City Council - Regular Meeting

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I call to order the closed session meeting of the Mayor and City Council at 4.31 p.m. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome and thank you for being here and thank you to those viewing remotely. Madam City Clerk, please call the roll. Council Member Sanchez.

Here.

Council Member Ibarra. Present. Council Member Figueroa.

Here.

Council Member Charette. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Canas.

Here.

Council Member Flores.

Present.

Council member Ortiz will not be here today. She's in another meeting. And Council, Mayor, Mayor.

Here, thank you. Moving on to public comments for closed session. Madam City Clerk, do we have any public comments?

Yes, we have one request to speak via Zoom. Georgia, please unmute yourself and you'll have three minutes.

Hello.

You may speak.

You have three minutes. Thank you. Good evening, Council. For years, Treasurer has accused people throughout the city of corruption, bribery, criminal conduct, and conspiracy, often amplified through the San Bernardino City Hall Tracker group on Facebook, containing many fake social media profiles, which I suspect are many who regularly attend these meetings. That page has helped mislead this community by presenting accusations as fact. One of its administrators even publicly called the former mayor a rapist, despite there being no conviction, arrest, or criminal charge establishing that accusation. This is the kind of reckless misinformation this community has been fed. Yet after years of accusations, where are the corruption cases? Instead, Treasurer has been censured and recently convicted. We also learned that her FBA handler terminated her as a confidential source in January 2025, in which she was wiretapped to fine bribery. How much time and taxpayer money have these accusations and disputes consumed? I also remain concerned about anonymous communications that interfered with the city manager selection process. I suspect Treasurer or other people politically aligned with her may have been involved, although I cannot prove who sent them. There is also an earlier matter that should not be forgotten. In 2020, Treasurer requested records containing confidential address information for our very own police officers. The Police Officer Association went to court seeking to prevent that information from being disclosed. Then came her clutch accusations. The city's investigation concluded that the relevant klutz access was lawful and rejected her allegations. It also found that she denied two previous battery-related arrests and falsely claimed information used during her campaign had been improperly obtained or fabricated. I personally watched her defend the previous incompetent director of animal services while we exposed serious failures there. So my question remains, how much of what Treasurer continuously labels as corruption has actually been corruption? How much has been incompetence, dysfunction, and delay made worse by accusations and political interference? I am also concerned about efforts to undermine our City Manager and about political alliances within City Hall that deserve scrutiny. Finally, Treasurer is seeking more than $2 million from the City. She should not receive one penny. I want the complete history and cost of taxpayers considered in closed session. San Bernardino has already paid dearly for the sabotage of our progress.

Thank you.

Yes, I know that in the past we had the precedent of having some of the comments addressed that are made by the people at the lectern or via teleconference. previous speaker, our speaker here, Georgia L. She brought up something about what it's costing the city of San Bernardino with all the litigation surrounding Treasurer Ortiz. You as a city attorney, you're probably made aware of something as to a ballpark number of how much of taxpayer dollars has been spent on all the litigation concerning Treasurer Ortiz. Are we at million dollars are we near a million dollars below above can you address that please I would say you're over 500,000 you're and you're closer to 500 than 1 million but you're between 500 and a million and that's concerning all cases her case against the city the the everything that All-inclusive, I mean not all-inclusive, but rather comprehensive totals are exceeding $500,000 of taxpayer money?

Defending claims received, the federal lawsuit, and the censure hearing.

Okay, and that right now is to date, so that is not the total, because these cases are not closed yet.

The federal lawsuit is ongoing.

Ongoing. So we're at $500,000?

More than that.

More than $500,000? Yes. Of City of San Bernardino taxpayer dollars? Yes. Yes. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any more comments?

There are no more comments.

Okay, thank you. Mr. State Attorney, do you have any comments?

No, I do not. Thank you, ma'am.

Any other comments from council? Seeing none, we will convene into closed session at 4.37 p.m. Thank you so much for your patience. Good evening everyone, welcome and thank you for being here and thank you to those of you remotely. I call to order this joint regular meeting of the Mayor and City Council and the Mayor and City Council acting as the successor agency to the redevelopment agency of the City of San Bernardino, the San Bernardino City Housing Authority and as the San Bernardino Joint Powers Finance Authority at 5.31 p.m. Madam City Clerk, please call the roll.

Council Member Sanchez. Here. Council Member Barra is here, but not at the Diet. Council Member Figueroa.

Here.

Council Member Charette. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Canas.

Here.

Council Member Flores.

Present.

Council Member Ortiz. Here. And Mayor Tran. Here. Thank you.

We will now move on to invocation and pledge. Father Francisco Javier Varela, our Lady of Guadalupe Church, will lead tonight's invocation. Please approach the podium at this time. And I believe we have someone doing the Pledge of Allegiance. Michelle and Marissa Hernandez will do the Pledge of Allegiance. Please all rise.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Omnipotent and merciful God, in your hands are the destinies of the peoples, and in your providence you have allowed this city of San Bernardino to be governed by this recently elected government, headed by the Honorable Mayor of Gelendra. Since you love us and always show your love, We beg you to send them wisdom, divine science, understanding, prudence, strength and perseverance so that they can lead this beautiful city always for the good of all. We ask you to protect this government body, to assist them in every decision and moment of their life. Bless your family and all the families of our city. Forgive our injustices and selfishness. Give us an attentive heart to your will. And above all, may the works we do be to give you glory for the good of all and protection of the most disadvantaged. give us progress and peace, and that we comply with the laws that lead to the good of this nation, blessed from its foundation. We invoke the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with the protection of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Empress of America and the Philippines. Hermanas y hermanos, oremos en silencio invocando a Dios y poniendo en sus manos nuestras peticiones personales. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. No nos dejes caer en la tentación y líbranos del mal. Amén. San Bernardino de Siena, patrono de esta ciudad, ruega por esta ciudad y que les bendiga Dios Todopoderoso, Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo. Amén. We would like to present Helen Tran, our mayor, with a medal that Father has blessed for you.

Put your right hand over your heart. Now ready, begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You may now be seated.

Thank you. Gracias, Father Francisco Javier Varela. Thank you so much, Michelle and Marissa. We now move on to closed session report. Mr. City Attorney, is there anything to report from closed session?

Yes, thank you, Mayor Tran. There's only one item listed on closed session, Treasurer Ortiz versus the City of San Bernardino. There is one action out of closed session, and that is that the Council... voted on a vote of four to two to authorize the reading of a public statement. And now I will turn over to the mayor as the chief spokesperson of the city to read that statement.

Thank you. On behalf of this body, the city is deeply concerned that a city council member has now been convicted of a crime against the chief of police for the city she is supposed to represent. The city council previously censored council member Ortiz, condemning her misconduct, removing her from all community assignments and calling for her resignation. The city reaffirms its censor, renews its call for her resignation, and is pleased that justice was served in the criminal case against Council Member Ortiz. We also note that all the claims against the city and Chief Goodman in the federal lawsuit have now been dismissed, and the city looks forward to vigorously defending the remainder of the federal lawsuit to complete victory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate your statements. And the only council members that will not be remaining in these coming years will be Theodore Sanchez, Sandra Barra, and Fred Charette. I am not going anywhere, and we will continue to expose everything that goes on in this city to its full extent. Thank you, Council Member. Thank you. Thank you.

Moving on to appointments. I'm sorry, moving on to presentations. We have three presentations today. The first one is presentation and commemorative award marking 100 years of DAV Chapter 12 and their partnership with the city of San Bernardino, presented by Commander Jose Mendoza of the Disabled American Veterans DAV Chapter 12. Counsel, will you join me to the front of the stage, please? Make your way to over here so we can fill both sides. Thank you.

Good evening. Good evening. Good evening, Mayor, City Council, distinguished guests, fellow veterans, and members of the community. My name is Jose Mendoza, and I have the tremendous honor of serving as a state commander for the Disabled American Veterans Department of California. Tonight, I'm standing here as someone very proud of DAV Chapter 12 and the City of San Bernardino. In 2025, DAV Chapter 12 celebrated an extraordinary milestone, 100 years of service. For a century, DAV has been part of this community, and through many of those years, the City of San Bernardino has stood beside us. Thank you, Mayor Helen Tran. City Council. Parks and Recreation, I know she's not here, but Vanessa in spirit. And the city manager, Eric Levet. There he is.

Fantastic.

That partnership has allowed DAV Chapter 12 to have something incredibly important. A home. A building becomes a place where a veteran can walk through the doors and ask for help. It becomes a place where a veteran can receive assistance with VA benefits and disability claims, transportation to medical appointments, disaster relief, scholarships, and other resources. We also have an amazing auxiliary unit, Unit 12, for veteran families and members and supporters. It becomes a place where hundreds of families can receive Thanksgiving turkeys and where veterans can attend benefits and resource seminars. Outside those walls, our Veteran Wellness Garden provides a place to gather, a place for fellowship and spiritual support, and sometimes a quiet place for a veteran to heal. That is what this partnership has created. San Bernardino County is home to tens of thousands of veterans, and a need may arise long after they take off the uniform, and DAV intends to be here when it happens. Tonight, I want to recognize three gentlemen who make this mission possible. First, our DAV Chapter 12 Commander, Mark Garrett. Mark, thank you for carrying on this legacy. Alonzo Lewis, our adjutant, thank you for our leadership and for ensuring that our chapter remains steadfast. And our past state commander, Purple Heart recipient, Joseph Mosley. Mark, Alonzo, Joseph, tonight we are presenting several special gifts. When Chapter 12 celebrated its 100 years of anniversary, I was a commander at the time, and we put a 50-year time capsule Those commemorative shovels and hard hats we present here tonight. We will present three commemorative gifts, one to our mayor and city council, the next will be to Parks and Recreation, and the last will be to city manager's office in recognition of the different roles each played in supporting DAV Chapter 12 and San Bernardino's veteran community. We are honored to present a special plaque from Disabled American Veterans Department of California recognizing their enduring partnership And I'd like our chapter commander, Mark Garrett, to say something real quick.

All right. Appreciate that. Again, thank you for allowing us to be here. What you see here today represents only a portion of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 12 in San Bernardino. But, you know, I'm very grateful to be able to take over as the chapter commander. It's very big shoes to fill, but definitely going to do it the best that we can as a team because we're one fight together. And we definitely appreciate, Mayor, for having us up here today. But on behalf of DAV Chapter 12, thank you for giving veterans a place that they can call home You know, the building that we have is our garden exploratory center. It's more than just four walls. It's where veterans find service, fellowship, resources, and their community. And we are proud to call San Bernardino our home, and we look forward to continuing our partnership for generations to come. At this time, I'm going to present Joseph Mosley so he can present the shovel to you.

All right, thank you. On behalf of DAV, Department of California, we thank the City of San Bernardino for recognizing and supporting organizations like Disabled American Veterans. The partnership you have built with Chapter 12 is something we are very proud of and something we hope to continue strengthening for many years to come. Back to you, Commander.

We will now have the shovel presentation. Alonzo, I believe you're going to the mayor. And you are going to Eric LeVitt, which is our city manager. And unfortunately, our Parks and Recreation Director is not here today. She's here in spirit, and she'll receive her award, too. So on this award, it says DAV Chapter 12. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication to our nation's heroes. Presented by Commander Jose Mendoza, 100 years of service, DAV Chapter 12. Mayor, this is in closing. In closing, Mayor, City Council, Parks and Recreation, City Manager's Office, and everyone who supported DAV Chapter 12, thank you. Thank you for allowing us to serve veterans, file claims, provide rides, feed families, and change lives. On behalf of DAV Chapter 12 and the Disabled American Veterans Department of California, we thank you. The City of San Bernardino for keeping your promise to those who served. Amen.

Don't leave yet. We've got to take a quick picture. Big round of applause to our DAV Chapter 12, our veterans who serve this country. Thank you DAV Chapter 12 for all of your services and in the community of the City of San Bernardino. Thank you. We have two more presentations, Council. Sorry, I went back to my seat. But the next one, we have the honor to have Assemblymember James Rommels to come up and accept the proclamation for California Native American Day in the City of San Bernardino, September 25th, 2026. Assemblymember, please join us on stage. Welcome, assembly member. Proclamation of the Mayor and City Council observing September 25th, 2026, as California Native American Day in the city of San Bernardino. Whereas the city of San Bernardino recognizes the importance of acknowledging and honoring the rich history, culture, and contributions of California Native Americans, and whereas the city of San Bernardino recognizes and acknowledges that our city is on the ancestral homelands of the Yuhaviatam. Yuhaviatam. of San Manuel Nation and is home to the first and only California Native American elected to the state's legislature, Assemblymember James C. Rommels. Big round of applause for that. And whereas California Native American Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the heritage, traditions, and resilience of California Native American peoples, and whereas California Native American Day offers a chance to educate the community about the diverse California Native American cultures that have shaped our region and our state, And whereas the City of San Bernardino aims to promote inclusivity, diversity, and respect for all individuals and communities within our city limits, and whereas California Native American communities have made significant contributions to the growth, development, and progress in the City of San Bernardino through their rich traditions, art, language, medicine, environmental stewardship, and more. And whereas recognizing California Native American Day will foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the historical and contemporary issues faced by California Native American communities. And whereas the state of California officially recognized California Native American Day as an official state holiday as a result of AB 1953 being signed into law by then Governor Wilson and authored by then Assemblymember Joe Baca Sr. Now, therefore, be proclaimed that the mayor and city council of San Bernardino, that the city of San Bernardino officially recognizes the importance of California Native American Day celebrated every year on the fourth Friday of September and this year on September 25th, 2026. The city of San Bernardino encourages residents, educational institutions and community organizations to observe California Native American Day through activities. events and educational initiatives that promote understanding, cultural exchange, and respect for California Native American traditions and contributions. The City of San Bernardino encourages local businesses and organizations to support California Native American artisans, entrepreneurs, and cultural initiatives through partnerships, collaborations, and sponsorship opportunities. The city of San Bernardino calls upon neighboring jurisdictions to recognize California Native American Day as an official observance highlighting the importance of honoring and respecting the Native American people and their contributions to our society. Presented this 16th day of September 2026. Assembly, you remember your natural.

Thank you so much for this proclamation. And it is truly honoring California's first people and the people from this area, the Yojavietam people, the clan of the Serrano people that we are, But there's a lot of history that people still don't really know or want to accept, even here at the local level, where in 1866 there was a 32-day battle that took place where a militia was formed from the San Bernardino Valley with the sole purpose of going into the San Bernardino Mountains to, it says, documentation says, to rid the mountains of Indian people. But we know that there was shooting and killing that took place. Our clan, the Ohaviatum clan, the Serrano people, we dwindled down to less than 30 members during that 32-day battle that then Santos Manuel, my great-great-grandfather, led our clan down to the valley floor so that people could see what was going on, and that stopped a lot of the killing. We dwindled down to less than 30 members where then a village was set up by the present-day National Orange Show. More encroachment came, forced the village farther east by where Meadowbrook is, and then farther east over by Baseline and Victoria, Hubevote Springs. And then more encroachment came, and the village moved up to the foothills where you couldn't go anymore. And in 1891, it became the Santos Manuel Indian Reservation, now known as the San Manuel Indian Reservation. And we actually got our traditional clan name, Yojavietam, put back to our people. And so now it's Yojavietam of the Samoan nation. I say these things because it talks about history here from the local area, San Bernardino City, but it also shows the resiliency of our people, all people, all people here to share their diversity, their culture here that makes San Bernardino what it is today. There was times back then that we wouldn't be able to stand on this stage and accept a proclamation on behalf of California Indian people. There was a time where cultural diversification wouldn't have been celebrated in the areas. But today, because of the diversity the board here in the city council accepts that diversity and we're starting to break down those stereotypes to make sure that we do lift each other up stand side by side and lift each other up and share our culture our culture of who we are as indian people share our culture of who we are from from our from our elders share the culture of who we are Not being able to be told, don't share it. Now is the time in 2026 to share your culture. Show the community who we truly are as San Bernardino. Show the culture of our ancestors. Show the culture of our resiliency. And it even goes a step further. One of the things that the tribe has done was purchase the Arrowhead Hot Springs. That was always a place for us to where people would go and bathe in the hot water. We have cultural stories about it. Then that was taken from us. People established different things on there and it burnt down several times. Now the tribe owns that, has that land back in our possession. And we sit here after all those atrocities, all those things, we sit here with the resiliency of our ancestors running through our bloods. to make sure that we continue to be a voice for our community. And I stand here as the only California ever elected in the state legislature from San Manuel, representing you, the city of San Bernardino. And that's nothing short of resiliency and honor for our people. That's what California Native American Day is about. Thank you so much.

That was beautiful. Big round of applause for Assemblymember James Ramos, who is fighting for our city and our region. Thank you, Assemblymember. And our final presentation, Proclamation for Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of San Bernardino, September 15th through October 15th, 2026. I'd like to call up Director Liz Hernandez, Assistant Director David Hernandez, and the students of Ballet Folklorico. My apologies. Mi alegría, alegría. Beautiful. Aren't they beautiful? Talk about culture, diverse culture in our city of San Bernardino. Councilmember, would you like to read the proclamation?

