Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The council passed a formal statement supporting Palestinian people in Gaza in a 5-1 vote, with Cesar Zepeda voting no and Claudia Jimenez absent. The resolution condemned what the mayor and vice mayor called collective punishment and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The item drew 183 public comments, with speakers divided between supporting Palestinian solidarity and ceasefire calls and expressing concerns about Jewish community safety and the resolution's inflammatory language.

The city finished the 2022-23 fiscal year with $14.3 million in unspent funds, with revenue coming in 5% above budget at $226 million. Staff presented the year-end financial report to the council, though no vote was recorded on how to allocate the surplus funds. During public comment, speakers urged full funding for the Community Crisis Response Program using some of the unspent money.

Several personnel and budget items received no votes, including updates to the city employee pay scale based on a 2020 compensation study and formal approval of salary increases for police and fire managers. The council also heard proposals for a $142,000 Fire Department wellness program over three years and a $715,500 contract to build a retaining wall protecting Santa Rita Road from mudslide damage.

The council considered a $1.09 million emergency preparedness plan for earthquake and wildfire response, including $300,000 for goats to manage vegetation and $400,000 for citywide planning. Other items without votes included seeking proposals to establish an arts district using federal pandemic recovery funds and meeting privately with lawyers about potential litigation.