1819 when the zonha was dug and And it's a Spanish word or a Mexican word, Hispanic. There we go. I'll get it right. Give me a second. That means ditch. It's just ditch. It's a Spanish word for ditch. But it is a Spanish word, and it was dug by Serrano Indians under the supervision of missionaries from the San Gabriel Mission. It has a Hispanic heritage to it. And therefore, I think it's important to maintain that heritage and that history by continuing to call it the Zonha. But somewhere along the way in the early 1800s, there were a lot of people in municipal administration at the county level, even at the state level, who didn't ever know what a Zonha was or how it was pronounced or even how to write it. And all the documents were written in longhand and in cursive. And somebody else would read it and say, I don't know what this word is. I've never seen it before. It's something like Zanji or Zana. And they couldn't pronounce it. So out of that came a corruption of the word Zanha somehow to Sankey. And we have whole generations of people who grew up in Redlands hearing their parents and their grandparents and their aunts and uncles saying Sankey. It ain't a word. It might be in the dictionary of American slang, but it's not a real word. Sankey is something that was made up by Redlanders, even though there are Zonhas elsewhere in Southern California, and they call them Zonhas, but we call it Sankey. So thank you for creating a document for this agenda item that says Zonha and not Sankey. Thank you very much. Okay.

Any questions or comments from staff? If not...

I move that the City Council find that approval of the Purchase and Sale Agreement with Miller & Associates LLC and Christopher Collinsworth including assignment of the city's purchase rights is exempt from environmental review pursuant to section 15061 of the state's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. And I move that city council approve the purchase and sale agreement with Miller and Associates LLC. and Christopher Collinsworth, including assignment of the city's purchase rights for the property located at 611 West Redlands Boulevard. I move to authorize an additional appropriation in the amount of $1,820,000 from the general fund's unassigned fund balance to finance the city's portion of this agreement.

Second. I have a motion and a second. Madam City Clerk.

Councilmember Barrett?

Yes.

Councilmember Tejeda? Yes. Councilmember Davis? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Shaw? Yes. Mayor Saucedo?

Yes. I was going to say yes to the Sankey, but anyway. Okay, motion passes. Moving on to item, I believe it's I, which is individual councilmember announcements or reports. We'll start over to my right.

Thank you. I was at the annual Lincoln Dinner, and I think most of the other colleagues went there. It's quite an event we have. It's really unique to Redlands, and it's especially to our heritage. And every time we have a speaker, they always compliment us on that. Our chief of police spoke at Esri the other night. She did a great job. informing the public what we're doing, what we're proposing doing. So I want to compliment her. She was very articulate and people really enjoyed it. And then for fun, I went to the Chocolate Fantasy at the Boys and Girls Club for a great cause for the Boys and Girls Club that Erin Redlands have done a great job on for our youth. I'm not saying that one.

I went to our monthly Omnitrans meeting, as I normally do, but it was Transit Equity Day, so I made a post around that. This week, actually, we have someone from Omnitrans coming to speak to our Redlands Youth Council as well, so looking forward to that.

Mr. Mayor, outside of celebrating a wonderful Valentine's Day with my wife, I have nothing else to report.

Good for you.

The only thing I'd like to comment on is that we had Civics Day the first week of the month and had the opportunity to spend some time in here with a handful of students kind of working through a mock city council meeting. It was a great opportunity for them, for us. The feedback and the interaction that the mayor and I had with them was just fantastic. And it's great to have that opportunity to kind of reinforce the fact that there are a lot of talented young women and young men that are coming along behind us that will be able to fill these seats. And so it's just great to see them flourish and learn and have a willingness to see how their city government works. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for that. I also attended some of the similar events, the Civics Day, the Boys and Girls Club fundraiser, also the Lincoln Dinner. But something that I also did on behalf of the mayor's office is do an interview for the Redlands Bike Classic, how it's been a wonderful event. partnership in bringing an event like that that's world class and that brings tourists to our community and I was also part of the Lincoln Pilgrimage the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are parading downtown and then I also had an opportunity with the Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition to do a a tour of the Liberty Lane, the veterans' housing. And then also, again, the ESRI forum chief will put out some good data on crime, some of the crime statistics going down, some that still need to be reviewed. Also, the Redlands Area Interfaith Council, they had bagels and a bagel bash. And so that's kind of a full week for me, full two weeks. So that concludes our reports. Our next city council meeting will be held on March the 3rd, 2026. Thank you for all your patience, and we stand adjourned.