PROCLAMATION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL PROCLAIMING SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15, 2026 AS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IN THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO, WHEREAS NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IS OBSERVED ANNUALLY FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15, CELEBRATING THE HISTORIES, CULTURES, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS WHOSE ANCESTORS CAME FROM SPAIN, MEXICO, THE CARIBBEAN, AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA. And whereas the city of San Bernardino takes pride in its rich Hispanic heritage and the vibrant cultural traditions that continue to shape and strengthen our community. And whereas Ballet Folklorico Mi Alegria was founded four years ago by Liz Hernandez, growing from five dancers into a thriving organization of 157 dancers, ranging from age four through adulthood. And whereas Ballet Folklorico Mi Alegria is dedicated to preserving and celebrating Mexican culture through traditional folklorico dance, sharing its talents throughout the community at city events, cultural celebrations, festivals, and school programs. And whereas Ballet Folklorico Mi Alegria was named Best Dance School in San Marino County in 2026 and has received multiple certificates of recognition from the San Marino County Board of Supervisors, And whereas, through its commitment to cultural preservation and community engagement, Ballet Folklorico Mi Alegria continues to inspire the next generation of dancers while honoring the traditions that connect our community to its heritage. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Mayor and City Council of San Bernardino do hereby proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2026 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of San Bernardino and extend Our appreciation to Ballet Folklorico Mi Alegria for its dedication to preserving and celebrating Mexican culture within our community. Presented on this 16th day of September, 2026. And if I may, I would like to encourage anybody with a Spanish surname to please take pride in your roots, your heritage. Me having been born of Mexican parents, I embrace the Spanish, the food, the music, the dances that make up the Mexican culture. and the religion, too. For those who don't know, Mexico has embraced all the different cultures that have come into contact with the Mexican, South American, and Central American countries. So I would encourage everybody with a Spanish surname to please take pride, learn your roots, your language. It's a beautiful culture to get to know. I'm honored to be Hispanic, and I'm proud of these young people carrying over the traditions of the dances. Thank you.

First off, I want to thank Mayor Helen, the city of San Bernardino. It has been a great honor and privilege and humbly accept this. Like she mentioned, we have not been in existence for very long. We're actually hit this week 161 dancers. So that is amazing. This is just a small little amount. These are some of the pro and apprentice team and advanced team that we have. Nothing compared to all of them that we have. So thank you so much. I really appreciate this. I know this means a lot. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SAID IN REGARDS TO US BEING ABLE TO SHOW OUR HERITAGE. IT'S NOT A TABOO ANYMORE AND SHARE IT. SO MANY SCHOOLS HAVE ADOPTED US GOING AND DOING AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. SO IT IS SOMETHING SUPER HONORING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE. AND I REALLY THANK YOU AND EVERYBODY HERE FOR ALL THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU.

Thank you for those beautiful words. Thank you, Councilwoman, for reading the proclamation. And San Bernardino truly is an international city. And you heard from a assembly member who is Native American to our region and our Hispanic heritage, and even for myself as API, it is beautiful. And thank you so much for growing the culture and maintaining and sustaining it. This is San Bernardino, everyone. Big round of applause. Thank you. If we had a bigger stage, we would make you guys perform. But unfortunately, we will have to bring you out to our city events to perform for us.

Thank you so much, everyone. Big round of applause.

Thank you, everyone. Beautiful presentations today, and thank you, council. We will now move on to appointments. Madam City Clerk, do we have any public comments on items four to six?

Yes, I believe we have one from Andy Fuentes.

Mayor, sorry, we don't have any. No comments, okay. Any comments from the council councilmember Ortiz? Yeah, I'd like to vote on number five separately and then I move to approve everybody else Okay, there was a motion to move four and six Is there a second to that?

Substitute motion to vote on all four, five, and six together. Second.

I want to make a comment. Okay, there's a substitute motion by Council Member Ibarra and seconded by Council Member Sanchez to move the entire appointment. Council Member Ortiz, did you have a comment?

Yeah, no, I support Angelique Weathersby as well as Davonna Robertson. Unfortunately, I've just received a lot of comments from the seventh ward. regarding concerns of Esmeralda Negrete serving on a commission just due to a lot of harassment and negativity towards other residents that wouldn't feel comfortable being able to express exactly how they feel to a commissioner and so because of that and so I'm going to vote no if we're going to do them all together but I want Angelique and Devonda to understand that the number five selection is an extremely political Appointee and this is no reflection of me not supporting you on the other Commission. So thank you mayor Thank you.

There's a substitute motion and the second man see the clerk Yes Councilmember bar.

Yes, councilmember Figueroa. Yes Councilmember Charette. Yes Mayor pertin can us yes Council Member Flores?

Yes.

Council Member Ortiz?

No.

Would you like to record a yes vote for the other items? Yes, please. Okay. Except for number five, yes. Okay. Mayor Tran?

Yes.

Motion passes unanimous for items four and six. Motion passes seven to one with Council Member Ortiz voting in opposition on item number five.

Thank you. Thank you, Council. We will now move on to public hearing. At this time, public comments will be heard for the public hearing item numbers seven through nine only. If you wish to speak on the other items on the agenda or not on the agenda, please wait until the regular open session public comment period begins later in the meeting. To address the city council. Thank you, council member. Actually, there's an appointee here. There's two appointees here. Can I have you both come on stage? My apologies, I was not informed if you were here or not. But you two are here, so please come up on stage and we'll have you sworn in by the city clerk.

Okay, please raise your right hand and state I and then your name and I'll read the rest and you can say I do at the end, okay? So.

Devonna Robertson. Angelique Weathersby.

Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, and that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which you're about to enter? Thank you so much.

Thank you both for accepting the appointments. I'm going to speak to you, Devonna, because you're my appointee. Thank you, Devonna Robertson, for taking on the role of the Public Safety Human Relations Commission, having met with you and understand your background, lifelong resident. By the way, we are a class of 2000 at Gahona High School. I did not know that. So that was really cool to find that out in our interview. But truly, thank you for caring enough to be part of the process and to say that, hey, I want to make sure there's justice, there is equity, there is everything that we're doing to make sure our city is thriving. And I appreciate you. Thank you so much. Would you like to have a few words?

Yeah, sure. uh good evening everybody my name is davana i i want to say thank you number one to my big brother because he was like because of my new position i have to step off but i suggested that you apply because you're no nonsense and i didn't know he felt that way about me that's what he was telling me when i was on my way here sharing with him the news that i would possibly be voted in to um take his place on the commission but i do want to say proud lifelong resident in the city of San Bernardino. I want to thank my mom, my daughter Brianna, my son in love Jared, my other two children who are not here, Brianna, I mean Kiana and Kian. And I also want to say in part of our interview, before we found out we were classmates, I made sure that Mayor Tran understood who I am. I am a parent organizer with Cope Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement. I am a doula and a lactation consultant with Sankofa Birth Workers Collective of the Inland Empire. I care deeply about community. I care deeply, deeply about the city of San Bernardino. And I love this city, and I'm a proud resident. And I plan to do right in my position as a commissioner. And so I just want to say thank you all for the opportunity.

I'm going to hand this over to Mayor Pro Tem, your appointee.

Thank you so much, Mayor. And it is an honor to introduce you, Ms. Angelique Weathersby, to the Elected Officials Compensation Committee. I have to say, when you stepped up, What spoke volumes was your comment that you did not want a title, that you truly wanted to serve. And I sincerely appreciate that. That speaks to your character, but also it speaks to the passion that you have for the city of San Bernardino. So thank you. I know you are very engaged and I know that you will serve the city very well in this position. I'll let you say a few words.

Okay. Hello everyone. My name is Angelique. You can call me Angie. I've been a resident of San Bernardino for over 25 years or so. And I love the city. I'm looking forward to serving on this commission. I appreciate the mayor and the council for giving me this opportunity. I will certainly do my best.

Again, thank you to Angie and Ivana for serving on their commission, and congratulations as well to Esmeralda Negrete. Thank you, council. We now will move on to public hearing. At this time, the public comments will be heard for the public hearing item numbers seven through nine only. If you wish to speak on the other items on the agenda or not on the agenda, please wait until the regular open session public comment period begins later in the meeting. To address the city council, each individual must complete speaker card. The speaker card must be completed and turned into the city clerk at this time. Only those speaker cards given to the city clerk may address the city council. Late cards will not be accepted. Each person should state their name for the record before beginning their comment. Each person will have three minutes. As your name is called, please approach the podium. As your names are announced, we have two podiums available for your convenience. If you need Spanish interpretation, we have an interpreter present. Please raise your hand at this time to indicate you require service. We also have devices available to listen to the meeting in Spanish.

En este momento, solo se escucharán comentarios públicos para la audiencia pública número 7 a 9 de la agenda. Si desea hablar sobre otros puntos de la agenda o no están en la agenda, por favor, espera hasta que comience el periodo regular de comentarios públicos de la sesión abierta más adelante en la reunión. Para dirigirse al consejo municipal, cada persona debe completar una tarjeta de oradores. La tarjeta de orador debe completarse y entregarse a la secretaria municipal en este momento. Solo las tarjetas de orador entregadas a la secretaria municipal pueden dirigirse al consejo municipal. No se aceptarán tarjetas tardías. Cada persona debe declarar su nombre para registro antes de comenzar su comentario. Thank you. Gracias.

Item number seven, resolution imposing liens on certain parcels of real property for unpaid business registration taxes and penalties. I'm opening the public hearing at 6.15 p.m. Could city staff provide a presentation on this item?

Good evening, mayor and council. My name's Minerva.

I'm business registration manager requesting that we impose the liens on the real property for the unpaid property rental taxes. San Bernardino Municipal Code Section 5.04076 enables unpaid taxes and penalties for business registrations to become an assessment on the associated properties if not collected after proper notification of the owner. Unregistered properties are identified through multiple sources, including homeowners exemption lists received from the County of San Bernardino, newly opened water department accounts, closed rental property business registration accounts, code enforcement efforts, and citizen notification. Business registration staff makes multiple attempts to contact property owners to gain compliance with the municipal code before a property is entered into the lien process. An initial letter informs the property owner that the rental properties are considered a business and certification is required. If a response is not received within 15 days, a second letter is sent advising the owner to comply with the registration requirements. If the second letter does not receive a response, a third and final certified letter is sent provided with the same information. If there is no response to the final certified letter, a lien hearing notice is mailed with a business registration application to allow the owner to comply or close out the account before proceeding with the lien process. Any rental property business owner who have come into compliance in between the start of the lien process, August 18th until September 16th, will be removed from the list that is forwarded to the county. The county then applies settling to the property owner's tax bill and all owners are given a grace period of up to two weeks after September 16th public hearing. It is recommended that the mayor and the city council of the city of San Bernardino conduct a public hearing to receive the public comment on the matter, adopt resolution 2026-154 of the mayor City Council of the city of San Bernardino imposing liens on certain parcels of the real property for unpaid business registration tax and penalties and Direct the director of finance and management services to remove any properties from the business registration lien list Exhibit a to the resolution which are resolved prior to the hearing There is no fiscal impact budget associated to this action. The anticipated amount of revenue to be collected through the lien process is $255,379, an estimate of which is included in the 26-27 business registration revenue budget. That concludes the presentation. Thank you.

Do we have any requests to speak from the members of the public?

No, we have no requests on this item.

Zero requests, okay. I'm now closing the public hearing at 6.18 p.m. Is there a motion by council? Move to approve. There's a motion, is there a second? I have a question for staff. Yes, Council Member Ibarra.

Yes, I am looking at the third page of the liens, and how does it go about when you have somebody who actually lives on the property?

If they are not renting the property, it's a room rental?

You have the same address for the owner and the rental property. The only difference is one of them says an apartment number and the other one doesn't say the apartment number. It's on the third page. Excuse me.

It could be if they are renting or subleasing a section of their property, then they are required to have a license because they are receiving monetary compensation.

Okay, as long as they lived on the property, they wouldn't have to be considered business.

If they're receiving monetary compensation, so if they are renting out a section of their house, they're still required to hold the license.

Okay, just wanted that clarification. And also the last question is, did the notices that they get, were they multilingual notices? They are not, no. Okay, because I'm thinking a lot of, I'm seeing the names and I think a lot of them maybe had that language barrier if that was the case. And so for anybody that is on this list, they have two weeks from today to clear out their names. Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Council Member. There's a motion, is there a second? Or is there any other comments?

Second.

There's a second. Madam City Clerk, please call for the vote.

Council Member Sanchez? Yes. Council Member Barra?

Yes.

Council Member Figueroa?

Yes.

Council Member Charette is away from the dais. Mayor Pro Tem Knoss?

Yes.

Council Member Flores?

Yes.

Council Member Ortiz? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you, thank you, council. Moving on to the next public hearing, item number eight, approval of the draft fiscal year 2025 to 2026 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, CAPER, to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. I'm opening the public hearing at 6.20 p.m. Could staff again provide a presentation on this item? Move to waive the presentation and move to approve Okay, there's a motion to waive the presentation and motion for the items there second to that Yeah, this is pretty standard that something we do every year, right? So yeah Okay, there's a second to that No further comments. Madam City Clerk, please call for the votes. I need to close the hearing don't I? Yes. Yes close the hearing at 621 p.m. Councilmember Sanchez yes

Council Member Ibarra?

Yes.

Council Member Figueroa?

Yes.

Council Member Charette? Sorry, he's away from the dice. Mayor Pro Tem Knoss? Yes. Council Member Flores? Yes. Council Member Ortiz? Yes. And can I say, who made the second for this item?

It was Council Member Figueroa seconded.

Okay, thank you so much. Motion passes unanimously.

Oh, it's okay. Thank you. Moving on to item, the last public hearing, item number nine, introduction of ordinance number MC1670, approving general plan amendment 25-02, development code amendment, zoning map amendment 25-07, subdivision 25-03, tentative tract map number 20826, and development permit type P25-07, could city staff provide an updated presentation on this item?

Mayor, I move to waive the presentation and move to approve.

I want the presentation.

Okay, please proceed with the presentation since there's a request by a council member. I should note I'm opening the public hearing at 6.23 p.m.

It seems we're having difficulties. My apologies. It's number nine. It's number nine, sir. Little Mountain. There we are. All right, thank you everybody. Good evening, honorable mayor and council members. The subject tonight is general plan amendment 25-02, development code zoning map amendment 25-07, subdivision 25-03 for tentative track map number 20826, and development permit type P25-07. So the project tonight is a request to amend the general planned use designation for commercial to multiple family residential and rezone the site from commercial office to residential medium for four vacant parcels totaling approximately 5.82 acres. Amend chapter 1904 of the residential section, planned residential development section N, two and five. Approve tentative track map number 20826 to subdivide the project site into 68 planned residential developments or PRDs. Subdivision 25-03 and approve site and architectural review for 68 two-story detached planned residential development single family dwellings. The project is located at the corner of North Miramonte Drive and Little Mountain Road in Ward 2 and is currently designated commercial office. Here we have the zoning map. The project is located on an approximate 5.82 acre site on the corner of North Miramonte Drive and North Little Mountain Road. The project site is vacant and bounded by multifamily residential to the north and northeast and single family residential to the east. Property to the west and south are also zoned commercial office. Here we have our aerial map. The project site is currently zoned commercial office. A preschool is located to the north with apartment complexes to the northeast and east. The proposed project involves a general plan amendment from commercial to multiple family residential and a zoning change from commercial office to residential medium on the approximate 5.82 acres. The project would subdivide the property into 68 single family residential lots and construct 68 two-story detached PRD homes. The proposal also includes amendments to the development code to allow project specific setbacks for PRDs. For the background, August 11th, 2026, the Planning Commission approved Resolution 2026-024 unanimously. There was no public opposition for recommendation of approval to the MCC. September 2nd, 2026, notices were mailed to properties within 1,000 feet regarding the September 16th hearing, which is tonight. And September 5th, 2026, legal notice was published in the San Bernardino Sun. So General Plan Amendment 2502 changes the 5.82 acre project site's land use designation from commercial to multifamily residential. Development Code Amendment 25-07 rezones four vacant parcels from commercial office to residential medium and updates planned residential development standards to allow flexible setbacks in site coverage subject to city approval and compliance with California Building Code and County Fire Code requirements. With approval of both amendments, the proposed 68 unit single family planned residential development would be consistent with the city's plans. Subdivision 25-03 for tentative track map number 20826 subdivides the 5.82 acre site into 68 single-family residential lots. Lot sizes vary from approximately 7,200 to 8,600 square feet. For density, the proposed development achieves 11 units per acre, consistent with the residential mediums designation, which allows 12 units per net acre. For Development Permit Type P, which looks at the architectural and site design, it evaluates the overall site and design of the proposed residential development. The neighborhood design includes two-story homes with varied orientations, side entry designs, attached two-car garages, private driveways, and private backyards to promote privacy, functionality, and outdoor living. The housing mix includes four floor plans ranging from 1,435 to 1,728 square feet, featuring three to four bedrooms, 2.5 to three bathrooms, and three different architectural styles, including Santa Barbara, Spanish Colonial, and Italianite. There are 20 homes in plan one, 22 homes in plan two, 19 homes in plan three, and seven homes in plan four, for the total of 68. Buried roof lines massing in warmer tone color palettes with decorative architectural details designed to complement the surrounding neighborhood and enhance the underutilized site are used. Architecture and site planning are inspired by the San Bernardino Mountains, reflecting the area's natural landforms and character while providing 68 new single-family homes to help keep up with the city's housing needs. Access and parking, primary access is taken from North Miramontes Drive with secondary access from Little Mountain Drive North, including a new driveway, entrances, and a monument signage. Internal streets and pedestrian pathways provide safe, efficient vehicle circulation and pedestrian connectivity. There are 179 total parking spaces, including 136 two-car garage spaces with EV charging capability, 41 guest spaces, and 280 accessible spaces. Community features include private streets maintained by a homeowner's association and perimeter improvements of decorative block walls with stone accents, entry monument signs, emergency vehicle access gates, and vinyl fencing between homes for privacy and security. Landscaping amenities feature native drought-tolerant plants with efficient irrigation systems, creating the sustainable landscape that complements the local environment. Landscaping exceeds the city's requirement, providing 20% landscape coverage, whereas the code asks for 15%. Residential amenities include five amenities, walking paths, shade structures, a community garden, lawn, playground, and barbecue area, exceeding the city's requirement of two amenities. Through site revitalization, the project transforms a vacant underutilized lot to a high quality residential community that enhances the neighborhood. Here we have the map amendment. It's just showing the location of the proposed zone change from commercial office, and it will be turned to residential medium, which you can see to the north, there's the brown zoning, and that is the residential medium. And here we have the DCA verbiage. So the Development Code Amendment, it's intended to better align planned residential development standards with real world development needs while bringing existing PRDs into compliance with current requirements. Existing PRDs may face challenges with financing, construction, maintenance, and reasonable property improvements when current setback standards are restrictive, including improvements such as adding a patio. The amendment would allow reasonable improvements to existing PRDs when they remain safe and meet applicable life safety and building requirements. New PRDs would follow current standards, while existing PRDs would be recognized based on the standards under which they were originally approved and built. The goal is to address legitimate safety concerns without creating unnecessary barriers to financing, maintenance, or reasonable property improvements. Here we have the site and track plan. Site and tentative track map showing the proposed subdivision and development of the 68 residential lots. And here we have the elevations. This is the Spanish colonial look. We have the Santa Barbara. And we have the Italianate. Here we have the floor plan. There's four proposed floor plans ranging from the approximately 1400 to 1700 square feet, including three and four bedroom options, two car garages, and private rear yards. Here we have our landscape plan and palette, including coastal live oak, desert willow, palo verde, sugarbush, Texas ranger, indigo bush, blond ambition, and blood red trumpet vine. All plant species have an irrigation efficiency of .75% and are watered either with a spray, drip, or bubbler system for low water usage. For amenities, the project's provided a total of five. These include walkable pedestrian paths, shade structures, a gathering lawn for community events, a playground, and a barbecue area, which you can see in the left-hand corner there. Here is our rendering, the proposed project showing the overall development and architectural character, how it'll fit into the neighborhood. Here we have the project site in existing conditions. It's a large vacant lot as it stands. It sits across from multifamily to the northeast, as you can see. And with that, it is recommended that the mayor and city council adopt the resolution of the mayor and city council of the city of San Bernardino approving subdivision number 25-03 for tentative trap map number 20826 and development permit type P25-07 and adopt the resolution accepting the mitigating negative declaration and mitigation monitoring and reporting program AND INTRODUCE READ BY TITLE ONLY AND WAIT FOR THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 25-02 AND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT 25-07 AND SCHEDULE THE SECOND READING FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE ABOVE ORDINANCE TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 7, 2026. AND I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND THE APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION. Do we have any requests from the public for comments?

