October 13, 2026 City Council Meeting

What happened

Timestamps, item boundaries and summaries on this page come from an automatic (speech-to-text) transcript of the city’s YouTube recording, checked against the posted agenda. Times may be off by a few seconds, the transcript does not identify speakers, and names and numbers may be misheard. The approved minutes are the official record. Methods

• The council honored volunteer James Price. It heard public comment, mostly about the school district's Measure ED bond, youth basketball fees, bike-lane flooding, Rio Hondo Park's handball courts, and library news.
• Consent items 1–9 passed 5-0, including a $195,000 playground resurfacing contract, a $137,559 striping contract, and a $1,000,000 construction contingency for the Smith Park Aquatic Center.
• The council proclaimed a local emergency for the 2026-27 El Niño season, 5-0, after a staff briefing on storm preparedness.
• In council reports, Lutz asked to agendize a sister-city relationship with Changting County, China, for Oct 27 (seconded by Sánchez), and the Mayor re-established the Sister City ad hoc committee.

Agenda items, in order

1. Opening, roll call, invocation and pledge

   The recording is silent until about 36:20. Roll call, invocation by Council Member Garcia, and the pledge led by a fourth-grade student.

   Outcome: All five members present (video and draft minutes). The draft minutes say the meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m.

   ▶ Watch 36:22 · Read in transcript

2. Special presentation: James Price proclamation

   Proclamation – James Price

   Proclamation honoring James Price for decades of volunteer service, including helping build the Pio Pico Park playground and coaching youth sports. Commissioners Joshua Carrasco (Parks and Recreation) and Aldo Macias Arellano (Sister City) were recognized.

   Outcome: Presentation only; no vote.

   ▶ Watch 41:02 · Read in transcript

3. Public comments

   Seven speakers (see the Public comments tab).

   Outcome: Comments only; no action. One speaker was asked to stay after the meeting to meet with staff; another was offered a follow-up meeting.

   ⚑ A speaker named Victor Gonzalez praised the Mayor and asked the council to waive youth basketball fees. A Victor Gonzalez also appears in connection FL10. Whether this is the same person is not verified. ▶ 1:00:06 · Connections

   ▶ Watch 49:38 · Read in transcript

4. 1–9. Consent calendar (items 1–9)

   Approved together without discussion:

   • 1. Minutes of Sep 22, 2026; receive and file Planning Commission minutes
   • 2. 5th warrant register of FY 2026-27
   • 3. Updated job descriptions for the Account Clerk series (Resolution 7509)
   • 4. Holiday closure of city facilities, Dec 24–31, 2026 (Resolution 7510)
   • 5. Tri-agency MOU with Rio Hondo College and El Rancho Unified for workforce and career pathways
   • 6. Spectra Turf: Rivera Park sandbox and playground resurfacing, not to exceed $195,000, plus $20,000 contingency
   • 7. Multi W Systems: as-needed pump repairs, three years, not to exceed $150,000
   • 8. J&S Striping: major arterials signing and striping, $137,559, plus $55,000 contingency
   • 9. Smith Park Aquatic Center renovation: construction contingency up to $1,000,000

   Outcome: Approved 5-0. The draft minutes list a motion by Lutz, a second by Sánchez, and a roll call (all five yes). On the video it sounds like a voice vote (“any opposed, any abstentions… hearing none”).

   ⚑ Item 9 (Smith Park Aquatic Center contingency): the construction contract is with Swinerton Builders. This project's connection review found no link to a council member and noted an inconsistent vote record for the original award. · Vendor: Swinerton Builders (FL14)

   Contract C438 (Spectra Turf) · Contract C439 (Multi W) · Contract C440 (J&S Striping)

   ▶ Watch 1:11:48 · Read in transcript

5. 10. Local emergency for the 2026-27 El Niño season

   Resolution Proclaiming the Existence of a Local Emergency from the 2026-27 El Niño Event

   Public Works Director Negrete briefed the council on storm preparedness: emergency purchasing, mutual aid and cost recovery, staff on standby, Emergency Operations Center levels, and outreach. Sandbags are at fire stations and sand is at the city yard. Members asked for early sandbag distribution, billboard alerts, coordination with the school district, and attention to nursing homes.

   Outcome: Approved 5-0 on a roll call (Resolution 7511). The draft minutes list the motion by Garcia and the second by Lutz.

   ▶ Watch 1:12:18 · ▶ Roll call, 5-0 1:48:25 · Read in transcript

6. City Manager and staff reports

   Regional rail station: a Metro committee motion for $6 million in design and environmental funds. Staff also cited $3.5 million in federal community project funding sought through Rep. Linda Sánchez, and said it would seek $12 million from the state; the San Gabriel Valley COG agreed to deliver the project, an estimated 5–7 years out. Also: Spooktacular moving to Pico Park, the Play Pass fee-assistance program, and road repair dates from Oct 26 to Dec 4.

   Outcome: Reports only; no action.

   ▶ Watch 1:48:35 · Read in transcript

7. Good of the Order (council reports, AB 1234)

   Each member reported (see the Public comments tab, Council reports).

   Outcome: Lutz asked to agendize the Changting County sister-city item for Oct 27; the draft minutes say Sánchez seconded. Per the draft minutes, the Mayor re-established the Sister City ad hoc committee.

   ⚑ Lutz asked to agendize the Changting County sister-city item; Sánchez seconded (draft minutes). On Oct 27 the City Attorney advised both not to take part in that item (FPPC), and Sánchez said their trip had been sponsored by the PRC. ▶ 2:05:19 · Oct 27, 2026 meeting

   ▶ Watch 1:58:06 · Read in transcript

8. Adjournment

   No closed session.

   Outcome: Adjourned; the draft minutes say 7:48 p.m.

   ▶ Watch 2:21:14 · Read in transcript

Connections, recusals and disclosures

Documented connection, not evidence of impropriety.

• Item 9 (Smith Park Aquatic Center contingency): the construction contract is with Swinerton Builders. This project's connection review found no link to a council member and noted an inconsistent vote record for the original award. · Vendor: Swinerton Builders (FL14) (item)
• A speaker named Victor Gonzalez praised the Mayor and asked the council to waive youth basketball fees. A Victor Gonzalez also appears in connection FL10. Whether this is the same person is not verified. ▶ 1:00:06 · Connections (item)
• Lutz asked to agendize the Changting County sister-city item; Sánchez seconded (draft minutes). On Oct 27 the City Attorney advised both not to take part in that item (FPPC), and Sánchez said their trip had been sponsored by the PRC. ▶ 2:05:19 · Oct 27, 2026 meeting (item)

Records for this meeting

Key votes

Contracts

Roll calls heard on the video

Parsed from the auto-transcript; partial parses are common. The approved minutes are the record of the vote.

Public comments

Names are spelled as in the draft minutes where listed. The minutes call the school measure “Measure ER”, while the speakers say “Measure ED” on the video. Home addresses are not shown.

Council member comments and reports

Member names follow the draft minutes and the Mayor's introductions. The auto-transcript has a gap near 2:10:48, where Garcia's report is mostly missing.

Full transcript

Automatic speech-to-text transcript, without speaker names; it may contain errors. Click any line or timestamp to watch that moment on YouTube. Home addresses are removed.