We have two requests to speak, one from Frank Becerra, one from Rohit Sevaretny.

If you hear your name, please approach the podium at this time. Can you state the name again one more time?

Frank Becerra and Rohit Sevaretny.

Are you here? Okay, please. State your name and you have three minutes. Please turn on the mic, press the button. Thank you.

My name is Rohit Sunaviratna. I'm the immediate neighbor of this property, and I totally support what is being developed there because that property has been kind of a nuisance for us because it's been empty. bare land, and a lot of unwanted things are happening there, and I totally support the development of that, being a neighbor, and I own the preschool little mountain. So we want a safe surrounding, and I believe this development is going to provide us with that. Thank you.

Thank you.

There are no more speakers, and there was a written request submitted by Frank Bacara that's been provided to the mayor and council.

Thank you.

Am I good?

Yes, you're done. Thank you, sir. Appreciate your comments. Now I will close the public hearing at 6.35 p.m. for deliberation and action. Do we have any comments from council? Move to approve. Thank you for the motion. Council Member Ibarra, followed by Mayor Pro Tem.

Yes, I do want to thank the developer for being proactive. They actually went to the Muscovy Abbey neighborhood a couple months ago, so thank you for listening and showing your renditions to the attendees at that meeting because they will be impacted. They voiced a lot of the concerns. Love the work that you're bringing to the city. Now, there is a question. We didn't get to read the written comments, but the question was if these will be for lease. or for sale or mix where you can allow people to buy.

Do I need to open back the public hearing since we're asking for the, okay, I'm reopening the public hearing at 6.36 p.m.,

Thank you. Good evening. City Council Brian Taylor here, project manager for Century Communities. Thank you for the kind words. These will be for sale. So we are a for sale home builder. We focus on first time home buyers. So this community is going to be great. We're very happy to be here and here to answer any questions that you guys have.

Do you know what the sale price will start for these?

I want to say somewhere in the 400,000s. They are market rate, but I'm not on the revenue side. I can get back to you though when I talk to the right people on that side to make sure I'm not misstating anything.

No problem. Just keep in touch with the Muscovy neighborhood that way we can do a follow-up with them to absolutely yeah We'll have when we do go to start construction of course We'll have signs up with our construction managers contact and make sure that everyone's aware of what's going on And if they have any issues they can always reach out yes And I know that those comments were very positive the fact that you were proactive and went out to them and showed them What you were planning on doing on that property, so thank you for being a proactive developer out here anytime.

Thank you Thank You councilwoman mayor Bertin

My comments were actually similar. We did have a project on Highland Avenue in the 6th Ward, much like yours, that unfortunately the developer came and presented it as homeownership and for sale, and then they quickly turned into rental property. So we just really want to advocate for them to be for purchase and not turn into rentals. That is something that our community does sorely need. So we do desperately need it and support the for sale and homeownership, increasing that in our city.

Perfect. Yeah, they will be for sale.

And then I just had a question. Thank you so much. And then just my last question for staff, and this is from a community member regarding the traffic impact analysis. The one that was completed in 2018 for the TAD office, it did show service level D in regards to the traffic impact from that particular project, which is directly across the street from this proposed project. What is the actual impact with this proposal?

Unfortunately, we don't have the traffic engineer here, but I couldn't get that information to you ASAP.

Okay, and would you be able to answer if with that analysis that was done, if it incorporated the existing one from 2018?

I think the applicant can answer that one.

I can answer that, yeah. The city has done a great job of making sure that all of our technical studies are very thorough and includes a cumulative list of projects that either have already occurred or will be occurring that are currently applied for. So I would assume that that project was included. And in fact, we are required to approve the intersection of 27th and Little Mountain. There's a signal that we will be improving. So I know for a fact that we will be helping out as much as we can on the traffic side.

And I appreciate you advising of the traffic signal that you'll be improving. Are there any other improvements that will be made in the realm of infrastructure to help with the traffic?

I believe we have new signage and striping that will be going along our frontage as well. But other than that, I believe that was all that was required of the project based off our impacts.

Okay. Thank you so much. And if you could just give me the traffic impact analysis so I could provide it to our community members, I'd appreciate that.

Yes, it also is available online, I believe, with the environmental document, but I will get you it singled out.

I didn't see it in here, so.

And I'll send it to you.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you, Mayor Potem. Council Member Figueroa.

Thank you. I don't really have a question, but I just wanted to say thank you. It's my understanding. In order to lessen the disturbance to the surrounding community, the commission had requested a modification of the hours for construction, and so I just simply wanted to thank you. for accepting that so that it isn't a further disturbance to the surrounding community as well. So that's all I wanted to say is just that I know that you were accepting of those terms and still are accepting of those terms. I just wanted to make sure that that's still okay with you and with staff, the modification of those hours for construction. And I just wanted to say thank you for minimizing the disturbance to the surrounding community on that as well.

Yeah, no problem. Thank you.

If there isn't a second, I'll second.

Thank you, Council Member. So there's a second. No further comments. Madam City Clerk, please call for the vote.

Mayor, can you close the public hearing first?

I'm closing the public hearing at 6.41, and please call for the vote.

Council Member Sanchez?

Yes.

Council Member Ibarra? Yes. Council Member Figueroa?

Yes.

Council Member Charette? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Canas? Yes. Council Member Flores? Yes. Council Member Ortiz? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you, thank you, council. That concludes public hearings.

Mayor, I just need to read the title of the ordinance.

Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Madam City Clerk. Okay.

Ordinance number MC1670 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, approving general plan amendment 25-02, changing the general plan land use designation from commercial to multifamily residential and development code amendment 25-07, zoning map amendment changing the zoning designation from commercial office to residential medium for assessor parcel number 0148, 303-21-22-24 and 26 and amend the development code to allow planned residential developments to establish project specific development standards including setbacks between structures and site coverage standards in lieu of fixed numerical development standards within planned residential developments pursuant to mitigated negative declaration.

Thank you. We will now move on to City Manager Update. Mr. City Manager, please proceed with your report.

Thank you, Madam Mayor and City Council. On Saturday, the Dodgers Foundation and Parks and Rec partnered to host a fun morning of reading and baseball at the Blair Park Dodgers Dreamfield. Dodgers legend Darrell Thomas, a member of the 1981 World Series champion team, read aloud to the elementary school aged children who received free books and a special Dodgers bobblehead. The event brought the excitement of the Dodgers to the San Bernardino community while encouraging young readers to discover the joy of books and develop a lifelong love of reading. As part of an ongoing safety study on Waterman Avenue and 18, the Southern California Association of Governments will be installing several temporary safety and traffic calming features on Waterman Avenue at 38th Street on Tuesday, September 29th near Parkside Elementary and Golden Valley Middle Schools. Among the temporary features are a high visibility crosswalk, street median refuge island, and a street corner curb extensions. Resident and parent feedback will help identify permanent improvements along the corridor. Beginning this month, Animal Services has launched a new pilot program called Ready to Rescue to create even more life-saving opportunities for medium to large dogs in our care. During one surgery day each month, a selected group of dogs will receive a spay or neuter surgery performed in the mobile surgery center, rabies vaccination, and microchip. These animals will be available to approved rescue partners at no fee. This month, 20 dogs were spayed or neutered. under the program and 14 have already been taken by animal rescue partners. Code enforcement recorded 7,593 total actions in August, which includes inspections, notices of violation, and investigating reports from residents. This reflects an increase from 6,917 in August 2025 and 4,079 in August 2024, showing continued growth. Proactive cases have increased by 45% over the last year, reflecting the division's continued focus on addressing issues early, obtaining compliance, and improving conditions throughout San Bernardino. Mount Vernon Bridge block party will be on September 26th. Celebrate the one-year anniversary of the historic Mount Vernon Bridge reopening and 100th year of Route 66 with a community block party and a car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 26th. The free event will feature classic cars, live entertainment, food and craft vendors, and activities for the kids. And then finally, San Bernardino Police Department will be hosting their annual Coptoberfest on Thursday, October 1st from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the San Bernardino Police Department headquarters at 710 Northeast Street. There will be games, a petting zoo, demonstrations, music, dancing, food, and much more to bring San Bernardino PD together with the community, especially the kids. And with that, thank you, Mayor and State Council.

Thank you. We will now move on to public comments. We have, I believe, 24 speakers tonight, and each speaker will have three minutes. Madam City Clerk, please call up the speakers.

Frank Becerra, Ron Alvarado, Lydia Savala, Ricky Johnson, Andy Fuentes, Eric Aguilinado, Gabriela Ramos, Alejandro Chavez, Marvin Newman, Pastor Samuel Casey, Jasmine Ayala, Melina Enriquez, Carson Fajardo, Jim Mulvihill, David McCammack, Carolina Gabaldon, Al Palazzo, Ruben Mendoza, Luis Ojeda, Jim Smith, Kim Calvin, Dolores Armstead, Amy Malone, Sharon Negrete, Ivan Garcia, Christian Shaughnessy, and Elba Savaria.

Thank you. Please state your name. We have three minutes.

Ashley's positive tonight.

Your item 24 requiring vacant or abandoned properties to register and impose certain property maintenance obligations. Thank you. We have so many vacant properties owned by absentee landlord. This establishes registration, maintenance, security, and inspection for vacant or abandoned properties.

It's a start, and we thank you because it's needed in this city. We have so many.

Item 25, regarding camping on public streets and parks. I agree with needing to address the problem, but where are we addressing the, directing the homeless to? They need a place to go, because they're just gonna camp somewhere else. So they need services, services and housing. It's a huge problem, but we need to address the problem also. I went to the community-supported police department fundraiser for police dogs. The program for police dogs is fully supported by fundraising. It was interesting, and looking on the Internet how those police dogs are trained, I wish mine were trained like that. I wouldn't have so many problems. Other than that for this evening, thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Mayor Tran, members of the council, Jim Mulvihill. I'm impressed by the potential benefits of agenda item number 11 and its companion, agenda item number 10. Both, but especially agenda item 11, provide the city an opportunity to partner with several significant community groups, including the Inland Empire Community Foundation, the Garcia Center for the Arts, the Arts Connection, among others, to apply for a transformative climate communities grant administered by the California Strategic Growth Council. San Bernardino has had success in the past with the Growth Council applications. A decade ago, the Growth Council awarded a $20 million grant to support the development of the Arrowhead Grove development that replaced the World War II era Waterman Gardens. And what a wonderful transformation that has become. I'm impressed that the present grant proposal is formed around a future E Street cultural district. A formal recognition of such a district would place a positive focus on that part of the city. The item number 10 requests a 50-50 partnership with the city to fund a comprehensive assessment of the E Street corridor's present resources and future potential. There are several positive reasons for council to approve agenda items 10 and 11. The proposed recognition of the East Street corridor district would create a positive spotlight on that district and the potential for further positive developments. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Carolina Gabaldon. Good evening, Mayor, members of the City Council and City Manager. Thank you for your leadership. Well, I'm here today as a person who works in San Bernardino and here on behalf of my family who resides here. I'm not a resident, but I'm very vested in this community. I've taught public health here for over eight years, work in prevention, and San Bernardino is almost like my second home. So as you may know, on September 1st, 2026, our family tragically lost our beloved Raelynn Ayala at the intersection of North Guthrie and East Highland. Our advocacy efforts for pedestrian safety have resulted in the city formally agreeing to conduct a 24-hour traffic and pedestrian count at this intersection. The North Guthrie and East Highland intersection is a direct part of our daily lives, and this study is a vital first step toward protecting our community. I'm deeply grateful that the city is taking our safety concerns seriously. For my family and their neighbors, this infrastructure study is not an abstract bureaucratic process. It's a matter of life and death. The devastating loss of our land on this specific stretch of road was entirely preventable. Our family's grief is compounded by the knowledge that this intersection is a known hazard. Within just the last five years, at least two other individuals have suffered catastrophic, life-altering pedestrian industries at this exact location. Because the stakes are so high, I respectfully ask the city traffic agencies and the Department of Public Works to ensure that the traffic hour count is structured to capture the intersection's true risk profile. A generic snapshot will dilute the severe traffic spikes caused by our local schools and peak traffic volumes, and we request that Engineers explicitly isolate, analyze, and wait the following peak windows of 7 a.m. to 8.30, 2 to 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., which is a critical late window for late bus school-to-school transportation and peak rush hour traffics. We want to thank the City of San Bernardino for committing to this study, but please ensure the data collection occurs during a standard midweek school day when school is in full session. Please use video and manual counting to accurately log individual pedestrians, and we look forward to reviewing the data and working together to bring safe pedestrian crosswalk signals. Do not wait for another accident. Do not wait for another grieving family. Please protect our community members and fix this intersection before another cherished life is lost.

Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes. Mayor.

Good evening. My name is Ron Alvarado.

One moment.

Council Member. And Mr. City Manager, this was part of the discussion that we had the last council meeting, that there are streets that are very dangerous, that there's no stop signs. So I thank the speaker for speaking up. It's just that I guess just having people show up to a public safety committee meeting shouldn't be the only thing that happens before a stop sign gets installed. There should be studies done. And like I mentioned, Highland is a very heavy traffic street, as well as Sepulveda. And I just got noticed that Sepulveda will be included at the next study for traffic. But I would highly encourage our staff to look at other major thoroughfares because I do know that area a lot of our young people do cross to get to those schools.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council. Yes, Council Member Figueroa.

Thank you. And I just wanted to express my heartfelt condolences to the family. I know that it's got to be a tremendous, profound loss and heartache for you as well. And I just want to assure you that we do take that seriously. And I hope that we... are able to look into that, and I hope that we don't just necessarily stop at infrastructure, but there are other things that we can do. I know I recently came across this thing called Safer Roads, something like that. It's a free program that perhaps we can even have our parks community centers look into as well to provide additional education. It's free, but I don't want it to just simply stop at just looking at streets. Perhaps there's other things that we can look into as well, but I just wanted to express my My profound condolences to the family on your loss.

Thank you. Thank you, counsel. You may proceed. Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Ron Alvarado. I am a lifelong San Bernardino resident, a county government fraud investigator. I have served as chair of our city's parks commission and am currently running for the first ward council seat. Tonight, you have before you a major package on homelessness, public safety, and our neighborhoods. Items 21 through 25. As a parks commissioner, I want to be unequivocally clear. Our parks, sidewalks, and community spaces must be clean, safe, and open for our children, seniors, and families. I support updating our municipal code under item 25 to maintain our public rights of way. I also urge full passage of item 24 to hold absentee property owners accountable. I want to thank Dr. Ortiz for bringing this item to the dais, as we cannot successfully clean up our sidewalks, while neglected commercial lots and abandoned buildings sit unsecured for months, fueling neighborhood blight, property fires, and encampments across Ward 1 and our city. Furthermore, I strongly support item 23, requiring strict notification for homeless drop-offs. For years, outside agencies and neighboring jurisdictions have transported unhoused individuals into our city without notice, support, or follow-up. San Bernardino has carried an unfair burden for this entire region, and it is time we put an end to our city being treated as a regional dumping ground. However, ordinance enforcement alone will not solve this crisis. If we simply sweep people from corner to corner without a coordinated transition to bridge housing, we are merely shuffling the problem across our neighborhoods. This is where my professional experience with the county comes in. For too long, City Hall has operated in a bureaucratic silo. Tonight, on item 13, Council is approving another contract amendment pushing over half a million dollars to Michael Baker International for homelessness consulting. We do not need another $500,000 consultant study to tell us what our neighborhoods already see every single day. What we need is aggressive coordination between the city and the county. We must leverage county behavioral health, public health, and social services funding to deliver real, secure bridge housing paired with mental health and addiction treatment. Under item 22, I urge you to prioritize our local San Bernardino residents first. Ensure that every grant dollar reaches the streets to clean up our city and restore our neighborhoods, not the pockets of outside consultants. Let's reclaim our parks. enforce our laws, and hold our regional partners accountable. Vote Ron Alvarado this November to move San Bernardino forward.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Yes, honorable mayor. My name is James Smith. I'm a member of the Arts and Historical Preservation Commission. It was so great to see so many comments to Mike today about preserving the history of San Bernardino. I think that's wonderful. It's great to see Joe Baca Jr. here supporting that. And a person that supports this city council so much is Eloise Reyes. She's a state senator. wonderful person, and her husband's birthday is today. Frank, so if you have a chance to wish him happy birthday, I think that would be a great idea. I'm very glad to hear that there's, again, nothing on the agenda about Second Park. We're going to preserve the name of Second Park here in the city of San Bernardino. Both the Arts and Historical Preservation Commission and the Park and Recreation voted unanimously not to have that name changed. I hope the City Council realizes that they have tremendous support to keep that name of a former mayor, Mayor Seccombe. It's so important I wanted to also let you know I strongly endorse Virginia Marquez for the first ward. I think she has done a tremendous job. She's done her homework, she's knocked on doors, and she just received the endorsement of the POA, which I think is important to keep police visible here in the city of San Bernardino. I just wanted to mention that to you. I also wanted to compliment Eric Levitt, our city manager, who's doing a tremendous job. That presentation tonight was great. And I actually saw him on my Facebook the other day. He's out getting out in the community, and I think that's great. He's doing a great job, and we're very fortunate to have him lead that department, important part of the city of San Bernardino. Again, I want to thank you very much. I moved here in 1943, have lived here my entire life, and I strongly endorse the mayor and what she's doing in leading this city forward. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Good evening, honorable mayor and members of the city council. My name is Christian Shaughnessy, and I am a candidate for the second ward. I am here tonight to speak in favor of the many items on the discussion agenda. For residents in the second ward and throughout the city of San Bernardino, homelessness is not a mere abstract issue. It is something that affects our neighborhoods, our public spaces, our families, and our small businesses. If we want San Bernardino to truly prosper, we cannot separate economic development from the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Families, our working families, deserve safe and healthy communities. Businesses need an environment where customers and consumers feel comfortable and where investment capital can grow. And people experiencing homelessness deserve more than just being moved from one location to another. We need more pathways to long-term stability and superior life and behavioral outcomes. That requires furthering a comprehensive approach, connecting people with shelter, housing, supportive services, employment opportunities, and many other resources that can help address the underlying challenges that the homeless and the community face. But no single level or layer of government can solve this alone. We need to continue real collaboration between the city, county, state, nonprofit service providers, small businesses, and our many residents. We need to identify what is working, acknowledge where we need to improve, and ensure available funding is used effectively wherever it can. And we need to move beyond blaming one another. The city cannot blame the county. The county cannot blame the state. And government in all layers cannot dismiss residents and businesses who are asking for better conditions. Blame does not create housing. Blame does not revitalize neighborhoods. Collaboration does. And that is why I especially support Agenda Item 24, on top of the other discussion items, and the effort to find real solutions for abandoned and vacant locations throughout our entire community. And a big thank you to Councilwoman Ortiz and the many others on the council and in the mayor's office for championing this proposal. These blighted properties discourage investment, harm nearby businesses, and diminish the everyday experience of our residents. We should work toward turning these liabilities into opportunities for revitalization, responsible redevelopment, and community-serving uses. I believe that we can be compassionate while also being accountable. We can care about people experiencing homelessness while also caring deeply about the residents and businesses of San Bernardino and their rights. With collaboration, our leadership, and a commitment to measurable solutions, we can make meaningful progress. Let's replace blame with partnership, neglect with revitalization, and temporary fixes with lasting solutions. Let's work together with our mayor and with our council to build a better San Bernardino for our children than the one we were up in. Thank you all so much.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Hello, my name is Luis Ojeda. Good evening, everyone. So first of all, I want to talk about Love You Block nonsense. I mentioned it last council meeting, and I'm going to mention it again, okay? And I also would like to get a clarification, okay? Because there were some members of the staff were bragging about this wonderful project. Yeah, today I drove by a mural. They have a few homeless there. They look very nice. That was their background. And then they left and they left all the trash there. So this is the thing that people don't think about it. That's one issue. The other issue that I have is, When they say, it's only $150,000. Yeah, only $150,000 that we don't have. Okay? Mr. City Manager, I wasn't clear. Do we have money? Are we in a deficit? Is the budget closed? It's not closed. I would like to get clarification because I don't think that this is a very, very poor community. We can be spending money that we don't have. So what we need to do is to start increasing our revenue, okay? And one thing that I want to tell you everyone, you know, The Economic Community Development Department, they're doing a great job. But the facilities that they have, they have only two tiny windows, a very small waiting room, okay, for all the people that comes in there. I mean, they're not able to attend to the public the way they're supposed to. And I think we need to work on that. So I'm sick and tired of everybody talking about the poor homeless. No, I don't care about the homeless anymore. We spent $20,000 million in the Gavin Newsom administration. And what have they fixed? Nothing. They made the problem worse. You know why? Because it's illegal corruption. So now we need to start applying tough love. Because, look, how is it that a family that is barely making ends meet, if you own a home, okay, if you're barely paying that mortgage payment, you don't qualify for anything. But these people, that they make their lifestyle to live on the street because of their addictions, they qualify for everything. What's wrong with us? And the blame, yeah, the blame is in Sacramento. We have a super majority of one party for the last 33 years in the Assembly and in the Senate. And for the last 15 years, almost 16 years, we have a governor of one party. So who's to blame? Who is in power? Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Melina Henriquez, and I am the president of the City of San Bernardino Young Democrats. Today, I want to give my public comment about Theodore Sanchez, the emperor of the fake Democrats. Theodore Sanchez, you are a man of wit and charm. You thought you were slick enough to change your GOP party registration to Democratic right before your reelection. But the Young Democrats made sure people knew you were lying about who you really were. and who you really are. You have served our city and more importantly the First Word community for eight years. Eight unproductive years. Eight long, agonizing years. Most recently, you stonewalled our mayor for even proposing a discussion of a mayoral pay increase. When you have the audacity to vote yourself a 167% pay increase despite the state of your ward? Human trafficking by school children, broke street lights leaving parts of your ward looking like the world before electricity was invented, and even more buildings catching fire. In your arrogance, you were so confident that you were getting first place in the primary, you didn't even spend most of your crooked campaign funds. Then you had the audacity to stand before God and the people of the city and claim at voters' doors that you were the only Spanish-speaking candidate in the race. If a man like you can somehow finesse the city budget into giving yourself a 167% pay increase, it is absurd that you want to delay even the discussion of this for other people who aren't you. December cannot come soon enough.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Jasmine Ayala. I'm speaking on behalf of my niece, Ray Lynn Ayala, with the incident that happened on September 1st. I'm speaking on behalf of her family. I'm very nervous right now, but I feel like if I speak up as well as with her other members of the family, that maybe they'll push harder to put crosswalks where she was hit and fight harder for the safety of the children, especially the elementary school that's in that area. And that's about it. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. Can we reserve comments, counsel, at the end?

I was just wondering if we could just close the meeting out in her honor. And if the family leaves, I just want to know. That would be something we would do. Okay. Okay, thank you.

Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Yeah, my name is Dave McCabeck. I'm a resident of San Bernardino, multiple business owners since 1983 in San Bernardino. One of my concerns is we have a building on the northeast corner of Highland and Arrowhead that has been burned four different times and is an eyesore and should have been torn down years ago. And it needs to be brought before the city and demolished. It's right across from two different banks uh... and uh... highland avenue has four thousand over four thousand cars a day go through there on highland avenue we have it's a rest stop for homeless it's a rest stop for i mean it's a garbage pit uh... and one of the problems is we do have people from God knows where, that are being dumped at Walmart, Target, and other places within the city. It's a known fact and it's been documented. Nothing has been done. I remember Mayor Vitus used to ask, where are you from? and she would find out and she would send them back there or would contact the city and charge them for residency for the city. So obviously there is an answer to that problem. I also have a business on D, the corner of D and Highland, and behind my alley between D and Arrowhead, I pick up needles, I pick up garbage, I get citations from the city, because I have a lot there, and people jump the fence and they dump stuff there. There is a Mercedes that comes by there between 11 and one o'clock, and God only knows what he's doing there. But anyway, there are answers, and I would like to get an answer from you as to what your proposal is on that building, especially on Arrowhead and Highland Avenue. As far as being demolished, what are you going to do about it?

Thank you, sir.

Thank you. I'm asking.

We're noting, is this an item on the agenda? Okay.

Next speaker, please state your name. We have three minutes. Thank you, Mayor and Council. I find it hilarious that Theodore Sanchez could boast about Treasurer Ortiz's lawsuit against the city while conveniently leaving out that him and the rest of the council voted to censure her and spend taxpayer money doing so The city even contracted Stephen Larson to handle the censure, despite that we already have a city attorney. How much did this cost taxpayers? I don't know. So I've submitted a public records request to find out. But considering outside counsel was brought in, I think residents have every right to know how much was spent. And you have nothing to say about taxpayer dollars going towards John Valdivia's sexual harassment claims that you voted to pay for, Theodore, $3.5 million. So I love that you get to pick and choose which taxpayer dollars you want to talk about. And may I remind you that Cresher said she would drop the lawsuit if the city would have apologized. Someone testified in court that Theodore Sanchez and the chief all knew that All Treasurer Ortiz wanted was an apology, not money. So your entire response during the closed session response to the comment you're making is just crap. Don't act like Treasurer Ortiz just woke up one day and decided to sue the city. If you're gonna talk about how much this lawsuit has supposedly cost the city, then be honest about the decisions and circumstances that got you there in the first place. And honestly, I wish you would care about the people of San Marino, have as much as you seem about talking about treasure. I wish you would bring the same energy to bring us back to City Hall, redeveloping our downtown, fixing our streets, and actually addressing the issues of the city. Maybe start talking about the issues that actually affect the people you were elected to represent.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Council Members. My name is Alejandro Gutierrez Chavez, and I'm the Executive Director of Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County, and I'm here in support of the Just San Bernardino TCC Development Grant, which is item number 11. I want to support this along with our colleagues, the many partners that have been working countless hours on this project. A little bit, some background for this project. The TCC round six project development category awards up to $5 million for a two-year term grant. The application team, which includes the city, huge shout out to the city staff for your support and working through this long, complex grant. So I just want to say thank you for your support. In addition to that item, I also want to speak on behalf of a coalition of folks that includes Arts Connection, the Justice Bee, Coalition and also the Garcia Center for the Arts for item number 10, which outlines a partnership, a public and private partnership for an economic study, an economic study that will outline what is our baseline for the creative economy? How do we as the public sector and private sector explore ways to bolster this economy, get investment? So then that way this could be an economic engine that supports revitalization. and continuous sustainable funding, essentially a lot of the comments around revenue generation. So this would give us data for creative jobs, small businesses, cultural tourism, placemaking, and investment. And this is being done in coalition of folks. So thank you so much for your partnership, mayor, city council members, staff. Yeah, this is really grateful to be working alongside you all. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Mayor, City Council, thank you for your time. My name is Carson Fajardo. I'm from Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services. We service all the Inland Empire as a nonprofit affordable housing developer, a community development financial institution, so CDFI. We're a community lender, and we also get people HUD certified to become homebuyers. We are partnering and speaking in favor of our item 11 here with the Transformative Climate Communities Project Development Grant. and we're appreciative to be a partner on this grant as well with the city and appreciative of the city's investment and forward outlook to investing in downtown and the E Street corridor. So we're very appreciative of that. NPHS, we have our own standing project for 205 units of affordable housing in downtown right off Stoddart and Fifth. So we're excited to be able to leverage both of those opportunities and create better economic investment in the heart of downtown San Bernardino, getting more people down there, getting people and people down there spending money in our local businesses and reinvesting in the local economy. So we're, as NPHS, we're very, very excited to support item 11 in the TCC grant and looking forward to continued partnership with the city of San Bernardino in advancing affordable housing opportunities. Thank you.

Thank you. Mayor. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes. Lydia Soval. Can we reserve comments after the public comments, please?

I just want to give Carson a shout out. Real quick, please. Carson, please tell Clemente and all the other staff, thank you for all the hard work you're doing in our city. For those who don't know, NPHS also helps with the infill housing that we've done around the city, and they've also provided homeownership services repair program for our homeowners. So if you are low income and struggling to fix your homes or plumbing, your roofing, and PHS is our third party who's assisting our families in San Bernardino. So thank you for all the work.

Thank you, Council. Please proceed. Thank you, you have three minutes. Lydia Sovala. So I'm here this evening to advocate a couple of items for the Animal Services Department. I do like the idea, this new pilot program of the 10 large breed dogs because they are the most challenging to place. They take forever to place. And in that regard, it does save lives. It's a great advocacy. But I'd like to advocate a pilot program of a different sort, however small, starting with 10 large breed animals, preferably to offer spay-neuter to 10 animals in the city. And this is where your ACOs or your commissioners could come in handy to say, okay, So-and-so's got a problem. This family has a large breed dog that's had multiple litters. It would be a good first step in engaging the community because I don't see engagement of the community by this department. I think this department could take a page from the police department that is actively engaging the community through a variety of programs. I went to AI and I entered the question, I want to initiate a spay-neuter program with 10 large breed dogs because they have large litters. If we spay five females and five males, exponentially, approximately, what would be the effect on the reduction of the pet overpopulation? Year one, the five original females would have produced roughly 60 puppies. Year two, the surviving female puppies from year one mature and breed, preventing 348 additional puppies. Year three, the third generation enters the breeding cycle, bringing the total prevented to 2,426 puppies. Year five, due to compounding generations, the geometric growth prevents 82,032 cumulative births. So you can see that the effect of spaying and neutering five females and five males has a long-term effect. And I believe that's what's missing from this program. I also think that... This is where a crusade, I don't see an aggressive spay-neuter campaign by this city. I believe that your commissioners and your community outreach people should be actively encouraging spay-neuter. The money's there. And so that's not an issue. And I think Mayor Tran, you could be the next Bob Barker and you could end the meeting by saying please spay-neuter your pets. Just one time. Make me happy.

Please spay and neuter your pets. Thank you. Next speaker. You have three minutes.

Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, city council members. I am a member of the community. I'm trying to build two houses on the corner of 36th Street. It belongs in the district of Miss... COUNCILMEMBER NOW, AND I JUST CONTACTED THE CITY COUNCIL, AND I DECIDED TO COME HERE. WHEN I CAME TO THE CITY, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS WAS TO DO THE STREET, AND IT'S A CORNER, SO IT'S ALMOST 270 FEET OF STREET. THAT, FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, IS OUT OF HAND. SO I WENT BACK TO THE PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE GOING TO WAVE THAT CONDITION, BECAUSE I TOLD THEM I COULDN'T AFFORD IT. The director of public was retired, so now they say there is no records of him saying. So I have my plans approved, and I... What I need help with is at least taking that condition of rebuilding the street. Between 2019 and now, the cost of construction has doubled. For me as an individual, it's almost impossible to build properties, to put solar panels, to put... Every requirement there has to be just to pay my impact fees to the public works was $17,000. My permits were, per parcel, my permits were $6,000. My plan check to Woodland was $6,000. You know, I had to put sewer on one of the properties. That's about $25,000. I cannot afford to... Do all that and do the street. So my request to you is if you could please help me at least, you know, somehow help me not to do the street. It's impossible. You know, somebody was talking earlier about... so many vacant lots. The reason people are paranoid about building a house is when a contractor tells you how much it is, just faint. You cannot do it, especially with the impact fees, especially with the cost, with the requirements. It's so beautiful, you know, your house may never burb, your house may never need electrical because it has panels, but everything costs $20,000, $30,000, $50,000. When you contact Southern California Edison, it's $50,000. There is no gas companies They told me $60,000 for the gas. It's impossible to do a street and do all of that. And the reason there is so many vacant lots is because of that particular reason. So my request tonight is to please help me at least have that requirement of doing the street. I have been paying taxes for 22 years in this parcel. They have done nothing. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.

Yes, they're already following up already. Thank you so much. Ma'am, someone will be following up with you. Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Good evening. Frank Becerra, San Bernardino resident, fifth ward member, and Blair Park member. I want to start by echoing support for my colleague Carolina and her family and their desire to get improved traffic safety on Highland Avenue. we've definitely heard of a lot of traffic incidents, especially on that street, and myself, and I know the BPNA is very supportive of any steps that can be done to improve traffic safety, not only on Highland, but throughout the city. So thank you very much for moving forward with that. Turning to Shannon Hills Golf Course, it seems the conditions are continuing to deteriorate. It looks like the mismanagement is continuing. The nets, we're grateful that you agreed to fix the nets and install new nets and bring them up to code and safety. The repair has been going on about a month. So in that time, the driving range has been closed. And without any notification to the public that I've seen. Because again, a month ago we said, There's no social media activity at all, which is very cheap to do. It's free to do, actually. All you have to do is have someone work the account and put out a few posts. Hey, the driving range is closed. Thanks for your patience while we make improvements, et cetera. But that's just typical, because there's never any communication coming from current management there. So back to the nets, with them being closed, golfers can't practice their driving there. So most likely they're going to other courses. The Cajon golf team, which regularly practices there, has not been able to practice there in over a month. And that's affecting their chances when they go on and compete elsewhere, especially if they're in pursuit of golf scholarships or something. They're at a disadvantage. The lawns have not been, I think the recently Maybe this week they've been mowed, but I've heard multiple complaints, and I've witnessed large swaths of grass uncut. So that's affecting the experience as well. So I know this is a project. It's long-term. We're all working on it, but we're not working on it fast enough. And then I'll finish with the audit. We request a comprehensive fiscal audit and investigation to operations there. so that we can take account, get some metrics, see what's going on there, and move forward and protect the city gem. So I thank you in advance. Good night.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. We have three minutes.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. Ruben Mendoza, Ward 7 resident. First and foremost, and to all the other countries who fought for their freedom around these dates as well across Central and Southern America. I came here tonight to speak on three things. One, the irony surrounding the recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month. Two, the Arden Guthrie Developer Selection. And three, Rip Rapson from the Kresge Foundation ripping y'all a good one. Just recently, the Model Cities Grant was nearly considered, but then pulled from the agenda after facing massive backlash, which would have tied federal public safety funding to local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Yeah, earlier today, we recognized Hispanic Heritage Month. We decided to sandwich the Model Cities Grant in between two recognitions between this year and last. Is cognitive dissonance in the room with us? Immigration enforcement transcends these labels of Hispanic or Latino, which already are controversial labels within themselves, but that's a history lesson for another day. There is a clear agenda under Trump's America. If you don't look like him, you gotta go. This administration is making an effort to remove more than one million individuals across 13 countries, Haiti, El Salvador, South Sudan, just to name a few. Onto the next topic, Arthur and Guthrie. I posted this comment under your post on LinkedIn today, and I want everyone to know about it. As a resident of San Bernardino, it's heartbreaking to see this land go so severely underutilized. This site, formerly known as Little Africa, was home to so many before demolition. Rather than honoring that history with an ambitious mixed-use community, our leadership has opted for another predictable retail strip with national chains we can already access elsewhere. Frankly, this proposal lacks vision. While our community shows up and repeatedly demands innovation, our leaders remain trapped in a status quo mindset. When public input is continuously brushed aside, civic engagement begins to feel null. San Bernardino deserves both development that prioritizes housing alongside smart and local economic growth. We demand better from our city leaders. Finally, Rip the Ripper, as I like to call him, he said this about the McDonald's decision. How does this development group actually make the case to a city council that the last thing we need is a McDonald's, Rapson asked. When told the restaurant would be the city's ninth McDonald's, Rapson said he had counted several others while driving through San Bernardino. I don't mean to be critical, he said, none of my business, but I just think there is real need to become much more fine-grained in how we think about infrastructure.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. We have three minutes.

Hello, Mayor and Council. Sorry. I'm going to lay this out plainly. The city made a disastrous decision when it agreed to accept the animals from Rialto, Fontana, and Colton, especially considering that San Bernardino was already struggling with its own animals. The fact that Riverside didn't want to renew that contract, that should have been a real red flag for you, but you didn't listen. If we didn't have to deal with those three cities, our shelter would likely be far less overcrowded, animals would not be competing for limited kennels, staff time, medical care, adoption opportunities, fewer animals would be euthanized for lack of space. Years later, our shelter employees, volunteers, residents, and animals are still paying the price for a bad decision that you guys made. Meeting after meeting, I stand up here trying to explain what needs to be done to help these animals, yet I feel like it goes in one ear and out the other. Nobody's listening. But when the council refuses to take meaningful action, you bear responsibility for the consequences, including the animals being euthanized, because there is nowhere left to put them. The crisis has become emotionally devastating for residents. People are finding abandoned and roaming dogs everywhere. People are depressed. They are frustrated, overwhelmed, and heartbroken by what they see every single day in this city. Meanwhile, people continue breeding animals and selling puppies while our shelter remains dangerously overcrowded. Mayor Tran, the responsible thing to do would be for you to make a strong public statement reminding residents that San Bernardino has spay and neuter and breeding laws, and that there will be consequences for people who violate them. Our city does not need more animals. One thing I want to tell you too, since I'm running out of time, is that I don't know if you heard what happened in LA with the animal shelter, where the shelter employees were violently attacked. It is only a matter of time before something like that happens at our shelter. And you are putting the shelter employees in danger. There needs to be a guard there. all the time when they're open. The time for simple listening is over. It's time for you to act, please. Thank you.

Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. Kimberly Calvin here. I wanted to first thank you, Councilmember Canas, because you spoke very accurately about the project on Highland. And that project was definitely supposed to be a first-time homebuyer opportunity for the community. There had not been any homes built in the ward in over 40 years. And so I would also ask you to take a step further then to make sure that the developer, it is written somewhere that those homes will be for sale and that they will continue to be working with first-time homebuyer opportunities. because it's very, very important because real estate is wealth, and they can pass that down to their families. Secondly, then, I want to thank City Manager Levitt for coming to Acoma Unity Center this week and visiting Rio Vista Elementary as well. I've been told that it's been a long time, or folks can't seem to remember when a city manager actually went to an elementary school or a school in the district to say hello and to say thank you for the work that we're doing. And visiting Acoma gave him a first bird's eye view of the work that we've been doing there for the last 10 years. And I'm very grateful to be there and very grateful that the community is continuously being served. Thank you to Council Member Flores and Mayor Tran and Council Member Ortiz for all the investment that you have placed there as well. It is important that these type of learning centers are prevalent in our community so that the focus of our youth and now serving elders is something that we continue to put at the forefront of what is important here in our city. And as you continue to hear throughout most of the public comments is that the investment that the city puts into communities and into the lives of the constituents and the actual folks that vote for you to be in office it's important that that give back looks like something that is real, it's a real investment and folks can see what is actually happening because inside of Anne Shirell's park before 2016, the community could not walk the park. There were no strollers, there were no grandparents, there were nobody walking through the park because it was a dangerous place to be. and that was all prior to Acoma Unity Center coming, and in the last 10 years, you see a total change. I'd like to also invite you all to the Golden Ages will be hosting their second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, October 17th, and prior to last year, there hadn't been a Breast Cancer Walk in the city of San Bernardino within the last 15 years. So a lot of great things come and happen, are birthed out of Acoma Unity Center. So thank you very much, we appreciate you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

Hi, good evening, Mayor, City Council. This is Ivan Garcia, Ward Number 2. I just want to talk about some past events that I attended recently. On 9-3, I attended the How to Do Business with Caltrans. I greatly appreciate this event. There was good learning material in this, and it was hosted by OCIE SBDC. And I'm actually attending weekly coaching and consulting meetings. Thank you for that. Hope to one day to work with Caltrans. I also attended the SB County World of Opportunities in the city of Yucaipa at Crafton Hills College. Good networking opportunity. We had different SB County departments, vendors, contractors. Highly encourage residents, contractors in our city to attend. These are held twice a year. and it's a good network and an opportunity to do business with the county in different cities. I also attended on 910 the Wildwood Park Neighborhood Association. Mr. Fred Charette, thank you for being there. We had Mr. Joe Baca Jr. and Lieutenant Michael Block. It was very satisfying to see a lot of SB residents at these neighborhood associations. There was about 30 plus people that attended this event and it's good to see people raising their concerns on safety, homelessness, People really care about our city and our city staff should as well And we should do anything we can to continue to make improvements and make it a safe city Regarding the agenda items tonight item number 11 and 19 item 11. Hopefully we can approve this regarding the project development grant for TCC our city needs all the Tail so we can get we need to see more development. We need to help out our community Item number 19, to accept and administer the OTS and STEP grant. In the past, I've submitted multiple work orders on stop signs, potholes, curb and gutters, sidewalks. I visited SB resident homes. It's heartbreaking to see sidewalks are uplifted, especially for an elder right in front of her house. She doesn't even have a sidewalk, nor a curb and gutter. So we really need to do some more improvement, more investigation, more repairs throughout our city. The other things that I wanted to point out too is for our city staff, my question is what preventative maintenance is city staff working on? We have El Nino coming to our city. Within the next 30 days, we're gonna have heavy rains. Have we been maintaining storm drain catch basin, potholes, sidewalks, curves, and gutters? And then regarding construction development in our city, I had mentioned this in the past as a planning commissioner. It'd be nice to see a project summary or billboard summarizing the project and when it's anticipated to be completed. Because there's too many residents scratching their head wondering when the heck projects are gonna be completed or what the project is. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please state your name. You have three minutes.

My name is Al Palazzo. I would like to remember Cora Hidalgo. a classmate of 1967 San Bernardino High School from Mount Vernon. Every year her family meets at Meatless on 9-11. Cora was on one of the planes that was crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. Let's have a moment of silence at the end of the meeting. Also, I would like to give a shout out to Gazzolo's German restaurant on Highland and Lugo. Santos has been making the sausages for over 60 years. We need to support our local mom and pop businesses. That's what will rebuild this city. Unfortunately, they closed at three because of the homeless and addict problems that hangs around. I was so thrilled to see the celebration of diversity. I am nearly 80 years old. My mother was a member of the Casa Mexicana on Sixth Street. When I was a child in the 50s, we had parades on the 16th of September to show the diversity of the Latino culture. And my mother would dress my sister and I in our Latino costumes. And I don't have a Spanish surname, but I'm Latino. My mother was Latina, and she spoke Spanish in the home. But not only our Latino culture. I have said for years, and I was so, I went over to our assemblyman. I know him. I've known him for years. And I thanked him for giving the foundation of the history of this region. But there's been so many cultures from Asia. We used to have a Chinatown near Meadowbrook. We had Jewish cultures, we had Italian businesses, and it goes on and on and on. And we've done a wonderful thing having events, but I believe if we're gonna bring back this city, we can do more to make our city a destination of the diversity that we represent. And we are actually a mycosm of our nation. And I'm working on my paper on Route 66, and Sandra knows the monuments that will celebrate this diversity. My mother, I wanted to be dressed up like a chado, but she dressed me up like a peasant.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. We have one speaker on Zoom. Georgia, you have three minutes. Georgia, you have three minutes.

Georgia.

It may have just been a request for closed session. We can go ahead and move on to the next.

I'm sorry?

She requested to speak during closed session but still logged in, so I believe she wanted to speak for this one, but we can move on.

That's fine. Okay, so that concludes public comments. All right, we will move on to consent calendar, items 10 to 20. Mr. City Manager, do you have any polls?

Madam Mayor, I want to poll 10 and move it to a future meeting.

Item number 10 will move forward for a future meeting. Council Member Baru, do you have any polls? Polling number 18. 18. Mayor Pro Temp?

No polls, but for number 18, I do have to recuse myself because of the relationship that I have with my job in Okuma, so I will be recusing myself for that one.

Okay, thank you. Council Member Sanchez? No polls. Thank you. Council Member Ortiz? No. Thank you. Council Member Figueroa? None. Thank you. Council Member Flores?

None.

Thank you. Council Member Charette? No. Thank you. Is there a motion for the remaining?

We'll move forward.

There's a motion by Charette and seconded by Ortiz. Madam City Clerk?

Council Member Sanchez?

Yes.

Council Member Ibarra?

Yes. I'm running.

Council Member Charette?

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Knoss? Yes. Council Member Flores?

Yes.

Council Member Ortiz? Motion passes unanimous for the consent.

Thank you. I just wanted to give Carson a big shout out. Not only is he a fantastic representative, but also a former student of mine in the master's program at Cal State and our student trustee for CSUSB. So you make me proud. Thank you for all you're doing and keep going, okay? Thanks.

Thank you. Council Member Ibarra, 18. And Mayor Patel will be stepping away for 18 because she's accusing herself from this item.

Now Council Member Ortiz. That you were employed. Nope. Okay. After the last vote that we took about renewing the lease for Acoma, there's some concerns that were brought to my attention. I know I let our legal and city manager know what those concerns are and I'd like for our city staff to look into those complaints that were brought forth before we proceed. If we can just pull it for a future date. What are the concerns? Our city manager and legal no.

I'd like you to make them public. No, I have a question. I'll second.

Council members, staff, Mr. City Manager.

I would prefer not to talk about publicly because they're accusations and not anything that's been confirmed, so.

And when were they brought to your attention?

It was a while ago.

Yeah, it's not a debatable action. We have to.

It hasn't been, but so, no, no, time out. Mr. City Manager, when was this brought to your attention?

Mr. City Attorney? There's no more discussion.

Mr. City Manager, when was this brought to your attention?

The concerns were brought up, I can't remember, but it's been a few months.

A few months? Yeah. And we didn't look into this? Or did we?

I guess since parliamentary rules don't apply here, I'll pull my table.

So, excuse me, Mr. Charette. So, who brought the accusations forward?

So, Mr. City Manager had mentioned maybe we should take further discussion on this. Mr. City Attorney, you want to finalize?

Mr. City Attorney, would you please? Council Member, an extremely, I think it should be a transparent. No, no, no. Look, if someone has brought something forward, I think that what is important is that we don't blindside people because I think this is always the fear as of retaliation, lack of transparency and lame ducks. And so what I want to know is if you were brought forward any type of concerns given that this was approved three months ago to move forward and this should be a solidified Tonight, why didn't you bring those concerns to the entire council in a timely manner? Because what I'm hearing is sabotage and a lack of transparency coming from the city manager's office. That's what I hear. I don't know if that's true. No, just because you don't know what is happening, Sandra, as always. So, see, this is what happens, too, when council members think other council members can't be present for conversation.

Okay, Councilwoman. Mr. City Attorney, can you go on?

Madam Mayor, I've actually brought the lease forward just to address Council Member Ortiz's thing. I brought the lease forward with my recommendation to approve the lease tonight, and I'm prepared to go forward.

So you don't share those concerns?

Excellent, Mr. City Manager. You have my confidence. Call for the question. I have not seen anything that confirms it.

Okay, so then move to approve.

So I'm just telling you that there were concerns. There is no further discussion. This item has been a table and seconded.

I'd like to substitute motion to move to approve. If the tabling doesn't pass, then you cannot.

I'd like to make a substitute motion to move to approve. You didn't vote on your table. There's a substitute motion. It's a substitute motion to move to approve.

You didn't vote. Move it forward.

Council, let's calm down. Mr. City Attorney, can you opine, please?

The motion to table should be voted on first. It does take precedence. It hasn't been tabled yet. The motion's been made, and it's been seconded.

Oh, it was seconded.

I seconded. Yes, but you stated it was tabled. It hasn't been tabled yet, and it needs to be voted upon. And then we'll see how we go from there.

So, Madam City Clerk?

City Clerk?

Council Member Sanchez?

Yes.

Council Member Barra?

Yes.

One.

They're calling you over.

They're calling you over. Council Member Charette?

Oh, yeah. Yes. No fast one. Council Member Flores? No. Council Member Ortiz? I don't know what happened, so.

So let's fill in, so here's what happened. No, no, no. Please fill in, the vote is not complete. Please fill in Council Member Figueroa as to what is happening right now, please. For the record.

Council Member Figueroa, the motion on the floor is to table this item.

Which item?

To table item number 18 for the lease renewal agreement with the Coma Unity Center. Do you vote yes or no?

I'm going to end up saying, because I didn't participate in the debate, so I'm sorry.

There says abstain. So Council Member Flores? He said no. No, I can't.

We're not done yet. No, no, no.

You can't yet. You're accusing me.

Council Member Ortiz, your vote? No. So the motion passes three to two with Council Member Figueroa abstaining and Mayor Pro Tem Canas recused on this item.

Can I, I have a question.

Isn't an abstention counted as a yes?

Council member.

Council members, there's a question about how abstentions are counted. You don't have a rule that says an abstention is to be counted a certain way. And so you do have a resolution that says for your boards and commissions that abstentions are counted as a no. But you don't have anything for yourself for how it's counted. So in that instance, It's neither counted as a yes or as a no. And so the vote, not including abstentions, is that the motion passed three to two.

Then I'd like to ask, as the mayor, can I veto?

Yes, you can veto.

I'd like to veto. Thank you. So I move to approve. There's a motion to approve. Is there a second?

Second.

Madam City Clerk.

Council Member Sanchez.

No.

Council Member Barra.

No.

Council Member Figueroa.

Yes.

Council Member Charette. No. Council Member Flores.

Yes.

Council Member Ortiz.

Yes.

The vote is a tie.

Yes.

The motion passes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor, for stopping the absolute disgusting behavior of this council tonight. And retaliation.

We are going to move on. Thank you, Council. That's the consent calendar. We're going to move on to discussion. Item 21, Homeless Strategic Action Plan 2026. Oh, we should call Mayor Fulton back, please.

We have a council member Ortiz making threats on the dais.

Council, please. We're moving on to discussions now. Item 21, Homeless Strategic Action Plan 2026 to 2031 Implementation Framework. Could we begin with staff's presentation, please?

Thank you. Good evening, Mayor and Council. The items tonight that we're presenting is the Implementation Framework for the City's Homeless Solutions Action Plan. which will guide the city's five-year direction on reducing homelessness and improving how residents are connected to shelter, housing, and essential services. So for a quick background, we're all aware that the city continues to share a disproportionate share of the county's unhoused population, nearly 40% residing within our city limits, and like many cities, we continue to face rising housing costs, limited housing options, and an increasing demand for supportive services, and together these challenges have created an urgent need for a more coordinated data-driven response. And for that reason, the Homelessness Solutions Action Plan was developed to build upon the work already underway and provide a unified framework for the city's homelessness response over the next five years. And this slide provides a snapshot of the city's unhoused population of the 1,172 individuals counted in the most recent 2026 point in time count. 327 were identified as being in shelter. 108 were in transitional housing. And 737, or nearly two-thirds, were identified as unsheltered. Yet at the same time, known shelter capacity in the city had grown significantly from an average of 422 beds four years ago in 2022 to 1,029 beds today. Yet nearly two-thirds of those counted in the point-in-time count were listed as unsheltered, reinforcing the fact that shelter expansion alone is not enough. Shelter is a critical first step, but lasting success requires a coordinated system that connects people to housing, healthcare, employment, and other supportive services, and it also requires a stronger collaboration amongst the city, county, service providers, healthcare providers, and other regional stakeholders. Since establishing the city's Housing and Homes Division over four years ago, The city has significantly expanded its response and strengthened partnerships contributing to a measurable progress, including a nearly 24% reduction in the most recent point in time count. However, the next slide will reveal that challenges still remain. So, uh, I think first is important to recognize that homelessness does not look the same in every community. Our city is serving a population with particularly complex and longstanding barriers. Approximately 45% of our city's unhoused is chronically homeless, 65% have no reported income, and many face untreated health and behavioral health conditions with limited education and employment history and very few support systems. And for these challenges, it's not enough to just connect people to housing or connect people to some immediate financial needs. Our unhoused population requires more intensive and sustained intervention rather than short-term solutions. Addressing homelessness is going to require a stronger coordination and sustainable funding, as well as more affordable housing options and greater access to treatment and supportive services. But it's also going to require a data driven approach, which means that there is no one size fits all solution. We can't look to our neighbors to the left or right and try to mirror what they're doing. We have to understand the needs of our city's unhoused population and build or expand programs that respond to those needs. So strategic alignment, this is something that goes beyond temporary assistance. It creates a coordinated, people-centered system that actually connects individuals to shelter services and permanent housing. It also addresses accountability, and it helps to prevent a return to homelessness. And these priorities are already guiding the city's work. And the next slide is actually going to highlight several initiatives that are actively in progress. connected to our homeless solutions action plan. So in terms of improving shelter and housing pathways, the city has partnered with Lutheran Social Services to open the city's first slow barrier navigation center for men called the San Bernardino Community Wellness Campus. The 140-bed pet-friendly facility provides interim housing, wraparound supportive services, and access to an onsite health clinic, FQHC health clinic. And most importantly, people receive more than a bed. They receive the comprehensive support needed to stabilize and move toward permanent housing. The city is also developing the SB Hope Campus, which will be the city's second low barrier navigation center. The 200 bed facility, also pet friendly, will serve both men and women and is expected to be completed by the end of December with phase one operations beginning in the second quarter of 2027. The campus will provide interim housing along with case management housing navigation, behavioral health services, workforce development, and life skills training. Again, all focused on helping people stabilize and move toward permanent housing. To strengthen the pathway from interim to permanent housing, the mayor and city council approved the purchase of 13.8 acres adjacent to the S.B. Hope campus for future affordable housing, which can include supportive and transitional housing. Before the end of the first quarter of 2027, The city plans to hold a workshop with an affordable housing professionals to gather input and innovative ideas to develop the land followed by a release for a request RFP request for proposal to actually develop the land and operate affordable housing. The city also operates a rapid rehousing program and has hired a housing navigator and the housing navigator has been instrumental in engaging with local landlords to create or produce um, affordable housing options for the city's unhoused population. And this, this has been very helpful for individuals who actually have issues with credit history and it has allowed, um, city staff to trans transition our unhoused population into rapid housing with financial assistance lasting up to six months, um, to strengthen regional coordination. The city is working with the county to position the SB hope campus as a future regional resource. The city remains committed to making the campus available to neighboring cities that may choose to partner in the future, creating opportunities to improve outcomes, strengthen accountability, and share long-term operating costs. In support of the project, the county has proposed an $11 million investment toward the development of the campus, which is expected to go before the Board of Supervisors on December 15th, and staff will return to council as regional partnership opportunities develop. The city and Caltrans finalized a three-year agreement giving the city greater local authority to address encampments, litter, and graffiti along the state highways, including Interstate 10, 215, and 210, with Caltrans reimbursing eligible costs. Whenever feasible, individuals will be connected to shelter, housing, and supportive services before encampments are removed. The partnership will also create job training, reentry employment opportunities for local workers, and this will be supported through the city's Public Works Department and the Center for Employment Opportunities, also referred to as CEO. The city is pursuing encampment resolution funding round five to expand city operated outreach and establish what we're calling a homeless resource center. If awarded, the center will serve individuals who may not yet be ready to enter into shelter or enter into one of the city's two navigation centers. However, these individuals will still have access to case management, housing navigation, showers, assistance with obtaining vital documents, medical and animal services, clothing and food, and the Homeless Resource Center would provide an alternative pathway to engage people and connect them to housing and services. In regards to healthcare and accountability, to address health-related barriers, the city is finalizing an agreement with Healthcare in Action to launch a two-year pilot mobile street medicine program. This program will provide medical care and supportive services directly to unhoused individuals, including treatment for chronic and acute conditions, wound care, medication management, clinical support, mental health support, and substance use disorder counseling. Finally, the city is exploring options for a new homeless response database, and we are consulting with cities and software providers to identify best practices. The city will then issue an RFP to select a vendor, and the system will allow staff to track outreach contacts, services, referrals, and outcomes in real time strengthening coordination, supporting data-driven decisions, and helping measure the impact of the city's investments. And taking together these initiatives demonstrate how the city is already advancing priorities of the Homeless Solutions Action Plan and building on the work underway while creating a more coordinated and comprehensive response to homelessness moving forward. The five-year strategic goals, this slide actually shows how the city will build upon the work already underway and continue implementing the Homelessness Solutions Action Plan over the next five years. Many of the initiatives we've discussed are already in progress. The first phase is on strengthening efforts through system improvements, performance measures, expanded partnerships, and resources needed to support long-term implementation. Over the following years, the city will continue to expand the program capacity, improving housing placements, outcomes, strengthening prevention and diversion efforts, and using data to evaluate performance and refine strategies. To be clear, this is not a one-time initiative. It is a living framework that will be reviewed regularly, refined as conditions change, and updated based on performance and measurable outcomes. Ultimately, success will be measured not simply by the number of people connected or served, but by whether more individuals move into permanent housing, fewer returns to homelessness, and the overall homelessness response system becoming more effective. To be clear, there are forthcoming policy initiatives that will help address some of the issues related to the unhoused community. And these policy initiatives are related to vacant properties, notifications involving the drop off of unhoused individuals in the city, and updates to the city's anti-camping ordinance. And I believe the city attorney will bring these items. I'm not sure if they've already come. They have? Okay. We're good. They're next. So the city attorney will bring these items before the mayor and council for further consideration and direction. And so basically tonight this presentation is more or less just for the Mayor and Council to receive and file the Homelessness Solutions Action Plan and provide direction on implementation priorities, resource allocation, and partnership development over the next five fiscal years, 2026 through 2030. And staff is available for any questions or comments.

Thank you. Council Member Ortiz, you have a comment, followed by Council Member Ibarra, followed by Mayor Potem.

Thank you. I just wanted to know where we're at with the healthcare inaction tour bus or whatever that thing is.

So the agreement is almost finalized. There were some additional details that were added that are not conducive to actually assisting the city in providing services to the community. And so we're going to fine tune so that the city can have greater accountability, but these details are being worked out. So hopefully within the next week, maybe two, we should be able to have that agreement finalized.

And that will come back before us?

It won't come back before you because you gave the direction and the parameters to execute the agreement so long as it didn't go outside of those parameters.

Will you send us a copy, I guess, is my question. Of course.

Of course, when it's fully executed, we'd be happy to distribute it to the Mayor and Council.

Awesome. Thank you.

Thank you. Good questions. Council Member Ibarra. Yes, I'd like to thank our staff for all the work that you do, very diligent. I would have wished that those individuals who claim to help homeless and work with our city were here to listen because they always complain that we don't address homelessness. but yet we have these workshops, we have these studies, and all the work that our staff does, and to me it's just, I wouldn't want to say a disservice, but at least I want the public to know of who really cares about addressing homelessness and who doesn't. People just come, make their announcement, and they leave. And they come here, make comments that we don't do anything for the city to address homelessness, attack us at other meetings, but they're not here. So I wanna make that point out to the public that our staff has been working very diligently all around addressing all the different types of unhoused individuals in our city and to be talked down to at regional and county meetings that we don't do anything as a city is really faulty. So once again, I want to commend our staff for all the work that they've done. And like I mentioned before, when I came into office, there was no homeless division in our city at all. We started from zero. We've come a long way with 900 beds that we can account for across the whole city. When I came in, there was only 100 beds that our police could offer to our unhoused. Now there's 900, like I said, not including Navigation Center, not including Central Lutheran, not including U.S. Vets, so as a city, we are doing the best that we can to address homelessness and to be told otherwise is just here as proof. Those same people are not here to listen to these conversations and these reports that our staff put together. So thank you, staff, for all the hard work that you're doing.

Thank you. Mayor Pro Tem, followed by Council Member Figueroa.

And I just want to echo that. We have a fabulous Deputy Director of Homeless and Housing and Cassandra Searcy. Every time you speak, I always say it's a breath of fresh air because you know your stuff and you are greatly appreciated, you and your staff. Thank you for all the work that you guys have done. And I do want to say thank you to the previous council, the council members that are here before we got here, Council Member Charette, Council Member Figueroa, Council Member Sanchez, and Council Member Ibarra because Before we got here, there were decisions that were made that helped reach those beds. There were allocations, intentional spending. And at the time, because of the Boise case, we had to create beds. That was a mandate that was incumbent upon us to be able to clear encampments. We couldn't do it without having bed availability. And I remember you standing at that podium. And when I asked, do we have available beds? And at that time, the answer was no. So to go from that to where we are today, it really speaks volumes to what this council has prioritized and what the staff has worked very hard to accomplish. And we do have to recognize that. So thank you. Um, I did want to ask on page 18, it does list the beds, um, that have been made available 889. Now on the other page, when it talks about the affordable housing, it does actually kind of categorize it with a targeted populations. I was just wondering for 18 with the shelter provisions, if by chance you guys do have it categorized with the target populations. And the reason is because I do know like with certain like Lutheran, it's targeted only for men. And so I want to make sure that we are making decisions, data driven decisions in regards to our bed allocations and what we make sure is available for what is the most out there. So I just wanted to do you guys have that information in regards to kind of the categorization of the bed availability?

Yeah, thank you, and it's actually 1,029 now, so unfortunately when this report draft was drafted, we were at 889. We've since had a few more organizations that have come on board, but we do have it categorized for men, for women, for the TAY community, for families, for veterans, for people suffering from AIDS, for people victims of domestic violence. We have all of this categorized as a resource guide so that we can utilize it, and then also so that my team can hand this information out when they're out in the community and out in the field.

Awesome, and I know when we do the point in time count, there's specific metrics in regards to breaking down the demographics. Do you feel at this time, especially with the amount of beds that we've accomplished, that we have for the highest of the demographics? So for instance, if the majority of homeless individuals that are out on the city streets are males between the ages of, and I'm just throwing this out there, 30 to 45, do we have the capacity that's needed to be able to address our highest population?

So once the S.P. Hope campus comes on board, we will have the full capacity. I can tell you though, for men, we actually have 60% more unhoused men than we do women. And so like when we look at the Lutheran campus that only serves men, that's actually a benefit to the city. But yeah, once this new campus comes on board, shelter beds is not the issue. The issue will turn into, you know,

Accountability. Accountability, yeah. Yes, and that's what I pointed out. I appreciate goal number five, because in goal number five you do speak to accountability. I think as we have increased the allocations to get the bed capacity up there, now it is time to transition into accountability. So thank you for making sure that was incorporated and is specified as a goal. I just had one more. There's a mention, and I forget the page, I'm sorry, but we want to add 400 beds. Now is that adding 400 more beds to the 889 that's listed for over like almost 1,300 beds? Is that what our goal is?

Yeah, so again, the actual homeless solutions action plan was completed. Prior, okay, that's what I was hoping. Prior, quite some time prior, and so all the data is not currently reflected. At that time, we didn't have the Lutheran campus open, and then again, we weren't also counting the 200 beds that'll be coming online with S.B. Hope Campus. Okay. We don't need an additional 400 on top of that.

Happy to hear that. Okay. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mayor Potem. Council Member Figueroa.

Yes, thank you. Ms. Yersey, thank you for your years and depth of knowledge on this matter. I thank you so much. Because when we started this thing many years ago, we didn't have anything. and now this is a very great comprehensive plan, and so I thank you for that. I do have some questions and things that I would like to point out. I think in part of the staff report, well, I'll start with this. I know that you mentioned, and it's important, right, to include services for families, for, you know, for women with children and and things like that, that's certainly needed. And I'm sure we all welcome that here as well. But when we get phone calls from residents who are calling to complain about homelessness issues, it isn't the mother that they're complaining about, right? It's usually, it tends to be the individual that's out on the street, sleeping under the bridge of the freeway, screaming and howling at the moon and suffering from drug-induced psychosis or other type of psychosis, right? And so I want to make it, I want to highlight that that is really the big issue of the complaints that we get as representatives up here from residents, that that is the issue that is most concerning to the residents, right? They're going to be a little more resistant than let's say the mother who is unfortunately sleeping, the family sleeping out of their car, right? They'll be a little bit more accepting of resources. And so when I start looking at the priorities of the action plan would be to eliminate barriers to housing, I start questioning what are some of those barriers and why aren't we already eliminating some of those barriers to begin with is it because and I think it was identified that you know housing is limited and all that other stuff we should be making it easier in fact I think there was a public speaker down here that came out and said hey I want to build housing but it's so restrictive or it's so difficult or you know what have you right but I think in the action plan it identified a few things that we want to eliminate And part of that was the elimination of the requirement for certain services, right? And so it is kind of housing and then encouragement of services, whether it be drug rehabilitation or other services, right? Those are gonna be voluntary. And so my concern is what enforcement, I guess, if any, do we have to kind of say, hey, look, I get it, we're providing housing, and the drug rehab or other supportive services are going to be voluntary. How do we get them through that to say, hey, look, we're not going to just be providing you housing and shelter in perpetuity. So what plan do we have to try to get past that little hurdle there?

Yeah. You touched on several things, and I want to go back, and you're absolutely correct. And that's why I mentioned we should not compare our unhoused population to another community's. If you're in Rancho Cucamonga, they are dealing with somebody who's couch surfing, maybe somebody who just lost their job going through a divorce. The individuals who are unhoused in our city are dealing with co-occurring mental health substance use problems, untreated, right? You have individuals who, even if that wasn't an issue, no education or employment history, No support systems, if so, very little. And you have these issues that have been spread across generations, not just, oh, a few years, I've been homeless for a year or two. No, I'm talking about generations where we come across individuals whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents have faced or are currently dealing with homelessness. To be specific to your question, you're right. We're not just building these systems just out of compassion. That is part of it. We want to create something that's dignified, safe, and show compassion. But the other thing, as Council Member Canance mentioned, is accountability. Accountability on our side as the city and working with our stakeholders, but also placing accountability on the individual who is unhoused. So fortunately for us, we're bringing in partners that have not only direct experience with working with individuals who are dealing with those co-occurring issues, but who actually have contracts. That's been one of our biggest issues. Yes, we're connected to the county, but we don't have direct access to the Department of Behavioral Health Services. And we have close to one-fourth of our in-house population that suffers from a mental health condition. So to have an operator that has that direct contract who can not only bring in individuals but provide that level of treatment and then help them with even long-term sustainable care is going to be critical. Now, for individuals who refuse that service, that is their right. We can't force anybody to come indoors or accept services. We're going to go as far as to create a resource hub for those who maybe may not want to come into shelter but still acknowledge I need help and services, I need my vital records, I need to get assistance with my entitlements or my benefits. But at the end of the day, if they're not cooperating or if they're still violating or breaking the laws, that's when the city is going to have to make a hard decision on do we now start dealing with either administrative or punitive or some type of enforcement, because really that's what it comes down to. It will be a level of enforcement. We have built this system. We're providing these wonderful plethora of services. If you do not want these services, fine, you don't have to accept these services, but you cannot continue to remain on our streets in the condition that you've been in. And now it's your choice. Do you stay here and face consequences or do you move on? That's gonna be a council, city manager conversation, but it's gonna come down to enforcement.

And I appreciate that because I get what we're trying to do is not necessarily address the symptoms of it because the way I look at it is homelessness is kind of like the symptom of so many other things that they've dealt with in their life, right? And that's the end result. where they are out on the streets. And so whether it's drug use, mental health, or all kinds of different things, right? I know that many times people think that it's because, you know, they lost their job last week or two weeks ago. And I can assure you, I can assure the public that the individuals that are under the bridge by the freeway, they're not there because they lost their job two weeks ago. This is years of burning bridges and families and perhaps, you know, couch surfing and living from place to place. And families have just said, I can't deal with this anymore. I don't want to deal with this anymore. Probably in and out of the system, perhaps victims of sexual abuse or other issues. And now they've used drugs to cope with that, which led to other things, right? I mean, there's so many different things that has now led them to be out on the streets, right? So it's very complicated. It's complex. I appreciate that we're not simply addressing the result to the symptom, but actually what is actually happened to cause or lead them to be out on the streets. And so I appreciate that aspect of it as well. And so with that, I'll transition into the street medicine. And I brought this up last time and I know that this is going to be brought to us within the next couple of weeks at the next meeting or so. I would kindly request that if we are going to continue down that path, if you could please provide us an option to where we are not simply handing out crack pipes or needles because that's just not an image that I want to support where we're enabling drug use as a city with street medicine. I support the other things that they do. I think it's great. It's a great program with the exception of providing pipes and needles and all those other things. With that presentation that comes back to us, I don't know if it's possible to negotiate that with them, but I would support that if that's possible as well.

Council Member Figueroa, yeah, I wholeheartedly agree. I understand this no harm reduction, but again, mentioning that, well, mental health one-fourth, substance abuse one-third. In a sense, you are enabling an individual by handing them a crack pipe. And the explanation is, well, they're going to do it anyway. Why not just give them something that's clean? So again, while we're fine-tuning the details in the agreement, I can talk with my staff to make sure we add that language in terms of not to hand out drug paraphernalia. That's what it is to our unhoused community. Other harm reductions, that's fine. Helping with medication management, getting them treatment, but actually handing out the paraphernalia may not be the best conducive situation for our city to help our unhoused population. So I will talk to my staff to see if we can add that language in there.

And I would appreciate that. Thank you so much. This is, this is a great action plan. It's very comprehensive. I read through the, it was like 50 pages of the action plan and there were some, there's some really great information in there as well. And I just wanted to highlight some of those things. And again, the, the removing the, uh, barriers to entry. I think one of them was income documentation. I'm not sure what that really I wasn't aware that that was happening. But you know that that's fine I guess. But it was those other things that I was worried about. And if there's any other potential barriers that we're not aware of I would want that feedback so that we can continue to remove them if they if they do exist. Right. I don't know what other barriers there are but please let us know.

Sexual offenders. That's one barrier. So this is a low barrier not a no barrier. Sexual offenders is the one barrier we will not remove only because there will be females at the campus. However, the case managers will work with local organizations that do accept PC290 sex offenders.

Thank you.

No more questions, Mayor.

Thank you. Excellent comments and feedback, Council Member. Are there any more comments by Council? Council Member Ibarra.

Yes, just one more question. On the accountability, I know we have all our partners who are helping us find housing for our unhoused population. Who tracks them, how they move throughout the system from chronically homeless to being stabilized and then finding permanent housing? Is that something that our staff is working on and making sure that they are actually receiving the services they're getting, or are we leaving that in the hands of the providers that are helping?

So if they're receiving any state or federal funds, we're talking providers here, then they're required. They're mandated to utilize the HMIS, Homeless Management Information System. On the city side, for our homeless-related programs, we are already connected with HMIS. Our outreach team, our housing navigators, our rapid rehousing program, we are recording that information in the HMIS data system. And this will become much easier once we contract with a new data software system. We actually had one. We already seen there was going to be significant issues. So once we contract with the new one, it's going to be even greater because right now we have to reach out to HMIS and pull records and reports. But once we have our own system, a touch of a button, we'll be able to pull the data and get access to all the information that we need.

So our staff will be able to also go to those locations, make sure that they are in the facilities or the houses that they're housed into?

So any services that our city's outreach teams currently provide, we do verify that. In terms of if it's a third-party service provider, we do warm or soft handovers. Our staff is not necessarily going to those locations to verify that that providers actually doing the said work, what we're trusting is that that vendor or subcontractor or third party is putting that information in HMIS. And they should because that's going to help justify their request for additional grant funds and things of that nature.

Okay, and that's my concern because since way before we had a department here, there was a some investigative work done with some halfway homes, for example, recuperative care facilities in our city, where people were taken into those houses, per se, because they looked like houses, to get help, but the moment that they broke one of their rules, they were put out into the street and nobody was following up on that. That was the biggest issue that I encountered along D and Baseline, for example, just to be specific to where. And so that accountability wasn't happening back then. I want to make sure that at least on our end that we do the best that we can have access to these locations and just verify that they are there and they're not sent back to the streets because some providers do get paid to help rehab our individuals. And unfortunately, when they break a rule, they show up late or they come in with a substance. they get thrown back out to the streets, and we want to avoid that. So I just want to make sure that our staff also has access to that information.

So, Council Member Ibarra, you'll be happy to know that IEHP, which is the largest contributor for organizations that provide recuperative care, and now they're working with Kaiser, Molina, and Dignity Health, have already instituted a process where organizations now have to reach out to the cities where they're operating in and have the cities verify that you have a business license, that you have insurance, you have a CUP, You have a COO so that you can actually occupy that space. And if we don't sign off on it, then their contract is not approved by IEHP organization and the others to follow. So that's going to make a big difference and it's already started.

Okay, yeah. I just want to make sure that they are receiving the services and they're not thrown back out in the streets. Thank you.

Thank you. Mayor Pro Tem.

Regarding the HMIS, we now do have access, because it was listed in the report, I think it was during the SWAT analysis piece, one of the challenges was limited access into HMIS, but that has since changed?

Yeah, we actually do have direct access to HMIS.

Okay, perfect. We might want to update that in the plan. Okay. And then also on the key partners that are listed, I think notably, and I just want to make sure that PD is not listed, and to my understanding, PD is now taking more of a backseat approach, so to speak, And Public Works is going to be taking a greater, be a little bit expanded, have a greater involvement in our homelessness efforts. Is that accurate?

Yeah. So right now Public Works is dealing with, you know, the actual coordination of the encampment cleanups, the CRMs that come through, reaching out to other departments if additional assistance is needed, be it for outreach, even PD if enforcement is required on that level. But, yeah, Public Works is taking the lead. Okay.

And then just some key partners were listed. One of them I didn't see, and I know we had allocated, I believe it was like $600,000. And I want to say it was like Benjamin E. Jones.

Yes. So the question regarding Benjamin.

We no longer have a contract with Benjamin E. Jones.

We don't. Was the full $600,000 expended? No. We removed the majority of the funds, all but. about 83 or 85,000.

Okay, so we, okay, that's good to hear. We didn't spend the 600,000.

No, that money actually, the city's using it for the rapid rehousing program. We took over the rapid rehousing program. Got it, okay.

No, thank you for that update. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Seeing no further comments, this is a received file, so does not require a vote. Thank you, council. Moving on to the next discussion item. Thank you, staff. Thank you, Cassandra. Item 22, policy options for shelter operations, local prioritization requirements. Could we begin with staff's presentation?

Good evening, Madam Mayor and honorable council members. I'm Gabby Leon, Homeless Solutions Manager, and I will be presenting the policy options for shelter operations and local prioritization requirements. On September 17, 2025, under agenda item number 19, The City Council directed staff to evaluate the feasibility of requiring public and private homeless shelters, interim housing facilities, recuperative care centers, and similar facilities operating within the city to reserve a percentage of beds for unhoused city residents and provide participant outcome data. In response to that direction, staff has completed its evaluation and it's bringing this item back to present its findings. identify legal funding and operational considerations, including potential implication, and request City Council's direction on the proposed recommendations. Consistent with the City Council's direction, the scope of the feasibility study included a comprehensive evaluation of the operational, legal, financial, and administrative considerations associated with potential requirements for homeless service providers operating within the city. Specifically, the study assess the feasibility of one, reserving a percentage of shelter beds for city of San Bernardino and house residents. Two, collecting and reporting participant demographic utilization and outcome data, including housing and service outcomes where permitted by law. Three, establishing a minimum security and safety planning expectations to promote the safety of participants, staff and surrounding neighborhoods. Four, evaluating potential community impacts and identifying strategies to foster positive neighborhood relations and mitigate adverse effect. And five, developing baseline facility standards and operational expectations to promote consistent, safe and effective service delivery across publicly and privately operated service facilities. Next, I'll provide you with the four major constraints that limit the city's ability to impose universal shelter requirements. The feasibility study identifies several legal and practical constraints that limit the city's ability to independently impose operational requirements on homeless service providers. First of all, the legal authority. The city has limited legal authority to require privately operated shelters. or service providers to reserve beds for city residents, or impose operational conditions unless such requirements are established through a funding agreement, contract development agreement, or other legally enforceable mechanisms. Requirements imposed outside of these authorities may be subject to legal challenges. Funding impacts. Imposing additional operational requirements without providing corresponding funding may create an unfunded mandate for providers potentially affecting program capacity, financial sustainability, and willingness to operate within the city. Future funding agreements may include performance expectations when supported by appropriate funded resources. Privacy restrictions. Federal and state privacy laws including Health Insurance Partability and Accountability Act or HIPAA were applicable. The California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act and HMIS privacy and security requirements limit the type of participant information that may be collected, shared, or reported. Data collection and outcome reporting must comply with all applicable confidentiality and privacy requirements. And finally, regional impacts. Homelessness is a regional issue that extends beyond municipal boundaries. Policies requiring residents' preferences or differing operational standards among jurisdictions may affect regional coordination, service accessibility, continuum of care collaboration, and equitable distribution of resources. coordinated regional approach is generally more effective than isolated jurisdictional requirements. Next, I'll go over the policy options that staff have evaluated. Option one is a hybrid option that includes a formal contract with the shelter provider and carries the strongest legal authority. Some legal and policy considerations. Legal authority, based on established principles of contract law and land use authority, clear funding nexus, where city funds are provided. Reduce if structured is aligned with HUD, COC and state program requirements address preemption risk. Enforcement, enforceability through contract remedies and land use compliance mechanisms. Operational impact. Targeted application limits disruption of non-city funded providers. Option two would establish a structured city-led shelter partnership framework designed to advance local prioritization, operational accountability, and community impact mitigation through collaborative agreements rather than universal mandates. The benefit of this option are low litigation risk, strong regional alignments, flexible implementation, and shared accountability. Nonetheless, it would require the participation of shelter operators, relevant city departments, COC leadership, and County Office of Homeless Services. The core components of policy option number two include five building blocks for a successful collaborative city-led shelter partnership framework. Before you are the legal considerations and policy considerations. Legal authority, it would be based on voluntary agreements and contractual authority where funding is provided. Preemption risk, minimal if structured in coordination with the county and COC partners. Operational impact, strengthen systems alignment without imposing unfunded mandates. Litigation risk, low relative to universal regulatory mandates and preliminary assessment. This option advances the council's policy objectives through structured collaboration, measurable agreements, and targeted funding tools while minimizing legal exposure and preserving provider autonomy. Comparative summary. Should the city require homeless shelter operator to reserve or allocate shelter beds specifically for city referrals and it's sufficient grant or external funding is unavailable to support those beds, there may be a financial impact to the general fund. The city could be responsible for costs associated with shelter operations, supportive services, case management, or bed utilization necessary to maintain the reserve capacity. The extent of any general fund impact will depend on the number of beds allocated, the duration of the commitment, available grant funding, and the ability to secure regional cost sharing or other funding resources. Staff will continue to pursue external funding opportunities and regional partnerships to minimize any potential general fund obligation. Staff has assessed that the options presented today will provide the strongest legal defensibility and lowest implementation risk. As I conclude this presentation, I want to highlight that since this item was presented, the city has added 140 shelter beds through partnerships with Lutheran Social Services, 18 interim housing beds, and consistently placed 134 unhoused individuals, including individuals and families in emergency shelter through motel vouchers. Thank you for your time. If you have questions, I can answer those for you.

Thank you for the presentation. I have Mayor Pro Tem. Any other comments? Followed by Council Member Charette. Did you have a comment? Mayor Pro Tem.

Thank you so much for the presentation. And I know when I initially brought this item forth, coincidentally with September 17th of 2025. So it's been actually a year to date. I did definitely take a hard-nosed approach because I see what's going on in my city streets. I hear the constituent concerns and the business concerns. Homelessness is the number one issue in the city of San Bernardino, and I understand it's a pervasive issue, but to the point that we mentioned earlier, accountability is imperative. We have had providers come to our city not asking for permission, setting up shop, And even within their own documents, they state specifically that they're bringing homeless from Long Beach, from LA, from other cities into our city. And we just do not have the capacity to take care of everyone's homeless. We don't. The city of San Bernardino holds over one third of the entire county's homeless right in our city. So this purpose of this is really so that we can effectively get people off the streets and be able to hold people that come to our city and set up these homeless entities accountable. I thank you for weaving through all of the legalities of it. I do appreciate that. And I think that what you guys have came to with the policy options, both one and two, I'm very pleased with it. So thank you. I did want to just ask, one of the things that I had asked when I do believe this is actually within the actual approval permitting process when it comes to a security plan and it comes to annual 12 months plans I didn't really see mention of that within any of the policy options is that just something that you guys are planning to kind of integrate into the good neighbor program or can we ensure that that is something that is still a obligation when it comes to the permitting

When it comes to permitting We we usually recommend that every shelter or every interim housing do have a good neighborhood policy the city does provide technical assistance to shelter operators if they're requiring a draft of what that should look like and even how to introduce their their organization to neighborhoods and how they could work when they're embedded within the neighborhood and Again, so they could be good partners to their neighbors and avoid complaints of people in their area loitering.

I guess the only concern that I have with that is making it an option. When I listen to some of the planning commission meetings regarding one of the homeless operations that came to our city, to my recollection, and maybe city attorney, you can opine that I believe it was embedded, and I just want to make sure that, again, this isn't an option. This is something that is a standard, that is a requirement for anyone trying to obtain a permit, even a CUP, that them submitting a security plan, as well as an annual 12-month security plan, that's an expectation.

Yes, thank you for the question. And that's my opportunity to kind of help all of you give all of us direction, what you want is you want all the options. And so I think what I would invite you to do is to give staff direction and myself direction to do three things. One, to adopt a resolution that would address the two policy options that Cassandra presented to you. In the situation where the city is going to engage in a partnership model with other agencies, we want to have a certain percentage of allocation and various requirements. The second one, the city's not part of it, but we're giving money. We want these requirements. We want certain allocation. That's two out of the three. The third one addresses what you just addressed now, and that is give us direction to write up a development code amendment so that for those projects, like you mentioned, that are gonna have to go through discretionary approval process. We'll have to apply for a CP or some other discretionary permit to update that process and put in some conditions so that it is mandatory, not optional. And so I would invite you to give us that direction too.

Okay, thank you. So I would like to make a motion to move this item forward with adding the direction to staff to update our development standards to include the security plan, as well as the annual 12-month security plan. Also, the facility standards to be incorporated into that as well. Second.

Thank you. I believe this recent file and their staff just taking all the feedback and be able to bring back. Is that correct? To bring back with all the feedback councils.

We actually do want direction on this, so I would invite the vote.

Okay, so then there's a motion and second. Madam city clerk, council member Ortiz has a comment before we move forward with the vote.

I just, I guess my question is who's going to enforce it. We're going to mandate it and who's going to enforce it. Who's going to make sure we get 40% of the beds.

So, um, as you're going to see with some of the other ordinances on your agenda, We can write in reporting requirements, right? There's two ways of doing it. One, it's city going out and inspecting. But there's an easier way of doing things, and that is to impose the obligation on them to report to us on a periodic basis, demonstrating to us that they are complying. Failure to report will be a violation. And when you have a discretionary entitlement process, We have revocation power. And so if they're violating, not only can we enact code enforcement action, but then we can revoke their permits too. And so there's a lot of tools available that we have.

So who's going to do that?

So I foresee that that would be in a couple different ways. It would be housing, community development, and also planning. Because when you look at it, a lot of these would be going through the entitlement process. So we would be doing as part of that entitlement process and reviewing them as part of that. because we can't go backwards to current facilities and we can't do it if it's a by right that doesn't have any, we have no discretion over. So these have discretionary approvals, so I think through the entitlement process would be part of it and then having similar to like a development agreement where we would be able to monitor it through that process.

So are we going to have the name of a person, an employee in this city, who does the job?

Specific employee? Probably would. At this time, we'd have to look at that, but we would not be hiring a specific employee for that purpose.

Sounds like it's part of incorporating within the staff, right? Yeah, it would be incorporated within the staff.

We do that a lot, and then we don't do it. And I think that's my – it's not a bad idea. It's just never – an implemented idea, right? It sounds great, right? Oh, yeah, we're going to mandate 40%. You can mandate 100%. But if you don't enforce it, it's like a firework. And so I think that's the thing is it looks good on paper. But where I guess when this comes back, I just want to know, I really want to know the title of the person who's going to do the enforcement. If not, this is all a fluff and fold policy attempt that sits on the shelf. And so I MEAN, THERE HAS TO BE IMPLEMENTATION. SO WITH THAT, IF WE COULD JUST KNOW, LIKE, WHAT'S THE JOB TITLE THAT COMES ALONG WITH THE POLICY? SO THAT'S JUST MY QUESTION. MAYOR.

THANK YOU. GOOD QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. MAYOR POTEM?

THAT'S ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD POINT. AND I WANTED TO ADD THAT TO MY MOTION. SO THANK YOU. BECAUSE I DID WANT TO ASK OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSE AND HOMELESSNESS. and I do recall when you were at that podium quite a bit ago, I had asked you, and I believe it was in regards to our budget, which I have been a harsh critic of, you had advised that you were short staffed. And we just sat here in our last council meeting and actually created a position in economic development, which is overstaffed. So I think that that actually deserves a lot more conversation in regards to how we are going to go about actually implementing the policies should this council choose to move forward with approving this and the other items, because my other items that I had brought forward for future agenda, they are on here as well. And I do agree with that point. Us making ordinances, we could do that all day long. If we're not able to enforce them, and the community isn't able to actually see the impact, it makes no difference. So I would like to hear, one, the comment that you made previously being short staffed, is that still valid today?

Yes, we definitely have staffing capacity issues. Now I can say that my housing team does a great job working conjointly with code enforcement And I do know that code enforcement also is dealing with some staffing capacity issues as well. But we will continue to do our best as these issues arise, where my outreach team connects with code enforcement to go. We need code enforcement on permit violations and issues pertaining to public health and safety. But on the operational side, that's where my staff will be able to come in and bring expertise to make sure that the facility is running at an optimal level. So this would be a joint effort, but to answer your question, yes, we do need additional individuals and staff to do the level of work that's required in this city.

No, and I thank you for that. I appreciate the honesty because I think all too often, and it is because of the financial circumstances that we're in, we ask all departments, public works, PD, to basically kind of do the best they can with what they have. I've asked repeatedly for an organizational assessment. I really hope that we can get that sooner than later, because as we are sitting here on the dice and making decisions, especially allocating funding, we need to be able to see the organizational assessment to be able to be better fiduciary overseers of our city funds. So I really highly recommend that that organizational assessment does come back to our city. so that all the things that we establish as far as ordinances, goals, priorities, we can actually make sure that the city can fulfill those. Thank you for that point, Council Member Ortiz. I would like to add that to my motion, if you're willing to still second. Thank you. That's fine.

Thank you.

There's a motion to second. Just to be specific, when it comes back, because it will come back for the reading, is it possible, and I don't know if the timing, to come back to the council with an actual... on how to implement that includes the necessary resources to make these policy options successful.

Staff, just wanna make sure if it's realistic.

Okay, so I'm looking at my fearless leader, city manager here. Yes, we definitely can have those conversations, and it will require the use of general funds, but that is a possibility, but it will require additional conversations with the city manager.

I think that's necessary because then we might have to, you know, move some other things around, especially if we get that organizational assessment. If we could have that added to it, I'd appreciate it.

Thank you. Motion second. Real quick, Mayor. And to Mayor Pro Tem's point, and I think the organizational assessment is just as important in conjunction with the comp and class study. Where is that?

Well, that's something we, based on what you want, As far as a formal organizational assessment, we're going out for a consultant. That's probably a year out.

But we've been working on a comp and class study for a couple years now. A very long couple year. A what study? It's a long year for a comp and class study.

Oh, class and comp.

So where are we?

Yeah, so the class and comp, that's a different thing than organizational assessment.

Well, it is, but it isn't, because you're going to look at the compensations versus the classifications and the duties and alignments of essential jobs within just the organization at this current point in time. So that's our snapshot. And so if there may be... a job that currently holds enough of a position within itself to accommodate the needs for Cassandra or for the department at this point in time that can then, as we look at this organizational assessment, develop itself into a more specific point as you guys work to do all this stuff. So I think we say this a lot is in holding up one piece kicks the can down the road. So we read, we put these ordinances into place, but what do we have currently where you can do temporary positioning, we can do a partial transfer, to help this implementation start now? Because assessments take time.

No, that's not a problem. I think we can do that. That's a different question than the organizational assessment. But yeah, we can do that. It depends on definition.

Yeah, I just want to know, where's the common class study? Because that also affects the budget.

Oh, it definitely does. Right. And so that's going to be a big thing. 100% does.

Yeah.

OK, thank you.

Thank you.

Seeing no further comments, motion second, please, Van City Clerk. Council Member Sanchez?

Yes.

Council Member Barr? Yes. Council Member Figueroa?

Yes.

Council Member Charette? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Knoss?

Yes.

Council Member Flores? Yes. Council Member Ortiz? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you. Thank you, Council. Moving on to item 23, introduced for first reading ordinance number MC1671, requiring notification of homeless individuals drop-offs in the city. Could staff begin presentation, please?

Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to bring us home with these last three ordinances. I don't have a PowerPoint for you, so I'm going to give my presentation verbally. We're going to take them one at a time. I'm going to give an overview of what it does, and then I'll pause for questions. There's a lot of detail. I'm going to kind of give you a broad overview, but we can go deeper into the detail if you would like that. This ordinance, it requires notification of the transport of unhoused persons who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence to the city of San Bernardino. You may have seen in the news that the city of Riverside adopted an ordinance that did just this. This is modeled after what the city of Riverside did. What it requires is for all government agencies, all nonprofits, and other organizations who are going to bring an unhoused individual into the city of San Bernardino to notify us in advance. And let me read to you, for your benefit and the benefit of the public, the purpose section of this ordinance, because I think it's important to understand why we're doing this. The purpose of the ordinance is to identify the place of origin for persons who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, to identify any county, city, other governmental entity, or other organization, including but not limited to nonprofits, that transport persons who are unhoused, to require government agencies and other organizations to aid such persons by providing shelter, care, outreach, and other homelessness-related resources in their own jurisdictions, rather than simply just transporting these individuals to the city. to manage and prioritize the city's limited homelessness related resources, including shelter, outreach, and supportive resources for the benefit of these individuals who reside in or originate from the city. And lastly, to prevent government agencies and other organizations from engaging in cruel and inhumane treatment of unhoused individuals by merely dumping them in the city without any coordinated plan for services. Let me give you a little bit of detail of what this ordinance will require. When one of these organizations wants to drop off an unhoused individual, within 24 hours, they will have to provide a written communication. And we will create a form for this for people to fill out. And they will also be accompanied by an education campaign to let the world know these are the new requirements. These are expectations. This is the form we're going to expect you to fill out. And it's also on our website, et cetera, et cetera. So they are going to have to tell us their name, address, and phone number, the date and time, the staff person filling it out, the full name, date of birth, and phone number of the individual being transported and dropped off, the location where the person is being transported from, The reason for the transport, whether it be shelter placement, family reunification, medical or behavioral health, or another reason. The name, address, and email address of the organization to whom the person is being transported. Whether the organization receiving the person being transported has already confirmed the acceptance of that person prior to being transported. A list of any conditions that the receiving organization is placing on the acceptance of that person. The name and title of the person who has agreed to receive the unhoused individual being transported. The expected date, time, and mode of transportation. The name and titles of the staff members accompanying the person during transport. the criminal justice status of the person being transported, for example, if they are on probation or on parole, and if applicable, in which county, whether the person is registered on the sex offender registry, and lastly, whether the person being transported is registered as an arson offender. All of that is the detail for step one. That's pre-transport. There's a part two. Part two is once the individual has been dropped off Then they also have to provide us in writing pretty much the same information that they were dropped off. I'm the person who dropped them off, this is my name, this is my phone number, this is the person who I dropped them off to, this is their organization, this is when I dropped them off, etc. So they mirror each other, pre and post. The enforcement for this is administrative fines, and so people that don't comply, they could be issued administrative fines, civil penalties, and other things that can rack up, and each day violation is a new violation. Let me pause there and ask if you have any questions, or you want a little bit more detail.

Council Member Charette, followed by Council Member Ortiz.

It sounds great. I love it. I'll move approval, but, and I, I do, I mean that, but we've all talked about teeth in these ordinances and we've talked about enforcement and you just addressed that, but we don't have people at all the entrances of our boundaries of the city. How do we know if someone's coming in? Is this all on the honor system of these other organizations? Many of them will comply, I would assume, if we're able to get them that information. But many will not comply. And my belief is that the fine has to be so severe, whatever's allowable, that word gets out that San Bernardino means business. That's what we've not done over many, many, many, many years. We've given lip service to a lot of ordinances and issues, and we've given excuses of why we can't or can't, but we need to put teeth in it, and as I think people have heard me say, until it hits you in the pocketbook, you don't get people's attention. And so again, a legal question would be, are we limited? I mean, can we, we've got the $1,000 a day fines. The state, with recycling, can fine us $10,000 a day. Is that not correct? If we're not complying on this CalRecycle stuff? So can we charge $10,000 a day? I'm as serious as a heart attack. This message has got to get out that we are serious about fixing this problem with compassion, but also that we're serious about it and we're not going to take no for an answer.

Okay, thank you, Council Member Fischer. Before we proceed, we're approaching 9 o'clock, 9 p.m., in accordance with Resolution 2024-029. Move to approve. There's a motion. Is there a second to continue? There's a second. Madam City Clerk.

Council Member Sanchez? Yes. Council Member Barra?

Yes, but I will have to leave early.

Okay.

Council Member Figueroa?

Yes.

Council Member Charette?

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Canas? Yes. Council Member Flores?

Yes.

Council Member Ortiz? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you. Mr. City Manager?

No. Sorry. I didn't... have anything specific other than you have to be delegated.

Just say, yes, we can do what I just talked about.

You can do fines. You have to do them at a reasonable level that, in my experience, that the courts would see as reasonable fines. Similar to what you were talking about with the cow recycling.

So the courts apparently have said that $10,000 a day for a cow recycled to find a city, if they're not in compliance with all those unfunded mandates that get sent down from the state, that's okay. We've got to start fighting fire with fire. Eric, I don't really expect an answer from you, I know, and it's a legal issue and it probably has to go through the courts, but we've got to start forcing these issues.

Thank you for the feedback, Council Member. Council Member Ortiz, followed by Council Member Ibarra.

I agree with Council Member Charette, but I disagree that it doesn't qualify for an answer because I think, and I don't know why fireworks just tends to be the thing that I always come back to, but there's a 20, first is a $2,500 fine, and then it goes up to $5,000. And so he's not incorrect that we can't have a scaling beginning and hit first, I mean, $2,500. Because truly there... It sounds great. But no one has to do it. What's going to happen is you're going to catch somebody. Someone's going to turn somebody in. Or you're going to have the nonprofits that work directly with the city that don't want to lose the city funding. And I think that's probably more of the area that you're going to get is people who is who comply with us. Because other than that, you don't have to. And then how are you going to do it equitably? Because you can't just, you can't completely ignore everything that goes on in the city and then go after one person one time and call yourself a hero. So how do we, because I think it's great, but...

You definitely have to be consistent with the fines that get put in place. So if you catch someone, you have to do it. The question is having the enforceability to have them pay and all that, and those are things we're going to have to work through.

Well, and Mr. City Attorney, are we working in conjunction with the county? Because they have a database similar to that, correct, where they track the county?

With who, I'm sorry? About transports of individuals?

Yeah, people coming in and out.

You know, I'd have to defer to Cassandra on that. I'm not aware.

Cassandra, weren't they?

They only did the anti-camping, I believe.

I'm sorry if I understood your question correct.

Is there a tracking database for the nonprofits where they're registering the people that are coming in?

Not to my knowledge.

So this would be a new technology for us? I guess, how is Riverside doing this?

I'm not sure. And I think to address your concerns, I think there's a few things. One is voluntary compliance, and that's part of the education campaign. The second is reverse engineering from our staff talking to individuals on the street. Where did you come from? How did you get there? Where were you before that, et cetera, right? And the third thing is if these places that they are being sent to are places that have a discretionary entitlement permit, then that's real teeth because if our standard conditions are you have to comply with all and every law. And so if they're not complying with this, that's grounds for revocation. That's their livelihood. That's their business. And so that's real teeth.

Okay. So then I guess we're looking at, like, monthly reports or weekly reports, I guess. It's something that staff – It would be – I'm sorry to interrupt, but technically it could be inundating because they could be getting someone new a day or every two days. And so that's – I'm just wondering, like, how are we going to – It can't be paper, right? It's got to be a database of entries where we can track and quantify and qualify, right, to help mitigate. You would just have someone sitting in front of a spreadsheet all day. It's a fair point.

I think that staff is going to have to think about how they want to receive the information in an efficient way.

Okay, because that may then be helping. And we're just supposed to be hearing you and giving you ideas? Actually, no.

This is an ordinance for first reading.

Okay.

And so we're asking for a motion and second and vote on the first reading.

Okay. But then you guys can tailor the, you can tailor the, you can tailor the needs to the ordinance, right? So this could, Oh yes.

What you're talking about, how to receive the information that's day to day implementation. It doesn't need to be specified. Oh, then I move to the ordinance.

Okay, I'm sorry. I thought we had to help you, like, develop IT. No, no, no. No, no, no, no. And then I think this is an ordinance, and then so, right. Okay, I was like, okay.

So there's already a motion and a second ready. There's already a motion. I'm just taking all the feedback or comments for the staff, and then we can call for the votes. Council Member Ibarra, followed by Mayor Potem.

I also want to thank staff on this ordinance. It's been long awaited for. I know, like I mentioned, we have mentioned on several cases of people being dropped off in vans. So let's say if they don't notify us and we find out who it is, do we have an idea? Is Riverside charging a fee right now, a fine for them? And if so, what is it?

I believe they have a similar language of administrative fines.

Is it per person or transfer?

Well, it's to the entity. It's mostly organizations. And so it will go, I mean, there will be a driver, but the citation will go towards the organization.

Okay, because I've heard of charter buses dropping off people out in our streets, especially shopping centers and their parking lots in the middle of the night. And so I just wanna make sure that we do have the enforcement and I wouldn't mind letting all the other neighboring cities and our partners know of what's gonna come up. We wanna make sure that everybody gets properly serviced. That's the main goal. To leave somebody on the streets, we're doing a disservice to our unhoused. And I will commit myself to work on the point in time count questionnaire. I know I've asked THAT THEY ADD A SPECIFIC QUESTION THAT THEY BE ASKED WHAT CITY DID YOU ORIGINATE FROM OR WHERE WAS YOUR HOMETOWN AND THAT HASN'T BEEN ADDED. SO I WILL KEEP PUSHING FOR THAT UP UNTIL I CAN IN DECEMBER. BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU STAFF FOR DOING THIS. BECAUSE WE HAVE WITNESSED A LOT OF DROPPING OFF. WE PROVIDED INFORMATION. WE'VE DONE IT PUBLICLY AND NOTHING GETS DONE. AND I THINK THAT'S A CONCERN THAT WE HAVE THIS ORDINANCE AND We don't follow through. We also have to think of how much it costs the city to bring somebody into housing, to provide them the services, the staff that we pay for. We have to make sure that whatever fines they do get for doing this without notifying us, that it's going to help pay down a lot of the expenses that the city encounters. And I don't think a lot of the agencies realize that when they drop off a homeless person in our city the burden for our name for our neighborhoods for our businesses It takes a toll on our city So we need to be cognizant when we do the fines that it's something that is going to tell them do not drop off people into our city because we are Overwhelmed with unhoused. So thank you for bringing this ordinance before us.

I hear those concerns I think they're very valid concerns And as I'm thinking here, you know, in the enforcement section of this ordinance, I drafted it so that there would be fines imposed for each day of noncompliance. But I think actually it makes more sense to tie it to the individual. to have fines be tied to each individual for which the city did not receive notification. So if you have a charter bus and there were 20 or 30 unhoused individuals, they don't just get one, they get all 30 for all 30 individuals. And so maybe by a show of hands, if you would like me to make that revision, then I can do that. I only see three.

Can you repeat the revision?

Yes, it would be to tie the enforcement, not just to each day of noncompliance, but each individual for which the organization did not comply. In other words, you have a charter bus, you have 30 people on the bus, they didn't notify us. Instead of giving them one fine, let's say of $1,000, they're gonna get $1,000 fine for each of the 30. Thank you for that. So by show of hands, do I have majority support for that? Okay, so I will make that just for the record. I'm gonna make that change. You'll see if it passes when it comes back for a second reading.

Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Ibarra, do you have any further comments? You're good? That was all. Thank you. Mayor Pro Tem.

Thank you, City Attorney, for that addition, because I have seen literally busloads of individuals being dropped off, even in the Fifth Ward. I sent Deputy City Manager and City Manager a text message of pictures of the remnants of what had been dropped off in front of an apartment complex. I had never seen anything like that in all my years of living here in the city of San Bernardino. I also know that Taco Tia recently closed down and one of their complaints was every Tuesday, a white van would pull up and drop off homeless individuals in the city of San Bernardino. So this is a real concern. It is going on and we do have to address it. I would like to ask kind of similar to our last item that all these things that are being mentioned could come back to us upon that next resolution reading. And then also, can we also provide direction to communication not just to Inland Empire cities, but beyond as well. When this ordinance and if this ordinance is implemented, we need to send this signal to LA, especially as the Olympics are coming in. I do believe a lot of the individuals are coming from Los Angeles, but also Orange County cities as well to let the other counties know of our recently implemented new ordinance. And then also, if a press release could be done in social media so that our residents know, so that when they see these things, They know to report it, kind of like a see something, say something. We're encouraging our residents, take pictures, send it, and this is a form that you can use to do so. In regards to the notifications, it was brought up regarding a point person. I think it was going to our deputy.

I have it going to Cassandra. Yes. That's her title.

And I know we discussed that in our meeting. I do have concerns with that. She is a deputy director. She oversees, and as she mentioned tonight, she's already short-staffed. I don't want information just being collected just because. I know that this isn't giving authorization to people. It is just notification. But what we do with that data that we do receive is important. And so I would like to see something come back to the council at the next reading in regards to really more of a feasible, if we do need to add staff, if that's what the recommendation is, I would like for us to be able to consider that so that these policies are truly impactful.

Thank you. Is that enough time, staff? Just want to make sure, because Mayor Patel mentioned next meeting. Or do you need additional?

To recommend on adding staff, I wouldn't recommend that I would bring that forward at the next meeting. But we can look at that as we evaluate that as we go towards mid-year.

And then you'll bring it back to share that with us. OK. Sounds good. There's a motion and second. Please call for the votes.

council members ask a quick question like what is a timeline because we really do need to get some more clarity in regards to you know structure internally so that the things that we do pass here are effective yeah so I think part of it is because people bring up the fiscal issues with the city people bring up adding more and more staff in different departments those two don't go together and so I think We need to sort of have that mid-year will be coming around January, February. I think we need to have that discussion at that time.

And I respect that wholeheartedly, but we didn't have that same approach when we were adding and taking from the general fund $150,000 for the Love Your Block grant. So how come that same approach wasn't taken then?

So what we did based on the Love Your Block, based on what the council directed at the Love Your Block, they're bringing back that item where we're going to be, as I understand it, economic development is bringing back that we are not going to bring a full-time position but two part-time, which we currently have with the Love Your Block program. It was grant funding. It was grant funding. Yeah, that was the difference. But we are going to be bringing out, we're going to be recommending some funds from like the cultural development fund to be used, not for the staffing, but for the programming, but increasing the funds in that particular one for the actual improvements for the neighborhoods and trying to lower the staffing costs on that. So that's going to be coming back based on the direction of the council. But...